Coloma

Well this week has been interesting. I was pretty much just trying to survive until exchanges. I normally dread exchanges but if I need help then I can't wait! It's been hard because we still don't really have anyone we're teaching. I feel like I'm doing everything I can but our companionship is not unified at all. We teach ok together but all the rest of the time we're pretty much two separate people. It just doesn't work! We're not being very effective but I just don't feel like I can do much to change it because all my ideas are shot down pretty quickly. But in one of the talks from last conference, "Latter Day Saints Keep on Trying," an experience is related  about a missionary in a similar situation. 

"At one point he was assigned a missionary companion who was immature, socially awkward, and not particularly enthusiastic about getting the work done.

One day, while they were riding their bicycles, Curtis looked back and saw that his companion had inexplicably gotten off his bike and was walking. Silently, Curtis expressed his frustration to God; what a chore it was to be saddled with a companion he had to drag around in order to accomplish anything. Moments later, Curtis had a profound impression, as if God were saying to him, "You know, Curtis, compared to me, the two of you aren't all that different." Curtis learned that he needed to be patient with an imperfect companion who nonetheless was trying in his own way." This was a good reminder for me. It's frustrating but I'm not perfect either. So all I can do is keep trying! :)

We had Zone Conference and that was fun. President spent about an hour teaching about charity so...that felt weird to me haha. It was really good though and I got to see a bunch of mission friends so that was really fun. 

On Saturday we planned for a miracle! Because it is way past time for us to have an investigator. In our area book planner we planned an hour for "miracle in blue" then we chose some cross streets and planned to walk around in that area. We said a very specific prayer about it and went to it. The first person we talked to was in his garage and we just walked right up in there. I hate doing that but you can't just ignore that person when you've prayed for a miracle! Or ever but especially then. Anyway we had a good conversation with Johnny. A few weeks back Sister Jardine came to our district meeting and watched us do role plays. We were practicing contacting and I was trying to contact by tying whatever they were doing into the gospel. So my companion opened up her iPad and then I contacted her just chatting about the iPad and how she liked it. Then I talked to her about, "this super cool app, it's called the gospel library. It makes checking the cross references super easy because you just click the link. It also has talks given by modern day apostles and the prophet." Well back to Johnny, we actually talked to him about the app. Crazy! Roll plays prepare you. And then we shared a scripture from the Book of Mormon with him and gave him a copy. He said he'd read it and we could meet again! So sadly he isn't yet considered an investigator but that is the most interest anyone has shown since I've been in Elk Grove so it was exciting!

Today I went to Coloma! They take departing missionaries there for a last hurrah. They only go in summer though and I guess they decided this would be the last trip until June so they included May missionaries. So super early for me! But I was way excited to find out I got to go this time. It's a historical site for the Gold rush and some Mormon battalion people. It was pretty cool and I got a little phial of gold and garnet flecks that I panned for. 

So that's the news! Love you all!

Sister Robinson