Week #72 - 2019 SPRING LAKES DRIVE

Howdy everyone!! 

It was a great week and the Lord did absolutely provide. We were able to see miracles, feel His spirit, and grow in the service of our Savior. I feel overwhelmingly blessed to be in Texas in such a great time. 

This week we started zone conferences and some other training meetings so it was pretty jam packed. I definitely love being able to see all my mission buddies pretty often and staying in touch with them. The missionaries I've met here are an absolute blessing to my life. 

On Thursday to Friday, Elder Airth and I had the opportunity to go back up to College Station for a zone meeting they were having. I felt like I was driving back home after being away for the past 9 months. I loved my 5 transfers in College Station to say the least. I even got to see a couple people I helped get baptized which was a blessing to see them doing well and still staying strong. One of the students I helped teach at A&M even got his mission call and will be a missionary roughly about 15 months after his baptism. It was a blessing for sure. College Station Texas will always be a special place to me. 

Last night Elder Airth and I were able to find and teach our best friend Miss Barbara. She is probably 80 (I'm too scared to ask) and is the sweetest southern grandma I've ever met. She loves having us over. We shared the Restoration with her and the spirit was so tangible. She absolutely loved it after growing up in the deep South her whole life. We are super excited to keep going over to Grandma's house and teach more. Miss Barbara is a blessing in our lives for sure. 

The weeks seem to fly by.  I can hardly keep up and I've never been so fortunate to be so busy before.  I feel so blessed to be in the opportunity I'm in and serving those around me.  I know my Savior lives and loves. I know He qualifies and cares. He is the reason for all we have.  Jesus is the Christ. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster 

Week #71 - WINGZ

Howdy everyone!! Being a missionary in the great state of Texas truly never lets me down. It was a busy week to say the least and I know I say this a ton but there really is no where else I'd rather be.

This week I got to go on a couple exchanges with missionaries and boy were they fun. For one of the exchanges, I went to the area in our mission that covers the downtown area of Houston. It was so much fun! We spent from 2-8 out contacting and talking to everyone. I felt like I was at Disneyland because there were so many people to talk to. We met some cool people especially an older man who when we gave him a Book of Mormon asked if we could come back to talk about how it was making him feel. It is a blessed life down here in Houston.

I also got to go on an exchange with the one and only Elder Karren. I've served around him for the past 9 months and there's no one I've grown more with. The gospel is so good that it even puts people in our paths that will change our lives. What a blessing it is.

Sunday night Elder Airth and I were out knocking on doors when we met a super sweet lady named Gerti. She had just moved here from the middle east and had gone to a few English classes at the church! The funny thing was that a senior missionary couple lives just a few doors down and had already befriended her! While we were talking to her on her doorstep out of no where came the senior couple! We were then able to go inside and talk more. She even said she'd come to church next week. It was a crazy experience that Heavenly Father put people in the places they should be. God is so good.

On Saturday we had our friend Mike get baptized! Mike had sister missionaries knock on his door. He had lived in Salt Lake and had a very high respect for the Church so he let them teach him. At his baptism I have never seen a happier man. He had tears of joy. When he was confirmed on Sunday we were able to be a part of it. When the blessing finished, he looked up at us and said "Glory to God." The spirit spoke so strongly in that moment. This is the true freedom. This gospel will clean and revive. Boy am I so thankful for everything I have. 

To be honest life is crazy. The mission is changing myself and I am so incredibly thankful for it. Heavenly Father is so merciful and full of grace for me. I owe him everything because he's given me everything. I thank y'all for all that you do for me. I thank God for every opportunity He has given me. This work is His. 

Love y'all and God bless!

Elder Jarrett Pinster

 

Week #70 - POWER TRIP

HOWDY Y'ALL. This week was busy and yet so blessed. I absolutely love being a missionary and serving my Savior. I've really been thinking a lot this week about becoming more like the Savior. He truly is the greatest example we have on this earth. We are unbelievably lucky to have such an example. I'm so thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ. 

This week we had the opportunity to take the missionaries that had finished their missions to the airport and then to also pick up the missionaries who had just arrived to Texas. It was a sweet experience to say goodbye to some amazing missionaries. I loved being around the new missionaries. It definitely brought back some memories from last February when it all began. It really made me reflect on how much of a blessing my mission has been to me. My testimony is stronger and I just know it's true. My mission has changed my heart and helped me slowly start becoming the person I want to become. I am overwhelmed with the grace Jesus offers me and the ability to change. 

This week we also finally got time to go knock doors and let me tell you it was such a blessing. Our first night back out on our first door we knocked into a mom and her family of 5 kids. She loved our message and invited us back. It was really amazing to see Heavenly Father help consecrated our time for him. 

Then a couple days ago we were out finding again and we met our friend Jason. 3 hours before we met him he had ran into missionaries about 45 minutes from our area. They had talked with him and gave him a Book of Mormon. He was then going to be referred to us. Fast forward a couple hours and Elder Airth and I are out knocking on doors. We see Jason pull in so we go say hi. He told us that he had just met missionaries and was impressed with how fast we move the info. The best part was that the elders who had talked to him previously never sent us the referral so God guided us to him. God is so good. Miracles are to be found in the service of our Lord. 

I've been learning and growing more than ever. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to serve the people and missionaries in Houston. I've never felt so busy and worked in my life but I've also never felt so fulfilled with his love.  It's a blessed life down here in Texas. The Savior leads and his grace fills. I'm so happy. This gospel is true and we can always progress. God bless and love y'all!!

Psalms 23:3 

"He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake."

SPRINGWOOD ZONE

FINDING EXCHANGES WITH
PINSTER, HILL & AIRTH

OUR NEW FRIEND

Week #69 - LEAN ON

Hello Friends and Family!!! 

This week was absolutely crazy. I had so much fun and saw many many miracles. It's yet again a blessed time to be in Texas. I love my Savior and His gospel. 

Sunday morning my mission president, President Peterson, called me and asked if we could meet. 2 hours later he was at my church building and we were having a meeting. Long story short, I'm now one of his Assistants! My new comp is Elder Airth. He's from Rexburg Idaho and just a stud. We've already kind of been comps before in College Station about a year ago. I'm so pumped, he's probably one of my best friends in the mission. It's gonna be a fun time to say the least. 

Jesus is the Christ. He is the living Savior. I'm so thankful for Him and His guiding gospel. I feel His overwhelming joy. I have everything I have because of Him. This is true. 

I'm sorry this is super short but life is crazy!! 

ALSO, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES LAST FRIDAY!!!

I love you all and am praying for you!! God bless! 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

Thanks for feeding Elder Lindsay and Elder Pinster!

Elders Pinster, _____, Pacheco, Lindsay

Lindsay, Smith, Pacheco, Dale, Bussio, Owens, Dennis
Pinster, Hitchcock, Cooper

Yummy Lunch with ____, Cooper, Lindsey, Pinster, Pacheco, Hitchcock

Having fun while volunteering at a donation center

Week #68 - BLESSINGS

HELLO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY. I love Texas and I love being a servant for our Savior Jesus Christ. 

This week was a busy and super fun week. We had some crazy cool experiences. 

On Wednesday I went on an exchange with Elder Cooper to his area. I love doing exchanges and connecting with the missionaries. We decided to knock all night basically. While we were out we ran into a guy who had learned from missionaries back in Ghana, a young teenager who wanted peace, and a grandpa who is looking for joy. We talked to everyone and before we knew it we had been out for 3 hours and almost finished the entire apartment complex. I felt so dead at the end of the night but the spirit was tangible. I love the work of missions and how the Savior leads and guides. 

On Saturday I got to go with Elder Hitchcock to the temple for one of the people we helped baptize in College Station a year ago! He was getting endowed and going through for the first time. We were so happy for Jeston. He also is about to send in his mission papers!! This gospel is one of happiness and joy. I'm so thankful for my Heavenly Father for putting people in my life to help me grow alongside them in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Our area is doing pretty good. Lots of knocking doors and trying to find the elect. Heavenly Father lead us to a man this week who started crying with us on the doorstep because he knew he needed us. The spirit will tell you where to go if you ask. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a tool in the Lord's hands. 

This week was a blessing. Jesus is the Savior and He leads. I'm so grateful for this gospel. I feel His power and His love. I'm so happy and lucky to be able to learn, grow, and repent daily. I cannot describe the joy I feel while serving Him. 

This gospel is true. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

COOPER & PINSTER

JESTON, HITCHCOCK & PINSTER AT THE TEMPLE

PINSTER & DENNIS

Week #67 - SUNDAY CANDY

My o my was this week a good one! We had so many miracles and felt that Heavenly Father was guiding us in every step of the way. I feel absolutely so loved and blessed to be a servant for our Savior. Texas is a really blessed place to be. 

This week we had Zone Conference with Elder Ochoa of the seventy! It was such a spiritual and uplifting experience. We talked a ton about baptism and helping save others. We are here to save and lift people. He taught us to love more, care for others, and love the Lord daily. I also got to see a ton of my buddies because it was like half the mission so that's always fun. 

We also had some really awesome miracles. On Saturday, we had pretty much the entire day to go finding. We knocked and knocked and knocked and knocked all day. We had absolutely zero success in terms of teaching and things like that. However at 8:45 we found our friend Terrance who let us in right away and when we gave him a pass along card of the Houston temple it made him pause. He told us that he had just driven by it two days ago and it was the first time it ever really stood out to him. Then we came over that night and he saw it again. THEN on Sunday we went back over to see him, but for some reason we totally forgot to write his apt number down so we had no idea which one was his. Well as soon as we pulled up he was walking outside to throw away his trash. We were able to see him and he invited us right back. The Lord guides and sometimes we just have to have patience for the blessings. 

On Sunday we had some other miracles!! We found a couple last week and they came to church again this week and loved it!! They are moving into the ward in about two weeks and said they'd like to start meeting with us then! Then in our other ward a member brought two friends who loved it and invited us back over this week!! It was such a great Sabbath day. Heavenly Father really does bless us for our efforts. I feel so much peace. 

I read a quote this week from Marvin J. Ashton:

"My message to you this day is take up your cross. Take yourself the way you are and lift yourself in the direction of the better. Regardless of where you have been, what you have done, or what you haven’t done, trust God, believe on him, relate to him, worship him as you carry your cross with dignity and determination."

I'm so grateful for my Savior and His eternal Atonement. He is the light of the world and through Him we can see all things. I'm eternally grateful that I have been blessed to know that He lives and that He loves. God is always there. Jesus will always save. The Lord is too good to me. I'm so thankful for the opportunity I have to grow and find myself while losing myself. Lives and hearts are changing down here in Texas. I love y'all and God bless.

Elder Jarrett Pinster 

(from my pictures you can most definitely tell that we bike wayyy too much)

PINSTER AND LINDSAY

Week #66 - ANGELS

Howdy yall!!! I know I've said this multiple times but I again restate my thoughts. It's a blessed time to be a missionary in Texas. I'm so happy with my life and the light I feel because of my Savior. 

This week we had MLC (mission leadership conference) which is always fun because I get to see a ton of my mission friends. In it we talked a lot about becoming better and the role repentance has in our lives. We read from President Nelson's last Priesthood session talk. I have never felt so inspired to be better and repent daily. I think a lot of the time we take repentance as a negative thing in our lives or as something that is burdensome. In reality, repentance is change in which we get brought closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior. What a beautiful thing. Every day we can change and come closer to our Savior. Every day we can become. Every day we can grow. I'm so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to become. 

We also set a date this week with a young guy we are teaching named Julian! His family has been coming to church for some time now. We had a lesson just with him and another youth from the ward. During the lesson we stopped and asked him to pray and ask God if baptism was the right next move. When we finished the prayer he looked at us and told us he "felt something." The spirit was there and he knew what his next step was. It's all possible through the spirit. He leads and guides. 

On Friday, we had the opportunity to go with our mission president and speak at a youth devotional in our stake. We even got to eat a roasted pig that was pretty good. We then were asked to speak about the impact our mission has had on our lives. It was truly special to think about the change that has occurred on my mission. I used to not really know who God was, but now I have no doubt that He's there. I've felt the Atonement heal and I've seen miracles that anchor my testimony. 

Learning Heaven down here in Texas. God is so great. His gospel is pure and His love is constant. I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity I have to participate in such a great cause. I'm thankful for the ability I have to share light with others and help them find joy. This gospel is true. Jesus is the Christ. I love y'all and God bless!!

Elder Jarrett Pinster

MLC

- Service

- Post bike ride in the rain

- pig roast

- With my boy Elder Dennis 

SERVICE

WITH MY BOY ELDER DENNIS!

PIG ROAST AT YOUTH DEVOTIONAL

POST BIKE RIDE IN THE RAIN!

MLC - MISSION LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

MATCHING 3 HATS

Week #65 - Milagro en Cypress

Hello!!! Boy oh boy am I happy and so blessed. I love being a missionary so so much. I can say there is no other joy out there that is like the one that comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Miracles are happening all because of the Savior of us all. My cup runneth over. 

On Tuesday, Elder Lindsay and I had like 15 minutes to go finding before we had to travel to our next appointment. We didn't know what would be best to do so we said and prayer and then decided to go knocking. We were four doors in when we met a young couple and after talking for a little bit they invited us in! They were full of questions and it was such a good conversation. They invited us back the next day and then came to church Sunday!! We are so excited and happy for the guidance we've been giving. Heavenly Father really does magnify us as we do his work. I feel so blessed. Heavenly Father will sustain us as we "go and do." 

I read a poem this week that really stood out to me. It's about the Savior and what He really does for us each day. 

"One night I had a dream…

I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and

Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before us, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, There was only one set of footprints.

I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest

and saddest times in my life

This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.

“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,

You would walk with me all the way;

But I have noticed that during the

most troublesome times in my life,

There is only one set of footprints.

I don’t understand why in times when I

needed you the most, you should leave me.

The Lord replied, “My precious, precious

child. I love you, and I would never,

never leave you during your times of

trial and suffering.

When you saw only one set of footprints,

It was then that I carried you."

We have really been focusing on trying to always be about the Father's work. I'm so grateful for the spirit and its guidance that comes along. I love being a missionary and serving my Savior. The Lord is there and He really loves each one of us. I'm thankful for all that I have. Love yall and God bless!!! 

(here are pictures because that's probably the only thing y'all look at 😂)

Elder Jarrett Pinster 

TURTLES!

. . . LONG DAYS . . .

SUNBURNS

OUR NEW BEST FRIENDS