Well, she's been home since Christmas, and has been studying her heart out, and preparing the list of things she needed to bring. We're pretty sure that she is one of the most prepared missionaries ever. She's read the Book of Mormon countless times; she's studied Preach My Gospel, taken Mission Prep at BYU-Provo, gone to the Holy Land, read many other books to help prepare her. She went through the Rexburg temple to take out her endowments, back in December, as soon as she was recommended by Bishop Moulton.
This past week was filled with wonders and tender mercies. I blessedly was able to get about a week off work, so we could prepare our home and food for her "farewell". She wanted to have a baked potato bar. My mom made a chicken type gravy topping, and also a beef gravy topping that were both delicious. Kortny brought cheese. We had sourcream, chives, chile and the two toppers. We also had desserts. Lexie Hill brought Scotcheroos, Susan Bates brought a sheet cake, Aunt Debbie made a chocolate cake. We had a Chinese cabbage salad, a chicken lettuce with rasp vinegarette salad and pasta salad that Heather wanted. So, we made the preparations on the Friday and some of Saturday.
Saturday, Aunt Sherry and her family and Aunt Debbie and her family got to Grandma and Grandpa Ripplinger's, who live 1/8 mile above us, by noon time. Todd is on his mission in Africa and none of Sherry's children came, except for Trent and Haley. They all came down to our house and we watched some funny videos on our lap top of our children dancing around in funny costumes. We also got them to play Dance Dance on our Wii.
In the evening, four of Heather's good friends from BYU-Provo came: Vasalisa from Russia, Trace Stay from her ward, Stephanie H. and Bryce Capener, who is from Nauvoo area. Bryce had a gorgeous voice. Trace played the piano for her, and I had to run downstairs when she started to sing, because it sounded like a heavenly angel. And she was singing a song from Le Miserables, which I love. Then he played and all five of them harmonized and sang more of Le Mis and also many Church hyms or songs. It was wonderful. It was midnight by now, and we finally had to have them stop.
I know the music made a big impression on Blaine, because when he got up the next morning, the first thing he said was, "Wasn't that music great last night?" Mike and Tracey had arrived the night before, at Grandma's house.
Sunday morning, (we don't have Church until 1) the Ripplinger extended family came to our house, and the five BYU-Provo students sang several songs for them. We all sand together before they started, so we had family singing, I guess you'd call it. We could all feel the Spirit.
Vaselisa really loves Heather; she was her room-roommate last semester. They just hit it right off, and they've loved each other dearly. They call each other weasel.
We all went to sacrament meeting, which was Heather's farewell. In our small ward, our Bishopric let us do what we wanted; basicly. Heather chose the songs. Derek was the youth speaker, and gave a fabulous talk about trials in his life. He spoke of Kutter and Heather being his heroes. His talk was like a 40 year old, that's what you would expect, maybe. It just wonderful. I kept his talk and put it in my pink journal, if you ever want to read it. Derek bragged his little cousin, Kutter, who is 4 up, and people wept over the Spirit they felt.
Then Enrique Martinez spoke. He is a one year convert to the Church. He took some missionary lessons in our home last year. He and Heather are friends. Brother Matt Berry had asked him to speak, after Heather told him that Enrque was coming home for her farewell. Matt thought it was interesting that all three of the speakers actually were excited to talk. Enrique testified bodly and sweetly about the Book of Mormon. We were all amazed at how strong he has become.
Then my brother in law, Tad Arbon, sang and played the piano. He played a rendition of I'll Go Where you Want me to Go. He is great at adding little frills and the song was wonderful. At the end, he substituted Heather's name, like Heather will go where you want her to go, dear Lord . . . It was neat.
Heather was the last speaker. I saved her talk, in my journal, as well. She did a great job of sharing her feelings of wanting to serve, of how her mission call and everything hs gone. She gave a beautiful talk, that was Spirit-filled.
So, our sacrament meeting was one of those that you wish would go on forever. People loved it.
I have to share a few interesting thing about it, too. Later on, my family told me that my sister, Kortny cries like me -- she crunches her whole face up and really cries. Kortny said that Tad was crying so hard, during Derek's talk about Kutter, that the bench was moving. Heather and Derek were up on the stand and could see everybody. Derek thinks he knows where I get my crying tendency from; he saw my father, his Grandpa crying like me, all through the meeting.
We all went home, and our friends and family had a great lunch together. The Sax's, from the BYU Bishopric came; he and his wife. Shaun and Ashley and their three children had come that morning. Christian and Jennifer and their family had come to the sacrament meeting, too. We just had lots of fun and good times with our family that day.
By five, everyone had left: our BYU friends traveling home to Provo, our various White and Ripplinger relatives going to their homes. There were many good byes.
Our joy was full as we felt such great peace and happiness. Blaine gave Heather a father's blessing, prior to her entering the MTC.
Monday evening, Heather was set apart as a full-time missionary by President Ryan Kunz. Grandpa nad Grandma Ripplinger were abe to be there, along with our own family. Derek, Grandpa Ripplinger, me, Blaine and lastly Heather, were asked to share a brief testimony. That was a strong spirit-filled meeting. We got to see her set apart. It was wonderful. Bishop and Kayleen Moulton were also there. Heather had invited them. He said he hadn't ever been invited to one before.
Monday night and Tuesday morning, before school, our four other children, had to tell her good-bye. We think Derek will miss her most; they are close and close in age.
Tuesday afternoon, just Blaine and I and Heather started our drive, in our Honda Accord, towards Provo. Heather had to be at the MTC on Wednesday at 1:10. We wanted to get to Salt Lake Teusday evening, because we wanted to attend a morning session at the Salt Lake Temple on Wednesday, before taking her to the MTC. I had told her how beautiful that temple is inside, and she had wanted to go since she took out her endowments. She also wished she could participate in a proxy sealing, so watch for what happened.
We stopped in Idaho Falls first.because my Counsin, Angela's son, Jordan, had returned from his missin to Taiwan, and his report was the same day as Heather's farewell, so we hadn't got to go hear him. We stopped at their hosue. It was one of the great blessings of the day. He was simply glowing. He comes from a less active family. He is so strong and good. We talked and talked. He and Heather had fun talking mission talk. We spent over an hour there; we were so grateful for our visit with him. He is certainly an impressive young man.
We traveled on down to K'lyn and Guy Haskel's home in Bountiful, where we had arranged to stay, so we'd be close to Salt Lake. They visited with us briefly; we didn't get there until around 9 p.m. and we had to get up early to make the 8 o'clock session. Blaine had taken us to dinner at Sizzler in Pocatello, which was yummy.
We got up early on Wedneday, March 14, set out to the Salt Lake temple. The trip was well worth it; the temple is so gorgeous inside. An elderly gentleman made friends with us, told us we would be the winess couple, before we were even asked. He reminded me of my Grandpa Williams.
In the session, at one point, when we walked between rooms, Blaine held my hand. I looked back to find that our elderly man friend was holding Heather's hand! She said that he just grabbed it and said, "Can I hold your sweet young hand?". He dropped it when we got to the next seating. He also told her that he thought I was her sister. She thought that was funn.
At the end of our session, we had just arrived in the Celestial room, when a lady came to us, and asked if we'd please help her with a family sealing! Heather got to the daughter to this couple, that had passed on! It was a nice gift for Heather.
After the temple, we drove to Provo, had to stop in at a WalMart to get Heather a watch and an alarm clock. We ate at Sonic, where Heather had to buy a small supply of fry sauce to take into the MTC with her. After the lunch at Sonic, we went to the grocery store, Macy's, to use the bathroom. For some reason, I broke out in tears on our way into the store, so many people looked at me and Heather, who were linked arm in arm, like she was hurting me, or something : )
I cried a few times like that. We then headed to the parking lot, by the Provo temple and onto the big grassy field, which was the designated spot for pictures and saying good-bye. We had about an hour left, when we first got there. We first made sure that Heather's suitcases were set; that she had everything in them that she needed. Then we went over to the grass, and took some pictures.
Bishop Du Preez, from the BYU ward, met us there. He visited for quite a while. He cried on departure. It was time for us to drive Heather into the MTC. Blaine and I had Heather had a tender hug, where Blaine wrapped his big arms around us both, on his front, and the three of us stood there, huddled together, for a few minutes, all of us crying. That will always be one of my favorite memories. Pure love.
We got into the car, Heathr in the back seat. We drove aroun the corner and headed down the street between the temple and the MTC. We drove through the gates, as we had been instructed. We saw about 20 men with their suits on, with bright vests, designated to be guides for the many missionaries, being dropped off that day. A friendly man poked his head in Blaine's window and said, "Welcome to the MTC!" Do you have a missionary? Then you can proceed. Look for the yellow vests, they will tell you where to stop.
There was a procession of cars, going through a long path, or road along the MTC. Cars pulling over to the curb, everywhere, in front and behind us. Then we saw one of the yellow vested men potion to us to come to a spot on the curb. Blaine pulled in, and all three of us jumped out. We went to the trunk, got her suitcases out, handed them to the two Elders that were there to help escort her, and then they stepped back, so we could give her a brief hug. None of us really cried then; she turned and went off with the Elders, with a big smile on her face.
I was videotaping most of this day's events, and as we slowly followed the sea of cars leaving the MTC area, I got one last glimpse of Heather, walking along, with the two Elders. She was chattering away, happy with a smile on her face. We knew she would be fine.
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