October 29, 2012

Hello!

 

I can't wait to see all the kiddles costumes! Oh how I love this holiday.

 

Also we have a car. All the sisters do. We have a Thursday mission wide "bike" day. So since Sister S is here we have had our first bike day this past Thursday was our second. I think it is getting too cold and windy to probably continue until spring but we will see. The GPS is extremely nice since there are a lot of weird roads and you know how good I am with directions....

 

Dad: thanks for that thought about mounds and mountains. Things if not getting better are not as pressing on me. It is the quote that pops into mind about it "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing is changed, but that our power to do is increased." -Heber J. Grant. So no things are awesome or fun with Sister S. I honestly can't figure it out. I just think it is a personality difference. She is just very short with me and I can't place my finger right on it but maybe she's just negative? I just keep praying for love and even though I sometimes get shut down when I am just trying to be nice, I am going to persist. My current big issue is that I haven't been sleeping well at night. Sister S is a very active sleeper: tossing and turning every 10 minutes, popping her knuckles, all while asleep. Then this past week she has taken on sleep talking. Once she wakes me up I am up for about an hour trying to fall back to sleep, so I am up for about 2 hours a night. This makes me feel very grumpy in the morning and makes for long days. Last Monday I bought ear plugs hoping that would solve the problem, but it hasn't. Then I would sleep on the couch, but still couldn't sleep. So I finally called the mission president's wife (yes I feel like one of those annoying sister missionaries) and she suggested melatonin. I've been taking that the past two nights with not help there either. I talked to her again this morning and she said maybe Sister S should take the melatonin and she wouldn't be so active. But I asked Sister S and she replied, "I'm not the one with the problem sleeping!" So I'm sure that things are really alright, but my lack of sleep doesn't help me. I am trying hard, but know that with prayer and faith it will all be ok. Even if the situation and our relationship never gets better I can still be happy. Like dad said it is a choice. So I keep a happy thought with me all day. I wish that we would have an open relationship, but when I once asked her, after she said something snappy like that to me, if she was upset, she said "no". So either she is and doesn't want to talk about it, or that is just the way she is. So I just take one day at a time. And remembering that I am here for the people we are teaching, not because it is a vacation. :)

 

And talking about days I realized this past week that in a short 2 months I get to talk to you on the phone!!! 57 days from today! I'm very excited!

 

Well I dunno what else to say! Stay warm, I love you all! Happy Halloween!! xoxoxo- Sister P.

 

October 22, 2012

Hello!

Yes, Dad training is EXTREMELY hard! On Friday I had the hardest day I have had yet on my mission. I cried all morning until about noon. Background: I went to Lubbock with Sister L on Wednesday to pick up Sister S. She grew up in Alaska, and funny thing: when I was trying to think of positives with S. L, I said "What if she is a cosmetologist!" On the car ride home I asked her what she did before the mission and she said she is in fact a cosmetologist!!!

But being in charge is hard. Especially for the first time, with someone who doesn't know what's going on. Then to add on top of that, Sister S is a VERY private person. As in she eats meals everyday in her room with the door shut. I tried all Thursday to get to know her, and then felt like she hated me. So Friday when I woke up, it was all too much. Satan was working hard on me. I told Sister S that I didn't think I could do this:  be here for 12 weeks with someone who won't talk to me. Friday was just a very hard day, but that night Sister S finally opened up to me and told me that she thought training was hard because of her. As I explained all that I have to worry about and do, she then I think realized the weight that I felt on my shoulders. So things got better. Honestly, it is still really hard to be home for meals. We just have VERY different personalities. When I tell her I will be right back because I have to go to the bathroom, her comment is always, "no" or "nope". And I know that is her way of teasing, but it is really hard, I can feel the difference by what she says. I honestly don't think she thinks I know what I am talking about. BUT------- I have come to terms with it. Heavenly Father has us here for a reason, and this is something I have always hated: not being best friends with the people I am around. You aren't going to be chums with every single companion. But that doesn't mean you can't be happy, and that we can't work well together, because we do. She is very spiritual, and we teach well together, and are both very motivated.

I felt really bad for making her feel like she was why training is hard, but I was talking to an AP today on the phone and he asked how it was going. I told him "good" and he said "'Oh really? I trained right after being trained and that first week was the hardest week of my mission, to be in charge when you have never been before." That made me feel a lot better. I have also been able to grow relationships with the members, and the other missionaries in our district and zone leaders. Not in a "Forget Sister S"  kind of way, but a "help us all together" kind of way. I am praying everyday for more charity, and know that it will come, that Heavenly Father is refining me. 

Mom, I am grateful for your letter this week. I really needed that just to keep my spirits up. To answer about that obedience thing. Here's the back story for that: We in this house have a washer and drier. Well the elders when we moved into the house asked Sister L if they could continue to do their laundry here. She said yes, and I respected her role as senior companion, though she knew how I felt about obedience. Elders in our mission are not supposed to be in the sister's apartments at all. So when I got the call to be senior, I told the elders that we were going to be exactly obedient in my companionship. They threw up a HUGE fuss, but I told them it is not because I don't love them, but because I want the blessings of being obedient, and if they did get it approved from President that was fine. They didn't. And at transfers in Lubbock, President called me over to talk to him and stressed obedience. I told him I had already taken care of it. THEN yesterday, one of the members in my ward, who houses  elders in one of their trailer houses, told me that the elders told her about the laundry thing. I told her I was trying to be obedient and she said she didn't realize it was a rule!!! The elders had just complained to her and didn't explain why!! She then told me that they had complained so much that her husband feels bad and is going to buy them a washer and drier! This makes me so upset because it is not the member's responsibility! And then today I get a call from a set of elders and they tell me that they haven't found somewhere to do laundry and tried to bully me into letting them do it at our house. So then I'm all upset and call my district leader, who was then picking sides out of friendship. So he told me that if I was upset to call the AP's, which I did and they were so supportive and got it taken care of. I am just grateful that Sister S wants to be obedient like me!!!

SO LIFE IS CRAZY HERE!! But with the bitter comes the sweet and we have a handful of AMAZING INVESTIGATORS!  We set a baptismal date with one of them, Sara a college student, this past week for November 10th!!! She has been so prepared and we are so excited for her. She received awesome answers to her prayers, and I think we will be friends for life! It is so amazing to see the change the gospel can have with people!!

And I think that's it! I love you all and know that God has a plan for each one of us! I pray for you often and am so grateful for your support!

Love Sister P.

October 15, 2012

Man, do I have news for you this week!! Remember how I commented that at some point I could be training a 19 year old???? Well, I'm not training a 19 year old, but transfer calls came and I'M TRAINING!!!!! I'm staying here, and Sister L is transferring to be companions with none other than my MTC companion! And lucky ol' me (I'm scared to death!!) will be picking up my greenie tomorrow: Sister S from Sandy, Utah. And that's all I know about her! President calls the trainers to give them the news and I was shocked when he called me! I seriously just finished training! But I know that with Christ, I can do all things, so I'm choosing to have faith instead of fear, and just praying that Sister S and I will be able to make this all work! It is scary not knowing who this girl is, and then having to be in charge and lead her too! But I do know that this is God's will, whether I am supposed to learn and grow lots in trials, or in good times it will be for my benefit! But CRAZY RIGHT?!  Who knows what this week will hold.

On the flip side, I know I will be here for the next 2 transfers while I train so I will be here for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

I am sad that Sister L and I are splitting, change is hard, and it is scary when I don't know what to expect! But I think this is the next step for me to grow and learn more. I am just nervous because the "mission mojo" says that everyone's first transfers are always hard with investigators. I've seen it. My first one we didn't get anyone to progress. We have about 3 stellar investigators right now, so I'm just nervous to see what happens. I've decided that I'm going to be exactly obedient, and leave it in the Lord's hands. Right now I'm having a hard time with that, I know it is Satan working on me, but I've already told the Elders that my companionship is going to be following certain rules, that we were not before (Sister L was the senior, and no, the rules aren't anything huge, but I gave her that respect to lead our companionship), but now I am already getting opposition from my district. But I can only put my trust in the Lord. That is the only way I will get blessings as a missionary. Not by doing the "cool" thing and being lax on certain things. It's hard, but it's all I can do. It does bring me lots of comfort to know that Mitch, and Jordan and lots of my girlfriends have served missions. No, I don't know what kind of missionaries they were, but I know what kind of people they are. So if they can do this, I can do this!

 I thought my exciting news for the week would be that I had a fun adventure at a pumpkin patch this week... Little did I know! But I am sending pictures! Our ward mission leader knows this farmer, and after they go through and harvest THIS is the leftovers that they will just go to waste! So we got to go and pick some! SO FREAKING FUN! and so much orange! I've never seen so much in my life! This country life is really fun! :) I love you all! Can't wait to hear from you soon! Mom, I'll probably want a letter from you in the mail this week, since my life is going to be CRAZY-TOWN!

 

And the last pic is of our district. Yes, really classic, but at least I look semi ok right? gag!

love you alll!!!!!!!!!! xoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoox

 

 

October 8, 2012

First off:

Conference: AMAZING!!! We watched it at the church and there were about ten of us there on each Sunday session, and only us missionaries on Saturday. (excluding the member of the bishopric who had to come and be with us during each session) The Sunday sessions we had 2 investigators at the first session and one at the second! The spirit was amazing, and they said they liked it. Especially President Monson's since they could see that he is a real person!

And with his first announcement there was a sure shock in the room, but we could feel the excitement! I guess I'll be possibly training a 19 year old at some point! So crazy! Especially because when all my friends at 19 were leaving I was so jealous, so that is so cool for all those sisters right now!! It just shows how we are in the latter days! Jacob 5 talks all about this and especially verses 61-62!! Sister L. is pretty sure China is gonna open up soon, so we need more missionaries to cover that too!!

Conference was all about aligning our will with God's and is something that I am really going to try and work on. To leave behind my previous life, as talked about by Elder Holland. To not be a fisherman anymore but a fisher of men. And with that I decided I need to have complete and full purpose of heart, so I decided to just write friends at the end of each month. I still want and love letters, but this way I am not writing all Monday, and not wishing I could be back home. So don't stop the letters by any means, just know that I am not ignoring anyone, the letters are coming, just not as frequently.

Last week we went right after grocery shopping to FEED BABY COWS!!! Life goal done!! I have pictures to send! It was like Christmas morning I was so excited!

Also, I've been hating my clothes and having dreams about shopping, and we stopped at a consignment store here, and I bought 3 new cute skirts for $11. Happy day!!

This was a crazy busy week: with cows, and conference, and then we had interviews with President on Wednesday. I was nervous because I didn't know what to expect, but it went well. President was so supportive and is just so nice. It was good to talk to him, and hear how I can improve and be better.

Yes transfers are next week on Tuesday. This Saturday at 9 pm they call to tell us what we are doing. Sister L. thinks she is leaving because she had a dream about it. I really do love this girl, and we do have similar likes and senses of humor, so if we do separate I will be sad. But I'm also ready for more. So we'll see what happens. It's not in my hands anyway.

Sister L. is doing better. We are working hard, and seeing great things happen here! The thing that has hit me most this week, since the bishop here asked us to go see some Less Actives, is that people are just lonely. If they had a friend they would not be in the place they are. So my push to each of you is to do your home/visiting teaching! To not just go and check it off your list but get to know the person and love them! It would help the world be a better place, and help us missionaries out too!

Hope you know how much I love you all! Sorry for being a slacker this week! and I hope you like my pictures! I am so grateful for family and friends who are so supportive and loving! I hope you know how grateful I am for every little thing you do for me! The Church is True.

Keep the Faith!

Love Sister P.

Oh ps pictures: me feeding a new born (like a few hours old) with the owner's son. He was 4 and knew everything about the farm! Then we helped fill up the bottles and distribute them into their little holes in the cow homes. Super fun! With my whole district.

Also I am growing out my bangs, this is Sister L and I doing our pretty faces. Don't you want to hear about the gospel from us beauties?!

And my shrine to my nieces and nephews :)

October 1, 2012

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOO!

First off I want to share something I am so excited about with you: I GET TO FEED A BABY COW A BOTTLE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Since this is dairy land I have been dreaming about these cute little calves. And yesterday the EQ President came up to me and told me that he heard I wanted to feed a bottle to one (this has not been something I have kept secret!) And he told me that they feed them everyday at 2 and that I could come over!!! He said they also feed them at 4 AM and I told him I'd be there at 2 :) I have been so excited all morning! I cannot wait! (yes it will probably be stinky, but I am still so excited! I will send lots of pictures next week!)

And the RS broadcast was great! We went and had baked potatoes with the ward, and had 1 inv. with us. The funny thing was that we had a mix up with a new satellite thing so we ended up watching it on the bishop's I-pad. A new experience for me! A lot of women left and went home to watch it on TV, but there were like 10-15 of us who stayed and watched it like that! Every day is an adventure out here! 

I had a really tough week this week. Not even sure exactly why, since the work is moving nicely along (5 inv at church on Sunday and such amazing spiritual lessons!), but I cried a lot the beginning of the week. I started wearing waterproof mascara because I was so emotional. And it all led down to homesickness. Missions are hard, and I never have done well with being away from home, we all know I cried every time I went to girls camp, even when Mom, Dad, and Cami were all there. But we are given trials to humble us, to stretch, and strengthen us. And I am feeling MUCH MUCH better. When there is a problem in life prayer is the cure. And everyday it has gotten a bit easier, though I was still so excited to write today. :)

Sister L is doing much better. We saw the therapist on Friday, and the day or two leading up to that she really pulled back. She was not very social, and was really nervous. But prayers were yet again answered, and she was able to open up to him, and talk to him. He is the therapist for this mission and quite a few other ones (like Oklahoma too) and is based out of Lubbock. He will drive to see her every other week, and gave us homework until then. He actually told her to tell me a lot of the things he teaches so I can benefit from them too. I am excited to grow from this too. He told her that sister missionaries really work differently and have to have different support to work well. We aren't boys and don't work like they do. So we are working on transforming our companionship to work more efficiently, and he is working with her to reduce her stress. He said that by he end she will be sleeping through the night (right now she only gets about 2 hours a night.) He also said a great quote "If you're out here for a baptism you are out her for the wrong reason." Perspective is everything.

I was so excited to write home today! Because I love you all and miss our quirky family! Thank you for all your support and constant prayers and fasting. I can feel the love all the way down here! Until next week:

xoxo Sister Peterson!

September 24, 2012

Hello-

 

Some weeks I'm just more homesick than others. And sometimes people say "oh I don't want to make you homesick by telling you too much about home etc." but it is actually worst for me when I don't think or talk about or look at pictures from home. Weird right? So I look at the pictures I have on the wall, and Sister L is so good and I think has caught on and asks me about home. I think it is just a stress release for me, and helps me to chill. But the weeks that are especially hard are the ones that Sister L is so sick and we spend a lot of time inside. When I am busy and out working the weeks go by fast, and are so fulfilling, but with everything going on lately that is not everyday.

So like I said Sister L has not been sleeping. And on Tuesday after District meeting her face and ears were hot and she had rashes. We called Sister Augustin, and she took benadryl, and then could not sleep one bit that night because she was congested and couldn't breathe. (yes I worry about her not sleeping and lately have not had very restful sleep.) But then in the early morning she took more Benadryl and then slept in until 1:15 that afternoon. She always stays in bed for a long time, and I still just get up at 6:30 and go in the living room and do as much quiet exercising as I can. I try and strengthen my back, since I have pain there, and do lots of sit ups. This week I realized I can "jump rope" (I don't actually have a jump rope) in one corner of the room where it doesn't make the floor squeak. That has been a good work out. :) So I do that for a half hour then shower and get ready for an hour. Then at 8 with my cereal in hand (or oatmeal, you should be so proud) I pray and start personal study. Then at 9 is comp study where we read out of the white handbook and sing a hymn and prepare for our lessons. The first 12 weeks of a mission the new missionary is "training" so we have a training book that tells us what to focus on for the week and we have 2 hours of comp study instead of the one. So we do that until 11. Then have lunch usually and go teach until dinner then go out again until 9 and then come home, plan, get ready for bed, and lights out at 10:30.

But on the other side of things, this place is booming! We have about 5 progressing inv. and we met with one girl Ashley yesterday and she told us how much she loves the Book of Mormon. We have met with her once before and at that appointment we gave her Alma 32 to read and she said she read it like over 5 times. She is just so hungry for the gospel. We are so excited for her, but we just have to help her boyfriend see how important it is too. And seriously can I tell you how much I hate that people live together! We have another couple we are teaching who are living together too (they have 2 kids) and the whole need to get married to be baptized thing is throwing everything off! Marriage is a big deal so they don't take it lightly. Stupid Satan and the modern world of living together!! gah!

Anyhow, that is my basic schedule. Mondays we are free after we comp study for an hour, and then we email and go shopping and then have to go out to teach again at 6. Tuesdays we have District meeting from 10-11:30 at the church. Wed at 11 we come and email President for an hour and go on Mormon.org or LDS.org. Then Thursdays nothing, Fridays we weekly plan till like 2. And Saturdays nothing. Then Church on Sunday at 10:15. There is the Spanish branch who starts church at 9 and then we come and have sacrament last. yep. That's life here in the land of enchantment.

Love you all!

Until next week

Sister. P.

September 17, 2012

Thank you so much for putting Sister L's name on the temple roll. She just said thank you so much. She has improved this week, but still is not sleeping much. She is getting a cold too, so that doesn't help. Did I tell you I fasted for her this past Monday? I haven't shared that with her yet, I am waiting for the appropriate time. She doesn't like that she is sick and then to add upon that she doesn't like that others worry and care about her. She is pretty independent, but she's stuck with me, so she's got to let me love her whether she wants it or not.

The weather here got cold this week. (we are only talking about in the 50's) But we were way cold. It is colder when you can't wear pants! We turned off the AC and brought out our winter jackets. It was raining and windy, but that was only middle of last week. Now it is sunny and warm again.

We had an amazing week. We had 3 inv. at church on Sunday and have about 5 people that are really progressing and we can see the way that this message is impacting their lives. This is an amazing work and this place is so prepared! I am so grateful to be a part of these people's lives and helping them come closer to the Savior. Some of them have addictions to overcome, and life changes to make, but I know that God can cause miracles in peoples lives.

Funny story from this week:

We went to stop by an inv. house to see how her and her husband are doing. When she answered the door she told us that it was not a good time and to come back later. We asked her if everything was alright and she told us, "We lost our dog last night, we'd had her for ten years." To which we reply that we are so sorry and if there is anything we can do to help we are here, and as we are about to go I say, "hopefully you find her!" To which I get a weird look, but we leave. After she closed the door Sister Lao turns to me and said "THEiR DOG IS DEAD! NOT LOST!" (I am so totally blonde!!!) I seriously thought the dog ran away, and thought (but gratefully didn't say) that since they had had it for 10 years it should know the way home. Yep, I am that cool. I laughed so hard that whole night, and yet again am laughing. At least I really care about people right?!?

I love you all! And am loving how busy we are here!  Thanks for all your love and prayers!

xoxo- Sister P.