A wonderful week

Good morning, Mama! 

I'm sorry I forgot to tell you last week that we'd be having a preparation day this week! Transfers are, and we always have p-days to get ready. The great transfer news is that Sister Bell and I are staying together in Kent!!! YAY!! I love Sister Bell SO much, and I'm so excited to serve with her for another transfer. It will be strange in a way, though--I haven't served with a companion for more than one transfer since my trainer, Sister Ellsworth! This will be great. :) I'm so grateful that we'll get to keep teaching Dan and Brenda and everyone else. I'm excited for more miracles to happen in Kent. :) 

Oh! We have some exciting news that I forgot to tell you last week. Elder Bowen of the Seventy is coming to visit our mission next month!!! He spoke in the October 2012 General Conference, and gave a wonderful talk about the Atonement. I remember loving his talk, and receiving so much help and comfort from it as a new, homesick missionary. I'm so excited that he's coming to our mission! And it's interesting that you mentioned Abraham in your letter...last week, we all studied the Abrahamic Covenant as part of our preparation for Elder Bowen's tour of our mission. Coincidence? I think not. I loved that study--I learned so much! This week we're studying the House of Israel (assigned at Elder Bowen's request). My first thought--from Savior of the World: "I pray thy merciful blessings upon me, my dear wife...and upon all thy children, the House of Israel!" :)

In other news, we had a wonderful week. We had a busy few days at Kirtland--including a great youth tour that included some kids from Syracuse, NY who know Ben Hale! Tender mercies. :) We also had Stake Conference this weekend, which was amazing. Our Stake President's name is James Kirk...really. :) President Kirk is a wonderfully kind, spiritually powerful man. He used to do a lot of road biking, and he shared an analogy that I really liked. Being diligent and obedient means pedaling hard and staying on the road. Simple as that! Also, the Youngstown Stake Center reminds me of the chapel in...Pacific Grove? The one surrounded by lots of trees. It was cloudy, so I pretended it was fog. :)

We had a great lesson with Dan this week. He was having a really hard day, and I know that he felt the spirit during our lesson. We just need to help him accept it! But we're working on that. I know it will come. :) He came and took a tour at Kirtland a few days later, and he told us that our lesson/message really helped him that day. Yay. :)

We also had a wonderful lesson with Brenda. She is the sweetest lady. I love her so much! We talked about the Book of Mormon and church attendance, and I think she really wants to come...she's just not sure about it yet. But she gave the closing prayer, and it was so sweet and sincere. She prayed that God would help her accept that that Book of Mormon is true! We didn't even ask her to ask that...she did it on her own. It was amazing! 

We had a few minutes left at the end of the day, so we decided to go contacting at a park...and the first person we met was so prepared! We told him about the Book of Mormon and were going to leave it at that, but he asked to know more, so we ended up sharing almost all of the Restoration with him. It was so neat. We're hoping to meet with him again this week to start officially teaching him!

This week, I realized just how much I love studying the gospel--and how many, many experiences and events in my life have led up to this point and contributed to my understanding of the gospel. It's amazing to me how many choir songs I recognize as I study the scriptures. They're everywhere! I'm so grateful for Coach, and for the sacred texts and songs that he introduced us to in all my years in choir. I'm grateful to have learned so much about the gospel through music. :) 

Mmm, blackberry jam. I was just telling Sister Bell about your famous blackberry jam this past week! Could we beg another jar? :) :) :) We've decided that we're not going to eat treats this next transfer...but we had the idea to try mixing blackberry jam with greek yogurt and freezing it. Healthy-style ice cream, anyone? Yum. :)

We have a new branch mission leader, Zane, and also a new member of the YSA Branch named Anna. She just moved here to start at Kent State. She loves marching band and DCI, and plays the flute. Not a coincidence. :) We got to help her move in to her dorm--it was such a blast from the past! Seems forever ago that I did that. :) We also passed the Kent State Marching Band's band camp on our way--aww. :) Speaking of, how are my band kids doing? What about Leslie and Sam? I love them all and miss them a lot. I didn't realize til that I hadn't been at band camp yet this summer--so strange! Ha ha. :)

Well, we're about out of time...I love you all so much! Thank you for your prayers and support, especially your prayers for our investigators. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to teach so many wonderful people here. Dan, Brenda, Cyndi, David, Mark...they're all some of my favorite people in the world. :) I love serving in the Ohio, and I love being a missionary! We represent the Savior Jesus Christ--how great is our calling! :) Au revoir until next week! 

Love,

Sister Wygant

Sister Wygant and Sister Tietjen on splits

Sister Wygant

Sisters Wygant and Bell (companions)

Helping the Kiwanis Club at Kirtland Strawberry Days

Onward, ever onward :)

Hello family!

How's your week back in Provo been? I hope your trip home was uneventful--no accidents or flat tires. :) Our week here has been great. It always feels good to be exhausted at the end of the day, because I know that means I've worked hard. Sometimes, the hard work is more mental than anything else--it takes a lot to stay focused and motivated the whole day long! But that's a skill that will help me my whole life, I know that much. :)

The work here is great. I love all of the small miracles that happen everyday. We went to the Farmer's Market with some members on Saturday...and they know everybody. :) We even ran into a former investigator they know...and we got his number. Might start teaching him again. Awesome. I also love being in the right place at the right time. That happened last night, and we met a guy named Ross. It seems like those things always just happen...I almost wish I could make them happen on purpose, but then it would be me in charge and not Heavenly Father. And I'm so very grateful that He's the one in charge. I love being on His side. :)

Also, guess what? Anna went to the TEMPLE on Friday! She went with the Derbys (members) and did baptisms for the dead for the first time. YAY!!! I'm so grateful that everything worked out, and that she had a wonderful experience. Definitely the Lord's hand. :)

We had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Elder Sorenson on Friday about some tricky questions Dan had asked us...and guess who else happened to be at sites that day? Karl Anderson! Elder Sorenson pulled him in and asked him to give us advice as well...it doesn't get better than that! I'm so grateful for the help Heavenly Father sends to us, especially in the form of wisdom and experience from amazing leaders. 

Speaking of amazing leaders, we had a great zone conference this week! President Vellinga and the Assistants taught us a LOT, mostly about what to do when we begin teaching someone for the first time, and how to make that a good experience. Sister Bell and I also got to demonstrate teaching the Restoration in front of the whole Zone--a little intimidating, but also so fun! I always love Zone Conference because I learn so much, and get so excited about missionary work. :) 

Our investigators are great. We had THREE at sacrament meeting yesterday! It was also Steve's last Sunday in the branch, so the chapel was quite full--rare for the branch. :) Dan came, Cyndi came (and brought friends!), and our new investigator David came! Sister Bell taught David last year when she served here, and we just started teaching him again. We're pretty excited about that. I'm especially grateful for the members of the YSA branch and how amazing they are at fellowshipping--Dan told us that he loves coming to church because he feels so welcome there. Go, member missionaries! They are great. :) Dan needs a lot of prayers, though--once school starts, he's going to have to work every Sunday. Boo! We're praying that Heavenly Father will help him find a way to change that.

xxxx is also having a hard time accepting the Book of Mormon. It makes me sad, because I love it so much! But I know that it will take time. Does anyone have any experiences about how you know the Book of Mormon is true that you'd like to share? We'll try all sorts of ideas. :) And thank you for your continued prayers!!

Well, we're out of time. Thank you for your love and prayers. I love Kent, I love Ohio, and I love being a missionary. It's the best. :) Have a blessed day (as they say in Ohio)!!

Love,

Sister Wygant

PS -  Please tell everyone hello for me, and that I love them. :) OH!! And we took Brother and Sister Maughn on tour at Kirtland last week--from the Rowley's/Barry's/etc ward!! It was such a tender mercy. I know that Heavenly Father is in the details. It was so fun to talk to someone who knew so many of my friends back home!! :)

Love you!!!!!!!!

Strawberry Days in Kirtland - Helping the Kiwanis Club

Happy August

It's been a great week here. Cyndi came to church yesterday, and in our lesson she told us that her family is no longer so opposed to her being baptized! They aren't excited about it, but they won't hold her back. I am SO grateful that prayers are answered! I know that Heavenly Father had a hand in this. 

We had a GREAT lesson with Dan on Monday. We're finally on the same page about faith! When I remembered to actually stop and listen and ask him questions, we discovered that we really do believe a lot of the same things--we just communicate them differently, and use different titles. I was so grateful for that lesson. Once school starts, he'll have to work every Sunday--we're hoping to have a lesson on keeping the Sabbath day holy this week, and we're praying that the way will be opened for him to not have to work on that day. Thank you for always keeping him and others in your prayers. :) They really help, and I'm so grateful for your support!

I am also so grateful for the companionship and guidance of the Spirit. When we're teaching or giving tours, I try really hard to create an environment for the Spirit, but sometimes it's hard to tell whether they're actually feeling it or not. But after one tour this weekend, the leader of the youth group we took thanked us for teaching by the Spirit and helping his youth to feel it. Awesome. I thought, "they did? Yay!" I'm always so grateful to hear things like that. I really loved our tours in Kirtland this week. I don't often receive specific promptings on what to say or share, but I did on several occasions this weekend, and it was awesome.

Oh! In other, VERY exciting news, Anna (recent convert who was baptized in December) is going to the Columbus Temple to do baptisms on Friday! HURRAY!!!!! We're so, so excited for her. She's going to have such a wonderful time. 

Church yesterday was amazing. Both testimony meetings (the ward and the ysa branch) were so wonderful, and the spirit was so strong. Funny how the Spirit works sometimes--the Lord truly does speak to us in the ways that we understand (2 Ne 28). For me sometimes, it's music. "Come Thou Fount" is played during part of the movie we show at Kirtland, and it popped into my head during testimony meeting yesterday. I've never learned so much from that song as I did then! Now I just need to work on remembering and applying it. :) 

We went on exchanges with Sister Esplin and Sister Nance this week, and it was great! I went to Rootstown North and worked with Sister Nance. I was so impressed by her constant cheerful, happy attitude and desire to work hard. She is still working on gaining confidence, but we learned something in our companionship study that has greatly helped both of us. The end of D&C 121 taught us that our confidence will grow as we have the Spirit with us more--so we decided to work on being able to better recognize the Spirit. The activity in Preach My Gospel Chapter 4 was so helpful, and when we evaluated a few days later, we found that we had both learned a lot from the experience. I'm so grateful that I was able to help Sister Nance, and also grow personally as well.

I'm also so grateful to be serving with Sister Bell. I absolutely love her! She is such an amazing missionary, and I am learning so much from her. I am so glad that we are able to work so well together. I love Kent, and I love Sister Bell, and the Rootstown Ward, and the YSA Branch. I love being a missionary. :) The greatest miracle is a change of heart--that's what we pray will happen as we share the gospel with people, and what I'm seeing take place in my own life. It's hard work, but I like doing hard things. :) Talk to you next week!

Love,

Sister Wygant

PS. Picture! I'm learning many different things on my mission...how to eat peppers, how to study the scriptures, and...how to do a headstand? Yup. :) Second is me with the Palmers--one of my favorite senior couples! 

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