Farewell Ohio! A last week of mission blessings.

Dear Mama,

Hello! Happy St. Patrick's Day from Kirtland! My oh my, it's been a wonderful week. Full to the brim of appointments, meetings, miracles, and opportunities to learn, grow, testify, and serve. It has been an incredible week. Heavenly Father decided to keep us really, really busy so that I wouldn't even have time to think about or worry about home. I'm really grateful for that, as well as for the gradual and continued feeling of peace as I ponder my service here. It's building to an overwhelming feeling of love and approval from the Lord, and I know that is a sign of His acceptance of my service here. I'm not done yet, and I know that miracles will continue to happen over the next 3 days as I continue to serve.

I'm so grateful for the incredible blessing and opportunity I've had to serve a mission in the Ohio Cleveland, and especially in Kirtland. I know it is a sacred place. I've grown and learned so much over the course of my mission, sometimes in ways that I never imagined. I think what I learned the most these past two transfers is companionship unity. Nothing else can happen unless you have the Spirit in your companionship, and I've grown so much as I've had to work hard at that with Sister Johnson. I know that this companionship especially has prepared me for success in the future, and I'm so grateful.

We saw a lot of miracles this week. Laura came to a baptism, Bob came back to church (he's been sick), and Jason came to church! Miracle after miracle. Another one was with a wonderful tour Kirtland, with a cute young family. We were tired but did our best to teach to their children's needs, and it was all worth it when the five-year old girl whispered to her dad in the School of the Prophets that she was feeling the Spirit, and it was making her happy. What a tender blessing, and a sweet experience. This is why I love being a missionary! 

Bob is better!! He and the Stacey's came to Kirtland on Tuesday, and we went to the Family History Center to get him started on Family History. I was finally able to show my pedigree chart to someone! He's really excited about doing his family history and taking names to the temple. :)

We got to talk to Robert on Wednesday, and he is doing SO great. Oh my goodness, what a miracle it's been to teach him. Every single time, I'm awed by the strength of his testimony. At the end of our phone lesson, he said, "I just want to tell you one more thing..." and then he shared his testimony with us! It was so sweet and sincere, and it touched my heart. He is so, so amazing!

I also got to call Sister Johnson's friend Javi on Tuesday. I'm so grateful that she trusted me with the referral to call one of her friends! It was daunting at first, but he was really nice and friendly. Awesome.

On Thursday, we went to see our friends Chris and Serg at Best Gyro's. They gave us free dinner, which was so nice of them, but that wasn't the best part. The best part is that we've become such good friends with them! Chris told us that he was having a bad day, but that we made it brighter. Purpose fulfilled. :)

Friday was training meeting, transfer breakfast, and exchanges with Sister Mohler. Sister Sorenson is the most wonderful woman in the world--she made quiche for transfer breakfast because she knows how much I like it! What a sweet lady. I love her.

And exchanges with Sister Mohler were amazing! She has had some health issues and been rather sick lately, but I was amazed at her faith, her determination to push through challenges, and her ability to work and teach by the Spirit. We talked about focusing on what she can do rather than what she can't, how to put more into the hours that she can serve, and focusing on what Heavenly Father expects of her rather than anyone else. She told me that it really helped her to gain a new perspective and feel more hopeful about everything, and I'm so grateful I was able to help in some way. She really is an amazing missionary--a powerful teacher and a great example of love and testimony. I love her!!

Saturday, we made broccoli cheese soup with Sister Frazier. She is the sweetest woman in the world, and I love her so much! I'm so grateful that we've been able to visit her every week and help her learn more about the Book of Mormon. I know that it will all make sense to her someday. :)

Saturday was also dinner with the Wagner family. They are one of my favorite families in the ward. They are so amazing, and incredible examples to me of faith, endurance, and service. I love them. :)

Then, Saturday night was Kathy Cola's baptism! The Shaker Heights North sisters have been teaching her, and she is amazing. She quit smoking after 40 years because she wanted to be baptized so badly, and the ward was SO amazing at helping her do it--calls, texts, friendship, support, you name it. I love this ward so much. :) And I love Kathy! The baptism was a very touching service, and the Spirit was so strong. Laura came, and she really seemed to enjoy it. I got to play a musical number with Brother Rhodes, which was really fun. I love music! :)

On Sunday, we had breakfast with the Roberto family. They are AMAZING. Sister Roberto is from Finland, and she made Finnish pancakes! Yum. Both Brother and Sister Roberto are the gentlest, kindest people I know. They guided their young boys to ask us questions about missionary work, and we were so grateful for the opportunity to teach and testify of the gospel in that way. :) 

Church was amazing as always. Jason came! He's moving soon, but promised to keep reading and praying. We had a great lesson with him at the Taft's on Friday that started with temples but led to some questions and concerns he has about prayer. It was definitely guided by the Spirit. Sister Taft shared some wonderful experiences that were perfect for Jason's understanding--she is awesome. :) 

I also got to play our musical number with Brother Rhodes and Brother Miner again in sacrament meeting. It went so well, and the Spirit was so strong. What a blessed opportunity. :) We also had the opportunity to help Sister Price with her lesson in Primary, which was so fun. We shared stories from the scriptures of those who saw Christ after he was resurrected. I shared the story of Mary Magdalene--I picked that one from the list because of Savior of the World. :) 

Sunday night we had a fireside at Historic Kirtland (we do one about every month), and Elder Seldon (our area Seventy) came and spoke!! It was a miracle that it worked out--when we called to ask him to speak, it turned out that this was his only free weekend all month! He spoke about prophets and the wonderful opportunity that we have to hear from President Monson and others at General Conference in a few weeks. It was a powerful, enlightening message, and I'm so grateful that I got to be there! 

I'm also so grateful for the blessing it's been to me to serve a mission. It truly is the best decision I've ever made!! I've been pondering lately about what I've learned on my mission, and the list is too long to count! Serving a mission has opened my eyes and broadened my understanding of the gospel in so many ways. I've become more deeply converted to the Savior and His gospel, and come to understand myself better--my strengths, my weaknesses, my capacity to serve, love, and change, and so much more. I've learned to love people as the Lord loves them, and I've learned to love serving others. I've learned what it means to work hard, and how to recognize the quiet, gentle whisperings of the Spirit. At times, I've caught a glimpse of heaven through those quiet promptings from the Spirit. I understand a little better now how to gain and keep the Spirit with me, which is vital because that's what helps us know where to go, what to do, and who to be as we strive to represent the Savior in taking the gospel to all the world. I truly love being a missionary, and I truly love the Savior and His gospel. It's made me a happier person, and I can't help but be happy about all of my time here. Kirtland is such a sacred place, and I feel so blessed to have had the honor of serving here. It will always hold a special place in my heart, as will each person that I've met and worked with here. :) The Church is true, and it's true everywhere! The Savior knows us each individually, and will guide us down the exact path that we need to take in order to return, with Him, to our Heavenly Father again someday. We can return and live with our families forever, and I'm so excited about that blessing. I love you, my dear family, with all my heart, and I want nothing more than to live with my family forever. The gospel is the way, and now that I understand that, I will never, ever take it for granted or leave it. :)

Thank you, my wonderful family and friends, for every single prayer, thought, supporting or encouraging word, and the like. Surely I am nothing without the Lord (Alma 26:11-12), but I could never do this without you, either!! You are all such wonderful examples to me, and I love you all. Have a blessed week, and I'll see you soon!! Please, if you would, continue to pray for Bob, Laura, Jason, Kia, Kayla, Cheyla, Dazia, LaTasha, and the wonderful Shaker Heights Ward. Please pray that we'll get a temple here soon--that is an invitation from our Stake President, and we hope to see it fulfilled soon. :)

Love,

Sister Wygant

Another wonderful week in Kirtland

Hi Mama!!

What a wonderful week it's been. Spring is trying so hard to come to Kirtland--it's in the 40s today!! But will probably snow again this week. It's coming, though! The birds are coming back/out, and I love to hear them sing. :) 

The work is going GREAT. Oh man. I love this area, this ward, and this work so much. The work is hastening SO quickly!!!!! We honestly have no spare time in our area this week, because we have so many people to meet with. We're hopefully even going on splits on Thursday night if everything works out. I've wanted to do that my whole mission, and it hasn't happened yet--so I'm pretty excited. :) We have wonderful investigators and less active members that we're working with. Most of them are progressing really slowly, which has taught me a lot about patience and meeting needs--it's been really good for me.  Something really exciting that happened last week was that  Laura came to the RS activity with us! At first we weren't going to invite her because she is pretty shy and likes to stay home...but I kept feeling like we needed to invite her. So we did, and she came, and she loved it! Thank goodness for promptings from the Spirit to help us have a clue about what we should be doing. I'd be so lost without it. :) Another exciting thing is that we met a young man named Chaz yesterday, gave him our number, and later he actually called us! That doesn't often happen, so it's always exciting. 

I went on exchanges with Sister Smith in the Kirtland North area, and we saw SO many miracles! She told me in our studies that a question I'd suggested for one of our lessons had actually been an answer to her prayers--I was so humbled and grateful! We were then able to use the answers and testimony building experiences she'd received in lessons that very day. One miracle was that we stopped by a less active member who wasn't home...but her sister was, and after talking to the sister for a minute, she let us in and allowed us to teach her! It turns out that she's a less active member as well, who is really struggling and in need of gospel light. The lesson we had wasn't planned at all, but was entirely led by the Spirit, and it was amazing to see her countenance brighten a little by the end of our lesson. I am so grateful for promptings from the Spirit, that the Spirit touches hearts, and that we could be an instrument in the Lord's hands to lift that sister that day. :)

We did service for some amazing members, and saw some amazing miracles--one was when we went to a nursing home to see if we could volunteer there. Turns out they're pretty starved for volunteer work, and they accepted us on the spot! They were really excited to have us, and the activities coordinator, Ann, was so cute and friendly to us. She kept asking us questions about why we're here and what we do--it was a great opportunity to share the gospel.

We had two great lessons with Kayla this week--she is starting to understand the Book of Mormon better!! Hooray!!!! Hopefully she'll be able to come to church this week or next--yay!!

We are going to be busy, busy, busy this week--I'm so excited!! I love missionary work, and I especially love teaching people and sharing the gospel. The Church is true, the Savior lives, and the gospel is the way to happiness! We talked about repentance in RS yesterday, and I liked this thought: "Repentance diminishes the distance between us and God." Each step or returning step brings us closer to our Heavenly Father, and the kind of joy that He has. His is the perfect training plan, and we get to learn and practice every day at home, church, in our families, and in everyday life. Practice makes permanent--make sure you put in your best work! I'll do so as well. I love you all so much!!

Love,

Sister Wygant

Happy March!!

Hi Mama!!

Happy March!! Wow. I can't believe it's March already!! That's crazy. Sister Johnson and I are SO happy that Spring should be coming soon--we are definitely ready to be a bit warmer. :) 

Our week was fantastic. We saw so, so many miracles. Robert shared with us on Saturday a miracle of his own: his mom allowed him to pray at the dinner table with her! She's Jewish, and has previously been opposed to it. Her heart is softening--what a miracle!! Robert is so amazing, and was so excited when he told us about this miracle. He is so, so ready and excited to be baptized--and I know that continuing in patience will help him grow and deepen his testimony until the day that baptism is possible for him. :)

Bob has been sick and had a few back surgeries recently, and we haven't seen him in 2 weeks. :( Would you please pray for him? He must be really sick if he isn't getting back to us. :(

One amazing miracle was when I had a random thought pop into my head while we were driving that we should go stop by a girl named LaTasha. We'd plan to visit her later that day, so at first I dismissed the thought...but then it came again, so I followed it and we went over. She was home, having a really hard day, and we were an answer to her prayers! We were able to share a bit of the Plan of Salvation with her, and she said she really wanted to come to church with us!!! It was amazing to me to learn another way that the Spirit speaks to me, and that it really is like a whisper--a random, quiet thought--but that it works!! I know that Heavenly Father knows us personally because of how He speaks to us in ways that we understand. He's so good at that. :)

Another miracle was with Laura. She came to Kirtland and took a tour on Saturday!! She came later than she'd planned, and at first we were worried that she wouldn't come. At one point, I said a prayer, and two minutes later she arrived. Tender mercies. :) She was really tired that day, so we weren't sure if she got much out of the tour, but at our lesson last night she told us that she felt something special there that she couldn't put into words. Zing!! The Spirit!! And our lesson was so, so great. She seemed more interested than before, and more willing to make commitments. Kirtland truly is the best missionary in Ohio!! She even agreed to come to the RS dinner/activity with us on Thursday--which is big for Laura because she's really shy. I'm SO excited for her to come and meet the wonderful sisters in our ward. I know that will be so helpful for her!! If you could pray that everything will work out for her to come, and that she'll feel comfortable there, I would sure appreciate it. Thank you!! :) 

We also had an awesome Preparation Day last Monday...Sister Cameron, a musician from the Kirtland ward who I've played with a few times, took us to Cleveland to see the Cleveland Institute of Music!! I was able to walk around, get an information packet, and talk to a few people about what it's like there. Being there helped me to realize just how much I really do love music, and how much my spirit really does need it. Music feeds my soul and lifts my spirit, and I'm so grateful for that gift in my life. We're having a special training meeting at the Kirtland Temple on Friday, and Elder Sorenson asked me to do a musical number. I'm SO excited to play my flute in the temple one more time!! What an amazing opportunity. :)

I went on exchanges with Sister Rigby on Wednesday, and it was SO fun. She is such an amazing missionary!! People kept asking how long we'd been together and saying that we taught so well together--funny because we'd only been together for the day, but amazing to see that we were able to both be in tune with and teach by the Spirit. That's what makes all the difference. :) 

We had dinner with Sister Edgin on Thursday, and she is amazing. She's moving to Louisville, KY this week for a job transfer, and I am so sad!! She is an amazing, spiritual, kind, powerful, wonderful, loving person, and I look up to her so much. I will miss her! She has been a great example to me, as have so many members in this ward. I am so, so grateful that I get to serve in the Shaker Heights ward!! 

We also saw many miracles in Heavenly Father opening the way for us to meet with people and have great lessons. We had wonderful lessons with Cheyla & Dazia, a new investigator named Virginia, Kia, Kayla, the Barkers and their friends (Sister Rosales and her daughter Vanessa, a less active member and her non-member daughter who are so sweet and kind), Sister Frazier, Jason, Sister Richards, the McMullans, Sister Wagner...so many wonderful people. Sometimes we practice teaching with ward members, and it is so fun. I love it because we get to be with the people that I love, sharpen our teaching skills, and strengthen them in the process. Definitely an inspired idea from President Vellinga. I love being a missionary, I love Kirtland, and I love Shaker Heights East!! It's been such a good week, and I'm grateful for every single one of the ups and downs along the way. I know that all of our challenges and trials are for our good, and that they are meant to guide us toward our ultimate goal of becoming like our Savior and living with our Heavenly Father again. I read about the Jaredites in my studies this morning, and one verse says that there were fierce winds that never stopped blowing their barges towards the promised land. It struck me that we each feel those fierce winds in our lives, and at times it seems more than we can bear, and we wish it would stop. But with the eternal perspective, knowing that it's those very winds that are taking us to the promised land, perhaps it becomes easier to trust God and endure well. :)

We're just about out of time, but I love you so much!! Thank you for your constant prayers, thoughts, well wishes, encouragement, support, and love. I am so grateful for everything I am learning and the work I am able to do for the Lord here as a missionary. I love this work with my whole heart, and I know I could never do it on my own--so I'm grateful for the Lord's help and yours. :) I love you!! Have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Sister Wygant

Spring in Ohio - almost

Hi Mama!

Hello from sometimes-sunny Kirtland! There was a day this week where it got up to 51 degrees--SO marvelous. It's back to 24 and snowing at the moment, but the sunshine and warmth were a welcome reprieve. :) 

It's been such a great week. It was a trying week, but I learned a lot about relying on the Lord and recognizing His blessings. I also learned something that's really exciting to me. Awhile ago when I was studying charity, President Vellinga challenged me to memorize and study Moroni 7:48. I did, and have been pondering it ever since. Something that struck me this week is that when we see the Savior "as He is", we will recognize Him if we have done all we can to become like Him in this life. We will recognize Him because we will see ourselves in Him! Isn't that exciting? It makes me want to keep working hard to develop Christlike attributes.

We had Zone Conference on Wednesday, and it was incredible. One of my favorite tidbits: "When you have the Spirit with you, you're happy." from Elder Gubler. So simple, but so powerful! All we need to do to ensure our happiness is to live worthy of the Spirit, and then choose to accept his companionship and be happy. Simple, but sometimes much easier said than done, I know. 

I also had the opportunity to bear my testimony at Zone Conference--those who will be going home before the next one are always given the chance. It was amazing to me to stand at the pulpit in the Kirtland Stake center and remember watching so many others who have come before me. I remember watching an Elder bear his testimony at my very first transfer meeting when I arrived here--everything seemed so strange, foreign, and new. But on Wednesday, it was a precious moment for me to stand at that same pulpit and realize how familiar and sacred it has become to me. This place, Kirtland in general as well as the sites and my areas--truly have become sacred to me. I know it is through our sweat and tears that places become sacred to us, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had to give my whole heart, might, mind and strength to serving the Lord here. I truly love being a missionary, and I am excited to continue to see miracles here. 

At Zone Conference, Elder Chapman led a really powerful discussion about faith, where he asked us to think about the most beautiful things we've ever seen, heard, and felt. As we discussed, I couldn't help but think of the beautiful Wasatch mountains and Provo temple--truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, including all my favorite scenes in Europe. Elder Chapman then asked us to apply those things when imagining what heaven will be like. It was a powerful experience for me, because it struck me that as sweet and joyous as coming home to you and my mountains & temple will be next month, my home coming to heaven and Heavenly Father will be much, much greater if I continue to live righteously. It gave me just a taste of what that day can be like. :)

We also had an amazing experience on Friday, when we went down to the John Johnson home for our training meeting. We had the senior couples who serve there take us through the home and share with us parts of the tour they give there. I was praying hard to feel the Spirit there and receive needed comfort and peace--and the Spirit was so strong from almost the first moment there. It was incredible. We are so blessed and so lucky to serve around such sacred sites!!

Our investigators are mostly doing well. Kia and Kayla are girls who are struggling to understand the Book of Mormon. We watched one of those Book of Mormon cartoons with them last week, and it really helped! We will continue to teach simply and move slowly so that they can understand--any suggestions from anyone on teaching youth? I'm grateful for this opportunity because I know it will help me be prepared to teach my own children someday. 

We watched a General Conference talk by President Monson with our investigator Laura yesterday, and she loved it! It was so neat to see her connect with him and relate to his stories--to see our promise come true that she would learn something from his talk and feel that he was speaking directly to her. I'm so grateful for the Spirit, and that the Lord answers prayers! I know the Church is true, and that testimony is reaffirmed every time I see someone come closer to Christ because of the gospel we share with them. 

We also had an amazing phone lesson with Robert on Saturday. He is so incredibly strong and prepared. We told him about lds.org/youth last week, and he's read through all of the For the Strength of Youth sections and is trying to live all of the standards he's learned about. He is so good at recognizing truth and applying what he learns--and he does it mostly on his own!! His testimony and growth are amazing to see, and I feel so incredibly blessed to be a part of it. 

We also got to talk to a woman in Australia on Saturday! Her name is Michelle, and she's a referral from someone that Sister Johnson took on tour awhile ago. Michelle so awesome, and it was so fun to get to know her and tell her about Kirtland. My favorite part was when she said she looked forward to our phone call next week--success! That means we connected with her and made friends, which means that we'll be better able to share things with her and strengthen her in whatever way is helpful. I'm really excited about that. 

All in all, I'm so grateful for this week. I'm grateful for all of the ups and downs and bumps in the road, because it has made me more grateful for the times when I'm blessed with peace and calm and hope. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father still sees fit to stretch me and build me and mold me so that I can continue to become a better instrument in His hands. I'm always, always grateful for His sustaining support, and for your prayers and support. I need them always, and I can truly feel the strength of your prayers. Thank you!!!!!! I love this work, and I love you. :) Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Wygant

Kirtland Temple

Happy President's Day!

Dear Mama,

Hello! Happy President's Day!! We had a pretty great week, and I'm excited to tell you about it. The sad news is that Nitin moved to the Elder's area, so we won't get to teach him...but the great news is that he set a baptismal date with them for 29th March, and he came to church yesterday!! He is seriously one of the most prepared people I've ever met. I'm so glad that we'll still get to see him on Sundays and be his friends, and be excited about his progress.

We watched the Joseph Smith movie with Jason at the Winder's house on Thursday, and it was great! He said that he thinks Joseph Smith could have been a prophet. :) He's not completely sure about the Book of Mormon being true yet, but he's going to pray about it. He's SO close!!!! The Winders are amazing, by the way. I think I wrote about them last week, but they are so bright, friendly, and excited about everything in life. I love them. :) 

Laura came to the fireside yesterday!!!! We hadn't heard back from her all week, so we thought she wasn't coming...but she was there!! We were so excited and relieved. Thank you for your prayers!! I know they worked. :) The fireside was amazing. Bob shared his conversion story and testimony, and both President Vellinga and President Haymond (our Stake President) spoke. They each bore powerful testimony of the Restoration and Kirtland, and shared how they know that this Church is true. It was perfect. 

I've seen so many answered prayers this week, which has really helped me to feel and recognize Heavenly Father's love for me and all of His children here. I think it's been the small things that have meant the most to me this week--the things that don't really matter eternally, but that are important to Him because they are important to me. Like me really wanting some grapefruit (Sister Johnson has taught me to like them!) but not wanting to eat any more of Sister Johnson's...and "randomly" running into a member at a grocery store we weren't planning to go to who had just happened to buy an extra bag and gave it to us. Or finding a bathroom when we were out tracting and I really needed one. Tender mercies. :)

Another HUGE tender mercy was that I got to talk to Robert again on Saturday!! It's been a few weeks since I've been able to reach him on the phone, but he called me back on Saturday and we had an amazing conversation. He told his mom his testimony and that he wants to be baptized! She can see that it's something he really wants, but she's having a hard time. She asked him to wait until he goes to college to get baptized. :( But he doesn't want to wait! He learned about Institute and wants to go when he goes to college. He asked if he would be missing out at college if he gets baptized and doesn't go partying/etc. Sister Johnson has great experiences/stories about Institute and friends joining the Church--Robert let me introduce her on the phone, and she talked to him about it. It was perfect, and I'm so grateful that Heavenly Father planned ahead and made Sister Johnson my companion--her experiences were exactly what Robert needed to hear at that time! Robert is so strong, and I'm so grateful that we got to talk to him again. 

Thank you also for your prayers in general--and for the specific times you mentioned. There were a few times this week that I felt absolutely drained of energy and hope, and it was probably at those times that you were prompted to pray. I'm grateful for those times because they reminded me that I can't do this without the Lord's help, and it's worth it to be tired when something amazing like Robert's phone lesson happens...but I'm also glad to be on the other side of those experiences. :)

We got to do service for Sister Wagner on Thursday, which made my day. She is such an incredible person, and I love her so much! She even made us healthy, organic bread from a new recipe book she bought (she has some dietary restrictions, so she has to eat really natural and healthy--and she's so great at making it yummy). It was so good. What a sweetheart. :)

Our Valentine's Day was great--full of miracles and reminders of Heavenly Father's love. For training meeting at sites that morning, we did an activity called "I love you because", where missionaries who found hidden hearts on their seats got to come up, and we all gave reasons that we loved them. It's always a fun, feel-good activity, but I was amazed by Heavenly Father's hand in it this time--those who sat in the right chairs were those who really needed an extra boost that day. It made me so happy to see these sweet missionaries be so touched and moved by simple expressions of love and gratitude. I'm grateful to have been His hands in making their lives better in a small way. :) :) 

We had a really neat experience on Friday when we stopped at Jimmy John's for dinner. Lately, we've been trying to be creative in our finding efforts, including making our phone calls in public places that are inside--like fast food restaurants--and making friends with employees whenever we go out to eat. At Jimmy John's the previous time we went, we made friends with Butch and Menuell, and this time we made friends with Mark and Cam. We talked to Cam for a long time after other customers were gone, and he was so interested in what we do! He was shy at first, but once we learned that he likes sports, and found out that he knows BYU basketball, we broke the ice. :) He loves Jimmer, and had heard a lot of good things about BYU basketball. We gave him a temple pass along card, which really caught his interest, and hopefully we'll be able to share more with him soon! It was a fun, natural, easy way to share the gospel--I loved it. 

All in all, it's been a great week. Lots of ups and downs to be sure, but the good times certainly outshine the bad. I love Ohio, and I love missionary work! I'm so grateful to serve in this specific, sacred place, with these specific, inspiring people. I'm especially grateful that I decided to stay an extra transfer, because we're seeing so many miracles, and I'm learning so much. I'm so grateful for my Savior. I know that He lives, now more than ever before, and I'm so grateful for the added witnesses of the Spirit that strengthen my testimony every single day. I know that as long as we keep moving forward in the right direction, the Spirit will continue to lead and guide us, no matter what our pace. Our teacher in Relief Society yesterday likened the Plan of Salvation to the Olympics (what? I forgot those were happening. haha)--everyone wants to win the gold of the Celestial Kingdom, and we get there in our teams of families, with help from wonderful coaches like parents, both mortal and Heavenly. Go for the gold!! I never want to settle for less, because I know that Heavenly Father's plan for me and us makes this, our divine potential, possible. :) I hope that made sense to someone besides me--I promise it made sense in my head. :) I love you all--thank you so very much for your love, support, and prayers. I'm so grateful for you!!

Love,

Sister Wygant

Happy Valentines Day!

Hi Mama!!

Wow, this week has been amazing. Especially yesterday!! It's funny how there can be lots of ups and downs and bumps in the road throughout the week, but every time I come to email home, the things that stand out in my mind the most are the miracles and the blessings. I can look back and see the hard times from the week, but they don't matter as much anymore because of all the good things that happened. :) 

One of my favorite quotes from the week: "The Lord calls regular people to do holy things." --Elder Sorenson

Some of the miracles that happened this week:

Jason finished the Book of Mormon!!!! He read the whole thing in about 3 months. Isn't that amazing?? We had no idea he was so close to being done--a few weeks ago, he was just starting Alma! He's pretty laid back and reserved, but he said that he gained a lot of new perspective from it, and that he is leaning toward thinking that Joseph Smith was a Prophet. YES!!! We had a great lesson with him at the Winder's home on Friday. They are an incredible young family, always cheerful and so excited about life. And so excited about missionary work! I love them. Brother Winder's mom was visiting, and she sat in on the lesson too. She and her husband were in the Hill Cumorah pageant last summer--so she had some perfect experiences and testimony to share when Jason said he had finished the Book of Mormon. It was an amazing lesson. I love teaching in member's homes, because they are all so wonderful, and the Spirit is always so strong! I think Jason really liked the Winders as well. He had to work at noon yesterday, but he came to the Euclid Ward (meets at 9 at our same building) with us--and stayed for Gospel Principles for the first time ever!! He's really starting to open up, and I think we've become better friends. He seems more comfortable talking and joking with us, and more eager to learn. I'm so excited to keep teaching him. 

We had a great lesson with Laura yesterday. We taught her about prayer and the Holy Ghost, and it was so cool to see the light click on for her. I really love her so much. She reminds me so much of Judi, plus she's the sweetest, kindest, easiest person to talk to. Everytime we teach her, I remember what a miracle it was that we came in contact with her. She's going to come to the mission president's fireside with us next Sunday--yay! 

Also, speaking of Judi......I got to talk to her on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The sisters haven't been able to get in contact with her, so President Vellinga gave me permission to call her. We talked for almost an hour, and it was the most amazing blessing.  It was so amazing to talk to her again. I love her so so so much! She and Staci and Bubby haven't been going to church, but she prays every day and feels connected to Heavenly Father. She feels so guided by Him and recognizes His hand better than ever before. She is going through tough things, but her circumstances have softened her heart. :) I'm so grateful for her, and for the wonderful blessing I've had of being able to be a part of her life. :) She said that my letter last month and phone call that day were perfect timing as always, and very impactful and needed. :) I'm so grateful that I could be an instrument in the Lord's hands to make a positive impact on her life. I know that Judi is one of the reasons I was called to the Ohio, and I want to always stay in contact with her. :)

We found a really cute family this week--a mom, Kiesha, and her two daughters, Cheyla and Dazia. We met Cheyla and Dazia awhile ago when stopped by a potential who lives next to them. It was dark and freezing cold that night, but their light was on, so we decided to knock on their door. They let us in for a minute and were so excited when we told them we talk about Jesus Christ! That doesn't always happen, so we were pretty excited about that. We went back last Friday and were able to teach both of them, plus Kiesha, who was home. Kiesha is an ordained minister, but none of them have been to church in awhile. They all have strong faith in God and Jesus Christ, and we're excited to share more with them to help them strengthen their faith.

One of the most amazing miracles was yesterday. Remember when Bob just showed up to church and asked to meet with us?? It happened AGAIN!!! A member invited someone he met to come to church with him, and he accepted. Nitin is his name, and he just arrived in the States from India for medical school studies. He was so interested and excited to learn everything he could about our church! He met the Elders first, and asked them tons of questions. It turns out he lives in our area, so we were able to meet him and tell him more as we went through church with him. He is very bright and curious, and loved learning about our church! The Sunday School lesson was perfect for him--points of the true church--and there was even a baptism after church that he came to with us! I can't believe how prepared he is, and all of the many things that fell into place for him to be at church yesterday. What a miracle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Heavenly Father is truly leading His prepared children to us, and I am so awed and grateful to receive so many wonderful blessings. How could Heavenly Father not be a part of His work? This miracle was so obviously done by His hand--there's no way we could have made that happen. I'm so grateful for miracles. :) :) :) 

We had a great lesson with Bob as well. The Staceys are such wonderful fellowship for him. They are arranging everything for him to go do baptisms at the temple with Brother Lavin--I'm so grateful for them!!! And for every single person in the Shaker Heights Ward. They work so hard, are so amazing at missionary work, are so organized, so spiritually solid, and such great examples to me. Sitting in Ward Council, or eating dinner with wonderful members like the Banburys or Clarks (this week), or just seeing the way they teach, serve, and love their children and each other gives me so much inspiration for the kind of wife, mother, and Church member I want to be someday. I love them all. :) There are so many good things happening in the Shaker Heights Ward!! Thank you for all of your prayers on our behalf, and for our investigators--it truly makes a difference!! Will you also pray for Ed and Kathy, the Shaker Heights North sisters' investigators? They are working hard to quit smoking so that they can be baptized next month! They are really amazing, and I love them. :)

Speaking of Shaker Heights North...Sister Rigby is training a new missionary! Her name is Sister Hunt, and she is from San Tan Valley, AZ. She is cute, spunky, and outgoing, and I love her already. I'm so glad that we finally got a new sister in Kirtland! We haven't had new sisters come since October--isn't that crazy?

Well, I love you so, so, so much. I'm so grateful for you, and for the shining light and example you are to me. I wish I could fit every experience and everything I want to say into one email, but there's no way I could remember it all or adequately express everything I've learned and am grateful for this week. But know that I am so eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. I know that even though some parts are grueling and hard, Heavenly Father is molding me and shaping me and using me as an instrument in His hands--and that is something I love so much. I love serving in Kirtland, and I know I am so blessed to be here. I love you, and I hope you have an amazing week!!

Love,

Sister Wygant

Decorating cookies for Valentines Day 

Last transfer and ... snow rollers!

Hi Mama,

Man. What a week! So much has happened this week that I'm not sure I can even remember it all. Some highlights were our great lessons with Kia, Jason, and Laura, making new friends at a restaurant, and that Jason came to church on Sunday!!

In our lesson with Kia, we talked about the Atonement, and it was so good. Her little sister Kayla even joined in the lesson, and we are teaching her too now! They both expressed the desire to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized--they're just not sure which church they want to be baptized in. We can help with that. :) I love them both so much--that lesson was one of the funnest lessons I've ever taught!

Jason's lesson was at the Price's on Friday, and it went so well. He and Brother Price have really connected because they were both raised Catholic. It's so helpful to have that background and support! Brother Rhodes, our ward mission leader, came to the lesson as well, and shared some great insights. I'm so grateful for the wonderful members of the Shaker Heights Ward who are so great at missionary work--it is such a delight to teach with them and see them so excited to reach out and share the gospel with people! We taught Jason about our potential as sons and daughters of God, and the potential  he has to live with Heavenly Father again. It's been so neat to see his faith grow. He really opened up during this lesson, asking lots of questions and sharing his thoughts. He told us that he believes in God and Jesus Christ now, but just needds to figure out which church is the right fit for him. He taught himself when he realized that he should be asking and seeking to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. That was an awesome moment.

Laura's lesson was great also. Her cat died this week, which I know is not a coincidence. As hard as it was to hear about Purrcy's passing away [Purrcy is Lyndsay's cat], I'm so grateful that it happened exactly when it did, if nothing else than to allow me to relate to and comfort Laura. Death is hard, especially when you're away from home--but I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I can turn to my Heavenly Father in every time of need. He doesn't care how much I have to give, as long as I give my all--"be it a dollar and a half or two cents or sixty-one cents," as Stephen Robinson puts it. This week, it's been a lot closer to two cents some days--but as long as I give it all to Him, He has truly made up the difference and blessed me with added strength and comfort. I have grown closer to the Lord this weekend as I've turned to Him constantly, and I'm so grateful for that opportunity. The Lord calls us in our weakness and works through us that way--I hope to continue to be an instrument in His hands. D&C 121:29 became one of my favorite scriptures this week. I know that if we continue to move forward and do our best, even when it's hard, the Lord will bless us and grant us blessings--both in this life and laid up in store for the next. 

Transfers are this week--crazy!! It was a 7-week transfer (instead of 6), and it seems like it's been forever since we had a transfer! I'm so excited and grateful that I get to serve with Sister Johnson in Shaker Heights East for another transfer--that's right, we're staying together! Yay! I honestly love this area and this ward so much, and I would have been heartbroken to leave. I've learned and grown more this transfer than I think any other transfer, and I'm exciting to keep learning and growing here! I'm excited for more opportunities to share the gospel and strengthen my testimony, and especially to see miracles and be an instrument in the Lord's hands in blessing His children. That has come to be one of my very favorite things in life--whether through service, a smile, giving tours, making phone calls, or teaching the gospel--I love it. :) I know that this gospel is true, and is the only thing that leads to lasting happiness. I know especially this week that the Plan of Salvation is perfectly set up by our Heavenly Father to allow us to find peace in this life and joy in the eternities--and that joy will come from being like our Heavenly Father and living with our families forever. What a great life that will be--eternal life, indeed. :) I love my Savior, and I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and support! Keep moving forward. :)

Love,

Sister Wygant

Snow roller

Snow rollers!