Nov. 18, 2013 Bucksport, Maine

What Lack I Yet?

Dear family,                                    Nov. 18, 2013

I really hope that you had a great week!  I loved seeing the pictures that you sent from when you celebrated Amy and Erin's birthday.  I seriously can't believe that they are 19 years old.  Holy Cow!!  I'm glad they are having a good time in Logan!  Also, I'm glad that grandpa is doing better! :)  Hooray!  I just love getting updates from you and hearing all the great things that are going on at home!

There are great things going on here as well!! :)  Sister Bickel and I get along really well!  I love her so much :)  It is great!  Right now we only have three investigators, but the good news is that we are teaching them all regularly and they are all progressing! :)  James is especially doing amazing!  We had a great lesson with him last week where he pretty much thanked us for changing his whole entire life.  The thing is... it wasn't us.  It was most certainly the gospel :)  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ!!  It has allowed James to overcome so many addictions that were holding him back and he has changed so much!  I'm grateful that I'm able to teach him!  He is amazing!  He is still set for his baptism on the 4th of December, also!  We've also been teaching Valerie and it is clicking so well for her.  She loves the principles of the gospel and it is great to teach such an eager learner! :)  Vijay is doing well also, but he isn't quite as eager.  We're going to do better at asking more questions (questions are key!) and applying the doctrine to him personally more. :)  I love teaching the gospel, it is such a great blessing! :) 

As far as exciting things that happened this week... we most certainly built a shed.  Yup! :)  We went and helped a member winterize her house and she had a bunch of random materials on-hand so we build her a place to store her lawn mowers and snow blower.  And the materials she had on-hand?  Shutters.  Yes, indeed we constructed a shutter shed :)  Awesome! :)  I loved being outside and working and helping!  It was great!  President Dauk was the mastermind behind the whole thing.  He is such a great Branch President!!  He has such a big heart :)  I love serving with the members in the Ellsworth Branch, they are fantastic!! :)  We also had our primary presentation this week, which was amazing.  One of the most moving Sacrament meetings I have ever attended.  Children are such amazing examples to me.  I love being able to listen to them and hear their testimonies through word and song.  The spirit was there in abundance.  There was also someone else there.  Kaila!!! :)  That was a direct answer to prayer.  She called up a member to give her a ride and Sister Millis took a 40 minute detour to pick her up to take her to church.  That goes to show the fantastic-ness of the members!  Kaila is still struggling, but it seemed like she had a great time being back at church!  I love her so much, and even though things are hard for her right now, I know that she can overcome anything if she relies on the Savior. 

As far as the weather goes.  It is quite sporadic.  Not very cold some days, super cold the next.  But one thing is constant.  The lack of sun in the evening.  It is soooo weird!! I'm not used to how dark it is at all.  The sun is pretty much gone at 4:30 and people are all eating dinner and getting ready for bed around 5-6.  Crazy!  It wears me out quite a bit, and it is hard because we are suppossed to be doing missionary work until 9 at night.  But mornings are fantastic!! It is weird, but I love getting up at 6:30 and excercising!! :)  It makes the whole rest of the day so much better.  I've gotten more and more energy at morning time which is great!  I'm bound and determined to become a morning person!! (while on my mission at least). 

So, this week I've continued my study in the New Testament, and I can't even tell you how much I LOVE it!! :)  It is truly one of the best times of the day! :)  Me and my scriptures :)  I love learning from the life of Christ and His teachings!  One parable that I have spent studying a lot is that of the Laborers in the Vineyard.  I love all of it, but I have focused a lot on what happens right before the parable is given (Matthew 19: 16-26).  It all starts when a young man comes up to Jesus and asks Him what he should do to have eternal life to which Jesus answers, keep the commandments.  The man then says, "All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?"  And I love the Master's reply.  "Go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and COME, and FOLLOW ME."  The young man had great possessions and went away sorrowful.  Worldly possessions were his weakness, and although he kept the commandments and lived a good life, he needed to give everything He had to God, no matter how great the sacrifice, in order to obtain eternal life.  So it is with us.  In Jesus the Christ, James E. Talmage challenges us to ask the question, what do I lack?  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  What can I change to become closer to my Savior?  I feel like I've changed a lot, but each day I recognize more and more things that I need to work on, more weaknesses to give to the Lord!  One thing that President Wilkey asked me my first interview in the mission field was how much of my heart I was willing to give to Christ.  I answered 100%.  I want to give everything that I have to my Savior and Redeemer, because without Him I would be nothing. It is certainly not easy to sacrifice and change, and I know that I am far from perfect, but I have this promise, "With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible."  I am so grateful for my Savior who teaches me everyday how to become more like Him.  And because He is merciful I know that I can follow His plea, "come, follow me."

I love the gospel!  I love my Savior, Jesus Christ!  I know I am a child of God and He loves me!  I am so grateful I'm here serving the people of New England, and I'm so grateful for all of you :)

God is good!
Sister Bergeson :)