My dear friends and family,
This week has been ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The week started out kind of rough, which I knew meant that something really good was about to happen! I could feel Satan attacking, and I just had to keep eternal perspective-remember that this phase is temporary. I've adopted the new motto "Fight Hard" when it comes to putting up a fight against Satan. Don't ever let him get you down. Keep going! Endure well and make the most of the situation. Find joy in the journey!
So a few funny things that happened this week... Sister McInelly and I were serving on the main floor of the Visitor's Center and this couple from New Zealand walks in. A senior missionary told them that there were Australians in just a few moments before. Instantly, the man's head whips around and he yells, across the Visitor's Center (in a thick New Zealander accent) "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!!!! Oy! Oy! Oy!!!!" hahahaha Maybe you had to have been there, but it was hilarious. =)
Another funny experience... Sister Dransfield and I had to teach President and Sister Gilliland the Plan of Salvation lesson. (They were role playing investigators). They gave us a run for our money. We got out of there and Sister Dransfield and I drooped into the car. Glad that's over with!!! hahaha Just kidding, we loved it. It was a good learning experience. It's just kind of terrifying to teach your mission president and not let him trick you into traps. =)
I had a neat experience when I called a certain referral from Pageant. I called this man (Jerome) and immediately upon introducing myself, he went off about how much he hates Romney. Jerome is gay and he thinks it is ridiculous that we live in America and he can't do what he wants. I felt like I needed to keep listening, patiently, so I did. After about ten minutes of this angry explanation, he told me that Mormons believe that gay people are bad and that God doesn't love them. He said that his sister had just barely called and chewed him out for being gay. I could just feel that he needed to feel of Heavenly Father's love for him. So I testified that Heavenly Father loves him so much and is aware of the hurtful things that people say and the difficulties that he is experiencing. I felt an instant change. Jerome started crying on the other end of the phone and said that no one had ever told him that God loves him. He told me that he became gay because he never felt loved during his childhood. I could feel Heavenly Father's love for this guy-so strongly. In the end, Jerome agreed to let missionaries come visit him and he said that he had a lot to think about because he knows he needs to make changes in his life.
There was another person that had been called several times and hadn't answered the phone yet. I saw the card laying on the floor and felt like it needed to be called again. So I called and the man answered!!!!! He is working on the roof at a Stake Center and graciously said that he would love to have the missionaries come teach him because he had such a good feeling when he was working on the church house.
It's the time of year that we get to serve on Mormon.org chat again!!!! We learned how to use it in the MTC, but haven't used it since. Sister Christensen and I were on there one day and having a whole bunch of weirdos come in. She had never done chat before and was wondering if it was like that all the time. So we said a prayer and I asked that we could have a good experience and be able to share the gospel with someone that was prepared to receive it. A few minutes later, a young man named Nick (from England), pops up and has a few questions. Four months before, elders had stopped him on the street, gave him a Mormon.org card, and briefly spoke with him. He looked at the card a few times, then lost it. Then a friend of his, gave him another Mormon.org card and he decided he wanted to look into it. So, here he was on chat with us! We answered his questions and had a REALLY good conversation with him! We asked if he would like to have the elders come and share more with him and he was SOOOOO excited!!!!! He gave us all of his information and we sent the missionaries over to visit him the next day!!!! It was such a neat experience! Heavenly Father heard our prayer.
Elder Choi (member of the First Quorum of the Seventy) and his wife were in Nauvoo for the last several days. I had the privilege of speaking in Sacrament meeting with him right behind me. =) Right before the meeting started, he walked in and shook our hands on the stand, then sat down. All the sudden, a flash back of General Conference a few times ago came flooding back. He spoke in General Conference and I remembered exactly what he spoke about. I looked over in his direction and gulped. hahaha I had to say a prayer that I would remain calm and deliver the message I had prepared. That prayer was answered and I was just fine. But it was still really cool. =)
The next day I was one of a few missionaries that got a personal interview with him. That was absolutely amazing. As I sat down and started talking with him, I had this feeling that it really difficult to describe. As I looked him straight in the eyes, I just felt of Christ's countenance. I felt incredibly peaceful and right at home. Before he came from Salt Lake, he was given keys to come on this special assignment. I could feel that authority and power radiating from him. It made me think about how familiar we will be when we see Christ again. I think it will shock us. I know that talking with Elder Choi seemed oddly familiar and I could feel of the Savior's love. Needless to say, the interview was one that deepened my testimony and my faith. He wanted to know about my favorite parts of being a missionary, what has been most difficult, and so on. I have loved being able to attend the temple every week, gaining close relationships with faithful sisters, and being set apart as a missionary. It's been difficult to serve in a Visitor's Center and not be able to finish what I start. I am so grateful for the experiences that I've had here. It takes a lot of faith and my faith is being strengthened. Elder Choi looked deep into my eyes and responded, "You have been called to labor in this vineyard for a time, Sister Ripplinger. He has many more experiences ahead. Do not worry." Just seeing the way that faith burned in his eyes strengthened my testimony.
The next morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn for mission-wide training. Sister Streeter and Sister Zibetti sang "Be Still My Soul" and I was able to accompany them on the piano. I never cease to be amazed with Heavenly Father's merciful hand. We had very little time to practice that song the first time, which was several months ago. We practiced for a short time this last week, and then performed it in training. Somehow, that difificult, changes key four times, song just worked out. =) I'm so eternally grateful!!!! I had the opportunity to hear from Elder and Choi and his wife speak Sunday evening in a fireside, Monday and Tuesday morning in mission training, and THEN, all of us sister missionaries had a full day of special training with him. We went over to President's house and learned all types of profound and really good things. We were able to have pizza all together for lunch and I absolutely LOVED it. At one big table, all twelve sisters, President and Sister Gilliland, and Elder and Sister Choi gathered together.
Having them here has extended my vision of my future. Heavenly Father helped me understand more about what is going to happen in my life and what will be expected. I received SO MANY promptings from the Holy Ghost that I took 10 pages of notes. Elder Choi and his wife sacrifice so much to serve in the capacity that they do. He talked about how when they were called into the Seventy, they had to give up all of their hobbies and little things that they do for fun. They literally are full time servants of the Lord. And I could FEEL of that, bursting from them. They have consecrated their lives to serving the Lord and they radiate His love. I want to follow their examples. I want people to feel of Heavenly Father's love when they look in my eyes and feel it beaming from across the room. They were simply amazing. I just learned so much- from their examples and from what they taught.
This is the Lord's work and I'm so grateful to be a missionary!!!!!! I'm soaking up these last few weeks and I love spending time with the senior missionaries. They are such incredible examples. I love them!!!! I love Sister Christensen and am so grateful that I get to be with her. Life's really good. =)
Heavenly Father loves you soooo much! I love you, too!
Love,
Sister Heather Ripplinger
No comments:
Post a Comment