No clever title, just a great week

We are scheduled to have a baptism this Saturday! (So far, no indications this one will fall through.) Toshy is the best! When we taught her the Word of Wisdom a few weeks ago, she was already living it!! I'm pretty sure she is the only person I have ever met outside the church who lives it. She has such a sincere desire to obey God and follow Him. The only downside is that she is technically in YSA, so we will have to transition her to the YSA sisters after she gets baptized :( But that's okay because she has already met one of them! Her sister is also being taught in another ward, so hopefully more of her family will be getting baptized soon :)

This past week was another one full of exchanges. Well, really only two, but they were back to back. It is so fun to be able to work with other sisters and learn from them! I know the purpose of exchanges is for the sister training leader to be able to help the sisters she is responsible for, but I feel like I benefit just as much from exchanges as the sisters my companion is with. The sisters I have gone on exchanges with are all so different but they all have wonderful insights and knowledge. Being able to see how others teach and the way they live the gospel always makes me want to be better. One of the sisters I was on exchanges with has only been a member for about two years. her testimony is so simple and so powerful. She does not know a lot about certain aspects of the gospel or the Church, but she knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. A testimony's strength is not based on length of time, but on the sincerity of belief. 

We had a multi-zone conference this week and it was amazing!! It was fun to see missionaries I came out with and .as always, it was inspiring to hear from the leaders (especially President James). President James told a story about W.W. Phelps and how he left the church but was welcomed back with open arms. It made me think about how often we turn away from the Savior but how often He invites us back and forgives us. I am so grateful for the Atonement and the ability that I have to always return to my Savior. After the meeting, we all went to Duke Gardens and got to explore. We were told told to fall in love. With the beauty of NC, that is :)

There was something that was said in a sacrament meeting yesterday that stood out to me. The topic was the Restoration and one of the speakers focused his talk on Christ. He said "Christ is the Restorer" and it made me think about all of the ways Christ restores us. After we die, our bodies will be restored because of Him. We are restored to happiness after we fall. He restored His priesthood and His church in this day so that we could be restored to Heavenly Father's presence. All loss and imperfection can and will be restored through the Savior. He not only saves us from our sins, but from every painful thing that happens to us. He came to make everything right.  

Sorry this is a short email this week, I will send lots of pictures to make up for it :)

Love y'all

Sister Pyper

​My companion is the best <3

This felt oddly like taking a graduation picture. I just really liked the bridge and wanted a picture. 

So, apparently my eyes were closed when we took this picture. Ooops!! We were mission home buddies <3 We flew out together and have been in the same zone our first three transfers. She is the sweetest!

All the WA sisters: Bremerton, Puyallup. and me :)

I <3 the James's

(Having a) cold never bothered me anyway

Aside from being a little sick, this past week has been amazing! We have met so many people who are prepared to hear the restored gospel. The Lord is preparing people is many many ways. It is incredible to meet people who are willing to listen and want to follow God more closely. 

Something that Sister Warner does every day is ask me what my tender mercies were and when I felt the Spirit that day. It has really helped me recognize the Lord's hand in my life and I want to share that with y'all. 

Daily tender mercies/when I felt the Spirit

Mon- Even though all of our appointments fell through, we found a new investigator and some very promising people/Reviewing my notes from Conference and remembering all of the answers and counsel I received from the Lord's servants

Tue- We were able to have a lesson in a member's home with one of our investigators with a baptismal date/Finding a new investigator and feeling of God's love for her. I have never loved people as much as I do when I testify of how much Heavenly Father loves them. I know without a doubt that He loves every single person who has ever lived.

Wed- Knocked on someone's door who used to meet with missionaries in a place called Lumberton. One of the elders in my ward was just in Lumberton and remembered this man. James wants to learn more about the gospel and is very open/In zone training we went on a church tour. The elders who gave it bore very powerful testimonies and helped us all to recognize the Spirit we felt. We were able to sit in the chapel and hear them sing I Am a Child of God, and hear the baptismal prayer. It was so powerful to feel the Spirit that strongly and to imagine people I am teaching feeling the same thing. I am so grateful for this gospel and the Restoration. 

Thu- Despite our companions having neither a phone or their GPS, Hermana Alonso and I were able to get our companions back. There had been a meeting that our companions went to, so we were on exchanges. We had asked the elders to tell them where to meet us, only to realize that they didn't know how to get there. It all worked out and we were all able to make it to our lessons on time/On exchanges with Hermana Alonso, she was teaching in Spanish and I obviously had no clue what she was saying. I could feel the Spirit in the room as she spoke and I know those she taught felt it too. The Spirit is truly universal. 

Fri- Even though plans fell through, we were able to see all of the people who needed us/Hearing an investigator really pray, rather than reciting a scripture. Seeing how her understanding and relationship with Heavenly Father has changed was incredible. 

Sat- Our investigator Anita had remembered what she heard at Conference and had questions about what she had been reading. I love hearing the questions people have, it shows that they are really thinking about what they are hearing and want to understand/ Teaching a single mom and her two kids and being able to invite them to be baptized. I know the blessings that will come into their lives as they take that step to follow their Savior and I can't wait for them to have all the blessings available to them. 

Sun- My tender mercies and times I felt the Spirit are the same today. There was a fireside in the evening with our mission president and investigators/recent converts/returning less-actives. We had two investigators there, which was wonderful! Everyone (not counting missionaries or active members) got to share their experience with the Church, how they met missionaries and share their testimony. It was really sweet to hear to testimony of people who got baptized a week ago and to hear the people I am teaching share their feelings. Earnest talked about how we first met him and how much he has learned since then. He is so close to recognizing his answer and understanding that this is where he needs to be. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that I have been able to see his journey closer to God and to play a very small part in it. 

I love this Gospel with all my heart. It has blessed me more than I can express and I know that it will bless everyone who lives it. I know that this Church is Christ's church and that He is guiding it. He calls prophets to guide us and I know that Thomas S. Monson is His prophet today. 

I love y'all

Sister Pyper

"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet"

I am so incredibly grateful for prophets and modern revelation!! The knowledge that there is a prophet of God on the earth today who holds all of the authority to act in God's name brings me so much comfort. Elder Stevenson's talk about priesthood keys made me recognize what a great blessing it is to live in a time when those keys are on the earth. I know that Joseph Smith was truly called to be a prophet and that Heavenly Father restored all of the keys through him. The priesthood is what allows us to receive all of the ordinances required for exaltation as well as the blessings that Heavenly Father has in store for us. I am so grateful for the privilege we have to be able to hear the words of God's chosen servants every six months (at a minimum) and to receive guidance and counsel. I know that Thomas S. Monson has been called by God and is truly His mouthpiece to guide His church. 

It is amazing to see how much clarity and understanding is lost when people do not have the benefit of modern revelation. We were teaching an investigator this past week and she asked how we can know if we have been 'saved'. She knew that baptism is necessary, and that God knows if we are 'saved' or not, but she had no idea how she could personally know before she dies. We were able to teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and explain the priesthood and temples. That knowledge is needed so desperately by so many. So many people have no idea what is required to enter God's kingdom and always feel that they will never be worthy. They do not understand the Atonement. Christ's Atonement is what makes us able to be cleansed from our mistakes and shortcomings. None of us are able to fully live His laws, but He simply asks us to do our best and turn to Him for strength. Here in the South, I have met so many people who have been 'saved'. I am grateful for the knowledge that salvation is a process, not an event. The purpose of missionary work is not to baptize people. Yes, that is a huge step, but that is not the ultimate goal. The reason the Lord calls missionaries is to help His children return to His presence and become worthy to live in the Celestial Kingdom. That is what it means to be saved. That is the reason I am here. 

I have been thinking about sacrifice and sanctification this past week. The Lord has always required His people to make sacrifices. Sacrifice is not something that comes naturally or easily to us, which is why it is required. It was not easy for the Israelites to kill the best animal of their flock.  It goes against every natural reasoning. Today, we are not asked to give animal sacrifices. The sacrifices asked of us are in some ways harder. We are asked to give our whole souls to the Lord. He asks everything of us. He will often ask us to give up the thing that seems impossible to let go of. Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only son, the one who he had waited his whole life for. We are asked to give up our sins, distractions, temptations, pride, fear, and anything else that distances us from God. It is hard, but that does not mean it is impossible. The Lord will always help us to accomplish the things He commands us to do. Whatever it is that He asks us to sacrifice, it is what will sanctify us. He knows us infinitely better than we know ourselves and knows what keeps us from the complete joy He has in store for us. It takes faith and humility to be willing to give the Lord what He asks of us. That is something I am always working on. Often I know what it is the Lord asks of me, but I let my pride and fear get in the way of acting. I know that Heavenly Father does not require impossible things of us. Nothing is impossible with His help, and that help is promised to those who do all that He asks. 

Quick weekly breakdown ( I will try to be better at doing this weekly)

Mon- zone activity ( ultimate frisbee, soccer), grocery shopping, tracting, stopped by an investigator and talked briefly about the BofM

Tue- tracting with a different Sister while Sis. Warner was in a meeting, some appointments later. Oh! Little miracle from this day. I had written down an apartment number while tracting with the intention of going back and trying again later. When we went back, I could not remember why I had written it down. I knew there had been some reason I felt like we should come back, but I didn't know what it was. When we knocked, there was actually someone home and he became a new investigator! It was cool to see that little moment of inspiration. 

Wed- district meeting, went out to Chapel Hill for a couple lessons, dinner with a CH member, tracting. We found Anita, who said we came at exactly the right time and we were exactly what she needed! She has a baptismal date now and even watched a session of Conference. 

Thu- weekly planning, walking all over Durham (pretty sure we walked about 7 miles total). We met a former investigator's sister and taught her about the Atonement. Her sister has struggled with drugs before and had been clean for a few months, but isn't any more. It was wonderful to testify to her that Christ has not only suffered for her sister's addiction, but for her own worry and pain as well. The Atonement does not only cover our mistakes, it covers the pain caused by the mistakes of others. 

Fri- we got to invite everyone we saw to watch Conference. Getting to tell people all day about the opportunity to hear a living prophet was incredible. 

Sat/Sun- Conference!! Tracting and stop-bys between sessions

Being a missionary is the best, especially at Conference time. 

Love y'all

Sister Pyper

Answers to prayers and calls to repentance

I am so grateful to have my companion back! She is a sister training leader, so she goes on exchanges with each of the sisters that she is over. Which means that I get to go on exchanges too!! I love getting to learn from other sisters and getting to know them. We went on exchanges two days in a row, and then Sister Warner had a leadership meeting on Friday. I was only with her 4 out of 7 days last week and it is so good to be back together! I love the other sisters, there is just something different about being with your actual companion. The sisters I was with for exchanges are wonderful though. One of them is in her first transfer and she is already a great missionary! She told me that she looks up to me and hopes to be like me when she is done training. Hello call to repentance! It was so humbling to think of all the ways I can improve and knowing that I am setting an example for other missionaries. The second sister is an Hermana and she has only been active for a little over a year. Hearing her teach in Spanish was incredibly powerful. I couldn't understand most of what she was saying, but the Spirit was undeniable. We tracted into a couple Spanish speakers that she was able to teach, and one of them was so touched by the Spirit that Hermana Hathaway brought that she was tearing up. The Gospel is truly universal and applies to all people, regardless of language or culture. 

I love teaching the gospel and being able to see the blessings that people receive from living it! We taught our investigator Toshy about the Word of Wisdom last week. Apparently, she has already been living it! I think she is the first person I have ever met who is living it that isn't a member. She has incredible faith and humility. Her reason for not drinking/smoking before was that it was bad for her body. After we taught her, she told us that now her reason is to obey God's commandments. Earnest is also making amazing progress is living the Word of Wisdom and he is seeing so many blessings from it! I am so grateful for the guidance of a Father in Heaven who knows more than we do. I know that all of His commandments are for our benefit, even when we do not see the purpose. 

The general women's broadcast was amazing! I am so grateful for leaders who are called by God and given His counsel in what to speak on. I had a question that I was seeking an answer to and the very first speaker said exactly what I needed to hear. I know that the leaders of this Church are called by God and that Thomas S. Monson is His prophet on the Earth today. I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to hear his counsel this coming weekend. I know that you can take any question to Conference and receive your answer. 

I have been studying Christlike attributes for the past couple weeks. Thinking about my Savior and how He lived His life has given me a long list of ways to improve. I am so grateful for His Atonement that allows me to repent every day and become a little better. I have been reading a talk about being a consecrated missionary as well. The main point of the talk is that being consecrated is more than simply following the rules, it is changing your attitude. I realized that the purpose of obedience is more than simply to change our behavior. The purpose of obedience is to change our hearts. We do not receive all the blessings we can if we simply obey because we are told to. When we have a sincere desire to follow God and His commandments, our hearts are changed. That is the power of the Gospel. 

Love y'all

Sister Pyper

I love to see the temple

We got to go to the temple last week as a zone!! I have missed the temple and being able to go more often. It was incredible to go with the missionaries in the zone. This is why I am a missionary, to help others receive the blessings that come from temples and help them be sealed to their families. Most of us got names from the same family. Someone the James' know had a bunch of family names that they wanted missionaries to do. I am so grateful for temples and the peace and strength I have received from them. Even when I am not able to go as often as I would like, knowing that I have made covenants with the Lord gives me great comfort. I know that if I keep the covenants that I have made, that I will receive the blessing he has promised. 

Being over two wards means that there are twice as many wonderful people to meet and teach. The previous sisters in Chapel Hill had found someone named Toshy that they were teaching. Toshy is so great! We taught her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week and invited her to be baptized. Her response was "yes, what do I need to do?" That is the BEST response anyone can give! She is so sweet and so willing to do what we ask her to do. She is reading the Book of Mormon pretty much every day and really wants to come closer to God. She is applying what she learns from the scriptures to her life and really trying to understand the principles. She came to the adult session of stake conference on Saturday and had really good questions and said she felt the Spirit. She has a baptismal date and is well on track! I will keep y'all updated as it gets closer. 

Stake conference was amazing! The adult session was really powerful. We were singing I Know That My Redeemer Lives and the last verse was a capella. I had this overwhelming recognition that the words I was singing were true. I do know that my Savior lives. He is my personal Savior and the personal Savior of every single person. I know without a doubt that He lives and that He knows me. I am so grateful for that knowledge and this time that I have to remember His resurrection on Easter. The fact that He lives today means that we can all live again. Death is temporary. Life can be eternal through Christ. His life did not end on the cross and ours do not end at death either. 

I am recognizing the importance of the way we live and the example we set. We tracted into someone the other day who knew a surprising amount about Mormons. It turned out that she has two classmates who are members. Their example touched her so much that she decided to do some research on the Church. She told us that some of the scriptures she read answered questions she has had for years about God. These members had no idea that she had done that, they had never asked her to. They just lived their faith openly and lived the way Christ would have them live. I am so grateful for their quiet examples of righteousness and the  impact they had on this woman's life. You may never see the results of your example, but I know that others see what you do and that you bless lives. 

Spring is definitely here in NC! There are beautiful flowers everywhere and it is getting warm! I will be trying to take more pictures and send them next week. 

Love y'all, 

Sister Pyper

Sister Warner & me at the temple

All the sisters from the zone, plus Sister James

Humility is the key to true strength

What a week! So much has happened that I don't really know where to begin. 

Last Monday was my last full day with Sister Workman (she is doing well, minus a sinus infection. I actually got to see her briefly on Friday at a meeting my new companion had to go to) and we went to Duke Gardens and saw a first edition Book of Mormon that Duke has. It was amazing to see it and be able to hold such an important piece of history. As I flipped through the pages I couldn't help but think about the history of that specific book. Who read it? Who became converted because of it? Did Joseph Smith personally give this particular copy to someone? I know that someone must have been converted by it, all they had to do was read it and pray. I know that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God and that this is His church. Having the Book of Mormon in my life has brought me so much closer to my Savior and my Father in Heaven and I am incredibly grateful for it. 

I got my new companion on Tuesday, after a very strange few hours where I was without an official companion and just with ward members. Her name is Sister Warner and she is amazing! She is from Alaska, the middle of 9 children, and has so much energy! She never seems to get tired or need to stop, she just keeps going and doing. Being with her for the next 7 weeks (yes, 7. This transfer is longer because the MTC is going back to 3 week training so everything is adjusting to that) is definitely going to push me and I am so excited! She came in with the unexpected news that we are now covering two wards and that she is the sister training leader. Lots of surprises that first day! We are still in the process of figuring out all the logistics of two wards, but it is not as difficult as I expected it to be. I was admittedly a tiny bit stressed when I first found out, but Sister Warner is a great source of knowledge and guidance. Prayer was of course what helped me the most. 

This past week I have been studying humility and how I can be more humble. I have learned how humility is truly a sign of strength and not weakness. It takes a lot of courage to admit that you cannot do it all on your own and that you need help. True strength comes from recognizing and acknowledging your weaknesses and working to improve them. I am only able to do what I have been called to do because of the Lord, I know that I would not be able to do even half of what I have done if I was on my own. I always have things to work on and I am honestly so grateful for that! I love being able to find new things to work on and knowing that I do not have to be the same person that I have always been. 

One of our investigators is a great example of humility. We were teaching Lashanda and her family about the Restoration. Lashanda's aunt was there and has very strong faith in God. This aunt is going to be starting her own church soon and has very strong opinions on what her family should be learning. Near the end of the lesson, the aunt was telling us that she felt that we put too much emphasis on prophets and that we were going to be leading her family astray. After about five minutes of this, she basically told us we were not welcome back. As we were leaving, Lashanda came out and started talking to us. She apologized for her aunt and told us that we are always welcome and that she just wants what is best for her children. Some of the older kids were there as well and told us that they like us and want us to keep coming. It was a very sweet moment and I am so grateful that the Spirit was able to touch them and soften their hearts to have the desire to learn more. Their genuine desire to feel the Spirit and learn more about God was so touching I am so grateful that Sister Warner and I were able to bring the Spirit into their home and that we were able to build a good relationship with them. 

The ward members here are amazing! We had a last minute lesson right after church in our second ward and needed someone to come with us, and a member in Relief Society said she was available. It turns out that she is a convert and joined the church in her 30s and is now in her 60s. She wanted so badly to serve a mission, but was married with children when she got baptized. She was so excited to hear that she can still serve a mission, even at her age and being divorced. It is so wonderful to see the joy that comes into people's lives as they live and share the gospel. 

I unexpectedly got to see my mission president and his wife yesterday! They spoke in one of our wards and it was so powerful! President and Sister James talked about the importance ward members play in the work. I have definitely seen how much of a difference it makes when members of the ward come out with us. The lessons always go better and the investigators have someone to connect to. There have been so many times when the member with us said exactly the right thing for the investigator and it was something I would have never thought of. Do not discount your importance in missionary work! You are needed. I have so many ideas for how to be a better member missionary when I am not a full-time missionary. "Ask the missionaries, they can help" is true! We would absolutely love to help you share the gospel and find ways that you can help those you know. Please just ask, I guarantee the missionaries will be more than happy to help you. 

Love y'all

Sister Pyper

This is what a 200 year old Book of Mormon looks like.  ​Fun fact: the original Book of Mormon contained a preface from Joseph Smith. 

Duke Gardens: The one with the birds

Duke Gardens: Asian edition

The only true constant is change

As of yesterday, I am officially done being trained. That by no means means that I feel prepared for this next transfer though. I am staying in the area, so I don't have to worry about learning a new area, but Sister Workman is getting transferred to Pembroke to be a sister training leader. Both of our elders are also getting transferred, so I will be the only missionary staying in the area this next transfer. Which means that I not only have a new companion, but I also have three missionaries to introduce to the area/ward/investigators. The Lord clearly has much more faith in me than I do. This next week will be full of lots of prayer and growth. It will be a great time to learn to rely completely on the Lord because I know that there is no way that I can do it on my own. I am more than a little anxious about it, but I know that as I rely completely on Heavenly Father and do whatever is asked of me that He will magnify my abilities and give me the peace and strength that I need. 

That stress has actually already given me sweet experiences that have strengthened my testimony. We found out Saturday evening that Sister Workman is being transferred, so I have had all weekend to process the changes that are happening. I have been praying a lot and asking for peace and comfort. I know that President James is inspired and that he seeks guidance from Heavenly Father in every decision and so I don't doubt that this is what Heavenly Father wants. That doesn't always make things easier though. As I have prayed and really sought His help and guidance personally, I have felt so strongly that He is aware of me and is going to help me. I know that Heavenly Father doesn't ask me to do things that I won't be able to accomplish. I know that peace comes when we most need it, if we sincerely ask our Heavenly Father to make us more than we can be on our own. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity to strengthen my faith and become more of the missionary that Heavenly Father wants me to be. I know that I am doing His work and that He will not leave me alone as long as I turn my heart completely over to Him. I am excited to see what He has in store for me. 

I had an interesting insight while cleaning last week. Every transfer we deep clean our apartment and really focus on cleaning everything. As I was scrubbing the oven rack, I thought about how satisfying it is to see things becoming clean and how it is worth all the effort it took. I realized that that is how Christ feels about us when we repent. It makes Him so happy to see us becoming better and cleaner. His Atonement was infinitely more of a struggle than cleaning the oven but I was able to get a glimpse of how willing He was to suffer so much agony for us. Christ loves us so much more than we recognize. The greatest evidence of His love for us is His willingness to suffer and die for each and every one of us. I know that the Atonement is real and that it covers everything. We do not have to suffer the pains, sorrows, and guilt of life because Christ already has. He has taken all of the burdens of the world so that we do not have to carry them alone. All He asks is that we use the precious gift He has give us and repent. I am so grateful for His sacrifice that allows me to become a little better every day. The 'spiritual deep cleaning' that is possible because of the Atonement is the greatest gift I have ever been given. 

Since Sister Workman is leaving tomorrow, we are going to Duke Gardens today and seeing an original copy of the Book of Mormon that Duke has, so there will be lots of pictures next week :)

Love, 

Sister Pyper