Week 6

I finally have funny stories to share!  It's been a pretty eventful week.  With a huge announcement yesterday!  We'll get to that later.

First thing, investigators!  Joe is not really progressing.  He was our only investigator up until this week, when we added four in one day!  That was super exciting.  And basically unheard of--around here anyway.  Not that it's anything we did, but we're being very blessed.  We are not ready to drop Joe yet though because he is awesome, and we don't feel we have done everything we can to help him progress.  So we're going to give it a lot more effort this week and see what happens.  So our four new investigators were all a miracle in their own way.  I don't remember if I've talked about Michael before, but we re-added him.  He is a former that basically just didn't see why he needed to talk to the missionaries.  So he's been studying on his own and keeps coming to church.   We finally just stopped by his house and had a lesson planned for his doorstep.  We went straight to baptism and asked him what he knew about it and why it was important.  He said, "So I can have the Holy Ghost?"  We figured that was close enough. :)  But we explained more and taught about baptism and it's importance as a step in following Christ.  We asked if he wanted to follow Christ and he said yes, "but shouldn't I finish reading the Book of Mormon first?"  This kid is a senior in high school, and he knew NOTHING about Jesus Christ or the Bible or anything a few months ago.  He is amazing, and I admire his efforts to follow Jesus Christ so much.  We're really excited to continue teaching him and helping him progress towards baptism. (We told him to pray about being baptized January 17, so pray for him! And for us. We need all the help we can get to be guided by the spirit).

The same day we were going to try to see a potential investigator that neither of us had met before.  When we got there a guy answered the door (we were looking for Estella).  He said he didn't know who Estella was, so we asked him his name.  He said it was Josh, and then Sister Barfuss said, "Wait, did I meet you about a month ago?"  Well long story short, she had but it was during exchanges and she had thought he was out of our area and in passing him off he had fallen through the cracks.  So it was a total miracle that we found him and we had a short lesson with him and set an appointment to go back tomorrow!

That night we had an appointment with the Noriegas.  Alberto Noriega is the father that hasn't been to church in years and basically doesn't remember anything.  We had an appointment and he had his sons there, who know nothing about the church or Jesus Christ or anything.  So we added the two sons as investigators.  They were all very attentive during the lesson and it went really well.  We love them so much, and are so excited that they are learning together so that they can progress together as a family and have that support.  At the end we taught them to pray as a family, and we are excited to see how that has blessed them this week.  The mom/wife, Veronica was there, but never came out.  Pray for her!  They need to be all together so they can be an eternal family.  So here's a funny story, when we were teaching them Sister Barfuss asked what they knew about prophets, or what they thought of with the word prophet.  Kevin, the older son, said "gain."  We were very confused.  Then we finally realized he was talking about "profit."  Haha We laughed really hard.  Hope that didn't make him uncomfortable but it was just funny.  And a good reminder to be really clear when we ask questions.

We also had exchanges this week.  I am NOT a fan of exchanges.  It was so stressful and uncomfortable!  I was the one to stay in our area so I was basically senior companion for the day since I was the one that knew the people and at least kind of knew the area.  But it was probably good for me I guess.  Anyway we had a lunch appointment instead of a dinner appointment, and they had a cat.  This cat seriously loved me or something.  Actually all the animals do.  And I'm just basically screaming in my head as I try not to offend people by telling them that I hate their pets.  Ha anyway the cat was just adamant about sitting on the lap and then was putting its face up to mine and I was just awkwardly trying to move my face away.  Ack!  I will never have indoor pets!  Plus I'm allergic anyway so that seals the deal.  I really wish I could have seen my face though because it was stressing me out but I was trying to be polite.

Last funny story, last night we were caroling/tracting and went to a less active member's house.  His door was just kind of open partially so we started singing and then he came to the door and interrupted with, "sorry wait just one second I'm not dressed!"  And then we realized that he was holding his pants up in front of him.  Ahhh!!! Awkward.  This is not the first time people have come to the door without being fully dressed.  It's so crazy!  But we just had to laugh.  I guess his door was partially open because of the dog so that's why that happened but ya.  It was funny.  Why don't people wear clothes?!  Men are weird.  It's always men.

Also, big news!  We were gathered last night for a whole mission conference call.  We were all convinced we were finally getting iPads so we were super excited (we're the only mission in CA that doesn't have them and they would be super helpful).  Well, it wasn't iPads.  There is going to be a new mission created in CA, the Modesto mission.  So they are taking 3 areas of the Sacramento mission and I think three from the Fresno mission and it will become the Modesto mission.  So probably around 75 missionaries from my mission will be reassigned to the Modesto mission in July.  I am not one for big changes so it's stressing me out a little bit, but I know that whichever mission I end up in it will be for a reason.  Lodi, the zone I am currently in, will be in the Modesto mission so technically right now I haven't even served in the Sacramento mission ha.  I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but hopefully.  So everyone was very disappointed about the iPads.  It was really funny because President Jardine knew that's what everyone thought it was.  We are supposed to have more details on the new mission and how that will all work in January but I guess it won't be "opened" or what not until July.  At which point I will be about 8 months into my mission I think.  It's so crazy.  But exciting that California is just bursting with missionaries! 

This is the Zone all gathered for the mysterious conference call.

Well it's been a little harder than normal for me the past few days, but a lot of it is just me being frustrated with myself for not being perfect.  I have super high expectations of myself, which is good, but it makes it hard when I fall short.  Which happens multiple times every day.  Sister Barfuss had me read D&C 67:10.  "Of you it is required to forgive all men."  That includes forgiving myself, and forgiving myself as immediately as I expect myself to forgive others.  We aren't perfect, but I am coming to trust that Heavenly Father can and does work with me even in my imperfection.  And he will work with each of you as well.  His plans cannot be frustrated, so just do the best you can do (which varies from moment to moment) and He will make up for the rest.  Love you all!

Sister Robinson

oh and p.s. I won't be writing on Monday next week because P-Day is moved to Christmas day.