Monday, March 21, 2016

The Blissful Fargo Life: St. Patty's Day and Exchanges Galore

Hey-oh, my dear family and friends! Life is totally blissful as of late...so much so that subject pondering is going to take some time, haha! The true mark of a beautiful week! We've just been perfectly busy and I feel like I'm figuring out how to be a Fargo missionary...it's a dream!  I'm doing it!! Somehow, Fargo feels like normal and Beulah feels a million years away...I can't believe I've already been here two and a half weeks! Half a month! My whole life, pretty much! I feel like I found my Fargo groove this week, like I'm realizing in full that this is exactly where Heavenly Father needs me to be at this time. So many little things happened this week to confirm that fact- Heavenly Father is just so aware of each of us! He knows us all so personally and, if we trust Him, life is so sweet! Everything is perfect! You do crazy things and feel so happy constantly- basically, the gospel is just so so true!

an applicable quote to my current life situation (so uncomfortable!)    
But anyway, let me tell you all about our beautiful and crazy week. It's been such a good one! We kicked it off with a glorious p-day, full of cleaning and shopping and oodles of mail (including a GLORIOUSSSSS package from my dear friend, Sis. Phillips! Hollllllla!!  It was full of St. Patty's day goodies and a beautiful new journal and so much love- what a blissful surprise!! I also got Sis. Finlinson letters and mail from my dear Beulah comps- so much mail love!! It was wonderful!) and watching our dear Fargo missionaries play Settlers of Catan while writing letters- such a beautiful day!
me and my sweet Sis. Phillips package    

We ended our gorgeous Monday by tracting the town and finding some super solid potentials- including our now dear friend, George Krantu! We chatted with him for a sec on his porch, and he let us right in once he knew we were missionaries- it was so sweet! He told us that he's from Ghana, that he knew missionaries out there...and we got a return appointment for Saturday! It was so cool! And, spoiler alert, he's totally going to find his way back into this email- watch out!

Tuesday was crazy cool as well- we kicked off the day with the morning routine and an oil change- living the life! We lunched and planned and headed over to the church...and went on our first exchanges of the transfer, yahooooo!!

 I think exchanges make me most antsy STL wise...but it was so good! I'm learning that I have SO much to learn, and that I'm here to do that- and to love these amazing sisters I get to serve with! I went to Moorhead with Sis. Richins, and it was just the greatest. We tracted and tried and laughed and got to know each other better...turns out, Sis. Richins is the coolest around- she went on a crazy European study abroad last year, loves the people of North Dakota with an unobstructed passion, gives her whole heart to the mish, and makes delish food. I adore her! I always thought that exchanges were minorly stupid (ha, real talk with Sis. Robinson!), but I realized through my beautiful experience with Sis. Richins that they are more inspired than I could've ever imagined. I totally needed to be with her and learn from her- she's just the greatest! I'm obsessed!
Sis. Richins and I looking adorable    

Once we got to Moorhead, we tried some potentials and tracted and scheduled appointments with members...one of which randomly happened to be the granddaughter of Beulah fave, Sis. Stillson! What a crazily small world!!

We dined on biscuits and gravy (Sis. Richins just gets me!!) and headed back out to try Barb Backer, a less active that they've never been able to get in with- and she let us right in!! It was sweeeet! We had a really nice conversation with her about life and the church and we landed a return appointment- I'll keep you updates on any developments!

We ended our night by teaching Julie, who is pretty much the greatest ever.  She got baptized four months ago and OH MAN, I just adore her! We read a Book of Mormon chapter with her and talked about the temple...and she showed us the décor for her upcoming unicorn themed wedding- goodness, I love her so much! I totally made us take a picture together, and she added me on facebook- we were just meant to meet!

us and Julie 
Wednesday was another beautiful day, which we kicked off with gorgeous studies and a lesson with Bev, a super sweet new investigator. We taught her the Restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon- such a beautiful time! She's way cool!

We lunched after that on fancy ciabatta bread sammies (seriously obbbbbbsessed with Sister Richins- such a beautiful person!!) and saw some sweet recent converts and investigators (including Jamie, who read into my soul and told me I should be a lecturer when I grow up...hmmmm) before racing back to Fargo- such a great time in Moorhead!! I love it! It was so nice to get back to Fargo, because it already feels like home...there is just such inspiration behind the areas we are in! Nothing beats getting back to normal, even after a beautiful exchange with my new bestie! 

We took a media hour and tracted about once reunited, and then ran off to dinner at the Brayton's- such a cool family! We chatted about life and missions and general Seattle love (it's universal, I'm learning!) over lasagna, and we watched "Hallelujah" with their super cool fam- and we're going to do FHE with them tonight! Yahhhhhooooooo!!! They're way cool...I think we're destined to be besties, for sure!

We ended our Wednesday with a super sweet lesson with Bro. Freiderichs in the Mitchell's home- it was amazing! We haven't chatted about Bro. Freiderichs yet because I haven't actually taught him yet...but his wife and kids are members, and he's met with missionaries a little bit throughout their marriage. When Sis. Broberg and Sis. Shaver got into the area, they started teaching him- and he's been progressing crazy well! When we chatted with him on Wednesday, he had just finished the Book of Mormon- huzzzzzahhhhh!! It's pretty weird to get into an area with someone like Bro. Freiderichs being so close to baptism without any effort on your part...but it's pretty cool!  His biggest concern right now is Joseph Smith...but we retaught the Plan of Salvation and Bro. Mitchell (our super cool Elder's Quorum president) bore crazy powerful testimony about prayer and receiving personal revelation- it was so sweeeet!! Such a good lesson!

We headed in for the night after that gorgeous adventure, only to find a package from my dear Aunt Lithia- yeeeehaw!! It came on Tuesday but I was MIA- such a blissful return to homebase!! It was full of Saint Patrick's day candies and cute things- we demolished the Airheads and Skittles during nightly planning, haha! Such a perfect package!!

Thursday was so good- Happy Saint Patrick's Day!! I didn't realize that it was such a good mail holiday- every holiday is turning out to be a good one, haha! We. of course, wore our most festive green shirts and I sported some clover earrings, along with my light up ring courtesy of Aunt Lithia and my perfect socks from Sis. Phillips- I go big!!  We spent the bulk of our day weekly planning away, but we did take a beautiful Chipotle lunch break- complete with guacamole to celebrate!! Nothing is more celebratory than some guac, if I do so say myself!

We went to the Odegard's for dinner after our oodles of planning- and had the most festive dinner of corn beef, cabbage, Irish soda bread, and fancy green punch!!  Such a beautiful dinner- gotta love St. Patrick's Day! All the missionaries in our ward came over, and it was quite the partay- I will forever regret not taking pictures of the festivities! I am more determined than ever to be a good picture taker, haha!

Friday was so good- probs the best day of our whole wonderful week!! So much goodness happened, and my mind is still reeling over it all- such a good day! Somehow, we got FOUR new investigators Friday alone- what the what!? SUCH a good day!!

We kicked it off with the morning routine and weekly planning- it truly never ends!  We lunched with our dear sisters at our apartment before running off to district meeting- such a party! Elder Swensen gave an awesome training on working with members (which has been the recent push in the mish)- so sweet!

AND THEN, we ran off to try some potentials and ended up meeting Fredrick, a super cool man from Liberia...new investigator #1!! We tracted into him and taught him a super quick and sweet Resto- and he invited us back next Tuesday! YAHOOOOOO!! He's pretty awesome- I'm jazzed!

We sprinted it off to Horace after that, where we tried a referral Sis. Broberg and Sis. Harubner got on exchanges...and they totally let us in! I don't think that will ever catch me off guard, haha! We ended up sharing "Hallelujah" with the Lein fam, and scheduling a return appointment for next Saturday- new investigators #2-4!!!!  It was seriously one of the coolest experiences of my whole mish- they let us in! We chatted about their religious background and they told us that they're looking for a church! We kneeled with their fam in prayer to end our lessssson!! Oh man, it was such a party. The Leins are going to be crazy cool parts of my Fargo life, I can already feeeeel it!!!

We tracted a tad more after that amazing and crazy lesson- I'm still in shock, I think! All my missionary dreams came true in one sweeping moment!! While tracting around Horace, we also met a super cool 14 year old, Kara, and her grandma Marilyn...we shared Alma 34:15 with them and gave Kara a Book of Mormon- and she totally hugged us!!  I love when people recognize us as representatives of Jesus Christ- it's the coolest!!

We dined at Sis. Eskue's, who is quickly becoming a fave- I just adore her!! She was baptized about a month ago, and she's just the coolest ever. I feel like I've been throwing that phrase around a lot this email- it's just true all around! We related our crazy stories of missionary work to her, and it was just the greatest dinner appointment of all time- I love her the most!!
us and Sis. Eskue (isn't she the cutest!?)    
Oh man, such a good Friday. Let's all take a moment of silence to revel in that glorious day- IT WAS SUCH PERFECTTTTTION!!

Saturday (happy birthday, Mammy!!) and Sunday were also amazing- running outta time, as per usual! We met with George again on Saturday- he's now officially an investigator...we'll call him Bro. Krantu from here on out, yahooooo!! He's the coolest, and he's super prepared- I just adore him!! He loooooved the First Vision and the Book of Mormon- we're headed back again next Saturday and I am so jazzed! It's going to be great!!

On Sunday, we went to church in Sisseton, South Dakota- I've finally been to South Dakota!! We drove down with Sis. Wright, who is also a new fave, and attended the group down there- it was crazy! They used to be a branch but have been recently demoted to group, which is just the simple way of saying a dependent branch. They don't have any priesthood leadership down there, because they're dependent on the ward up here for that- it's kind of crazy! There are about four active members, and they all meet in this adorable baby building in town- there was something so Beulah about it all! I just loved it! I don't know what we're going to do to help them, because they live about an hour and a half away and we don't make it down there very often...it's tricky! But, it's way cool that there's still some Beulah in my life here, haha!

Oh man, what a wonderful week! So much craziness all around- but I think I'm finally figuring it out! I'll let you know for sure next week, haha! I love you all so much, and I am so grateful to each of you- keep being amazing! Have the greatest weeks!

Love,

Sister Robinson

bird watching during lunch hour (my new favorite hobby, haha)    

a sweet personalized license plate that made me laugh (ND has the most of these ever, I swear!)    

a Jesus picture that reminded me of my Beulah faves (this is Pres. Thueson's favorite picture of Christ- it made me smile!)    

a pretty sunset    

selfie-ing it in the car    

Mrs. Potts painting from Sis. Phillips that I'm currently obsessed with    




and a happy Fargo selfie- life is oh so good!