1st letter from Bucksport, Maine

Well hello there family! 

I seriously can't believe how crazy these past few days have been.  I have no idea where to start!  I was so grateful I got to talk with you on the phone while I waited for my flight to Detroit, even though it wasn't really that long of a chat, it was great to hear your voices :)  My MTC experience was probably about 400x greater than I ever imagined!  My district was great, my companion was great, I had the best teachers, and I grew so much!  I'm excited to finally be out in the field though! I am doing really well here!  Just trying to get used to life as a missionary, and it will probably take a while, but it will be worth it!  I have already seen so many blessings in my life from my decision to serve.  We'll see how much I'll be able to tell you!

So, both flights went really well, even though I was crazy tired.  I wish I could sleep better on planes, but I guess that just isn't one of my gifts.  When we finally arrived in Manchester I was too nervous and excited to be tired though.  We walked down the stairs and President and Sister Wilkey were waiting for us.  They are so nice! I can't believe they are leaving so soon, and even though I have only really interacted with them for two days, I feel like I have already grown to love them so much.  I felt so loved and cared for when I first arrived, and the mission home in Bedford, NH is beautiful!  I'm really grateful I had the chance to meet the Wilkeys, and I am excited to see what the new president changes here in the mission!  After sleeping like a rock, we had transfer meeting that morning.  It seems like forever ago!  I really had no idea what was going on, but it was great.  The missionaries who were leaving bore their testimonies, and then Sister and President Wilkey left their final thoughts with us.  I felt the spirit so strong. Then at the end President Wilkey announced our trainers (btw, there were 19 girls who flew out with me! A mission record!)  I got announced first, and as you already know, I have been assigned with Sister Wallentine to open the Ellsworth area!  My companion is such a great example to me!  She has been out for more than a year and has great advice.  She is so patient and we have a lot of fun together! Anyways, so we are about 4 1/2 hours away from Manchester, so that was quite the car ride especially because I was so tired.  Right when we got to Bucksport though I had a burst of energy.  We live in the cutest little place, and have the greatest view! Right across the street from a river  (we go running on the waterfront, and it is actually enjoyable)! A member family decorated our door with hearts and we have our shelves stocked with food from the members.  They are so great :)  We are in a branch of about 60 members, so really small, but they are really loving and welcoming.  I have felt right at home here!  The only problem is that the area is soo spread out.  We have to drive 40 minutes to the chapel.  We have actually had to drive so much here this past week.  I'm so grateful that we have a brand new car to take us everywhere!  We had to go back to Manchester on Friday for a training meeting, which was fun.  We really haven't had too much time to do normal missionary work though.  It has also been hard opening a new area because we don't have a teaching pool at all.  We have had to start from scratch, but we have found a couple of people to teach.  I need to be better at opening my mouth and talking to everyone, but I'm getting a bit better.  It is a bit of a culture shock here too, but I've been adjusting pretty well.  Our branch president is really awesome and is so willing to help us with whatever we need, and a lot of other people in the ward are too!  President Dauk even played a prank on us.  He knocked on our door pretending to be someone looking to know more about the church.  We had a lesson out on the porch and he didn't tell us who he was until the very end.  He makes me laugh, I'm glad he wants to be so involved in the missionary effort.  The branch hasn't had sisters in years and years, and we are pretty much spoiled.  It's great. We had a barbeque with some members that the Elders here threw for us on Saturday.  We had a lot of fun :)  I am so glad that I get to work with them!  Now we just need to find people to teach!  We had some success street contacting one day and got two new potential investigators, but that is about it.  We've been organizing the area book and trying to contact less active members, but we haven't been having too much success with that.  Overall though, it has been an adjustment, but a good adjustment.  I have grown so much, and I can recognize the spirit a lot better in my life. 

One of the highlights of my week was probably in church yesterday.  I was warned two days in advance of the fact that I was going to be speaking in church, and boy was I scared.  Normally I take time to look at talks and write and re-write my talk in advance so I can pretty much read it word for word at the pulpit.  I don't like public speaking AT ALL!  But, I didn't have enough time to do that yesterday, so I really had to trust the spirit, and thankfully, I didn't totally bomb it!  I really wasn't as nervous as I though I would be, and the words came!  I am so grateful.  It also helped that I spoke on the Atonement.  I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I would never be able to do anything without Him!  I also loved going to the worldwide broadcast yesterday.  Hopefully you watched it.  If not go watch it as soon as possible.  The work is truly hastening, and I am so grateful that I can be apart of it as a full-time missionary!  However, every member a missionary!  Pray to find people you can share the gospel with, and then open your mouth!  We have such a wonderful message to share that blesses lives and brings hope.  I am so grateful for the experiences I have had here already, and I can't wait to have even more.  It may be hard, but it is worth the effort!

It has been nice to have a P-day though!  We got lots of food at the grocery store, and got our laundry done.  We are planning on going out to Acadia National Park on Bar Harbor today!  I have heard it is beautiful there, although everywhere I have been has been gorgeous so far.  There are trees everywhere and the town is really cute.  I am just so grateful and happy.  Really happy!

Love from Maine!

Sister Bergeson

1st MTC email

June 12, 2013

 

Hello my wonderful family!

 

I can't believe that it has been a week since I first arrived here!  I absolutely love it :)  It has been the busiest and the most spiritual time of my life.  I don't have a lot of time, so I'll try and get everything in (sorry in advance for the shortness!), but I'll write you more letters really soon.  I have settled in here really well.  At first it was a bit overwhelming, but now I am getting the hang of it!  My district and my companion is great, which makes things a lot easier.  I am so grateful that I have been able to get along so well with everyone.  My class time has been really great, I also love my teachers.  One really cool opportunity that I have been able to have is that I am a guinea pig for the MTC.  They are piloting a new teaching program here, and we are the first district to try it out, and it has been so great :)  We get two progressing investigators who we teach five times each, and a new investigator every day! Then we get to watch how we did on the computer because they record us.  Crazy!  A whole lot of teaching experience.  Having the spirit with me has been my goal every day because I know that without Him, I cannot teach.  The investigators Sister Jensen and I have are amazing.  We can grown really close to them, and we have only taught them three times.  We also get the opportunity to be taught by an MTC training manager and Brother Reis (He was on the district 1, you should watch it!)  They are both great!! Although it seems like it has been forever, I am already really sad to leave.  I have grown SO much here, and I am just excited, and grateful to be able to share the message of the gospel :)  I know that it is true!  Overall, I'm just happy!  

 

So, we leave the MTC next Monday at 3:30 am to head to the airport where we depart for detroit at 7:30 am, and I get to call you!! Just keep that day and between 6:00-7:00 or however that works open!  I'm excited to get to talk to you!  Love you so much and thanks for the mail and packages :)

 

Sister Bergeson

Jessica's day has finally arrived!! We're so happy for her and she is going to be a great missionary!!

The Beginning of an Adventure

Soon I will be getting set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I am so excited and grateful to be able to serve the Lord in New Hampshire!  It came so fast, and although I am nervous, I know that I can trust in my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I love Him, and I can't wait to teach His gospel!

My mom will be posting my letters here so you can see what I'm up too! I would also love to hear from you :) I'll see you in 18 months!