Week 13!

I'm definitely not in North Bend anymore, it's so different here! I was so sad to leave all those people that I love so much, but I definitely am supposed to be in this area and I'm so excited to see how things go this transfer. The area here is different because there is Hispanics EVERYWHERE! In North Bend, the missionary work was a lot of helping the few people there that speak Spanish to start to become prepared. Here, we just search for the prepared; we talk with everyone we see and just try to love the people. My wonderful companion, Hermana Larson, is an amazing missionary. She is from Gilbert, Arizona and has been out almost 9 months. She is a very hardworking missionary and is one of the best I've ever seen.
 

The Branch that I'm serving in is wonderful.  The members are so so nice and I feel so welcome and can't wait to get to know them all better. Our Branch has 150 members, but about 75 of them are coming to church. So we get to work a lot with the less active members and they to help them to get back to church. This is probably one of the things I'm most excited for in this area. They know the joy and hope that comes from the Gospel, but for one reason or another, they've chosen not to come to church and do they things they know. I'm so excited to try and help them to remember and rekindle their testimonies and help them so return to church.
 

My first night here on Tuesday we were going to some set appointments but none of them were there so we decided to go visit a referral that they had tried to contact a few times. We went over to see Olga and she let us right in. She is the sweetest lady from Guatemala. She has had some hard times in her life but she is so strong. We talked to her about the Book of Mormon and how is could help her and then we invited her to church. She came to church and the Branch just loved her and made her feel so welcome. She said how she loved it so much there and she wants to learn more. We're going to continue going back and I just feel like Heavenly Father knows not only how much this Gospel can help her life, but also how great of member she will be and how much she can help our Branch.

Hermana Larson and I both know that God has great expectations for this Branch. We are working so hard and trying to listen to Spirit. We were blessed to be able to teach so many people this week and we are going to just try to become better every week. Our Branch Mission Leader, Hermano Medrano, is great and so involved in the work. He has been a member for around 2 years and I know that as we use him and other members of the Branch, miracles are going to happen.

Some of the best news that I got this week is that Marco received the Priesthood yesterday. He's been going to lessons with the missionaries and has a calling. It made me so happy to know that things are going great for him and I know he's going to be such a strong member and is going to help so many people grow closer to their Heavenly Father.
 

I know I say this all the time but being a missionary is the best blessing ever. I have seen myself being strengthened in my testimony and seen so many others doing the same. There's no other experience in my life that has helped me the way that my mission has so far. My gratitude grows daily for the things that my Savior, Jesus Christ, has done for us. The chance that we have to change our lives everyday is the most amazing gift.

Les Quiero!
 

Con Amor,
 

Hermana Pier