One final time (Week 74)

Hello, hello!

     So, today this email is going to be super short because things have gotten all switched up and changed around here. I was supposed to go down on the transfer train tomorrow morning to Charleston for the transfer meeting and then go to the mission home and meetings from there... But, because of the big storm I guess that is coming on thursday I think, they have moved the transfer meeting to friday, so all of us missionaries going home will miss it. They want to get us few to the mission home before it hits though, so they called us late yesterday afternoon and said that they are getting all of us today (Wednesday). I am going to have to meet at the church at 2 then a member couple will take me over to Parkersburg, WV where I will meet up with an elder going home and the AP's and then will ride down with them to Charleston today. Then I guess we will just hang out or something til we leave friday. Sister Searle is having to meet the Buckhannon sisters at the church and then will go down with them until transfers friday afternoon. So, all of our plans for today were shot for saying goodbye and stuff. We were running around all last night to try and get things done and have been going all day today as well. I couldn't sleep last night either because I had so much on my mind about life here, what I had to do, and just trying to figure everything out. I am so exhausted but that's ok. What a way to end my mission...with a whirlwind. I love it though!! They moved p-day to tomorrow as well but I don't think I will be able to get one so I just had to write one last one. I only have a couple minutes left so I just want to leave my testimony with you.

     I know that God, our loving Heavenly Father, and His son Jesus Christ live!!! They love us so much and only want the best for us! They are in every detail of our lives and know exactly what we need to grow and become better, and will place those things in our paths to help us. We are given trials and challenges for a reason- to improve and overcome our faults and weaknesses. I know that as I have been out here, it seems that all of my faults and weaknesses have come out at different times and it's been so hard, but I have been able to refine them because of the experiences that I have gone through. I testify that Heavenly Father is completely aware of us and never ever leaves us alone!! He loves us with an infinite love and will guide us through the Holy Ghost to safer and higher paths. I know that as we turn to Him in humble and earnest prayer, seeking righteous desires and help, He will answer our prayers!!! Every prayer that we say is heard and answered, but in His own time and way. It won't always be in the time and way that we are wanting things but it is the time and way that will help us grow the most. I testify that the Book of Mormon is true and that it is another testament of Jesus Christ! There is no other book with so much power and purity in it and that will change your life as much as this book. As I've had the opportunity to study and learn from it and apply it into my life I have gained such a stronger testimony of my Savior, who He is, and that this gospel in its fulness is true. I love the Book of Mormon so much and am soooo grateful for it! I encourage everyone to read from it with a sincere desire to learn and then ask Heavenly Father if it's true because He knows what is true and right. I know that we have the priesthood power of God on the earth today and that this power is real! I have seen miracles because of it!! I know without a doubt that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's true church on the earth today!!! It is amazing what we can learn and how we can change because of this church! I am so incredibly grateful to be a member of this church. I have absolutely loved being a missionary for these 18 months and have learned so many things that I will never forget. This experience has truly changed my life and I will be forever grateful for it because the experiences that I have been a part of here can never be replaced!! I love being a missionary and representing my Savior because I have truly felt His love for His children out here and I love it! This work is true and we all need to be a part of it!!

                                                      Love, Sister Jenna Higgins  

I officially hate snow! (Week 73)

Hello family!!

       So, let me just tell you that it is a very weird feeling that I have right now knowing that this is my very last pday that is a monday. I remember when I first came out into the field and had my monday pday and it was so exciting. 

 

      This week was a kind of crazy week and I don't even know what all happened because it went by soooo fast. We had President interviews and that was super great! I love President so much and he is just so wonderful! Our interview wasn't very long because he said that we would just have our longer interview in a short time. As I was coming to shake his hand he was like, 'how's my short timer??' So sad! 

      Well, we had quite the interesting lesson with one of our investigators this week and I'm pretty sure that it will be our last lesson with him. We were on the porch because the member that we had canceled on us. So it just kept getting weirder and then it was just awkward. He basically then just proposed to me while in the lesson and it was super weird. Then he kept referencing to it the entire rest of the lesson and I just felt so awkward. At the end of the lesson, I bore my testimony and he was just like, 'oh, you've got to do better than that if you want me to say yes.' Uh...yeah. Then as we were leaving he asked if we were coming back, we said ok, and Sister Searle was like, 'she only has two weeks left..' Then he was like, 'what? You can't leave me, we're practically engaged. I need to hire a lawyer or something so you can't leave.' So bad! He also said earlier on that I could still be a missionary but just had to be home by dark so I could cook him food! haha Oh my goodness, one of the most awkwardest and weirdest moments of my life!! It's a good thing that I will be leaving this area soon! 

      So, best miracle of the week!!!! Sister Richards and I had been trying to get a hold of a less active and he was super excited and happy to see us but we could never get a set time to see him. We went by this week to see if we could meet with him and we talked to him and set up a lesson on sunday. His dad is active in the ward so we went to his house to meet Pxxx Pxxx and his wife Gxxx!! They are amazing and I love them so much!! He said that he has been less active for a while but has felt the Lord knocking on his door and that he has been feeling the Lord lately. His wife is catholic but is not practicing either, but she is SO elect!! Oh my heavens, it was just like the best lesson that we had. We got to know them, talked about their life and what they are thinking, and then we showed them the mormon message, Lifting Burdens- The Atonement of Jesus Christ. The spirit in the room was so strong and it was so amazing!! Pxxx was crying and everything and Gxxx loved it! That is one of my favorite mormon messages because it talks all about how through this gospel we can become better and overcome all of our trials! I felt so much peace and the feeling that it was all going to be ok. And, I felt so much love for both of them! It was the best feeling ever because the entire time that we were talking with them I just felt so many emotions from our Heavenly Father for them. He wants to come back to church but doesn't quite feel ready, his wife really wants to learn more, and says she will go with whatever her husband wants....and they have two boys!!! They are such a great family and we both really feel that she will get baptized soon!! Such an amazing miracle!!!! I love being a missionary!!!

     Well, so much is happening here and I feel like time is going by so quickly! Yesterday we finally had church and it was the best! I bore my testimony and I hope that it was good! The Lord helped me through it and I didn't really cry at all...just at the beginning! I can't even tell you how many emotions I was feeling as I was up there! I love you all so much and hope that you have a wonderful week!!! Talk to you on wednesday!!

 

                                         Love, Sister Higgins