A wonderful birthday week!

Dear Family,

Oh, I love Mondays! And I especially love the pictures you send. Sum, that picture of you and Ten is the cutest! Her hair is so long and look at all those teeth! Conference with the cousins sounds like so much fun. You all look so good. I love our family! Wasn't conference awesome? I loved Jorg Klebingat's talk too. His, Uchtdorf's, Christofferson's, and Bednar's were my favorite. I felt so spiritually fed and took something from each message shared! 

As for my birthday package, YES it got here bright and early in the morning on my birthday! Sister Walton and I were in the middle of getting ready when we heard a knock on the door. We looked at each other in confusion because that never happens... She tiptoed to the door and peaked out the window to see who it was and lo and behold - it was the mail man with a big Mary Kay box! Haha! I knew right away that it was a tender mercy that it had gotten here on time. I opened the package at lunch at just cried as I opened each little gift inside, especially the CD! I felt overwhelmed with love. Thank you so much. I listened to the CD on repeat for the next 3 days. And I cried some more when the Angel Lullaby song came on because I'd never heard the original version of it - I just knew it from you singing me to sleep when I was young! They were the perfect song choices. I told Sister Walton that "Redeemed" is one of my Dad's favorite songs. She'd never heard it, but loves it too. I also told her our family is obsessed with Les Mis, so that's why "bring Him Home" was added, haha. I also adore the Mary Englebright Calendar (I'm going to give the other one to Sister Cook when I see her again, because she loves her too :) ). Thank you!!! My package from Jordan included a calendar with pictures of me and her, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, a head massager (haha. I love it!), a spray bottle with a mini fan for the heat, cinnamon bears and extra dark chocolate, a sweet letter, and every conference talk from last April bound into a small book (I'd asked her to print me off a few conference talks because it costs money to print at the library, and that's what she sent!). I love her so much! On my birthday, Sister Walton and I had an awesome lesson with Yolanda about the Plan of Salvation, and Toni took us out for dinner. We got SUSHI, so obviously I was in heaven. My 20th birthday was one of my favorite birthdays yet! 

On Friday we got to go to the temple and do a session with all the new missionaries that came in with Sister Walton. We carpooled down with some elders serving in Kingman (about an hour from Havasu). It was awesome, but we also had to wake up at 4 in the morning to get to the temple in Vegas by 7:30 AM, so staying awake during the session was tough. Afterwards all the new missionaries and their trainers stayed to eat at the cafeteria in the temple (crazy that there's a cafeteria there??), but when I asked Elder Moore (one of the elders we rode down with) if he wanted to eat there, he said: "Well.. we COULD eat here... or we could eat at Cafe Rio." Haha I told him he read my mind. So we left and got some Cafe Rio, where a member in the line in front of us paid for our meal! It was such a good day.

Riding to the temple

Saturday and Sunday we watched conference at the church building. Oh, it was so good. Each of the questions and concerns I've been facing personally were answered and addressed. I felt peace and assurance that God loves me, that the men and women speaking were (and are) His chosen servants to counsel, guide, and direct His church, and that I have every blessing of heaven accessible to me as I heed their words. This was probably my favorite quote from the whole conference, given by President Uchtdorf:

"Let us acknowledge that most often gaining a testimony is not a task of a minute, an hour, or a day. It is not once and done. The process of gathering spiritual light is the quest of a lifetime. Your testimony of the living Son of God and His restored church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, may not come as quickly as you desire. But I promise you this: if you will do your part, it will come, and it will be glorious. I offer you my personal witness that spiritual truth will fill your heart and bring light to your spirit. It will reveal to you pure intelligence with wonderful joy and heavenly peace... The Savior promised that if you seek, you will find... If you seek God's truth, that which may now appear dim, out of focus, and distant will gradually be revealed, clarified, and become close to your heart by the light of God's grace. Glorious spiritual vistas unimaginable to the human eye will be revealed to you. It is my testimony to you that this spiritual light is within the reach of every child of God. It will enlighten your mind, bring healing to your heart, and joy to your days."

I believe that promise is real; Spiritual light and truth comes as we sincerely and actively seek it. I believe that process of seeking and finding is Heavenly Father's way of teaching us and helping us teach ourselves. I needed that reminder from President Uchtdorf. I am so grateful for the guidance and wisdom of our inspired leaders. I look back on my teenage years and remember many distinct moments when their words touched me, moved me, and changed me. They have contributed so much to who I am today, and I look forward with excitement to their counsel in my many years to come. Who were your favorite speakers this conference?

This week as Sister Walton and I worked, I noticed a difference in me. I have grown hungry to work harder and to see progress and results from our labors. I feel a greater desire to push myself and serve. I also feel more confident and capable. I am no longer hesitant to talk to people; I no longer worry about what I'm going to say and how I'm going to say it. I feel empowered and strengthened, and that's been an answer to my prayers! The powers of heaven truly are sustaining me. Each night when we come into plan, I am so exhausted that I can hardly keep my eyes open - literally! Every single night this week, I've passed out in the middle of planning, and Sister Walton has had to nudge me to wake me up so we can finish. Haha! And then after we've said our closing prayer, I collapse on the floor until Sister Walton wakes me up again and I scramble to get ready for bed before 10:30. Missionary work drains you, but in the most rewarding and satisfying way!  

All the sisters in our zone.

I love you!!! I can't wait to read your email next week! 

Love you forever,

Sister Robinson