Hill Cumorah Pageant Highlights!!

 

 

Sister Gillespie's journal entry from July 11, 2013:
Wow! Today has been one of the most exhausting days of my life...and also one of the funnest, best days of my life!
Today was the first day of us in "Pageant Mode" at the church historic sites in Palmyra.

 Happy, exhausted

 So. much. fun. sooooo much fun!

 

So here are just a few of the highlights from the week and a half of the Hill Cumorah Pageant!: 

 Little brother Seth!!!
(Didn't see them on the same day...just happened 
to wear the same dress...)

• Over 2,000 people came through the Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site on Saturday (July 13th)... it was AWESOME!!! I was nearly yelling for 2 hours straight as I was explaining about the process of binding the Book of Mormon... My voice was shot--at church on Sunday I was nearly singing base!
• Entertaining hoards of previously unruly children in both the Art Gallery and Harmony Pennsylvania exhibits at the BofMHPS by just telling them it was "Story time"
• Got to see my little brother Seth! (As well as my cousin Andrew!) [My companions tell me that I "speak in 'story book'" ... they got a kick out of meeting my brother and discovering that its not only me who speaks that way! Same thing when Barbara came!]
• Going to bed "delightfully exhuasted"!!!
• A little boy named "Ty" who was probably about 3 years old...super sweet and made his parents blush!
• Spent 3 hours in the Peter Whitmer Log Home with Sister Johnson2 in the sweltering heat...
• Teaching people in the Chapel at the Peter Whitmer Farm, about the hand of the Lord in the lives of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.

Little Sister Barbara!!!
Not sure what's up with the little duplicate shadowy picture...

• Acting out a few different scenes from the Hill Cumorah Pageant to a group of about 50 teenagers.
• Got to see my little sister Barbara!
• Acting out my best rendition of Joseph recieving and protecting the Golden Plates, to a group of Chinese children.
• Sister Johnson2: "Contrary to popular belief, it is 'plaster of Paris' ... not 'plaster of PEARS'."
• So tired Sunday when packing up to return home that I fell asleep on my suitcase...

Heavenly Father definitely answered my prayers. I prayed that I would be able to love the people who came in, even when there were hundreds, and that I would be able to love and be enthusiastic about what I was telling them...even when I'd been on my feet all day, talking almost non-stop about the same things over and over again. ---And He blessed me in just those ways. There is no other explanation for being able to nearly lose my voice telling hundreds of people about the process of folding a "signature" booklet of the first 16 pages of the Book of Mormon, and still be excited to see more people to share this with.

I loved being able to recognize the Spirit working through me to help the visitors that came into the sites during Pageant time. ...There were so many people, and I only had just a matter of minutes with them. I had no idea what they needed...but that is just fine, because we have a loving Father in Heaven who does.

I know that Heavenly Father knows each and every one of us. I am confident that He loves us. I am grateful to be serving as a missionary, representing His Son, Jesus Christ. I feel so honored to be able to pin on that black name tag with my name, as well as the name of Jesus Christ.

Farewell to Sister Johnson2.0!!

Well today was both happy and really sad! After two transfers (12 weeks) together, Sister Johnson2's visa came in...and so Monday morning she is off to Brazil! We got the call early this afternoon...and cried! Sister Johnson1 and I have a lot of mixed feelings, because we will miss her so much! ...But we are excited that she will finally be able to go where she was origionally called to serve!
Having her with us for these past two transfers has really been a blessing from Heavenly Father. I have learned so much from this dear Sister!



Sisters Johnson1, Johnson2, and Gillespie

One of the things I admire most about Sister Johnson2 is her example of really loving and serving people. She always seems to be able to tell if someone is having a hard time or needs something. And then she helps them accordingly.  I have, myself, been the recipient of many much-needed hugs! She always is caring and thinking about others. (Haha, sometimes it is almost frustrating because she usually figures out if I'm ever frustrated or sad before I figure it out!) This is a Christ-like attribute that will allow Heavenly Father to bless the lives of many people through her! ...And now I guess we must share her with the people of Brazil!

Different Kind of Angel Work

As missionaries, we have the sacred privilege of being angels in the lives of people, bringing them the message of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...teaching them about their purpose here on Earth, how they can be with their family forever---not just till death, and teaching them about how they truly are children of a loving Father in Heaven. I love this opportunity!
A few days ago, however, my companions Sisters Johnson and I (yes, there's two of them), got to be angels in His hands in a different way. We also got to see Heavenly Father make things fall into place, to ensure that His little ones were taken care of.
We had had a meeting Friday morning, and after planned to go straight to the library to do some work online (such as writing on this blog, or on facebook). But, as we were driving back we decided to change our plans and go home to finish our studies first. (Didn't really think much of this change of plans.)
We were sitting at our desks in our living room, quietly reading our scriptures, when all of the sudden we heard a blood-curling scream come from outside. Sister Johnson2 jumped to the window, but couldn't see anything, and all three of us darted out of the apartment not even pausing to close our door.
We ran to the front of our building and see two of the little kids that we talk to outside whenever we go out to our car. Then amidst the still screaming we saw their little sister, a cute little 4 year old girl. And she was covered in blood---her finger had gotten smashed off by the axis of a teeter-totter! So Sister Johnson1 scooped up little Tori and we ran with her siblings to their apartment.
We got inside, no parents to be seen. The brother ran and banged on what we thought must be the bedroom. Sister Johnson1 grabbed a cloth in an attempt to try to slow the bleeding on Tori's finger, while also trying to tell her princess stories to distract her. Sister Johnson2 called 911, and I was trying take care of the crying older brother and sister.

saintshistorychannel.wordpress.com

A few minutes later, the father came out of the bedroom, covered in a towel and soap. At first, we had been really ticked that whatever parent was home wasn't coming out of the room, even though their child was screaming...but after he went back into his room and came out dressed, we saw that his foot had bars sticking out of it, and was also covered in blood. (He ended up in the ER that night.)
So, a super long story short,  it was a miracle that things worked out the way they did... 1. that the Spirit prompted us to change plans, 2. becuase we talked with them every day, they trusted us, and 3. it showed me that Heavenly Father is mindful of each one of us, as He made sure His little Tori was taken care of.
We were sad that little Tori had to go through that pain, but we felt blessed to be able to be there to help when she needed it... getting to play the part of an angel in a different way.

Favorite Holiday

So being out here on a mission, I have learned a lot about myself. One thing that I have definitely already known about myself is that I am not really decisive on a lot of things. :) (Haha, quick flash-back to a pesonality test I took many years ago: I could not decide whether I was more indecisive or some other characteristic.) Anyway, I was thinking about that yesterday, and realized that I have finally decided my favorite holiday!

image from www.patriciarossi.com

Definitely, one hundred percent, my favorite holiday is the 4th of July! :)

As my companions (the sister missionaries I work with) and I were singing "America the Beautiful" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" I was reminded of how much I love this country! I am so grateful for the hand of God in establishing this nation. It made me think of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in school, and the line "One nation under God." I also love remembering our family's traditions. (I hope they still did this at home, even though I wasn't there this year!) Each year around this time, my Dad pulls out copies of the Constitution, and our family reads it together. And then on the 4th of July, we get together with family and friends, and then when it is just our family, we
watch Johnny Tremain.

This year our celebration of the 4th was a bit different. My companions and I got to go with a family to a baseball game. After the game there were fireworks, and music. It was neat to be there in the stadium with all the hundreds of other people listening and singing along to the words "I'm proud to be an American, 'cause at least I know I'm free! And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me, and I'll gladly stand up, next to you, and defend her still today, 'cause their ain't no doubt I love this land! GOD BLESS THE USA!" It felt so good to be there with all different kinds of people, from different backgrounds, and with different beliefs, feeling of their love of God and country.

One of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon contains a description of a vision that an ancient prophet Nephi had about this land. He saw in vision the discovery and colonization of America, and one verse that stands out reads "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord;and the power of the Lord was with them. (1 Nephi 13:16)"

I am so grateful that this land is one of religious freedom. This was probably the only country in the world where the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through a modern prophet, could have taken place at that time! Hurray for freedom, and truth, and our God!

A Whole Year!!!

A few days ago, on June 27 I hit one year out on the mission! Wow time has flown! It seems both like just yesterday (and at the same time feels like a lifetime ago) that my brother dropped me off at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.

These are pictures from that first day, and now. ...Same person, yet a different person. One difference between the 2013 and 2012 pictures is that now I'm one year more tired! :) Missionary schedule can be grueling! I've definitely gotten better sleep than ever before...but I've never worked so hard for so long either! -- Our day starts by 6:30 a.m. when we get up and excercise, eat breakfast, get ready, and then start our studies at 8 a.m. When studies are done, it is out the door to teach, find, and do service, with an hour for each lunch and dinner. The day ends at 9:30 p.m.,  in bed by 10:30 p.m.. I've now been doing this for a whole year! ...And I love it!

I can not adequately express what I have learned in this last year of my life. There have been a lot of love, tears, happiness, stress, laughter, prayers, answers to prayers, peanut butter and fluff sandwiches (an east-coast thing), studying the scriptures, giving tours at the church historic sites, tracting, wishing 6:30 am wouldn't come so fast, teaching lessons, snow, leaves, letters to and from home, rough days, super great days, blueberries, service, and flowers. 

 

Just a few things I've learned:

• I am thankful that God has given us commandments. I'm grateful my parents taught them to me. Often people see commandments as restrictions...but that is not really it. Commandments are to us what a string is to a kite. At first glance it may seem as if the string is hindering the flight of the kite (no rhyme intended), yet it is actually the string that allows the kite to stay in the air...and the more string the higher the kite can fly! In my year of service as a missionary I have seen people with a lot of pain and problems. Though not all, so many of these things could have been avoided by living the commandments of God.
• I dislike it when people are in pain.
• Heavenly Father is very mindful of each of us.
• Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives, blessing us each day.
• The Book of Mormon is so powerful! It teaches so much about Christ, and has helped me to develop greater love for the Bible.
• Repentance is a positive thing and to be applied daily!
• Gratitude, especially to God, makes a powerful difference.
• The Atonement not only can cleanse us from sin, but also enable us to do things beyond our own natural ability.
• Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." ... This scripture is so true.