Wow, what a busy week! We've seen beautiful fall colors here, and we even had SNOW on Wednesday. Snow!! That was definitely a surprise to wake up to. Winter is here, and COLD.
It's been such a good week. Our investigator (John) came to church last week, then to Chuck and Conee's baptism (investigators that the other sisters in our ward have been teaching), and then to church again yesterday! Yay!!! He is so great, and the ward members have been so good about reaching out and fellowshipping him. I love this ward!
Chuck and Conee's baptism was amazing. They are such sweet people, and the Spirit was so strong throughout the whole program. AND. Sister Palmer (Jenna) came!! She served in that area and taught them before she left, and she came back for the weekend! It was SO wonderful to see her and spend a bit of time with her. I love her so much, and I am always so grateful for her example of honesty, love, hard work, and sincerity. She even taught us yoga this morning at exercises--just like old times. :)
Also, have you seen us on lds.org or the Church News?! Kirtland is famous! There's an article about Elder Ballard's visit, with some wonderful pictures of Kirtland. That's my home! I am such a lucky bug. :) If you haven't seen it already, you should definitely read it!
The Shaker Heights Ward's Halloween party was on Friday, and we got to go! It was so fun. Our friend Terry came, and I think he really enjoyed it. There was a chili cook off, and I discovered a new favorite--quinoa chili!! Have you ever had quinoa before? This was basically quinoa salad with beans added and heated up. So good, and pretty healthy too. :)
We have met so, so many prepared people this week. It was a week of miracles! On Tuesday, we met a woman named (Jane) who has the most awful life story I've ever heard. Horrible awful!! So many things have gone wrong in her life, and she told us at first that she was angry at God because of it. But the miracle is that as we talked with her and testified to her of God's love for her, we saw her heart soften. By the end, she accepted a Book of Mormon, told us that she felt better, and said that we could come back any time. Wow! Even if nothing else happens with teaching her, I will always be grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in her life.
We had an unexpected day in our area on Saturday (we thought we need to fill in at sites, but ended up not being needed), so we had a lot of time to find--and it was SUCH an amazing day. After the baptism, we went tracting and found three prepared people in a row!! Miracle after miracle. Then we were driving down the road and saw a recent convert that Sister Nelson worked with parked at her mother's house (they were in this ward, but just moved). We've heard that they have been struggling in their new ward, and have been worried, so we immediately went back and stopped to visit. We got to talk with them and encourage them. What a tender mercy! And it doesn't stop there. Then, we stopped by our investigator (Peggy). We haven' been able to see her in a few weeks, and have wondered if she was still interested. Not only was she home when we stopped by, but we had a wonderful lesson with her! She is very, very busy, but told us that she wants to be close to God, and she knows she needs to make some changes. She expressed some concerns over what we had taught her in the past, and we were able to resolve them. She wants to come to Kirtland this week, and church on Sunday! Yes!!! Something I just studied this morning is how to know when investigators (or any of us) are experiencing conversion, what it feels like (PMG 92), and this is one of the evidences I studied! They (we) have a greater desire to do good, and to accept invitations. I really, really hope that (Peggy) s able to do those things. She really wants it--life is just getting in the way. Please pray for her!
We also had a great lesson with (Sally). She is still recovering from surgery, and has been in and out of the hospital several times. :( If you could pray for her too, we would sure appreciate it!!
We all had interviews with President Vellinga this week, and that's where my big news comes from! My 18 month mark falls right between 2 transfers due to several 5-week transfers we've had, so President Vellinga let me choose whether to go home in February, before my 18 months, or March, right after. I chose March!!!! My official release date is now March 20th, 2014. CRAZY.
All in all, it was an incredible week. I've learned so much about repentance, forgiveness, and spiritual growth lately. I am so, so grateful for the Atonement! Each week of this transfer seems to have been the toughest week yet, but also when the most miracles have come. I am learning to rely on the Lord like never before, and I'm grateful for every opportunity to stretch and grow--even when it is uncomfortable or overwhelming. I'm especially grateful for tender mercies and answers to prayers that are tucked in the corners of each day (just like the little picture on our lower bathroom counter says :) ). One answer in particular was so apparent that I almost cried. Yesterday, I was feeling really down and overwhelmed, and at one point said a quick prayer, begging for relief. Not two minutes later, the song from The Ark called "Lift Me Up" started playing in my head. Its familiar words and music brought such comfort to my heart. And I know it was Heavenly Father's doing and not mine, because a few weeks ago I was trying to remember the lyrics to that exact song and couldn't. What a sweet and tender mercy.
We're about out of time, but could I ask a favor? Could you find addresses/email addresses for Kelly Lau and Leah Robinson for me? I'd love to write to them. Thanks in advance!! I love you so much, and I'm so grateful for you. President Vellinga asked me to express his gratitude to you as well, for letting me come here. :) He is wonderful, and so are you! Thank you for letting me leave you to serve a mission, and for being the best encouragement and support I could ask for. I'm so grateful for your support and the Savior's. I need it every day!
Good luck with your shows!! I'm sure they will both be great. Say hi to everyone for me!! I love you!!
Love,
Sister Wygant
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