Fiesta Time!

Hey hey y'all this was a great old week. I think I legitimately begin every email that way but that's okay because it's the truth :) This week I realized that my time on my mission is going by too fast. So, it was time for me to step up and be more bold with everyone that I came into contact with. To testify to everyone that I meet of the truth of the Gospel and to NEVER apologize for what I believe! And I have had one of the best, happiest weeks of my mission. 

Here in Seattle we meet a lot of people from different places from around the world with different religious beliefs. Every day we come in contact was Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslims, Christians, and every other religion under the sun. It's great because I have learned a lot about what other people believe and been able to see how many similarities there are between what we believe. I used to try to just bring up this similarities we have with people. To help them see that we are a lot like them... but this week I realized that it really is some of those differences that we have that sets The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apart from other churches. I have testified to everyone I saw of the message of the Restoration. I have made sure that everyone I meet knows that I know that Jesus Christ is the son of God and that it's only through Him that we can return to our Heavenly Father and live with our families forever. As I have done this I have seen a difference in the responses of the people. I was worried people would be offended and mean but actually everyone was respectful and we were able to find a lot of new potential investigators. No one can tell you your sincere testimony is false.

Other than that not too much happened this week. We had a giant party in the church to help las mujeres jovenes earn money for Girl's camp and it went so well. They had food from a bunch of Hispanic Countries and a pinata and singing and everything I was pretty sure i was in Mexico hahaha it was great. We had a family of investigators come and basically every less active in the branch as well so that was awesome. We're just trying to figure out how to get their attendance to translate to church on Sunday! 

Other than that it was just a normal week. We worked really hard and had great time. I LOVE Hermana Boley and am learning lots from her. We had 2 people at church this week and also accidentally joined a bible study group from random church. They tried to teach us about how we weren't in the truth. It was funny and we invited them to learn more and left mormon.org cards before making an excuse to leave. Awk. 

Hope you all have a great week! 

Love,

Hermana Pier 

Because of Him!

This week was GLORIOUS! Firstly, Hermana Boley is amazing! I'm so excited to be her companion this transfer, it's going to be great!!!! A couple of highlights from this week were:

1. Getting members really involved in our lessons and building fellowship with our investigators. We had more member present lessons this week that ever before and it really made a difference. One example, the Vasquez family that came to church last week. We took their fellowship to a lesson with us and we talked all about the pamphlet "For the Strength of Youth". We talked about some of the standards that we live as members of the church and how it's helped us to stay doing the things that the Lord wants us to do. The member was able to testify of how much those standards have helped her family to be strengthed. They came to our Branch Activities this Friday and really enjoyed it. Gabby told me that her daughter finished reading the entire pamphlet and was really impressed by things like modesty and different standards like that. She wants to start coming to Young Women's Activities everyday :)

2. Doing service for our of our investigators, Flora. All her daughters attend an english ward and are active. She's met with tons of missionaries but never been baptized. She doesn't speak any English, hence where we come in the picture. Although the work with her is quite slow because of some people that have pushed her in the past, she's slowly making progress. The Senior Sisters here and the Seatac bishop have asked us to not give up on her because she is an amazing women. We were able to go other with all the Seatac missionaries and some members and work in their yard for a few hours. It was great to help people that are so busy and then to see how much they truly appreciate it :)

3. We had a couple of investigators at church again this week so that was exciting. I got to teach of Gospel Principles class because the teacher was sick. I love when we have investigators at church because it really is there that we can feel God's love so strongly. I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!!!!

Today I would like to invite you all to watch this amazing video. It's called "Because of Him". https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_S3TI4bYerU
 It's an amazing 3 minute video about our Savior, Jesus Christ and really helps us to better understand the amazing gift that our Lord has given us. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He knows us perfectly and it's through Him that we can change and become better everyday. As Easter approaches this week I would also like to invite every one of you to share this video on your Facebook, Twitter, and whatever other social media pages. Share this amazing knowledge that we have with other people so that they too can come to understand His never ending love for them :)

I love you all so so much. :) Have a wonderful Easter and never ever forget that you're children of God!

Con Amor,

Hermana Pier

Transfers...

Transfers... dun dun dun. I was absolutely positive that I was being transferred. Firstly, I'd been in Seahurst forever and also I just love it way too much there. So on Friday I started packing my bags. Transfers calls came last night and... I am staying another transfer. WHAT?! Heavenly Father must really love me a lot. Hermana Phillips was transferred and my new companion is Hermana Boley. She's adorable and I'm really excited to serve with her. So I found out that I was staying and thought to myself, "Dang it! Now I have to unpack." Buuuut we found out we were going to being moving apartments and had to clear everything out. :) Thankfully because I was packed it's made the process a bit easier. Also, they closed the area of the Elders serving in our Branch so it's now just us. We are going to be taking over all of their investigators and people they've been working with. So... our prayers to find a bunch of new investigators worked I guess? Haha hopefully that area gets opened back up again soon. It'll be great though.

This week was interesting. Hermana Phillips sprained her ankle. (photo attached) Hahah. The story is great. She's going to kill me when she reads this one day. So we were at the stake center waiting for general conference to start on Sunday and all the missionaries were in the gym taking pictures and she decided to jump up behind some sisters to photo bomb their pictures. She slipped, fell, and went flailing. We started laughing so hard.. until we realized she was actually hurt :( The doc says that she shouldn't be walking on much and gave her this boot thing.

Speaking of General Conference, wasn't it just amazing?! It was broadcast to us and we got to watch all of the sessions. Something that really hit me was the need for us as members of the church to take a stand for our beliefs. Just as God is hastening his work, so is Satan. We can't be fench sitters anymore. We have to choice which team we want to play for and gear up. And do you want to know the best part? If we choose the Lord's team, there is absolutely no way we can lose. My goal this transfer is to play for the Lord's team always and let nothing stop me from playing with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. I invite all of you to look to look at your life and see if there's anything keeping you from playing. Sometimes Satan makes us too busy with other things or he makes the things like daily scripture study and prayer seem little but really if we can dedicate our lives 100% to the Lord we can complete the work He needs us to.

I love you all so much. Feel free to write me some letters :)

Con Amor,

Hermana Pier