MAY 6, 2015 - NOVEMBER 23, 2016

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Week #3 - Arrived in Houston Texas

Monday, May 25, 2015

Hi y'all!

I am officially in Houston, Texas and I am serving in the Klein area (just north of Houston).  I had a great flight and I am so grateful to be in Houston!

Sister Taylor Pinster
16222 Stuebner Airline Road, Apt. 700
Spring, TX  77379

My trainer is the best!  Her name is Sister Peterson and she is from Spanish Fork, Utah, but claims she was raised in Oklahoma.  I love her so much and she is teaching me so much already. I can't wait to serve with her for the next 12 weeks!

Sister Pinster and trainer, Sister Peterson
We are over two wards in Klein, the Klein and the Kleinwood Ward.  We have a very busy schedule and lots of people to teach!  We have a couple different progressing investigators and three have set a baptism date!  How exciting!  Already I have been able to come in contact with people searching for the truths of the Gospel and we have been able to share the Gospel with them! There are so many people in need of the Gospel here in Klein and I have the opportunity to teach it to them and I am so so excited!!  Going on a missionary is/was the best decision I could have made for this time in my life. I am learning how to love everyone I come in contact with and how to teach the plain and simple truths of Gospel. I am just so excited to be here!

This week has been crazy since it's my first week of being in Houston but it has also been pretty successful as well.  One of the craziest things so far happened yesterday morning.  Apparently, there was a Tornado Watch and Warning in the morning! Scary stuff! Thankfully there wasn't an official Tornado, but my companion and I didn't know until we arrived at church!  I guess not very many Tornados happen so they don't have sirens, but still!

I just wanted to leave a scripture with y'all...it's in Jacob 3:1-2.  Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and all He asks is for us to come unto Him!

Thanks for all of the prayers and support! I love all of you so so much! Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Pinster



Arriving at Houston Airport


Welcomed by Pres. and Sister Mortensen


Sister Packard, Sister Pinster, Sister Soto, and Elder Gay
THE FANTASTIC FOUR

First Stop = Houston Texas Temple

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Week #2 - MTC Today, Houston Tomorrow

May 19, 2015
Tuesday (Last PDay in the MTC)

Hey everyone!


This week has been such a great experience! I have learned so so much! The Spirit here in the MTC is so strong and everyone is so friendly! I don't have much time but I just wanted to share a couple experiences I had this last week. 

On Thursday while at Dinner, the MTC Mission President and his wife sat by my District and for some reason the rest of my District had to leave so it was just my companion, Sister Hart, and I with the President. No big deal...It was seriously so amazing to talk to them and get to know them a little better! He was telling us about a meeting he went to earlier where Elder Bednar and Elder Nelson were there teaching a lot of the Mission Presidents in the USA about how to use IPADS! And guess what...my Mission will be getting Ipads in the next couple of days/weeks! How exciting right!! I am so excited to share the Gospel with the people in Houston and to also use technology to share the Gospel around the world! It's really awesome to think how almost every person in this world has some form of social media, like Facebook, and the Lord is hasting His work but letting the Missionaries share the Gospel through the Internet! I just love the idea of being able to have an Ipad with many different sources and tools to use to teach investigators about the Gospel. Anyways, I had such a wonderful opportunity to sit and chat with the MTC Mission President and his wife. Not every missionary has that opportunity and I am very grateful for it!

My District and I are all very different missionaries and have different personalities, but we all get along so well! The Lord has a plan for everything, and this week I was really able to see it. We are like one big happy/spiritual/crazy family and I wouldn't trade it for anything. These past two weeks with them have been the best and I so grateful to have learned and grown with all of them! Half of us are staying together and going to Houston but the other half is on their way to Knoxville, TN right now! It was hard saying goodbye last night/this morning, but after our missions we are already planning a reunion...Haha

I love this Gospel so so much and I can't wait to invite others to come unto Christ in the Texas Houston Mission! I want everyone to know that I love each of you so much and again I am extremely grateful for the examples y'all have set for me! 

Remember to read the Book of Mormon (BOM) daily and pray to your Heavenly Father! He wants to hear from you and loves you so sooooo much! It's so comforting knowing that we have a purpose in this life and to know where we are going after!  Being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the best!! I hope everyone has a great week and I can't wait to hear from y'all!!

Love, 
Sister Taylor Pinster 

The MTC Schedule

Mother's Day Selfie -- in our matching dresses Mom!

Sister Pinster and Sister Soto
(Ready to go to Houston Texas together!)






Monday, May 18, 2015

Week #1 - First P-Day in the MTC

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Hey Everyone!


Just wanted to say Hi! I am alive and well in the Provo, Utah MTC!  It's crazy to think I have only been here for about a week because I feel like I have been here for a long time! And I am loving every minute of it!! 

My District is awesome and the Spirit is so strong.  I have the cutest companion as well.  We are different in many ways but we really work well together.  We like to joke around and say we compliment each other very well. 

So on the second day of the MTC, I met my first investigator. Yeah that's right--they know how to start training and teaching you right off the bat!  It's the best in so so many ways because I already feel 100 times more prepared for the people in Houston! 

I will try to attach some photos but sometimes the computers are slow and won't let me send very many.

I love this Gospel so so much and every day I am reminded why I am here; to teach and invite the Lord's people to come unto Christ! The first day/night was a little hard for me because I was missing my family so much already. But my roommate from BYUI, Brooke Wagner, (who happened to be my "host" and was the first person I saw at the MTC) was really able to open my eyes. As a member of this Church, I know I will be able to be with my family forever. She pointed it out to me that as a missionary, I will be bringing other people to the knowledge that they can be together forever too! 

I have grown to love reading the Book of Mormon or BOM every day and we read as a District. It creates such a strong bond between us.  (So a District is a group of missionaries that work together and study together every day.) We are with each other for almost 12 hours a day...no joke. No wonder we feel like family! Oh and my cute companion's name is Sister Hart! She's from St. George and she's going to Knoxville TN! In my District, there are 4 of us going to Houston (Sister Packard, Sister Soto, and Elder Gay). The other 6 are going to Knoxville (Elder Swindler, Elder Park [who I knew from BYUI--small world], Elder Schultz, Sister Hart, Sister Hovey, and Sister Parry).

Well anyways, I would just challenge all of you to get in the habit of reading the BOM every day if you can and I know it will bless your lives! Have a question in mind as you are reading and you will be able to get sooo much more out of it! Also always remember to pray to our Heavenly Father! He loves us so much and wants to hear from us! :) 

Thanks for all of the DearElder letters also! It's the best getting mail!! 

I love you all, and am so grateful for the impact y'all have made on me! 

Love, 
Sister Taylor Pinster



Sister Hart (from St. George UT to Knoxville TN) and
Sister Pinster (from Hillsboro OR to Houston TX)
MTC Companions


Sister Taylor Pinster and her MTC host, Sister Brooke Wagner
(previous BYUI roommates)




Friday, May 1, 2015

5 Days Until MTC

Hey everyone!
For some reason my first post got deleted and I wanted to write another before I head out! I am leaving for the Provo MTC in 5 days to serve as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!! I am called to serve in the Texas Houston Mission and will be there for 18 months! If you would like to contact me, please email me at taylor.pinster@myldsmail.net. I am setting up this blog for my Mom to use while I am serving. Hopefully I can explain it well enough for her to use... :)
Anyways, I just wanted to share my testimony real fast and why I have chosen to give 18 months of my life to the Lord. I know my Heavenly Father loves me and all of us. I know He said Jesus Christ to be our Savior that we may be able to return and live with Him. The only way to return to Him is through the Savior's Atonement. I want to share this Gospel with everyone who is searching for a purpose in their life and is ready to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so excited to share what I know with the people of Houston!

Here are some pictures from my last couple of weeks in Portland!

My brother Jarrett and I at Karin and Cory's wedding

My family

The beautiful bride!

First time going through the Temple

Family Temple Day!

Had to go to VooDoo Doughnuts before I leave...

My cute roommate Charity from BYUI after her brother's school play in Sherwood.

We went to Multnomah Falls!

and maaany of my brother's rainy baseball games!


I would love to hear from all of you while on my mission so please feel free to write and email me!

Love y'all soooo much and thanks for being such great examples!

Sincerely,
Sister Taylor Pinster