Coming Home

"HN" is baptized and it was awesome ! he actually chose me to baptize him! I just saw him like 30 minutes ago and he really is an amazing man! he thanked me for bringing him into the faith and I didn't really know what to say! he is so awesome I feel I barely did anything! he is going to bless so many in new Amsterdam! I am going to miss him!

He got the priesthood sunday gone! he is excited to bless others! "MN" also got baptized! her brother delon who just got baptized in august got to baptize her. I am also so excited for delon and Clint! those two brothers are going to change new Amsterdam and the Church! they have priorities set and correct!

To answer a next question yes I got to speak in church! President kirton gave me a minute. we were actually 5 minutes over time  but he still had me go up and share a thought. so I shared my favourite scripture. Mosiah 2:41

It was good . I didn't even cry !  haha

I have met a lot of awesome people in new Amsterdam. before I came to new Amsterdam I kinda thought since I was there for such a short time I wouldn't be noticed a whole lot. or get to attatched to the people. but boi am I going to miss them. and I think they will miss me!

we actually found another set of people to teach right around someone we got reactivated. and at least two of them came up to us and said " I want to get baptized"

They are really cool in this area!

But oh yeah I have another thing to tell you about!

On sunday I actually got to conduct a wedding haha  and sing love at home as a solo for more than half the song.  long story short the people having the wedding didn't really plan anything ... and then the night before we found out they expected us to have planned and confirmed everything! AHHHHH haha it was funny looking back. I was stressing so bad Saturday night tho!  I didn't want their wedding to blow up !

Whew! its over tho!

this week has been a good week! I think I am still in denial than I am coming home tho! it really does not feel like that!

All has gone well here!

But I have finished my course, I have fought a good fight , and I have kept the faith. 

I guess I can come home now! :)

See you soon!

Love Elder Pierson

Rabies

have you heard of rabies??

i think you probably have...

Anyways i got bit by a dog this week! Twice! :) yay! it kinda hurt quite a bit!

But im alright! i dont think i have rabies! the dog seemed healthy enough.. So all is well. just nibbled you could say.. :)

But all was good for the week!

We did actually have a baptism this week! a wonderful young woman named "IA"!

She just turned 18 and really wanted to get baptized! Even She was going to mission prep before she was baptized!

She is super cool!

She will go on a mission one year from now is my bet!

i lost my camera cord at the moment so i will search for it so i can find it for next week!

But yea it was awesome!

New amsterdam is a really cool area!

Cool thing about brother Phagwah is that he has a buisness in new amsterdam and so we saw him there this week! and he has been a member for plenty years and knows most all the members in new amsterdam! soooo he gave us lots of less actives to search for!

And now back to the important things!

MY companions bike Got tiefed yesterday! in broad daylight! we were in a house and he left it on the street! But the guy brought it back! it was an investigator! he just wanted to take it for a spin .. NOt really tief it haha. Scarry moment tho. I was on my bike ready to go barreling down the road trying to find the guy haha. And elder Cook is a runner so he was about to run after me to stay withing sight and sound .. But we had no clue which direction he went so we just waited.. and he came back :)

Hmm what else must i tell you!

Well we found some really cool less actives. they just kinda dropped off Both had been to the temple to be sealed when they were like 15 and 16 so now they really want to come back!

Super Excited for them!

This week has been good!

Missions are great! i love it!

But i gotta go!

Lvoe ya!

Love Elder Pierson

Transfers to Guyana

We were at Hog Island This morning! 

it was a really wonderful P-Day activity! 

i really love liming at the beach whenever i get an opportunity to.. we are definitly Going to hog island When we come to see Grenada! 

 

but as for the Beaches i will no longer be able to Adore them. 

They dont have any beaches in Guyana 

So i guess ill have to Lime by the Stinky Rum Factory in Berbice. 

So yeah i am gettting moved to an area called Rose hall in Berbice Guyana. 

i leave early wednesday morning 6 am and get to Guyana at 2:30 carribean standard time (really most likely 4 or 5 haha) but yeah i am going to be sad to leave here! 

 

i was thinking its going to be unfortunate to leave such wonderful people and alot who were preparing for baptism! we have one planned for saturday coming! 

But i will wait for a picture from Elder Padilla. 

 

My new Companion is an Elder from wyoming named Elder Christianson. all i really know about him so far is that he is from the french side, just finished being a zone leader and he can Curl 200 pounds, oh and can bench 500 :0  

so we will be in guyana together and president said he will show me how to be District leader. so i am excited to work with him. 

 

Elder LEany told me that after the ap's came to visit and elder ferrin came with us he came back to get dropped off by the zone leader he told elder leany "Elder Pierson is a great missionary" 

i really enjoy Elder Ferrins company! 

 

But all was well this week!,  

Coolest experiance actually happened not to long ago. we went to teach this one lady we taught once when we contacted her.. 

oh a little background. we have been working on whats called a contract lesson, where you find out there concern and then commit them to baptism is through this gospel their concern is cured.. but we found her concern last time and it was "i Am really just looking for the right church for me to join."  

we taught her the Gospel and left a restoration tract when we first visited. When we came back she had read the restoration tract with her boyfriend and she prayed about it.  

She told us of a vision where she kept trying to leave church to go to a party and she couldnt find her way to the party. but the church kept being there. 

Her old path was suddenly Gone. 

But she woke up and talked with her boyfriend and when we talked with her she had come to the conclusion that the dream was from God to tell her this church is the true church! and she wants to join it. So she will start coming to church this sunday coming and get baptized once she gets married! Anyways that was most likely the Highlight! 

 

OH And if you remember  ME talking about Elder Jacobson.. The Friendly Giant. He is Elder Padilla's mother! o they are going to work miracles  here! 

 

Anyways i am happy all is well! Love you much! 

 

Denver is serving in trinidad! (Elder Ferrin Told me ) Shh ;) haha

anyways Love you 

 

Elder Pierson

It's much easier to maintain a city than to fight to regain it

St Vincent is amazing! I really enjoy it here.

The only thing that makes me sad about this place is the hate towards the church here.

They have something called the Christian Council here where the leaders of religion get together and talk, apparently not too  long ago the council got together with the government to "kick the mormons out of St.Vincent" but they couldnt follow through because the president sees how much the church donates to welfare services here.. Buuuuut we are still here and the majority of the people are alright with us!

The church has been here so long that we have a member almost anywhere we go to. So that is fun! 

 

 

It makes me happy to see people active in the care of the members of the church who are slipping. I have really been thinking about people who are less active, and the best way I can see to help is to prevent them from being less active. I think of Alma  59:9 It's much easier to maintain a city than to fight to regain it! 

 

So Lydia likes the turtles? Sounds like she is just like me! I was having a blast playing with those turtles. All I could think while playing with them was "give me some fin, noggin, Dude... " haha Lindsey for sure will know what I mean!

 

"K" is doing amazing, She has really taken to Sister Adams. Who is the seminary teacher. She actually goes over to Sister Adams house sometimes and just limes and gaffs and ting. So they get along quite well.:) (Elder Pierson has picked up some local slang. None of us are quite sure what he means by gaffs and ting. haha)

 

And yes "Q" did get baptized! She is now officially a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. She is amazing, She believes so much in this gospel and we have made plans with her to help her mom come to church and be baptized.  

 

Member work is amazing! We actually had a really awesome success with a member named Sister Matthews, She has a nice friend person (not too sure the relation) Who we had an awesome lesson with. Her name is "Y". She listened very intently to the message of the restoration, when she wasn't trying to calm her child. She was very sincere and commited to pray specifically about the Restoration. We are going to meet with her again on Tuesday and find out how her experience went! 

 

Ahh i miss kieran! That guy is so fun!

Anyways I have no clue who my next companion will be, Elder Regis seems to think I will be training next transfer, but I do not know. I will find out this weekend! 

 

My shoes are wearing out but they still have some good thickness so I should be fine! 

Anyways I'm working hard and I hope things will be going well for Lindsey's wedding! 

 

Love Elder Pierson

Turtle Sanctuary and Q

Easter is an interesting holiday. And really here in the Caribbean no matter what the holiday, it is celebrated the same way. Drinking partying and all manner of iniquity. buuuuttt there are lots of people who celebrate it by going to church and singing and things. But yeah holidays every single store closes. the only open store was a Chinese food restaurant. Oh and also all the buses stop running... so I had to walk up and down so many mountains the last couple days! haha but hey that's alright. Oh funny thing about walking up mountains is that my legs are definitely getting bigger. The pants I got from Mr Macs are now like skin tight on my thighs when i sit down.  

 

Over this Easter season we have gotten fed so much, we actually got fed 2-3 times a day 3 days in a row so that was amazing! But we do get fed, actually twice every Sunday! At one house I found out a new favourite fruit of mine. well actually I have a couple. I fell in love with tamarind back in St. Lucia but here one member has a plum tree in her back yard. They are delicious! anyways I guess we are heading into "Mango Season" which is almost every missionaries favourite season, all the mango's are ripening and people cant eat/sell them fast enough, so missionaries get given mango's a lot! so yeah we get a lot of fruit. 

 

This week was a really good week! we had so much success we have an investigator who is preparing for baptism this weekend. Her name is "Q" and she is 18. You could basically say the was a "dry mormon" before Elder Regis met her. She is living everything and loves to read and learn. She actually had an uncle or something who was a member I think. Well anyways her baptismal date was relying on whether or not she showed up for church. And when we called her in the morning her phone was off. and she wasn't responding. So we were really nervous. Then we are at church and she still isn't there. Finally sacrament starts, and still no "Q". so we were pretty sad. Only to find out that after sacrament was over a group of like 13 people flooded in from outside the doors. "Q" being one of them. Kinda makes me think of something dad would say sometimes when we were driving. "I'm sure God has a Sense of humour because every time I'm in a hurry and I'm praying for a green light, it always just stays green long enough so that I can make it through." But she enjoyed church and is excited for her baptism. We also had a lot of investigators come to church, just late. Like 3 of "K's" friends. on a trade off me and Elder Jacobson (Yes the very same from St.Lucia) were teaching "K" when 3 of her friends came up and sat in on the lesson. we talked a bit about her baptism and they all wanted to be baptized and they all came to church. We just really need a chance to visit with the Mom so we can get her involved also. 

 

It has been a really good week. 

And to top of a good week we did something really fun for P-day today, we travelled by boat to an Island called Bequia (one of the Grenadines) and we got to go to a turtle sanctuary. where you can hold all the turtles and things, so that was really fun the Island as a whole was really cool.

Anyways I am so excited for James and Kieran! That is so cool! They are going to be great missionaries! Michael and James are going to have so much fun in the same mission.. ..

Maybe they will serve close to each other! Ah and Kieran gets to speak spanish! sounds fun!

Oh so random thought came while thinking of Kieran's call. Tell him I'm jealous that he will be getting a drying machine so he doesn't have to hang all of his clothes haha 

 

But yes lessons are going well! I am having fun with Elder Regis and I am getting to know my area so I can lead it next transfer!

Anyways I hope you have a great week! I love you! 

Love Elder Pierson

Baptisms and Transfers

This week was an interesting week. Amazing and kinda nerve racking. 

 

First of All Saturday was amazing, There were three people baptised. "P", I baptised, "OB", Elder Smith baptised, "X", Elder Bechan baptised.

So it was a great.  

 

But the whole Saturday I was nervous as to where I was going. I finally got my transfer call. I am Going to St Vincent! Just hopping the ocean about 20 Miles. so yeah I am kinda excited. Gonna miss St Lucia. But church was pretty great.  

 

I got to be a concluding speaker but when I got up sacrament was supposed to be over 5 mins ago. So I just bore my testimony and it was fun!  

 

Its so crazy that in one transfer, one more of my sisters will be married? woah. 

 

My next transfer though I am going to be killing a missionary. Elder Regis. My first district leader! So I think it is going to be fun!  (SIDE NOTE: JEFF IS NOT REALLY KILLING ANYONE. THAT IS JUST WHAT THEY SAY WHEN THE MISSIONARY THEY ARE COMPANIONS WITH FINISH THEIR MISSION AND THEN GO HOME.)

 

 

Oh and my ringworm is going away. I just guessed it was ringworm, but what ever it is I am all good. That antifungal cream took care of it. :)

 

But I guess the highlight of this week was the progress we have seen with a little boy named "NC". His mom has been dodging us but he said he wanted to sit down and listen to us. So we taught him a little bit about the gospel to his request, but he was really sincere. After the little lesson, he said that he wished we were his older brothers. Kinda melted my heart haha. He is such a cool kid its too bad I am leaving. But I am excited for a new adventure and meeting new people! 

 

Anyways fun thing about going to St Vincent is that I have 1 day there then we fly back to St Lucia for Zone conference, so I will be doing a lot of flying in the near future and also will have my passport stamped a whole ton! 

 

But I am excited for the new 

Have a fantastic week and wish me luck!

Love You !

Your Stripling Warrior

Elder Pierson

The work in Bissee

This week was an amazing week.!

I am doing amazing in St Lucia, other than the fact that i think i have some sort or ringworm thing in my skin... haha ill be fine. I think.   :) 

 

Anyways Church this Sunday was sad for member attendance we had so few people there. but we had about 7-8 Investigators there so the branch size wasn't too horrible. Had about 46 people there. Oh and yes in those investigators there were "P" and "OB", and their dates are this weekend! and "P" has asked me to baptise him, so this will be my first baptism. 

 

 

I am so excited for these men, They have grown so much since I have met them. Especially "OB", His whole family is making great strides in coming closer to the Saviour, "OB" is getting baptised this week and his brother "V" on the 5th of April. Also "OB" has a son who will be turning 8 in October, who wants to be baptised, so by then "OB" will have the priesthood and can baptise his son!    so its amazing to see how there whole family will be doing. we are actually going over there tonight to hold their first family Home Evening! :) That area is an amazing area . its called Bissee.  

 

We actually just met with a man named "ES", Now "ES" wants to bring his whole family closer like they used to be. He has a girlfriend who he has been with for 15 years and he wants to get married. Anyway, this man named "ES", called out to us one night while we were in a rush to get somewhere. I was on the phone and thought about just giving him a quick response and keep walking but I felt like we should talk to him. so I sent elder smith to talk to him and when I joined the conversation I found out that "ES" has done a lot of research on The Church of Jesus Christ and he really likes what he hears. He was trying to recall something  he learned but he said it was in a book called "the teaching of Joseph Albert Smith, or George Fielding Smith" so he is a Golden contact needless to say. He Told us his favourite book to read is the Gospel Principles book. so I am super excited. he is kinda busy  with work but we are going to get to meet with him. we gave him a book of Mormon on the Sunday night we met with him,  and when we saw him again on Tuesday  he had  just come home from work and he showed us what he was reading and he was on Ch 5 of first Nephi. so every break he got at work he was reading!

This guy is amazing! 

 

Oh other AMAZING thing of the week is the exploration of a new segment of area, its called Entrepot, and it is amazing. In two hours there we got 8 contacts and 6 lessons so that was really fun. everyone wanted to talk to us! we are gonna go back just now. 

 

Anyways it sounds like things at home are going amazing! Dad sounds like a busy man! and so cool he got to meet with Elder Holland. I am so jealous he is coming when I am not there. I've been listening to a lot of his talks and he is an amazing speaker! I love it! 

 

It's so cool to think that I have so many friends all around the world who are doing what's right because of the love that they have for the Saviour.  

 

I talked with a tourist who asked us if we were Mormons. now usually when tourists ask us that they have something to say about the scriptures, This family was from north carolina and the father was sweet. He just asked us if we were Mormons and I said yes. and he just said " I have my own faith, but I really respect what you guys do, its amazing to see young men give up two years to serve the Lord, keep it up" not gonna lie it was probably more exciting that meeting another member tourist! :) 

 

The work is progressing like none other. We  just had a visit from President Eclair (Second Councillor to the Mission Presidency) we took him teaching so that was cool, but he told us he is instructing the branch leadership to get the branch to do a lot more member missionary work. So hopefully we will be teaching all member referrals. 

 

My companion is doing great! his knee is doing well and I'm hoping it stays strong! But transfers are coming soon and I've been on this island for 6 months now so I don't know what is going to happen! Anyway it will be amazing! 

 

Love you very much! have an amazing week! 

 

Love Elder Pierson 

I guess you could say I sweat a lot

Things here are really going quite well, St Lucia is a great place and the work is really hastening here!
 
There are still only 3 companionship here in Castries, they put a 3rd companionship in Viex fort.
  
Not going to lie after Elder Schroeder left I was quite terrified, I didn't know really how to lead an area and I felt like I was going to loose all the investigators, honestly I didn't feel like I was a good enough missionary to be the Sr Companion.  But its really cool to see how the Lord  blesses those who are faithful and strive to serve him.  Really I have found a lot of Strength from my Patriarchal blessing, it talks a lot about how I will be asked to stretch and grow in my callings. and I have seen that I have been given strength beyond my own here.   But yes In spite of all my worries the Area is going great and we have a lot of great Investigators. Elder Smith is a Great teacher, and he really focuses on teaching by the spirit, as well as really bearing testimony to the people. He has knee problems so he cant walk as fast as Elder Schroeder and I had but we have been able to maintain the high appointments and the great success as before. 

We had a baptism this week also it was for a 10 year old girl. She was excited/nervous to be baptised, but sadly I was not the one she chose to baptise her, haha she actually chose the Elder who interviewed her, but she is still pretty cool. 

I have also lost 20 pounds since I came to St Lucia.... haha weighed myself today at my zone leaders apartment, I was 180 in the MTC and now I am like 163 ish. so I guess you could say I sweat a lot :) 

"U" isn't really making any progression but we actually haven't been able to teach her, she buys us drinks occasionally so that is really nice! but we haven't had much teaching going on.

This Sabbath was interesting. I guess a lot of the members decided to take a holiday, there was only 50 people at sacrament meeting, and a lot were investigators.. so that was sad. but other than that it was a good Sunday! 

Anyways I love you and I thank you for your support.

Elder Pierson

"S" got baptized! :)

I am doing pretty fantastic! This last week has been an amazing week, with zone conference and a baptism and just so much amazingness ! Anywho yeah I am pretty excited to stay another transfer with Elder Schroeder! He is a really cool guy and knows so much! It's cool how much I have to learn! Oh and I'm pretty sure my mission president will be an apostle soonish haha.

"S" Baptism was amazing! She was so prepared for this! I also really enjoyed by the power of the priesthood confirming someone a member of the Church! And having them recieve the holy ghost! Not gonna lie I was super nervous, but as soon as I started just kinda felt normal, so it was an amazing Sunday!

Oh and also on Sunday I met some tourists who live in Medicine Hat and know uncle Teague and aunt Cheri. So that was pretty cool!

Ok back to President  Mehr being an apostle soon, Zone conference was amazing! We learned so much. I'm really trying to apply what we learned there. Like reading a scripture and then asking a question that helps them search the scripture, then an analyzing question to help them understand what the scripture means and then an apply question to apply it to their life. The best thing I learned other than the deep doctrine was that to be effective we need to help the people realize what they want in life and how what we tell them can help them get there! Oh and st vincent was cool! there are lots of hills and its a beautiful country! and they have a big legit chapel! :0 crazy!!

And yes also for the storm everyone here believes it was God warning the people because they are celebrating the birth of Christ wrong (Alcohol and drugs) anyways yes it really does humble people!

Fast sunday was amazing! We had some great testimonies at church and a quite good attendance! 60 :) Elder Schroeder says the first sunday he spent here there was about 25 people at church.

I've found out the power of fasting while out on my mission. Before I would basically just starve myself. I didn't really have anything I was praying for and I never closed my fasts with a prayer. We teach fasting out here a bit and Elder Schroeder shares a scripture in Isaiah that talks about the blessing of fasting. My favourite is where it says that "the lord will be your rereward". Or in other words rearguard. so rugby analogy now. What a rearguard is, is kind of like a support or extra strength. So imagine somone goes into a ruck and gets Stopped, there is no progression either way. Then a man comes from your team comes in behind and pushes your through. The promise is that when satan opposed us and we could be stopped that the lord will come in and push us through . So I like that one the best. We can't be stopped by the adversary when we are fasting properly! love it!

Anyways this week has been great and eventful. I also got called to repentance by my mission president . I didn't memorize my scripture that I was supposed to by zone conferance.Ii was suposed to memorize 2nd Nephi Ch 2 but I only got about half, but don't worry I'm still working on it! You all should memorize scriptures. You learn so much from the scripture when you memorize it! 

Anywho I love ya!

Elder Pierson!