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!