Happy Memorial Day :)

Happy Memorial Day!

I am so grateful to live in this wonderful country, and to be alive in such an incredible time! We are so blessed. It is also so awesome to be a "solider"  in the "Lord's Army" at this time. It is the greatest thing, and i am doing all that i can to "fight with my might" to "choose the right"! 

It has been a wonderful week in the mission. We had family night this last Monday with Deanna and her kids at a member's home. We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited her to be baptized, but she is still wanting to wait until her daughter is "really into it" to make the commitment of baptism. They are so awesome, and i have definitely learned patience as we have been teaching them... I know that they will eventually get there, and it will be in the Lord's timing. 

On exchanges this week we had a really cool experience. I was with Sister Bowles, who is one of the sisters i came out with but is also serving in my ward as well. It is always fun going on exchanges with these sisters because we know everyone they are teaching, and the dinner appointments are always with our ward members! ha. But we had an incredible experience as we ate dinner at the Swapp's house. They are an active member family in the ward, and are awesome. it was my first time over there. They had invited their nephew (who is living there) and his non-member girlfriend named Ria to join us for dinner and the lesson. We had felt inspired to prepare to share the Restoration with the Swapps, and were thrilled when Ria was there. Sometimes i get nervous teaching the Restoration to members, just because we all know "what happened". But it ended up being one of the most powerful first lessons i have ever taught. As i was telling the first vision account, Sister Swapp had tears running down her face, and bore a powerful testimony of the Restoration of Christ's gospel to her kids and also to Ria. The spirit was so strong, and Ria was given a Book of Mormon and invited to pray about it to know if it is true. It was so wonderful, and i am excited for Sister Bowles and Tune to continue teaching her. 

On Wednesday of this week we had Zone Conference! ah, zone conference is like Christmas. We had the most amazing conference, and i was so totally uplifted. The whole theme of ZC was "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". We have been studying that the past few weeks to prepare for conference, and i was able to receive so much wonderful revelation and also counsel from our leaders. The thing that was so cool about it, was that the whole conference was focused on US! ha. It was all about how we can prepare now, while on our missions, to be the best mothers/fathers for our children, and how our responsibility to have a righteous family is great! President and Sister Weston bore powerful testimony about the family, and how it truly is the only thing that will be able to combat evil in these last days. Some of the elders, after conference, came up with the phrase "Puffed Out" haha meaning that they arent "trunky" but are excited for marriage! ha. I think all of us are feeling a greater need and desire to be the best parents we possibly can be. I know that the family is ordained by God. I know that the Lord specifically put us in families because in them is where our joy and happiness can be full. I am so thankful for my family, and feel so excited to continue to raise a righteous posterity!

Sister Brough and i were asked to sing at zone conference, and knowing the theme of "families" we decided to prepare an arrangement of "Where Love Is". We didnt have much time to prepare, and last minute changed our minds on the song, and so i was a little nervous how it would go. But we prayed that the music would bring the spirit in and not glorify ourselves but glorify God. It went great. We recorded it so i will try and send it. We were definitely blessed.

We had a neat experience this week with a recent convert, named Kitty. She comes out on team ups with us all the time, and is one of the sweetest people i have ever met. I love her. This last week she called us because she wanted us to come over to talk. She opened up to us about some concerns she has been having, especially in regards to knowing that God really does love her and is aware of her. It was so cool because we had prepared to share with her Proverbs 31, all about "who can find a virtuous woman", and teach her more about her individual worth as a daughter of God. I was so grateful we followed the spirit. The Lord blesses us with so much charity, and the love in that room as we taught was so strong. I am so grateful to have even a tiny impact on the people here in Nebraska. It is the greatest joy.

Fun Fact:

1. After we serve at the Healing Gift clinic every Thursday night, Dr. Fischer always takes us out to dinner. Well, at dinner this week we went to this awesome restaurant called Goldberg's. He loves it. and so do it! ha. But anyway, it was the end of the meal and i was telling some story, and the water glass that i was holding in my hand completely slipped out, crashed on the table, and water/glass/ice flew everywhere and on everyone. Thankfully everyone got a good laugh, ha but it was so awful. I think the worst part it though that i wont be able to live it down with Dr. Fischer. He is a huge tease, and i love him. 

2. I saw Lauren Patterson and Jim Holmes this week! It was so fun, and felt like seeing family. Brother Holmes came to my ward on Sunday and was able to meet our investigator John who was there. It was a sweet tender mercy

Saturday Sister Brough and I gave the training at Tral Center Training. We had felt earlier in the week to do a tour upstairs to practice some different techniques, but as we were preparing for the training on Friday night, we both didernt feel good about it. We had read a talk called "What if Love were our Only Motive" earlier in the week, and both felt like that is what we needed to train on. We totally switched our plan, and gave a training about Charity. I was nervous because we didnt have much time to prepare for it, but i know that it was what God wanted us to do. A sister after the training told me in tears that she had prayed to know how she could improve/help her companion, and felt like the training we gave was an answer to her prayer. It was so awesome, and it brought me to tears to know that the Lord trusts me and is so willing to guide us to bless even just one of His children. It was such a tender moment.

After TCT Sister Brough and I held New Sister Orientation for the 4 new Trail Center sisters. They are incredible, and it was so fun to get to know them. With every new sister that comes in it is like having an addition to the family! I already love them so much, and i know that they will be the leaders of this mission. They have such strong testimonies. The Lord really is continually strengthening the younger generations to serve Him and do His work. It is so cool to be a part of it!

We had a wonderful dinner last night at the Williams home. They, and the Hobbs, who were also there, are both active member families who i hadnt really met before because they  live out in Bennington, which is about 20 minutes away. I dont really know how ti describe it in words, but i just left feeling like i had left one of my relatives houses. They were so loving, and so kind, and i was so uplifted by the spirit that was in their home. It was cool to see the trust that they gained in us by the time we left their home. They asked if sister brough and i could sing for them, so we sang the version of "I need thee every hour". The spirit was flooding the room by the end of the song, and everyone was in tears. Sister Williams then insisted that we all gather around the piano and sing all together some Hymns. I loved it. it was just like being home, and could literally hear mom saying those exact words.ha. It was wonderful, and made me so grateful to be a missionary.

I love you all! So grateful for your constant love and support. I was thinking this morning about what we would do on memorial day each year.. and i couldnt remember, until i remembered! Big Sur! ha. of course! I hope you are enjoying the bugs and dirt .. haha just kidding. But seriously, have fun!

Till next week,

Sister Peterson