Sister Pearce in New Zealand: The Fourteenth Article of Faith

You didn't think that there was a Fourteenth Article of Faith, did you? Well, there is. (: it goes something like this:

WE BELIEVE IN TARANAKI.

Yes. That is where I am. It's President Rudd's only District in the mission and so Taranaki, especially New Plymouth has a special place in his heart. (: President Rudd is amazing.

This week has been especially wonderful. We had Zone Meeting on Thursday and it was all about the new initiative that the church has put out called 'He is the Gift." I really really hope that you all have taken advantage of this amazing opportunity that we have to share the true meaning of Christmas. Anyway. It was the most amazing Zone Meeting that I have ever had on my mission. The Zone Leaders gave a really inspirational training and then the Taylor's, the senior proselyting couple in Hawera, gave a training. Elder Taylor gave a training on 'Learning of Christ.' He showed us a really really amazing way to study the scriptures. It has changed the way that I study my scriptures. I have learned so much about the Saviour the past few days, it's incredible. At the end of their trainings, they gave a 21 day challenge to know our Saviour better. And the way that it was planned, the twenty-first day will be on Christmas. (: It'll be fantastic! I love being a missionary.

Saturday was probably one of the greatest days of the week. False, it was the greatest day of this week. (: Here's what happened: woke up, studied, as normal, but then at 10:00 we made our way up to the chapel to Super Saturday! It was a blast! We had a couple of less active members and investigator there! It was so much fun. So, that ended at 2 and then we drove home to pick up the cookies we had made for the baptism. Lisa Tamati got baptised on Saturday at 4. Part member family that the elders have been teaching. They have been teaching them for a year. And she just got baptised on Saturday. But she is so converted! Their family have invited us over for tea on Christmas and to Skype our families. There are six missionaries in the New Plymouth branch. (: It's going to be really exciting!!

Not too much has happened this week, but what I do know is that my knowledge of the gospel, my knowledge of the life of the Saviour, and my testimony are growing into an oak of understanding. I love studying the scriptures. I love my Saviour. And I am so grateful for this second time that I get to be a missionary at Christmas. It has been such a blessing for me to get to have two Christmas' and Christmas Seasons on the mission. Life is amazing! Life is great! Be humble, be submissive, be obedient. (: The Gospel is easy to live, we just complicate it with the natural man.

I'll send photos in a separate email because I don't have too much time left on this computer. (:

Ofa Atu!!

Sister Pearce

Second Email with Photos

Photos from Heaven. (:

6683-> Pearce and Baird!!

6713-> This is us as we were waiting for our meeting to start. (:

6688-> We visited one of our less active members on Sunday night and she mentioned that she had been to the beach and tried to make a sand man snow man...well, when we were at the beach, we found it. (: Not too shabby!