Monday, January 27, 2014

Life is good!!!

LIFE IN FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I will ever be able
to stop saying how much I LOVE being a missionary. So to start off the week
we went to see a referral from some other missionaries. Her name is Rosy
and we have been trying to have a lesson with her for about 2 weeks and we
were feeling that if it didn't work out again maybe we would stop trying to
visit her because maybe she wasn't that interested after all. So.. We went
to our lesson and it was so so great. She talked all about how she is just
searching and searching for the truth and how she needs to find the church
to take her family to. She has been to TONS of churches but has just never
"felt it was right". It was a really amazing experience to get to teach her
and see how strong the spirit was. When we shared about Joseph Smith and
the first vision she literally gasped. It was so cool when she said how she
felt the spirit so strong and that she'd do whatever it took to find out if
this church is true. We have our second lesson with her tonight so please
pray for her! <3

One of our investigators, Eduardo (the Book of Mormon speed reader), is
doing great. He is reading, praying, and coming to church. Something I've
really realized as a missionary is how much FAITH is an action word. If we
want our faith to grow we can't just sit back and wait, we have to do the
things necessary to have it happen. And Eduardo is definitely one of those
people who is willing to work and exercise his faith so that it can grow!

Last miracle for the week is Sonya. Last week we had 4 set appointments
with people and Yared was coming out with us to them all and we were
excited because they were some pretty important lessons. And then... all
them processed to fall through. Life of a missionary. So what did we do, we
decided to knock of course. We were driving around trying to find an
apartment complex to knock and we drove by a few and this one building
stuck out so we turned around and knocked it. We met Sonya and set up a
return appointment. When we went I was so surprised how amazingly prepared
so was. She was raised Catholic but doesn't agree with all their beliefs so
now she just reads the bible every day with her kids and husband and tries
out different churches every now and then. As we taught about the
restoration and talked about how there are so many churches she asked us at
least 5 times, "So... which of all them are true? I have to know." She was
so excited to get a Book of Mormon and she she wants to read and pray about
it because she knows it works just like the Bible.

I lied, one last thing that was an awesome miracle. We were getting out of
our car at an investigators house an I forgot the phone was on my lap. And
it went flying when I stood up and the battery, phone, and back all
separated. Whoops. I pick up the back and the phone and the battery is NO
WHERE to be found. So, we get down on our hands and knees (IN SKIRTS) and
have out a flashlight and are searching everywhere. It wasn't there. I then
sat on the curb and said to Hermana Phillips, "This is a wasted of time!
This can't be part of God's plan we need to be working." You know I was
playing the part of Laman and Lamuel and Hermana Phillips said, "Let's say
a prayer." <---- She's the Nephi in the companionship I guess. I said a
short prayer asking for help and lo and behold... we opened our eyes and it
was right there under a leaf. Say what?! It was not there before. I swear.
Everyone always tells these kinds of stories and I always have been a
doubter but I swear it wasn't there before. The craziest part is that right
then the investigator pulled into their driveway and had that not happened
we would have just knocked their door and left when they weren't have.
Heavenly Father is so so great.

Anyways, I love you all! Have a great week!

Con Amor,
Hermana Pier

ps sorry to anyone i didn't get to email!

                               All the missionaries in Mt Si in the last 6 months. 

                          The mob outside the airport. Seahawks fans are intense.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Seahurst!!!!!

There are miracles happening all over Seahurst!!!!! Firstly, our Branch started praying for all the missionaries in our branch by name and it's amazing the difference it has made in the missionary work. This week we went to a return lesson with a person we knocked into about a week ago and guess what?! He had already read 100 pages of the Book of Mormon! I was so excited, that never happens! He had so many amazing questions and really wants to know. And then right as we were leaving our appointment, a random guy turned around and started talking to us. He said, "You're the Mormons, huh?" And then he told us that he had read part of the Book of Mormon and that he wanted to talk to us more. So we exchanged information and guess what?! He called us Sunday morning and told us he wanted to come to church with us. During the classes he participated a bunch and really loved it and said he's going to keep coming :)



Another amazing thing that happened was that we received a referral from some members of a ward here and they're amazing! They're a couple Antonio and Paloma. They told us how they have heard a lot of amazing things about our church and what we believe and that they will do what it takes to find out if it's true for themselves. When members get involved in missionary work it's amazing the miracles that we see.



Other than that, we just taught a lot and worked hard. I'm really excited for this transfer because Hermana Phillips and I have decided to only speak in Spanish to each other. It's going to be so great! Sorry it's short again email time's short since we're doing it in a church Family History Center. Other than that, GO SEAHAWKS! Haha apparently they're going to the Super Bowl or something? Not really positive cause we live in a missionary bubble.

Que Dios les bendiga!!!!!



Con Amor,


Hermana Pier

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Transfers ...

Well, transfers turned out differently than I could have ever imagined. To start off with the worst news, Mt Si Spanish was closed this transfer. There will not be Hermanas down there anymore. Luckily the two sets of English elders down there have both been assigned new companions who are Spanish speaking so that's great. Hermana Larson has been transferred and I am staying here in Seattle with.. Hermana Phillips! My trainer is my companion again!!! YAY!
 
As for this last week, it was just GREAT!! To start off the week we left our phone at an investigators house. Whoops. It was the last lesson of the night and we were home before we realized it was gone. The problem is that our district leaders call us every night to see if we need help and to make sure everything's going okay with the work. So, when our DL called us our investigator, Alberto, saw that the phone was ringing and he didn't answer because he doesn't speak English. Yikes. So our district leader though we'd died or something. He called about 15 times that night haha. Meanwhile we had no idea any of this was going on and we woke up the next morning to pounding at the door because some Sisters had been sent to check if we were alive. Luckily, we got our phone back so all is well. Lesson learned: Don't trust Hermana Pier with the cell phone.
 
This week we felt a desire to go back and knock a door of a family we had said a prayer with and sang a song for one time. When we went to go the 18 year old daughter opened the door and right away said, "It's you. My parents told me about you. Could you please say a prayer for me, I'm going through a really hard time." So we got to know her a little and had the opportunity to prayer with her. When we went to go check on her a few days later the father answered the door and said, "Please come in! I need to talk to you!" When we went in he told us that he needs the address for our church cause he really wanted to come one day. I really hope that we are able to teach this family and I've learned a lot about how Heavenly Father uses us to touch people and help them in their hard times. And even something as simple as a song and prayer can really touch people.

This week we had the most amazing lesson with the Giles Family. They're a family of less actives and I just love them so so much. We talked to them about the Plan of Salvation and how we have a chance to live with God and with our families forever. When we started talking about after this life one of them said, "Hey can you send us a picture from the Celestial Kingdom, there's no way we can get there." We were so sad that they felt that way. As we started talking about families they all got very very interested and the spirit was so strong as we testified that it was possible for them to be a family forever. They talked about how they want to change and they want to become better. And this Sunday they came to church. I was so happy when I found out, now we just have to keep them coming!
 
I say I was happy when I found out that they were at church because we were not this week :( Hermana Larson got really sick and we didn't go out this weekend. She tried to work through it but we figured it was time to go home when she got lost dinner on our investigators porch... So that was how the rest of the week went. Sitting in and studying.
 
I'm really excited that I get to serve with Hermana Phillips again and know this transfer is going to be AMAZING!!!!!
 
I love you all so so much!!!!
 
Con Amor,
 
Hermana Pier

Monday, January 6, 2014

2014!

This week was a great week to start off a new year!!!! New years was pretty exciting with the usual missionary work and going to bed at 10:30. Haha it was basically just like any other day. But on the 1st we had a big meeting with President Choi and we talked a lot about what we are going to do and how we're going to become the best instruments in the Lord's hands possible. It was great and really got us motivated to go out and work with all diligence.


As for this week, Yared came out with us three days this week to go to appointments with us. Haha sometimes I'm so jealous of the members that don't grow up in this church and convert because they have some of the strongest, most sincere testimonies I have ever heard. So many of our investigators can relate to her becuase they're in the same situation she was a little over a year ago. She's starting her mission papers soon and I'm so excited for her. (But sad that the missionaries here won't have her here to help out ja ja)

This week we had two investigators at church, Rosy and Cristal, and it was the perfect week for them to come. Both are struggling with knowing if there is a God. It's hard for them to understand why so many bad things happen if we have a Heavenly Father. Our Sunday School lesson was titled "Our Heavenly Father". Pretty fitting right? The entire class was on how to come to know that we are children of God. Cristal started to cry during the lesson and  and talked a lot about how she wants to know and come to that knowledge and feel her Heavenly Fathers love like we have. We're very excited to be able to work with her and get her to that point.


I just want to let you all know that I know without a doubt that each and everyone of us is a child of God. I know that he loves us more than we can ever imagine. And that as we turn to him and put our trust in him we can become the children we need to be. I'm so grateful for his love that I feel every day and am excited to go out and help others continue to feel of that love.
 
Con Amor,
 
Hermana Pier