TOUGH Weeks Make The Good Ones Sweeter!

October 27, 2014

Hellooooooooo there everyone! '

Man... this was a TOUGH week! There is definitely a reason they tell you that a mission is the hardest but best time of your life! There are so many ups and downs in missionary work! BUT, to say the least, THAT is why it is the most important work in the WHOLE WORLD! :)

So basically, Sister Noakes and I had a TON of success last transfer. We were on fire and we found a ton of new investigators! But, like everything else in life, it comes with a price. There always has to be a "developing period" and that is what we are in right now! Basically... to sum it up, we dropped over 30 investigators last transfer and reestablished our teaching pool 3 times over. Well... we now have to do that... again. For the 4th time in 2 transfers. Just, this time, it's coming along a little slower than we're used to. Our current investigators are starting to dwindle a little. Karen and Carolina fell off of baptismal date... and off the face of the earth as well. SOOOO, we are working on re-developing San Juan! Our teaching pool is basically a puddle... BUT we are working SUPER hard to replenish it! This week was slowww. And I mean really slow. I spent more time on my knees than I did on my feet. And let me tell you... I got a straight up spiritual rebuking for my lack of faith! Just when I was beginning to get a little disappointed in our work and lack of success, Heavenly Father came in and said NO WAY!!! Specifically speaking, I was studying one morning this week and realized that I had lost a lot of my faith and motivation in the area just because of two slow weeks. Well, let's just say, my faith quickly returned after a good couple of hours studying INTENTLY on how I could serve more effectively and use the Lord's guidance to help us with finding and teaching. I had a wonderful fast yesterday and specifically asked to be guided to where HE wanted us to be. I have a lot of FAITH that we WILL see miracles this week. A tough pill to swallow, BUT I know that we are being led by our Father in Heaven. This is HIS work... and I am learning to work on HIS time. :)

 

Hermana Noakes and my picnic in the park!

Soooo... with that being said, I had an amazing experience this week. I believe I have mentioned Alfredo before. He was a suuuuper solid investigator that I LOVED. He was sooo spiritual (currently plays in the band at his Baptist church) and ALWAYS did his homework that we gave him. He had been taught by missionaries before and has read the Book Of Mormon twice, but just can't feel anything. Every appointment we had with him I would ask him, so how do you FEEEEEL when you read and he would say the same thing every time: Nothing! Now, all of us know that is IMPOSSIBLE! How can you read such a TRUE and INSPIRING book and not feel anything?! Soooo, on Wednesday evening we had an appointment with him. Since he is a single man we have to have a member with us to go inside of his house. Our member that was supposed to come had to cancel last minute and we were SCRAMBLING to find someone to bring. No dice. Every member of the branch was busy. SO, we came to the conclusion that we would just share a scripture with him on his doorstep and check up on his reading. Well, we get to Alfredo's that night and we share Moroni 7:12-13 with him, which talks about how all good things come from God. I bore my testimony to him of why I KNOW for a FACT that this is the true church. I began to get tears in my eyes and just stood there silently for about 30 seconds. As we all stood there, I received the STRONGEST prompting that it was time to let Alfredo go. Sister Noakes and I had prayed about it earlier and felt that we might need to drop him soon, but neither of us wanted to. So, when the prompting came, I, of course, wanted to ignore it. I tried to think of SOMETHING to say to make him believe my testimony. BUT, again, the prompting came: "Let. Him. Go. Now is not his time. One day will be... but not now." So, as to not ignore a prompting from the Spirit TWICE, I began to cry. I explained to him that unless he started to progress towards baptism and had a desire to prepare for that, we could not continue to teach him. Silence. Then came his response: "That's okay... I understand. Now just isn't the right time." Word. For. Word. As I had heard it in my mind/heart. Let's just say, the next 10 minutes were filled with laughing and crying, and then an awkward hug from Alfredo where I stood like a stick haha. It's interesting being a missionary... you develop SUCH a strong love for your investigators. You YEARN for them to gain the same testimony that you have. You KNOW that this will change their life. BUT, all you can do is tell them. Ultimately, it is THEIR choice. For the first time in forever, I have just a GLIMPSE of the love our Heavenly Father has for each of His children and the love a parent has for their child. You want soooo badly for them to choose the right thing, but sometimes, they don't. I know that one day Alfredo will be baptized. One day he will get his answer. But for now, we just leave it in God's hands. <3

 

 

With Alfredo

 

On Saturday evening I got a priesthood blessing from Elder Smith and Elder Rogers. Sister Noakes and I had such a tough day on Thursday after not teaching ONE LESSON all day, we really needed it. As always, what an amazing experience. I received so much guidance. It was clear in my mind that I needed to increase my faith. Faith really is everything in this life. Without faith, we have no gospel and no hope. BUT, with faith, we have EVERYTHING. 

Yo tengo mucho amor en mi corazon por este evangelio. Yo se que esta obra de misional esta progresando. Estoy aqui para ayudar los hijos de dios venir a cristo. Sin cristo, todo es imposible. Me encanta ser una misionera y me encanta esta mision que puedo servir. 

#hacerlaobra!

xoxo

Hermana Erica Pierce

​PS: Our photo shoot from last monday went great! It was so fun! Check out FB to see the pics! Sister Evensen should be tagging you in them, mom! :)​

 

PPS: Yesterday I translated the primary program into english since we no longer have bi-lingual Elder Penuela

Only Your BEST is Good Enough for the Lord...

October 20, 2014

Hola mis amigos y familia :)

 

This week was great! Not suuuuper eventful, BUT Sister Noakes and I are leading the zone! Woohoo! We had a solid week across the boards! 

 

 

So Preparation day break-down.... we wake up, get things done around the house (cleaning, laundry, etc) and then go grocery shopping. After we finish all that we normally wash the car and then go to email around 1. If we have time left over before we have to start proselyting, we do something fun! This past week we went bowling (my bowling league days did me good... I bowled a 135!) and today we are having a PHOTO SHOOT!! Woohoo! It will be so fun! A lady in the stake, Sister Evenson, is taking them :) She is like our mom here! She's the one who always posts pictures of me on FB! So she is a photographer and is doing a "fall shoot" of sister noakes and I today :) 

 

 

 

 

Bowling on P-day!

As far as teaching went this week... 

We had two lessons this week with Blanca. The first went HORRIBLY. She was doubting EVERYTHING and started asking us deeeeep doctrine questions and just blahhhh. Then, our lesson with her thursday was AWESOME. A member of our branch, Hno. Munguia, came and he basically just told her how it is. She started saying how she doesn't believe anything about the BOM and Hno Munguia just goes, "well, have you even read it?!" (She hasn't.) Haha. It was so awesome because as missionaries, it's a tough position for us. We try to be firm, but we have to love first. So it was so great and we were able to resolve a ton of her doubts. THEN, SHE CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY! WOOOHOOO. It was the best ever. We had stake conference and Elder Bednar and Richard G. Scott spoke. (broadcast) It was amazing. Centered completely on prayer.... Afterwards Blanca told us that it helped her so much! Sooo that was awesome. 

 

 

 

Apple picking for a service activity

Then, on Saturday, we were in Olathe (15 min from Montrose). It's about 60% hispanic. So we could not teach ANYONE. No one was there, the elders accidentally contacted TWO of our referrals already (#awkward) so we decided to swing by one of our new investigator's houses (Benito) real quick to just see if he was home. We had a great 1st lesson with him but then nothing after that. So before we get out of the car, we say a prayer and I ask SPECIFICALLY for us to find ONE person that is completely prepared to receive our message and that wants to change their life and come unto Christ. Well... we knock on Benito's door and.... he doesn't answer. BUT, his son, Rene, does answer! We do the survey with him, and he allows us to teach him the first lesson. It was AMAZING. He is soooo prepared and was so eager for us to teach him more. I walked away completely speechless of how my prayer had been specifically answered. The power of prayer is undeniable. 

 

 

Relief Society activity

Last night we did a fireside for the Spring Creek Ward. Bishop Tobler (who we live with) asked us to participate in a missionary panel for the youth. They asked us all types of questions and we were able to give them some advice on what to do during high school to prepare to share the gospel and how they can get past the awkwardness of opening their mouth. I LOVED talking with them and was able to relate really well. Sharing your testimony is the #1 way to strengthen your testimony. I loved it and it was suuuper spiritual. I know for a FACT that I am exactly where God wants me at this time, I love this work and especially this area. The people here are amazing! Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky... and then I remember it is because I CHOOSE every day to follow Jesus Christ. This gospel has changed my life forever. I know that for a FACT.

Love, 

Hermana Pierce

PS: 

Funny things from this week:

On Thursday we were eating lunch at Sonic (it's free for missionaries here). Elder Rogers was sitting two tables over and asked me to get him some ketchup. So I did, and proceed to chuck it over his way. WELL, unintentionally, it hits him DIRECTLY in the side of the face.... right on the temple. HAHA. It was hilarious. He had a huge red mark when I went over to apologize and explain that I couldn't have done that again if I tried. 

PPS: TODAY, I cut the leg off of a deer! Bishop Tobler shot it on Friday and I got to help cut off the meat today :) So that was pretty cool!

Until next week, ya'll!!

--

Love,

Hermana Pierce

WINTER IS COMING! U READY? [update: san juan style]

October 13, 2014

Hello one and all!

Another week gone in Montrose! I can't believe how fast time is going. It is scary to think that I am coming up on my four month mark! Only 13 months left! Ahhh! I wish this would never end! What is real life even? Haha! This is hard work, but the best work in the world! I love being a missionary!

 

 

So this week was pretty slow. We did a lot of service! There is a less active member that is in the stake that opened a thrift shop for kids with learning disabilities. So we help her almost every day! We have basically opened that shop from scrap with her, so it's been awesome to see the transformation! 

 

 

Thrift Store Service

Other than serving and trying to see investigators, I don't have much to fill you in on this week! Just normal missionary work! Slower than most, but we have to have the humbling weeks to make the others better! We were still able to find 7 new investigators though! The new elder that is serving as our DL is Elder Rogers. He is very kind and pretty darn sarcastic. BUT we all know I can dish it back ;) So he is super nice and very obedient, which is wonderful. We had Zone Meeting on Thursday and Sister Noakes and I gave a training on "Our Purpose." It went really well and the elders and sisters seemed to really like it. THEN, afterwards President and Sister Murdock came and we got to watch "Meet the Mormons!" It was SOOO awesome!!! We absolutely loved it and EVERYONE needs to see it! Unfortunately, it is not being screened in our area (only in big cities like Denver). BUT YOU CAN HELP! Go online to meetthemormons.com and request a screening in our area! Tell everyone to do it for the area code 81401. When we get 800 requests, they will send it to us to be played! We wish we could show it to EVERYONE so they could understand that we are normal people! We strive to follow Jesus Christ every day. That is our purpose as missionaries. To invite others to come unto Christ. That is it! Pretty simple, huh?! SO, if you haven't already, go see Meet the Mormons! Best 80 minutes of your life!

 

On Friday night we had a lesson with our investigator Alfredo. He is currently attending a baptist church and plays the guitar there. He has been taught in the past and has allowed us to teach him again. In this particular lesson we watched the Restoration movie with him. When it finished I felt prompted to ask him to read the Boof of Mormon, AGAIN. Sister Burr (member) who was with us bore a powerful testimony of the BOM and so did Sister Noakes and I. AND, he said he would! I just KNOW he will be baptized and that this time he WILL receive the answer that this IS the true church of Jesus Christ. Even though he said he felt like he never received an answer last time, I told him that I KNOW that he will receive an answer, as long as he has a TRUE desire to know if the BOM is true. So that was an amazing night. We are having dinner with him tonight at the Burr's house and then will teach him again. Please pray that he receives an answer! I refuse to leave Montrose until he is baptized! Haha!!

 

 

Dinner at the Evensens

On Saturday I went on exchange to the Mount Sneffels ward with our STL, Sister Gregerson! Man... I am SO GLAD I am spanish speaking! The english life is TOUGH. No one listens to you! HAH! I love the hispanic people with all of my heart. They are so inviting and will give you the shirt off their back. I am so grateful to be serving here in San Juan!!

Other than that, nothing much else happened! It is starting to get colder (especially in the mornings- 30 today), BUT, nothing too bad yet ;) We had a charla fogonera last night which was great! I love this branch and I love this work! Have a great week and remember that your Heavenly Father loves you! :)

 

 

-- 

Love,

Hermana Pierce

HOLA DESDE LAS MONTANAS DEL COLORADO

October 6, 2014

The church is true, the book is blue, and our message is for YOU!

Another WONDERFUL week in good ole' Montrose, Colorado! AND some exciting news... dun dun dun... Sister Noakes and I are staying together for another transfer! I am SO very excited- I love this woman dearly and we are working our tails off. The gospel has been restored and THIS is the true church. Nuff' said. 

 

 

HOLA from the beautiful Black Canyon in Montrose, Colorado!

We had another great week! We found TWELVE new investigators and taught 22 lessons! The work is awesome here and we are doing everything we can to share it with everyone! We totaled it up and we taught 110 lessons this transfer! We say 2 prayers per lesson, plus one prayer in the car before we go into the lesson... which means we said over 300 prayers just for lessons the past 6 weeks! Not to mention personal and comp study prayer, planning prayers [beginning and end], dinner prayers, and the prayers we have in our hearts! Prayer is a commandment!! Your Heavenly Father wants to hear from you... TODAY! Okay... now onto the week for real :)

NOTICIAS! We set Carolina on date! We have only been teaching her for just over a week and a half and we set her on date for baptism for November 1st! She seems really excited and loves when we teach her. That means that we now have THREE investigators on date for baptism: Blanca, Carolina, and Karen! They are all so wonderful and we are working super hard to make sure that they are prepared to be baptized on their day. We will hopefully be seeing about 5 baptisms this transfer in San Juan between the Elders and us! It should be wonderful! 

 

 

I love Hermana Noakes!

Thursday we had our last district meeting of the transfer. We received some great trainings and then were able to have a testimony meeting after. It was so powerful and I bore my testimony about our PURPOSE as missionaries. We are all assigned to our areas for a REASON and have been chosen as consecrated servants and representatives of Christ. I also shared a little about how I struggled my first transfer but know that the Lord places us in our areas for a purpose and that we are here to change people's lives and create eternal families. Afterwards, Elder LeCheminant (serving in San Juan with me) bore his testimony and said that my testimony had answered his prayers. It was way cool and a super touching moment. It is his first transfer and I was glad the prompting I received was able to help HIM. That's really what this is all about... following the spirit to better other's lives. If we do that, we need not fear... because charity suffereth long.

 

 

 

Adios al distrito

Other than that... the other big event from this week was of course, GENERAL CONFERENCE. What a great conference it was! General Conference is like Disneyland for missionaries! We all meet at the church building and get to watch all of the sessions. It was a bittersweet conference because we didn't have any investigators come (sadly), BUT that meant I was able to watch it in English, which made it pretty darn enjoyable ;) HOWEVER, I LOVED how two of the speakers (70's) spoke in SPANISH! We were watching it broadcasted so they dubbed over it with English, BUT we can't wait to watch it in Spanish online! What an amazing feature the church has added! It was awesome to hear the Spanish in the background :) Other than that, my absolute favorite talk was of course, Elder Bednar's. We WILL be showing that to EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR INVESTIGATORS. We are actually teaching a farmer right now named Alfredo that has been taught in the past and decided to let us teach him again. We are almost positive that when we show him that talk, he will be on date for baptism. What a great talk about the TRUE meaning of being a missionary! All we want to do is allow others to experience that same joy we have! "We are NOT selling you something!" [haha] ... just extending an invitation of eternal happiness :) So conference was awesome... I especially loved the Saturday sessions... if you didn't watch them... go to lds.org NOW! :) 

 

 

 

 

 

Some have asked about my Spanish and it is coming along nicely! We teach about 95% in Spanish. Some of our investigators speak both so that is the only time we ever really teach in English. I am able to completely express myself during the lessons and understand almost everything others say. My conversational Spanish is a little farther behind than I would like but I am working on bettering it every day and increasing my vocabulary. Sister Noakes is a wonderful teacher and I have no idea what I would do without her in lessons sometimes!

Last news of this week is of course transfers! Sister Noakes and I are staying, which we are super pumped about, but sadly, 2 of the San Juan elders are leaving. They have become our brothers this transfer. We are sad to see Elder Penuelas and LeCheminant go, but know that they are needed elsewhere. Elder Penuelas was an awesome DL and is becoming a Zone Leader in a new English area. They are amazing elders and awesome leaders. We have really appreciated all of their hard work this transfer. They have been wonderful to work with and have helped build up the branch even more! We are excited to see who comes in to be the new DL in our area/Elder Smith's new comp. Elder Smith (who I came out with) is staying in San Juan and we are so happy to get to keep at least one of the mijos ;) We are making the elders brownies tonight as a goodbye present. They love us because we make them food all the time and work hard ;) 

 

 

 

We are going to miss our elders!

Elder Penuelas and LeCheminant

Last night we had our transfer follow up with Elder Penuelas as his last DL duty. We set goals for this transfer and he gave me a priesthood blessing. It really is amazing how in touch with the spirit these elders are.

Well... that about wraps it up. I love this mission I have been given to serve. The blessings keep on pouring out, I can't believe how lucky I am to be a part of this great work. I finished the Book Of Mormon for the second time since I've been in the field yesterday. I love that book with all of my heart and am so grateful for the sacrifice of Joseph Smith to bring it forth in these last days. It truly has everything essential for your eternal salvation. READ IT! 

 

 

Los quiero mucho! Gracias por todo y por su amor! Estoy muy agradecida por los bendiciones estoy recibiendo! Gracias a nuestro Padre Celestial. Solamente por este evangelio podemos recibir la vida eterna!

Until next week!

​Love,

​

Hermana Pierce

​PS: Today we went and hiked Black Canyon! It was BEAUTIFUL! :)

Bad Decisions Make Good Stories (Week 5 In San Juan)

September 29, 2014

HOLA :) This week was wonderful! We worked hard and are continuing to find those that are prepared to accept the greatest gift known to mankind--- this gospel! This week is full of... STORIES :) Because who doesn't love that?

 

 



LEAF LOVE

So... I'll kick off this email with a crazy insane experience from last Monday. SOOO... we finish P-day and are on our way to an appointment when we get a call from the Black Canyon elders telling us that one of our investigators (Maria Damian - who we hardly ever see) told her neighbor (who is a recent convert of the Black Canyon Elders) that she needed a blessing over her house. We didn't get much more information but that so we call up the san juan elders and we all head directly over to Maria Damian's. We get there and Maria is bringing groceries into the house from her car. I had never met her before because she hadn't really shown any interest in the gospel in previous transfers. SO I meet her and she immediately starts telling us about what had been going on in her house. Long story short, apparently her son (16) had been asked by several kids at school to play wiji. He said no several times of course, knowing that messing with wiji boards is bad news. So, he brushed them off.

 

Well, fast forward about a month or two later, her other son wakes up one night at like 1 or 2 am to go outside and smoke a cigarette. He gets to the front porch, opens the door, and there is a wiji board sitting on the front porch. He throws it into the dumpster across the street and goes to bed. Well, the next morning, Maria goes outside and the wiji board is on the porch. Super sketchy. She asks the son if he played and he tells her no. The next night, same thing happens as the night before. The son was so scared that he made his mom come and sleep in his bed with him.

 

Well... we all know that wiji boards and all of that are direct pathways to Satan. So she finishes telling us the story and the elders arrive and we step into her home for the elders to bless it. I kid you not, the moment we stepped in, I felt as though I was suffocating. We could all feel the presence of Satan so strongly. Elder Penuelas felt out all of the rooms and decided that the boy's room was where the blessing for the home needed to take place. The blessing was wonderful and Maria was in tears after. As soon as we walked out of the house I felt like I could breathe again and that the holy ghost had returned. We went back the next day to check on her and she just broke down crying and thanked us for what we had done. The priesthood is so real. Hard to explain, but it was by far one of the most drastic moments I have felt the direct blessings of the holy ghost and the priesthood in my life. 

On a happier note, we saw a miracle on Tuesday! We were headed to meet an investigator, Lola. She wasn't there and we saw a girl getting out of her car across the street, so of course, we run over to talk to her. Her name was Carolina and turns out she was actually a potential investigator that we had surveyed a couple weeks prior. We taught her the first lesson in her home and she loved it. She said in her prayer at the end that we were the answer she was looking for and that our message gave her hope. We taught her again the next day and had the same great response. She is SO prepared and ready to accept this gospel. She was a direct answer to prayer! We hope to set her on date for baptism tonight :) 

 

 

Me and little Ivy

Then, on Wednesday, we also set our other investigator, Karen (19) on date! Her baptism date is Nov 2. She is currently living with her boyfriend and they have a kid together so we need them to get married first... but, she is learning a lot and always receives us well. We were so happy that she accepted and we are moving forward with the lessons. She is gaining a testimony and will hopefully see what a blessing this gospel is to families!

On Thursday we had a great district meeting. Our District Leader, Elder Penuelas, is great. He serves in San Juan with us and is so inspired. We had a training about all of our specific investigators and how we can help them and resolve their concerns. Afterwards we were able to play a fun get to know you game with the whole district and then we all went and hit open the pinata that Lindsay Cline sent me :) (Thanks so much Linds!) It was hilarious to watch! That night we had another lesson with Blanca (On date for Nov 2) in Delta. She is starting to resolve her concerns with the BOM and after our lesson she came to Montrose with us to the Relief Society activity! She got along great with all of the women and we were so grateful she was able to come! Members really do make all the difference! Go be a friend to those that are seeking truth! It can change their life and their outlook on the gospel completely! 

 

 

Hermana Noakes and I at the Relief Society activity.

Soooo... THEN, FRIDAY. Wow. Crazy. After we finish dinnner that night, we are driving to go tract in a trailer park. At the end of one of the cul-de-sacs there was this area to turn around with an open field behind it. Well, of course not wanting my companion to have to get out and back me up, I decide to go pull through the grass/dirt area that is made of Alkali. Normally all of the alkali is ROCK SOLID here. So, thinking nothing of it, I start to go through, with ease. Well, we get to a dip and I begin to doubt if our little chevy Malibu will make it through. BUT, (not knowing it was straight mud), I turn to Noakes and say, "Idk if Mallers (our car) will make this, but let's try anyways!" Needless to say, Mallers did NOT make it. We were stuck. In a ditch. Of alkali mud. With absolutely no way out. The car was completely stalled. So, I, being the intelligent young woman I am, get out to see if I can push the car. Nope. Wouldn't budge. All I did was get my shoes stuck in a pile of mud. So... as we are sitting there, debating whether or not to call the Elders and admit embarrassment, a nice old man (who just so happened to be a less active member) comes out of his trailer and tries to push us out. He couldn't get us out, so of course, we had to call the elders. After explaining the situation and Elder Penuelas complaining that he was "wearing his new suit pants" they came and the four of them pushed us out of the mud and we were home free. It was quite humorous and to say the least, definitely something that would only happen to sister noakes and I hahahaha. #worstcartroubleever The only two things that made it okay were that 1) It made a great story later on and 2) Elder Penuelas had done the same thing 2 weeks prior ;)

 

 

 

Our little Chevy Malibu...stuck in the mud and wouldn't budge an inch!

 

 

 

My muddy shoes!

Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and it was awesome!!! We were few in numbers (under 30) but the spirit was sooo strong. Our branch is really starting to pull together and we are expecting great things to come in the very near future :) 

So that is basically all of the fun things I have to share from this week. It was a great week though and Sister Noakes and I are super sad that this could be potentially our last week together :( There are rumors flying that I may be training next transfer, so we will see. However, we are hoping that Sister Noakes and I get to stay together for one more transfer :) We will find out Saturday! I love this mission I have been given to serve the Lord for 18 months. It is the biggest blessing I have ever received and I am so grateful to be here in Colorado! Thank you for all of your continuous prayers and words of encouragement. I love you!!!

 

 

Our favorite sign! I don't know why...it just is!

 

 

xoxo

Hermana Pierce