1 year Anniversary!

April 22, 2013

Hey family,

Thanks for sending some love in the form of material goods this week. My companion and I are loving them. I know have taught her the beauty that lies within a simple peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich and her life will never be the same. In other words, we want to say THANKS. I especially loved your letters and the notes from the activity day girls. Its weird to think a year ago I was super nervous in the MTC and thinking I would never learn Spanish......

Well this week has been really good. We have had lots of great experiences with investigators and recent converts that have really strengthened my testimony about following the spirit in teaching and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as a second witness of Jesus Christ.

First off, lets start off with our lesson with the Pastors. We actually werent intending to teach them but they showed up at a lesson with an investigator and they wanted to "listen" and ask questions. We taught them about the Book of Mormon when they asked about it and answered a lot of their questions using passages from the Bible. The problem was that they didnt listen to any of our responses because they were just looking for passages to tell us in response to our answers. We didnt fight, just tried to answer their questions, testified that the Lord loves us enough to give us modern day revelation, and invited them to pray. While they believe that God answers prayers, they never accepted the invitation. Were also teaching a member of the 7 day adventist church and he has the same problem. Its so clear to me why we need to read the Book of Mormon and gain a testimony of it. If we do so, we can really gain a testimony that God hasnt changed since Biblical times and will never change. I wish more people would have more faith to trust in God and pray. But at least Im grateful that there are lots that do :).

Have I told you about Conni and Luis? We met them about a month ago and they are getting married and baptized this Sunday.  They are a really humble couple that are ready to make a change in their lives. We have been teaching them with Claudia and Javier and I have really gained a testimony about teaching with members (and especially recent converts). While Javier loves to start talking about every principle that he knows about the gospel (sometimes unrelated and its hard to keep him on track) I have learned that the spirit is the greatest teacher and the friendship they are forming with Conni and Luis is so important. Well we had a really great lesson with them on Friday about the Plan of Salvation. Then on Sunday morning we got a text from Luis that said they werent coming to church. Thats not like them so we called and found out they had a fight on Saturday night and didnt feel worthy to come to church. Satan is really good at getting in the way of things huh? So we had a lesson with them last night about The Family:A Proclamation to the World" and were able to help them with a lot of their doubts and fears about marriage. I never thought I would be a pre-marriage counselor but that is what I have been a lot on my mission.  Hermana Morales and I hadnt made an elaborate lesson plan on what to say but the spirit directed us in what scriptures to use and say. We helped them make goals and they are set for this Sunday. Please pray for them!  Were also prepping Martin for his baptism. It turns out that he and his wife are seperated because she doesnt want to be with him anymore, but he always comes to the house to see his daughters--which is SUPER rare because usually men here run away from responsibility. He is a really special man. He will get baptized this Sunday as well.

This week before noche de hermanimiento (mutual night) we found Javier in the street riding home from work. Well he said to us that he needed to talk to Brother Chavarria because he thinks its better that he doesnt come back to church. When we asked him why he said that its because he got in a fight with his family, he sinned, and hes not worthy. We talked to him about repentance and how the reason we go to church is to learn how we can become more like the Savior and overcome our weaknesses. Well we helped him feel better and he ended up coming to church that night. When he and Claudia got there, Claudia told us when Javier told her he wasnt coming back to church she cried. She knew that the Lord had put us in his path to tell him what he needed to hear to come back to church. Javier bore his testimony on Sunday about how hes a changed man. He has no fear. As he told me last night, " I think that fear comes from the devil right? So Im going to have courage and not fear."

As a missionary when were teaching, sometimes we make promises to people about blessings that they are going to receive. Lots of times we arent still there when people actually receive these blessings or they dont recognize they have received them. This week I had the opportunity to see a recent convert, Martiza receive a promised blessing. Before her baptism I felt impressed to tell her that after her baptism her health would improve and her knees wouldnt hurt as much. She bore her testimony this week that ever since her baptism her legs havent been inflamed and she has felt so much better. It was so special to see someone recognize the power that the Lord has worked in their lives.

Well I better go but I really love this work and Im really happy to be a missionary. The church is true. Just pray to know and act with faith if you have doubts. I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!

Hermana Anne Pearson

random experiences this week.....

We were having a first lesson with a woman and I said that I really liked her blue polka dot dress. She went and changed and gave it to me. She said she would be offended if I didnt accept it. I accepted it.

We were teaching a woman that her mom that was really evangelical. We asked if her mom wanted to say the prayer to close. She did and she touched our heads and blessed us during the prayer.....some people are really deceived about the authority of God.....

One of my recent converts sneaked up on me in the market today and touched my arms from behind me, I was about to hit him and then realized who it was. Im glad I didnt hit him.....