Weekly Letter from Sister Ripplinger, Aug. 7, 2012

We wanted to share something from her hand-written letter home yesterday.  She talked about how, during their phone call time for two hours of many evenings, where they are calling people at their homes after they've attended The Nauvoo Pageant, Sister Umphenhour and she had set a very high goal of calling 200 people in 2 hours, which is unheard of; they each call 100 people, but Sister Ripp talks to her investigator "Brother Dennis", the one who knows the Bible extensively and Sister Ripp studies specifically for Dennis and his Bible questions in her study time -- she talks with him for one hour and then makes up her 100 calls in the leftover hour! She says that they are amazed at how many people they can contact that way, she says Heavenly Father helps them achieve that goal.  She told us she has 75 of the actual people she has met in Nauvoo, and taught while they were in Nauvoo, who are all currently taking the missionary lessons in their homes all around the world!  Oh, that we could all be so positive and full of faith and so willing to work hard to help the Lord's Work move forward . . .

Blaine and Nikki

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Heather Ripplinger <heather.ripplinger@myldsmail.net>
To: Nikki Ripplinger <bnripp@yahoo.com>; nauvoo president <nauvoopresident@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 7, 2012 8:41 AM
Subject: Nauvoo! Nauvoo!

My dear friends and family,

It has been another wonderful week in Nauvoo!!! The Pageant finished up this week and life is as good as ever. =) 

We spend a lot of time in the Referral Center now days! Dad would be so proud... I get to talk on the phone for about 3 hours at a time. Woohoo!!!! haha Of course, I am calling people that aren't members of the Church, teaching basic Gospel principles, and inviting them to have missionaries over. Sister Umphenour and I have been striving to be as consecrated with our time as we possibly can, so we finished dinner early and caught a ride into the Visitor's Center before our next scheduled assignment. I was calling person after person, only to be yelled at. =) We only had about 3 minutes left before we had to leave and I was slightly tempted to just count up my cards and pack up my bag. Sister Umphenour was on the phone still, I looked at the pile of cards left to call, and decided to call just one more. After talking for a few minutes, I discovered that the woman who answered the phone was in the hospital because her dad had just had a heart-attack. I was able to testify of the Savior and told her about the missionaries. She started sobbing over the phone and told me that this phone call was exactly what she needed. She graciously accepted to have missionaries come. If Sister Umphenour and I had been at our house eating lunch still, if I had given up too soon on calling... it wouldn't have worked out like that! It was an absolutely miracle and Heavenly Father has prepared that woman.

I am so grateful for a wonderful companion!!!!! We have fun trying to consecrate our time. =) While we are cooking meals, we practice tracting and door approaches. I love it when she pretends to be mean, rough, old gangsta. haha! We have memorized several scriptures and say them while we are running in the morning, switching off every other word. Sometimes it doesn't go very smoothly because we are both half asleep at 6:30 am, but it makes our brains warm up! =) I LOVE Sister Umphenour!!!!

 

This week I met someone that reminded me so much of Bishop Moulton!!!!! When I saw him walk in, I thought it was my Bishop! Robert was looking at some of the displays and I went over to talk with him. Quickly, his brother joined our conversation, and I discovered that neither of them were members of the Church. Robert has traveled to all of the South and Central American countries, all of Europe, Australia, and several Asian countries. He is a lawyer and I took a big gulp because I felt the Spirit and knew that they would end up self-referring. They asked if I could tell them more about Nauvoo and the Mormons, so we started on a tour that would last about 2 hours. From the very beginning, I just really loved them! Part of it may be that Robert reminds me of Bishop Moulton. =) Along the way, the brother asked me, "So.... if one were to want to ...join the Mormon faith...because they felt it was the right thing to do, what would that person do?" I smiled. Heavenly Father never ceases to amaze me. These men were so prepared!!!! I was able to explain several of their questions and we had a really good conversation. I was just about to wrap it up when he asks me, "Do you have literature that we might read? I would be interested in buying a copy of the Book of Mormon if you sell them. I am very intrigued as I have felt different here than I have ever felt before." Diplomatic enough for me! I gave them an Ensign, the Family Proclammation, and the Joseph Smith pamphlet. They both wrote down their information because they wanted to have missionaries come teach them more and bring them both a Book of Mormon. 

Saturday night, we were able to watch the Pageant!!!!! There were huge, dark clouds across the sky and it seemed like they were about to burst open. However, the storm passed and the Pageant was absolutely wonderful. I LOVE it. As the bagpipers come in at the beginning for the flag ceremony, I get the chills. They all march in a big line up to the stage, playing Praise to the Man. There is a part in the performance where Joseph Smith walks out toward the crowd and there is a spotlight on him. How incredible will it be to meet Joseph Smith, Ammon, Nephi, Abinidi, and everyone else?!?!?! Seeing Joseph standing there made it reality. WOW. =) I feel so incredibly blessed to be serving here. 

We are starting to gear up for our new mission calls and it is so exciting!!!! Last night, a bunch of the seniors role played and we practiced knocking doors. Sister Garner and I were paired up and it was slightly terrifying, but I absolutely LOVED it!!!!!!! The first door was one of our second summer sisters that will be leaving soon. Let me just say that she played the mean, already been saved by grace, grumpy lady very well. haha =) I thought, "Why did we pick that door first?! haha Certainly the next door will be better." So... we knock on the next door and it is President and Sister Gilliland. GULP. hahaha We went to several "doors" in the Visitor's Center and I really, truly loved it. Of course, I have a lot to learn, and I'm EXCITED to learn!!!! This week, we are doing REAL tracting in Burlington!!!! Woohooo!!!!!

In a WEEK, the second summer sisters will be going home! I cannot believe how quickly time has gone by!!!!! Half of us will stay in Nauvoo and finish the work here until October, when we all fly the coop. I LOVE NAUVOO. I feel so incredibly blessed to be here. I have met so many wonderful people and seen so many tender mercies. I met a family earlier in the week that I just LOVED. The dad works for the Air Force and he travels to Germany a lot. I saw them several times throughout the week and just loved their little family of four boys. The last day they were in Nauvoo, the dad comes into the Visitor's Center and finds me. He tells me that they've thought a lot about it and want to get my information so they can contact me in a year when I get home. They want to fly me out to Germany with them to tend their kids a few times the summer after I get back. Who knows what will happen, but it just made my day. =) I also met a family from Kentucky that loves horses and offered to fly me out after my mission to attend the Kentucky Derby with them. Where do these wonderful people come from???? 

I LOVE being a missionary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Love,

Sister Ripplinger