September 30th, 2013 - The Incy Wincy Spider & Service

This week was super great!!!! First of all I’ve been getting these weird dots on my legs for the last couple weeks and it was super strange! But it wasn’t bad so we didn’t really do anything about it and then on Wednesday I woke up with a huge one and so we decided it was time to call Sister Edgren. the Mission President’s wife, so we called her and she told us to go through my bed and stuff to look for bugs. If we didn’t find any to go to the doctor so I took apart my bed and there was nothing! But I would always wake up with them so it was super weird. THEN we decided to like pull my bed out and see if there was anything behind there... THERE WAS. There was a humongous SPIDER!!! I just about threw up!! We screamed for about 10 minutes and then flipped out for another 20 and then sort of gathered ourselves and got this bottle of poison and just poured it on the spider till it died! I was literally mortified.. Sort of still am. The idea of getting bit by a spider in the middle of the night for like 3 weeks is pretty horrific and makes me sick to think about it but its all good! I haven’t got any new ones since we killed it and all my other ones are almost all gone!! How’s that for a mission experience?

I thought you and everyone else would get a kick out of that one. Anyways on a more positive note, this week was actually very good. We taught Sylwia the word of wisdom and she is going to live it! Even though she can’t be baptized right now it’s another step in the right direction :) We also taught Barbara! We invited her to be baptized and she is really thinking about it! Both of her sons served missions and are married in the temple so she’s been around the church for a long time. She says once she knows it’s true she will be baptized. We are going to help her quit smoking and teach her the lessons and I know she will receive her own answer! We are so excited!!!!

We also got to go do some service for a lady this past weekend with the Elders! We got to geep around her windows!! Which is like that stuff you put on to fill in wholes before you paint! Then she took us out to her summer home and we got all her gardens ready for winter!!! It was so much fun!! We might do service for her every Saturday for the rest of the transfer!! We are also going to start teaching her this week! We cannot wait! Her name is Małgożata and the Elders found her. She is the sweetest lady ever!!! Well that’s my week in a nutshell!! It was amazing!! I had no idea that I would love my mission this much! I think I love it more and more each day. I have so much fun!! It is the best!! I am so blessed and it makes me so happy :) I love this gospel so much. It’s the most amazing opportunity to be here and share it with everyone everyday!! I never thought I would be speaking Polish either but the Lord truly makes miracles happen!!! It’s such a blessing!!

Thanks for your prayers!!

Love you all,

Siostra Pearson

September 23 - It was a little rough this week!

I’m going to be honest.. it was a little rough this week. We had a total of 8-flaked lessons this week, which I think is our new record. It was hard to stay happy and faithful but we managed it somehow!! I know that everything will work out we just had a little set back. Sometimes the fact that others have agency is really frustrating but it’s worth it. I know that we are inspired everyday and our lessons and plans are straight from the Lord. But just because we have inspiration it wont always work out because people still have their choice. BUT on Friday the Elder’s were having a special training meeting with President Edgren. The district leaders and zone leaders all over the mission attend. He was just traveling from city to city and Sister Petherbridge and me were kind of bummed because we wanted to see him. We got over it because it was just leadership training. Then on Friday morning Elder Wilson called us and he said President Edgren got to the chapel and looked at the Elders and said, “we need the sisters here this morning, lets give them a call”. So they called at waited until we got there to start the meeting!! We were the only Sisters in the whole mission who got to be in on the meeting! We were so honored! I know it was inspired that we were there. It was beautiful. We all went out for lunch after the meeting and I helped President with his iPhone! It was a bonding moment. My interview with him was really good too. He’s such an inspiring man. We talked a lot about life and my mission and it was amazing!! We also got to clean the rest of Krystyna’s house. It was nice to do service. Elder Lanham and Elder Wilson are really great as well. We're so fortunate to be able to work with them a lot. They have been here for so long that they share all their wisdom with us. They have been teaching us in our language study and that has been such a blessing. They are also really fun and that helps a lot. We have a lot of fun and I’m glad we have them here in our district.

We also got to teach Relief Society! That was an experience!! The Lord definitely has been blessing us and its amazing to watch!

Next week the email will be so AMAZING because we are going to have SO MANY MIRACLES THIS WEEK!

Love,

Sister Pearson

September 16th, 2013 - Miracles are about to happen

Let me tell you about my week!!

First off, last Monday on P-day we went bowling and it was so much fun! Then Sister Petherbridge and I went on an exchange! Sister Petherbridge went to Kraków and Sister Allen came here with me. It was quite difficult because I missed Sister Petherbridge SO MUCH!! But it was really good and I learned a lot.

On Tuesday we had zone training. It was all about being optimistic and happy. My zone leaders, Elder Wilson and Lanham called me out in front of everyone and asked me my secret to happiness. Apparently I am 1 of the 3 happiest people in the entire mission. I was honored. I felt so blessed that the Lord has taken something that I thought was just a small part of who I am and made into such a wonderful talent that blesses the lives of others. It’s an amazing thing to be known for in the mission and I hope the Lord will continue to bless me so that I can help others!

The other half of our zone training was about our baptismal goal for our mission this year and how miracles are going to happen and they ARE!!! I was so pumped up and the spirit was so strong! The next day I went to Kraków with Sister Allen and the Elders because they were doing zone training again to the other half of the zone and since Sister Petherbridge was there I just went with all of them and had the training twice! What a blessing!! And also to have Sister Petherbridge back! We really came together after our training and had the most intense weekly planning probably ever known!! We prayerfully made goals and plans and they are so inspired, right from the Lord. We are so ready and optimistic!! My faith has never been so great!! I know that miracles are happening this transfer. I KNOW IT!!! So to get all of those miracles started we are working harder then ever and I know the Lord is going to help fulfill our righteous desires. Its so exciting!!!!

The very day we made all of these goals and really felt like we started our transfer we went contacting to this lady’s house. On the way there we contacted a lady named Kasia and she is getting baptized!! I know it! I went to contact her and she definitely was going to turn me down but then she saw the beautiful mormon.org pass a long card I tried to give her and she stopped right in her tracks. We talked about who we are and all about the book of Mormon. She was so happy and excited! It was like an instant connection. We just loved her!! It took everything in me not to hug her when we were saying good-bye but I held it in.

All emotions are amplified, as a missionary especially love for these people. Anyways we are teaching her on Tuesday and we cannot wait! She is definitely going to do wonders in our branch.

Saturday we had another miracle!! We have been teaching a children’s English class to a girl Patrycja, whose 11, and her mom Małgorzata. We LOVE them!! This Saturday we went to start our lesson and she told us that this week she went to the library to look for a book of Mormon and they didn’t have one!... that’s when I died and told her that we have some that we would give her!! For our spiritual thought we watched this I’m a Mormon video because THEY HAVE TRANSLATED SOME OF THEM INTO POLISH!! This has literally changed my entire mission. Those videos ARE life changing and we showed her the one of the man who won the super bowl. He’s bald and has a goatee. Anyways you should watch it this week. We watched it and she was tearing up and the spirit was there. We talked about how he left the NFL for his family. It was so beautiful! We taught the English lesson and we have such a good relationship with them its amazing!

At the end of the lesson I gave her a book or Mormon and asked if we could teach them more about our beliefs and she was like ya we would love that! We were like WHAT!! YAAAAAAY! So we are teaching them this week!!!! yay!! and then we will get to teach a FAMILY! Once we meet her husband and other son. I don’t know if I have ever been so excited! They left the chapel and we just started freaking out and singing and dancing and hugging and I think we scared the Elder’s who were still in the building but there was SO MUCH JOY!!!!! It truly is the happiest work in the world!!

On another note, a lady in our branch, who we read the Book of Mormon with in English needed some help at her home and we really just want to help her. This week she FINALLY let us come over and help clean her house!! Yay!! Service!! We were there for 3 hours. We felt so accomplished! And she was so happy! We are going back again this week to do her some more!! Yay! Its going to be great! I love her so much and I love helping her out. She’s had such a hard life and it’s so wonderful to be able to help :)

Those were the main highlights of this week! President Urban asked me to give a talk in 2 weeks and I am terrified. That’s a really hard thing to do with my level of polish but of course I will do it. I’m really nervous but I know the blessings that will come so just pray for me!

Miracles are about to happen. I know that if we expect them and we do our part and we do it with joy, the Lord will do his part and we will all be so incredibly happy. I have never been happier then I am now in this work. Everyday is better then the last and I had no idea that this much happiness would come from helping in the Savior’s work. IT’S SO AMAZING!!

I feel your prayers strengthening me and I hope mine do the same to you. I really suggest you use mormon.org. It has seriously changed my life! And my mission! The Elders make fun of me for it but it is so inspired and so powerful!

NOW as of a few days ago I can actually use it!! Because they translated some of them in to Polish! Really they are amazing and they bring the spirit in so strong! When you get a minute look into it.

I promise you will feel the spirit and you will feel God's love. And I can actually PROMISE you that as a representative of Jesus Christ. I can also promise you that the Savior, Jesus Christ, loves you and he knows EVERYTHING that is going our lives. 

The most amount of love,

Siostra Pearson

September 9th - I Love My Mission

This week was really good, time is going by really fast like you said and we have been so busy! This week went by really fast with me going to Warsaw and then transfers and crazy things! On Thursday we took Sister Packard to the train station and sent her on her way and to tell you the truth it wasn’t as sad as I thought it would be because I know that we will be friends forever now. I love her so much and I have learned so much from her that it wasn’t good-bye it was just see you soon. And now I’m emailing her right now and life is just good! Besides Sister Petherbridge and I are just having a grand time! We are doing so well and SO many amazing things are going to happen this transfer we are so excited!! Miracles are already happening!!! For example our first day alone we had 7 hours of contacting time so we were super excited!! We actually started this new thing where we started singing instead of talking. It’s been very successful. We sing about people’s salvation and we sing in polish and it’s just a really great time! So after 6 and a half hours of contacting and only one listening to us, we were walking up this hill on and Sister Petherbridge looks at me and she says," do you think we can teach one lesson before we go home?" and I was like ya I do. So we both started praying and we were walking and I literally just started praying and like 40 seconds later we turned a corner and there was a lady walking towards us so I contacted her and she stopped and listen. I taught her all about the Book of Mormon. She listened and it was BEAUTIFUL! The Lord is so aware of all of us. I didn’t even get to finish my prayer before He put that lady in my path. It was a miracle!! I am seeing miracles all over the place since transfers! Yesterday at church I participated in both Sunday school and Relief Society and I could actually understand what was being said! When I make phone calls and talk to people speaking polish, I comprehend what is being said to me and I can have a true conversation. I don’t even know how its been happening!! Actually I do its all from the Lord and it is very exciting!! I love my mission and the opportunity I have to serve here with Sister Petherbridge!! I LOVE MY MISSION! Everyday I love it more! Some days I wake up and it’s weird. I’m on a mission. I have heard about missions my whole life and now here I am on one of my very own. It doesn’t seem real. It’s such a blessing to my life already and I still have more to experience.

I love you all and I love this gospel

xoxo Love Siostra Pearson

September 3, 2013 It's Transfer time! Will she stay or will she go? Special Shout out to the Neiman's who served in Poland too!!

Soooo TRANSFERS!! President Edgren called us on Sunday to let us know what would be happening.. and.... IM STAYING IN KATO WITH SISTER PETHERBRIDGE!

Sister Packard has been called to Warsaw so that means that I am the senior companion now.. it’s going to be really great and we are all very excited! It’s hard to see Sister Packard leave me :( she has been the best trainer ever and has helped me so much and taught me how to be a great missionary. But more importantly she's my friend and that will never change!! I love her so much. It’s actually really interesting because Sister Petherbridge and I are the ONLY companionship in the whole mission that is not changing! The whole mission changed! So even though it would've been exciting to go to a new place, I feel very honored to be here and to stay with Sister Petherbridge. President Edgren actually told me on the phone that if he could keep the three of us together he would've but I know that Sister Packard is really needed in Warsaw and it was really nice to hear him say that. The mission is going through a lot of changes and I know that the Lord needs me here in Kato still and it’s going to be really hard!! We rely on sister Packard’s experience and her Polish a lot. It’s big shoes to fill but I know that Sister Petherbridge and I can do it!! The Lord is on our side and I am going to learn SO MUCH!! So I am really excited. Big things are going to happen this transfer.

Yesterday I got to go to Warsaw!!! I just had to go get my legal work all figured out and you have to do it in person so I went on the train all by myself. I got there and I was waiting for the Elder’s to pick me up and all the sudden I see white shirts and nametags coming through the crowd and then I saw ELDER ALLEN!! (From my MTC group) literally running towards me!! It was the best surprise ever!! They didn’t even tell me he was going to be there! He was doing all his legal work to! So I was with the 4 Elders’ all day but Elder Allen just talked to me the whole time! I may have freaked them out a little bit well except for Elder Allen because they don’t serve with sisters and sometimes my excitement is a lot to take in. Elder Allen just told me all about his entire mission thus far and we told stories and he taught me some Polish! We went for lunch and before I knew it, it was already time to go back to the train station! It was so fun! I’m so glad he was there he just got me all pumped up about my mission and about learning Polish again and I know that the Lord knew I needed a little something so it was really fun! He told me that on transfer night he knew he was going to a city called Poznań but he didn’t know which sisters got called there. He was praying that it would be me! And then it wasn’t and he was sad and then he showed up to the train station and there I was! Our MTC group was really something special and it was so nice to be able to see him and have him help me out! What an adventure!! OH and Elder Neuner is the new AP (Assistant to the Mission President)! We came to the chapel on Friday and the 3 Elders were there and I was like where is Elder Neuner..?! And he was GONE! I am so proud of him! He’s going to be a great AP.

That’s pretty much the excitement of last week! Sister Packard leaves on Thursday :( so were finishing off really strong and just loving life!!

Oh something interesting I keep forgetting to tell you, remember how the Neiman's served here in Poland? Well they actually served here in Katowice and the members all remember them! Anyways there is our one member Rafał who I talk about a lot and he was telling me his conversion story. He was actually one of the English students and he was in the Neiman’s English class!!! He actually said that he owes his conversion to them. He said they helped him so much and because of them he is a member today!! How cool is that!!

  

I love you so much! Thank you for your prayers! They make a difference! I am blessed by the Lord everyday that I am out here and I am so happy to be here and to serve!

Thanks for all you do!

Much Love,

Sister Pearson

The Castle we visited 

Artsy Pose in front of the Castle

Drawing the Plan of Salvation

Yellow Watermelon!!!!

Birthday Fun! Sister Pearson, Sister Petherbridge, Sister Packard

The 3 Sister P's

A reminder of Home