Day 370

Hello! It sounds like you had quite the time at Girls camp, I haven't yet had an experience that touched me enough to make me cry a lot, but I have teared up a little bit. I think that some of my favorite experiences of my mission, is when I change something small, and see the big difference that it makes in my missionary work. It's all about The Atonement, as we make efforts to change our thought process, our words, and our actions, Jesus Christ is busy changing the feelings and desires of our hearts. It's pretty stunning actually, I haven't given Christ enough credit. I've found that as I've increased my understanding of doctrine, I no longer do things because I have the willpower to do so, but I am willing to do these things and willpower isn't a factor, because it's something that I want to do. I think that my mission call is interesting, because often times, we are doing missionary work not because we are expecting a ton of success (Maybe that is a lack of faith) but because we know it is right, and that no effort is wasted. As I've been growing in my diligence in the work, Heavenly Father has blessed me with small successes and victories, both in my personal commitment and dedication to my savior and in missionary work. I can testify that the work of God is done by the small and simple things. If that's how God does his work, how could we expect that we need to do big things all at once? As I've changed on my mission, I've selected things to change about myself with the attitude of finding the smallest things I could change which would yield the greatest results, and by the small and simple things, I've learned just a little more how to let myself be changed.

Specifically there is no one that is moving forward at this point, we had a couple that was working hard for a few weeks, coming to church and doing well, and they have dropped off the face of the earth, dropped our appointment and didn't come to church.  :| We have been finding people to teach, everyone has the potential to learn and improve, but right now none are putting forth the effort that is required. The investigators in steinbach seem to be doing well, for the most part, I know that quite a few were dropped that we found while we were there, and I don't think that anyone I've ever taught has been baptized.. or is even close yet.. maybe I'm the plague? :) 

Did Elder Sorenson get moved too?

Yes, he is in Dryden right now training a missionary, he'll most likely go home from there.

Have you ever worked with the missionaries you met in the MTC or came out with?

Not really, I'm serving in a district with a sister that will go home at the same time as me, and one of my Zone Leaders and I came out together.

Oh, I saw Brenton Stark and Sarah Weymouth at camp.  They are engaged.  Very cute couple.  I introduced myself and he said he would try to find you on Face book. 

Alrighty, I'm excited for you.  I haven't told too many people about your DL assignment, just LeOni and maybe Laura, but I'm trying not to blow your horn

Haha, It's not really that big of a deal, I think that It's probably helping me out more than it's helping other people, I do enjoy being in a position that I can work with other missionaries closely and improve with them. But most every missionary gets this opportunity 

That's it from me, Here is a picture of Me and Sister Wray at sports night, And My companion, Elder Bee, and myself.

Day 363

I figured that no one would really think I was a good missionary, so I begged President Thomas to put me in Leadership before he left.. 

Naww I find that when I put a lot of effort to preparing district meeting, I'm often the one who gets the most out of it... I'm not really sure why they send letters out though, because In the white handbook it's very clear that leadership is no more important than any other missionaries.. and then they go sending nice letters to everyone you know.

This week was pretty good. My companion is good guy and we get along well. Someone at church asked me how many areas I had and when I told her this was my fourth, she said "My my you must be on the downhill?" I relished the opportunity to tell her that I was still on the "up and up" It's nice I guess to get to this point, because It doesn't seem like such a long time, but I wouldn't mind staying on the up and up for about another month or so. 

yes my realease date is on the 22nd. Elder Allred made fun of me and said while I was in training, "it must be rough knowing that you're going to miss serving an honorable two year mission by three days.." Haha. I don't mind too much.

How often do you get to speak in church?

 we haven't heard from our missionaries for a while. 

Not too often, when in a branch I usually get to at least once or twice, but Wards not as much. I'll probably get to speak once.

Where is Elder Eads from?

Utah Kaysville.

Do you remember much about APC?  a favorite moment?

I remember I got to be companions with Larren Walker twice. That was pretty enjoyable. Man that guy is so good. I always liked the activities, it's one of the only times that the activities are so well planned with the lessons. although it seems that President Walker really liked to see all the boys carrying something heavy up a hill. (Logs, sand, Rocks)

What is different about your DL routine?

Nothing except I do District Meeting on Wednesdays, and have to nag everyone for their numbers on Sunday.

Is Elder Eads a DL too?

Nope. There is only One District Leader.

 this is Korinne, what do you do as a DL person ?

I mostly just watch Batman, the Dark night, and Superman.

still me , (Korinne) , do you like our cat , and the rest of our pictures ?

I do like all of those pictures!

do you like your area ? nice people?

Everyone is pretty nice, I get to practice my spanish a little bit everyday. I think it surprises people to see this white guy speaking spanish. I got my haircut by a hispanic guy, he speaks almost no english. I told him that I spoke a little spanish, and after a little while he said to Elder Fuentes, in spanish "Wow this guy does actually speak a little bit of spanish!"

Is it colder or hotter there or is it just the same ?

It's been about 70-80 degrees, sometimes up to about ninety.

do you miss walking ?

Not really but I don't mind doing it. It's nice to have a car so that you can get places fast if you have to. If we don't have a lot to do, we end up walking a fair bit.

please send a picture of elder Ead .

how do you pronounce Ead  is it ee-ds  or e-adds ?

EE-ds

Ok, (this is mom again) I guess I'd better get ready, I've got a dentist appt this morning.  Then lots of errands to run.  Do your days tend to be busy or slow.   Which areas were which? 

In general they are pretty slow, steinbach was probably my most busy. when I wrote Tyler an Email and told him how many lessons we teach in a week and that stuff, he said "Oh, so your mission is more like a reactivation mission?" Haha. that was a little bit of a accidental low blow, so I told that it was and that it may as well be just a service mission ;)

Day 356

Hello!

Yes Elder Scott is home, it makes me sad, but I was really glad because I got to get a picture with him before he went off.

Brandon is really nice. It is a great area, It is the second Largest city in Manitoba with fifty thousand people. The members here are nice and there is lots of Spanish so I got lucky. The ward isn't like the wards back home, it maybe has between fifty and a hundred people.

My new companion is Elder Eads, he has been out a transfer less than I, and is fun but weird. I told him that he was weird and that I was going to give him away to foster care and he laughed for about ten minutes

It seems like it's not sure if it wants to be like NC or ID, somedays it's pretty humid, but other days it's not. It's not super dry here, so I guess that's nice.

Who is Kate assistant coach to?

We have a car again, I enjoy that, but I won't forget all the many benefits of walking, and I intend to walk as much as possible. One of the sisters in my district has a degree in nutrition, and I think she was impressed by what I eat and drink. She ran me through all of the questions "Do you drink soda, what do you eat for breakfast lunch and dinner.." The only think she recommended was that I eat more fruit and vegetables, so I get all my Vitamins. I think I'll take her up on that.

The last week in Steinbeck was pretty busy, I got to go see some bulls get castrated, I got sunburned so now I have a great farmers tan, I write in my journal everyday but I can never remember what I did. I'll have to bring it in so I can remember. I'm glad I write in in because I forget so many things that I thought I would remember. I never write a lot, but I do a little highlight reel.

That's all for me this week I think, We taught this week, we got up super early this morning and played basketball, in steinbach we helped out at a pancake breakfast. That's all for me!

Love Elder Peterson

Day 349

This week was really good! Pretty eventful, First on the list is that the other Elders Found a cat, It was outside their apartment and it was raining really hard, and it tried to run into their apartment, they kicked it out, and then six hours later it was still waiting outside in the rain. So they let it come inside (first mistake) and fed it (second mistake) then we found out that all of the Cat shelters and government buildings were closed for the weekend, and since Elder Stevens is allergic to Cats, my companion Volunteered us to take care of it until we can either give it to a shelter, or give it away. :P It's pretty cute, but today since it wasn't raining I put my foot down and said if we are going to have a cat any longer, it's going to be an outside cat. I'm mildly allergic to cats so it was getting to me. Elder Mattie lights up like a little kid when the cat comes to him so I hope that we get rid of it before he gets attached. Missionaries are not supposed to have pets.

Second, We've been working with a Guy named Malcom, I've told you about him a little. But We met with him twice this week and both visits were productive. He has been committed to read The Book of Mormon, and it's one of the few times on my mission that I have been convinced that someone would read it in it's entirety. I think he is serious about it. I'm sad though because he is getting married soon and probably will have a period of time where he will be impossible to get a hold of. :/ I've enjoyed the discussions we've had so far, and He's a great guy. (the only reason this one was second is because I thought of it second.

Third, is we got Transfer calls! Elder Fuentes and I are both getting transferred to Brandon Manitoba, Brandon has a lot of Hispanics, so Elder Fuentes will be Spanish Speaking, and I'll be English speaking. I'm really excited to go. The areas I've been able to serve in, I know that I was supposed to serve in all of them. So it's my fourth Area and my seventh Companion. My new companion is Elder Eads, I don't really know him, but I'm sure he's a nice guy and we'll get along well.

Other than that, We helped out a few places this week, in the last week or so I have helped with Demolition, sanded a picnic table, played Uno at a place to help disabled people, and so on. It feels good do stuff like that. :)

Love Elder Peterson

Day 342

This week was pretty good, We had Zone Conference this week and it was all about learning to recognize and feel the spirit. We've been privileged to find a new investigator every week that we've been together. I don't really know why, We've just been really blessed. We've been teaching them and it's been a lot of fun. The last one we found is named Malcom. He's a doll. He went to the bible college here in town, and is very open to hear what we have to say. He is Native American, and is super nice. We've been building up a nice little pool of solid Investigators here. The Only explanation I can think of is that we must be getting blessed for something from the Lord.

So how are those great investigators?

Great, we were able to meet with a few recently, It is really nice. Members of the Branch are really willing to come as well. They are great.

Have you ever had to wait outside because there wasn't a guy around?

Yes and no, We are allowed female fellowship, so we can bring sisters to lessons and they count, but of course male fellowship is always preferred.

Have you seen Elder Allred yet?  I think he's coming..

Yes I say him on Tuesday, He came with his fionce and Sister Christensen so it was a big party. He hasn't changed very much, but it was kind of freaky to see him so twitterpated and physical with the christiansen girl. Honestly he was probably trying to freak me out and rub it in my face that he can date and I can't... 

When will the new pres come?  July?

Yes he's supposed to be here probably mid July. I'm excited to see him and I'm excited to have his back one hundred percent. Hopefully there won't be any die hard President Thomas fans that won't change with the new president.

Other than that, it was a pretty good but normal week. I am enjoying missionary work and having lots of fun!

Love Elder Peterson

No more Pullup bar incidents, I've been scared of the thing ever since. I haven't been very courageous this last week with it, perhaps next week.

The Lady Named Cara is doing well, we answered some questions of hers last Wednesday, she really delved into it, spending a lot of time on Mormon.org, and reading what we asked her to, also she spent a lot of time reading opinions of people that don't like the church. She is very accepting and actually asks us to resolve questions she had. She asked about Women and equality in the church, and I told her to just ask her friend in Utah. I said that being male my opinion doesn't really matter on Gender Equality, so It'd be better for her to see what her friend thinks. She's a good lady and I look forward to teaching another Lesson on Wednesday.

I hate the Garden too. When I have kids I hope that they're really bad, because I'm going to make them do garden work when they are bad. I thought about how I wouldn't want them to think Gardening is a punishment, but then again, who really likes it anyway?

I bet everyone is excited for the kitties, I know I would be, I still haven't forgot about Columbus and I intend to bring him home with me at some point.

Love Elder Peterson

Day 335

This week was pretty rewarding, We were able to teach a good amount, we taught three other lessons, and two member present Lessons. That is a good week for Steinbach. The members here are so willing to go to appointments whether they are planned out a week in advance, or if we give them just a few hours notice. It is a great thing. Justin the Younger is doing fairly well, although he was texting us some questions the other day and I think he may have found some anti, I think that my companion and I handled the questions very well, He is pretty open, but I am afraid that he may be one to be easily swayed. So we just do what we can and then we pray. I'm glad to hear about the reactivations, It's a fantastic thing to see happen. I don't have a lot of pictures this week, but I'll see if I can send something. Last week we met with a Lady who flagged us down on the street, we taught her the first lesson, and she said that really her only friend is a Mormon lady that lives in Utah, her name is Katie. She was really open and receptive, and we are really hoping to help her as she is furthering her growth in the gospel. She is definitely prepared, and she wants to meet with us.

Today I was doing pullups, and I pulled up too hard I guess because the pullup bar came off, and I slammed into the ground, and then into the door behind me. I crumpled up pretty good on the floor, but I didn't really get hurt, so It was ok. Often I try to pray before I work out. (sounds funny I know, but I like doing it) and I was glad I did, because a lot more could have happened. It's all Kent's fault because he emailed me a while ago and told me that he did seventeen in a row all the way up and down, so I was trying for that. I got into a rhythm, and then my rhythm must have been too good. I fixed it up on the wall so it shouldn't happen again.

What do you like to hear about from home?

I don't really know what I like to hear about, I enjoyed hearing about my sold car, that was fun, and I don't think you told me about what happened with your interview with President Winegar.. 

When are transfers, any news?

No transfer news, this weekend though, it's crazy how fast transfers fly by!

Who did you get along with best (comps)?

Honestly I haven't had any issues with any of my companions, Everyone has been pretty easy to get along with. The only person that I've had a more serious disagreement with was my district leader one time. He was kind of micromanaging and running things like a control freak. So it all came to a climax one night, when he got upset and then we wrestled for a minute or so, then we went to bed and had a nice conversation about it the next day. After that our relationship really improved.

But I think the companion I related to the best had to be either Elder Allred or Elder Scott, or Elder Coleman. They were all nice guys and hard workers. I like Elder Mattie a lot as well, but I don't know if I would seek out an audience with him after the mission. Not to say the other one's weren't good as well, I just clicked with these three.

Have you done any dishes?

 No family history lessons :/

Where do you go to email?

We go to a place called Pat Porters, it's just like a rec center without the rec center part, they just have computers, a couple pool tables, and a gym.

Here is a picture of Elder Mattie playing with a doll house. ;)

Love you!

Day 328

(This email didn't come until Tuesday, we were sad, Canada has a long weekend once a month and since there isn't a church building in Steinbach, their usual place was closed.)


Well you got jipped. Yesterday was may long weekend and no one in town was open at all. So I get to Email today. This last week was a pretty good one, President Thomas came to our district meeting and did Interviews on Wednesday. It was a very positive experience, I got a good amount of one on one time with him and we talked about a lot of things. It was our last interview before the new mission president comes in so he was kind of saying goodbye. This last week right after interviews we had a lesson with an investigator named Justin. He said some pretty ignorant things about our church that he felt from reading the introduction. We didn't want to bash so we waited for him to run out of steam, and I think what we said made a difference. It was hard, and if I was graded on the information and smoothness that I gave to him, I would have probably failed, but we were able to give him something to think about. I'm glad to hear you got the mail that I sent, I wasn't sure if you would get it anytime soon. I hope that Dad liked the sketches that I sent, I think they were pretty decent. They are authentic native drawings so of course they are good.

(I commented on how deep his voice was on during the Mothers day call)

It even surprises me when I look at videos of me how deep my voice is. It doesn't sound that deep to me when I talk. I really enjoyed talking to all of you, although I don't know if it's because I'm a terrible person or not, but my brain shuts right down when I think about family history. My companion is going to teach me a little I think and then maybe I'll like it.

The people we are meeting with right now are a few native people, they are progressing.. kind of. Two people both named Justin, they are both lukewarm on the idea of the church, but they are willing to argue with us a little about our church. So that is nice. We teach a fillipina lady who enjoys (I think) our message and I like going over there. We helped a woman in the ward move some things out of her house that is divorcing her husband. I like her husband so I felt bad about it. Hands down one of the most awkward service projects of my mission. Other than that, the week went well, It seems like Weeks tend to either be service heavy, or missionary work heavy. This last week we did a lot of service.

Other than that, The pictures I sent were of Elder Stevens and I trying to look like that one picture of the guy and his wife and the pitchfork, the next is of me wrestling my companion on the couch and "Penguining" him (just a humiliating way of pinning someone down) and the other one is of the dishes we did after helping with a mothers day dinner.

(I'll post these on my fb page)

I Love you and I thank you for all that you do! Sorry for not breaking into a store and using their computer to email! Love You!

Elder Peterson