My dearest Family!
Hello! How grateful I am to be here in this town. Just this past week it hit me that I am almost to my 6 month mark. Before I know it, it will be January 5th! And then I'm a 3rd of the way through! It really sent a shock through me and I realized that I need to enjoy more of the journey. After church yesterday I was talking to E and A (our two investigators who just need to get married but he said he is waiting to propose till Valentines) and a couple in our ward who have a son out on a mission. I can't remember who said it, but they said that I they hope I serve my whole mission here! A was adamant that I should, and was excited at that prospect! It hit me how much the people love me, and are getting to know me, and it made me realize I need to enjoy this ward and people while I can. We had 7 investigators at church yesterday and it was amazing! The work is really coming along. ALSO I have seen a visible change in the ward here since we first came in. They now pray in every meeting for the missionaries, and our ward mission leader told us the other day to slow down a bit-- teasing us for all the work we are doing. This ward had some major trust issues with missionaries when we first came in, due to trouble missionaries previously. But now: people are telling me to move back here when I'm done and I really do love them! So I am going to try and really focus on loving people!
We have transfers this Saturday, but it would be a shock if anything changes. This Thanksgiving we are going to the ward mission leaders house for dinner. We can only spend an allotted 2 hours there. So before that other families invited us over, but we will just stop by to say hi, and meet family members we have only ever heard about who will be in town for the holidays. And then at some point we will get together with the elders (they want to play football....) But other than that it should just be laid back. We aren't supposed to proselyte that day so I'll probably just think of how grateful I am to have a ward that is good, investigators to teach, food to eat, a roof over my head, and AMAZING family and friends back home who have not forgotten me: who pray for me, who care for me, and who keep me in their hearts as they are ever in mine! How grateful I am for the knowledge of the truth, and the path for true happiness.
As for things here: they are getting better. Slowly but surely. In companion inventory Friday Sister S and I finally actually communicated. She told me how she has trust problems, and doesn't trust me, but told me there is nothing I can do to help change that... And I told her how this lack of communication is so detrimental and is making life horrid. So we promised each other to try and really voice how we feel and really work on this. I was so nervous that Saturday nothing will have changed, but it did, not much, but enough to feel a change in the house. We talk more, and though I don't think our personalities are such that we will ever be bff's, we can still be successful and work in unity. I prayed long and hard (as usual) and found that we need to read the scriptures more together. So we've started that (and it really helps!!) And then I realized that we need a basis of understanding, so during our extended comp study, because she is training, I am going to think of activities we can do everyday that are fun to help relieve tension in our house. So this past week we made snowflakes one day, and a countdown to Christmas chain the next. It is a work in progress, and one that I know is only succeeding by divine help, and the prayers from you! I cannot see any other way that there is this change. I thank God everyday for my support team back home. I still don't understand why things had to be hell for these past 6 weeks, but one day I pray, God willing, I will know and see what I learned and how I grew.
Dad, we are the only sisters in all of our zone, so all of New Mexico, so no we do not get to go on splits. :(
God is good and even though we don't understand He always has OUR best interest at heart. I really wish I could be with you all this holiday season, but know that the time will come when we will be together again. And that time will be more sweet because of this time apart. I am grateful for the gospel, it is true! Jesus Christ lives! I am grateful for the way this has shaped my life, and for this opportunity to help others feel of that peace and comfort. I love you all and am so happy to know I will be with you for the eternities. Thank you for your prayers, I can feel them. Keep the faith!
Love Sister Peterson!
Pictures:
Me and the baby christmas tree the elders surprised us with!
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