The Lord's Kingdom, Sister Ripplinger's Weekly Letter, February 25, 2013

Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 1:30 PM
Subject: The Lord's Kingdom

My dear friends and family,

 

The California sun is shining and Sister Benally and I are in HEAVEN!!!!!!! We have been so busy this week that we literally are updating teaching records until 10:20 pm and then we sprint around to get ready and turn the lights off for the night at 10:30. We have lessons scheduled like crazy and we have to make time for tracting and finding new investigators each week. The members are absolutely catching the missionary fire and it is SO AMAZING!!!!! Yesterday in our Relief Society meeting, the teacher was sharing about how she was preparing the lesson on being a disciple of Jesus Christ. As she was studying it, she kept thinking about her neighbors. She and her husband had intended to invite the friends over for Family Home Evening or a ward activity for years now. She felt a strong prompting to finally DO SOMETHING about it and she grabbed her husband and marched right over to the friends house. In front of all the women in RS, she proudly announced that she had invited them over for dinner to meet with the missionaries and they graciously accepted!!!!!!!!! So Sister Benally and I were beaming and all of the women in the room could feel the Spirit. Several of them made comments that they needed to follow her example. Sister Benally and I may have to start going on splits in the evening because we literally can't cover all of our appointments and be available for the lessons that members are setting up. Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVE missionary work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

"God hears every prayer in our heart- even the unspoken ones." Emma Smith

 

We have been getting our investigators involved in family history and it is soooooooo exciting to see what is happening!!!!! One of our investigators LOVES family history and has been working on connecting all of the family lines for YEARS. This week, we taught about family history and temple work. He gave us permission to take all of those family names to the temple!!!!!! We only looked at the info for about 20 minutes, but already there are over 50 names ready to be taken to the temple! The youth already had a temple trip planned for mid-March and they will be doing some of the names. We are trying to help this investigator feel welcome at church and involved. He agreed to let the youth come to his house so he could help them find some of their own family names to take to the temple that day, as well.

 

We stopped at the gas station one afternoon. Usually, we just pay at the pump, but this day, we decided to go in. My companion went into the restroom, and I was just standing in the little station, so I started talking to the lady at the desk. She expressed that she had been in a bad car accident the weekend before and had somehow been protected, even though the car was totalled. She felt like God had protected her. She had gone through a divorce and she's been struggling a lot lately. She said that she had been praying to see a miracle and then she had the car wreck and was protected. She was testifying of how God still performs miracles today. Earlier in my personal study, I had been reading in the Book of Mormon about miracles still happening. I whipped out a copy of the Book of Mormon and started sharing that chapter with her. She looked at me with searching eyes. I testified that God still loves His children and that she had received an answer to her prayers so that she would know He loves her. We had a quick, but powerful conversation and she gave us her address and phone number. Go figure- she is in the process of moving and she is moving into our ward boundaries this week. =)

 

Steve is doing really well. One of the best parts of my day is to kneel down at the end of our lessons with him and to hear him talk with his Heavenly Father. He is so sincere and genuine. He is truly being converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His baptism is coming up soon!!! Yesterday in Sunday School, we were talking about prayer and our relationship to God. Everyone was sharing personal experiences about how their prayers were never answered, but they still had faith anyways. Steve quietly spoke up and shared how his prayers have been answered lately. He and his son had some problems a few months ago. He hadn't talked to him since then and was unable to contact the son. Steve started meeting with us and a week later, after he started praying, the son finally called. Steve had asked us where the story in the Bible was about the Prodical son and he started studying it, so he could have patience with his son. Now they've talked a few times and things are slowly getting better. Steve shows up to church in a white shirt now and he is so sweet and humble. Sometimes he says that he believes in the Atonement because he never, ever would have guessed that one day he would be a church attending, praying man with a Book of Mormon by his bed.

 

I LOVE TRACTING. You never know who is going to be behind that door!

 

We've been working with one part member family and they are really struggling. About a month ago, we invited them to go on a date. Yes, to just go out on a date and spend time together. This couple doesn't sit near each other on the couch or hardly talk to each other. Over the last few weeks, they've started sitting by each other and holding hands occassionanlly. This week, they proudly announced that they had GONE ON A DATE together!!!!!!!!!

 

My dear Sister Benally continues to be a great blessing in my life. I love her! She is always willing to do whatever is necessary and to go the distance. She is absolutely amazing. She has such a kind and loving heart, and she is very gentle. She loves our investigators and I love her for that. I feel so much strength from her and I will forever be grateful for this time with her. We might be dead by the end of this transfer...but we'll just keep going and going some more. =) That's what the Atonement is for. We could not do this work on our own mortal strength. There is no way under the Heavens. The Atonement gives us strength to keep going when we're tired, to look for the different route when one doesn't work, to never give up on the investigators, to have faith that there are more prepared, to kneel down at the end of the day and thank Heavenly Father for our blessings, and to give the Lord everything.

 

I LOVE THIS GOSPEL. I know that the Lord's kingdom is on the earth and that Christ leads the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through a living prophet. I am SO excited for General Conference in about a month!!!!!!!! We get to hear from our prophet, President Monson, as well as other leaders of the Church. I LOVE being a missionary and I am deeply grateful for the Atonement. I love my family and I am grateful for all of your support. Keep praying for those missionary experiences!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is the Lord's work-it is real and it is really important!

 

Love,

Sister Ripplinger