Freezing...Frozen!!!

 I will say that it has been absolutely freezing here and we are getting tons of snow I am putting pictures up and you will see them. I am the assigned driver which is awesome. I also drove in my first absolute white out which was totally awesome. I could not see two feet in front of me. I tried to take a picture but it doesnt look that bad haha It was not scary at all driving in the blizzard. I in fact enjoyed it.

Elder Stephenson, Me, Judi, Elder
 Richins, Bro Green. 

               Are you Cold yet?











Everything is going great. We had a baptism this past week. So as a grand total (of what I know) we as a family have helped baptize seven people (don't know about Moms mission), but that's seven people our family has blessed. So great to think about that. We taught this week a grand total of 18 lessons, We have a new family (husband and wife) investigators, we actually just got them from some sisters in the area. They are both nonmember and they are really receptive. We were about to ask when we could come back, when they asked, so wait are you going to come back? haha So awesome when you lose investigators you gain them just as fast (when you work to get them).  And guess what we made a goal as a district of 55 lessons and we exceeded that. We got 61 which is awesome. This week we have a goal of thirty lessons that we want to reach. 
We have three weeks left before transfers. I hope I dont get transferred but I have grown to love the area and that usually means bye bye. The Lord never leaves you in a place to long when you start getting attached to the people.
Today we are going bowling, a ward member is taking us and well I am excited. The Volleyball game was a huge success. Everybody that went enjoyed the whole experience and hopefully it opened a few doors. Also we hope to get at least five lessons today. So excited and we can totally do it. Yes I can do it!!!!  The way is through the Lord. He's the one who guides us to people and the one who touches the hearts of men.

Love, Elder Peterson

Ohio people are awesome!!!

Letter from first week of January

I have been getting a lot of letters and questions on how are the people in Argentina haha, whoops, reading Grandma Petersons letter. Ohio people are awesome because they have treated me like family.
For New Years all I did was sleep. Which is one of the most favorite things to do as a missionary, because of how exhausting the work is. But no complaints. With all the holidays,work has been really slow. We tend to track a lot, which is quite miserable. Snow and cold does not mix well. But thankfully everything has been warmer will all the articles of clothing (gained possesions of gifts given during Christmas) they help so much. So I am truly grateful.
We have a baptism in two weeks. Because I gained one when they combined the areas. So excited for that. Our ward is growing every week. But I do have advice for all....Do your hometeaching and visiting teaching. Because less actives would come back if they had a friend coming to come back with. It's ridiculous, there is now excuse. You should do it more then once a month, otherwise it's not doing what God ask. Then we fail our covenant with God. So no excuses DO IT.

E-mail from last week

 I am doing great. The weather has been a heat storm and well I don't now just a warm 30 degrees (actually mom it got as low as -35 with windchill). So a sixty degree difference sure feels great.  
We have lost contact with Eddy. His roommates said he went out and never came back. So who knows. We actually have had a lot of success in the Spanish side of my area and well I am no help, but we have an investigator there and we also have like five potentials. 
 Transfers are a month away and I am probably for sure being transferred. So excited.  Being in a trio is okay but I don't really like it as much. It's to hard to track and do things like that.As I always say, there is to much spirit on a doorstep when they answer and say no hehe. But I have been here the longest. So that means I will most likely be transferred.  But I truly feel that I am leaving because the work is turning another way for me. I feel it and I know it. I can't explain it, but I know. 

Yarn from a Christmas present

What are you serious, two new films at the temple? And now they make me have to wait for the end of my mission to see them. That is dumb. But if there is one thing that I do regret, is not going to the temple as much as I should have. Man do I miss being around a temple. It's like having a void that can never be filled. I miss it truly. The youth went to the temple this past week and they did not get back tell 10 at night so thats probably why we don't get to go here. For some members it takes two hours to get to church. I definitely will not take for granted what we have in Utah.  Just as home teaching, I regret not doing that as much and complaining. I now see why it is so important. I was being so selfish. Man do I have a lot of regrets at home. I could have done so much more and I didn't. So dumb on my part. I notice all that I didn't do and now I need to change it for the better. I see that now too haha. But I need to go.

                      LOVE,

                      ELDER PETERSON

Oops, messing around....no more!!!

Do I have a story to tell you. First off... I made a huge mistake and injured myself in the process.

Six Stiches

I jumped on the back of a car haha (it was a members car) and went through the window, not funny, I was so mad at myself. I had to go to the hospital and well get six stitches in my hand. I did how ever get to see the inside of my hand. I took a picture of my injury so You can look at it.

You can see the pain in his face :)

So lesson learned no more horsing around and I did get to talk to mission headquarters and well yeah. Yes, they had a talk with me, and no they were more worried if I was okay. The member actually was more worried about me because they to was messing around with me.I do get them out maybe (if I am lucky) this week, but for sure next week. I learned my lesson, everything is taken care of and no more horsing around. So that has been my week in pain and boy does it hurt. I never had to take so many pills at one time before. I have to take 8 Aleve for the pain.

I am not being transferred but sadly my comp is being transferred. So I will be staying in my area for now. It takes forever to type.

I absolutely love the presents, I am on the Donuts right now. So yeah. Can"t wait tell day eight because its a ball of some sort... that is all I can pick out of it. I will Skype you and I will call you/email you when I have a specific time. Sorry I am trying to be prepared but I need to talk to the people that are in charge of us. So Sorry I am really trying but this week has not been the best.

My District

               1st row: Sister Harrison, Sister Smith, Sister Smith, Sister Jones, Sister Frankenberry

     

 2nd row: Sister Newren, Sister Gee, Sister Oliver, Elder Richins, Elder Tam, Elder Flynn, and Me (of course)

Until next week....... Felis Navida, Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!  Looking forward to talking to the family.

Love,  Elder Peterson

Christmas Conference "Awesome"

Well I did get Grandma's package and I forgot that it was a Christmas Present and well I opened it haha. I loved everything inside of it.

My week has of Course been busy. We had a Christmas Conference and that was totally awesome. Well it was awesome because we gathered (the whole mission) in the Kirtland Temple. Which there never has been that big of a group since it was first built. We sang the Spirit of God and it sounded awesome. We also sang a lot of Christmas songs. 

Well, we dropped six investigators because mainly they don't want to change. They were okay with us not coming over so we had to drop them (with our hearts saddened), but you get them just as fast.

Transfers are next week, they are right before the Holidays so that packages can get to the missionaries before Christmas and before they transfer to their new area.

Christmas Conference (Visitor Center - Kirtland)

Different Nativity scenes from different countries

I am looking forward to talking with you. Just gets me more excited every time I think about it.


Love, 

Elder Peterson

Amish country....Awesome

November 20 & 25, 2013 (two letter's combined)

Everything is going awesome. First the transfers. We got a new Elder and he is pretty funny. His name is Elder Richins. He is from Ogden, Utah. 
We just had investigator appointments and they all went through. But no investigators went to Church. The thing that is frustrating is not getting people to church that you invited. So frustrating, we have to keep moving them back because it takes time and commitment to come to church. So we have to wait tell they are committed and following through before we actually baptize, who knows it works to be patient. 
Well, I sort of forgot it was Neal's Birthday last week. So I will get him something. Also can you send me my hat that Aunt Wendy made for me with the beard.
Yes happy Thanksgiving. I will probably be a hundred pounds heavier. I have five dinners, my comp set them up and well I don't know how on earth I am going to do it.

Hey I am uploading some photos, and yes some of them are Random. The reason is the Sisters had my Camera and took pictures and well they are really random.  The Sisters that camera napped my camera is Sister Jones and Newren,

Then we decided to tape myself up and that was really funny.

Elder Peterson

Then we went to Amish Country with a senior couple and it was really awesome. 

You see a carriage on the road and its like what the Crap. 

Elder Flynn, Elder Tam, Elder Richin, Elder Peterson

We went to the Amish country because the Senior couple did it for fun and they paid for the food and everything, it was awesome. The Amish also cook really good food.








Looking forward to talking with you guys in about four weeks.It's already that time....Christmas time to remember Christ and all we are thankful for him doing for us.

Love, Elder Peterson
.

Bonfire.....helps with investigators

So transfer number 4 is right around the corner, it starts next week and it has been non-stop moving. We had a bonfire this past Friday. The Bonfire was an organized activity to bring members and Investigators to an activity that was non threatening to make each other more comfortable. It was at a members house, Brother Simmons.

Elder Peterson, Elder Flynn, Elder Tam, Elder Backer

The bonfire turned out great because we finally got investigators to Church, it helps to have nonthreatening activities.




Why is everyone else wearing a jacket or a coat and you're not?

Elder Peterson, Elder Tam
Elder Tam leaves the week before Christmas.

Well you know me, no brain no pain. The cold doesn't affect me.

But I have been wearing one recently just so that I don't get sick.

Sister Rigby, Sister Gee

Most of the people we are teaching right now I did not help find them they had them before I came. But I will tell you about some investigators that we do have:

1. Harold: he is was RLDS and is searching for the truth. He has a baptismal date for Dec 14 and is working extremely hard to reach it.

2. Carmen: She has no religion and is wanting happiness. She has a date for Nov 30 and right now may have to push it back because she went into the hospital. She is a terrific lady and is very open to everything that we have to say. She really wants to be baptized and be apart of the church.

.

So far as a missionary I have not had to do any talks and lessons (knock on wood). I have had to share a few things... but overall I have just been a normal missionary.

First snow it here and well it's snow!!! 

 Yes we do have snow that finally sticks. It has been in the lower 50's upper 40's right now, but I think it is in the

thirties because of the snow sticking.

Love, Elder Peterson

Riding through the rain...

Great times this week with everyone. The hardest thing this past week was not having a car to travel in. It was damaged, even before I got here. My comp and his trainer damaged it. So it was a long week worrying about rides, but we did have a great time (for example). We get so much stinkin rain its horrible. you get like 12 inches and it pours and pours and pours. I had to bike it because my comp and Elder Baker have to go help the sisters every Saturday and well that's when the rain decided to pour. Elder Tam and I just got soaked and it was cold, the rain was merciless. We had to go home and take a shower because you froze. Then we had to dry our clothes out and well that took a day to do. Rain coats did nothing because there was so much water. Funny how that works. But it was fun to ride in though because we never had to complain about getting thirsty.
President Vellinga was here giving interviews this week. He has helped me immensely. I had a few concerns and I addressed them to him and he then gave me a few things I can do to become a better missionary.That was my most spiritual moment.
We have seven baptismal dates and twenty four investigators, so it's an awesome place to be right now. So this week is turning out to be awesome.
For Halloween all we did was our weekly planning, then party. I guess because we can't do anything else really.

Elder Peterson, Trey, Hali, and Elder Flynn

Until next time,

Love, Elder Peterson




Two of our baptisms in October

They are fourteen and are very excited to join.