A Much Better Week

Well, I can definitely testify to you all that this week was so much better than last week!! Thank you all for you support and the kind words of encouragement that you sent me. I really do appreciate it. 

Last Monday, we drove up to Hamilton again! Wahoo! This time we drove up to have a Zone Conference with Elder and Sister S. Gifford Nielsen of the Area Presidency and 70. To be honest, I wasn't as excited as I was for Elder Bednar, but I still went with some questions in my heart and I was ready to be spiritually fed!

Tuesday morning came around! I was more excited in the morning than the previous night. The drive to Hamilton definitely takes a lot of concentration so I think I was just tired. Sister Rudd asked me to play the piano again and so I was privileged to play for the Zone Conference. That was another really cool experience. The conference started and we got to shake Elder and Sister Nielsen's hands!! How cool is that? Then President and Sister Rudd spoke to us. There have been a couple of new programs that the mission has introduced in the past little while and President wanted our feed back on how we feel that it has helped us and how we have incorporated what we learnt from them into our lives. There were some really cool answers that some of the missionaries gave. 

Then Sister Nielsen spoke to us and it was so cool! She asked us a simple question, "Who are you?" And then one of the Senior Couple Elders said, "I am a child of God." And she then asked, "What does that mean for you? How does that make you feel?" And a lot of people threw out some answers and for some reason I found myself raising my hand. The answer I gave surprised me, but I realised later that it was the Spirit teaching me how being a child of God makes me feel. This is what I said, "Being a child of God give me hope. And it helps me to know that I will never ever be alone." I know that it is really simple, but to me it was absolutely profound. Then the meeting continued on.

Elder Nielsen then spoke to us. Man, what a guy. He is so inspired. He first talked to us about how missionaries are called and the inspiration of the calling. He told us about the time that he issued missionary calls with Elder Quentin L. Cook. Holy cow. The Spirit totally flooded the room when he was sharing his experience with us. I am truly where I need to be. New Zealand is where the Lord needs me to be and I know that without a shadow of a doubt. I may not know all of the good that I have done or maybe the precise reason that I needed to be here at this time, but I know that I am where the Lord needs me. 

He then began teaching us about how there a literally no failures as missionaries if we are being obedient and following the Spirit. Oh, how much I needed that. Question #1-answered. (: 

It was such a cool conference and I really can't say that I've ever been to one like it before. It was formal, but casual at the same time. Elder Nielsen would be teaching something and then President Rudd would have something to say and so he would hop up and Elder Nielsen was just so submissive and would let anyone jump up and say something if they felt inspired. So, Sister Nielsen or President, or Sister Rudd would hop up and say completely inspired things and it was just so awesome. I received so much revelation in that meeting that I could scarcely keep up in writing things down.

There were a couple of times that Elder Nielsen would open up a question for us missionaries and we would have the opportunity to respond and that was really cool. There are so many good missionaries in our mission! He asked us, "Why are you here?" And so each of us were able to describe in two or three words why we're here! Some were, "Because I have brothers and sisters who need help getting home." "Because I have felt the Atonement working in my life." And many others. It was so awesome. (: 

Okay, okay. Now for the best part of the week. So, our investigator, Gwen, who the Elders passed to us is now our most keen investigator. Normally, we have to plan lessons with her, but for some reasonon Wednesday, I just had this really strong impression that we needed to visit with her. So, we hurried over there and knocked on the door. And she came to the door half asleep. I felt so stink, but she let us in anyway. She then started telling us how our visit was totally inspired and how she was willing to do whatever Jesus Christ asked of her and she wanted to start keeping all of His commandments. OH MY GOSH!! How cool is that? (: 

But she has social anxiety problems and so we decided to take her on a tour of the chapel so that she wouldn't be nervous about people and about the venue. So, Thursday morning rolled around and we were so worried that she wouldn't come! Then she pulled up! Oh, how excited we were to see her. So, we took her around the chapel and the whole time she just kept telling us how comfortable she felt and how calm she felt. And then she said the most awesome thing ever, "I feel really comfortable in this building. I don't think I'll have a problem being at church on Sunday." WAHHOOOOO!!! Sister Perry and I had planned to be in the Relief Society room last, because that's where the font is, and we had this awesome plan to set her for baptism! So, we explained and taught and testified and then we invited her to be baptised. And she said yes. Sister Perry and I had prayed about it and felt that we could set her for April 18th and she was so excited to work towards that date. There was no hesitation. It was the most powerful lesson that I have had at the chapel. And maybe even from my whole mission. The Spirit was just so strong.

And guess what? 

She came to church. It was truly a miracle. And she said that she felt totally at home and at peace! HOW FLIPPIN' AMAZING IS THAT?!?!! After all the hard work that Sister Perry and I have put in, something is finally happening. (: I love life!! 

Sorry, for the incredibly long email, but I just had so much to tell you this week. (: 

I'm going to send the photos in a couple of other emails, so I can send quite a few. (: 

I Love you all so much!!

Love, Sister Pearce (: (:

Editor's Note:  The Photography department for this girl's mission needs to be sacked - we can only assume she is too focused  on the work.  She surely doesn't send many photos.  Still love her.  Here is the 'quite a few' - Two.

P1030749-> Sister Perry and I. (:  

P1030866-> Mount Taranaki looked so good the other day!! (: