A Relationship that is Priceless

What an incredible week! The weather is hot and I have learned so much this week!

At the beginning of last week, we had the idea of helping out a recent convert (Chrissy Pope) by doing some yard work!  A couple of weeks ago, Chrissy had three deaths happen all in one week--she lost her mother, her brother in law, and her best friend.  After talking and visiting her, Sister Coleman and I knew that we needed to do more for her... So we decided to do some yard work J

We bought some lilies, ground covers, and flowers, to fill her yard up with love and beauty! The lady who was selling the flowers asked why we were buying flowers and we told her and she began to tear up and said that no one really does that anymore and felt so honored that we would buy flowers from her to do this, so she gave us a huge discount. That was a neat opportunity to share the gospel in a new way and was a cute, small miracle.

We knocked on Chrissy's door that morning and she wasn't home, so we just went to work and spent a couple of hours that day taking out the forest of weeds that have been growing for two years.  After clearing out her strip on her driveway, we knew we needed to come back another day to plant and trim her plants.  The next day, we came at the same time in the morning and she wasn't home again... So we thought we would surprise her with the flowers! We planted flowers, trimmed her trees and bushes, and had the opportunity to do that with her 14 year old daughter (who we are teaching as well). It looked great! The best reward was a simple voicemail we got on our phone that night from Chrissy that said, "I wanted to thank you sisters, the yard looks so beautiful... Thank you for all that you do for me and my family...." [long pause with a crying sounds] hang up.  It was then and there at that moment that I just loved Chrissy even more. I am so grateful we had idea and opportunity to serve her and her family. 

At zone conference--MTC (very small) group
reunited after1 year

We had zone conference last week and it was incredible! We learned so much about family history work and how it joins families together in so many ways, connecting the dots while we teach, and having daily contact with the people we are working with-recent converts, less-actives/returning members, and investigators. It was an amazing zone conference in which I learned so much about my testimony as I taught, helping me become more refined and feeling the spirit of Elijah as we talked about family history. 

We had planned to have our investigator Bony come to the Pulsipher's to have a lesson. Long story short... It fell through and we ended up at the Pulsipher's without Bony.  We felt like we should go inside to talk with them.  As we sat down with them, we talked about the craziest and coolest things! It's hard to type and say, but I do know that everything that was said increased my faith in Jesus Christ and left me floating on the clouds.  I just wanted to shout from the apartment building at the world and tell them what I learned!  But, I knew that I needed to take my testimony in which I have gained, and share that energy, spirit, and love that I have as I talk with others. I absolutely love the Pulsipher’s!!

Here is a really neat story that happened!

The YSA (young single adult) elders gave us a referral from their investigator Sabrina, to have us stop by and see her mom.  They live in the same house and Sabrina loves us and wanted us to see if her mom would be taught by us. We stopped by yesterday evening and she is just the nicest person!  Her eight year old daughter wanted us to come in, but her mom said not today and that it is not her time right now in her life, but will come to church in the future.  Sigh... Someday.  We walked away having faith that she will accept the gospel someday! 

While we were in the area, we stopped by her neighbor and knocked on their door and a man answered named Jeffrey.  He was happy to see us and invited us back this week!  So we are excited about that!  Here's where it gets really neat! 

Sister Coleman and I were walking past the referral's house towards our car down the street, I just stopped dead in my tracks on the sidewalk. Sister Coleman stopped and turned around and said, "Where do we need to go Sister Robb?"  I pointed across the road from the house and said, "That way, to that house." So we walked about four houses down from where we were and just as we were about to walk up the driveway, I turned to the right and saw a man and a woman standing outside.  I said, "We should go talk to them!"  So we walked over and said, "Happy Father's Day!" He smiled and said thank you and how sweet that was for us to say that. We walked up and began talking with them both and come to find out, her family is mainly LDS and they all live in Utah! She had never seen sister missionaries and thought that was awesome! So she ran inside and brought out root beer and cookies for us. While she was inside, her husband told us to sit down and share a message with him.  So we did!

Jerry is awesome!  He grew up Dutch Reformed and is just missing the gospel in his life. He has a belief in Jesus Christ, but feels that he is not good enough right now in his life to go back not only to church, but to have Christ in his life again.  He described that it's just an empty feeling and finally looked at us and said, "Never mind... You probably think I'm crazy and don't know what I'm talking about..." Sister Coleman and I looked at each other, smiled, and said, "We're pretty sure we know what you mean Jerry." He knows a lot about the church (probably not correct information, especially about 'John Smith'--yes, clearly not the right information haha). We began talking about the Atonement and finally he said, "Give me that pamphlet, I'll read it tonight and see what I think."  We gave it to him and he agreed to see us later this week! We walked away and Sister Coleman and I had the biggest grins on our faces.  We love this man! 

I am so grateful I had the holyghost to stop me dead in my tracks and prompt us to go down the street.  It is these kind of experiences I'll never forget.  The holy ghost is always there as we seek the spirit and rely on Heavenly Father to be lead.  Miracles happen!

After speaking yesterday in sacrament meeting on Father's Day, I knew that what was said is true. I wanted to share a small part of my talk with you:

Missionary apartments are the best for finding old Ensigns to read and look at.  One day, I found the 1999 April General Conference and found a talk by Jeffery R. Holland called, 'The Hands of the Fathers' and it caught my eye. After reading this talk, I have gained an even larger appreciation of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and feel an immense love for both of them.  I wanted to share part of his talk with you:

     "I cannot comprehend the burden it must have been for God in His heaven to witness the deep suffering and Crucifixion of His Beloved Son in such a manner. His every impulse and instinct must have been to stop it, to send angels to intervene—but He did not intervene. He endured what He saw because it was the only way that a saving, vicarious payment could be made for the sins of all His other children from Adam and Eve to the end of the world. I am eternally grateful for a perfect Father and His perfect Son, neither of whom shrank from the bitter cup nor forsook the rest of us who are imperfect...

     Even as He [Jesus Christ] moved toward the Crucifixion, He restrained His Apostles who would have intervened by saying, “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” When that unspeakable ordeal was finished, He uttered what must have been the most peaceful and deserved words of His mortal ministry. At the end of His agony, He whispered, “It is finished: … Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.”  Finally it was over. Finally He could go home.

     ...I have wondered what that reunion must have been like: the Father that loved this Son so much, the Son that honored and revered His Father in every word and deed. For two who were one as these two were one, what must that embrace have been like? What must that divine companionship be yet? We can only wonder and admire. And we can... yearn to live worthily of some portion of that relationship ourselves."

As you learn more about your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ... You will develop a relationship that is priceless. Seek to do all you can to develop this relationship!  I love being a missionary. I wouldn't trade anything for it in the world.

Until next time...

Sister Robb