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. :)

Tres Hermanas

Hola mi familia! Buenos dias!

Depues de cambios, mi nuevo companera es Hermana Young! Ella es de Cottonwood Heights, y ella es une misionara de Espanol! (After changes, my new companion is Sister Young! She is from Cottonwood Heights, and she is a Spanish-speaking missionary) :) Hermana Young is here in Bowling Green until her visa comes in for Argentina! She's been teaching me Spanish to help her language study, and it is so fun. I can pray and bear my testimony in Spanish now! Que bueno. :) We're in a triple up with Sister Feldt, who is from Eagle Mountain. Team Utah! It's great. :) 

This week has been crazy busy, but so good. I'm now serving in the Bowling Green area instead of Bowling Green biking--so we're still in the same ward, but covering a different part of it. We met an awesome guy named Michael on Wednesday, went back to teach him on Thursday, and he accepted the invitation to be baptized! YAY!!! Michael has a lot going on in his life and I know that the gospel will help him. He was very humble and open with us in saying that he wanted a better relationship with Christ. Ask the missionaries, we can help :) We're so excited for him!

We also have a baptism coming up on Saturday! For a man named Fred. He is SO awesome. He is engaged to a member, Sister Dindal, and they are both so sweet. Fred is so solid, and really loves the gospel. I'm so excited for him to be baptized!! 

Thanks to you and everyone for the wonderful birthday gifts, cards, and messages. I appreciate you all so very much. :) Even Floyd. ;) Please tell everyone thank you for me! I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission and share the gospel with everyone, because I know that it is true. This is the best thing I could be doing with my life, and I know that I am growing so much closer to my Savior as I help others to do so. I also know that I couldn't do it without all of your love, prayers, and support! Thank you!

Love,

Sister Wygant

Tres hermanas

Hurrah for Conference!!

Hi Mama!!

Thanks so much for the Conference package and letter! I loved the rolls. :) I got the questions from Dad for the ward fireside--I will answer those soonest, but I might not have time for a few weeks. We're deep cleaning today, and next week we'll be getting ready for TRANSFERS! Already!? Crazy. Big news for transfers--Sister Foust and I will both be training new sisters!! We're both pretty excited, but I'm especially excited for Sister Foust. She is an amazing missionary and person, and I know that she will be a wonderful trainer! And thanks for forwarding my note to Katy. We found out this week that we can indeed email friends! They changed the email rule, and we are now allowed to email friends and other missionaries outside our mission boundaries. Yay! I'd love to hear from everyone--feel free to email me! I can't promise that I'll email back right away, but I'll do my best. :)

This week has been AMAZING. For one: Sister Noffsinger had to go to the hospital a few weeks ago because she was having trouble breathing...and she hasn't smoked since! YAY!! Heavenly Father has a unique way of answering prayers sometimes, but He does answer. :) 

Second, we had interviews with President Vellinga last week...which make my day every time. President Vellinga is such an amazing man. He just exudes light and love and warmth, and inspires me with everything that he says! 

Third, Conference was incredible. I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to receive so much light, encouragement, counsel, and knowledge from our beloved Prophet and his counselors. I had an armful of favorites also: Sister Dalton, Elder Cardon, the combined choir from BYU (!!! :) ), Elder Cook (perfect for one of our potential investigators--I really hope he was watching!!), Elder Ellis (he spoke at the Kirtland Stake Conference in the fall--he's amazing! I love "we are not spiritual orphans". Amen!), President Uchtdorf, "Come and see" from Elder Anderson, Sister Wixom (so perfect for me as a missionary--easily applied to investigators and new missionaries who are young in the gospel!), "Our lives are a gift from God. The quality of our lives is a gift to Him" from Elder Clayton, and everything that Elder Holland said. I love how well he expounds short or simple scriptures. He is such a great teacher, and his testimony is so powerful. I am so grateful for such wonderful examples, and such wonderful counsel! I wish we could have General Conference every week. :)

I'm so glad you got to go to Bryce Canyon!  I look forward to going there with you someday! And I'm so glad that Purrcy kept you company so well during Conference. :)  We have such an amazing gift--the gospel--that blesses us and our families so much...I know that it is true, and I want to share it with everyone! :) 

I hope you're having a wonderful day, and a wonderful week. I love you!!!!!

Love,
Sister Wygant

Wonderful Easter

Good morning! How was your Easter? Ours was great. We had dinner with Sister Olson and some other ward members. It was amazing. Sister Olson is an amazing woman. :) We also made a bunch of Easter cookies (thanks for the cookie mix! Perfect timing!) and took them around to various people to spread some Sunshine for Easter. It was so fun. :) I got to play "I Stand All Amazed" for the Easter program in the Branch, which was so, so fun. Gabby played the piano with me, and it was such a wonderful experience to be able to share my testimony through music once again. Speaking of music, singing the Messiah with Mrs. Rutter's church choir went SO well. I met lots of great people, and we feel that we represented the church very well. Stan, the conductor, seemed very pleased, and said we're welcome any time. I also met some vocal students from BGSU who were singing in the soprano section with me, and got to fellowship with them a little bit. We're going to meet with one of them next week sometime! 

Bowling Green is great. The world really is so small--I'm finding all sorts of connections here. For example, Brother Charter (the younger) in the Bowling Green ward served with Kelsey Balliff in the California Ventura mission! And Brother Nicholson went to HS in Bountiful, and sang in the choir with Larry Smith (my UAM and Bountiful friends will be super excited about that one! :) ). I also had another lady tell me that she knew a Wygant! So cool. :)

Sister Noffsinger went to the hospital last Wednesday...and just barely went home yesterday! We were all really bummed because she was planning to go home for Easter--but had to spend it in the hospital instead. :( On the plus side, though, we went and cleaned her whole house while she was in the hospital--it was a big task, but it felt so good to get so much done! Now her house is clean, doesn't smell as much like smoke, and she will be able to feel the Spirit there more strongly. :)

I really loved our Easter Sunday in the YSA branch yesterday. For 3rd hour, we watched several Mormon Messages and Bible Videos about Christ's Atonement and Resurrection. I felt the Spirit so strongly, and it really strengthened my testimony. What a glorious message! Not only do we have a Savior who died for our sins--but He lives! We have a living Savior and Redeemer, who guides His living church through a living prophet on the earth today. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father loves us enough to give us so much help and guidance. I know that President Monson truly is a prophet, called by God, and I am so excited to hear him and others speak at General Conference this weekend. I hope you all get to watch and enjoy it! 

I'd better get going, but I love you all so much! Thanks for all of your love, prayers, and support. Sorry I didn't have time to answer all of your questions/remarks--but know that I would if I could! :) Tell dad that I would be delighted to help with the future missionary program/activity he mentioned. I look forward to it. :) I know that missionary work is so important. I may not be able to see the fruits of every seed we're planting here, but I have full faith and so much hope that those seeds will not be wasted, and that good will come into these peoples' lives from it at some point. I know that our Heavenly Father is in the details of each of our lives, and that He prepares and guides those who are ready to find the gospel. I love my mission. It's changed and continues to change my life every day as I have the opportunity to consecrate all of my heart, might, mind and strength to doing His work and blessing the lives of others. Truly, the best way to grow, to change, to progress, and to be happy is to serve others and focus on the gospel. It's worked for me. :) And when all else fails, remember that "hope spurs weary disciples on" (Neal A. Maxwell, "Brightness of Hope"). I know that our Savior lives, and loves us, and that His Atonement is real. If nothing else, I know that. :) I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve in The Ohio, where Joseph Smith and so many wonderful Saints lived and prepared the way for the gospel to spread to all the world. :) I love you all, and I hope you have a great week!

Love,
Sister Wygant