11-07-2011

Hello!

It's me again! :] And it's been a crazy week. I am going to try and write about as much of it as I can. I hope everything is going great in St. George & Ferron!

On Wednesday, we had zone conference and those are always amazing. I've only had two now, but they always are exactly what I need and it helps me improve myself and know how to become the best missionary I can be. There are pictures on the mission blog, so if you want to check it out here's the URL: http://santarosacru.blogspot.com/ They are meetings with a few different zones and President Bunker and Sister Bunker are there and they edify us with motivating, spiritual, and powerful goodness. That's the best way to explain it! Haha. President Bunker told us that we are workers in the Lord's vineyard. The Lord is the owner and we are the laborers/workers. He was telling us that we should never think we "deserve" something even though we may think we are doing our best. Things will come about and take place on the Lord's time table. I walked away from that knowing that all I can do is my best and not get discouraged if I am not seeing tons of baptisms. We are workers for the Lord. And I am so blessed to be doing this work. I love this work!

There have been quite a few things that I've done that I would have never thought I would do on a mission before coming here. One of which is attending a baptism in another church. I told you about Pam last week and she has been wanting to be baptized, but she is Presbyterian and so she felt that was what she wanted to do. We asked her to pray about it and we don't know if she did, but it was a big event for her and she invited us, so we went. It was a different experience and one that strengthened my testimony of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hna. Skroski and I both went in with open perspectives. As I looked around, though, I couldn't help but feel emptiness. I looked at Pam, her friends, and even the pastors and I just didn't feel anything. Afterward, we went to our zone meeting (different from zone conference, haha all this talk of meetings!) and I felt the spirit so strong! A few of the missionaries bore their testimony and I just kept getting goose bumps all over, I knew that the spirit was testifying to me of the truth of what they were saying. We sang "Because I Have Been Given Much" as the closing hymn of the meeting and I could barely hold back the tears because I felt the spirit so strongly. I know that this is Christ's Church. I know because I have prayed. In Moroni 10:4-5, it says that if we pray with faith, a sincere heart, and real intent we will receive our answer, we will know the truthfulness. I know that that is true because I've received an answer. I love the Gospel, I love it with all my heart. I love the Book of Mormon. I love our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson. The Gospel has changed me. That is one of the best things about being on a mission, you witness the change in people's lives. There has been a scripture that I've been sharing a lot with others and so I want to share it with you it's in Mosiah 4:11-12. It talks about the change that we can feel through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

I want to also share a quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland that touched me this week: "When you are confronted with challenges that are difficult to conquer or you have questions arise, the answers to which you do not know, hold fast to the things you do know. Hang on to your firmest foundation, however limited that may be, and from that position of strength face the unknown."

I love all of you so much. I am so blessed to have EACH one of you as part of my family. I tell people about you all of the time and I feel so proud each time I do. Thank you for your support, for your love, for your encouragement.

Les amo muchisimo!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Robinson