It was never suppose to be easy

I came to some big turning points in my mission and really in life this week! You know missions are not easy. I have been so blessed with the ability to be positive and love life and my mission and I’m SO GRATEFUL for that. But to say my mission has been easy would be a lying through my teeth! This last month for me has been a struggle. One that I’m getting through but one none the less. Anyways, I’ve been trying to figure out what’s missing. Why all of sudden my mission seemed harder and why was I getting more sad and frustrated with Poland and how the work is going here and then I went to Warsaw for our MLC (Missionary Leadership Committee) meeting. We talked a lot about faith. During our pump up talk on faith I felt impressed to ask a question, not to put a damper on the meeting but to simply ask I said," you know I always love coming to meetings like this or zone conferences and stuff because you leave just feeling like your faith is restored and like everything is going to be ok again and we're happy! But then we back to our homes and we go back to contacting, to teaching, to the normal life of missionary work and we forget. We loose that faith and we are right back where we started. I’m wondering why it’s so hard? And if we are making a difference here. I really feel like this message you guys are teaching about faith is inspired. I know it is for me and it will be for the people in my zone, but I’m just wondering how do we take this and actually implement it into our lives. How do we leave here making real changes and having the faith that won’t falter that will allow us to be strong through everything our mission brings?" What the assistants said after that changed my LIFE. They said if you are going out there like we all do, and lose our faith, then we need to ask ourselves what it is we have faith in? If we are having faith in baptisms or lessons or miracles or in experiences then we will loose faith. We need to have our faith only in Jesus Christ. If we have faith in Jesus Christ no matter what happens on our missions we will know that this is his work. We need to remember why we are here. We are here because of Him and because we have a loving Father in Heaven who called us here to do his work. If we remember that then how could our faith fail us?

Alright I definitely might have changed a few things since it was days ago but the point is there, we need to make sure that we are gaining that perspective. Have faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. Remember why I am here and what I am doing.

Then I read a lot of great things on faith but the best one is this from Elder Holland. I actually listened to it but he says this:

“Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?

You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.

Now, please don’t misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Christ experienced. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.

For that reason I don’t believe missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require some effort, something from the depths of our soul.

If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore, and cry, “Abba, Father, if this cup can pass, let it pass,” ¹⁶ then little wonder that salvation is not a whimsical or easy thing for us. If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way.

The Atonement will carry the missionaries perhaps even more importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

 I know it’s a long one but I was cleaning the kitchen this morning and I listened to it while Sister King was getting ready and I just burst into tears. It was so beautiful! I am so excited for this part of my mission. I have never learned so much. I have never had a stronger conviction that what I am doing here is of God. I have never known better that God is my Father, and He loves me and Jesus Christ LIVES!

I have never learned more about the Atonement in my life. He literally knows everything that I go through and knows how to make me better and stronger. He's done it all before me and I know he is right, right beside me every step of the way. Missions are suppose to be a struggle because like Elder Holland said we get to have this time and for a moment gain a tiny bit of understanding of what He went through for me. And that has changed me. That was what I was missing and what will allow me to grow and learn and continue to serve my mission with all my heart! I’m so grateful for my mission. It has blessed me so much and in ways I never would've received any other way than my serving a mission. 

In other news we had a sports Saturday and it was so fun! I got my first sunburn. We played football and rugby like champs! Then right after that we got to go and do service for a family who is completely remodelling their house! I got put on sanding duty and will probably die from how must dust I inhaled but it was a blast! I love service and just getting to help people! It’s what we came here to do and it was so nice!

Sister King and Sister Pearson

Last night we had culture night at Sister Kagele’s house! We made so much pierogi!!  It was a great time! Then we watched 17 miracles!!!

The Church is true!

Love Siostra Pearson

An interesting thing happened while on the train..

Well this week was really good! I got to go to Szczecin to see Sister Lidtka! As a Sister training leader I am in charge of all the sisters in my zone, like a Zone Leader for the Sisters, and so I go on exchanges with them. We do this thing called zone training where all the Zone leaders and the Sister training leaders for all the zones come into Warsaw and get special training from the Mission President and the Assistant’s to the Mission President. We then deliver the message and what we learned back to our zone! I haven’t done that yet but I’m going to Warsaw this week so I’m excited! My favorite thing is just being able to help the sisters. It’s just like permission to be everyone’s friend in the zone! I can call them and just be there for them, I love it!

So I went to Szczecin this week and it was so much fun!! Sister Lidtka and I had such a good time! Elder Boyce is serving there too so we had a bit of a reunion and it was just wonderful! It’s a 5-hour train ride on two different trains to get there. I had quite the experience on the way back! First of all the train was practically empty! So I was really excited! I got a whole cabin to myself. I slept and wrote letters and listened to music, it was a great 2 and a half hours! Then we were about 20 minutes away from the next city where I have to change trains, when the train just stopped... and I was like that’s weird but I’m sure we'll start moving soon.. We’re just out in the middle of nowhere.. and then the intercom came on and they said we would have to wait for another 40 minutes! So I had to make some calls because I would miss my train taking me back to Bydgoszcz. But there was more and trains so I’m not worried.. I’m just waiting and doing my own thing. 50 minutes goes by and we still haven’t moved. The intercom comes on again and they said it would be another 90 MINUTES! I was hoping I heard wrong so I go out of my cabin and ask a guy if they said 90 and he was like ya.. and I was like so.. Not 19? He said nope 90.. And I was like so.. An hour and a half!? And he was like yup! Then I freaked out! It turns out there was these huge trees that fell onto the power lines above the train tracks so we couldn’t go anywhere.. It wasn’t that big of a deal. I was going to back into my cabin to nap again... but the guy I was talking to like steps in behind me and I was like...whoaaaa there what the heck and he’s says we can sit? I was like..... what am I suppose to say? So we start talking about me being a missionary and I’m VERY CLEAR. He’s 22 and still trying to put the moves on.. Then this girl comes in and she’s our age too and I’m like DANG IT I was looking forward to having some alone time! It’s not possible ever and now here I am with these two. I tried to kind of teach them because I might as well but they were not into it.. Instead they just talked about how much they love to drink alcohol.. stupid.. So then they both make them selves at home in my cabin I had all to myself. I was with them for TWO AND A HALF HOURS!!!!! It was ridiculous! Like in a movie when weird things like this happen.. Anyways finally they cut down the trees and we were on our way.. It was pretty funny afterwards. What are the chances! I finally made it to Bydgoszcz at 8pm that night... I was on the train literally all day!! But it was good.

Something else cool did happen this week!! When I was in Szczecin, Sister King and Sister Barth went to contact the referral the gypsy couple gave us! The one who their daughter in law speaks English. I talked to them on the phone. Sister King and Sister Barth went over there and TAUGHT THEM!!! They are so prepared and are going through a real rough time. They said it was perfect that the Sisters came over! So now we are going to start teaching them!!!! I am so excited! The Lord truly knows his children! It’s always amazing how everything works out :) I haven’t been able to teach them yet but we just saw her like 10 minutes ago! She came to the place where we email and we talked to her! She’s so nice! I’m excited so pray for them and ill keep you posted!!

Overall it was a great week :) still love my mission and time is flying! It’s nuts! I’m trying to just love every moment and it's going pretty good so far! The church is true!

Love Siostra Pearson

It's Not about ME!

So this week was NUTS!! As a Sister Training Leader I have to go on exchanges with all the sisters in my zone. Last week I went on an exchange with SISTER PETHERBRIDGE!!!!!!!!!!!! It was the most amazing thing of ever. I miss her so much! We just went right back into being companions! We are still so unified and we were so happy to be together!! We actually almost lost our voices because we did not stop talking since the minute she got in! My throat hurt so badly!!

This week I had my first mid mission crisis! I’m actually happy I haven’t had one until now! We just had a freak out about our mission and whether everything we do everyday is actually do anything! This work is hard and people seemed extra mean this week! It made me think a lot about what I could be doing at home and why I was even here. This mission is hard and we can get pretty beat down because of it. But then! My friend told me.. That I was being selfish... this was new to me because I haven’t been called that very much. But then I thought about what he was saying and we talked more about it and I realized that he was right. I was thinking about MY feelings and ME because I was getting hurt from rejection and thinking about my life that I could have after my mission. I was contemplating whether I was doing any good here and it was all about me. When usually I am so happy all the time! I love these people, I love being a missionary and I throw myself into this work! It was a huge break through moment for me and so I realized how I needed to fix it. I needed to work and I needed to be in my mission and love it again! Gain my awesome attitude and happiness back! Once I did that it was like night and day! I loved it again! It’s been so great again ever since! You know what the craziest thing is? The work hasn’t changed! People are still mean and don’t listen! But I focus on what I can control. I focus on what the Lord is doing here and it made a huge difference!! I’m so glad Sister Petherbridge and I could work through it all together! It was so inspired and I’m so glad I have her!! This week I am going on an exchange with SISTER LIDTKA!!!!! My MTC companion! I am so excited and I’ll tell you all about it next week!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is true and its life changing! I see it everyday in my life and in the lives of others!!

I have to go catch a train! But I love you so much thank you for all that you do! I feel your prayers and love and it boosts me up everyday!! I miss you so much!!

Siostra Pearson

Sister Petherbridge and Sister Pearson

Miracle of the Week

This week was so GOOD! I’m serious I love Bydgoszcz! The sun finally came out and it made such a huge difference! Man it made me happy!

This week we had zone conference!!!!! It was AMAZING!! I got to see almost all of me former companions!!! Sister Tobler, Sister Lidtka and Sister Petherbridge! Oh man it was so cool! It was such a good zone conference too! We talked about the importance of the restoration and last night Sister King and I watched the Joseph Smith movie and it CHANGED MY LIFE!!  The things that man did for the Gospel. He knew this was true and he died because of it. It got me all fired up. It was a nice reminder of why I’m here. He dedicated his LIFE for this and I get the chance to share that beautiful message with the people of Poland! And it’s so amazing because no matter how many people don’t accept it.. It’s still true!! I love the GOSPEL!

Watch the movie!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xVw6PsSinI

So that was a highlight this week! The rest of the week was pretty much just awesome. Sister King and I are really getting the hang of this place and I like it a lot. We had the coolest experience EVER!!!

So we went tracting (good old fashion door knocking).. you know tracting it’s the worst. Most of the time nothing ever comes from it so usually missionaries hate it but we have to do something! So Sister King and I went even though I would rather throw myself in front of a tramway. So we go into this creepy apartment building that doesn’t even have a door. We go all the way to the top and work our way down. So we go to the first one and the lady is like NO and slams the door and I was like here we go! Then we were going down the stairs to the next door and I trip down the stairs!! I was feeling pretty good about life after that one and then we knocked on the next door. This Gypsy man answers the door!!! Yay!! People like Helena Urban and Adrian from Katowice aka my people. We told him we were doing a family survey and he was like oh ok! You guys are Mormons right? and we were like ya! He calls over his wife and were talking trying to explain who we are and why we are doing a survey. Then she says come on in! and i was like SAY WHAAAAAT?!?!?! I’ve never been let in tracking my entire mission!!!! So I’m in shock freaking out and she takes us to her kitchen and we do the family survey. We were talking about how important families are. They were the nicest couple I have ever met in my life! They took us to the living room and showed us all these pictures of their family As we were getting to leave, they gave us safety tips and they were being so NICE!! and then he asks, did you have supper and I’m like ya we got food at home! and he’s like no! Come on in for some supper!! AND IM FREAKING OUT IM SO DANG HAPPY!!!! ITS A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!! and I’m not going to refuse! I have never met nicer people literally my entire mission!!! So we went back into the kitchen and she gives us gałąpki!!!!!! my favorite polish food! aka cabbage rolls! (I know I didn’t like them at home but man was I missing out!! they're my favorite!!) I am seriously in bliss! We talked about the church, families and marriage and I was SO HAPPY!!! They said we could come back whenever we wanted and even gave us their daughter in laws information! She lived in Seattle for a time and now she is here in Poland! ISNT THAT THE CRAZIEST THING OF YOUR LIFE!!!  People are prepared!! Even Poles!! I literally ran out of the apartment building screaming I was so happy!! It was amazing!

That was by far my miracle of the week!! :)

The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints is true! I feel your love and support as I serve my mission.

 Love,

Siostra Pearson