Day 216

This week was alright, I've been pretty sickly all week, but I'm on the Up and Up. I acquired some cough syrup and cough drops and ibuprofen so I haven't been too bad lately. This week hasn't been too bad. 

How is your former investigator that you mentioned in your last letter?

We've not been able to meet with her, I think the plan is to go out to her tomorrow, if we can find a ride.

Did the gal from prison end up coming to church?

Nope. We were pretty disappointed. we really thought that she would come.

Tell me more about what happened at the reserve, is that like our reservation?

The day that we were going again this week I was too sick to drive to the reserve so Elder Allred went in my stead. but before when we went we went down, stayed the night at a members house after dinner. woke up the next morning, followed a school bus to find the school on the reserve, then we went in and they took us to a teacher's classroom and talked to him, but school was starting so we didn't get to talk very long. then we went and found the old branch president and his wife, they seemed nice enough, and then we went home. 

BEST Moment?

This week I got to teach a lesson to one of the other investigators "Dan" a lesson on the plan of salvation. it was pretty good, he seems really receptive to learn and that makes me happy, He was at church on Sunday. Actually we were planning on having "the gal from prison," her friend, her friends mom, and her son at church which would have been great. But none of them showed up. And I just spotted her in the library where I am emailing, so I guess I'm going to have to go beat her up. she'll probably just give some lame excuse.. :P

Does Elder Allred have a tie picked out for the "cutting"?

probably, I'm not quite sure..

Other than that, do you missionaries have plans for "killing him" (doesn't that mean sending him home)?   (these questions sound awful)

I think the members are having a party thing on thursday, one of the members are trying to set him up with their daughter, and he promised that he would take her on a date when he gets home, So it's been really fun to tease him about that. Other than that we don't really have any plans for "killing him"

We haven't talked about food lately, does your comp cook much?  it sounds like the members feed you more in Kenora, is that still the case? That's a lot of hungry mouths to feed if all four of you come over. 

We get fed quite a bit, my companion doesn't really cook any more than I do. I still don't know why you people think that I'm just helpless in the kitchen. Today we had chipotle style burritos, that we made..

Whats the best thing you make? (korinne made your ramen, the other day, we all drooled over it)

The burritos were pretty good, I didn't really help with them today but It was my original Idea to get all of the things and make them.

Ugg, I can hardly breathe. I've got that thing where one nostril is always clogged. and I can never seem to get the snot out of my nose. Gross.

Anyway, It's been a good week and I'm excited for next week!

Love you all and have a great one! wish Dad another happy birthday!

Love Ryus

Day 209

This week has been good, just been doing usual missionary things, it's pretty fun. This last week we did a few things, it was pretty fun, we've been going through some of our former investigators and one of them said she would meet with us this week. I'm excited for that. we've been pushing to find more people, but it's still a little slow going, but I suppose that's why I'm here, if it was super easy people could just call the mission office to get baptized. In a talk by Elder Holland, he says "Why isn't the only hardship known to missionaries that of Pneumonia, because they are standing in the waters of baptism day and night" (Something like that.) So we'll go another week and see who wants to hear the Gospel this week. 

Anyway, so how is the cat shelter?

What cat shelter? we don't work there anymore...  (Nice Try... haha)

Well I'm pretty nice to the cats, but I still get runny nose and sneeze lots when I'm in there.... they smell bad, plus I get clawed sometimes so it's Cats: 1 Elder Peterson 0

Are you excited about President Craig? 

I don't really know what to think, I like President Thomas, but I'm sure I'll like the new mission president as well. It will be fun!

Do you know anything about him?

All I know is that he is Canadian.

Best Moment?

Best this week?  This week we got to go down to a reserve, where a lot of our inactive members are, we were able to get in contact with a few of them, including the old branch president down there and a few other members, they didn't seem super receptive, but they were nice enough. We are planning to go down again sometime this week, I guess about 30% of the reserve is LDS. So we'll see what we can make happen

When does spring come around up there?

I don't even know, the weather isn't that different from where you are, but I guess the snow lasts a lot longer, so we'll see. Probably april or may I would guess.

Are transfers coming up soon?

Transfers I think are in a few weeks, we'll see what's going to happen. They are taking Kenora down to two Elders, Elder Allred is leaving at the end of this transfer, and one of us others are going to leave as well. Elder Tomlinson and I have only been here one transfer, and Elder Scott has only been here for two, so I'm not really sure anything could happen. 

When does Elder Allred go?

February 6th.. pretty soon.

Do you think it will be harder or easier when the mission isn't quite so flooded with missionaries?

I don't really know what's going to happen, I think it will be easier though.

Did you get your OK to work from the police dept?

I will be calling them today or tomorrow to see if they are ready for me.

Have you talked with the girl from jail, any progress there?

Yeah, she's read almost the whole book of Mormon while she's been there, and we are expecting her at church next week.

New service opportunities?

Not yet, we are singing in a choir every Monday night, It's ok.

Can you pass around a list in the auxiliaries and ask for service from members and their neighbors?

We probably could, maybe we should do that. :)

Other than that, it's been a pretty good week, I've had a lot of fun so far and I look forward to next week. Have a great one!

Love Ya!

Elder Peterson

Day 202

Ok, I'm working at our Family History Center so that I can upload all the pics I've seen of him lately.  Some of these are old, but most are from Christmas time.

Here they are in Swift singing in Gull Lake, this was in a previous post.

They signed and sang at zone conference where they got all their Christmas pkgs and letters.

 I think in Saskatoon

Skypeing with our elder, thank you Kate for taking pictures.  I wasn't thinking much...

Not sure how to turn these, sorry

Here he is at his Christmas dinner before leaving Swift, maybe Regina or Saskatoon.

This was in Kenora (new area) opening gifts w/elder Allred (1st comp)

So here we have Ryus and his companion Elder Scott (white shirt) and Elder Allred and his companion peeling potatoes (not sure who's on the far right)

Here is Ryus and Elder Allred and the Book of Mormon challenge for the last post

eating their 7 burgers (urp) and the next couple of pics.

Just a funny little birdie with a shirt that says, 'my body is sacred'

                                       And here they are posing on Santa's lap (poor santa)





Our bishop asked Ryus "to describe how he has seen the Lord hastening his work and correlate that with D&C 4:2 (the new youth theme for 2015)."  And after reading the letter I congratulated him on his assignment.
Thanks! To be completely honest, I'm not sure that I wrote that letter. It was definitely inspired. About Bishop Warner, my rule as a missionary, is that if you take time to write me, I will take time to write you personally back. I don't like the emailing lists and the reports. There are a few missionary that send them to me, and I hardly read them. I did put thought into it across the week, but naturally I didn't get it sent until Saturday night.

This week was good, been a little slow because we still have four elders in the area. We're going to have to tract or something so that we can get new investigators. Not many people out and about when it's so cold. I want it to just dump snow so that we have a bunch of service to do.

Since there are so many deer up there, are they pretty comfortable around people?  Could you feed them with your hands?

I could feed them with my hands, the problem is, whenever I see them I never have food with me. :(

Best Moment?

This week, yesterday actually, we got to go visit a member in Jail. Whoo hoo! it was fun though. She is supposed to get out on the twenty third, and she seems to want to turn her life around. So when she gets out I definitely want to work with her. apparently the charges against her have been dropped.

Heard from Elaine?  Is your only contact with her on facebook?

Yes, but I hear from her frequently. She doesn't like the Elders that are there right now. Kinda sad. It seems like every time I talk to her she just rags on the missionaries that are there right now.

Have you worked at the cat shelter this week?  Maybe you'll learn to like cats better?

We got kicked out because I teased the cats too much. I'm kind of sensitive about it.

I found our later this is not true, he was teasing me.

How do you choose your service opportunities or are they chosen for you, or its just what they've always done?

We've been trying to find new ones every week, A lot of them require a background check to do service, so we're held up on that trying to get one from the police station. LAME

Are you getting used to the area? 

Yes. The area is good, I like the members, the lake is pretty, I guess there will be Ice roads opening up so we can drive across the lake. That will be fun. 

Are the people getting used to you?

Yes I think so, I can only think of maybe one person that doesn't really like me. I think that our personalities clash a little. So I'll have to see what I can do about that.

Do any people from our ward write you? 

No I don't think so.

I think the people I consistently get letters from are 

Mom

Dad

Kate

Kent

Liah

Nelly (a girl I met in the MTC)

Brittney

Sometimes Amelia

Sometimes Tiffany

and I think that's it.

Has being out there changed how think about the future?  like your future career, school, ?  I know this is a heavy question

Not really, I want to work harder at school. I still like the career choices that I've made so far. I want to make sure I get a good wife when I get home. (patient, charitable, not a big nose, great at making sandwiches)

Well, they didn't have us missionary moms report at the beginning of the year, so youre off the hook for providing stuff.  Dad has to speak this coming sunday, though, haha.

Haha, well thanks Mom, you do a great job as well. 

Love Ryus

Day 195

This week was pretty good! A little slow, partly because I'm not super familiar with the Area and what we can do, No one has really found a new investigator here for a while, so I guess it's about time. I believe if I do my best, the Lord will trust me to find some of his children.

(This is in reference to a challenge by his mission president to read the Book of Mormon in the week between Christmas and New Years.  Ryus and his former companion, Elder Allred finished and celebrated by ordering a total of 14 McDoubles from McDonalds, 7 each.) 
Did your companion and his companion do it too?  Did you plan to eat seven burgers because you read it in seven days?

No correlation from burgers to days reading, some of the members gave us some Mcdonald's gift cards and we got as many burgers as it would buy. The dollar menu here is actually the 1.59 menu.. pretty lame right? My Companion and Elder allred's companion gave up on reading it in a week, so new years eve day and new years day we spent reading all day long on a companion exchange.

 

What did your companion(s) get in their Christmas box that you wished you'd gotten?

Nothing really, I don't think I'm really lacking anything. but I'll be sure to let you know if I need anything.

Now that people are going back to work, has your work progressed?

Kind of, Kind of not, we've still been trying to stop by the same people, we have a few people that are potential investigators that we want to start working with, but it's slow going. That's ok, I am excited to see the area start to flourish.

Oh, I asked if you had pizza in the last letter, I was referring to the transfer, I thought your mission president gets pizza for all the transferring missionaries.. so did you get that pizza?

I sure did get that pizza! it was pretty good. 

Best Moment?

This week we worked at the cat shelter. I'm mildly allergic. There are about a hundred cats all in the same room, and if you stand too close to a cage and aren't paying attention, you might get swatted. It smells bad in there, but it's not a bad place to volunteer.

My real best moment was when I finished the book of mormon and could then look back on what I had read and learned. I love the spirit that goes with the Book of Mormon.

What sort of funny "logical"  things were you teasing the Canadians about?

I just tease about stupid things. Someone brought up America's Debt and other "flaws" in the US Gov. and I just said "Your cops are called Mounties... :P"

"How does it feel to have grown up in Canada your whole life.. with america Right there!"

Kent calls it "the handicapped sister of the great USA" (Kent is a long time friend from home.)

Is the weather pretty much the same where you are as your last area, does it rain/snow more?

It's supposed to snow more, we got six inches of snow the other day.. that was pretty fun. Supposedly with the lake right here we are supposed to be able to get four feet of snow in a couple day period, but I'm still waiting.

We've heard its gotten colder,  do you ever have to be out in it for long periods of time?

We don't have to be in it for very long at a time, we're pretty fortunate being able to have a nice heated house and car. But there are times when we do service outside and it's pretty cold. Our car has a thermometer on it and the car we are driving right now was in Minnesota, so it's in Fahrenheit. Drives Elder Scott crazy (because he is Canadian) It was kind of a pain at first 

Why do you call your companion a North Korean?

He is half chinese, so if you "confuse" him with other Asian races sometimes it gets a rise out of him. Also some people mistake him for being part native. He's a good guy, before he left he did two years of civil engineering at UBC, I guess it's a pretty good school.

Tell Grandpa thanks for the dried fruit! it was really nice (I got it a while back but I forgot to say anything about it.)

Anyways, other than that nothing is too new this week, I love the members here and soon they'll love me as well. We have some investigators that just need a little boot in the seat of their pants and they'll get baptised so we'll see what we can do.

Love You!

Ryus