Oh That I Were An Angel

From: Elder Andrushka Pearce Dated: March 30, 2009

Dear family

This week was one of the hardest weeks. There are some good news and some hard ones. Lets start out with the good news. This week we got another Melchizedek priesthood holder and president told us that was enough he invited us to his office. To deliver the DVD that we made. Then to our surprise he invited us to go out to eat with his wife. It was a great blessing as we went out to a restaurant very nice and i hardly even new how to eat. He thanked us for our work and let us know that he will be sending the papers in. What a blessing it is to me to know that we are growing here.

Vladimir this week gave a talk and it was a very good talk about the mission work it really animated many to go out and work. He has been spending a lot of time with us working. We also had the opportunity to go down to a stake meeting in another stake as we did divisions and brother Vladimir went with me in representation of our ward he did really well. How i love the lord and the opportunity that he is giving to me.

I love this work. This week i was very stressed out and i think i have come to my limit and my nerves were sick i have never felt so tens. So i had a great talk with the president as he gave me a lot of tips on how to work and give the rest work and depend on the lord not just on my strength. I have so much more to over come but i am so happy and joyful to jump in and do all can do. I have bin making comments for a while that my goal is come home crazy and i think i am very close to being there.

SO this week i got a massager for my back and i am taking time resting my mind and taking vitamins i have never felt so at the end of my strength. i am thankful for this opportunity i hope that i can relax a bit because if i don't i think i will be changed and i don't really want to live this area yet.

Some of the stress that i have had is getting done we are moving house we have finished our contract we came to the terms that we both like on the house. We are trying to keep our room at the other house and just rent the house as a church will see how that goes. As we finished church many members walked out saying good by to the house i know going to the next house is going to be a great experience.

how i love the lord and know that he guides his people. How i wish i had more strength. AS Alma once said only if i were an angle and had the desires of my heart. Not to proudful but to be stronger to push this work along. I love you all.

Mom don't worry about it. I had a great interview with the president he gave me a lovely blessing that helped me know much that i need to do and i need to give my worry to the lord he is bound wean we do what he says. I love you all take care.

Let mike now that i will be home shortly. Mom let bj know that i can not write to him being on my mission. It became a new rull not to long a go. So i will be respecting the rull. So he is not afended that i am not writing to him.

Mom If you could also let Brooke know that i am doing well and that she only has 6 more months to wait. i have not bin able to send that many letters to her. If you could do such a favor for me.

Elder Pearce

Vladimir Gets Baptized

From: Elder Andrushka Pearce Dated: February 16, 2009

Dear family

Truly love giving all i have to the mission. The more you give the more you see your weekneses and the better you can over come them.

This week we had 3 most wonderful baptizims. We went to visit the son of Vladimir in the Hospital talkind to him a while. He is a very good person and i know that the lord has prepared him to help serve here in this area. He has bin wanting to go to the states to make some mony to send to his family. As we were visiting him. He told us he wanted to get baptized but he couldent live his son in the hospital. We let him know we are ready whean ever he says he is ready to fallow this big step.

Then we went home on thirsday he called saing that he and his son were released and they are home. He said he wanted to talk to us as we got there. We talked to his wife and he told us that this saturday he wanted to get baptized and his daughter also. So that was the best news. The third is his sister that we merried also that was strugiling a little bit. The day of his baptizim she said she was at work and decided to get on line to read the book of mormon as she got on line some fealing came over her that she should get baptized also. She said she called her husband and told him she was going to get baptized.

THe whole pueblo new it and we were the last once to find out. It was a very good news for us. This little branch is growing realy well. I have bin anxously waiting for Vladimir take this step. He is latino but he has done a lote of studing in other places. This sunday as we got all ready to start the meating we were short on priesthood so then at the start of the meating as we started with a song and a prayer we confirmed him and ordainded him to the ofice of a pristhood in the Aronic Priesthood. He then we explaind him the sacrament and he blessed it. He did it with lots of emotion and spirit. It was a bit new for all the members but it went well.

The branch is strogiling a bit with some things. We had a meating with some of our priesthood brethren to talk about the problem that is hapening. This week we have a lot of work to do. I feal a bit sad but know that i have to give it all i have and i dont looke for the reward from the members.

As a lidder i have bin very respectful and a little hard to have better order and that all is done with the spirit. I know that the members have respect and that in front of me that they dont realy show the chalenge that is happening. Its about talking about other members or rumers as we say. Its a little sad. Its deviding our little branch. I looke forward this week working hard to over come this chaleng.

There is a lot of people that want to take care and help with this chalenge. We are wokring alot with familys mission president has pout a goal to help in NIcaragua by baptizing family and its proven and i have seen it that familys have a better chance to stay active. i love this work i love pushing forward. The lord has placed in me lots of confidence i pray and plead that i will keep that confidence and be always worthy of the Holy Ghost in my life. I never thaught i would grow so much on the mission or as i have grown. I am starting to feal that i have 40 years.

Talking about Years Happy Birthday Dad. I hope you know how much i love you and am gratefull for all that you have done in my life and the great example that you have always bin for me. Your testimony is an example to me that you hold strong to the things that you belive. I to want to hold strong to the things that i belive as my father showed me to do. Being here on my mission i have realized what an amazing father i have truly had. What a lider he was in the home,of ours. The prayers that we did as a family. The family home evngings full of fun. The trips that we have gone on. I am also greatful for all the time that i was corected. The time i had playing basketball building a half pipe and the many activitys that you helped me saported me. I am thankfull that you were strong inof to not let me do what i wanted to do. To show and know better that i should be doing. I love you dearly. I hope you can feal as you read this letter my love for you! Thank you for being my Father, My Example, My Teacher and My Friend. Thank for sharing with me your testimony, your time and your talents. I love you, respect you and know you as My Father. Elder Pearce

Misioneros de Managua Nicaragua!

Nicaragua Managua Mission Blog

Someone in Andy's mission has made a fun video of the missionaries and has started a mission blog. I think Andy is right at the end of the video and is performing a baptism.

This is the video from the blog.

Work Hard, Then Work Harder

From: Elder Andrey Pearce Dated: January 12th 2008

Dear Family

Well the President has told us in confrence that we are only to write to
family not extended only to our family. Its a huge change on the mission but
we all are going to grow and recive blessings from obeying it.

What a week it went. We started with the confrance. The president was very
exited that the little unity of Mateares is showing up as a branch. I hope
it becomes a branch realy quickly. He made the coment and asked us how are
we reaching the outcome we are. I think the key is the members here in
mateares.

You will see how tired this week they were and how we kept on
pushing. How the Lord loves us in our eforts to push forward. I have bin
also tried more to push foraward. We got back from confrence and let all
know that the President was very happy about the work. He asked us to get a
map Of mateare and the list of all the members that are gowing. We also
recived a notice that we are going to get more books and suplys to help the
work along.

We in turne invited President Fraatz to the meating this sunday
its going to be a great meating and the members are realy exited to get the
goal to reach 80 asistence. They are Inviting all to church and they dont
just invite they keep asking tell you tell them you are going to go. Then
that isent all they falow up and go to there house to invite them to go to
church and walk with them.

I also had the apertunity to go work in Nagarote
this week witch is 45 min away. It was great to get to know that area and
the missionarys. Also pass some time with the branch president of mateares
and nagarote he told me his life story and the great times he has had
serving the lord and the apertunity he has had getting to know some of the
general authoritys. What a great man he is. Presidente Antonio he is one of
the elderly branch presidents in NIcaragua.

Then coming home we had some activitys. ALso this week we had a baptizim
that a yung man that has dificultys in his life is trying to change his life and
coming Crist.

I love this work to see the Hand of The Lord work and bring to
pass his imortality. It moves with his servents as they go to work. Then sunday
we got up at 5 to get ready to go out to looke for our team that goes out inviting all to
church and animating. To our surprise Ronald that hasent bin partisipating
that much was there exactly at 6:00. We went out got our team full of spirit
and went to work this week went alot difrent as the people were tired.

As we got to there doors they said no. A sister we got to the door we knocked and
knocked and she didnt awsner we stayed there knocking for 30 min nothing.
Her family is one of the bigest family that are members. Then we went on
inviting our investigatores we got back and her door was open. We called she
answered and told us that she was not going to church we let here know that
the Lord would love nothing more then if she and her family went to church.
The lord touched her hart as she got the family ready. It realy tride me to
stand and to keep going back that they would go to church.

We had the asistence of 36 witch was kindof sad but that is not the last part. We only
had sacrament by the pleading of our branch president. Then we had
confrince. As we got done with church a thought came to my mind we can not
leave like this asistence this week. We got the group ready and gave a
little talk and send them out to envite all we can to go to confrince that
is 45 mintues away. We had a bus come from Nagarote. Well we went to work as
we with faith walked the streets inviting all we could sending them out to
the curch and keeping on walking.

As i got back to my surprise the whole outside was field with people how over whelmed my hart was. The branch Presindet came with 24 in the but as 66 from Mateares filled the bus to
travel the distence to see the stake president to counsel them. The spirit
was filled. Another great thing hapend is that we talked and helped the bus
driver and his friend to also enter the confrince you never know if in some
feature that they will have a desire to join the church Of our Savior Jesus
Christ.

HOw i wish i was stronger to help this work go farther. I feal like
i am on the front row of the battle and that it is trying me. How i wish
that i was stronger that i was more capble to serve the Lord my God. How i
love this work. I know that he will bless me for my work. I hope to give all
i have in this last part of my mission that i have. I love the Savior and
know that He Lives.

Elder Pearce oh there is another mericle as a member that has some dificultise serving
because of his work resinde to go to confrince and to help the work along he
has 24 years and he just made the coment he would like to serve a mission i
cant belive all that is happening in this little area. We will do all we
can. Pray for us to reach the goal that we have set for this week.

Shining Shoes

From: Elder Andrushka Dated: 10.20.08

Thank you for your letter Dad.
Dear Family well this week i have learnd alot as always you see whean you have more presure if you realy have become a better person and a better missionary the lord ask us to do the work with a chearful hart. This week we had the chance to go to the market and to shine peoples shews and to ask for refrence. It was a realy good experiance that we did as a zone the poeple came to realize that we practice what we teach as we were humbled to bring about this work and the poeple were humbled also they at first thaught we were trying to get somthing but it was awsome experiance. My camera is full but i will send some pics all that i have. I only have of the other activity that we did. We worked realy hard this week. I feal joyfull to see the result of our work. THis week we filed our rented chapel full that there wasent anyamore room. What a joy it was as 96 or so asisted the church i love this little town with all my hart. We have pout a project in to action and hoping that it will double the asistencia i dont have much time to epxlain the plan. We devided Nindiri in 11 sectore. Each sectore we called al lider and he has a team of 5 people or so. They are 2 with pristhood and 2 of sociedad de socoro. Evryone is realy exited to work with this plan as we spent some time working with branch president and chorum president to get this plan going. We as missionarys will be helping suprevise this work. Its to help retain our efert. Love this work and i am exited for the next week. We had a baptism he has 88 years old and he is just needs to go to church one more tim e he has 2 in the church and he needs 3 to baptize some one. The reason he cant go to church is that he has bad health.This week we will try to get permission from the president to baptize him. Also found two new familys i will let you know how thats going next week. Love you all. Be ye all strong in doing good and keeping the commandments.
Love Elder Pearce

uno mas año

From: Elder Andrushka Pearce Dated: 10.06.08

Dear Family
The time is just pasing by like a rushing river. We got in this are and started to work hard we had a mutual with all the members. We watched legasy and talked about sacrifice it went well as the branch president caught our vission and is ready to help and work hard. We are starting a project were we can help with home teaching feloshiping and retaning new converts i am exited to work on it. We had a set back this week thinking that i could do it with out the lords help. I had to be humbled and ready to work harder this week. We have had many meatings with the branch president and our mission leader and the elders chorum president. They are starting to catch the vission of what we are doing. We had a baptisim this week in a old church baptisimal font as we cleanded it out it lookes like a swiming pool it was a great experiance. I have come to love this are i know that there is so much work to do. Also this week we went to the market with all the missionarys and started singing to get atention of all then as we had a box we one by one got up on the box to share with all the message. Not many stoped by to leasten we gave away pamphlets and it was a great experiance to get up and loose the fear in the work and share with peopel why we are here as misisonarys. I loved standing up and sharing with all a desire to come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ i know this is the work of the lord it moves and will be sounded in evry ear. The work is growing here. Our mission president has a very big vission. I am so glad to be here and to be part of this work. The best part as you loose your slef in the work you come to find awnsers to what is measing and what needs to corected in your life. Congrats nick and crystal i love you dearly and will next week send pictures. oh all my family is going to be together. Know dearly how much i love each one of you. Loves Elder Pearce

New Area

From Elder Andrushka Pearce Dated: Sept. 29, 2008

Dear Family

Noooo I changed area and now I am in Masay. I love this area but miss the old one. It’s called Nindiri. My companion has 6 months and his name is Elder Garza. He is a very good missionary. We went right down in planning what we are going to do for this branch. Yes, it’s my first branch and I hope and pray that I will have 6 months here.

We got to know the branch president. He is a returned missionary and knows what missionary work is like. We have to do a lot of work to win the confidence of all the members here. I think the missionaries have a not very good reputation.

It is a very beautiful department (area?). The weather is colder and drier. I am starting to get used to it.

I have got a feeling that in this area we are going to reach miracles. I have been thinking a lot how fast my mission has passed me by. This area I hope to arise to a new sense of urgency. Believe me when I say I do have it. One year more is not enough time. I want to bless as many lives as I can. I have become a little hard. Meaning I preach repentance but this week I have put a goal to teach with more love.

I think sometimes it’s hard to make all the difference with love but that is what makes all the difference. I have come to realize the work of Mom and Dad. That it was hard. I have been feeling lately how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family. I love you all. Thank you Dad and Mom for all that you do.

Oh, we also opened this area. It was closed. What a wonderful experience. This life is full of experiences. The only thing we do is choose what we do. Will we rise to the challenge or will we run and hide?

I love my Savior. I love this work. It is truly the Lords church.

To you all who can read these words, Love You!
Elder Pearce

Bus Contacting

From Elder Andrey Pearce Dated September 1st 2008

Thank you so much Dad for the talk that you send me. I have realy come to
learn what it means to teach by the spirit because wean i dont have the
spirit i couldent teach not knowing spanish. It helps now knowing
spanish. This last week we had a 70 come and talk to us Elder
Clarke What powerfull serventsh he is. Leaving that meating i felt like i
was ready to talk to the whole world. This week i have had quiete the
experiance. The first one Elder Clark chalenged us to stand up and contact a
bus. So i told my còmpanion i am giong to do it. So heres the story. So we
get to the bus station and i am already nervous. So we enter a house write
were the bus passes and teach the man that was there. Then we left the
house and came the bus. So i let my companion pass by then i got on the bus
write in front of the buss driver and i asked him if i could talk to
the whole bus. He said sure. So i braiced my self and started talking i
started out hi then i asked a question as all faced me and my hart
started to beat boom boom. Then i made the mastake to ask a question and
a lady in the back replied wich made things easier i talked about the
booke of mormon and envited all to church. The hardest part was walking
back to my seat as i didnt have anything to brace my slef. Hahah i thaught
to my slef next time i will prepare a talk to give on the bus we will see
if i will have the couredge to preach on onther bus there wasent more
then 20 people but all that know me i dont like talking in huge
grupes ahahah. Well then we had a mutual in ruben dario. We set a
goal to have 30 poeple there and as we didnt have time we chalenged the
members to invite all and they did we had a lovly mutual or meating. I
taught about unity i have come to love this ward alot. I have come to
realize a trick to life i am the happiest wean i serve. Wean i forget about
my slef and go to work. I hope that i can learn how to better forget about
my slef and work. We also had a baptisms this week wich was a mericle.
Cesar he has 26 years we called him over the phone because he works far a
way and we can only teach him saturday and Sunday he goes to church by him
self o evry other sunday because of work. Each time he came he came with a
friend. So we called him and asked if he was ready to be baptised thirsday
and he said maybe. We told him if he pased the in terview he said yes.
Sunday morning we had scedualed the intrerview for 6:30 in the morning and
he showed up. at 7:00 we envited all members and they came he passed the
interview then we baptized in sacrament meating was confirmed and i could
feal the spirit strong as i sat with him testify to me that it was write.
I love the work i have to much to wirte So i will end with my testimony.
I know that the savior is center of this life we cant do anything or go
anywere without him. May we see his will each day and do what he would
have us do. I love him with all my hart. I know that with his help i will
reaturne in the presence of my heavenly father. Love you All
Thanks for your prayers. Congrats Tomi 3 kids is it a boy or a girl?
Thanks mom and dad for all you do!

Noche De Hermanamiento"

From Elder Andrushka Dated: August 8th, 08

Dear Mom, Dad and the family,

This week was an awesome week, with the ward, not so much with the investigators. The ward just seems to have come more together in the last 4 months that we were here. We started to do, “Noche De Hermanamiento”. It’s a gathering for everyone to learn the gospel Friday nights. We have come to form the ward together more. My comp and I have been switching off from area to area each week. It has energized the ward more. We are ever happy to be part of the work.

The other day I was driving back in a bus from on of these activities that we were in charge of. I thought to myself, “What an experience of my life to be in Nicaragua, to be speaking Spanish and to help this group of 24 feel the spirit, sing with them, and share their difficulties.” I thought, “How did I end up here?” and was ever excited to work harder in the Gospel to help more people.

It is very true out here there are many experiences to learn from Bishops. We have come to learn how each position in the church works. How truly inspired the organization of our Savior is. I know he leads this church. I have come to see the results each small part in the church has to do.


From the smallest assignment comes out the great life saving result. I have excitement to become better, to learn more. At times I get down thinking to myself how I wish I took life more seriously when I was younger, when I had all the time in the world. Instead of dibbling the ball outside for hours wishing being in the NBA. That I would have ready my scriptures, prayed more. Then I realize, I get up and do all that I can do.

I have come to realize how awesome my companion is. He supports me. All that I can’t do, he can. We have become a great team together and I have grown so much just this change. His name is Elder Flores. We have some activities coming up that we have planned out and are so excited.

The Munoz family have not yet made the choice. There are others that are just waiting for their answers to prayer.

I too can’t believe that I almost have a year on the mission. I did get the package. As I read Dan’s talk, tears streamed down my face and I had to walk outside so everyone wouldn’t see me crying.

I have come to be stronger on my mission. At times there is a lot of pressure to stand and talk to all. Through all the pressure I have come to know more who I am. What my Father in Heaven wants me to be. Stand up and be bold to this pressure.

As with my vitamins, I am great taking some almost every day now. Thank you mom for all the work you put into sending me this. Thanks Dad also for all that you do. Hope all is well at home. Seeing the photos of all the family together just missing me was sad. Don’t you worry. I love working in the Lord’s kingdom preparing for the second coming. Inviting all to partake of the atonement of Our Savior. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Back in the Saddle

From Elder BJ Bernards, dated January 7, 2008

Dear Father,

I love you. Thanks for being my dad. I read through some old letters from you and gleaned great support from them. I love your testimony and your example as a father.

It was great to talk to you. Thank you also for the spending money. It has been a great support to me. I promise to take better care of it.

We have been seeing miracles here.

Let me tell you of my special calling I've been given. I feel that I have been called here to raise the moral and the spirituality and obedience and the faith of the missionaries here in West Omaha. My companion is Elder Hill who is from Burley, Idaho, and a great man. He lacks faith in himself, and gets discouraged. We have been working hard and have been seeing these miracles and been raising our bar. Before I was here this district was in shambles. We have a good new district leader who is from Sacramento, California, and some great elders here. We have the best wards in all of Nebraska in this district. We are going to see wonders here. We have an abundance of returned missionaries and strong priesthood leaders here to go forth proclaiming the gospel.

I have been able to see the growth that I am contributing and am fulfilled in my service. I know that even though I am not baptizing yet, we are doing a work that eventually affects that. Every week we have been getting stronger and stronger. I feel a fire that is unquenchable in my bosom that won’t let me rest or falter. It is the Love of my Savior. It is the seeds of the fruit of the Tree of Life that swells within me! It is a well of living water that quenches my thirsty soul and it floweth forever. I am grateful for your dedicated service for my behalf that has brought me to this gift. I am grateful for your righteous lifestyle of keeping covenants and upholding your priesthood oaths which have granted me access to the atoning blood of Christ.

I just wanted to say I love you and pray for you and apologize for my horrible teenage years. I am sorry for showing the kids such a bad example. I have made it my life goal to rectify those choices and show and be the best example to everyone I see. I never want to lead into unrighteousness again! I love truth. My heart rejoices in it! I cleave unto it and my understanding of it grows and grows. One day we shall sing in praise of our God and His righteousness and our praise will last forever and ever. We shall obtain the fullness of the stature of Christ by and by. We have great reason to rejoice because nothing shall separate us from the Love of Christ Jesus (Romans 9) That is one of my favorite chapters.

I also am grateful for Joseph Smith who I know is a true prophet called for us in these latter days.

Love,
Elder Bernards

Gathering His Sheep

From: Elder Andrushka January 07, 2008

This week has been great. It all started out with a great zone conference where we got the desire to work harder. Then we got back to our house and planned out to work a lot harder. We found 28 new people to teach and set 20 new baptismal dates. This means that we have a lot of work to do.

We have changes coming up. Elder Flores is getting transferred. It’s sad and scary at the same time. I have found out that here you can’t get too comfortable. The Lord wants you growing and changing. So I will have a lot more responsibility. We’ll see what will happen.

The highlight of this week was, on Sunday we got up because we had 28 people to visit before church to make sure they go. So we got up and went out the door. Our church starts at 2 so we had to visit all the people before 2. This was something new that we were trying this week. It is really hard to get people to go to church here. They will promise you to go but when the time comes they won’t go. Part of this plan was to visit each family and teach about the Sabbath day, five minutes each person. Then after we ate we went on splits with members of the church. I went to one side of the area to get all the people and Elder Flores went to the other side. I had 11 people. 3 families walking across the town with me. I felt so thankful to my Heavenly Father for helping us find these families. It was one experience that touched my heart. We are working hard with these families.

I have gotten a stronger desire to learn Spanish better to carry out the work the way my Heavenly Father wants me to. I love this work. I love the spirit that I can feel. I love all the experiences that help me rise and become a better instrument of the Lord. I have come to realize the Spirit is the key to everything. If you don’t have the Spirit you can not carry out the work. If you don’t have the Spirit you can not receive revelations. Our whole lives are about learning. The sooner we learn how the Spirit works the more we can progress to start understanding the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As in most things in life, if you want to learn something you need to put your heart into it. My heart is in the missionary work.

The time is just flying out here. I love you all!!! I hope all is well at home. I don’t hear much. Just from Mom and little bit from Dad.

I bare my testimony of the reality of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I want you all to know that I have a firm testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ.

Elder Pearce

Amelia's Baptism

Elder Andrushka ~ sent December 31, 2007

Dear Family

It was wonderful to talk to you all. It sounds like life is just passing by great.

Dad I have chosen not to listen to the elders. I have learned in my life that with sacrifices comes blessings. With more sacrifices we make in our life that are correct and for the building up of the kingdom of our Lord and Savior. We receive blessings and happiness. I know it’s true the more I try and be obedient in my life the more I am blessed.

This week has been great we baptized Amelia. We have been talking to her mom for a while to gain permission. After we gained permission she lost her desire. So we rebuilt the desire and had to again help the mom understand how a baptism would bless her daughter’s life for time and all eternity.

With every week I seem to grow and stretch not as much as I would like to learn. Patience is one thing that I have learned out here. I have been working on recognizing the spirit and working to improve to act on the prompting as i receive.

I love you all! Elder Pearce