HAPPY BIRTHDAY to mom

Hi Mama!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY on Saturday! I'm sad that I won't be there to celebrate with you...but know that I'll be cheering from Bowling Green! You're the most amazing mom in the whole world, and I'm so grateful for you. Over and over on my mission, I've had come to mind a solution or idea for something because of an example you set for me at some time in the past. You've taught me so much, even when I didn't realize it. So thank you. :)

This week has been good. We met with a lot of less active members this week.  Yay! We also met a family of 4--husband, wife, wife's sister, and niece--that we started teaching. We met them when they were moving into the apartment complex we were tracting--we helped them move their things and then got to go back and teach a lesson. Service is the best. :) They're all so cheerful and excited to see us every time we come over--we love it. We invited them to church yesterday, but they didn't end up being able to come. Hopefully next week though! 

That was the only investigator lesson we taught this week--Nikki and Oceana dropped us, and Michael cancelled on us. :( Man! That's okay though, because it gave us lots of finding time! We met some really great people. We decided to try service tracting on Friday--we went around in our service clothes and offered to help people with yardwork/etc. It was SO productive! The night before we had been in the same neighborhood for just about 20 minutes, and only talked to one family--they were out on the street and we stopped to talk to them, and it turned into a long conversation (I love it when that happens). Brett and Karen have met missionaries before, so they recognized us. And when we went back the next day, Brett was just walking out the door to wash their 3 cars. Talk about perfect timing! I also love it when that happens. :) So we helped him wash the cars and got to talk and hear about his life. The really cool part is that Sister Williams from the Biking area was on exchanges with us for the day, and her dad is in the Army, and Brett works specifically with veterans--so they had lots to talk about. he really opened up and was more friendly to us because of it, and invited us to come back again sometime. Good thing Heavenly Father knows what He's doing. :)

I've been so grateful for little tender mercies this week. It wasn't a bad week, just rather tiring. Elder Maxwell says that "hope spurs weary disciples on," and that phrase came to mind a lot this week. I've been particularly grateful for the cardinals. They're the Ohio state bird, and we see them everywhere! Gabby calls them "tender mercy birds", and I quite agree. They are beautiful and inspiring, and I've come to recognize and love their distinctive, sweet song. It's kind of like learning to hear the Spirit--and it's always a sweet, tender mercy. I'm so grateful for it. :)

Transfers are next week--what? Crazy. We'll have p-day on Tuesday, but I don't think much else will change around here--unless Sister Young's visa comes in. We'll find out soon! 

Thanks for all of your love, prayers, and support. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Wygant

Zone Conference (Lyndsay is lower left)

Happy Mother's Day

Friends,

Lyndsay's letter to us was pretty short this week because we had a nice long conversation with her on Sunday.  Missionaries are allowed to call home (or Skype in this case) on Mother's Day and Christmas, which we appreciated very much.  

For everyone who did not get to be part of that conversation, I can say that she is well and is thoroughly enjoying her mission.  She is still training a new missionary as part of a three-sister companionship and is also serving as a "sister training leader", which includes responsibility to watch over all of the sister missionaries in her area (I think she said there were about 15) and consult with the mission president about their welfare.  She and her companions are teaching several people there in the Bowling Green area and enjoying the opportunity to serve and learn.

Thanks for all of your interest and support for Sister Lyndsay!

Steve

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Hi Mama!

Happy Mother's Day plus one! Here's a favorite quote of mine about mothers, by Abraham Lincoln: "All that I am I owe to my angel mother." Or something like that. I second the motion! And it was so good to talk to you all yesterday! I'm so glad Andrew was able to be there. And Purrcy. :) It was also fun to see Tom for a minute--I've been wanting to write to him!

There's not much to update from yesterday...haha. We had a wonderful lesson with Sister Fenn, a less-active lady in the ward, last night. We talked about peace and how to find it--perfect since I've been seeking peace a lot more fervently lately. I shared Philllipians 4:7 with her, which talks about peace from God being "peace that passeth all understanding". What that means to me is that if I'm obedient, even when I don't understand why something has to happen, Heavenly Father will bless me with peace. We don't necessarily have to see the end result before we start on the path that God sets before us. My heart is full after talking with you all yesterday, and yet heavy at the same time after saying goodbye--but like you, I know that this is where I'm supposed to be. And I want to make my mission count. :)

Please say hi back and thank you to everyone! I love you all so much!

Love,
Sister Wygant

Happy May!

Hi Mama!

Happy May! The trees are blooming here, and I love it. There are lots of "tulip trees" in our area, and it's such a tender mercy for me. :) 

It's been a great week in Bowling Green! Dad said that Brother Penry used to live here--how cool! Small world. :) 

We had a great lesson with Michael last week. He told us that he knows the Book of Mormon is true! It made our week. :) Especially because he had cancelled our previous lesson and we were worried he was going to drop us. Phew! The next step for him is to come to church--but he babysits his brother's kids almost every weekend, so we're praying that something will work out to allow him to come this Sunday! If you would keep him in your prayers, we would sure appreciate it.

Sister Foust and I went to Mission Council on Tuesday, and it was such an amazing opportunity. The missionaries who are leaving at the end of this transfer all bore their testimonies at the end of our council meeting, and it was such a testimony builder for me to see their strong examples. I want to be just like that someday. :) 

Also, I got a wedding announcement for Lance and Rachel today--what?! AWESOME. I sure hope that's because of Mapleton Chorale! :)

I went on exchanges with Sister Gardner on Friday, and it was so fun. We met a really grumpy lady named Barb, who didn't want to talk to us...but then we offered to pray with her, and afterwards she told us that we had made her day! It was a really wonderful thing to see her attitude change. And maybe next time she'll be more receptive! 

Fred was baptized and confirmed last week--and then went to the doctor and found out he has to have heart surgery this week! If you would keep him in your prayers, we would be grateful.

We also had a great lesson with Justin. His issue is that he doesn't know if God exists or not--but he agreed to try praying about it this week! 

We had Stake Conference on Saturday and Sunday, and it was amazing. Saturday was the adult session in Perrysburg, and we got to be part of the choir that sang! It was so, so fun. I love singing! :) One of the members of the Stake Presidency spoke about farming and pruning--he said that "pruning with a purpose allows for more light penetration." That really struck me. Sometimes I don't understand why Heavenly Father wants to prune me in a certain way--and it's hard and uncomfortable. But the promise of more light penetration makes it a little easier to submit to His experience as the Master Gardner. Sunday's session was a special broadcast from Salt Lake to all the stakes on the East Coast, or something like that. President Uchtdorf, Elder Hales, Elder Robert C. Gay, and Sister Rosemary Wixom spoke. It was so wonderful! One favorite quote: "Being a member means internalizing and practicing the principles of the restored gospel." 

We had dinner with the Shadles, and they have the most adorable little girl named Colleen. She is 4, I think, and she spent all of dinner telling me a really long story that she made up on the spot. So cute. She reminds me almost exactly of Abby on One Magic Christmas.

Well, I'm almost out of time--but I'm so, SO excited to talk to you on Sunday!! Yay!!!! We're planning to skype around 5 our time, but we'll have the Chases call you if that changes. I am so grateful for the chance to talk to you, but also so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. It has been such a blessing in my life. I know that our Savior lives, and understands everything we go through. All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement--that's a promise I'm holding fast to, and I hope you all will as well! I love you!

-Sister Wygant

Happy almost May Day! [sent April 29]

Hi Mama!

Happy almost May Day! I can't believe May is almost here. Crazy! ....

I'm so, so glad my trees are almost blooming. There are tulip trees everywhere, and they are beautiful! The trees here are starting to bloom as well--a tender mercy for me because I love mine so much! Especially since it's been 2 years since I was home for my trees to bloom--this time last year, we were on tour in Germany! ...

It's been a pretty great week overall. Fred was baptized and confirmed this weekend!! YAY!! It was an amazing event to be part of. I was so grateful that everything came together for the program and that Fred could have a wonderful experience. Brother and Sister Shadle even drove for 16 hours on Friday (coming home from AZ) so that that Brother Shadle could baptize Fred on Saturday! What great friends!

We also got to go to a fireside yesterday, where Sister Young and I got to play in a musical number! It was an arrangement of Joseph Smith's First Prayer for flute, violin, voice, and piano--and it went so well! Again, I was amazed at how we were able to put all the parts together when practicing for the first time all together just an hour before the fireside. God is so good. :)

In other exciting news, Sister Foust and I have been called to be Sister Training Leaders! That's a new leadership position the church has created for sisters--you can read about it here. We are so honored with the assignment, and excited to get to work with the mission council and the other sisters in our Zone! 

Michael is doing well--we had a lesson about the Book of Mormon last week, and invited him to start reading it. We'll see what happens when we go back tomorrow. :) His life seems pretty hard right now--we'd be so grateful if you'd keep praying for him!

Thanks so much for going to the temple for me. I really miss it!! I think that's the first thing I want to do when I get home. :) I'm really beginning to understand and experience what it means in the scriptures to "hunger and thirst after righteousness". I am so far from perfect, but I can tell that my desires and attitudes toward things are changing--and it's amazing. When I think about home these days, all I really want is to spend time with my family and things like that. Honest. I know that I will look for and appreciate the best things in life so much more when I get home. :) I'm so grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission, and to have the Lord build me as I strive to build His kingdom. It is hard, hard work, and I often feel inadequate--but I know that He loves and supports me and all of us as we strive to do His will--no matter what sphere it may be in, missionary work or other. I love you all so much, and I pray for you everyday. Have a wonderful week! Enjoy the flowers and trees for me! :)

Love,
Sister Wygant

PPS pictures! 1. Las Tres Hermanas :) 2. Us with Fred and Sister Dindal (member; Fred's fiancee)! They are the greatest. Sister Dindal loves to cook, and made us all our favorite meals last week. :)