Week #81 - FINAL FOUR (TRANSFERS)

Well, another transfer has come and gone. This last one was such a blessing in my life. I feel like I've been able to grow every day in so many ways. I know I still have a long long ways to go but I'm feeling more and more consecrated. Serving the Lord is such a blessing and honor. His work is a joyful one.

Some cool miracles this week:

I had the opportunity to go on an exchange with Elder Pineda. He's a zone leader in the Spanish program here. He's the man. We had plenty of time to go knocking so we hit the pavement. We knocked for about an hour without even one real answer. Then on one of the last doors of the street we met the family God was moving us towards. We knocked and asked if we could share a quick message with them. They let us right in. The coolest part was that half the family could only speak Spanish. So the one time there'd be a Spanish speaking missionary with me was when we met them. We taught them about the Restoration and it was really cool because we did it half in English and half in Spanish. We had 6 people sitting down and talking with us. It was a super awesome miracle. 

On Friday, we headed to an appointment but unfortunately it fell through. On our way to the door we saw a man named Fred. He was sitting out on his lawn. I told him, "If these guys don't answer we're having a lesson with you" as we walked over to the other house. The people didn't answer so back to Fred we went. We had a super good lesson with him and were able to give him a Book of Mormon. We love Fred.

Another really cool thing was that Elder Airth met a woman a year ago tracting then left his area. She had prayed earlier that day for guidance when he and his companion showed up. Fast forward to a year later after lots of lesson and trials; she was baptized. We got to go to the ceremony and it was so special. The elect are out there.

Our guy Westin is doing so good. We love him and he's ready to be baptized in two weeks. The Lord is always providing. I got the opportunity to go on one last exchange with my guy Elder Doelling. We have basically served around each other for the past 15 months. We've grown to be best friends and he's truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. He goes home Wednesday so we made the most of our one last exchange. It was a blast and I sure love that guy. 

I also got to head back to Cypress Sunday night for a devotional where recent converts spoke. It was powerful especially considering I was able to see and help 2 of the 3 people who spoke. The gospel changes lives and heals broken hearts. I'm so thankful for it.

With the start of this transfer I'm officially at four left. I'm so thankful for the light and energy that I feel because of this gospel. I want to give my creator all I have. I have been given so much. There is no better cause. I'm grateful for all I have. The work never stops. 

Love y'all so much and God bless. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

Week #80 - GRACE

Happy August 19th y'all!! Yet again it was a blessed week in Texas. Life is good and God is even better. I'm thankful for my Savior and for the grace He offers me every single day. Jesus is the Savior and God is our loving Heavenly Father.

On Saturday, Beau and Mia were baptized!! They are the sweetest kids ever too. Their family recently moved into our ward and started coming back to church. We love them so much, they are just an awesome family. The baptism went great, lots of members came and even most of the extended family came. Baptisms are such a sacred experience that it makes all you do as a missionary worth it. After being around them and seeing the impact they have they've truly become my favorite part of a mission. The power of the promises we make and the cleansing that comes is unreal. God is true and his authority is evident. Grateful for the knowledge I have of his atoning power.

We also had a cool experience last night. We had dinner with an awesome family in our ward and at the end we had them pick to streets to go knocking on. We prayed and they picked the streets. We even took their 17 year old son with us. It was a blast and we even were able to teach some of the people we knocked into. The coolest part was that the son loved it. We even tracted into someone he knew from his high school. God is a God of miracles. 

I read a quote this week from Dallin H Oaks that says "The healing and strengthening power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement is for all of us who will ask". I know this is true. I know Jesus Christ will heal all of us if we ask. I have seen Him heal broken hearts, souls, and lives. He truly is the greatest of all. Our Lord, Our God. 

I'm thankful for the opportunity I have to learn and become like Him. All that I am is because of all He has given me. This gospel is true and this work is His. We are all in the hands of the greatest potter alive, let him mold us to what we can become. Thankful and grateful. 

Love y'all and God Bless. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

Week #79 - FOURTH QUARTER

Howdy y'all!!!! 

This week I hit my 18 month mark and time is flying by. Mission life is just normal life and I absolutely love it. I want it to slow down so that I can fully enjoy it. It's definitely the sunset time of my mission. I love being a servant for my Savior.

This week had so many blessings. To start off, about 7 months ago while I was serving in Huntsville I met a girl named Jaa'lah. We contacted her at Sam Houston State. We were able to teach her and even set a baptismal date with her but unfortunately she moved to College Station so we handed her off to the missionaries there. Unfortunately, they didn't do super good with her and she kinda disappeared. BUT a week ago I got a text from the elders there and they told me she recontacted them and was getting baptized this past weekend! I was able to pull off an exchange up to College Station this past weekend to be at her baptism. She bore a strong testimony and wow was my heart filled. Missionary work just fills us. The gospel just fills. I'm so thankful for my Savior.

Also, my boy Jeston got his mission call and leaves this Wednesday so we got to see him and say goodbye. He is such a stud and I'm so proud of him. It's been really awesome to see his progress and now he will go and influence so many others. What a blessing. We also had zone conference this past week and I loved seeing all the friends in the mission again. 

We also set a date with Westin this past week!!!!!! He is so prepared. He told us that he already knows the Book of Mormon and church is true. He is solid beyond all means. He even drove an hour to go to a YSA conference this past weekend. It's amazing because Heavenly Father put him in our hands after so much prayer and fasting to find the elect. God is good. He always provides. 

I love my Savior so much. I'm so thankful for Him and all He does. The mission is by far the best place. The gospel is just one of love and joy. I have a full cup and it runneth over. I'm so grateful. He leads and guides. I know this gospel is true and that Jesus is the Christ. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

Week #78 - TRUST THE PROCESS

Howdy y'all!! 

This week was such a blessed week to say the least. I'm so thankful for my Savior and all that He does for me. Life is good for sure and Texas continues to bless. I'm so grateful for this life I have and the grace I feel. 

This week we met a guy named Weston. He grew up around members and loves the church so much. He referred himself to us and he is such a solid guy. He told us he already knows everything is true and considers himself already a member. God always supplies and provides. Weston is such a blessing and a humble guy. We are so excited for his progression. 

Our friend Carlos is also doing super well. We met with him three times this week and he's progressing so fast. He is reading the Book of Mormon and loves the spirit he is feeling. We were able to teach him the Restoration and see the light that comes from the gospel come into his life. He just wants to be better and become the best man he can be. The gospel will mold us if we let it. God is the master potter and will make us who we need to become. 

Also our boy Enike got baptized so we were pretty pumped about that. He's such an awesome guy. He's got such a bright future too. 

We also had MLC, 8 Week, and a zone conference this week so life was crazy to say the least. It's such a blessing to get see all the missionaries. I love the missionaries here and the light they have. Thankful.

Anyways, Texas never fails. My cup always runneth over. The spirit leads and guides. I'm so thankful for my Savior and for His infinite sacrifice. Grateful to know that this gospel is true and that I can become better everyday. This life is a blessing. 

Love y'all and God bless.

Elder Jarrett Pinster

Week #77 - PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

The Lord is involved in every detail of our lives and loves us. I absolutely love Texas. The mission is such a blessing. This past week seriously was probably one of the best weeks of my mission. I felt like I learned so much from Heavenly Father this past week. I started writing down every night how I saw the Lord's hand in my life and it's changed my entire perspective.

In Sunday school we talked about "the pursuit of happiness." The teacher illustrated that happiness is actually found in the pursuit. We find happiness as we pursue it. The journey of finding happiness will create it and it all revolves around God. Then the Lord will work miracles along the way. We are all pursuing happiness but how often do we find it? Happiness is found in the pursuit. 

On Tuesday I went back to Huntsville. I absolutely love that place--most fun 6 months in my mission. I got to go back on exchanges with one of the Zone Leaders and it was such a blessing. Huntsville is my favorite Texas town. So many elect people in that town. We were trying to decide somewhere to go tracting and I had a specific street that I had knocked last like December. Anyways, we drove to the street and started knocking. We were able to meet a guy I tried to teach last year. His name was Dallas. He even still had the Book of Mormon we gave him. When we knocked, he went inside and grabbed it and then came back out. We talked about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. Yesterday the elders texted me and told me that he even came to church with his family. It was just a blessing to see the miracles at work. 

We also tracted into an inactive part-member family on Tuesday. They were super nice and invited us back for dinner on Saturday. When we went back on Saturday we were able to make two new best friends. It was seriously so fun and at the end the woman said she could feel the love we had for them. Nothing crazy happened but I could just feel the love our Heavenly Father had for them both. 

We also knocked into a new friend named Carlos who is searching for a way to get closer to God. He is a beast and works harder than anyone I've ever met. He's 22 and already has two successful jobs and lives in a gated community. This guy has it going. We even had a lesson at 7am Friday morning to fit around his work schedule. Guy is a straight beast. Life is good. 

The Lord will reward us when we work hard. The fruit of our labors will show eventually. We just have to trust in Him. 

I feel like I've been able to really see the Lord in every detail of my life. We are all looking for happiness and the Lord is the best place to find it. The pursuit will lead us to the Savior. I'm thankful for this gospel and for this mission. His grace is filling and His spirit is healing. 

Love y'all and God Bless. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster 

ELDER AIRTH AND ELDER PINSTER

Week #76 - SAVIOR, PILOT ME

Howdy y'all! 

I'm thankful for my Savior and His gospel even more than ever this week. It was a good transfer week and all went smooth. One of the best parts about being where I am now is having the opportunity to spend time with the departing missionaries on their last couple days. I was pretty sad to see some of my best friends from the mission head home. It really made me reflect on how special of an experience a mission really is. Over the past 18 months I've learned so many lessons but I think the most important lesson I've learned so far is about the Savior. The knowledge I've gained about who He is, the character He has, how He helps, and His healing influence has grown and changed me. I'm so thankful for Him. I've been really thinking about the change that comes because of Him throughout this week. Jesus Christ is the light and the life of the world. He is the reason we can become who we want to become. 

Over the past week I've had a quote from CS Lewis in my head. The quote is: 

"Christ has an infinite attention to spare for each one of us. He does not have to deal with us in the mass. You are as much alone with Him as if you were the only being He had ever created. When Christ died, He died for you individually just as much as if you had been the only man [or woman] in the world."

Gratitude is all I feel for my Savior. His grace truly does save us all. He loves each and every single one of us individually and fully. I'm overwhelmed when I think of the redemptive power that He offers each and every single one of us. God is good and Jesus is the Christ. 

Love y'all and God bless. 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

Week #75 - FAR ALONE

Howdy yall!!! Transfer week is this week and boy am I excited. Life is going to be crazy but that's what it is all about. I'm feeling extremely blessed to be serving for my Savior and doing His work. His hand is always outstretched.

Probably the best part of my week was on Saturday. A lady named Heather and her daughter Sinatra were baptized! I knew them and worked with them back when I was in Cypress. Heather called me a few weeks ago and asked if I could come back and do the baptizing for them. It was such a sweet experience. Heather had always kinda known about the church but was a strong Atheiest. She lost her husband a year or so ago and was just struggling really hard. She decided to look for a church that would help her. She asked for missionaries to come over. Over time she learned that she was a child of God and gained a relationship with the Savior. Her whole life changed. I think what made the baptism so powerful was that so much was being left behind in the water and the path in front was so bright. My testimony of the Atonement and of Priesthood power is solidified now. Words cannot even explain. Jesus Christ is real and what He did was real. His ability to heal us is evident. He can and will save and heal. His gospel will change us and mold us to who we need/want to be. I'm so incredibly thankful for the sacred experiences I've had on my mission.

We also were able to meet with a family that lives in the Spring Ward that we cover. They are wanting to reactive and have two unbaptized children! We went over and taught the family and the kids want to get baptized so we set two dates with them! August is going to for sure be a good month!!

This week we also got to go to the temple as a mission! No words really need to be said except it is the house of the Lord. The spirit is so calm and peaceful. The feeling of love that comes from worthiness and humility in the temple is overwhelming. It really is such a light in the world. Thankful for the blessings of the temple.

We also went to Top Golf with President Peterson and some other buds. Shout-out to Elder Hill for making it happen :)

Anyways, I'm so thankful for the Savior. Serving in Texas is the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm thankful for the Priesthood, the Atonement of Jesus Christ and this restored gospel. The gospel blesses lives. 

Love y'all and God bless!!

Elder Jarrett Pinster 

Week #74 - WELCOME TO THE WOODS

Good morning y'all. I hope that everyone is having a great summer and that the Lord is blessing them abundantly. It's such a blessing to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and getting to share it with those I meet. This gospel really is one of happiness. I feel so blessed to be a part of it.

Some cool miracles that happened this week:

On Wednesday night, we did an exchange with two of the Spanish zone leaders. We brought them back to our area in Spring and went tracting with them. We then knocked away. We found a lady who really only spoke Spanish so it was cool to have a missionary that knew exactly what to say there. I kinda just stood there as a hype man but the door went well. It's a blessing to see Heavenly Father put people in our paths constantly for the opportunity to serve.

We also met a guy who was working in his garage when we showed up. He told us that when he picked up a rock he found in his old stuff it had a scripture on it. Then less than 5 seconds later we called out to him. No such thing as a coincidence. We had a good talk and are seeing him again tomorrow. We are pretty excited. 

We also got moved to cover a YSA ward so that's pretty exciting. I absolutely love young heathens. 

I wanted to share how thankful I am for the Book of Mormon. There must be something in the air here because we constantly had opposition given to us this week while finding and all of it came down to the Book of Mormon. I'm thankful for a God who answers prayers. I'm thankful for the ability to know what is truth and what is the word of God. I'm thankful to know that God has no limitations. It is a blessed life for sure. 

This is a work of love. I feel so much love for the people we find, the missionaries around me, and most importantly for my Savior. I have felt my heart just grow and grow especially in this past month. Thankful for a God who allows us to see just a glimpse into how much He loves us. Love will make things right. Love everyone and your life gets easier. Thankful for this simple truth.

Life is still good down here in Houston. The heat is no joke but the Savior makes it all worth it. There's no where else I'd rather be. His grace is overwhelming and His love is filling. I'm so thankful for every opportunity He gives me. 

Love y'all and God bless. 

Elder Pinster

ASSISTANTS

Week #73 - THESE DAYZ ... Caution. Beware of Alligators

Happy July!!! Crazy how fast time is flying by. It's insane to think I'm almost nearing my 17th month mark as a missionary. I am so thankful and blessed to have this opportunity to serve my Savior. I have really started to think more about how amazing our Heavenly Father truly is. He loves each and every single one of us and has a plan for us. His plan is divine and as we make the right decisions He blesses us for them. What a blessing.

This week was pretty hectic. We had a zone conference almost every day. The missionaries in this mission are such a blessing. I have so much gratitude for them and their service. It was a blast to see my mission friends and give trainings to really help elevate them. It was absolutely worth all the early mornings and long car rides. 

A cool miracle we saw this week was that we were able to meet with a family that has been less active for quite some time. We got in with them and had a message. It turns out they have two children named Beau and Mia who they want to get baptized! On Sunday the whole family came to church too which was such a blessing. Heavenly Father always provides a way. This is a work of miracles.

We also were tracting this week and knocked on a door in a sketchy part of Spring lol. A woman opened the door and looked super panicked. She told us that her son had gotten stabbed that day and was in a really bad state. We offered a blessing and prayer for the family. They thanked us and told us to come back when time was better. It really stood out to me because I'm not sure the role we played with them but it illustrated to me how Heavenly Father will allow you to be instruments to help His cause. It may seem small but for that family it may have been a sign that God is watching over. 

I can not think of a better place to be. I love Texas with all my heart. I'm so thankful for the Savior and for the support He provides. Life is better with Jesus in it. He really is the best. This work is His and He guides. This is true. 

Love y'all and God bless. 

Psalms 147:3-5 "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite." 

Elder Jarrett Pinster

ELDER AIRTH, PRESIDENT PETERSON, ELDER PINSTER

ELDER PINSTER, ELDER HILL, ELDER AIRTH

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