March 25, 2013

Well this week was transfers and I am staying here with Sister R! I guess there are about 25 new missionaries coming in (the largest amount of incoming yet! -remember how I only came in with 4!) But still there are only 2 new sisters. We haven't got that inflow yet. But Sister R and I are excited to stay. She is a good egg, and I think God knows that right now I need a little stability. But we are excited, we will have our halfway marks together, plus my birthday and April fools! 

We also had a good week this past week with THREE investigators at church yesterday. This is a first for me here in Lubbock. I try really hard not to compare it to New Mexico, but it is definitely a different pace around here. But we are working on getting the work moving around here.

Sister R has been sick with a cold the last two days, and that always causes some restlessness, and homesickness for me. But as Sister Augustin told me yesterday, "If there wasn't opposition, if this work was easy, then where would be the chance to stretch and grow?" God is refining each one of us in each situation He places before us. Sometimes I wonder if I'm here on the mission to help my investigators grow, or if I am here to help myself to grow. I know it's both. Heavenly Father just loves us and sees the whole picture. That is where faith comes in. 

I love you all! Hope you have a lovely week, and Happy Easter! 

Love Sister P.

xoxoxo

March 18, 2013

Hello Family! Let's just hope my fingers can type fast enough since I had so many pictures to look through and lots to email about also!

Well I am so happy to hear that the wedding went well! I prayed all day that the weather would be nice! And throughout the day I had the hours running through my head knowing what you all would be doing! :) So fun! I am glad it went so well, and I am loving all the pictures! 

Well last week we went shopping to JCpenny's and I found a shirt that I liked for the skirt. We did a lot of tracting on Saturday, and so I decided to wear my wedding outfit for church on Sunday. It is kinda fancy for the day to day, but I love it. Oh but yesterday a dog licked my skirt so I wanted to wash it, but was wondering what the care is for it? 

Some updates from the week:

Monday we went to a Christian store here in town and they were having a sale so I bought this love your enemies tee shirt. I'll attach pictures

Tuesday I got a blessing from my District Leader to be able to focus and not be homesick. It was a nice blessing and really helped my spirits, and like you all said it was very apparent that God wants me here. And then for our adventure for the day, we got a flat tire. I called the vehicle senior couple and they told me that if I don't know how to change a tire maybe I shouldn't be driving..... well little does he know I didn't know how to fill up a car until after I had my license!! hahaha Plus Sister R and I agreed that's what fathers, brothers, and eventually husbands are for... or if all else fails Triple A. :) But the elders came to our rescue, and after watching them do it I'm pretty sure I could do it to. But like Sister R told me, "I could do it, just maybe not the right way..." Oh the adventures we have out here! 

Wednesday we had a really cool experience. We cover Lubbock and a town called Wolfforth. (yes say that with a lisp) haha but after dinner Wednesday Sister R turns to me and says "I feel like we need to go to Wolfforth" And I LOVE Wolfforth; it reminds me more of New Mexico, small town, and the people here in Lubbock walk the other way when they see us coming, but in Wolfforth they are so so nice. So I say, "Lets pray about it." So we do, and agree that we should go to Wolfforth. Why? We dunno, but we go. So we drive out there and there is one street that we have found a few people we are now teaching, so we decided to go one block down and park and start walking down the street. On the 3rd house the garage is open and an older guy is sitting there (everyone here hangs out in their garages, like another family room!) and so we walk past him and at the same time we turn to each other and say we need to go back! But then we don't want to be awkward since we passed him, but we just suck it up and walk up. We didn't see when we passed that his wife was sitting there too! And then we proceeded to talk to them for an hour, and they are interested in Family History Work, and the Temple! It was so amazing! We are going to go and visit them again this week! What a miracle to see answer to prayers!

I have also found this week that I feel so so much better if I really devote myself to feasting on the words of Christ during my studies. It really builds my faith to make it through every day. Another help in my life is that I've decided to be in bed at 10pm each night. Before that I was tired all day long and had to drag myself out of bed. Now I have the ability to stay awake and alert while I study and it has helped me so much! :)

Can I just say how much fun it is to have 80 degree weather in March? NOT! I like the warmth, but it means this girl has to lube up on sunscreen!! We went to a lesson the other day and we walk in and the 13 year old girl says, "what smells like sunscreen?' I chuckled and said, "oh.. that's me..." Oh how fun...

Saturday we went knocking on this dirt country road, and had awesome success! We found like 8 or 9 potential investigators. Including a Hindu man who loves Utah, and says we just have a "light" about us (we explained that's the Holy Ghost) and we gave him a Book a Mormon so he gave us apples, and told us that where he is from they kiss their holy men's feet and he wanted to kiss ours.... ?? Too funny. No he didn't kiss them, luckily for us there was a gate in between us, but I've never had an experience like that before! :) 

Sunday we went to visit a member to ask them about their missionary work and they had 2 new ducks! Happy Easter! I got to hold a duck! Too cool!!! They are adorable and squawk when they can't see each other, and that is how they find each other! Too cute! 

Overall it was a good week! I miss you all like mad, but have no regrets, and can't wait to reminisce about the wedding in about a year! :)

Also transfer calls are this Saturday, I feel like I am staying here, but I'll let you know Monday! Oh and Sister N comes home this transfer. I'll give her your info so you can go to her homecoming! She is doll!

Ok I think that's all I really should go! I love you all! xoxoxo Thanks for all the pictures! Love you! 

 

March 11, 2013

Hello!!! I feel like some weeks go in a roller coaster of activity. Like last week I felt like I didn't have much to say in the email and this week I have a WHOLE list of updates!

First off I am doing much better this week. I had my little hate-that-I-am-missing-the-wedding break down last weekend, so I'm hoping I am done with that. Monday was a hard day so I'm sorry you got that, but then we went running and it was just the release I needed to put myself back together again! I am hoping to be strong this week, but know that since I am already a homesick body, I am praying hard for that extra help.

I did get the skirt! Cute cute cute! Grandma sent me a letter that I got the day before the package and she said she was the one who hemmed it! Well she did a great job because it is the perfect missionary length! I am afraid though that it is a bit tight around the middle, but I do not doubt that this is my fault, I am feeling a little pudgy lately. But it isn't too tight, so I am planning on going today around shopping to find a top that is fancy enough to wear with it. I do have my purple cardigan that looks cute with it, but I need something a bit cuter than just a shade shirt to go with my cardi. We'll see what we can find!

I also don't even know what time the wedding is on Saturday. I forgot most people don't put those on the announcements. I am just curious. Also cute announcement! Who did you have do them? And who was the photographer? All I have to say is HOLY CRAP ALL THE KISSING PICTURES! I guess it's #1 because I am a missionary and #2 because you are my baby sister! :)  hahaha But I am grateful for all those thumbnail pictures you sent! Where were they taken- they are really well done and you guys look super super cute!
So updates: We were called up Friday and asked to speak in church yesterday. We took this as a great opportunity to build a stronger relationship with the ward! So my topic was obedience and Sister R spoke on sacrifice. Two things, we as missionaries know NOTHING about. Right?! It went really well, but can I just tell you how hard it was to prepare when we don't have the use of a computer! Luckily all missionary apartments have years of Ensign issues. But it for sure was a different approach, but was none the less good. 

My funny story for the week is how people refer to our temple. It is either when we tell them what church we are from, or what our church address is (they share a parking lot), that we get some of these responses: "oh the tower with the gold guy on top?" or "you're the church with the gold man" or them:"oh yeah, I know that place, that is a beautiful building" us:"yes it is, but that's our temple, the church building is the brown building in front" -usually their interest level to our invitation to come is reduced considerably at that point. It's been really interesting and sometimes funny to talk about the temple, when they have no idea what it is. -So different than Utah! :)

I am so glad that Kate made it down for the wedding! I know she was so wanting to be there for all of the festivities! Plus with this last leg of the race it will be nice to have the extra help! Oh how I miss my nieces and nephews though!
And I am happy to hear that Cami had such a nice time in the temple! I prayed for her all day to love it!
Anyhow I love you alll! HAPPY WEDDING WEEK CAMI AND MATT!  xoxoxoxoxo
love sister p.

March 4, 2013

Hello Family!!

We have been fasting here a lot for new investigators. Currently we only have really 2 that look like they will progress. The work here is so different from New Mexico. We would have about 15-20 lessons taught each week, and here we barely made it to 10 this past week! It is slow moving, but I know the impression of comfort I felt when I first heard the transfer call, and I have to hold onto that. I had a tender mercy at church on Sunday. The Hancocks from the ward in New Mexico were here for a baby blessing. I really really love them, and their daughter will only wave goodbye or hello to me! I told them I would come see them in about a year, and they said I have to! Love them, love that! 

We had interviews with President this past Wednesday. I was very honored by the confidence and trust he said he has in me. He said he knows I am here for a reason, and though I am feeling like a fish out of water here. I also told him about the upcoming wedding and he was so sweet about it and prayed for my comfort at this time. He also said how blessed I will be and the family will be for my service, He is a good man. :)

I had a hard weekend just because it is hard being in a place that i don't yet love when where I really want to be is home when all this is going on. But God will provide. 

Well after the snow storm of the century here last Monday in only seven days, meaning today, it is warm and beautiful and I don't even need a cardigan or anything! Weird weather! But it is nice today! We have been walking to our appointments almost everyday to try and meet new people. Even if we have to drive across town we park a few blocks away so we can be out and about. It has been really nice and Sister R and I have a good time.

So I still love Sister R. And I figured out who she reminds me of this past week! You know the TV show Reba. Well my companion is like Barbara Jean! Like facial expressions and everything! It is too funny! One day you will meet her and see! So so SO great! There is never a dull moment with her around, and we act like regular blood sisters, and tease and love each other. And since I'm a red head I'm Reba and it works out perfectly haha! She is a goodie! It's like Grandma Peterson emailed me last week and said, "I hope you get along like two old cronies!" Well Grandma your and my wish came true! 

I love being a missionary! This work is true! And I love it! (now if we could only find people to teach it to :) ) Love ya!

xoxoxoxoxo

-Sister Peterson

February 26, 2013

Hello! I guess I'm a day late, but not a dollar short!... :)

What a crazy first week in Lubbock this has been! We had a "snow storm" come in Sunday night, and since the roads were slick, and people in Texas don't know how to drive in snow they kept our cars parked all day. Therefore I am writing today! (Really the snow wasn't anything compared to Utah or Rexburg, but they closed down Texas Tech for it too!! Crazy life!)  And that's where I am today! On campus writing you. (Campus here is like 10 times bigger than ENMU in Portales! So funny!)  But we had quite the adventure and companion bonding yesterday. I absolutely love Sister R. She is from Sandy and is super quirky and fun! This is going to be a good transfer. So anyhow yesterday we decided that since we were stuck inside that we would order a pizza from Pizza Hut. Well we called at 12:15, and about an hour later we called back and they said that it would be there in 15-20 minutes. Well after calling back every hour after that and hearing the same reply I called at 4 and they handed the phone to the manager who then says that it appears that we never even made an order!!! I was pretty upset at this point because, well, I was STARVING!  And so she was not helpful at all, and directed us to another pizza hut and they said that they were so confused as to why that other pizza hut would even say that our pizza was coming! When all was said and done we ordered a new pizza from Dominos and we were laughing because Sister R is just hilarious about it all, and it was so very ridiculous! 

But I did write 12 letters yesterday! Crazy life!

Well I left New Mexico with a pending baptism on this past Saturday and walked into here with another baptism! And both the investigators here and there got baptized! Hooray! I still miss New Mexico a lot alot.  Remember how we would have like 7 people at church each week. Well, things are not quite as majestic here. We don't have as large as teaching pool, and we had not one investigator at church on Sunday. I think this area is going to be a big growing experience for me. But I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord. :)

But the ward is quite amazing here! They are so missionary minded and have like 15 ward missionaries, and with visiting and home teaching they are now going to keep track of all non- member friends they have in their homes each month! The ward mission leader took care of everything at the baptism- which was so crazy to me because of the small ward/town and everything we had to do ourselves in New Mexico! It is like day and night! But it is also a stark contrast in teaching here too. New Mexico people are just very laid back, and here it is different, and harder to get people to talk to us. But it will be good. I'm excited to get used to it here.

Also mom, I think meeting up with non-member family is totally acceptable. Give me their info and I'll get a hold of them!!Um with wedding stuff, I expect so many pictures that everyone gets plum sick of it. I want it to be like I was there I can imagine it so well. And when is Cam going through the temple.

Oh and Dad we did not hear about all those areas opening up! Anything crazy like China or anything! I wonder if with more missionaries coming here they will divide ours one day too.I think that's all. My heart was broken yesterday when I couldn't email y'all and now I feel like I ran out of things to say! I hate that! Well until next week! I love you all! Kiss kiss!

love amanda

February 18, 2012

Happy BIRTHDAY- BIRTHDAY BOY MITCHIE!

And Happy Valentines Day family! MAMA: thank you so much for the flowers! Such a wonderful surprise! I was just telling Sister N the day before that I am a cheesy girl and love flowers and then the next day you get us some!! Yay! They sit on our desks and we love them!

And as some of you have already know: I'M BEING TRANSFERRED!!  It is the ward surrounding the temple and I am very excited to be able to see the temple regularly! Yay! I felt like I was going to be transferred so that was not a surprise, and I feel in a lot of ways the way that I felt when I left for my mission. That I am so sad to go, and leave all these people I love, but that I know that it is right, and so it makes it so much easier. I haven't cried (yet), I haven't said goodbye to a few people yet (including S, and A and E), and so I'm wearing my waterproof mascara. :) But I feel good about the work I did here, and know that one day I will be back, which makes it so much easier. It's not goodbye, it's see you later! And so I'm ready and off to a new adventure in Lubbock. We leave here Wednesday.

OH, my new companion is going to be Sister R. She was trained by Sister N, and came out a transfer after I did. She is from Sandy, and I have only heard good things. I am very excited to serve with her she sounds like a lot of fun! :)

Last week did I tell you we were going to see the snake that eats the bunnies that we held that one week. It is a diamond back rattle snake and lives on campus. It has a huge long rattle, and the snake right next to it was also a rattle (a smaller different snake though) and it was very jumpy and rattled the whole time we were there. I guess that sometimes it strikes at the glass too, it is so jumpy! But the museum lady was talking to us about the snakes and pulled out the king snake (non poisonous). It is a constrictor snake and wrapped all along her arm! So crazy! I was very brave and even touched it! (far away from it's head of course) and it was very soft which was so weird! Yuck! But it was a fun adventure anyway!

We have a baptism coming up here on Saturday. I will be missing it but I am so excited for her. C is dating a member and is from California, but has lots of member friends! We had told her that specific prayers get specific answers so we told her to pray about Feb 23rd for her baptism, because up till this point she had just been praying for when. So then early on this past week she got in her car and a new song by Rascal Flatts called Changed came on. And it's about baptism: and she knew the 23rd was the right day! Yay!! She is adorable, and we will keep in contact, and it is just important that she is getting baptized. Not who is there, so I'm glad that she is so awesome! We had a stress moment with the baptismal font, they have been repainting our whole building and we got a call Friday saying they just redid the font, and that it wouldn't be able to be used till MONDAY!! We had a freak out, because this was all a issue when Will was being baptized 3 weeks ago, and then they still hadn't done it and now it was messing up our plans! And C had received and answer that the 23rd was the right day!! So we called around and found out that we are actually ok to have it Saturday! Oh the craziness though and what an answer to prayers!

Oh we had the most interesting stake conference yesterday. It was a regional one, so all of Oklahoma, Texas, and NM, got the same broadcast from Salt Lake. President Eyring and Elder Scott talked and it was very nice. It reminded me a lot of general conference. I guess they do that in these other states every few years. Who knew! Not me. :)

I honestly feel like I know more about this town than I do Pleasant Grove: living, breathing, and eating for six months, only these streets and people. (no i don't eat people, but I'm pretty sure I've had food from every restaurant here: it's not hard, there's only like 10!) So I'm really gonna miss it, and miss that I know how to get everywhere without a map. But this gospel, is not a gospel of comfort. We are here on earth to learn, stretch, and grow. So here I go!

I feel like I have so much more to say, and I'm sure next week's email will be huge, but times up and I don't have any stories that I can think of. So I love you all, and will send you my address as soon as I know it. Will you be sure to let the blog people know I am transferred! :) Love you all lots and miss you much!
xoxoxoxo Sister P.

pictures: diamond back, then other rattler, and sister oswald too

                                                                      
                                                                         Diamond back 

                                                                         Other rattler

                                       

                                                                     with Sister O.

February 11, 2013

Hello from W I N D Y Portales. We almost blew away on Friday. OK, not really, but it is always an adventure in a skirt!! 

I have a new beauty tip, especially as everyone is getting ready for the wedding! So I was commenting on a member's beautiful eye lashes and she told me that she was looking on pintrest and it said that if you put Vaseline on your eye lashes every night before bed your eye lashes will be more full and long. She said it is because our eye lashes get so dry from mascara and because they are always out in the sun. So I have been trying it, and after about 4 days I saw a difference!!! So I'm a believer and have been putting vaseline on my eye lashes every night and am super pleased with the results. :) 

MOM: President emailed us this week and said that on blogs we shouldn't put people's names or "personal" stories, because they have been getting back to people and "ruining trust".  I'm pretty sure none of my investigator would even bat an eye about it all, but from now on I guess names need to be changed, or I guess stories need to be left out.... :(

Transfer calls are on Saturday so I will find out what the plan is! I have a feeling it is my time to go, but we will see.... And if I do get transferred cross your fingers that it is to a bigger city! I would love to do some actual shopping! I know I'm really sick of my wardrobe when I start dreaming of clothes shopping!! I had a dream that a Downeast came to town and I was jumping for joy! :)

So update on C. We send out inspirational scriptures or quotes sometimes to our investigators. Well as I was getting one together for one investigator I felt like I should include C in the text. Well, God works in mysterious ways and he texted back and said that he was glad we had sent the text because after like a whole 2 transfers he has decided he wants to meet with missionaries again!!! YAYAY!! 

God is directing His work out here, and throughout each day we are able to see His hand leading and guiding us to the people He is preparing! We had this week some neighbors of a member give US a call to have US come teach THEM!  How often does it happen that random people out of the blue call the missionaries to come over?! And then have a most wonderful lesson, and they tell us they know THIS GOSPEL is what their family is missing! Love this work! 

Happy Valentines week this week to everyone! I love you all lots! Xoxoxooxoxoooxo! Love your missionary Amanda!