'The Last Email' - 10.19.2015

Hey All!

This is the final e-mail of my mission, for I fly home on Thursday morning. All I can do is bear my testimony and maybe share some insights that I've come to learn and love in these past two years of service to Heavenly Father. It's a very strange feeling being at the end of this, because I honestly cannot fathom what's ahead of me. These really have been the best two years of my life, and now I understand why. My focus has been on the Savior and His Atonement every day, and as I ponder what it means to me, I'm reminded of a hymn that we sing in church every so often. "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me, confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me. I tremble to know that for me He was crucified, that for me, a sinner, He suffered, He bled, and died. Oh, it is wonderful that He should care for me enough to die for me. Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me." He is my Savior and my King, and I will always be in His debt for paying the ultimate price. How merciful is my God! I have changed in ways that I never thought possible, and I only hope that I can continue to be changed as the Lord sees fit. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Lord, and though I'll never be able to completely repay Him, I know that because of His tender mercies, He will accept whatever I offer. I am torn apart in a million different ways; Wisconsin has stolen my heart. I love this state. I love the people here. I love my Savior.

"If I could have seen the future

Back a few years ago

I wouldn't believe what was coming

Just down the road.

I'm farther than I'd ever pictured;

I've done more than I'd ever planned.

It's easy to see that who I'm supposed to be

Is in Someone else's hands.

Cause all I see is a few feet in front of me

And when I don't know the way it's hard to take that step.

Though it feels like I'm walking blind and I never know what I'll find

I know that where I'm going's better than where I've been

So I will trust Him.

There's always Someone I can turn to;

I don't have to do it alone.

Wherever I am there's a beacon

Pointing me home.

And though I don't know what is coming

I'll always move forward with faith.

With one foot in front of the other

He'll help me find the way.

Cause all I see is a few feet in front of me

And when I don't know the way it's hard to take that step.

Though it feels like I'm walking blind and I never know what I'll find

I know that where I'm going's better than where I've been

So I will trust Him.

Trust Him for all of my life

Cause I'm here in the darkness

And I need to follow the Light.

Cause all I see is a few feet in front of me

And when I don't know the way it's hard to take that step.

Though it feels like I'm walking blind and I never know what I'll find

I know that where I'm going's better than where I've been

So I will trust Him.

I will trust Him.

I will trust Him."

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love you all very much. Charity is the greatest of all. I know that this is not truly goodbye, because I have an eternal perspective, as I hope you do too. I will see you again soon. Remember that you are a child of God, and remember that He loves you. Nothing else matters. Trust Him, and all that is wrong will be made right again. Again I love you, and I know that my Savior lives for me, He lives for you, and He lives for all of the children of God. God bless!

~~Elder T. Riggs

My Favorite Holiday: October 5, 2015

Hello Friends!

This weekend was absolutely spectacular! We were able to listen to General Conference, which has become my absolute favorite holiday in the world! It's really the best time of the year, because it's so full of receiving revelation and feeling the Spirit. This year, three beloved Apostles passed away after the April General Conference, so during this October Conference, three new Apostles were called to fill the vacancies: Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Elder Gary E. Stevenson, and Elder Dale G. Renlund. Elder Renlund actually came to the Wausau stake conference and spoke to us a few weeks ago, so it was a wonderful experience to see him speak to us as a newly ordained Apostle, a special witness of Christ. 

I'm nearing the end of my mission. This past week, Elder Whitney and I came to the realization that he had been out for 3 weeks, and I had 3 weeks left, so we're opposites! Yesterday Elder Whitney taught the Law of Chastity for the first time to an investigator, and did amazingly well! A few days ago he taught the Word of Wisdom to someone on exchanges, with someone who had also never taught the Word of Wisdom! He's a rockstar! How grateful I am to have been given a last companion who is solid, knows what the Lord expects of him, and is willing to do new things with faith that the Lord will make up for his weaknesses! 

We should be having a baptism this Saturday for Kat! She's been wanting to be baptized so badly, and has this wonderful drive to not let anything stand in her way. The great thing about this is that if you were to look at her and her living conditions, you wouldn't think that a person like her would be so motivated to do this, but she is also a rockstar! She was living the Word of Wisdom before it was even taught to her! I love Kat, and am so excited to see her make this sacred covenant with her Heavenly Father. 

I want you all to be reminded (once again) that I love you dearly. I have a few weeks yet here on my errand from the Lord, and promise that I will live that to the fullest. Keep the faith, and remember that your Savior loves you (John 15:13)!

~~Elder T. Riggs

'My son turns 19': September 28, 2015

Hey Everybody!

This week has been a pretty great week! There were a lot of ups and downs, but all in all, we've had such a great time. On Thursday, Elder Whitney had a birthday! He is now 19 years old. His family sent him a lot of stuff for his birthday, and he's been enjoying all of the snacks (he's also been gaining some weight due to the snacks/Sis. Barrett's cooking). President Cutler gave us permission to visit the Rices, a family in the ward that actually lives outside of the mission boundaries, and it just so happened that the day we had scheduled was Elder Whitney's birthday, so we had cake, ice cream, and we got to visit a cranberry marsh. This is a picture of one of the beds on the marsh. What they do is drive some kind of tractor through the beds to get the berries off of the "vine," then they flood the beds and the berries float on top! At the Rices's marsh, they have about 66 beds of cranberries, and it takes a full day to harvest 2 1/2 beds, so they work hard!

​This is me helping them harvest the cranberries. I tried a cranberry right out of the water, and it was really sour!
​

The correlation between harvesting the cranberries and missionary work is interesting. There are some missions where helping people into the Church is like this; they seem to just want to be collected. Our mission is different. We pretty much have to pick them one by one, but the fantastic thing is that Heavenly Father knows exactly what He needs us to do. I was called to go "fishing" with a pole, instead of a net. The blessings that have come from that are incredible. Though I might not be having as much "success" as other missions, it's the same work, and we receive the same "pay." How grateful I am to a Father who knows me and loves me perfectly. His plan is perfect; my plan is not.

I hope all of you know how much you are loved. :-)

~~Elder T. Riggs

'A Very Scary Hairy Perry Hat' - September 21, 2015

Hello Everybody!!

This has been a great week! Elder Whitney and I have set two more baptismal dates for October before I go home! We're praying very hard that this happens, because that would be totally sweet if I could see 3 more children of God enter the waters of baptism to end my mission. So I'll be honest, I don't have a lot of other things to write about this week. I'm finding that being a trainer, and a district leader, and preparing to come home is SUPER STRESSFUL! But I know that as I keep trying and doing my best to accomplish these things for the Lord, then He lifts me up and makes the efforts that I put forth more effective than what they should be. Missionary work is the greatest thing I could have done for these two years, and I'm going to keep the fire going! Elder Whitney is fantastic as a trainee, and he's going to be a great missionary (if he learns from the Spirit and not me). I'm glad to be serving the Lord. :-)

Love you all!

~~Elder T. Riggs

A MAN: All grown up! August, 2015

Week 1 of Training: September 15, 2015

Hello Everybody!

My new companion's name is Elder Whitney. He is from Lake Stevens,
Washington, is 18 years old (until Sept. 24) and has 4 sisters, one
older and three younger. And he's one of the most stellar missionaries
I could have ever asked for. ^_^ There has been so much that I've
already learned from him, and though I'm supposed to be the example
for him, he is such a great example to me of humility, diligence, and
love for the Lord. I'm honored to be serving with him and have him as
my last companion. Here's to the last hurrah!

Right now, I must admit that I'm feeling very homesick, but not
necessarily for home. Life is full of changes; there's no escaping it.
People come and go throughout our lives, and we seem to be touched if
but for a moment. Most often the people that connect with us don't
even know how much of an impact they have made. I want each of you to
know that you have helped shaped me into who I am today. Ultimately it
is God that changes us, but He uses His children to accomplish His
work. If I could have my way, I would hold on to each of you and never
let go, because I love you. I am homesick for those I love. This helps
me understand to a small degree how the Savior feels about each of us.
I know that if we all choose to follow the Savior and do the things He
would have us do, then eventually we won't have to worry about being
separated from each other because we will all be living in our
Father's presence. We talk often about the importance of being sealed
as a family in the eternities. We talk often about doing family
history work so that our past ancestors can be sealed to their
families. We talk often about how we are all God's children.
Therefore, I conclude by stating that I believe in the eternities we
will all be sealed to each other as one big family. If we are sons and
daughters of God, and He is our Father, then the sealing ordinance not
only seals us to our spouses/children/parents, but since it's the
crowning saving ordinance, it also seals us to HIM! How I love the
Lord and am grateful to be a part of His work! I look forward to being
able to see all of you again someday and let you know exactly how much
you mean to me!

~~Elder T. Riggs

Two Elder Riggses: September 8, 2015

Hey all!

So now there are TWO of us out in the mission field! That's right, my
little brother left last week to go to the England MTC and serve the
Lord with all his heart, might, mind, and strength for two years in
the Berlin, Germany mission. He's going to be such a stellar
missionary.

Transfers are tomorrow, and the results are in! Elder Uppencamp is
being transferred to Two Rivers, which is right by Manitowoc. He's
going to be senior companion to Elder Benson, who has only been out
for 2 transfers. Elder Uppencamp is really excited to be senior
companion, and to be serving right next to Lake Michigan. He's been
here for 6 months, so he's about 1/4th done with his mission. I, on
the other hand, only have 1 transfer left. And my new companion is...

I don't know yet! I'm training a new missionary!

This is pretty weird, because it takes 2 transfers to train, but I
only have 1 transfer left. To make things weirder, 4 other elders who
go home with me are also training! This next group is HUGE! I'm really
excited, but kind of nervous at the same time. In training, we have to
keep track of what week we are on in the training process, so it's
going to be a bit strange when my companion has been out for the same
amount of time I have left... Yeah. But what I've learned is that the
Lord doesn't make mistakes. All I can do is follow His will and know
that everything will be alright. One of my favorite sayings that
President Cutler is always telling us is that WE CAN DO HARD THINGS!
That is absolutely true.

We don't have that long here today so I'm going to have to cut this
one pretty short. Just know that I love you, that God loves you, and
that this gospel is the BEST THING ON THIS EARTH!! :-D

With all the charity in my heart,
~~Elder T. Riggs