Fans of Sister Wygant: We apologize for the delay in posting recent letters. Lisa and I have been travelling a bit and just couldn't keep up. But we're back--and you'll see several letters this week!
********************************************************************************************************************
Hello family!
Happy New Year! Hard to believe it's 2013 already. And hard to believe it's already been a week since I talked with you all! I'm so grateful that it worked out to Skype and that I got to talk to everybody. I honestly really needed it. I just got your letter on Monday, Mum--thank you! I definitely had a lot of other questions I wanted to ask as well--but there's never enough time. :) Someone is borrowing my memory card for my audio recorder right now, but as soon as I get it back (hopefully soon) I will record some answers to your questions. It will have to be on P-days, but I'll get it to you soonest. :)
I'm so excited and grateful for the opportunity to spend this WHOLE year serving the Lord as a missionary. :)
And it's been a great year already! For one, yesterday we received our first media referral ever! A media referral is when someone requests a missionary visit from mormon.org or calls in from an ad or billboard/etc. When that person lives in our area, we get a text with their information and a message to contact them--AWESOME. We're pretty excited about that. I have so many goals of things I want to learn and accomplish this year. I'm excited to improve and progress and become what the Lord needs me to be. True joy comes from doing what we ought to because we want to (from the Fourth Missionary by Lawrence Colbridge. One of the best talks I've ever read.) What are some of your goals and plans for the year? I'd love to hear about them.
We also got to meet with some former potentials of Sister Ellsworth's named Ben and Barb last night. We haven't been able to see them since she last taught them over the summer...but last night we stopped by and they were finally home! They let us right in and we had a great conversation. Sister Ellsworth had told me how sweet and prepared they were--and she was so right. They brought up the idea of coming to church all on their own, and told us that they really want to come on Sunday! We're pretty excited about that. They are always really busy with work, but hopefully they will get to come to church, and will find time for us to teach them again. They are both so funny, and so nice. Love them. Pray that they'll make it on Sunday! Please. :)
Speaking of people. I saw Ashley Sturgill (played flute with me in the Lyceum Rep Orchestra) at sites last week! She came through with her family to see the nativities. Small world. :) Also, Elder Hansen (my district leader) finished his mission and went home last week...but before he left we figured out that we both know Lance Sumsion! Crazy small world. :) We will definitely miss Elder Hansen--he was a great missionary and a great leader.
A favorite talk of mine from this past week is "Meekness--A dimension of True Discipleship" by Elder Maxwell (automatically great, right?) from the March 1983 Ensign. If you ever need something to read, just search things like faith, repentance, charity, etc on lds.org--a slew of wonderful talks will pop up for everything. I've found a lot of my new favorite talks that way, including this one. Elder Maxwell teaches that meekness is " vital because one cannot develop those other crucial virtues—faith, hope, and charity—without meekness." I'd say more but he says it so much better in his talk--you'll just have to read it. :)
Also, speaking of cool people! Brandon Flowers (lead singer of the Killers) came through sites the other day!! True story. We weren't there at the time but we heard about it...how cool is that? He's a member and has a video on mormon.org...but to actually have him come to Kirtland was great. Good choice, Brandon. :)
We have new scripture-based themes for each transfer, and this transfer's theme is John 15:11-13, which includes one of my all-time favorite scriptures. Verse 13: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Written next to that verse in my scriptures I simply have "Heather". That's the scripture that they put with her photo on the banner made for the AF marching band back in 2009 when she passed away. I've loved that scripture and her example ever since. I'm so grateful for that experience and connection because Heather has always been one of my heroes and a great example to me. And now, with those verses as our transfer theme, I have the great opportunity to emulate her and look to her example in everything that I do as a missionary. There are no coincidences. :)
Another realization I had recently: The section containing the scripture I chose for my missionary plaque (D&C 84:88) was given in Kirtland--in the Whitney Store, as a matter of fact. Every time we take a tour, I have the opportunity to stand in the place where that revelation that has brought me such comfort and strength was given. I think that's amazing. Again, there are no coincidences. I know I was meant to be here!
A favorite scripture from recent studies: 2 Nephi 6:13 " Wherefore, they that fight against Zion and the covenant people of the Lord shall lick up the dust of their feet; and the people of the Lord shall not be aashamed. For the people of the Lord are they who bwait for him; for they still wait for the coming of the Messiah." That verse really taught me about patience, especially in relation to our work with investigators. There are some people that I know are prepared, and I can tell that their hearts are soft and ready to receive the gospel--but it might take them awhile to get to the point where they are ready to be baptized. And that's perfectly fine. Those who are humble and accepting of our message, even if they are very far off the strait and narrow and have to make many life changes before the accept baptism, are more prepared than someone who is already living a good life but feels content and doesn't want more. Those prepared elect are those whom we have been called to find and teach. And if it means being patient with them and with the Lord's timing as they progress bit by bit, I'm perfectly okay with that. I hope that makes sense. It did in my head. :)
Alright, I'm almost out of time, so I'm going to end here and send some photos. Love you!!!!!
Love, hugs, and handshakes,
Sister Lyndsay Wygant
No comments:
Post a Comment