Sister Ripplinger's Weekly Letter, Nauvoo Storms, May 21, 2013

Dear friends and family,

This is going to be an extremely short email because I had to register for my BYU classes in the fall. It is all taken care of and I'm good to go! It was a miracle because I missed the day that classes opened for me to register, but all the classes that I needed had ONE seat open still that I could get into. The Lord is looking out for me and providing the way. I'm SO GRATEFUL. Now I can dive back into Nauvoo and finish my mission hard.

This week was full of excitement with the storms. Nauvoo is protected from the tornadoes and serious storms. We had a lot of heavy rain and some branches on trees came down, but nothing too serious.

I have really been focusing on making my heart pure and completely sanctified. This week, I have felt the Spirit more than ever and received many distinct and clear impressions. There have been a few times when I knelt down to pray and could feel the Spirit in such a way that I had to open my eyes a few times to see around me because I felt the Spirit so strongly. I know that Heavenly Father's promise to surround us with angels is real and that we are truly protected and directed by heavenly help. I am striving to train myself to "see the unseen" and to recognize the most quiet promptings.

This week, we had the privledge to serve in Lands and Records and OH MY GOODNESS. It was incredible. I found that I had several relatives that lived in Nauvoo, were actually endowed in the original temple, and I found a TON of information about their lives. I have also been researching and studying the life of Emma Smith. The Lord is teaching me a lot and my vision is lifting higher. While in Lands and Records, we were researching individuals and going through several books. I could feel the Spirit in there and it made me soooo excited for all of the modern technology.

Next week I will have to update more on the missionary work of people who have come to Nauvoo. It is so exciting and I feel like some neat things are going to happen this summer. The shows start this week and I'm soooo excited!!!!!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I absolutely LOVE it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week! Remember what really matters most! =)

Love,

Sister Heather Ripplinger