Dear Family and Friends,
What a wonderful week! Can't be a bad week when you have General Conference
in your life! Oh how I loved the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing, "We Thank Thee
Oh God For A Prophet!" The spirit was sooooo strong! I turned to Sister Miller,
whom I was sitting next to), and our eyes were both wide and we both just said,
"WOW!" I DO thank my Father in Heaven for a living prophet and apostles on the
earth today who can speak to us with so much boldness and yet so much love! Who
can speak right to our very hearts. Nothing greater! So many wonderful
addresses, but two of my favorites were Elder Bednar's and Elder Eyring's talks.
I must really love my family...because the talks that made me think of them were
the ones I could not keep the tears from flowing.
The week started off with the great experience of taking our recent
converts to the Family History Center to help them begin their work and prepare
names to take to the temple. There is so much excitement doing family history
with them! Our most recent convert, Kelsey, had miracles happen. We didn't have
her record number yet because she is so newly baptized, but we were able to call
Salt Lake and retrieve it. The branch temple night was the next day and we
thought it would be neat for her to have a family name, but didn't know if we
could make it happen that fast. Well, thanks to the miracle workers at the
center, she walked away that night with all the info in place to be able to be
baptized on behalf of her mother, who died from illness just a couple of years
ago. Oh how I wish I could have been there with her! We met with her last night
to teach a lesson about Temples, and asked her about her experience. It was so
beautiful and she had us both in tears. She told us of how excited she was as
she walked in...that people were talking to her and explaining things to her but
she wasn't really listening. She was just in such amazement and kept looking up
and around in awe at the beauty of the temple. She was so cute! She said that
even the bathrooms and changing places were amazing! She said as she received
the pink slip that read, "Wendy Cobb", her mother's name....that she just had to
stop and stare at it, and it became real to her that she was about to be
baptized in behalf of her mother. She said as she stood in the font and saw her
mother's name that she was just overcome with the spirit and she felt an
indescribable feeling of joy and peace....that as she came up out of the water
there were tears and chlorine in her eyes, ha ha. She told us she has worn her
mother's ring since she passed and she often feels it warm or burn when she
feels her mother near and she said it was on fire as she was baptized. She also
said, with tears streaming down her face, that she KNEW her mother accepted
it....what a sweet and indescribable moment. At the beginning of our lesson, she
had told us how life was really getting her down right now and that she was
really worried about everything...finding a job, getting into school, what to
major in school, finding a good guy, her self worth...and to add to all of that,
being the only member of the church in her family and trying to stand strong
when they judge her for going to church and activities so much, for fasting, for
praying...(why people would judge these good things I don't know)...as she told
us of her feelings in the temple and her experience, I thought of the reunion
she and her mother would have someday. I looked at her and said, "Kelsey...."
and then I was hit with a wave of emotion and I started to cry. I testified to
her of what a sweet reunion she would have with her mother someday...that there
would be many tears of joy and gratitude....and that she would thank her for
being the one to bring her the blessings of baptism and covenants that she
needed...for being the one who was strong enough, even facing opposition from
family, to follow her heart and follow the Savior so the gospel could begin to
spread to the Cobb family. It was a beautiful moment, and we were all a mess of
tears. Kelsey is amazing and has already done so much good in a matter of 3
weeks that I know she is really upsetting the adversary, so now he is trying to
upset her. But she is strong and her faith is steady and how wonderful it is
that she has her covenants now, to bless and protect her!
I had my mission president's interview this week (my last one before my
final exit interview! yikes!). I love every minute of our one-on-one time. He is
a busy man and juggles so much, but I love the moments he takes for me. Every
time I meet with him I feel uplifted and enabled. I know my interviews with him
are like those I would have with the Savior if he were here. Before we finished,
I asked him for an assignment. I said, "President, will you give me an
assignment I can report back to you about when I visit with you again in the
near future?" I had no idea what he would say and I didn't expect what he DID
say...I thought it would have to do with my studies or something personally to
ensure I finish strong. He pondered for a long moment, his face was filled with
concentration, and then he held out two fingers and said, "There are 2
people...2 people that need rescuing that could help in building the kingdom of
God...not necessarily investigators..." I just looked at him and asked, "2
People to rescue?" He confirmed, "Yes." With great desire I said, "I will find
them President."
Now I feel a lot of pressure daily, as I do not want to fail him nor the
Lord in finding these 2 people he has told me are out there and need rescuing
before I leave my mission. Please pray that my eyes will be opened, and I will
recognize them.
The crazy thing is that on Saturday we had a little miracle that I think
may be one of those people he spoke of. We had watched the first session of
conference and we taught a lesson and had lunch with the institute and we had a
bit more time before the 2nd session. I have a confession...I stopped buying
Diet Soda a couple of weeks ago! = ) I know, I know...I have been doing just
fine without it too and just have one when we go out to eat....but I was
thinking about how I'd love to have a Diet Dr. Pepper....and I had pushed the
thought away thinking, "Nah, I'll just keep drinking my water..." I mentioned
the craving to my companion and Sister Patterson said, "Well...we have some
time." (But we didn't have a lot...like 20 mins...so I said, "Well OK, we'll run
across the street and grab a soda and then we can stop by Max's house (the guy
we met a couple months ago who hasn't been to church in 10 yrs) and invite him
to come to the institute and watch conference with us." So we went...well, as we
were walking up to the VONS, we saw a young man standing outside by the pumpkin
boxes. Sister Patterson said hello and then I asked if he was waiting for a
ride...we struck up a conversation and found out his name was Michael, he is 19,
and he said, "oh yeah I am a Mormon." Ha! Oh yeah what?! We asked where he lived
and found out he should be attending our Branch but he admitted he hasn't been
to church in a long time and has been away from it. We invited him to conference
but he said he was headed to a friend's birthday party.We exchanged numbers and
told him about the branch and that we'd love to have him out there with us. He
thanked us and went on his way. We walked in to VONS and both looked at each
other with our jaws dropped. I said, "Seriously?!" Heavenly Father even uses my
cravings for soda to do His work! Ha ha...Sister Patterson confirmed, "He
seriously takes every situation!" We couldn't believe it! I said, "Is he the
first one we need to rescue?! He's 19! Let's get him on a mission!" He is one of
our new focuses = ) That Diet Dr. Pepper was definitely worth it!
We had another great miracle that same day just after the first session of
conference. We invited a potential investigator to come to the institute to
watch it with us. Her name is Julia and she enrolled in The Book of Mormon class
for the semester. Afterwards we talked with her and she asked if I had seen
miracles as a missionary....to name a few!!! I told her of the tiny miracles
that were as great to me as parting the Red Sea. I told her about Mayra
Valdez....the girl Sister Hudson and I happened to pass on the street one night
in El Cajon due to prior circumstances lining up and of her conversion story.
Her eyes glistened as I told her the story. We asked about her thoughts on
conference. She said there was a line that stood out to her which was, "Doubt
your doubts before you doubt your faith." I asked her, "What are some of your
doubts or fears right now?" She said, "Whether I am strong enough to be a
mother..." She then informed us that she was 4 months along....this young 22
year old student with a 33 year old boyfriend....We testified to her of Heavenly
Father's love for her and of the peace, joy and happiness the gospel
brings...how it gives us the strength to do what we think we can't or don't know
how to do. We asked her if we could teach her about theses things and she said
she would love nothing more! Then, without us even saying anything she asked,
"Can I be baptized if I am pregnant?" Wow! Music to our ears! We told her she
could and just mentioned that baptism was a covenant, so we promise to be
obedient to God's laws and commandments, one being the law of Chastity...but
that if she was willing to commit to live the things we will teach her, she
could be baptized...even pregnant! = ) She cried and said, "Thank God for you
guys....thank you for helping me to not feel so alone." Our hearts melted for
her. We love her so much already. She told me too, that my story about Mayra
touched her heart because Mayra has always been one of her favorite names, and
what she wanted to name her baby = ). Coincidence that I shared that particular
story? I don't think so!
We have a baptism this Friday for Alicia and we are so happy and excited
for her. She is another, stalwart 18 year old.. Like Kelsey, she is doing this
all on her own. Her father, who has always supported her in everything, does not
support her in this decision, which is most important to her. But she is moving
forward with faith and hope. Before her interview, we asked her what she hoped
to gain from making this promise with God. She said, "I hope to be able to bless
my family." She is like Lehi! She has tasted of the fruit of the tree of life
and only desires to immediately share it with her family. Although it is a
struggle now, she hopes that one day....1 yr, 5 yrs, 20 yrs from now, her father
will want this too. The sweetest thing was bearing our testimonies to her at the
end of the lesson and looking across to the other couch and seeing Alexis (an
amazing member missionary who brought Alicia to us and who has now decided to
work on her mission papers), Kelsey (a recent convert who was baptized just 3
weeks ago and who has been coming to lessons and bearing amazing testimonies and
who has become best friends with these to girls), and Alicia (an investigator
getting baptized this week who was about to have her baptismal interview)....3
powerful 18 year olds from 3 very different backgrounds but one in the gospel of
Jesus Christ....I cried over the beautiful scene....what a blessing that was to
see and be a part of.
I met the most amazing and pure 15 year old at a member's home this Sunday.
As we met Dustin and asked him how he liked conference he said, "You know I
loved the prophet's talk, because I after his wife died I felt so bad and
worried about him, that I prayed for him every day for 3 months that he would be
comforted and be able to get over the loss of his wife and be OK to keep going.
Well, today when he said, 'I know that our separation is only temporary because
we have been sealed in the temple' it was like the biggest answer to my prayers!
Although sad for the loss, he seemed happy and at peace." Wow! Then later we
came back by the house because I left something in the fridge and he answered
the door and said, "Oh hey...sorry, I was just crying a little bit." We asked
why and he said, "I was just watching this really cool video on YouTube of the
life of Joseph Smith." I looked at him and said, "OK, PLEASE promise us this one
thing..." He agreed and I said, "Never change!" You don't meet many 15 year olds
like that! What a stripling warrior! I want to raise sons like that
someday!
I love you all so much and felt a little closer to you this weekend knowing
we were all watching conference together = ) I hope the spirit was able to
comfort you and answer your individual prayers! You are all in mine!
All my love and hope,
Sister Riggs
We visited the Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Park...here's some
pics I caught!
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Just at the view of the ocean are these memorials to our fallen
soldiers...beautiful!
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