Pickett, Taylor PT

I have felt so much gratitude this week. At the most random times, tears will start to fall due to the IMMENSE and INDESCRIBABLE LOVE I have for my mission. It's as if my heart BURSTS with legit joy.  I know every week, I say something like, "WOW! So many miracles this week!!!" And once again, I start my email by saying the same. A WEEK OF SO MANY MIRACLES!!!  Last week, I wasn't in my area a lot to be able to find new people and help those we are teaching to progress. When my companion and I were finally back together in our area, we looked at our WhatsApp and almost everyone that was progressing DROPPED US!!! WHAT?!? Honestly, this type of "trial of faith" has happened so many times on my mission, but FINALLY, this time, I decided to handle it with more spiritual maturity. I said a personal prayer thanking God for all the blessings I have and letting Him know I am going to continue with hope and joy no matter the circumstance.  On Monday, when we started t...

I LOVE DOING THE LORD'S WORK, ahhhhhh! This week was filled with so many crazy, random adventures; however, I felt like I truly was an instrument in the Lord's hands, and I couldn't be more focused and happy. The mission is still filled with a lot of hard stuff, but honestly, my mission is going by SO fast; there isn't time to think about the negative. Since December, the power of the covenants (promises) we make with God (when we are baptized or in the temple) has stood out to me in my studies. Mosiah 24:12-16 (in the Book of Mormon) is one of the most powerful accounts emphasizing that the Lord "knows the covenants with [His] people" and will "strengthen [covenant keepers] that they [can] bear up their burdens with ease". This week, I have studied the powerful story in the Book of Mormon in Alma 56, when Helaman recounts part of the victory of the 2,000 Stripling Warriors in defeating the Lamanites and apostate Nephites in battle due to their dilig...

Buenos días, TODOS!!! Where do I even begin? To describe this past week, I would use the words: MIRACLES, HAPPINESS, sooo SPIRITUAL, a lot of LOVE, and starving because we only have canned tuna in our house. My new companion is an angel. Like truly, she is just SO PURE, KIND, and FILLED WITH SO MUCH LOVE and DESIRE TO WORK HARD. She is from Arequipa, Peru, and has such a strong Peruvian accent, so let's hope my accent improves. It has also been so fun training in Spanish. I just love that new missionaries have so much faith in every single person we encounter. That's how it should be!! My new area is a dream come true. People in the streets actually want to talk to missionaries, haha, and when we knock doors, they invite us in!!! We also live super close to the mountain range, so we have such a pretty view of the Andes. Very, very different than my last area (La Florida) in all aspects, but I love it. #promisedland Spiritual Thought: This week I came across a quote by Elder Die...

AHHH!! TIME FOR CAMBIOS!! AND I'M GOING BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND OF PUENTE ALTO!! BUT IN AN AREA I HAVE WANTED TO SERVE IN SINCE MY FIRST WEEK ON THE MISH!! AND I'M TRAINING!! ANOTHER PERUVIAN!! SO, SOPIPILLA TUESDAYS ARE BACK!! I AM SO HAPPY!! HOME SWEET HOME!! Basically, I started my mission in the south of the mission (Puente Alto), and even though I froze every day (because I arrived during winter and it's close to the mountain range of the Andes + my house was an icebox), I loved my area so much. On my first exchange, I went to an area even further south, and ever since, it has been my dream area. AND NOW I GET TO SERVE THERE WHOOP WHOOP. Anyways... I was studying the life of early church apostle Parley P. Pratt, and he is incredible. He was a missionary in the early years of the restoration of the church in the mid-1800s. After arriving home from his most recent mission in Chile and previously serving for almost 25 years, he thought he could finally rest and take car...

I gave a last-minute talk this week in sacrament meeting about the October 2020 general conference message "The Culture of Christ" by William K. Jackson. I was given no time to prepare, yet Elder Jackson’s talk inspired me so much. Something that I love about the Church of Jesus Christ is that because we have a living prophet, we are a worldwide church. No matter the country, city, or language, every Sunday in our chapels, we learn of the same principles and teachings of the gospel. As members of the church, we love and cherish each unique culture; however, the greatest culture we can be a part of is that of Christ (3 Nephi 3:24). "Christ's culture is the greatest of all cultures and comes from the great plan of happiness, authored by God and championed by Christ. It unites rather than divides. It heals rather than harms." -Elder William K. Jackson The culture of Christ defines the way we think and live. It is our rock. Being part of His culture comes by applyin...