How Great Shall Be Your Joy

We literally saw miracles this week.

 

I am so grateful for the knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father. He loves us more than we can comprehend and is so involved in the details of our lives. I am so grateful that He wants all to know about Him that we may find the most joy possible in this life and that He can help us. I know one of the things He has given us in our families; an opportunity to learn and to grow, find joy and feel love. I know that He gives us men called by God to guide us in the ways we should go. I know that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, that we may overcome mistakes that we make and the obstacles and trials that come in this life. I know that He has once again reached out to His children and has called a prophet that acts as a mouthpiece for God and lives today. How grateful I am.

 

How simple of a message, and yet how profound it's effects. It has changed every aspect of my life and how blessed am I to watch as this message changes the lives of others that I come into contact with.

 

I had the priviledge of having an interview with my Mission President this week. It ended up being kind of an exit interview. He reconfirmed what I had been hearing. I should be leaving for Brazil near the end of the transfer. My visa has either been processed or is almost done. it's not here in California yet, neither are the plane tickets, so I don't know the day, but it will probably be within a few days of the 25th. It's still a little scary and unreal, but I am excited. I know that the Lord will continue to place me where I need to be.

 

For now, I am loving every minute in California and am so grateful to be serving with Sister Ashworth. I am learning so much from her and we're having lots of fun as well :)

 

I hope you have a really incredible week!

 

Sister Shipp

Too Much to Tell

It looks like the time to go to Brazil is coming quicker and quicker! I got an email from Elder Menden (my FHE brother from BYU who just arrived to Ribeirao Preto) who spent a little time in the mission office... they are truly expecting me by the end of this transfer. I am in awe. The Lord knows best. I just have to keep trusting in Him. What an adventure!

I just want to testify that the Lord will place us where we need to be. I wish I had time to tell all of the experiences in my life that support this knowledge, but I do not. I sat next to a woman at church who just experienced a divorce and moved to Camarillo from a few towns over. We sat by her in church yesterday. She talked about how this has been so hard for her teenage daughters who just want to move back home. She talked about how she had been praying for a way to move back when a voice came into her mind, "You are where you need to be." That hit so close to home for me in many ways. That was the confirmation I was seeking when I first arrived in California four and a half months ago. It took a while, but I have received so much confirmation in so many different ways that I needed to be here for at least 4 transfers. I was able to tell her of my experience as a missionary temporarily assigned to California. In that moment, I knew I was meant to be in that church building in Camarillo CA sitting next to this sister. I know that there is no greater joy that can come to us than when we are where the Lord needs us to be doing His work. This can be in a particular job, studying a particular major and a specific school, in our families, a certain location to live, and in so many other ways. I felt that way at BYU when I began to volunteer at Utah State Hospital and served as a mentor for a very special and amazing girl. I know that we can each feel this way as we include Heavenly Father in our decisions. He will guide us to where we need to be if we allow Him the opportunity. I know He will continue to place me where I need to be.

 

Love,

Sister Shipp

The Work Goes On

A New Transfer:
First week as Senior Companion! It's been crazy, but so amazing!

My companion is Sister Ashworth from Georgia! She grew up outside of Atlanta but actually moved to Texas her senior year, just outside Beaumont. It is fun to have a companion that shares my love for Texas. She is great, so happy all the time! This is her 3rd transfer, she's been on her mission for 3 months. This week my head has been inside the map trying to figure out how to get to each place. Good thing I'm getting really good at navigating!

NEWS:
Mom sent me a copy of an email from the Church Travel Office estimating 2-3 weeks on my visa.
What.
It's in the final stages of processing! She said I should be able to go to Brazil for the next transfer, meaning Feb 25. How crazy is that? My heart stopped.

Needless to say, I've been feeling pretty anxious the last couple days. I was feeling pretty torn. I love this mission and I love the people here. It was Saturday night when I got that letter, Sunday was Stake Conference, a broadcast from Salt Lake. Elder Anderson was one of the speakers. In his talk, he mentioned an experience he had when he lived in Sao Paulo. As he spoke, I felt so calm and remembered the love that I had felt for Brazil when I received my call and anticipated leaving for my mission. I know that whatever happens, whether I go or stay, that the Lord will send me where I need to go. I have seen so many reasons why I have been in the United States for the first 6 months of my mission, and I am so grateful to have had these experiences.

Miracle of the week:

Sharron, our amazing investigator! We were supposed to have a lesson with her Wednesday, but she was feeling sick, so she cancelled. Thursday morning, we had planned to go see a less active member who lives really close to her. As we approached the member's apartment, we saw Sharron outside! We went and talked with her, she met Sister Ashworth, and then invited us in. We had a spur of the moment lesson in which she asked us a lot of questions and we talked a little more about the Word of Wisdom. Then she came to Stake Conference yesterday! Afterward, we were talking with her and a member about the blessings promised as we live the Word of Wisdom. Sharron is going to encounter some medical changes this week, so the member talked about living the Word of Wisdom and how it would help Sharron with these changes. We testified that it would and committed her to begin living it. I know that the Lord really is preparing His children. We heard a lot about that in our Stake Conference. They quoted D&C 84:88 a lot where the Lord is talking. It says something like, "I will go before your face, I will be on your right hand, and on your left." One of the speakers asked, "Will He really go before me and prepare the way?" He has promised that He will! I testify that He already has and will continue to do so!

I feel so much joy as I listen to the Prophet and the Apostles that Jesus Christ has called to lead His church today, just as He did when He was on the Earth. I know and I testify that these are men called by God who have the authority to speak for Him today. I know that as we listen to them, we receive guidance, answers to prayers, comfort, peace, and joy. I know that Jesus Christ is leading this church today and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a servant of Him, spreading His word, whether in Brazil or California, it is the same.

Have an amazing week!

Sister Shipp

4th Transfer..................3rd Area

Transfers are tomorrow and............................................
I FINALLY GET TO STAY IN AN AREA FOR MORE THAN 6 WEEKS! Sister Casper is leaving me though :( She's going to my first area in San Luis Obispo. Crazy stuff. I can't believe it's already been another 6 weeks.

This week was a lot better. I've really been learning a lot and my confidence as a missionary has really increased as well. The highlight was our investigator, Sharron, coming to church! It was incredible. She really felt the Spirit and afterwards received a Priesthood blessing. All I can say is it was all a miracle.

I wanted to focus on a story I studied in the Book of Mormon yesterday, Ether 6. This is when the Brother of Jared and his family get into the 8 dish-like barges he built to cross the sea to the promised land. It says everything so matter-of-factly, but if you really think about what was going on, it must have been terrifying.
"they prepared... and set forth into the sea, commending themselves unto the Lord their God."
His family somehow divided themselves up and got into these 8 barges, trusting the Lord that they would make it to the promised land and see eachother again. It doesn't give any indication that they could steer or anything. They literally commended themselves to God.
"And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, toward the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind."
God provided the wind, always pushing them toward the promised land. It doesn't say that He gracefully did so, they were tossed to and fro, but always in the direction of the promised land.
"And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind."
"...when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters."
There were times when they were pushed to their limits. They had to cry to God in prayer, and He delivered them each time.
"And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were driven forth before the wind"
Despite all the obstacles faced; the storms, rough seas, tempests, the wind was ALWAYS pushing them in the right direction, toward their desired destination.

"And they did sing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did thank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord."
No matter what obstacles they faced, they always praised the Lord, trusting Him and remembering how great and merciful He is always, even in the midst of their trials. Good times or bad, they always praised the Lord.

"And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither whale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water."
Through God, they could overcome everything. This wasn't a short journey:
"And thus they were driven forth, three hundred and forty and four days upon the water."
Did you get that? 344 DAYS! Almost a full year? Do you think that was easy? No way. And yet they didn't lose faith that the Lord would fulfill His promise. And you know what?:
"And they did land upon the shore of the promised land..."
Powerful. This really hit me this week as the past few weeks I've really been thinking about the purpose of this life. When we chose to come to this earth, we were commending ourselves to Heavenly Father. We knew that it would be hard, but we knew it was necessary. We also knew that returning to our Heavenly Father and overcoming all of our trials would be possible through Jesus Christ. Now we are here, on our own sea for however long Heavenly Father decides. We will be tossed from place to place, but Heavenly Father is always leading us through our trials and experiences back to our desired destination: back home with Him and Jesus Christ. No matter where we are in life, He is giving us the experiences that we need to become the people we need to be to return to live with Him. Sometimes it's hard, but we need to trust His will for us, that He is leading us to what is best for us, and always praise and speak with Him. If we do these things, He will lead us back to Him, and that is worth every sacrifice.

I love you all. Thank you for all the prayers.

Sister Shipp

Life Goes On

It's been a roller coaster this week, but I'm hanging in here.
I've learned so much this week. So, so much.

-It's okay to not be okay. Heavenly Father is helping me SO MUCH, but that doesn't make it easy. It's still going to be hard, but that's okay. We just need to keep pushing.

Definitely miracles were seen this week. I just feel so blessed. Heavenly Father is finding lots of little ways to show me He loves me.

-We've been working with a couple, Billy and Madyson. Billy received the Priesthood just before I got here 5 weeks ago and actually baptized the twin 8 year old daughters of a woman who was baptized a few months ago. We've been working closely with both families. It was a really wonderful day. I think the best part was just being able to see Billy baptize them. He has grown so much even in the 5 weeks I've been here. He's a sweetheart. Him and Madyson really take care of us. We love being around them.

-My companion is literally the best. Especially in my hardest moments, she always finds something to do for me. Often times it's doing my dishes, just cleaning the apartment, or even talking to me or being silent the moments I need it. She's amazing and I appreciate her so much.

-I was having a particularly hard time on New Year's day. We were going to contact someone and parked a little ways down the street and spent some time just talking. We were there for a while just talking through things when a man came out of his house and started talking to us through the window. We rolled down the window and he talked to us about little insignificant things. I think he could tell I was having a rough day and had just come to say hi and try to make us laugh. That helped me feel a lot better.

-We were finally able to sit down with one of our investigator this week. She has a lot of really good questions that we are excited to answer as we meet with her this week. Her heart is really open and we are so grateful for the opportunity to teach her.

Thank you for all the prayers!
Lots of Love,
Sister Shipp

I Know I Will See Her Again

First of all, let me say that I had a wonderful Christmas. Thank you to all that thought about me and made it so special. I am so thankful for that celebration of the Savior, the time to really remember Him, especially as the events of the week unfolded. My best friend, Chelsea Larsen, passed away this week in a car accident. In many ways it still seems so unreal. I love her so much and miss her tremendously. We were 10 years old and in the 4th grade when we met. We became friends really quickly. We even lived in the same neighborhood and rode the bus to and from school together. Throughout the years, she was an amazing friend and example to me. We took on the world together... elementary school, junior high, high school. We conquered together... graduated high school. We travelled... we took that road trip we'd planned for so long. I am so grateful for the time that Heavenly Father gave me with her. I know that she was truly a gift from Him to me, Chelsea B, and Hayley and all else who knew her. As I've been reflecting the past few days, I am simply filled with gratitude. I have been so blessed. I miss her, but I KNOW that I will see her again. I know this with all my heart. This knowledge brings so much joy and I feel excited for that day when we will be reunited. She may not physically be there when I come home in 13 months, but she is with me now. I will always carry the memories of her with me and all the things that I have learned from her. I know that she will be there waiting for me when my work here on this earth is done as well. I know she's here beside me supporting me now. I know she is with her mother, something that she really looked forward to. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Him suffering for each of us, we can push through this time. I know that He has felt any pain or sorrow that you or I are now feeling. I know that as we reach out to Him and Heavenly Father in prayer, that they will support us and take away some of the pain. They have already done this for me. This has been reconfirmed to me as I've studied Luke 22 and 23 in the Bible and also Alma 7:11-12 in the Book of Mormon... "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." I know because of what Jesus Christ did, Chelsea and each of us will overcome death. I am filled with peace at this time because of Him and the knowledge I have of Him. Yes, this is hard, but I also know that it's necessary, and that it's okay because Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. This is part of the plan and it will all be okay. I WILL see her again. I will, I will, I will. I know that when Chelsea, Hayley, and I are reunited that she'll be right there too. I know that when we put our arm out for her in pictures, as we so often do for whoever is missing, she'll fill it even if we can't see her there. How amazing are the works of God. I can really see His hand in my life preparing me for all the events of this week. He's taking care of me and I know He will take care of each of us as we move forward, making it possible to endure whatever comes our way. I know we will each see Chelsea again.

 

All My Love,
Sister Shipp

Merry Christmas!

What a crazy time of year! It really has been an amazing week. I've seen Heavenly Father blessing us in so many ways. I am so grateful for all the love that has been extended to me by each of you this Christmas season as well. There was one night I came home to 3 packages. It's going to be a good week! We get to open all those packages Wednesday and then Thursday we are going to the LA temple for my companion's birthday. YEAH. Best place ever :)
 

I wish I could just take all my experiences and put them in this email! It's so hard to describe everything in words. Here we go.
 

We found a new investigator Tuesday. He's a high school student. The Spirit was so strong as we talked about the Restoration.
 

We had our mission Christmas devotional on Wednesday. Only part of the mission was there, but I was able to see a lot of missionaries from my last district in Ventura. My companion and I also sang with 2 other sisters. Talk about nerve-racking... We made it through though! There is such strength that comes from missionaries gathering together, especially as we remembered the Savior and His life.
 

Our investigator, Sharron, came to Relief Society activity this week. It was a really nice dinner. It was a miracle she came. Really. We were so grateful to see her there and enjoy the evening with her.
 

This week was also exchanges! I was able to be companions with Sister Randall for 24 hours. It was amazing. I learned a lot from her as we worked together and discussed missionary work :)
 

I received flowers from my family on Friday, which was a nice surprise! That night we had a Family Home Evening with a couple about Patriarchal blessings. It was amazing. I was able to testify to them that I know Heavenly Father knows each one of us and loves us. He wants us to succeed and He will help us!
 

We had a good lesson about prophets with one of our other investigators! Yay! Her daughter was also there who is investigating the church as well.
 

My mission President, President Castro, and his family surprised us by attending our ward's Sacrament Meeting yesterday. It is always such a treat to see him and his family. They are some of the best people I know.
 

Today, we were blessed to go to the 99 cent store just as one of the men in our ward was there. He was baptized a month ago. We were able to talk with him and found out his father passed away last night.
 

Heavenly Father directs our lives if we allow Him to. I know that we were led to that store so we could comfort our brother. I know that He's led me to California for a reason, I see it more and more each day. I know He will lead you as well.
 

Merry Christmas everyone!
 

Love,

Sister Shipp