Cold

It was extremely cold this week! It seems like winter has finally come
out of hiding!

Other than the bitter cold paired with 30mph wind, the week was great!
We worked really hard!

We have had a lot of member meals this week which was good. We were
able to spread the word a little more about the "mission vision" which
is where each member will set a date to have the missionaries each
someone in their home in 2016! We are working really hard to help all
the members be better missionaries themselves, by just being the great
examples they are. I know that they are way more effective
missionaries, because they're walking talking proof that the gospel
can help you in every day life and bring you joy! So we have
challenged a lot of members, and a lot of them are stepping up! One
family already has someone they want us to teach! MIRACLE

Bill and Jill are still going strong! We actually gave Jill a large
print Book of Mormon, and she was so excited! She was so happy that
she would be able to read it a lot easier! It definitely reminded me
not to take the little things for granted! The scriptures are so
wonderful, and I am grateful for their guidance and comfort.

There is a poem I read this morning that really hit me:

"Good timber does not grow with ease,
The stronger wind, the stronger trees
The further sky, the greater length
The more the storm, the more the strength
By sun and cold, by rain and snow
In trees and men, good timbers grow"

President Monson shared this when he was talking about how the Savior
never leaves us alone in trials. However, often the trials we have in
our lives are for our benefit. As we learn to overcome the seemingly
endless sorrows of the world, we learn we must turn tot he Savior to
find the strength we need to endure. Only in His arms can we find
unchangeable safety. I know it, and I have felt it so much more as i
have come to accept this gospel. It isn't easy being out here, but the
strength the Lord gives me each and every day is another testimony of
the truth of this gospel I teach. I love the Lord, and I know He
lives.

Have a great week you wonderful humans!
Sister Lescarbeau

1. A giant icicle I knocked off of a roof! 2. And again. 3. I didn't
choose the mug life, the mug life chose me.

If You Give a Sister a Waffle

It better be topped with Maine maple syrup

Which is apparently better than Vermont's

Either way it is all good!

This week was very, very busy! Sister Payne and I have worked way hard! we have tried to contact new people each and every day, and we are definitely exhausted by the end of the night. I thoroughly believe the only way we had the energy to go on was because we are on the Lord's errand.

We had some amazing lessons this week! We had a lesson with Vicky, a sweet southern woman, this week. She is studying the Book of Mormon diligently to come to know it is true. As we testified of its truth to
her, you can tell she felt the spirit very strongly. It is amazing the power the Holy Ghost brings. Its presence as we talk about the gospel proves to me over and over the truthfulness of this gospel we teach.
She felt that this week, and said she would be willing to attend church!

We also taught a lot of members this week. One family we taught really touched my heart. The Hyde family took in two teenage boys into their home after their mother passed away. They treat them as their own
children, and the spirit of love in their home is very strong. We had a wonderful time with them, and they are a great example to me of Christ-like love in action.

Actions are what makes us Christians. As we are examples to others, and live the commandments of our father in heaven, we can show others the way to true happiness. I know that is through this gospel. As I teach it, and learn it myself, I become a better, more Christlike person. That is a testimony to me of its truth. Anyone can feel this
love and happiness in their lives as they accept the gospel. I know it, and I love it! And I love teaching it as a missionary!

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Sister Lescarbeau

Bye Bye Vermont

Yep. I am getting transferred. I am so sad to leave this wonderful
area, but I know that I must be needed somewhere else! It is going to
be an exciting adventure.

This week was kind of sad and slow in the beginning. We had a ton of
appointments fall through, so it was a bit discouraging. The rest of
the week was amazing though! More evidence that miracles always come
if you work hard and follow the Spirit!:)

Christmas eve was wonderful! We were able to go to a Christmas Party
at an active members house, but they invited 3 non members that were
interested in meeting with us. We had the opportunity to share "A
World Without a Savior" and bear our testimony about how the Savior
and how he has changed our lives. The spirit in the room was palpable,
and everyone in the room could feel the truth of what we talked about.
It was amazing, and we were able to set an appointment to go see them
later this week.

On Christmas we had dinner with an investigator which was amazing. We
got to share a message with their whole family. We share a Christmas
message from the Old Testament. Isaiah 60:19 reads: "The sun shall be
no more thy light by day; niether for brightness shall the moon give
light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light,
and thy God thy glory." and in verse 20 " Thy sun shall no more go
down; niether shall the moon withdraw itself; for the Lord shall be
thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended"

Because of Christ's birth, we are free from all present cares. We are
given light in the deepest darkness, and comfort in our deepest
sorrow. we need only rely on the Lord and all other things will fall
into their proper place.

Our mission president challenged us to set goals for the coming year,
and center them around giving our gift to Christ. I would challenge
you all to do the same! The new year is the perfect time to start a
new, and because of Christ we can continue to have a clean slate all
throughout the year.

Next time you hear from me I could be in New Hampshire, Maine, or
Massachusetts!

Until next time,
Sister Lescarbeau

On the Maine Land

Wow this week has been absolutely insane! Mix snow, a 6 hour drive and
wonderful Mainer accents and it makes a good week!:)

The whole mission got hit pretty good with snow. And can you guess
what day it decided to show up? Tuesday. Day of transfer meeting. So
after driving 3.5 hours from Vermont, I found out I would have to
drive about 6 hours to my new area. It was a long  day, and the snow
certainly made things even more interesting! But my great week made up
for the crazy.

I came to Farmington not quite sure what to expect. But I am happy to
report that I love it! There are some amazing members and
investigators here! Bill and Jill are two investigators that I am so
impressed with! They both are very intel
studying out of curiosity, but soon felt the spirit. They have a date
for baptism in March, and I am so excited to help them get there.

One cool thing I learned about Mainers is that they all have a great
sense of humor. They are cheerful people, although many of them have
had hard lives. They definitely press forward through the hard times
and I admire them greatly for it. I am just so excited to meet more
wonderful people, and spread the gospel even more.

I'll leave you with a great quote I found. " Love is the measure of
our faith, the inspiration for our obedience, and the true altitude of
our discipleship" President Ucthdorf.
Love is the basis of the gospel of Christ. We serve others because we
love them, and we follow Christ because we love Him. Love is
everything, and because Christ loves us with a perfect love, we can be
saved from all trials and sadness in life. So remember to live with
love in your heart. If love is not the motivation behind everything we
do, life can be so much harder than it needs to be. And I sure love
you all!!

Hope you have a great week!

lectual, so they began

When Maine Becomes A Puddle

Well this week was wet and eventful!

The first half of the week was very slow, dues to some unplanned ER visits (my comp needed it not me), and some recuperating from that meant lots of down time in our apartment. And you better believe all our proselyting supplies got really organized!:) Haha but the beginning of this week was quite uneventful missionary work wise. 

But it definitely started to pick up! On Friday I got to go on exchange to Bangor, with Sister Duncan. We had a great time and did lots of service, including working on a farm and feeding bunnies, ducks, chicken, and cute goat named Wolf. (happy squeal) . Then we had an amazing lesson with a member who is 14, and is the only one who is an active member in his family. He was a great example to me that no matter the age, people can have a very close relationship with Christ. 

When I returned to my area we did a lot of planning for the things we would do to help the area pick up a little more. There is definitely some good things in the works. We already saw miracles on Sunday! We got to teach Mike and Vicky, some investigators that are beginning to read the Book of Mormon a little more.Vicky is a cute little southern lady that has a very good relationship with Christ and wants to grow it more through the Book of Mormon. And at church Sister Marden, a non member who attends church regularly, stayed for the last meeting for the first time ever! Hopefully she is softening a little bit. 

So, still lots of good things going on. Still doing my best to be the missionary Christ want me to be. It can be a daunting task when we are all so flawed and often hardened by these difficult mortal circumstances. But I love the scripture is 2 Nephi 25: 23 that says "for we know it is by grace we are saved, after all we can do" We do our best, and Christ makes up the difference. And you don't have to be a missionary to access his grace, it is available to all. Just let him in :)

Talk to you next week!

Sister L

☃ Winter Wonderland ☃

Snow is here! New England is even more beautiful, if you can believe
it, covered in a blanket of snow.

This week was so eventful! It started out with another half mission
conference! It was Christmas themed, and there was even a talent show
at the end. The spirit was so strong, and I learned so much from our
mission leaders. Christmas truly is a wonderful time to be a
missionary. So many are yearning foe the true meaning of this season,
and I am privileged to help many find it. As we remember the Savior's
birth, we should also remember his sacrifice. The sacrifice he made
was so that we all could find relief from our burdens, freedom from
our sorrows, and hope in His love for us.

I know that the savior is aware of and loves each of us infinitely. I
was lucky to be the Lord's hands to help Him reach out to so many
people this week. I will show you a few examples, but many more have
occurred, especially within my own heart.

My companion and I both felt like we really needed to go see a woman
who lives on the edge of our boundaries. It was a long trip, and we
didn't know for sure if she was going to be there. She was there! We
got to share with her the message of the restoration, and she said
that it was everything she has been looking for in her life. She lit
up as we talked of our Savior and how he guides us today, and she said
she would be baptized! She said that she really felt the spirit, and
she knows the spirit comes when something is true.

We also taught the first lesson to another woman, Kimberley. She had
had so many hard things happen in her life, and she has been looking
into every religion there is searching for where the Lord would have
her be. She has come to church twice, and is progressing quickly. She
seems more and more at happy as she learns more of the gospel, and
spark has truly ignited in her.

One other miracle we saw came from President Goodrich. Aside from
being the big dog in the maple syrup industry, he is the 1st counselor
in the mission presidency. We invited him to come to a lesson with us,
but he was all the way in upstate NY and he wasn't sure he could make
it. But somehow his job was done early, and there was no traffic in
one of the busiest places in VT! The Lord wanted him at that lesson,
and it was a powerful spiritual experience for us and the
investigator. MIRACLES!!

Well, I hope your Christmas is filled with joy! Remember to always
return thanks to the one who created you, and loves you dearly.
Heavenly Father knows YOU. He gave his son so YOU could find peace in
this life and be all you were meant to become. Love Him. Follow Him.
Let Him take your burdens. That is true Christmas joy!

Have a holly, jolly Christmas!!

Sister Lescarbeau

1. My comp and I looking super Christmas-y. 2. Sister Weeks! I met her
before my mission! 3. A tree we gave to our investigators. 4.And again
my cute comp and I :)

The best way to spread Christmas Cheer...

...Is singing loud for all to hear!!

There was definitely some Christmas cheer spread this week. The big
event this week was singing in the Lyndon Ward inter-faith Festival of
Choirs! We sang with the ward choir and even did a musical number with
just my companion and the Elders in our ward! We did a great medley my
companion arranged, and we saw a lot of success that night. Many non
members showed up, and a lot of less actives! We have a few potentials
now, and it was pretty fun! The spirit that comes through music is a
special one, and I know many hearts were touched by the music that
celebrates our Savior's birth.

We saw some miracles with less actives this week! We got in with two
that we have never been able to see, and as we shared a message with
them both, the spirit was strong. It is pretty easy to see that the
spirit touched them, and it is great to see their eyes light up as
they remember this wonderful gospel. One is going to help us serve
some investigators, and the other is helped with the festival of
choirs! Serving others is an amazing way to feel the spirit of god.

Perhaps the greatest miracle we saw this week was a woman named
Kimberly. She came to church by herself for the first time in her
whole life, just to see what it was all about. She stayed the whole
time, and she really enjoyed herself!!! It is awe inspiring to see how
the Lord puts people in the right place at the right time. We get to
teach her soon, and I am so excited!

I hope you are all enjoying this Christmas season, and I hope you
remember that the best way to remember and praise the Savior is by
living the way he would live. Spend some time serving others,and do
all you can to uplift others.You don't have to do anything big, small
acts of kindness always bring about big miracles. "Inasmuch as you
have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto
me." - Matt 25:34-40.

Have a wonderful week!!
Sister Lescarbeau

p.s Aaron and Morgana have snakes! So I faced my fear and held one.
That was kinda cool. Replace your fears with faith, right?:)