Sister Lyndsay Wygant: Happy November!

Hi Mama!

Happy November! I can't believe it's here. Where did October go? It definitely flew.

We had the most incredible experience yesterday. We got to attend a special sacrament meeting in the Kirtland Temple!!!! The Kirtland Stake does something called Laurel Academy and Camp Helaman every year, for the laurels and priests who are Seniors in High School. They get together and do workshops/classes about the gospel, life skills, college, etc--a weekend of testimony building. They ended yesterday with a special sacrament meeting/testimony meeting held in the Kirtland Temple. Sister Nelson and I were asked to help with their last workshop that morning, about missionary work. We were privileged to share our testimonies about missionary work with the Laurels in the School of the Prophets! It was an incredible experience, as was the sacrament meeting in the temple (they invited us to attend with them). The Spirit was so strong in both places. I feel so blessed and lucky to serve here! How great is our calling. :) Being a missionary is the best!!

We also had a wonderful tour yesterday with George and Janet, a non-member couple from Cleveland. They are photographers, and found Historic Kirtland on the internet while looking for places to photograph! We took them through the tour, they took some great pictures, and we had some fabulous religious discussions. It was so natural and normal to talk with them--they were very open and friendly. In the end, they declined a Book of Mormon, but did take a card for our Nativity exhibit and one for the Johnson Home. It was a very rewarding tour.

Speaking of Nativities, they've started setting up!! Some of the pictures are here, and some people have already brought in their nativities. Some of them are familiar from last year--it seems like just yesterday! The exhibit opens the day after Thanksgiving, and I'm so excited. :)

We went on two exchanges last week. First, I worked with Sister Smith in my area. She grew up in AF, and her sister was a drum major! She knows some of the same people I do. Small world. :) She is such an amazing teacher, and I loved working with her. We taught a first lesson to a man named Jason that we met two weeks ago, and it went so well! The member that came with us shared powerful experiences and testimony, and we were able to focus on his needs and concerns, and I felt that it went very well. Yay. :)

I also went to the Kirtland area, and worked with Sister Spong! Yay team Provo :) It was so fun. She is such a great missionary! It was a great opportunity to learn and grow together. :) I was especially amazed at the wonderful members here who do so much, and sacrifice so much, to help the missionaries. I'm so grateful for their service to us, and I know that the Lord will shower down blessings on them for it.

Mission Leadership Council was last week, and as we were talking about scripture study, Sister Vellinga shared this idea from President Eyring (my general summary): "Consistent, daily study opens the conduit to heaven and allows Heavenly Father to bless us with revelation, even if what we're studying doesn't apply to the questions we asked." That is one of my favorite quotes from the week, because I know it is true! I have truly seen on my mission that as I've studied the Book of Mormon every day, it invites the Spirit to my personal study, and to my day, even if what I read has nothing to do with the other things I study that day.

Elder and Sister Jones, a senior couple serving with us at the Visitor's Center, finished their mission and went home on Friday. What a sad and happy day! Sad because we'll miss them dearly, and happy for the wonderful service they gave and friendships we developed with them. They are incredible, and I love them so much. And they're from Provo! So I'll definitely see them again. :)

Sister Nelson and Sister Harrison had a great lesson with our investigator Ismaila on Saturday (I was in Kirtland on exchanges). He wants to be baptized soon! He's been having a hard time understanding the Book of Mormon, but committed to reading it every day this week. He also learned what the Spirit feels like! He described what he felt during their opening and closing prayer, and they helped him to recognize that it was the Spirit--THAT IS SO COOL. That's actually something we've been focusing on a lot lately--how to help people recognize that they are feeling the Spirit. It is so important to understand the role of the Spirit, and to be able to recognize when it's there--or answers can be missed, impressions can be overlooked, and testimonies can't grow! So I'm very grateful that Ismaila asked about what he was feeling, and that the Sisters were able to help him recognize the Spirit. Will you pray for him this week? He's going to be gone all week visiting family, and we hope that he'll remember to read the Book of Mormon, and that he won't encounter any opposition from his family about the Church.

We got to watch the CES Devotional with Elder Osguthorpe last night, and it was amazing! No wonder he's the General Sunday School President--he is such an incredible teacher! I was so impressed, and I learned a lot. You'll have to watch it and see for yourself, but he shared some remarkable insights about agency and giving our will to God. He included some video clips of his recent visits with some students, and Courtney Moses was one of them! That was really cool to see. If I remember right, she's been home almost a year now. She looks so happy. :)

Well, we're about out of time, but I love you so much! Thank you for helping me choose to serve a mission. It's hard work, every day, but I love it here. I know that I am being changed for the better as I learn how to more fully submit my will to Heavenly Father's, and rely on the Savior to do this work with Him. Yesterday, Sister Moss (Stake YW President) counseled her Young Women to let every experience, whether on a mission or not, pass through them and change them, instead of just passing through and not being affected by anything. I know that I am being changed here, and I hope that our efforts are making a difference. Sometimes it doesn't seem like they are--so thank you for your testimony and encouragement. Onward, ever onward!! I love you!!!

Deuteronomy 6:17-18: new favorite scripture. :)

Love,

Sister Wygant

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