Tuesday, June 15, 2010

June 15

Hello everyone!

It's been another hot, humid, fabulous week in Baytown, TX. Sister Mapa and I love being companions and are learning and growing so much as we serve together. (for clarification from last week's email- Sister Mapa and I will be serving together for at least 6 more weeks, not 2.) This email is late due to a fabulous event yesterday known as "Sisters Service Day".

All of the sister missionaries in the Texas Houston East mission gathered together yesterday to serve and learn and have fun during our preparation day. We started with a service project, sorting food from a food drive in the hot sun. There was a lot to sort and we had fun helping out. We then came back to the Atascocita church building. We spent an hour with President Moldenhauer and the 4 elders serving as Assistants to the President and Training Assistants having a training lesson/discussion meeting. If you want to make 4 elders adorably intimidated and nervous- stick them in a room with 25 sister missionaries and ask them to teach. It was an awesome meeting and very fun times :) We enjoyed lunch together and were provided with supplies to do manicures, pedicures, and make-overs for each other. We also had some crafts available and a sister missionary clothing exchange. There were 3 hairstylists from the local congregations that came and volunteered their time to give us free haircuts as well. I got a trim, and Sister Map chopped of several inches which she loves but is still getting used to! The gathering was closed with a wonderful talk given by a sweet sister and member of the Kingwood congregation. She is a returned missionary and mother of 4 children. She shared her thoughts on what she learned from her mission that has helped her throughout her life. It was a fabulous day! (yay for me remembering to share some details whether you find them interesting or not!)

Other recent highlights of my missionary service include:

I was asked to be a photographer for the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. R.V.- 2 of the elders' investigators that have 2 sweet children and plan be baptized soon. The wedding was last weekend. Elder Lauritzen and our Relief Society president pretty much put the whole event together. They asked for my help and I was happy to use the nice camera of a local member and use my photography skills to serve this sweet couple! It was awesome :) The wedding was beautiful and Mr. and Mrs. RV were so grateful for all the help and support!

This Sunday a wonderful less-active member of our ward attended church for the first time in a long time. Sister M and her 3 little boys all had a wonderful time at church. Sister M was apprehensive about coming when her boys didn't have church clothes. Her amazing Visting Teacher, Sister C, was able to provide some financial help and all 3 boys (ages 5, 3, & 2) showed up in adorable new church clothes with cute little ties and shoes and everything. It was a very sweet experience to see them all there looking so handsome and ready to learn.

The work is still amazing here in Baytown and I love teaching and serving God's children. I love this work with all my heart and am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thank you all so much for your love and support! I love you all and hope and pray all is well with you!

*~Sister Pilmer~*

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

June 7

Hello Hello!

Due to some technical difficulties, my time to write this email is extremely short this week. My apologies for an even shorter email this week! Transfers happened today, and Sister Mapa and I are still happily serving together in Baytown! We are the only companionship in our district that didn't get changed. We are excited to work together for at least another two weeks.

Exciting news this week: We set a baptismal date for a 9 year old boy (Little Mr. J) for June 26th. We are so excited for him. His parents and sister are members of the church, but have dealt with many personal struggles in the past while. They are enthusiastic about returning to activity in the church and very excited for Mr. J's baptism.

I'm so sorry that's all I have time to write this week. The Lord's work is amazing and I'm delighted to be a part of it! Be good!

*~Sister Pilmer~*

****Special Announcement: Sister Pilmer's birthday is on June 25th. She LOVES mail and packages*****

Thursday, June 3, 2010

June 1

We are a forever family and I just love that so stinkin' much! I love the temple and the power of the priesthood. I love the Atonement and the healing and power it provides. I love you all and am so happy you are mine forever!! (Just FYI :D)

And that's all she wrote.

May 24

Hello All!
I am overwhelmed with joy and gratitude at this time for all the Lord has blessed us with. I'm so grateful for the mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ and His atonement. I'm so grateful for our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness and salvation. I love being a missionary so much!

Here's a one highlight among many from this past week:

Sister Mapa and I were visiting with a ward member who faithfully and diligently does her Visiting Teaching each month. She mentioned that she and her companion had visited a less-active member a few times that could probably use a visit from us. When all our plans fell through later that evening we decided to go try to visit her. We found Sister M home and happy to see us. She's had a very rough and interesting life. As we got to know her, we both felt the Spirit testify that we were where the Lord wanted us to be. She was raised in the church, but never really gained her own conversion and has not been active in quite some time. She wants us to teach her the missionary lessons and learn more so that she can have her own testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We're meeting with her again this week and already love her so much! It's amazing to be an instrument in the Lord's hands.


I'm sorry I don't have time to write more right now. I love you all! Be good!!

May 17

Hello family and friends!

I'm so ridiculously happy right now! I'm so blessed and grateful and joyful and at peace, and I want nothing more than for all of you and all of God's children to feel the same way. That is why I am doing what I'm doing as a missionary. I know truth that when applied can bring peace and joy amidst the trials of life. I want everyone to be able to know and apply that truth for themselves. I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ with all my heart. The strength that comes from their powerful love is amazing and real. I'm constantly amazed that the more I focus on others and forget about myself- the more happiness and joy I find. Losing myself in the Lord's work allows me to find myself more each day. I know that I am a daughter of a loving Heavenly Father who has greater plans and purposes for me that I can imagine for myself. It blows me away.

That being said- it's been a great week since I last wrote, which was actually less than a week ago since Preparation Day has been changed from Wednesdays to Mondays. That will take some getting used to. The bugs in full force and I have a bite on the back of my leg that has grown to take up most of my calf muscle. Fire ants and Mosquitoes just adore me :)

We've been so busy and are so excited about the opportunities for AWESOMENESS to happen here in Baytown. We've had so many faith building experiences with people from all walks of life. I'll quickly share one of many awesome moments from the past few days:

Friday, Sister Mapa and I met a woman while tracting, who I'll call Miss K. When we went back for our return appointment on Saturday, we had the opportunity to teach her about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Spirit was so strong and we committed her to baptism. It was almost startling to hear her say "YES" when I extended the invitation from the Lord. She was hesitant to accept the date of June 5th, but agreed to pray about it. It was just amazing. We have a member of our ward coming back with us on Wednesday.

Sister Mapa rocks! Missionary work rocks! Baytown rocks! You all rock and I love you soooooo much!

May 12

Howdy!
Life as a missionary in Baytown is still amazing! Sister Mapa is the best companion ever and we're working hard to be exactly obedient missionaries and work as effectively as possible! There is power in obedience and we are discovering it :) On Sunday that included only talking to our families for 30 minutes.... that was hard, but worth it. I love my family so much! We also got fed a huge Sunday dinner at the home of the member family that let us call from their home. They're so sweet and awesome.

We've had some awesome times tracting and teaching lots of lessons this past week. I'll write about a couple of them from yesterday:

Yesterday we finally got back in to meet w/ two teenage sisters that Sister Mapa and Sister Parsons had taught only once before. Misses D&A were happy to talk to us again and we watched the Restoration DVD w/ them. The spirit was so strong! After the movie we bore our testimonies and asked what their thoughts were. D said, "I really like that he actually took time to go by himself and pray to God for an answer- and that he really was answered!" A said, "I liked that even when his pastor told him not to tell anybody about his vision, he still told everyone because it was TRUE." They committed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and it was just amazing.

We went to go visit an elderly woman in the hospital. Sister Mapa and I sang "O My Father" to the tune of "Come Thou Fount" to her. Once again the spirit was very strong and brought her peace while helping her to understand the doctrine of the song. Some of the most powerful lessons I've taught as a missionary have involved us singing hymns. Nothing seems to invite the Spirit so powerfully!

I have no exciting food or animal updates from Baytown, but I am so very happy to be here and have the privilege of being a missionary! I love you all so much! Be good!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

From The Management

We would like to offer our sincerest apologies for the lack of updates recently. We, the management, have been traveling recently, and then we got sick, and then we got busy, and then it had been weeks since you heard from our favorite sister missionary.

She's alive and well, as is the management, and updates will be posted soon!

Thank you for your patience!

~The Management