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