Bucksport, Maine Aug. 19, 2013

Dear wonderful family!        Aug. 19, 2013

Thank you thank you for the great letters and the package this week, I loved them a lot :)  It is so nice to hear about what you are all doing!  I can't even believe that Amy and Erin are moving out today, I hope everything goes well!  They are going to have a great experience in college.  Summer just slipped right by didn't it?  Happy start of school :)

Alright, well last week was pretty crazy, but so so good!!  We started off the week with a movie night at one of our member's homes! Kaila was there with another member family and we watched the Joseph Smith movie that they show at temple square.  It was amazing!  We wanted to do something special with Kaila before her baptism, and because she has such a strong testimony of Joseph Smith we decided that this would be great :)  The spirit was so strong there, and it was a great chance for Kaila to get to know more members of the branch!  We were really glad that it all came together so well :)  And even more glad at how excited she was to be baptized!!  Thursday the 15th came and went in such a blur, but it was an experience of a lifetime!  Kaila's baptism day :) :)  She walked through the doors of the chapel wearing all white (sidenote: she couldn't find a white skirt so she wore white skinny jeans instead :) How I love that girl!! Pictures to come!) and she was totally beaming!  We had a great turnout from the members, and although we started late due to some confusion with the programs and such, (...satan...)  the spirit was so strong when she was baptized!!  One of my favorite parts was after the baptism after Kaila had got changed.  Three girls in the branch sang the song When I am Baptized, and it was the most beautiful thing that I have ever heard!  It reminded me of my own baptism singing that song, and an overwhelming sense of joy came over me when I thought of how blessed I was to be able to witness Kaila's baptism and play a part in her conversion.  The words to that song are so powerful! The last verse goes something like this: 

"I know when I am baptized my wrongs are washed away, and I can be forgiven and improve my life each day.  I want my life to be as clean as Earth right after rain.  I want to be the best I can and live with God again"

I know that Kaila made one of the greatest decisions in her life by being baptized and confirmed as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I know that the Savior lives and loves us and because of Him we can live with God again! I have already seen how much the gospel has blessed her life and I know that if she keeps the covenants she made, her relationship with God will only improve :)  It was also such a blessing to hear her share her conversion and testimony.  She wasn't nervous at all and it was so powerful to hear how much her life has changed!  Definitely an Alma 29:9 moment!!  I am so grateful for her and her example to me!  And it just keeps getting better!  Her husband Joe came to both her baptism and confirmation and we taught him about the Plan of Salvation last week and he told us that he wants so bad what Kaila has!  He especially liked the fact that he can live with Kaila forever and he wants it so bad!  Kaila is such a great example and help to him and they have become a much stronger couple in the past few weeks as they have learned, prayed, and studied the gospel together, and I pray that they will only continue to get stronger and stronger!!  It is amazing to teach such a sweet family :)  Words can't express!! 

We also had zone conference this week which was amazing!  The theme was working with members, which I have seen is sooo important because of Kaila especially!!  It has been hard for us to get new investigators here.  I have heard that the state of Maine is the least religious in the nation.  While there are miracle experiences like Kaila's, they don't happen extremely often.  That is why we need the members!  Our goal is to build trust with them and help them have missionary experiences.  Our mission vision is to help each member family in the mission have a significant missionary experience within the next 12 months, and I know that this will help so much to move the missionary effort forward in New England!!  Members are key! I know that when they pray and look for missionary opportunities they will find them and bring souls to God!  That goes for you too family!! I can promise your testimony will grow so much as you share it with others! 

I love being a missionary!  I love my Savior, Jesus Christ!  I know that the gospel is true!  And I know that because of it, we can be together forever! :) 

Keep sharing the love!

Sister Bergeson :)