Another month bites the dust!

January 25, 2016

Hello all! Can you believe that i've been out for 11 months already? I can't! I can't believe that I'm almost finished with my mission! Luckily I still have some time left though! :)

So this week, we used our "detective skills" to help find our neighbors dog. We were walking to go visit potentials, and I noticed some dog prints In the snow, and for some reason just kept analyzing them. Then, around the corner came a car asking if we saw a dog running around. We then started our hunt! I felt like such a detective because we were looking at all of the prints and seeing if they were iced over or not-- to see if they were fresh prints or not. We searched for an hour, and had no luck. We called them the next morning to ask if they found their dog, and they said she was locked in the garage. At least she was safe and we were able to help him! They every
appreciative!

Then, we were going to pick up a member to go to a lesson with us, and ended up being late because we helped dig a car out of the snow. His plow got stuck...ironic. Haha but, it was so great to help him out! I'm sure people driving by thought we were crazy climbing up on snow banks digging out a car in skirts! Haha that would have been cool to see, but it was so nice to do a couple random acts of service this week!

Missions are pretty great! I love it so much! I'll update you on our investigators next week! They're doing awesome, and we got a new investigator! Woo-hoo! The work is moving along!!

Keep PUSHing!
Sister Pierce

New bags...yes we got matching bags. 

I think it has really improved the comp unity though,since we got them! 

It's great!!

Tie dye shirts we made at district p-day.

Sister black's and my "hometown" shirts!

Sorry about Last Week!

January 18, 2016

I'm so sorry about last week! I really thought my Email sent. I'm trying to resend it, but it's not working right now... Hopefully this one sends! Sorry, but it'll probably be a short one too, because I'm starting to run out of time!!

But, is week we picked up a new investigator, Marc Hagerthy. He's pretty awesome. He already has a testimony about the Book of Mormon, and loves everything Christian. He just absorbed everything we taught
him, and he was so accepting! It kind of weirded sister black and I out. Most new englanders are not this accepting and open with religion, so we're kind of questioning his intentions, but I have faith that that are real and true!! Also, April is doing awesome! We read the Book of Mormon with her yesterday and she found connections with Lehi! So cool. I don't think I know anyone who has connected with Lehi. Pretty neat. Also, is week, we had a nor-Easter! It's a crazy fast storm that brings in snow suddenly. We started off with freezing rain--I had no idea that actually existed...that was pretty exciting to try and scrap off...not. Ha but then, we got about 5 inches of snow in about 2 hours. It was crazy!

Well, I hope you all have a great week! I'm sorry if this doesn't send this week...my internet keeps turning off...

Keep PUSHing!
Sister Pierce

Freezing rain on the car...crazy!

 And look what happened to both of our bags!

The Work is Hastening!

January 18, 2016

Hello family and friends! I love emailing you all each week, it makes me feel like I'm kind of talking to each of you! It's pretty great. :)

So this week has been pretty busy. We have been spending time visiting potential investigators and trying to get the ward excited for our new mission vision. Each year we have a new vision and goal to work towards. The vision for 2016 is "Every member or family invite at least one individual or family into their home to be taught by the
missionaries." It's been pretty exciting to see how some members are so excited to get started, and how other members are a little nervous, but are willing to try. We actually did a couple of role plays with some members yesterday evening and that was pretty fun. I felt like I was in the district videos that we, as missionaries watch, because some sisters do a real play with a member to invite a friend to learn more. It's pretty neat. I love seeing how members are so eager to be missionaries!

Last Monday, we visited with the Bubar's and invited brother Bubar to be baptized. He accepted!! Well, he said if it's what the lord wants him to do, there is no doubt he wouldn't do it. How great is that? And to make it better, they came to church yesterday!! They have some friends in the ward, so it was fun to see them go and say hi to their
friends after sacrament meeting. They fit in so well, and I can't wait to go and see them tonight!

On Tuesday, we had lunch with the Youland's, practiced teaching a member the plan of salvation, and then went to the soup kitchen. That was the best part of the day. When it was the week of transfers, we had to say goodbye to them all because they got mad at the last sister who left and didn't say bye, so we did and the main cook, Janet, was in tears! I felt so bad, but was excited to see them this week (it was closed last week because of the snow). We got such an amazing reaction! They all were so excited and gave us BIG hugs! Eye said they were praying that we would stay, and one man just lit up when he saw us. Apparently we didn't say bye to him, so he was the most excited to see us (and the most upset since we didn't tell him we were possibly leaving) haha. It was the best, ever! I felt so loved and appreciated! It was great!

On Wednesday, we met with our investigator, Dotty, and that was great! We weren't making much progress with her, so we brought a member with us and she really helped. Dotty finally committed to coming to church this next week and to pray for us! She was pretty stubborn with not wanting to pray, but after inviting her, and inviting her, she finally said one, and it was great. I love hearing investigators pray.

Thursday we met with another investigator, Sister Stanton. We taught her the plan of salvation and she said she liked it, but needed to ponder it. I think the plan of salvation is my favorite lesson to teach, because I feel people make the most connections with that one and have lots of questions answered.

Friday, we saw our investigator April and that was also a great lesson! The member she lives with let us just teach her, so we were able to get to know her more and understand why she wants to be baptized, etc. we've extended her date to February 20th, and we hope that day works out! She's doing good and Dan really see how the gospel
and church has helped her have more peace in her life.

Then Saturday, we spent most of our time in Woolwich visiting potentials and LA. We stopped by this one LA home, and they were so kind to us, they even fed us dinner unexpectedly! They love the missionaries and want us to come back to visit them. We also met this other LA who we randomly met last Monday in the grocery store, and she was so excited to see us again, I think she was a little weirded out that we found her though. She said she wasn't a member anymore, but she didn't realize that we still have her records in our ward directory! Haha tricky missionaries! ;) haha We also met a solid potential and scheduled a return appointment with him for tomorrow.
Ah, there is so much work to be done here, it's amazing!!

I sure hope you are all doing well and that you are courageous when it come to missionary work. I believe that the best missionaries are the members! You have a way with your friends and family members that missionaries can't ever experience. You are the key to missionary work, and the lord has promised that He will help you. I know that for a fact. The lord blesses His missionaries--set apart, or not. I love you all!

Keep P.U.S.Hing! (Pray until something happens)
Sister Pierce

Winter has come!...sister black still has to do her peace sign...even with her mittens! Haha

us with our fur coats!

Hello 2016!

January 4, 2016

Hello everyone! I hope you are having a great start to this new year!! This week has been pretty good. We started it off with a super chill p-day. I seriously don't know how it was so relaxing and we still had time to do everything! Normally p-days are the busiest and sometimes most stressful days, but somehow this one was great! I think I finally have this p-day thing down...that only took me about 10.5 months. Sad.....anyways. Then we had a lesson with the Bubar's. We taught them the plan of salvation, and sister Bubar (the LA) remembered most of it, which was exciting! Brother Bubar didn't know it, but he was very interested in it. We're going to invite him to be baptized tonight, hopefully that goes well! We're not totally positive on what his true intentions are with us teaching him, So hopefully tonight will be a positive experience!

On Tuesday. It snowed!! Woo hoo! That was something exciting to wake up to, but it wasn't very magical--like it is when it snows before Christmas--It was just like, "oh, there's cold, wet, white stuff on the ground. Fun!...not really now I have to shovel." Haha okay, I have a much better attitude then it may seem, promise! I've actually been
looking forward to the snow so we can shovel! It's pretty great.  We even shoveled a lady's driveway the following day, and she was surprised with how much we love to work! (I think the previous sisters have helped her out before or have asked her if they could serve her in any way for her to respond like that. But I didn't mind! We just said, ” yes! We love doing work!" And pulled out our shovels from the car. So great!).

The snow is pretty fun, but it also makes for interesting driving situations. On Tuesday when it snowed, It really tested my driving abilities. But, I'd like to inform you that I have discovered I have some mad Indiana Jones driving skills!! :) if you have ever been on the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland, or Disney World, you'll know what I'm talking about. We were out contacting potential investigators in Woolwich, and our GPS led us down this sketchy road that wasn't plowed very well and was pretty narrow. By the time we got further down the road, it was no longer plowed, there were animal footprints, and there was a fence blocking the way saying "private property". That
was pretty sketchy. The snow was at least 2 feet deep, and I had to turn around quickly, or else we would have gotten stuck. I didn't even let sister black get out to reverse me because I didn't want to get stuck anymore than we were already getting. After I turned around, that's when my Indiana Jones skills kicked it, and I felt like I was on that ride. The road was super bumpy, we were fish-tailing, and the steering wheel was super loose, almost to the point that it felt like it wasn't attached to the car. Pretty crazy, but it was so much fun!! I was so impressed with myself that I could drive out of there safely, and that we didn't get stuck! That was the second time that night where we almost got stuck. We visited another potential, and they have a super steep driveway. I took us 5 tries to get out of the driveway....but we got out! Oh boy, we've had some pretty exciting adventures so far!

We've been trying to contact a lot of our potential investigators this week, and we've met some pretty interesting people. There was one couple who we met who were super  friendly and were apparently 3 days away from being baptized! We asked why they didn't get baptized, and it was seriously the most ridiculous response, and it barely made sense. Apparently people didn't show up to a single adult activity, and his response was "where were the other 9?" (referring to the 10 lepers Christ healed). That was his response. Literally. I'm still really confused....but, that whole experience really upset sister black. He was so close to being baptized and now he's so set on his "new path" that there is no way he will change. She is discovering more and more that people have their agency and they don't always use it the way we, as missionaries, would hope.

We also met other people who made missionary work a little more exciting. One man said he believes Star Wars and religion are in the same realm, and that positivity is his religion, and there was another man who claims he has a masters degree in Aerospace engineering and proceeded to tell us how the moon is populated and how he knows that because he saw it on YouTube. .........very interesting. But pretty funny when you look back at it! Missions are the best! You learn so much, and the experiences you have are so unexpected! So great! :)

Sorry this is a longer email, and that there aren't any pictures, but hopefully you enjoyed the stories I shared! :) I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Keep P.U.S.H.ing! (Pray until something happens)
Sister Pierce

The Book of Mormon is so cool!

December 28, 2015

Hello everyone!! Merry Christmas and happy New Year!! I hope you all had a great holiday and that is next year is a great one!! To start off, I'm not getting transferred, neither is Sister Black! I'm pretty excited because there is a lot happening this next transfer. There is so much potential in this area, and I can't wait to get started! We have a few new investigators we're going to start teaching next week, and we're planning on having a baptism this transfer with our investigator, April Lynn. Also, our investigator Brother Bubar asked us to begin teaching his family from the Book of Mormon. He wants to understand it better, and what better way then to have the missionaries teach from it? He asked us to leave a chapter with them each week in prep for the following lesson. So, tonight we're teaching them the plan of salvation from 2 Nephi 2. During comp study this morning, sister black and I studied it and I discovered how amazing the Book of Mormon is! I already knew that, but it's even cooler when you're reading it to learn about something specific. We took the chapter verse by verse, and it was amazing to see how the plan of salvation is taught throughout the entire thing! (Well everything, except for the spirit world and the kingdoms, but that's still pretty sweet!). The Book of Mormon is so true. I was also reading in Helaman this morning and the spirit was so strong when I was reading about a prophesy Nephi has about who killed the chief judge. It was amazing! I've never felt the spirit that strong about a prophesy made by a Book of Mormon prophet. Boy, missions really teach you about the spirit, the gospel, and yourself!mi a, so grateful to be serving a mission. I can't believe that I've already been out for 10 months. Crazy! I hope these next 8 months don't go by too quickly! There's still so much for me to do, I can't wait! :)

I love you all!
Keep PUSHing!
Sister Pierce

Our district on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve with the Atwater's

Our tree and presents!

I think the Ward loves us too much...we're a little sugared out...

Merry Christmas!!

December 21, 2015

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all excited for this holiday!
I know I am! As this month began, I was a little homesick and not very
excited for this holiday, even though everyone says Christmas is the
best as a missionary. I didn't believe them. However, I now
understand!!! Christmas is so amazing as a missionary! On Thursday we
had a zone conference as well as a talent show for the missionaries
serving in Maine. Oh man. I think the talent show is what made
Christmas become real for me. Music always makes a connection with me,
and when it's songs about our savior, and Mary, it just hits home!
Sister black, elder Skouby, and I even were a part of the talent
show.  We sang "how great thou art" acapella in parts (I sang alto).
We were the only ones who sang a song acapella, so it was pretty neat.

This week, we were able to do some service for others and make little
treats (pretzel sticks with white chocolate) for our neighbors. We
helped a lady in our Ward with some sewing projects she had, and since
sister black is a pro seamstress, we were able to help. I was also
able to help by being a pro ironer! :) she was so appreciative and
almost cried because we offered to help! Then, we helped the Youland's
with their Christmas lights. We have lunch with them every week, and
they are the ones who took to see the ship set sail! We've gotten to
now them pretty well, so it was fun to help them with some Christmas
decorating. I just love how festive everyone is and how this season
makes everyone "holly jolly!" :) I also am so appreciative that I have
come to learn the true meaning of Christmas. I always knew why we
celebrated Christmas, but it never really sunk in until this Thursday
and when we started doing so much selfless service for
others--especially being able to help others to relieve some stress.
Oh! Also, we read the nativity story to a family in our Ward as they
acted it out! That was pretty fun! I love the spirit that kids have
with Christmas!

Also, on Tuesday, we found a new investigator! Her name is Chrissy.
She met with missionaries in Maryland for a while, but then moved out
here, and the sisters tracted into her, and have been trying to see
her ever since. We finally saw her on Tuesday, and boy! She is so
prepared!! We literally taught just about everything to her (word of
wisdom, church, priesthood, law of chastity, baptism, restoration,
etc). She already has a testimony of prophets and apostles because
Christ had that while he was on the earth, so why would it be
different? Also, she said she would have a hard time quitting smoking
and tea, but said she was going to switch over to Pepsi right then! Oh
man! Her 7 year old daughter has definitely played a role in her being
prepared, though. Chrissy said that she has been asking her why they
don't go to church and Chrissy says that they haven't found a right
church yet. Well, I'm happy to tell you that she has found that right
church now, and that she is willing and excited to give it a try!!!
Woo!

Our other investigator, April, also told sister Richardson (the member
who she lives with) that she wants to be baptized and is ready to make
commitments! Woo hoo! We haven't even been able to start officially
teaching her yet, and she already wants to be baptized! Sweet! We also
found an older lady while trying to contact a potential investigator,
and we have a return appointment with her for January 7th! Boy, oh
boy, the work is just moving right along here in Topsham! I'm pretty
stoked!

Well, I think that's about it. I hope you all have a very merry
Christmas! Love you all!

Keep PUSHIng!
Sister Pierce

The nativity with the Norton kids

I saw Sister Craig at Zone Conference!

Hello from Maine!

December 14, 2015

Hello all! I hope you are all doing well and that you are enjoying
this holiday season!!

So this week, we got a new investigator! It's a part member family,
and I guess they haven't been that interested in the church before but
we're making progress with them! Brother Bubar is the investigator and
he seems sincerely interested in learning more and with reading the
Book of Mormon. He even asked if there was a study group that he could
be a part of so he could understand the book better. That was pretty
exciting! It was an interesting experience though. I was really
nervous and was shaking quite a bit. Like an uncontrollable teeth
chatter. It was ridiculous. Sister black didn't notice, but later
thought it could have been a nervous/excited reaction. I realized that
could have happened because I haven't taught a real first lesson in a
while. I've always gone I to areas where people are already past the
first lesson and with Lorraine, it was just a simple lesson plan each
time. But, this was the first time I taught the restoration to two
people who didn't know anything about it. That was pretty crazy. It
was also different because that was the first time sister black and I
really taught together-- all of the other lessons have really just
been thoughts, not lessons. So that was pretty sweet! I felt like a
real missionary again!

Also, we did lots of service this week and we helped stack wood and
cut down trees! Well, we just watched them cut down trees, but it was
pretty neat. I think I'm becoming a much more outdoorsy person the
longer I'm in Maine. We also did some random stop bys with people this
week, and that was all led by the spirit. We weren't planning on
visiting them, but with following the spirit, we were where we were
supposed to be at the right time. It's amazing how the spirit works
that way. Each of the people we stopped by were showing strong signs
of interest, and were showing signs of wanting to change and come back
to church. It was amazing!! Sometimes it's hard to recognize the
spirit, but when you can recognize it and have the courage to follow
it, miracles happen!

I love you all!

Keep PUSHing!
Sister Pierce