September 25, 2012

BIG NEWS!!

We received our Winter assignment! Guess where I'm going. I bet you couldn't guess if your life depended on it.

Washington D.C. South Mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Capitol Building

 Yep! All the sisters got their calls on Sunday night while we were at President's house for a meeting. I'll tell you where all the other sisters are going.

Angels surround the US to bear others up

Sister Dransfield: Richmond, Virginia

Sister Streeter: Billings, Montana

Sister Brown: Mesa, Arizona

Sister Umphenour: Spokane Washington

Sister Garner: Las Vegas, Nevada

Sister McInelly: Baton Rouge Louisiana!!

Sister Kim: Birmingham, Alabama

Sister Petricek: Columbia, North Carolina

Sister Ripplinger: Roseville, California

Crazy huh?! We are all around the borders of the U.S. God needs the Nauvoo Sisters to be the Angels round about to bear others up. I am very excited. My initial reaction was pure shock. "What? Me in DC? I'm gonna get killed!" I shoulda paid more attention in History classes. Although, I'm not there to learn the History, I'm there to Preach the Gospel as a servant and representative of the Lord.

The DC North mission is an ASL mission. So it is possible that I will be able to use my ASL in the South Mission. I am really hoping that is true.

I am going to be in DC during the elections.

That night, I prayed to Heavenly Father. I said, "DC, Are you sure?" Then I thought: What am I thinking asking Him if HE's sure. Of course He's sure! I slapped myself. "Heavenly Father, I need confirmation that this is where you need me." I prayed for my future mission president, companions, other missionaries and investigators. That night I could hardly sleep. For the first hour, my heart burned within me. THAT was my confirmation of, "Yes, my Child. That is where I need you."

So. Off we go soon.

Well, here is an experience in the VC (visitor's center) that I had the other day which was really special. An 18 year old boy called the Nauvoo VC front desk. One of the sweet Senior Sisters beckoned me over to receive the phone call. She said, "I need a real missionary to take this call." "What, you are a real missionary!" "Yes, but I dont' know what to say. Please take it." "Okay." This boy just said, "I want to learn more about your church." I told him we could get missionaries in his local area to come over and teach him if his parents were okay with that. "No. Right now. I really want to learn more. Can you teach me? I don't want to inconvenience you." The Spirit and I did the whole first lesson and some of lesson 2 and bits n pieces of lesson 3. Emphasizing that God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings.

After and throughout the conversation, I asked inspired questions from the Holy Ghost. He said, "Can I tell you something? I feel light. I never want this feeling to leave." I said to him, "That is the Holy Ghost. He testifies of truth and brings feelings of comfort. This feeling can be with you forever......Do you believe that God loves you?" He was silent for a while, then responded, "I've never felt it more than I have right now." "I know God loves you. He loves you so much that he sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for you, so you could return back to live with them." "Wow. How do you know this is true?" "I have prayed and asked God for myself, just like Joseph did." "Joseph was so brave." I replied, "He was." I taught him how to pray over the phone. He said he'd try praying later tonight. I told him he could have this feeling with him as he prayed.

We talked for about 40 minutes! He thanked me many times for taking the time to talk to him. I assured him every time that HE was most important and that this is what I wanted to do. I asked him if I could call him in a week. "Yes. Around this same time." "Yes. Now because you are 18, you don't need to get permission from you parents. But I suggest you do that and talk with them okay?" His faith is Episcopalian I think.

In closing I said, "You know who the opposer of Christ is?" "Satan." "Right. So I must warn you that you must be careful this week. You'll hear a lot of anti-stuff, even from those you love. And I NEVER want you to forget this feeling okay?" "I never want it to leave." He wanted to keep talking to me.

It was such an amazing and powerful experience. All the practice I've gotten on the phone, all the junk and hard times I had, all the no answers, have made this phone call worth every minute of it.