A Week of Little Miracles!r

So this week has been fabulous!

On Wednesday we had zone conference where our whole zone met together with President and Sister Anderson and the assistants to the president. In the meeting, they really focused on member missionary work and how that is the Lord's way. Its so important that we work hand in hand with the members to really move the work forward.

Thursday we taught institute on the talk by L. Tom Perry "The doctrines and principles contained in the Articles of Faith" I would highly encourage you to read this talk because it talks about how important it is that we know them and study them. He talks about when people ask us what we believe in that we should be able to recite the Articles of Faith to those people. It was our invitation to the ysa and to ourselves to memorize them so that we are better prepared to share what we know!

 On the rescue team, we do a lot of stop bys to kind of clear up the records by finding out what we can about the YSA. Some of the time the address that we have isn't right so we will just talk to whoever answers the door. On Friday we were going to visit a less active so when we got to his door we were told that he didn't live there so we talked to the women at the door. We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and invite her to be baptized. She said that she would!!! But, she had just moved there so she didn't know her home phone number yet and didn't have a cell phone. We gave her our number and have been praying that she will call us. We are planning on stopping by there this week to see how she is doing. A lot of people in Pueblo don't have the best of circumstances and it breaks or hearts to hear and see what they have to go through. It just makes me that much more grateful for the wonderful life that I have had and for the opportunities that I have been given. But I know that no matter what our current circumstance might be is that the gospel is for EVERYONE. Our loving Father in Heaven wants ALL of us His children to return to live with Him someday so that is why it is so important that we are being these good examples to others around us and that we are sharing our testimonies. I have been thinking a lot about this lately and just how spoiled we are to have the restored gospel and to know the truth and we should be thanking Heavenly Father each day for the amazing opportunities that He gives us.

Sooo we have a new investigator!!! Her name is A and she is so solid!! We met with her for the first time yesterday after church. She's the friend of a guy named Darriyon who is a ysa. He was baptized three years ago and is preparing to go on a mission to Georgia in April #membermissionarywork. We got to know her a little bit before the lesson. She's 21 and Catholic but has been checking out other churches lately. She went with Darriyon to church last week and said that she really liked it because everyone was so happy. She also said that she thought it was really cool that in our church we really focus on people finding out for themselves that what they are being taught are true and that we aren't all just robots. She told us that she noticed the 180 switch in Darriyon's life since he joined the church and wanted to learn more so she asked to meet with us! We taught her the Message of the Restoration, it went really well and we invited her to be baptized and she said yes!!! We are meeting with her again on Wednesday to teach her the Plan of Salvation. It was so cute because when we gave her a Book of Mormon she said "you're giving this to me? I get to keep it?! Thank you!!" She was so surprised that we would just give her a copy that she teared up a little bit and was so grateful for it. It just about melted our hearts, it was so sweet!!! Sister Bush and I know that we were meant to be the missionaries to teach her because they had been trying to see her for the past two weeks but it wasn't working out and then we found a time when I got to Pueblo so we know that its us two that are meant to meet and teach her. I know that true conversion comes when we teach by the power of the Holy Ghost. We are merely just the vessels in which Heavenly Father speaks through us to reach His children because He knows them perfectly.

We were blessed with the opportunity to give out copies of the Book of Mormon this week. My testimony has been strengthened so much on the power of the Book of Mormon. Hearts are softened and lives are changed as we read the word of God contained in the Book of Mormon.

I would just like to leave you this quote that seven year old Bella said to us at dinner the other night:

"I'm German Spanish, Indian, dramatic and awfully cute!"

I love and miss you all!! Have a great week family! I'm praying for you!

xoxo

Welcome to Pueblo!

...this is what I've been hearing for the past few days from all the missionaries in my new zone. Every time something strange happens or whatever they all say "welcome to Pueblo!" kind of like an inside joke or something haha, well I LOVE Puebs! Besides the fact that my second day here we got our car stuck in the mud and had to have a few less actives pull us out (yay for service! not so good for my shoes...) and that our fridge stopped working the other night so we had to run around trying to find an extension cord because the outlets blew out and as we were putting our food back into the fridge I totally dropped the sour cream and it flew all over us  and the kitchen... and not to mention that the wind is intense here like Rexburg intense. Didn't think that one was possible... so yeah, it's been a crazy week. Its a lot different then the Springs in the fact that its warm here! GLORY! I'm currently wearing short sleeves and no tights and its basically heaven on earth.

It's a very interesting place lets just say but I LOVE it!! My companion's name is Sister Bush, she is 21, been out for three months, from Tennessee (cause you're the only ten I see.... haha jokes) and has a very strong testimony! We get a long really well and I just love her! She is a huge example to me because she was less active most of her life and it was the missionaries who brought her back to activity a few years ago so her perspective is awesome! Her dad isn't a member and a few of her siblings aren't active and don't really understand why she is on a mission but she knows why she is here. She basically just rocks.

We work with the young single adults (YSA) in the Pueblo stake so we cover six wards! #UtahMission. We go to two wards each Sunday so that's five hours of church because for the first ward we go to Sacrament meeting and Sunday School and then go to three hours of the next ward. It is a bit of craziness but there really isn't any other way that we can meet people in the stake. We also have five nights of dinner in one ward a month so that way we can go around and meet more members. So, we travel a ton which is kind of nice because it gives us a chance to talk a lot (and we both talk... a lot) and have become fast friends. Nothing like a good road trip to do that to ya right? Our goal is to start a YSA branch but we need about 20 or so more active YSA's before we can do that. We do a lot of stop by visits to meet people through out the week. I already have seen many miracles since arriving here on Wednesday afternoon.

We do a lot of activities with the YSA's like family home evening, scripture study and institute. It's pretty neat being involved with the ysa again but just in missionary mode now.

There is a less active ysa named B. who is 24 and has been less active for a number of years. We met with him for the first time on Saturday, he came to a ysa activity that night AND church for the first time in awhile the next day AND we taught him the first lesson which is the Restoration that night. He told us that he knows its true but just wants to go through the missionary lessons as a refresher. In just the short time that I have been here we have already seen a less active return to church and actually come to activities and make friends with the other ysa.

 We are also teaching a twelve year old named A. who lives with his aunt and uncle. He is the smartest kids ever! He wants to be baptized so badly but his mother won't let him so we have been going over there to lift his spirits. We are praying that his mom's heart will be softened and she will let him get baptized because he is so ready and its what he truly wants! We are teaching the cutest little girl named B. She is seven years old and her mom asked us to teach her the missionary lessons before she was baptized so that it is her decision. Yesterday she kept quoting the seventh article of faith just randomly and looked at us and said "I don't know why I keep saying that" It was hilarious, she cracks us up!

 I am so blessed and lucky to be here serving the Lord in Pueblo! It has been a blessing to see the hand of the Lord in my life since being on a mission. I know that He is ALWAYS mindful of His children and looks out for us all. As we look back on our lives over the years we will see that Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ never ever left us but in fact, they were walking on either side of us. I know that sometimes it may seem like you have been abandoned by God and Jesus Christ but it is my testimony that they are always there for us but that we must seek them out. 3rd Nephi 27: 29 "Therefore, ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh, receiveth; and unto him that knocketh, it shall be opened."

At transfer meeting on Wednesday an Elder came up to me and asked if Gordon Peterson was my grandpa, I said yes and then he told me that we were cousins because he's Aunt Judy's grandson I think? Tell grandpa!!!!

I love and miss you all so much!! Praying for your safety and for you to have missionary opportunities! There are a million of them every day, we just need to find them.

xoxo

Sister Peterson

 So write me maybe? :)

my new address:
713 w. 18th street apt 203
pueblo, co 81003

Pueblo Here I Come!!!

So I'm getting transferred to a place down south called Pueblo  I will be on the YSA rescue team so I will travel all over and rescue YSA's. Basically be a superhero ya know... when I find out more, I will let you know. My companion's name is Sister Bush and she came out with Sister Ercanbrack so she just finished the training program. It is a new thing that they have started to do over the past few months and everyone absolutely LOVES Pueblo so I am super excited!! I know that this is my new adventure on the mission and where God wants me to be. Transfers are on Wednesday so for now just send stuff to the mission office address until I find out what my new address will be, thank you! 

My last week in NorthGate was awesome! I am going to miss this ward! There are so many good people here that I have really become close to. But its a blessing to know that I have a place to stay when I come back to visit after the mission (Smiths.. I'm talking to you!!) 

We had a lesson with S on Saturday. He pulled out the baptismal interview questions that we gave him last week and said "I am good with all of these questions except number 2" Which is about the Prophets. He said that he is still praying to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet and if Thomas S. Monson is our current prophet. But hallelujah it was sooo good to finally narrow it down to one main concern!! We focused on Joseph Smith and his life because S said that he doesn't know much about him. He is going to re-read Joseph's Smith's testimony in this pamphlet we gave him a few months ago. And he understands that if he knows that Joseph Smith is a true prophet then everything will fall into place and we know that he is really wanting to know the truth. He's in good hands now with my little girl so I hope that I can travel back to the Springs for his baptism soon :)

We had dinner with G AND her husband on Saturday night!!! Finally met this mystery guy!! They picked us up from a YSA baptism and took us back to their apartment to make dinner for us.They were trying to give us all this food because they didn't want us to starve ever. They are so charitable! We had a great discussion on missions because her husband didn't know too much about them and he told us that he really appreciates and respects what we do. We were able to teach him that a Prophet of God along with his twelve apostles pray about where all the young people in the world go on their missions. And we told them that we knew we were there to for many reasons and one of them was to meet them. For someone who is "scared" of Mormons he sure was not acting like it. He kept telling G that he wanted us to come back. We know that Heavenly Father really softened his heart. I will have to get the scoop from Sister Ercanbrack on this area to update y'all on what happens next but we know that miracles will occur as long as we are faithfully seeking to do The Lord's work in His way. 

Little miracles! Three less actives who hardly come to church and 2 non-members were at church yesterday! We sat by a lady named M who has been coming to church for six years at 2 o'clock the same time every year. She church hops to different religions every Sunday. She told us that she reads the Book of Mormon and knows that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God but doesn't want to be baptized. She said that she is praying for all the religions to come together in unity and be happy with one another. It was interesting to see her belief but that she didn't want to make that commit to join. She comes every week so I'm hoping that the sisters will try to work with her because she is very prepared!! She just needs to understand the doctrine. We taught Gospel Principles on Eternal Marriage (I know, right? haha) Everyone kept telling us how great of a lesson it was. We couldn't have done it without the Holy Ghost! 

The church is true so share the gospel with someone this week! I love and miss you all!! Thank you for all the love and support that you give me. Can't believe I hit 6 months on Valentines day!! I know you will all secretly will be celebrating with me that day ;)

xoxo

Sister Peterson 

I'm Off to India!!!

Just kidding.. but some elders finally got their visas for India and are leaving today. I'm about to hop on their plane.. where's my sari!? Really though... In other news, the snow is just piling on here! (kinda glad we don't have our car back yet... just sayin. should get it back this week! miracles!) They had all the missionaries park their cars on Friday so it was basically like a snow day. And you know how when you're in school you loved snow days? Well not on a mission, you will get cabin fever real quick let me tell you. So we heard about the Broncos... people are probably really depressed right now in this state so they will need the Gospel now more then ever! God always has a plan! Love how that works out.

 

We had a lesson with S and talked about the will of the Father and that Jesus Christ always submitted to His will. We talked about how He is the perfect example that we need to follow by being baptized and that he will have that desire. Maybe it won't be right away or even this year but that he will come to know that this church is true. He still comes to church every Sunday, reads and prays. He just needs to learn to submit His will to Heavenly Father and be willing to act to whatever God asks him to do. S is so great and always cracks us up with something hilarious to say!

 

Okay have any of you heard of DoTerra essential oils? They're basically the greatest thing ever since sliced bread. So, G used to do classes with them and has a bunch of reps that work for her back in Boise. So on Tuesday she had us over and we told her what bothered us like if we get headaches or stomachaches a lot, things like that and she knew exactly what kind of oils we would need to help with that symptom. So we are trying to set up a Relief Society activity where she would teach the women about the oils and which ones to use for different pains. A lot of women in our ward use DoTerra oils already so we know that it would be a big hit and also a really neat way to introduce her to the other women in the ward. 

G is so awesome and so willing to help us with rides if we need one and we just know that her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is there. She just needs to remember what Elder Holland said "to fan the flame of your faith" Work with what you KNOW to be true and don't let the petty things get in the way of what you know. I just love that! I think that its a really great reminder to constantly be working with the faith that you DO have and to not be focusing on the faith that you don't have. We talked with everyone we saw this week and they said we could come back so we are praying for miracles!

 

I'm running out of time but know that I love you and hope that you are all doing well! I am so grateful for the support and love that you all give to me every day. Transfers are next week so I will find out what is happening next Monday and let you know. You are all a huge blessing in my life. STAY WARM PA!  And I'll try to do the same. Brrrrrrr!

 

Love from Co. Springs,

Sister Peterson