Week # 56 -- Service

Hello Everyone!

This week was filled with service...

Thank you for the many prayers and hope you have a great week.  

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

Week #55 -- Round 2?

Hello Everybody!!

Got a lot of news for you all. So hopefully I don't forget any of it. Hope you all had a great week. Would love to hear back of how it was and how you were able to see the lords hand in your life.

Sadly this week we didn't get to see any of the amazing people that we found last week. Oh well, there time will come when they are ready. Did the usual, saw less actives and did a lot of finding but just like now one was red to talk to us which isn't new but still isn't fun having people just be rude and slam doors in your face. Since Christ went through more I should be able to handle this. Plus he understands how I feel. Anyway, Friday we got to help fix a fence of a neighbor. The neighbor wanted to pay us but instead we had a better idea. Told him he could feed us plus share a message. Sadly won't be there for the dinner.

Later that Friday we get a call from president for Elder Thayne to be DL which wasn't a surprise. We knew that was coming but what we didn't know until President called us again later that night to tell Elder Thayne and I that we will be training. Our first thought is that we would be in a trio and about went crazy but then President then clarified that we would be training in different areas, so that means one of us will be whitewashing. I'll be getting a brand new missionary from the MTC and was the one picked to whitewash but the crazy part is that I'm going back to an NEW SYMRNA!! Ahhhhh!!! I'm so excited!!! I don't know if it is consider whitewashing when you have been in the area before.

For the quick thought I want to leave with you all is very simple. On Sunday, we had wonderful talks given on prayer and why we need it in our lives. It is very essential in our progression. Through prayer we are able to seek guidance and more understanding for our lives. God has all the answers. Don't be afraid to ask. He's not going to keep secrets from us. He's our father. He wants to help us. We need to do our part and act on out faith through prayer to receive answers. He has answered mine. I can stand as a witness that he does answer and that this gospel is true. I love you all. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Elder Pearson

Week #54 -- Miracles!!!!

Hello Everybody!

I first have to say there have been so many miracles that have happened this past week it's been amazing. Hearts have been soften through service and are now receiving the lessons from the missionaries. Being through a hurricane and then being able to serve those that need the help and then they start taking the lessons and learning about the restored gospel.  Just amazing.

Before going into the amazing people we were able to met last Monday Elder Thayne, Hoskins, Searl, and I were able to go to the Kennedy Space Center and it was awesome. I'll send pics today of it. Had such a blast. We were there at 9am when it opened and then left around 5 when it closes at 6pm. There was still stuff we didn't get to do. Awesome memories.

This week we got to a referral from a member in the ward. She gave us a name of a guy. He was someone that our ward helped do some clean up from the hurricane.  He was very grateful and agreed to meet with the missionaries. Elder Hill and I got to see him Wednesday (We were on exchanges). He has gone through a lot in his life and has hit a big stumbling block right now. Really nice guy and we're able to give him a Book of Mormon and said he would read it.

We also got to met a lady. We were finding her mom but got to talk to her instead. She was really nice and has really let God take control of her life and put her trust in him. Her dad took the lessons a while back before he passed away. She did mention that she believes that when he was meeting with the missionaries that he was the closest he has ever been to god. She wanted to have that closeness and made a time we would come back and talk to her family about it.

The last person is Lisa. She was someone that met with the missionaries a while back. Her and her granddaughter were both being taught. The only problem was Lisa's husband wasn't to approving about meeting with us. It did bring a bit of contention between them which we never want.  So they had to stop meeting for a while and so we stopped by to talk and she was very happy to see us.  We will be seeing her in the coming week.

So many miracles have been happening. Elder Thayne and I have been praying really hard to get more people to teach. The lord has answered our prayers and have let these people cross our paths. Having prayers answered is the best thing ever. I can truly testify that if you ask Heavenly Father for help and it's of righteous desire he will answer that question or help with what you might need help with or allow something to happen in your favor.

I just want share you all of you my brief and simple testimony of the restored gospel. Through prayer, studying, and pondering I have been able to gain an answer that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. That the lords true church is here on earth and have the wonderful knowledge of the plan for us in this life and the next life. I am so grateful that I have been able to have this wonderful knowledge in my life to help me and guide me.  If you want to gain this understanding all you really have to do is do the same thing I did. Pray, read the Book of Mormon, and ponder what you have read. By doing those things you will gain a answer.

I love you all and have a fabulous week!!  #thecountdowmbegins

Elder Pearson

Week #53 continued -- The Hurricane Experience

Hello Everybody!

Sorry for the late email. We went out to the space center and it was awesome.

I'm still alive!!! If you haven't heard but I'm sure you all have been informed that last Friday hurricane Mathew hit Florida. Everything up to Friday and after it has been pretty intense. Please keep all the families that have been effect by Mathew in your prayers especially people in Haiti, Jamaica, and the other countries in that area.

We found out about Mathew Saturday afternoon. The projections then were saying that it wouldn't hit us. We didn't worry about it to much cause it was at a cat 3. Even if it changed and would it us it would have weakened by the time it got to us. Tuesday comes and things change. We start hearing that it will hit us but by the time it does it will get stronger. Wednesday comes and we plan to do our regular work. Out at 10 and as we are seeing people we then get the word that we need to prepare for Mathew cause it was going to hit us. We finished seeing the couple people that morning then went home and started prepping.

We went over to members houses to help them get ready for the Mathew. Wednesday night we went and stayed at the other elders apartment in Titusville.  We had to be in by noon Thursday so that morning we went to help a couple other members get ready. At this point I still couldn't grasp that this was actually happening. We then get back from service and are eating lunch and then we get a call from the mission office. They then tell us we need to head to Orlando. The projections were then saying that the eye of Mathew would come right over our area. We then grabbed our stuff and booked out of there. Of course everyone else is leaving cause of Mathew so it took for ever to get to Orlando but got there safely.

On Wednesday when we got to the Titusville apartment I got a call from Brother Nelson in the Longwood ward in the Lake Marry stake. He then asked me if I was safe cause my mom was freaking out about me. That's ok though cause that's what moms do. Plus I'm now hoping to get to that ward to meet Brother Nelson. We then waited the storm out in Orlando. We only got the edge part of the storm but was still pretty intense. Had a hard time sleeping so didn't get much sleep Thursday into Friday morning.

We got back o our house Saturday afternoon and then our Bishop picked us up and went to work. Went to Merritt Island to help members there cause that's were the majority of the storm hit. The northern part Florida of us got hit worse than us. Sunday we had sacrament meeting so just an hour. The people that's were going to help clean after that could come in work clothes. This will probably be the first and last time I would wear normal clothes to church. It felt very weird since been a missionary and always in white shirts and ties and now everyone sees us in regular clothes.

Worked really hard and were able to help a lot of people. Not sure what is still left to be done but was awesome to help those in need. We also did get to wear the helping hands shirts so that will be a cool souvenir. Don't worry I have plenty of pics that I will send from this past week.

Thank you for the many prayers and hope you have a great week.    

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

Week #53 -- Hurricane Emails

Email 10/5/16

Dear Parents,

In the Florida Orlando Mission we are preparing for the oncoming tropical storm to insure the safety of the missionaries.  All missionaries have been contacted and provided with specific instructions for emergency preparedness.  For those missionaries living near the coast, evacuations have been planned to provide a safe place for them to stay until the storm ends. We will keep you informed as to the safety of all our missionaries.

Thank you for your concerns and prayers.

Sister Rasmussen , Secretary
Florida Orlando Mission

Email 10/6/16

Dear Parents,

All missionaries are accounted for and are safe.  Many have been relocated to provide for their safety. They are prepared with food, water, flashlights, and given instructions to keep their phones charged if possible. We will continue to keep you informed as long as we have power.  Thank you again for your prayers.

Sister Rasmussen , Secretary
Florida Orlando Mission

Email 10/7/16

Dear Parents,

We are grateful for your prayers as we continue to stay inside and weather out the storm.  The missionaries have reported in and all are safe.

Sister Rasmussen , Secretary
Florida Orlando Mission

 

Week #52 -- #Conference Weekend #Hurricane

Hello Everybody!

Hope you all had a great week! If not let's make this week great!!

To start off the week we did service for a nonmember. We didn't know what she was going to have us do until we got there.  She then told us that she wanted us to clean out the rats nest under her house!! The first thought came to my head was like heck no!! We pulled all the grass out and then sprayed it with weed killer. Luckily we never saw it which was good and didn't have to crawl under the house. Crawling underneath a house especially in Florida isn't the best idea cause you never know what you will find under there. We then finished some other things that she needed done. We then had a talk with her about the gospel. Her husband was a member but past away like a year ago. We talked about the Plan Of Salvation cause she was talking to us about how much she loved her husband. We figure that talking about them being together for eternity would hit home. It did and we tied it to the Book of Mormon and gave her one. She said she will read it. Can't wait to see her this week.

Wednesday and Thursday was so cramped with people to see cause Conference was that weekend. Just saw a handful because we don't have very many investigators to teach right now.

Conference was so amazing!!! I loved it so much and can't wait till they come out so I can read them and apply the message into my life. It is so hard to choose my fav one cause they all are so good. I did like the one given by Elder Stevenson about the Book of Mormon. The one question he asked was, can you see the Book of Mormon as the keystone of your testimony?  Ask your self this question and ponder on it. If your answer is no to this then use your agency to change that so it is the keystone of your testimony of the savior. I can promise you that as a servant of the lord Jesus Christ anything is possible through Jesus Christ.

I love you all!! Would love to hear from you all!!

Elder Pearson
Florida Orlando Mission