Let Christmas Begin

Hello family!

         Well this week felt like it lasted FOREVER! I don't know why, but every day I felt like I was one day ahead of myself and time just seemed to be going so slow. But I survived and now the transfer begins! I am looking forward to this transfer cause it's Christmas! The zone leaders and us want to make it such a good Christmas for the zone so we have lots planned to make it memorable. Oh and I get to go to the temple in 2 weeks, I am looking forward to that so much! It has been way too long since I've been there (6 months!). But this transfer will be good. I feel like I have finally learned what I need to do as STL and I am looking forward to helping the sisters in the zone. More than anything, I wish every missionary could just enjoy their mission, go out of their comfort zone, give the Lord all they have, and be happy. That would be what I would do if people didn't have their agency, but sadly it isn't as easy as that, I have to lead by example and teach, so hopefully it will be a good transfer :) I'm so grateful for the calling I have as a missionary though. This is the best calling in the world. At times it is tough, we had a lady tell us we were idiots yesterday and slammed the door in our face, I wanted to cry, but then we found about 5 potentials right after that. The Lord loves us and cares for us. He knows us perfectly and knows what we can handle, and what we can do ONLY with the help of our saviour. I love my mission :)

Some stories from this week:

         We were knocking on Saturday for 3 hours. It was a super long road and I really felt like we were going to find someone there, so we stuck it out. The last 10 doors (out of about 80) finally someone was interested and set a return appointment. But before that we knocked on this ladies door, she opened and wasn't interested, but then paused and was like "wait, do you want some cake?" And ran inside, got us cake and then left haha. I was so confused, but hey I got free cake from it :)

         We did loads of knocking this week, cause to be quite honest, we have no one to teach, so we have to find people to teach. But we were knocking one night and this old Irish man answers the door, he was so nice! His daughter invited us in and we were able to teach this man. He lives in Ireland and was just visiting, but he has met with missionaries before and kept saying our church is #2 on his list, if he ever were to change religions, he would go straight to us. But it was cool talking to him cause he first met elders like 20 years ago and he was saying how their teaching just wasn't very good. They were there just to say a memorized lesson, not discuss it at all, and leave. He didn't like it, and I don't think I would either. But it was cool to see first hand how much missionary work has changed. Man, I'm so grateful for PMG. I can't imagine doing missionary work any other way!

         Sister Rosenkilde sliced her finger open this week. We wanted tomato soup for dinner, so I try to open the can with the tin opener, but I break the tin opener (haha go me, I'm still not street smart...), so us being stupid, try to pry it open with a spoon. Long story short, the lid flips up and slices her finger and next thing we know her finger is gushing with blood. Her finger went numb for a few days, so she wanted to get it looked at, so I spent 3 hours this week in A&E (the equivalent to the ER). That was fun.  But she is fine, don't worry about it. Just another memory!

         We did loads of cleaning this week for a LA member. It is a young couple. They have a little boy who is 1.5 and she is pregnant again. They have gone through a lot of trials lately. Well, we visit her regularly and this week we went and helped her clean. And let me tell you, you would be so proud of me mum! I was on my hand and knees scrubbing the floor with a sponge, and then deep cleaned the kitchen.  I have never been more appreciative of the clean house we have. THANK YOU MUM! I am so glad you taught me how to clean and to have that standard of a clean house.

         Thanksgiving was good I guess haha. There is a member who lives in our boundaries named Pauline. She LOVES missionaries so much. She remembered it was thanksgiving and wanted to take an American out for a nice meal, and I'm the only American in the area, so we got invited :) and it just so happened that Sister Dimond got here that day and was staying with Pauline that night, so I got to go to dinner with her too! It was a lot of fun. I have missed sister Dimond.

         Another funny story. So we are teaching this LA member who has schizophrenia. We are reading Ether 12 and ask him for 5 ways he can increase his faith. This was his response: "shower daily, socialize at the pub, spend more time with his lady friend, etc (well I can't remember the others haha)" but it was so funny! It was so hard not to start laughing. Bless him. We helped him see the difference between faith and faith in Christ after that :)

         Well that about sums up my week. Life is Different now. It feels like I am serving a completely different mission than I have been. But I know the Lord is there and loves me through it all. Last night I was really struggling.  We stopped the first man we saw and he wasn't interested, but he stood there, looked me in the eyes and put his hand on my shoulder and said I am doing a good job. I know this came from God. I am so grateful that he inspires those who won't even listen to this message, to comfort his missionaries. If there is one thing I've learned, is that the Lord loves me and will look out for me.

         I love you all and pray for you often! I'm glad you had a fun thanksgiving :)

         Have a good week and keep reading your scriptures! I read all of Mormon his morning, and man that guy is amazing. The Book of Mormon is the best :)

Love you!

Sister Robison xxx

Happy Thanksgiving...oh wait they don't celebrate that here!

         I'm alive. Don't worry. Transfer week I will always email on Tuesday now just as a heads up.  But transfers are today and Sister Toomata is being transferred :( she is going out west to St. Austell to train. She will do so good but I'm really sad she is leaving. This last week we finally figured everything out and started to really work well together and get along. I will miss her. We both learned a lot this transfer, and despite the struggles we went through we both know that it went how the Lord needed it to go. We are both satisfied with the transfer we had and know the Lord is as well. The biggest lesson I learned this transfer can be summed up from the song If the Saviour Stood Beside Me. This whole transfer we have had our struggles, but time and time again we found ourselves singing this song, especially when it came to leadership. I love the last verse, it says: He is always near me, though I do not see Him there, and because He loves me dearly I am in His watchful care. So I'll be the kind of person that I know I'd like to be if I could see the Saviour standing nigh, watching over me. 

         I love this song so much, and I realised this past week that I am the only person who has control over who I am and my actions. If I want to be a good person, than I can be a good person, no one has influence over me and my attitude so I need to always think of what the Saviour would say if he were standing right beside me. I will forever be grateful for Sister Toomata and all she has taught me. I know the Lord has a plan for me and I was supposed to be companions with her for so many reasons! She is the best. 

         So my new companion is Sister Rosenkilde from Denmark! She is actually in the Crawley Zone so I have been on exchange with her twice now. Funny story. So she was serving in a place called Haywards Heath, and we had planned to exchange with them Friday-Saturday last week. Well, Wednesday night we were on the phone with the zone leaders and they asked us who was going with who on exchange, and I was supposed to go with sister Roses companion, but they strongly encouraged us to pray about it again (because they knew what was happening at transfers). So we prayed and prayed about it and the only thing that felt right was for me to go to Haywards Heath with Sister Rose. So we changed our plans. President called Friday afternoon for moves and told me sister Rose would be my new companion, then two hours later we were on exchange. So it was fun! She is really similar to me and has the same work ethic to me so I am looking forward to this transfer!  

Sister Toomata and I

 We will stay Sister Training Leaders, which I am grateful for. There is so much I still need to learn about being a leader, I don't feel adequate at all and I don't know what we are going to do this transfer...but through prayer and fasting we will figure it out :)      I am now leading the area which is probably what I am the most nervous for. I know I can do all things through the Lord though...I'm praying super hard to have the spirit of navigation haha. We may just accidentally end up in London...haha jk. The other night I was going through the ward list asking Sister T about families and I asked if the Elliott family was active...she just looked at me and was like He presides over the meetings...it took me a minute to register what she had said, then it hit me, he is the bishop! Haha so please pray that I can get to know the ward...I'm slightly concerned about that...

My new companion is the 2nd girl from the left

It has been freezing cold here this week! This winter is going to be rough...send hats and gloves for Christmas??? It even snowed this week!! But of course I didn't see it...it snowed one of the days we were on exchange. I was so mad I didn't see it, I miss the snow. I also got SOAKING wet this week. Like so wet people were asking me if I just got out of the shower. On exchange in Brighton Tuesday we were finding all morning and it was a downpour. I don't think I've ever been that wet on my mission. Then my coat dried and we went out Wednesday only for the exact same thing to happen in Sutton. I was freezing cold and wet and I was just so grateful for my blanket when I got home. There has also been super strong winds here, so strong I almost got tipped over the other day haha. Sister Toomata and I were just laughing all week, cause you can either laugh or you can cry...so you might as well laugh :) 

         Here's a funny story for you all to laugh at at the cabin this week: 

         So Saturday night we were out street contacting in the freezing cold, but it was fun. We were down this random side street just stopping everyone we saw. Well, this about 23 year old guy came walking down the street, so I stopped him. He had tons of questions about how if their is a god then why is there wars and bombings etc...he was saying how if he believed in God it wouldn't change anything, so why should he believe. well, I had a super good response and it came 100% from the spirit not me. I was just super bold and told him about being an example. That he doesn't know the effect he could have on someone, yes me believing in God may not stop the terrorists and the wars, but it puts just a little bit more good into the world. He stood their just astonished and didn't have anything to say haha. Success. I was so proud of myself. Keep in mind, I did all the talking this contact just cause the spirit was teaching me and I had to share. Well, I then asked what his name was, it is Aaron, we told him our names and went to shake his hand and he leaned in to kiss me! Hahahahahahahah I freaked out and I was like aaaahhhhh no. And he just ran away super embarrassed. The whole time Sister Toomata was just sitting there with a card in her hand with our phone number so we could teach him...afterwards we walked the opposite way and just busted up laughing hahaha. It was one of the saddest and most awkward moments of my whole mission. Sister Toomata blames herself now if I never get married cause she didn't give him our card. She said he was just "lost in my eyes" the whole time. Oh man, the experiences I have on my mission. Thought you would get a laugh out of that one. 

         I cannot believe the Christmas transfer is here AGAIN! It feels like just yesterday it was my first transfer...wow. This week I had this moment where I was thinking about how I get to Skype in a few weeks, and this thought literally went through my head "but that's the lords time, I don't have time to Skype my family, people need me to talk to them out here" haha. I was shocked with myself when I thought that and actually meant it. I am trying harder and harder everyday to become a consecrated missionary and use every minute of every day to serve Him. But don't worry, I'll still Skype you cause I know you want to talk to me too ;) haha 

         But that is about it this week! Today was hard saying goodbye to Sister Toomata. But I am looking forward to the new adventures ahead. I will be in Sutton for awhile...so feel free to send loads of post here :) 

         I love you all so much and am so grateful for all you have done for me. They don't celebrate thanksgiving here, but if I were there with you, these are the top ten things I am grateful for: 

1) My saviour 

2) The gospel in my life 

3) My family. Immediate, extended, and past generations. They are all just great. 

4) My testimony 

5) My mission 

6) The lords trust in me

7) England and the amazing people here 

8) Prayer, how cool is that that we can communicate with God?!?! 

9) Ranch dressing 

10) My friends and companions. My fellow brothers and sisters 

Haha I'm such a missionary...oh well. 

         I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week! Eat loads of turkey for me! 

Love,

Sister Robison xxx

A ward member in Brighton teaching me some Karate moves!