Week #29 - "The message they shared was true"

Hey Everyone!

This past week has been a blast and a lot of crazy experiences. To start off the week we met a former investigator. Really nice guy and has 2 little boys and are just full of energy. It has been awhile since Elder Isaacson has seen him. We started talking and were getting an understanding if he was still interested. He said he was and then just reviewed the restoration with him to see how much he remembered. He remembered a lot and committed him to read the BOM. The next visit we went to see him he told us this awesome experience he had.  When he was saying his prayers at night he asked if the message we shared with him was true. After he was done praying he said he thought he heard someone say, "Those two men that came by your house were servants of the Lord and the message they shared was true".  WOW!!!!  We were going to put him on a baptismal date but he is leaving in a couple weeks to go to Puerto Rico to see his dad cause his health isn't doing to good. He will be gone for about a month sadly but we are going to see him as much as we can before he leaves.  Met with our investigator friend a handful of times this week and he his doing amazing. He is just grasping the gospel so well and he just loves it.  Still working with the investigator family and they are just so solid but haven't been at church and possibly have to move the date back. We are having the faith and hope that they will come.

This past Friday, while Elder Isaacson and I were seeing a couple of potential investigators and when we were knocking on one house it just started raining super hard. The car was parked down the road so there was no point in running so we walked all the way back to the car and got drenched. It was fun though and we had a good laugh about it.

Also yesterday, Elder Iassacson and I and the sister missionaries gave a talk in sacrament meeting. It was awesome cause we talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ which is faith, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the holy ghost. I was asked to talk about baptism and I love talking to people about baptism and how it can help us be forgiven for our sins and be able to receive eternal life with our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and our families. It was an awesome talk. I hope you all have a wonderful week.  LOVES!!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission

We got soaked and it was a blast!

This is where we ate dinner last night. This is one of the oldest buildings in Florida.

Week #28 - Wow what's that smell?

Hello Everyone!!

So many things happened this past week. It's been so awesome to see miracles happening with the people that we are teaching. One of the miracles that happened it that we were able to put a family on a baptismal date for May 7th!!!! That happened on Monday and it was so awesome cause we had a member at that lesson and he is a return missionary!! The only thing that they are really struggling with is that they still feel like they don't know everything but they do and just need to put more trust in the lord. That's what we will talk to them about tonight.

Tuesday I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Jensen. It's was a great time to be in his area and help with some of there investigators and there progression towards baptism. There was a bunch of time that we did go door knocking which is difficult but that's part of missionary work. Then Wednesday had district meeting which was great as usual and then had service at Second Harvest Food Bank which is a lot of fun. It's fun cause we get to see other missionaries from the other zone and we get meet people that aren't members of the church. Got to meet with our investigator friend later in the day. He's doing really good and progressing really well. He hasn't come to church yet cause he's been busy but hopefully he will come this coming Sunday.

Thursday thru Saturday were good. Did a lot of finding which is a combination of knocking on door to door, stopping by potential investigators or former investigators, and also stopping by less actives. Didn't have a lot of set appointments but oh well.

Sunday was pretty interesting. So I guess the church building has a lot of bad pipes throughout the building and so there was a lot of water that is used during the week in the building so it sits in the pipes and then this wonderful smell starts to form which is sulfur. So just recently the Bishop in the Apopka ward had called someone to take a look at it and they told him to just turn the water on and let the water run for 30 mins or so and then the smell should go away. He did this Sunday morning before church and had it running for about an hour. After ward council we went out in the hallway and the entire church building smelt like it. It was really bad. We ended up opening all the doors and windows is the church. Also with the help of some Febreeze  helped get ride of the smell. Anyway hope y'all have a wonderful week and love you all!!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission
10502 Satellite Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32837

Week #27 -- Summer time

Hey Everyone,

So many great things are happening here in Apopka! Besides the weather. Its starting to warm up and can feel the humidity. Anyway, there where so many great things happening here.

First off on Monday night we met with a family that is about to hit there one year mark of being members! They are a super awesome family. The mom is the most happiest person you could ever meet. I don't think I have seen her yet without a smile on her face. They are just amazing.  We had a really good lesson about prayer and how it is important to always communicate with God. It was awesome cause another member from the ward came to the lesson, Brother Fisher. He gave a really great point on how there are many ways God answers us and that sometimes God has us figure it out. Just an awesome lesson.

On Tuesday, we got to see an investigator that has become our good friend. Hes a super cool guy. Very respectful guy and very kind. One thing that is just amazing is that he is just diving in the Book of Mormon. He is also remembering the stories too. I mentioned last week that we were going to put him on a baptismal date last week but we didn't cause every time we went by he was gone. We are meeting with him tonight and hoping to put him on date. After we met with him we were unlocking our bikes when a lady passed us and we gave her a card with Jesus Christ on it and told her to check out the website on the back. She then waited us to come back a teach them more! We are also seeing her tonight too.

Wednesday we got to go do some service for a food bank which was really fun. There was a lot of the other missionaries form the other zone that was there and was a lot of fun. After that we got to see sister from Puerto Rico! She is super sweet and is just amazing. Her health hasn't been too good and she was wanting a blessing so we came back later with her home teacher Brother Sandoval to give her the blessing.

Thursday we had ZTM (Zone Training Meeting) which was really good. Got to see an current investigator again and followed up on his scripture reading and he hasn't been reading cause he has been studying for school and has work a lot. We promised him that even if he reads a verse from the scriptures that he will be blessed and that his studies will be more easy.

Friday we had a handful of people to see later in the day and we got to have one of the young men from the ward come with us to a couple lessons. It was crazy how strong the spirit was there as he shared his testimony to those we met with. Saturday we did some service for a family in the ward which was fun. The rest of the day went a did some finding. Sunday was great. Had a wonderful fast and testimony meeting. We also had a gator at church too!!

Hope you all have a wonderful week and I will be sending some pics. Love you all!!

Elder Pearson

My zone.

Elder Issacson and I around town; here are some pics...

Week #26 - Home again in Leesburg Stake

Hello Everyone,

This week was crazy awesome. As I said last week that I got transferred to a new area and that new area is Apopka which is in the Leesburg Stake. It's super awesome cause when I first got here in Florida my first area was in the Leesburg Stake, so super cool to be back in this stake.

I want you all to know that exciting things are happening here in Apopka and I have only been in the area for a week. When I got in the area on Tuesday afternoon we dropped my stuff off at the apartment and went to work. First person we went to was a less active member. He super cool guy. Knows a lot about the gospel and has a testimony of it. He does have some word of widsom issues and trying to help him get through that. We then went to see a handful of potential investigators. Only a couple of them answered and they weren't really interested. Then later that night we went to see another less active named sister. She's been going through a rough time right now with work and family problems. We read through the Book of Mormon with her and promised her that as she reads and prays and come to church God will bless.

Wednesday was a super busy day. First went to visit an investigator family. Only the mom was there so we talked to her and followed up on her Book of Mormon reading and prayers. She said that she sometimes skip saying her prayers so we talked to her about the importance of prayers and that our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us always. We then stopped by an investigator's home. He's super cool guy and very open and very talkative guy. We asked him how his Book of Mormon reading has been going and he said he's been busy with work. We told him that as he reads from the Book of Mormon he will be blessed. We are meeting with him later this week. Then later that night I got to meet a family that is investigating. The parents only speak Spanish but the kids speak English. So Elder Isaacson taught the parents while I taught the kids. It's was awesome. The spirit was so strong it was amazing.

Thursday was super crazy as well. We had district meeting and then after went another investigator. Really nice guy and really does all he can to have God in his life. We had an awesome lesson with him about prayer. It was super amazing. We are hoping to put him on a baptismal date this week  as well as the investigator family.

Saturday and Sunday there was General Conference which was so uplifting to hear from our beloved prophet, Thomas S Monson. My favorite talk that was given that by Elder Jeffery R Holland. He talked about that we don't want tomorrow cause we don't want to lose the feelings that we have felt on Sunday. We can't give up. We all stumble but the savior is right there on our right and on our left ready to catch us and help us get back up. The first commandment is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength. The first doctrine we teach as missionaries is that God loves us with all of his heart, might, mind, and strength. God will never desert us when we are going through struggles. I know that with all of my heart. I can also testify that what Elder Holland said is true. God does love us, even though sometimes we might not feel like he does. Through prayer we can have his help and comfort.

I love you all and have a wonderful week.

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission
10502 Satellite Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32837

 

Left:  Sister Smith sent this picture of Elder Richards and I to my mom 

this week with the caption "These Elders are awesome!!! 

Thanks for sending your boys to us!!"  Right:  My new companion Elder Isaccson