Sister Katie Robison's Missionary Blog

We have created this Blog to share letters and pictures of Katie during her 18 month mission to the Canada Toronto Mission.  We hope that this will be a place where friends and family can come to read Katie's latest letters.  Thank you all for your love and support of Katie over the years.

Katie and Nate both served at the same time,
Nate in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission, and Katie in the Canada Toronto Mission.
The OTM and the CTM!
We proudly hung this picture in our home for that time period!

This is a copy of the E-mail that Nate sent Katie shortly before she left on her mission.  It was very tender and loving.  Nate really had a way with writing!  We loved his letters!

Dear Sister Robison,

   

     I have decided to dedicate this whole letter to you, while the principles still apply to all, I will be talking to you. You have just Joined the greatest army upon the face of the Earth. I have the fullest confidence in you. Although you have not been called to serve in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission, The "Only True Mission"  You still have the best mission in the world ahead of you. Through the direction of a Living Prophet, God has called you to serve in the Toronto Mission. God has called the mission president and wife whom you will be serving under. God has prepared the people that you specifically will touch. God has prepared for you the oppurtunity of a life time to become who you are meant to be. What a blessing, 18 months you will have dedicated to teaching others about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and coming to truely understand and apply it yourself. Allow me to share some advice.  

     Pray. On your mission you will pray such as you have never prayed before. You will pray an approximate minimum of 15 times a day. Many will be companion or group prayers, but the ones i treasure are personal prayers. These are interviews with the Lord. Think of them as such. Pray, and do so for the right reasons. God sent you there and you do not know the reason. Pray to understand that. Do not pray because you are supposed to, pray because you want to! Ask and you shall receive! Everything that I have had the faith to ask for, I have received. You must ask with real faith. You must humble yourself and be willing to do anything which God may require of you to accomplish your desire; otherwise it will not come to pass. Pray specifically. When you set a goal, Pray and ask Heavenly Father to help you achieve it. Would anyone willingly deny themselves blessings? then why don't we ask for them? If you don't ask, you deny yourself. You cannot do this without God, it is his work and he commands it! You can believe that or he will teach it to you!

     Faith. Faith is a principle of action. Why is it that we act the way we do? We act according to our Expectations. If we expect it to be cold outside, we wear a jacket. If we expect that there are people prepared to hear the gospel all around us, we will talk to people all around us! It is that simple. When we pray we are under obligation to do everything we can to bring everything we ask for to pass. That is faith, Complete Reliance upon the grace of the lord to bring about what you ask for while doing everything you can to bring it about. God can do all things. God knows who is prepared. God knows what we need to do. He will guide us if we only ask. So lets ask.

  
     Choose now. Contrary to the popular belief of many people, just as there are good and bad people, there are good and bad missionaries. My mission president has said, " All missionaries are great, some just realize it sooner than others." Choose now to acknowledge that you are a great missionary, and don't settle upon being anything else because you don't have time for that. If you are undecided than It is easy to be great when your companion is great, it is hard to be great when your companion is not great. When you are decided, you are great,  and it is easy to be great. 

  
     Listen to the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will be your constant companion now more than ever if you allow him to be. Why do you think that mission presidents, Stake Presidents, Stake patriarchs, and Bishops have the spirit around them so much? Why do you think they see so many miracles? May I suggest it is because when the spirit speaks, they listen. The more you listen to the spirit, the greater it will be with you. 

   
     Study the scriptures. These are the words of life given unto you. Learn them so that when someone is in need, you can help them. 

   
     Love your companions. They will be your best friends if you allow them to be! Lift them up, inspire them, serve them, pray for them aloud. Help them become the best they can be, listen to them, and confide in them. 

   
     Expect miracles. 

   
     Ask for them, then go and do.

 
     D&C 123 17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.

     God will always come through with his promises! 

     This last Sunday we needed 6 member present lessons to hit the standard of excellence. That is usually pretty tough to get in one day. We prayed we would be able to do it and we did! Only one problem. We still needed one more investigator to hit the standard of Excellence. We found another exchange to come out with us and went to this family who were potentials, didnt turn out. We had asked god to help us find a new investigator and we werent going to give up yet. We tried convincing the priest we were with to let us teach his girlfriend but that didn't work, we called numbers of past investigators in the phone to see if they would let us teach them, but that wasn't working either. We finally dejectedly dropped off our exchange and were on our way back to the apartment to finish planning zone leader stuff for the upcoming meetings. On  our way back we were passing streets. and i said what if we just need to knock on a random door, like that one! or that One! As we passed we decided that if we never went we would never know! So we turned the car around and went up to one of the doors i had pointed to. We knocked the guy came out and was nice. he said he had food on the stove. We asked for 5 min. He said he didn't have that. We told him we could do 2. We opened with a quick prayer, covered every point of the restoration. Gave him a book of Mormon, and closed with prayer. Then we set a return appointment. 

  

     Anything that we have the faith to pray for God will give to us. I testify of that. I know that. 

     Sister Robison, above all, know how much your savior loves you, know how much we love you. Know that you are not being sent out to fail. Know that your service is of eternal consequence for you and those you meet. Know that you have been called of God for them! You can bring about miracles as you exercise faith in Christ. I promise you this. I know this because I have done it myself. Throughout my life, but even more throughout my mission. You will never have a better time to truly come to love the savior. I love you and I pray for you! I will continue to do so! I will see you in a short 18 months!

 

     Love,

     

     Elder Robison

Dear Sister Robison,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Canada Toronto Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, January 28, 2015. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as  a  minister  of  the  restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards ·of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge  and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus   Christ.

Your purpose will be to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared  to be  baptized.

The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you  humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place our confidence in you and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.

You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president. Please send your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your  bishop.

                                           Sincerely,

President Thomas S. Monson

Dear Sister Robison,

     Congratulations on your call to the Canada Toronto Mission. Sister Clayton and I are delighted to welcome you to  the greatest mission of the Church! At the dawn of this dispensation, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Parley P. Pratt all taught the gospel here. President John Taylor was converted and baptized in Toronto. More recently, Elders Mark E. Petersen and Neal A. Maxwell also served as missionaries here, and President Thomas S. Monson and Elder M. Russell Ballard were mission presidents over this mission. Now you have been called by a prophet of God to come to this area at this time and add your name to the legacy of great missionaries who serve in the Canada Toronto Mission.

Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come, and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation.....You shall begin to preach from this time forth, yea, to reap in the field which is white already to be burned.  Therefore, thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and your sins are forgiven you.  Wherefore, your family shall live.  Behold, verily I say unto you, go from them only for a little time, and declare my word, and I will prepare a place for them.  Yea, I will open the hearts of the people, and they will receive you.  And I will establish a church by your hand (D&C 31:3-7)  

     Rejoice in your calling! As you prepare to enter the mission field, know that you join a great family of dedicated servants of the Lord who labor with "all of their heart, might, mind, and strength" (D&C 4:2). This is His work, and He has prepared the hearts of many to receive the gospel. As we are humble and obedient, the Lord will lead us, His instruments in building the kingdom in this part of His vineyard.

     One of the great blessings of missionary service is daily scripture study and prayer. In preparation to preach the gospel, please ensure that you read the entire Book of Mormon before your arrival in Canada. A study of  “Preach  My  Gospel”, especially chapters 3 – 6  will  be  very  helpful.

     The MTC will be a profound experience for you. As you pay prayerful attention to all that is said, the Holy Ghost will teach and testify to you. The Lord has said, "Seek me diligently and ye shall find me" (D&C 88:63).

     Sister Clayton and I look forward to greeting you at the Toronto Airport and bringing you to our mission home for orientation dinner and a testimony meeting. There you will meet your new companion.

     We are humbled and grateful for your desires to serve the Lord and at your acceptance of your call from a prophet. We know that the Lord chose you to come at this time because He needs you here. Your family and loved ones will feel the blessings of your service. As Sister Clayton and I labour alongside you, we will watch over you to ensure your well-being and spiritual growth. We are here to serve and help you. Please feel of our love for you as we await your arrival. May the Lord bless you in your preparation.

With Love,

Weatherford T. Clayton

President

Dear Sister Robison,

Here are some of the thoughts from President McClellan when you were set apart for your mission:

1.  Sister Katie Robison you are a beloved daughter of God.

2.  Your family will receive many blessings because of your service.  

3.  Your family will receive double blessings for a little while with two missionaries         out at the same time.

4.  You will receive blessings for the rest of your life because of your service.

5.  Your sisters will be blessed through your example.

6.  You will be safe if you keep the rules.

7.  You will know who you are.

8.  You will be associated with those who have had a hard time.

9.  You will nurture those who are homesick and be able to help them.

10. You will be a stronghold to those you associate with.

11. You will feel the spirit.

12. You will be guided by the spirit.

13. You will be comfortable with strangers in their homes.

14, As she enters rooms, people will see her and see the countenance of Jesus Christ.

15, When meeting investigators, they will recognize that she is representing Jesus            Christ.

16. You will bear and share your testimony of Jesus Christ, that He still lives. 

17. You will form everlasting friendships.

18. You will have a relationship with your Mission President.

19, Your eternal companion is now actively serving in the kingdom of the Lord.

20. Before you come home you will know why you are in Toronto

Love You,

Mom

My Missionary “Farewell Address”

                I can remember the first time I went to the temple. I remember going with the rest of the Summerlin primary. We had a picnic on the lush green lawns of the temple, and then went inside to look at the beautiful paintings and murals on the walls. Although I do not remember much else about the trip, I have always remembered the thoughts that I took away from that experience. Since then, I have known that the temple is a special and sacred place, and it was a place that I wanted to go back to.

          Since that visit as primary kid, I have been back to the Las Vegas temple countless times. I have also been on the grounds of over 30 different temples, and have been inside around 10 other temples whether it be to participate in Baptisms for the dead, walk through the temples for open houses, or as of recently, to attend an endowment session and spend time in the wonderful Celestial room.

          Each and every Temple is beautiful and special in its own ways.  Often times designs in temples are hand carved and painted. The wood for the embellishments are handpicked,  and the granite tiles are delivered all the way from the dead sea. They spare no expense in collecting the finest materials to construct the temples. After all, it is the House of the Lord. Some temples have been made with bright white granite stones, while others have been made with pretty red stones. Some temples have large and beautiful chandeliers and staircases, while others have beautiful original paintings of Christ and other influential biblical figures. In some temples the beauty can be found in the small details and gold trimmings laced around the rooms, while others are found beautiful for their simplicity.

          Although each and every temple looks different, there are two things that are the same about each and every temple.

          Firstly, On the outside of every temple lies the inscription, "Holiness to the Lord, The House of the Lord." When we step into any temple, we are stepping into the House of God. Holy means set apart for a sacred purpose. This phrase perfectly captures what a temple is for. Temples are indeed set aside for very special and important work.         Secondly, In each and every temple, you can feel the spirit of God. It doesn't matter what temple you are in. If you are searching for it, you will always feel the spirit of the Lord testifying to you of truthfulness of the gospel.

          Temples have existed since the beginning of time. In the old Testament, we read about the prophets of old, such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who would turn to the mountains as a place to go and communicate with God. We also read about Moses , and the Arc and Covenant, as well as the tabernacle that basically, for the lack of a better description, became a portable temple.  It wasn't until the times of King David that the temples took on a permanent structure, the first one being Solomon's temple.

In the new Testament, in the Book of Luke, Chapter 2 we read of the Boy Jesus at the temple.  Every year, Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was 12 years old, they went up to the festival , according to custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on. Then, they began to look for him among  their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.

          In verse 46-49, it reads

 46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

 47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

 48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

 49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wouldst ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?

They had found Jesus in the house of his father, the temple. Throughout the rest of Jesus' life, he continued to attend and teach in the temples. and Set an example for us.

          Temples are of utmost importance in our lives today, just as they were in the lives of those who lived before us. Elder Dallin H. Oaks describes temples as "the key which allows us to open the doors of the highest kingdom in heaven- the celestial kingdom." Without temples, we would not be able to return to our Father in Heaven.  Without temples, we  also wouldn't be able to be sealed to our families. We believe that in temples, Families have the opportunity to be sealed together for not just time, but all eternity.  Which is one of the best blessings our father in heaven could give us. There is no greater feeling than knowing that I can live with the ones I hold closest to me forever and ever in the lives to come.

          And so, today, our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, has 12 temples waiting to be built, 14 temples in the process of being built, and 144 temples in operation all across the world. This comes to a total of 170 of God's houses on the earth, and accessible for his children to use for their own personal growth and benefit, as well as to benefit those beyond the grave.

               

Not only have we just been blessed with temples so easily accessible, but when we attend these temples, we receive countless blessings in return. We have been promised that when we attend the temple, we will feel peace and joy. We have been promised that we will receive answers to our prayers.

                When talking about the Temples and blessings that come from attending the temple, President Boyd K. Packer has said

“When members of the Church are troubled or when crucial decisions weigh heavily upon their minds, it is a common thing for them to go to the temple. It is a good place to take our cares. In the temple we can receive spiritual perspective. There, during the time of the temple service, we are ‘out of the world.’

“Sometimes our minds are so beset with problems, and there are so many things clamoring for attention at once that we just cannot think clearly and see clearly. At the temple the dust of distraction seems to settle out, the fog and the haze seem to lift, and we can ‘see’ things that we were not able to see before and find a way through our troubles that we had not previously known.

“The Lord will bless us as we attend to the sacred ordinance work of the temples. Blessings there will not be limited to our temple service. We will be blessed in all of our affairs”

               

          When we attend the temple, it becomes easier to gain and maintain an eternal perspective in our lives. It helps us to gain the strength and courage we need to be able to make it through the trials we have been given. Things in our lives, that once seemed disastrous, seem to work themselves out.

          As we do go through the hard times and trials in our lives, it becomes so increasingly important to maintain that eternal perspective. It is so easy to get lost and loose our way with all of the spiritually distracting materials that have seemed to continue to increase throughout the years. However, as Gary E. Stevens once said,

"You are never lost when you can see the temple"

          If you set your sights on the temple, and always aim to attend the temple, then it will become increasingly harder for to lose your way, and your trials will become easier, and you will be able to find the answers and comfort you are in search of.

I have heard from many and have always believed that when you attend the temple, you can find those answers to your questions, but it wasn't until I attended the temple this past Thursday with my parents that I was able to truly experience this for myself.

             While sitting in the Celestial room and thinking about my mission, I picked up  some scriptures, and allowed the pages to fall open. The book fell open to Book of Moroni, Chapter 10. I started to read the chapter. I came upon Moroni's promise in versus 3-5, some very key missionary scriptures, but continued to read until I came across a verse that really stuck out to me.

Verse 32 reads,

                32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

            I was in need of a scripture to put on my missionary plaque that they hang right outside of bishop Yamane's office. It was something that I was thinking about, but not something that I was actively searching for. However, after reading that scripture, I knew that this was the scripture that I wanted to pick. It encompasses the purpose and ideals of missionary work in so many different ways. It invites others to come unto Christ and allow his gospel to change you. It also invites me, as a missionary, to serve with all of my Heart, Might, Mind, and Strength. Then, it talks about the atonement and grace. Without which, we could not return to live with our Father in Heaven.

            Serving a mission is not something that I have always wanted to do. Infact, it was never something I had even considered until I was watching the October 2012 General Conference with my grandmother, and the prophet, Thomas S. Monson,  got up and announced that the Missionary age was going to be changed. Young men could now leave at the age of 18, and young women could now leave at the age of 19.

            A few months after, the summerlin ward received two awesome and darling sister missionaries, Sister Carr, and Sister Dewey. My parents, both of them hoping I would decide to serve, would invite the sisters over for dinner often. At one of our meals, my parents asked each of them why they had decided to serve a mission. Sister Carr, being the amazing missionary she was, told of how she had always had the desire to serve the Lord and go on a mission. Sister Dewey, however, had quite a different story. She had not wanted to serve a mission. But while praying and searching for her next step in life, she received the answer that she needed to go on a mission. So, she filled out her papers and got her call. All though this was great, she still didn't quite have the desire to leave for a year and half. She didn't have a purpose or drive to going. It wasn't until she was praying one night she had a couple thoughts come to her. If one of her family members, or loved ones went missing, without hesitation, she would drop everything to go and look for them to bring them home safely.  This was what she knew Heavenly Father wanted her to do. He wanted her to go look for the lost ones that he loves so very much, and bring them back home, home to safety, and back home to Him.

            This was what first sparked my desire to serve a mission. Not long after, I prayed about it, and received my answer that Yes, a mission was for me.  That was the easy part. Deciding when to serve proved to be a little more difficult.

             I struggled with deciding whether I should leave for my mission after one or two semesters. (I was hoping it would be the latter).  As I was nearing the middle of my first semester at school, I began to fervently pray and read my scriptures. If I was to leave right away, then I needed to begin my paperwork and the whole process. If the lord needed me to leave and serve a mission, then I wanted to get out there as quickly as possible, and not waste any time.            

               As many of you know, my brother Nathan, is on a mission right now in Tulsa Oklahoma. By leaving on a mission, it would become close to 3 and 1/2 years that we would go without seeing each other. So, if the lord wanted me to serve now, I wanted to go quickly as to shorten the already extended period of time

             So, I prayed and prayed. However, much to my dismay, I was not getting an answer. I would make special trips to the temple, and sit outside on the lawn reading my scriptures and patriarchal blessing. But, nothing changed. I became frustrated with the fact that  I had not received an answer when I was diligently searching for one.

              I had done all that I could do, and finally decided that I needed to walk on faith, and place this matter in the Lord's hands, and trust in him. I decided to fill out and turn in my papers, and if the Lord wanted me to leave then, he would call me right away. If I was supposed to serve later, my report date would have been later, and hopefully allow me to finish up the next semester of my schooling, and see my brother.

               However, this was not the case. I had been called to report only 6 days after my availability date. This strengthened my testimony even more when I heard of another soon-to-be sister missionary who had put in her papers, and received her call far before me, got called to serve in the Canada Toronto Mission, and yet isn't leaving until the end of February.

              Brothers and sisters, the Lord listens to our prayers. He hears us and he answers them in ways we do not always expect. The lord needs me in Toronto Canada right now, and although I may not know the reason, I have so much trust in him, and am excited to serve in a mission with such a rich history. A mission in which President Monson served, a mission in which  my 6th great grandmother, Mary Fielding Smith, was baptized in, and even a mission in which a great deal of young men and young women from this very stake have served in.

                  I am so excited to have this opportunity to serve the people of Toronto, and in the english language. However,  I would not be where or who I am today if it were not for this great ward and stake, and the amazing influences I am surrounded with. I am so grateful for this ward, and for all the teachers and leaders I have had throughout the years. This ward is amazing .     I would like to close with my testimony.