Our Savior's Love

Hello!!

I have been overwhelmed this past week with the love of our savior, Jesus Christ and for a Heavenly Father who knows us each personally. I cannot believe that it has already been a year since the moment i decided and knew i needed to serve a mission. I will forever remember those feelings of wanting to dance, and sing, and cry, and laugh, and jump up and down. i can never deny those feelings, for they were truly the most powerful i have ever had. i am so grateful for the opportunity i have to be a missionary. i am so lucky! and i am SO excited that it is Conference time! (the best time of the year!)

let's talk about that Relief Society broadcast.

1. One of my favorite things about conference, which is a selfish thing, so forgive me, but is sitting there knowing that all of my loved ones are around the world doing the exact same thing at the exact same time. i love it. and so sitting watching the broadcast on saturday knowing that mom/grandmas/aunts/cousins/sisters were doing the same thing really uplifted my spirit. it was amazing.

2. We had an investigator, Val, and a less active member, Crystal attend the broadcast with us... and oh my goodness. talk about spiritual overload! Val was in tears by the end, and Crystal now has the desire to buy new garments and get her temple recommend. ha. the spirit is real, and i love how it speaks to each of us differently.. telling us what WE need to hear, not exactly what the speaker is saying. i loved it.

3. We had an amazing experience on sunday while we were on mormon.org chat. A woman came on chat, saying that she was totally lost and feels like she needs Christ in her life. we affirmed her that she does (!) ha and that she had come to the right place! we asked her how she found out about mormon.org, and she told us that she had been watching tv the night before, flipping through channels, and came across the Relief Society Broadcast!!! she then told us that she "all the sudden" knew that she needed to be baptized... so she came on mormon.org to find out how she could do that. ha so we contacted the local missionaries, and they are visiting her tonight! man. i love this work.

i could keep telling you all of my thoughts... which are a lot! ha but i dont have enough time. i hope you all enjoyed the conference as much i did. and i hope that we each have a renewed desire to attend the temple and to take the sacrament more seriously. i really feel like i didnt understand the sacrament until i came on my mission... and now my life truly depends on it. i am so grateful to be reminded of that sacred ordinance.

this week was incredible... surprised? ha. EVERY week is incredible! i definitely feel like the Lord tested my patience this week, and i am grateful He did. i definitely have a lot to learn.

we had interviews this week, and i had been thinking a lot about how to help Ralston and trying not to think about taking medicine. but it was so cool to meet with President Weston, and have him bear testimony to me of the reality of our calling as missionaries, and how i was called into the Ralston ward to "get things started!" that man has so much love for this work it is insane. i was able to receive a blessing from him after the interview, and i  truly can testify that through faith, all things are possible. i have a renewed passion for missionary work, and more importantly for living a disciples life.

Thank you for your prayers for our investigators! Prayer is real.

we had an awesome lesson with Walt this week. we talked to him about Ether 12 - experimenting on the word, and letting that desire build and lead towards action. i feel like that is all we talk to him about, haha but it's because that is what he needs. he is making slow, steady progress which is good. he wasnt at church on sunday though, which was super sad. but we are meeting with him tonight so pray everything goes well!

Caleb. oh caleb. that guy is going to be an apostle. so, we werent able to see him all week... ha i was freaking out. i was so worried that he was all talk and was only "being nice" by talking to us and so forth (the things you worry about as a missionary... haha). but anyway, he didnt come to church on sunday and we hadnt heard from him. i was trying not to be too upset, and found strength through the sacrament and through knowing that everything happens on God's timing.

... well, yesterday, we went and visited the Less active woman, Karla, who caleb lives with. we were about to say the closing prayer, when Caleb walked through the door. i was so excited to see him i almost jumped up and hugged him ha! but, it was perfect because we were then able to have a lesson with caleb AND karla, and help them see the importance of "all of this". caleb told us that he had to work the saturday night shift and so he didnt get home till sunday morning from work so that is why he wasnt at church. (excuse, but hey, i understand the not being able to wake up early thing...) BUT. we told him about general conference and how he needs to watch it. he sat there and eventually said, "i know i need to. instead of watching it online, would it be ok if i watched it with you sisters?" so he is planning on watching the sunday morning session with us and I CANNOT WAIT. PRAY FOR CALEB. he is absolutely incredible. the most christian/nicest guy i have ever met.

i had the greatest tender mercy of my mission today. I received word a few days ago that Shirley, sister Baggs sister, passed away. I was super close with Shirley, and grew to love her and look up to her in every way. She is the most Christ like woman that has ever walked this earth... she was amazing. well, because Heavenly Father is so good to me, i was able to attend her funeral today in Glenwood. It was like coming home, and was such a beautiful service. to see those faces that i love so much, and to see how excited sister baggs got when she saw i was there will forever be engrained in my memory. i feel so humbled and thankful for such a loving God. i loved what Bishop Jacob said at her funeral...

he related Shirley to Mary fielding Smith, and the words that brigham young spoke at her funeral are incredible. Bishop Jacob read those same words, but instead read them about Shirley. and then, with the most powerful voice said "i dare you. each of you. i DARE you to be better than Shirley Bolton. because if you can even come close to the person she was, you will forever live with your Heavenly Father in paradise".

it was the most powerful statement i have ever heard... and now i have a new challenge! :)

i love you all! enjoy conference as much as me.. i dare you! :) haha. all my love.

Sister Peterson