07-28-2011

Hello, hello!
I hope you received my postcard from last Monday. Mondays are our p-days here in the Santa Rosa Mission and so you will now receive an e-mail every Monday. :]
Okay, okay where to start! Leaving for and arriving to the mission is the most exciting thing ever. I just couldn't wait to get to work and see what the mission field is all about. My area that I am serving in for at least the next 5 weeks now (each transfer is 6 weeks) is 'Novato' which is about 20 miles north of San Francisco. It's a pretty area and not too big. My companion is Hermana Fenn and she is from the Dallas, Texas area. She's so great! She has only been on her mission for about three months and is already a trainer. I feel like I've already learned a lot while being here and I've only been here a week (wow, it seems like so much longer haha).
In the lessons we teach, I definitely do not understand what's going on most of the time (haha). The native speakers speak soo fast, but they all understand that I'm new on my mission and that I'm learning. There had been quite a few baptisms just before I got here and so Hermana Fenn and I have been teaching new member lessons to them. In our branch, there isn't a mission leader and so we are in charge of teaching them even after they are baptized. We teach the Jara family, they are so cute, a mom and her four children. They had us over for dinner this week and I am just so amazed at the service and love that people give. Santos and Ramon are other recent converts and they both are so excited about the Gospel. They both have a desire to do what is right and to be great members in the church. Every time we walk away from teaching a lesson, I always turn to Hermana Fenn and express how amazing the people we teach are. Every person in this world has a story, every person has a need and as missionaries we are to listen and hear their story. We are here to listen to their needs, wants, and desires for the future and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can help them find that peace and happiness that EVERY single person in this world needs and wants.
We have two progressing investigators right now, Alfredo and Bosbelli. They both committed to reading the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true. We teach them tonight and so we'll follow up on they are doing!
The members are great here! Almost every night of the week, the members have us over for dinner. They are just so eager to serve, it has made me want to become a better person. I love the church and how constant it is. You can go almost anywhere in the world and find a ward/branch. And no matter what ward you find yourself in, you can expect the exact same things to take place. I love it!
On Saturday, I was called to be a facebook missionary. We have a meeting about it tomorrow and so I'll know more about it then, but we are one of eight missions that work as missionaries online. We try and spend about one hour everyday doing missionary work online! It has been found to be a very effective way to find people and to also share and teach the Gospel. I am excited to get started on that!
What else, what else?! We definitely have a funny, crazy experience everyday here in the mission field. Being a missionary is hard work, but really fun! I love this mission already. I love this area, it's beautiful here!
There are so many things that I want to become on my mission that I am not. I know that through the help and strengh of the Lord, we can become the things we hope to be. I have started reading the Book of Mormon again from the beginning. I am not very far, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. The scriptures really do give so much power, light, and truth. I feel so much better each day after I have studied the scriptures. Read 1 Nephi 1!
I love you all so much! Thank you so much for everything, for your love and support. I don't know what I'd do without my wonderful family.

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Robinson