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

Laborers Are Few

From Elder Paul Freeman, dated March 27, 2008

Dear Family,

First, Thank you, Mom, for emailing me. It really is the highlight of my week. As always I don’t really appreciate what I have until it’s hundreds of miles away. I love to hear about everything that goes on at home. Good, bad, happy, tragic and everything in-between, I want to hear about. Now it seems like everything is going pretty good.

I [am] happy to report that good things are happening here. Last week was transfers and my good Samoan companion was transferred far away to Apple Valley. Well, it would be far if we didn’t cover the entire mission.

There have been other interesting developments. If you recall at the end of last year I was serving with my half-Samoan/half-New-Zealander friend, Elder Ah Wong, and we covered both Samoan wards, the big one and the small one. Then, they split our area and I got my Samoan companion, Elder Leiato, and I served with him in only the big Samoan ward and Ah Wong got his new companion and they served in the small ward. Elder Ah Wong went home in February and was replaced by Elder Hafoka. Last week they took away his companion and they took away my companion and now we are companions and cover both wards again.

That’s been a pretty big change. Before, when we only covered one ward we had enough time to spend up in the Hisperia/Victorville area. Now, both bishops are concerned about sharing missionaries again and are also concerned with how much time we spend up in the desert.
So, for all intents and purposes, it’s like covering [two] wards and a branch. The branch hasn’t been formed yet, but is desperately needed. It’s only a matter of convincing either the Area Presidency or the First Presidency.

We’ve been compiling a list of neglected Samoans in the Hisperia/Victorville area for the past [four] months and President Sanchez said he sent copies straight to Salt Lake and to the Area Authority and even all the Stake Presidents involved. We have even been teaching several Samoan families in Hisperia, but since they only really speak English they will end up being baptized in the English wards, so unfortunately we’re in the process of giving them up to the other missionaries in the English wards. That will cut our teaching pool in half, and take away a lot of baptisms, but it will give us more time to focus on the wards down here.

It seems like everyone is just waiting for approval of a Samoan unit in the Victorville/ Hisperia area, and everyone is so convinced that it will solve all the problems, and it very well may. My only concern is that while everyone is waiting, the lost sheep will get even more lost, and by the time they choose a sheep herder they can understand, they will be too far gone away from the Shepherd.

At times it feel like we’re walking on thin ice. All we want to focus on as missionaries is bringing people into the gospel. But, with the instability up in the Victorville/Hisperia area it’s very difficult to do that. The support is structured for a different language and a different culture, and the support we do have that can cater to their needs is too far away. So we either trust in the Palangi ward and stake leadership to serve their needs or we do everything we can and try our hardest not to step on anyone’s toes.

President Sanchez says if anything does happen, it won’t be for a long time, maybe next fall. Until then, we’ll continue to do our best and accomplish all that is asked of us. That way when all is said and done we can be held guiltless.

Thank you all for your continued love and support. I pray the best for all of you.

Love,

Elder Freeman

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

Eye Opening Experience

Elder Andrushka sent December 24, 2007

I will be calling so I just wrote an eye opening experience. Happy Christmas I will be calling I am so grateful for all of you.

I had and eye opening moment. I realized this life is a fight but many people don’t know that. They move through life like there is no purpose. Yes many have faith in Jesus Christ but not understanding (that) with this faith they need to grab the sword and stand ready to fight (against) the world of evil. Every day I walk outside. I see the devil fighting with his might but the people not knowing that he is fighting. Not understanding there is the biggest war of their lives going on.

Then there are the valiant ones. The missionaries (and others) on the front battle field. The weak and the simple with our giant swords of faith, standing on the front battle field. Each day we wake up, gain more experience and go out to fight the evil. As we share the gospel, some join the ranks to fight the evil. Some just don’t understand. They are so blinded to all that is going on.

In these last days the evil is at its worst. If you’re not moving you are just swept away. The best part of it is the Savior, our brother leading this fight with his example. Completing the greatest part of this fight, the death and sin.

I love this gospel I am truly thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I truly don’t understand all that he fulfilled, all that he has sacrificed, all that he prepared in pre- mortal life. I can’t comprehend this. But I have faith in him. I know that because of him I will return to my Father in Heaven. With all the experience in life, I thank him for being with me every step of the way. I am honored to be a soldier in his army.

Elder Pearce