He Lives!

How GREAT what conference!?  So great.  Loved it.  Unfortunately no one that we invited to watch it did so.  But we were able to invite a lot of people to watch the "Because of Him" video so hopefully they do. I don't have a lot to report because...well we still don't really have people that are letting us teach them regularly.  It's a little frustrating.  But we do get the chance to talk to people and give them the opportunity to learn so that's what we can do.  I don't remember if I talked about Richard or not, but he is getting baptized this weekend.  He technically isn't an investigator because he used to be a member and asked to have his name removed.  He's in his 70's and is kind of crazy.  He'll go off on the craziest tangents during lessons and then he looks at our faces and will just break off and say, "Proceed."  haha it's so funny.  I was super uncomfortable the first lesson with him that I was here for, but I just love him now.  He is not a classy fellow, but he secretly has a tender heart.  I'm excited for his baptism.  We also had a lesson with a 14 year old girl named Alyssa.  She has been seeing missionaries for quite a while now.  Her parents are divorced, her dad has remarried and he and his wife are active members.  Her mom is not a member.  The hang up has been that her mom wouldn't give her permission to be baptized.  She has now decided to just live with her dad, which will give her the opportunity to have the gospel in her life and to be baptized.  She is afraid of her mom's reaction (she hasn't told her yet) but she wants to be baptized.  She's pretty much the cutest, and totally broke down crying while we were there.  She said she could just feel Heavenly Father's love for her so strong.  That was a really cool experience.

There's always something crazy and ridiculous that happens, so I will share a story.  We went to go try to visit someone and we parked down the street in front of some house.  As we were getting out of the car a lady poked her head out and asked if she could help us.  We explained that we were just parking there to walk down the street and asked if it was ok and then explained who we were.  She said, "Oh how funny you ended up in front of this house; we are Jehovah's Witnesses."  I laughed and then asked again if it was ok if we parked there (because I expected her to be grumpy...JW's tend not to like us).  She was super nice and then I gave her a "Because of Him" card.  She said she'd watch it...we'll see.  And then she gave us a JW book about religions that I assume tries to persuade people that they are the right religion.  Then across the street we contacted her neighbor who just kept telling us about the rapture and going on and on about how that was going to work.  She pretty much listened to nothing we said.  People like to talk and not listen.  Anyway I told that in a boring way, sorry. Haha.

My favorite thing in conference was whoever it was that was talking about the gospel being a dance.  It perfectly described some thoughts I've had since my mission.  Looking back I feel like my testimony and understanding of the gospel was so weak before my mission.  When he was talking it just made sense.  I knew the steps of the dance and I was doing them but I didn't understand how they connected.  I had heard the music faintly a few times.  Now I hear the music.  And I am sure that it will only get better, but I feel like now it's all together.  Really helpful concept for missionary work too.  Investigators need to hear the music, and that reminds me of...Elder Oaks I think it was?  His talk about the parable of soils.  I don't want people to be converted to me, or to the programs of the church.  I want them to be converted to the gospel and the joy that living it brings.  And that's how all of us maintain our conversion; it isn't enough to go to church and activities.  Conversion requires forward movement.  Complacency doesn't cut it.  Scripture study, prayer, family home evening, conscious decisions to become more Christ-like, these things are what keep us moving closer to our Heavenly Father.  Love you all!  Have a good week.

Sister Robinson