I'm Staying!

Hey There!

So we got the news for transfers and the news is that Elder Howard and I are staying together for another transfer here in Phoenix. I am happy to stay, I love the branch and the people we are teaching. I can not lie however, this area has a lot of stress. Elder Howard and I have learned to work incredibly hard together and we are really just doing our best to follow the Spirit. Honestly, it is really hard considering that we have not yet seen a baptism. The tought often comes how things are greener on the other side of the freeway, but that is most likely not true. I have come to realize that missionary work is hard, very hard most of the times. It requires all that I have to give, and I feel like I am giving all I have got and then a little more here in Catalina. I'm being pushed to my limits, but the sweet experiences I have every week are what keep me going back for more.

We set another date with a man named Jose Leon in our area. He is an apartment manager, but his family lives in los angeles. It has been hard to keep steady contact with him. We taught him for the second time saturday evening and he said if he comes to feel that this is all true, he will be baptized on september 17th. He was all excited to come to Church and everything. We made the plans and everything. Sunday morning came and we were at Church. We called Jose and he said he was having second thoughts. He goes to a church already and feels bad looking into another one. He was so excited when we taught him, that we can only come to the conclusion that he went online to look for more and found a lot of anti-material. We could not stop by and teach him last night, but we NEED to teach him tonight.

Elder Howard and I have a ton of great lessons every week, and it just feels like as soon as we leave a strong spiritual impression, something else rolls along and leaves a negative one against us. Satan is trying very hard to keep these people from finding the light of the Gospel. We pray and fast and study, but sometimes, too often actually, these people become afraid of us. It is really tough on us. it saddends us that some people forget so quickly the spiritual impressions that they had. I hate the enemy. I'm coming quickly to that point of abhorring all evil.

Last night we had a sweet member come out with us. He is a convert of 8 months and he was "cristiano" before he was baptized in the Church. He investigated with the Jehovah's Witnesses and many other Churches. In fact, he antied the elders when they first talked to him (in the Phoenix mission). They were persistent and it paid off. He and most all of his family was baptized. He is facing some immigration issues. His son fled to Oregon to avoid deportantion, so the whole family is now at risk for being deported.

He came and taught a family with us. Initially, the family said they were busy and could not attend to us. Then, this brother began to testify and share his conversion and they let us in for a quick visit. We can see the potential power of this member and we are going to get him a preach my gospel so that he can study and be prepared to be an amazing member missionary.

Your story about _ is incredible! Keep on encouraging her with friendship and simple testimony. If the missionaries invite you over, please go! The Spirit will make up all the difference. I have 100% confidence in the Elders, so the Spirit will control the situation. Let the missionaries teach, but you teach by example and bearing testimony. Have patience with them, and just encourage them.

We got to teach a lot. We found some new families to teach in the last week. One is a part member family with whom we are doing a family home evening tonight. We are trying to get members to come, but everyone works. The people of our branch are battling hard and we are doing all that we can to help them.

I am about to finish the Book of Mormon again! I love reading it so much. Some of our investigators, a lot actually, have taken to reading. They read, and they are honest and express to us when they do not understand. We are really much more able to help people when they are open. One of our companionship goals is to develop a better relationship with our investigators. As we have done this, we have seen the fruits! We are having people be more open and honest with us. Yeah, they still have their trials, but I am learning to love them. That is part of the reason why I am so excited to stay for another transfer. I feel like I am going to be able to develop great relationships with these people and help them to progress. I have generally in life been a pretty closed off person. Slowly but surely, the Lord is softening my heart and allowing me to love these people. As I love them more and more, it saddens me more and more to see these people fall away or not keep commitments. Elder Howard and I are being more caring, but also more bold. In many ways, this is helping us to separate the wheat from the tares. Some people just like talking about God and what they believe is the truth; Others are in the search for truth and a better change in their lives. It is our responsibility to find and help these people. It is really hard, but when the times here in Phoenix are good, they are really good.

I felt the Spirit a lot last week. For myself, that is fruit enough to show that I am doing the Lord's Will. I am seeign blessings and all, but there will always be little struggles. My mission is not going how I thought it would go, but I know it is going how the Lord wants it to. This mission is not about me really, it is about the rest of God's Children and helping them come back to Heavenly Father. I'm here to do the Lord's will, even though it is harder than my own.

Also, speaking about the sacred unit of families, we have really been prompted more often to implement "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" a lot more in our teaching. If you have not all reviewed it recently, I reccomend that you do. It treats those sensitive subjects with the Spirit through the words of modern day prophets. I love my family. I cherish it. And I know that the Gospel of Jesus-Christ as taught in the Book of Mormon and Bible is the only way back to God.

I love you all and I will continue to pray for you! I hope you have a good week with plenty to do. EFY sounds like fun, let me know how it was.

I love you!

Elder J. A. Pearson