Leaving Hamilton

What an incredible time it has been serving here in Hamilton Mountain. Last night we got transfer calls and I will now be heading to Mississauga with Sister Jensen! I am so excited to not only serve with her, but to take everything that I have learned and continue to add upon it. 

We stopped by the fire station and passed out mormon.org cards

I am sure going to miss Sister Coleman so much!  Words cannot put together everything of the past 12 weeks with her. Sister Clayton asked me, "What have you learned from Sister Coleman?"  After trying to put words together for a minute, I said: "I have learned about Sister Robb.  She has helped me in ways that I cannot describe. She has really helped me come closer to our Savior, Jesus Christ... I am just so grateful for her and always will be.  I love her so much."  During our prayer last night after we got the call, we both teared up a bit.  I will forever love Sister Coleman!

We had such an incredible week and worked with so many less-actives!  First, let me tell you about Lester (about 50 years old). When we first called him, he said, "No it's okay sisters... I'm okay... [before he hangs up]... alright sisters, you can come see me, why not."  Last week was our third time seeing him!  He is just the nicest and friendliest man that loves people.  We soon found out that he hasn't been to church since he was 17 years old! But he is prepared to come back J I know it.  As we talked about the restoration a bit, we invited him to read more about it and he said, "Most likely not, maybe. Can't make any promises sisters."  We found out the next time we met with him, he read the entire thing and then bore his testimony to us and told us that he already knew all of this. Yes, we did end up giving him the Plan of Salvation pamphlet and he loved it as well. As Sister Coleman and I were planning on Saturday night, we said, "Let's give him a call and invite him to church!" So we called and he said, "Um... I don't think so sisters... Maybe. That's it!  I can't promise you anything."  The next day, after we performed a musical number to start off the meeting, Sister Coleman and I sat down and she leaned over to me and said, "Sister Robb! Lester is here!!" Sure enough. there sat Lester, three rows from the front, dressed in a suit and tie!  He loved sacrament meeting! After we sang, a man from the ward just sat down next to him and guess what! They began talking with each other after sacrament meeting and it was his scoutmaster. How neat is that! They caught up for a bit. What an incredible experience it was to be able to see a man who hasn't been to church in in over 30 years, feel the spirit at church and make the connections with those he grew up with.  As I sat there. I was filled with joy--a joy in knowing you've helped someone not only now, but for eternity.  I couldn't stop smiling J I love being a missionary!

Even better than a baptism... Kazherin Munoz (a recent convert) is finally going to the temple this Saturday! AH! I am so excited for her!  When I first came into Hamilton, we talked with her and she was not ready... After time and strengthening her testimony, she is ready.  That is one thing that I loved this transfer is helping three recent converts go to the temple for their first time.  I am so grateful to have that 'beginning with the end in mind' these past two transfers and help several less-actives and recent converts. 

Lastly, here is a funny story.  So there we were, at a recent converts home (Mary St. Onge), when her son Roni came walking out. Roni is in his early 30's and isn't baptized--he loves science and doesn't do too much with religion. When he walked out of his room and saw us, instead of listening to us, he went back in his room and came out with 'numb chucks' and chains with daggers on the end. He smiled and said, "Sisters, I have a challenge for you." He then explained if we can spin the numb chucks, he will read whatever we ask him to. So challenge on!  He showed us some really neat tricks and after showing us what we had to do, we gave it a try. So we would stand there with one numb chuck in one hand and spin it around the hand and catch the other end.  Sister Coleman and I passed his challenge.  We were both able to do it and committed him to read The Book of Mormon!  He accepted and said he would begin to read it!! That's HUGE!! So it was a safe and fun way to share the gospel J Who knew! 

Overall, I am so grateful I had the chance to be able to serve here in Hamilton. It is an incredible area with incredible members and people that have blessed my life so much. Hamilton Mountain will always be one of my homes in Canada.  I am so grateful for the two transfers which I was able to really come to know my testimony and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I know what Helaman said is true, that we need to "remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." I know the gospel is truly where we will have a firm foundation. As we link arms with Christ, we come to know this, that his atonement is the greatest act of love, that his grace is real, and that we are never alone. I know this to be true! I cannot wait to link arms with the Savior in Mississauga and be serving in a city J 

Until next time...

Sister Robb

Exchanges, Exchanges!

What an incredible week of spiritual experiences!  I had the opportunity to go on three exchanges with the sisters! J

The first one was on Tuesday, with the St. Catherine sisters! I had the opportunity to go with Sister Bell, who has now been out for 5 weeks in the mission.  She is just the cutest girl!  Even though she is really quiet... she leads by example and you can see Christ in her countenance. One incredible experience we had was when we were teaching a man named Kiern, who believes that there is a higher power and wants to learn more about Jesus Christ.  He has had a really rough life growing up and said sure he would see the sisters while he was quickly passing by.  It was the sisters first time teaching him and it's so hard to describe his countenance change during the lesson. He was so intrigued when we began talking about President Monson and really just began to love what we were saying.  He wasn't making comments anymore and he began to ask questions.  Questions of the soul, it was so incredible!  As we were teaching him at the park, another man came up to us and asked if he could sit in.  Come to find out, he was taught years ago by missionaries and thought that they were crazy.  But that day, when he saw Sister Bell and I teaching Kiern, he said it touched his heart and knew he needed to sit in and listen again what we had to say.  Kiern and Barry both looked at each other at the end of the lesson and said, "Hey I don't know you, but how about we both go to church on Sunday and check it out."  It put the biggest smile on my face and I looked over and saw Sister Bell's jaw drop and couldn't help but chuckle. We saw so many little miracles throughout the day! We taught another one of their investigators and she prayed for the first time! So that was so fun J

Lastly, we visited this 91 year old lady who is a member and guess what happened….On the way out, I saw a book in a huge pile on her table and knew it was a Book of Mormon.  So I pulled it out and guess what! When I opened it on the inside I found a gem.  I found a black and white photo of a family named the Allred’s that live in Kaysville!  Can you believe that! Under their photo is their testimony with their name and address in Kaysville. She couldn't remember exactly who they were and we were wondering if that was one of the missionaries who baptized her! So that was SO special and she told me that I could take it.  It was incredible!!

We had our second exchange on Wednesday with the Welland sisters!  One of the sisters I came out with got in a car crash about 5 weeks ago and is still suffering from her concussion and has been in a lot of pain as she passed a kidney stone and two more on the way... the poor thing.  So Sister Coleman and I both went into their area to help them out.  Sister Coleman stayed with the sister and I went with Sister Robison to go out and get lots of things done!  I am so grateful for the power of prayer and to be able to feel of other missionaries spirits while I am out here. You wouldn't believe the power, spirit, and conviction that I felt as we went around and talked with everyone! It was incredible. I will never forget it. 

Our last exchange was on Friday (three exchanges back to back is so exhausting!)  We went with the Brantford sisters.  It was an exchange that was special.  It was a time that I  was able to look back since coming to Canada and see what has refined me, but also in becoming an instrument for Heavenly Father in this portion of his vineyard.  It was really neat to see as I was on exchanges with Sister Vance.  I am so incredibly grateful for my mission! I have come to know Heavenly Father in ways that cannot be described. I do know that he truly does hear and answer our prayers and I am grateful for His trust that he has in His missionaries to teach his gospel.  I am always striving to continually do my best and I know that he knows that.  We taught many great lessons that day and were able to help our ward mission leader with his yard as we talked about the ward. I love Hamilton!

Sister Coleman and I taught this less active man named Lester Mazey. He is so nice and is so neat!  He has a cat that doesn't have ears, wears round circle glasses, and was once a door to door mailman for 25 years. [Sad news... Today is the first day that Canada doesn't have door to door mail... Sad day in history]. He was raised in the gospel and knows it's true, but drifted away when he was about 17 when he ran into some anti information.  His questions were answered and he said he would read the pamphlet!  I am excited to help him grasp the gospel again in his life and help him to one day partake of the sacrament and renew his covenants each week!  He is awesome!

Some exciting news! While on exchanges a couple of weeks ago, I felt like we should stop by this 'unknown' member on the ward list and we met this family from Iran who moved in a couple years ago! Whenever we came over, we always talked to their teenage daughter (Mirna, 15 years old) who is just the sweetest girl. We finally met her mom Lamia and she just loved talking with us. We asked what we could do for her after we told her our purpose she said to help her four kids to go to church!  We are going to visit their family hopefully this Saturday and to teach them for the first time. The mom is super religious and is just the cutest J I am so excited! 

Overall, it was a very great and productive week! I wish I could write every spiritual experience that I have everyday and share them each week. I am just so grateful that I do know this: God truly is our loving Heavenly Father and that his Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior! I am grateful that our Heavenly Father does call prophets to lead and guide each of his children who live here on earth. I am so grateful to know that I have the opportunity to teach Christ's pure gospel and that I have been called by a prophet of God to share what I know, and I know that the messages we share are true! They really and truly are. The Book of Mormon has helped me know what I can do personally to come closer to Heavenly Father and become more Christ like in my life.  It's such a special gift to know that Christ did in deed visit the people who lived in the Americas and that we are so privileged to

have that record!  What a gift!  I do testify that Joseph Smith did, indeed, bring back everything to its fullness and complete restoration.  I just wish everyone knew this and felt the spirit like I get to do everyday.  They just don't know... I know that when I will try my best, Heavenly Father will know and understand. 

Transfer calls are on Sunday! I can't believe it already that time again.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  Love to all…….

Until next time...

Sister Robb

The "Root" of all Good

Enjoying Niagara Falls today!

I am so grateful to be serving in Canada!  I had the opportunity to be able to see Niagara Falls today! It was absolutely incredible! You wouldn't believe how powerful and majestic the falls are.  As we were walking towards the falls, it was a light mist and the closer we got towards the water, it felt like we were getting rained on! It was so incredible!  Also as we were walking, Sister Coleman and I got stopped by three people who were from Utah! So that was fun! I am so grateful I had the feeling to give them some blank mormon.org cards to hand out while they were there that day J

I was so blessed to have the opportunity to do a $60 Challenge! As I prayed to know what to do, I felt like I should do something for Chrissy Pope!  I thought of how just a week or two ago, her apricot tree had broken from a storm and was gone.  I thought to myself, “Why not plant another tree for her, but a special one.”  Chrissy lost her mom about a month ago and has been going through a really rough time with life as well as some physical obstacles that were not known to me until after serving her. 

This is what we did!

Together with the Elders, we made a beautiful black round wooden plaque with her mother's name on it that said 'FAMILIES ARE FOREVER'.  My companion, Sister Coleman and I had the chance to be able to pick out a tree and we chose an Eastern Redbud tree (that blooms pink flowers in the springtime). We went over to plant it and she wasn't there! So we decided to make it a surprise J We went into her back yard and planted the tree in the ground and placed the plaque in front of it and left a note on the door for her to check the backyard for a 'surprise'.  It was such a fun and incredible service project!  But, best of all was the call that we received just hours later from Chrissy.

I picked up the phone and she said, "Thank you so much! I just came home from the hospital and found the note that you left me on my front door.  I went to the back yard and it's beautiful, so beautiful.  I love it so much and I knew I had to share it with my family!  So I took a picture and sent it to my sister in Newfoundland and to my other sister in Toronto and they love it as well. [pause] It is beautiful..." She began to tell us that she cried when she saw it and it just means the world to her that someone cared and told us thank you over and over again.  We are so excited to go over sometime this week to put the black 'memory' plaque in the ground (we weren't sure if she would want that done).  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be able to serve one of Heavenly Father's children in a very special way on my mission.  It's moments like this where you wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.  Everything on my mission means the world to me and anytime we have a chance to help another, it is a great experience!

I also got to go on exchanges again to Simcoe! It was incredible to see a sister that I have been with her entire mission (about 6 months).  I just feel so privileged to be able to see so many sisters grow in their testimony and faith in Jesus Christ. 

Those are just a couple of highlights of my week! I love praying for those here in Hamilton and to know how we can best serve people individually.  It gives me a small glimpses of what Heavenly Father feels for us. I know that service truly does bring us closer to Heavenly Father just as King Benjamin promised, "I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." (Mosiah 2:17). There is always something we can do or someone we can serve J

I testify that this Gospel is true!  You asked what my favorite scripture study centered on, and it was something I was so grateful I was able to learn recently.  I had a realization that seemed so silly that I didn't understand it earlier; one of the reasons I personally needed to come on a mission was to understand how to keep my covenants.  I was reading in Helaman 3 and in the Book of Mormon manual talking about sanctifying our lives to our Fathers.  In the manual it says "Those who partake of the sacrament and temple ordinances with pure hearts and who faithfully keep their covenants have NO PROBLEM being modest, paying generous fast offerings and tithing, keeping the word of wisdom and Sabbath day holy, sharing the gospel daily, attend the temple frequently, conduct family history research, doing home or visiting teaching, visiting the sick or serving those in need....These are the faithful saints of the Most High who keep the sacred covenants they have made in the house of the Lord and who continue faithful, having a determination to serve him to the end, and truly manifest by their works that they have received of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their sins. (D&C 20:37) Covenant Keepers...live the law of consecration. Their time, talents, and financial resources all belong to the Lord." (Elder Spencer J. Condie of the 70)  I have always had a testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel, I've always felt it, but I guess I didn't really understand what I knew to be true before I came out here, I just knew I knew it. But now I know and it's so simple, covenant keepers live the law of consecration.  Everything I am, every talent I have acquired and will acquire is meant for the building up of the Kingdom of God here upon on the Earth at this time, in this, His restored Church.  I am so grateful for this enlightenment from the Spirit and I am so grateful that I get to apply it each and every day! What a blessing it is and how great is our calling!

Until next time...

Sister Robb

Backyard Prophets!

Happy Canada D-'EH' last week and the 4th! J This week was full of everything!

Happy 4th of July...Don't we look patriotic!!

On Canada Day, we had MLC (missionary leadership council) held in Brampton. The spirit was "so tangible and thick that you can spread it on a piece of toast!" ~President Clayton. I love my mission president so much!  We viewed more of the conference that happened with the first presidency and the quorum of the 70 about the 'Prophetic Priority' of The Sabbath Day and their second meeting. It was so incredible and increased my testimony of our Sabbath day Observance.  It has helped me to think of how can we help deepen our understanding of the significance of the sacrament? Elder Dallin H. Oaks began to talk about how we should be built, it is "His work.  His Atonement. His mission."  It is all centered in Him and we need to give it back to Christ!  He goes on to say, "Our spirituality or covenants are not stagnant!  Covenants bring us spiritual power!" I know this to be true. How blessed we are to know that we can always continue to progress and grow while we are here on earth and prepare ourselves to meet our Heavenly Father. 

Later in the meeting, we learned about 'Revelation Through Prayer' fundamental and I learned (and am still learning) what real intent means for prayers and what I can do to have more meaningful prayers as I talk with Heavenly Father. As we help others to understand why prayer is important, how to pray, and how to recognize their answers... We help them have a relationship with Heavenly Father that will change their life. We also had another fundamental principle that really helped me to think of each individual person (investigator, recent convert, or returning member) that we are teaching and to know what we can do to have daily contact with them!  It's soo crucial and I am so excited to put some things into place with having the members here help us out with that and to fellowship J It was such a great meeting!

I went on exchanges this week with Sister Spikerman! We had so much fun and here is one neat experience:

Sister Coleman and I made a list of members on the ward list who we don’t know anything about. Sister Spikerman and I stopped by to visit with some of them and one person, a teenage girl, answered the door.  She is so cute and we were able to explain who we were and she said the family moved two years ago! We talked to her some more and she said, "You should stop by next week to come visit my mom and I. She is very religious and would love to talk with you two." I gave her a quick hug and left. We are going to try and see her and her mom this week! I loved being on exchanges with Sister Spikerman.

Bony is also doing really well! We watched the Restoration movie at the Pulsipher's home.  In the end, he said, "I know that one day I'll join you Sisters in your congregation..." He is so awesome and is progressing so much.  He has asked us to not set up his baptism until he has learned everything J AH! We love him so much.  Sister Coleman and I can see him as a temple worker…. someday.

Here is another fun lesson we had :) 

While on exchanges, I told Sister Spikerman we are going to teach Carissa... She has been taught forever by missionaries and can't be baptized until next year and told us she knows everything and to have fun, good lessons. So to 'physically-connect-the-dots', I took apart the Restoration pamphlet and cut out the pictures in there. I took them and scattered them in places throughout her backyard and told her, "Carissa... We are going to go on a walk through the Restoration!" We taught as we walked around her backyard and asked her what she knew about the pictures, prophets, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. She LOVED it!!! In the end she said, "Will you do that for the next lesson?" She is excited to begin making prayer a habit everyday and to read the Book of Mormon daily.  It was such a fun lesson and she learned a lot and strengthened her testimony this way!

Lastly, for the 4th of July, we went to the temple! J  We went with the Recent Converts temple trip with Chrissy Pope (Carissa's mom).  It was so fun to work as a temple worker during the baptisms and to see Chrissy share some of her family names with other Recent Converts. I heard the recent converts talking afterward and one lady telling Chrissy, "I am so grateful I was able to do your family names... I know that they are happy because I feel it in here..." (as she puts her hand over her heart.) Everything was amazing! All that Chrissy was able to talk about afterwards was to do her mom next year... Her mom that passed away four weeks ago... And wants her kids to be baptized so they can do it as well in the future.  It's so fun to see so many new converts go to the temple and have such an incredible spiritual experience. If you haven't gone to the temple in a while... I would encourage you to do so! 

I can't believe that I have been serving on my mission for one year... time goes by too quick and I am

so grateful I have more time to serve in Canada. As I look back at what has happened... I have grown in so many ways that I cannot describe!  I know that I have come closer to my Savior, Jesus Christ and understand more of his gospel.  I know that there truly is a loving Heavenly Father that hears and answers our prayers.  He loves us!  I have strengthened my testimony that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet of God and that he brought forth--in complete fullness--the restored gospel. The Book of Mormon is evidence that he indeed was a prophet and that I am coming closer to Jesus Christ everyday when I read this precious book. I am so grateful that I had the biggest prompting to come out on a mission. My life is truly refined and progressing in what Heavenly Father wants me to be and to do. I would never trade anything for this opportunity in the world J I love being a instrument for Heavenly Father and serving the mission he wants me to do for him in Canada. 

Until next time...

Sister Robb