Jenna in West Virginia: Happy P-day! (Week 56)

Family!!

Oh man, you don't know how wonderful it was to have a few emails in my inbox when I opened it up today! It feels like forever, so it was very good to hear from you! Conference was just wonderful!!! I had a lot of favorite talks, but especially loved Uchtdorf, Duba, the 70 on Christlike attributes, and...I just forgot the other one. It was an apostle though. There were just so many wonderful talks, and I learned soooo much!! So many of my prayers and questions were answered which was wonderful! The first saturday session finished and I was like 'alright, well I have almost everything answered already!' ha It was great!! I just love, love conference so much! It is the best! It was weird to think though that a year ago was when I had just barely entered the field and was watching conference. And then to have the age change happen a year ago and to see so many young missionaries in our mission (my companion included) was really cool! What were some of your favorite talks? Dad- you said you liked Ballard. Thanks for the information about the wedding! Wow, I wasn't expecting that, but it is still after I get home, so there is no complaining coming from me!! At least I get to see Kellie for 6 days!! I'm just so excited that I get to be there!! :D Lindsey- does that mean that you will get to be there for my homecoming talk? Kellie- it sounds like you are keeping busy with everything. Have fun in Denver! Tell Steve hello for me! I will try to start working out harder now, so that I don't ruin your wedding pictures!! haha

Alright, so now let's talk about me! That sounds so great coming from a Christlike missionary right?! ha I'm sure you are wondering about what is happening with a little thing called transfers. Well, let me tell you about it. The lucky ward that is going to get me is the same ward I am in right now. Yep, I am staying put here in Bridgeport for another transfer! This will be my third transfer here which will tie my record of being in White Sulphur for three transfers. Crazy! It was so not expected! I totally thought I was leaving and was preparing to go somewhere else, but psych, the Lord has other plans and needs me here! Since so many missionaries have come out you never really know what is happening, and President likes to keep you on your toes at times. There is going to be change here though because there is a set of elders that will be doubling into Bridgeport and will be walking elders. So, that means that we will still be living in Bridgeport, but now we will just have a new area. I'm taking all of Taylor County and I have not been in it like at all cause that was the elders so I'm not sure what to expect there, and then we will still have Shinnston. So it will be quite the change but I'm excited for it. My new companion will be Sister Richards who was trained by Sister Tuckett. You remember Sister Tuckett right, she is amazing and I served with her my third transfer in Dublin. She is amazing!! Sister Richards was trained for six weeks, and then trained and opened up Portsmith. (Ohio I think). So, she will be starting her fourth transfer. I met her once and thought she was really cool, so I'm excited to work with her. She is a hard worker and is apparently just wonderful, so it should be a good transfer! Sister Peck will be heading down to South Hills (Charleston) and will be serving with Sister Kimber. Sister Kimber came out with me and is just wonderful! I love her! We definitely weren't expecting it, but it should be a good transfer for both of us.

So, on monday and tuesday I went on exchanges to Morgantown with Sister Landrey and that was just soooo wonderful!!! It was weird being back in Morgantown again but I love it up there. College town! I had never served with Sister Landrey at all before but was so excited because she is just wonderful and I have looked up to her a lot throughout my mission. So, we got to be companions for 24 hours, and it was just great because she taught me so much...I think I taught her some too! :) She will be going home the transfer in november so she had a lot of wisdom and experience that I can learn from. We were able to talk to a lot of people that didn't have religion in their life at all and had turned away from it, but it was great to talk with them. To be able to tell them that they have a Heavenly Father who knows them and loves them, and has a perfect plan for them and knowing for myself that it was true was so cool. We were able to give them Book of Mormon's and testify that it really will change your life if you read it sincerely and want to know what Heavenly Father has to say to you personally! We had a lesson with a girl yesterday and that was a really neat experience to have because she is so ready to have the gospel in her life. She said that no matter the opposition from other people about meeting with missionaries she wants to find out for herself if it is true, and at the end of the lesson she said that she hopes it is all true. She is so open and willing to learn and had so many good questions, insights, and really wanted to learn and come closer to God. I was able to recite the first vision to her and that was one of the neatest experiences because the Spirit again testified to me that it is true. The spirit was really strong during that part and you could tell that she felt something because she was so intent on what I was saying and kept staring at me. I love watching how the spirit testifies to each one of us about truths when we hear it!! She is wonderful and I really hope that she will continue to take the lessons (we had the first lesson with her) because she is ready for the gospel! It's just like what Elder Ballard said in conference!! We all need to do our part because there are sooo many people that are ready and waiting for the gospel but we need to do our part. If each one of us prays to help someone know the gospel millions will come to know the truth of this gospel! Think about that! Millions!!!! Millions of God's children who would finally know the truth and know that there is so much more to this life through this gospel, through Christ!! It made me want to do even more and work even harder to help people out here!! The Lord is hastening His work, and needs us to be a part of it...are we ready for it??

I also received a blessing while there and that was wonderful!! I love priesthood blessings because it helps me so much and I know that it comes from Heavenly Father!! I felt so much better after that blessing and it was just a comfort and peace to have. I know that the priesthood is real and that it is again on the earth today! It is amazing and such a blessing to each one of us to know that there are men on the earth today who hold the power of God and have the power and authority to act in His name. What a blessing!!

While I was gone on exchanges Sister Peck had a great exchange here in Bridgeport!! They had an awesome lesson with a woman (Axxx ) that will still be in my area next transfer. She is so ready for the gospel and is so elect!!! She keeps talking about the book of mormon, watched part of General Conference, goes on mormon.org a lot, went to the deseret book website, and is just so intent on learning more about our church. She recognizes that we are always so happy and wants to know why!! Her son has started to ask questions about God and she has been turning to us for help and was specifically trying to teach him things that we believe. I really believe that she is ready for the gospel and that this coming transfer we will be able to make a lot of progress with her. I am soooo excited because she is just amazing and I am just waiting for her to realize that she already believes all this!!! It should be interesting!! Please pray for us!!! :)

I think that's about it for now. I was struggling a little bit but I am so much better!!! I have just had things that have helped me so much and I am so ready for this next transfer!!! Bring it on! I know this work is true and that we are all a part of this work!! I love you all and hope that you are doing well!!! Have a wonderful week!!!

Love, Sister Jenna Higgins

P.S. Did you know that there is a sister out here who was reading my blog before she came out here?? That's weird!! I just found out about that yesterday so I decided that maybe I should be a little better in my emails!

We chalked a member. I liked this one!