Be Strong & Have Courage

Canada. Oh Canada. It is NovemBRRR!! It snowed on November 1st.... I guess that's Canada's way of saying, "Okay, Halloween is over. Christmas is coming!" So needless to say, I have been using my coat, mittens, wool tights, and bundling myself up.  The cold has come a bit early this year is what people have been telling us, and it is expected to be a brutal winter this year.  Good thing I like snow, eh?

This past week has been great! I was so fortunate to hear from two amazing general authorities here for the Oshawa Ontario Stake Conference.  We got to hear from Elder Larry S. Kacher and Daniel F. Dunnigan!  Elder Kacher spoke in the last General Conference and was amazing. The Stake Conference was amazing!  President and Sister Clayton were there, the general authorities, and a new stake presidency was called.  The spirit was so strong there.  Some things that I loved about Stake Conference were some words from Elder Dunnigan and Kacher.

Elder Dunnigan:
Members live the gospel, love people, and invite anyone where the spirit is present!  We live in the dispensation that Jacob 5 talks about.  Heavenly Father is not giving up on us and is sending more servants in his vineyard.  We are so privileged to be living the prophecy that was given thousands of years ago.

Elder Kacher:

The Holy Ghost is a presence of Heavenly Father….we are so blessed to know that we aren't alone.  We are NEVER alone.  He is always with us.  He calls the weak and the simple for a reason, but it is from Him that we can gain our strength because HE LIVES!

I wish I could give more details but time is scarce on the computer.  President and Sister Clayton stood up and bore the strongest testimonies also. I love my mission president and his wife. They are amazing.  I feel like they are MY parents here in Canada on my mission. It confirmed my testimony that Heavenly Father calls those who are meant to serve.  I KNOW and sustain and support the general authorities who are serving for the church and especially our beloved prophet Tomas S. Monson.  How blessed we are to have a living prophet on the earth today!

Johan is doing well!  He has been sick for the past couple days but we have been re-teaching him the lessons again and have retaught him the Restoration. We taught him at a member's home and the spirit was so strong there.  He knows that God is our Eternal Father.  He knows that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior and Redeemer of the world.  He is now just making his testimony solid on Joseph Smith and has watched the Restoration movie, praying specifically, and continually having faith.  He wants to get baptized. The only problem is his word of wisdom issues.  I believe that once he is living the word of wisdom, it will all click into place. We will really be trying this week to make that happen! J He is amazing and I love Johan so much.  Please keep him in your prayers to help him.

Update on the Felipe's!  They all came to church yesterday for Stake Conference!  We will be going to their house tomorrow on Merolyn's 8th birthday to teach another lesson J We had our first lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and she loved it.  In the end Brother Felipe was telling us that he wants to baptize his daughter, receive his patriarchal blessing, go through the temple, and be sealed as a family.  He said that it scares him to think that he isn't sealed to his family and cannot wait to change he and his family’s life.  I can tell that they already have taken a huge step.  AH, they are amazing!  I cannot wait for tomorrow to continue to teach and see the Felipe family!

Sister Duran and I, the Elders, and Sister Training leaders all sang in the park!  It was so much fun!  3 of us would sing while all of the other missionaries would scatter throughout the park and contact people.  I hope that when Christmas time comes around we will do that again and serve hot chocolate next time.  Even though it was cold, my heart was warmed while singing the hymns with boldness and love.

Sister Duran and I have raked sooo many leaves this past week!  We would put the rake’s in our car and drive around and just help people.  We helped this non-member lady, Cynthia, rake her leaves.  We felt prompted to go to this particular house and followed the prompting by knocking on her door.  She was baffled and kept saying, "You've got to be kidding me!  Wow!" She began telling us that she was thinking about how she was going to rake the leaves with her bad back and her husband's damaged knee.  We were an answer to her prayers! J So we raked her front and backyard for her.  In the end she just embraced us with the biggest hug and began to cry telling us thank you so much. She was amazed that 2 strangers would stop to do a kind deed. Who knows, maybe if it snows here in a couple weeks we can return to shovel her driveway?  

Just like what President Monson encourages us to do, "Be Strong and of a Good Courage" Since that first prayer of faith by a young boy, that first glimmer of light penetrated the darkness and has forever changed the world.  "There has always been and will ever be an effort to deceive, derail... the plan of life.  The truth will always be opposed." (by Elder Lawrence C. Corbridge)  So…..BE STRONG & HAVE COURAGE. The Lord is our light, so let us not fear! I know and love the gospel with all of my heart J  We are all beacons of light.  Continue to be examples. Continue to shine the Light of Christ for others to see. "May we continually let our light, His Light, which is in us--SHINE!" (Elder Craig C. Christensen) As children of light, we have the gospel that shines brightly. Continue to do all that you can do to keep that light strong.  Let us not take for granted what a beautiful gift we have been given, that so many others search their whole lives to find.  Nothing gives me more joy than being happy and inviting others to have that happiness as well!! 
How great is my calling, how GREAT is OUR calling!!!

Until next time...
Sister Robb