Turning 20!, He hears and answers our prayers, feeling the spirit, service, technology...grr...

So this is dumb....I just wrote this great email to send to all of you...pushed send...and then the stupid computer froze...now my email is out there floating around somewhere...ughhhhh! sometimes i hate technology... and now i've only got 15 minutes to write everything that i just wrote in the past hour and a half! dang... :( haha oh well...let's see how much i can get in.... i'm grateful for my piano fingers! fast fast fast!!!! :O

Well this is awkward...I've spent my whole 19th year of life in Maine. and now it's my last week of being a teenager!!! I'm gonna be 20 this week. What the heck?! haha not sure how i feel about that... :O haha so this week has been really good! We had good lessons with Linda and Arnez on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday! They are doing great and being good missionaries and sharing the gospel with everyone in the trailer park! :) Wednesday after district meeting we went to the library and saw the Book of Mormon! Elder Stallings and I have been but Sister Welch and elder daniels hadn't so we thought it'd be nice to let them have that awesome experience too :) So that was fun and then we went and saw Sister Russell and she shared a cute poem with us about prayer :) (in my last email i typed it up...but you'll just have to look at the picture i sent of it..) I am so grateful for prayer! I know that Heavenly Father always hears our prayers and he will answer them in His own time and His own way. He is mindful of us and wants what's best. Sometimes things don't go the way we think they should (like when you send a perfect email and then it freezes) but it will always work out in the end. So sometimes when you're on a mission you have those days where you just wish you could talk to your mom and dad and get some good advice from them...but you're thousands of miles away and can't talk to them til monday... so the other day i was having one of those days and just wishing that i could get some advice from them!! i wanted so bad to just pick up the phone and text/call.. and then i was like wait and minute! i can pray!! Heavenly Father is always there!!! So I prayed to Heavenly Father, told him what was up.. and then guess what happened... the mail man pulls up... no joke. and we go get the mail and there's a letter for me..from my dad!! :D Ahhh!!! how cool is that! so that was pretty great :) prayer works :) We had an awesome Book of Mormon class - sister doyle a less active came and let me just tell you it was the most jam packed spirit filled night ever. it was amazing!!! We read 2 nephi 2 and it was perfect! we talked about agency and how we get to choose to be happy!! :) We all got to bear powerful testimony about the Atonement and it was just so guided by the spirit it was really cool :) Then the next night was the relief society birthday dinner and she came and you'll never believe what the talks were about that night... happiness!!! how awesome is that?! it was perfect. Heavenly Father is so cool :) So she also came to church!! ahhh! yay!!!! and then we did some fun service this week and went to the lighthouse!!! it was so great!! :) ahhh!!! i wish i could tell you more but that's all i'm gonna be able to get in for this email... :( i'll try and rewrite it but there probablby won't be time for that either... oh well!! i love you all so much!!!! have a great week :)

Love,

Sister Tait

service at Melaine's!!! we helped organize her shed :D

Happy Patriot's Day, popcorn popping...what? snow!?!?, teaching, service & Happy Easter!!

Apparently it's a holiday today! Happy Patriot's Day! We just found out cuz we went to the library and no one was there... it was closed!! so luckily we got to come here to Spectrum Generations in Damariscotta and they are open for us to email!!! phew!!! that was a close one! haha... :) Well we have had some pretty great adventures this week :) Took like a gazillion pictures! so that was fun :) enjoy!! haha! well last monday was pretty much the usual...laundry at the royers, letter writing, emails, back to the royers to play games, finish letters, and hang out til the elders get there for coordination! Then we had coordination and dinner and a little fhe with them! It was super great!

Tuesday we went to see Linda and Arnez but it was just Linda cuz Arnez had to take her daughter Olivia to the doctor. But Sister Duffy came with us and we had a good lesson with Linda! We watched the Because of Him video and she loved it of course! and then we set up her tablet so she had all the good lds apps and she was so excited about that! especially because with her arthritis it's hard for her to carry all the books to church but now she has them all on her tablet and just has to carry that! :D pretty great :) We tried to see a few other investigators the Osiers...but they weren't home :/ so we went to Damariscotta and did mormon.org and then tried to see a less active and then came home for dinner and then a lesson with the Smiths! We taught them about the restoration using the game jenga so that was wicked fun! they loved it!

Wednesday we had zone conference!! oh and get this...we woke up, looked out the window and what did we see??? umm no! not popcorn popping... but snow!!! snow!??! really?!?!?! you've got to be kidding me... haha ummm no! not kidding! it wasn't a lot but still! everything was white! haha... so the elders came and picked us up and we went to Augusta for zone conference! That was exciting :) It was all about Preach My Gospel so there was lots of good stuff that we talked about :) then afterwards we went to walmart and bought some things there...including hula hoops cuz at the sisters conference they were showing us how they were such a great way to exercise! haha so we couldn't resist :) they're pretty fun :) we went to wendy's for dinner (since we don't have one of those in our area either!!) haha and then we came home and hula hooped and talked to sister brooks for the rest of the night! :)

Thursday we had to go to Damariscotta and get our oil changed! So while we were waiting for that to get done we decided to walk down main street :) We went in a few of the stores and I ended up buying myself an early birthday present... haha and then we had lunch and got our car back! Then we went and did some service for sister locke - hanging up clothes at her store :) and then we went and read the Book of Mormon with Sister Russell! and then we went and saw Sister Gove! well..you see..we knew it was her birthday on saturday...and we know that peanut butter pie is her favorite!!! so the only problem was that we didn't think you're allowed to bring food to the people at the nursing home/rehab place that she's in.... but we prayed about it and decided she had to have that pie! ;) haha so we smuggled it in ;) haha well no worries we checked with the nurse to make sure she could have it :) and it was okay :) Sister Gove was sooooo happy!! :) Then we went to the church, had dinner and we were going to possibly have Book of Mormon class... but no one came.. so the elders got there.. and then sister brooks showed up cuz it was her week to clean the church! So instead we all just helped her clean!! :)

Friday we did some weekly planning for most of the morning and then we went and saw the Seversons! We had dinner with them and showed them the cool object lesson about the Book of Mormon and Bible being one and how they go hand in hand! We invited them to church and they said no :/ but hopefully they'll read the Book of Mormon this week! Then we went to the Smiths and we taught them about the plan of salvation with little cutouts that sister welch has! So they liked that :) This week one of the twins...I think it was Kathy...haha I can't tell them apart... maybe it was Karen.. but one of them gave me a little window decoration thing! haha everytime we go over there they give me a little present! i've gotten a bracelet and a watermelon plant already! haha too funny :) So after that we came home and hula hooped and made treats for the baptism the elders were having the next day :)

So Saturday! We had a lesson with Linda and Arnez! It was mostly a repeat of Tuesday but Arnez was there and not sister Duffy! :) So we got the gospel library app all set up on Arnez's tablet and she was so excited about that :) and then we talked about the word of wisdom. Then we went and did service for Melanie and helped her with her yard work! then we went and changed back to missionary clothes and got all our brownies, cupcakes and rice krispy treats! and then we went to the Zauggs and shared an easter message with them! then we went to the church for a baptism!! The elders investigator Terry got baptized!! He is 10 years old and is just the cutest!! It was so awesome! :) Then after all that we came home, opened up our packages and for our dinner hour we decorated easter eggs :D and then we called sister gove to sing her happy birthday and she had the best news ever!! she said that the dyers were bringing her to sacrament meeting and that the place was going to let her leave for an hour to come to church!!! :D ahhhhh!!!

So sunday church was awesome! It was pretty packed! lots of friends and family there!! we gotta get it like that every week!! :D Sister Gove was there and that was so happy :) and then Arnez's granddaughter Jillian got to come with them!!! She's ten years old and is over there a lot cuz Arnez babysits them while Olivia works! But Olivia's heart is definitely softening because at first she wouldn't talk to us and now she'll talk to us a little when we see her at the house or at hannaford :) and she did not want Jillian to go to church but she let her come yesterday!! ahhh!!! it was so cool :) We were in primary of course so we got to be in there with Jillian and she loved it!!! :) I hope she gets to come again!! :) So after church we went to Sister Royer's sister's cabin that is out on an island!!! AHHHH!! :D So we got to meet a lot of her family who are not members yet... and took tons of super amazing pictures of the ocean!!!!!! oh my goodness it was amazing :) so we had lunch with them! and then we went to the elders apartment and they drove us all to the Barkers house and we had dinner with them! :) It was a pretty great easter!! :D So yeah! I'm just serving in the most amazing place ever!!! ahhh!!! loving it!!!!!!!!! and i love all of you!!! have a great week!!! :D

Happy Easter, lots of pics this week...

The special miracle of spring, sad to say goodbye, transfer adventures, new companion, working hard and great things to come...

Well hello there everybody!! It's the start of a new transfer! and spring is really finally here I think!! Ooooo I have a quote for you :) haha so back when I was in Topsham teaching Brother Eldredge I would always have a quote to share to go along with our lesson or in Book of Mormon class! cuz i love quotes! haha :) so one day Brother Eldredge came over to me and said "I have a quote for YOU! I know how much you love quotes, you're gonna love this..." :) so here it is! "New Englanders do not transplant well...Nothing can compare in any land in any climate with the way we feel when the snow melts, the brooks run free and the peepers make their chilly sweet song in the swamp. Without winter, we should not have the special miracle of spring." It's so true!!! We have to make it through that cold cold winter...but it sure does make you appreciate spring once it gets here!!! Just like life! we have those hard times and it's hard to see the ending and hard to think that the summer warmth will ever come! Sometimes we get lost in it and lose hope...but we can't doubt or give up! The sun will come out tomorrow! Even if it's not warm...haha...but it'll get there!! We just have to have faith and trust in our Heavenly Father's plan! He knows what He's doing and it always works out! Just trust Him!!! We can have that hope even in the winters of our lives and hope and trust that the good will come, that things will work out, life will go on and spring will come!!! :) and it's after those cold winters that we really truly appreciate the miracles of spring! ahhh! i just love it!!! And finally the weather is warming up :) So! I have lots to tell you!!! It's been a pretty eventful week!!! Last Monday we were running around like crazy trying to finish everything up before Sister Huefner left! We sent off packages, got ice cream!!! and then went to the Royers and sister Royer took lots of fun pics of us on the tractors :) and then the elders came over and we played phase 10 and just had a party all night :) Then we went home and finished off the last of the packing and cleaning and then eventually went to bed...woke up at 4:30 got ready and went over to the Royers and they drove us to Augusta!! It was pouring rain!!!! We waited and waited...just talked to all the other elders there...and waited for the Brewer van to get there.... and then it did and guess who got out?! Sister Sowards!!!!!!!!!! :D oh i love her :) and then my new companion!! Sister Welch!!! I love her too :) she's pretty great! She's from Wyoming and has been out for 13 months! We're gonna have a pretty great transfer together! So once they got there we put her luggage in the Royers van and then I sent off Sister Sowards and Sister Huefner to transfer meeting! Oh my goodness I love them both so much!! It was so sad saying goodbye to Sister Huefner!!! It's just not the same without her!!!! But Sister Welch and I are going to have a great transfer! Things are going really well here in Damariscotta!!! :) Oh so let me tell you how our transfer started out... you know it's gonna be a crazy one when it starts out like this... the first of our many adventures to come... haha... So! We got in the van to head back to Waldoboro and we're driving along and we're going through and intersection and the trunk opens and her luggage flies out of the back!!!!!! bahahahaha! so brother royer pulls over and we all hop out and run out to the middle of the road stopping traffic and bring the luggage back over to the van! hahahaha! oh manny! i just wish I had my camera going during that whole thing! It was too funny! haha! Everything was okay though, nobody got hurt and we got it all in and the trunk secured! haha! So that's how it all started and probably how the rest of the transfer will go! haha! We got back to our apartment at like 8:30 and brought all of her luggage in and then we studied! Then we went and had a lesson with Linda and Arnez!!! It was really good! I was a little worried...but I was pleasantly surprised with how well it went! :) We finished reading the Restoration pamphlet with them and had a good discussion! Then we went to Damariscotta and went to the store and got some groceries! Then we went and did mormon.org! There were some new I'm a Mormon videos which I love!!! Here's one of them that I watched... mormon.org/elaine sooo good! watch them all :) they're the best!!! oh and while you're on there... you should all go watch this one... mormon.org/becauseofhim go watch it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and share it with everyone!!! :) So after that we got subway and went and ate at the church! then we went and visited Sister Locke at her store! then we tried to see the Creamers but he wasn't home and she was busy making dinner for her neighbor! So we went home and had dinner! then we to the Smiths and played "don't eat pete!" with them! It was super fun and it was so cute the girls kept asking questions and then finally said "wait i have another question...when are you going to come back??" :D so they invited us to come back next tuesday! we're going to play jenga and relate it to the restoration so that should be good cuz they love games :) Then we were close by so we stopped and visited Sister Duffy :) and that was day one!! phew! crazy crazy first day of the transfer! 

Wednesday we went to district meeting in Augusta! We had a great district meeting with our new district! It was such a good lesson about the Atonement and we all got to share our testimonies and it was so awesome! I am so grateful for the Atonement! I loved that in our meeting we really focused on the enabling power of the Atonement! Christ suffered for sins, but also our pains, sicknesses, temptations...everything we go through! He knows what it's like and He is always there for us! I loved this that one of the elders said "The Atonement doesn't just prove us, it improves us." Through the Atonement of Christ we can be strengthened and be lifted to our full potential.The Atonement doesn't make up the difference, it is the difference. So that was an awesome lesson and just what I needed that day :) Oh so funny story...so sister davis (our stl) trained sister welch who trained sister miller who is now companions with sister simon and sister davis also trained her! crazy! So they're all "related" haha :) and then there's me... bahahaha! it's whatever ;) We have a way fun district! It's gonna be lots of fun! :) After that we went and saw sister russell and read the Book of Mormon! then we went and visited Sister Gove and sang some hymns :) Then we came home for dinner after trying to see a few less actives!

Thursday was a super great day! We should've just had a sleepover in Augusta cuz it was our third day in a row there! haha! but this time it was for the Sisters Conference!!!!! half the sisters in the mission all there together and we got to listen to some great speakers and talk with each other!!! the spirit was so strong!!! I loved it!!! I got to see sister sowards again and also sister burton and sister keigly!!! and I got to talk to the sisters that are in Topsham now! Sister Escobar (love her!!!) and sister shipley and sister Vanderhoff (love them both too) but I was talking to Sister Escobar and she told me that every time they would go to the soup kitchen they would ask about me and someone would always say "where's sister tait?" or "how's she doing?" haha :) so that was pretty cool to hear :) I was there for a long time...not sure how they're surviving without me ;) haha but it was really cool to hear that just being there each week just for that short amount of time did make a difference. :) So the sisters meeting was so much fun!!!!!!!!! :) The theme was "For such a time as this" from Esther 4:14 it was so good! We talked a lot about Esther and the great courage that she had! There were so many great things and I want to tell you all about it!!! but i've got to get through the rest of the week!!!! but yeah...it was amazing! then we came back to waldoboro and went and saw the Goldrups and had dinner with them!

Friday we went to the elders apartment and then they drove us to Boothbay where the Quinlans live (our branch president) and we did service for them! We helped them put in their dock! that was an adventure!!! haha! how awesome is that...it goes out to the ocean!!! oh my goodness! it was awesome!! then they fed us lunch and we had a little coordination meeting and then we raked leaves and then they drove us around a little loop where we could see more of the ocean!!!!!!!!!! It was so pretty!!!! ahhhh!!! I love the ocean!! :) we will definitely be doing more service at the Quinlans :) haha :) then we came back and we tried to see Merritt and sister brooks came with us but he wasn't home :( lame. but we went and saw the Seversons and they were happy to finally see us and to know that we haven't forgotten about them!!! haha it's just been forever! 

Saturday we had a good lesson with linda and arnez! watched some mormon messages which they loved!!! and then we had lunch across the street at a little picnic park we found :) and then we went and moved furniture for melanie! then we went to the Royers and painted their deck and ended up staying for dinner and talking with them and helping with the animals for the rest of the night :)

sunday was fast and testimony meeting and Arnez got up and bore her testimony!!!!!!!! It was awesome!!!!!!!!! all three of them were there!! linda, arnez and tom!!!! It was so good! it's been a while since they've all been! so that was super awesome!!! We got to help in primary again :) always fun :) and then we went and saw sister gove! we sang hymns and painted her fingernails :) then we came home and did our weekly planning since that kinda got skipped over on friday..ooops.. haha and that was about it!! now it's monday!!! and my email time is just about up!!!! so!!! it's gonna be another great transfer!!! the sun is here and I think it's going to stay :D and if not.. I make my own sunshine :D haha :) well! I love you all!! hope you have a wonderful week!! LOVE YOU!!! oh and go watch mormon.org/becauseofhim you'll love it :)

Love,

Lots of pics this week...last day with Sister H., introducing Sister Welch, service, spring and sisters conference

look how big my babies are!!!!!
and we painted the deck :)
and unwrapped food for the pigs...so here's us eating pig scraps :) haha and sister royer joined us :)

ahhh!!! look at this!!! no coats!!!

it really is spring!!!

the ocean!!!!!!!!!!! that's open ocean right there!!! just gotta go 3000 miles and i'll hit portugal! :D

Transfers tomorrow, staying in Waldoboro, some great lessons and new investigators this week...

And just like that! it's over... was that fast or what?!?! I told you it was gonna go by wicked fast!!! and it sure has!!!!!!!! So before I tell you all about the amazing week we had i'll just cut to the chase and tell you... Sister Huefner is getting transferred... crazy right?! we pretty much saw it coming and knew that was gonna happen... but still crazy that it's really happening! Just six more weeks in a new area! Heavenly Father knows what He's doing though that's for sure!! We have had a super awesome end of the transfer though!!! SIX new investigators!!! that's right...we go out with a bang :)

So last Monday after emails we went to Big Al's and did some shopping there :) then we had a little time to write letters at the church while we waited for the elders and the Royers to get there and then we had coordination meeting with them! And that was pretty much it! Tuesday we went and had a lesson with Linda and Arnez... and then we went to Damariscotta and did mormon.org down there! watched some awesome videos and read some good things to prepare for conference :D and then we went to the hospital and had lunch with Melanie there while her boyfriend was having surgery... so we visited with her for a bit and then we went and stopped by Sister Locke's store and then we went over to the Goldrups later that night!

Wednesday we went to district meeting... last one with everyone in our district cuz with transfer calls...Everyone is getting a change!!! crazy!!! we're gonna have a completely new district! Elder Farnworth, Sister Lassen, Elder Swalberg and Sister Huefner are all getting transferred and the Gardiner elders are both staying but they are gonna be a trio again so they're getting a new companion!! lots of changes this time!! But it was a good district meeting! We all got to share insights from one of our past favorite conference talks! oh and i was in charge of the lesson activity that day... Sister Huefner and I came up with a conference quiz!! We took stuff from october 2013 conference and came up with questions and we thought it was pretty easy...haha but turns out that's not what everyone else thought! It was a lot of fun to see how they all answered and what people remembered! I think it was a good reminder for all of us to re-read conference talks when it comes out in the ensign and to know what the prophet has said! I read part of a talk from President Uchtdorf General Conference-No Ordinary Blessing and shared the story that he told and then bore my testimony of general conference. It was cool to hear the other missionaries say that it made them want to pay more attention this time at general conference! :) so that turned out pretty good :) After district meeting we went to Sister Russel's and read the Book of Mormon with her and ate brownies :) then we went and saw a former...Nellie...and remembered why she was a former... ;) and then we went to the church and ate dinner and then no one showed up for Book of Mormon class so we just went to young womens!

Thursday we went to the food pantry and did service there for a few hours!!! it was fun as always :) and then we went to take Merritt his family history packet that Brother Schuck did! And when we got there he said "well you didn't want to just drop this off...you wanted to talk about it right?" .......of course we want to talk about it!!!!!!!!! haha so we went and he got out his camp chairs and we sat on his porch and talked about family history and then all about the gospel! It was really awesome!! It seriously felt like we were living the book of Alma while we were talking to him. He doesn't like the word god but believes that there is some great spirit or something bigger than him but doesn't believe there is a god. So it was pretty cool at different parts of the lesson it was just like the stories of Nehor, Korihor, Zeezrom... he told us again that we weren't going to be able to convert him.. but then he asked for a Book of Mormon so we gave him one and then he said that he would love it if we came back and talked to him more...just know that he wasn't going to be converted... haha he's gonna be a perfect mormon! He just doesn't know it yet! :) so we have a return appointment for friday to go answer more of his questions and see what he thinks about the Book of Mormon!! :) Then later that night we went to the royers and took some nice pictures by the bonfire... :)

Friday we did weekly planning and then Sister Manning came over and was helping Sister Brooks rearrange furniture and stuff so we helped out! That was so much fun!!! Now the house is super duper cute :) It's just so zen now :) haha Then sister brooks ordered pizza and then after some final touches on the house decorating we went over to the Smiths and took them their family history packets and that went really well!! We shared the scripture in Malachi 4:5-6 and then talked about family history and set up a return appointment for this tuesday!!! So it's a mom, dad, and three girls!! They are formers and have come to church before!!! so we are hoping to start teaching them the lessons and everything! :) oh and then we were freaking out because transfer calls were a night early because of conference... and we were waiting and waiting... and then it happened!!!! so yeah..i already told you what's happening... 

Saturday we had a speed lesson with linda and Arnez...we didn't tell them the news cuz we wanted them to watch conference... haha so we told them to watch it then we zoomed to the church to watch it! we set up our table and it was the perfect note taking set up :) and general conference was just SO good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I kept wondering how they would top it after each session it just got better and better!!!!!! Such good talks!! I loved them all :) in between sessions we went and saw the Lockesmiths and had lunch with them! Then we went back and watched more conference! then we went and saw Linda and Arnez...told them the news...had some tears... Arnez was pretty upset and said she just wasn't going to have "home study" anymore... she was still planning on coming to church but didn't want the missionaries anymore.. haha but linda is so good and knows that change has to happen even though it's hard... so that was a little rough... we saw the Kanewskes also and then the Royers!

Then sunday we did some more goodbyes! We saw the Dyers and the Hovances before conference and then in between sessions we ate lunch with the members that came to the church to watch and then we ran over to Cove's Edge to visit Sister Gove! She's in rehab from her surgery but we were so glad that she is back in Damariscotta now and not a different hospital so we could visit her!!! Then we went back to watch the rest of conference which was super good! and then after we went and said more goodbyes! We went to linda and Arnez's and it was SO good! ahhh! i'm so grateful!! Arnez said that she loved me :) haha so i'm not just chop liver :) she actually said she was happy that at least I was gonna still be here! That was so good to hear from her! and when she said the prayer before we left she prayed that her heart would be softened! It was so awesome! :) So things are going to be okay! We're still gonna have home study!! :D haha :) We'll hope for the best :) so we saw the Goldrups and the best line of the night came from little Sarah... she was so sad that sister huefner is leaving and said "but you two are just the most perfect missionary couple!" :) haha! it was so cute! then we went to Melanie's and then came home, planned and began the packing... fun fun fun!!!

so she finished up mostly everything this morning and then we came to email...now we're gonna go print some pictures and send packages off and then get some ice cream!!! it's finally that time of year!!!!!!!! No puffy coats!!! the sun is shining!!! and the ice cream shops are open!!!!!!!!!! AHHH!!! :D I'm so happy :) then we're headed to the Royers later tonight and then we'll try to get a little sleep in...we have to be to Augusta at 6:45 tomorrow and I'll get my new companion out of the brewer van and sister huefner will get in the brewer van and head to manchester for transfer meeting... wowza!!!!! I can't believe it!!!!!! We've had two wicked awesome transfers together!!! and there's lots more miracles and great things to come!!!!!! Hope you all have a wonderful week!!! Love you lots!!!! :)

Sister Tait

Here are a few pics of the bonfire, our general conference setup, cinnamon rolls and last week's exchange with Sister Buxton. Oh - and one of my skirts that shrunk - haha.