FAMILY!!
Where do i even begin???? I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!
Seriously, i already feel a huge change and increased desire to be the best
missionary EVER. i am so incredibly happy!
THANK YOU THANK YOU for all of the e-mails, DEAR ELDERS, and PACKAGES! We didnt
get mail until friday last week, and i got a very embarrassing, but amazing
amount of letters. i got (double your score) than all of the other missionaries
combined. I love you guys.
DAD!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! you are the most amazing man, and i miss you so much. i
think about you every day, and am so grateful for your words of advice. Have an
amazing day old man :) wish i was there to eat cake and go to movies with you!
VERN! You come into the MTC next week!! DO NOT BE NERVOUS. Be excited!! The MTC
is the most amazing place on earth. Its like disneyland/efy/costco. SO much
happiness. I cannot wait to see you! I have lunch every day at 11:45 and dinner
at 4:45. FIND ME! and I live in 17M and have class in 4m hahaha so i better see
you! Bring a blanket because the bedding here is awful. also bring your own
sheets! bring shower shoes, and as many clothes as you can. I am already sick
of mine ha. I LOVE YOU! and i will be looking for you!
Mom/Anne/Dad. That package you sent me was the most precious, amazing thing
ever. Seeing the oranges from our backyard made my day. and the salt and
vinegar chips! haha ahhh, thank you for everything. Aunt susan/family, thank
you so much for the cookies! my district ate them so fast ha, they were
absolutely delicious! Thank you for thinking of me. The food here is the cannon
center food - i eat fruit for breakfast, pb and j for lunch, and salad for
dinner. every day. I have run every day i have been here, and am feeling great.
gym time is the best time.
Matthew! CONGRATS! you are so amazing. I will be praying for you. ah, i cant
wait to hear what lies ahead for you. Give opal and eli a kiss for me. i miss
them.
So many of you wrote me, i dont have time to individually thank you, but just
know i appreciated every letter i got this week. I love hearing updates and it
made me so happy! I am so grateful for such wonderful friends and family.
So, the first few days here were probably the most humbling days of my life. I
dont think i have ever felt so many emotions at the same time. ha. But, through
being humbled, i have had a renewal of my faith and know without a doubt that
this church is Christ's church. i have so much to learn, but i have felt God's
endless help and love this past week along with all of your prayers for me. It
is incredible. On friday, my district came into afternoon class and my teacher
Brother Yeck was spouting off so much information/doctrine/teaching methods my
brain was about to explode. it got to the point where he would ask a question
to the class such as "what is faith?" and no one knew how to answer.
ha it was extremely humbling. we went to dinner as a district after class and
the gloom in the air was tangible. Mom. don't start crying, it gets better :)
We all trudged back to our classroom for night class and our other teacher
Sister Knowlton was there to teach. She could tell we were extremely
discouraged. we spent the lesson doing a role play of teaching an investigator how
to pray. When it was finished, there was not a dry eye in that room. The spirit
was so strong, ahh it was awesome. From that point on every minute of the mtc
has been amazing.
This week i have learned that it is not me who teaches the lessons. it is the
spirit, and if we prepare and trust in the Lord, he will give us the words to
say (D&C 84:85, 11:11). Sunday was fast and testimony meeting and if you
want to raise your spirits, listen to 30 missionaries bear their testimonies.
it was phenomenal. I love being a missionary. Sunday night we had a great
devotional given by the president of the Provo temple. Some things that stood
out to me:
- testimony if what we know and feel. conversion is how we act and what we
become.
- obedience is MY choice. no one elses.
- how i live my mission will be the greatest predictor for the rest of my life.
Good stuff.
After the devotional we got to watch a video of Elder Bednar speaking to the
missionaries on Christmas day. IT WAS AMAZING. Not only did i get to sit next to
SIS JOHNS (I see Kales every day. Seriously such a Godsend. She is doing great,
i love that girl), but his talk was ridiculously amazing. He talked about
turning outwards rather than in - and that this is the greatest indicator of
conversion. My favorite thing he said was "This mission is not about you.
the only person who cares about what you want is the natural man inside of you.
GET OVER YOURSELF and turn out". AH. I love him. Spiritual punch in the
face and i loved it.
I love my district! The 4 elders are going to Farmington, New mexico and the 6
sisters are either going to Omaha or temple Square. We love each other. and we
laugh so much - such a blessing.
So let me tell you a little about my companion, Sister PettyJohn. Clark was not
wrong when he said her name is Sister Roberts, because that was the name tag
she had on the first day. After a very long and confusing day of running
around, she was able to change her name (her real name is roberts but she
wanted her name badge to be pettyjohn after her step dad) confusing, but it
made her happy to change the name. I wish you could meet her.
She is really sweet and is going to Omaha. She has taught me so much, and ive
realized through my conversations with her how much i have. Her ward is funding
her mission. She has had a tough life, so i am so impressed that she is on a
mission . she has really taught me how to tie in personal stories with lessons,
since i like talking mostly about the doctrine.
Our branch pres is AWESOME. i am glad that he talked to Gary/Gary talked to
you! He bought Sis PettyJohn a watch since she did not have one - she has
talked about the watch ever since she got it. totally made her day. He is
awesome.
I love seeing clark (when i see him! which isnt that much, but i still love
it!) and seeing GREG! he left on tuesday, and seriously i have never seen such
a prepared elder. He is going to do amazing things. Clark - i love you. Thanks
for helping me with my lesson and for your notes. They make my day.
The church is true. Really. I love it here, and cannot wait to be in omaha to
teach those nebraskans. they better get ready. I love my savior Jesus Christ.
He is the head of this church. Prayer is REAL. i have never prayed so much in
my life, and i have never felt closer to God.
Love you all so much.
Sister Peterson
PS. I dont have much computer time so dear elder is the best method. :) thanks
for all your support!
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