Happy Pioneer Day!

Hi Mama!

Happy (almost) Pioneer Day! We're having a special celebration picnic at sites on Wednesday--I'm grateful for the opportunity to commemorate and celebrate our pioneer ancestors, and the pioneer saints from Kirtland :) 

Speaking of Kirtland, the Kirtland Stake put on a mini pageant/musical called "This Is Kirtland" recently, ending this past Saturday. We all got to go once, and it was a really neat opportunity. This is the tenth year they put this show on! I'm grateful for the hard work they all put in, and for their shared talents and testimonies. I was especially touched by the portrayal and example of Emma--it was easier to see her love, patience, and positive leadership. I want to be like that someday. :)

We had a really great week. I absolutely love working with Sister Bell. She is amazing! We work really well together, and I am learning so much from her example of love and dedication. This is going to be a great transfer. :)

We went on exchanges last week, and I worked with Sister Frampton. She is awesome! A little ball of energy. :) We didn't have time to take pictures, so I'll have to take some with her at District Meeting tomorrow and send them next week. :)

We're trying so hard to find new investigators. I know that there are prepared people out there--we just have to find them! Remember our miracle finding Abby at the salon a few weeks ago? We're meeting with her tonight, and I am SO excited. We really, really want our lesson to go well and be filled with the Spirit--we're sure appreciate your prayers! We'd also surely appreciate your continued prayers for Dan--the branch is SO amazing at fellowshipping--they're having a Book of Mormon study group tonight (!!)--but I know that he still has many concerns. Most of the time he's way too smart for me--but I hope that the Spirit will be there in our lesson tonight, because I know that's what's most important, and what will help him to know that we have taught the truth. :)

Sometimes I have no idea what to say in lessons, and I'm so worried that I'm going to "muff it", as Coach would say. "What do I say? What do they need? Eek!" Something like that. Ha ha. :) Sometimes I worry that Heavenly Father feels like Scar in the Lion King--"I practically gift wrapped those cubs for you, and you couldn't even dispose [care for] them." Not really...but you get the point. I'm not stressed or discouraged about it anymore, which I'm grateful for...but I look forward to improving and getting better. :)

Sites will be crazy this week--we're there Wednesday through Friday! I'm always exhausted after our days at sites, because we never stop moving--but I absolutely love it. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to represent the Savior as a missionary, and also for the sacred calling to serve at the Visitor's Center. I feel so blessed to be there every week, and to have the opportunity to touch so many lives. I hope and pray that each of your lives may be so touched as you continue to follow the Savior as His disciples. He lives! I know this is true. Missions are the best. Talk to you next week. :)

Love,

Sister Lyndsay Wygant

PS. We do still go to the Johnson Farm every week--here are some more pictures! I can't remember which ones I've sent--so these might or might not be duplicates. Enjoy! 

A new companion: Hello Sister Bell

Dear Mama,

Hello!! It's been SUCH a busy week. Sister Christensen and I had a wonderful last week together in Kent--we even had a miracle find at a hair salon last p-day. :) We went for Sister Christensen to get her haircut--and the receptionist talked to me almost the whole time I was waiting about how she used to live in Idaho, and is really curious about our church. She's the one who started the conversation, and the one who expressed interest in meeting with us! MIRACLE. It was so amazing. Her name is Abby, and we're really excited to meet with her soon. :) 

Transfers...oh man. We had 7 sisters go home this transfer, and it was hard to lose them. Every transfer is hard for me in a way--It's sad to see the missionaries leave, yet I'm always happy that they'll get to see their families...but then it always makes me miss my family a bit. But at the same time, I'm always so incredibly grateful that I get to stay here longer--Kirtland is the most amazing place, and I'm so honored to serve here. This is the hardest and best thing I've ever done, all at the same time. I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. 

Speaking of transfers, I have a new companion! Her name is Sister Lindsay Bell (what a great first name, eh? :) ), from Taylorsville, Utah. She is AMAZING and I love her already. She came out just one transfer before me--so we're almost like twins. :) She is such a great teacher, and has such a great love for missionary work. It is so inspiring! Plus, she started her mission in Kent! It was so fun yesterday to see the ward and branch go crazy at seeing her come back again. They love her so much. :) And so do I! I'll try to attach a picture of us in a second. :) 

I had a moment this week that brought a huge smile to my face--I heard someone say "get 'er done!" and I immediately thought of Steve Metler and the Mapleton Chorale. Oh, good times. :) Tell them that I love them!!! 

Sites was crazy busy over the weekend--but so fun. We took a whole lot of tours, and it seems like we never stopped moving. I'm so grateful, though, to have been led and strengthened by the Spirit during each tour. Even when I'm tired, it's always such a blessing to share the sacred sites and events of Kirtland with our visitors.

I learned something really neat in my studies this morning that I want to share with you. Alma 5:5 shares that Alma's fathers were delivered by the power of the word of God--that's the scriptures! The scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, have the power to deliver us from spiritual bondage, because they enable us to save ourselves (through the Atonement) as we learn, hearken to, apply, and follow the Savior and His teachings found in their pages. The Book of Mormon is not a magic fix for everyone's problems, but it draws us closer to Christ as we read it, which in turn enables us to do the above. That really struck me with awe this morning--I'd never quite looked at it like that. That's why it's so important that we share the Book of Mormon, and that we help people to love it as much as we do. I've truly been converted to the Book of Mormon on my mission. Remember in seminary, when our teachers basically bribed us to read it? I would always do it, but my main motivation was the grade. Now, I can feel the difference if I don't get my studies in for the day, and I would never want to go without that power. I wish everyone could serve a mission, and have the same change of heart that I have had. :) 

How wonderful that the Clarks are home--please give Sister Clark a huge hug for me! I love her!! :)

Well, I'd best be off. I love you! Have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Sister Wygant

At the Johnson farm, Hiram Ohio

Sister Bell and Sister Wygant

I believe in miracles

Hello family! 

It's been a really great week here in Kent. I really love working with Sister Christensen. I've learned so much from her this transfer! She is such a great teacher, and I'm grateful to have been able to learn from her example. She's being transferred on Friday...I'll be sad to see her go. :(

It's also been so great to go on exchanges with the other sisters. Yesterday, I went on exchanges with Sister Joseph, and we had such an amazing day. Sister Joseph is wonderful! I was so inspired by her faith and love for everyone we taught. She is also a great teacher, and is very good at making lessons personal for those we teach. We taught our investigator, Brenda, about the Book of Mormon, and it was such a good lesson. Brenda has been taught many times before, but I feel like this time, she's really coming to understand the importance of the Book of Mormon, and she has a desire to actually read it.

Sister Joseph and I also stopped by and taught a less active man named Chris. Chris served a mission, but came home and fell back into old habits, got into trouble, and became less active. Now he's stuck with some severe consequences, and he told us that he knows he needs to get back on the right path, but doesn't see much hope for being able to do so. His story breaks my heart. He wouldn't even take the Book of Mormon we gave him inside, because he knew it would upset his girlfriend. How sad. However, we did have a really good, spiritual lesson with him--which I think helped him to remember what he learned on his mission and how important the scriptures are. I know it will be a long road, but I have great hopes for him. 

We've really seen a lot of miracles this week, though. Remember Michael, the man we met and taught in the park? He didn't show up for our return appointment, and we couldn't reach him by phone for a long time...which made me SO sad because meeting him was such a miracle! Well, guess what. He finally called us back on Saturday! It turns out that his phone had run out of minutes, so he couldn't call us til then. We were able to set up another appointment for this week, and I'm so excited to teach him again. I believe in miracles! A miracle's a miracle, no matter how small. :)

Something else I absolutely LOVE about Ohio is the FIREFLIES! They've just started coming out the last week or two...they are SO neat!! I've never seen live fireflies before...so I get really excited every time we see them. It always reminds me of the piece we played in Wind Symphony last year about fireflies. :)

 

We're out of time...but I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Love

Sister Wygant

Happy July!

Hi Mama!

Happy July! This week was a good week. We went on exchanges with the Alliance North sisters, which was great. I worked with Sister Greenwood here in Kent, and we found a new investigator! His name is Michael, and we met him at a park. We were there early for another appointment, and there was one person in the whole park--Michael. We thought about going somewhere else, but something told me to go talk to him--so we did, and we ended up teaching him the whole Restoration! He is awesome. We're hopefully meeting with him again tonight--keep your fingers crossed. :)

We also got to teach Cindy yesterday--yay! She is so amazing. She's already been reading the Book of Mormon for a few months, and loves it. She knows a lot about the church already from talking with her boyfriend--so we started with the Restoration but it was more of a review. Awesome. :)

Lots of tender mercies this week, in addition to those miracles. First, Hermana Young got her visa! She left for Argentina today! Crazy. I'm so excited for her.

We're learning a lot about (and hopefully improving at) time management--between our area, sites, and meetings, our week is always really busy. It's good though, because we have to make sure to be really efficient with our time. Sometimes it works. :)

Speaking of sites. We had a two-part training meeting this weekend with Melanie Cottam from the Missionary Department. She is amazing, and so full of energy--it was inspiring just to listen to her, and she really helped us to know what we can do to improve our work at sites. We also got to take a tour with the Henrichsens from Chardon! Their family was in town, who we took on tour first, and then Brother and Sister Henrichsen joined our tour about halfway through--and it made my day. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is aware of us and lets us have wonderful experiences like that. There are definitely no coincidences! :) 

We also got to take a group from Bowling Green on tour! It was Justin, an investigator I taught, and his wife, and some members from the ward. The Bowling Green sisters actually called us the week before and asked that I be the one to take them on tour since I had taught Justin before. We got to add in a lesson about the Word of Wisdom and baptism on the tour, and it was so neat! I'm really grateful for that opportunity. 

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July--cheer for my Provo High kids for me at the parade! We'll get to spend the 4th at the Johnson Farm--how cool is that? We are so lucky. I'm excited. :) Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Wygant