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

Get me out of this winter craziness!!! (Week 72)

Hello family!!

     How is it already monday?? This week went by super fast, but also slow. It's been weird. It's all just weird now because I'm just on a countdown and I feel like my life is going to be over, and so I don't want it to go so fast!! Maybe I should pray that time will slow down!!

 

     So, I guess I will just start by talking about last pday. After we emailed we then had a nerf gun war with all of us missionaries in the gym. We were trying to find something fun to do and that's what we came up with. Oh the life of a missionary! :) The elders set up tables all around in the gym for different barricades and then we started running around, shooting each other, and trying to get the other team's flag. It was so much fun and so crazy! Then I decided to run to the other side and get a teammate out of jail. I was on a dead run to get them and someone was behind me who was going to shoot me. I was kind of falling too and so I tried to do a dive thing, hit the ground, did a flip thing, and then my head slammed into the rack of chairs...and then I stopped!! It was awesome!! The only thing I got annoyed at though was I didn't even get my teammate!! I got shot right before I got there! lame! It was so cool though! All of the elders were impressed but super worried about me and immediately came over. It was ok though. I just sat there for a minute and then I was ok. Then later that night when we were out working I had a really big headache from hitting my head. Sister Searle demanded we call the mission nurse to see if it was a concussion. I didn't think it was though because I didn't hit it hard enough. We called and it was so funny. Sister Searle was like, 'well, my companion has a headache cause she ran into some chairs.' ha! Then I had to talk to her and it was so funny. Yes, I ran into some chairs with my head and now it hurts! haha We decided it wasn't a concussion, but she was like 'I bet you have a headache' and just laughed at me! Yep, I'm cool! I got a blessing from the elders and that was really good, just to help me feel better! I just love the power of the priesthood and knowing that it is the power of God on earth today! We went home and I just had to sit there with a pack of frozen peas on my head and not go out and work. It was terrible but so funny! Every time I laughed my head hurt....so, be careful of chairs out there! They can be hazardous! :p

 

     Basically this week has been just one huge storm of TONS of snow, super HARD wind, and COLD weather... it has been awesome!!! haha Tuesday, we were advised to not go out at all because it was going to be so bad. We were not supposed to go out unless we had an appointment that we had to be at. All of our appointments called and canceled on us, so we just hunkered down and studied! I studied so much that my brain hurt so we just took some breaks and watched the snow going crazy outside! That night we still weren't able to go out and I was so tired of studying, so we decided to do something on my bucket list and see if sledding on trash bags really does work. We found out that it does not work at all on the grass! We got stuck every time! We tried it on the cement of the parking lot in the funeral home and we found one spot where it actually worked quite well!! It was awesome and we did it until I slid right into a huge pile of snow and got super cold! Then we ran inside to warm up because it was so cold outside. It was super fun though and a good way to end the day! I hate being stuck inside though because I just wanted to get out and find people to teach them the gospel!! Maybe I should get a dog sled team out here! That would be good so then I could go out on the roads and not have to worry about the car when we start sliding all over the place! That's one thing that has been crazy this week. We have been sliding all over the place and it is crazy! Sister Searle has been scared a lot and doesn't want to go out on the roads sometimes because the roads are so bad. But, I kind of am just like, 'let's go.' I just want to go out and find people and teach them! I wouldn't be so frustrated with all this snow and it slowing down our progress, but it's my last transfer and I'm on a countdown here. I only have a limited time and I just want to go out and do all I can right now and it's killing me to have all this snow! I guess the Lord is just throwing me one more big piece of humble pie before I go home! I need to learn patience and humility and know that it all goes how He needs it to go! Church was canceled again and I was so sad!! I was so excited for church because I love learning, feeling the spirit, and seeing all of the members! You get to renew your baptismal covenants and remember all that Christ has done for each of us! I just love church so much and was sad to miss it again! Next week!! My last fast and testimony meeting out here. So sad!!

 

     I love it out here so much and am grateful to be serving!! I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week!!! I love you!!!

 

                                           Love, Sister Higgins

Sick week! (Week 71)

Hello family!!!

     Thanks for the emails and pictures! I love seeing them cause it makes me so happy!! Well daddy, I know who Marilyn Monroe is and what happened so that's why I said it cause my skirt flew up just like that! 

     So, nothing too exciting happened this week because Sister Searle was sick basically tuesday night to saturday morning. You would be amazed though at how much studying I got done!! haha I finished the Book of Mormon, read almost all of True to the Faith, some ensigns, and I don't know what else! I thought I was going to go crazy staying in the apartment that long, but we survived! :) It's interesting how my perspective has changed out here though. I know journal writing is super important but I have not been the best at writing in mine cause there is just so much to be done. I could have caught up on it when we were inside but I just didn't want to. All I wanted to do was study and learn as much as I could during that time, because I just love the gospel soooo much!! It's amazing how much I have been learning out here and experiencing. This really is such a good foundation to learn about the gospel because I am so excited to come home and have even more time to just study and learn about all that we can! The things we can learn are endless and it is awesome!! 

     We had one lesson on tuesday that was awesome! We have a member who introduced us to her friend so we have been meeting with her and she is great! We taught her the plan of salvation and it went great and our member participated a lot which helped her learn more too! Lxxxx (investigator) said she had been very confused about a lot of things with life and death and she just didn't like it and didn't know what to do. We had that lesson though and it was so cool, because we asked her at the end of the lesson what she thought and what she had learned from the lesson, and she was so amazed!! She said that she felt so much comfort and felt so much better now that we talked to her about everything and explained things better than anyone else ever had. She felt that way because what we taught her is true and she was feeling the spirit testifying to her that it is true and it is from God to her! I bore a final testimony to her and it was amazing! It was definitely not me talking but the Lord because I had so many thoughts coming to mind and words were just flying out of my mouth! It was so neat because I just felt so empowered and used by the Lord and it was just awesome!! I love having a testimony of this work and then sharing it with others because I know how much it will bless their life! Afterwards, our member was talking to us and said that when she looked over at me while I was bearing testimony I was so bright. She said I just had a huge, bright glow around me and that I just looked so happy, and that it was just like I had a halo over my head because I am just such an angel!! That was so nice of her and made me feel so happy! I love feeling the spirit and knowing that the Lord is right there with me because He is helping guide me to help His children! What an amazing thing!!

     We had another lesson as well and that one was really neat too! Kxxxx has been coming to institute for a while with a member and has been to church now 4 times and loves it. We showed her the restoration video and then were able to talk with her so openly about it all. She said that learning all of this is overwhelming because it is different than what she has grown up with, but that it is good and she really likes learning about it. She recognizes things make her happy, that people love her, and that when she reads she likes it. She had some really good questions for us and again the Lord was using me because I was getting scriptures coming to my mind and I was able to explain things in simple but direct ways that made sense to her. It was really neat as well! I love her!

     Yesterday, church was canceled cause we had a snowstorm...lame!! So, we had more time to work. We ended up doing a little get together where the missionaries came, and some members and investigators came and we all ate food and then watched 17 Miracles. It was AWESOME because we had a good time, people there, and the spirit was there!!! I absolutely love that movie and it makes me cry every time! I was sitting there watching the movie and I had so many thoughts and emotions running through me that I just started crying! Of course, you're thinking! ;) I have such a deep gratitude, respect, and love for the pioneers and all they went through for me! I can't even imagine all that they had to endure, but they kept going with their faith strong in the Lord. All of a sudden it just hit me so hard while watching the movie that I only have a few weeks left, and I was so sad. I cried about that because I love being a missionary so much!! It is the hardest thing I have ever done, but absolutely the best thing because I am learning and experiencing soooo much!! You can never replace this experience! I love it though and I love serving my Heavenly Father and learning more about my relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ and also more about who I am!!! I don't want it to end because it is so amazing!!! I am just so thankful for it all!!! I hope that you all have a wonderful week though and that you get all that you need to done!! Remember the Savior and all that He has done and is doing for you because He loves you so much!!! And, so do I!!!         

                                         Love, Sister Higgins

Hi!! (Week 70)

Hello again!

     Mom- I don't need any more foot warmers right now. Thanks though. I want to see Saratov (movie) sometime. Yes, we got an email from president talking about how there will be a new president and a little about them. But they won't give us more details until like june so I won't really hear any of it. Dad- Sister Searle is on her outbound. Sisters that go to a visitors center have an outbound mission where they go to a stateside mission and learn how to do missionary work more out in the field. With her, they send all the sisters out for the winter cause like noone comes to Nauvoo during that time so they send them out here for four transfers. She didn't know about it until she left a little before to go to Nauvoo.

     So this week was a crazy week and I feel like we got a lot done but at the same time not a ton because the days just flew by. It was weird! On tuesday it was soooo cold!!! We went out for a district meeting that morning and it was -4!!! I wanted to go curl up in my bed again! ha Our pipes luckily didn't freeze so that was good. A couple people had their pipes freeze so I'm glad that we didn't have ours. Our landlord said we didn't have to have a faucet drip but I did it anyway cause it took a minute and then went. Crazy! Our car almost didn't start either because it was so cold. That was a very fun day but we survived it. Sister Pitt had called us and said to not sacrifice our bodies for the work..aka don't be outside all day. We couldn't be out longer than like 20 minutes or else it would harm our skin. What a crazy day! ha 

  

      Our meeting with Elder Neilsen was soooo amazing!! Holy moly, it was so overwhelming because I had answers coming at me right and left and answers to things that I wasn't even thinking about. We had a wonderful meeting with him and he talked all about missionary work, but also about keeping covenants and how they all work together. I learned so much and the spirit was there so strongly!! I had so many moments where it was just tangible to me. It was crazy because I ended up reflecting a lot on my mission and all that I have gone through and experienced and all that I have learned. It was so amazing and I just really felt like the Lord is proud of me and that He is watching out for me!! It was a neat experience! I also saw a couple different members from past areas and that was so fun to see them. I loved talking to them and they were so excited to talk to me too! :p I love how I've made so many wonderful relationships out here. Hopefully I have been able to touch the lives of people around and influenced them in a positive way! I saw all my missionary friends and that was fun and then I was able to have a meeting with him for MLC with just a few of us and that was really cool! With the water chemical thing (water supply contaminated due to chemical spill) we couldn't wash our hands and couldn't drink from the water fountains either. Everything was blocked off with signs and stuff. It was crazy! We got one water bottle for lunch and that was it!

     So, for a funny experience we were going to see a less active and it was really windy out and I was wearing a skirt that liked to blow in the wind. As we were on the porch of a less active's house he opened up the door and right then the wind blew up and my skirt flew up. We were laughing so hard and trying to get my skirt down so we could talk to our less active! It was so funny but embarassing! Got to love all those wonderful moments out here! haha Sister Searle couldn't laugh too hard though cause her skirt got stuck in the door on saturday. 

     Well that's it for now because we are going bowling with the elders and they are all standing over me waiting for me to finish. So, I love you and hope that you are doing well!! I am loving it here and know that the church is true!!! Have a wonderful day!

                                 Love, Sister Higgins

Why is it still snowing??? (Week 69)

Hello, hello!!

      So this may be another short email again :( The elders were determined to get us to go out with them today for lunch and that is at 12, so I will try to type fast. Mom- glad you got my package (of excess mission stuff that won't fit in the suitcases). I may be sending another one sometime. I am fine wherever I sleep (when everyone is here for her sister's wedding) as long as I can just crash and get sleep. If I have to sleep in your room then I have to go to bed before dad so that I can get to sleep before he starts snoring!! ha but really! I need my beauty sleep for the wedding! :p  Who are your RS Counselors? No worries. I have already been thinking of things that I can try to help you with so don't stress about it. I will help you! That's so exciting about the Panters! Yay missions! If you could get those quotes from Bro Christensen I would love that! There are some people here that could benefit from it and I would love them too! Thanks! 

      As for sleep, I am getting eight hours a night and I have never been more tired in my life! I am just so exhausted right now (hope I don't get sick!), but that's ok. I am pushing through to the end because that's what I need to do! It's amazing though to see how the Lord really does sustain us and how He gives us energy and keeps us going even when we don't think we can. Sometimes I think my eyes are just being held open but it works!!! haha I love it though and this is the best work that I have ever done and I am just so, so grateful for the opportunity to be out here!!! 

      So, it has been so cold here lately and it is snowing so much!!! Since thursday we have had two big snow storms...lame! I thought I was going to get transferred, but Sister Richards went to Virginia and has like no snow and we are just getting so much! I want to get transferred so I wouldn't have to be up here for all the storms! ha Tonight it is supposed to get down to like -20 or -30 with the cold and wind chill, and we are supposed to get ice and snow. This is the coldest it has been here in like 20 years...yay!!! Of course that happens the winter that I am here! I thought I was going to miss it, but I'm not! It should be interesting. A member was showing us the forecast yesterday and they said not to be out longer than like ten minutes or you could get frostbite or hypothermia or even die...tomorrow should be awesome!!! Just pray for our safety and that we will be ok! Thanks!

    Transfers happened on thursday and Sister Searle got up here in the snow from sunny and warm Roanoke, VA and she was soooo cold!! haha She is from the thriving metropolis of Spanish Fork, Utah (next door to Mapleton, UT). haha She has been out 10 months but has only been in our mission for three months. She is serving in the Nauvoo Illinois Mission and is just on her outbound here for 6 months. She serves in the city of Nauvoo and at Carthage Jail as well. They are just there for the summer and then go somewhere else until the next summer. She is really cool, and is now starting to open up a little more since we have been together a few days. She is pretty quiet though and I have taught most of the lessons because of that. It will be ok though because I have learned a lot from her and I think she is just trying to get used to everything. She didn't want to get transferred here so she is trying to love it. She is great though and I love her a lot! I will learn a lot from her and know that she will keep me going this last transfer!

      I just want to share my great appreciation and gratitude to the pioneers, especially the Martin and Willie Handcart Companies. On friday, when there was a ton of snow and it was really cold, I found out that in one pair of my boots both of the feet had holes in them... So, I then soaked up a lot of water and snow in my shoe and had to go the entire day like that with cold, wet feet. It sucked, but I learned a lesson of humility. Think of the pioneers who had to travel across the plains in the snow with maybe no shoes at all, with their feet bleeding and numb, but they kept going. They kept going because they knew that what they were walking towards was Zion, safety, peace, and what they knew was true. They knew the Lord would provide a way for them and was watching out for them even though they were going through trials. For me, I was walking because I know the message that I bear is true and that it will bring us to an everlasting happiness with a strong faith in our Savior. I know that it will help these people come to their own Zion because they will have the restored gospel in their lives. So I kept walking because I want to find these people who need the truth! It was a hard and cold day but such a good experience because it taught me even more about the pioneers and how I am so grateful for them and all that they did for us!! 

     Thanks for all that you do!! I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week!!! Stay warm and keep your feet dry! :)   

                                               Love, Sister Higgins

Super Short this week! (Week 68)

Hello, hello!

      Alright this is going to be super, super short today so I am sorry about that!! (She raided Sis. Richards' memory card and sent lots of photos though!) I didn't realize that Kellie and Steve would be coming to see Grandma and everyone! That is awesome! I'm glad that they all liked him and everything! Aunt Linda and family are coming to the wedding?!?!?! Holy moly, that is so exciting to hear!!! I never would have guessed that so that is super cool!!! 

     So, transfers are tomorrow and I am not to excited for them cause Sister Richards and I are being split apart! :( We talked to President yesterday and it was so funny. He was just like, "I know this is hard for you two because you love each other so much and have such a good relationship, but we need to share the wealth with the rest of the mission." hahaha I love it! People are so sad here that they are splitting us up because they all think that we are just the power companionship. Someone was like 'you're just beasts in your area!' ha It's kind of true though because I think that we really do have a lot of power in our companionship, but now after two transfers they are splitting us up :( So.....Sister Richards is going down to Blacksburg, VA to greenie break a girl that just got trained. She will be a solo STL down there. I will be staying here in Bridgeport and will be companions with Sister Searle who was an STL down in Roanoke. I am excited but so sad to see Sister Richards go. We have had so much fun together and so many amazing experiences that I will never forget!!! I will be starting my fifth transfer here in Bridgeport which is so weird! I have been here since July! It will be so hard to leave here cause I love the people so much! I really thought I was leaving so I was preparing myself, but the Lord still needs me here in Bridgeport. It should be good though! Super weird and sad though to think I am starting my last transfer tomorrow! AHHHH!!!!! 

     Anyways, I don't really have like anymore time to write cause I did all the pictures and we don't have a ton of time cause we have SOOO much to do today. I will try to write a better email next time! We had an amazing week though and I absolutely loved it!!! :) Love you lots!!!

                                                       Love, Sister Higgins  

 Jenna has not changed!!  Very expressive face still!  This is in their apartment, I believe.

Merry Christmas!!! (Week 67)

Hello again!!

      Alright, so this email may not be the best because I am racing the clock on this today! I still have to write President, put in numbers, and maybe some other emails and the library closes at 12, so here goes. Dad- as you saw (in Pres. Pitt's weekly letter), we are having another general authority come to see us!!! Elder S. Gifford Nielsen who was the exclamation point seventy in conference!! I am so excited to hear him speak and I will still be here!!!! Woot!! That is so frustrating about the judge from the supreme court who overruled the state law about gay marriages. Dumb!! You nailed it on the head when you said that so much evil is good now! Totally can see it out here too!! I didn't know that Hal Brinkerhoff had died!! So sad!! Anyways, I don't have a lot of time, so if you have questions for me just write them down and then we can talk about it on wednesday!!! I am so excited!!! :)

      This week was really awesome!!! We had an awesome dinner and lesson with a part member family and I just love them so much!! He has never been real religious his entire life but is opening up so much with us and just loves us so much!! Last monday we watched the mormon message, 'Lifting Burdens: The Atonement of Jesus Christ', it is one of my favorites so you should watch it if you haven't! The entire time he was so fixed on it and then immediately spoke up when we finished it and started talking. It was so neat to see how he loved it so much and how he really felt the spirit that came into the room during it. You could see that it really touched him and that he really enjoyed it. We are his favorite missionaries and the first missionaries that he has ever talked to, and feels so comfortable around us. He says that he is going to miss us so much when we have to leave. So, we're just hoping that neither of us leave this transfer so we can stay here again to help him!!! :) We'll see what happens!!

      Wednesday we had Specialized Training (like zone conference) and it was sooooo wonderful!!! Holy moly I loved it so much and learned so much from it!! I felt like I was writing the entire time and my brain was just trying to soak in everything that I was hearing!! I love President and Sister Pitt so much!!! They always know exactly what we missionaries need to hear and are so inspired!!!! We were combined with the Morgantown zone too so I got to see some other missionaries I know and that was fun! They had a special christmas program after for us all and it was so neat. We saw different bible video clips about Christ's birth and then different missionaries did different musical numbers. Sister Richards and I did one called ' Do you have room' (google it) and I think it was ok!! We aren't the best singers but at least we tried to share our testimonies through that song. People said that it was good so hopefully it was and they weren't lying!! :) 

      We found some different less actives that we hadn't been able to contact before and it was just interesting and sad to me to be able to get to know them and see why they aren't coming to church anymore. One couple had this huge chip on their shoulder to the church and would always comment about it even when we were sharing a spiritual thought. It was sad to see because from what we got, it just seemed like a misunderstanding, but they blew it out of proportion. Being out here has definitely opened my eyes even more that people are not perfect in this church, but the doctrines of the church are perfect!! We are all human and make mistakes, but that's ok because that is why we have the atonement to help us overcome our faults and weaknesses. It is up to us though to take that offense and let it fester and lead us away from church and the blessings that come from it. To me I just don't get it. Why sacrifice your eternal salvation, your covenants that you've made with God for something that another imperfect human said? We each have our agency and decide how we will act and react to the things that happen around us. For me, it just makes me want to stay firmly attached to this gospel even more when I see the situations that these people are in because they are missing out on all of the blessings that are there waiting for them, if they just remember how amazing this gospel is!!! Needless to say, we were a little bold with this couple because they needed it put in very direct terms. I love this gospel!! 

      One last experience that we had this week that was quite interesting. We found a man and taught him once and then heard some things from members of the ward and one of our investigators that live around there that he does some interesting things and may not be the greatest. We wanted to give it at least a try though to see if he had changed and give him that opportunity to accept it. The last lesson we had I talked about last week and it was really crazy! No spirit and he was throwing out so much! So, we called (Sister Richards insisted that I call so she wouldn't have to do it! ha!) to just tell him to basically that we were going to drop him. That was the worst phone call I have ever had on my mission because he was exactly what we heard he was. I was being all nice and telling him, and then he basically shot off on all this anti and that was fun. He was saying all this stuff about cults, falsehood, and how he was worried for my soul, that I was brainwashed, and so on. When I tried to just bear my testimony to him, he cut me off and said I had to say that because they make me say it and that I have no choice. It was soooo sad, frustrating, and just ahhhh!!! It was probably the worst anti that I have had out here and it just got me going!!! To tell me that I have to say it because I am brainwashed and that I have no choice just aggravated me! You tell me if I was brainwashed to come out here for a year and a half to spread the gospel if I didn't know it was true. You tell me if I am brainwashed to keep going when I repeatedly get doors slammed in my face and keep going! You tell me if I am brainwashed when I repeatedly have spiritual experiences confirming to me that God is there and that He knows me and loves me. You tell me if I am brainwashed when I have read the book of mormon and have gotten a loud and clear answer that it is true, and that is why I am proclaiming it!! You tell me if I am brainwashed when I can plainly see all of the blessings that I have been given from the church and that is why I know it is true. Because it blesses us!!!! I know that this church is true and that it is truly the Lord's church restored again on the earth in it's perfect form!!!! I know it for myself and cannot deny it!!! Anyway, that's my little rant about anti and that I am not brainwashed! ha I love you all and hope that you have a very merry christmas!!! I love you so much and will talk to you soon!!!

                                            Love, Sister Higgins

It's snowing!!! :( :( (Week 66)

Hello family!!

     Thanks for all of the wonderful emails!! Wow, my inbox was full and was a nice surprise!! It made me happy...that probably could also be cause I haven't gotten a letter in a while...hint hint! :p Sounds like the ward party and ambulance party went well!! Great job!! So...almond roca huh.... :)  Sorry that it's so cold and snowy there. Stay warm!! This may be a shorter email..sorry!

      So, this week went by super fast because we were so busy that we were running around everywhere!! We had exchanges and I went down to Buckhannon, WV and it was really good! We had some awesome experiences and we both learned a lot on that exchange! Since I'm an STL I need to give advice to my sisters if they are struggling and help them out and be an example for them. Hopefully I'm not messing them up too much! ha I don't feel like that much of a leader because there are so many wonderful sisters that could be an STL, so it's just humbling to know that the Lord needed me in this position and that He trusts me doing this work! :)

      On, wednesday we were in an apartment complex before we exchanged back, talking to a lot of different people and this family let us in. It was interesting because the woman was interested and super nice, but was quiet because the husband was doing all of the talking. He kept throwing out all of these questions that I hadn't heard before (combining some polygamy stuff in with it and stuff), but it was a really cool experience because the Lord was with us. We were able to just bear our testimonies and he really liked what we said and that we were really great. It's just an awesome thing to have the Lord put words in your mouth when you need it because He knows what each one of His children need and will help us to say the things that they need! I love having the gift of the spirit because it is just so amazing and it is such a help! To know that we have the help of the Lord right with us is wonderful! We exchanged back and Sister Richards and I had a great talk on the way back about our exchange and how we can help these sisters! It's just a very humbling responsibility to know that we are taking care of these sisters and that we need to help them in any way and that they look up to us for guidance and direction. To know that the Lord trusts us to know how to guide them makes me feel very loved and that I need to continue to step up to what the Lord wants me to do! I loved the exchange though because the sister I was with was just so incredibly grateful for me because of all that I have already done for her, and then on the exchange she just said that she learned so much from me!! That was so nice of her to tell me that! After that, we had a lesson with a part member family (Sister Bxxx) and that was wonderful!! The spirit was super strong and we were able to talk about Jesus Christ and His atonement, and the husband was so interested, interactive, and loved what we were talking about. I love him so much and think that he is just the sweetest man! He in a way is like one of my adopted grandpas because he just loves us so much! I know that he will become a member of the church, but as for when I don't know. I think it will take time but he is learning a lot already! I met him in July when I got here and he wasn't that nice to us and just walked away when we came in. He now said we are the first missionaries that he has ever sat down with and talked with because he feels so comfortable with us and likes us. He said that he feels like he can actually talk and doesn't feel super pressured or forced into anything, but he just feels like we can talk and that we are here cause we care about him. That was really cool and made me so happy! You have to love people and let them know that they are important and that we are friends before you can tell them all that we know. He also said that he has started reading the book of mormon and will read it all the way through. This is coming from a man that has never been religious his whole life! Every little thing counts and adds to that seed of faith!! We also played volleyball that night and it was awesome!!! I went on a streak of like 10 points while I was serving!! I only have one bruise from that night from sliding and diving, but I did tear a hole in my pants when I dove. NO!!!! haha Oh well. It was fun!!!

      Friday was an interesting day for us because a lot of things happened that day. We met with Bxxx and Gxxx (our older couple) and they just love us so much!! It was a good visit, but we didn't know that we had to do service in our dresses when we came over as well. So, there we were in our dresses hauling a huge dresser outside, across the mud, into the camper, and then moving another dresser in. It was quite the experience but still so fun! We had a lesson with a man that was interesting but also so frustrating and bad. We met him a week or so ago, and heard some bad things about him and that he had tried to pull away people from the church. So, we were careful when we went in and we thought it was going well.... I was watching him really closely trying to figure things out and to read him, and then he kept asking really innocent questions that helped us clue into things. We knew he had a greater knowledge than what he was asking. Then he kept asking all these different questions that were super deep and were just really bad. He asked me, 'Who is Jesus Christ and how do I know Him?' I answered and it was really good because the spirit was helping me. After that, I had the thought that I needed to ask him, "Who is Jesus Christ to you", but I couldn't get it in because he kept going on. Finally, I asked it and he couldn't answer it. He kept saying these different answers that came directly out of the bible but nothing about how he knew Christ - meaning prayer, study, church, experiences, nothing of that sort. Things were just interesting and he kept going into deeper and deeper doctrine that he knew and the spirit was gone because he had alterior motives for things. Like, how do I get into the temple because I need to get in there as fast as I can.' That's where I drew the line. We finished up and left and we were both so glad to be out of there. It's sad because he is a child of God as well and we need to love him and teach him too but he needs to be a little more prepared by the Lord before we go back there again. It was a good experience though because Sister Richards and I both were able to bear really strong testimonies while there and while we answered questions. We felt the spirit so strongly and it was neat to just know that wherever you are, you can stand in holy places and do what you can to testify of the Lord. It amazed me yet again to hear some of the things that came out of my mouth in that lesson because it was not me but the Lord directing me. We were very bold and just testified about the gospel and of Christ!! It was a hard but good experience for us!!!

      On Saturday we had an awesome lesson with one of our investigators, Bxxx, and the spirit was there so strong teaching all of us! We were able to commit her to baptism and now we are going to pick a date in the next little bit! She is so elect though and is so prepared to receive the gospel! She is hungry for it and wants to know the truth and how she can become stronger and come closer to Christ!! It was an amazing lesson though and to see how she reacted to things in such a positive way was so neat! She loved it and latched onto everything and said it all made sense! It is just amazing to see how the Lord really does prepare people and how He is so in the details of our lives!!! He knows what we need at the right times!!

     I don't have any more time though cause we've got to go but things are going well here!! It is snowy and cold but oh well!! Oh, and our heater in our apartment isn't working!! Yeah buddy- we are living in the 50's and 60's! ha Hopefully we will get that worked out soon! Last night was super hard because we were going for four hours with nothing!! So sad and frustrating but we are planting seeds! :) I'm still not sure what time I will call on Christmas, but maybe 7 or something!? I don't know! I will know for sure though by next monday. Sorry!! Love you all!!! The church is true!!                                 

                              

                   Love, Sister Higgins

My brain is dead and I can't think of anything to write in my email today! Sorry! (Week 65)

Hello again!!

      Sorry for not emailing yesterday! We had a crazy day of service and meetings (even though it was pday) so our zone leaders just told us to email today, so now I'm emailing! :) Thanks for all of the emails and for all of the pictures! It was great to see those and to hear how life is going! That is crazy about all of the snow and the storms that you have gotten there! It sounds quite exciting and fun out there :P The weather is changing and just being so crazy I feel like...at least out here anyway. I think everyone is going to get a big winter this year which I am not excited about because I hate being out tracting and working in that. I was hoping that I would get another mild winter but I don't think that will happen...especially cause I am up north in the top part of the mission. At least the Lord blessed me with a mild winter last year and not too bad of a humid summer, so I guess He has to try me in some way! :P 

       So, on tuesday we had Mission Leader Conference (MLC) and it was amazing!!!! I learned so much there and am so grateful that I was able to be there and have that experience!! It was cool to be able to come together and really talk about how we as leaders can improve our mission and help it grow to new heights! There was a lot of good discussion and input which was neat to hear everyone's perspective. Then President spoke to us as well and it was just like a mind blowing experience!! haha It always is though! He really just knows how to speak directly to what we are needing and to teach it in a way that you learn so much from it! I just love having him as my mission president soooo much!! I can't remember who said it in conference, but I loved when they said that the Lord knew long before what mission we needed to go to, what mission president we needed to have, areas, and companions that we needed to serve with. That is so true!! I love this mission so much and I love President Pitt!! He has helped me so much out here and really cares about each one of us! Everytime it gets me that the Lord is so in the details of our lives! He knows exactly who we are, what we are going through, and what we need help with. He knows the experiences we need to have and He knows how to help us in small and big ways! I just love it so much and I'm so grateful to have a knowledge that our Heavenly Father really does love us so much that He does all of that for us! No wonder the very first thing that we teach people is God is their loving Heavenly Father!!! If they don't know that, then everything else that comes after won't mean as much because it's all been given to us by Him!!! I hope that all made sense!! :)

       We went and saw Bxxx and Gxxx, who are our older couple who are so in love with each other! Gxxx is just so wonderful and was putting up scriptures from the Book of Mormon on her facebook page because she loves it so much. When we were over there this week she was talking to me, and remembered that I had recited something to them about Joseph Smith in one of our lessons. (it was the first vision that I told them) She wanted to know where she could find it because she liked it so much that she wanted to put it up on her page next. She said she knew it meant a lot to me because I had taken time to memorize it and she could tell I had emotion in it when I recited it to them. That was really cool because it does mean a lot to me because it's true and it did happen!! Reciting the first vision throughout my mission has always been a really neat experience for me because the spirit that is there when we recite it is so undeniable! I also had a really neat experience with it when I was in Morgantown my second transfer where I received so many answers to what I was seeking while I was reciting it! There's an undeniable power in that experience because of the meaning that comes with it. Knowing that Heavenly Father has again restored His gospel to the earth through Joseph Smith so that we could benefit from it, receive those saving ordinances that we need, and have lasting peace and happiness that we cannot find anywhere else! I think everyone should memorize the first vision so they know without having to read what happened. Then when that time comes to stand up for what we believe we will already be prepared to say the first vision and invite the spirit into our conversation! I just love Joseph Smith so much and am so grateful for all that he went through because he knew without a doubt that this church is true and that it is vital for us to have in our lives!! There is a huge difference when we do not let it penetrate deeper and deeper within us! It is so sad to see people out here who have lost their testimonies and don't care about the gospel anymore. Their life is so much harder, they are unhappy, and can't get through things because they don't have that knowledge of the gospel anymore. It does wonders for us! :)

       On Thursday, we had Bridgeport's Light Up Night where they close down the main street and there are vendors there who give out free things and they have the christmas tree lighting and have a lot of fireworks and singing!! It was awesome!!! There weren't as many people there because it had been pouring rain that whole day and it still was drizzling but it was a lot of fun! We were able to talk to people and to just enjoy the whole experience! 'Brad Ford the Landlord' chased us down on the street and made us sing a song in the microphone for the crowd!! hahaha Good publicity for us I guess! :p It was super fun though and a good time to get our faces out there! All the guys at the funeral home love us too and are always talking to us and joking with us cause they think we are so cool....or that maybe we are uncool so we need friends to talk to. We'll go with that we are cool though! ha 

       Friday was an awesome but RAINY day!! It rained all day long and was super cold too!! So miserable, but we were out all day in it cause we never stop! We were out in Grafton all day long and everything seemed to keep falling through or people weren't home and it just kept raining! (I would say it was maybe one of the longest days of my mission, but that's ok!) It's amazing though how the Lord watches out for us though and knows exactly what we need even if at the time it looks like just another dropped appointment or something. We 2x2'd into a woman who was super nice and who let us right in and talked to us for a while. Turns out she has a sister who is a member and she wants to learn more. Later we had to go to the gas station to go to the bathroom and the cashier was kind of awkwardly walking around us but not saying anything. We OPENED OUR MOUTHS and started talking to her and she said that she used to meet with missionaries and wanted to talk with us again. Then as we were paying for something the girl behind was her neighbor and asked us if we went to the church in Clarksburg. We said yes, and she was like 'I used to go there all the time with my grandma and loved it!' Turns out she is a less active member that we had overlooked on the roster, and she said we could come by too! So, even though that day seemed hard we were able to see huge miracles because it was raining and because our other appointments fell through!! The Lord is in the details!!

       Alright, I am like out of time, but last little bit! On sunday it snowed like crazy! We got to our early meetings fine and there was no snow at all and then when we came out it was starting to dump it! We ended up only have like 45 minutes of sacrament meeting and then they canceled church because it was so bad. A lot of members didn't come and some got in accidents while coming :( We were supposed to have a lot of investigators and less actives coming to church, but ended up only have one less active! Don't forget the one! People were sliding everywhere and it was just crazy! ha We were supposed to go out farther into our area but that changed because we wouldn't have made it on the roads there. We haven't driven our car in snow though and I think it's just two wheel and we were a little nervous because people were getting really stuck and sliding everywhere right when you got on the road by the church. So, we ended up going with a member, who had 4 wheel!, and made it just fine! That meant though we really couldn't do any work though because we were carless and we really can't walk to anywhere in our area because it is too far out. So, we just had to be with some members, teach them, and then go home and do some extended study time! It was crazy! I'm glad that we're safe though and that it all worked out!!!

       Well, that is a really short overview of everything that we did this week! It was a crazy busy week and we did so much, but it was a good week though! Things are going well and I am loving serving with Sister Richards!! Thanks for all that you do and I hope that you have a wonderful week! Lots of love!

                                             Love, Sister Higgins

 P.S. I am going to probably call after 5 on christmas

Hi family!

I am going to be emailing Tuesday morning. Things have been changed around and we have meetings tomorrow. Just wanted to let you know! Also, can you please say some very fervent prayers for us right now! We just had a short sacrament and then they canceled church because it is snowing so badly here right now! It just started like two hours ago maybe and there is already a lot on the ground and it looks like there isn't an end right now. It is supposed to get worse and it's coming down really hard. So, it should be interesting! haha Some people are having to camp out at the church right now. We are still here and trying to figure out how to get home. Our car is all wheel and we just watched a truck slide all the way around in the parking lot! I'm driving!!! AHHH!!! Love you!!! 

Happy December!! Ahhhh! :/ (Week 64)

Just so everyone knows, in November we got word from the Church offices of Jenna's return travel plans.  She will be coming home in the afternoon of February 14, 2014!!!!!!  We are SOO excited for that "sweet" day!  

Hello, hello!!

     It's your favorite ole missionary again, but this time she is not as cold as last week!! Thanks for all of the emails and pictures!!! I loved them so much!!! Those kids (nieces and nephews visiting for Thanksgiving) are just too darn cute!! I'm glad that you all had a wonderful thanksgiving together and that you were able to just relax and have fun!! I'm sure it wasn't quite as good though because I wasn't there! :p I didn't know that Emry kicked Steve though!!!! hahaha I laughed out loud at that one! So funny! That's cute that Asher loves Steve so much! I will just have to work hard on him when I get home so he likes me again! :p Holy moly, the tooth fairy must be loaded now for Kason to get a dollar for a tooth!! Goodness! Way to go Kason! haha Dad- Sister Richards is from Idaho and went to school in Rexburg and is used to the cold, but it's just a different cold here I feel like and it's just cold at times!! Yes, I also received a package this week from Sister Tobler from the ward with lots of notes in it and lots of little gifts!! That was soooo nice of them and made me so happy!!! I hadn't gotten mail in a while so getting that was awesome!!! Mom- I'm glad that you liked the phone call! That was so fun to hear your voice! (Jenna's landlord called to our house on Wednesday and had his speaker phone on while Jenna was in the room, and he and I talked so she could hear my voice)  Now you have met my crazy landlord, who is a character. haha But, I love him so much! He is awesome and just loves us a lot! He came up that morning with snowballs and threw them at us! haha He is actually not a member. He is a very strong methodist, but loves us! We'll get him though!! So, I don't know if you will send a little christmas package or not, but I don't really need like anything. I don't really want a lot of stuff either because then I am just going to have to find room for that stuff as well in my suitcase and I am already going to be over, I think. I will have to ship some stuff maybe. I need stamps though so you can get me that! :) Thanks! I know that you are having to support me on a mission and you are having to get a wedding ready, so the money that you would spend on me for christmas use it to help someone else out who is in need or use that money on Kellie and getting ready for the wedding. I know weddings are probably expensive, and it can be used for that. I'm good! :)

      So, this week was crazy busy and I don't even really remember all that we did because we were always running and trying to get everything done. We had a great thanksgiving though which made us happy!! :) It has been cold this past week and we had a fairly big snowstorm on tuesday I think where it snowed monday night and all day tuesday. That was miserable because it was really cold and snowing all day! We were running to and from the car and trying to do things so we didn't have to go tracting or be outside as much! ha I like the winter and deal with the cold, but when I have to be out in it all the time and wear a skirt then I don't like it so much, but oh well. You just suck it up! :p So thanksgiving we had a turkey bowl for the ward where all 8 missionaries, a couple other people, and then this one big family played football together. It was so much fun!!!! It was all guys and then basically just Sister Richards, me, and another woman. That's ok though. At first they weren't really passing to us, but then the quarterback on my team finally started passing it to me!! There were some throws that I may or may not have sacrificed my body for...I just jumped out sideways to get it. It was awesome though cause I caught most of them and they were surprised at that! Then there was one where I caught the kickoff and ran for quite a few yards kind of weaving and twirling so they couldn't get my flag! It was awesome! One time I was defending Sister Richards and my volleyball instinct just kicked in and I spiked the ball...but she didn't get it so it worked! ha And, one more last thing was that I caught the ball and ran in for a touchdown! Woot! I now have a huge bruise on my left arm of where I caught it because that pass was hard! We were running around so much, so we were already hurting when we got to the apartment! For the rest of that day and the next day we were just dying because we were so sore and tired! It didn't help that we had turkey that made us more tired! ha It was so much fun though and I'm glad we played. We had a district meeting on friday and the elders weren't that sore, and we were just like 'how are you not sore?!' They said that they liked the way we did companionship inventory though...just tackle, block,. or harrass your companion. That's the key to it! :p Thanksgiving was good though...we only had two dinners! One family smoked the turkey and it was sooooo good!! It was by far the best turkey that I have had!!! Yummy!!! 

      Mxxx, who is the woman that we are teaching that we tracted into and cried, wasn't able to come to church yesterday :( She was sick, but wants to come next week! We had another lesson with her and it was awesome cause the spirit was really strong again and she was crying. She had family that has tried to persuade her away from it because they knew we were there, but she said that she will do whatever she wants. She knows that she feels so happy and good when we are there and that we help her so much, and she likes that. She really wants to try it out and do what is best for her no matter what her family says so that was good to hear. It's cool though to see that she really recognizes the spirit and that when we come that she feels differently in a positive way. One problem though is that she is still on parole, so she can't get baptized just yet if she wants to. We can teach her and help her have good experiences, but she can't get baptized until she is off parole. But no matter what, she has already had a positive experience with the church and has been impacted by it, so that seed is planted now and it will grow! 

      On saturday we had a meeting for all of the sisters in the north part of the mission and that was soooo wonderful!!! It was weird though because we came in and there were maybe 30 or so sisters there and I only knew a few of them. Of course, it doesn't help that I haven't been to transfers since July and that I am just a really old missionary now!! haha They had all the missionaries raise their hands if they had been out for 8 months or longer and there were only like 6 or 7 of us. So crazy!!! Our mission is sooo young and so we are having to go through a lot of things to get them up to speed and to help them understand more about how we do different things and stuff. It's cool though to see how so many sisters answered the call of coming out earlier! They are definitely prepared!  In the meeting , President has never done this before but talked about how important the role of women are and that we as sisters have a huge impact! It was just an awesome meeting and it was so cool all that President was talking about and bringing up about the role of women. I am looking at some things now in a new perspective because of what he said. It was a great meeting!! We had the Chaney's drive us down and that was so fun to be with them! I love them! We listened to a cd called Lower Lights which is like bluegrass hymns and it was awesome! Listen to it!    

      I know this isn't the longest and most informative email but life here is just wonderful and I am loving serving here and with Sister Richards!!! She is so awesome and I feel like I am having way too much fun with missionary work! :p We had a musical fireside yesterday for the stake that we had to sing in and that was really neat and there were some amazing singers there! I have MLC (Mission Leader Council) in Charleston tomorrow cause I'm an STL so we will see how that goes! It should be good though! I'm excited!!! Well, I hope that you all are doing just great and that you have a wonderful and warm week!! I love you all!!!         

       Love, Sister Higgins

Pictures!

Jenna sent some photos with her last email.  Here they are:

I decided that I will write a shorter email today and send you lots of crazy pictures of cold missionaries in Wild and Wonderful West Virginia!!!

                                                    this sign just killed me! really??

                                       just playing a little princess jewelry with a member!

                              It was pouring rain but we raked leaves so it turned our hands all orange so our hands were stained.  My hands became like an oompa loompa!  We got away with this secret act of service though! :)

                            This is one of the best church signs I've seen out here! I love it!

                                                  I just thought this was cool!

Yay!!! 1- we did a little deer stalking/deer hunting with our cameras at the church!! There were so many and this doesn't do it justice!

               All eight of us missionaries in the ward before some got transferred! They are so fun!

 We did a little more leaf raking...this time in the cold and wind for a part member family! It was great!

Snow!!?!?! We came out of dinner and the wind was blowing completely horizontally with snow! Lame!

 

I just love her!  (Sister Richards)