Sisters To The Rescue!

Sacpase! (Hello in Creole)

HAPPY FAMILY DAY!!  That's right!  Here in good 'ol Canada, they actually have a family day!  How great is that??  I now wonder why America doesn't have this splendid holiday.  Why not?  I mean, we celebrate mothers, fathers, and grandparents day, so why not the family as a whole, eh?  Yesterday this holiday was celebrated and that is why P day is today instead of yesterday.  It was a great day for us missionaries, because as we did some tracking, we found almost everyone home with their family!!  So we have Family Day! A time to spend with our loved ones. What a great holiday!

Testing a "snowfort" at a members house,
-18 degrees, Yes, skirt and all!!

The weather has been frigid and bitter this past week. It got down to about -25 degrees Celsius and with the wind it was even colder!  The elders have called us twice to jump start their car since it's been so cold.  When we saw them we proclaimed, “Sisters to the rescue!” People thought we were crazy while we were out and about teaching and keeping our appointments, but I have been called by a prophet of God to share what I know... I know that the church is true (even in the freezing cold)! J 

There were a few funny moments this week that I thought I would share:

*Sister Turley asked whose door we were knocking on and I said, "His name is Steve." 10 seconds later a man opens up the door and I said, "Hi Greg.....Oh I'm so sorry. Steve!" We had quite a fun laugh all together.  (It’s important to be able to laugh at myself.)

*We were visiting potentials and saw the name Chris on our list.  We decided to make a visit. When he answered the door, he was Chinese!  He just sat there and only spoke Chinese!  I tried giving him a Book of Mormon but he doesn't read English either. While walking away I told Sister Turley, "I should have prayed for the gift of tongues!" We had a good laugh and then the very next person we met spoke Spanish!  I love being a missionary J  It's great to reflect back on the week and just think of small moments that make life so great!

Louis and Faye received their patriarchal blessings on Tuesday! When we saw them, and right when Faye saw me she gave me a giant Filipino hug.  She said that she couldn't stop crying during her patriarchal blessing and felt that Heavenly Father was laying his hands on her head. She is just the cutest!  Louis said that he had a tender experience as well. What a great joy it is to help someone progress in the gospel. They are both excited to go and do baptisms and to receive their endowments on March 5th. They will not be getting sealed until October 1st because they need to be legally married for one year.  Overall, the joy I feel is hard to explain. I know that Heavenly Father truly does love his children and I feel so privileged to see glimpses of it throughout my day as a missionary. 

I realized this morning in my personal study that our Father's Plan is so much bigger than we can presently see. It's so much bigger than simply living commandments, it's bigger than merely not smoking, or not drinking, or keeping yourself pure, or paying your tithing. It's all for a reason and it's all a part of His plan. Not one of us is less important in His Plan than another, there's just different responsibilities, each one tailored specifically for us and our personal growth. I would invite you to utilize that growth! In doing so, you will have accomplished that which the Lord had intended you to become from that experience. I testify that our Savior lives! He suffered in pain, emotionally, physically, spiritually, for who knows how many people so that we might live. Let us not leave that precious gift untouched!  I testify that Christ died for you. If you do not believe that, then, at this one moment in your life, don't think of the person next to you or in the other room, but look in the mirror, look at you.  Let the reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ sink deep into your soul and know, without question, that Jesus is the Christ, your Savior and Redeemer! Satan would have you believe that Christ didn't die for you, that you're just not good enough. But that is not true!  He surely died for everyone!  This is for ALL, especially for you!  When you know that yourself, then are you able to share it with all, and bless their lives deeper than you ever thought possible. This is the Plan of Salvation, the Plan of Happiness, the Plan of Peace, the Plan of Truth, the Plan of God! There is no other way, and although it's hard, although it's bumpy, it's still straight! Continue on the path and angels will watch over you, I testify to that from experience! There is so much reverence in my heart to my Father in Heaven and His Restored Gospel, and in Him trusting me, as imperfect as I am, to be a mouthpiece here in Ajax, Ontario, Canada, and you in your respective assignment!

I love the gospel with all of my heart.  The Atonement is real and I am so grateful I have a lifetime to study, to learn and to live it!

Until next time...

Sister Robb

It Has Been An Exciting Week!

Walking up our stairs from the basement and
the snow reached my knees!

What a week and what an exciting next transfer this is going to be!  I am staying in Ajax to finish training Sister Turley.  We have so many good things happening that I am excited for what's in the future!

Louis and Faye are doing so good!  They are both super excited to be getting their patriarchal blessings on Tuesday.  We had a lesson with them last week which was truly inspired. Afterwards, Louis and Faye were so kind to thank me personally for sticking with them since November.  It was a really tender experience as they poured out their heart and bore testimony of how much they have grown in the gospel and what they know to be true.  It was a moment for me that I knew my Heavenly Father is pleased with me, a moment where I recognized his hand in my mission and this is what He wants me to do and I am so blessed to see the miracles that have come from it.  They are getting so excited to go to the temple in March to do baptisms, special ordinances, and be sealed for eternity J

Sister Turley and I have been in the steps of finding people to teach and I got an idea and prompting that we needed to select some members from the ward and talk to their neighbors.  As we knocked on doors, we introduced ourselves and asked if they needed help with anything or would like any service performed for them.  We then explained we are friends of their neighbors and asked if we could come back another time and share a brief lesson. We got a couple of appointments lined up from doing this! So that was something fun and new to try!

I convinced Sister Turley that we should ride the bus on Saturday during rush hour and try to talk to as many people as we could. The last ride back home, we met a man named Swaney who is Jamaican. He was just humming away all by himself in the back of the bus and Sister Turley was able to talk to him.  She forgot to grab his number but thankfully gave him a pass along card.  He called us 10 minutes after we had gotten off of the bus and gave us his number.  We then set up a time to meet him at the library and brought a member to come teaching with us.  It went really well and he even asked us in the end what he should specifically pray for before we even invited him to pray!  He is awesome.  We are excited to continue to teach him and will be seeing him tonight.  He said that the reason why he wants to meet with us is because he saw the light of Christ in us as we talked to people. That was soooo cool to hear!  He was touched and told us that people don't talk to each other anymore. What a great experience J

With Mavis at her baptism!  Such a spiritual day!

Yesterday, Mavis was baptized!!  She is Jamaican and one of the sweetest ladies I have ever met! I knew her from Whitby.  When I served in that area, her daughter was in the ward and was less-active and now is attending church. When we went over to share with her lessons, Mavis would always sit in.  THEN, while Sister Turley and I were going through our area book, we found a list of four names of potentials in Pickering, which was very odd.  We sent the information over to the Pickering Elders and guess what?!  Mavis was on that list!! I didn't know she lived in Pickering!!  She was taught for the last month and was baptized yesterdayJ  What a beautiful baptism it was... Mavis just looked up, closed her eyes and began to sob after she was baptized.  She then sang an old Jamaican song after she was baptized and almost brought the room into tears followed by her sweet testimony.  She said that she is so grateful for my missionary work and touching her heart while I was in Whitby.  While hearing our messages it stirred up the spirit and she was prepared for the Elders to teach her.  I was so grateful to be able to witness her baptism and see the happiness that has filled her life.  

I was also blessed to hear that Pamala (the lady I taught in London) was able to enter the waters of baptism yesterday.  I am blessed and so humbled for the experiences in which I have to see my brothers and sisters making that sacred covenant with our Heavenly Father.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day!  I would love to be able to send you all a note, but time does not allow for that.  Your support, prayers, and love mean more to me than you know, so a simple thank you will have to suffice.   I KNOW that the same Gospel taught by prophets of old and our Savior, Jesus Christ, has been restored to the Earth today through a living prophet. God has worked in this way since the days of Adam, why would He change now?  I testify that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He has called another prophet to head His kingdom upon the Earth at this time and has restored the priesthood authority for His children to receive the necessary ordinances to bring to pass the salvation of His children.  

The gospel is true. "Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "I know that my Redeemer lives!"

Until next time...

Sister Robb

Snowy, Snowy Canada!

We have more snow! A storm came in and dropped about 8 new inches and it still is snowing! Crazy, eh?   I love the snow but it makes it more difficult to go proselyting.  I am grateful for the beautiful earth and that is why I just have to work harder than ever to find that one person or family!

‪Not too much has been happening.  We are trying to continually find people to teach during this winter season.  Last week I prayerfully selected a crescent by an elementary school and we knocked on people's doors.  We got about 10 potential investigators!  They are great! We hope we can see them this week and be able to share a lesson or two with them.  Just find, find, find! J  

‪As we were going through some former investigators I stopped at one that said 'Lenny and Charmaine'... I told Sister Turley that I recognized those names and we should stop by!  Come to find out, it was a family who Sister Poettcker and I were trying to see when I first came to Ajax but they never answered the door.  Guess what…they answered the door!  We came back and taught them with a member in the ward and had such a powerful lesson.  We were just planning to teach Lenny but his twin 20 year old sons sat in on the lesson!  It was so good!  Lenny and Charmaine are Jamaicans! They said that they would all come to church next week so we are excited for that and pray they will follow through! 

‪Sister Turley and I went up to Uxbride last week (which is about 50 minutes north of Ajax, which is still in our area) to see a couple of people. The people that Sister Poettcker and I decorated the Christmas tree for (Lee and Greg).  It was really great!  We shared a brief lesson with her non-member husband about how God is our loving Heavenly Father and how the gospel can truly bless us individually and as a family.  He didn't say too much but I knew that the spirit was there and that Lee (the less-active member) was really thinking about what we were saying.  We hope we can go to Uxbridge about every other week to continue helping them and see what we can do!

‪

Teaching Louis & Faye in their home

Yesterday at fast and testimony meeting, Louis got up and bore one of the sweetest testimonies.  He said that he loves the gospel.  He is getting his patriarchal blessing on February 10th and cannot wait to go through the temple and get sealed on March 5th.  He bore a strong testimony of how to never ever give up and how the gospel is truly such a blessing and it has changed his life. That was huge for him to do!  He said he had a "fire in his chest and just had to go up front to speak!" He also said the opening prayer in sacrament for the first time ever!  They are doing great and I am excited for them! J

Saturday morning personal study was just SOOO good!  Let me just explain my thought process...I was reading in the book "Our Search For Happiness" by Elder Ballard, and in it he tells of his grandfather who, as he prayed fervently for guidance on his mission, was led into a room here the Savior sat.  He tells of the inexplicable joy that overcame him, and the unquenchable love and beauty that came from the Savior.  I began to think of that instance, and Joseph Smith who saw the Father and the Savior standing side by side, and other prophets who have literally seen and talked with the Savior and God face to face.  I imagined all of us in a room where our Father and Christ stood at the head, beckoning to all of us 'come'.  The only problem is, we're all blindfolded.  We can't literally see them. Some are chosen to be leaders and are granted the removal of their blindfold, while the rest of us continue to be aimless wanderers with no sight or direction.  It is through those who do see that Truths are restored and organization is made so that we may experience direction and purpose for ourselves.  The glorious formula is that we don't have to and shouldn't simply accept what those, who claim to be seers, say for Truth, but that we can and should ask the Source Himself, and he will let us know, through the power of the Holy Ghost.  We are all in His presence, we just don't see Him.  In order to feel Him we must humble ourselves and ask, and then listen.  If we ask and then plug our ears and make noise, He's not going to answer, well, He might, we just won't be listening or won’t be able to hear.  I can testify that He does answer. He did when I asked, because I listened, and will continue to do so.  I'm still walking blindly, by faith, but He directs me if I simply listen.  Sometimes we, both members and nonmembers alike, over-complicate life.  It's simple; ask, listen and follow. You must submit that you don't know everything, and you may need help.  Once you realize that, ask for the help, but from the right Source, our Father in Heaven. He knows what's best for you, even when you don't agree.  Submit to His will and follow through.  I can testify with all of the fervency of my soul, that Jesus is the Christ! That our Father Lives, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is, indeed, the Lord's Kingdom on the Earth again today, and found therein, are the necessary doctrines and principles that, if submitted to, will bring peace, joy, and happiness in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come. Thank heavens I have been blinded all this time that I may become humble and learn to see with my heart!

Heavenly Father loves each of us and that gives me great comfort and peace everyday that I live.  I know my purpose in life and am so grateful for the gospel in helping me receive this knowledge for myself.  I know who I am and I know who I can become because of the gospel.  I am so grateful for the tools in which we have to prepare ourselves spiritually and to become more like Christ everyday.  I am so truly grateful to be in Canada even in the snowy, cold weather!  There is no greater joy right now than to proclaim the gospel! J 

‪Until next time...

‪Sister Robb