An Easter #Hallelujah

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR: Sorry readers! I wish I had a better excuse for not posting Sister Robinson's emails and letters more consistently, but I have just been extremely busy! Hopefully you don't mind this big catch up post, but trust me, it's full of some of Abbie's incredible experiences she has been having, and you'll want to read the entire thing. So grab some popcorn and settle in, because you'll be here for a while! I'll try to update her blog more frequently for you guys in the future. Thanks for being patient with me in the mean time. Samantha

 Freaking Satan!

 Hello hello to my favourite people in the whole wide world!

Sooo wow. This week was insane. I don't even know where to begin. I don't think I have ever felt this much heartache in the past 9 months, except for maybe Christmas day after skyping my family. I am going to disclose why being a missionary is THE HARDEST CALLING EVER in the following paragraphs. I don't mean for this to be depressing, but this is real life. It's full of ups and downs, in case you didn't know!

{The Sisters}
Okay so let's start off with Tyson. Those of you who have been following my emails and blog know that Tyson is absolutely golden. He's amazing. Like more than amazing. All missionaries dream about having an investigator like him, right? Well that's what I thought. However, this week it was like someone flipped a switch. Someone flipped a switch that is not supposed to be flipped!! So for work, Tyson has 7 days off and then 7 days on. That means we are able to see him for 7 days straight when he has work off, and then we are literally fighting against Satan for 7 days straight when he goes back to work! It is so hard and discouraging ugh. So we had amazing lessons with him last week, and he told us that he is no longer tempted to do anything contrary to the church's teaching. It was a miracle and a half! 

...And then he was thrown back into Babylon, and we didn't hear from him much... When we finally got ahold of him, he basically said this: "I don't know if I can do this anymore. I'm backing out of the baptism. I know I need the church, but whenever I go to work I just fall back into my old habits again. I feel like I am slapping Jesus in the face and dirtying the church with my sins. I don't want to waste your time. I'm sorry." My heart felt like it was ripped out of my chest!! I was so heart broken by this. However, I fasted for him on Sunday, and I still have hope that he will come back. We are trying to set up an appointment to see him tomorrow, so stay tuned to hear how that goes!

{The cutest Filipino family in the whole wide world!}
Something interesting was what happened right after we first heard that Tyson was falling away. We went to visit a returning less active member in the branch, and when her daughter, Amelia, opened the door, one of the first things she said to me was, "My teacher died." It took me a second to process it, but once I realized what she said, I had to do my best to forget about my own worries and turn around and comfort this young girl who's faith has been shaken, because a dear friend of hers lost her life. I have never lost someone close to me, and I am very blessed because of that, so it was hard for me to put myself in her shoes. However, while we were talking with her and her mom, I prayed for help so that they would feel comfort from the words we said. We talked to them about the plan of salvation, and how sometimes God's purposes are greater than ours. 

As a result, my love for the Saviour grew immensely. He is the ultimate example of someone who is always turning outward in the service of those around Him. Despite all of the challenges and heartache that He must have felt throughout his life, he pressed forward day by day with unshaken faith in God's purposes for His children. I hope to one day obtain a greater understanding, but for now, I will stick to what I know. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and I know that he has a plan for all of us. Although I do not know what His specific plan is for me and for those that I teach, I do know that if I strive to rely on Him through it all, everything will happen how it is supposed to happen.

{This is Teresa! She's the lady we met and rescued in the rollover accident! :) }

Okay that's enough of the sad stuff. If I put all of that aside, I can see clearly the Lord's hand in my life this past week! We saw so many miracles! We met a lot of people who have truly been prepared to accept the restored gospel. Satan is working really hard on them though, because we have not been able to meet with any of them yet. Appointments have been falling through left and right, and it has been really hard, but there are brighter days ahead! I know there are. Stay tuned for next week. We have at least 7 amaaaaazing potential investigators and each one of them has a story. I'll give a brief overview of some of them:

Dale: I was filling up our car at the gas station, when I noticed a man watching me. (Not in a creepy way, I promise) So I started talking to him. Mostly small talk, and then went inside to pay and on our way out, I noticed him kinda looking at us still. He asked us, "What are you guys all about?" Long story short, we pulled into another parking lot, and talked to him briefly about the restoration of the gospel, gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon, and set up an appointment with him. The appointment fell through due to a family emergency (freaking Satan!!), but it was still an amazing experience! It's crazy how the Lord will ensure that His missionaries are in the right place at the right time. We rescheduled and will be seeing him next Monday.

Texas: See last email... We haven't been able to meet with him, because of all the crazy shenanigans Satan is pulling, but he is still genuinely interested, and we are going to be seeing him soon!

Kennan: On Sunday, a man walked into the chapel who I had never seen before! He looked a little rough- not the typical Mormon look. So we approached him after sacrament meeting, and he told us we was "led" to the church building. (WHAAAAAAT?!) Yeah, so we talked to him briefly, and then Kelvin (amazing member missionary Kelvin) worked his magic and Kennan stayed for all three hours of church! And now we are going to be teaching him with Kelvin tonight, and it is going to be the BOMB.COM! 

Rick: We were going through our former investigators in our area book, and we came across one named Amanda. She seemed promising, so we went and knocked on her door. A round and shirtless man ("With a Santa Claus belly" -Sister Neal) named Rick answered the door, and told us that Amanda was in jail for fraud.... #COOL. But! We asked him if he was interested in learning about the gospel, and he told us that his brother in law is a member, and that he wants to be baptized. As you can imagine, we are absolutely thrilled to begin teaching him.

{At the branch tobogganing party! This is an old picture but I love it!}
Overall, there were so many ups and downs this week. It was so draining. Going from happy to sad to ecstatic to depressed is EXHAUSTING. However, we made it! It is a brand new week, and all is well. All is well. :) We are still alive, and miracles are still happening! 

I know that Heavenly Father is watching over us, and I am learning to be grateful for these trials, because they really do make me stronger. I have been reciting Ether 12:27 nonstop in my head this week... It is a very true verse! Thank you for all of your love and support! I know that I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you.

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Xoxoxo

Sista Robinson

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Good evening everyone!!

First things first, Sister Keith had a dream that I gave Katy Perry a Book of Mormon this week... So that was pretty cool! 

Things really turned around this week!! If you couldn't tell... Last week was.. rough. BUT! (if you buy 2 completos, it is only 2 dollars ;)) This week we saw an unbelievable number of miracles!! I owe it all to the Lord! He's got our backs for sure.

{Group comp study turned into group cuddle sesh... Don't ask. It's normal. ;) }
So we had exchanges this week, and Sister McKeon joined Sister Keith and I in Drayton Valley! We had an awesome day. Sister McKeon is so bold! She has absolutely no fear! We talked to so many people, and gave out a lot of Book of Mormons. She made it all look so easy! I am definitely going to try to be better at talking to everyone... I chicken out way too easily. But when you really think about it, all of these people are sons and daughters of Heavenly Father, and they NEED the gospel!! Everyone needs it!! 

The next day, at the gas station (so many miracles happen at the gas station- I love it), Sister Keith approached this man and basically said "HI! How are you? We're missionaries, and we want to give you this book-" Before she could continue, he was like "Oh! I already have a Book of Mormon, and I am trying to get through it right now... I don't know a whole lot about it though. I would love to meet with you girls sometime to learn more." We stood there dumbfounded!! Uhhh... Is this always what happens when you approach random strangers at the gas station and tell them about the Book of Mormon?! It was AWESOME.

Oh and a quick update on Tyson!! All is well!! He scared us there for a little while, but i think everything is going to be just fine. He expressed to us that he was kind of testing his limits this last week to see what would happen if he didn't continuously read his scriptures and what not. Guys...please don't do this. A lot of bad things happened to him in 1 short week. We shared Alma 7:11-13 with him and talked about how we have to continually use Christ and His Atonement to find strength. 
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
This week was awesome!! As Sister Neal would say, "Freaking Satan is going dowwwwwn. To the ground."

Hahaha. I love this gospel!! It is so true!! Miracles DO happen!! Pray for them :) Prayer works. Who knew, right? 

Ahhhh I love it. Well I hope you all have a great week!! 
{Sister Cressman and her daughter}

XOXOXOXOXO

Sister Robinson


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His Grace is Sufficient

I have so many wonderful things to tell you all about this week! First off, I would like to pour out my utmost thanks to my wonderful, loving family! Thank you for all of the kind words which you said about me in sacrament meeting! You made me sound like a super star... Or a super missionary star! ;) Hahaha... Lame joke, I know. But seriously. Sometimes as a missionary, I get really discouraged, because I feel like there is always something more I could be doing to better put all of my time and efforts into serving the lord. However, you all made me feel really good about the work I am doing. So thank you. :) I love you all.

This week was awesome! Seriously. With Easter approaching, we have been sharing the #hallelujah mormon message with as many people as we can. As a result, I have been getting very excited for Easter, and my
understanding of the atonement has grown immensely. I am so grateful for the opportunity I have as a missionary to share the message of the atonement. It changes lives! It is AWESOME!

We talked to Tyson a lot about the atonement this week, and how he can rely on it in every aspect of His life. I think so often people don't realize that they can rely on Jesus Christ in literally every aspect of their lives. He suffered in the garden of Gethsemane and on the cross so that he could be our comforter, healer, advocate, and friend. In His own words, he said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) Christ is our exemplar, right? That means He is the ultimate example for each of us. The love that He showed to us by sacrificing His life is incomprehensible and incomparable. And in doing so, he fulfilled the first and second greatest commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Matthew 22:37-39) By following the will of His Father, He showed His love for Him and for each of us. The atonement is so amazing, am I right? Okay... That's the end of my scripture study lesson. ;)

{A beautiful day for the temple}
Tonight we had a really interesting lesson with two new investigators of ours named Brett and Ben. They are both very devout Christians, and they tended to pick apart everything we said. It was well... Interesting. It turned into a debate on grace verses works, and man oh man. It was tough to help them understand that grace is not only what saves us, but even more so it is what changes us. I wanted them both to just shut up, sit down, and listen to Brad Wilcox's talk, "His Grace is Sufficient!" (P.S. If any of you have not heard/read this talk, stop what you are doing and look it up! It is the BOM.com) Hahaha, but unfortunately it's not that simple. We did have a really good conversation with them though, and they had a lot of really really great questions. Sometimes however, it is nice to teach someone without a religious background, because they are way more open. Oh well. It was still a nice and happy visit, and they want to meet with us again. So that's good. :)

Overall, this week was fantastic! Heavenly Father has been leading and guiding us to the places that we need to be. The other day, we decided to go to the park to try to find new people to teach, and we met this AMAZING family who was super nice and super open to having us come over to teach them! I am excited to see what happens with them. But that was a huge testimony builder for me that the Lord really does ensure that His missionaries will find those whom He has prepared. He is on our side, no doubt. :)

Well I love you all! Thank you for everything!!! I hope you have a great week, and take time to truly ponder on all that Christ has done for us during this Easter season.

Jesus loves you!! We have this sign in our car that says "Jesus loves you!" and we show it to people while we're driving all the time.

It's cool.

Okay, bye for real. :)))

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Sista Robinson



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Better Than a #Hallelujah

Hellooooo people of America :)

{Always time for some fun}
Well, the inevitable has happened. Yesterday, we received a dreaded phone call from President Manion. I answered, reluctantly, "Hello, President Manion."

"Hello, Sister Robinson! Will you serve as a Sister Training Leader with Sister Angilau in the Lakewood area?"

My heart sank. :( I don't want to leave Drayton Valley!! I love it here. Isn't it crazy how attached we humans get to each other? Man, I am going to miss the people of Drayton Valley. It's strange to think that just 5 months ago I didn't even know this place existed, and now I never want to leave. 

It'll be good though! I know bright days are ahead. I am also very humbled that the Lord has entrusted me with this calling. Being a Sister Training Leader means I will go on exchanges weekly, lots of meetings, I will train big groups of missionaries often, and I will have to be exactly obedient! I got this!! ...I think ;) I am so excited and nervous and happy and anxious all at once!

On a happier note, Easter and the General Women's Broadcast was this week! What a blessing to have both of those wonderful spiritual days side by side. I really loved that the main theme of the broadcast was love and service. It really hit home. In our world today, we definitely need more people who are willing to show their love to those around them by doing good deeds and acts of kindness.

Inline image 1

I loved sharing the message of the atonement with so many people this time of year. It always invites the spirit and inspires people to change. I love Jesus, and I love all that He has done for us!!

Inline image 2

Have a great week! :)

Sista Robinson

P.S. Watch the #Hallelujah video!! It's so awesome!!

Transfers, Surprises, & Miracles

TRANSFER CALLS CAME!

You guys are never going to believe what is happening this transfer! So president called Monday morning and asked me to train another new missionary! I am so excited! I honestly loved training Sister Neal. I
learned and grew in so many ways, and I am stoked. But wait! There's more! I am going to be training the new sister with SISTER NEAL. So we are all going to be serving together here in Drayton Valley!! Ahhhh!!
Heavenly Father just knows, doesn't he? It feels like a dream. Way too good to be true. I can't wait!


{Screenshot from the video of the Sisters answering the transfer call!}
In other news, Joe got baptized! His baptism was amazingly amazing. The spirit was so strong. Their whole family is progressing so rapidly. I've never been so proud. Lisa has been teaching Sunday school, John helped bless the sacrament this past Sunday, and also gave Joe the priesthood! Amazing, right? To think that only 3 months ago, John picked up the phone to call the missionaries. Crazy.

Also, this week Jen got interviewed for baptism and she is going to be baptized on Saturday! I'm so proud of her! She has been taking steps, and keeping her commitments, and now she is FINALLY getting baptized on Saturday! All good things here in DV :)

More to come. :)

Sorry today was so short!
I love you all! Have a great week :)
{No caption needed!}
Xoxoxo

Sister Robinson

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HEY GUYS.

So first off! I have never been so clumsy in my whole life! First and foremost, I got SUPER stuck in the snow, and we had to have one truck tow me out, and then THAT TRUCK GOT STUCK TOO, so we had ANOTHER truck tow that truck out and then my car finally got unstuck. I took a funny video and posted it on the icloud album. #missionlyfe. But that's just one of many embarrassing moments I have had this week. Fun stuff...

{The adventures of getting my car SUPER STUCK in the snow!}
So as you all know, transfers were this week! Amazing. I know. So my lovely daughter, Sister Neal, moved back in with me and we adopted a daughter together named Sister Keith. Funny how all of our first names are Sister, right? We're pretty clever, I guess. ;) But OH MY LANTA has is been stressful!!! It's one thing having to train one new missionary, but it's another thing having to help another missionary learn the names of all the active and less-active members, investigators, and potential investigators we are working with! As well as who needs what, why they need that, and all that jazz. It's been crazy. I've been bombarded with questions by those to lovelies left and right since last Wednesday. It's been crazy. However, I feel like things are getting better. Luckily I have Sister Neal to help me train Sister Keith, so I have a bit of that load off my chest.... 

Crazy times. Craaaaazy times. Missions really make you stretch and grow in so many ways! Holy man. It's great though. I am so proud of the person I'm becoming. I just want to be even better! I want this gospel to be taught to everyone! I love it so much. 

{Sister Keith, all bundled up!}

So you all know a decent amount about Sister Neal... But all you know about Sister Keith is that she's a brand new greenie missionary! So cute. She is amazing, first off. She's a great missionary. But she is actually waiting for her visa to arrive so that she can go to her real mission, the California Riverside mission. I hope it doesn't happen too soon though, because I love training. :) So Sister Keith is a Canadian through and through! She's from Ottawa, Ontario. She's the youngest of 4. She hates sea food and being late to appointments. She loves singing, running, and listening to good music. I think we're going to get along just fine :) Except for the sea food thing... I don't know about that. 

So update time! Tyson is doing so amazing! We have been able to see him every day since last Friday. It's been so amazing. We're teaching him tonight as well. But in the very first lesson we all had together with Tyson, SISTER KEITH (brand new greenie Sister Keith!!!) invited Tyson to be baptized on March 26th! And guess what *drum roll please...* He said yes!! It was actually amazing, because we planned to teach him about baptism that day, and while he was talking about it, he said something along the lines of, "I'm actually really excited to be baptized. I'm looking forward to converting." It was perfect. So Sister Keith is great. That's the end of my rant. :)

What else happened this week...? Let's think. OH! Jennifer got baptized!! Yes way! I know! Amazing! She's been investigating for THREE YEARS, and she FINALLY made the commitment and followed through!! It was the most spiritual baptism I have ever been to. Seriously incredible. Me and my comps sang "Come Follow Me," and we sounded pretty not-bad, as Sister Keith would say. ;) and then Jennifer and I cried together at the end when we were all singing "I am a Child of God." It was a very tender moment. I really really love Jen, and I am so proud of her. 

{Jen's baptism! The little one is her daughter, Makayla.}

Yay!! 

{Way too good at this}

Okay so today we went icefishing, and that is why I have limited time this week. It was awesome though! We actually caught some fish this time! I'll send pics soon :) Well I love you all! The church is true. The book is blue :)

{Fresh catch!}

xoxoxoxox

Sista Robinson


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Hello my lovelies!

So I added a few people to the list this week, and I hope that you enjoy following me in this Candian journey. #holla! I am genuinely curious as to how many of you actually read the emails that I send. I remember back home when missionaries would send me their group email, I would kinda glance at it, and never actually read it. So for a while I thought it would be a waste of time to type up a group email. However, I find that it's a much more efficient way to tell everyone what's up here in the Great White North! So let it begin...

{We decided a spa night was necessary.}

This week was actually awesome! Full of ups and downs, as usual, but wonderful nonetheless. :) I am getting into the groove of things (finally) with my two newbies. We've been teaching like mad, and it's going really well! I'll start off with a miracle!

So miracle #1: 
We were having one of those mornings where absolutely every plan and backup plan we could think of fell through. However, one of our tires was low, so we decided to go to get some air put in our tire. Conveniently, one of the members in our branch, Kelvin, who owns a car shop here in town, just so happens to be the greatest member missionary of all time! So off we went to Kelvin's Car Care, with no idea of the events that were about to transpire. So we get to the shop, tell them we need air in our tire, chat with Kelvin for a while about one of our investigators who is struggling to understand the Godhead, when we notice that a man standing close by was eaves dropping on our conversation. So Kelvin turns to the man and introduces him to us. His name is Texas (Yes, that's his real name), and he was very interested in what we were saying about Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Next thing we knew, Kelvin started teaching him all about the restoration! He even recited the first vision to him right there in the middle of the car shop! It was amazing. After that, Texas had us sit down with him so he could ask us more about the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, prophets, etc. It was SO COOL. The spirit was so strong, and he was soaking up every word we said. We are planning on teaching him this weekend, so stay tuned :)

{Ladies (Sisters?) who lunch}

I've noticed that each week there's some sort of a pattern or a theme to the lessons and people that we teach. This week, we taught a lot of people how to pray. I never realized how many people don't know how to pray! So an investigator of ours named Sylvia has ultimately no Christian background or belief in God. We taught her a couple times this week, and were able to help her recognize times in her life when God has been watching over her or reaching out to her. When she said the closing prayer in one of the lessons, the spirit was so strong! It was the most simple but sincere prayer I've ever heard. In her prayer, she said something along the lines of: "Thank you for sending me the sisters to teach me more about how I can come closer to you." I am so excited to see where things go with her.

Another person we taught how to pray is an investigator of ours named Meighan. She is so sweet and open to having us over, but in the past it has been difficult trying to get her to open up to us spiritually. However, yesterday, she told us that she has never really prayed before, and doesn't have a very deep understanding of who God is and how she can incorporate him into her life. So again, we talked to her about the importance of prayer and how it can help her to build up her faith in God. At the end of our lesson, we asked her to offer the closing prayer (honestly, doubting that she would comply), and she did it! Again, it was a very simple prayer, and she was super nervous, but it was also really beautiful and I was so happy!

Tyson is also doing extremely well! He is still committed to getting baptized on March 26, and is loving all that he's learning. He has really been making some major changes in his life. Last week he told us that whenever he reads the Book of Mormon, his desire to do good grows so much. He even said that coffee is starting to make him feel sick, and he is quickly overcoming all the other addictions he has. He was talking to us about how much he loves the Book of Mormon, and he said (and I quote), "Man, the more I read, the more it all just makes sense!" Ohhhhh happy day! :)

{Aaaand the 3 Sisters}

Something about being a missionary really makes you appreciate the little things, like hearing someone pray out loud for the first time, or seeing a new investigator at church. I am really grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord, and the abundance of His love. I have been trying really hard to rely on the spirit each day as we go from place to place to ensure that we are doing things the way the Lord would have us do them. I am so grateful for this gospel and the many blessings it brings! 

I love you all so much!!  Thank you for all of your love and support. :)

Sista Robinson 

Quote of the week: "If you think being meek is weak, then try being meek for a week!"

;) 

Life is Too Good To Be True!!

Wow. All I can say is WOW! This week was so amazing!! 






Okay so miracle number one. Are you ready? This one is pretty crazy. So last Wednesday at 7:30am, Sister Priestley and I were heading to the city for a worldwide missionary broadcast. We were running a little late, but we thought we might as well top off the gas tank; however, the pump wasn't working, so we just decided to leave and fill up when we get to the city. So there we were... Driving down the highway, singing along to the church hymns playing in the car, when suddenly... I see a car in the oncoming traffic turn off the road.. and then flip off the road... and flip and roll... right into the ditch!! After the initial shock and freak out that Sister Priestley and I had, we pulled over, called 911, and ran to see if anyone was alive in the car, (Not even kidding. We thought we were going to find a dead person.) all the while praying to Heavenly Father, "Please help these people to be okay!" It was absolutely crazy. 

So we got to the car, and saw that it was laying on the driver`s side, and there was a woman inside struggling to push the door open. She was yelling "Help me out! Please! Help me out!" Sister Priestley ran to help her lift the heavy door while I was trying to gather my thoughts so I could explain to the police where we were and what had just happened. I noticed a huge chunk of fur in the bumper and came to the conclusion that this woman, whose name we now know is Theresa had, in fact, hit a deer. However, she had absolutely no bumps or bruises. All was well! We took her to our car and I continued to give the police whatever information they asked me for. Not long after that, another car pulled up and came to see if everyone was okay. Turns out she and Theresa are really good friends! She jumped in the car and offered to stay with Theresa until the police arrived, because we were in a hurry to get to the city.... Aaaaand off we went! Crazy right?! 


Now get this: The next day we called Theresa to make sure she was okay. She was SO happy we called, and said, "You're the sisters from the Mormon church, aren't you?! When people asked who rescued me, I just told them it was two ladies wearing name tags!" We then realized that in the chaos of everything the day before, we had failed to even introduce ourselves to her. "You ladies are my guardian angels!! Thank you so much!" She was so sweet! :) Then she proceeded to tell us that her mom had joined the church a few years ago, and she knew quite a few members of our branch. We were ecstatic! We chatted for a little while longer with her and then she said "We will definitely have to meet up again sometime soon!" 

The Lord really does work in mysterious ways! It was crazy how we were in exactly the right place at the right time. If we hadn't been running a little late and if we had decided to fill up our tank with gas, we would not have been able to meet this amazing woman and possibly teach her about the gospel! I am so excited to see where this all goes. Stay tuned :)




Also, we got a new bomb golden investigator!! He has been so prepared for the gospel. This guy in our ward named Shane has been friends with him for a long time, and he told him all about the church and our beliefs and what we stand for, so he decided to come :) I could tell right off the bat that he wasn`t a member, because he was wearing jeans and he`s a little louder than most of the members. It was really cool though. So after Sunday school I went up and introduced Sister Priestley and I and he basically told us that he has been led to the church his whole life, because he has always had member friends, and he`s really eager to learn more. So then Sunday after church, some members invited us over for lunch at their place, and Tyson (the goldy golden investigator) was invited as well! It was really awesome. This guy is hilarious! He goes like 200 mph. I`m really excited though. Yesterday we taught him in our branch president`s home with a few members there. We hardly got to what we were planning on teaching, because he was just talking and talking away. #missionlyfe but we showed him a really powerful Mormon message and it made him cry! This is going to be good :) We also taught him on Wednesday, and it was the most powerful lesson I have ever been in. The spirit was so strong. Tyson told us that he had already prayed to know if the church is true, and he feels like he received an answer confirming the truth to him. Funny how that works, right? ;) 

Oh and another highlight from this week was the missionary broadcast that we were heading to when Theresa rolled off the road. It was awesome! Oh and in case anyone was wondering, we somehow got there like 20 minutes early! Don`t ask me how. We thought we were going to be like 20 minutes late. Anyways, I learned a ton about the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion! It was really awesome. I came to the realization that on my own, I can`t do anything! And how true is that? Our role as missionaries is to be worthy conduits so that the Holy Ghost can be brought unto the hearts of those we teach. After that, the choice is theirs. They can decide whether or not they want to let it into their hearts, because they still have their agency. Overall, it was really eye opening. Whenever we have meetings like that, my head is so full and I always end up with a headache after it`s all over. I turned to Sister Priestley and said "So much spirit! So little brain!" She got a kick out of that one, and now we say it all the time. :) Good times.



ANOTHER MIRACLE! Yes, there`s more! Jen is getting baptized on February 6th! Jen is Judy`s daughter and she has been meeting with missionaries for about 3 years now. However, she is terrible at making and keeping any commitments ever. BUT! We have been teaching her fairly consistently, and she finally accepted a baptismal date. This is the first time she has done this EVER. So it`s a pretty big deal! I`m stoked. I asked her how she thinks it is going to bless her life when she is baptized, and she said "Honestly, I can`t think of any way that it won`t bless my life." I was so happy to hear her say that. The spirit has definitely been working with her lately, and she`s finally ready to take the first step toward her salvation! Yay!

Joe is also getting baptized, and that one is coming up real quick. It is this Saturday! Now, let me remind you: Joe is John`s son, and he used to be the biggest punk of all time, but he has totally transformed into a different person now that the gospel is in his life. Lisa, his mom, was telling us that she and John were asking Joe why he wants to be baptized, and he said, "I just want to be a Mormon." So she said, "You want to be a Mormon? List four reasons why you want to be a Mormon." To which he replied, "Only four?" and he went on to tell her how happy he is and how much better life is for him now that he has purpose and direction from the gospel. Lisa has been so helpful, and has really helped her family to incorporate the gospel into their lives. I am so grateful for her!! 

Overall, everything is going so well for Sister Priestley and I! My testimony has been strengthened so much as we have been directed by the hand of the Lord to those who have been prepared to receive the gospel. I love being a missionary! This is a great work that we are apart of. Thank you for all of your love and support and PRAYERS. I know that I would not be able to do what I have done without all of the prayers from back home! 

You guys are amazing. Sorry this email is so long. :) Congrats to those of you who made it all the way to the end. You`re my true friends. 


Have a great week!!

Sister Robinson

Realizations

Happy 2016!

I love the new year. New beginnings and all that fun stuff. Sister Priestley and I had a great start to our new year with John and Judy's baptisms on Saturday! Ahh it was so great. But I'll lead up to that. Let's start with the beginning of the week, shall we? I have so much to update you all on...
{Judy!}
So one of my favourite parts of the week was getting to sit in on part of Judy's baptismal interview. She was interviewed by President Hatch, who is one of our mission president's assistants, and he did a really good job at relieving Judy of some anxiety she was having about the baptism. He talked to her about conversion and asked her to step back and think about what she is converted to at this point in her life. I think this is a question that we can all ask ourselves. What are you converted to? Is it the missionaries? Is it the testimonies of those around you? Or are you truly converted to the Lord? Or another question- Why do you do the things you do? I would love to be able to get to the point in my life where I can honestly and say "I am who I am, because I love the Lord more than anything else." 

Another highlight from this week was New Years Eve!! We walked over to the church for a New Years party, because President Manion didn't want us driving after 6. John and Lisa were there, and it was really awesome for them to be able to get to know some of the members in the branch better. Our night consisted of Uno, chips and dip, and DANCING! Oh my gosh, it was fun.. and funny. We were basically hanging out with a bunch of old people. We did the Virginia Reel, which is like square dancing, and had a lot of laughs. Everyone was telling Sister Priestley and I that we had "too much energy." Pff... No such thing ;) We did end up going home at 9pm, because of our curfew and I slept right through midnight.

{Baptism day with Judy and John!}

So on Friday, we taught John his last lesson before baptism. It was all about service and different ways we can serve the Lord within the church and in our families. It was a really great lesson. His son, Joe [15 years old] has been sitting in on the lessons as well, and we've noticed that he's slowly but surely showed more and more interest with every visit. So these past few lessons, we've been making sure that we're doing our best to include Joe as much as we can. Last Friday, we learned that he has been reading the Book of Mormon nightly with his parents, and that is a big deal!! [Something you need to understand about Joe is that he was a punk when we first met him! He claimed to be an athiest, he ditched class all the time to get high with his friends, and he was super rebellious toward his parents.] And now he's been volunteering to say the opening prayers in out lessons, and reading the Book of Mormon! It's amazing. I know. So the spirit was like "Well what are you waiting for? Ask him to be baptized!" I LOVE asking people if they want to be baptized.. Maybe that's because the last few people I've asked have accepted the invitation. That could definitely be a part of it.. Anyways. I said "Joe, do you want to be baptized?" and he simply replied, "Yeah, I do." So I asked him how he came to that decision, and he said "Well I've been listening in on your lessons, and it all seems to make sense to me, so I think it would be really cool to get baptized." Or something along those lines. Whatever he said, it was awesome! And the spirit was like KABOOM. 

{John and his wife, Lisa!}

Oh and then John's dad, Eric, came to the baptism on Saturday and he always says "I have a lot of questions!" So we were like "Eric, when can we come and answer your questions?" To which he replied, "You girls are just trying to convert me!" He was joking, but we all just laughed, and I said, "You said it!" Twas funny. Long story short, he said we could come over any time, so hopefully we are going to be able to get this whole family baptized! Wouldn't that be amazing?? And then on that same day, Mitchell, John's other son said he wants to take the lesson so that he can get baptized with Joe! This is crazy, right?? It's amazing though!! I am so thankful that the Lord is blessing us with these amazing people. The field REALLY is "white already to harvest!"

Miracle after miracle, am I right? Okay well here's another: Judy has a daughter, who was actually investigating the church long before Judy was. Her name is Jen, and Jen is what we like to call an "eternigator," or eternal investigator. She is so flaky with commitments!! It's frustrating, but she came to the baptism on Saturday, and her heart was really softened. She NEVER thought her mom would get baptized before her, and I think it really made her go "Well what am I waiting for?" So we taught her the night of the baptism, and then last night as well anddddd... She is going to pray about getting baptized on February 6th! Can you believe this?? Another baptism! 

{I wish I could take credit for this picture, but this is from the elders serving in Yellowknife wayyyy up north!}

Oh man. God is good, right? And I only covered a hand full of all of the amazing things that happened this week. But I've been thinking and asking myself "Why is Heavenly Father blessing us with so many miracles?" We aren't doing anything extraordinary. I don't feel like I deserve all of these blessings! In fact, I know I don't deserve all this... But I have definitely learned that He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies who He calls. I am so thankful for this gospel and for the light that it brings into people's lives! Heavenly Father really does prepare people to receive this gospel. I hope that we can all try to build our faith in the Lord this week as we share our testimonies with all those around us. The church is true. I know it's true :) 

And I love you guys. Have a good week, and a happy happy new year!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sister Robinson

P.S. I really hope this email made sense. I am so scramble brained today.

Also, Ashlyn Murie and Emily Baros need to email me.. I miss you guys.

{Selfie with Sister Priestley}

Random Canadian fun facts:

1. There are these obnoxious photo radar cameras on the roads that will take a picture of your license plate if you are speeding, and send you a ticket in the mail! So most Canadians drive like 5 under the speed limit.

2. Everything here is like 2X the cost as things in the states. There is no such thing as a dollar menu in Canada!!

3. People walk around here in sweatshirts, jeans, and runners (tennis shoes) in -15 degrees.

4. I can't think of any other fun things......... K bye.

............................................................................................................................................................


Helloooo people of America!

This week was so good! I learned a lot :) 

{I held a chameleon!}

First off, I came to the realization that happiness is a choice! Now, I thought I knew this before, but I really didn't put it into practice. So often I would let the circumstances around me determine my mood. If we had a super successful day full of appointments and visits, I would return home smiling, knowing that we had a good and fulfilling day. However, when we would have those days where everything didn't go exactly right, I would return home dissatisfied with the events of the day. And you know what? It was frustrating! I decided I did not like being so easily swayed by the circumstances I am in and situations that I can't control. So here's how I made the switch:

We had exchanges this week. I was nervous, because it was my first time staying here in Drayton Valley without Sister Priestley. It was a lot of fun, but (as usual) I was being really hard on myself, because I wasn't doing everything exactly right. As a missionary, I've become very self critical, and it's something that I've been working on overcoming recently. So at the end of exchanges, we always have an interview. Sister Torsak and I talked about following the spirit and as she was talking away, she paused and turned to me and said "I really feel the need to tell you that you ARE a good missionary, and that you DO follow the spirit." That was exactly what I needed to hear. I (of course) started to cry, and I felt the love of God encompass me as I sat there on an old lady couch with this girl who I'd only known for under 24 hours. How did Sister Torsak know exactly what I needed to hear? It really strengthened my testimony of the love that our Father in heaven has for each and every one of His children. She told me to read this Ensign article from this month called "We Believe in Being Positive." 

...
We often find counsel in the scriptures to “rejoice” and “be of good cheer.” The Lord tells us in 2 Nephi 2:25, “Men are, that they might have joy.” The purpose of this life is to lead us to the joy the Lord ultimately promises.
Being of good cheer does not mean being ignorant or naive to life’s challenges. Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described cheerfulness as “a deep trust in God’s unfolding purposes—not only for all of mankind, but for each of us as individuals.”1 Challenges will certainly come, for they are a natural part of mortality, but we don’t have to be weighed down by discouragement and sadness. We can put our trust in the Lord and be positive.
Jesus Christ promised us we would experience tribulation, but He also urged, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) taught that because we have the gospel, “we as Latter-day Saints should be the most optimistic and the least pessimistic.”2
We all feel sorrow and discouragement from time to time, but we can still be of good cheer. Elder Richard G. Scott (1928–2015) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said, “I witness that with faith in the Savior and obedience to His teachings, happiness never ends, but sadness does.”3 We can live with joy knowing that our “afflictions shall be but a small moment” (D&C 121:7).
As we put our trust in God’s plan for us and choose to live with a positive attitude, our ability to deal with life’s challenges will be strengthened. Our worries and fears will affect us less, and we will experience the joy He wants for us.
...

That article really touched me. It reminded me of a conversation we were having with one of our investigators named Anita. We showed her the "Come Unto Christ" video that the church put out and asked her how it made her feel. She said she felt peace and warmth and basically described the influence of the spirit. Then she said something that was interesting. She said "I get scared when I feel like this, because I know that something is going to go wrong soon. Happiness never lasts." I wanted to cry for her! Believing that happiness never lasts goes against the infinite plan of salvation, which God set out for us so that we could all have happiness, peace, and joy into the eternities! I wonder what it would be like to not understand that there is a way for all of us to be happy forever. That way is through Jesus Christ, who was sent to this earth by a loving Father in heaven so that all of His children, not just some of us, will be able to return to Him someday. 



From that day on, I have been consciously striving to look for the good in every situation to show my appreciation to Heavenly Father for all that He has given me. It is making a HUGE difference in how I feel, the words that I say, and the things that I do. And it is giving me so much more motivation to do the Lord's work, because I want other people to feel the happiness that I know this gospel can bring into our lives.


So to sum up the realizations I had this week were:

1. Heavenly Father is mindful of each one of us
2. The plan of salvation was set out for us to be truly happy in this life AND into the eternities
3. We CAN be happy and stay happy, too!
4. Happiness is a choice
5. I love you all :))

I hope you all have an outstanding week, and that you are able to see the good in each and every day!

"Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day." -Anonymous

Love you all!!!

{Canadians barbecue no matter what time of year!}

XOXO


Sister Robinson
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