Dear Family,
Happy Birthday to my brother-in-law Eric! Hope it was amazing! You and LaDawn always go all out so I am sure you had some fun!
So....last
week I wrote to you all in the middle of my distress...well...let me
tell you what happened the rest of that day....so, like I said, I got a
call from my Zone Leaders telling me to pack my bags....I just cried and
cried...I went to e-mail and everyone was looking at me like,
"Dude...chill out it's transfers!" I just kept thinking, "Why does this
feel so wrong? If this is right, why can't I feel it is and just be like
everyone else and trust in the Lord and know that everything was
happening for a reason?" I calmed down a little but every time we
started talking about it or I was asked about it or someone gave me a
hug I kept crying again....I had the worst headache and I felt like my
stomach was in knots. I went back to pack up my apartment and try to
write a letter...just couldn't focus.....I was just distraught and
wanted to feel OK. I was doubting my feelings from the spirit I had
gotten about some of the people we were teaching or had just met on the
street that I knew I was there to teach...why did I feel that if I was
just gonna be moved? Well...after 7 hours of this, I got a phone call
from my Zone Leaders again and they told me I was to call my mission
president immediately....I was like, "What?! You're kidding...what is
going on?!" So my heart raced as I called President Clayton. He asked me
how I was doing and I said, "Umm...OK...a little shocked but trying to
trust in the Lord." He told me there was a special situation and that I
would be staying in the same area and working in the same ward....I was
like, "OK....really?" (Wondering how this was possible) He said, "You
were told to pack your bags though, because you will be a
full-proselyting missionary and will not be at the Mormon Battalion for
this transfer (6 weeks)." I was speechless...but as soon as he told me
that my headache literally melted away and I felt that peace and calm
come...that confirmation I was waiting for, that this was right. So I
was told to pack up ALL my bags....I had to keep it in confidence until
the next morning at transfer meeting...that was hard....but the next day
at transfers...everyone found out their new areas and their new
companions...and then there was me....President Clayton asked me to
stand, and he got a little emotional as he called my name...there was a
pause and I started to choke up and he made the announcement that I
would be staying in the Fuerte Ward but would be full-proselyting. I was
overwhelmed by the reaction of love from everyone. When they closed the
meeting all the Senior couples were coming up to me and hugging me and
with tears in their eyes told me how much they would miss me there but
would look forward to the day I will come back (because this is only
temporary) ...that they knew how wonderful of a missionary I was and
that is why the Lord needed me so much in the field. They were all
taking pictures with me and I was like, "hey I'm not LEAVING leaving!!"
But I was humbled and the love and the tears I felt and the testimonies
from other Sisters to me of encouragement and confidence.....President's
wife told me it was one of the first specific inspirations President
Clayton received when praying about this transfer.....I know it was
truly inspired. I felt that and I am honored and humbled and feel a
weight of responsibility on my shoulders...that Heavenly Father would
entrust me with this...there is SO much work to do in this area and now
we have the time to do it! I promised President I would work wholes into
the soles of my shoes over the next 6 weeks = ) ....So, I suddenly got a
new companion, Sister Hudson, and we threw all our belongings in a car
and moved to El Cajon and are now living in the Bishop's house in their
spare room!!! And EVERYTHING I have been trained (or at least the flow
of things) how to do is new and different as a full-timer.....but
hey...a chance to learn and grow. Sister Hudson is awesome and we
clicked immediately and I felt that was for a reason...so we can just
get to work....
...story doesn't end there....got a call from
President last night....found out we would be getting a 3rd companion
who was arriving from the MTC today and that Sister Hudson and I would
be training her!!! I'm training!! WHAT?! Heavenly Father loves me....he
thinks I can handle all of this!!! Ha! So they are moving a bunk bed
into our room as we speak! Always expect the unexpected as a
missionary!!! Crazy...this will be challenging but I know we will see
many mighty miracles. We have already received confirmations of why this
area needed to go full-proselyting and I know the Lord will keep
showing us those along the way. I think my job will be to get these
sisters to know the area and the people and help them feel comfortable
and in the flow of things and then I'll be off to some new
adventure...but I've learned to stop guessing....Heavenly Father is
always surprising me out here!
So...that was my week....I've been a wreck! But the
Lord has blessed me and helped me through...oh on top of all of that I
was asked last minute to sing at a Spanish fireside in Spanish (it went
great...people were talking to me in Spanish after because they thought I
was fluent = )...and we had a Baptism I was in charge of pulling
together as the one in the know of everything, for the first time...Sean
Pennala was baptized and confirmed and surprisingly....= ) it went off
without a hitch and the spirit was SOOOOO strong and our investigator
Jack (pentecostal) came and we gave him a tour of the church after and
in the chapel he said he felt comfortable and peace and calm....he
didn't know how he would ever come to church because his heart is at his
church and then guess who gave us a heart attack Sunday morning?! Jack!
He came and stayed for all of church and loved it! MIRACLE!!!
Anyway...life is crazy but this is being a
missionary and it is oh so good and I can't wait to see all the miracles
over the next 5 weeks!!! Many to come I am sure.....President Clayton
told me on the phone that he had seen a lot of growth in me over the
past few weeks and believed I was going to continue to do many great
things, and that he couldn't think of any better Sisters to train the
new missionary than us = ) That was humbling...I always feel so
inadequate and wonder how people see these things....but I have been set
apart and the power and authority of this calling is real and the Lord
will not fail me as long as I am faithful!!!
A HUGE congratulations to my sweet Uncle Danny and
Aunt Karin! So excited to be serving alongside you! You will do amazing
things! Our senior couples here are golden and I know you will be the
same! Love you soooooooo much! And soooooo happy for you!
Lots of Love,
Sister Riggs
xoxo
