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!

February 4, 2013

                                   


Hello Family!

Dear Braden: I tried sending you a birthday card this past week and I didn't put enough postage on it, so they sent it back to me and so today I put it in the mail again. So it is coming little birthday boy! Sister N loves Batman and she was super impressed when I showed her those pictures from that party! She wanted that Batman cake! Yep, my family is cool! xoxox

Well we had a baptism this week! Saturday W was baptized and it was a wonderful baptism. The Spirit was there, as well as lots of family so it was very very nice! We made him cupcakes while the font was filling, because when he quit smoking we made him cupcakes to celebrate! So, of course, he needed cupcakes at his baptism too! The only hitch of the night was when he was being baptized he hit his head on the way down! As soon as they started Sister N turns to me and says "he's gonna hit his head!" And then she covered her eyes! And sure enough he did!!! But afterwords we asked him how his head was and he said he didn't even feel it! That's the Spirit protecting him!! Oh and I forgot our other drama! Our church building is being repainted (even that pokie carpet stuff on the walls) and when we showed up to fill up the font, the font was all taped off!!! We had got there just in time; they were about to paint the font!! What a disaster that would have been!

And onto other news: we had bike day Thursday (and I bought a basket this past p-day, so now I have this lovely basket so I don't have to have a sweaty/heavy backpack on my back!!! yay!) And we road like the 2 miles to the college to go contacting, and on our way a member drove past and wanted to talk to us. So for the time all of that took (a total of about 2ish hours) we came home for lunch and I WAS SUNBURNED! My nose and cheeks were red! Not sunburned enough to hurt, but my freckles came out and I was shocked! It is January people!! January! And I have to start wearing sunscreen! Welcome to New Mexico!

I saw all the pictures of the house, and it looks SO BEAUTIFUL! I teared up a little bit when I looked at the living room and the picture collection on the wall. To see pictures of everyone, made me miss you all! I think the realness of the wedding has finally hit me, and it makes me really really wish I could be there. :( But I know the Lord will provide and will help me as I face this hurtle. I don't understand why things have to happen the way they do, but I have faith that in the end it will all be as it should. I love you guys!

Hey mom, or anyone. We have a member family here who are planning on moving to go to school in Provo in the fall. They have 2 kids and are looking for a place to live. She asked me if I knew of anywhere and I told her I would ask you all to keep your eyes out. They are awesome and I love them :)

Also we get transfer calls on the 16th. :/ that will be interesting.

I'm attaching pictures of bunnies! Love you all! xoxoxo
-your missionary

                                                                         Sister O

                                                                           Sister G

From last sunday visiting a less active. He wanted to show us his goats. Sister N almost touched one and when I tried they all ran away and a dog began to jump on me. This is classic missionary: Dogs, babies, and boyfriends. The three biggest trouble causers when we are feeling the Spirit. I have been thrown up on, had things thrown at my head (a pen, a sippy cup, and a pencil) and boyfriends never want their girlfriends to progress!! gah! :) 

January 28, 2013

HELLO!!

I have an amazing story to tell you all! It is a miracle and seriously faith building! :) Once upon a time I left the GPS in the car overnight when it got really really cold outside. So the next day we had to use the GPS to get to Roswell, my GPS would not turn on. So we luckily used the other sister's GPS, and actually I have been to Roswell enough and there is nothing in between that we actually didn't really need one, but it turned out fine. So this was about 2 weeks ago, and my GPS has not turned on since then. Periodically I would charge it, and try and turn in on with no results. Until yesterday: we planned to go see a less active who lives about 10 minutes in the country from town. We got the GPS and I plugged it in an said a prayer out loud that this would work, because we would never find that house without it. As I pressed the power button: IT TURNED ON! I dropped it, it surprised me that much!! We had also just taught a lesson to a college kid who said he has never had an answer to his prayers! And then this happens! Mission Miracle, people! :) God hears our prayers and answers them even when they are about the simplest things!

Dawn: I got your letter from the girls. My favorite. Those girls are so sillly, but I can say I think their artistic skills are getting better.

Today we have an adventure before us: one of the members in the ward raises bunnies for shows, and has like over 100 bunnies! So we are going to go HOLD THEM!  Very excited. And yes, this is what we do for fun in this small town.

What we did this past week for service is painted one of our investigator's home. G was a referral from another investigator, and is awesome! She would be baptized tomorrow, but has still not yet come to church. She works every Sunday and is the sole provider for her 3 kids, since her husband is not helping out. So we keep praying for something to change, but as of yet this is still the way things are. But she moved into this new home and we helped find her some paint and we went to town. We had a few ward members come help, and it looks so SO much better than before with smoke stained walls and such. So I'll be sending pictures.

Oh our other adventure was that after we were done painting, Sister N and I decided to treat ourselves and go to Sonic for dinner. Well, while at Sonic, I turned off the car while waiting for our order, and the car DIED! It had only been less than 10 minutes, but that was it! So after calling around, W, our investigator who is being baptized Saturday and whose lesson we were headed to after Sonic, came to the rescue. Come to find out the battery was completely dead, like never to live again, and so he called the tow truck, which is owned by a member, and when he came he brought a battery that we switched out and borrowed until we took it to the shop during the day and got a new battery. Oh the adventures of being a missionary! It is always situations like these that make me really miss not being able to call up my own dad to help! But it all worked out and things are fine. I am grateful for Sister N who helps when I freak out in times like that!

I think that's about all! I can't wait to see all the pictures of the house so I can imagine what's going on! I love you all lots! Happy February! 
Love, Sister P.

Oh PS: A and E are officially engaged. But now they are thinking they are not getting married ASAP, and so now they are thinking A will move out so they can still be baptized! Oh the crazy life we lead here! Love you!

January 21, 2013

I have it written in my planner that today is DREW'S BIG DAY!  I was gonna send a card and then I knew he wouldn't even appreciate it, so I didn't! But give him LOTS AND LOTS of kisses from his Auntie, and I wish I was there for his 1st birthday! But I'll be home on or shortly after his 2nd! 

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mama tomorrow! I love you lots and wish I was home to celebrate your life with you! 

So we have had QUITE the week and I have OH so much to tell you! It starts with Zone Conference in Roswell on Tuesday. Where we were told by president that skype will not be allowed again, because too many missionaries got trunky after skyping! SADDEST NEWS EVER! If anything skype helped me realize that I'm not that far away! So I was super upset about it and then I realized that next Christmas I will almost be home so it will be fine anyway. :/

But at Zone Conference is where I think I picked up my sore throat. I dunno why but after each conference I'm the lucky one who gets sick. So Thursday night my throat started to hurt and Friday was owie to swallow, and Saturday I sounded like a man, and yesterday was better except when I talked too much, and last night I had to sit kinda up so I could sleep, and today my throat feels constricted. But I don't have a runny nose, or a cough, just need a cough drop all day. But it hasn't kept me down at all this round, especially with how awesome Sister N is, we just go and do! 

We found out from President also that in the next two transfers we will be getting about 50 new missionaries!!! Crazy right! And he said that it is now a possibility to be training two new missionaries at the same time! Scary! But since so many new missionaries are coming we are opening up new areas, new towns where missionaries haven't been before. So they are talking about Muleshoe, TX which is in our ward but about 30 minutes away (plus the time change). So Sister N and I went on Friday to check out a few places with a realtor to find an apartment for the elders who will be living there. We then went to visit the Bishop's family (they live out there on a dairy farm) and we got to see the Bishop's animal museum. He is a trophy hunter and has his office FULL of his prizes! I told his family that when y'all come to visit that Dad will love to see this! It was pretty cool!

We had the coolest week with our investigators. We had again 7 at church yesterday. I don't know what to tell you about how this happens!  We had our goals set for the week to have FIVE baptismal dates set by the end of the week, and we only had 1 that we were expecting. That is W, he is married to a member and we have been teaching him for about a week and a half and he quit smoking and is just a great guy! He loves loves loves to tease us, and since Sister N and I are so gullible he does a good job. When I used the bathroom at their house this last time I came out and he told me I had TP on my shoe and I totally looked :( PLUS the FIRST time I ever get my skirt tucked into my slip after the bathroom was at THEIR house!! Classic Amanda, Classic!! Oh man) He also scared Sister N when she came out of the bathroom by hiding and jumping out at her. :) We have a good time! His two boys ages like six and four have crushes on the two of us, and it is hilarious!! They look away whenever we make eye contact! 

Then we started teaching a student here named K right before the Christmas break and she went home, but she got back this week and we had our second lesson with her ever this week, and set a baptism date with her too! Her story is cool because she is Native American. But it is just like what Larry EchoHawk talked about in conference about how the Book of Mormon is for these people! It is cool teaching her too, because she doesn't come from a Christian background so all of this is new to her. She is super sweet, and kept saying how many thoughts were rushing through her head, and how much it meant to her that we are here to help her grow her relationship with Heavenly Father. 

And then THEN! One of our new things that as a mission we are trying to do since conferences is going out and separate from tracking we are going to contact 10 people a day. So our second day of this, we go onto campus to pass out cards for free dvd's about Jesus. And there are lots of different ways to go on the sidewalks but we see these three guys coming one way and they are all talking and laughing so we figure it will be easy to talk to them so I point them out and say let's go contact them. So we walk up to them and one of them says "oh I'm a member of your church, what time does it start on Sundays?" Sister N and I look at each other and point to our tags, "you're a member of this church?" We were just surprised-- of all the people we run into!! Well,  E comes to church yesterday and brings his girlfriend C. She wants to learn more about the church and yesterday was the perfect day for investigators to come. Sacrament was on missionary work, gospel principles was on authority, and RS was on baptism and the Holy Ghost! So we set up a lesson with her after church and during that lesson she says she has never been baptized because she has been waiting for it to be done correctly, and for it to feel right in her mind and her HEART and she knows now this is the right church!!! So she is preparing for baptism too!!!! We couldn't have planned for these miracles! 

Then! This is the BEST story of all!!! A and E! We stopped by their house this past week when she was gone and E said he is just waiting for the ring to come back from being sized and he will propose ASAP! So this week ladies and gents! So last time we had a lesson with them they said that they wanted me to be their witness when they get married at the court house. Then it hit me later that the BISHOP can marry them for free!!! So yesterday I told A that and that they can be married and baptized in the same day!!! So during our lesson last night, we went over the specifics of who they want to baptize them etc. AND set the date for FEBRUARY 9TH!! A told me that she knows I have stayed here for a reason, for them!!! It brought tears to my eyes! They said that in a year when they get married in the temple they will have a big wedding ordeal, but when I had talked to the bishop about it earlier that day he said that we can still make this wedding a nice thing with help from the RS. So they are thinking like the ceremony at like 4 or 5 then a small dinner break and then the baptism right after that!!! I am just so in awe that Heavenly Father is letting me be a part of all of this!! E and A said that they will be sealed in a temple down here, but in April 2014 will want to come up to come to general conference and go through the SLC temple and they want to come with me to Taco Amigo and just to see me!! I told A not to get her hopes up, but I told her I will move heaven and earth to be at their sealing down here in a year! HOW EXCITING is all of this!!!?!!!! What miracles God brings about!!!  

I love this place so much, and some days I think about how one day I WILL be transferred and how it is going to rip my heart out because this is now home. These people I love, and know so well! How blessed I am to know them and be a part of their lives! Missions are awesome! This is so great! 

Also I am loving our New Mexico January. Maybe this is contributing to my sore throat but Thursday was bike day, and we prayed for a beautiful day, and that it was! It was picnic weather, and as we rode around on our bikes we didn't even wear jackets! Today is the first day it is chilly again. We didn't wear jackets until dark yesterday either! We had a lovely bike day, and I think I'm gonna buy a basket today to save my back from my backpack. We wore our boots so we could put our planners and my map down the boots, which Sister N actually mentioned was really fitting for the area after I said that we were like our own little bike gang. Buttercream Gang anyone?! :) But as we pulled out our planners she said that's where some people stow knives and the like, and since we found out that 2 of our investigators do "street activities" ie gangs (SAY WHAT?! Don't freak, Mom, we are COMPLETELY safe! Just surprising to me when I grew up in the bubble) but it was fun to ride bikes on such a beautiful day! 

This is awesome, but I miss you all! Can't wait to see the finished house. Whenever I think of home I catch myself and say "that's not what it looks like anymore!!" How weird is life going to be! Can't wait for that excitement in a year! Love you all!
xoxoxo
Sister Peterson

Simba's mama

and a bear!! 

"EVERYBODY'S GOT A WATER BUFFALO!!" veggie tales anyone!

Pumba

this is only a baby chunk of it all! cool right dad!!?

January 14, 2013

HELLO FROM CHILLY PORTALES!

Man how crazy is that snow for ya'll!! We had snow Thursday but it melts by noon. But the wind always blows, and even this past week when it doesn't the cold chills to the bone!

Sister N N is wonderful! She is from Bluffdale, Utah. So really close to home! She has been out for 16 months today! She goes home April 3rd! She is super fun and I love love love her! She works really hard also, and I am learning so much! She is a country girl, and loves the outdoors. And she is awesome at Volleyball, which reminds me of Kara, but in personality she actually reminds me of Cassi! She is so fun loving, and loves everyone, and I have loved having her here since she has mission experience and picks up on our investigators and all that I have been filling her in on! It is awesome!

Yes we still live in our same cute house. I had to rearrange it since I have been there so long, to try and liven things up! 

We had a awesome week this week working here in Portales. God is opening the hearts of man. We have about 6 people we are praying will enter the waters of baptism this transfer. The miracle of the week was that E and A who have been planning on getting married in about June, and when we talked to them about chastity and living separately they said they wouldn't even pray about it because it is just "not an option!" Well after feeling the Spirit so strong at S's baptism THEY DECIDED TO GET MARRIED ASAP! Like he just has to propose and they are going to do a small civil ceremony so they can get baptized ASAP! This is like the happiest news ever to me, because I have grown so close to these two people. I love them and am so excited for this for them! Plus in one year from now I'll be able to go through the temple with them, either at the tale end of my mission, or I'll just come right back for them! How amazing the Spirit is!

I was reading today a talk and know that it is the time for new years resolutions and read "Remember Lot's Wife" by Elder Holland from a 2009 byu devotional. I highly suggest it for everyone!

And for everyone this new year of 2013: I won't be able to see y'all or hug and kiss you, but I love you all and remember "You're future is as bright as your faith!" Hold to the gospel and we will all have a beautiful year! 

Lots of love,
Your favorite missionary.