Showing posts with label mission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mission. Show all posts

Monday, September 27, 2010

Check out the TICKER!!!

I do realize that my intentions to be a fabulous blogger were much greater than my desire to be a fabulous blogger. I think the last time I posted was 6 months ago! Anyway.....I have most likely lost anyone who might have actually read this blog but for those of you out there still....CHECK OUT MY TICKER!!! 3 DAYS UNTIL JONATHAN COMES HOME!!!!!!



The following letter is the final email that I will get from Elder Pierce while he is a Missionary!
It is the perfect ending for this chapter in his life!!!! I remember that day, September 24, 2008, when we dropped him off at the MTC, the MTC President said, "your missionary will come back a better person than they were when they left". The letter below is evidence of that!!!


Hey, I won´t bore you with a lot of stories I will save that for Thursday, but I just wanted to thank you and Dad for raising me to be able to do this. My mission has really been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have learned so much about my Father in Heaven and his gospel and just life itself. I can´t even express how much my mission means to me and as the days come closer it is becoming harder and harder for me to accept. It already feels like a dream. But the things that I have learned and the experiences that I have had will be ingraven in my heart for ever. I love my mission and I love this country and these amazing people. I love you so much and one of the most precious things that I have gained here is the hope for an eternal family and that alone means the world to me. I could not even try to imagine the Celestial kingdom with out you, Dad, Hailey and Aden, it just wouldn´t be heaven for me. I love you guys with all my heart!! I am so grateful for the influence that you guys have had on me, I know that I was far from the perfect son and I am sorry for that, but I think that I have changed a lot. Its really hard not to change all of your bad qualities on the mission, the trials that you have here almost force you to rely on the Lord to make it out sane. I know that trials really do make us better people if we can trust in the Lord. The 2 biggest lessons that I think I have learned in my mission is to trust the Lord and I know have a firm testimony of the love that our Redeemer has for each and every one of us. I know that he loves us because we "are engraven on the palms of his hands". I have felt that power in my life and especially my mission. I know that he lives and that he watches out for us. I know that the church is true and is guided by divine revelation. The Book of Mormon is the best book in the world. I just finished it for the third time in my mission, which for my its quite a bit, and it truly does testify of Christ like it says it does. It helps us come closer to our Father in Heaven which is our goal here in this life and now I know that. I have finally found my orientation in life, I now know where I am going and where we are going, as a family. These are a few things that I have learned here that I wanted to share with you in my last email. I love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomuch. Jonathan

Monday, February 8, 2010

Photo Greetings from Guatemala

Here are the lastest photos from Elder Pierce!!!!


Mr. Peepers is scheduled for baptism on February 20th! :)



Monday, November 16, 2009

Wishing for an ATM Machine!

This is what the line at the Bank looks like on payday in Guatemala!
I bet these poor folks would kill for an ATM machine!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Elder Pierce Update!

This is Jonathan's new area! I'm not sure what this building is...maybe it is his new pad!
This is Jonathan working on his domestic skills....making tortillas!

This is a sweet family Jonathan was able to teach and baptize!
We sure are proud of our missionary!

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Two Baptisms and the Priesthood!

This past Saturday was a GREAT DAY for the Pierce Family!
Aden received the Aaronic Priesthood and is now a Deacon!

Our friend Jairo flew in from New York for the special occasion!
Scott Sullivan and Bishop Gamblin also participated!


Elder Pierce got moved in an emergency transfer to a beautiful area called Valparaiso.
He says it is the most beautiful area in the mission.

But before he left his old area...
Two of his investigators were baptized!

Congratulations Ricardo and Juan Carlos!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Deep Thoughts by Elder Pierce

Um it is good to know that one year from this minute I will probably be stepping off a plane in Oakland, California. Cuz the way the changes work out I will actually get home on the 28th. It is a crazy feeling and it really does go by fast. Looking back at it and how much I have changed since I left it doesn't seem like that could happen in a year. Maybe not changes that everyone else can notice but I definitely can. I am having fun and even though I have been tried and tested my entire mission I wouldn't trade it for the world. However I also look back on it and realize that I have been here for quite a long time. Q'eqchi is sooooo hard to pronounce and hard to learn. I don't get it. They say that gringos learn it very fast but I am not seeing it. The hard part is that in the qeqchi culture they are all about public humiliation. They love making fun of people especially those that can't speak their language so they always make me feel dumb. Our ward is in spanish, but my companion likes to teach qeqchi people so thats like all day in qeqchi. This week is the second to last general conference of my mission wow. It has been raining quite a bit here so it is looking like i may have to buy some rain boots pretty soon. Especially if they send me to the mountains like I think they will. I am still in a pretty city area but if I go to the Polochic its like the straight up boonies. Like sheds for houses type thing no light and not much running water. Like Tarzan pretty much speaking some crazy Lamanite dialect. Other than all that things are goin good here, having fun and learning a lot. Love, Jonathan

Friday, September 25, 2009

One Year BABY!!!!!!!!





Only 364 more days to go!!!!
God Speed Elder Pierce!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Did you say PLEASE or FLEAS!!!!!!

I can't believe I had to buy my missionary son one of these.....


Jonathan is now serving in Coban, Guatemala.
When our friend, who also served a Mission in Guatemala,
asked where Jonathan was and found out about the fleas said,
"Oh they must be using the same beds!"
Yikes!!!! He served in Coban seven years ago!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Elder Pierce Photos!

We received these photos along with Jonathan's email today.

I don't think the houses in Guatemala are made for my 6 foot 1 inch son!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

3 Cool Things....according to Elder Pierce

The other day I was on divisions with my district leader and three cool things happened. We walked by this van that had 3 bullet holes through the window and blood EVERYWHERE. The people all said that it happened twenty minutes before we got there. Then we contacted this lady that told us to go preach in our own land. And last but not least while teaching a lesson while I was bearing my testimony the lady started to cry and we all felt the spirit pretty strong.

I love Jonathan's three cool things and the order that he put them in!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Pray for Guatemalan Weddings!

Quote of the week from Elder Pierce..... Zona 18 is doing good. It is really stressful cuz NO ONE is married here. Everyone that we teach and start to progress we find out that they aren´t married and I don´t really know how all that works here but apparently its pretty complicated. We have FIVE sets of families that we need to marry. This is ridiculous. Everyone of them has some big problem impeding them from getting married. UGH!!! I am trying my hardest to be the best missionary I can be and to obey all the rules. Other than all of these problems I am having I am having a ton of fun and I love it here.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Quote of the week from Elder Pierce

Oh my gosh!!!!!So you want to know what its like here... So last night I was laying on my bed resting cuz we just got home and we hear this pop pop pop pop BOOM!!! And we found out later that the place where we had just been walking, got mowed down by a machine gun and then if that weren´t enough a grenade was thrown, yes a GRENADE!!! What the heck is this place!!!! Yet again I am fine but good grief!!



Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Why so SERIOUS?

This is the quote of the week from Elder Pierce....
"The area I am in is kind of scary but nothing has happened to me at all so don't worry. But I feel like I am in freakin " Dark Knight". All over the papers it talks about, the chief of police getting assasinated, people all over the place being burned, bus drivers getting shot. It's crazy. No need to worry I haven't had anything happen to me."

What do you think....should I worry?

Monday, January 5, 2009

Sweet Photos from Elder Pierce!

We received some photos from Jonathan today!
This is a picture of Jonathan with some recent converts named Margarita and Gabriel!
(sorry about the bad scanning!)
This is the hill they had to walk up everyday!
For you Santa Rosans, he said it would put Grace Drive to shame!

This is my favorite picture...look at the little girl's face that is standing next to Jonathan.
This is part of one of the families they are teaching!
This is Elder Pierce and Elder Walker in beautiful Guatemala!
A sweet Missionary Christmas!

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Best Way Out of Class.....Haircuts!

We had a fun time talking with Elder Pierce on Christmas Day. One of the things we brought up to him was the fact that his hair was SO SHORT...even by missionary standards. He started laughing and explained that while in the MTC in Guatemala he had a Spanish class that was really boring. They had him in a class with beginning Spanish speakers. One of the "legal" ways to get out of class was to get a haircut. Well the photo says it all!!! He said he got 4 haircuts in one week. At least he didn't break any rules...right? Leave to Jonathan to find a way out of class!

Friday, December 26, 2008

Christmas Morning...missing Elder Pierce

The first present we opened was the sweet package Jonathan sent us from Guatemala!
Hailey and I got these cool bags. Dave got handmade leather scripture covers and Aden got a tee-shirt and hand woven scripture covers.
We talked to Elder Pierce for about three hours on Christmas morning. His friends Adella, Alex and Matt came over to chat as well. He is doing good but is struggling a bit with homesickness. I'm not sure whether the phone helped with that or not. It was weird not having Jonathan home but we are so proud of him and his decision to serve a mission. Serving others is what the Christmas season is all about!
We hope all of you had a
WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!
The Pierce family did!!!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Where's Waldo....I mean Elder Pierce!

Can you find that strawberry blond Elder Pierce in this photo?
How about this one?
Both these photos were taken while Jonathan was in the Guatemala MTC. The first one is his "graduating class" from the MTC. The second one was taken in a small city called Antigua! Yes, he is the only one NOT looking at the camera!

Wow!.....Feliz Navidad!....Early!

We received a package from Elder Pierce TODAY!
We haven't opened it yet....17 more days until Christmas!
Also the Mission Office is moving....
This should be Jonathan's address for the rest of his mission....
21 months and 2 weeks but who's counting!
Elder Jonathan Pierce
Mision Guatemala Ciudad Norte
Apartado Numero 951 A
Ciudad de Guatemala,
GUATEMALA C.A

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

In the Mission Field.....Finally

A week ago Tuesday, Elder Pierce finally left the MTC in Guatemala. For you that know Jonathan, the "confinement" of the 9 weeks in the MTC was not his favorite. Luckily he was able to split it between the MTC in Provo and the MTC in Guatemala. He is now serving in a city about two hours outside of Guatemala City called Palencia. He already has a Baptismal Commitment from a 10 year boy named Marco whose family they are teaching. Marco is getting baptized this Saturday.
Here is Elder Pierce with President and Sister Torres!
Elder Pierce and Elder Walker (from Layton, UT)