É ta pega minhas queridas.
Oh man i love you all. This week was great.
Transfers and Sister Souza was transferred back to Maceio and her daughter (the missionary she trained) came here with me. Let me tell you how crazy awesome this sister campos is. I absolutely adore that girl. I was a little stressed but that stress pretty much disappeared when she started talking. She is hilarious, crazy, and a spiritual energizer bunny. She likes to try and speak English. When she was in the CTM she was learning to pray in English it was like this: i tank tee for my family. i tank tee for my mission and i... and i... tank tee for lady gaga. HILARIOUS. she loves american music and is a super extrovert. we have so much in common it is crazy.
when i arrived i think i lost a little bit of myself as in i stopped being extroverted. the language learning process and the constant trying to be a perfectionist led me to be a lot more quiet than when i left the states. slowly i have been remembering jp but i know that sister campos will help me to remember more of myself and to apply it in my work. Ive got a feeling (wooooo oooo) that this transfer is going to be a good transfer. haha.
So Marcio continues to rock the world. Going to church. Stopeed smoking and drinking COMPLETELY and he loves us. he is always thanking us for helping him. he called us to ask if we liked chocolate so that he could buy some for us. one culture thing here that is still hard for me to adapt to is how people here show that they like you. through presents. People just give me stuff ALL THE TIME. i said that i liked a song on the street. Our LO gave me a DVD of the band. Someone offered me a lemon filled cookie oreo thing and i said i loved it. Everytime he makes visits with us he brings me those cookies. Enter a members house and boom food and juice. It is not just with me but with everybody. missionary or not. this is such a thoughtful culture... but it is still awkward for me to accept things but you cant say no or it offends people. I feel loved all the time. i think going home will be a culture shock.
We found caro. she is rad de mais. her husband is a little less commitment oriented but she always says things like,i dont know what he will do but I WILL... she went to church sunday and LOVED IT
One problem or blessing that I have is that when people tell me their problems I tend to personalize them. I feel a small part of the pain that they are feeling and my heart breaks almost every day here on the mission. Elder Eyring said to treat everyone as if they are in serious trouble and most of the time you will be right. I have learned the truthfulness of that statement. During sacrament i was reading in Mosiah 15 and it talked about Christ and how He was full of mercy and about His Atoning sacrifice. As I read and the idea came to my mind, He knew very well the pains of His people even before Getsemani. He did this same work for three years and I know He experienced there pains. The motive, love. He knows how to succor the weak and console the poor in spirit. Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, and Spiritually He knows how to cure us. I gained a tiny bit more of an understanding of the why in His acts. I feel so much for these people and sadness for the problems that are a result of poverty, lack of education, and the selfishness that exists in the world. but more than that i feel joy in the fact that the greatest superhero of all time already saved them. He truly is the Savior and Redeemer of mankind.
Proud to wear His name next to mine,
Sister Peterson
Monday, July 26, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Untitled
Hey family. Yesterday a man went to hug me and kiss me on the cheek (its a normal cultural thing) before i could stop him. I turned bright red and my whole body froze. If i wasnt already, i am totally a missionary. It was so awkard but the guy felt super awkward when he went to do it to my comp and she gave him the handshake and toldhim missionaries cant do that. bahahaha.
They had a festa Juninha or Julinha because it was in July to celebrate all those crazy holidays i already spoke about. Lots of corn products and people in ugly dresses of plaid that dont match and dancing. Brasil is Beautiful that way.
So this last week wasfull of awesome moments that i know i didnt deserve. For some reason we were in a strange funk and the work just wasnt coming. A week to look at and realize man i need to improve.
We are working with a woman that is so incredibly in tune with everything we are teaching, Clilda. We were talking about the chapel and my companion mentioned the temple. Right away Clilda said, I am going to go there. I will prepare and I am going. We then explained more about it how you have to have a recommendation etc. She got really excited and said that at one year of a member she is going to go. Then out of nowhere she asked, Do they do baptisms there? awesome.
Her daughter Luciene or Wyky was baptized Saturday. She is so rad. She is a little rocker with a powerhouse testimony and good brains. We taught a lesson with her, when she bore testimony wow all i can say is i am a little bit proud to say that she is one of my recent converts.
Marcio is rocking it. That man is so humble and so ready. He walked into church the first time and the first thing he said was WOW but in portuguese. One of my favorite parts of being a misisonary is when you see people feeling and seeing for the first time. Especially with Marcio, he has never felt anything like the gospel before. He loves us. He is always thanking us. We taught him sunday after church. He said that he hadnt prayed about the BOM so we recommitted him to read it. That night he called us at 930, he was so excited. He prayed. He received a response. He was so excited he had to tell us. His lifes story is sad, someone who had it all and then one day lost it all, but he says that it wasnt an accident that we talked to him on that park bench that day.
i feel very attached to this area, Soledade. next week we have transfers, I will go where the Lord wants me to but man i want to stay a little longer. So i have been reading D&C with the mission for the past few weeks. POWER. wanna know what personal revelation is in print. i love D&C i always had a hard time connecting with it like i do The Book of Mormon and the New Testament but man i love it. The next thing i will tackle- Theold testament....opah.
Yeah so life is good. I am happy. We had interviews with President. He told me of the confidence he has in me and what I am doing, i realize very much that i need to be better and work harder to be worthy of that trust that he and Heavenly Father have in me.
love you alllllllll.
proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson
PS Happy birthday to everyone that i missed your birthday! AKA all of Karas kids.
They had a festa Juninha or Julinha because it was in July to celebrate all those crazy holidays i already spoke about. Lots of corn products and people in ugly dresses of plaid that dont match and dancing. Brasil is Beautiful that way.
So this last week wasfull of awesome moments that i know i didnt deserve. For some reason we were in a strange funk and the work just wasnt coming. A week to look at and realize man i need to improve.
We are working with a woman that is so incredibly in tune with everything we are teaching, Clilda. We were talking about the chapel and my companion mentioned the temple. Right away Clilda said, I am going to go there. I will prepare and I am going. We then explained more about it how you have to have a recommendation etc. She got really excited and said that at one year of a member she is going to go. Then out of nowhere she asked, Do they do baptisms there? awesome.
Her daughter Luciene or Wyky was baptized Saturday. She is so rad. She is a little rocker with a powerhouse testimony and good brains. We taught a lesson with her, when she bore testimony wow all i can say is i am a little bit proud to say that she is one of my recent converts.
Marcio is rocking it. That man is so humble and so ready. He walked into church the first time and the first thing he said was WOW but in portuguese. One of my favorite parts of being a misisonary is when you see people feeling and seeing for the first time. Especially with Marcio, he has never felt anything like the gospel before. He loves us. He is always thanking us. We taught him sunday after church. He said that he hadnt prayed about the BOM so we recommitted him to read it. That night he called us at 930, he was so excited. He prayed. He received a response. He was so excited he had to tell us. His lifes story is sad, someone who had it all and then one day lost it all, but he says that it wasnt an accident that we talked to him on that park bench that day.
i feel very attached to this area, Soledade. next week we have transfers, I will go where the Lord wants me to but man i want to stay a little longer. So i have been reading D&C with the mission for the past few weeks. POWER. wanna know what personal revelation is in print. i love D&C i always had a hard time connecting with it like i do The Book of Mormon and the New Testament but man i love it. The next thing i will tackle- Theold testament....opah.
Yeah so life is good. I am happy. We had interviews with President. He told me of the confidence he has in me and what I am doing, i realize very much that i need to be better and work harder to be worthy of that trust that he and Heavenly Father have in me.
love you alllllllll.
proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson
PS Happy birthday to everyone that i missed your birthday! AKA all of Karas kids.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
I am a missionary
Wow what a week.
Probably one of the weeks with the most moments of stress and depression, but also some of the most blessings and moments that I could feel my Savior carrying me. I remember my first few weeks in the field, that were so HARD. I wrote that in those moments Christ was carrying me. In reality He never put me down. Just know God is blessing this missionary and making up for my weakness.
I was reading a few things that i kept in a binder, spiritual things really. I found a letter from all my young women leaders from 2004. Man i love and admire those women. Their simple testimonies are still strengthening mine. If they get a chance to read this letter, thank you for being the women you are and for your testimonies.
The week was hard for many reasons but amidst this we found some miracles. Pearls. Those people God has prepared for us.
One of them is Diana. Her baptism was Friday. She is one of those chosen spirits, incredibly sensitive to the Spirit. She knows so much better than other nine year olds what is right and wrong. The importance of God. What a privledge to teach such a chosen little girl.
Last week I made a contact with Marcio. I only remember that he seemed genuinely interested in going to church and our message. I didnt remember that he was smoking and drinking when i made the contact with him so when S Souza said we need to teach the word of wisdom so he could stop smoking soon i didnt understand how she knew that he smoked. It is strange because i almost always remember these things. Anyways, we taught him. It went well. When we returned he explained that he would go to other churches every so often but that from what he felt and understood, the doctrines of our church went a little deeper. He said that that it wasnt an accident that he met us at the praça that day. That we were different. He said the words "there was a brightness in your eyes and i could tell that you wanted to help me." He said that he had tried to change before but this time he feels like he really can. I have always heard those stories about how memebers of the church have a brightness in their eyes. i guess i always thought it was kind of a cliche thing but truly there is a difference.
One of our other investigators, Clilda, said that she had been stopped by so many different religions but never payed attention until she met us on the street. She said we were different. She will be baptized the 17th along with her daughter Luciene or Wyky. She prayed and received a response. Today she went to the boardwalk with us. She loves us. We are working a lot these days with youth, reactivating and teaching them. I have always related better with the youth. i love it.
Souza and I decided to have a scripture of the week, last week was Alma 5:14. Do you have His image in your countenance? I am trying to be like my Savior and I know that it is helping other people. I love being a missionary.
We are reading D&C as a mission. I have never really studied it like i should but let me tell you, i love it. I am receiving personal revelation everyday. Promptings during my study that are made manifest in my work. I love this time in my life. oh aunt Susan or Jeanne or someone who does geneology, the Fuller mentioned in D&C 55 or 56 is he related to us?
Man the family reunion seems so amazing! I wish i could have been there to see you all SEND ME PICTURES or at least post them to the family website. I havent received pictures from anyoen in a real long time. or Letter mail. i feel left out at zone meetings and interviews when i dont receive letters. SEND THEM! haha.
I know that i am forgetting something but i dont remember...
Oh the church is true. it just is. SO INCREDIBLY TRUE. and as S. Souza says: Ela é PERFEITA! There was a huge flood in Alagoas that destroyed a few cities, the elders serving there were fine. All the missionaries in Alagoas went to help. Yeah thats like 80+ missionaries. I love how much the church is always there to help. a mark of true discipleship. I was bummed i am here in Sergipe so i didnt get to go but still. amazing.
well i love you all.
proud to wear the tag.
Sister Peterson
Probably one of the weeks with the most moments of stress and depression, but also some of the most blessings and moments that I could feel my Savior carrying me. I remember my first few weeks in the field, that were so HARD. I wrote that in those moments Christ was carrying me. In reality He never put me down. Just know God is blessing this missionary and making up for my weakness.
I was reading a few things that i kept in a binder, spiritual things really. I found a letter from all my young women leaders from 2004. Man i love and admire those women. Their simple testimonies are still strengthening mine. If they get a chance to read this letter, thank you for being the women you are and for your testimonies.
The week was hard for many reasons but amidst this we found some miracles. Pearls. Those people God has prepared for us.
One of them is Diana. Her baptism was Friday. She is one of those chosen spirits, incredibly sensitive to the Spirit. She knows so much better than other nine year olds what is right and wrong. The importance of God. What a privledge to teach such a chosen little girl.
Last week I made a contact with Marcio. I only remember that he seemed genuinely interested in going to church and our message. I didnt remember that he was smoking and drinking when i made the contact with him so when S Souza said we need to teach the word of wisdom so he could stop smoking soon i didnt understand how she knew that he smoked. It is strange because i almost always remember these things. Anyways, we taught him. It went well. When we returned he explained that he would go to other churches every so often but that from what he felt and understood, the doctrines of our church went a little deeper. He said that that it wasnt an accident that he met us at the praça that day. That we were different. He said the words "there was a brightness in your eyes and i could tell that you wanted to help me." He said that he had tried to change before but this time he feels like he really can. I have always heard those stories about how memebers of the church have a brightness in their eyes. i guess i always thought it was kind of a cliche thing but truly there is a difference.
One of our other investigators, Clilda, said that she had been stopped by so many different religions but never payed attention until she met us on the street. She said we were different. She will be baptized the 17th along with her daughter Luciene or Wyky. She prayed and received a response. Today she went to the boardwalk with us. She loves us. We are working a lot these days with youth, reactivating and teaching them. I have always related better with the youth. i love it.
Souza and I decided to have a scripture of the week, last week was Alma 5:14. Do you have His image in your countenance? I am trying to be like my Savior and I know that it is helping other people. I love being a missionary.
We are reading D&C as a mission. I have never really studied it like i should but let me tell you, i love it. I am receiving personal revelation everyday. Promptings during my study that are made manifest in my work. I love this time in my life. oh aunt Susan or Jeanne or someone who does geneology, the Fuller mentioned in D&C 55 or 56 is he related to us?
Man the family reunion seems so amazing! I wish i could have been there to see you all SEND ME PICTURES or at least post them to the family website. I havent received pictures from anyoen in a real long time. or Letter mail. i feel left out at zone meetings and interviews when i dont receive letters. SEND THEM! haha.
I know that i am forgetting something but i dont remember...
Oh the church is true. it just is. SO INCREDIBLY TRUE. and as S. Souza says: Ela é PERFEITA! There was a huge flood in Alagoas that destroyed a few cities, the elders serving there were fine. All the missionaries in Alagoas went to help. Yeah thats like 80+ missionaries. I love how much the church is always there to help. a mark of true discipleship. I was bummed i am here in Sergipe so i didnt get to go but still. amazing.
well i love you all.
proud to wear the tag.
Sister Peterson
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
São Pedro
so apparently there are three holidays that have the campfires: São João, São Pedro, and Santo Antonio. And also Brazil continues to win so those things=staying at home and my hair STILL smells like smoke.
So i emailed a few days ago but my life is like a rollercoaster/energizer bunny keeps going and is crazy.
Sunday I was feeling a little down. I felt like I had been working a ton the last week but Sunday morning our family (Marta and Ailton) didnt go to church. My heart was broken. We didnt have any progressing investigators. Well Bishop found a less active member who had moved and she said, "Oh Bispo my daughter needs to be baptized." We went there and found Diana. A 9 year old girl. Truly a choice spirit of our Heavenly Father. When we were teaching she told us that her greatest wish was to go to church but her mom wouldnt take her. She loves learning about God and is so excited to be baptized. When we do our part God does the rest. I love this work.
Before we found out about Diana we were walking around forever trying to find houses and it just wasnt happening. I hate days like that when it is walk walk walk and not teaching. I was getting so frustrated. I didnt want to do anything let alone contact people on the street but i got to the point that i realized i needed to force myself to make contacts. I found Cleilde. She is so rad. She really wants to go to church and LOVES us. Her daughter that is 15 was already some sort of nun for the catholic church, speaks english, and now plays guitar in a band. How rad, an ex-nun rocker. We are in the process of teaching them.
We also contacted Santana. He is a middleaged man who is so willing to learn. He says the word PUXA a lot and it makes me laugh. The first night we planned to visit him it was raining like crazy so we couldnt get out there. He waited all night for us. They have a telephone booth thing in front of his neighbors house and we said we would call. He was sleeping when we called but when he found out, he stayed by the phone booth for a long time. He has a baptismal date.
I have always loved working with youth. Right now we are reactivating a lot of families, they all start with youth. I dont know what it is about my personality that makes it so youth like me but it is pretty great to be able to use this gift God has given me.
Last night as we were walking home, i just felt happy. That inner sense of peace that people spend a lot of money on books and programs to find. I cant tell you that the mission is easy. In fact it is still very challenging, but i know that i am progressing. I look at the little girl i was 9 months ago, so insecure about the smallest things. Well like everyone else in the world i still have insecurities but it is easier to face them. Forcing myself to push past it all. I have learned so much about human nature. I can almost tell right away when someone is lying to me based on their body language. or when someone isnt interested. I have never been lied to so much in my life. One quote that i love says that everyone has three things: A greatest fear, a greatest insecurity, and someone that loves them. I see that a lot. A quote from Henry B Eyring is: When you meet someone regard them as someone who is in big trouble. Most of the time you will be right." i see that a lot too.
Well i love my life. i love my comp. I love God. He loves us. I cant imagine life without that knowledge that surety that God lives and He loves us.
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson
So i emailed a few days ago but my life is like a rollercoaster/energizer bunny keeps going and is crazy.
Sunday I was feeling a little down. I felt like I had been working a ton the last week but Sunday morning our family (Marta and Ailton) didnt go to church. My heart was broken. We didnt have any progressing investigators. Well Bishop found a less active member who had moved and she said, "Oh Bispo my daughter needs to be baptized." We went there and found Diana. A 9 year old girl. Truly a choice spirit of our Heavenly Father. When we were teaching she told us that her greatest wish was to go to church but her mom wouldnt take her. She loves learning about God and is so excited to be baptized. When we do our part God does the rest. I love this work.
Before we found out about Diana we were walking around forever trying to find houses and it just wasnt happening. I hate days like that when it is walk walk walk and not teaching. I was getting so frustrated. I didnt want to do anything let alone contact people on the street but i got to the point that i realized i needed to force myself to make contacts. I found Cleilde. She is so rad. She really wants to go to church and LOVES us. Her daughter that is 15 was already some sort of nun for the catholic church, speaks english, and now plays guitar in a band. How rad, an ex-nun rocker. We are in the process of teaching them.
We also contacted Santana. He is a middleaged man who is so willing to learn. He says the word PUXA a lot and it makes me laugh. The first night we planned to visit him it was raining like crazy so we couldnt get out there. He waited all night for us. They have a telephone booth thing in front of his neighbors house and we said we would call. He was sleeping when we called but when he found out, he stayed by the phone booth for a long time. He has a baptismal date.
I have always loved working with youth. Right now we are reactivating a lot of families, they all start with youth. I dont know what it is about my personality that makes it so youth like me but it is pretty great to be able to use this gift God has given me.
Last night as we were walking home, i just felt happy. That inner sense of peace that people spend a lot of money on books and programs to find. I cant tell you that the mission is easy. In fact it is still very challenging, but i know that i am progressing. I look at the little girl i was 9 months ago, so insecure about the smallest things. Well like everyone else in the world i still have insecurities but it is easier to face them. Forcing myself to push past it all. I have learned so much about human nature. I can almost tell right away when someone is lying to me based on their body language. or when someone isnt interested. I have never been lied to so much in my life. One quote that i love says that everyone has three things: A greatest fear, a greatest insecurity, and someone that loves them. I see that a lot. A quote from Henry B Eyring is: When you meet someone regard them as someone who is in big trouble. Most of the time you will be right." i see that a lot too.
Well i love my life. i love my comp. I love God. He loves us. I cant imagine life without that knowledge that surety that God lives and He loves us.
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson
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