Week 56  (12/16/19) Week of Miracles !!! 😊

Hey Family!

This week I have decided to be obedient and email you first before calling like you have asked me to. Thank you and everyone who sends me emails. I apologize for not responding. I wish I had more than 1 hour to read my emails, write you a letter and call once a week.

Thank you for sending the video of the Madsen family singing at the ward Christmas party. As I watched the video, the Spirit just somehow poked me in the eye and made me think of how much I miss you guys. It is hard being so far away especially this time of year. This week I'll turn 13 months in the mission!!  I know that these next few months will just fly by. I am so happy and sad about both.

This week the Lord has been blessing us with many miracles, I feel very grateful for this. If you remember when we have talked in the last few weeks, I have told you about all of the physical pain I've been having. I have been praying everyday (and I know you have been praying for me also) for the pain to leave my body so I can feel better to help me continue to serve without delay.

Miracle #1, The other day I woke up and didn't feel any of the normal pain I have been having. The only part that was hurting is my feet because of my chacos are old and ripped. I still use them in the rain because I don't have any other shoes to wear in the rain. The material is rubbing on my feet and has caused some cuts and blisters. Other than that I don't have the pain in my body that I was used to feeling. 

Miracle #2, This past week we were teaching an older lady who really likes her Catholic Church a lot, and has no desire to change. We invited her to a missionary night with members where we eat and played games. She went and was loving it and smiling the whole time. A couple of days later we visited her again. We were reading in 3 Nephi, Chapter 11 where it talks about baptism. The spirit was super strong, and Sister Shock invited her to be baptized like 3 times. She kept declining because she likes her church a lot and her whole family goes to this church.

We asked her " What if Jesus Christ invited you to be baptized" would you accept? She said "Yes", then we said that we represent him and invited her again, but she declined again. Sister Shock said "Okay, why don't you pray about it in your prayers that evening and ask if you should be baptized". She started praying in that moment and afterwards she said that she felt super good. She asked us if it was an answer to her prayer? We said to her " We know that the Lord answers prayers, what are you going to do now?" She waits for a minute and says "I'm going to prepare for BAPTISM!"  WOW!!!! LOCO!!!!! she went to church last week and is planning on being baptized next Sunday. Her name is Cleoza, please keep her in your prayers.  

Miracle #3, We were walking in the street on Saturday, it was raining, we made an inspired contact and invited her to go to church with us tomorrow. She accepted, then Sunday morning she went to church with us. Afterwards we went to her home and taught her for the first time, then invited her to be baptized also! She also accepted and will be baptized in two weeks. CRAZY!!! Please keep her in your prayers also, her name is Renata.

Miracle #4, This past week we had lunch with a member. The one who has the vultures and possums I sent pictures of a few weeks ago. We left with a challenge for her to pray and ask God for an opportunity to share the Book of Mormon with someone, this was on Friday. Then on Sunday during our lesson with Renata, Irma called us and said that she has a neighbor with three small kids who would like to know more about the church. She invited her and her family to the Christmas devotional in our stake.  She came to it last night and LOVED IT, she is excited to learn more, stay tuned for next week!

Miracles are REAL! we had super spiritual lessons with people this week. This last week it rained A LOT!!!!  The good news is that Thankfully this week we didn't have to cast out demons or no one followed us, LOL.  Thank you for all of your Prayers, Love and Support. I hope you all remember the reason for the season!

Feliz Natal  "Merry Christmas"

Sister Pierce

Week 55  (12/9/19) Crazy Real Story Last Week 😊

Hey Family!!

Thanks for the email. I'm glad you had a great week. This last week we had an interesting story that happened to us. We were returning home from lunch, a lady ran up to us in distress saying "My daughter isn't waking up, come give her a blessing or do something to help her ".

She was speaking really fast and loud, I had a hard time understanding everything she was telling us. As we got to her house, we were standing out side the door. I looked inside and saw a different lady in the house with a SUPER BIG KNIFE!

Sister Alemeida said "WHOAH !!! Hold on, Do not go into this house" She said that she recognized the lady when she taught her before. Last time she was here the lady was doing drugs, and when she is doing drugs she is more susceptible to the influence of Satan.

The original lady that came running to us for help, I heard her say was that when her daughter is doing drugs, Satan was inside her body and was destroying her house! Super Strange and CRAZY!!!

We could definitely feel something wasn't right. We asked if we can say a prayer, Sister Alemedia said it. Afterwards she told me that when she was saying the prayer she felt someone breathing next to her EAR, YIKES!!!

Lets just say that it was a crazy experience I had this last week. Satan is real, and he will do anything to stop a person from progressing.  One of the many things I have learned is that we need the influence of the Spirit in our lives everyday, and how we gain that is by obeying the commandments.

Love you all, stay safe Spiritually.

Sister Pierce

Week 54  (12/2/19) Sister Shock - My American Companion 😊

Hey Family!!

Well  my new companion Sister Shock has a super cool AlphaSmart 3000 which is like a computer keyboard without a computer. You can type a letter during the week and upload it thru the computer on Mondays when we call. It’s super fast and easy to use, I wonder why we didn’t think of it sooner. Maybe you can check to see how much one is and if they are still available.

On Tuesday she got to talk to her family. She is from Saratoga Springs, Utah and its snowing there. Super awesome!!! I miss snow. I LOVE her. She is absolutely fantastic, and truly knows how to show the pure love of Christ. She is definitely what I needed. She speaks Portuguese super well already. She has spoken Spanish the four years in high school; this has helped her learn the language much faster than most missionaries.

I’m writing you some cards for Christmas. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and ate lots, LOL. This is a great way for me to write letters during the week, send it and hope you get it before the 25^th.

Well this past week went super well. My Thanksgiving was a little interesting. We were leaving a lesson, close to where it’s a poorer part in the city. Lots of  people do drugs, sell them, and live in pretty modest conditions. Sometimes they don’t even have doors on their homes, or have much inside as well. No asphalt or concrete roads, just a dirt road, and its pretty rocky. Also you NEVER steal inside this area, because firstly, everyone will know who did it, and also they would call the police and then everyone would go to jail. LOL

When we were leaving a man in the street was calling after us, shouting Mormons!  Mormons!! Come Here!!! But I didn’t know him and didn’t feel good about it. We kept walking and took the next street, said a quick prayer and thanked Heavenly Father for our lesson. We started walking again, and noticed that this man was still following us, and so we started walking faster, and then he started to run behind us, and so we started running, up to where there were more people, and they protected us from him. He didn’t do anything to us except frighten us. One of the ladies was starting to call the police, but they are super slow here (I kept thinking I wish my Uncle Rick was here)

Finally after some time he left us alone. I don’t know how else to describe it, but I felt very protected by Heavenly Father. Just to be safe, we are going to avoid that area for a little bit, and pray that he forgets about us. I said a prayer that evening thanking Heavenly Father for protecting us, and praying that this man can repent and make changes.  I prayed for his well being because he doesn’t really know what he’s doing. 

Before I go, I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving.  I love you all, have a great week until next Monday…

Love,

Sister Pierce

Week 53  (11/25/19) Transfers and New Companion !!! 😊

Hey Family!!

Well 1 year has flown by. This past week was good. We had transfers and I will be staying in the same area, as a senior companion, yee hoo!! Her name is Sister Shock. She is from the United States. She has been out for three transfers plus the CTM. I’m looking forward to meeting her sometime today.

Yesterday we had some Americans visiting and it was super cool. I had a chance to translate a little bit.  It was nice to meet Brother Morris and his family, he served his mission in the same area over 16 years ago.

Here are some pictures I took this last week. As you can tell, Christmas is very much celebrated here and the local mall and businesses are decorated beautifully. I look forward to talking to you next week.

Love you lots & stay warm !!

Sister Pierce

Week 52  (11/18/19) In 2 more Days, It will be 1 Year!!! 😊

Hey Family & Friends !!

Well here we are in week 6 of the transfer, time has flown by! This Saturday we will find out about transfers, Im not sure what will happen, but looking forward to it!

Also, this week will mark......1 YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It feels just like yesterday that I was starting my mission. I didn't understand anything, eating strange foods & rice and beans EVERY DAY!! This has been the most hardest, challenging, physically demanding, sometimes spiritually demanding but most rewarding opportunity I have ever had with an outpouring of blessings everyday.

I have come to learn that God is very much aware of us. He knows what is best for us, and what he asks of us is to search for him in everything. Are we doing the small and simple things? Are we still looking to develop faith in Him? Repenting everyday? Going to church every Sunday? Attending the Temple frequently? Being honest in all that we do? Do we seek for opportunities to share the gospel with others? These are the things that he will judge us for, so being prepared is so very important. 

This weekend we had Stake Conference. They spoke a lot about service which I loved. This evening we have family night planned with an amazing family. The mom is super Incredible and very generous to all that she meets. She makes and sells A LOT of cleaning products. A long time ago the missionaries were visiting her, but I don't know why they stopped. Tonight they are going to make dinner for us, I am so excited, more about it next week :-)

Super funny story that happened to us yesterday after lunch. As we were walking along, one of the missionaries said that she knew where there was a mango tree. I said "Perfect" lets go!! We went there, an well..... the mango's were pretty high up in the tree. So what do "4" Sister Missionaries do in dresses without brooms? We all took off our shoes and threw them up at the tree to knock off some mango's. After 15 minutes of us trying to knock them off, we only managed to get "1" mango off the tree. 

Apparently we were being watched by some people across the street. A man comes over to us and asks "Are you hungry? Is that why you are trying to get the mango's? We giggled and said "No, we are not hungry...we just ate lunch and wanted a delicious mango for desert"  So, next thing I saw was him taking his shoe off and he hit the mango's the first! second! and third! time he tried. We thanked him again for helping us as we each walked away with a mango to eat. It was so funny, I wish you could have been there:-)

My time is up, I look forward to next week. Please keep praying for missionary work. 

Love you, 

Sister Pierce