Guess who?

Guess who Elder Pierce saw at Stake Conference on Sunday? His uncle!  So fun!

Photos from Elder Pierce 6-13-16

The best zone

Us with Christian and Stephanie N (Elder Holland talked about them in general conference in 2013 see the
talk "like a broken vessel"). Brother N is our high councilor over missionary work in our family stake :)

Photos from Elder Pierce 6-20-16

 Ran into a friend from home!

"Only in Provo"

Us with Brother E, our WML

It's been a good week - Monday, June 20, 2016

This week has been a good one, as usual it seems. It's incredible how
on a mission the Lord seems to make even small things very enjoyable.
Like in the Book of Mormon in Alma 28:8 "And this is the account of
Ammon and his brethren, their journeyings in the land of Nephi, their
sufferings in the land, their sorrows, and their afflictions, and
their incomprehensible joy", I think that's the best way to explain a
mission. Haha.

On Thursday we went on exchanges again. This time we went with the
Assistants and I was companions with Elder B for the day. Elder
D was with his old companion Elder A. Anyway! It was a great
experience, I enjoy exchanges in other areas. Elder B is a great
missionary and I learned a lot from the whole time.
We spent a lot of the time walking around south of campus talking to
people and a majority of the people told us about non members they
knew! That's unusual. Most of the time people just say they don't know
anyone who isn't a member of the church. So that was really
productive. We also taught a lesson to a referral that we gave the
assistants of a Jehovah's Witness who kinda kept trying to bible bash
with us. The irony is, people who do that don't really understand the
bible. It was a good time. We testified and she can't do anything to
that. So :)

Overall, wonderful exchange. I love elder A and elder B.
They're super great.

Yesterday seemed to be when everything came together! Blessings upon blessings.
First, we ate breakfast with a Ward mission leader in our family stake
and they had a non member friend over. He is ready for the gospel, he
really liked what we had to say. So hopefully he will investigate the
church elsewhere.
Someone called us in the morning and asked if we were available.
Unfortunately we were super packed full. But she said she had a non
member friend who she was bringing to church and he wanted to meet
with us! So we made it happen somehow. Anyway, we met with J. He
lives in salt lake and is going to move down to Provo in a week or
two. He is SUPER ready for the gospel. He grew up around gangs and
all of that and now he is a humbled man. It's really cool. .....now he is excited to get
baptized mid July.

One of our investigators, P, finally made it to church and he
enjoyed it! Now we just have to help him make it a habit so he can get
baptized. He also got a new job so that will help!

Another investigator decided she wants to be baptized on Saturday :D
so that'll be great.
We went to visit our recent convert K and a former investigator
saw us and told us he wants to meet with us again.
AND! We got word another non member moved into one of our wards and
has been investigating the church.
SO! That was our sabbath day. It was awesome.

I love being able to learn so many things on my mission. Most of all
about my savior Jesus Christ and how he loves us. How he has the power
to do anything and can heal us of anything. It's really cool. Faith is
an amazing thing.

Anyway family and friends, I love you all! Thank you so much.

-Elder Pierce

Busy busy busy week! Monday, June 13, 2016 (Day 299)

This week felt like a century but it just flew by faster than we could
handle this!!

On Tuesday we had Missionary Leadership Council for our mission.
Basically all the zone leaders and sister training leaders group up
and we have a 7 hour meeting with President H and his wife. It
was really cool!! We learned a lot about what our mission is going to
be focusing on and what we as leaders need to do to help out the other
missionaries. Besides that, we just learned a lot of cool stuff
through training from President. As well as we got to council together
on different things.
I don't know much more to say about it. But it was also a good time to
see a bunch of my missionary friends like E Wiltsie, S Bowen, E
Kalimafoni. Eh, names are probably irrelevant to all y'all haha.

Wednesday we went on exchanges again. And I was with E M who is
also from Alaska, the same stake as my last companion E C. It was a
good day. .....it was a great opportunity to counsel with him and help him 
understand principles of why we do things certain ways....

I'm not really sure what all we did this week. But we were just SO busy!
Thursday we got to go to the temple. That was really nice. I always
love the peace that comes from the temple. And it's nice to go once in
a while. I mean, we live right next to the Provo City Center Temple
and we drive past the Provo temple everyday. It's ridiculous. People
in Provo are very lucky.  We also saw lots of people getting married. 
That's always nice, it happens a ton here.. Haha.

On Friday we had our Zone Training Meeting. We hadn't had much time to
plan it either because of our hectic days in between MLC and that. But
we had enough Time I guess. The training went really well in our
opinions. But it's Definitely a challenge to present a 3 hour training
to a group of 25 missionaries or so. We had some very powerful points
in there that I loved. We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon, the
first vision, our training focus which is chapter 11 of preach my
gospel and a ton of other things. It was just great! For sure a new
experience for me to have to lead the training though. Thankfully my
companion is great and was there by my side.
The assistants who are also in our zone told us we did a really good
job. So that's good right?

Friday night we had some stuff happen as well. Some Elders got
emergency transferred and Elder I and Elder M (a different
elder M) got an increase to their area. They added an additional 2
stakes to their area because they basically took over another area and
continued to have their own. Elder D actually served in that
old area for 8 months. So long story short, we did an unplanned
exchange with them that night so we could help them out in their area.
I was with E Isaac who is a great missionary. :)

Sunday we gave talks in a sacrament meeting. (We were asked on
Friday,... :P). And had our usual super busy Sunday's. It was good.
It's weird going to church at BYU... Meeting in classrooms. I gave a
talk in a room that was basically a theater... It's so strange.

Anyway. I love being where I am. Missionary work is the best. I love
how as I learn to serve and give of myself the lord will take care of
our other needs. It's definitely true. Also, being in a leadership
position is super cool. I really enjoy being in close contact with
President H, he is the best! Also we are really good friends
with our Assistants. They're great.

I hope all y'all have a great week! I wish I had more time to talk to
you all. Love you!

-Elder Pierce

It's Already June? Monday, June 6, 2016

Hey Everyone!!

This week has been great. Not as eventful as the previous one, but
there are always good things that happen.

I guess the miracle of the week would have to be one from yesterday.
We are teaching a guy named N and he has been wanting to get the
priesthood so that he can baptize his friend. So! We went to teach him
yesterday and there were two girls there. Turns out one of them was
his friend who wants to be baptized, AND she lives in our area!! :).
She has a strong testimony and she has been taught by missionaries a
lot, she is just waiting on n so that he can baptize her. So!
Hopefully we can get that worked out! We are looking forward to it
anyway

On Wednesday we did exchanges. So that was pretty cool. Elder R
came into our area with me. And Elder N our district leader also
came into our area with Elder D.
Elder R is a cool guy.....
Anyway, we did some service and a whole lot of everything else that
missionaries do. Unfortunately we didn't get to teach any lessons with
people. We had meetings and contacting to do though. And I got to know
Elder R better. I'm really wanting to get to know all the
missionaries in our zone. Because how are we supposed to help them out
if we don't know them? It's possible but not as effective. So that's
what Elder D and I are trying to do, get to know the zone. At least
somewhat.
It's weird though because a lot of missionaries in my zone have been
serving longer than me. Haha. But they all look to us to help teach
them and to help them learn. We have to be really good examples so
that it sets a good example for the mission.

I'm really looking forward to this week. We will be having MLC
(mission leadership council) tomorrow which is from... 9-4 I think.
It's a super long meeting but I've only ever heard great things. I'm
glad I get to go so that we can hear President H's vision for
the mission and help carry that on to our zones. As well as I'll have
a say in things. So that's cool. I'll know more about it after
tomorrow.
Then on Friday we are going to have zone training meeting. So it'll be
a good chance for me to learn and teach.

Anyway! I'm struggling to think of anything new or exciting that has
happened. But thank you to all of you who wrote me letters or emails.
I appreciate it :)

-Elder Pierce

Photos from Elder Pierce 5-30-16

Pictures from zone service the day before transfers :)

One of our High Councilors over missionary work in my last area

Bro N is awesome

Elder and a Sister Franson from last area

What a Week! Miracle Alert! Monday, May 30, 2016

First of all, this week was amazing. 

So to start things out, Tuesday night we had something incredible happen. Our investigator named K, whom we met the Wednesday before,told us something important. We got there and the first thing he said when we sat down was, (as he held up the Book of Mormon) "I fasted all day, and I prayed for 4 hours, and I know that this book is true! It is genuine and God has told me that I need to do what you have taught me." :D. Talk about receiving a witness right? This man from Nigeria has expressed to us many times that the Book of Mormon is new to him and that some things in our church are very different. BUT! He said he knew that God told him that this was right and so he humbly and gratefully accepted the gospel. 

We visited with him everyday and prepared him to be baptized on Saturday. It was such a crazy and hectic day/week. And the whole time Elder D and myself were praying to make sure that this was the Lord's will and not just our own. Thankfully we both felt that it was and that was confirmed to us multiple times throughout this experience. 

K was baptized on Saturday night around 8:30. Which is unusual but it was awesome. He told us while he was dressed in white, "I look like an angel" and he was extraordinarily happy. Despite how last minute and crazy it was ( I will spare you all the details) this baptism was one of the most spiritual ones I have ever been to. It was a miracle.

So we definitely saw God's hand in our lives this week helping us with that and in other ways too.

We met a girl from the country of Jordan and she has been going to church for about 5 years now.....

One more person we met, named P, who is also from Nigeria. He has been taught in the past and is a great man. His only struggle is church attendance, other than that, nothing is keeping him from being baptized. So we are gonna work with him! 

So many miracles have been happening. I have learned so much lately. The world is open to the Gospel. The Lord has prepared so many people to accept the gospel and he has brought him to Provo to receive it!! :). Most of our investigators are foreign. India, Jordan, Nigeria, and who knows what will be next. Haha. It is awesome. I am definitely receiving a taste of what it feels like to serve in a foreign mission. 

Along with all those miracles were a few other cool things I should mention. 

First of all, it seems like I am getting the chance to preach the gospel on a soap box because we speak literally every week. Covering 91 wards someone always wants us to come and speak. 

thankfully it is giving me a chance to become a much better speaker and I need that.

Then we had zone conference on Wednesday. We got to learn from President H and Sister H, the Assistants, and as the zone leaders we were asked to present some of the training as well. So that was cool. 

An hour goes by so quickly when you are talking about the gospel :). Or 10-20 minutes when you are speaking in sacrament meeting. 

So that was super good to learn from. 

YSA wards are definitely different than what I am used to, Haha. It is a great learning experience. I wish I could tell you all everything that I have learned. But I would have to write a book or something. 

Oh! One more cool thing. On Saturday a man from the missionary department came out with us. He was with us to see how we have been using our area books and the iPads as missionaries. Brother S is working on a project to improve how the techology the church uses for missionary work. So it was cool to answer his questions and everything. We did it as we drove to Heber where I did a baptismal interview for this cute little 9 year old girl. It was awesome. I can't say much. But the things the church is thinking about for missionary work is amazing. I am glad I got to play a role and hear about some of the cool things missionaries can look forward to. Anyway!

I am looking forward to all the miracles we will be seeing in the future as well as administering to the missionaries in my mission and all the wonderful children of God in my area. This place is awesome.

I love you all, sorry this letter was unusually long

-Elder Pierce