Prayers Realized

Mon, February 21, 2011 5:41:01 PM

HOMEWORK - Many who have known me for some time have realized that I changed quite a lot about 3 years ago when I had my personal conversion. Today I would like to ask a favor - anyone that remembers anything about me, the things I did, anything specific or general about that change, or even your thoughts on it, could you please take a moment to write that down and Dear Elder it to me? Or email it to my mom so she can forward it? Thank you soooooooooo much!

Today I would like to speak a little bit about the two folks that we baptized this week.

First is Walter!

He is kind of a cool story for me because I contacted him, which wouldn’t normally seem like a huge deal but to me it is. Why? When we met Walter I was with Hna. Cano and it was nighttime and he was just a shirtless dude relaxing outside in the street - normally we wouldn’t contact someone like that. He seemed like any other of those who sit in the street at night - nothing about him set him apart. There was no outward reason to contact him, and we almost passed by. But something hit me abruptly, just a thought.. and next thing I know I was talking to him. And so we contacted him. Well from there on out, he showed up at church two weeks in a row before we were able to have a cita with him. When we did, I went in with 2 new hermanas who didn´t speak a ton of Spanish and we taught him about the restoration, and one of them put a baptismal date with him. He accepted. He continued to come to church and we helped him in his personal journey to the gospel. He said nothing made him feel like the things we were teaching and he was glad to have something like this in his life. The day of his baptism came and there was such a peace in the service and everything and he was so happy to be relieved of all the things he had done in his life. He is happy about the new life he is creating for himself and has a hope for the future--a future with family, the temple, and enduring to the end. He is my friend, and I am so thankful to be able to see a change beautify the quality of one´s life.

The other is Hermanita Rosa. Rosa is the woman that we live with. Her sister and her son and her grandson are all members; she had been to the church before, had been taught by many, many, MANY missionaries, and everything, but never had the desire to change.

Her son stood in her baptism and shared his testimony that he knew we had been sent there specifically to answer what were years and years of prayers.

She is such a sweet old lady, and we sing with her every night - the songs and the testimony in them are a part of her conversion, I am sure. Music speaks in some ways we cannot quite describe.

I am happy to be a part of this miracle as well.. her sister cried when she found out she had finally been baptized. That brought my testimony to a whole new level in the sense that we are called to exact places for exact reasons. The day of her baptism she was thrilled and content. The members love her and she loves everyone.

After 80 some-odd years, she said she has felt the peace of fulfilling what the Lord expected for her. Hahaha fun fact, just to give you a bit of her happy, fun, content personality.. when we were taking pictures, someone said to smile with teeth and she flung her arms out and with a huge smile goes `I DONT HAVE ANY!!´ hahahahahha. Of course, in Spanish. I love that woman.

Also a lot of other things have come together this week. People that were lost were found again. Misunderstandings were cleared up. New families have opened up their doors to be taught. And some have received answers they´ve searched for all their lives. I love this work and I know Christ lives. I´m thankful for this opportunity to serve and to see in a wide view the changes the gospel brings to the lives of the children of men.

Two Happy Hermanas (Rippstein & Garff)

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!!!!!

Mon, February 14, 2011 7:42:40 PM

The hermanas all got a super p-day and we did yoga and cooked delicious food (we EVEN had cheesecake!! - sorry about all the pics with the food, we were just excited about it) and chatted and then our prez n his lovely wife gave us a charla on marriage and dating—hahahaha-- it was crazy and suuuuuuper trunky but bonita.

Courtney, I mean Hna. Rippstein, on p-day

Hna. Garff and some of the other hermanas

The hermanas celebrate Valentine's Day

Delicious food!

Hna. Rippstein LOVES cheesecake!

I don’t have a lot to say; we should have 2 freaking awesome baptisms this weekend - one is the lady that we live with by the way. Her son is a member and he says that he knows the Lord put us in that house for a reason. I will go ahead and share with you the advice on choosing an eternal spouse, according to my mission president and his wife - who have a rockin’ marriage by the way! I want one like.. at least half as beautiful as theirs. They really do love each other and their children and us so much. Anyways, their guidance was to choose a man who had 3 things:

1. Fidelity to the Lord - willing to sacrifice anything to follow Him and live by following the guidance of the Spirit
2. Trabajador - someone who is a hard worker in all that they do
3. Desire to progress and continue to grow throughout their whole lives

Some of the mission's hermanas

The work is going great and I am learning a lot. For those that are curious, my Spanish is going great. Everyone has been complimenting me and some think I have been here for years instead of months. I do not have a lot more to say except for I encourage each and every one of you to delve a little deeper into your study of the doctrine of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end) and apply it in your lives in a personal way. It is an amazing thing and affects me profoundly.

The two gringa companions--Hnas. Rippstein & Garff

Surprise!

Mon, February 7, 2011 5:55:03 PM

First off I want to say it has recently come to knowledge that a package of letters I forwarded to my mom got lost in transit, so if you haven’t heard something from me recently, that may be why. Sorry! I feel horrible! I STILL LOVE YOU ALL AND THE UPDATES YOU SEND ME!!

Here comes a surprise! (well.. for some of you)

Guess what? I´m training! Weird, huh? What a joke! hahaha just kidding. Well it has been a week of surprises. Are you laughing yet? Well it is weird cuz I have only been here for a little bit of time and there are so many others who I feel could do such a better job or need the opportunity to train but yet.. here I am. And what is more is although two gringas haven’t been together here before, now I have a gringa hija (companion). Ahhhh Life is a funny funny thing. Also, so is our president. Because since the first day I came here he was always so cool with that whole deal and told me gringas wouldn’t be put together and everything but yeah, then this happened- haha. A bunch of my friends were at changes and when my pic came up to train (before we found out who we would teach) the whole ROOM was like OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! And that was interesting. I guess I am a bit more popular than I thought? It was actually kind of funny because my trainer (mission mom) was training, and the trainer of my trainer (mission grandmother) are also both training, and they are also both training the other 2 new gringas that came with Hna. Garff. And so it was kind of funny - we took photos of my mission grandmother, Hna. Wilford and all of the generations - I joked that it really was true what the scriptures say about posterity! Even here in the mission! hahaha. I wanted to post the pictures but my battery died after I had only gotten three pictures off of it so you will have to wait till next week. But at least you have the one of us with the President! Have I told you how much I love, appreciate and respect him by the way? He is an excellent human being.

Hnas. Garff and Rippstein with Pres. Arredondo

But it’s cool cuz I know the president and God trust me and want me to grow and all that and I feel good. Hermana Garff is from West Jordan, Utah. She makes me smile and she is so cute and sweet and a great help. I take comfort from knowing that at least I can understand exactly where she is at right now to help her through. Things are kind of crazy the whole first change but she is taking it like a champ! She speaks really good Spanish and understands a lot for someone who just came.. I have a testimony growing within me with the fact that this is a two person mission because even though she can’t speak or understand a ton - and me either - somehow we have still been able to experience some pretty cool stuff here and teach really well together. Vamos a hechar fuego!!! Idk- the whole thing has really humbled me.. especially cuz I have revisited now the sleeping disorder that I had before in my life... a few days before we found out about changes it started and I have felt hollow and weak and have had to rest a lot - consequences of little sleep - But we have still continued and persevered! I wanna be a good mommy! hahaha. I feel happy because I know that God trusts us and I know that He called US on this mission to be here in this time and we - not anyone else - are those that can help these folks specifically here in Ciudad Jardin.