August 4, 2014 ~ тишь, мир, покой

Well this week was not quite so exciting. Actually it was a rather hard week.  Lots of trials kept popping up, but I really felt how the Lord directly supported me as I prayed and continued to study the scriptures even more.  Like the whole week was just really rough.  But then at the end of the week we had some really nice miracles happen. 

First was this family that we met.  Actually we met the wife in our appartment building and she immediately knew exactly who we were.  She started to talking to us in English and actually speaks pretty well.  We invited her to our english group and she said she couldn't cause she has a baby, but then she was like, you guys can come over saturday evening if you want.  My mouth dropped a little bit.  So we went over there and she and he husband and their 2 little kids were all there.  We had a pretty good meeting with them.  They are 7th day adventists who live in the appartment building right next to ours.  They were so nice and it was pretty cool.  They invited us back over the next week too!  They may have some great potential!!  And it's a whole family!!

Then we quickly went over to the branch to meet this one family from Georgia (the country, not state) that we have been helping weekly with English.  The sisters found them last time I was in Petergof and they have been coming faithfully since then.  So when I came back I decided it was time to stop messing around with them and really try to work more with them and help them see how the gospel can bless their family.  They also have huge potential!  

So I thought about what I was going to say for the spiritual thought the whole week and it ended up going really well.  I felt like the spirit was really pretty powerfully testifying and it was just great.  Then afterwards the mom was like "wow, you just said everything the way it actually is and it really make me start thinking"  (I could kinda tell towards the end that she had stopped focusing so much on what I was saying and looked rather lost in thought.  Oh it was so cool!!  Then she told me after that about 4 times how they remember me from last time I was here and they are really happy I came back.  It made me feel good haha.  Then we gave them a copy of the proclamation to the world and she seemed really excited about it.  I left that lesson really pleased and I really feel like we were able to make some progress with them.  I hope we can actually officially start teaching them the lessons soon!  (I already made them a teaching record:))

That's pretty much it. Really this week I just learned again how Satan really wants to attack us and bring us down at any chance possible, but more importantly I relearned that God is stronger than satan and if we will "cast our burden" on the lord fully, he will strengthen and lead us.  

"И вы воззовете ко Мне и пойдете и помолитесь Мне, и Я услышу вас.

И вы взыщете Меня и найдете, если взыщете Меня всем сердцем вашим"
Sorry I don't  know the actual words in English, only in Russia (I think that's right, I was going off memory) but it's Jeremiah 29:12-13 if your interested.

This scripture has really had a huge impact on me lately and really helped this week.  

Elder Robison

July 28, 2014 ~ Petergof :)

I feel like probably all of my emails are going to have a similar title cause I just really can't get over how much I love this area!! 

Today we are in the city, going to Nevskyi Prospect and so for internet right now we are in some internet club and there are hardcore gamers all around us and I can hear them talking to their other online gaming people through their headphones and it's hilarious.  Mom and Dad thank you for not raising me to waste my time on such useless activities that would make missionaries laugh if they were to ever end up in an internet club with me.

Now on to our awesome week!  I met for the first time the new convert who was baptized in february (he's been working a lot and hasn't been to church yet since I've been here).  He is so cool!  He's 21 and his 18 year old brother was with him and he is super cool too!  We had a nice little meeting with him and he showed us his home and stuff on his phone (he is from Uzbekistan) and told us some cool stuff about his country.  It was really a miracle cause we were able to meet with them twice this week.  We have been calling him and the ward members have been calling him for the past few weeks and he never answers.  But on tuesday he sent us a text and said that he got sick at work and went home after lunch and wanted to meet.  (I only found this out the next day cause I was on a split in Gatchina(!) when that happened.  Then on thursday we were on the bus to somewhere and he and his brother were on the bus, so we met with them again that night!  Right after an interesting meeting with a former investigator.

Also I got to meet one of our investigators this week (finally) and he is super cool!  He's from Belarus and is studying here.  He's a super nice guy who is really open and really wants to know truth.  We had a cool meeting with him last night and the senior couple from Canada.  We got to talk about some cool stuff and he really seems interested to keep meeting.  (I guess this was like the 4th or 5th meeting).  Should be meeting with him Tuesday!

This week I have met tons of really cool people on the bus.  And gained yet another testimony of how the spirit can soften hearts. I got on the bus and started talking to this older guy who was standing right infront of me and when he eventually found out I am from america he started talking really loud and a little bit hostile. (So awkward cause the bus cunductor was sitting literally right next to us).  But after a few minutes he calmed down and we had a really pleasant conversation.  I can't even count how many times that has happened to me, where I start talking to someone and they are not happy about my being there or whatever, but then we keep talking and we usually end laughing and stuff.  I have seen so many times how in the course of just a few minutes people have gone from super agressive and angry to really nice.  It's always so cool to see and I am always impressed with how the spirit is really able to soften people's hearts.

There were lots of really cool things that happened this week besides that, but those were probably the highlights.  

This week is going to be even better!!!

Elder Robison