12-12-11

Hello family!
It's beginning to feel like winter here in California. I can't believe Christmas is so soon, 2011 is almost over, and the beginning of a new year is almost here. I honestly feel like the mission puts you in a time warp and when I get home I will still believe it is May of 2011. Christmas season is so fun. We have had fun listening to our Christmas music and looking at the different Christmas lights up on the houses in the neighborhoods. I can't help but feel so blessed. I have so much, I am SO blessed. As I think about Christmas time and our Savior, I cant' help but feel so much gratitude and love for Him.
This past week we had a lesson with one of our investigators, Alejandra. She is a sweet lady. She is a single mom of two children who is trying her hardest to provide for her kids the best life possible. She has been working night shifts at a factory of some sort. On Friday night we went over there to see how she was doing and she was out front, talking on the phone crying. We let her finish her conversation on the phone and when she got off, she said to us sobbing "Me faulta la ayuda de Dios"- "I don't have the help of God." My heart was broken. Something happened that had made her feel that God is not there at this time for her. We asked her what happened and she told us that she had been fired from her job due to the wrong of another person, who she thought was her friend. As she told us this, I was racking my brain for something, anything I could do or say to make her feel better. I put my arm around her and tried to console her, she then invited us into her apartment. I know that Hna. Stephenson and I were both doing our best to follow the spirit, praying to know what it is we need to say to her that night that would help her know that God is there despite this hard time. We asked if we could have a prayer on our knees and then we shared with her in Doctrine and Covenants 121 when Joseph Smith, a prophet, was doing all that he could to build up the kingdom of God, doing his best to be a husband and father, doing his best to be a son of God and was put in Liberty Jail for months in the winter with barely any food, without a bathroom. Horrible, horrible circumstances. We shared with her his cry out to our Heavenly Father when he asked in verse 1. "O God, where are thou?" We read until God consoles Joseph and says in verse 7. "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;"
After we shared of God's love for her and that this is a trial and difficulty in her life right now, but that in the grand scheme of things it is "but a small moment." We told her everything would be okay, we testified to her that God is ALWAYS there. She expressed to us afterward that she really like those verses and that she felt better, she felt peace. We left her with a prayer. We walked out of her apartment that night feeling that the spirit had worked through us. I can't imagine being a single mom of two children and losing my job. I don't know what I would do, but I do know that God is ALWAYS there, but it's up to us to turn to Him.
I am so thankful for all of you. You are all great examples to me. You are always in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your love and support. I hope that everything is going well and that you all feel the love of God for you because He does love you sooo much.

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Robinson