03-19-12

Hello! Happy Monday!

This past week has been an adventure, but so it is with every week out here. I have been contemplating, meditating, and pondering about who I am and who I want to be. This life is a time to improve, a time to progress. In the Alma (in the Book of Mormon) chapter 34: 32 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

33 And now, as I said unto you before, as ye have had so many witnesses, therefore, I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance until the end; for after this day of life, which is given us to prepare for eternity, behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed.

34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world."

I love that in verse 33 it talks about improving our time, improving our life here on this Earth because that is our purpose. I have been thinking about what I want to be. I want to be full of love for others. I want others to feel good, edified, and uplifted when they are around me and I know that isn't always the case, but I have that desire. And desires do count for something! I am thinking about the ways that I can become who I want to be and I know that the first step is in prayer. I have been praying to the Lord to help me be more filled with His love for all of those that I come in contact with. I know that it is through Love that we can help others change their lives.

This is the last week of this transfer and we are going to go out with a BOOM of LOVE, haha. I don't know what this next transfer has in store for me. I may stay, but I may leave. Hermana Fenn may leave or may stay, I just don't know! I do know that I love Vacaville with all my heart. I love our investigators. I love the members. I love my companion. I have learned so many things that I couldn't have learned otherwise. I know, though, that whatever happens is what the Lord wants, so you know that song "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go Dear Lord"? It rings true for transfers because it's not always easy to leave what you know to something different and strange. We will see what happens, though, and you will all know next Monday!

We had a Zone Conference this past week and it was so good! I am so thankful for the people I have met on my mission. I am so thankful for the missionaries in this mission, for President and Sister Bunker. They are amazing! President Bunker was talking about how it's important to "choose faith over worry" and to know that if we trust in the Lord, everything will be okay! I was reading an amazing talk by President Uchtdorft this morning "Your Happily Ever After" http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/general-young-women-meeting/2010/03/your-happily-ever-after?lang=eng&query=your+happily+ever+after and there is a part that says:

"Enduring adversity is not the only thing you must do to experience a happy life. Let me repeat: how you react to adversity and temptation is a critical factor in whether or not you arrive at your own “happily ever after.”

I know that is true. We have to have faith, we have to be strong and face trials knowing that the Lord will help us if we allow Him to. I am so thankful for the times in my life where, yes it was hard, but I knew that the only choice I had was to rely on the Lord and He helped me through them. How blessed are we to have the knowledge of a God, of a Savior who loves us SO much.

The other day we were talking to two teenage guys and one of them didn't believe in God, he was telling us that he doesn't know how someone could believe that there was a God. We testified that through prayer we can come to know God and feel of His love for us. That day was a rainy day and it was raining pretty hard. After we had talked to them, the rain cleared up suddenly and there was a BEAUTIFUL sunset. We were driving to visit one of our members and I pulled over the car, so that we could take a picture of it. Even the camera couldn't grasp the full beauty. I then was thinking to myself and expressed to my companion "How can someone see this and not believe that there is a God?!" I look around at this beautiful world and at the blessings we are given and I know with all of my heart that there is a God! In the midst of all of His beautiful creations, worlds, and universes, He knows us personally. I know that He knows each one of you personally. He loves you so much.

Thank you for your love & for your examples. Thank you for your support!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Robinson