Now Thank We All Our God

Happy Turkey season everybody! 🦃🍂🍁🍗🍽

I think that is all the thanksgiving related emojis :) 

I hope that you all have used this special time of year to count your blessing for all the amazing things our Heavenly Father has given us! 

I am sure grateful to be a missionary at this time of year! So many awesome opportunities to express my gratitude for the gospel message we shared 

We saw many miracles this week! Kayla White is progressing so quickly! When she prayed about the things we have taught her and she says that every time she prays she feels better and better about it. When she reads form the Book of Mormon she says she feel the Holy Spirit and that it feels like her heart is smiling!  She came to church Sunday and really enjoyed it! We asked her to pray during sacrament meeting about being baptized on December 17th so we will follow up with that today. I truly feel like I was meant to teach her! We share a lot of the same perspectives on things. 

Our other investigators are moving along slowly. Dave is showing signs of desire to change. He is discussing all of his hang ups, so that shows he is willing to overcome them! We are hoping just to get back to seeing him regularly. We also want to do that with our other investigator Kayla McCrillis, as she got really sick so it has been over a week since we saw her. She still wants to come to church this Sunday though because of the special sacrament meeting that goes over the basics of the church beliefs. I am sure hoping a lot 
of members invite their friends because it is supposed to be an awesome service. 

Some fun things from the week:

- I got to see my trainer at Zone Conference! She is going home soon, so it is the last time I'll see her. 😭

- we befriended a local cat that looks slightly gremlin-like. But he's a good omen because every time we see him our investigator is at home! 

- we are setting a up a booth for a Christmas festival next week! It should be awesome! Me and Sister Wright are excited for Christmas! 

Well, here is a thanksgiving scripture for you! Alma 7:23 in the Book of Mormon:

23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

I sometimes find that I am way more ready to ask for everything I need than to give thanks back for all the things I already have. When we give thanks, we show humility. And then, when we are humble, we can feel God's love even more abundantly in our lives. So, what is something you are thankful for? 

Have a great week! 

40 Degrees at the Beach

Beaches are supposed to be warm right? Not in Maine! Can't wait to get
a picture of SNOW on Old Orchard beach! ❄️

Well this week was pretty exciting! We were able to find some great
new people to teach, including Bianca and her family! We rarely get to
teach people right after a door approach, you know where we know and
offer our message, but Bianca let us right in! We taught her and her 4
year old daughter about how the restoration of the gospel  can help
her family be together forever! She was really receptive, and we will
see her agin this week.

I had a cool experience while teaching someone on the beach, well at
least near it! While walking by Old Orchard Beach we met Sean, who was
waxing his car. He saw our name tags and asked what organization we
were from. We talked with him for about 10 minutes about our beliefs,
and mostly all about Christ, because Sean knew very little. As we
discussed the love Christ has for us and the Atonement , he looked
confused and said : " He only lived 33 years right? How could he have
possibly experience all sorrow and pain in that time?" We began to
talk about how He actually suffered it all at one time in the garden
of Gethsemane.  It just hit me as we talked with him how
incomprehensible that is, even to someone who believes. In a small
moment Christ felt all our pains, the very personal ones. I am so
grateful that I have not only come to know that Christ is real, but I
have also felt the power of His sacrifice aid me in my daily life.
Even before I was a missionary. Knowing the Christ loves me that much,
and everyone else that much, really changes your perspective.

Here's a great quote I read this week in our teaching manual Preach My
Gospel. Under the heading God is Our Loving Heavenly Father it says :
He (meaning God) has given this experience on earth so we can learn
and grow. We can show our love for Him through our choices and
obedience to His commandments". I was able to emphasize this in my
teaching this week by asking people if they feel like their trials
bring them closer to God, or farther away from Him. Luckily, we can
all choose to have them draw us nearer to Him and our savior! That's
the happiest way to go anyways!:)

I hope you all have a great week!

Sister Lescarbeau

Splendid Saco Sisters!

Hello All!

This will be very brief due to time, but my message is short: I LOVE
MY NEW AREA! We are teaching some amazing people, and have seen so
many miracles! We picked three new people to teach, we were in right
place when the Lord needed us, and we were able to comfort many people
in difficult times. I was still very sad to leave my last area, the
people there will be remembered forever, and I hope they know that
their example has changed my life!

We had a lot of amazing lessons. One, with a member, actually really
strengthened my testimony.The member shared that we should consider
two questions while reading the Book of Mormon and coming to know if
all the thing the LDS church claims is true. First is , what would it
mean to me to know this is true? And second, what will I do to receive
those things, or know it is true. This is really how we should
approach getting spiritual knowledge . We must be willing to act, and
when we open the door the Lord gives us so much light and knowledge.
As the Bible says: "but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God." So give it a try! See if the things you have
learned, or continue to learn are true. If it is good and true, it
will increase your joy!
Enjoy some pictures! I'll write more next week! Love you all!

Sister Lescarbeau 

Somewhere Over the River

Hello People!
Well, I am getting transferred! I will be heading only 30 ish minutes
away across the Saco river, to Saco! I am excited, but very sad to be
leaving. However, I know that the Lord will give me lots of great
opportunities there!
This week was great! We met lots of amazing people, and saw some
amazing miracles. We met Eric, who wanted to learn right off! We went
at the right time because his friend, Kate was there. So we were able
to teach them both. We had an a,axing first lesson, and Eric really
liked how much we focus on Christ and becoming more like Him.
Testifying of Christ is always the most powerful thing.
Our investigator Carol is really close to getting baptized! She has
shared with us so many experiences about how the gospel has been
blessing her as she has lived it. She said that the Lord is enabling
her to live the hard commandments, and she is seeing the happiness
that comes. I have really seen that as a testimony of how aware of us
Heavenly Father is! He knows our individual struggles and knows how to
help us through his son, Christ. We just need to accept the help. I
love the quote by Elder Holland that says "He knows the way out, and
He knows the way up. He knows it because He walked it. He knows the
way because He is the way."
Never forget that! It has gotten me though the hardest times in my
life and the best. Know that someone who already knows is always
there.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Sister Lescarbeau
Ps that last pic is from the top of the Portland Headlight !

The First Step On the Path, Is Also the Last

So if you don't like the path, you better back up......FAST!

This week I just saw so me amazing things that go along with this
quote! Our decisions determine our destiny, and every step we take in
the right direction is rewarded. And if we step on the wrong path, we
can always back up!

Here's a story about a great walk my companion and I took in the right
direction, and we didn't even know it:

So we decide to walk down Preble street Wednesday...and it was a
seemingly inconsequential choice, right?! Wrong. We saw three amazing
miracles! We made it to our investigator, Christina's apartment t and
talked with her for a few, and we almost turned back and walked back
to our car. Yet, something told us to keep going. As soon as we walked
out of her complex we met Eric walking his dog. We did our normal
invitation to learn, and he accepted excitedly! After another success,
we could've gone back. After all there was no one on the street. But
we took a few more steps as a car pulled up to the last house on the
street. A man and his daughter got out and sat on their porch for a
few minutes. We were able to talk with them, and it turned out that
they had some negative feelings towards religion. However, as we kept
talking we were able to bear testimony of the power in a relationship
with God and Christ, and they seemed softened. We were able to invite
them to church!
It is so amazing to me how such a small decision brought such amazing
miracles. Any time we take a step towards Christ and following Him, we
are rewarded immediately. I know this is true for everyone,
everywhere. Not just two sisters on Preble street.

We have transfer calls this weekend! Hopefully I stay here, but I will
let you know!
Remember that you have a Savior and a Father in Heaven who loves you.
They will be there every step of the way, if we let them in!

Sister Lescarbeau 

Fall into Church, God will Catch You!

Happy fall!

Let me tell y'all. A Maine autumn is incredible! The trees are so
vibrant, it is crazy! I have one picture this week, but I'll send more
next time!

This week was filled with miracles! We had the opportunity to bear
testimony, do service, and just have fun every day! There are so many
people open to the gospel, it is amazing. And even if they aren't
interested right now, we can leave them with a positive feeling of the
spirit!

Our investigators are all doing very well. Especially Carol! She has
been studying about Joseph Smith lately, and she is very impressed by
his story. She wants to keep going because as she prays about the
church she keeps wanted to read more, and feels like that as she does
she will get her answer on whether or not the church is for her. The
spirit was strong with her as we talked about the love we feel through
the gospel. She said she can see the light in us! That is good to
hear!

We were able to talk to lots of people on the street and just around
town. One person in parts really seemed touched by our message. She
and her husband asked my why I joined the Mormon church. I them told
her of how the Book of Mormon answered all my questions and brought me
more peace than anything else. As we left, she looked me in the eye
and said thank you, and that I sparked something in her.
I love experiences like that! I really hope that every person I speak
with feel the spirit, and that they feel God's love for them whenever.

I'll end with a favorite story from general Conference last weekend!:
"Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel was in the hospital recovering from
open-heart surgery when he was visited by his five-year-old grandson.
As the little boy looked into his grandfather’s eyes, he saw his pain.
“Grandpa,” he asked, “if I loved you more, would you [hurt less]?”
Today I ask a similar question of each of us: “If we love the Savior
more, will we suffer less?”" -Elder Robert D Hales.

I know that as we love the Savior, His love affects everything in our
lives and makes it better. He can take away all hurt as we follow Him.
I know this is true for everyone, no matter who you are.

Have a great week everybody!

Escargot Turkey

Sister Lescarbeau rhymes with escargot, and Sister Berkey rhymes with
turkey...together we make quite a pair!

This week was wonderful! We saw many miracles! They all kind of
centered on being exactly where Heavenly Father needed us to be. We
talked to man named Tyler about the life after this because we met him
soon after he lost his grandmother, we met our neighbor who has been
trying to get closer to Christ, and we just kept showing up just when
people needed help or when they actually had time to talk! Now keep in
mind, not every day was peachy, but we definitely saw the silver
lining that the Lord places in every day. Some days it is just a
little harder to spot. :)

We taught a new person named Christina, and she is amazing. She said
that the Mormon church keeps popping up in her life so she has become
interested. She cried as she felt the Spirit when we talked about the
Book of Mormon. It has a strong spirit that softens hearts!

Just a quick scripture for you guys!

1 Nephi 18: 13 And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I
will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my
commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye
shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is
by me that ye are led.

He is the light! He will guide as we follow Him, that is an us
breakable promise.

Sorry this is short! But all in all, great week!
Enjoy pictures of the largest Salt marsh in Maine!

Love!

Sister L