I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me!

From Elder Andrey Pearce Dated: August 25, 2008

It’s been a treat to read the letters from Mom and Dad. This week has been really hard as we worked super hard. I feel like some times on the mission my faith is tried and if we pass, we gain a stronger testimony. We pushed hard this week to accomplish our goals and hope to see the progress in the future.

Dad, I started my mission 22 de Agosto. I think I am starting to learn how to be better in Spanish than English. I was thinking the other day it’s easier to write.

This week we found a lot of new converts and we had conference which was very well done and spiritual.

The other day I had an experience that led me to understand that my Heavenly Father loves me so much. So, we are walking to our appointment to eat. We are just tired, the rain is coming down and we don’t have anything to cover us. I really didn’t want to get my shoes wet. As the street are like rivers, I am jumping around, dodging the puddles. I come to one part that I have no where to go. So I start thinking, “What am I going to do?” I walked back and forth for awhile. It’s dark, I am looking for rocks to cross and nothing. At the moment that I was about to jump, up rides a man on a bicycle and tells me to jump on, so I did and he passed me through the water without getting wet. I jumped off and thanked him. He drove off and I didn’t know if he was a member or not.

I just remember what he looks like. I was thinking at that moment what love my Heavenly Father has for me, that He provided a way for me to cross the waters.

We are still working with the Munoz family but they’re having a hard time. They don’t want to change their Catholic beliefs so we are going to meditate a lot this week to see what we can do for them.
From Elder Andrey Pearce Sent: August 25, 2008

This week we had another Mutual with members. We talked about unity and it went very well.

I love this mission and all the opportunities that I have to serve, to learn and to give of myself. I hope this next year that I can give more and do better.

I was thinking the other day, when we first start out mission, we just jump in and start swinging our sword but not really hitting anything, just making noise. Then as we gain experience we sharpen our sword and with every blow we make a difference having strategy how we battle. I know this is the work of God. I love my Savior and hope to come to know him better and shape my life after Him.

Mom, I received the other package today, so I got both of them. Thank you so much for all that you do. It sounds like you are loving working in the temple. I hope I get the chance one day to work in the temple.

Wow! Eric is a dad. I can’t believe that my brother Eric is a Dad. I hope that you will congratulate Eric and Leanne for me and let him know I love him. I don’t have his email.

Loves,
Elder Pearce

Phaze in... Amelia Carissa Pearce!

Baby Amelia is finally here! What torture it is to be thousands of miles away, clear across the ocean!

Eric called to let us know that he was taking Leanne to the birthing center. We waited with baited breath to hear whatever news would come next. What heightened the interest is that we were fairly certain that Tomi Ann was in labor too. How much more exciting could it get in one night???!!!

As the evening wore on, Tomi Ann's contractions pretty much stopped, even though she was on the verge of having us take her to the hospital. We had taken her out to bowl, eat dinner, then go to a play. All to no avail. Boohoo!

When we got home, Eric called again, this time to let us know that they had been sent home from the birthing center because Leanne just wasn't ready yet. Boohoo! Two false alarms in one night! How much more of a let down could we have in one night?

The next morning, Eric called to let us know that they were in the hospital and Leanne was dilated to eight! They had started out at the birthing center but because Leanne's blood pressure went up and there was muconium (sp?)in the water when they broke it, that they needed to go to a hospital because it was becoming too high risk of a birth. Now I was getting excited! They were in the hospital for the duration this time!

After calling two different hospitals and being turned away, they ended up in a hospital about an hour away from home. I'm thinking, "Poor, poor Leanne and Eric! What a miserable time for them to be driving around! No room at the inn!" it turns out that Leanne was taken by ambulance with a midwife in attendance just to be safe in case the baby decided to come.

After talking to Eric, I decided that I would stay home from church so that I would be there to get the good news as soon as he called. I supposed that it was the next best thing to being there.

After getting Sammy and Joshy ready for church (they were having a sleepover at Nana and Bapa's house....just in case....) I hung around for a bit waiting for the call. I finally left for church, with my cell phone on vibrate, ready to jump up and run out if the call came in. I have to admit, that between sitting by myself with Sammy and Joshy and worrying about Eric and Leanne, I can't tell you what the Sacrament meeting talks were about. A red headed return missionary whom I didn't recognise and a high councilman whom I did recognize but when he said his name I realized that I had been thinking of him by the wrong last name all these years were the speakers. I got a lot out of Sacrament that day.

As I sat with Sammy in Primary opening exercises, I was getting more and more antsy about Eric calling and missing his call. I finally quietly got up and left and took Sammy with me and we went home to see if there were any messages and to see if we could get any news from anyone! It had now been several hours since Eric's last phone call. Surely the baby had come by now!

I called Leanne's parents house there in England and got ahold of Leanne's dad, David. He hadn't heard anything so I asked for Eric's cell number. It turned out it was his mother-in-law's, Leslie's, cell phone but she wasn't answering. She was with Eric and Leanne throughout the entire ordeal. What a good Mom!

I called David back and asked him to please call me if heard any further news. He offered to call Leslie himself and try and see what was going on and that he would call me right back. I hung up and waited a few more minutes, then Sammy and I headed back to church. By this time there was only 30 minutes left of the 3 hour block. I was there in body but not in spirit!

After retrieving the boys from their respective classes, I rushed home to see if I had missed David's call or a call from Eric. No such luck! I was starting to go crazy!

I once again called the Bridgstocks and got David on the phone. As I had feared, he couldn't find our phone number to call us back. He had heard from Leslie that the baby just wasn't coming, she was turned a bit askew and she was presenting face first. Leanne was exhausted and it was time to take the baby C-Section. He said that the call had come about an hour previously. What I feel badly about now is that at the time I dialed the phone, it didn't even occur to me that I was calling David in the middle of the night. It was about 2:00 a.m. London time. He was a pretty good sport about it though.

So, we hung up and started waiting again for any news. An hour previously? Surely they would have the baby by now???!!! We consoled ourselves with thoughts like, "Well, I'm sure that they are just loving on the baby and resting and that's more important than making phone calls", etc. etc.

FINALLY a couple of hours later the call came in. Eric, sounding very exhausted was calling to tell us that they had a brand new baby girl and that both mother and baby were doing fine. It turned out that the baby needed to be in the special care nursery for observation for a couple of hours to make sure that she was okay because of the muconeum in the water and the stress of the very lengthy labor. It turns out she was being born right at the same time that I had made my last call to David. 2:00 a.m. London time.

Many prayers were offered up in Leanne and the baby's behalf as we waited for the call, many more were offered up in thanksgiving when we finally heard all was well! We are so happy and excited for this brand new Amelia Carissa Pearce. Tony and I will be traveling to London next month to meet the newest grand daughter to be added to the family! Now if only Eliza would make her appearance!

I figure that Carissa has been up there with both girls keeping them distracted from coming down by telling theM Knock, Knock jokes. "Knock, Knock!" "Who's there?" "Not!" "Not who?" "Not YOU!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Introducing......The Pearces!!!!

Alrighty then! Since everyone else in the family....well.......maybe a few other people in the family are starting their own blogs, I decided to jump on the band wagon and start one for our family as well.

Right now, here at home our family consists of Dad (Tony), Me (Carrie), Ange, Andrea and Noah. On Sundays, that number swells to anywhere between 10 and 20. We love when everyone comes home for Sunday dinner.

We are kind of going along somewhat tentatively here, not quite sure what to do with this sudden "Empty Nester" thing. We never really considered it happening to us. We always thought we would be a threesome, Dad, Mom and Carissa. With Carissa's passing it has all changed. Gone are the visions we had of going on missions with Carissa, working at the temple with Carissa, having Carissa as a companion when everyone else is too busy or isn't interested in the outing. Suddenly Tony and I are faced with being....ALONE!!!!....TOGETHER....ONE ON ONE.....after all these years of having lots of little people to think about and drive here and there and provide for, suddenly we have to figure out what to do with ourselves.

I can tell you one thing for sure, we are NOT ready to crash in the Lazyboy and watch TV the rest of our lives! The world is our oyster! Tony and I are going to have a lot of adventures being "Bapa and Nana", going on missions,traveling, etc.

For the first time in about 24 years, we don't have anyone starting school this fall. There has never been a time when Lone Peak High School didn't have a Pearce child or two or three or 5 in attendance. I even got a call from their automated system telling me when registration was. I think they are in denial. "No Pearces? How could that be???!!!" We have "Phazed Out!

I know Ange is at home still but she is now 18 and considered an adult. Ann and Noah pretty much take care of themselves except when I get to play with Noah on Saturdays, so I am left to my own devices. Maybe I will finally get all the junk sorted out of the house, make all the kids take all their stuff, and finally have an organized house....nah.....

Tony continues to invent and figure out what to do with MyComfort. That takes up most of his time. His annual elk hunting trip is coming up and it will be wonderful for him to get a little R&R if not an elk. He goes with his brother Terry and it's nice for them to get away together for a week or so.

My biggest love right now is that I have started working in the temple as an ordinance worker. I'm working two days a week at the Mount Timpanogas Temple. I am still in training but every time my shift comes to an end, I am sorry to go. On Thursdays when I get done it seems like forever until I can come back again the following Tuesday.

In the next few days or so we will be adding two new grandbabies to the family. Tomi Ann is due with her 3rd on August 30th but is expecting to go much sooner, and Leanne was due last Sunday with her 1st and REALLY wants to have this baby and have it now! Mine and Tony's next trip will to be to England for a couple of weeks in September to meet our little grandbaby. We are so looking forward to it!

I am going to try and catch up on our lives a little as I get more into this blogging business. I will try to keep it updated with the "phazes" everyone is going through.

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