Monday, December 23, 2013

December 23, 2013

HOWWWWWWWWWDAAAAAAAAAYYYY! A big Texas Birthday celebration for Kate today!! xoxo
Wait Christmas is this week....? I thought it was MAY with the weather we are having! :) It is so weird to be so sunshiny and warm (at least for the most part). But we are so excited to talk to y'all!!!
Mama thanks for the package and I will keep my eye out for the one coming for Sister K. Thank you SO much for doing that! Also I didn't know I wasn't supposed to open it till Christmas......... so I did. BUT I didn't look or read anything...I am waiting. But we are way excited for the muffins Christmas morning! And I know you said you didn't like the pillowcase color but we laughed at your note about them being puke green, and we like them fine! Also we finally had the Christmas party. It was really fun. We had to act out Christmas songs and man some missionaries are creative. "Grandma got ran over by a reindeer" was probably my favorite. :) Do you want all the stocking you sent me back? I have like 4 or five now? The package is great! It is such a good idea and way fun to open presents everyday!!
I also found this past Monday the perfect souvenirs for the Grandma's and something great to hang on the stairs! It was a dream come true! I'll wait to give them to you until I get home!
Christmas day we are eating dinner with a member of the bishopric and will talk to you at 2 my time. YAYA! Make sure my babies are on so they aren't scared of me when I get home! So excited to see y"all!

Mom, we are over like 5 sets of sisters so to see them in two weeks would be hard, plus one of the weeks we have a missionary leadership training so that would be 3 in one week and with preparation days and weekly planning days they sadly cancelled exchanges. But that's okay I know I have been called at this time so it all works out.
We have been having a rough time this past week especially. Literally EVERYONE is gone away for this month. And then we had one girl we were teaching and she is NOT progressing and told us that the more she researches the Book of Mormon (mind you she hasn't even read any of it!), that the more she thinks it isn't true! Heartbreaking! But Sister K is awesome, and suggested we fast to help us and this area. So we did on Friday and we just feel so much better and we have seen some really cool miracles since then!! Like we have been trying this kid named Alex for a while but he was out of town for 2 weeks and then when we went to see him on Saturday we were talking to him about what he had talked to missionaries about before in California and come to find out he was BAPTIZED! Which we count as a huge blessing that Heavenly Father lead us to him, to help him come back into the fold! We think he didn't realize that this is a worldwide church. So he came to church yesterday. Sadly his family is NOT supportive, but he is headed off to school where he will have a better support group! Then we were out contacting and walked up to this kid on a bench and talked to him about the church. He is from Africa and actually speaks Portuguese: is learning English here and was really interested. So he came to church yesterday (sadly had to cancel on our appointment, but we will be meeting with him tomorrow) and at church we gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he was really excited because he read about it in the pamphlet we left him and he was wanting to read it! What a huge blessing here!
So life is good, we are just treking along. Hopefully more people will be around after this week, but we are just happy and healthy and excited to talk to all of you! love you lots!
Sister Peterson! 







Monday, December 16, 2013

December 16. 2013

Howdy!

I said I wasn't sure about Skype, BUT we actually just found out we CAN skype. For 45 minutes only this year. So I liked the google plus so I could see everyone. I don't know details of when or where I am even going to do it yet (especially since we are in a ysa and everyone is gone) but we will do it. Just let me know next monday what will work best for y'all and we will try and swing it. I'll also need Mitch's account or something again. 

Oh and the Christmas party is tomorrow. :) YAY! 

I cannot wait to see my babies! Kate sent me funny pictures of Sabree this morning! :)  I don't even really know her! And I love that Mad's told dad she wanted to live with them forever and then 15 minutes later had changed her mind! Too great! I can not wait to see them all! and I am glad we get to skype so that they will be able to see me and wont be scared of me when I fly in! 

Today Sister L got on the plane to fly home. As I think of these past two weeks, and as I started crying in Relief Society yesterday because I don't want this to all come to an end, I am just really really glad I decided to stay here. We are doing some really great things in this ward and I am glad I'm not done yet! Sister K and I have been trying to focus on how to help and miracles are happening. The Spirit was so strong in our ward council yesterday as we brought up the ward mission plan. A new Relief society president (the only sister in the whole ward who is an RM) and a new Elders quorum president this past month have really laid forth the foundation for us to all help each other and change for the better! It was one of the greatest and wonderful experiences I have had working with a ward, and I am excited to see it still unfold. 

Also all 4 of us sisters in the ward were asked last Sunday if we could speak. So yesterday we did. It was really funny because S Kramer was having the hardest time putting her talk together. I told her Saturday that it was probably because she wasn't going to end up speaking and sure enough! She was last on the program and we ran out of time! (that's what happens when they put 4 sister missionaries all on the same Sunday!) But I was asked to speak on  Building the Kingdom with my three main focuses: the Savior's birth, preparing for the 2nd coming through the scriptures, and sharing the gospel with others. Kinda crazy subjects to smoosh together, but I felt so inspired as I prepared and a recent convert told me afterwards that of all the talks she has heard in her year of being a member that mine was the best she has ever heard! I thought that was so sweet of her. The bishop on the other hand afterwards said that this was just preparation for the talk I'll have to give in a month...when I'm home! :) dagger in the heart!! haha no it's okay. But in my talk I felt so inspired to share the hymn, "They, the Builders of the Nation." It was perfect for my topic. I read the first verse at the very beginning and said that this is talking about they who went before us- but I want to talk about us being builders now. So instead to say "WE, the Builders of the Nation." I am so grateful for hymns because I barely know that hymn but the tune came into my mind as I was preparing to speak. I looked it up and knew that I was inspired of God to share it with this ward. I closed my talk by reading the second verse and said that I wanted that verse to be our motto. Look it up. I think Hymn 36. It is a great song. 

Other than that our work is dwindling. Everyone has left for home. But that's okay we are still working hard to bring about a great work! 

With my responsibilities of STL, it means we go on exchanges with all the sisters in our zone. And since there are two zones in Lubbock we are over, it is 2 zones. So there are about 14 of us total! Sister Johnson and I work together so we left our companions in this area and we went on exchanges this past week: Sister T and Sister C. We had a real nice exchange where we go to their area for 24 hours. They are both such amazing sisters and I just really want to help and lift: though they are doing so well there wasn't much lacking there. But it was good to be with Sister C again. So after that exchange I had great ideas on how I can train and provide more assistance and we found out, later on in the week, that since we have our Christmas parties this week, and then Christmas next week that they decided to cancel all of the exchanges for the rest of the transfer! I may or may not have cried when I found that out. I just really wanted the chance to help, and this is my only chance as an STL. But I do know that Sister J and I both prayed about who to see that first week, and even though I don't feel like I did much to help that I can find peace in knowing I was following the Spirit. And Sister K is the nicest and told me that Heavenly Father called me at this specific time for these specific sisters because I could help them in different ways, without going on exchanges with them. So I have been really focusing on praying for each sister, and I have set a goal to give each sister an uplifting quote each time I see them. I am just trying to do what little I can with what little I have. 

So that is life here: deep in the heart of Texas! Where the 16th of December looks like a nice March day. No snow, but always a chilly wind. 

I love and miss you all! 

Monday, December 9, 2013

December 9, 2013

Hello Family! Yes it is a cold cold day here in Lubbock Texas. It is a gray gloomy day- it's not snowing but it is misting. Very cold, but luckily we haven't had any ice storms. Some mornings they have us stay inside till the ice on the road melts but other than that no complaints! 

So to explain about that! I have been called as a Sister Training Leader! This is a new position since I have been on my mission, and it is similar to a zone leader- except I am just over the sisters in my zone. So I go on exchanges with them (hence why I will probably not even be around Wednesday). We are there for them to help the Sisters in their needs. It is a brilliant inspired calling to be able to help us as sisters, and to keep relationships between elders and sisters very professional. I am still not sure what all it entails. I just got called on Friday about it, and just got an email about my responsibility. The goal is that one day they will have two STL's be companions like zone leaders, but with the growth of the mission it isn't possible yet due to so many sisters needing to be trained (by the way we got our first shipment of SPANISH sisters to Lubbock this last transfer! so cool!) So I will be working with Sister J who is another STL and she is serving in Plainview. So I am excited to be able to get to help and love all of these girls! There are about 15 sisters in the Lubbock city so this will be busy and exciting!

I am so lucky that I am able to have Sister K as my companion. She is from Spanish Fork and is a TRIPLET! Cool right?! She is absolutely great, and we communicate and get along really REALLY well! Which is such a blessing because we have a lot to accomplish this transfer! Not only am I trying to magnify my calling, but we are working really hard to get this area really organized and working on really being unified with our ward mission leader and bishop. It is very different because it is a YSA and everyone is learning things together. But it is such an exciting time, and I know I have been called to serve with Sister K for a direct reason, and we are going to move mountains this transfer. And really lay the framework for things to boom when the semester starts up again! 

So yes, everyone and their dogs are going to be leaving this week for the 4 week break! Like 90% of our teaching pool! But we are already making great steps with less actives in our ward. We had 1 less active at church yesterday who hasn't been in 8 years. Another who hasn't been all semester. And another who hasn't been in at least 4 years. Plus getting we saw people that come not very often where there too!! It was so great!  

We also had the great opportunity to go to the annual Stake activity called the Nativity. The stake collects nativities and opens it to the public and man was it quite the event. There were 705! nativities. The rooms each had a specific smell, and they had color schemes and all sorts of fanciness! It is so amazing though that it would be something I would want to come back and see every year. They had choir concerts and artists sculpting that you could watch and really just so intense. We were able to watch the Christmas Devotional last night too! It was a really good week! 

Well I love you all! A month from this upcoming Sunday and I'll be seeing you! My planner this month is covered with pictures of my 7 babies! Can't wait to kiss them all!! haha

 Happy Holidays! And don't forget about Elder Ballard's challenge from General Conference! Christmas is coming so don't forget! Love you

Your missionary- Sister P! 


 me with some of my previous comps at the transfer site! 


leaving sister o

Monday, December 2, 2013

December 2, 2103

"Good Morning Good Morning"  (singing in the rain style!)

Yes, we had transfer calls and I am staying here! Sister O is being transferred after NINE months of staying here! She is going to Midland, and I hope this experience is really good for her. And my new companion is going to be Sister K. I have met her before a few times. She has been out about 7 months, and was down in Abilene when I was in San Angelo. She is from Spanish Fork I believe, but I will have more solid info for you next week. I am excited. This transfer has been hard in the most unusual ways. And I am ready to work till I drop! -Are you ready for this?! :)

So next on the agenda to tell you all about is Thanksgiving! It was eventful to say the least! I can only say I am so SO glad that we had the other missionaries with us. So it was us, and the other sisters in our ward (who are staying this transfer too) and then the assistants. So we went to thanksgiving and it was kinda crazy because A, a less active (who is now active!) who we were working with in the Canyon West ward was there (because small world it was her husband's family!) So that was fun. But after I talked to her at first she went to attend to her kids, and all of us missionaries were left by ourselves for like 45 minutes.... Awkward much. It was really weird, we felt super out of place, until eventually they remembered us and told us to come eat. And that's when things got really weird. The dad of the family came and started talking to us about his mission and about how disobedient he was. Going to movies wearing wigs so that he could go! Gag! IT WAS HORRIBLE! Little did he know he was talking to the assistants and us who all thought it was ridiculous! So after standing up to get pie we announced we had to go! It was so contentious and weird, and just gah! But we went back to the church and played games and ended our Thanksgiving well. So the food was good, but man what a ride! 

Other than that this week was pretty slow. Everyone was out of town for Thanksgiving, but it was fun on Friday we were all invited, here in Lubbock, to go decorate the mission home for Christmas. It was really fun, and when we were done we sang Christmas hymns. It was so wonderful! 

Oh also good news, after thinking I might have a sinus infection, we called the Doctor here and he prescribed me some good stuff for my allergies. He told me not to take decongestants, and I now have a nasal spray and pills I take.  Allergy pills are expensive, but I can honestly say I feel SO much better! I can finally breathe through my nose! Hooray- and finally at the end of my mission!!  

Okay I think that's about it! The weather is like spring in Utah. A little windy, but not winter coat weather. Can't complain! Doesn't feel like December though! Miss you all!!
xoxo 

Sister Peterson

our district. the pic is blurry. sorry