This week has been AMAZING!!!!!!! WOOHOOOO!!!!!! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Last week, I mentioned that a completely "random" man showed up at church and we set up an appointment to teach him the next night. I had a really strong impression about Steve when I met him at church and I was really looking forward to seeing what would happen. Monday night, we met with him for the first time. We had the young man who had spoken in Sacrament meeting (John) there, as well as a young woman who is submitting her mission papers this week (Whitney). When we pulled up into the church parking lot, Steve got out of his car and had a look on his face that was hard for me to read. We asked how his day was and he responded, "It was good...until about 10 minutes ago."
My heart dropped as I wondered what had happened! He went on to explain that a miracle had just taken place. He was driving to the church and didn't want to be late, so he sped through a red light and a police car pulled him over. In his heart, he kind of thought that was a sign that he shouldn't meet with us, so he said a prayer and told God that if He wanted him to meet with us, please help him make it on time. How many people do you know that run through a red light and get away with it? NONE. Well, the police walks up to Steve's car and says, "Today is your lucky day." Then he drove off. Steve was able to make it to the church on time and he said he now knew for sure that God wanted him to be there. MIRACLE!!!!!!
We went into the church with John and Whitney and we went into the back of the chapel. We pulled up some chairs and the meeting began. From that point on, I felt like I was in a dream. It was absolutely phenomenal. The Spirit completely took over and it was an amazing experience. He had already promised himself that he wouldn't work on Sundays anymore because he wanted to attend church. He had been reading the Book of Mormon and was in Mosiah. He felt the Spirit on Sunday at church and had been having faith promoting experiences. John's talk was an answer to many of his prayers because he finally understood the Atonement. He was still in shock that I somehow "read his mind" (discernment through the Spirit), and he feels the Spirit everytime he walks into the church.
Not that we were great teachers by any means- the Spirit completely took over that meeting and I felt like I was in a church movie. Everything he said was perfect- he is SO PREPARED for the Gospel. He has basically hit rock bottom and wants to change his life. We read a specific verse in the Book of Mormon and applied it to his situation. He said that because of his background, he has the need to be independant-even from God. He was abandoned in a trash can as a baby and had terrible experiences through his whole life. He is divorced with two kids that won't have much to do with him. He said that it is hard for him to humble himself and pray because he doesn't want to have to need anyone else.
Because of the experience he already had about 20 minutes before with the police officer, we were able to help him see that we all get to points where we can't make it on our own. We will all be backed to a wall of faith when we finally realize that we need our Savior and the Atonement. With the police officer, Steve had made the mistake of running through a red light, and because of that choice, was stuck. There was no way out. And THAT is when he decided to pray because it was out of his control and he had no where else to turn. It was like a light overcame Steve. The Gospel was connecting in his heart and the Spirit was teaching him. At the end, we all knelt down in prayer and it was such a precious experience to hear him pray to his Father in Heaven. It was such a heart felt prayer. That night we committed him to baptism for the first week in March. We have met with him almost every day since and his faith is growing stronger and stronger. He is finding how the Gospel applies to him and it is SO NEAT!!!!!!
We were teaching the Word of Wisdom this week and a member made a really great comment that got the point across. So the member looks at me and asks, "If I were to take a knife and stab Sister Ripplinger, would that be murder?" The investigator gasps and exclaims, "Well, YEAH!!" Then the member asks, "If I were to poison Sister Benally would it be murder?" The investigator looked at him like he was crazy and the other woman just laughed. "Yeah, it is definitely murder!" The member responds, "Well what if I were to just put a little bit of poison in their food, day by day...and then it eventually killed them?" We all agreed that it would be murder. He then taught, "Smoking is just like that. You are killing yourself, little by little." That teaching analogy proved very inspired because all the sudden it connected in our investigator's heart. He committed to live the Word of Wisdom that night.
That is all I have time to write about today, but so many other miracles happened this week!!!! Things are starting to move along and it is SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!! The stars are aligning and I feel like the heavens are opening. It is SO EXCITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!!!!! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!! I LOVE THE MIRACLES AND THE CHALLENGES THAT MAKE THE MIRACLES WORTH WHILE. Without all the struggles first, the miracles really wouldn't mean so much. I am grateful for Heavenly Father's perfect plan and I'm grateful for this time I have to serve my King. The Atonement is REAL. I am seeing it active in my own life and in the lives of those around me. We truly can change and become better. We can be healed. We can become all that Heavenly Father wants and needs us to be. This is the Lord's kingdom on the earth- I know that with all of my heart.
Thank you so much for your love and support. It means a lot to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Love,
Sister Heather Ripplinger
