So this transfer was a 5 week transfer, so this week is
moves and Sister Dimond and I are staying together another transfer :)
We are so happy, we have so much planned this next transfer it is going
to be so much fun! Mark is getting baptized this Saturday and he is so
ready. It is so cute everyday we ask him how he is feeling, and last week
he said he was about 50% ready, and everyday it keeps going up. Today he
told us he was 90% sure he would be baptized. So we are really looking
forward to that. And we are trying to get Elder Holland to baptize
him...long story short, Elder Holland is in the UK right now and Mark LOVES him
so much. So we are doing all we can and playing with the connections we
have to get Elder Holland here. Unrealistic? yes...but what could
be the worst that could happen? Elder Holland baptizes him! haha so we
will see how that goes...
This week, and really this whole transfer has been a huge
spiritual learning experience for me. I have learned so much for when I
come home and how I need to live my life after my mission. We
did the spiritual thought at ward council this week and rebuked the ward in a
loving way. We talked about how it is the wards responsibility to retain
these people we are baptizing and related it to the story of Jesus and the man
with Palsy who was lifted through the roof to be healed. It takes so much
more than just the missionaries to reactive/keep active someone. There is
a great talk called Reaching out in Unity that talks about this. That
spiritual thought really helped the ward and we have more members offering to
help, so that is nice.
When we visit members we are following up with how their
Book of Mormon reading is going and how their prayers are, and so many aren't
reading the Book of Mormon. Let me tell you right now, reading the Book
of Mormon is the most important thing you could do in the church. I
didn't quite understand this before my mission, but now I do. Family, if
you aren't reading the Book of Mormon start now. You won't progress or
ever learn unless you are reading the Book of Mormon DAILY!
Speaking of the Book of Mormon, wow yesterday was so
cool! So like I said Elder Holland is in the UK, so we had a huge stake
conference broadcast yesterday that he spoke at. The whole conference was
so good and I learned so much, but Elder Hollands talk was maybe one of the
most powerful talks I have ever heard. He is so much different to hear
talk outside of General Conference. His whole talk was all about the Book
of Mormon. If you remember the talk Safety for the Soul where he bore
that powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon, that is basically what this was,
but so much better. He talked about how people always ask him when the
'Last Day' is going to be, referring to when the Savior will come. And he
just laughed and said we are the Church of Jesus Christ of LATTER DAY
SAINTS. We are in the Last days! The book of mormon is the sign
that we are in the last days. He then talked a lot about Joseph Smith and
the restoration of the church. He talked about how Moroni appearing to
Joseph Smith was the first thing that happened after the first vision, and
nothing with the restoration of the church happened until the Book of Mormon
was translated fully. Do you think it is important to read the Book of
Mormon? He said that we need to have a
testimony of the Book of Mormon first and foremost, that we won't understand
anything else or progress until we read and pray about the Book of Mormon.
I wish I could have recorded his talk or written it all down because it was one
of the best talks I have ever heard and reaffirmed my testimony of the Book of
Mormon. Sorry for being so preachy, but it was just so good! We had
2 investigators at this conference with us, and one of them pretty much dropped
us after it cause it was too bold for him. So that was sad, but this
investigator realized that the book of mormon is either all the way true or all
the way false, and he couldn't accept it as true because of all the historical
facts. So sad :( But after the conference we went up to Mark and
were talking to him about his baptism and asked him who he wants to baptize him
and he said Elder Holland...so that is where that idea came from.
I will stop being preachy now, it just seems like I have hit
that point on my mission when I am learning so many life lessons and growing so
much. Oh and one last one, I realized this week how important it is to
marry a member of the church. We are working with some less actives who
have spouses outside the church, and it is so hard on them. So that is
another lesson that I learned this week.
I can't really remember what happened this week...all I know
is that another week has come and gone and all of a sudden I am 7 months into
my mission. So crazy! I had to say goodbye to yet another
missionary yesterday, our District Leader goes home this week and his companion
is getting transferred as well. So that was sad. Goodbyes as
missionaries are sad and awkward...
But this week is going to be so exciting. We have a
jam packed schedule today and tomorrow, teaching like crazy. Then
Wednesday is P-day. Thursday we get to go up to London to stay in a Hotel
over night (what what! who gets to do that as missionaries? haha) because
Friday we have a mission conference with Elder Holland at the Hyde Park
Chapel. Then Saturday we have Marks Baptism. So I think my week
beats your week in Lake Powell ;) haha, I miss Lake Powell.
Well Family...sorry this letter is really long and preachy,
I know you said you didn't want preachy letters...but oh well. I love you
all so much and am so grateful for everything you have done for me. My
mission is the best thing I have ever done. It is hard and I am so exhausted,
but somehow I have strength to make it through everyday.
President Millar leaves on June 30 so that is when President
Gubler comes. It will be an exciting/sad transition.
Love,
Sister Robison xxx
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