Don't Cook Your Investigators!

Another good week for Ryan.  He is progressing and growing and loving the people and the Gospel and staying warm.  What more could a parent ask for???

Random thoughts from Letters:

One thing you'll enjoy to hear it that I learned to make pupusas this week!  We were at my ward mission leaders house, and is wife is Salvadoranian and so she taught us how to make some pupusas and I made a bunch there!  They were killer!  And then one of the people we are teaching invited us over this week that when we have our lesson we are also going to eat pupusas, so that is a cool thing!  Other wise we haven't seen a lot of success or growth in the people we are working with, which is hard, but God will put in my path the people I need to impact in one way or another, even if they are not prepared to make all the steps at this point in time. 

It definitely feeling more like Christmas here too, although it is so much different than normal Christmas times.  Holidays kinda just come and go and you kinda feel them, but its like they never get fully celebrated and its weird and whatnot, but I'll be back to full on real ones in like no time.  For now we have our ghetto Christmas decorations all set up and we are jamming to the Christmas music you sent, thank you for that too!  It has been way fun to have those, and now I am loaded with Christmas music that my whole apartment has been able to partake of.  The weather here isn't too bad, it is a bit chilly on days, but I just throw my coat on and my cold stuff, and I have been fine.  I haven't suffered really from the cold so far, everyone really exaggerated what the Minnesota winters would be, and so far the bark is far worse than the bite.

A thought from one of Elder Pickering's Facebook posts"

1 Nephi 8:12

And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.

In this gospel we are blessed to have the fruit that is desirable above all other. And that is why I have chosen to be out here and serve. We have so many blessings from God that this gospel has to offer. So if you're going through a hard time, or are wanting to come partake of this fruit, and find that same happiness, it is here in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints waiting for you

1 Nefi 8:12
Y al comer de su fruto, mi alma se llenó de un gozo inmenso; por lo que deseé que participara también de él mi familia, pues sabía que su fruto era preferible a todos los demás.

En este evangelio, estamos bendecidos de tener la fruta que es preferible a todos los demás. Este es porque he escogido estar aquí y servir a Dios. Tenemos muchas bendiciones de Dios que este evangelio nos ofrece. Entonces, si esta en un tiempo difícil o quiere tener de la fruta y encontrar la felicidad. Lo está aquí en La Iglesia de Jesucristo de Los Santos de Los Últimos Días, esperando para usted.

Group Email:

Hey everybody, its me again!

This week has been good here in Minnesota! To start the week off I got to go to a leadership meeting that every once and a while the district leaders are invited to along with the zone leaders.  That was a good time.  It was very interesting to see everyone's different view points and how the work goes on in the different areas of the mission. It went well, and we got a free lunch out of it, which as a missionary is always just a blessing.  

Another out of the normal thing I got to do this week was go on exchanges for a day.  I went with Elder Schwieder, and got to introduce him to the life of a Spanish missionary for a day.   And what a small world it is, because he grew up with one of my good friends from my mtc district who is down in Texas right now, honestly crazy.  But we had a lot of fun together trying to stay warm while biking here in the city.  It sure is an adventure everyday.  Some days we probably look more like Eskimos biking around all geared up just trying to cover every bit of exposed skin we have. You do what you have to do in order to not freeze here I guess, and so far I haven't froze, so that is a win.  

We had a baptism in our ward yesterday, which was really awesome!  It is this 11 year old kid who doesn't live with his biological dad, and for the longest time his biological dad didn't give him permission to get baptized or make that step.  But I guess something changed and the spirit did some convincing, but Jason finally got permission to be baptized.  So I got to interview him and square him away for his baptism.  The sisters were filling the font for him too, and somehow they messed it up, and were filling the font at 125 degrees... So thankfully when I went to check on it, I caught that and was able to make sure we got him baptized rather than cooking him!  

Well that is it for my week here in Minne.  We have transfers this week, so by the next email you may get all new stories and people, or maybe the same ol.  I will find out Tuesday night what is going on, so I am excited to see.  Either way though, the work of the Lord goes on in all places.  We can find the work to be done and further the gathering of Israel if we are willing to do His will and always keep an open mind, heart and eyes.  So always be open and look for what the Lord has in store for you and how he wants to help you or someone else through you.

Talk to you all later!

Elder Pickering

Making Papusas