Subject:
Friends and family,
Sister Coyne and I are together again for this transfer and my preparation day is now on Monday!!!! It has only been a few days since I last wrote, but I have good things to report!
Last week on prep day, we went on the oxen rides, ate lunch with some of the temple missionaries, including the Argyles! =) We went to David's Chamber, cruised around downtown and I bought my first Nauvoo t-shirt, ate dinner with the "Temple Andersons", and then went to our transfer meeting! There were three companionships that stayed together and we now have our complete family of sisters!!! The last three came out of the MTC this week!
I absolutely LOVE going to the temple each week. I have started a new tradition that I am very excited about. I have a map of the world in my room and I am going to use pins to mark each country or state that someone comes from that accepts and allows missionaries to continue teaching them as a result of coming to Nauvoo. Also, I will keep track of the individuals that I do work for in the temple. Last week in the sealing room, the daughters that I represented were from India, South Africa, Netherlands, New Jersey, and Italy. This week, we did initiatories, and the women were from Hungary. The Nauvoo Temple is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and it amazes me where the names of individuals come from!!!!
Sister Coyne was called to serve as the Coordinator in the Referral/ Call Center, so she is frequently upstairs working away. Because I am her companion this transfer, I get to help her call ALL OF THE MISSIONS IN THE WORLD to talk with them about Nauvoo Pageant Referrals!!!!! These referrals are unique because the missionaries get to deliver a Pageant CD to them and share the gospel message. The neat thing is that all of us sisters call the person referred first and invite them to meet with the missionaries. This way, the missionaries in the different missions, show up at the door with someone who has already said, "Yes!" to learning about the Restored Gospel. This week, we worked on all of the United States missions. Sister Coyne figures that it will take both of us 18 hours to call all of the missions in the world. I LOVE to call them because it makes me realize how God's work really is spreading over the entire earth because I get to CALL over all the earth!!!! =)
I have started another tradition! I bought a little journal book and I take it to the different sites that I serve in with the senior sisters. Inside, I have written questions like "What do you wish you would have known when you were my age?" and "What gospel traditions did you have in your home?" etc. I am absolutely LOVING the responses that these wonderful women write. I figure I have all of this experience and knowledge in one little town, so I better learn everything I can! One sister told me how she loves receiving Priesthood blessings from her father. At the end of his life, he was so ill he couldn't sit up, so she sat down on the floor right next to him and he gave her one last Priesthood blessing before he died. That was a tender one for me.
Yesterday was a WONDERFUL Sunday! We have Sacrament Meeting at 8:00 with all of the missionaries and guests. Later in the morning, President and Sister Gilliland spoke as part of our weekly training. President Gilliland brings in this huge sword and we are all immediately curious. He pulled off the leather cover and placed it on a stand. Of course, it is this shiny, strong, piece of art that glistens in the light. It had a fancy handle and all. We took a good look at it, then he pulled out a little, plastic dagger. What kind of a weapon are we when Heavenly Father pulls us out in battle? Well I sure want to be that glistening sword! I really liked that analogy, as the Spirit taught me. We don't know when someone will come into the Visitor's Center that is prepared to receive the gospel, or when someone will walk in that has had doubts their entire life. Either way, Heavenly Father needs us to be worthy, willing, and ready to teach the truth. I want to be that strong sword that glistens in the light- the representative that Heavenly Father can trust with ANYONE from ANYWHERE.
Sunday in the VC was coming to a close, Sister Coyne had spoken with two women that were watching the Joseph Smith movie, and she had gone up to the Call Center. I was talking with a young mom about Nauvoo sites and noticed the two women. I sent the young mom to another sister to get a map of Nauvoo and barely caught the two women before they walked out of the building. MIRACULOUS that I did... because things went very well. Terrie said that she has been coming to Nauvoo for 20 years and just can't get enough because of the feeling that is here. We started talking and she explained that she had grown so close to God over the last few years. She feels like He has been preparing her to receive more knowledge and understanding of what His plan for her is. She goes fishing, catches ten fish, and throws one back in so that God knows how grateful she is for the fish. She studies the Bible everyday. She feels this peaceful feeling when she prays and feels confident that God loves her and hears her prayers. She wants to tell other people about God and her relationship, so that they can have it, too. She feels like there should be a prophet on the earth like in the Bible stories.
Sister Coyne and I are together again for this transfer and my preparation day is now on Monday!!!! It has only been a few days since I last wrote, but I have good things to report!
Last week on prep day, we went on the oxen rides, ate lunch with some of the temple missionaries, including the Argyles! =) We went to David's Chamber, cruised around downtown and I bought my first Nauvoo t-shirt, ate dinner with the "Temple Andersons", and then went to our transfer meeting! There were three companionships that stayed together and we now have our complete family of sisters!!! The last three came out of the MTC this week!
I absolutely LOVE going to the temple each week. I have started a new tradition that I am very excited about. I have a map of the world in my room and I am going to use pins to mark each country or state that someone comes from that accepts and allows missionaries to continue teaching them as a result of coming to Nauvoo. Also, I will keep track of the individuals that I do work for in the temple. Last week in the sealing room, the daughters that I represented were from India, South Africa, Netherlands, New Jersey, and Italy. This week, we did initiatories, and the women were from Hungary. The Nauvoo Temple is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and it amazes me where the names of individuals come from!!!!
Sister Coyne was called to serve as the Coordinator in the Referral/ Call Center, so she is frequently upstairs working away. Because I am her companion this transfer, I get to help her call ALL OF THE MISSIONS IN THE WORLD to talk with them about Nauvoo Pageant Referrals!!!!! These referrals are unique because the missionaries get to deliver a Pageant CD to them and share the gospel message. The neat thing is that all of us sisters call the person referred first and invite them to meet with the missionaries. This way, the missionaries in the different missions, show up at the door with someone who has already said, "Yes!" to learning about the Restored Gospel. This week, we worked on all of the United States missions. Sister Coyne figures that it will take both of us 18 hours to call all of the missions in the world. I LOVE to call them because it makes me realize how God's work really is spreading over the entire earth because I get to CALL over all the earth!!!! =)
I have started another tradition! I bought a little journal book and I take it to the different sites that I serve in with the senior sisters. Inside, I have written questions like "What do you wish you would have known when you were my age?" and "What gospel traditions did you have in your home?" etc. I am absolutely LOVING the responses that these wonderful women write. I figure I have all of this experience and knowledge in one little town, so I better learn everything I can! One sister told me how she loves receiving Priesthood blessings from her father. At the end of his life, he was so ill he couldn't sit up, so she sat down on the floor right next to him and he gave her one last Priesthood blessing before he died. That was a tender one for me.
Yesterday was a WONDERFUL Sunday! We have Sacrament Meeting at 8:00 with all of the missionaries and guests. Later in the morning, President and Sister Gilliland spoke as part of our weekly training. President Gilliland brings in this huge sword and we are all immediately curious. He pulled off the leather cover and placed it on a stand. Of course, it is this shiny, strong, piece of art that glistens in the light. It had a fancy handle and all. We took a good look at it, then he pulled out a little, plastic dagger. What kind of a weapon are we when Heavenly Father pulls us out in battle? Well I sure want to be that glistening sword! I really liked that analogy, as the Spirit taught me. We don't know when someone will come into the Visitor's Center that is prepared to receive the gospel, or when someone will walk in that has had doubts their entire life. Either way, Heavenly Father needs us to be worthy, willing, and ready to teach the truth. I want to be that strong sword that glistens in the light- the representative that Heavenly Father can trust with ANYONE from ANYWHERE.
Sunday in the VC was coming to a close, Sister Coyne had spoken with two women that were watching the Joseph Smith movie, and she had gone up to the Call Center. I was talking with a young mom about Nauvoo sites and noticed the two women. I sent the young mom to another sister to get a map of Nauvoo and barely caught the two women before they walked out of the building. MIRACULOUS that I did... because things went very well. Terrie said that she has been coming to Nauvoo for 20 years and just can't get enough because of the feeling that is here. We started talking and she explained that she had grown so close to God over the last few years. She feels like He has been preparing her to receive more knowledge and understanding of what His plan for her is. She goes fishing, catches ten fish, and throws one back in so that God knows how grateful she is for the fish. She studies the Bible everyday. She feels this peaceful feeling when she prays and feels confident that God loves her and hears her prayers. She wants to tell other people about God and her relationship, so that they can have it, too. She feels like there should be a prophet on the earth like in the Bible stories.
I
was talking with her and I just thought, "If I let this woman leave
without knowing that she needs the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I will have
made a HUGE mistake. She is SO prepared." Well, the Spirit directed and
she wanted to have missionaries come to her home and teach her more. She
said she feels this undeniable peace in Nauvoo as we were talking about
Joseph Smith. She's going to have missionaries teaching her in her
home!!!! YAY!!!! (The joyous feeling NEVER gets old!) She also came back
last night to the fireside that the young sisters were in charge of.
She brought a friend and her husband. After the fireside, all of us
sisters were lined up and talking
with
all of the senior couples. Terrie, her friend, and husband started to
head for the door and I said a prayer that the Performing Elders would
catch them before they left. I watched closely and my prayers were
answered. Two of the elders ran over and started talking with the
husband. He ALSO filled out a referral card, not knowing that his wife
had filled one out earlier with me!!!!!! Their little family is going to
receive the GOSPEL!!!!! =) As soon as I possibly could, I ran over and
talked with Terrie. She said, "Hey! What do ya know, my husband is
interested in this, too! He's never agreed on religion that I have
talked about before! I feel like this may finally be the one for us!"
I see every day, how Heavenly Father's hand is in my life, and in the lives of all those I come in contact with. I know that He hears our prayers and that He has a plan for each of us that is perfect. We just need to take action and follow impressions that we receive. We all need the truth and we need peace. I LOVE being a missionary and helping people find what they've been looking for their entire lives. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! My testimony of the Savior is growing stronger and stronger every day, and I know that we need Him. We could do everything in our power, and it would still not be sufficient without Jesus Christ. But with Him, we can do all things that are required of us and we can become everything that Heavenly Father designed us to become.
Love,
Sister Ripplinger
I see every day, how Heavenly Father's hand is in my life, and in the lives of all those I come in contact with. I know that He hears our prayers and that He has a plan for each of us that is perfect. We just need to take action and follow impressions that we receive. We all need the truth and we need peace. I LOVE being a missionary and helping people find what they've been looking for their entire lives. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!! My testimony of the Savior is growing stronger and stronger every day, and I know that we need Him. We could do everything in our power, and it would still not be sufficient without Jesus Christ. But with Him, we can do all things that are required of us and we can become everything that Heavenly Father designed us to become.
Love,
Sister Ripplinger
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