Sister Roberts Takes Riverside: I Forgot to Title the Last Email, so I Thought I'd Make This One Super Witty, But I Failed, so Please Don't Hate Me for my Lack of Wit These Days

Hola mi amigos y amigas y familia!

Let's review this week, shall we? It's always so weird, I get started this write these letters every week, and I sit down, and go "Wait, what did I even do all week?". The days start to seriously run together. But I shall do my best. :)

Our mission gave us the backlog of the past 3 years for the referrals from Salt Lake. We have to contact all of them. So, we went to go visit this lady named Olga, and she asked us to come back tomorrow. So, we come back, not expecting much, but surprisingly, she lets us in. It's her, and her two children named Kieran and Paris. We proceed to teach a lesson, and they all really liked it! So, we picked them all up as investigators and have an appointment to go back this week.

We went on a Blitz for our area as well as Citrus Hills (another ward in our stake). It went very well! Hermana Madrid (from Peru) and I went together and walked the historic district of Corona, which is incredibly beautiful by the way. We talked to a lot of people, and only 3 of them spake English. I'm SUPER grateful Sister Madrid was there to save me. hahaha We even met a refugee from Mexico! She told us her story and I seriously teared up as my heart broke for her. Where they were living, people would come knock on there door, and the family would have to pay these people money or else they would legitamately kill the entire family. And sometimes, someone would ring the doorbell, and the family would go to answer it, and there would just be a dead body lying on the ground. That's the "light" stuff of what she told us. My heart broke for her, and she wants to learn more about the Gospel, so Spanish missionaries are heading over there soon. Regardless of political party, persuasion, or opinion, we all need to come together and do everything we can to help the refugee crisis. The church has asked SO many times now for us as members to do what we can in our communities to help our brothers and sisters around the world (regardless of nationality, origin, religious persuasion, and circumstance). Brothers and Sisters, I exhort all of you to PLEASE do what you can to help in your own sphere of influence. You don't even have to spend money. You could teach English to a local refugee, help them go shopping and understand American currency, teach them how to use local technologies, etc. Let's not forget that Christ himself was a refugee. He and his family had to flee from King Harod to escape certain death.

We also picked up another investigator named Hector! We taught him the Restoration and he really loved it. He's on date to be baptized even. :) We're super excited to see where things go with him. We also taught Karen the restoration, and she lovedddddd it. She basically cried the whole time. She has had SUCH a rough life. She has cancer, fibromyalgia, MS, and a few other things I can't remember. But her faith is so incredibly strong. She's definitely an example to me of the type of person I want to be. She's still so happy with her life and she works for Disney and loves it everyday. I'm really excited to keep teaching her (hopefully).

Transfers are this Saturday! We'll see how that goes! I could have a new companion, I could move to a different area, I could become a trainer or Sister Training Leader, or everything could stay the same. Ohhhh the possibilities. ;)

I would like to give a shoutout to my unbiological little bro, Kutter Hine! He has received his mission call, and is going to the Russia, Rustov-na-Danu mission!!!!!!!!! <3 I am SO proud of you, bud. You are going to do AMAZING things in Russia, and your life is going to change immensely on September 14th when you enter the Missionary Training Center. Be ready for the wildest most amazing roller coaster of your life. <3 I do not regret a single thing coming here and serving a mission. It is literally the best thing you will ever do. It might not be the best 2 years of your life (if it is, you need to live more), but it WILL be the best two years FOR your life. Of this, I humbly testify.

Our Zone is super fun, that's all I'm saying. Today, for Pday, we had a gigantic nerf gun war. A company came and set the whole thing up and it was probs the best time ever. Just saying.

I was reading the scriptures (as always. #MissionLife) and came across this scripture that I felt I should share with you. Not sure why, but hey, when the Spirit tells you to do something, you do it. Nephi, a prophet, asks to see and understand the vision in which his Father, Lehi, had. The angel is in the process of showing him, and asks him a question about God. Nephi replies "And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." (1 Nephi 11:17). This verse really hit me this week. Sometimes, if all we know is that God loves His children, it's okay. You're in the same boat as Nephi, who was a prophet of God. It's okay to have questions. It's okay to not know. And it's more then okay to ask God for answers. He will answer you. It may not be the answer you want (I'm a testimony of that. Hello. This mission was NOT in my plans at all), but when you put your trust in the Lord, where He takes you is infinitely better than where you would be on your own. God loves us infinitely. No matter who you are, what choices you've made in your life, where you're from, how old you are, how imperfect you are, etc. He adores and loves you more than you can ever comprehend. If that is all you know, or even want to believe, it's more than okay. I promise. If you faith the size of a mustard seed, it's more than okay. You are TRYING. And the best thing of all, is that God is so proud of you for trying. He's cares so much more about where you are and where you are willing to go with His help, than where you have been.

I love you all so much! I hope you have a fantastic week. <3

Love,

Sister Roberts