Week #17 - Mary's Baptism and Miracles!

Hi! 

This week was Mary's Baptism!  WOW!  Seriously no words can describe the happiness I feel because I know Mary is only going up from here!  We are taking her to the Temple in a couple weeks and she is soooo excited!  And we are so excited! 

This week has been crazy busy and we have taught so many people!  The work is hastening out here in Caldwell and Hearne.  Our struggle has been trying to figure out how to spend our time equally, but we are making it work--weekly planning is my best friend! :)

I have lots of pictures this week and it has just been a wonderful week.  Time is flying by, and I can't believe I have been out here for almost 4 months already.  I feel like I just got here!  Haha but with this whole reopening an area and training this transfer, I have been so busy!  And not to mention, we had 7 investigators at church yesterday!  Let me tell ya, our struggle is finding time to see all of these wonderful people and we are so lucky to have the Branch members helping us!

This morning, I got a phone call. From President Mortensen. Yup. The Mission President . . . no big deal.  And he called me to basically let me know he is very proud of the work we are doing in our areas.  He said it's not easy but he has full faith and trust in me.  I was literally in awe because he is going to be the next Apostle and some of the things he told me on the phone were answers to my prayers.  I am still in awe.  What a powerful testimony to me that God answers prayers. 

I know my Heavenly Father lives and does answers prayers every single day of my life.  I know this church is true and it is only by living His gospel we can return to Him.  I am here, in Houston Texas, for a reason and a purpose, and I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be!  I love the Book of Mormon and find peace reading it, and I hope everyone does too as well!  If you haven't read 1 Nephi 8 lately, read it. :) 

I love you all, and thank you so much for everything that you do! 

Love, 

Sister Pinster

I LOVE TEXAS!
We started teaching these kids and their families.  Aren't they cute!

TWINNERS!

MARY'S BAPTISM DAY

TRUE HAPPINESS

DAUGHTERS IN HIS KINGDOM

WE JUST LOVE THIS LADY!
WATERMELON AND COKE ZERO - SHE KNOWS OUR FAVORITES!

A BOX OF LOVE FROM HOME!  XOXOXO

COMPUTER TIME AT THE LIBRARY ON PDAY
. . . THANKS FOR THE EMAILS!

Week #16 - God is Good

Hey Y'all!

How is everyone?  God is just so good and I can't even begin to explain all of the wonderful miracles and blessings I have received this week.  Wow!  

The work here in Caldwell and Hearne is exploding and it's so amazing to be a part of it!  We have a baptism this week with Mary!  The Elders found her before we came in to reopen the area, and we have been teaching her since our first night here.  She is so excited to get baptized, and I have never met someone so amazing.  She has been looking for the truth for a while and finally found it!  She's the sweetest lady ever and humble as well.  She has had a pretty rough life, but looks at it as though God has been preparing her every step of the way!   Recently we have been teaching her more about the Temple and missionary work and when we told her she could go into the temple after she was baptized, she started crying tears of joy . . . then we all started crying (because we are sisters) and the spirit was so strong.  She can't wait to go to Temple and we are going to do everything we can to get her there!  

So one more thing about Mary--at one point in her life, she was jobless, and she knew God had a plan, so when she was at home, instead of watching TV or whatever, she would memorize the Bible.  Let me tell you, she quotes scriptures like it's her own thoughts.  It's amazing.  And when we gave her a Book of Mormon, she started memorizing that too! Seriously she is so amazing!  So that's Mary, and you will hear more about her next week! :) 

We have been out tracting a lot this week because we are reopening the area and guess what?  We now have over 10 new investigators!  Miracles!  We have found so many people who have been waiting for this gospel and it's such a humbling experience to be able to work with them.  

We live in the boonies, no joke!  The two branches we work in take about 45 minutes to an hour to get from one place to the next; it's huge.  Lots of country!  I have some great pictures of the beautiful country.  

But yeah, so this week has been amazing.  Sister Selee and I have truly had a wonderful time so far and can't wait to work with the people here.  We finally got an apartment and it's starting to feel like a home!  The best part is the beds . . . I forgot how much I love sleeping in a bed. Haha :)

But seriously, God is so good and I love being in Texas, and especially working in these two branches.  Our goal is get them a building and make them wards!  

I know the Church is true and it's such a blessing in my life.  I love being able to share it with others every single day. 

Here are some great pictures of my life this week!  Enjoy!  Oh, and Sister Coronado is back in College Station--sad, but we know she is needed there!  It's funny because I only live about 30 minutes from Texas A&M and it's super fun being so close to the campus.  Everyone out here are super big fans!

Well, I hope everyone has a great week, and I love you All! :)

Love,

Sister Pinster

AUGUST 2015 ZONE CONFERENCE
TEXAS HOUSTON MISSION

I LOVE IT HERE!

TYPICAL (SISTER MISSIONARY) PHOTO

EVERYONE NEEDS A LITTLE MORE JESUS IN THEIR LIVES, RIGHT?

MARY WAS SOOOOOO HAPPY TO SEE US! 

I LOVE MARY!

Week #15 - Welcome to the Bonnies!

Monday, August 17, 2015

Hey Everyone!

Wow, so much has happened this past week!  I am training a new sister, Sister Selee, and she is seriously the sweetest person I have ever met! She is from Vancouver, WA!  Crazy!  We are both from the west coast and love Portland!

We are actually reopening an area together, and  we will be working with two branches, the Caldwell Branch and the Hearne Branch!  And it gets better!  We are literally in the boonies!  I finally feel like I am in Texas!!!

I am lovin' Texas and all the animals!   #horsewhisperer

The population for the town of Caldwell is about 5,000 and Hearne is about 1,000!  Soooo small!  The members are so strong and church attendance for both branches is anywhere from 10-50 on a good day.  The work here is going to be great!  The members are totally the best missionaries and when we got here, they already had investigators for us to teach!  Say what!  The work is hastening my friends, and I can't wait to be a part of it here in Caldwell and Hearne!

But it's funny because for the past couple of days, we have been homeless because the apartment wasn't ready for us and lots of other drama.  But we are living in Bryan with the wonderful Bryan Sisters!  It's about 30 minutes from our area, so we are in the car a lot, but we should be able to move in this week!  Yay! 

Also, we have Sister Coronado with us.  She is a "rotating" missionary and is currently with
us to help with reopening the area, and she has been such a lifesaver!!  There are three of us training who came out together and have just finished our own training who need a little bit more help and President has assigned Sister Coronado to rotate between the three of us companionships!

Sister Selee, Sister Coronado and Sister Pinster

This week has just been so chaotic and crazy because transfers were on Tuesday and I've been "homeless" since then!  Haha but I am so blessed to have this opportunity to serve here in Caldwell and I am just excited to get the work going!  Sister Selee is a hard worker as well and the next couple of transfers are going to be so great!

We were able to give talks on Sunday and I spoke on the importance of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy as well as the Sacrament.  Being out on a mission has truly opened my eyes to how important partaking of the sacrament is every since week!  I would encourage all of you to truly ponder the sacrament prayers and what it is that we promise to do every week.  It's such a blessing in my life to have this time in my life to serve the Lord and to gather His sheep!

Thank you all sooooo much for the wonderful bday wishes!  I have the best friends and family members.

My new address is:

Sister Taylor Pinster
1806 W Highway 21
Apt. 108
Caldwell, TX  77836

I love you all and if you haven't had the chance yet, watch the video, "Because of Him."  It's the best!  And read the BOM every single day! My favorite talk right now is all about the importance of the BOM, "Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon" by Ezra Taft Benson from October 1998. Read it and start flooding the earth!

Have a great week y'all!

Here are some pictures!

We meet in a cute little storefront for church.

Petersen, Evans and Pinster

Week #14 - Lovin' Missionary Life

Monday, August 10, 2015

Well, I don't have much time today to write, but I do have some exciting news!  Sooo . . . I am getting transferred!  But it gets better.  I am also going to be training!  Which means . . . I AM GOING TO BE WHITE-WASH TRAINING! The Lord must have a lot of faith in me or something. Haha But I am so soooo excited! 

I am excited to be in a new area, even though I love this one soooo much!  I am going to miss my sisters, Sister Evans and Sister Peterson, but I know the Lord has a work for me to do in another area! I had the chance to go on exchanges this week with two trainees, Sister Evans and Sister Korth, and I was able to do training with them and I loveeeeed it! And now I get to train! Funny how things happen. But just like my title states, Missionary Life is the beeest and I love it! We have had a great week with lots of miracles and blessings! I don't even know where to start but I do have a testimony of this gospel and that it does change lives! I just loveeee being a missionary and I have lots of pictures from this week so get ready! :)

Love you all so much and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for this next week! :)

And I will officially be 20 on Saturday . . . no longer a "teenager" haha :)

Have a fantastic week everyone! 

Love, 

Sister Pinster

Sister Evans, Sister Peterson, Sister Pinster and the Boyds
(At Bro. Boyd's Gallery near the temple)

Awesome Photos & Awesome Missionaries!

Sister Pinster's Mom-Away-From-Home
(Sister Boyd)

Week #13 - The Church is TRUE!

Monday, August 3, 2015

Hey Y'all!!

So this week was great!  We had so many fun and weird times but hey it keeps life interesting, right? :) 

First off, I have the best District.  For real.  I love them.  We have been able to achieve all of our goals for this week and it feels so great!  We taught Kathy the Plan of Salvation-super interesting lifestyle and needs the Gospel in her life in order to be truly happy.  And we taught Lisa, oh Lisa.  She was a new investigator but then dropped us.  Basically she told us, "Please don't take this the wrong way, but beware of the Harlot" and we taught her the restoration on Tuesday and she dropped us on Friday.  She follows a false prophet from the internet . . . very interesting.  She agreed with basically everything we taught her but believes her prophet is the right one.  I love her, but one day she will realize.  I have hope for her.

On the plus side, we got 3 other new investigators this week!  Kaitlyn and Dakota!  Both sooo prepared and love the gospel already!  Dakota had read the BOM before we even started teaching her . . . what?  She's 17 and is going to be a senior!  Super excited to teach her more!  The youth is where it's at!

Also, on Wednesday it was the hottest day ever!  I burnt my finger twice on door bells when tracting!  It was so funny and the sisters and I laughed sooo hard.  It's officially summer here and you can feel it!  Oh, and there was a murder a couple streets over from us in another apartment complex--no big deal.  We were talking to a LA lady in our ward and she said she witnessed the whole thing.  Scary!  But yeah, that's Houston for ya. 

We are teaching Annabell, another new investigator and last week we taught her the Restoration and she loved it!  She told us she has praying to God to show her the way and then we showed up on her door step that night!  She knows we are the answer to her prayers!  Also, in the lesson, we felt prompted to talk about Temples and how families can be together forever, not something you normally bring up in the first lesson, but she started to tear up and wanted to know everything she can do to have that!  Wow!  The spirit was so strong and the church is true!  Everyone needs this gospel in their lives and I want to help everyone I meet come to know of this knowledge!

And on Sunday, Amanda our most progressing and solid investigator, came to church!  She told us she loved being here and wants to come back every week!  Ahh!  Her son wasn't able to come this week but we are going to get him to come next Sunday.  Today we are having FHE with her and another family in the ward and we are super excited!

One cool thing our mission president challenged us to do was to invite someone to be baptized every single day, and the companionship to go the longest will get to go have dinner with his family at one of the most famous steak places in Houston!  So it's been 33 days that we have invited someone to be baptized!  There is only like 5 companionships still in the game buuuut we are totally going to win!!!!

Well, this week was so great and so many miracles and blessings have happened and continue to happen!  I need to get better at taking pictures because I only have one for this week . . . and it's with our new gold car, Felisha. Haha 

The Church is True and the Book is BLUE!  I love the gospel and I loveeeee being a missionary!

I hope everyone is having a great week! :) 

Love y'all and share the gospel!

Love,
Sister Pinster

. . .  and this is our gold car, Felisha.

HAVING TROUBLE GETTING TAYLOR'S iPAD PICTURES ON THE BLOG ...  

Love,

Sister Pinster