Week #47 -- Families are forever

Hello Everyone!

Summer is almost over!! Which makes me happy cause it won't be so hot. I thought from living in Arizona my entire life I would be used to the heat, I guess not.

Had a pretty good week. Started it off with Zone Conference which we had to leave the house by 5:45 to be at the chapel in Vero which is an hour away. Once we got down there at 7, no ones there and we misread the email that they sent out saying it would be changed from starting at 7 but at 8. At least we were on time. I love these meeting cause I always get to learn something to start applying in becoming a better missionary or get reminded about something I have been slacking on doing. Also there is where we get to see other missionaries from the other zones.

The rest of the week was a lot of stopping by to see people. Sadly most of the people we stopped by didn't answer. The people we did see though are doing well. It was mainly less actives that we got to see. Didn't get to see one of the investigators that we were really hoping to see. We found out from another family that she has been having family problems so we are hoping that things will work out so we can see her sometime soon. The awesome part is that our other investigator came to church again yesterday! We also are going to see him on Tuesday. It's super exciting cause he knows the church is true and wants to get baptized. He just a great guy. It's awesome to see how the gospel can transform someone.

Yesterday at church was awesome. The talks we all about families and how to strengthen them and the roles of a father and a mother. Families are such an essential thing in this life. Families are for eternity. I love that doctrine. Knowing I can be sealed to my parents and sibling, as well my family I will soon have. I love my family and am so grateful for them and all that they do for me. I love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. God bless you all.

Have a blessed week!! Loves!!!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission

P.S. -- Families are together forever. Adding on to my email about families we
got to sing this song at church after the talks and had all of you on
my mind as we sang the song.

https://familysearch.org/photos/audio/28817426


                           

         

                 

Week #46 -- It's HOT!!

Hello Everyone!

I'm can't tell you how much I do not like the heat. This past week it was very hot and humid. We did a lot of service this week with helping new families move in and yard work or something. I love doing service but it was very tough with dealing with the heat.

Anyway, we got to meet with an investigator on Friday which was exciting. She is the media referral we got a couple weeks ago and finally got back in touch with her. She kept the commitment we left her last time which is very exciting by reading from the Book of Mormon. She really wants to learn more so we are hoping to meet with her on Fridays and Saturdays. Some other exciting news is that another investigator came to church today  with his wife!! So I can't remember if I had talked about him or not but he is an investigator that Elder and Sister Taylor were teaching. Now that they have gone home we get to teach him. The week that he was going to get baptized he had to cancel because of family issues at home. It was awesome to see him there today.

Still meeting with another investigator. He such a great guy and I love how much faith he has. I don't know if I told you what he does for work but he carves wood into stuff. Like sharks, fish, turtles, really any sea creature. It's really cool. I haven't been able to get pics of it yet but in Orlando he has a store that he holds all of his art. He told us yesterday that he won't have the store anymore. He has been really struggling financially but he still has a smile on his face and knows that the Lord will help him. It's so true that He will.

One thing I was able to reflect a lot on is my personal growth. Really being aware of my thoughts and actions. I see a lot of the time as I am doing my personal study that I ask myself questions. I realize how simple the questions are and how they make me ponder on what I need to do next to change. To become better than I was before. If someone says that they follow Jesus Christ then I would assume that they are doing all they can to allow a change in there mind and in there heart as they follow him. If we are truly, sincerely, with real intent then he can and will change us. That change will only happen if we choose to want it. God gave us the power to choose for our selfs. I invite you all to make the choice to allow the atonement of Jesus Christ change you. It has changed me and is continuing to change me.

"20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life." 2 Nephi 31:20

Never forget that God is always on your side. Have a blessed week!!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission

Week #45 - Life I deserve

Hello Everyone!

Life this past week was a tough one. We had a lot of things fall through which is always depressing but still going with a happy smile. We still got to meet with the regular people we usually meet with each week which was good. Right now we are kinda having a hard time with getting some our less actives to keep the commitments that we leave them so we have focused on that. I have been able to gain more knowledge of agency which is helping me be better in helping others coming closer to Christ. There are times that I get frustrated when the people we are working with don't use there agency right but that is the wonderful thing of life and learning from our mistakes. It helps us to learn how to use our agency better.  I can see it more and more why agency is so important to our Heavenly Fathers plan and that agency helps us learn. But when you see someone use there agency to learn and come closer to there savior it is the most beautiful thing ever. To see the change it makes in people is remarkable. I am so grateful that I get to experience this and help those see that change in there life.

We are still working with a wonderful lady and it's great to see the desire that she has to have God more in her life. We get to see her this Friday so I'll update you all how that goes. We didn't get to see her last week so we are hoping to extend a baptismal commitment with her this week. We got a media referral and went by and gave her the bible she requested and talked for a little bit and she started asking us what we do as missionaries. As we were talking we mentioned the Book of Mormon and she asked about that and then she said she wanted one. We then gave her one and she wanted us to come back to talk more. That was super exciting. We hopefully will be able to see her this week. We still visited with a gentleman who just got baptized about a month ago; he is such a great guy. Every time we are there always bears his testimony to us and shares how God is answering his prayers and it just makes me so happy. Also any chance he gets to talk about the church to anyone he does it. It's awesome to see how happy this gospel can make someone.

We also had ZTM this past week which always good. It's a meeting where all the missionaries in the zone meet together and are trained by the zone leaders which helps us work on things to become better missionaries. This meeting was mostly to explain some of the changes that are going to made throughout the mission. It's pretty exciting.

Thank you all for being such a great support for me and have a blessed week! Loves!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission

Week #44 - P-Days are great!

Hello Everyone!

Hope you all had a great week. Things are still pretty slow here but doing our best to change that.  We are really focusing on trying to get the members here to be more mindful of jumping on their opportunities to share the gospel with their friends and family. We have already seen the works of when members open there mouths and share the gospel. One of our recent baptisms is a great example; one of the families here in the ward invited her over for dinner and now she is soaking up the gospel like crazy. It so neat to see her face light up when we talk to her about the gospel. She has expressed to us many times that she wants the spirit and Christ more in her life.  I just love the time I have to help Gods children gain the knowledge that he has given me.

I forgot to mention two weeks ago that I got to see a rocket launch. It was super cool. This first one I saw was a lot better but didn't have time to take a video but I did get to for the second one. Also with this being a new transfer a lot of the other missionaries in our district got moved which means making some new friendships.

I love every first Sunday of the month where I get to hear the testimonies of others. Testimonies are so unique cause it's someone's own witness of truth. These members here in Cocoa are so strong in the gospel it brings joy to my heart.  As they bear there testimony you can tell that they have found for themselves whether this church is true. My testimony has been strengthened by hearing those testimonies of others.  I love this gospel and I am so blessing to have it in my life and to be able to share it with others.

I love you all!! Have a blessed week!!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission

This was the district from last transfer!! 

The person taking the pics is Elder Taylor.

Week #43 - Staying in Cocoa another 6 weeks

Hello Everyone!

First off I will be......STAYING in Cocoa for another six weeks. I'm really grateful to be able to be here for another six weeks cause things are starting progress and its going to be a great time helping these people that we are meeting with to progress and receive the blessings that God wants to give them.

The beginning of the week was a little slow but by the end of the week was better. On Friday, the stake had all the young men and women go out with the missionaries so I had a young man with me and so did my companion but he had two with him. We have a very productive day. The best part was dinner. We were invited over to Bishop Collets house and he had a friend that he works with and his wife come over for dinner. It was awesome to meet them. Before they got there bishop told us about that they have had many gospel conversations and they were interested in learning more. They were very nice and wonderful people. We did then get to share with them the restoration of the gospel. Kept it very simple and focused it more for them to know if it is true through prayer. It seemed that they liked it a lot. It will be exciting to meet with them again. Also Elder Armijo and the two young men got to see a recent convert that we've not been able to see for a couple weeks; he told me she is really prepared to hear the gospel. She kept on telling them how she wants the spirit more in her life to guide her and to learn as well.

I would like to share with all of you my testimony for the truthfulness of this gospel. I know that Jesus Christ lives and died for me and everyone else. I know that before this life that we all had a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph Smith was an instrument in Gods hand in restoring all the truths that Jesus Christ put here on the earth. I know that the Lord works through his holy prophets that he calls to lead and guide his people. I love this gospel so much and so happy that I have the time to share it with others. To give them the chance to receive all the blessings that God has in store for them.

Have a great week!!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission