Email from Sister Bingham: September 12, 2023

 September 12, 2023

It has been a different kind of a morning than usual for me. Michael has been working through the weekly emails that he receives each week - one email from each missionary that is serving here in our mission. It really is a good thing for him to be able to know what is in the heart and mind of each missionary as they try to communicate to him through a weekly email. He is able to share with me some of the highlights and some of the struggles of the missionaries in appropriate ways. Because he is consumed with that, I have been able to spend a bit more time reading and studying. We are so busy with missionary tasks that this shrot time is a blessing to me. Tonight at 9 pm we will announce the transfers that will occur on Thursday. It really has been a humbling, sacred process as the ideas of who should serve with whom and in what area of our mission they should serve come to mind.. There have been some challenging moments when we have had to rely on the spirit and strive for revelation in the process. At times this past week as we have had the transfer board up on a big screen the spirit was so strong and I felt like I could just weep. That is a sweet feeling, even with tears, a lump in my throat and an ache in my heart - it is good. This morning as I went on a walk for exercise I felt the confirming spirit from the Holy Ghost, that this transfer can truly bless the lives of each of our missionaries. This experience is a sweet experience. Because I had a few extra minutes this morning I thought I would look at some news. Really, the whole US or even the world could be in shambles and I don’t think we would really know. We have been so focused that the news hasn’t even crossed our minds! But, I did notice that Coco Gauff won the US Open a couple of days ago. I watched a short video clip of her matchpoint winner. As she was overcome with emotion I was reminded of those feelings we feel when we have accomplished something hard in our lives. I loved how the first people she went to were her parents. I loved seeing her hugging her father with tears and seeing her mother almost crazy with excitement (Coco mentioned in an interview that her mother must have been overcome with the Holy Spirit at that moment.) I thought of how we will feel when we have finished our work here on this earth and we are reunited with ALL of our loved ones on the other side of the veil. I think we will experience even greater JOY, as we realize that we have finished the work we are sent here on earth to do. I have thought about the reunion each of us will have as we come before our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know that through Him, we can do all things that are expedient for us to do. He lives (Buhay si JesuCristo). I have felt Him close during this transfer process and here on this mission as we have served for the past 11 weeks. The fruit is sweet above all that is sweet. There is so much I wish I could tell you about! The good things, the sad things, the disappointing things, the scary things, on & on & on. Your dad & I have truly felt the sustaining power of the prayers of our family. I didn’t think I could love each of you any more than I did when we left you but somehow I do! We love you, MOM