I do not like how fast this transfer is going, I don't my companion to leave, we are seeing so many miracles together, it has been amazing! And we continue to see more!
So this last weekend was General Conference as you all know and for most missionaries it's a time to bring investigators and sit down and watch 10 hours of broadcast, for Temple Square Sisters it's a time where we are on a feet from 7:30am to 9:45pmwith 20 minutes meal breaks and constant smiling and talking and basically it's the craziest weekends of the year for Temple Square! But it is a weekend full of miracles and I would love to share with you just one.
Saturday we had Guest Services for an hour and we just sat down eating lunch in Guest Services and then the Assistants to the President asked us if we had an investigator here in Salt Lake City, we said yes and then they gave us an extra conference ticket for our investigator! And it was the session that we were attending! Rose was here to watch the first session of Conference and we were so excited (may or may not have been crying of excitement), we get a call that Rose was at one of the desks but we couldn't just leave Guest Services, we tried to find a cover and just as we did, we were told that she had left, we RAN! through the basement of the South and got up and tried to find her, we couldn't see her anywhere, only waves of thousands of people coming out of a session... We tried to call and nothing, she wasn't picking up. My heart was literately breaking, I was so overcome with just utter sadness... I didn't know what to do. She text us saying she couldn't find us and how sad she was that we couldn't catch up, I called her and she picked up, I told her that we had an extra ticket for her but she wasn't sure if she could come back, she asked and they were more than willing to bring her back so she could experience her second session of Conference. We met with her, we got inside and sat down (she sat between Sister Pipe and I) and she was so excited! We asked her what her favorite part of conference has been and she instantly said "Seeing the Prophet." She is so amazing and so strong in her testimony. She was taking notes of things that stood out to her and I felt like it was the perfect session for her as they talked about Following Jesus Christ and having a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I certainly had my questions answered and the quote from Elder Neil L. Andersen "Spiritual questions deserve spiritual answers from God.". My Favorite talk was given by Elder Jörg Klebingat, it was so forward and direct and exactly what I needed! And this Conference being the first conference that they speak in their native language! Hearing Elder Eduardo Gavarret speaking in Spanish, though I didn't understand much at all (beyond the Spanish words for God, Jesus Christ, Church, etc) The spirit was so strong! I can't even put it in words, I loved my General Conference experience and it was truly just amazing!
Sunday night after everyone is dead and tired we had a meeting in Theater 5, it's like a "share your miracles and then we have something awesome for you!" type thing. Sunday night we got to see a special screening of "Meet the Mormons" before it comes out in Theaters today! It is so amazing, I really tried to imagine myself as someone who was not too familiar with the church watching it and what they would think, what stereotypes would be ruled out, and how it would have an impact on them learning more. Though I have seen it before (in my 2nd Transfer I think) It was incredible seeing it in a different way. I loved it! and I can't wait for everyone to have the chance to see it!
After getting back in contact with Lyle and him now having a baptism date, we are in constant communications with him, we called this week and he said "well I'm coming to Temple Square in about an hour, I would love to see you!" So we met up and it was awesome! The Gospel of Jesus Christ has completely changed his life, I can't even describe it in any other way but the fact his whole countenance was different. He is getting his life into order and making a difference, the guy that picked him up in his truck and his family have really just taken him in as one of their own, he got to see conference with them and spent time with the whole family and apparently they just treated him as if he was one of their own, like he was really their brother. You can just see in his face he is so much lighter and happier and he is so excited for his baptism, he is excited to make that step in changing his life, in starting fresh and clean and he wants us to be there for it! and great news! We got the approval to go!!! So we are so excited, Lyle will be Sister Pipe's only Native American Baptism on her mission, it's so special and exciting. Having Sister Pipe as my companion I have really been able to see how the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 49:24 is coming to pass "But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.". Lyle loves the Book of Mormon and knows it to be true. It truly is a record of ancient people in the Americas and it's so special because for Sister Pipe, for Lyle and for all other Native Americans, no matter what tribe, this is a record of their people, the things in the Book of Mormon go hand in hand with Oral Legends of the Native Americans, they have a connection to the Book of Mormon and it's been so amazing to see, my testimony of the Book of Mormon has flourished in a way I never knew possible. I love it so much, I love the Book of Mormon, I know it to be the word of God, I know that it was translated by Joseph Smith by the power and Authority of God!
A few shorter updates, Brenda put back her date until the 18th October, which is okay, she will be ready for it, she just had a few things hold her back but now they are worked out. She even asked me to speak at her baptism and asked us to choose the Hymns as well! So sweet. John is on date for the 8th November! and even though he has a lot personally going on, he is really excited and really working towards it, he really wants this to be a sacred thing, he really want to make the most of this as he follows the example of Jesus Christ and enters into the waters of baptism. Jacque has moved to Oregon so that was a really hard good-bye, and even though the good-bye was initially weird, she even came back the next day to surprise me and say good-bye once again. I don't think she will ever realize how much it meant to me. I know she will do great there, she will remain strong and rely on the Lord more than she has ever had to but I'm excited for her, it's a great opportunity she has.
Sunday night after everyone is dead and tired we had a meeting in Theater 5, it's like a "share your miracles and then we have something awesome for you!" type thing. Sunday night we got to see a special screening of "Meet the Mormons" before it comes out in Theaters today! It is so amazing, I really tried to imagine myself as someone who was not too familiar with the church watching it and what they would think, what stereotypes would be ruled out, and how it would have an impact on them learning more. Though I have seen it before (in my 2nd Transfer I think) It was incredible seeing it in a different way. I loved it! and I can't wait for everyone to have the chance to see it!
After getting back in contact with Lyle and him now having a baptism date, we are in constant communications with him, we called this week and he said "well I'm coming to Temple Square in about an hour, I would love to see you!" So we met up and it was awesome! The Gospel of Jesus Christ has completely changed his life, I can't even describe it in any other way but the fact his whole countenance was different. He is getting his life into order and making a difference, the guy that picked him up in his truck and his family have really just taken him in as one of their own, he got to see conference with them and spent time with the whole family and apparently they just treated him as if he was one of their own, like he was really their brother. You can just see in his face he is so much lighter and happier and he is so excited for his baptism, he is excited to make that step in changing his life, in starting fresh and clean and he wants us to be there for it! and great news! We got the approval to go!!! So we are so excited, Lyle will be Sister Pipe's only Native American Baptism on her mission, it's so special and exciting. Having Sister Pipe as my companion I have really been able to see how the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 49:24 is coming to pass "But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.". Lyle loves the Book of Mormon and knows it to be true. It truly is a record of ancient people in the Americas and it's so special because for Sister Pipe, for Lyle and for all other Native Americans, no matter what tribe, this is a record of their people, the things in the Book of Mormon go hand in hand with Oral Legends of the Native Americans, they have a connection to the Book of Mormon and it's been so amazing to see, my testimony of the Book of Mormon has flourished in a way I never knew possible. I love it so much, I love the Book of Mormon, I know it to be the word of God, I know that it was translated by Joseph Smith by the power and Authority of God!
A few shorter updates, Brenda put back her date until the 18th October, which is okay, she will be ready for it, she just had a few things hold her back but now they are worked out. She even asked me to speak at her baptism and asked us to choose the Hymns as well! So sweet. John is on date for the 8th November! and even though he has a lot personally going on, he is really excited and really working towards it, he really wants this to be a sacred thing, he really want to make the most of this as he follows the example of Jesus Christ and enters into the waters of baptism. Jacque has moved to Oregon so that was a really hard good-bye, and even though the good-bye was initially weird, she even came back the next day to surprise me and say good-bye once again. I don't think she will ever realize how much it meant to me. I know she will do great there, she will remain strong and rely on the Lord more than she has ever had to but I'm excited for her, it's a great opportunity she has.
This morning we went to the temple, we have had it planned for a while now and I put the alarm on last night for 5:40am, enough time to get ready I thought... the alarm went off at 6:15am, normal time, we had to leave in 15 minutes! I jumped out of bed, prayed, and had the quickest shower of my life! got ready, half dried my hair, did make up and then we were out of the house, on our way to the Temple! Such a crazy morning, but when we got there it was like none of that even happened, we sat down and just before we went in I started to read in Moses 7 and I just had the greatest feeling of my Heavenly Fathers love for not only me, but all His children and how He just wants us to be happy, how He truly wants us to make the right choices and come back to Him. While reading I really imagined and felt just a part of the sorrow he would have felt as he is talking to Enoch in verses 29-33. Heavenly Father really does love us so much, and this has really been illustrated by President Uchtdorf in this time of Conference.
"...God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you,He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens—even when you are struggling with your own. He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly—He knows you as you really are. And He loves you—today and always!... He loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become. More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny—to return to your heavenly home in honor." - Living the Gospel Joyful By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
"...God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you,He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens—even when you are struggling with your own. He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly—He knows you as you really are. And He loves you—today and always!... He loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become. More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny—to return to your heavenly home in honor." - Living the Gospel Joyful By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
My goal of having General Conference more engraved in my heart is already coming into play, we have been studying it in our spare time and coming to the Square for studies and highlighting it all and writing down quotes to use and using them, using talks in lessons with investigators and uplifting members, it has been awesome! There are so many things we have been invited to do and I'm excited to continue to go through the rest of the talks and write down all the invitations, Sister Pipe and I already looked at the Joseph Smith pamphlet and it was incredible. These Invitations given to us by servants of the Lord are inspired and are given to us for a reason.
I love this Gospel and know it to be true will all my heart!
Love, Sister Ryan xx
No comments:
Post a Comment