Bucksport, Maine July 22, 2013

Hello all!!                                                                              July 22, 2013

There have been some pretty interesting things that happened this week, but I just hope I'll have enough time to tell you about them.  I am writing this at a small library where there are only two computers, and we can only use them for 30 min. increments.  It is pretty hard writing because there are so many people who come in to use the computers, so we have to get off and wait until they are free again.  It is definitely a test of patience!  There is an extra long line in back of me today, so hopefully this will at least be coherent.

First of all, thank you for your letters! It is really nice to get an update from home in the middle of the week and it gives me the boost that I need :)  I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your support!  It means a lot to me.  Being here and seeing so many broken families I've only just begun to realize how lucky I am to have all of you.  Thank you thank you mom and dad for teaching me the gospel and raising me to put God first. I'll be forever grateful :)  It is what has brought me true joy throughout my life!

This week I have been studying about faith.  I love my personal study time, and I learn so much when I prayerfully go to the scriptures with questions.  I am so grateful that part of my day can be dedicated to learning more so I can teach more effectively.  Throughout the week, the concept of having faith and not fear was pretty consistent in my studies and also when we taught.  Missions are overwhelming and challenging emotionally, physically, and spiritually, but I know in whom I have put my trust, and I know that He can help me.  One day when we got out of a teaching appointment I felt really discouraged because I felt afraid to add to what my amazing companion was teaching so wonderfully, so I stayed quite for the majority of the lesson.  I was afraid that I would say something that didn't relate, or would take away from the spirit.  It was hard especially because I had been studying about having faith and I didn't act on my knowledge.  But it just reminded me of how imperfect I am and always will be.  That is why I need to constantly be relying on the Lord.  Because it is through Him that I can feel the promptings of the spirit and teach.  It was very humbling.  But a good growing experience that I learned from with the next lesson that we had with Kaila.  I just love her so much!  I can see the change in her face and attitude, and the way she talks about the gospel can instantly make my day.  We were teaching about the plan of salvation and talking about our life here on earth when the scripture in Ether 12:27 came to mind, so I just decided to go with it.  It was amazing to see that that was the exact scripture she needed to strengthen her faith in that moment.  I felt so happy I was able to help her with something that she had been struggling with. It was such a small thing, but what a great testimony builder for my faith.  The prompting came in a quick thought that I didn't really think too much about, but just acted on, and when I did it, I saw how much it helped.  I am so grateful that I was able to have that experience! The gospel is so real, and I have faith that the Lord knows me perfectly and personally and that while I may not get those promptings in every lesson or everyday, the more I act on my faith, the more they will come. 

So, I have a quest for you, family!  I would love to hear some of your favorite scriptures and quotes about faith, and experiences when you have been blessed by acting in faith.  It would be really helpful for me to see more perspectives :) 

Alright, well anyways, I have some good news! Kaila's baptismal date has been moved up to the 17th because the branch is having a temple trip on the 24th!  She has chosen to try to get the lessons in a shorter amount of time so she can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost sooner. We are going to try to go over to her house more often so we can do that, and we are hoping it will work out alright.  If not we can do it a couple weeks later which is fine, but it is just amazing to see how much she wants to be baptized!  I am just so grateful for her and her growing faith.

Now as for the weather you were talking about mom, it is pretty insane!  It has got really, really hot and humid this week, and we don't have air conditioning.  We utilize our two fans as best we can, and we've been decently comfortable.  The past couple days, however have been more overcast, and on Saturday we came home to quite the interesting sight.  The tree next door decided he wanted to fall right on our apartment.  There was a huge windstorm, and it was just his time to go I guess.  There are some cracks in our wall but nothing big, just some damage to the roof.  I wish I could send you pictures with this email, but I'll print them out and send them to you soon!  They removed it that night and there is hardly any trace that it fell now, so everything worked out. 

Well, I've got to go, but keep looking for opportunities to share the gospel because they are all around you.  There are people searching for it, and it will bless their lives so much and yours in the process!  

 Have faith and keep on keeping on!

With lots of love,

Sister Bergeson

Bucksport, Maine July 15, 2013

Another week, another email!                                  July 15, 2013

I love that I have the chance to get to email every week.  I get to think about everything that has happened and the many miracles I've seen throughout these past seven days!  Which is always quite a bit :)  The Lord truly does love His missionaries! 

First of all, I have to tell you all of my first experience with a signature Maine dish.  Yes, I ate a..lobster.  My Branch President is a cook, and he had us over for dinner on Monday night.  I must say, it was certainly a different experience.  I got to stick my very alive lobster in a boiling pot and then I plopped it on my plate after it was cooked.  I really didn't know what to expect, and I'm glad I didn't otherwise I probably wouldn't have done it.  I ate a bit of the meat after I totally broke the animal apart, but I was done after a few mouthfuls. The texture is just weird, and I don't really like seafood in general, but I tried it!  I am really glad that I had the Maine experience, but let me just say that I hope I never have to do that again.  Sister Dauk totally understood though because she doesn't like lobsters either.  I'm very glad that I wasn't alone!  We also had blueberry pie, and holy cow the blueberries up here are delicious!  Hooray for new experiences and wonderful members to share them with :) 

I was also able to have my interview with the new mission president, which was wonderful. We also learned of our zone goal, which is cardio!  Exercise has really helped me while serving because it is really the only thing that gets me going in the morning and gives me the energy I need to get through the rest of the day. I'm also really grateful for goals.  It's hard to know what you want to accomplish if you don't have a plan and a goal to work towards. 

Anyways, as far as teaching goes, this week has been a bit more rough because our only progressing investigator, Kaila, has been really sick.  We did have one lesson with her though and she is really loving the gospel.  Especially the scriptures.  She talked about the Book of Mormon as being her spiritual bling.  She told us that she carries it around with her wherever she goes in the house and that she just loves to look at and read it.  She reads every chapter of scripture we give her multiple times, and she says that the verses really speak to her.  What a blessing to hear such a sweet testimony about the power of scripture!  I know that when we truly look to the scriptures for guidance with a prayerful heart, we will find answers!  Her perspective has strengthened my love and gratitude for the word of God :)

On the other hand, we met an old man who is quite the opposite of Kaila.  He let us in to teach him, but he has declared himself a skeptic.  He is depressed and unhappy, but he doesn't want to change.  He doesn't think that we need a God and  he has never prayed.  There is such a difference teaching him and Kaila, and it has taught me that I need to be more trusting and faithful, because that is when we see the change in life for the better!  We'll keep teaching him and hopefully help him find the true source of happiness, the gospel :)

Haha, here is a funny story I would like to share with you. Quite unexpected!  We were walking out of the grocery store next door and were stopped by a lady in her car, backing out of the parking lot.  She said she saw Jesus on our name-tags and asked us to pray for her.  We talked a bit through the rolled-down passenger window, and then as we were about to leave she decided that we all needed to say a prayer.  So there we were, holding hands saying a prayer with a stranger through the passenger window of a car in a grocery store's parking lot.  It was priceless.  Oh, the things that happen on a mission!

We've also taught some more less-active members which has been good, but my favorite thing this week was probably getting to know the members better.  We have amazing members, and it is so fun to be able to go into their home and feel the spirit that is there :)  It's just rejuvenating!  I am so grateful that we are not alone in the work!  Members play such a large role in helping the missionary work, and we really couldn't do it without them!  Keep praying and looking for opportunities to help the missionaries and further the work, because it is much appreciated! 

Love you, love you!

Sister Bergeson :)

P.S.  There is an amazing article in the Ensign this month about having faith and not fear!  Totally read it, it has helped me a lot!

July 8, 2013 Bucksport, Maine

Dear Wonderful Family,                                                               July 8, 2013

I seriously can't believe that I have been gone for a month already.  It has flown by so fast!  I don't even know where to start with this email.  We have done so much this week, and it has been fantastic! Crazy, but fantastic :)

The week started off with an exchange.  Sister Wallentine needed to go to a training meeting, and I got to go to Waterville.  What was amazing was that Sister Jensen, my MTC companion and I got to be together again because that is where she is serving :)  It was so much fun to catch up with her and see where she is and how she is doing!  We got to go do service on a horse farm, and I got to groom a horse for the first time.  It was really fun, and we had such a great time helping out.  It was such a blessing to be able to be companions with her again :)  Then the next day we  headed out to Bangor where we met our new mission president, President Stoker!  He and his wife are wonderful, and they have so much love for us already.  I'm excited to get to know them better.  He is so nice and I know that he will really help us as we spread the gospel to those in New England. 

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July!  Mine was most certainly the greatest ever :)  We had a district meeting, but afterwords we went with the elders in our area to Bar Harbor, where we helped prepare and serve at a community barbeque at a Catholic church there.  It was so much fun!  We met a lot of new people, and they were so nice to us!  We even met a potential investigator who seemed really interested and talked to us for a long time. The man in charge of doing the meals is really open and friendly, and he sent us home with five boxes of leftover food.  Our freezer is packed with all sorts of meat, it is incredible.  If only I knew how to cook meals with the stuff, haha :)  We also stopped by a member's house for another barbeque, which was fun.  I really can't believe how nice the members are in the branch, and I will probably say that in every email while I am serving here.  It is just so true :)  We did get to see a couple fireworks driving home, nothing much, but I can't think of another way I would have spent the holiday!

As far as investigators go, I have quite amazing news.  We taught Kaila, invited her to be baptized, and she accepted!!  The lesson started off well, lagged in between, but ended powerfully.  She opened up to us a lot, the spirit was really strong, and we were able to tell her what she needed to hear.  It truly was the first time I have ever felt like an instrument the Lord's hands, and by far the best experience I have had on my mission to date.  Being able to tell Kaila that she is a daughter of God and that she has divine worth fills my heart with joy because I know that it is true!  This gospel truly does change lives.  In the short period of time that we have taught Kaila I have seen her grow so much, and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to teach her.  She is so willing and eager to learn, and I just pray that she will have the strength to carry on through the opposition that will surely come.  There is no greater work than missionary work! As I have shared the gospel and focused my efforts on others I have seen myself grow so much!  Continue to pray for opportunities to share the gospel :)

We also went on another exchange this week that stretched me a lot.  My trainer left me in our area, and I was senior companion for a day.  It was hard, but I made it through!  We had a lot of things fall through that day and I had to plan a whole day from scratch, but we kept really busy!  We visited members and less-actives and gave them cupcakes left over from the 4th of July BBQ.  It was really fun :)  Just a random side-note, I think that we may be being stalked.  There is this homeless lady that hangs around our apartment all the time.  We have talked to her, and she seems nice, but she keeps talking about how she wanted to rent our apartment, and she'll come knock on our door sometimes.  Yep, interesting.  We just make sure to keep the doors locked :) 

This Sunday we had dinner at a member's home and when they were driving us back they stopped at some of their favorite spots and we got to see some more of Maine!  It is so pretty :)  I still can't believe how much water there is everywhere and it is so green!  It makes the humidity a little bit more bearable.  Hopefully I'll be able to get used to it in the near future.  We'll see! 

I'm just grateful that I am a missionary!  It is tough at times, but it is so worth it :) 

Love ya bunches!

Sister Bergeson

Pictures from Maine

Pictures from the MTC

From Bucksport, Maine, July 1, 2013

Hello Hello!

I can't believe that I already get to email you again!  This week has been fantastic, I can hardly believe it.  I really don't even know where to begin.  I love being a missionary :)  I have already experienced so many miracles.  So many.  Let's see, so it all started on Tuesday. 

Tuesday we were going around trying to contact formers and less-actives in the Bucksport area, and towards the end of the day we decided to try and contact a media referral.  So we went to the house and Kaila opened the door.  She was really surprised to see us, but she was nice and let us in.  We ended up talking to her for a long time, and I just can't believe how open she is to learning about the gospel.  She has had a really, really hard life, but has came out well despite the horrible circumstances.  She is 23 and has the cutest little baby girl ever!  We just love them.  She has been searching for religion and said she was on google trying to look up different faiths and she saw that our church would give her a free bible, so she put in her information.  Quite the miracle!  We taught her about God and prayer, and how family oriented the gospel is.  She has such a desire to learn, and she even said a prayer at the end of our talk with her and she said she felt butterflies in her stomach and she was just so happy.  She doesn't have very many friends at all, and she just stays at home all day with her baby while her husband is at work.  She wants friends and a loving community, and she told us that it was a miracle that we came to her door.  We taught her and her husband the restoration with an awesome member on Friday, and Kaila had done a whole bunch of reading from the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets that we gave her and she said that she just couldn't get enough of it.  Then, she came to church with us on Sunday!!!  And she loved it :)  It is amazing to see the spirit working in people's lives.  I am so grateful for her, she is such an example to me!  That was definitely my miracle of the week!

Sister Wallentine and I get along so well!  I am so glad that she is my trainer, and I have learned so much from her already.  We have the same kind of humor and our personalities are super similar.  Needless to say, we need to work on focusing a little bit, but at least there is never a dull moment :)  We have also got along great with the branch members!  They have so much enthusiasm for missionary work, and they are so funny!  I can't believe how willing to help they are, even if some of them live so far away from us. We had dinner with the Branch President's family yesterday, and guess what?  They are huge basketball players!  Sister Wallentine is too!  So we are definitely going to use that as a missionary tool.  We are playing with them today even :)  I'm really excited! This area has certainly been prepared for us! 

We have also taught a couple less actives who are really nice.  One of them has such a hard life and I really want to help her, but it is her daughter.  I've definitely been learning that on the outside things may look alright, but when you really get to know someone things are not how they may seem.  As a missionary, I'm sure I'll get to experience this a lot, and it is hard.  I am so blessed!  I just want to do as much as I can to help others come closer to Christ and be happier!  Oh yeah, I met my first nutcase!  He said that he saw God and Christ and they appear to him and talk to him, and he has also seen the devil.  He also mentioned that he was doing crystal meth at that time.  Yep, quite the interesting fellow! 

Another cool miracle was that we were walking around trying to contact formers and we were led to this super nasty trailer park, and we met two construction guys there that we talked to.  I didn't have too much hope for good conversation at first, but we learned that one of the workers was actually a less-active member!  It was so crazy!  He was really open to us talking to him, and we came back and set up a time for an appointment :)  The bad news is that he lives in Mass. and will only be out here for another week or so.  But at least we got the chance to find him! 

I also went on an exchange to the Brewer area this weekend, which was quite the experience!  We visited a super sweet member, drove to see an older woman in the hospital with a member who was the craziest driver ever.  And ate dinner at a member's home, which was delicious!  My first member meal was there in Brewer :)  It is so great being a missionary!  The people here are so nice, and Maine is beautiful!  It is like driving through the canyon everywhere you go, and there is water at almost every turn.  Last Monday we went to this gorgeous overlook of the ocean in Bar Harbor, and we went into a cave right next to the coast!  It was beautiful! 

Overall, I am just so grateful!  I know that I am being watched over and protected by my Heavenly Father, and He truly has prepared people for us to teach.  It is amazing seeing people's lives change for the better already, and we have only been here for two weeks!  We have so many ideas for fun things we can do to get the branch involved, and I am just excited to continue working here in this great area!

I hope you are all doing wonderful, and I love getting your letters!  Continue on in faith family! :)

Love,

Sister Jessica Bergeson