June 30, 2014 Bethel, Maine

good, Better, BEST!

Hello my wonderful family!!                June 30, 2014

I hope that you all had a super awesome week and that you have some neat things planned for the Fourth of July coming up!  I can't believe that July is right around the corner...  What?  So, first of all I just want to make sure that I say that we didn't get transfer calls this time around, so transfer number 5 in Oxford here I come!! :)  I'm so grateful I've been able to be here so long and see great growth in this area!  And there is more to come, I know it!!  Also, it is just so pretty here, I can't get over it.  The past couple of weeks the weather has been perfect!  I can feel the blistering heat coming, but I don't mind waiting, not a single bit.  So, this past week, where to begin?  I really don't know.  I feel like I got it all in my head before I come to the library but right when I sit at the computer my mind blanks. 

I guess I'll start with one person I'll never be able to forget. Michael!  He is doing so well, regardless of his health situation.  He hasn't drank coffee for more than a week, and he decided that on July 3rd he is going to quit tobacco for good. He is progressing toward his baptism date well!  He has such determination and faith.  We've been praying for him so much, and he has a lot of support from the ward, so we'll see what God's plan is for all of this.  Especially when it comes to the radiation that he is going to have to go through.  His lungs aren't strong enough for the surgery they wanted to do, so hopefully the radiation will be enough to kill his cancer.  It is going to be a pretty crazy summer!

This week I also learned that my soccer skills have not completely disappeared!  We played chair soccer for district p-day (super fun game!) and I definitely held my own with the elders!  District P-days are great, and we sure did have an awesome district this transfer!  It will change a lot though next transfer, we're getting four new elders.  Also, we played chair soccer with the youth on Wednesday night and I won! :)  Pretty sweet!  The youth in this ward are super solid, I just love them so much!  And their leaders are great examples to them and me as well :)  What fun times and fun memories I've been able to make while serving a mission! It is so important to take the time to laugh!!

However, "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" (Eccl. 3:1).  I've been thinking about that quite a lot this week.  Our district meeting was all about using time wisely, and I think it came at the exact time I needed it!  There are so many things to do in a day, so many choices to make, and I'm responsible for every decision.  So many options, what should I choose?  That brings me to Elder Oak's talk, "Good, Better, Best."  What a wonderful talk!!  I remember watching conference when he gave it.  It stuck out to me a lot, and it still does.  It is so easy for me to justify making the good choice, because, well, it is easier.  Why do the best choices always seem like they take the most work?  Well, I've still got a long ways to go, but I've definitely seen that I reap what I sow and the harder I work, the better the reward.  I just need to continue working on my desire to work.  Laziness is one of Satan's tools he uses with me a lot.  He doesn't want me to live up to my potential because he knows what hard work can do.  So I've got to exercise faith and act, even when it is hard.  I read a quote this morning that I love, it says, "The second mile of hard work is what makes the difference between the exhilaration of achievement and the acceptance of mediocrity."  I've seen this in my life and I've seen it in the lives of the people that I teach.  It is so sad to see people reject the gospel because it requires too much.  They don't realize all the blessings they are missing out on if they just made the best choice and worked at it.  So many times in scripture it talks about work and making choices.  The sons of Mosiah made the best choice and declared the gospel to the Lamanites.  In Alma 29:15 it says, "Behold, they have labored exceedingly, and have brought forth much fruit; and how great shall be their reward!"  Their work influenced the lives of countless people for good.  David in 2 Samuel 11 made the choice not to go to battle and he tarried at Jerusalem.  Definitely not the best choice.  It led him to destruction.  I know that the choices I make will effect me in so many ways.  I know I need to continue to pray for the faith to make the best choices, even though they take more effort, the blessings are worth it.  Work is essential, I cannot avoid it.  The scripture in Genesis 3:19 has been on my mind a lot lately, it says, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread."  Here I go, sweating away, but boy that bread tastes sweet! 

I'm pretty sure that I just gave myself a pep talk. 

This past week I didn't make all the best choices with everything we did, but we're determined to do better! Always striving to improve!  I'm so grateful for Sister Banda, she helps me a lot cause I sure couldn't do this alone!  I was reminded of that!  I kind of got myself in a discouraged state, but I turned to the Lord and my companion, cried, breathed, decided to laugh, then get back to work. 

I've got to go, but remember I love you so much!! Have a great week!  Keep working and moving forward! 

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." (Eccl. 9:10)

Sister Bergeson :)