November 30, 2009 "Love me some mission"

Family!!!!!!!

Wow. My life is good. REALLY good. Thanksgiving was amazing. We had five different dinner appointments. Bless all the branch members hearts! They didn’t even make me stuff my guts. I was so grateful. My favorite thing that we ate was this corn bread stuff that a branch member made for us. That’s pretty much all I ate. Then I just picked at other stuff. Oh! I had a piece of pie at one place. Rolls at another. Weird- I really love yams?! Who knew. I love this Filipino yam fake ice cream stuff with coconut. And I like sweet potato pie? Who knew? Who knew.
On to the more important aspects of my life- missionary work! We just had transfers on Wednesday. My new companion is Sister Black and she is AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME! She is from Ft. Worth, TX and straight out of the MTC! I love her. SO much! We are going to get so much done this transfer. She is a really hard worker who loves to be obedient. She is my kind of woman! And she is also really funny. It’s been so funny because we will start to quote things to each other like I would quote with Hann and we totally understand each other! It’s amazing. We have fun. We do work. That’s all that is
Ok- My computer session is going to end so I’m going to send this and then keep writing.

Ok! So! Let’s get back to what I was writing about. Which I kind of forget now. I’ll try to bring it back though. Ok.
OH! This is a good story. So! Sister Black and I were going to go to an appointment with an investigator and the woman wasn’t home so we were walking back to the car and I just really felt strongly that we should go and knock this house. I am sure that it seemed pretty random to her, but I said, “Sister, let’s go knock this house.” So we did! We got up to the door and both of us had forgotten to take out our cards so Sister Black said, “Well, I guess they’ll just have to let us in!” (Don’t you just love her! She is amazing!) We got to talking to the girl that opened the door and found out that she and her mother were just about to leave. She sounded fairly interested to we asked to set up an appointment to come back. She told us that she is at her cousin’s house a lot and that her cousin is a member of our church. When we asked who her cousin was, we found out that it was a less active young woman in our branch who we have been trying really hard to help reactivate. It was a miracle! We are now working with the less active on coming back to church and are hoping to start teaching her cousin. I know that it wasn’t just a coincidence we happened to knock on that door. Something I have really been trying to do as a missionary is to always give God a reason to trust me. I would really hope that He knows that He can prompt me to do anything and I will do it. I know that as we act on those promptings, no matter how small or insignificant, we are showing the Lord that we are willing to do His work His way and He will bless us for it.
We had our Mission Christmas fireside last night. I was so blessed! I got to see the Bradshaw’s AND my good friend from school Brianna Haynie!!!!!! (Who is gorgeous and amazing and I LOVE her! And I loved seeing her. Oh- it just made my life.) The Bradshaws- oh goodness. I can’t even tell you how good it was to see them! It was so weird Becca and I both said that it felt like just yesterday we had seen each other. I guess that’s how it goes with certain people. I think the thing I loved the most about seeing them was it felt like I was seeing my family. And I love you guys! So it was neat to be around people like you. Maybe not quite as cool- but close Oh they are amazing! The Spirit was so strong at the fireside. We sang a bunch of different Christmas songs. The real focus was on Christ so we also sang one of my favorites, This is the Christ. It’s been a favorite ever since I’ve been a VC sister because of this one movie we have to show people (they show it in Temple Square.) There was definitely something really powerful about so many missionaries sharing their testimonies of Christ through music. I was so grateful to be a part of it!
WELL!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be good.
Sister Picard
PS- I have apparently totally forgotten my name. It sounded so weird to hear Brianna and the Bradshaw’s call me my first name. Weird- I can’t even type it ha. What a dweebo.

November 23, 2009 "Bird Poo"

Family-

I have a confession. I have a slight sinking suspicion that my letters from here on out in my mission will be getting lamer and lamer. Is lamer even a word? Perhaps. I just don’t even know what to write about. Everything and nothing. Time is slow and fast. Mission is crazy…….. but I LOOOOOOOOVE IT!
We are teaching sweet people. I really do just love the people here more and more. They are amazing. Being in my branch is AWESOME! I’m so glad that I am here. Transfers are this week- so we’ll see what happens. We have been working at really serving the members in the branch. It’s been awesome. One of the less actives that we visit a lot has a friend that wants us to start teaching her because we do so much for her friend. You just have to love people I’ve decided. I may just start singing all you need is love as I walk down the street now…… except I guess that is kind of apostate.
OK I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED Rachelle’s e-mail. I can just see her chastising all the Elders and telling them to be obedient. I love her. In other news, we were contacting in the park the other day and I was strolling along and my hand brushed up against my side and I felt something sick and disgusting and I look at my hand and there is goose poop all over my hand. SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK. To this day I still have absolutely no idea how that bird pooed on me. I almost started crying. I didn’t know what to do. So we had to walk and find a bathroom. And then whole time I was trying to NOT think about what was all over my hand. Sick. That same day someone asked my companion if she was my mom. Ha.
I don’t think that I can ever thank Heavenly Father enough for letting me be a missionary. I know that my purpose as a missionary is greater than anything else I could be doing right now. I am not saying that being a missionary is super fun all the time but it is SO worth it. I love it when I can help people feel more of God’s love for them. I love teaching people how they can be happier in life. I know that it’s only through our Savior that we can be with God and our families for forever. I am SO grateful for how much closer I’ve been able to come to Him since I have been out. I’m sorry that I am not sharing more cool stories. My head hurts from looking at this computer too long. My birthday was great. Thanks Kaiti for the letter. You’re the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (said like Nacho) I love you all. Keep being good. Spread the gospel. Do work. Etc etc 

Sister Picard

November 16, 2009 "5 more days til my Birthday!!!"

Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Well. To be honest, I never have any idea what to write to you anymore. New Jersey is awesome. I am just so in Jersey I forget that I'm right by New York except for when I see the skyline sometimes. The weather here (yes, I am writing about the weather.....lame) has been pretty crazy. It will be raining and freezing then it will be 70 degrees out the next day. I don't really understand, but I like it when it's warm. We went out knocking for a looooooooong time in the pouring rain. I think I was hoping that looking like a drowned cat would make people want to let us in. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Maybe they were just nicer about saying "NO- get off my porch." :) So! I almost was going to get sick. But! In my wisdom I had purchased Emergen-C just for times like that and I started popping those little packets like crazy. And drinking tons of water. Like, gallons. My poor comp, I had to use the facilities a ton. But! I did not really get sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 So take that!
My branch is really the sweetest branch ever. I love all the people that we get to work with. They are so willing to do missionary work. If they're not, then we get to kindly remind them:) We've been really blessed in the amount of lessons we've been able to teach. I have been really good about not being bossy, but I've started to do more scheduling and the Lord has blessed us SO much is being able to get more lessons in this week than we ever have before. I love teaching. I am really trying hard to be better about teaching by the Spirit, it's something I can always improve on. Even if I think I am a really good teacher, what I say doesn't mean anything unless the Spirit is present. So! That's always nice and humbling:)
So! We've been doing service at a part members house the past few weeks. Her name is Sister Weber. Her husband Hans is straight from Germany. They are AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love them. We've been raking a lot of leaves and helping with the gardening. Which I love. Since I get to be outside. And not in a dress. And I love raking leaves for some reason. So she has this big oak tree in her yard and as a result has 20 billion acorns that need to be removed. I was trying to rake them, but I got too frustrated because the little rake comb things had too much space in between them so I sat down and started making piles of them with my hands. My companion was laughing at me but duh it was a more effective way of doing it and I filled up like 2 buckets full of acorns. Then she started picking them up my way too. Take that! :)
On an interesting side note- I got bangs. Full on bangs. My most favorite Sister Montes cut my hair and I got bangs. I haven't had this much bang since I was like 5. But I love them. It's exciting.
I love my life. I love the gospel. I love that I have absolutely nothing to do with anything but it's really just how much God loves his children. If I can help them to feel that love, then I feel blessed. Everyone should serve a mission. It's good for your constitution (? I have no idea- it sounded good in my head:))
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be good. Do work.

Sister Picard

PS!!!!!!!!!! IT's my birthday I just remembered! Olde folde. 22..... ugh. Make sure and tell Claire Russell how old I am. Because I am SOOOOOOO much older than she is:)

November 9, 2009

My dearest family that I love.

Well, I just do not even know where to begin! I will tell you a really quick story that may not be so spiritual so we will begin with that? Shall we. Ok. So! We were knocking the other day and I looked down and upon the ground was this stick. It was an amazing stick! It looked just like a arm with a hand on the end. My first reaction was, "pick it up!" but then I was like "no- you are a sister missionary! be respectable!" but then I started to walk away and it was just too much for me so I had to go and pick it up. Then I stuck my arm in my coat and stuck the stick out and tried to make my companion shake my hand:) She thinks I'm weird. She then commented on how I always walk in a straight line on the curb like I'm on a balance beam. She thinks that is weird too. I say whatever!
So! We are teaching this amazing family right now that I LOOOOOOOVE! Edy and Abel and Abel Jr. or little Abel or baby Abel, whatever you would like. Edy is just awesome. I LOVE her. Oh man. So they had met with missionaries briefly before but then they moved and then we happened to find them! Well- the Elders found them then we got to go teach them because they are in our area:) sneaky sneaky! But I just love them. I just love teaching them. I love seeing them at church. I love it I love it I love it! (yes- I am kicking my leg in the air in the chair that I'm sitting in right now.....j/k I'm not, j/k I am, j/k I definitely am not.) OK! So how is this for a story! So! We were out visiting one of our investigators and we were crossing the street to go back to the car and then saw this woman and her daughter and I was like, "hey you look busy (because they were walking hurriedly towards the bus) but can we give you something!" and they said yes! Then we told them about the church really quick and that we'd love to come tell them more so we got Marta's phone number and have been calling her but we finally got ahold of her and went and met with her yesterday! And guess what? Her son is totally a member of the church who kind of got lost when they moved here from Florida from Puerto Rico. So not only are we teaching the rest of the family, we're now helping to reactivate the son! Let me just tell you, Heavenly Father KNOWS each and every one of His children and He is looking out for them. Marta was funny. She said, "I was trying to catch the bus to get up to New York and this one runs after me and says she wants to come over to the house! So I let them!" :) Oh Marta:)
Well- I can't think of anything else too terribly exciting. Except that I'm on a mission. Which is pretty much amazing. I am so grateful for the time that I was able to spend in Nauvoo. I feel like I have an important duty to really bear a strong witness that Joseph Smith is the prophet of the Restoration. I know it. And I know God knows it. And I can't ever deny it. :) So I love to tell people about Joseph.
Welp! Thanks for being my family. What the what the?!! I looked at the date on Saturday and realized it was two weeks until my birthday! I am getting old. OLDE FOLDE! (that one's for you mamasita:) ) I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!! Be good. Keep up the good work. Thanks for the letters! I loved seeing Daniel's "stash" :) What a goob. And tell Baby thanks for the letter. She is the best drawer I have ever even known in the whole world! Ask if I'm in the candy can air balloon or the rainbow. I'm feeling the rainbow I think:) LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sister Picard