Dear Family,
WOW! OK...I know last week I said I didn't know where to start but THIS
week beats it...I actually don't even want to SEND an e-mail because it
overwhelms me, ha ha...but this is how much I love you all = ) I could spend and
hour writing to you just about the miracles we had yesterday...this week has
been full of the Spirit and I am so thankful for the sweet and sacred
experiences the Lord is giving me while I am here serving Him....so let's
begin....(big sigh).
My week started off with one of the most sacred experiences from my mission
that I will treasure for eternity. As I mentioned last week, I have been
learning some lessons that are personal and sacred...and deep rooted. Last
Tuesday night I was feeling so stuck and unsure of how to change what I needed
to and how to overcome my trial. I just kept thinking all night that I needed to
talk to my mission president....my companion said she felt the same prompting.
Luckily, our Zone Conference was the next day so after the conference I asked if
he'd have a few minutes for me. He smiled and said he would of course. As I
spoke with President Clayton, a few minutes turned into one of the most sacred
hours of my life. I really didn't know what I needed or how to express all that
was weighing on me, but because Heavenly Father knows my heart, and because
President Clayton is called by God to be here and care for the missionaries, he
was inspired with the things I didn't know I needed to hear. Afterward, I really
felt like a cloud had dispersed and a weight was lifted. As I left and I
pondered, my thought was, "Wow...that must be what it would be like to sit in an
interview...or rather, just across from my Savior and tell Him the things of my
heart." He helped me come to know Him better that day. No matter my insecurities
or how silly I felt to have the struggles I have been having...no matter how
insignificant they may feel to me and thinking I should be able to get over it
or handle it myself...I received only love and understanding...no judgement or
ridicule or even validating, "Yes Sister Riggs, you really have problems." Just
a listening ear, true care and concern, inspired questions, love, counsel, and
encouragement. I know I will treasure that hour not only for the rest of my
mission, but for the rest of my life. The Savior really does love us, even with
our weaknesses and our imperfections....He knows us without those things,
because He knew us before we came here. He loving lifts us up...I just read this
this morning and it says it perfectly. I have put my name in it and I invite you
to put yours in it as you read:
"It can be discouraging at times to know what it means to be a
daughter of God and yet come up short. The adversary likes to take
advantage of these feelings. Satan would rather that you define yourself by your
weaknesses and imperfections instead of your divine potential. Sister
Riggs, don’t listen to him. We have all seen a toddler learn to walk. He
takes a small step and totters. He falls. Do we scold such an attempt? Of course
not. What father would punish a toddler for stumbling? We encourage, we applaud,
and we praise because with every small step, the child is becoming more like his
parents. Now, Sister Riggs, compared to the perfection of God, we mortals
are scarcely more than awkward, faltering toddlers. But our loving Heavenly
Father wants us to become more like Him, and, dear Sister Riggs, that
should be our eternal goal too. God understands that we get there not in an
instant but by taking one step at a time. I do not believe in a God who would
set up rules and commandments only to wait for us to fail so He could punish us.
I believe in a Heavenly Father who is loving and caring and who rejoices in our
every effort to stand tall and walk toward Him. Even when we stumble, He urges
us not to be discouraged—never to give up or flee our allotted field of
service—but to take courage, find our faith, and keep trying."~ President
Uchtdorf
Sunday was another day that was so full of the spirit and many miracles. We
had added a new investigator, Victor, the day before. His friend, Arthuro, was
recently baptized and they work together at Pik Up Stix and he referred him to
us. Victor has such a good heart...he is just 21 but has already seen and
realized that he doesn't want to keep making the mistakes he has been making. He
wants to make good choices so when he's 30 he's not still in the same place and
with nothing. He wants a family, a house, a good job...he wants the girlfriend
he still has to stick around...he feels ready and desires to be closer to God.
He is trying to take care of some DUI's he has done jail time for, and also he
lives with his girlfriend, sooooo....we have some things to work on, he he, but
his heart is good and he is looking in the right direction....but anyway, he had
work so he couldn't come to our sacrament meeting at 11:30, so we went to an
earlier family ward with him and his girlfriend...although it was quite noisy
and distracting (I really appreciate the quite in Single's Wards!) they loved it
and he asked if he could come every week! Then we headed to our ward where we
were so blessed to have a performing group, INSPIRE from AZ, to sing, testify,
and bring an amazing spirit to all of our hearts. Each testimony of the church
and the Restoration made me so excited to be here sharing this incredible
message with the world! As the 25 singers gathered and sang, "My Kindness Shall
Not Depart From Thee"...they literally sang the first line and the spirit
burned. It was so beautiful and made me reflect on my Young Ambassador days!
Through the song Sister Miller and I just held each other's hand and
cried...literally...tears streaming. It took me back to the experience I had in
my interview with President Clayton...as some of the words they sang, were words
he read to me. I am so thankful for the gift of music, and the healing it
brings. It speaks to me like nothing else can.....I sure miss singing with my
sisters. INSPIRE performed their musical fireside for the YSA's here in San
Diego and it caused so many miracles! A referral was received from a girl that
one of the singers invited. One of our investigators we just taught the
Restoration to received answers, and had the spirit confirm through a feeling of
happiness that the Restoration is all real! A guy we street contacted and
invited came and he wants to learn more. The father of the family of one of our
recent converts came and now wants to have missionaries over once a week and
committed to our recent convert that he was going to start bringing his family
to church every week!!!....It goes on and on. I am sure that's not all that
happened within the hearts of the people that night...so many miracles came from
that! We are so grateful!
One of the men that came to the fireside was Mik. Meeting him was a
miracle. We were in a rough neighborhood trying to see a less-active and we
started talking to a guy standing in the car-port by where they lived. We talked
to him and for a bit and towards the end of our conversation, Mik walked
up....he began listening while the other guy went inside. We shared with him why
we are here, how we have come to know these things were true, and why they lead
us to want to serve a mission. We said a prayer with him and then before we left
I asked if we could sing them a song. Sister Miller and I sang, "I Need Thee
Every Hour." I felt chills (aka-the spirit!) come over me throughout the whole
song. It was obvious these guys were into drugs and both had gun shot wounds and
scars, tattoos....looking like they were doing anything to get through
life...while we sang....you could tell they felt. You could almost see the
spirit speaking to them and helping them recognize they have heard this
before...because they were with God before. We invited them to the fireside and
we were overjoyed when Mik called us on our way into it and said he was on his
way over! Yay! He felt a great spirit and loved the people he met and we have
another appt. with him Friday.
I have so much more to write but am running out of time so I have to share
less details = ). We taught Katie the Restoration and it was amazing to teach by
the spirit. I taught it in a way I never have before and at the end of the
lesson as she prayed she said how she was so grateful to be learning these
things..."things I have heard before, but am hearing and experiencing in a new
light through the Sisters." = ) HAPPINESS!!! She came to the fireside and felt a
confirmation, and then went home and wanted to find answers and put her thumb in
the Book of Mormon and opened to Mormon Ch. 8 and began reading....MORMON 8 IS
ONE OF THE ONLY CHAPTERS ABOUT THE RESTORATION AND COMING FORTH OF THE BOOK OF
MORMON!!!! Oh my goofy gummies!!!!!!!! What a miracle! If that isn't an answer I
don't know what is! We love Katie and she makes our hearts so happy!
We have a Baptism this Saturday for Christian and we are so excited!!!! We
have been waiting for this day for a month and are so happy we are here! He
literally teaches us every lesson. He is so ready! We have had the fun
opportunity to teach him while he has been out of town via Skype!!! What??!!
Never thought I would do that on my mission! Even though it was over a computer
screen, the spirit was felt so strongly! How amazing that we really can have so
many miracles in sharing the gospel through the technology we have today!
Yesterday was Miracle Monday! Sister Miller and I had a full day and we had
plans to teach 9 lessons...and we indeed taught 9 lessons!!! Heavenly Father
Blessed our plans, and there was a lesson to be taught at each place we planned
to go, even though more than half of our plans weren't appointments, but stop
by-s....We met an amazing member who is going to help us do a starting family
history class with all of our new converts, caught a less-active just before she
left to take her mom to work and were able to share a message about Heavenly
Father's love, we stopped by Casmier's and he wasn't home so we asked his sister
in law if we could help with anything...she said no but we saw a mound of dishes
in the sink and pretty told her we were doing her dishes...as we finished, her
husband and Casmier came hope...they had just gotten back from locating his
stolen car (this is the dad that came to the fireside) ...he was so gracious to
us for just helping with the dishes he INSISTED on buying us lunch we INSISTED
not to, especially over hearing the expense the stolen car would be...but he
wouldn't let us say no...he then told us how touched he was by the fireside and
that he wanted to bring his family to church, have us over for Bible study, and
get help for him and his wife....WOW! We shared a Mormon Message with them and
taught their little boy how to pray....what miracles happened in that apartment
yesterday is so humbling...we then taught Victor again and my companion is
amazing and extended a baptismal invitation and he accepted a date for August
31st after we had read Alma 36 with him and testified of the ability to change
and repent!....then we met with a member who is planning to serve a mission but
just needs to step it up to get there....he is 19, from New Zealand, and we were
inspired to share the perfect Mormon Message with him that happened to be about
pro rugby player who chose to serve a mission...he said he was so grateful we
had come and it really helped motivate him and confirm what he wanted to do and
this is right...we then stopped by another less-active...cars home..after 2
door-bell rings and a good knock no answer...i said, "I'm going to be annoying
and ring the door-bell one more time." A kind of angry roommate came to the door
then went and got him....he was resistant and first but by the end of our
message there was light in his eyes and he was laughing....Then we met with
Katie and that is when she told us about her miracle of finding Mormon 8...then
we met with Bin, our china man, and re-set his baptism date so he can get a
clear answer...but there were us and 4 members there in his lesson for
support....then we stopped by another less-actives and instead of meeting with
her (because she was gone) we shared a message with her roommate who has met
with missionaries before but it never appealed to her...she didn't want to watch
a clip with us...said she'd seen them, but we showed her one about Heavenly
Father's love and it lead to a sweet experience and testifying of who she was to
her. She was very touched and we learned more about her in 20 minutes than
probably many have.....WOAH!!!! See what I mean?! What a day!!!!
I love this!!!! And I LOVE YOU!!! Have a Happy 4th of July!!!! Let's all
watch Fireworks together!!! = )
All my love,
Sister Riggs
