Hey Family!

What is up?!?!

This last week was hectic, but INCREDIBLE! We met every one of our goals at the least and exceeded many. We taught 5-6 lessons and day and set two baptismal/wedding dates! Moises and Graciela are officially getting married and baptized on November 20th. Moises told us at church that he bought her a ring and it is at the jewelers being sized! They are so excited for this and it is making me even more excited! They asked us at church if we would meet them at the temple again to teach them and walk around. Having investigators set lessons with us is awesome! I know that someone is really into the gospel when they want to go to the temple get married and set up appointments! AHHH! It is awesome. I love them so much. And, we reminded them that in a year, them and their son could enter the temple and be sealed. Graciela, who is usually fairly quiet, was glowing with excitment and could not quit talking about a year from now! They are absolutely incredible.

We also are teaching a young woman named Guadalupe. She is single and living on her own with her two daughters. She is catholic by tradition but really does not like the catholic church. She keep every committment we leave with her and the next time we teach her we are most assuredly inviting her to be baptized. She loves reading the Book of Mormon and she understands almost everything that she reads. The only struggle is getting her to church. Whenever she is going to be late, she will not come because of embarassment of walking in late. We are working with her on that.

This week was crazy because for 5 days we had Elder Biddle with us. He was in the MTC with me and he spent 5 days with myself and Elder Williams. Why you ask? Well, his companion/trainer/district leader does not have a good history in the mission of obedience nor respect. This transfer, his companion was assigned to once again train a new missionary. Elder Biddle's companion did not really like Elder Biddle a whole ton because Elder Biddle is 100% obedient. He got on his trainer's case when he slept in and broke rules, which I think is perfectly acceptable. Therefore, Elder Reid, Elder Biddle's companion, decided that we needed to have an exchange for a day. This turned into 2, then 4, then 5 days. This is 100% against mission rules and guidlines and therfore we called the zone leaders (Elder Morgan and Elder Hawkins). They in turn called President Ellsworth. To make a very long story short, Elder Reid was emergency transfered out of the area to be companions with the zone leaders in phoenix.

This crazy event just reminded me of how grateful I am for the two good companions that I have had. Elder Williams and I are like peanut butter and jelly together. We just work and we do our job well. Some people like us a lot, other people do not want to have anything to do with us. None the less, we teach, we find, and we set baptismal dates! The Lord is blessing us a lot and I am so glad for this.

I am not perfect as a missionary but evey day I am working hard to try and be just a little bit better and a lot more effective. I know that in due time, our area is going to be full of great investigators who are all going to be baptized and come to know and love Jesus Christ. As I see people do this, I just forget the rest of the world and what is going on. I am starting once again to love my investigators. I am starting to think about them all the time as if they were family.

One other thing I love about Elder Williams is that we have FANTASTIC companionship studies. We update the area book, we talk about out investigators, and even better we pray a lot about them. When Elder Holland came at the MTC, he said one thing all missionaries need to improve is their companionship study. With Elder Williams, I am definitely doing this. I am learning so much from him. Miracles are going to happen this transfer and the next because of our companionship. We really are doing well together.

OH! One other short story. There is this man Benjamin, I think I told you about him. He is almost 70 and living alone. He was baptized 12 years ago and went inactive ten years ago. He came to church on Sunday. He got there and some of the same people that were in the ward 12 years ago were still there. These people all came up and talked to him and welcomed him and showed him love. Benjamin rarely if ever smiles when we are there talking and teaching him. When these few sisters came and talked with him for just 10 or so mintutes, his smiles was huge and radiating. I could not help but shed a tear or two. I love him so much and feel so bad for him. Seeing him happy and smiling in church makes me soooooo happy! He reminds me of how lonely Grandma Pearson is so I wrote her a letter last week! I hope she recieves it and smiles just as Benjamin did.

Also, Elder Evans of the 1st quorum of the 70 came yesterday. It was fantastic. We focused on how to become more effective teachers and how to follow the spirit. They are making an appendix to Preach My Gosepl that is focused on making teaching more effective and personal for our investigators. One thing he also told us...If every member does their daily scripture study with Preach My Gospel and the Book of Mormon, missionary would would be 3 time more successful because members would know how to lightly approach their friends about the gospel. So family, that is my challenge to you. This week especially, I would like you all to focus on Chapter 4, How to Recognize the Spirit. That is probably my favorite chapter. Also, Mom and Dad, you both work around the youth some. Elder Evans said that the youth of the church often give the most effective and prepared people as refferals. It would really help the missionaries if you asked the young men and women more often to bring a friend to an activity or to invite missionaries over to their house to be taught. Elder Evans said that is lesson are taught to investigators in a member's home, baptism is 20x (he said it is proven by studies...?) more likely to happen. Also, if you can get someone to church 4 weeks in a row, 4 times out of 5 they will be baptized.

It was a good week. It was a hard week. I loved last week. I learned so much and had countless great experiences. I hope you will continue to be blessed and guided by Heavenly Father. I pray for you always because outside of the mission, you are the most important people to me in the world! I love you all so much.

Sincerely,

Elder Jonathan Pearson

(posted by Maddy)