Robinsons Having Fun: Week 9

Well I am already to the point where I never know what to write haha. Tons of stuff happens every day but it's hard to know what will be interesting. I think I talked a little about Larry and LaDonna last time. They are doing pretty well and came to church on Sunday! We were really excited they made it. Larry especially seemed to enjoy it. I hold my breath whenever investigators come to church because sometimes people say ridiculous things, and Larry had asked us if we talked about Christ in church because he says he's been to church and people don't even mention Christ the whole time. In my mind I am thinking, "well...we're supposed to talk about Christ. That is the point...but I really can't guarantee that people will focus!" haha. Especially with it being Fast and Testimony meeting I was nervous, but it was actually perfect! Because everyone bore their testimonies on Christ, the Atonement, eternal families, and prophets. Which is everything that we have talked to them about. So I repented and remembered that Heavenly Father knows His children, and I don't need to worry about what people say at church. He is not going to lose Larry and LaDonna.

Earlier in the week when Sister Barfuss and I were preparing for our lesson we had scheduled with them we planned the night before to teach them the Plan of Salvation. In the morning when I started studying I remembered that we had told them we would bring them the Family Proclamation, and then I got thinking about how they would recognize that document as truth and as coming from Heavenly Father through His prophet. I ended up studying about how to recognize truth, and came up with a lot of scriptures that teach along the lines of Moroni 7:13, "But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." I really wanted to teach this concept to Larry and LaDonna to help them know how to recognize truth and receive an answer that these things are true. As I ended my studies I was praying that Sister Barfuss would feel the same way and that we could be unified in teaching them about prophets instead of the Plan of Salvation. As we started companionship study and I explained what I had been studying Sister Barfuss got the silliest smile on her face and started laughing. Guess what she had been studying? The Family Proclamation, and prophets! And she had been on her side of the room praying that I would be on board with changing lesson plans so that we could be unified. :) It was awesome! It was super cool to have the experience and to know that we were going to teach what they needed. When we got there almost immediately LaDonna started talking about prophets so we were really glad we were prepared with the lesson we had planned. That study session also taught me so much about how to recognize the spirit. If we are being enlightened, and it entices us to good, it comes from God. I love that simple truth.

So one day last week it was SUPER windy. The hermanas were leaving soon after us to head to their appointment and Sister Barfuss and I started biking to our area. We were biking ridiculously slowly. Seriously it was crazy. My legs were burning and I felt like I was biking really hard and moving at a snails' pace. Sister Barfuss and I were just laughing super hard because we were barely moving at all haha. The hermanas caught up with us about a block away from our house...we got that far in about 10 minutes. Ahh...it was funny. Then they gave us a ride. :)

I think I have talked about Donovan before. He is giving me some serious mission cred. He's a pretty recently recovered drug addict and a Native American. He is VERY entrenched in his culture/religion. It's making things a little difficult because he keeps trying to fit everything we teach him into what he knows. The other day we were talking about prayer and we asked him how his prayers were going. He started telling us how he prays every day to the morning and evening star. It's part of his duties as pipe carrier. Ya...we have our work cut out for us haha. We are really struggling to know how to help him.

Last night at our dinner appointment we bottle fed some little baby goats. They were so cute! I am not an animal person, but when they are little baby animals they just can't help but be adorable! And turns out baby goat hair is really soft. So that was my adventure for the week.

Last story, we did some service on Saturday at the horsemanship farm place again. This time we took some elders with us because we were actually scheduled to do a different service and then it canceled last minute. We have been there a couple of times before and have cleaned water troughs and scooped...well, there's not a delicate way to put this so I'm just gonna say it. Scooped poop. Anyway, so the elders ended up mucking a stall and they were SO WHINY. Hahaha we made fun of them a bunch because we have done that a few times and none of us sisters complained one bit. These elders need to man up!

Anyway one thing that has been standing out to me a lot as a missionary is this scripture. We share it a lot with people because it just applies to everyone. It's 2 Nephi 2:2, "thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." Everyone has struggles in their life, and the gospel can help with every single one of them. Little or great, if we turn to Him, He will strengthen us through our trials and help us meet the demands of life. And better still, He will consecrate our afflictions to be for our gain.

Sister Robinson