May 21, 2013

Things are going well here in Nauvoo! I cannot believe this 6-week transfer is already over on Thursday. This transfer went by sooooo fast. It felt like a week. I am so behind in my journal. Probably a month behind. ! ah! Yesterday in the VC (visitor's center) it was very busy. Almost the entire time we had someone to talk with. It was so great! I had some really great experiences.

 

 

We have a 12 Apostles display and I watched a young boy go over to it and start listening to the testimonies. I walked up to him and said, "Did you find the best one yet?" "No." he shook his head. "Do you know who these guys are?" "No..." "Do you know who Jesus is?" "Yes." I realized that this boy,  was not a member. He also had some sort of socially challenged disability. He wouldn't look me in the eye almost at all. I talked to him about how when Christ was on the earth, He had 12 men follow Him around. They would help teach, they would heal people and that is who these guys are today. I said, "Do you see that statue over there? That is Joseph Smith. He was 14 and he saw Jesus and Heavenly Father. How old are you?" He perked up at this, "Almost 12!" "Could you imagine in 2 years seeing Jesus and God?" "Yeah!" That was so sweet. I talked to him for quite a bit longer and he was smiling happy. I showed him on the map that he could go to the blacksmith and he could go on the carriage ride. So sweet. His grandmother came up to me after and said, "He is very shy. I've never seen him talk and open up to anyone like that before."

It was a neat experience.

 

So there was a "tornado watch" here the other day. We were driving back to Nauvoo from Carthage and we were right in the thick of the storm. We had no idea until later that it was one of the dangerous areas. It was pretty scary. We were in 10 minutes of severe pounding hail attacks and pouring rain. Literally. This rain is not like anything I've ever seen. Utah can't even SPELL rain after seeing this Illinois rain. We were driving slowly while the windshield wipers were going crazy fast; and we could still hardly see. There was thunder and lightening all around us. Literally right in front of the van. One crack was so loud that a sister screamed. I grabbed onto my companion until we were safe. One of the sisters prayed for safety and I know that is what brought us through.

 

-Sister Zibetti

 

Pictures:

1. Our turtle friend that Sister Richardson and I found by the VC. His name is Borris of course

 

 

 

2.  This car might have gone through the car wash with the rug on it's back haha! had to get a picture

 

May 14, 2013

I loved this and thought all the moms out there would enjoy it.

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#to-every-mother

 

-Sister Zibetti

May 7, 2013

Everything is going so great! I am busy but I like it that way. I have a spare moment very rarely, but I told Heavenly Father to help me serve with all my heart, might, mind and strength, and He IS doing that. He is taking full advantage. Careful what you pray for, because you just might get it all. :)

Here is something I just emailed to a dear sister that I thought you would like:
"I am so proud of you. The 12 Step Atonement program is like the best thing on the planet. :) I have met so many people on my mission who have been in the gall of darkness and through the Atonement of our Savior, have come into the light. We will never be perfect in this life. Christ is perfect, so when we make a covenant with Him, like our baptismal covenant, it is like we are attached to Him. Let's look at it mathematically. Okay, I've never done this analogy before and I've never been good at math so just bear with me. haha!
Jesus Christ performed the infinite and intimate Atonement so He is the "infinity sign" (~) (that'll be the pretend sign for now) and we as individuals, are the (x) or (y).
Here: (~)(x) = (~)
We don't know the value of the (x) because it is not quite measurable yet. We know we are all God's children, so we have a lot of value and potential. But for every one person's part, there is different effort exerted in the gospel and different doctrines understood. And THAT is what God can draw upon.
There must be two people to make a covenant. Jesus Christ gives us the power in the covenant (promise). But we still need to do things on our part so we can be a part of the covenant. There can't just be a (~) chillin and expect to attach somewhere without being invited to an (x). WE must invite our Savior in. No matter the value of (x), if it is multiplied by (~) then it will ALWAYS be (~) infinite.
Therefore, we must stay true to the promises we have made with God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And when we mess up, which I have done many times in my life and on this mission, just get back on the path again. I have felt the enabeling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ change me forever."

-Sister Zibetti

We went on a handcart trek yesterday. It was so awesome.
These pictures are from yesterday. The one in the yellow dress is my Companion Sister Richardson.

April 30, 2013

Nauvoo is about the Savior and the Saints who followed Him through a Prophet of God. It is a beautiful place of peace and you will be healed here. It would be such a wonderful experience for you to come feel and know for yourselves of the truth, in the way that God wants you to. Pray about when you should come and let me know how you feel, and what God says. You'd also love a Sacrament meeting full of missionaries on a Sunday. :)

I am able to go to the Temple here. The 40 new couples are adjusting. They, in their old age, are asked to perform every night for the plays and shows we put on here in Old Nauvoo. They are amazing and very tired, but God gives them ability to do what they are called to do.
All of my Nauvoo sisters did come back; they came home. It feels great to be here with them all.

President Condie is the President of the Nauvoo Temple here. He gave us a fireside that was just amazing! He was a member of the 70 and shared some stores from the Brethren. 

He shared a story about President Hinckley. One time, the King of New Zealand gave President Hinckley a big, beautiful hand carved bowl made from fancy, ancient wood from New Zealand. As a joke, when he received the gift, he picked it up, looked at the bottom of it and said aloud, "Made in China"... haha! It was so funny. I love to hear stories about the Brethren that have their personality in it.

-Sister Zibetti

April 23, 2013

I don't have a ton of time this week. I had a bunch of people to write and not a lot of time.
My companion is so great. All 14 sisters live in the one house. No ASL people have come to Nauvoo yet.
This week I learned that the power of the Holy Ghost really can bring all things to our remembrance. There are things He is bringing to my memory from last year that are helping me now. It is incredible. I am so grateful for that.
44 Senior couples came this week! Isn't that great?!

-Sister Zibetti

April 16, 2013

Yes that photo was at Mt. Vernon, near George Washington's home. haha! My new companion is Sister Richardson. She is soooooooo great. I love her so much. The only thing that worries me about her is that she thinks I am perfect, and I am far from perfection. As soon as she realizes that, things will be great. She keeps saying she wants to be like me when she grows up. I am thinking the same thing about her! She is so much braver than I ever was last year. She just wants to talk to people and help them out and give tours right now. I am so proud of her. She rocks at ASL. She dated a Deaf boy before her mission, so she is teaching me many things.

We are serving in the Brigham Young home for my first site tomorrow. I am so excited!!!!!!! I can't remember the rest of the week's sites. There are so many things to be done. I was blessed by President Riggs before I arrived here that'd I'd be able to remember the things of Nauvoo when I arrived, and I have. It is great. The Lord is truly blessing His servants.
President Gilliland just got back on Sunday and said that Elder Cook said there are basically 2 more things that need to happen to fulfill prophecies: 1. The Gathering of Israel, 2. The Savior to come. That is it and it is soon approaching. Soon in the Lord's time

April 12, 2013

Well, I'm back in Nauvoo. It was really difficult to leave, but I asked for a blessing from President Riggs and things started to feel better from then on. He told me in the blessing it was time to "look forward". Leaving was still hard, but my heart was going back to Nauvoo before I was. I traveled to the Dulles Airport and actually met another Nauvoo Sister, Sister Petricek, there for her connecting flight. We were so excited to see each other and got to talking....and talking. We were completely in our own world and yep, we missed our flight. Oh my goodness! I couldn't believe it. It was like a bad dream when we realized. I know that Heavenly Father is in the details of my life. He knew we'd miss our flight, so he had another flight scheduled for the same place about 2 hours later. We talked with the man who boards people on the plane and he seemed frustrated with us. He said he had called our names numerous times. We accepted and took full responsibility for our actions and apologized profusely. He was kind enough to get us a new boarding pass on the next flight to St. Louis Missouri; no charge. Wow. What a miracle!
Now we had to tell President Gilliland...We didn't have phones, so we used the pay phone there. We called the Emergency number which the Church gave us and informed them. They told us President Gilliand already knew we missed it. We felt terrible! We called the Nauvoo Visitor's Center and tried to make contact with the secretary so she could call President or give us his number. We didn't get through, but we made it on our flight this time just fine.
Six of the returning sisters had things go wrong with their flights. Either we missed the flight, or there were storms and the planes couldn't land. Finally about 5 hours after what President had originally planned, we were on our way home. The other 14 sisters had already left.
President Gilliland called two sister Assistants and we were off to Nauvoo from St. Louis.

Coming back has been overwhelming. It is strange to completely leave everything from DC in the Lord's hands. I can't even think about that part of my mission anymore. I can't even hardly pray for my previous investigators. It is almost like completely cutting ties. I just must focus on Nauvoo and these amazing sisters. We have 10 wonderful new sisters here fresh from the MTC. I am training Sister Richardson. She is amazing. I love her so much already. She is an ASL sister and just so motherly. We are similar in personality. She is from Elkridge UT.
There is a lot to do here in Nauvoo. Much to plan and figure out. We got our site dresses yesterday and moved into our different rooms in the Hatch house. 6 Sisters are serving in Carthage. The next few days we are going to be watching the movies, seeing some sites and shows. President Gilliland and his wife left yesterday at 11am. They have a mission President seminar for 3 days. So he gave us the information and schedule for the next three days and had to leave. He gets to sit at the feet of an Apostle of the Lord; Elder Quentin L. Cook. President and his wife are not happy that they had to leave, but they know they are supposed to be there. We had a wonderful meeting with them before they left. We talked about Proverbs 31; being a virtuous woman. I loved that chapter. It says about a virtuous woman that "strength and honor are her clothing". That is what it takes. All of these sisters are amazing and are these virtuous women. The Assistants have taken over all the scheduling and different room, fridge, and cleaning assignments. It is pretty overwhelming.
But it is so great to be back in Nauvoo. All of the returning sisters had about a 2 hour talk about our outbounds and different experiences we have had. We discussed what more we can do to better prepare these new sisters for their outbound experience.
I've got to go, but I love you all!

-Sister Zibetti