Howdy

How's everyone's week been? Mine's been pretty sweet. Lotta good experiences for us. Many funny ones this week.

I talked to a Buddhist who was hammered and knew nothing about his own faith. We had a 94 year old man and his wife take us out to eat one night. Surprisingly, he actually went the speed limit. But we did end up repeating the same conversation numerous times.

We've stated teaching a kid who's parents don't speak any English. Who said I wouldn't need to know another language for my mission? We found an igloo in somebody's front yard. So Elder Henke and I decided to go inside. We both fit. Then the kid that made it came out and stared at us. So we had him take our picture and he's gonna help us build one today if it stops snowing. Once built, we are going to sleep in it tonight. It's gonna be sweet.

We were tracting some apartments a couple days ago when we met a guy who obviously didn't want to talk to us. So of coarse we engaged in conversation. He told us he didn't want to get converted and he had a religion already. When was asked him what religion he stopped for a minute, thought about it, and said "uh.. baptism".  So, I was like your a member of baptism? Do you mean baptist?  He said "ya, i go every week" and ran inside. It was funny.

Then we taught a FHE lesson yesterday, and there was a 2 year old who decided he wanted to lead the lesson. So he opened his Book of Mormon and said "I'm going to tell you a story. Jesus was a dragon!" It was hilarious. You learn something new every day I guess.

On a spiritual note, we had a sweet lesson. One of the ward mission leaders told us to go visit a girl named Torrie and see if we could teach her. The first 2 visits the dad answered the door and didn't seem very pleased to see us. The 3rd time he told us some other missionaries were teaching her. After we found that was a lie we went back a 4th time. He told us they were busy now and to come back in a month. I was like, how's this Mon at 4 sound? And it worked.

So yesterday at 3 we were walking in front of the high school and saw 2 kids in the parking lot. We aren't really supposed to talk to kids, but we felt impressed to go talk to them. It turned out that one of them was Torrie (who we hadn't met before) and she wasn't planning on being home for the lesson. We were able to talk her into going and told her it'd be short.

So after much work, we finally had the lesson ready to go at 4. We showed up at 4:30 and the parents decided to sit in on it. I was thinking the dad was gonna pull some anti-Mormon stuff,  or argue with whatever we said.  But he turned out to be the most interested in the lesson.

We had planned to focus on certain things, but ended talking about prayer for a lot of the lesson. Which was exactly what they needed to hear. The spirit led us in setting up the lesson and teaching it as well. The dad, who was so against us teaching, was describing how he felt the exact same way while we were there that he felt when he prayed. Tingly and comforted. We explained that was the spirit and it was telling him what had to say was true. At the end of the lesson he was close to tears and couldn't wait for the next lesson. All of the family felt the spirit.

It goes to show that everyone wants to feel Christ's love, whether they know it or not. No matter how they act. It was amazing to see their change in just the hour we were there. It was the best experience I've had all transfer. Don't give up on anyone. Always keep persisting and do whatever you can to bring them to Christ.

I love you all. Thanks for all the support, keep it up. Keep reading the scriptures and praying. It's amazing how much of a help those two little things are. And if we dedicate ten min to them, our whole day goes by a lot better.


Elder Pearson

Warming Up Finally

(random picture of Ryan's district)

How's everyone doing? Things in Ogden are great. It's up to the 40's right now. So it feels great.

One thing about Ogdenites is a severe lack of commitment. Due to that, we won't be baptizing anyone this transfer :/ So I decided to baptize my phone instead. I didn't really plan on it, but the phone fell in water. Luckily it eventually turned on and is now working fine. Which is good, because it was a new phone that we just got a couple days before. so, prayer works :)

While tracting this week (knocking doors) Elder Henke and I came across a sword. So obviously, we had to unsheathe it and take pics. (they'll come soon i hope) It was pretty sweet.

Sunday was fun. A 2 year old baby spat on Elder Henke at sacrament. And not just a lil spit. She pretty much hawked a loogie at him. It was hilarious. Gotta love kids, they know not to mess with me.

Sun night we went to eat dinner at a family's house. We were sitting in the front room waiting for them to finish and every 5 min a new lil kid came in. Pretty soon there were 11 kids in the room. It was ridiculous... only Mormons. This transfer is been a bit lacking of spiritual stories. It's not that I'm not having any, just no good ones to tell. Hopefully in a couple weeks I'll get back to having some good ones. We also ate dinner at a cop's house. If we get permission from the mission prez, we get to go out on highway patrol with him next Tuesday to pull people over.  I can't wait.

Other than that, keep at it. Don't forget to always pray and read the scriptures. They're good.

Love yall,


Elder Pearson

Hey Y'all

[email from the 11th - just posting now]

So great week. How bout them Cowboys? I gloat now because I don't know if I'll be able to after the Vikings are done with them.

The week has really flown by. Things between the comp and I are going great. We're really working well together and getting in gear... finally. Sadly, none of our investigators are getting in gear. One of the downfalls of working in Ogden. NO motivation from anyone. But we gotta work through these things and "all have a smile on our face and appreciate the beautiful world God made for us" - words from my sister Allie's prayer.

We ate dinner with 2 Tongan families this week. Those guys are soo cool. The first family was related to Harvy Unga, the BYU running back.  The second family kept forcing food on our plates. The husband wanted a blessing, and we had to pronounce his full name correctly to give a blessing. The thing is, his full name is EvaHeta O-viola Fakalata Pututau. It was so fun trying to get that right.

Every day and every week we all learn something new. I learned about the dumbest gang of all time. The Straight Edgers. They're a gang that hangs around outside of bars and beat up people who drink or smoke. They've sent people to the hospital and killed people.... for drinking! How does this make sense? Anyone who want's to stop people from being dumb, don't' do it by killing them. Nuff said.

The weather's staying in the teens a lot. But I hear it's supposed to get up to the 40's so that's awesome. Once again.. no really cool stories this week. I see miracles happen every day and it's still completely uplifting to be out here. Just nothing to share this week... or transfer. I will end with a cool quote i found. "Today's Test is Tomorrow's Testimony"


Love yall,

Elder Pearson

January 5, 2009

Elders Fairbanks and Pearson with Jenn.  They taught her, and she was baptized by her friend.

Elders Fairbanks and Pearson with Cam-ron.

Boys will be boys.

[I have been instructed to note that last year the mission baptized 2,000 people - a new record for the mission.  Needless to say, he is excited!]
So pretty sweet week. It's colder in all of Texas than it is up here so HA.

Last Wed morning we all got up early and played some ice hockey. no pads or teams, but it was awesome to skate around and find out how good I am at it (simply amazing).

I'm devastated that TCU lost. Everyone up here wanted them to win too, because they're in the MTN conf. But Texas is gonna make up for it in the National Championship. It's gonna be sweet. I still gotta figure out a way to be able to watch the game.

Jan 1st was such a fun day. We went to the most inner-city Ogden part of town we could to find people to teach. Everyone was still drunk and crazy from the night before. I had one guy tell me I needed a body guard or I wouldn't stay alive. Little does he know I'm protected by the best guard. He was too drunk to fight anyway.

I've had a couple cool spiritual experiences this week, but none that are good for the email. so I'll just bear my testimony. I know that the Godhead is made up of 3 separate individual beings. And that each can do what the other two can't. First there's our Father in Heaven. Only He in his infinite wisdom could have brought us this perfect plan of happiness and salvation. A way that we can gain a body here on earth, gain experience and learn and grow. But in this plan, it was crucial that his only begotten son suffered for the sins of all of us. Only Jesus Christ could of come to earth and take upon himself the pains and sins of all of us so that we can be baptized with the proper authority from God and have all our downfalls forgiven and washed away. And last there's the Holy Ghost. only He, the member of the Godhead without a body, can speak to us through our thoughts and feelings to tell us this plan is true. The Holy Ghost isn't held back by words. He works in a much deeper way. I'm truly grateful for my Father in Heaven, my Brother Jesus Christ, and my personal companion the Holy Ghost. Each have helped me more than I can imagine and each want us all to succeed in life. They love us all so much and do whatever they can to help us. We just have to ask in prayer.


Love yall,

Elder Pearson
 

This Just In

Ryan sent home a card with some pics and a video.  Here is who he spent Christmas with.  I wish I had a name of the family, but he did not share that with us.

And here is Ryan hitting the pinata

Glad to see he can still have fun!

Happy New Year

Elder Pearson and his first snowman (see previous post)

So Christmas was pretty sweet. I got to sleep in. Call home. Go get a good breakfast. Play Bop-It. (and dominate it) And spend the rest of the day with a sweet family. I also saw my old comp Fairbanks at the end of the day.

Every year for Christmas Eve my family breaks open a pinata. I told one of my investigators that and she dropped one off a couple days before Christmas. It was sweet!  I took it to the Dumas' where we spent all of Christmas.  They have some younger kids who had fun with it. Then I had to step in and show em how a Texan hits a pinata. We had Pappa Murpheys pizza for dinner and got home not too late. Great Christmas.

No real spiritual experiences this week. Although, Elder Henke and I just happened to be at Ed's house when the kids dropped off the $400 worth of presents they bought for them. The whole family was thrilled. It truely made their Christmas special. That's what it's all about aint it? Helping others?

I also heard a really cool story and quote. Story first, A man walks into a barber shop and starts up a conversation while he's getting his hair cut. They somehow get talking about religion. The barber says he doesn't believe in God. He said there are too many bad things that people do and too many bad people in general for there to be a God. The man quickly paid and left the barber shop after his hair was cut kind of frustrated with the barber. A minute later the man went back into the barber shop and said he didn't believe in barbers. The barber called him an idiot and said you're looking at one. The man said he was just outside and saw too many people with long hair. Too many people who needed their hair cut for there to be a barber. And he left.

Just because people don't follow what our Heavenly Father has told us to do, doesn't mean he doesn't exist. "Each of us is an inn keeper who decides if there is enough room for Jesus"

It's been great to hear from yall that have written me, keep it up. Keep praying for Morgan Grebe. Pray for Elders Sansom and Dowd who fell asleep at the wheel and flipped their car (currently in the hospital). And please pray for me and Elder Henke this transfer. He's a bit tougher to get along with and love than most companions. Merry late Christmas and have a Happy New Year

Elder Pearson
 

Elders Pearson and Fairbanks (prior to Fairbanks transfer)

 

Thanksgiving at the gymnastics place - Elder Pearson needs to clean his lens on his camera!