July 22, 2013 - When you are discouraged, go to the Circus!

This was a really hard week but I’ve learned a ton so that makes it worth it!

First of all, we went to Ikea last P-day and we had real food!!!  We tested out all the beds and realized how uncomfortable ours are at home especially mine, the couch. You know how much I love Ikea! I bought a little tiny blanket and it was a great time! Then we had FHE, which is one of the highlights of my week! It’s always so fun to just be with the people here!

The reason this week was a little tough was because we have lost almost all of our investigators. We have to start from square one! None of them were really progressing or keeping their commitments. It’s really sad to see it not work out with all of these people. It was a tad bit depressing but we are renewed and are doing our best. The Lord will provide a way!!

The hardest part of the week was not being able to get a hold of Ola. It’s like she disappeared. She isn’t answering our calls. She didn’t show up to anything this week. It’s hard to go from having a baptismal date and KNOWING that she was getting baptized to having her vanish! We have no idea what happened and we cant’ help her at all. But she knows this church is true. She received a witness of it and so one day she will come back! I wish we could help her or know what happened but we have no idea so we just do a lot of praying!! We love her. So now that we have like no investigators we have a lot more time to find people!

 On Friday we took our culture night with the Elders and we went to a CIRCUS!!! A real one!! It was AMAZING!! There were white lions doing tricks, a monkey riding a pony, a magician and a clown and it was so cool!! We had the second row! It helped lift our week into the most awesome ever!! It was the biggest circus in all of Poland. I’m really happy we went!

Saturday got even better!!! We got really creative. Along with the Elders and President Urban we took the ping-pong table down the stairs (which was a miracle in its own because its so heavy!!) and we put it in this really busy street by the chapel. We set up a free table with all our pamphlets and books of Mormon and our pass a long cards and then on our white board we had like play a free game and you win a prize!... and the prize was a BOOK OF MORMON!! We just started talking to everyone! I was a little scared in the beginning that it was going to fail but I kept praying and talking to people and. IT WORKED!! People started playing and we would teach them about the book of Mormon. It was fun! And just something different! We gave out 7 books and taught 5 lessons! It was so AMAZING!! People were able to see that we are fun and normal! Why not stop and play a free game of ping-pong in the middle of the sidewalk!! It was awesome and successful!! I was so proud of all of us and the Lord helped so much! It was such a great way to teach people and have fun with it. Switch it up!

Later that day Sister Reed taught everyone for a relief society activity to make chili and corn bread! The women loved it! Virginia came and she brought a friend named Teresa! So we are going to hopefully get to know her a bit more and teach her! Her husband just passed away 6 months ago. It would be a great time to teach her about the plan of salvation! I know the gospel would bless her life and give her so much more happiness and hope!! That is why I am here to share this knowledge with these wonderful people.

No one ever said a mission would be easy they just said it would be worth it!! I love it here! I love the members and my dear sweet companions. I just love participating in the magnificent work!!

Kocham cię bardzo!!

Love Sister Pearson

July 15th 2013 - Why I wanted to serve a mission

Last Monday on our P-day, we went laser tagging and it was SO FUN! I haven’t had that much crazy fun in a long time! We played to star wars music and it was just the elders and us and we were going crazy!! It was so fun!

 This week we decided to do a white board, where we set up a big white board and write a question on it and then talk to people about it, as they are walking by. No one was listening to us! Nothing was working and it was getting very discouraging! Then Sister Packard was inspired, we changed the white board to say, bez płatna księga mormona! Which means a free book of Mormon. People started stopping because nothing in Poland is free! I had the opportunity to teach two lessons by myself about the book of Mormon and how its changed my life and it was amazing!! They both took a book of Mormon!

This week we had a lesson with one of our investigators Margaret. We taught her the first lesson and it went so good! Afterwards she gave us massages! She’s a professional and loves giving them. We helped her with her English as she gave us massages! It was a good time!

That evening we went to Sosnowiec to meet with some of our members, 3 of them Helena, Agota, and Anna. All three of them have never been to the temple before so we asked if they would like some help to prepare to go. They all were so excited! We took a bus out to Sosnowiec and whipped out our map and found their houses! First we went to Agota’s house. We taught her how to make rice krispie squares! Except with corn flakes it was so fun! Everyone loves them! They don’t have marshmallows here but since it was the 4th of July they had some so we bought like 8 bags! We taught her about the temple and what we do there and what she needs to do to be able to go. The biggest obstacle is tithing. People here in Poland really struggle with it. We are also going to help her do some family history work so she can take names there! It’s so neat! She’s only been a member for about a year and she is really happy that we want to help her go to the temple! It’s nice to be able to help people. And to help the members here too! Then we taught Helena, and Anna. When we were at Anna’s house we accidentally dropped our phone and the battery came out and when that happens you need to put a code in but we didn’t have the code and we were suppose to meet President Urban for pizza now we couldn’t call him! We went to find a bus to take it home; it was getting kind of late. We find a bus stop and the next bus didn’t come until 9:25!! We are supposed to be home at 9! So we decided to try to walk back to downtown Sosnowiec and we made it! Good thing we have a map! We asked a man to borrow his phone so we could phone President Urban to tell him what was happening so no one freaked out when they couldn’t get a hold of us past 9. The man let us use his phone. I was talking to him and he loved us!! He freaked out when I told him I was from Canada and he sat with us on the bus he was so kind!! We had such a good time! So it was worth all the craziness just to meet that man!

We taught Ola again this week. She asked us why we wanted to serve missions and about how we received our own answers that the church is true. The spirit was so strong! We just testified the whole time and then we read Mosiah 18:8-11. She was quiet and re read it like 3 times and then said, this is beautiful. Sister Packard asked her when she received her answer if she would be baptized and she said yes. I told her we would be holding a baptismal service on August 17^th. I asked her if she would prepare herself to be baptized on that day and pray about that date and she said YES!!!!!!!!!!! The whole rest of the lesson we talked about baptism and how once she decides and is in the church she will be in for life and how she will change her life. She told us that a while ago she was praying and she asked God to change her life and the next day she got a pass along card for English class and she was telling us how she thinks God wants her to be here and that this is all true. We were all almost crying it was so beautiful. The spirit was so strong!! It was amazing!! But she still has to come to church and she works every Sunday so please pray for her! It was an amazing week!

  OH! yesterday the most amazing thing happened. We were in a meeting with President Urban to see how we can help the branch (our small congregation). He said randomly that people just love us and he said especially Sister Pearson. He said a bunch of people in the branch have told him that they love me, I am always so happy and its impossible not to be happy when they talk to me, I am like lakarstwo which means medicine!! I have never felt so good in my life! It was probably the nicest thing anyone has ever said and I almost cried! It was so beautiful! I am a happy person and I love the people here so much. To hear what they said about me made me so thankful to be here. I just loved it! It made me feel so good!

Anyways I had a great week! I love being a missionary. I LOVE sharing the gospel with the people of Poland! I always testify about the book of Mormon and that it is the reason I am here in Poland and its true! It is and I know that it’s true. I love watching it change other people’s lives. There is nothing more gratifying than meeting someone on the street, teaching him or her about the book of Mormon and the church and they take the book of Mormon home! It’s the best feeling in the world! All people have to do is read it with a willing and open heart and they will be able to know for themselves! We are so blessed!

Love,

Sister Hailey Pearson!

I made a scripture box for my Polish scriptures!

July 9 2013 - Poland is Amazing!

Let me tell you about my week! It was great!! I actually got permission to sleep on our couch in the other room so I’m not on the floor! So I’m sleeping really well! We even got me my own fan so I don’t die from the heat at night. You know how much I love my fan in the summer! So first things first. Our companionship of 3 is so great!! We have so much fun all the time! Sister Packard keeps me and Sister Petherbridge in line most of the time but between the three of us it’s a happy ball of fun 24/7. I haven’t laughed this much in a long time! We are powerhouses. We are going to do great things!!

So first of all the most amazing thing happened. We were contacting and as you know I contact mostly by myself now and so we were on our way home and I stopped to talk to this man and he actually stopped and listened!!! I taught him about the Book of Mormon and what it is and where it came from and how its changed my life and why I’m here in Poland, how I know its true because I read it myself and I asked God and He answered my prayer. I read my favorite scripture to him because he forgot his glasses so I read it to him in polish! Mosiah 2:41 "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and ^ahappy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are ^bblessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out ^cfaithful to the end they are received into ^dheaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."

 I told him how happy I am because of the Book of Mormon and if he would read it he would be happier. We talked about my mission,Canada and the church. I invited him to church and I gave him a book of Mormon and I DID IT ALL IN POLISH ALL BY MYSELF!!!!! I was freaking out!! I talked to him for 20 minutes by myself in polish! I understood what he was saying. I just knew how to say things and what I needed to say next. I was truly felt the spirit actively working through me to teach this man!! His name was Jacek and it was theeee coolest experience ever!! My companions were so proud and so was I!! I prayed a lot after that and gave A LOT of thanks!! 

This week was just so great. I just love my mission. Each week I learn more and have more fun. I just can't say that enough. 

We taught Ola on Friday. We asked her if she knew the church was true and she said she thinks it is!!!! All of us were so happy and shocked we sat there with huge smiles on our faces and no one said anything for like 30 seconds. Then she kind of laughed at how happy we were and we invited her to be baptized and she wanted to know what that meant. Most people here have a different view of what baptism actually is because they were all baptized as babies so we were able to teach her about why we don’t baptize babies because it wouldn’t even be giving them a choice and all about the proper priesthood authority and then we ran out of time but she said she would pray about being baptized and she said she knows God will answer her prayer. She has so much faith and the spirit was so strong!! Its so amazing because a few months ago she was just meeting with us because she wanted to learn English but her heart has been touched and she is able to recognize the truth and the changes in her life since she’s been meeting with us and its amazing to be a part of!! We are teaching her tomorrow and are going to invite her again and extend a date if the spirit directs us too and I am so excited!!! I know she is getting baptized. mam wiary!! I have faith! So please pray for her!!

Saturday we went to KRAKÓW!!!! Where Kiko and I went before!! It was so weird! I remembered everything and everything we saw and how to get around and it was so strange! But so much fun!! I now know why my vision of Poland was a bit off because I went to Krakow which is the most beautiful place in all of Poland and everyone there is so nice and happy all the time! It’s like the Disney land of Poland! And then I got sent to the lovely ghetto in Katowice. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love it here so much! Anyways we went with our branch because our investigator Ewa came. We had so much fun!! It was like a little field trip of fun! Where we got to get to know the members better and really bond with them. I love all of them so much!! It was a great great day!! We were gone like all day and I loved every minute of it!!

Monday, as you know we had zone training which is why my P-day got switched to Tuesday. We got to meet President and Sister Edgren again and they are so cool!!! I love them both already and I am so excited to see what he will do with this mission. I know that whatever happens will be inspired and the first thing he is doing is amping up the language. As a mission our polish needs to improve so we can be better for the people of Poland. Although it is a bit intimidating, he is absolutely right and I will do my very best! We had a great talk in my interview with him yesterday and I am so excited to have him here. It was so fun to get to know him and his wife and see some of the other missionaries! And then we had FHE (family home evening). Sister Reed made crepes!! It reminded me of home. 

I’ve made a goal to read a conference talk a day and I am learning so much! Every single one has something I need for my investigators, for me and for my future. I know that all of the speakers are inspired and are called of God. It is such a blessing to have their words to read and learn for all the time!!

Well that’s about it for today! I love you all so much!!  I miss you all and I pray for you

xoxox

Hope on. Journey on.

Love Sister P

Sister Packard, Sister Petheridge, Sister Pearson

In Krakow

July 1st - Happy Canada Day!

Ześć!!! I survived the week!! It was so much fun!! It was cray but I loved every minute of it! HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

Last night after nightly planning Sister Petherbridge was saying the prayer and she’s so funny. Her polish is brand new so she’s trying to say lots and sometimes it doesn’t work out. (It wasn’t long ago that I did the same thing..still do) she said something and I lost it, just burst out laughing right in the middle of her prayer. I could not keep it together I laughed and laughed. I got myself together and she started again and then I cracked up all over again! It’s a problem I clearly got from the both of you! The Elders Quorum President here called me Siostra śmieszka which means smile/ giggly or one who laughs a lot. It was one of the nicest compliments I have ever received. Being happy is the best thing in the world!

This week we finally got our conference additions of the ensign. I read one a day. It is the most amazing thing ever!! This morning I read Beautiful Morning by one of the 70 and it blew my mind again!! I remember hearing the talk in the MTC and loving it. The talk reminds me of how I want to be! I have a tiny reputation for being happy and it brings me such joy! I want to be happy for the rest of my life and he said in his talk that he had a roommate who was always a beam of happiness and it was because he had an understanding of Jesus Christ and his atonement. I know that being on my mission is going to help me become exactly who I want to be because the closer I am to the Savior the happier I will be and the longer I am on my mission the closer to him I become! So it is a new goal of mine to be happy zawsze!! If I am remembered for anything, I would be thrilled for it to be that.

This week was a roller coaster of emotions! First of all you know how close I get to people in a short amount of time and its only amplified on my mission. I had to say goodbye to two of the elders serving in my district and that was hard. We had so much fun this transfer. I truly consider them friends but I know that they will do such great things! I think the mission will help with goodbyes. Transfers will probably get easier. I just have to think of it as an opportunity to meet even more awesome people! The branch threw a little pizza goodbye party and that was fun.

On Thursday we went to the train station to get our new companion!! Her name is sister Petherbridge! She’s hilarious. She is 5'10 and towers over Sister Packard and Its really fun! Now that we are three of us something happened. I just had to step it up! I had to be a good example for her. It was like the Lord gave me a bunch of new confidence and I just started talking to everyone by myself!! My language is improving!! I can understand so much more now and I am so excited to learn even more!! By the time I call at Christmas I will have learned so much more! Its a great feeling!!

All 3 of our names end with a P. Sister Packard, Sister Pearson and Sister Petherbridge.. the 3 pea's in a pod! It gets confusing but the members will love it! I have such a love for my branch!! They are all so wonderful. Its so fun to help them and watch them all grow! There is a man here named Rafał and he has been bringing his "friend" Ewa to church and to activities. We think they are secretly in love but he wants to get married in the temple so we need to teach her so they can get married!! But she’s not really interested yet. We have been taking things very slow, lots of fellowshipping and last week she had a big job interview and she asked us to pray for her!! So we did!! All day long and on Sunday she came to church and she told us SHE GOT THE JOB!! She told us she knew that it was because we were praying for her and she said she prayed too for the first time in a reeeaally long time! I was able to just testify and share with her that prayer really does work and she can have so much more happiness in her life and get help and answers and that God ALWAYS listens to our prayers!! It was so amazing!!

On Saturday we are going to KRAKÓW!! and she is coming!! Tha’s the city I went to with Kiko when I traveled here from Ukraine! Its beautiful! I can’t wait! We are hoping to teach her there! We are having a BBQ with the branch in Kraków!

We also taught Sylwia this week! We watched President Monson’s talk on obedience and it was so good! Kamil, her boyfriend, has started the non smoking program with the Elders so hopefully he gains a desire to hear about the gospel and they can progress together!! He see's how happy this gospel makes Sylwia. I really hope he will want to have that happiness too!

We also taught Virginia! We went to her house and watched the restoration! She liked it! She said we can teach her about the plan of salvation next time! She loves and misses her husband so much! I know it’ll bring her peace and happiness so I am so excited!! She is having us over for the 4th of July (she loves America)

Ola is doing great too! She is coming to FHE (family home evening) tonight. She wants to come to church so bad!! We are praying there is a change in her work so that she will be able to come so please pray for her too! I appreciate your prayers truly!!

This is such an amazing work! I am so glad I am here being a part of it!! It definitely has its challenges but it is AMAZING!! I am so happy and words just can’t describe my happiness!!! Awe, you got to talk about me to the ward! That’s nice! You were probably way too kind but its so encouraging to know that I have so much love and support from home :)

   

This church is true!! I have never been so sure in my life and I am sooo happy I get to share it with the people here in Poland!

Love you,

Sister Hailey Pearson

Sister Petherbridge, our new companion. This picture is when she arrived at the mission home and was given the assignment to serve with Sister Packard and I.