Jan. 20 2014, Bethel Maine

OH TO OXFORD

Hello, Hello family!                             Jan. 20, 2014

I hope that you had a great week, and that you have a great Martin Luther King Jr Day :)  I can’t believe that another week has come and gone.  It’s pretty crazy.  So, we had transfers on Tuesday. Which was quite the adventure!  We woke up at three in the morning, finished grabbing all my stuff and shoved it into my suitcase and hit the road before four.  We drove to Brewer where I rode with members and another sister that was getting transferred to Portland, ME.  I didn’t go to transfer meeting, so I got to find out where my new area was there and who my new companion would be!

Good news!  I’m still in Maine!  Oxford, ME, which is inland next to the New Hampshire border.  My new companion, Sister Smedley and I live in Bethel and it has been a super busy week!  But first, I just have to say that I’m so blessed that I get to serve with Sister Smedley :)   She is super amazing, and I already love her so much!!  We’ve got a lot of stuff done this week!  Also, this is a pretty sweet area too.  Our apartment is totally in the boonies.  We’re 3 miles away from town.  The whole area is super spread out.   It takes 50 minutes to drive to church.  It’s so pretty!!  Bethel is by this big ski resort, Sunday River.  There are mini mountains here :)  We have 2 active member families in our area, and they are super awesome.  They help us out so much, which is great because juggling miles here will be a bit on the challenging side.  We have some super great investigators who are awesome!  And we had a confirmation at church this Sunday.  We’ve been super busy this week and it has been go, go, go.  Probably the busiest week of my mission.  Lots of appointments, a zone meeting and driving.  It has been nice to have time to unpack and settle in today :)

Church was great yesterday! The members were super welcoming!  I was asked to introduce myself and bear my testimony during Sacrament, which was good.  I’m just really glad to be serving here!  I’ve already learned so much.  I’ve been put exactly where the Lord needs me :)

Some funny things:  I don’t know if President noticed, but he put me with one of the shortest sisters in the mission, and I’m the tallest :)  It is pretty awesome.  Also, Sister Smedley plays the violin :)  And a member here has two violins she lets us play!  What a blessing!  One more thing. Mexico and Peru are in my area.  Yep.

So this week Sister Smedley and I have been studying and teaching about becoming.  Not just doing or knowing.  That is what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about.  Becoming.  Changing ourselves each day to become more like God.  Putting ourselves each day to become more like God.  Putting off the natural man.  (Mosiah 3:19)   

 Elder Oaks gave an amazing talk about this called “The Challenge to Become”.  It is amazing!  I feel like the more I study and serve the Lord, the more I want to strive to become even better.  I know that I am a Child of God, and that He loves me.  He has made it possible for me to have everything that He has.  I can become who He would have me be if I just rely on Him and trust His will for me.  Leaving Ellsworth was hard.  I love that area so much.  I’m grateful I was able to serve there with Sister Wallentine, Sister Fratcher, and Sister Bickel.  I learned so much from them, and I love them so much.  I love the members and people there.  I saw miracles there.  However, I know that in order to become more of who God needs me to be, I need to serve here.  Serve with all my might, mind and strength.  And HEART!  I just want to throw myself into this area and see why God needs me here.  I’m so excited for this new page in my journey to become.  And I know God will help me every step of the way.

Have a great week!!  I love you so much!

“Now is the time for each of us to work toward our personal conversion, toward becoming what our Heavenly Father desires us to become”  Elder Oaks

Sister Bergeson  :)