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 

The Spirit brings so much happiness to people

Missionary life is going amazing!! i love what i am doing, and i feel as though i am getting better and more well versed in the doctrine of this gospel! 

 

Its amazing to hear about the baptisms this saturday!! im so excited to hear about that! Member missionary work is an amazing help! i cannot wait till St Lucia has a Stake 

 

Church was a little disappointing but still amazing! we had so many people who were committed to come to church who did not! it rained an hour before Church started and people here look for any reason not to come.  

so the two baptisms we had planned for this week we have had to move to the next week. The guys are "OB" and a man named "P". "P" has one leg and needs a ride to church every day, but he was sick on sunday. and "OB" is awesome he is excited about the gospel and especially about baptism,  he actually was addicted to drugs but got off before we met him, he was only smoking while we were teaching him and now he is clean and he fells amazing. its crazy to see this change in the family. From the time we first met them till now we can see the change. The spirit is so much stronger in there lives, and they are happier all the time! 

 

The Gospel and The Spirit brings so much happiness to people! I Love It! 

 

This week was an amazing week for missionary work. during the week we actually taught 42 lessons and they were all pretty good!

I think my favourite thing to talk about at the moment is actually the hastening of the work! I love hearing about the missionary work and progression of the people in the Empire of Russia. It talks all about it in the February Liahona. 

 

Any ways haha umm cool P-day activities, well today we went to climb on of the Pitons and then we didn't actually. we got there and they wanted to charge us the tourist price even though we are locals and we had a sweet police local named Sam (Ym President) with us! so we didnt want to pay 30 US to climb a mountain so we hung out at the beach, playing some rugby! 

 

Anyways it was a good day today! 

And i love this work! and St Lucia.

But I Love you!

Have a Great week

Love, Elder Pierson

Seeing Progress

 

Since the last earthquake there has been nothing, people here like to make up stories , so I think there will be no tsunami but who knows!! 

 

I could not imagine it being cold on my mission. But to tell you the truth i am still just waiting for it to get cold. haha. I guess I am starting to adapt to the weather because I start to get a kind of chill sometimes when it gets below 30 ;) 

Oh just so you know we met a lady who is so nice! She and her husband have offered to feed us and we have only met them once. She went on a 6 year mission somewhere and she says she knows how tough it can be sometimes. But she said when ever we pass by to come a get a chocolate cupcake because she just thinks how our mothers must miss their babies and she wants to do what they would do for us :) She is super nice! I really realized how much I love my mother!

Church this week was really good! We had 68 people there and two of them were these investigators that we were about to drop. They are sweet! After church one of them expressed to me how he has never felt this way attending any other church, and he has finally made up his mind and he said he is going to come here for the rest of his life! So I am so excited for him! Well them! It's actually two brothers named "V" and "OB". its going to be great to get two more worthy Priesthood to this branch. We really need it! But the church has been growing at an amazing rate here!  

 

Actually on Thursday I got to witness a wedding. This man looks Rastafarian and he lives in Canada with his now wife. But he couldn't be baptised in Canada so he came home to St Lucia to get baptised, married and get his Canadian citizenship so it's exciting!  

 

We have actually been seeing a lot of success, We will next week be baptising a one legged man named "P". He is really cool and super humble! He needs a ride to church and he gets a ride sometimes so he is doing great! 

  

We also have a lady named "DS" who has 4 kids who she wants to live gospel. She has a baptism date for the 29th and she hopefully will bring all her kids to church next week. She is actually the niece of an investigator named "VE". And how we met "DS" was we were teaching "VE" And BRO, and she came up to us and said she wanted to join our church and get baptised! So she is doing well, we just need to teach her about the Word of Wisdom! 

 

As for the young men we were teaching, I think we are going to have to drop them. Only one has has a witness that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but he wont come to church, but hopefully he will start acting and see the blessings that will come into his life and trust the Lord in all he does! 

 

But the YM program will be getting much better. A new member named Sam just got called to be the YM leader, and he is built like brother Tanner so I'm sure he is going to be a great leader. I wasn't there when he taught his class but apparently he is a great role model for the kids, and was encouraging them to do well in school! 

 

Anyway, the branch is doing fantastic! 

 

And the work is doing great! I love being a Missionary and am so happy to be here!

Love you very much!
Elder Pierson

I slept through an Earthquake

St Lucia is amazing!

It's sad to hear its getting cold in Canada again! It was starting to get kind of coldish here, but then it stopped raining and the sun came out again... and never went away again! haha it's sooo hot over here right about now. But hot is nice I guess! :) 

Lately I have really been missing rugby for some reason! I do not know why but rugby is such a fun sport!!

I love it here! And the work is really progressing!

This week was really good! I am realy happy about the order and the kind of companions I have been given. With Elder Schroeder I learned so much of the gospel, I learned all the facts and got to know the scriptures really well. My time so far with Elder Smith has taught me really how to use the spirit in all The lessons we teach. So combined with the two i have learned so much that is going to really help with my mission! 

Ah so you talked with Elder Bingham and Sister Sheltons Mothers? That is really cool, I actually really rarely get to see them now but Elder Bingham is one of my favourites haha he is funny ans oh yeah he can quote movies like its nothing haha. But yes St Lucia is amazing in case you didnt tell Sister Sheltons mom that already. 

Oh and something interesting, There was an earthquake here! I guess it was while I was sleeping... I slept right through it :/ But I guess you could feel it shaking and it woke all the other missionaries up except me and Elder Fiame. They say it was a 6.7 on the rictor scale. But there was no damage so its ok! oh but apparently they say there is also a tsunami coming soo just remember I am on the safe side of the island and I'm sure that people are just assuming about the tsunami.. so don't worry about me :) 

Elder Smith is an Awesome missionary. His knee is a little sore and it acted up yesterday, so who knows maybe my area will become a car area :) haha I wish but probably not. But his knee is doing goodish better than before he came home the first time ! 

This week was an interesting week for church. according to the numbers we put in weekly we had 2 investigators at chuch, but we actually had 7or 8. so it was good! the only thing we would really need to work on in this island is the dedication of some of the members. i think they just need a calling so they need to come to church.. but The meeting attendance has been going up. the highest we had one week was about 78 and this week we had like 56 i think. but the church is really growing here! 

I found out today that I am so excited for conference. never thought I would miss hearing those talks as much as I do. I actually have one session of the 2007 October conference, I have watched it like 3 times now haha 

I am so happy to be a missionary. we have a lot of progressing investigators, and it's fun to explore new areas :)

Anyways, I love it here and am excited to keep being a missionary! 

Have a Great week! And tell Grandma i Love her :) 

Love You very much!

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

Transfers this week

 

I am doing Pretty fantastic in St Lucia right now. 

 

Last Friday was transfer calls and there are some changes happening! I am staying in Castries 3 and I get a new companion. His name is Elder Smith, and he is pretty cool. The weird thing is that he has been here for 4 days already, only he has been in View fort. So not with me. This is going to be his third transfer, so I am the Sr companion and I get to lead the area. He actually came out 2 transfers before me but he had to go home for a while due to a knee problem, but he got surgery and now he is back. This is going to be a big change and its gonna make me stretch for sure. 

  

Any ways its cool. Now its time for missionary related island news. There are now two districts in St Lucia. One more companionship has been put in View Fort and now our district has been split. So that is going to be fun!  

 

The work really is hastening. When I first came out I was starting a new area in Castries, so in the past 4 months 4 more missionaries have been moved to St Lucia. Crazy!

Anyways I am now done going crazy about the transfer Stuff.  

 

Church on Sunday was really great, biggest surprise was that our new convert "S" brought her "Bible Study" friend to church, her name is "U" and she never seemed interested in what we taught. Recently however when we would go over we would teach "S" how to teach, and the topic we were focusing on was why the book of Mormon was so important. The day after "U" was asking for a book of Mormon and came to church! So hopefully we can see lots of progress with her. 

 

It's really weird to think that I will be leading an area, that means I have to remember all the peoples names! sounds hard but like "S" says, " I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me" so it will be good! Oh and as for the baptisms, this week we have 3 scheduled but one we haven't been able to meet with her in a bit so depending on if we can meet her we will find out if she is getting baptized. Another is a man who doesn't really take baptism seriously, he is living with a member and wont move out. Both Elder Schroeder and i felt prompted to get him an interview to get baptized, so when he most likely fails he will realize that something needs to change. He is an awesome man who really wants to get baptized, just cant yet. But the other one is a really solid date and she most likely will get baptized. So at least one baptism this weekend for sure :) It's good ! 

 

I love hearing about everything that is happening at home! It's kind of weird to not be there for everything that happens but it feels cool to know. (as they say in trinidad) "whagwan" 

 

Anyways this week was really good and hopefully I have some good stuff to tell you about on the next p-day :)

But I love you! and I hope your week will be amazing! 

Love Elder Pierson

I can feel the effects of your prayers.

Well today we had a pretty good p-day so far. We went to a place called Pigeon Point and looked at all the old war buildings and the cannons and stuff. Funnest thing is that we could climb all over them and move old cannons and stuff. Anyways it was good! I'll try to get some pictures off the other elders cameras. 

 

As far as Church here it was great! Those three people didn't come! :( But there were so many people who came! We had 74 at sacrament meeting and more showed up late. So we had a lot of people coming now. We actually ran out of chairs and had to bring some more in from the classrooms. So that was amazing! Soon we might have to go and get ourselves a new building! We're gonna out grow it! 

 

It's amazing to see how the Lord always fulfills his promises. As a mission we were assigned a scripture. D&C 31:3-7 We are promised that by our hands the Lord will establish a church here! And all blessing are given based on our faithfulness. St Lucia before our group of missionaries was not doing so well. The missionaries were really apostate and such, or disso (disobedient) as you would used to call me ;) But since we have been here, and have been faithful and been obedient to the rules we have been given, St Lucia has seen amazing success! 

 

The testimonies were amazing on Sunday also! 

 

I can really feel the effects of your prayer, we have been meeting people who are prepared for the gospel and are excited to hear what we have to say! 

 

One of my favourite testimonies on Sunday came from the branch president  and another good one came from his Councillor. One testimony was about the power of prayer. President Deboville prayed for the growth of the church and it has been happening at a amazing rate and he can see in his life the answer to his prayer. His councilor talked about the Holy Ghost. He talked about how he felt prompted to go to his parents house before work one day. When he went his father had an episode of a diabetic attack. Had he not followed that prompting his father would have likely died. So his testimony has been very strongly strengthened and mine also! I like hearing peoples testimonies, they are amazing!

Anyways  i hope you have an amazing week.  

 

 

Love you 

Elder Pierson 

Inviting people to act

Things here in St Lucia have seem to be picking up. We have a couple people with baptismal dates but I think only a few will actually pan out. I have found that if we don't invite the people to do things and be devastated when they fail to act, they don't act. They view us as just a bible study. So lately we have been focusing on getting people to act! 

Success of the week would have to be meeting 3 new investigators. These people are all friends and they have stopped attending any church because they feel there is no church that is correct. They are confused just as Joseph Smith was. While we talked they were very interested and they just instantly believed that what we said was the truth. We actually met them last night so our invite to church will have to be for next week. The people here are amazing! I have only met two people on this whole island so far who do not believe in Jesus Christ. Turns out I love being a missionary haha! I am Already thinking about extending my mission :) hope you wont mind ;) 

 

So I've started to undertake reforming myself. I'm trying to apply Christlike Attributes more into my life, and also trying to deny myself of all ungodliness. I mean after all we are commanded to be perfect. So hope I can get there! :) 

 

But yes life here is good and the Church is growing, we actually have a scripture given to our mission by an apostle. It's Doctrine and Covenants Section 31: 3-7. While we are here we are to "Reap in the field which is white all ready to be burned"

And also that "I will open the hearts of the people and they will receive you. And I will establish a church by your hands;" These promises from the Lord are really coming true. Everything about it is happening and its amazing to see. 

 

Anyways I love it here and hopefully I will have some good stories for you next week. 

Love you Much,

Elder Pierson

We have the truth

Things here are going amazing! we have had so many people recently express their concern that they think there is no church that is telling or has the full truth. i love bearing testimony to them that there is a church that has 100% of the truth! :) they really seem to light up and those lessons i can feel the spirit so powerfully! 

 

As for the heat i am basically completely used to the weather. i think i should extend my mission so that when i come home its the dead of winter! :) That would be a fun shock for my body! :) haha im glad its warm there! im trying to send some of the heat back there! and bring the cold here, guess its working ;)  

Oh ok, Sunday, it was amazing! we had a bunch of talks and it sounded  like people who have been members for years were talking! "S" did amazing! she talked on baptism and how important it was, she had scriptural references like crazy and she bore such a strong testimony! she impressed the people there alot, when she said amen the whole congregation just very enthusiastically said amen also! She ended her talk the exact same way that Uchtodorf did in one of his talks. Phillipeans 3:14 i think (i could be very wrong) but she finished by saying that in Christ she can do anything!. i really enjoyed it! Oh and while im speaking about "S", she just got a calling also.. but before i tell you ,   remember she is a member as of two weeks... She got called to be the institute teacher! she is amazing! and is progressing  in her knowledge so fast! anyways i will stop bragging about me and elder Schroeder convert.. oh and remember i do not boast in my own strength but in the strength of my Lord. (Alma Something)  

 

As for the four young men we have been teaching, we have just recently been making a greater effort to meet with their parents. we want them to have support in the church and we have been able to teach two of their mothers. and we are teaching more! we are about to make a lot more progress in there area! they are doing great still tho. they believe absolutly every word we teach and we have them most likely starting to come to church this next week! :) mission life is fun!

 

anyways we are doing great teaching the gospel and having fun! 

We will keep doing well! 

 

Hurrah for Israel!

Love Elder Pierson

 

Go to the temple for me!

I am doing fantastic! St Lucia had a surprise snow storm this week. Really weird..... Just kidding that would never be physically possible haha 

 

St Lucia is Great! we had a pretty Good Sunday! There we 71 people at sacrament meeting. So it was goood! Now that the Christmas and new years season are over people are becoming more reliable! But It was a good Sunday. The branch is getting bigger and the members are getting better! Elder Schroeder says when he first came to church in St Lucia there was 20-30 people who would come to church every week! So its a crazy difference! But as for me and Elder Schroeder we had 4 investigators at sacrament and about 8 who came. Some just came late but we are doing good! Highlight of the Sunday attendance was.. well there were a lot. "S" brought her son her daughter and her daughters boyfriend with her so that was exciting. Also the lady we contacted during the huge storm came! Her  daughter wished she could come but she had Netball Practice. But she is so nice and made friends at the church instantly. We actually called her during the week. We forgot to call, but when we did she was freaking out. She and her daughter were apparently just talking about us when we called so I guess that made a pretty amazing impression! But Sunday was great! With six missionaries in one branch the branch really grows! It's super cool! 

 

Anyways Darren proposed? I never would have guessed ;) sad that I'm probably gonna miss the wedding! Unless they have a 20 month engagement haha. 

 

One thing I have really realized while here on my mission is how blessed we are to live so close to a temple! It's gonna be nice to be able to go to the temple again! I've decided to make it a goal in my life to go to every temple in Utah! So there will probably be like 5 more temples there by the time I get home! haha it will be a fun goal!

But yeah it costs so much for the people to get to a temple when they live here. They don't have much money, so it's a real struggle to get them there. It's amazing to think that one day there could be a ward here probably not a temple since there isnt many people on the island but that would also be really cool  

OH and crazy thing is that this Sunday I met another person who was just barely in Cardston for their grandsons wedding! they were from Utah. 

OH and yes President  Mehr is amazing ! I learn so much every time he talks! And yes we have recently gotten our studies better and I learn alot in them! :) It's really nice!

This gospel is full of so many cool things and fun things to study! 

 

"S" is becoming one of the best missionaries I know! I don't know if refering to an MRT will make sense to you but "S" has been giving us so many MRT's we taught 9 this last week and she has given us about 13 so she is really a good force for good here in Castries. She also says she feels ready to give a talk! She is awesome! And she got a talk for next week so I guess the branch president is inspired! haha it's cool!  

 

Anywho I love you all and go to the temple lots for me! :) 

 

Love Elder Pierson!

 

Transfers and Flooding

I am doing Great! I found out about the transfer and I am staying with Elder Schroeder for another transfer still in the city of Castries. I am excited and happy that I will get to be there for "S" baptism! I think me staying with Elder Schroeder is bringing to pass part of my patriarchal blessing. About me knowing the scriptures well. He knows them so well and is sharing so much information and insight on them! I really enjoy having my blessing just right there to look at and learn from all the time.

I really enjoy my companions and all the missionaries around me! They are sweet! this transfer only one is leaving! Elder Larson. so thats sad. But everything else is staying the same! The sisters are kinda crazy excited about everything(like all sister missionaries) but yeah I enjoy all the missionaries on this island hopefully Elder Larsons replacement is awesome as well!  I am sure he will!

Ok so favourite part about this last week.. well my favourite part about last week was the amount of contacting we did! We got to know so many people! It was amazing! There are so many people who are willing to listen to what we have to say. It's truly amazing to see how many people the Lord has prepared and put in our path! I'm excited for this next transfer where I will no longer be training so I will have one more hour in the day for teaching and tracting. That hour was previously used for training! so I'm excited for the transfer!

So this Sunday was a little different. We only had one hour of church. Only the sacrament meeting. President Debouville let everyone go home early to figure their lives out. I don't know if you heard really how bad the storm that passed was. I said it rained a lot but that was an understatement. It rained 260ml in one go and all the locals say it was way worse than hurricane Thomas. The amount of devastation that has occurred has been unreal. There has been no water for the past 4-5 days, and when the pipes would open for an hour or two the water was filthy. So me and Elder Schroeder are really lucky we have a water tank that holds 1000 gallons and a pump that works so we were good to shower and drink water and stuff (all missionaries have a water filter) all the other missionaries went a couple days without showering. So we were lucky. oh and the view fort missionaries are coming up here because that is where the destruction really happened and they have no water still and are struggling to get water. So they get a vacation in Castries for a while. But the people here are really suffering. We have been carrying water to give to people and they have been so thankful, but the storm was a disaster for the island. 3 bridges were washed away, 4 roads were washed out and 7 people have died so far. All from the storm so far. So we are trying to help out. But there are places like Bexon that are covered in 3-4 foot of mud from all the landslides. The Church is sending us 25000 hygiene and supply kits to help out. Hopefully things will get figured out soon. We are doing out best to help! So yeah don't be worried about me but just letting you know whats going on in the island. Oh and this storm hit three other islands. The one that got the worst was St. Vincent. We are going there on Thursday for zone conference. (I get to fly again) but hopefully we can help out there. Oh 24 people have died in St.Vincent so far. It was hit so much worse. But once again do not worry I am doing just fine!

Oh we had an investigator named "O" come with his two kids! He is awesome! :)

Anyways I'm glad I'm here and I get to stay here and I'm working harder that ever now and I'm so excited to see progress on the island. Oh something cool. So St. Lucia had no baptisms for a year or two until two transfers ago and now we have had 5 or six in three transfers! :)

The work is truly hastening! So thank you all for your prayers and I love you. 

 

Love Elder Pierson

I don't often get cold, but when I do I make sure to write about it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

So St.Lucia is doing amazing! There was a crazy flooding storm today. So as I am writing this letter I am kinda soaked sitting in the air conditioning. This is the second time only that I have been cold on my mission. haha The first was when I got to be a witness in another baptism on Saturday. 

We are going to cut our tree down today! So I can put the presents under it today ! :) 

We had our best investigator at church on sunday for the second week in a row. As for church attendance, it was lacking about 20-30 as opposed to 60 because we had a Christmas party on Saturday and people here tend to not come if you have a big activity sometime in the week! Which was fun by the way. Elder Schroeder made some bakes that our investigator gave us the recipe too!

So haha funny thing about the countdown... ehh I uhhhh... might  um have maybe..... opened them all early... cough cough.

They were amazing I love it so much! It's great to hear from all the people at home!

The people here have no problem with meeting us because of the season. The only problem we have is that this season is the tourist season so people are often out trying to make money off of the tourists! So some people aren't home. But for the most part people are excited to see us. Also a lot of religions don't celebrate Christmas down here because it has been turned into a big drunken party so we even have a few appointments on Christmas day! 

Anyways first official for sure baptism for me and Elder Schroeder will be happening on Jan 4. Our awesome investigator who makes delicious food prayed and fasted after we taught her about fasting and she got her answer for the fourth. She said it came because she looked at a calendar saw the fourth and a thought came into her mind of "I have 4 children to save(get baptized), I will get baptized on the 4th." So that date will not move! Hopefully I'm still here!

Merry Christmas! Love Elder Pierson

The Christmas Season

So as for my companion he is feeling much better. he fully recovered this week! like in wednesday! 

Church this week was Great! 

We have 4 Young men aged kids who are super smart Investigating and they were going to come to church, but they pulled an alnighter one of those days before and fell asleep and slept through there alarms for church. so sad but we did get four other investigators come to church. "S" the one who makes amazing food! and she is excited to come to the christmas party! on saturday and to church the next day! other than that we had two more investigators there! 

So as far as Teaching investiagtors I am going to go back to that group of young men! we had a lesson with them last night and we taught the plan of salvation, and they loved it. they had so many questions and we didnt have enough time to teach them. so during P-day Today we are going to the Beach with them and teach them the rest. also at the beach we are going to do some fllips and stuff. like backflips and front flips and handsprings and stuff. 

also! i have been really enjoying the christmas season! people really like to think about Jesus and talk religion during this season. those are the good people. if they dont talk about Jesus during Chiristmas they are probably drinking and partying the season away. so its good down here! we have so many investigators who are progressing now! its cool to see when something makes sense and they know its true! Bearing testimony and praying for help from the Holy Ghost really makes teaching so much more effective! 

One more specific Lesson that was Great was with a girl named "ML". She has been investigating for a long time and she is scared to get baptised because she doesnt want to mess up again. so we taught her alot this past tuesday and that whole lesson the spirit was there. there was no doubt about it, she told us she was feeling it because she says she always crys whe she feels the spirit powerfully, and then later in the lesson while we were bearing testimony she asked us if we were trying to make her cry. but she is an awesome investigator and im excited to help her realize her potential and to fulfill her desire to get baptised! 

Love You

Elder Pierson

Enjoying the warmth

Things in St Lucia are... Warm.. and touristy. since i have been here i and seen 46 Cruise ships. about 30 some have been from  this transfer alone! anyways Kinda Jealous and not at all Jealous at the same time about your weather! Want to Trade?  

 My Companion is feeling much better. his bones no longer feel like they are super weak and his skin doesnt feel like its being rubbed raw so. hes better. just gets tired really easily now. and not eating to much but he is well enough for missionary work! :)

As for the baptisms... Either the people just dont understand the commandments or they dont come to church.. so we have had to push back and cancel baptismal dates. but we have a bunch set for the first Saturday in 2014! hopefully we can help them understand! but anyways this sunday was a particularly sad sunday. we had no investigators come to church! we dont know why :( but we will check up! 

 

Oh Yes i loved going in the ocean! i felt kinda rebelious and like i was completly following rules all at the same time! it was really cool to see a baptism tho! 

 

And yes all is well we had a youth activity and we had 8 investigating youth there. dont worry i can jump the furthest out of all them :) haha but they can do backflips and 360 handsprings and stuff so they are pretty cool guys!  

 

Anyways love you ! and i will keep working hard!

Elder Pierson

I joined a gang

Ok so first of all you should send me a picture of snow sometime haha:)

Oh and I think I joined a gang? A guy named SamBo introduced us to his whole gang! He likes us I think... haha and he offered us quite a large amount of weed.. haha. We said no but it was an interesting night!

Any ways other than joinging a gang. The week was a bit slow.. My companion Elder Schroeder decided to get Dengue fever. So we were inside a lot. I got to read a lot of stuff tho! So that was good. But as for lessons we only got a few. 

As for Sunday. It was good . Our senior couple elder and sister Gartz are leaving.. and the people LOVED them, so there was a huge party and there were so many people there! We had 90 people at Church instead of our usual 50-60,

so church was great. Elder Gartz was the acting branch president but now he is gone the branch needed to be re organized. So President Mehr came! Super cool! He is honestly the smartest and the best gospel teacher I have ever met.

The testimonies this Sunday were all from the Gartz' and the new presidency so the De bovilles, the Marquis, and the Felix'. So there wasn't time for any other testimonies. Oh other than the Gublers, the new senior couple.

But we got to go meet with Granny with President Mehr and everything he teaches and shares just blows my mine! Definitely a fan of listening to him!

Church this Sunday was a lot of fun! 

So not much to report other than being part of a baptism! :) 

Yeah I went in the ocean. Some of the other elders had a baptism and they asked me to be the other witness so it was cool! Not my companionships baptism but I still got to be a part of it! :) 

So this week has been slow but a good experience! Good learning! 

One of my favourite investigators hasn't come to church :( She gets sick every Saturday and Sunday so far. Not like a fake doesn't want to come to church but like legit dengue and other stuff.. so next week !

Gotta pick out our Christmas banana tree! And I also miss those singing things but the people here love Christmas music so we have heard it for the last 2 months. Lots of fun, and its all rap and redone music so its interesting.

Yes American thanks giving was great! We had a chance to celebrate it. President Mehr paid for every area in the mission to have Thanksgiving dinner! So we had 2 turkeys and so much food and a good time!

Oh and I will try not to cut my fingers off but no promises! His Companion has a machete...and there is a lot of fruit over there....Jeff has become a fruit ninja. 

Ah well love you !!

I'll keep being a good missionary :)

Love Elder Pierson