Sister Ripplinger's Weekly Letter, April 30, 2013 Clean Hands and Pure Hearts

Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 11:18 AM
Subject: Clean Hands and Pure Hearts

My dear friends and family,

One of my favorite things about Nauvoo is that we are able to attend the temple each week. This morning we went to an endowment session with six of us sisters and it was wonderful! One of the temple missionaries whispered to us on our way out, "There is a special spirit in the sessions when you sisters come. Thank you." I love the fact that we see the same faces in church on Sunday, in the sites, as well as in the temple. 

There is a young woman from TAHITI that is living in Nauvoo for three months for a work experience. She walked into the Visitor's Center and I had the opportunity to explain a little about the temple and the Plan of Salvation. She said that she felt this indescribable peace in Nauvoo and when I was talking about the temple. She had walked on the temple grounds earlier and felt that same feeling. When I found out that she would be in Nauvoo for a few months, I got the powerful feeling from the Spirit. I'm excited to keep in touch and see what happens. 

We met this outstanding couple from Australia yesterday and I was VERY touched by their story. Both are converts to the Church. The man said that one day he was reading from the Book of Mormon that someone left out  in a hotel room and he knew that was the Church for him, so he found missionaries and asked when he could be baptized. But his wife, however, was one tough cookie to crack. She avoided the missionaries and church members like a plague. Finally, after a year, she told her husband that it was either her or the Church. He said that he would have an answer for her in a week. After a few days the Spirit touched her heart and she called the missionaries. She was baptized shortly thereafter. Since then, they have been sealed in the temple, he has served as a bishop and is now serving as a district president. They were in the United States for about a month to attend General Conference and visit the historic sites, as well as to see the missionaries that taught them years ago. It gave me a better vision of the eternities and what years down the road may be like. We have no idea the potential of the people we love, but we better love them like crazy because they are God's chosen children and they have work to do for Him, as well.

I had the opportunity to serve in Carthage Jail on Sunday for the first time since last fall and oh, how I loved it! The tulips are blooming and the weather is warming up. I love it when I walk out of the Visitor's Center and hit a wave of warmth. The humidity is starting to kick in and I like it!!!!! Next week, all of the sisters get to take a morning out of the sites, and we're going on a little three hour pioneer handcart trek together. I'm so excited for that!!!!!!! Living in Nauvoo really is like living in a dream. The Spirit is so incredibly strong, the people are so incredibly kind, and so many miracles happen. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

One man that came into the Bakery when I was serving there shared a really neat experience about his conversion. When he was in his 30's, he started having dreams that heavenly messengers were visiting him and teaching him about Jesus Christ. Finally, one said that this was his last visit, but he had a question for the man. "Do you have clean hands and a pure heart?" This man looked down at his hands and the question hit him deep in his heart. He woke up kind of troubled by the question and kept thinking about it for a few days. Then one day these two young men showed up at the door and he told them to get lost. Before he could shut the door, one young man (a missionary) said, "I just have one question for you. Do you have clean hands and a pure heart?" This man stopped dead in his tracks with big eyes and stared at the elders. He let them in and was baptized three weeks later. Those missionaries were in tune with the Spirit and Heavenly Father knew exactly what that man needed to have his heart softened. MIRACLE!!!!

So I have an embarrassing story to tell...that made me laugh really hard. My whole mission experience has been wonderful and I try to be diligent with my time. California was absolutely insane and busy, which I'm grateful for. Since arriving back in Nauvoo, things have been just as busy. Sister Zibetti and I are always planning something or trying to help someone keep going, and occasionally try to brush our hair in the morning. In addition, we are training new missionaries that are full of energy and want to learn everything we have to offer. So you can imagine, by the end of the day, I flop into bed, dead tired. So one day, Sister Mills and I were serving in the Log School House with two other senior sisters. Not a lot was happening that day and hardly anyone was in town. So I put together my little scrapbook of all my California pictures and wrote in names and experiences, etc so I will always remember them. Then I read about 50 pages in the Book of Mormon...then I did a few Preach My Gospel activities...then we sat in the sun and talked with the seniors, then I wrote in my journal...you get the picture... haha At about 4:00 pm, in the last hour, I was just hanging in there to stay awake. There are only two chairs in that site, which we had the two senior sisters sit in. Sister Mills was working on a cross stitch project on a little foot stool and I was leaning against the wall, sitting on the floor. I'll just get right to it... at about 4:00, I slithered down and fell into a deep sleep. I'm out like a dead woman, laying on the floor, when all the sudden, I hear a creak in the floor. My eyes crack open and President Gilliland is standing there. (OH MY GOSH!!!!!!)  I get this sheepish little grin and say, "Hi, President..." I started to try to sit up and he told me to just stay there. He talked to us for a few minutes, then he left. We were all laughing and I just thought, "I need to repent..." hahahaha The next day in our weekly meeting that Sister Zibetti and I have with him, President and Sister Gilliland talked about not wearing ourselves out and mentioned that in some of the sites, there were beds upstairs that we could take naps in if the sites were slow. I just figure once I make it through the Isaiah chapters, I'll be able to stay awake. =) 

One day, my companion and I were sitting outside in the sun by our site. We were soaking up the warmth and a temple missionary came out of his house across the street and brought up pop-cycles. Such a sweet heart!!!!

I love being a missionary!!!!!!! I love being back in Nauvoo, I still love my California family, and I love those back home. I am so grateful for your love and support. Heavenly Father hears your prayers and He loves you!!!!

Love,

Sister Ripplinger

Sister Ripplinger's Letter, April 23, 2013 Life, Encourage, Inspire, and Bless

Sent: Tuesday, April 23, 2013 10:34 AM
Subject: Life, Encourage, Inspire, and Bless

My dear friends and family,

The thunder is rumbling, the wind is blowing, and Nauvoo is radiating the Spirit as much as ever before. I LOVE NAUVOO!!!!! We received about 40 more new couples this week and the 40+ performing missionaries will be coming in next week. Nauvoo is a tiny, little place, just packed full of representatives of the Lord. I'm so excited for all of the miracles that can happen in such a sacred place. 

Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon in a VERY short period of time, which is absolutely miraculous. He started on approximately April 7th and completed it on July 1st. I had already set a goal to read the Book of Mormon with my family at that pace (85ish days), but when I discovered that he started it in April, I decided that I wanted to read it during the same time period at the same pace. So as I am reading it, I am marking references to angels ministering to people and when prayers are sent to heaven. It is always incredible to me that every time we read the Book of Mormon, something new stands out and we learn what we need at that time. During the last month, I have had a lot of thoughts about angels visiting their family members and it is amazing what I'm learning from the Book of Mormon through the Spirit. I would invite everyone to read the Book of Mormon in 85 days because it will strengthen your testimony of the Book of Mormon, as well as of the Prophet Joseph. Mark references to a specific topic that you feel inspires, such as the doctrine of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end, etc), or when prophesies were fulfilled, when prayers were answered, references to charity, faith, obedience, or whichever. Your testimony will be strengthened significantly and  the Spirit will teach you new things that you need to help you come closer to Christ.  It will also strengthen you in your capacity as disciples of Christ. "Your ability to teach with power from the scriptures comes in large measure from the time you personally spend studying them." Preach My Gospel pg 180

We have people in Nauvoo from all over the world already. I've talk with them from New Zealand, Japan, and Australia. There are people from all over the United States coming and it is so incredible to see God's children. Something that I absolutely love to think about is that EVERYONE we see walking around the store, on the streets, that we take on tours, that we interact with...are all children of God, they are our brothers and sisters. We are all a part of God's family! There is so much power in that. It allows me to be completely comfortable talking to anyone that I see and to just look forward to learning what their story is and being directed by the Spirit to know what to say. I LOVE IT!!!!!!

This week, there have been a lot of storms and a whole lot of rain. There have been some flooding problems and we had the opportunity to help out. We all went out to fill sand bags and everyone really enjoyed it. I'm grateful to be serving with so many sisters that love work and have a good attitude about working in the cold and shoveling sand. They were all singing hymns as we worked and they are awesome. I love them! One morning at about 6:15, an extremely loud crack of thunder shook our whole house. Most of us were in a deep sleep, and poor Sister Dransfield was having a dream about tornadoes. She woke up when the house shook and frantically ran to the window and shouted, "SISTERS!!!! A TORNADO!!!!!!" I was half asleep and looked over at her. Everyone started laughing when she explained that she was having a bad dream and the thunder made it seem so real. The thunder storms here are INCREDIBLE. I LOVE to hear the thunder and watch the bright strikes of lightening in the sky. It is so beautiful and makes me feel a little bit of the power that our Heavenly Father has. 

A lot of my thoughts this week were focused on the sisters I serve with. I love them. I've been striving to develop a vision of what this summer will do for the rest of our eternities and what I am to learn from them. It is an absolute blessing to serve among so many powerful missionaries, including those senior missionaries. They inspire me and I treasure the experiences I have with them. I have been studying President Eyring's talk "Help Them Aim High" and I've been pondering and praying to know each of the strengths of the missionaries here. It is so neat to see the Spirit teach me and recognize how precious they really are.  My trainer, Sister Coyne, got married yesterday in the Nauvoo Temple!!!!!! We were able to attend her wedding reception last night and it was sooooo much fun!!!! She looked beautiful and was so happy. It was fun to be there and to spend time with the missionaries. It kind of made me flash forward to how we will all be friends for the rest of eternity and will be attending each other's wedding receptions and other big events, that we'll help each other, and have memories that will continue through our lives. Haha. I LOVE IT!!!!!! Only in Nauvoo do you get to attend events like for your previous companions... =)

A lot of the experiences I've had this week, I can't really share, but I am so grateful for everything that's been happening. I know without a doubt that the Lord hears the prayers of His children and He answers them. I have had so many of my own prayers answered throughout my life and I love to see when others have those same faith building experiences. We are all improving and progressing, we are all on the path that leads us back to our Heavenly Father. It is our responsibility to help one another along the way and to seek opportunities to lift, encourage, inspire, and bless others. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve as a missionary. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!! But I'm excited for all that lies ahead in the rest of my life because I do not intend to stop sharing the gospel when I give up my name tag. The Lord wouldn't put so much effort into helping me along, if He didn't intend for me to keep using what I've learned. We have the knowledge of the truth and the blessings of eternity and we need to share them with others!!!!! Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He will help us overcome our weaknesses and He will never give up hope. We just have to keep trying. As Elder Holland so well stated in Conference that God knows we are imperfect and He's still willing to work with us. All God has ever had to work with is imperfect people. We just lean on the Lord and let Christ take His role in our lives as our Savior. I am so grateful for the Atonement and for Heavenly Father's plan for all of us. This is God's kingdom on the EARTH!!!!!!!! 

Love,

Sister Heather Ripplinger

Sister Ripplinger's Letter, April 16, 2013 Blessings from Heaven

Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 10:21 AM
Subject: Blessings from Heaven

Dear family and friends,

I feel so blessed to be back in Nauvoo. The Spirit here is incredible and we have so many rare opportunities in this special place. Over the last few days, we've been doing a lot of training and learning. However, we had the opportunity to attend the temple with all of our sisters, went out to Carthage Jail last night for a testimony meeting, we watched Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo, the Joseph Smith Movie, Remembering Nauvoo, visiting several of the historic sites, etc. One of my absolute favorite parts of the day is driving up the hill at night to go home and driving right next to that beautiful Nauvoo Temple, glowing in the night. 

My companion that just came from the MTC is Sister Mills. Heavenly Father has blessed me with her. She is full of fire and energy, she is like a sponge and wants to learn everything that I can possibly teach her, she remembers everything, she isn't afraid to talk to people, and she is just WONDERFUL!!!!!! She has a gorgeous singing voice and I love sitting next to her in church and for our companion study. She's from Cache Valley, Utah!!!!! She is very patient when I have to leave with Sister Zibetti to plan schedules or do assistant assignments. She goes on exchanges with Sister Zibett's companion, Sister Richardson. They both are wonderful. All of the sisters this summer are absolutely wonderful. There is a spirit in our home that is just so strong. We are all growing close together and there is unity. 

I've been striving to develop a vision of what Heavenly Father needs me to do this summer. One of my goals is to help these sister missionaries truly become sisters in Zion. I know that we are all together for specific reasons and I want to have unity and strength within us. When I see them, I see future leaders of the church, mothers that raise disciples of Christ, wives that strengthen and love their husbands, and strong daughters in God's kingdom. I want to have eternal perspective and learn life long lessons together. President Monson gave a talk in the Priesthood session a few conferences ago and spoke of a missionary who would strive to see everyone he spoke with dressed in white. I strived to do that throughout my mission. Last week, I had the opportunity to actually see these sisters dressed in white in the temple and it was powerful. They are all strong and faithful. I'm just so excited to be with them this summer!!!!!

We had the opportunity to be in President and Sister Gillilands' home a couple of times this weekend and I absolutely LOVE those opportunities. They both sit in chairs in front of us and we all gather around on the couches (semi-circle) and sit on the floor in front of them. Imagine 20 sister missionaries all gathered around their mission president and his wife. I LOVE IT!!!!!! I feel very blessed to be back with the Gillilands again. So many things that they taught me last summer stayed with me all winter and will stay with me for the rest of my life. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to learn from them. Sister Zibetti and I also get to serve around President Gilliland a lot and he is teaching us a lot about leadership and I'm learning from him. Oh, I never would have expected all of the things that have been happening. I love this work so much!!!!!

This week, as I was running in between meetings and everything that was happening, I saw four men wandering around together and felt like I needed to speak with them. I looked at my watch and didn't have much time before I was supposed to be upstairs, but I veered off and started talking to them. Three of the men were visiting from Saudi-Arabia and wanted to know about the Mormon religion!!!!! I had the opportunity to testify in a few short minutes and it was just incredible to think that Heavenly Father already has people coming from all over the world. I am sooooo excited to see what happens this summer. I know that the Lord is hastening His work. I can feel this sense of urgency in every fiber of my body. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL and I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!

"The more people you love, the happier you will be." Sister Gilliland

Love,

Sister Heather Ripplinger