Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Coca Cola

i have even less time this week to write...ugh.
Transfers: i am staying Nigrissima is going...next week I will tell you about my new companheira when we find out.
Lately Thayrone has been studying the Word of wisdom and about coca cola...Quote from Thayrone: "You need to stop drinking coke. You need your bodies healthy to serve Jesus." I have such a huge amount of love for that kid and that family. I told him that if he doesnt serve a mission i might cry.
We have been teaching a very humble woman. The first time we taught I doubted her. I doubted that she would go to church and even more that she would be willing to change. This was her second sunday at church with her children. She recognizes the blessings that she is receiving and is a lot happier. Just a little reminder that I am not here to judge or doubt. As Sister Oaks cited, "If you judge people you dont have time to love them." This is the gospel of Christ and We must be a means for people to feel His love.
This week we had conference. The assistents gave an awesome training on dreams. How we can achieve them and the importance of goal setting. I have made a goal, I have four months left...I want four families. I have made goals and i will follow through. This is my dream. I want to give this fruit to at least four families. Please help me with this goal. Please pray for me to be atent and to find these four families.
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson

happy birthday late Jerry! Also happy birthday this week for Kalena and Braxton! i love you all!

Friday, November 19, 2010

CASAMENTO‏

DEAR FAMILY,
Another week ran away from me. We worked a lot and had a ton of lessons this week. The Elders were in Sergipe all week so we followed up with all of the investigators. whoa. All in all I am happy. I am still seeing miracles everyday here and just so you know i love being a missionary.
This week we contacted a young man, Junior, who has a lot of faith in the Lord. He is a member of an evangelical church. During the lesson and our discussions I felt that he is a very special son of God. I went home and prayed so hard for him. A very sincere desire that he would receive a response that the church is true. This whole week i have prayed for him. When we followed up with him, he said these words, "I prayed. I know that your church is true." The but. "but I like where I am." We taught about authority and the difference. Sister Nigri asked him to pray before we left but to once again ask to know if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true. He kneeled down and he prayed. Silence. He said once again, "I received a response again. your church is true." He says he will visit the church. unfortunately he doesnt want to leave his comfort zone. I reflected on my prayers. The Lord answers my prayers. Junior received an answer...he just chose not to follow it. Man that hurts. But my faith in prayer has grown and next time I will try to be more specific i guess.
Amidst a ton of lessons and missionary life we also planned a wedding for this last weekend and baptized Katia and Cristiane! The wedding was stressful but simple and beautiful. Katia was so happy. A few of the irmãs in the ward approached me saying, it wont be long till that will be you. i laughed. everyone wants to make me trunky.
Katia has been waiting a long time to be baptized. Beto, her husband will be baptized this week. We have been working with this family since i arrived. They have overcome a lot of challenges and I have seen hearts changed because of the gospel. It has been a rollercoaster but amazing to see this family take one step closer to being eternal.
It was also a miracle to see cristiane enter the waters of baptism. Truly a strong and amazing woman. I have so much love for that family it is ridiculous.
This week we are preparing Beto and a young woman, Fernanda for baptism. This coming week is also transfers. My heartaches to think that I might leave aeroclube...but the Lord knows what is best and I am grateful for this amount of time to work in such a wonderful and organized ward and to see the example of inspired leaders.
The church is true. It just is. I love it and I am so grateful that the Lord led me to make this decision. it truly is the best thing i could have done. I feel and understand a little better how crucial the gospel is. how it is apart of everything. The simple laws and ordinances make so much sense. it is perfect. i love it. i love teaching it.
Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Wow. what another great week. We had 9 people at church. NINE! Sorry this letter will be super short because i dont have a lot of time today.
Cristiane will be baptized this week. man i love her. Such a humble and wonderful person. In Sacrament her son, Gabriel was running all over the place. I think before my mission I would have been irritated but I am learning so much here. I have really recognized the fact that I am learning a lot more about patience here. I have so much love for her son its ridiculouse.
I am still having a lot of amazing experiences here. One that I would like to share is that someone prayed us to there house. Solange joined the church a few years ago in the interior of Alagoas. Due to many difficulties and situations she left. She always thought about the church but started going to another. She moved to the capital recently. One night she prayed to know if the church was true and asked God to send missionaries to her house if it was. A little bit later an americana and Paulista showed up on her door step. She is excited to return to church with her husband and her two young children.
Today I am in Bebedouro for PDAY. I visited Bishop Elias and His family. His four year old son Thomas is my best friend since i arrived here in the Northeast. I had so many memories of S. Murbaki. I am so excited to visit a few more families after.
I know Christ lives. He is our Savior and Redeemer. Through His infinite Atonement we can be made whole. We can be cured and then perfected. This is His church. His university of eternal progression. I know through obedience and diligence and selfless sacrifice we can become more and more like Him. The gospel truly is perfect. I get so excited to think of eternity and the possibilities that are made through His plan. I have always been a fairly stressed person, especially about the future, but as for now, I only have hope and faith. I know that we are here and we have the power to change the world.
Happy Birthday this past week mama. you are the best ever.
Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

Monday, November 1, 2010

I still love aeroclube‏

DEAREST FAMILY!
This week we baptized an amazing family. A family I have known for two weeks but the love that I feel for them is so strong that I feel as if they are my family. Their oldest son, Thayrone (20 years old), is amazing. He was baptized one week before we came here. He is a young man with so many natural gifts. Everybody falls in love with him, he literally puts God first in every aspect. He prepared his family to be baptized, we had the priviledge of formally teaching them the lessons, but in reality he already taught everything. This week as we were teaching His family-Francisco (dad), Joelma(mom), oscar and Tainá-and preparing them for baptism the Joelma had a question. She asked about tithing envelopes because they had been saving their tithing money for the past few months since they stopped going to their other church. They have been so willing and ready to give up coffee and complete every commandment that we teach. I love it.
Thayrone is also giving us a ton of references. I asked, do they seem interested in the church and he looked at me and said, "Do you think I´d give you rough land to till? The land is well prepared." I laughed so hard. As we visited these references he bore testimony and we really saw how much he loves the Savior and how much he is ready to give all his heart to the gospel. He has three weeks in the church and is a better missionary than I am!!! My only comment, I wanted to baptize Thayrone! =).
This week we have been working with a widow, Neide. Her husband died 3 months ago. She has been in deep depression during this time, she wasnt eating right, leaving the house or anything. When we arrived there she was so distraught that almost everything we said didnt even enter into her understanding. We told her of the Atonement of Christ and of the Plan of Salvation, that she can be with her husband again. She told us that this thought brought a little bit of relief to her. We taught her how to pray and I felt the Spirit very strong as I witnessed the first prayer this 50 year old woman had ever made in her life. I saw the pain that she felt as she cried and pleaded for Heavenly Father to help her to overcome this sadness. We returned the next day. We started teaching about the first principles of the gospel, after faith and repentance I understood that still she was having difficulties paying attention or at least retaining the information. We focused on faith and how she could grow her faith and how through faith she could overcome anything. We also had a member who also passed through this same situation and she bore powerful testimony to neide. The next time we visited, she changed dramatically. She was smiling, she had energy because she started eating again, making visits, and as we taught she explained the blessings that she is witnessing in her life because of faith in Jesus Christ. She knows as we know that Christ is capable of curing us not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. She will be baptized in november!
Last night we taught a young woman. Her husband served a mission a few years ago. I tried SO HARD to discover her needs. She was a little more closed than I am used to, but I did my best. I sincerely felt like my best wasn't enough. Her husband bore testimony for her and told of the desire he has for her to be baptized so that one day they can be sealed for all eternity. He cried, she cried, I and Nigri almost cried. Her problem is that her family is very catholic and very much against the church. If she would choose to be baptized her family is very against it. She wouldnt even pray to know if Joseph Smith really was a true prophet. I left the house a little discouraged. I did all that I could to reason, to ask inspired and thought provoking questions, I tried all that I could, but she wouldnt pray. My companion, as we were walking away said, wow sister, that was amazing what you said. I thought she was just trying to make me feel better. When I told her how I felt about it she told me I was crazy. I really am my own biggest critic. I realized that I did do my best and i wasnt perfect but the problem was that this woman just needs a little more time. I know she will be baptized and that their family will be eternal...it just will take some time.
Speaking of eternal familiies...yesterday before lunch we visited a family where the son is serving a mission. Needless to say this family has many problems. They are very disunited and there is a spirit of contention due to hypocrisy and selfishness. The adversary loves this situation. We left, very sad, thinking of how the adversary works so hard to bring misery to God's children. We entered into the members house for lunch-an atmosphere completely opposite. There on the wall hung a cross stitched pattern: Nenhum sucesso no mundo compensa o fracasso no lar. No type of success in the world compensates for weakness at home. The Spirit entered into my heart and testified that that home was a reflection of that homemade cross stich pattern. There was a huge difference in the feeling of that home and the home before. I know very well how the adversary works, in secret and 24/7 he doesnt eat or sleep, but I know that we have power to overcome him and it is through living obedience to the gospel principles. My mission is so preparing me to be a good mom and wife. whoot whoot.
BY THE WAY. Presidente Beynon is the best mission presidente in the world. Fim. This week we had interviews and he gave me amazing counsel without even knowing what my current difficulties have been. I have been feeling tired, and then I feel guilty for feeling tired. I have been praying a lot to overcome this phyical and sometimes mental exhaustion. It is 18 months, that is it. Why am I so tired, I wondered.His counsel, D&C 64:33-34. Never weary of well doing. My call is something so sacred to me, and this scripture and the counsel Presidente gave me has helped me a lot. We are literally building Zion here in Northeast Brasil, the church is so very new here and yes it requires ALL of my heart might mind and STRENGTH. All of it. I have made goals and plans to be better, stronger, and to not be tired. I think at this point it is literally a choice of mine and I am learning to choose the better part. I am so grateful that I have a Presidente who is so atuned to the Spirit to be able to give me the exact counsel that I need.
Also Aeroclube is the best place ever. Before it was the area of the Assistentes to the President but unfortunately they get to work very little here because of there duties as assistentes. Actually it is still the area of the assistentes but now we are here to help them. we are here working together with them to improve the work because it has been the AP area for so long, they baptize a lot, but it is because the members now how to followup and help in the work. Literally the field is white ready to harvest. It is great I am learning a ton of things from the assistentes, my amazing companion, and the leadership of this ward. I love building up Zion! whoo!

This week Elder Oaks, ya know an Apostle of God, is coming to our conference! I am sooo excited. Two apostolós that I will get to shake hands with. I am more than a little bit excited. Whoa!!! I will fill you all in on how amazing it is next week!
I love you family. Never forget how grateful I am for everysingle one of you. For many of the sacrifices that you are making so that I can be here and for the support from each one you.
PROUD TO WEAR THE TAG,

Sister Peterson