Hey again!

Hey There!

Thanks for the pictures of the cars and you all at the beach. In those photos I saw the three things I enjoyed most about Oregon. I saw snowboards. I saw rain. Most importantly, I saw my family. It is really pleasing to know that you are doing well and you all look healthy. It was fantastic speaking with you all. It is odd how it works. After speaking, we just got right back into it and by 9pm it hardly felt like I had actually spoken with you all! We got to teach a good bit though! It was a great evening. We went and gave a blessing to a Recent Convert, Brenda & Gabriel's son, Gabrielito (-ito is the mexican way of saying junior...they end half of their words with -ito...). He has had a bad cough for weeks and the doctors keep saying it is just a virus that will pass. It has only gotten worse. I annointed and Gabriel (father) sealed the annointing. He was way nervous because it was only the second time that he has ever done a blessing. It is cool though, to see a family so young in the gospel that already has the Melquisedek Priesthood in the home.

After that we went to FHE with some members (Familia Rangel) and their non- member family members. We showed up late due to the blessing, but got to sit, chat, and entertain the kids so they were not fighting. I drank some pineapple fanta and elder faldmo did some juggling. Then, it was the end of the night!

The last week was very tranquil and not a lot happened that was too exciting apart from Maria Rubio's amazing testimony that she already has. I pretty much told it to you all!

To Maddy. I was trying to think of some scriptures that have lifted my spirits as a missionary. I want to always have peace and contentment. My FAVORITE FAVORITE FAVORITE chapters in the Book of Mormon are Mosiah chapters 2-4. I just love them. They tell us how we can serve others, and god, and thus be happy. I know that if I would have more diligently studied the scriptures in my youth, I would have been much happier and far more prepared to confront the challenges that I encountered. I always have loved prayer. When you pray, pray in your room, out loud. Don't just think it when you are alone. SAY your prayers. I try to find places and times here on my mission so that I can pray out loud and those prayers are far more spiritually enriching. Also, do not stress too much about your writing exam for PCC. Breath, study a little bit at a time, and pray a lot. Studying for long periods has never helped me. My recipe for success that I came up with at BYU was to study 30 minutes for every class, every day. I would not study more. I would not study less. In the end, I usually ended up studying more for my classes than most other people and did fairly well. You are smarter than me and I know that you will be fine no matter if it is at Westview or PCC. Westview is a good school. PCC is a decent college. Just pray to have Heavenly Father help you understand what you need to do to make your situation work out. Never give up. Just keep going. There is that way cheesy colloquial phrase, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." You have always been a tough one sis. Just have faith and patience. Maybe Heavenly Father is blessing you with opportunities to develop Christlike attributes.

To Will, even though your team might be losing a lot, keep playing hard and doing your part. Don't get selfish and just keep playing like you know you should. You can show your team how to play by doing things right and being unselfish in your game play. As coach Thuerer said, "Don't Hot Dog it out there". That means, you can't do it alone. A hot dog alone is boring and is only good with the right condiments and other things to help it. That is your team. Lead by example. Also, it makes me proud to know you are a smart little kid. I know you have a lot of potential that you can most certainly reach with all of that extra energy that you have!

To Mom and Dad, thanks for all your kind and encouraging words. I certainly could have done much better when at home. But, repentace is forgetting the past and being better every day. I feel as though that is happening whilst I am here on the mission. I am coming to understand my purpose in life more fully and how to show emotion and care for others. I love the plan of salvation and I hope you all study it frequently. It is the greatest source of light and understanding for me out here as a missionary. It makes all of this, life, it's challenges, etc. make sense. Keep being the awesome parents that you are and do not spoil Maddy and Will too much.

I love you all and enjoyed our chat. The next one will come way too soon. Don't misunderstand me, but my time here needs to slow down so I can help more people find the true source of happiness and peace. I love you so much! I pray for you all daily and personally! Keep doing all you can to be examples of Christ to those around you so that they will notice something and perhaps show some interest in why. I liked that quote from conference. "We should always be doing missionary work, and occasionally it will be necessary to talk". That is the truth. Actions speak louder than words.

I love you! Have a great, dry week!

Con gratitud,

Elder Jonathan Alma Pearson



(posted by Maddy)