Hello My Dear Family!
How was
everyone's 4th of July?!! I hope you all had a wonderful day celebrating
the wonderful freedoms we are blessed to enjoy in this amazing
country! I had a pretty normal day, but we did have a neat little
program. Some Elders fiddled together some classic American tunes, had a
flag ceremony done by 4 brothers with their eldest brother sitting in
the audience as a missionary, we had a great talk given about our
country, we watched a neat video showing "the truth marching on" all
over the world and saw where all of the missionaries are spreading the
gospel!!!! At the end we even had bag pipes played as missionaries
paraded in carrying the flag of their country and we finished with a
narration about the gospel being restored to the earth by Joseph Smith
and singing, "Praise to the Man!" It was pretty great! And then we got a
treat! We all went outside, were given Magnum Icecream Bars, and got to
stand outside and watch the Stadium of Fire fireworks = ) ...I admit I
was a little unimpressed and wishing I was at Disney World again
watching the greatest fireworks of all...but I went ahead and made it
magical...since we couldn't hear the music from the stadium I quietly
starting singing, "Wishes, dream a dream, wishes!....And all your wishes
will come true!" Lol...it helped bring the magic = )
I can't believe I have been here at the MTC for
3 weeks already! The weeks fly by and I can hardly believe it! This
week has been one of much reflection, with deep spiritual experiences.
It has felt like more of a heavy week, but at the same time I have been
blessed with greater understanding of things, and spiritually lifting
moments.
One thing I wanted to share was from our fireside
we had last Tuesday. It was given by an Emeritus Seventy from Japan. He
counseled us to go to your own sacred grove every day. He stressed how
important it was and how precious that time is to commune with the Lord
daily. He promised that if we would do this...come to the Lord and spend
30 minutes reading the Book of Mormon every day, that our lives would
be changed. I felt of his strong conviction as he said this and he spoke
through tears. I know there is no greater blessing. Already in the 3
weeks I have been here I have seen the amazing growth and greater
knowledge that have come from having an hour of personal study in the
morning. That is the first thing we do. We arise and prepare and then
spend 1 hour in personal study to start off everyday. I open with prayer
and then feast on the words of Christ. As I have done this I have
received personal revelation for my life and work as a missionary, and
the spirit is immediately with me and a part of my day. So I just wanted
to share that and challenge you to find time to commune with the Lord
every day, and see if this promise is not true!
We had In-Field Orientation on Thursday and
spent the entire day in workshops learning more about having faith that
the Lord will help his work be accomplished through us as we fulfill our
callings, making goals daily and weekly and then making plans to
accomplish those goals, and learning how important it will be to work
with the members in the areas we are placed in. It was fun and they made
it very theatrical = )
We had an amazing lesson on Saturday night and I
just wanted to share it with you because I know many of you could do
the same activity and grow and learn so much, even as I did. Our teacher
had us close our eyes and imagine our lives in 20 years. I envisioned
my family I would have, their ages, their personalities. I envisioned us
interacting in our home and felt the feeling of love that would be
there. I saw us sitting around the dinner table talking and laughing,
and me looking across the table at my husband whom I would love more
than I knew was possible. I thought about what I would want him to think
of me. I thought about how I would want my children to feel about their
mother. Thoughts came to mind of the kind of woman I would want to be
then, and how and what qualities I would want to be known about me by
friends and family...it was a happy vision.Then he had us pull out our
Patriarchal Blessings and read through them and write down any thoughts
or impressions we'd have. I decided to make 3 categories on my paper. I
made a list of "What I've Done" "Work I have to do" and
"Gifts/Blessings" ....I barely had room left on my paper when I was
done! We then wrote down things in our lives that might be keeping us
from becoming or accomplishing those things. We walked out to the front
of the MTC where we could look out over the mountains. We sang "O My
Father" ...the feeling that swelled within my heart could not be
contained as we sang "For a wise and glorious purpose thou hast sent me
hear to earth" and the tears began to flow as I sang the final verse
about returning to our Father and Mother after I have accomplished all
they sent me here to do....I felt my chest was going to burst. On our
way back, we discarded the paper with the things that were holding us
back and then we sat and made a list of 10 things we wanted to become.
This was such an amazing experience and it was a way I could unveil and
seek revelation for my life's mission. Try it! It will bless your
life!!!
Allow me to share an experience I had this
week...we had a lot of unexpected things happen on Thursday last
week...one of the Sisters in my district went into a seizure in the
middle of class as we were practicing teaching. She is doing great now
and no harm came to her during it, and it was luckily pretty
short...probably only about a minute. But it shook up the class. Many,
including myself, had never seen one before. As we waited for the EMT to
come, we tried to talk to her and just get a confirmation from her that
she was OK...she wouldn't talk and she just buried her hands in her face
and started to sob. Her companion knew nothing of her taking medication
or even having a history of it...so we assumed that meant it was
something she didn't like to share with people. Our class knelt in
prayer on her behalf and then we watched our teacher was prompted to
share on the Atonement and how our burdens are lifted through them. The 3
of us sisters had to rotate "watches" because she had to be back in the
room and rest. I went in to swap with another sister and I had not been
in there 5 minutes and I looked over and saw her looking my way and she
weakly said, "Hello....I'm sorry you have to stay in here with me." I
said, "Hun don't you even worry about that, I am happy to be here and I
am here for you...whatever you need, even if you just wanna talk it
out..." I saw a look come over her face and she just began to cry as she
said, "I'm so mad! I hate this so much!" I crawled up on her bed with
her and offered my shoulder for comfort and she cried...she then asked,
"Do you get really sick sometimes with what you have? (referring to my
diabetes)" In that moment I was grateful...I was grateful that because
of my diabetes and experiences I had....especially similar feelings of
frustration and hating it...that I could relate to this Sister, that she
trusted me and opened up because she knew I had something I had to deal
with every day too, and that I could comfort her. We talked for a long
time about how it all first started for her and her terrible experiences
in losing all of her friends in high school....sitting alone at
lunch...and even her own brother not talking to her at school...because
once she seized in school everyone saw her differently and treated her
differently...and she was abandoned. She didn't know how she could go
back to class and she was so embarrassed. I talked with her about
similar feelings I had...things I had learned through my trials with
health....we related on many levels. She was so upset though because she
said it had been 3 yrs since she last had a seizure and she was praying
so hard that she would get through her mission without one and she was
even praying in the moment because she felt it coming on..and it came
anyway...so she felt she wasn't answered. I said, now wait a
minute...you mentioned to me that usually your seizures lasted an
hour...the one you just had was maybe a minute long if that...I think
your prayer was answered...most definitely...maybe not in the way you
wanted but I am sure that the Lord had a hand in the fact that it was so
short. I told her that maybe that moment and what we experienced as a
class after may have been a moment someone else needed...testimonies
were built and strengthened that morning without a doubt. She agreed
that OK, maybe there was a purpose for that. I shared with her the
testimony I had gained...I shared with her how the blessing I received
before coming on my mission told me that my diabetes was not by
accident, and that Heavenly Father knew what I needed to make me
perfect. I told her the same went for her....that because of this
physical trial, she would be able to feel and understand others
pains...that the Lord knew what she needed to make her the best
instrument in His hands. I testified of how these trials brought me
closer to the Lord and helped me understand intimately the Atonement,
and how I was comforted in knowing there was at least one who knew what I
was going through, when other eyes couldn't see it or my heart. We
talked for probably an hour and went from tears of sorrow to tears of
joy and laughter. I shared with her John 14:18 and she smiled and said
thank you.....not 5 minutes after that another sister came to me and asked
if she could talk to me about something....I said of course...long story
short she was seeking comfort and advice about how to know when she
needs to repent of something and her fears of doing so. Again, I was
able to relate and teach of the things I had learned and testify of the
cleansing and healing power of the Atonement. Then again that afternoon I
was teaching a less active couple. The wife had gone blind and deaf in
her left ear. She told me of how upset she was when that all happened to
her because she was a floral designer and painter...creating beautiful
things was her passion. I was able to testify of the seemingly small
trial of diabetes and the questions that brought me and how I didn't
understand. I then read with her 3 Nephi 17: 7 ....and testified of the
healing that comes through our Savior Jesus Christ. That He understands
all things and there is a purpose for all things...
This day made me rejoice in my heart to my Father
in Heaven for all things He has blessed me with and all the trials I had
been through in my life because on this one single day, I was able to
bear testimony of the Atonement and my Savior three times. Because of
my diabetes, because of my heartache, because I had been there and back,
I was able to comfort and lift others. In this one day...I literally
felt like Heavenly Father was carrying me around from heart to heart and
using me as his tool to patch up a few heartaches and bring
understanding and turn hearts to the Savior and a loving Heavenly Father. It literally left me with nothing but a heart full of gratitude
and I cry with Nephi in saying, "Oh how great is the plan of our God!"
I hope you are all well and I hope you all keep
your eyes towards your Heavenly Father..He will work good in your life
and bless you with all righteous desires as you do all you can to walk
his path and do what is right. Just always look to Him.
I had so much more I wanted to share but time does
not allow. I have completed my 3 weeks of official training and tomorrow
I start my Visitor's Center training with a visit to Temple Square!!
It is going to be a crazy week of new adventures!!!
Until then!
All my love!
Sister Riggs
~ I will be able to write again on Friday so check your emails! = ) XOXO!
