Week 75

These past few weeks I've been thinking a lot about Gods timing. More
often than not things don't happen when we want or in the way that we
think that we should. On my mission there's been so many times where
I've wondered why I'm sick, or why a person stopped meeting with us.

There's been three times on my mission where I've been pretty sick and
not able to go out and work for a couple of weeks. Every time I had
these thoughts cross my head, "I'm out serving God right now, I only
have a short time where my every single waking thought and action can
be for Him so why am I sick?" Every time I've realized that at in
these crucial 18 months I would not be sick unless God had planned it
to be.

Everything happened in God own timing in His own way. "To every thing
there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven"
(Ecclesiastes 3:1). Birth and death happen for a reason, trials and
miracles happen for a reason. God knows greater than I do and He knows
greater than you do. So just keep hanging in there.

I figure submitting to gods will is a lot like baking a cake, except
God has the recipe and we have no idea what we are baking, we just
know that it will be good. We patiently wait God to give us an
ingredient and tell us how much to out in the mixing bowl. Once we've
got the ingredients together we have to put it in the pan. And then we
have to wait and wait. Waiting is probably the hardest part. Sometimes
we want to take it out because it smells done and it looks done. And
finally when it is actually done we have to let it cool down.

God gives us blessings in ways we don't always think. As a big
blessing is coming (he cake itself) we often are gaining other
important blessings along the way. The gift of patience. The gift of
following instructions correctly. Each step of the process teaches us
different things, so as we are waiting for blessings in our life we
need to look for what other things God may be blessing us with as we
wait.

I have also come to know so strongly that I'm never truly alone even
in the times that it feels I'm patiently waiting for things to happen.
" I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall
be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you
up"(Doctrine and covenants 84:88). We have so much help when we are
amidst our struggles. We always have heavenly help.

On my mission I have literally felt angels with me, helping me and
protecting me from danger. I may not always feel them there, but I
know they're always there. Sometimes our angels are the people that
are closest to us. Look for the people who can be an angel to you, and
that you in return can be an angel to.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Pictures from our 4th of July fun!!

Week 74

Hello, all!
For my last 6 emails home I've decided that I would focus my email
more of in the aspects of what I have learned on my mission.

Over the course of my mission I have come to truly realize the power
of the Book of Mormon. I am forever grateful for a family that strived
to read the Book of Mormon together as a family every night. I will
also forever be grateful for a teacher at a youth camp that challenged
us to read the Book of Mormon every day by ourselves. Up until that
time I had never as yet attempted to read the Book of Mormon on my
own. I started out just reading a verse a day, and after that I never
stopped. For most of high school as I tried to read the Book of
Mormon, there were very few times where I actually felt like it had
meaning. However, as I continued to read and I prepared myself serve a
mission I started to recognize my life changing for the better.

In college as I tried setting aside more time to read the Book of
Mormon I noticed it started to do more good things to my life, but it
still wasn't enough. As I began my mission, reading and study the
scriptures for an hour felt like a marathon, but slowly an hour
started to feel so short and I learned so much. I started to notice
how each scripture could pertain directly to my life and that God can
speak to me from the scriptures.

On the days where we don't have time to study for a normal amount of
time, I truly can feel the negative difference it makes in not reading
them. I don't feel prepared for the day. I can literally feel the
difference in lessons and I feel at a loss. The scriptures hold power.

It is through the scriptures that I have the power to come closer to
my savior as well as to withstand the temptations of the devil. It is
though the Book of Mormon, and the diligent study that you cast out
all doubts and fears and confusions. The gospel itself is simple, the
book of mormon gives you the foundation of understanding so that as
God teaches you line upon line, you are then able to build up from
your foundation. The devil is the only one who wants you to tear that
foundation down.

I've come to know so strongly that the devil is very real, hat he is
there and that he's smart. After all, he's already lost everything
possibly, what has he got to lose? He might as well tempt us because
we have everything to lose. As we make plans, he also makes plans. But
it is through the power of the Book of Mormon and the spirit that I
can stay string amidst all of those whirlwinds that satan sends.

I've come to love the basics of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith in
Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of
the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. The pure and simple truths. We
need those simple foundation truths because everything in the church
ties back to those things.

We each have times when we doubt, when we fear that we're doing the
wrong thing. But it's from relying on those basic principles, and
truly studying our scriptures, praying and worshipping at church, that
we continue to have the reassurance and the confirmation that what we
are doing is right. It doesn't matter what we don't understand, what
matter is that we don't let the things we don't know, cloud what we do
know.

This life is a time of testing and trial. I've been tested in so many
ways. Most of them haven't been a huge, most have been small every day
decisions. But as a prophet or apostle once said, "decisions determine
destiny". Hold on to what you do know, pray about what you don't know,
and keep moving forward.

Have a wonderful week! Love you all!

President and Sister Riggs going home!

Zack's last lesson before baptism

Zack's baptism

Week 73

This week has been going so wonderfully!! Transfers are coming up and so we will find out for sure what is happening tonight, however, Im pretty sure that ill be moving apartments, but staying in the langley ysa ward, and then sister donato will leave and sister archibald will probably stay in the great falls ward.

Who knows! Its been a wonderful transfer, I cant believe how fast it went!

Sister archibald and I had the opportunity to sing at a fireside yesterday evening, and it went so well!! We had practiced with an accompaniment, but then we knew we needed to do it without one...so that was pretty cool, I have a couple recordings of it that ill have to show you sometime. maybe ill be able to send a small part of it. 

a cool thing happened, we attended a baptism and a member of the ward was telling us about a girl that she was going to introduce us to. This girl just graduated high school and had been around several members of the church before and out of nowhere she was sitting at a stoplight and saw some elders in the car next to her, she saw their window open, so she rolled down her window and yelled, "hey do you guys have a book of mormon I can have?" and so the elders proceeded to throw a book of mormon to her through the windows right as the light turned green. now this girl is thinking about attending BYU and stuff. shes still never met with missionaries. We're supposed to meet her this coming sunday! 

anywho, have a good week!!! :) love you all!

Pretty sure Sister Donato should own this

Temple with Vicki a new convert from my last area

I got a sewing machine now I'm fixing everyones clothes

Exchanges

Week 72

6-15-15

Wow, its been an amazing week!!

First off, Zack Ellis is getting baptized! I'm not sure how much I've told you about him, but he's been investigating for about 6 months and he's the kind of person that has had amazing spiritual experiences in the past that led him to God, but something was holding him back. Well now....he's made the decision!! and we are all so happy for him!

Yesterday Sister Archibald and I sang a musical number in church and holy cow it was so cool, God just synced our voices so perfectly and then it just worked. it was so cool. seriously.

We had the coolest service project the other day for something called "The World Police and Fire Games" yeah super cool, the people in charge asked President Riggs if missionaries could help out and so we helped out with set up and stuff a few days ago and we got to hang out with a bunch of missionaries and then we get to go back in a few weeks and we get to be the cheering section for random people from other countries who are coming up here. Its going to be awesome!!

We've been having Great spiritual experiences this past week. Its been amazing. Have a great week! Love you all.

 

 

Kali and Sister Archibald singing

Kali and Sister Archibald were asked to sing on the spot

Week 71

Not much to say this week! Things have been going awesomely. It was Sister Archibald's birthday this week and so we went and pulled some smooth moves and managed to do some awesome surprises with I the help of some elders in our district! It was awesome! When she woke up we silly stringed her, we blew up some balloons, made crepes, has a pizza party with the

District and took" men in black" photos. It was so cool. We felt really legit. 

We Saw a church that said "the Christian church" and another church right next to it said, "the first Christian church". Competitive much? I can see how much the spirit led that one.

We've been having some really spiritul experiences lately, during studies we've had some cool things happen and we've been in several lessons that the people are so prepared to be baptized, but they just aren't making the move to do it. We counted 8 people who have had all the lessons and live the Mormon lifestyle, but they just aren't committing. They will soon though! 

Any who, love you all! Have a good week! :) 

Birthday celebration for Sister Archibald

coat stealing....

Jacket swapping

Men in Black photo shoot

nap time

Birthday surprise

 

Week 70

 

Hi Everyone,

    This week has been a good one! The trio has been A BLAST! And we've been SO productive. I'd always heard really terrible things about trios, how unproductive they are, how awful it is....but holy cow we've gotten so much accomplished and we've managed to have seriously the most fun ever. it's been great. We're going to try to convince President Riggs to let me die with them! (aka finish my mission with them).

So last Monday evening we had the coolest experience. There was a community event going on and we had an event called "The Night of Hidden Talents" that we were planning. We had made it as a good place for ward members to invite nonmember friends so that its somewhere spiritual and yet a fun, entertaining environment. We also wanted to invite a ton of nonmembers. So we showed up to this community event with about 200 fliers and there were tons of people, we just started walking down the street handing out these fliers and I kid you not...they were all gone in an hour. I could count on one hand the amount of people who rejected us. Everyone wanted to come and everyone asked if they could have more fliers to give to their friends and family. it was so cool.

So Sister Archibald and I were going to be performing at the show as well. We had been struggling to find an accompanist, but somehow managed to get one 48 hours before the show. The performance went really well! Sister Donato got a video....but those don't send over email very well, sooooo i'll just show it to you in a couple months...haha

Also, we had been planning on performing in church as well....but that got cancelled and then the other ward randomly called me a day and a half before church and asked me to speak. Basically this whole week has been INSANE, but its been fun.

Anywho, theres a lot of miracles, lots of fun adventures, many great one liners and a whole ton pictures that happened this week.

Have a good upcoming week! love you all!

 

 

late night sillies