My dear friends and family,
Every night I fall asleep with a smile on my face, I am so grateful to be a missionary, and I am so happy that Sister Umphenour is on the bunk bed below. Transfers took place on Thursday and we STAYED TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =) Words simply cannot explain how happy I am about that, but maybe those exclamation points will help you understand. =) I get to keep her at least until the end of August. She means so much to me and she's been there since my first hour in the MTC. We ate those well known MTC meals together, braved the early, frozen mornings with our elders to attend the Provo Temple, exercised so hard I could barely walk down stairs, emerged from the MTC on a dark morning to arrive the Salt Lake Airport and meet our Nauvoo family, and now we are experiencing the Nauvoo Pageant together, and continue to create memories that I will forever treasure. I LOVE HER. Hooray for the Umphinator!!! =) We served in Carthage on Sunday, after not serving there at all last transfer. We made a pizza and then the two of us squooshed on a cushy chair in the living room to study the outline for the tour of Carthage Jail. I feel like we're two peas in a pod. She continues to motivate me to work hard and we continue to find joy in the journey. Life is GOOD!!!!!! =)
Sister Umphenour had a really neat experience this week!!!! She was talking with two ladies from Mexico that aren't members of the Church. She only had a few minutes before they went into the theater to watch a movie, so we went up to eat lunch really quickly in between. We came down just in time and she took them over by the Christus. She was kneeling down in front of them, talking, and I was so incredibly proud. I love Sister Umphenour SO much. It made me so happy so see her down there having such a wonderful experience. She was beaming and I knew she was testifying. She came back with a huge grin on her face and quickly showed me a few referral cards that had just been filled with information. These two ladies had self referred and we may or may not have squealed out loud just a little bit. =) YAY!!!!!!
I met a man named Bobbie and I couldn't figure him out at first. I came to find out that several years ago, his dad had taken the missionary lessons and chose to be baptized. Bobbie came into the picture right before the baptism, the missionaries told him that they'd baptize him the same day as his dad, THEN they would teach him the lessons....oh goodness. So Bobbie was baptized without taking the lessons, the missionaries never had anything to do with him, and he was pretty much forgotten. I sat down with him and started talking. He had no idea what the Book of Mormon was. He's never read the Bible. He didn't know who the golden guy on top of the temple was. I was able to explain a few of his questions and teach him about the First Vision and the Restoration before I had to leave for my next shift. He gave me his contact information and I am going to send some missionaries over to teach him the lessons. I am so grateful that we crossed paths. He came in wanting to watch the Restoration movie so he could learn about Joseph Smith and now he can actually be taught about the Restored Gospel. He had been lost for nearly TWENTY YEARS!!!!!
I called Linda (the same lady I contacted at BYU Living Legends and said the prayer over the phone with) this week to check on her. She is meeting with the elders and progressing!!!! She came to Pageant and absolutely LOVED it. She was so excited that she would get a copy of the music on CD. We talked for a few minutes and she says that she feels something different with us Mormons, but she doesn't want to disappoint her parents, who were strong Baptists. We had a good talk and she said that she needs to follow the direction God is giving her, but it sure is hard. I was able to tell her about one of my relatives that converted to the Church in England and was disowned by her family (This would be Grandma Annie Irlam Wiseman). Linda responded, "That had to have been a pretty strong woman. Maybe I can be like her." I'm excited to see what happens!!!! I've been writing back and forth with her and she sent me a crocheted book mark. It made me soooo happy!!!! =)
Dennis is making incredible progress, as well. He continues to make me work hard and think deeply. =) I can tell that he is soaking up the Gospel because he really thinks about things. He feels that God wants him to continue searching our beliefs and he feels peaceful. Something he had a lot of questions about was the Priesthood. I reviewed Joseph Smith receiving the Priesthoods and talked about the different Priesthood blessings that can be given, the authority to heal, comfort, seal couples in the temple, etc. I was able to share a personal experience and it was so neat to be able to feel the Spirit so strong. Dennis is increasing in faith and he's being converted. It makes me soooooo happy!!!!!!! It is so fulfilling to see him progressing! Woohoo!!!!
On Pageant grounds, I met a man from Brazil and he referred several friends from back home. THAT was exciting!!!! Now we just need to find someone that speaks Portuguese and can invite those people to meet with missionaries. =) Luckily, we just got a senior couple that are PERFECT for this. The Lord provides a way for His work to go forward!!!!
I really love calling people over the phone for Pageant referrals. I've learned a lot of life lessons in the process of inviting these people to accept a CD with the music from Pageant and to meet with missionaries. =) One person will be completely grumpy and yell at me to never call them again. I write a big, fat "no" on the pageant card, and put it in the "no" pile. The next person I call squeals with joy and would LOVE to receive the CD and have missionaries. This particular woman said she had seen missionaries once, but was afraid to talk to them, so she let them slip away. She was overjoyed with the opportunity to have them come straight to her home and to also get a free CD of Mormon music!!!! She said she has thought about converting for years, but never saw missionaries again. One life lesson that seems very apparent and obvious is that we must be consistent and steady. Literally, one moment someone completely rejects the message of the Gospel and then next instant, someone else is practically hopping in the baptismal font. So- no matter what, I always want to be the happy, steady and sure, consistent, and dependable disciple of Christ that the Savior needs me to be. Hooray! =) I also recognize more and more that everyone is on a different part of the path that Heavenly Father has prepared. And it's ok. =) We just keep striving and progressing.
I LOVE being a missionary. I love my precious companion. I love Nauvoo. I love sweating in the Nauvoo heat. Isn't it great to suffer for the Lord? =) haha I actually really like the humidity. This morning, I thought it was so nice outside!!!! As we were driving over to the temple around 9:00 am and I saw the temperature. 90 degrees. It feeeeels good!!!!! =) I love going to the temple each week. LOOOOVE it. I can feel my testimony of the temple strengthening and deepening. This week, I've been studying the Book of Mormon edition of the Ensign from a while ago. It has been WONDERFUL. I love the Book of Mormon. I am just... quite simply....one extremely happy missionary and I love doing this work.
Thank you for all of your love and support!!!!
Love,
Sister Heather Ripplinger
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