JP

i found my favorite pen.

2011-12-11T20:45:00.000-08:00

I used to be a writer. It didn't stop all at once, or maybe it didn't really "stop" at all. The flow just changed. Subject matter. Purpose. Me. It all changed. Then português confused the wiring and once again the entire process changed.

For me.

Most of the ideas didn't even get past the fatty part of my upper arm. The really good ones at least "intended" to get past my elbow. Losing my voice was the equivalent to losing my pen.

Hopefully I'll find it again. Moving on.

It is all in the plan...

2011-10-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

My very first district all grown up and ready to serve the Lord with todo o coracao poder mente e forca! What a blessing it has been for me to learn from these great servants of the Lord. BOA SORTE ELDERES! PARABENS! Brasil is lucky to have them!

Did I tell you that I love my job?

next:
GENERAL CONFERENCE
beautiful, inspired and more than anything else JUST WHAT I NEED.
"It's always better to look up."-Thomas S. Monson
"You cannot make eternal decisions without eternal consequences." Randall K. Bennet
"[Christ] is in my Gethsemane and also in yours."
"We may not receive an answer all at once. Here a little and their a little. Perhaps because that is all we can handle or because it is ALL WE ARE WILLING TO DO." -Robert D. Hales
"Most of what we worry about is not of eternal significance, but if it is we can be certain that the Lord will help us."-Carl B. Cook
"A call to repentance, when guided by the spirit is an act of genuine charity." L. Todd Christofferson

Mostly what I got out of conference was a desire to be better and to try harder to study my scriptures with more thought and to fulfill my covenants better. I LOVE CONFERENCE.
Although President Monson has left us with these words before, I still continue to love them. "Each of us has a part to play. Let us be diligent and faithful in playing it well."

Being with my family was probably one of the best things ever. Connor showed off his wicked dance moves at The Pie Pizzaria and Kalena got over her stage fright to sing, "Hey Soul Sister", of course I had to hold her and sing with her but it was so dang cute. Why don't they live in Utah again???

A thought that I have had as I reflect on my blessings in life is that amidst the intense pain and sorrow that I experience, just as Alma stated, my joy is as exquisite as my pain. The Lord compensates us and if he hasn't yet, he will.

2 years and explosions

2011-09-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

Two years and 4 days ago I set off on my adventure. Sao Paulo then Maceio and Sergipe. My life changed. My brain changed. MOST OF ALL my heart changed.

I fell in love. I fell in love with people who couldn't have been more different-and as always I took my environment and internalized it. Bono said it well: "Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief." I am okay with being a thief if it means I can take a bit of that culture with me.

I'm Brasicana. More than that I fell in love with the gospel of Jesus Christ and I see how it determines EVERYTHING I do. In 23 years of life--I've never been happier. I get it. FINALLY. I'm so glad the Lord was patient with me even through my "rebel without a cause" stage of life that lasted...well most of my life. What a blessing it was for me to serve a mission, I needed it. I am excited to keep "getting" more and more of the big picture.

On top of all that I met some of the best people I know and some of the dearest friends and came to know the Savior personally.

So I should probably be sure to write on my blog and on our family website more often. Life is hectic, full of challenges, but I am happy and blessed.
I have the best job in the world at the MTC.
I am studying hard and I am pretty sure I get growing pains in my brain from it.
I am running a lot because it feels good and I love it.
I am the mission prep teacher in my ward right now. If I could even get away from missionary work I wouldn't want to.
And yeah that is pretty much what I have been doing with my life. Work school running and THE GOSPEL.

I just want to reiterate a few things I have stated before on hear:

"Not forgiving retards spiritual growth"

2 Nephi 28:32 ^aWo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and ^bcome unto me; for mine ^carm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.

and

3 Nephi 9:14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

It is amazing the mercy of the Lord. His arm is always extended to us, sometimes in anger, sometimes in mercy BUT ALWAYS IN LOVE. Repentance is such a blessing, we can all become whole through it. It is almost hard to believe such a great deal. All the Lord asks is for us to change our hearts and to TRY just TRY to do better. I truly hope that one day I can be so forgiving and loving. My mortal emotions are not so well tuned. It is hard, but man what a blessing that I can be forgiven and that I have Christ's example to remind me.

Any one want to go to Brasil with me?

Love of the greatest philosopher of all time.

2011-05-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Dear family,

Not a lot has changed. Still here. In Provo. School. I punched a few tests in the face in the last few weeks. That means I did well. Man it feels good when you study. I realized how much the Lord is willing to help you ESPECIALLY when you have done your best to prepare. He literally fills in the rest. I feel like I am getting a much more spiritual insight into my scholastic study. As much as I loved USU, I feel like I was never who I wanted to be. I never gave it my all. I am in love with BYU and this experience. I feel like finally my work is accepted by the Lord. A GREAT FEELING!

I am working now at an assisted living center. I love old people. They make me feel like I'm in Brasil again. Just so loving and telling me how pretty and wonderful I am all the time. An adorable 80+ year old man came to me and put up his arm. He wanted me to feel his bicep. He looked at me and said, "I just got done exercising!" I loved it. Another gave me a nickname-PJ and took a picture with me. It is a positive environment and I am enjoying it.

Still think about Brasil everyday of my life. And miss it everyday of my life. Realizing a little bit more how beautiful and wonderful my mission experience was and just how much the Lord loves me. I am a broken record, yes, but I will never cease to be grateful for those 18 months.

My Book of Mormon class gives me amazing opportunities to continue to further my study of the gospel. Just a few things I have been reminded of and have seen them realized in my life.

THE LAW OF JUSTICE:
If you are wrong, you must repent so that Christ can make you right. If you have been wronged, trust in the fact that Christ has made retribution and WILL MAKE IT RIGHT.
-it is true. seen it in my life, and in the lives of many and hope to see it even more in the lives of those that I love.

Forgiveness:
"Failure to forgive retards spiritual growth." I see this and it hurts to see it. I am learning everyday to be more forgiving and I see how it sets me free. I am not tied down or held back as much as we are when we hold a grudge. It is a natural REACTION to being wronged...but that doesn't mean it is right.

We went over when Christ visits the nephites in the americas in 3 Nephi. When Christ died, there was great destruction for three days. Many died. Many suffered the loss of loved ones. More than that, the people realized that they had been wrong, and because of their lack of willingness to change, they had suffered the consequences.
I always thought that Christ appeared after those three days. It is much more probably that he appeared MONTHS and months later. It makes sense the setting. At the time of his arrival, the people were talking about him. They were MARVELING. Instead of mourning. What gets me here is that Christ truly gives us the opportunity to stop, reflect, repent, and then go about the changes WE NEED TO MAKE and prepare ourselves to have him come into our lives. Again, have seen this in my life and others lives.
These people were prepared spiritually for him. When he arrived he gave EVERY SINGLE person there the opportunity to feel for themselves the prints of his Atonement. Or rather, he gave each of them the opportunity to gain a testimony for themselves of WHO he really is. Being that close they could feel him, hear him, smell him, and they were able to literally get to know the Savior personally. Christ wants to do that with us to. He is more than willing to reveal himself to us, but we must prepare ourselves spiritually like these Nephites did.

We are spiritually needy because of our weaknesses, but he also gives us time to stop and to feel and to reflect and ultimately to repent and prepare ourselves. In the right state he will come to us. That is a huge thing that I miss about my mission. I felt it easier to feel his presence and learn about Christ there. Every day I was able to study his life and his teachings profoundly and I truly was able to understand more about him. I was in the frame of mind adequate to feel his presence. And I am not saying that I cant do that now, it just felt more frequently as I was his formal representative. WHAT A BLESSING. I cannot imagine the Lord's infinite patience and love for us. He gives us the benefit of the doubt. We just have to recognize what we need to change, and constantly, maybe slowly but continuously change those things and draw nearer to him.

It is interesting as Christ says, "I sense that ye are weak and do not understand all that I have been commanded to speak to you..." he then gives the command to go to your HOMES (he did not say houses but homes) and ponder (my I interject with your families here?) and on the morrow he would return. Ponder pray seek. He then desires to give them more. As he says, "Your faith is sufficient that I may heal you."

Although they didnt understand everything, he gave them the opportunity, but even more he points out that the faith of these people was sufficient. And that is what I need. It is what we need if we are to grow closer to him. if we are to find TRUE HAPPINESS.

So that is just a few things I have been reflecting upon. So my challenge, Think about what is holding you back from being the best version of yourself. From being like Christ, and then make a list of what you need to change.

I love you ps.

PS everyone should watch kid history on youtube. I LOVE IT.

life as I know it

2011-05-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Exactly one month since I set foot on my home soil. Why don't I feel like that is a true statement? That is rhetorical and you don't need to answer it.

So let me update those one or two people who actually read my blog/family posts.
I ended my missionary service March 22nd 2011. My mama, my brothers and my sister in law came to pick me up. Amazing opportunity to share a little bit of my experience with them. There was a miracle, ISABELLE. At the beginning of the transfer in Benedito we taught her but after a little couldnt get in touch. Well after we hadnt talked to her for a few weeks she told her member friends that she wished she would have been baptized on the date we had marked for her and that she truly had a desire to be baptized. Amazing. So we baptized her SUnday. Mama and Jerry got to see it. Jerry sang with me in the baptism. It was an amazing experience.

I was so happy to bring my family to meet my brasilian family. We visited a few other sites, but the best part of brasil is the northeast for this little galega.

So I am here in the states. It is different. And I miss Brasil. I miss those people that I love. It just feels like I've been on vacation or something... I do get sad when I think that I can't go back soon. Some days are better than others. But my mission changed my life it changed me. I am so incredibly grateful for that experience. IT WAS ESSENTIAL for my life, I am sure of it.

Vamos focus on the positive:
-I value much more my family members. I am absolutely in love with my neices and nephews. What a bummer they live so far away now...

-I started school at BYU this week...I still cant bring myself to say that I am a BYU student.
--Dear family, I have a confession. I tried, really I did...but I just cant bring myself to hate BYU.
--my classes for the spring term (its short) are Microbiology and The Book of Mormon.
I am a total nerd. I am LOVING microbiology.

-I am in love with the gospel more than ever before. I find myself talking about it in almost every setting possible. It is just something that moves me. Before it was a very strong belief. Now it is more of a fact a certainty. The gospel is written in my heart. It is more a part of my identity than just a part of my life. I am in love with it. Now I just need to be in love with someone who is just as in love with the gospel as I am.

Today in Relief Society we talked about service and a thought came to mind. When we serve other people we start to gain understanding and that understanding leads us to love. Understanding of the people we are serving comes as we strive to understand their perspective and their personal needs in order to serve them according to their needs. We develop compassion. We develop patience. And through this we come to understand God better. We are striving to be like him, therefore we have more contact with him. And then we understand just a tiny bit better the type of love that he has for those people we are serving. The type of love he has for us and for all of his children. And then we grow stronger in our faith and knowledge because we can FEEL the difference in our lives as we draw closer to him. Service is essential for our progression.

If you have any other ideas about it let me know.

Well folks I love you!

Proud to have worn the tag,
JP Peterson

goodbye brasil, i love you.‏

2011-03-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

You know that feeling that comes right before a big change? Where you feel excited, anxious, maybe even nauseous, happy, and depressed all at the same exact moment leaving the rest of your mind and body completely confused. Add exhausted and completely in love with your setting and you have what this 22 year old Sister missionary is feeling. Sister Peterson-only for a little more time.

This is it. 18 months is such a short time even though there are moments that feel like forever. It is my way of life and I am comfortable. Sorry for the word vomit but I guess I am still trying to decide how I feel. Grateful I guess would be almost good enough to spell out what is going on inside. How could the Lord be so patient so good to me as to give me this experience? How in the world would i be able to get along in the rest of my life without these 18 months? The best preparation for the rest of my life.

I thought that I knew pretty well the gospel. That I knew what it meant to love others. Repentance, Faith, Hope, forgiveness, patience, hard work, prayer and truth. In reality I knew nothing. In reality I still know little. I had a testimony of the church. But now I feel it in every part of me that Christ IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD and that he guides his people today through a living prophet with the real truth, not just some of it. I have felt what progress is and I have seen it in others but mostly in me. I have seen the gospel of Jesus Christ change my life and those around me. I never really deserved this, but my Heavenly Father knew that I needed it.

I guess I understand maybe a tiny bit better what Christ did when he was here. or maybe i just understand it in a different way. How did he love people so perfectly? He gave me so many experiences that led me to understand at least a little more. He has taught me how the first thing to do is pray and then how to pray. Patience is a way to show your love. Repentance is not just for our investigators. Hard work is what comes from being faithful. And forgiveness, how can i not forgive when the Lord is so very forgiving for my many weaknesses and imperfections. And faith...well I know much better what it is and what it is not and how to show it. How everything winds down to that simple and profound truth. The first lawof the gospel.

This week I have learned a little more about hope. How it is so intwined with faith. I dont have anxiety for the future anymore. I know how I want to live. I know how I WILL live. I know that all the blessings the Lord has promised me are completely dependent on my faithfulness to the covenants that I have made. Eter 12:4-Hope for a better world. A better life. I have seen how obedience and faith have changed the lives of my investigators and converts and in my life as well. There is always a choice to make- I will constantly choose the better part.

"To become who we desire to be, we have to be, constantly each day, the person who we desire to become...a righteous character is a manifestation of the person who you are becoming." -Richard G. Scott
In my job, school, family, marriage etc, I am not so insecure anymore, I know that the Lord will bless me as long as I am being obedient and doing my part. I guess that is a little more concrete or "written in my heart"-if you do your part, the Lord will do the rest. TENDER MERCIES.

I needed to come to Northeast Brasil to find these things out. My heart hurts to leave them but it is time. The only thing constant in life is that life is constantly changing. I guess Im off to a new adventure in life. I love these people. I love this culture. I love this language. I love the gospel and I love my mission.

Thank you, all of you who have supported me and helped me to be able to be here. Thank you to those who have written me and supported me. And mostly for those who have prayed for me. I have a certainty that it was your prayers that gave me the strength that I needed in the moments that I needed something more. I am eternally grateful to all of you and to the Lord for allowing me to be his servant here and to wear this tag that is ever so sacred and important to me. To represent the people that I love most, my family-I feel like i have never loved you all more than I do now, or maybe that before I wasnt as capable of loving as I am now- and my Lord Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ. I know that I am his representative here in Maceió and I know the importance of an example. "Let your light so shine before this people.." (3 Nephi 12:16). I am determined to live this for the rest of my life.
Sei que Cristo é meu Salvador e Redentor. Sei que essa é Sua obra e ela é essencial no plano de Deus. Sei que as famílias podem ser eternas. Temos as chaves do sacerdócio para fazer essas ordenanças TÃO sagradas. Sei que Cristo guia essa igreja por meio um propheta vivo, Thomas S. Monson. Sei que aquele rapaz Joseph Smith verdadeiramente viu Deus e Jesus Cristo. Aparte daquele momento, o mundo mudou. Tudo começou com uma simples oração. O Senhor ouvi essas orações de seus filhos. Ele nos ama. O Livro de Mórmon é a palavra de Deus assim como a Bíblia. É o livro mais correto no mundo. Tudo isso eu sei, é mais uma certeza do que uma crença agora. Acima de tudo, sei que Cristo vive e é o Filho de Deus que expiou por nossos pecados.
I only have a few more days to be Sister Peterson and i will take advantage of each minute.
Proud to wear this sacred tag,
Sister PETERSON

one more week...‏

2011-03-17T00:08:00.001-07:00

Dear family.
I have so little time to write. just a few things.
Sunday after a lot of disappointment our trio entered the church with heavy hearts. every person who said they would go...didnt go. we had one more hope, Alisson (the ukileili guy) and his family...we looked in the relief society and she wasnt there. Alright so I am used to this...but i sat there thinking, the Lord knows what he is doing. Its gonna be alright. Soon after that I went to the principles of the gospel class. Alisson was there. his wife and kids were sick but he came alone! he then participated intensely in the class then started asking profound questions about the book of mormon he even mentioned the Urim and Thummim and how it is also mentioned in the Biblia...and I was impressed. He loved church he said its a lot different than what he is used to that the church is structured so well that the members literally understand the doctrine and each day can go deeper and deeper...exactly why I love the church.

it was a great feeling.

one thought i had. i remember my first transfer in bebedouro with murbaki i was making a contact in my horrible portuguese and said the words "you are invited to our church". After murbaki corrected me. "Sister, it is not OUR church but Christ's." I have always remembered that. It has stuck with me my whole mission. We are representatives of Christ's church. This work is not our work. It must be done in His WAY. That is why the church is so perfect, because it is his.
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson

Biu-pronounced byew‏

2011-02-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

Dearest Family,

Another week. Full of the Lord's tender mercies. I don't have time to really write much this week but I would like to write a few things.

-IZAILDA: an amazing investigator. She is paralyzed and is confined to a wheelchair but this is anything but confining to her. SHE DOES EVERYTHING. She was going to an assembly of God church just because it is infront of her house. But as we taught her she felt the truth. She went to church and she loved it. As she participated in the activities she shared her experience when she prayed to know if the church was true. She said, "I go to the assembly of God church-no i used to go to the assembly of God church..." It is amazing to see how she went from believing all the ridiculous things people believe about the church to getting excited to be baptized in only a few days.

-Benedito Bentes (biu) is a difficult area to baptize. It is mostly an area to strengthen the ward members. I thought i would be lost because my experience at aeroclube of learning the roads was rough...but here i feel so accostomed and i dont have any problem. The members are great and help a ton. We are helping a family Poliana and Hercules and their 4 beautiful children get back into church. We had a family home evening last night that was great.

-The Scriptures wow. I am reading the war chapters in Alma. They apply directly into my life. Symbols and connections that I never before recognized. They help me to be "armed" and ready always.

I am learning to be more like Christ this transfer. I literally am amazed by that man and all that He did. I now more than every dont understand how he could love so much that he did what he did. Amazing. I know that Christ is my Savior. I have always known it but on my mission I have learned to trust him and I have gotten to know him better. I know that he truly suffered for my sins and that he took upon himself my pains and weaknesses. He knows me. I know that the love he has for us is unconditional. I have felt that love. This week I have felt the Lord helping me to get through trials. The atonement is very real. I have felt it in my prayers in lessons in the hardest moments and in the better moments too. This is the Lords work I know it. I know that his restored gospel will bring peace and happiness into the lives of so many if they just let it and strive their best to live it.

Proud to wear this tag,

Sister Peterson

bye bye aeroclube‏

2011-02-16T21:37:00.000-08:00

Dear family,

The Lord is giving me an opportunity to really practice what I preach. I teach about faith. everyday. how we must trust in the Lord and his timing and his plans. Isaiah 55:8-9. Well this week I was transfered from my home. Aeroclube. I was almost positive i would stay. this transfer is only five weeks. in fact, even though i am not one to ask for things from president, i wrote him saying, "If it is the Lords will, I would like to finish my mission here in aeroclube". apparently that isn't the Lord's will.

saturday night after we received the call lima and i sat in silence. we finished planning and i went directly to bed. i didnt want to murmur but my brain was going out of control. i prayed and the Lord comforted me. It is always hard to say goodbye to an area...but to your home its even harder. All my families, all my converts, and all my investigators. sunday we taught an amazing lesson with Luana and Kelvin. Kelvin went to church with us the afternoon. in fact, we had 7 investigators there. I truly feel like I left this amazing ward, that althought was always amazing, better than i found it. I know the Lord is happy with the work I have done there.

It was hard to leave lima, my filha. She cried, spontaneously for two days.

we had a family home evening monday at a members house, a majority of my recent converts and our progressing investigators were there. because i and elder cordeiro (he arrived in the area with me) are leaving they went around basically telling us how we influenced there lives-through tears-and thanking us. It was another tender mercy of the Lord letting me know that it is okay to feel sad to say goodbye, but not okay to complain. The love that I feel for all those people is uncomparable. it is true, i have learned how to truly love people.

so i arrived here yesterday in benedito bentes. i have five weeks to find my purpose here. i am actively seeking it. I am with sister feitosa and sister de souza all both have less than 5 months here. I am doing my best to establish a feeling of unity and happiness in a trio. Trios generally are a little rough but we are excited to make this the best transfer yet. i want to die dying-morrer morrendo. we have established goals and we are seeking the Lord's elect here. the members are excited and I am determined to act diligently to the end.

Each time i get sad, i pray and the Lord reminds me that He knows what is best. And I am sure of His love for me just as I am sure of His love for all of His children. it is because of this love that i am here

I know that this is the best mission in the world. I know that I was sent here for a purpose and this is exactly where I should be. I know that Christ leads this work through his chosen leaders and that He loves us. I know that He understands me and knows me and that he will give me every opportunity possible to grow and progress. I know that this gospel is the only true and full gospel. I know God lives and loves us.

proud to wear the tag,

sister Peterson

i remember the transcendentalist in me‏

2011-02-12T22:16:00.001-08:00

Another week flew by. how does that even happen.

Today we went to the countryside with Cinthia, who was baptized this week, the sister of Joalison, and their mom. It was beautiful and reminded me of home. instead of cars and pollution there were fields (granted instead of corn and hay it was sugar cane and macaxera) and open sky. We ate so many mangoes directly from the tree, Papaya and we knocked coconuts from the trees and drank directly from the coconut. i feel like it was a true northeast brazil experience. it was beautiful and i felt so happy to be in nature again...man i need to go camping this summer!

As i was riding in a van, returning to my area I talked with the driver. Even before the day began i remembered our new counsel to carry a Book of Mormon with us everywhere we go. It is PDAY but i decided to leave one in my bag. As i entered into the van i had an impression to take out my Book of Mormon. I ignored it but thought, why, should i talk to this driver? as he drove he started talking to me. he is A deacon in the Assembly of God church. We talked about my mission and how he also is a missionary in his church but most of all we talked of Christ and how important he is to us. it flowed perfectly and I had the opportunity to bring up that Christ ministered among the people here. i bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon how it helps me to get closer to my Savior daily. I asked him if i could give him the book. He was really excited and said yes. I wrote a dedication in the front for him and he said that his daughter could read english so i wrote in english. i felt the spirit super strong as i talked to this man about the thing that makes me most happy.

I have had a lot of great experiences this week in fact. I feel like a brand new missionary. Excited to talk to people. I made a contact with a young man after completing my goal for the day of contacts, and I felt the Spirit very strong as I talked to him. We will meet with him tomorrow, i dont know if it will go anywhere but it was a huge reminder that the Lord's elect are all around me and if I am not paying a attention they will pass me by.

As i said, Cinthia was baptized and also Fernanda. They are already super integrated into the ward. Cinthia is already working on personal progress each night and Joalison told his sister that he would like to serve a mission. WOW! Fernanda lives in the countryside during the week but stays with Flavia (my recent convert) on the weekends. she is going to bring a bunch of her friends to church on sunday that live in the countryside.

Sunday Katia (my recent convert) bore testimony the first time. She bore testimony of how the gospel has changed her life. how it is true. and the Spirit was SO STRONG. I then thought of Cristiane (another rc) who during the past weeks has told me how she falls in love with the gospel everyday and how even though it is difficult she pays her tithing FIRST. Then I think about Flavia who faces all sorts of comments from her family about the church but as soon as i told her that we dont buy things on sunday...she stopped. And then I hear her testimony to another member about keeping the Sabbath day holy. Then I look at her children and how even they have changed, more obedient and helpful. Excited everytime we walk by there house, holding my hand as we walk to an activity at church. Then I think of Beto and Joalison and oscar being sustained to receive the aaronic priesthood. I think of my recent converts in SErgipe that changed my life and of Martas family in Arapiraca-after almost one year the father was baptized and they are working on going to the temple. It could have been any other missionary, and for many it would have been any other missionary who got to teach these people...but i still have this feeling so amazingly strong each time i think of these people that I love so much and as i see them KEEPING their baptismal covenants. My joy is full.

Read Alma 24-30. I feel like Amon as he witnessed the Anti Nefi lehites literally sacrificing everything to keep their covenants with God. That they didnt even fear death because their faith and hope in the resurrection and Christ was SO STRONG. I feel that happiness that he talks about. I never really understood it. I always admired Amon and Alma but right now i can relate. Can their really be a greater feeling than this? I can only think of when I will see my children living up to their covenants because of their choice to keep them and walk rightly before the Lord.

Amon felt like this in Alma 26:

15Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting adarkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting blight, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work.

16Therefore, let us aglory, yea, we will bglory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his cmercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

Alma too felt this (Alma 28):

10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember awhat the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me.

1 O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the atrump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!

2Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and acome unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth.

Want world peace? It is the gospel and I have seen it change the world or at least each one of these peoples worlds.

I know that this is the Lord's work. It is so very essential to bringing to pass his eternal purposes. If we dont do it, who will? I know that we are His chosen servants and that through the Spirit we can be tools in the Lord's hands to help these wonderful people accept the gospel. i know Christ lives and guides this church. I know God hears and answers our prayers. He is merciful and full of love. He wants to help us. But we, like the Anti Nefi leitas, MUST bury our arms of rebellion and strive to live what Christ taught us. These teachings are found through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it is true. It just is.

I love the scriptures. read these chapters in alma this week!

Proud as ever to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

Another week

2011-02-06T21:04:00.000-08:00

Another week has passed by! weird. I think I am finally getting a hang of this whole missionary work stuff. At least right now =). This week we had a lot more happiness and joy in the work. I dont know why but sometimes I get stressed or discouraged and then one thing builds on another and boom the adversary accomplished what he set out to do. This week wasnt so much like that. The discouraging moments werent all that discouraging, it is all about the reaction. Are we acting like disciples of Christ or are we reacting? As I was talking to a member that is a little "intense" or "hard" on other members I started thinking of Christ and how he would never ever make another person feel inadequate. Yes he corrects us. It will always be clear when we are doing what is right and when we are doing what is wrong...but that doesnt mean we need to purposely offend others or make them feel less than they are. I have learned a lot about humility and the importance of taking constructive criticism and also of giving this type of criticism in the most loving manner possible. i hope i never forget the importance of this type of communication.

We are working with Cinthia and Joalison. A brother and sister, 16 and 17. These are extraordinary individuals. For teenagers they have a lot more sense of direction than most. When we teach the commandments, word of wisdom the law of chastity they simply accept and explain why it is important and how the world would be different if people just kept the commandments.
Flavia's 15 year old sister is also preparing to be baptized. It is so interesting to see how happy this family is with the gospel. Fernanda is shy but is excited to be baptized.
We taught a lot of lessons this week that i felt like they were just really amazing conversations about life and God's plan for us. I love how the gospel can be such a natural part of my life that in my conversations it is the first topic i want to bring up. And how EVERYTHING relates back to the gospel. how cool is that.
Last week I went and visited Arapiraca with a few other missionaries. I spent five weeks there but I visited Marta's family, the first family that I baptized. This January her husband was finally baptized and they are working hard to go to the temple. amazing. It was so great to be in there home again. I was in there life for very small time but i feel so much love for that family.
I know that Christ is our Savior and each week here I am understanding better the gift of repentance and the miracle of forgiveness. Not only in my life but in the lives of those I teach. I see how Christ literally cures our broken hearts and helps us to change those horrible parts of us so that we can be more like him. I know this gospel is the way to perfection. I know that this work is essential. Out of the billions of people in the world that millions of problems, we have the solution. The gospel of Jesus Christ. It is amazing and it makes me me.
proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson

Deus é fiel‏

2011-01-20T21:47:00.000-08:00

hey family!
So this week will be short again...sorry.
This week we worked so hard but unfortunately it was a lot of legwork and not a lot of teaching. appointments falling through and a lot of frustration...but it is interesting how the Lord tries your patience. i learned how to not be so stressed when nothing is going right. To find happiness and reasons to be excited even when you are tired and YOU doesnt want to do anything. I love how the Lord will literally try us in EVERYTHING (Abraham 3:25) We worked hard and yesterday we were incredibly blessed. 9 people visited church!
Lucimar and Cicero again were their with their grandson anderson. We are trying to ehlp them prepare for marriage and baptism. They want so bad to be baptized but the other part is a little more tricky. They love the church. Lucimar even made the sacrament bread. She told us taht she has always been looking for a church that she can be active and have a calling, she found the right place!
The Sisters in the other ward gave us a reference from there contacts. We tried to find it but couldnt. i knocked on a door and a young woman directed me to the contact. i invited her to church she accepted and i told her we'd pass on our way. I passed at 230ish before church and she was washing clothes, she said after she was done she would go. the thought crossed my mind, "yeah ive heard that one before" after relief society i look behind me and there she is, Cherlane. How amazing is that? She really liked the church adn we will teach her tuesday.
This week I was lovingly burned by the scriptures. Amazing how the Lord speaks directly to us and explains to us how we must be better throught the scriptures. So many examples I cannot begin to explain but if you wanna be a better person read Richard G Scotts conference talk on faith and character. it will blow your mind. It was exactly what i needed to get excited for the afternoon filled with appointments, distances to walk, and the ridiculously hot maceio sun. it got me through the week and filled myheart with desire to be better.
I see how, as i follow the spirit and what i am learning in the scripture, I am progressing, Weaknesses before now are not a problem. The gospel brings a change in us. a continuous change for the better. i see how living it breathing is loving it changes me. it is a lengthly list of constant choices that make me more like my Savior and more willing to do what He asks of me. When I arrived here i noted the slogan in everyplace, businesses, car repair shops, churches: Deus é fiel. God is true or faithful. I never really reflected on it that much but as I study the atonement of Christ I understand a little bit more about this phrase and how i too can be "fiel" as I strive to make thousands of tiny small choices. Man I am so glad I have a perfect example to look up to!
I love you family thats the truth.
Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

Nordeste, eu te amo‏

2011-01-15T12:45:00.000-08:00

Minha amada família!
How is everyone? I got a lot of emails this week, if i dont have time to respond this week just wait for next week.
Another week flew by in the best mission in the world! WHOOOOOOEY. We are working so hard and we are focusing on using more the members here. Let me tell you it is a blast.
This week we found an amazing family. We were making visits with a member and she stopped to talk to one of the little boys she tutors. We took the chance to make a contact with his grandma Lucimar. She accepted our visit. We taught the first lesson to her and her 8 yr old Grandson, Anderson. She said that Sunday her and her husband were walking and wondering...of all these churches, which one is the true church? Tuesday they met us. She also told us about how she had a dream and saw one of the chapels with the plaque: A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias a few months back. Even before she had heard or seen this church. She finally saw this exact chapel a few weeks ago, everywhere she walked and went she always tried to pay attention as not to miss it. Wow.
We taught her husband Cicero Sunday, he loved it and the whole family showed up to church, EARLY and by themselves. In sacrament S. Lima gave Anderson a notecard to draw on...sacrament was always difficult for me as a child...but instead of drawing he started to write. When he was done i read what that incredibly intelligent eight year old wrote. To sides of a notecard about the war in heaven and our relationship with God as his children and how Satan tried to take all the glory for himself and how Anderson wants to always be a child of God and not a bandito that follows satan. HE IS EIGHT YEARS OLD! The whole family loved it. Lucimar said that in all the churches she has visited, she has never felt such a peace. I am really excited to continue to work with this family! They are amazing!
This was an answer to a prayer. The Lord is merciful and loving with me. Even when I am not the perfect missionary that I must be, he lets me have these faith strengthening experiences.
Sunday Beto received the Aaronic Priesthood. Him and Katia are planning on going to do baptisms in the temple this weekend. A few weeks back 12 year old Oscar also received the Priesthood. It is such an amazing feeling to see the progress of my recent converts. Maybe I dont have much to do with that progress but I love seeing these miracles. Thayrone made a bunch of visits with us. He is amazing I hope to have half the faith that young man has someday. Cristiane is taking temple prep classes and Flavia and her whole family are going every week. I see a difference each week that the gospel brings to these families...I am one blessed missionary to be able to see these differences.
I read a lot about prayer this week. An opportunity to make our will the Lords will and how Nephi prayed continualmente for his people. I have been lovingly burned. I recognize that we must take advantage of that special time to pray each morning and night and make it a time where I really pour out my heart and change myself.

So My time is coming to an end here on the mission. I am aware of it, but it doesnt seem so real. I get excited to see you my beloved family, but my heart is very attached to this place, these people, and this culture. I love northeast brasil with all of my heart might mind and strength. i love my Heavenly Father for giving me this amazing opportunity to learn from them and to love them. I am a better person because of it. I love this opportunity to teach these people about the one thing that makes me a better person, the gospel of Christ, His life and His example.

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

Happy NEW YEAR!‏

2011-01-03T22:59:00.000-08:00

Hey family!

So I am staying here with lima at least six more weeks! whooey! I might even finish off my mission here...we'll see...

As I was making my goals for this year i took a look at what I had written for last year. I sat and reflected upon what 2010 means to me. It was a year of incredible growth. Many challenging experiences-the whole sink or swim feeling-that have lead me to re-realize that Heavenly Father knows EXACTLY what He is doing.

I had forgotten that one of my goals was to learn to love. First how to love God with everything I have and then my family and then other people. I dont know how it changed. I didnt realize it when it happened. I think I always had a loving personality/nature....but my mission sure taught me how much i needed to better myself. I feel that this past year I have learned what it means to love people. It is more than to have a kind feeling towards another person and it is more than saying "te amo". It is a continuous process that is shown through action. Yes saying it is important...but words last seconds and are good to express something momentary...but what sticks in my mind and my heart is an example that was given or an act that changed my thought process and made me want to be better. All of my leaders and all of the people that I most admire-here and at home-express a deep and profound love for others through their example and through who they are. This year I have felt a change of heart. I am still very imperfect but one thing that these brasys have taught me is how to love and how to show it. Truly our example can shine light into lives filled with darkness and difficulty. 3 Nephi 12:16 Let your light so shine...

I started making goals: Spiritual, physical, intellectual, and goals to better my character. My mission has taught me a lot about the importance of goal setting but even better how to plan and carry out them to reach these goals. I am excited about the future and all that it brings...goals strengthen my faith in God because I know when I do my part he will do the rest.
Working during the holidays is rough here. But we found a family really amazing last night. Elizabete the wife was so welcoming to us. She loved the lesson and we felt the Spirit very strong. I was thinking of how much we teach. How often I teach the same principles and the same lessons...but it never is teh same. Every person has a different type of knowledge a different level of understanding. I love being able to meet someone and know exactly what I need to teach after talking to them for five minutes. Knowing which part of God's plan they are needing to understand in that moment. You would think that teaching the same thing over and over and over again would get old. And i must admit when I am not trying hard to listen to the Spirit...when its 90% me talking and not the Spirit it does get old...But I realize that there is something I can learn each time. Why do we go to church every sunday...the gospel doesn't change....but how is it that we can learn something new even after hearing the same lesson or reading the same scripture after the thousandth time? Because although the gospel does not change...we do. Thank goodness for that.
I am so grateful for the gift of repentance and for faith. For baptism and for the Spirit's active role in my life. I am grateful for a loving and PATIENT God that is their to help me Endure to the End. Who loves my rebellious spirit and knows exactly what experiences I need to change that about myself. I recognize that every difficult experience in the last year has brought me one step closer to God. I have learned that instead of wanting to call my sister or my bestfriend to talk about the challenges that im facing and my fears and my hopes and dreams, the first person I want to talk to is my Heavenly Father. I have learned to go to him first with all my desires and my disappointments and I have seen him lift me up and I have seen him chastise me and I have literally felt his love embrace me...I know God lives and that he loves me. He loves us.
Proud to be his servant, his daughter, and to wear this tag,
Sister Peterson

Christmas and ano novo!‏

2010-12-28T10:10:00.000-08:00

My amazing family,
Wow! what a week. Christmas was great. Talking to you all was AMAZING. I am just seeing how much the Lord is blessing me. How much he is blessing our family and how blessed i am to have such wonderful friends and family.
For Christmas a we and a few other missionaries sang christmas songs and brought toys for little kids at the hospital. I felt the pure love of Christ in every word I sang. I saw it enter into hearts of these families and men and women that are truly experiencing hard times. This was the best Christmas of my life I understand what Christmas means now. I think for the first time in my life. I served. I was more concerned about others than myself and what I was needing or what I was getting. I taught about what it means and I felt the Spirit testify that the small child who was born in a manger, the man that taught on the mount, and that same man who died on the cross truly is the Savior of the world. I felt it in every Christmas song I sang, in every prayer I offered, and in every testimony that I bore. Jesus truly is the Christ, Savior and Redeemer of the world.
I know that he lived a perfect life to show me the way. I know that through that example and his sacrifice I can be saved from all of the stupid little things (and big things) that keep me from becoming like my Father. I know that this is His work. I know that I have a perfect example of how to do this work through the scriptures. I know that the scriptures and words of living prophets are here to guide us in every situation. I love this work.
Sorry this is so short but i am happy and i love you all.
Happy new year this week!!
Proud to wear His name next to mine,
Sister Peterson

Paciencia‏

2010-12-19T23:49:00.000-08:00

Dear Family.
I have even less time this week. but i just want to send my love to everyone.
This week monique and Maiara were baptized. Monique, after many years of waiting was finally baptized. her mother and children that are already members were so happy. Another family a little more complete.
Maiara is a young woman that we worked with since I got here. she is a very special young lady and teaching her was a blast.
This week was tough. Lots of walking and appointments falling through. But the Lord knows best and what we need. When i started to get a little down one of the most inspired men i know, Bispo Messias(Bishop) called us and said, "Thank you so much for what you are doing here in this ward. I visited Flavia and Cristiane (two of my recent converts) and my testimony has been strengthened." He excitingly told us of their progress and how our work is really making a difference. I want to be just like Bispo Messias when I grow up. Truly it was a wonderful encouragement not only from him but from the Lord. I know he is happy with our work. I am learning patience and faith. Reacting without complaining or questioning why. its hard sometimes. The sun is so hot and my legs hurt but the reward is so worth it. I really love working. I have never really appreciated the benefits of hard work but i am learning here.
This week we are working with flavias three kids. Paula (9), Fabiula (11) and Felipe (13). These kids are so special. I am so excited to teach them even more. Especially when they share their simple testimonies with me.
Yesterday i felt like a mom. Flavia brought all her kids and a neighbor kid and her nephew. 6 in all. so i sat on a pew with three rowdy boys 8 and under. Man i loved it. Her nephew Darlan has been coming to church every week for the past month. He wants so bad to be baptized....we will see. We have tried to get his mom to church but she always has something come up. But that little boy has a testimony like a rock. I heard him explaining to a five year old about the sacrament, "and right now we need to eat this bread and think about Jesus. Its Jesus Bread." Then the rowdy fiveyear old replied in a loud voice, "I want somemore Jesus Bread." haha. we are working hard to get his parents to go too!
welli loveyou all,
proud to wear thge tag,
Sister Peterson

Coca Cola

2010-11-23T07:46:00.000-08:00

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!

CASAMENTO‏

2010-11-19T21:47:00.001-08:00

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

2010-11-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

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

I still love aeroclube‏

2010-11-01T21:39:00.001-07:00

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

aeroclube=paradise‏

2010-10-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Dear family,

I have a new area a new companion and I haven't been so excited since i arrived on the mission. Wow the ward is Aeroclube.

My companion is Sister Nigri from São Paulo. She is amazing, I always love learning new things, new styles of teaching, and having new opportunities to serve when companions change. The Lord has truly blessed me to have amazing companions.

WOW. AEROCLUBE=PARADISE. I love this ward. They truly understand that you dont need a missionary tag to share the gospel. I feel how excited the leaders and members are for the work and it compels me to be better to strive to always be worthy and give my best. Not that I wouldn't before but it is a very conscious thing for me. Many of the leaders here are the type of member I want to be in a few months when I no longer have this sacred call to serve full time. The Bishop the first day we ate lunch with us he was telling us everything about the area the leadership and his attitudes toward this work. WOW. I almost cried. The way he talks to and about the people in this ward is inspiring. He makes every single person he talks to feel like they are someone crucially important and of great worth. I want to be like this because the truth is, every single person is crucially important and of great worth.

This ward is a miracle.

Last night we visited a less active couple. They have been less active for a long time, but when they frequented church they were very very involved. The husband told us of his call as president of the young mens program, how he gave everything he could to rescue those young men from the world, drugs, problems of life in general. He told us that in the many years he served a few of them passed away and I felt the sadness in his voice. His wife also was very active as presidente of the RS she loved to serve. As often occurs, they were offended by a few things that happened 10 years ago and never let it go. As I and my companion talked to them and shared a message and our testimonies with them I saw the same light in there eyes that they has as they talked about there old calls when they were active. I shared Helaman a5:12 and they cited the scripture. We challenged them to go to church next Sunday, the husband accepted and also accepted the challenge to prepare a family for us to teach. Wow. I really felt the spirit testifying that the time had come, in fact the husband said that we came at just the right time...I know how difficult it is sometimes when the vision and trust people have in leaders is broken. It is very hard to accept the faults of others sometimes, but I know that it is possible to forgive and move on and this is a goal that we have to help this family back to the path.

God hears and answers our prayers. He knows each one of His children personally and He has provided an amazing plan of happiness for us to progress through the example and sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that it is in and through His atonement that we can be made whole that we can be cured from our sins, our weaknesses, our sorrows, and our enfirmidades. I know the Savior loves us and I am incredibly indebt because of the love that He has shown for me and because of the love He has enabled me to feel for people that in any other situation I never would have had the opportunity to meet. What a blessing it is to know the truths of the gospel and to be a means of which many can receive this message.

sorry so short, i dont have much time today but i will attend to the rest of the emails i received next week!

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

OLÁ FAMÍLIA!

2010-10-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

How is everyone doing? Congratulations to James and Kristi on the new baby, I LOVE THE NAME! Paizley so cute.
Well my dear family i have news. Incomplete news but news all the same. Transfers. I am going to Maceió. I leave 630 from my new found home, beloved Sergipe. I am ready for this next part of my adventure a new area new companion but man Aracaju has a big part of my heart. The part that is incomplete is I dont know which area or who is my companion. Transfers are a little bit different now. We find out if we are transfered Saturday night and Tuesday morning those who are transfered have a training meeting with papai Beynon and there we learn who our new companions are. Good news is I dont have to travel only with Elders. Because we are the only sisters in Sergipe Campos will go to pick up her new companion there in Macieó. We were expecting the change, but she still cried a lot that I am leaving. I truly have a black sister from Vitoria, Espirito Santo. I would never know so many wonderful people who have changed my life if not for my mission. I am in love with my mission. Fim.
This last week I prayed for Heavenly Father to open my eyes to see miracles each day. My eyes have been opened.
This week we taught a woman who was almost baptized a few years ago. When she started talking to us, she explained a few situations in which when she was offended by others she 1) threatened to beat them up and 2) would hold a grudge against that person for a very very long time. The first thoughts were, this woman is very ignorant and no no, she won't change. I had to chastise myself a little bit. I listened intently and prayed for the Lord to show us what we needed to teach her to help her situation. The thought, the two greatest commandments: Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and love thy neighbor as thyself. I also told a story that was spoken about a few conferences ago, a woman who had suffered greatly in a concentration camp and forgave one of the guards who worked there and had caused a lot of pain for her and her family. The spirit was super strong and I felt Heavenly Father's love for this woman. She said that she would try very hard not to be so nervous with other people and to forgive a member of the church that she said before, "Forgiveness doesn't exist between us." This was a miracle, a woman raised in a certain form with traditions of this type of behavior for over 22 years, at least thinking about changing this type of behavior.
Klisleide, someone that I taught with Zorzo my first transfer here was finally given consent from her parents, or rather support, to be baptized two weeks ago. Yesterday she bore powerful testimony in front of the congregation. A young woman incredibly shy, was not afraid to share what she knows. She also thanked me for teaching her and helping her to get to know the gospel. I'm not one to cry, but tears started falling from my eyes. I am so grateful for the time I have had in this wonderful area and for the opportunity to see the fruits of this work here.
A few other members from the ward came up to me and thanked me or said a few things about me in their testimonies. I bore testimony and told them how the Savior had given me a little bit more of the understanding of the type of love He has for them. That His love is real and can heal us and make us whole. Six months is a long time. This feels like home to me. I don't care if they forget my name, I just hope they remember that galéga who loved them.
Saturday Josués baptism was all planned we just had to confirm a few things with him. The first thing he said was i have good news and bad news. The bad news, Im not getting baptized. My heart stopped and i felt tears filling up the tear ducts in my eyes. Then he said the good news is i am lying. I almost had a heart attack! The baptism was really good. The ward mission leader was a little awkward but other than that the Spírit was there and I was very happy. Sunday I looked around and saw that although a few of the people I had the priviledge of teaching and baptizing have moved or have stopped coming, a majority of them were there. I was so happy to see how giseli Isabel and josue are very involved in Seminary. Klisleide is a rockstar. Edivaldo received the Priesthood this week. And Diana that adorable little girl has as firm a resolve as every to go to church. I love these people.I am leaving and the likelihood that i will see them much after this is slim, but the memories i have will last forever.
So next week i will tell you all about my new comp and area. I love you all be safe and do what is right. Go to the temple if possible. If you cant go prepare to go. MAn i miss the temple.
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson

ps. happy birthday Jordan this last week and owen this week!!!

whoa! Graças damos O Deus por um Profeta‏

2010-10-11T03:23:00.001-07:00

whoa.

that is all i can say. that and the church is true.

Conference started with Holland and he basically gave thanks to everyone and everything. i sat there thinking, man am i ingrateful or what. I started thinking of all the amazing people in my life that I need to give thanks to. the list is pretty long. Then Presidente Monson came in with his talk on gratitude. hmm ya think maybe Heavenly Father is trying to say something...? Pres. monson talked about the disciples of Christ who when he wanted to feed the people with few loaves and fish, they only saw what was lacking. We too do this. He talked about gratitude as a divine principle and how optimism is an effect of gratitude. he quoted someone i dont remember but said that we as human beings have an imminent capacity to take things for granted. This is one thing that i need to work on. lately i have studied a lot about humility...gratitude is a sign of the truly humble.

a few other highlights,

if you dont teach your children about the world, the world will teach them.

14 fundamentals to follow the prophet (Wow)

"good question lets go to the handbook" importance of studying dilligently the 'words of life'

life offers two gifts. time and the freedom to choose what to do with that time-five elements of a consacrated life. wow.

simplify. when you have a hard time in life, slow down go back to the basics, natures reaction to slow down while ours is to try to speed up.

the moral light of our doctrine can be a beacon unto the world.

when we always remember Him, He can stand with us in all things and in all places.

Temple mirrors look through eternity.

the principles and laws of the gospel cannot and WILL NOT change

the importance of both the priesthood line of revelation and the personal line of revelation, balanced.

The activities in the church are not a bunch of things to do on a lengthy spiritual checklists but are directed to help us better receive the Holy Ghost in our lives.

Responsibility of parents and early intervention (que susto!)

Responsibility of parents to support one another

-let me just say i have seen and helped many families, the world would be a better place if men and women areound the world would literally put their spouses in the first places before other relationships

--Deiter F Uchtdorf showed us. 1st God, 2nd our family, 3rd our fellowmen and 4th our relationship with ourselves.

there are countles other messages but it is sufficient to say that i have been reminded a lot about my purpose and "what i am doing with His name" what a spiritual reload.

Yesterday klisleide was baptized. five months of praying and finally. i was so very incredibly happy.

well i love you all be happy. Please endure to the end. and endure it well.

proud to wear His sacred name next to mine,

Sister Peterson

PS happy birthday this past week drewy! i love you.

im almost trilingual.‏

2010-10-09T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hey family,
This week not a lot happened. Just work as usual. I am starting to feel the pull of six months in one area, or maybe it is one year on the mission. But it has been a big blessing with all these amazing experiences i am having here with amazing people. Sergipe will always be a huge part of my heart.
This week we were preparing to baptize Josue. He is the teenager who we have been teaching, he received a very strong and personal testimony when he prayed a few weeks back. His mom tried talking him out of his baptism a lot she thinks it is too soon etc. He said "i thought about desisting a lot, but everytime I thought about not being baptized I felt a horrible feeling." Basically we are watching him as he learns how to identify the spirit. It is simple but amazing.
Also, we baptized a man this week. The thought came "this is Heavenly Father's child" as he was baptized. I feel so blessed to have taught him and to help him through this change in his life. The baptism was great.
I read in Helaman 5 this week. WOW! it is a story that we have hear, Nephi and his bro lehi literally tire of the wickedness of the people so they go out to teach. They are thrown in prison, starve and are mistreated. When the Lamanites go to kill them, Nephi and lehi are encircled by a pillar of fire a thick cloud. I was reading how 1 Heavenly Father loves His children so much that He will give them every chance to have a real converting experience (read about Aminadabe -dont know in english v.35-42-a dissenter of the Nephites who had once belonged to the church. Watch how God uses this man that had rebelled against the truth to have a chance to remember repent and to help others) 2 how a testimony is not a result of miracles. First we learn a concept and we must exercise faith, then after our faith comes the consequences, one of which is the Spirit testifying., miracles are a consequence of faith.
I have seen that in my work here. i have felt Heavenly Father helping me and directing me. encouraging me and reminding me. WHEN i follow what is said I see miracles.
yesterday we ate lunch with a less active family. I started talking to the husband, one of the hardest workers ive met (literally when housebuilders wouldnt allow him to work in construction because he lacked experience, he went everyday to a different site to watch and learn from different companies. and then after he built his own house) I came to understand why he hasnt been going to church. As in most situations, he was offended, but when i asked him if he was preparing to go to the temple he said, bishop is always telling me i need to prepare. The thought entered in mymind and i voiced it, "do you know why you need to go?" he said no, that everyone just said ya have to go and wont tell him anything about it. We taught parts of the plan of salvation. I am convinced that in most situations like this there is a common lack of understanding. The theme of my mission, "true doctrine UNDERSTOOD changes behavior." fim.
Klisleide will be baptized this week.

So i had bishop bring copies of the BOM in Spanish and german. i understand everything in Spanish!!!! WHOO! but almost nothing in German. I love studying languages with the Book of Mormon.
proud to wear the tag,

sister peterson

maré‏

2010-09-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Sunday. We were walking to Soledade, which is about a 30-40 minute walk from our house. In between has a lot of Maré-It is like a lake, or more like a bunch of pools that the ocean deposits into.they are shallow and at some points in the day they are dry others they are full. These marés are where people fish for crabs. Well inbetween these pools are pathways. If we cut through the maré it cuts about 15 minutes out of our walk. So yesterday I decided to walk through the maré. Unfortunately in one part the fishermen had been digging in the mudd and threw all the mud on the pathway and they made a very small pathway of mud that is a little bit closer to the water. I was walking and when i came to this part i decided to go. Unfortunately my shoes, after one year of walking a ton have zero traction. maybe it means that i should buy new ones but i only have 6 months left...anyway because i have no traction when i walk on a muddy pathway i slip. And that is exactly what happened. I slipped and i got mud on my arm but decided to keep on going to our appt. I slipped again, this time my skirt was a little dirty and my entire arm was covered in mud. There was a bunch of people on the hill next to us having a party and they started laughing at me. But i was determined. two more steps and amidst the constant laughing of Campos...I fell completely in the Maré. my skirt and the bag on my back was completely SOAKED and i got scared because crabs live in there. So i was covered in nasty mudwater. We started walking home. One of my recent converts was walking with her friends and stopped to talk to/laugh at me and i invited her friends to church and to hear alesson. Campos, still laughing, then said sister dont make anymore contacts because when you stop mosquitos start to accumulate around your head and body. We walked home, but on the way the wife of the Bishop stopped me and asked what happened. Her reaction was this,"Go Home! Go home and take a shower. Wash with soap three times the maré is full of filthy water and feces." I sware there were more people on the way home than normal, and it was a 20 minute walk. Life is an adventure with Sister Peterson.
Other than that...this week has been a week of miracles.
first Josue,

Two transferencias back I made a contact with a 16 year old boy Josue. I remember the thought in my head in the contact that I was there to baptize him. This doesnt happen a lot so it surprised me. I visited him with S. Souza and through him we found his cousin who was less active but after that day started going back to church. Josue listened to our message but had the way he asked questions it was easy to see that he looked at commandments as something that would hold him back. He was very resistant. Josue never went to church and it seemed like he was always running away from us. I put away the thought in my head that i was there to baptize him thinking it was just in my head. Well this transfer we invited him to an activity. After that activity he had questions. We retaught him the first lesson and he said he would go to church. He didnt go to church that week because his cousin didnt go, but when we visited him he also hadnt prayed because he wanted to go to church before he prayed. We didnt understand his logic but convinced him to pray that night. The next visit we talked to him. He said he had prayed and after he started crying and couldnt stop. He said that he literally felt someone listening to his prayers. He knows the church is true. All the hesitance that he had before is gone. He will be baptized this next week. I know that I was sent here to help him. Before this experience I had never had an experience following up with someone who had a response so clear and so ready. Usually they gain their testimony through a visit to the church or how they feel during the lesson. I prayed a few days before Josue had this experience that I could find someone who truly felt a response to their prayer. Maybe I ask for too much, but Heavenly Father is willing to show me these miracles even when I dont desrve them.
Klisleide, we are still getting ready for her baptism. I was help her too. She is already giving us references. That reminds me. PLEASE give the missionaries references. This work is so hard without references. Im serious. You have friends that arent members, at least invite them to meet with the missionaries!
Edivaldo, a reference from a member, I wasnt feeling that much of a connection with him until this week. Wow. He told us a few situations in his life. I am glad that his friend was looking for missionary opportunities because this information, the church entered into his life at just the right moment. If not, he might not be here today. He has seen and felt the difference the gospel has made in his life. He is a child of God, and HEavenly Father truly prepared a way that Edivaldo could find help. He will be baptized this week.
This week I missed mom. I have never been a person that felt super homesick or anything like that but I was thinking about a lot of the amazing attributes that mom has. One thing I was remembering of how she smiles when someone, a friend, a family member, someone on the television succeeds in something. It is the cutest thing how mom gets so happy and her countenance brightens when other people are happy. This is one thing I hope I can inherit or at least develop from my mama. Thank you mom for being you. You are a miracle in my life.
oh ps family there is a blog for the ward that i am serving in:
alasoledade.blogspot.com
it has a photo of me. haha i guess only jerry will understand what they say. but go and look!
So yeah, I love me job, it is hard, super hard sometimes, but it is the best thing that i could do. i will never regret this choice to serve.

Proud to wear this tag, to represent my Savior and my family,

Sister Peterson

whoot whoot

2010-09-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Family

So Campos and I are staying here in Sergipe. Can you believe it. I will stay here for 6 months. I love Sergipe. Truly I feel like I am Sergipana.

I dont have a ton of time so I will be brief with the news.

1st: KLISLEIDE WILL BE BAPTIZED!!! Finally her parents will let her! I almost cried. Heavenly Father is so good to let me stay one more so I could at least be a part of her baptism. Klisleide truly is a miracle in my missoin and I am so grateful to be a part of her conversion in the church.

We received a few referalls! for every 140 people we contact the likelihood is 1 person will be baptized (stats of our mish) but for every 2 referals that is one baptism. The problem is that its easier said than done... Edivaldo. A 30 year old man who truly needs the gospel. His life is a bit of a sad story but I know we are here to help him change that. He has been to church twice and has a baptismal date.

This week was very difficult for me. Heavenly Father helped me "acordar do sonho da morte." I realized that my prayers were not as sincere as they need to be. That I have not been as sincere as I need to be. I realized that really I could give a whole lot more than I was giving. This fact kills me. My companion shared a message in one of our lessons about the Good samaritan that I hadnt thought about. In our lives we are often the Israelite. Broken and beaten spiritually by the wayside. But Christ, he comes through and has "compassion on us." Through His sacrifce-symbolically the oil to ease the pain and the wine to purify the wonds-He cleans and treats our wounds. Through His blood we are healed. As the samaritan payed for the innkeeper to care for the Israelite, Christ already payed and promises to always pay the rest. Truly the Atonement is the center of our religion. I am realizing how short amount of time I have to be a missionary. I am not perfect but I know I can be perfected through my Savior. Through His sacrifice I am made whole. I know He lives an that He loves me. I know that I love Him too.

Honored to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

PS Happy Birthday LINDSEY!!! I love you!

Hey family!

2010-08-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

Hey family!

So this week I dont have a ton of time so i will just relate a few things with you all.

Last transfer we would always see a girl, Isabel and talk to her. We always invited her to church but she always ran away from us on Sundays. We even taught her the first lesson and she told us that she wouldnt pray. Well we had an activity with less active memebers, recent converts, and investigators. We watched Charly. This movie literally shows a change of heart as one prepares for baptism. Not only in the thought process but the standard of dress, and the way we look at life. It also shows the importance of faith and how families can be together forever. As we were walking to the members house for this activity we saw her and invited her. She went. She watched and after she had a lot of questions. We went to her house and asked her if she had seen a Book of Mormon before, she had already gotten one when she went to church. She said she had prayed and already knew that the church and the Book of Morman are true. We taught the third lesson, the principles of the gospel. She accepted baptism. I know how important it was for us to keep trying with her. Everytime we saw her we invited her. Even after she said no time after time. But when she really had an understanding that our church is different and what we really believe it helped her to have a change of heart. It helped her to prepare. I love Charly.

We had conference this week. Man I love Presidente Beynon. He is one of the most loving and patient people that I know. He has over 130 missionaries to take care of and i dont have doubts that every single one of them could call him there second father. I was sufficiently reminded of the things that I need to improve and also learned a ton of stuff that I am putting in practice in my area.

Last night I ate dinner at a members house, she made dinner for an Elder who is leaving this week. His parents were there. The first Americans that arent missionaries that I have seen in a real real long time. They were really great people but I think I forgot a few things about our culture. It kind of scares me. The Elder, Elder Holmes was my very first district leader when i arrived. He was such a great leader for me. It is crazy to think that he is no longer a missionary here. I felt that sick panicked feeling that I get at every month marker and my brain feels the urgent, your time is running out. é ta pega está acabando!

But we have two baptisms this week, Isabel and Fernanda. It is going to be great. This may be my last week here in Soledade, I hope not but after three transfers it is very possible =(. Sorry My email is not super inspiring or interesting this week.

Just know that God loves us. This is His church. It is perfect. I study for AT LEAST 2 hours everyday, usually 3 and the more i study the more i feel the spirit telling me that THIS IS IT. That God has a plan and that it all has to do with that Perfect man that CHOSE to give it all for us. I know Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know it. I know that through His life and His works we also can be eternally Happy. We can overcome our weaknesses, our pains, and our sorrows. We can become like Him and our Father.

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

biblebashing‏

2010-08-22T21:24:00.003-07:00

I have already given a few descriptions of the Northeast and I am sure you have all had a picture of amazing people in an amazing place. Here is one more visual.

We were knocking doors last night. A man and his wife invited us in. We start talking to the man, Damion, and we learn that he pretty much has the Bible memorized. He says that he left his church because they dont believe in tithing and he knows it is a commandment. So we start teaching....and teaching turns into a biblebash. A lot of biblebashing. a biblebash that is a little more tranquil than most but yeah it was a biblebash. i know there is absolutely no point to biblebashing but it happened and dont worry, i have already repented. When we finally got through the first lesson his wife started to make dinner and we continued to talk about beliefs. I was born in the church so i really dont know how the minds of "crentes" or evangelicals work. Sister Campos is a convert and i always ask her why they believe this and this and this. Well i listened to Damion explain his interpretation. Man I am so grateful that we have modern revelation. At the end of all this they both insisted on feeding us dinner. Yeah what i am saying is here in the northeast you can biblebash and leave with dinner. I couldnt help but laugh. And i got a little bit better point of view of another religion.

Also we have been teaching Ingrid and Wagner. We went back to see if they prayed and got a response. When we got there Ingrid was a little closed with us and they said they couldnt go to church this sunday because they were going to baptize there 3 year old in the Catholic Church. SILENCE. The first thing that popped in my mind was Moroni 8. But i thought man I dont want to burn them. Sister Campos was trying to think of a scripture and again i couldnt think of anything else. Heavenly Father truly wanted me to use it. So i just went with it. I read what it said about infant baptism and I explained every detail. That literally children are alive in Christ. That His atonement covers them. They are not subject to sin. There countenances changed. Yes i was sitting there, literally calling them to repentance or at least a recognition of the sin in baptizing children, but it also gave us an excellent opportunity to explain HOW we know these things. Because literally we have a connection with God, a prophet, modern revelation. We dont have to rely on our limited visions and ideas of how the world works or should be-WE KNOW HOW IT WORKS AND HOW IT SHOULD BE.

This week we had an activity/family home evening with recent converts and less active youth. We watched charly. Man i love that movie. As you watch the changes in that Girls life you see that living the gospel and keeping the commandments really is what leads us to happiness. Then you see the importance of living that way to lead you to the temple. That families CAN BE eternal. Death means nothing when you have made sacred covenants with God. A covenant is a promise we make with God. We promise to keep the commandments and do what he asks. He promises us an eternity of happiness. AMAZING.

This week all of these experiences have lead me to realize how INCREDIBLY gratefull I am for the plan of Salvation. For the gospel in my life. We also taught Fernanda, a 21 year old woman whowill be baptized this week, the plan of Salvation. The day before a good friend died. I saw how this knowledge opened her mind and consoled her heart. I was thinking, one day i will be a mãe. I cant imagine not being able to respond to my children when they ask: where do we come from? Or why are we here. or what happens after death. It kills me to think that so many people are looking for these answers but are lost because they dont know where to go to find the truth. I think a lot about one day i will be a mom. Really i will be so responsible to teach my kids about these things. I read in Alma 37 this week. That chapter is like my patriarchal blessing. I will use that so much as a standard of what and how i will teach my kids. Alma is myhero. He burns people with love and with urgency. what a gift.

Damion-the man we biblebashed with-tried to discredit my beliefs, the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. I told him that he could never say that they werent true because I had prayed and I received an answer. Who am I to lie against what God has given me? As Joseph Smith said, "who am I that I can withstand God... I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not edeny it." He then said, "I cannot say anything to that, if you received a response that you think is from God, I cant say anything else." The strongest weapon we have is our testimony. Beautiful and perfect.

Basically this week was great. I love sergipe i love my life. I love brasil and I cant believe that it is going by so fast. This is the only time in my life that i can do this amazing work and have this amazing authority. The gospel is true.

proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

another week....

2010-08-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

First:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO LINDSEY PAULINE and MEGAN CHRISTINE. two people that I dont remember life without. Man i love you girls, happy birthday!

also happy birhtday to one of the coolest kids i know, Zachary!

This week we worked a ton a ton a ton and... a lot of appointments fell through and fell through and fell through. I guess that is the work. sometimes its feast and other times it is famine. However, I have been partying with my brasy black sister and it has been an adventure let me tell you. I love sister Campos she reminds me so much of Lindsey all the time super pretty and stylish and hilarious. Also she is a rad missionary that i hope to be more like.

This week I got pretty tired pretty fast of all of our appointments falling through. I decided that maybe we need to change up our contacts. I met a crazy old man (crazy in a sense that he is really happy funny and talks a lot) Bonafacio. He told me that he already knew me, kind of, because he lives in the apartments in front of our house. He asked me where Souza went and for a second I was a little creeped out but I told him straight up that I was sent here to baptize him. He said absolutely and we marked an appointment. We went to his house last night and taught him his wife and his kids. He already has studied a lot about the bible and other religions but he said he learned a lot and that he really liked the lesson and that he would pray. Also when he receives an answer he will be baptized. His family is really amazing, receptive, and they were all very interested. They talked about how they always saw us from the window every day for the past 8 months or so and that we conduct ourselves in a good manner. I always knew people look at us different, authorized representatives of Christ, but in this case I am so grateful that we and the sisters before us left a good impression so this family can see who we really are.

We taught a bunch of power lessons this week. Yeah ten months of teaching the same thing very well COULD get old and repetative...but I have made it my goal to not let it. To let the Spirit speak through us and to listen with every thing i can so that i can adapt each lesson to each person. Plus i love my comp and we are a good team-the spirit flourishes in this type of environment.

So I taught my first every agnostic person. Here is like Utah and being a member of the church. Everyone believes in Christ. Yes they have a TON of messed up doctrine and lack of understanding but if these people know one thing, they know that Christ lives. Well this man, Wellington, was raised catholic but feels that God is some force that doesnt have any hand in our lives. I made the contact with him and we taught the plan of salvation. He said it makes sense to him but it is hard for him to really believe it all. So i told him to do an expirament. To pray. I said that he had absolutely nothing to lose and that I had certeza that he would feel something, the love God has for His son. He accepted this expirament. we meet with him tonight to see how it goes. I kept thinking of Alma 32 comparing FAith to a seed

28 Now, we will compare the word unto a aseed. Now, if ye give place, that a bseed may be planted in your cheart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed, if ye do not cast it out by your dunbelief, that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to eenlighten my funderstanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me.

that is all he needs to do. if he is ready and prepared he will now the truth. I know God's love for His children. I have felt it...i want so bad for everyone else to feel it too. He has an open mind and a good heart i know that it will work out. It always does.

So this week we had planned to baptize Marcio but some unexpected financial situations came up. Man i was so stressed out...but then he called and explained everything. I could literally feel the sincerity and sadness in his voice for not being able to be baptized. BUT this week we are there. Pray that nothing comes up and pray for Wellington and the family of Bonafacio!

well i love you all!

proud to wear the tag,

Siser peterson

my comp=awesome‏

2010-08-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

hello family!
I love Sister Campos. I have found my Brasilian sister. I am almost positive that we were bestfriends in the pre mortal life. She is the best ever. This week has been a festa and we worked a ton! She is teaching me a bunch of idiomatic phrases and we are always dancing and singing. I have never been so joyful and me on the mission as i am now. Coolest brazy ever.

On pday we can watch disney cartoons. We sat there comparing the events in the movie to the gospel. One thing that i like to do is look at the simples things in life and then realize how EVERYTHING is a symbol. Literally to the degeneration of cells to a disney movie. Harry Potter and the book the little Prince. LOOK AT THE HUMAN BODY. how is everything so perfect and such a reminder of our purpose. Where we come from why we are here where are we going and how do we get there. The Atonement is in everything. I love the gospel it is my passion.
This week the man de poder that I have been talking about the last few weeks, Marcio, will be baptized this saturday! We vistited him saturday night and I asked him if we could do anything to help him out. He said that we had already done so much and then told us the story. For the past year or so His life has been very difficult. Before he had a family, a good job, a house and a car. Now he is living alone and just found work a few months ago. He said that the night before I made the contact with him he was praying to Heavnely Father to help him change his life. The next day he explained for S. Campos that he was sitting there drinking beer when imade the contact. He explained again how it wasnt by accident and that his life has already changed so much. I know God lead me to him, literally put Marcio in my path. He needed us. I love this work.
We taught him the plan of salvation. I love when people hear it and it clicks. oh yeah that makes sense. IT IS SOOOOOOOOOOOO PERFECT.
This week i was knocking doors and we starting talking to a man. I dont remember exactly what we talked about but somehow we marked a date to teach him and ended up with a cd she forro-a popular dance and music of the northeast. People love to give stuff. what a great culture.
sorrrry i dont have alot to tell this week but know that i love you all and i am happy as can be. HAPPY BIRTHDAY to elisa uncle brent and aunt jeane and everyone that i have forgot!

proud to wear the tag

Sister Peterson

Gata garota‏

2010-07-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

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

Untitled

2010-07-17T23:26:00.000-07:00

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.

I am a missionary‏

2010-07-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

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

São Pedro‏

2010-07-06T22:57:00.000-07:00

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

today is hump day apparently.‏

2010-06-22T23:18:00.000-07:00

hump day is the missionary linguagem for exactly half way through your mission. the peak the top. Today is that day. How did that happen? I am thinking of a song by Jack Johnson where he talks about life as a train. He says "The people on the steet that I'll never get to meet if these tracks dont bend somehow... i need this old train to breakdown." That is my feeling exactly.
I remember in the MTC one elder gave a talk about when missionaries approach the "hump" they have two options: to jump or to slump. I have served with dead missionaries. My fear is to become one. My will is to jump. This work is just too important.
This week we worked with Marta and Ailton a lot. Guess what they are golden. They are both PUMPED to be baptized...the only problem is that they need to get married. I will never understand why it takes a million years to get divorced here...but that isnt going to get us down. They both have felt the Spirit confirm that the gospel is true, Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. When we teach I know that they probably dont understand EVERYTHING but I know that they FEEL it is true. We are working on marrying them and baptizing them this transfer!
We also met Sonia. A cute little old lady with a haircut just like moms. She is hilarious. She always tells us that her dream is too "evangelize" like we do. She has felt the truth of the first vision and is reading the Book of Mormon. Sunday she is going to church with us. i am excited.
Oh we got a new Missionary Leader in the ward and HE IS AWESOME. He is always making visits with us and is so excited to get the members mroe involved.
Guess what l of these things that i am talking about are 1. A result of the goodness nd love of God and 2. a lot of prayer and fasting. I dont think i really understood the principle of fasting until my mission. in fact i dont think i truly understood anything before my mission. I am recognizing these days how vital the Spirit is. I feel His guidance at all times. I recognize exactly the moment when He leaves and how horrible i feel without Him. I feel the Spirit guiding this work. I am constantly reminded how this is not my work, but the Lord's and that this time is sacred. SO INCREDIBLY sacred.
I love my companion. Siser Souza will be leaving with Murbaki and Cataca in August. I am so grateful for my companions for the things that i have learned. Sister Souza has taught me so many things in the one week we have been together. One thing specifically is the importance of contacts. I got into the lazy habit of inviting people to church and asking if we could share a message. It was the same thing everytime. She has taught me the difference between that and giving someone every opportunity to feel the Spirit that is with us and to think about WHY some foreign girl with green eyes and light brown hair is asking them to church. To make contacts with meaning. To let them know that YES there exists one true church on the earth that has ALLLL the truth not just some of it. That uided by a prophet and that has the AUTHORITY to baptize people not just someone saying oh yeah i studied the bible i know what i am doing. God's work is not a mess but is orderly and perfect. So i am relearning how to do contacts and we are finding.
So the lanuage, still butcher it. This week i almost cried. I went to make a contact and i tried explaining as clearly as i could to a man about the gospel. He said he didnt understand i walked away in tears almost. We went and taught Marta and Ailton, people that dont have a lot of educational experience. They listen to me. They try to understand. Like Klisleide they think about the words i am saying and not how i say it. They feel what they dont understand. Maybe I will never speak perfectly, or i will always have this accent, but maybe this is just another tool to weed out the people who arent ready and to find those who are truly searching.
As presidente says we are "buscadores de perolas" Searchers of pearls. Not every oyster has developed a pearl yet, we need to find those who already have one. Some people arent quite ready yet, but it is a process really to make that pearl, to be ready for a change in your life so big and so wonderful... i know God has a lot prepared for this galega to find. I have nine months, thats it. I will find them.
Proud to wear the tag,

Sister J Peterson

Crazy by night‏

2010-06-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

So one of my favorite things in the world is when brasillieros try to speak english or say things in english. all transfer S. Zorzo would say, Yeah baby yeah. yes...no...maybe., and YOU ARE CRAZY. well my new companion arrived yesterday, Sister Souza and she likes to say CRAZY BY NIGHT. I dont get it but it cracks me up anyways.

So this week was great and heartbreaking. Great because two people we worked with a TON this transfer were baptized Saturday, Gisele a 15 year old that is very mature for her age and Macssuel, in short i would say he is a brasilleiro version of Huckleberry Finn. I love baptisms, the spirit is always very strong and it is always a great feeling to see people take that first step towards eternal happiness.

Heartbreaking because, as we expected, Klisleides mom showed up on our doorstep again about 2 hours before her baptism was scheduled. She wanted us to make up an excuse to tell klisleide for why she couldnt be baptized. Well there is absolutely no reason this girl should NOT be baptized. Probably one of the most solid and excited people ihave taught in my whole mission. We explained that we respect her wishes, but that she needs to talk to her daughter if she is against the baptism that our role is not to lie or invent excuses. She called off the baptism. Klisleide came to talk to us, her heartbroken. She said that one day she will be baptized for sure just not now. This is on the list of things not to do to your kids. I was feeling so sad for her. But she will continue to go to church and learning, she just has to wait until her parents consent or until july when she will be old enough.

Sunday when Giseli was confirmed, i could tell what klisleide was feeling because the look on her face. I wanted to bad to help her to make her feel better but words cant really cut it. Then the picture of my little sister lindsey popped into my head. For the first time i realized that their stories are very similiar. Two rockstars that could be baptized at any moment if their parents agreed with it. I showed her picture to klisleide and explained how Lindsey also has been waiting to be baptized for awhile also. Klisleide smiled and was excited to see the pictures i have of my family. I wish i had more...hint hint...but i know that my little sisters example did and will continue to help klisleide.

So i carry around the pictures of my family to show everyone because everyone thinks americans are so beautiful and always ask about my family. When i show them it is always the same. oh! tão linda sua familia! oh how beautiful your family is. and then olha, eles são gordos! look how fat they are. Ha ha. i love how people just call other people fat. it is a normal thing here. i cant count how often i am called fortinha or gordinha. they think people gordinha are beautiful. so we are beautiful and fat. hahaha.

oh and grandma, everyone thinks you are so beautiful. You are. Every time they see my photos they always look at yours a little longer and tell me how beautiful and adorable you are.

Friday i went to lunch and the irmão there said Hi sister zorzo and...i guess it is Irmã Peterson today... I looked down. I had forgotten my missionary tag. I know it is psychological but i felt so strange after that we didnt have time to go back home and get it so all day i just felt this weird feeling. the one thing that distinguishes me from being a tourist. the one thing that literally states that I am an authorized representative of Cristo. I think this week i realized how much my missionary tag means to me.

Proud to wear this tag,

sister J Peterson

2010-06-08T19:18:00.003-07:00

Oh family. I love you. that is all.

This week has been a rollercoaster ride. Moments so happy, devastating, spiritual, basically all adjectives that describe a mission.

1. I called Sister Murbaki my "mom" or my trainer that I was with for almost five months. Her fiance (not uncommon in Brasil to serve a mission and be engaged) died the day before her birthday. He had been diagnosed with Lukemia while she was on the mission but was receiving treatment and they did some sort of transplant. Everything went well but then he had some sort of problem with his lungs and he passed away. My heart literally broke as she was telling me about this. He had sent me a letter to encourage me at the beginning of my mission and from everything she told me about him, he was an amazing person. She is such an example to me in everything. She is still working hard. From the beginning she always showed her faith and trust saying "The Lord knows best" and it is still her attitude. When you know that death is not the end and that life has a purpose it is a little easier to accept these things but i know that it is very hard still. Please pray for her.

2. There is a feeling that I dont know how many people have felt but it is associated with homesickness. When you think of home and everyone and you think man if i could just hug so and so id be good for awhile. Every missionary feels this now and again. This week one of our investigators started talking about how im almost halfway down and me going home and leaving the nordeste. I felt a huge wave of homesickness that distracted me for few minutes, but not a homesickness for home but for here. I cant imagine life anywhere else rightnow. i am where i belong. How can i feel homesick for a place that i am in?

3. Klisleide: one seventeen year old girl that we have been teaching for awhile is named Klisleide. She is the shyest person i have ever met and her mom wont let her be baptized until she has been to church a lot. She is incredibly intelligent and always asks very profound questions. Everytime we go there the spirit is so strong. We thought that she was trying to avoid baptism for awhile but really she has been trying to convince her mom for the past few weeks. Studying everything even to the point of bearing her testimony to her mom. She has amazing and spiritual dreams. She told us about these experiences this week and once again i felt the spirit so strong saying that this is one of God's elect daughters. She was searching and ready, He answered. I have never been one to cry because of spiritual experiences but i felt very much in thatlesson God speaking through me and my companion. She was one person that needed US not someone else to teach her. We look forward to her baptism this weekend if her mom lets her!!!

4. Sandro: I was thinking all week how everytime I have put my all into the week, Sunday I usually see the blessings. Sunday not many people were in church with us. one man, Sandro, we were counting on but something came up. After church we called him and he said he would go to the afternoon ward with us. we were excited. When we went to get him, he had left to help his sister in law. We were so sad. We went to a few other people who said they would go to the afternoon ward with us. no one went. we sat on the sidewalk to call a member to make visits, almost defeated. As i was talking to the member, Sandro rode up on his bike. smiling ear to ear as he always does, and completely ready for church. He felt good at church and it was a great experience. Miracles always happen when we are obedient and put forth our best.

5. The BOOK OF MORMON: Um outro testamento de Jesus Cristo.

That book is power and i feel very priviledged to be one of the few chosen people to share it with everyone. We are reading as a mission (i am a little behind because i read portuguese slower) and I read about Alma the younger. Even though his father was the prophet of this time, alma started out rebelling and leading people away. Here in mosiah 27 the angel is talking to Alma. Pay attetion

14 And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath aheard the prayers of his people, and also the bprayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has cprayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the dknowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to econvince thee of the power and authority of God, that the fprayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.

15 And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also abehold me before you? And I am sent from God.

Because of prayers of the members of the church AND his father, he had this experience that changed his life. Notice what it says about their faith. This response was ACCORDING TO THERE FAITH. Truly God hears our prayers. They are not words that are uttered into space that will never echo back, but truly conversations with someone who loves us more deeply than we can imagine. Have faith. Pray. Keep the commandments. Watch the miracles.

6. I dont know why but my dreams here are a lot easier to remember. I had a dream monday night where i talked with a lot of friends, family, and acquaintances. I learned a lot. Yeah i know weird. I learned from a dream something so incredibly important for me to apply in my life. Each section with a different person was very detailed and I woke up with these words: What am i willing to change to make others happier, to help others be better? I wrote this down almost immediately. It was so clear. We all have defects. Most of us have the instinct to think of ourselves first or not think of others in our actions. But truly if we wrote a name down of a loved one that we wanted to help and then wrote down the things about ourselves that would impede them THEN CHANGED THOSE THINGS whoa guess what we would actually help. I know in the past i havent been the best companion, friend, daughter, sister, neice, etc, maybe i havent been as patient loving or kind. I am ready to change. I need to change it is crucial for this work.

7.I miss the temple. i cant visit the temple because we dont have one in our mission. so that is where you come in. If you are able, GO. i have never been so thristy for something. GO. It is truly the house of the Lord. Go with a heart willing to receive the guidance of the Lord. Also I am a missionary. People take care of me here. Take care of the missionaries. Feed them. But if you really want to help them schedule an hour where you can make visits with them. LOOK this week for someone they could teach.

So that is my week. please pray, please have faith, please know that this is the most important thing, That God loves us, He speaks. He hears.

Proud to wear the tag,

sister Peterson

Eu sei que Vive meu Senhor‏

2010-05-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a super spiritual day. I dont know why. I woke up feeling great. I felt a HUGE presence of the Spirit in my day. Especially during Sacrament. I never payed too much attention to the little deacons passing the sacrament but as i watched them i began to reflect on how much of a symbol the sacrament really is. One thing that really caught my eye was when I realized that the person who passes the sacrament gives it to everyone else first. Even the first to the person who blesses and then at last partakes. What a symbol of Christ, His love and His service and His PURPOSE. This and a lot of other moments really tugged at my heart and opened my eyes. Remember how the gospel is TRUE?
At conference at conference this week one thing that was mentioned, not really even talked about was PURPOSE. Everything we do here and in our lives has a PURPOSE. In the mission field we need to constantly evaluate our activities and the manner we carry them out to see if they are truly fulfilling the purpose intended. Why am i getting up at 630 everyday? why do i study? why do i stop people on the street to talk to them? why? as I have looked at my work the past few days, constantly asking: WHAT IS THE PURPOSE, I have learned a lot of ways to improve. The past few days i feel like we have been on FIRE. Goals that we have had difficulties reaching in the past few weeks we have almost reached in only two days. I am focusing on giving my maximum in everything, and I see the difference. The Lord blesses us when we do our best and we are obedient. I cant stress it enough. Neither can the BOM when it constantly mentions the promise given to the Nephites. If you keep the commandments you will prosper. If you dont... BOA SORTE. So look at your life your daily activities and ask WHAT IS THE PURPOSE. WHAT IS MY PURPOSE. and give your maximum. It is simple but once you have a perspective things change. We arent just here to work sleep eat. We are here to progress to be better today than yesterday. We are here too learn to be like God. To be like our Savior. To reach our potential and inevitably to be happy.
I am also reading in the new testament these days. Just so you know, Paul is amazing. I look at his faith and dilligence, the type of missionary he was. That is the example for me. i love the new testament.

We are working with a girl, Jéssica. She is so good. She loves to read the BOM she loves our lessons. She UNDERSTANDS what she reads and she APPLIES it into her life. she is 17 years old and as soon as she feels more prepared she could be baptized anytime. We shared with her Alma 7:14 about baptism. We asked her what the scripture means and she explained all the promises that come with baptism exactly and how they applied in her life. I am just saying that if you want to learn, teach. that is all.
This week in our contacts we found a ton of new people. In one of our lessons we found Sandro. He is amazing. He has such a happy countenance and is one of those people who are truly SEARCHING. he is praying he is learning and if you could see his face when we teach well that would be enough to say that he is excited about this new idea. An idea of a God who is real and is concerned about his children enough that he calls profets today too. i am excited to see how he progresses.
Oh today we went fishing for crabs. I caught a HUGE one. i am pretty sure i am allergic so i watched as everybody ate them but it was fun. i really need to send pictures i will when i can.

Did i ever tell you how much i love brasil. The nordeste (northeast) in particular. This is where the best people live. People with hearts of gold. The example of love i want to show is found in these dark skinned beautiful people. People always ask about the US and one day i was saying how people dont kiss eachother on the cheeks hardly ever and dont really hug eachother unless they know eachother. the response was: how horrible! yep i live with amazing people who make you feel their love in EVERYTHING they do. I am grateful everyday for God and His love that He sent me here in this beautiful place with the best calling ever. I am so grateful and proud for the opportunity to say countless times everyday: Eu sou uma missionária da Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultimos Dias. I am so proud for the two names on the right side of my chest that represent the people that I love the most. I am a missionary, how great is my calling?
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister JP Peterson

Mother's Day

2010-05-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Mother's day was amazing. I can't begin to relate how happy I was to talk to all of you. As i said to a few of you, i had been feeling pretty homesick since having an american companion, but to talk to you all was just what i needed! It was a great day. Grandma, I am so sorry that I didnt get to talk to you. I waited as long as i could, but the bishops son who is on a mission in Sao Paulo called and so after that I couldnt really wait any longer. I am so sorry but i wanted so bad to talk to you! happy mothers day grandma, i love you and i am so grateful for such an amazing example like you in my life!

So Saturday we baptized an AMAZING young man, Carlos. He lost his parents not too long ago and he lives completely alone. Like a majority of the young people in these neighborhoods, he was using drugs and had other problems.He has many difficult situations in his life but he did everything he could to prepare to be baptized. the night before his baptism we taught a lesson and at the end he prayed. His prayer was one of the most sincere and beautiful prayers i have heard in my life. I looked at that young man and thought, this is Heavenly FAthers son, he wants him healed. I can see that the gospel has already offered him so much and has helped him so much. Just another testimony that this is the work of the Lord. I literally felt the love that Heavenly Father has for him and if i wasnt a missionary i totally would have given him a huge hug. and if i cried more easily i probably would have cried. He showed up Sunday to be confirmed AND he brought a friend. Literally everytime we teach him, he has a friend at his house for us to teach too. GOLDEN.

We are teaching a girl Jéssica and she is amazing too. she reads everything we give her. she says when she is stressed out she likes to read the pamphlets we give her or the BOM. She doesnt feel so prepared for baptism but we are helping her and i can see her being baptized soon. She knows that baptism is a serious thing and she wants to be totally ready.

Sunday night i was feeling a little bit sick so i stayed at the chapel to talk to you all. Monday like 4 am i woke up with quasimodo eyes. they were so swollen! i felt sick and weak and tired but we still taught quite a bit. i think one of our investigators was laughing at me when i was teaching she kept looking at my face and covering her mouth. yeah i was that hideous. yesterday it got worse my lips swelled up and i have something that looks like chicken pox on my body. i am taking medicine right now but my face is real fat and i am a pretty scary thing to look at. but it is kind of funny also. just so you know i am not a fan of Brasillian healthcare. I am a little bummed, this week i wanted to work a lot but its just not happening. it will get better though.

I just want to leave my testimony with you all: Joseph Smith truly saw our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the sacred grove. One simple prayer from a very humble boy changed the world almost a century ago. It changed my life and I am seeing it change lives daily. That amazing boy is a great example to me and I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father calls prophets in our days. I know Christ lives and that He loves us. He is a living God, not some dead figure that we follow, but a true example to all and i know the world will be better by following Him.

EU AMO VOCÉS!

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister JP Peterson

knock knock...who's there?‏

2010-04-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

First off: HAAAPPPPYYY BIIIIRRRRRTHDAAAAAAAAY ALESHA ANNIE!!!!

if you guys havent called her yet, call her and let her know how amazing she is because lets face it she is probably one of the coolest people in our family. if you are offended think for a second and you will probably agree. i love you leeshy!

Second: wanna hear the joke that i kept tellin my companions all week. Well background: we had transfers this tuesday and i thought for sure i would stay, i mean i was in bebedouro for almost six months and this transfer was only 5 weeks in Arapiraca so i kept saying "oh, porath will go to the other area in arapiraca (she already has six months in this part) and i am going to sergipe. And guess what happened. Yep. I am now in the other state, Sergipe in the capital ARACAJU.

So the last two days has been crazy getting ready to pack my suitcases and then a three hour trip across the alagoas-sergipe border. i met my new companion, Sister Zorzo: a brasilian that i am darker than who i am almost positive is a walking angel. I imagine almost like aunt Susan Fuller. She is probably the most loving and humble person ive met. She likes to go on adventures too so i am pretty set. also, she has a really good work ethic. last night i went to bed exhausted. IT WAS AMAZING.

Today we went to the zoo and we rode something like a ski lift and i saw just how beautiful this city is. LOVE IT. when i can i will send photos.

This week was amazing. We baptized my first "power family" or familia de poder: Marta, Rafael, and Rafaela. That baptism was so very spiritual. I felt so much happiness and gratitude toward Heavenly Father for letting me be a part of their lives. Monday night after i packed my suitcases i went to say goodbye. The 9 year old girl Rafaela looked at me and said, why are you leaving? I felt like i wanted to cry. I explained why. She paused for a minute and then said, alright well i will go on a mission to your city someday and see you again. I felt the tears coming. Heavenly Father truly works miracles in our lives. This family was a miracle. True anyone could have baptized them, they were just that ready, BUT i was given this opportunity. They were an answer to my prayers. They are the proof that anything can happen. The evidence that the gospel truly changes people and families for the better.

The last transfer was like a pajama party everynight and i will miss Catacas hilarious attitude and Porath being the amazing lady she is but i am SOOOOOOO STOKED for this transfer and the miracles i know God is preparing here in Aracaju-SERGIPE!

Proud as ever to wear the tag,

Sister J Peterson

MOTOTAXI!!!

2010-04-23T19:47:00.003-07:00

Picture this: watching the sun set from a van window driving in the beautiful brazilian interior. Everything is green and and the sunset reminds me of the beatles song of marmalade skies. The rays reflect off of Sister Moyles blonde head and incredibly white face despite seven months of Brazillian sun and the words come to my mind, "hmm, remember how you live in Brasil."

My day was beautiful if you were wondering. Woke up 430 am and took a lotação (van) to a city 1 hour away Palmeiras dos Indios. We hiked up to a HUGE Christ Statue and ate some breakfast with the Elders there. I went with Sis Porath and Moyle while Cataca and Moyles companion stayed in Arapiraca. It was an adventure. I took lots of pictures. I love my life.

My other adventures over the past two weeks involve riding a MOTOTAXI! it is my new favorite thing. if i was rich i would just ride the mototaxi everywhere. But dont you even worry i am such a lady. Totally ride the taxi side saddle in a skirt. Feeling like you might fall off is just part of the thrill. I know what you are thinking, but seriously it is as dare devilish as a missionary can get.

So I am sorry i didnt write last week. I am going to be honest, the past few weeks have been some of the most frustrating. Guess who likes to kick a missionary when she's down. Give you one guess.

But amid that strife the Lord has opened up my eyes to what it means to have faith. What it means to be humble. How to know that He has got it all under control (see JAcob 4:7) if you would like a little more insight.

We helped a family get married and baptized this past Saturday. Jane and Saulo. The family with the crazy two year old that is just so cute you cant handle it. Yep. Sis. Porath and I did Janes hair, we borrowed a dress and that girl was BEAUTIFUL. She is the simple type, in fact i think this was the first time she ever really got dressed up and pretty. it was amazing to help this family start on the track to eternal happiness.

Probably the sweetest experience happened Sunday. Amidst the constant railings of Satan, i began to think, man i have received so much spiritual growth in the past 7 months, my family has received so many blessings, but what have i even done here? In one of the highest baptizing missions, i havent had a lot of success as far as baptizing and retention. It has been very discouraging. Wanna know how devastating the results of people using their free agency for the worse, be a missionary...or a parent. So feeling low, I prayed a lot. And sunday all day i felt like i was receiving a constant flow of what i like to call personal revelation. (ps i can receive it in two languages) So many impressions and thoughts and feeling during the lessons and throughout the day. I started to write and pretty much filled up that days page in my planner.

During church i wrote: Relaxo, só faz seu melhor. Relax only do your best. The peace and continual flow of ideas that followed as i thought about my work and my life was exactly what i needed. Then a girl came up to my comp and said, hey i need SISTERS to come and teach my sister and her family. they want to be baptized this saturday but only sisters can teach her. (the husband doesnt want elders) So we were like, sweet, we are sisters. Let me just put that we are the only ward in the mission wih both sisters and elders. So we go there and they begin to recount how the Lord has prepared the mother, Marta , for the last 17 years to be baptized this weekend. She was always stubbornly catholic. Her sister always talked to her about the church but never got anywhere. Her son Rafael has wanted to be baptized since he was 5 years old. So much that he would sneak from the catholic church to go to the LDS church across the street. Once he even callled the missionaries to bring a book of Mormon so that they could teach his mom. Never happened. Then one day the sister was studying the BOM with Marta. Marta agreed to pray one last time. She had a very revealing dream and realized that she had known for a long time but never had the desire to change. Finally she listened and her Rafael and her 9 year old daughter will be baptized this Saturday. Interesting, i have been praying for a super strong family and a future missionary to baptize...Rafael is 15 but wants so bad to serve. It was a literal, "have faith and watch what I can and will do." moment. Humbling and amazing.

My faith was strengthened my fear was calmed and I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

One other thought that i had was about lifestyles and service. So we all knw that fad diets dont work and never will work to lead to a healthy life. If you want lasting health you need to exercise and eat right, you need to make health a lifestyle. The same thing with the Gospel, you cant just live it sometimes and expect the blessings, you need to make it a part of who you are, your lifestyle. The same thing with service. It should never be an obligation, but a lifestyle. Never should a lifestyle be a means to an end because we all know that as for life...there is no end. Service as a lifestyle is just one thing that will help you to continually meet an overall goal, to be better than you were yesterday. To be a little more like the Savior everyday. REad the following from Marion G Romney:

"It has always seemed somewhat puzzling to me that we must constantly have the Lord command us to do those things which are for our own good. The Lord has said, “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matt. 10:39.) We lose our life by serving and lifting others. By so doing we experience the only true and lasting happiness. Service is not something we endure on this earth so we can earn the right to live in the celestial kingdom. Service is the very fiber of which an exalted life in the celestial kingdom is made.

"Oh, for the glorious day when these things all come naturally because of the purity of our hearts. In that day there will be no need for a commandment, because we will have experienced for ourselves that we are truly happy only when we are engaged in unselfish service."

so that is all the time i have for this week. i love you all and as ALWAYS

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

i love conference!‏

2010-04-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

WHOA!

That is all i have to say about this last conference. alright not all because im going to talk about it a lot today, but seriously AMAZING!

Literally God spoke through these amazingly inspired people and unless you didnt catch it, the message is: Families! Plain and simple the importance of families and the HUGE responsibility of parents. A TON of these messages were directed towards mothers. Literally explaining that Moms are the first line of defense in the world today. Because, lets face it, society loves to put the wrong ideas in our heads about what is important and more importantly WHO is important, the decay of society is a direct result of this. Parents play the star role in helping their kids understand WHO THEY ARE, WHY THEY ARE HERE, AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING. Now imagine if you are never taught these things, HOW LOST WOULD YOU BE? Robert D Hales talked about the importance of parents to not only talk to and love their children, but to literally strive to understand the hearts of their children.

Some ideas and quotes that i loved were these: "women should be women and not babies who need petting and correction all the time."-Julie B Beck. "A mind, if not exercised, will become weak." "Your actions speak so loud that i cannot hear what you are saying"-Ralph Waldo Emerson. "The idea of true love must include the idea of permanence." "opposition and joy are not contradictory but complimentary."-donald l hallstrom (d&C 122:7-9).

My favorite quote that truly touched my soul was by Bradley D Foster when he said. "If you stay on the road of truth, the end will be better than the beginning." i can personally testify with everything i have in me that this statement is profoundly true.

I loved Deiter F Uchtdorfs talk on compassion. I love all of his talks! He started out saying that it is not good to make people feel deficient. Love them, lift them. I started thinking, how many people have i made feel deficient, was it my intention? what can i do to be better? He explained the worth of people as in D&C 18:10. He said, "you cannot measure the worth of a person like you cannot measure the span of the universe." he then continued sayind that NO ONE DESERVES TO SUFFER. often we think, oh he or she deserves what they get, but suffering, although necessary for our eternal progression, is not something that we have the right to judge. And then he talked of Christ, that Christ did not only speak of love or teach about love, but showed it. And that is what we need to do.

Yesterday i didnt write this email because we had zone conference. Have i ever told you all how much i love the Beynons. Because i do. The thing that stood out most was, take the desire of your hearts and put them into your minds. Look at what things are limiting you: Doubts, fears, laziness, disbelief. REcognize the limits and then make goals. goals to exercise your faith and take action. And then most importantly, goals that require the help from the powers of Heaven. Exactly what i needed to hear. Sis Beynon gave an amazing talk. That lady is such an example to me in almost everything. She has never had formal training in Portuguese but ALWAYS does her best to speak with the Brasilieros and her talks are always so perfect even in Portuguese. one part of her talk was, You might feel inadequate, because really you are inadequate for this work if you were to do it on your own. BUT we have the power of God with us. He will take what we do and magnify it. Make it great. Again what i needed to hear.

So the past few days=spiritual high. love it.

Funny stuff: We only have water four days during the week. I lost my breath as i poured water from a bucket to shower. Oh but here we have a nice shower head so that when we actually HAVE water i can take a warm shower. Really this house is so nice and i am very thankful for it. This week we went to a ladies house and she asked if i wanted juice. i said no thankyou. Then she said the juice was teh same color as my green shirt. I asked what kind of juice is it. She suckered us into drinking some. It was horrible! it was some sort of ginger root and weird brasilian leaf with sugar. After i drank it all i said thankyou what is in it. She told me and poured another glass. me and my companions almost died a little bit. that is all. So i love my companions they crack me up. The only part that is difficult is that i have a constant reminder of home in Sister Porath. In Bebedouro i rarely spoke english or even thought much about home outside of PDAY. So needless to say i have been a little trunky, or missing everyone A TON this last week. BUT i got peanut butter in my package and reeces so i think i will be good for awhile. Aunt Jeane being the faithful lady she is sent me a recipe but seriously I NEED MORE OF YOU TO SEND RECIPES!!!!

other than that i am good. i love you all.

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister J Peterson

New Address

2010-04-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Rua Dom Antonio Brandão 333
Ed work center sala 402
Farol
Maceió AL 57051-190
Brasil

Arapiraca is hotter here. Sent 3/31/2010

2010-04-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Yo.
My first week in Arapiraca, the first few days were cloudy and rainy and perfect. Friday i experienced the fact that even though i didnt think it was possible, this place is even hotter than maceio. maceio at least has the ocean breeze. here...no. BUT everything is plane. i discovered that i said tchau to the steep mountains of hills in Bebedouro, now im struggleing to remember street names and directions, pray for me this has never been my strength. I am learning that the street plan in utah is BRILLIANT.
So this week we are working with a family Jane and Saulo and their terror of a two year old Pedro. He probably is the cutest little boy in the world...unless you bring him to church. Elders worked with them awhile back. They really like the church but arent married. We have been teaching them and preparing them for baptism. Friday night Saulo said, I want to be baptized but i cant promise i will be at church every sunday. When we asked why he said because he practices Capuera (a form of really rad karate but is dancing too) every sunday. We talked to him about priorities. I asked him a question. After this life we know that we have God for sure, but will you have capuera? He said he would think about it. As always we prayed and the next day we went to their house and he looked at us and said, Sisters i have been thinking. I will not practice capuera sunday only during the week so i can go to church! It was amazing. We never had a lot of success with this in my last area. Generally people dont want to give up what they love to be baptized and receive the blessings of the gospel, but this was amazing. we are helping them prepare for baptism and marriage this transfer! i know from sure experience that when we are obedient Heavenly Father fulfills his part. I know this family will receive these blessings.
Last night we had family home evening in a members house and an Elder gave the lesson on the tender mercies of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 1: 20). Tender mercies are little reminders from Heavenly Father of His love and of His plan. Assurances or the gospels truthfullness and the fact that if we do our part He does His. Like wehn i arrived, didnt understand hardly anything, couldnt teach, couldnt talk, and was literally paralyzed by fear, I experienced Tender Mercies through the smiles of beautfiul brasilliero babies. When i feel tired and lack motivation, i see a family or make a contact that rejuvinates me. Its that extra charge Heavenly Father gives us when we are running empty. When we are scared when we have doubts, when we lack confidence, when we are experiencing these human emotions that often overcome the average soul, He is ready and willing to help us. But we have to look for them. I am so grateful for the Tender Mercies I experience so very often in this world thousands of miles away from everything I have known and understood. Look for them in your life. Maybe for some you need a reminder that God is there and listening. I know He is there. I know He is literally "waiting by the phone" to pick up listen and give you counsel. Be humble enough to call.
I cant explain the love that i feel for you all. I cant see it. But i have it and I hope and pray that you have all experienced it. I cant begin to describe the love God has for us, but i think my mind is starting to understand a little more each day about it. He loves you and Knows you.
As always, Proud to wear this tag,
Sister J Peterson

ARAPIRACA sent 3/26/2010

2010-04-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Dear family ,
Yesterday i boarded a bus all by myself and headed for the Interior of Alagaos. My new area is ARAPIRACA. It is huge a lot bigger than Bebedouro and from what i have seen much different. I have two new companheiras, yes a trio, Sister Cataca from north brazil where it is so hot you would probably die and and a fellow AGGIE like me sister Porath!
I didnt expect to be put with an americana because we dont have many but the Lord spoke and here i am. I am really excited. Most of all, my house is SOOOMUCH NICER than in Bebedouro. The people are a little bit more wealthy here so its going to be a lot different.
So this week all i can say is that prayers have been answered. Things i have been praying for for the last year or longer in my life are starting to happen. I am seeing how patience and obedience work and how Heavenly Father will always keep his end of the deal if we do our part. On top of that i have been receiving a lot of personal revelation pertaining to my life and to the work here. I am learning how to follow the spirit better. It seems like that is such a simple idea, but maybe i am a little more hard headed because it is finally starting to sink in.
Both sister Murbaki and I were transferred from Bebedouro to different areas. The last few days of the transfer we were able to wokr more. We have left some golden people for the new sisters to teach and baptize and i am satisfied with my work there. I can honestly say that the last five months of my life there in that city were probably some of the hardest and most challenging for this little missionary. Tears lots of sweat and lots of prayers are my memories there, but i learned how to love and be patient with people so different. How to live and let live i guess. i love bebedouro and wouldnt mind going back closer to the end of my mission.
Yesterday in the taxi i was talking to the taxista. He asked me a question and i cant even relate to you the joy and pride i felt in my response. He asked me if i like what i do. i looked at him and said. yes i love it. I am the type of person that really wants to make the world a better place and i know that this cause is the thing that can and will change the world. We talked more about God and he explained that in his past experiences with religion he always felt an empty space.like something was missing but that he is trying hard not to feel that way. that he keeps trying to push it away. This was the perfect opportunity to talk about the gospel. I told him about prophets and that God still calls them. I explained the differences and invited him to check it out for himself. I felt peace and confidence. I felt that my words were sufficient. Itrully believe that this young taxista will check it out. he is searching, and God is bringing to him what he is looking for. Man i love being a missionary.
On the bus i made goals for this transfer. One person once told me to ask yourself a few questions when making goals. What do i want to happen? What do i want to do to make it happen? and most importantly what am i WILLING to sacrifice? that is what this life is about. Work and Sacrifice. Through that we find happiness. Christ spent his entire life working to heal the hearts of so many. He was WILLING to sacrifice and for this i am so grateful. That I have the atonement of Christ to help me progress. It makes more and more sense everyday. I love it. While on the bus i read the Liahona. I read things that I am pretty sure Heavenly Father slipped in just for me to view in that moment. I felt such an overwhelming sense of peace sense of identity and confidence. Real true deep happiness. If i could give each of you a piece of this happiness i would because it is amazing. maybe you dont believe me but seriously i dont know if anyone has ever felt so happy sitting in a bus alone reading a magazine all about Christ and His gospel. I must admit it was a little strange being alone for so long, but it was peaceful.
Family i love you. My challenge this week for you all is to look at your blessings that you have received in the past year. Prosperity, happiness, help, anything really and kneel and give thanks to the Being who created you, God, Heavenly Father, NOSSO PAI CELESTIAL and then make goals to better the world because of those blessings.
I know God lives and that His love is real.
Proud as ever to wear this tag,

SISTER JP PETERSON

Whoa another week has gone by. how did that happen?

2010-03-16T21:49:00.000-07:00

For the first time i feel like we have a very solid pool of investigators. It is such an amazing difference than from before. These people are the people who have questions and are actually WILLING to search for the answers. i love it. Unfortunately yesterday when we were getting into a lotação (like a taxi) sister Murbaki sprained her ankle pretty bad. She cant walk very well and she hurts a lot. please pray for her, we have a lot of work to do these last two weeks of the transfer which is almost for sure our last transfer together. i would hate for her to not be able to work with me. We are a team, and even though i have the ability to teach with a ward member, i would like my comp to be healed.

I dont remember if i told you about Maria and Everaldo. One night i hadnt met my contacts goal for the day, it was late and i was tired and feeling sick. Sister Murbaki kept telling me that it was okay to go home a little early if i was sick. I said no. She said where to. i thought about a road near our house that usually has a lot of people. we went there. NO ONE was in the street. Then she said, what now. I looked up at a little house with the door open i clapped my hands together and appeared Everaldo inviting us in. We taught, we returned, and they are growing their testimonies. They were at church on Sunday with their two kids. That family is so cute and so wonderful. I love them. We taught them about the Word of Wisdom last week. Everaldo has been smoking since he was 9 and Maria is a coffeeholic. So interesting how willing they were to say yes, we will strive to live the word of wisdom. When i was bearing my testimony to them i explained that God gives us commandments because He loves us. In that moment Maria had an AH HAH! moment in which she said. That is true. A lot of people dont understand that smoking is really bad for them. God really gives us commandments so that we will be happy.
I firmly believe that our lives our built upon moments like this that i like to call ah hah moments. Moments in which what we may have already learned become knowledge and not just an idea that is nice. I can tell you that God loves you. You wont really know that He does until you experience it. I can tell these people that Joseph Smith prayed to know which church really had the power to act in the name of God and in response to His prayer God called Him to be a prophet. But they will NEVER know this is true until they pray and they FEEL that it is true. Last week Bishop went with us to a few lessons and one thing he said that i never thought about before was this: Every church yells that you must believe and worship there in order to be saved. They talk about salvation like it is something that you buy, and in some of the churches here, this is literally what happens. But when we teach, we dont ask for anything. All we do is Teach, give information, ask the people to read, and then with faith to pray and Ask God if these things are true. No other organization does this. They teach and expect you to gain a testimony. God doesnt work that way, we need to search, we need to have the will, and we need to listen. I have learned so much from Bishop and his family these past four months.
Last week in one of the areas we work in are a bunch of small houses on a hillside. The homes as i have said are very humble, and last week a house completely collapsed with people in it. Every one was okay, they had one daughter that broke her arm and had a few scratches but they were blessed. When i heard this story i felt so sad for this family. The next day we were contacting and Sis Murbaki found this family. We taught and the mom is VERY interested. She was telling us that she has always believed in God but never really had an interest in doing anything about it but that the moment her house fell down she felt that God has been preparing her. I am excited to teach this family more.
The word for tired is cansado. We ran into a little boy of ten years old that we were teaching the other day. I asked him why he didnt go to church and he said. Because i am sick. I said what do you have. He said i am cansado (tired) then sister Murbaki said are you sick or tired? what sickness do you have? He replied cancer. haha REally he has asthma but it was hilarious. I started laughing so hard and couldnt stop.
well family that is it for this week. i love you. The gospel is true. SO TRUE. Know it is true, search and i know one hundred percent that you will find it if you are sincere.
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister JP PETERSON

Another Week

2010-03-02T18:46:00.000-08:00

Dear family!

Another week has gone by in this part of the world and have i mentioned that I love this place.

So literally Heavenly Father has been literally giving me blessings on a sliver plater. I feel very unworthy of all this love that I have felt in the last week, but literally He has helped me with everything that i have asked.

So it began last thursday when we decided to fast. The first time i fasted here, I almost passed out. The intense sun mixed with walking long distances without water=the feeling that i might die. Since then i fast but i always drink water. Heavenly Father understands these things. But this week I really needed blessings for me and others and i really wanted to show Heavenly Father how willing i am to sacrifice. So I decided i would try my best to not drink water during the fast. I prayed for Heavenly Father to help me accomplish this. That afternoon was the darkest afternoon I have seen here. It rained a ton. The whole factor of the sun draining me of everything I have was completely eliminated. I fasted without water, I asked, God prepared the way. This is simple and maybe seems like i am making mountains out of molehills, but i sincerely felt Gods love for me almost as if He was saying you know i love you here ya go.

If you havent realized im American and I speak English. This fact is very obvious to everyone here. And to me. My language abilities or lack of abilities are a huge source of insecurity 24/7 because really i speak this language only. This week I have asked so much for the ability to speak and understand, for confidence and a desire to speak more even when i dont want to. Heavenly Father has really blessed me. I have been feeling much more comfortable with the language. A few people have commented that I dont have an accent when i sing hymns and last night when we were visiting people with the 2nd counselor of the Bishopric Valdo, he said, wow you are speaking really well. This sincere comment was what i needed. And i recognized right away that I am the poster of the gift of tongues. There is ABSOLUTELY no way i could be speaking this well or teaching this well without it. Yeah i still butcher the language and trip over my words. BUT the progression i have experienced is not my own. in a little less than 6 months i am almost fluent and that is all thanks to someone who loves me and wants to help me in everything. He understands my heart and my intentions, when these two things are pure, He makes up the rest. AMAZING.

Lately I have had the opportunity to teach a different type of people. The majority of the people in my area are very poor and many are uneducated. It has been a great experience tailoring my methods of teaching to help people understand at a level appropriate. We generally dont have the opportunity to teach people with more of a background of studying. We have been teaching Givace, a college professor of Portuguese this past week. It is amazing having conversations with her, as she asks the questions of the soul and she finds answers that really make sense. This gospel is amazing because i can teach it to the humble and they understand and feel it. I can teach it to the brilliant and once again they UNDERSTAND AND FEEL IT. I love teaching this.

Sorry this isnt all that interesting this week. Just know that I feel Gods love for me EVERYDAY. It is real. I know that He blesses us when we strive to be diligent and obedient. i love this gospel. Straight up, it is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ makes me who i am. It strengthens me and I know it is the only thing that will heal this broken world. i love you all.

proud to wear the tag,

sister Peterson

CARNAVAL‏

2010-02-26T09:19:00.001-08:00

These past days have been CRAZY. Carnaval is a mess that is all i have to say. pretty much a majority of our investigators were travelling. well a majority of the people in Bebedouro were traveling or drunk in the street. I will give you all an image to relate to what carnaval is.

So a bunch of people buy a shirt to be in a certain "block" and then they follow a a truck with a banner dancing to really really loud music and on some of the trucks they have men spraying everyone with water. I dont know why but it seems like with carnaval it is the same 3 or 4 songs over and over again for 4 days straight. Most of the time members of the church go to some sort of conference for the weekend or travel because it is pretty crazy. Yesterday I watched this party in the middle of the day from my bedroom window. Then what was really funny was when a church really close to wear i live, i think they are kind of fanatical (ie a majority of the people shaved their heads a few weeks back as part of their worship) started their own little parade with loud speakers and people singing gospel songs, carrying a large banner that said, Repent ye, Jesus is returning. And they competed with the carnaval partiers for a good 15-20 minutes until the police arrived. Crazy.

BUT we were able to work. Sunday Sister Murbaki was sick so I went on a division with a member from the ward. I taught 4 lessons and made over 30 contacts! The member carine helped a lot, I am so blessed to work in a ward where the members really love to help the missionaries. It was great, yes a lot of the people were drunk, but we met a lot of really amazing people too. I have come to realize that it is a lot easier to give our message to people living more humbly than the people who are living more comfortably. Needless to say, I learned a lot.

Sunday Presidente Beynon and Sister Beynon came to our church. By the way, I love those wonderful people. He gave both me and sister Murbaki a blessing. In the blessing he said he felt impressed to say a few words about me concerning the work. These words were exactly the words i needed to hear. Needless to say, this work is still very intimidating. I still have days where i feel like i cant speak or that when i can i dont say the right words. The blessing confirmed to me that my Heavenly Father is VERY aware of my feelings and concerns and that He loves me and He is happy with me. Knowing this i feel like i can conquer the world literally. I am so grateful for the Beynons, such wonderful and loving examples to me. What a priviledge to serve in this part of the world with them!

So Thursday we taugh Andre and Andrea the plan of Salvation. Andre is a ten year old boy who seems much older and is ready for baptism, but we are waiting to baptize him with Andrea, his mom. Andrea has a little bit harder of a life. She is a very good and awesome person, but she has a lot of problems and sometimes she is so worried about her life that it is hard for her to understand and learn what we are teaching. So we taught the plan of salvation, a lesson that is hard to teach and for most people even harder to understand, but we prayed and Andrea understood so much more than i expected. There was one part when we were explaining about Jesus Christ and His atonement. Sister Murbaki gave an example if Andre was infront of train and Andrea pushed him out of the way to save him, even if she herself would die. Andre looked straight at us before we said anything and said, "that is what Jesus Christ did for us, isnt it?" The feeling of the spirit was almost indescribable. Everyone learned from that lesson. Andre, being the intelligent 10 year old he is pretty much understood it all, and Andrea recognized that she needed to make some changes in her life. This lesson was so peaceful. I know in anyother circumstance this lesson wouldnt be understood, but the Spirit makes up for everything. Amazing.

I love this work. I am happy. I guess you could say i live the good life, even if it is so hot sometimes that i feel like i am melting.

As always,

proud to wear the tag,

Sister Jessica Ruth Peterson

PS FELIZ ANNIVERSARIO TO EMMA AND JAROM! I LOVE YOU!

Feb 10,2010

2010-02-16T23:19:00.000-08:00

New day new transfer and Sis Murbaki and I are staying 6 more weeks in Bebedouro. I was terrified of staying here without her and a little less terrified of leaving this place that feels almost like home in a very strange sense of the word. I AM SO STOKED!

Sunday we witnessed miracles and the thought of leaving right when the work was picking up left me feeling sad. For the past two transfers we have been working with a mother and her 10 year old son who seems like he is 14. Andre, the son is ready for baptism, and Andrea has a lot of problems, but Saturday night we marked a day for baptism for Andrea. She has never really showed that much of an interest in going to church so when she said, yes i would like to be baptized, i was floored. Presidente decided that it is best to wait for her also before we baptize Andre. She had never been to church before, i had my doubts but she went on Sunday and loved it! She has a lot of things to work on first but she is progressing and it is awesome.

This week was less stressful but we were still worried that Geni wouldnt come to church to be confirmed but we prayed a lot this week. Heavenly Father poured out his blessings on us. We walked to the gate of our church and right behind us was Andre and Andrea. I smiled and was happy. We walked into the chapel, there was Geni in her ironed dress ready for confirmation. I smiled bigger. I looked at this small congregation and found three new faces. One of them was a less active member who that day just felt the need to go to church. This is almost unheard of, especially with the fact that she has two small children. It is really hard for a lot of people to come to church sometimes especially with small children because no one has a car and walking is sometimes a huge hassel. And a lot of people dont care to make the sacrifice. She made it and we are now meeting with her. I WAS EVEN HAPPIER.

one of the other two faces belonged to a man we worked with almost 12 weeks ago. We never really made progress with him, but about two weeks we saw him on the bus, he said he would go to our church in two weeks and HE ACTUALLY CAME. everyone says it, but HE CAME and brought a friend. we had 4 non members in sacrament meeting. This is the most we have ever had! I thought i was going to have have a heart attack i was so happy. They all liked the church and say they will come every sunday. What an awesome experience.

These were such dramatic answers to our prayers that there is no question that HF was literally saying, well here ya go. It is so interesting. This transfer i have been praying for a lot of things to strengthen my testimony. Well we have been teaching this girl, Ronessia she has 19 years and is a mom and ´married´ She keeps all her commitments as far as reading and praying. We are working with her on the word of wisdom, but she is really amazing. I know that she probably doesnt understand everything she reads in the BOM but we had an awesome experience with her. I asked, ar eyou still reading in the book of mormon and how do you feel. She said she liked it a lot and then asked me a question that once again floored me, she asked: Sometimes when i read it, I cry, why do i cry? That Book has power, it is the word of God, I know it and Ronessia knows it. I will never be able to deny the power it has had in my life and in the lives of our investigators. It is true, it is power.

irmã Elba, I think I have talked about her before, is a recent convert of about 7 months. This woman is amazing and very humble. She has hands down had the hardest life i have ever heard of anyone having, and a majority of the problems she has had were from circumstance. I had the amazing opportunity to understand what the gospel truly means to someone with so little. For her, it is everything and it what lifts her. I love this woman and am so grateful for the example and her testimony.

all in all God answers my prayers. Dont think for a second that it´s just because i am a amissionary. It doesnt matter He hears us, He loves us. Sometimes we have to wait a little bit, but it is in His infinite wisdom. He wants to help us in anyway that will really truly help us. Like in Matt 7:11 if we being imperfect have the instinct to give good gifts to our children, how much more will our PERFECT Father in Heaven give us. This last transfer the attribute of Christ I was trying to develop more fully was love, for God for others. From all this I think i just became more aware of the Love the God and others have for me. What a blessing.
This week is carnaval so i dont know how much we will work, last year presidente took the sisters out of this area to stay with the other sisters for a week. we will see.

i love you all.

proud to wear the tag,

Sister JESSICA RUTH PETERSON

OI!

2010-01-29T21:41:00.000-08:00

OI!

this week flew! and after 11 weeks of working in Bebedouro we have our first baptisms!!!

Two of them are brothers of a lessactive member. Heavenly Father lead us to their door, we knocked and found adorable Danilo and Jonatan. Every time we aske them what is on Jan. 31st they reply: BATISMO!

The other one is Jeni, a 74 year old woman who is very intelligent and coherrent. I think i wrote about her before. We worked iwth her for a month and it was always i know the BOM is the word of God and I know the church is true but i was already baptised. No matter how we explained it she was still pretty stuck. So sis. Murbaki asked me what we should do. We decided to visit her one more time with a member and then after that move on. So we brought a recent convert of 2 years with us. We talked to her about the church and she replied as she always does that she knows it is true. Then Rafaela shared her experience with baptism. I felt the need to recommit her to baptism so i said, Jeni you know that these things are true and that baptism is a commandment of God. Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptised the 31st of January. She stood up looked at the calendar and said YES! We visited her again and taught the 2nd lesson. SHE UNDERSTOOD ALL OF IT. no one really understands the plan of salvation when they hear it at first. She understood it and it answered her questions. When we got ready to leave she said that she knew god sent us there to teach her and that only we could have helped change her heart. I cannot begin to relate to the joy i felt in being able to be an instrument even with my many inadequacies. When we left she said she was so excited to be clean of sin and to be able to live with God again. So amazing. Really all in all what i am doing here is giving people opportunities and it involves a lot of rejection but it is so worth it.

We returned to the Mango man and he loaded us up with delicious mangos. He had his 25year old grandsons got us some mangos and he said to sit on a chair and talk with him. He said, I like you ladies, you can come here anytime and talk to me and i will give you mangos. We marked a time to come and teach his family this week. Im excited. He is such a hilarious old man. When we left he laid a big wet one on our hands, usually this gesture creeps me out, but with him it was adorable.

His grandsons have studied a little english. they were so excited to practice with me. One of them is going to start coming to my english class that i teach on Saturdays. I realized though, that i would almost rather speak in Portuguese than in English. Today i went to the beach with some other missionaries and Speaking in Portuguese wasnt so difficult. It is so interesting how it seems in a few days i went from not wanting to speak to just doing it. I still dont know everything but i am certaintly realizing the blessings HF is pouring down for me. 4 months and i can speak...ish.

funny things: Apparently i look like a character from a novella or brasillian soap opera here. I dont really know because when ever i see parts of this show the girl is always in some passionate kissing scene. I think soap operas everywhere are ridiculous. Sometimes people like to yell stuff at us when we are walking on the street and generally we dont understand them but we heard one man on a motorcycle: SISTERS! JESUS IS RETURNING AND HE WANTS TO TAKE YOU WITH HIM. i almost fell down i was laughing so hard.

We had interviews with President yesterday. I love the Beynons. Sometimes i get down on myself, i am so far from perfect and it is stressful. I asked president what i can do to be better. His answer was simple but totally what i needed. He said, if you want to be better, look at your intentions. If you have a pure intent their isnt much more you can do. And if you have apure intent you are doing all you can, that means the Lord will guide you and blessyou. Joseph Smith was just a boy with a pure intent. He prayed, and the world from that moment was not the same. Billions of lives have been changed because one young man had a pure intent. You might not be able to change everything about yourself, but you can change your intent. you can change your desires and you can control your thoughts. Sometimes it is hard but we need to pray for help with changing our intents and desires and thoughts and to pray for faith. I know the Presidente is an inspired man and i am so blessed to serve in this mission with him and his wife.

well i love you all, so much.

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister JP Peterson

My life: imagine nacho libre but in Brasil‏

2010-01-13T18:24:00.000-08:00

I always have experiences each week that are hilarious but slowly they are becoming less and less shocking, almost as if i am accustomed to it but here are a list of funny images that i remember from this week:

-little chunky brasilliero probably 6 years old in only red underwear (think chancho from nacho libre) running around carrying a stick above his head, yelling, and chasing a chicken.
-A really really short and really really skinny and really really old brasilleiro playing a red accordian, plugged into some amps, turned up really really loud in the middle of the day.
-Sister Murbaki dropped our keys to our lock on our gate in our apartment so she stayed by the gate door and i went up the stairs to our deck and for fifteen or more minutes we were yelling at people on the street to come help us open our door.
Yeah i know there is more but i forgot them. I have finished my eighth week here in Bebedouro and still no baptisms. One lady that we have been teaching, Geni, is pretty hilarious. She knows that the church is true, knows that the Book of Mormon is true, but was already baptised in another church and doesnt want to do it again. We explain pretty clearly about the importance of baptism...nothing. we are gonna keep working with her.
Heavenly Father led us to another family needing the gospel. It is so interesting, it happens like this: you get a feeling to do something you think man we dont have time or we never knock on doors we talk to people in the street then you think alright i will do it and boom you realize it wasnt you, it was the spirit. This happened with Jhonatan and Danilo. We had just got done teaching a lesson and i thought lets knock on the doors in this trevas. And we found Rayane, she was baptized three years ago but moved and never hasnt been. She has two younger brothers Jhonatan and Danilo and they are super excited for baptism at the end of Janeiro! They are so adorable. Therer mom works like 20 hours every day and it seems like things are hard for them. Jhonatan really liked church on sunday and i am glad we can help this family.
We have been teaching a ton, but it seems like whereever we go, Satan is not far behind. I have learned that he will attack people in any way that he possibly can, usually some cheap shots, and unfortunately he manages to disturb the peace that these people have felt. This is just another testimony to me that this work is the work of the Lord. It is a true threat to the adversary, it is what will heal the world, it is the thing that can heal families and individuals, and he doesnt want that.
It is frustrating how we teach so much but very few actually hear the words that we are saying. It is kind of like Aaron and his brothers in Alma when they are teaching and teaching and everyone that will listen is converted, but a majority of people dont. It is so interesting and easy to see the difference between those who are sitting there or perhaps trying to rebuke and those who are really listening to what the spirit can tell them. we visited the walking bible again this week. He asked questions i responded (this time i could! whoo!)with the bible and he totally didnt listen. I was timid because i do not know the bible through and through, and to answer him with it in another language was scary, but i did it. Interesting though, he wasnt looking for answers or responses, he was ,literally trying to trip us up. And i realized that knowledge is useless if you dont have love. 1 cor 8:1-3. Williams (walking bible) knows doctrine very well he is incredibly intelligent when it comes to religion, but is very very hard hearted and not to us but to others very unkind. I think once he learns love he will be able to accept this message.
well i love love love you all. thank you for the emails and letters.
proud to wear the tag.

sister peterson

Alagada-flood‏

2010-01-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

We have all heard the saying, When it rains it pours. Although cliche and usually a metaphor, this is very literally true for Maceió. Coincidentally when it rains and pours here in Bebedouro, it also rains and pours in our apartment. i will try to send photos, it is pretty hilarious. When it rains we have a waterfall coming from our wash area and it flows down into our bedroom. Happy New Year was accompanied with about 2 inches of water spouting from the washroom ceiling and an old light switch. safe, not so sure, but i do know that using rags to soak up water takes about an hour and a half. This flood happened three times in the last week. awesome.

This week a combination of the new year flooded apartment and Sister Murbaki being sick made it really difficult to work. Yesterday, after cleaning up a flood after lunch, I had a really hard time having the desire to work. We were walking down the street and the last thing i wanted to do was work. I was exhausted, but i felt ashamed that i was feeling so lazy that i didnt want to do the work that i came over 5000 miles to do. I said a prayer asking for the drive or something to push me. Heavenly Father didnt hesitate.

We entered a small house of Maria and Luiz. Maria is pregnant and they have 4 other beautiful children. They are probably one of the cutest and most loving couples ive seen. We taught them the first lesson and it was amazing. They were totally receptive. Theyve been looking for a church but havent been satisfied. They accepted the invitation to pray and prepare for baptism after they receive a response. Now i dont know if they are going to accept this message. i dont know what Heavenly Father has planned, but in that moment Heavenly Father reminded me why i am here. He was blunt and I was humbled and the drive was there. I am here to help families become eternal families. I am here to strengthen people, to give them an opportunity to better their lives, their families, themselves. I saw it in the faces of these two parents and it was more than what i felt worthy to ask for.

I know God loves us. He has a plan and I am one of the priviledged few in this world who has the opportunity to have this knowledge and to share it. The more i study the more i thirst to share what i study. It is amazing the capacity our mind has when you factor in faith and the Spirit. I am learning so much about following the Spirit. He is a real driving force and I feel very blessed to be able to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost in my life. Amazing.

A few funny things. Here it is perfectly acceptable to call or refer to other people as fat. For example, a lot of Brasilleiros refer to my district leader as the gordão elder (gordo is fat, add ão and you have really fat). It still makes me laugh when people talk about it. Earlier this week when i was joking around with Sister Murbaki, she decided to let slip a few English words she has been holding back for the past 8 weeks. In clear English she said, You er mama. I almost peed my pants it was so funny.

Today we had a zone activity and one of my elders from the CTM presented me with a peanutbutter filled sweet of some sort. I havent had peanutbutter for almost 3 months, and let me tell you i dont know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. Man imiss peanut butter!

well i love you all and i miss you!

proud to wear the tag,

Sister JP Peterson

HAPPY NEW YEAR!‏

2010-01-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

DEAR ALL

I have officially survived my first six weeks of living in real Maceió with a real live Brasilleira speaking broken but real Portuguese. WHOOEY! It was the fastest slow experience ever. And the verdict is in, I am blessed to have 6 more weeks in BEBEDOURO! I am stoked.

Well six weeks here and we still are at zero with baptisms, but we have a big teaching pool and we havent even scratched the surface of the amount of people here. Im stoked and im ready.

Last week Heavenly Father led us directly to a family that i think i mentioned in my last email. The dad, Wagner is a less active member and he has two kids Barbara 11 and Venicious 13 that are not baptized. Weve been teaching them. Last Friday Venicious said he was ready to be baptized he read the BOM prayed and recieved a response that it truly is the word of God. Unfortunately last night we went to visit and teach some more. Barbara said she believes that it is the word of God but doesnt want baptism and one of Venicious´ friends said some stuff about the Book of Mormon and now he is confused about baptism. I thought things would get easier once i started to understand this language, but i found out last night that the heartache just burns a little more. Venicious is one of those sweet spirits that you cant help but love, i could see the sadness in his face when he was telling us about his confusion. Everytime we find someone prepared and ready who has recieved an answer, Satan is not far behind. We left him with our testimony that people can lie to you, people can be misinformed, but the only way you can find truth is through the confirmation from God. He cannot lie. I have hopes that he will read and pray and search and that Heavenly Father will come through and help him, if not now, later in his life.

For this transfer i have set some goals, challenging but possible and I am excited to push myself to accomplish them. A lot of the problem is getting past myself: my insecurties with the language, with teaching, my laziness, its rough sometimes.

A lot of people have asked me about the food here. Let me tell you one thing: you havent lived until you have had juice in Maceió. They have so many fruits so delicious and the juice makes the juice in the states seem like gatorade. I have also encountared Macashera or Mandioca. It is a root that is a lot like a potatoe but (i never thought i could say this) a billion times better. I cant even describe it.
I realized earlier this week that I dont eat a lot of green vegetables here. They dont serve them with our lunches at members houses much. I usually always have rice beans spaghetti noodles that are usually orange from some sort of spice and chicken or beef. And we always have suco (juice) or soda. The only soda i have had here is fanta, guarana and coca cola. I never really drank soda before this but i really love guarana. It is hard because i feel like i eat a lot and im not hungry and then the people tell me to eat more and are offended if i dont. A lot of the time we will go to someones house and they will just bring us food and we have to eat it or they are offended. It is a good thing i walk so much. Last week i asked the bishops daughter if she wanted to be a missionary (she is 7) she replied with, I did but then i realized that you guys walk a lot. Haha.
Christmas was good with the bishops family Christmas Eve. The Sisters nearby stayed at our house. Christmas Eve, apparently people party all night which was apparent at 3 in the morning when i woke up to music blasting from all directions. They love to party here.

It was great to talk to you on Christmas. I felt like 45 minutes definitely wasnt enough but i love you all and thank you for your love and support.

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

FELIZ NATAL TODO MUNDO!

2009-12-30T17:27:00.000-08:00

FELIZ NATAL TODO MUNDO!

It really doesn’t feel so christmasy right now because it is hot and im wearing sandals and i have some mean tan lines going on. BUT everyone here is excited and I love it! It is such a good time to preach the gospel. Peoples minds are already on our Savior Jesus Christ and when they see the name on my tag, they like to talk and sometimes if we are lucky they like to listen also.

This week I had some hilarious I LOVE BRAZIL moments that made me think of a few of you. Primarily Lindsey. Friday we had the ward Christmas party and one thing that I really love about brasillieros is they love music. Especially American music when they don’t know the words. So in the midst of a ward Christmas party, Beyonce was blaring from the speakers. The song, if you liked it then you should have put a ring on it was playing so I was smiling pretty big, but this is the hilarious part. The 2nd counselor in the bishopric is a cute little old brasilleiro named Valdomiro, he is gray and slightly balding and smiles with his whole face especially his eyes. When he saw me smiling he starts dancing to beyonces all my single ladies and I started laughing so hard. One of his sons served in Salt Lake and knows English so he and his brother started dancing too with there fingers covering their ring fingers in unison. HILARIOUS.

Sunday it rained and it was a wonderful break from this heat but I realize that for the next 15 months I will be soaking from either sweat or rain. Awesome. It was beautiful and I was so happy.

W e have been teaching a lot. Unfortunately a very common problem with investigators are that they need to get married before they are baptized. Slightly less common but still common is that people need to get divorced from their previous spouse and married to the person they are with now. One lady has been ´married´ for 30 years with the spouse she has now but is still legally married to another. So different, but I guess it is expensive to get divorces so people just don’t do it. We are waiting on 4 or 5 people to get divorces so we can get them married. All amazing people ready, just one more stumbling block I guess.

Sunday we went to one of the favelas that we don’t like to go to much beause we got robbed last time we were there after dark and we were trying to find one of the ladies we had met but lost her contact info with the bolsa. She was travelling but we found her brother in law and he has been a member for 13 years, has been less active but wants to return to church. He has two kids that aren’t baptized and we are teaching them. There mom died about a year ago and they have been so sad, I know that this gospel will bless there lives. I love those kids, they are so smart and sweet.

We taught there older cousin who is basically a walking bible. We were kind of scared to teach him but we prayed and had faith that God would make up for the knowledge we lacked. One of the most frustrating things in the world is when you understand exactly what someone is saying but lack the ability to respond correctly. However, Sis Murbaki rocked the lesson. He had some strange ideas about prophets but sister Murbaki responded so well to all of his rebuttles. He tried telling us that we were prophets, but we responded that we have prophets on the earth today that have the power of God. It was amazing. I think in moments where my testimony is challenged literally, is when I feel strongest. The only thing I could communicate with power was my testimony. That is all I need.

I know we have a prophet on the earth today, Thomas S Monson and that he guides this church under the direction of the Savior Jesus Christ. This is his church. I know that the 14 other men who serve with him are prophets seers and revelators. We can obey anything those men say and we cant go wrong. Simple and amazing the love God has for us that He sends prophets in all times, that He sent his son Jesus Christ to organize his church with prophets apostles and the power of God. Really think about Christ this holiday. Not just about his amazing birth, but celebrate his life. He is our perfect example. Follow his example, you will be happy. I have seen the difference in my life and the lives of others. Strive to be like Him, the only thing you have to change is your thoughts. If you change your thoughts, your actions follow. It is amazing the power of ideas and thoughts. I am so grateful that God blessed me with this power to think and learn. Amazing.

I love you all very much I hope you have a WONDERFUL Christmas.

Proud to wear the tag.

Sister Peterson

All i want for Christmas is Air Conditioning.‏

2009-12-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

I keep hearing how cold it is in your neck of the woods, meanwhile i look like i just went swimming half the time. Man i love Maceió.

Heavenly Father has blessed us so much this week. Oh man. The past four weeks i kept telling Heavenly Father that Im ready for the confirmation of faith that comes after the trial (Ether 12:6) whenever He is ready and He totally came through, He always does. I wasnt expecting it this soon.

We went from about zero to amazing this week. It started with a reference named Iraen. He is smart, he has lots of questions, fortunately for us, God has a lot of answers. He came to church with us on Sunday and we are going to keep teaching him. He is really interested and is awesome.

We have been teaching another 18 year old man named Carlos and his mother Claudia. I felt like they werent really interested and was ready to move on, but fortunately Sis Murbaki gave them the benefit of the doubt. It turns out that Carlos has been thinking a lot about the gospel and it occupied his mind for three days. HE believes its true and when we asked him to read HE ACTUALLY READ and he liked it. He believes the BOM is true and we are preparing him for baptism. When we first contacted him about 4 weeks ago he was at his neighbors house, they all listened to our message but the neighbors were another religion. They talked to us about there problems and we prayed for them and left. Well this past week, 4 weeks later, the neighbor Meri came over while we were teaching carlos and she said that after we had met with them all of her problems got better and that she is ready to learn and has accepted a baptismal date.

MIRACLES are happening in Bebedouro. It is amazing. It seems like all of a sudden we are finding those people that Heavenly Father has been preparing for us to teach. The joy i have felt in this past week has far outweighed the sorrow and heartache and discouragement of the three weeks prior. MAN I LOVE THIS WORK.

I only have one more week before transfers, hopefully i will stay in this wonderful area. I trust Heavenly Father to know what is best though. He has given me so many opportunities to hear and follow the spirit this week. Yesterday we were walking and I saw a family in a house far in the corner of the street and i felt like i needed to walk to their house and talk to them. They invited us in before we really said anything and as we talked we learned that the ladies daughter had died not long ago. We taught her the plan of Salvation, it is what she needed to hear.

The language is still rough. so rough. i understand a lot. Even words i dont know i can understand if i pay attention, it is so hard to pay attention. My mind wanders so easily but im trying to force myself. It is important. The speaking part is the hardest. my accent is hard for people to understand. They are nice and patient with me. I cant wait for the day that those words are the first words in my mind. when i read i dont have to translate everyword to english to understand. Im progressing and an amazingly fast pace, but sometimes it feels like forever. Im not as grateful for this gift ive been blessed with as i should be, but im learning to give gratitude more.

Christmas is coming! are you all excited? i will call friday morning sometime. send me phone numbers por favor. i cant wait to hear your voices!

proud to wear the tag,

sister Peterson

Remember how i live in Brazil

2009-12-16T09:22:00.001-08:00

Dear all of you.

A few things since you last saw me. I have always publicly coveted curly hair. I have curly hair now. I mostly love it. Somedays i miss the old JP. I have a pretty attractive farmers tan. And I dont really speak English all that much.

Yesterday we had our zone conference for Christmas. It was great and I love Presidente Beynon and Sister Beynon. That man is truly inspired. He talked about our Savior Jesus Christ and the meaning of Christmas. I consider myself blessed to be able to focus all of my energy on that meaning this Christmas and not on the commercial part of it. It is great!

People here love Christmas. A lot of them have little fake pinetrees and papai noels everywhere. i love it. We are going to spend Christmas with a trio of other sisters in another area at the Bishops house with his family. i love that family they are AMAZING.

We still havent been able to find any solid investigators. It is a little discouraging, we are working very hard, but we are learning it is all on the Lords time. Our Zone Leader E. Wheat and E. Youngberg came with us to some lessons and i learned so much about teaching from them. E. YB leaves in about two months and E. Wheat has been hear for over a year and a half. It is amazing how they teach so well and so fluently. I have hope.

The language has good days and not so good days. I realized about three days ago that a lot of the time i dont have to translate into English in my mind and im speaking a little faster, but it is still hard and intimidating to communicate effectively. I have a lot to learn. Im really learning a lot about trusting the Lord, a few times ive felt that there was no way i was going to be able to climb all the way up that hill teach two lessons and be able to make it back home because i was so tired or frustrated or discourage. It somehow happens. The Lord is carrying me right now and i am learning.

It is amazing the things that you can learn when you take time to ponder and search them. i get one hour of personal study each day, it never seems long enough. Things that ive been taught my whole life that i probably could quote through and through, things that i thought i understood well are finally clicking in my mind. Every now and then ill think, that makes sense! When i wasnt too preoccupied about it before. my mind is changing my heart is changing everything about me is changing and its so hard and its so interesting to think about the difference between the JP one week ago, three months ago, and one year ago. Amazing and hard, beautiful and frustrating.

D&C 121:7-8, my situation is cake compared to Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, but all in all have PEACE, ENDURE IT WELL, it will work out. It always does.

Happy birthday TODAY to my big brother, my example, and my friend. I love you and I hope your birthday is wonderful!

Oh family i get to call home for Christmas! whooooooooooooey!
love you all so much.
proud to wear the tag,

Sister J. Peterson

My life be like ooh ahh

2009-12-16T09:21:00.003-08:00

Dearest friends and familia.

Man i love you all. I feel like everyday of my life is an adventure hear in this amazing country. Ive used the verb assaltar quite a bit this past week and we had another close call this morning.

We were waiting at the bus stop to go to a mission activity. I was pretty much oblivious to the whole thing, but a guy was sitting by sister Murbaki and told her where he was going. When his bus passed sister Murbaki became nervous, when the bus passed two more times and ours hadnt arrived we started walking to the other bus stop and he started following us. I didnt really know what was going on until sister Murbaki yelled, Corre! Corre! (run) and started booking it. We ran until we came to this man and woman in a truck. The guy had started walking faster and eventually passed us when we stayed next to these people. They were really nice and guess what, they spoke English! man i miss that language sometimes. The lady lived in Oklahoma for one year. They gave us a ride to our activity and we were safe, but all in all i realize i need to pay attention more often.

Maceio is sunny hot and humid, BUT we get this amazing wind that cools you down when you look and feel like a wet dog. interesting, the sun literally rises at about 4 am so i usually wake up at 5 feeling like im late.

The ward here is awesome. The Bishop and his family live a few houses away and we talk to them almost everyday. They go to a lot of lessons with us and are very involved in the work. I love their kids, Beatrice who is 7 and Thomas who is 3. Bea is so smart she loves learning english so i teach her english and she helps me with portuguese when we visit. Thomas reminds me of connor. He is hilarious and adorable. Makes me miss my sobrinhos at home.

The culture overall is really laid back, humble, and simple. Apparently most of the words i learned in the CTM are words the people rarely use and dont fully understand here. I have to revise my teaching vocabulary daily but sister Murbaki is very helpful.

A lot of the time the people dont understand my accent, but sister murbaki says it is because they dont pay attention. After teaching a lesson i had a really hard time with one of the ladies told me that she liked my accent, it made me smile. I get discouraged when i mess up in lessons, i feel really stupid and realize my pride kills me. I know i am not the only one who struggles learning a language, but sometimes i feel like it. But HF always reminds me of his love and that he is helping me. One day a lady asked me to speak english because her daughter knew a few words and i started saying, Oi! meu nome é. It took me about five seconds to remember how to say hi my name is sister Peterson. I realized that i am improving everyday and that i need to relax and not stress so much.

God has blessed me with this amazing opportunity to see and think in a totally new language. To see the world from a different view point and to be able to understand a people whose culture and ideas are completely foreign to me. Amazing. It is rough sometimes, change always is, but i cannot wait till i can think in Portuguese, what a blessing that will come from this trial. I have to think of that everyday.

There is one member, Irmã Elba who was baptized about 5 months ago and all in all this lady is a ROCK an example and she gives me hope everytime i get to talk to her. Her circumstances are humble, but she pushes herself to learn and grow in the gospel. She is already preparing for the temple. She has given up so much to be a member and is solid. Her faith and her love of the Lord is amazing. She was telling me her conversion story last night, how she tried to ignore the missionaries as much as possible for a long time. But now she is probably one of the strongest members of this ward. It gives me hope that even though we dont have a strong teaching pool if we are consistent and loving we can help someone.

My goal for this transfer is found in section 108 in the doctrine and covenants specifically in verse 7: Therefore, strengthen your brethren in all your conversation, in all your prayers, in all your exhortations, and in all your doings. this is my goal for my life to leave those that at meet and the areas that i live and serve in better than how i found them.

I know this work is the Lords work. I know that He leads this church today and that through the power of God miracles happen every single day. I am protected by that power, i am sustained by that power, i am working by that power. Now more than every i realize how very real it is. God loves his children, He knows them, and He has sent me to this area of the world to learn this beautiful language so that i can tell them all about it. It is true, i wouldnt be here if it wasnt.

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

ps. Grandma i received your letters thank you very much! To my friends i can receive your emails but i cannot respond UNLESS you are on a mission in another part of the world. So if you want a response send me your mailing address and i will write you the best letter of your life. ALSO this is my mailing address i think it was wrong from before:

Sister Jessica Ruth Peterson
Ed Work Center
Rua Dom Antonio Brandão 333
Sala 402 Farol
57021-190 Maceió, AL
BRASIL

Didnt you tell him they were the Lords chips?

2009-11-25T18:45:00.000-08:00

Dear people that i love:

if my week had to be summed up into one word it would be: INTENSE

It has been a very trying week this week, filled with discouragement, laughter, and a lot of Portuguese.

As far as I have seen and I walk around this area a lot, I am the only white person. I am learning so much about this culture and i like it. I kind of feel like all social norms i have learned in the past 21 years of life are out the window. The personal space thing is non existent almost, I havent been kissed on the cheek so many times in my life. One night I tried making a contact and Sis Murbaki didnt notice and kept walking so i went to shake this brasilleiros hand and he pulled me in and lay a big one on my cheek. We were teaching a lesson in one of the houses and the lady~s neighbor came over, saw me, and within seconds my head was burrowed in the chest of a 50 year old brasilliera who i had never spoken to in my life. Ive also learned that if you are at a persons house and they ask you if you would like juice or something to drink, really it means that they are going to make you dinner and you should probably get seconds, with every meal you should probably get seconds.

I get really discouraged about the language, but one thing that is really nice is brasilians love love love to talk. So i can get by pretty good with smiling nodding saying sim and poís é. They just keep talking to me and i just keep smiling.

Sunday night we were walking home at abouty 8:40 at night, 20 minutes before we needed to be home and i was walking about 5 steps behind sister Murbaki (the sidewalks are kinda weird and unpredictable so i usually walk behind her) All of a sudden i was really paranoid and then i heard some footsteps behind me. i stepped to the side a little and i saw a skinny dark brasillian man, barefoot run past me. He went up to sister murbaki and pulled her bag over her head. It happened so fast! Then he ran across the street and i kid you not, jumped up and pulled himself over a wall and was gone. It was insane!Sis. Murbaki was very upset and I was scared, really scared id never experienced this before, but part of me wanted to start laughing hysterically. The guy totally reminded me of the guy off nacho libre, nachos fighting companion the one who only believes in science, when he stole the chips and jumped over the wall. I really wanted to say: Didnt you tell him it was the Lords bolsa? but i didnt because i didnt know how to say it in portuguese and sis. Murbaki has never seen that movie. Needless to say hilarious and scary and awesome. There wasnt really anything of worth in it only our cell phone and her perscription sunglasses and 3 reais. In it though was her planner that had all of our contacts addresses, all of our work for the past week pretty much gone, but we have faith that we will be able to find those people we contacted and all will be good.

Needless to say, this past week is proving this experience to be one of the most intimidating experiences. However, when I am discouraged, HF always reminds me of why I am here and I am reminded that this work is happiness or as Sis. Murbaki says Missão é a festa! Sometimes that comes in the form of a scripture or a quote i~ve heard. Most often it comes in the form of a little brazillian smile. Whenever im stressed if i smile at a child here, 98% guaranteed I will get the most heartwarming smile a girl could as for in return. I love these people.

One quote that one of the sisters in the CTM gave me helps me a lot and i believe it can apply to life in general and any problem you face:

INVICITUS by William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeoning of chance.
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
and yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
I realize i always have a choice, i have a choice to be upset after Sis Murbaki has repeated herself and i still dont understand what she is saying, or I can relax and try harder. I have a choice to be angry when some punk literally disrupts a full week of work, or i can laugh because he looks like the guy from nacho libre. In all things I know that Heavenly father is mindful of me. He knows me and He understands EVERYTHING that Im struggling with. In Alma 26:36 Ammon explains this point that in all things God is mindful of us, Wanderers in a strange land. If that is not me I dont know what is. I know why i am here and i know this is where i should be. Heavenly Father is helping me EVERY DAY to become the woman i would like to be and right now im being molded and sometimes its frustrating, but one day i will speak portuguese and understand what all this is for.
Thank you so much everyone who sent me emails this week! they always help. Thank you all for your support, know that you are in my prayers and that i love you all very much.
Proud to wear the tag.
Sister Jessica Ruth Peterson

thoughts da Galega‏

2009-11-25T18:41:00.000-08:00

Apparently i am a GALEGA. The past 24 hours has been intense to say the least. Yesterday I left the CTM at 430 in the morning to go to the place ive been dreaming of for six months, MACEIÓ! I have realized one thing, once you become accustomed or comfortable with what you are doing, Heavenly Father, lovingly, gives you the opportunity to be ripped from that comfort zone and thrown into another zone that just lacks that. Needless to say the bubble of the CTM is much different from Maceió, but I love it I wouldnt change it for anything.
My mission president, Presidente Beynon and his wife are really great people. Yesterday i went to the mission home met them ate REAL ICECREAM and then I met my new companheira, Sis Murbaki. She is so amazing and so kind. She is the kind of companion i would like to become. She is always looking for opportunities to serve me and help me in anyway, its been a full day with this cute little brazillian and i ALREADY love her!

She is from São Paulo, I havent heard a word of English from her which is intimidating but i~m excited for the opportunity to be completely submerged in this culture. She has been out 8 months and im glad she is my comp.
Last night sis murbaki and me rode in a car with sis. moyle and her new companheira. When we dropped them off i got back in the car and listened to sister Murbaki talking to the lady driving us. At that moment i had a, youre not in kansas anymore moment and almost cried. But i didnt it was great.
We went and visited some other sister missionaries near our area of BEBEDOURA and they had colored a picture of a white missionary wearing a pink dress and having long blonde hair with a big BEM VINDA SISTINHA! we ate dinner and i learned a lot of things, that is when i learned that white girls with green or blue eyes are called Galega. I really like the sisters here they are hilarious. there are only 12-14 sisters here and i have met 7 of them. awesome.
my apartment is pretty it is upstairs so i get to see my area very well from our porch balcony thingy. I love this place there is no place i would rather be.
My last week at the CTM flew by and it seems like it was a long time ago not 48 hours ago that i was there. i studied alma 26 a lot last week. Ammon is my hero. Such an awesome example and part of how i feel when i get to teach others about the gospel. There is this power that comes and when i feel inadequate it takes over. It is amazing. i was able to talk to the man sitting next to me on the airplane to maceio. His accent was so hard to understand but i got my point across and he wanted to meet with the missionaries so it was good all around.
oh and i also speak portuguese somewhat, who would have thought that could happen!
love you familia!

Sister Peterson

Another Update

2009-11-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

I am once again sitting in a cookie shop (mr. Cheney cookies) smelling the baking of delicious cookies and feeling pretty incredulous. In exactly one week i~ll be on a jet plane to the one place ive only been dreaming of for the past 6 months. Excited, nervous, happy, sad, and ready. I will miss some of the amazing people that ive met here at the CTM but 9 weeks is enough. Perhaps my Portuguese is far from fluencia, but I had some experiences this week that give me faith that what i cant do Christ and the Spirit will make up for.

Friday night my whole district six 19 year old boys and me and sister Moyle hopped into a small van that dumped us off in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. I only remember seeing this many people in movies. Its like New York but brazillian. We had two Book of Mormons and two shiny name tags bearing the name of the man who made this all possible and the names of our families. We had three hours to proselyte and let me tell you, some of the best three hours of my life.

The very first man we talked to was Josias. He was incredibly nice and recognized right away that we were new at the whole Portuguese thing. He talked slower for us and we understood a majority of what he said. We talked about the gospel with him, and it turned out he is very well versed in the bible, he knew all about the apostles in the new testament and a lot of our beliefs were similiar. We testified of the Book of Mormon and although he didnt have much time he was interested. He promised to read the book if we gave it to him. We left him smiling. Awesome experience.

The next guy we talked to talked really really fast in a strange accent. I caught like two things, sister moyle understood a little more. I knew that he thought the sao paulo temple was beautiful and he was sad. He kept talking and we didnt know what to say, but a thought popped into my mind, well a scripture Helaman 5:12 i had thought of that scripture earlier but only remembered that it was aobut building a foundation on Christ. I had him read it and he liked it. He said he believed every word of that scripture and took the BOM.

We talked to about 8 people in those three hours, but the last lady we talked to was the best out of all of them. I dont know her name and i probably will never see her again but out meeting was amazing. We stopped her and talked to her about God and she believed in the Bible and Jesus Christ. She had a family of two daughters. We asked her if she believed that she could be with her family forever. She said only as individuals, and then we told her about Eternal families. She listened intently and said, i didn~t know about this. So we told her about dispensations and the restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith. That through the power from God he translated book to lead us and guide us today. She looked at us interested but said, i didnt know this. I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and how it changed my life. She asked me how. I told her that because of the teachings of the prophets in the Book of Mormon and Christs teachings I am a better person. I told her that because of this Gospel I knew that I could be with my family forever and that eventhough she had never heard this message, it was the most important message she would hear. I told her that i came from the United States to Brazil because of the importance of this message. Sister Moyle bore her testimony to her, and I felt the most amazing feelings of the spirit. Everything we said was pure truth and this lady could sense it. She was interested in our message, but we didnt have a Book to give her. We gave her a number and she promised to call it. She told us that meeting us was a blessing.

That experience was amazing. I dont know how i said all of those things, but i know i said them. If she my words were unintelligible or if by some weakness of my own would have confused her, the spirit made up for it. It was amazing. I wish i could remember this ladies name, but she is in my prayers and I am so excited to share this amazing message with more of Gods children!

There were a lot of funny things that happened this week and while proselyting also. On Sunday our district leader Elder thomson from Randolph UT was giving our sunday school lesson about Christ. Our Branch President and one of teh CTM presidents was in the class with our district when E. Thomson started talking about the story when Jesus was twelve and stayed in the temple when his parents went away. This is what E. Thomson said: After awhile they realized that Jesus wasnt with them and Mary and Joseph were like, CRAP where is Jesus! This is just the way this kid talks, he is from A small town in Utah, but our Branch President just said: Really, is that what she said? Pretty funny.

We have one teacher who is also a zone leader named Irmão Da Luz. He is hilarious. His dream is to have a kawasaki ninja motorcycle and often does this impression of driving the motorcycle complete with noises and fist shaking at the other drivers. He has a few quotable phrases that he says often like: MY GOSH! (in a thick brazillian accent almost like nacho libre) YOU GUYS ARE SO SMART! or when we are in the middle of practicing lessons in portuguese he will say something like: HOLD ON WAIT HOLD ON. TODAY WAS YOU PDAY, WHY DONT YOU BRING ME ANY CANDY DANGIT! or HOW COME YOU GUYS NEVER BRING ME BEEF JERKY? he is kind of sincere when he says it so it is really funny. Although he is hilarious, he gives some of the most powerful lessons about the gospel, i learn so much from him and i will miss this funny brazillian man muito.

Ive thought about a few things ill miss in the CTM

Toilets that i can flush toilet paper down.
Having my sheets washed for me each week.
dryers
having all my food cooked for me.
Irmão DA LUZ and Ribeiro
two of the Elders from my distric that are not going to Maceio (e. Wiggins and E. Woodhouse)
My roommates Sister Degen and Sister Leitherer
Sister Moyle as my comp (but she is going to Maceió with me so maybe i~ll have her again)
All the sisters at the MTC
Sunday afternoon naps (ps david i totally can take naps on sundays you my friend were wrong)

Im so excited to start missing all these things.

i love you all and im so grateful for the emails and letters you have been sending!

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

Week 7

2009-10-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Remember how I met an apostle last week. Well I did and it was amazing. I had the opportunity to hear from Richard G Scott of the quorum of the twelve apostles and let me tell you, that man is amazing. His message was simple, but he delivered it with so much power.

One thing that stuck with me was that missionary work is hard work. If you don~t go to bed exhausted you aren~t working hard enough.

He shared his testimony of Jesus Christ. As i reflected onthe things he said, I thought deeply about the attributes of Christ, Charity specifically. Christ was so selfless in everything He did. His love for people is apparent, but how could i ever be like that. I thought about it, our thoughts lead to actions. Yes i want to be like Christ, I want to do the things that He did and the things that, as a representative of Christ He would want me to do, but more than that I want to think like He did. I~ve been studying a lot about his life in the New Testament and the lives of his apostles after his death. That selflessness that he showed throughout his life is mirrored in the lives of his apostles. I am learning so much. Read 1 Corinthians chapter 13. My favorite verses are 11-13. Im going to work this week on having Christlike charity it is just one of many attributes that I lack, but I know I can attain.

This week i feel like my mind has been opened. Sometimes i get very discouraged especially with the language. I was praying to be able to speak this language, but when it came to understanding someone i was lost. I started praying to understand what i hear and I am not exaggerating when I say that literally almost instantaneously my brain started picking up sentence patterns and ways of remembering what people were saying to me. I~m not fluent yet, and it still takes a few moments to respong, but that occurence was just one more witness of many that builds my faith that HF is listening. I might be struggling, but as I do my best, He wil make up the rest. It was probably your prayers too!

I~m still loving it here. I think i~m almost ready to leave the CTM. i have two more weeks after this and its bye bye toilets that i can flush toilet paper down, food prepared for me, people who wash my sheets for me, and comfortable weather. Oh a lot of you keep asking me if i~m dying of heat. NOT AT ALL. it is usually rainy at least 4 days of the week and let me tell you, Brazil knows how to rain. When it is sunny it is hot but not so hot that i want to die. that all will probably change in 2 weeks but i~m totally up for summer for the next 16 months of my life. I am a little bit missing Autumn though, it is my favorite time when the leaves turn red and the air smells crisp and leaves crunch underneath your foot. best feelings ever. Enjoy it for me please. Also HAPPY HALLOWEEN THIS WEEK!!!

On Friday we went out to clean the street in front of the CTM. Sis. Moyle and I talked to a Brazillian worker for about twenty minutes. We brought up the gospel and then he started saying something about mormons sleeping in Curitiba, my vocab is limited so we listened and tried to talk to him some more. It is so cool how people here don~t mind talking about religion. It seem like it is something most americans are afraid of, but it is awesome, most people will listen to what we say.

I am lucky, Brazillians love God and like Americans, it seems like there are a lot of missionaries who don~t have that. im one blessed sister.

proud to wear the tag

Sister J. Peterson

eu amo brasil‏

2009-10-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

I made my first big mistake with the language this week. I was eating lunch and talking to three Brazillian sisters. I asked one of them if she had a boyfriend at home, after she told me about her hunk, i turned to the other two and said, pointing from one to the other, Voces namarados? needless to say they shook there head and had big eyes then laughed. I essentially asked if they were dating eachother not if they had boyfriends.They thought it was funny and just laughed at me.

Today I was able to go to the temple. Sao Paulo Temple is probably my favorite temple ever. On the way there and back i rode in a van. Sis Moyle and I rode in the front next to the driver. I talked to him about a lot of different things mostly how terrified i am to drive on these roads, the driveres are crazy and the motorcyclists insane. he was, like most of the people here, so patient and willing to fill in the blanks of Portuguese I lack. He isn~t a member and i asked him if he had a Book of Mormon. He does, but he is catholic but the thing is it wasn~t awkward talking to him about the gospel. It was such a sweet experience!

Last Pday my district met with our old Teacher Irmã de Santana and had pastels. Afterward she came with sister moyle and me to get some lotion. All of a sudden one of the workers came up to me and started putting all of this lotion on my arm and asking, voce gosta? and then speaking portuguese really fast. I was laughing so hard and I didn~t know how to tell her that I didn~t want anymore lotion. After laughing at me for awhile, irmã de santana told the lady that i found what i was looking for. It was funny because i didn~t know how to tell her to stop and she just kept going on trying to help me. I walked out of the shop smelling like a rainbow popsicle.
Elder Richard G Scott is coming to the CTM friday, i~m way excited. We are also supposed to proselyte in São Paulo Friday but i don~t know if that will be postponed. I~m excited but scared, i~m not as confident in my language abilities as i~d like to be.
This week I have learned that Heavenly Father really hears and answers our prayers. He even hears and answers prayers given in broken, hardly intelligible Portuguese. This communication that we can have with God is amazing and it is crazy to think that most of the world isnt fully aware of this power.
A few weeks ago one other sister going to Maceio, Sister Porath, left the CTM for the mission field. Sister Moyle and I got a letter from her telling us about Maceio. Apparently she is the only American sister there right now. I only know of one other Brazillian sister missionary that has left for there recently. The letter got me so excited to go out into the mission field, i just have to speak the lingua first.
I started my sixth week yesterday, meaning i have a little less than 4 weeks before i have a brazillian companion and will need to speak Portuguese fluently. NeedlesAll i~m saying is if you remember, i~d appreciate your prayers!
I love what I~m doing. I love what Im learning. God is blessing me with knowledge and many humbling experiences, i~m pushing myself harder than i thought i could and i know that what i lack is being made up. I love you all so much.
Proud to wear the tag,
Sister Peterson
PS Happy Birthday Tomorrow Grandma! and Lindsey I totally got your letter yesterday I~m sending a letter today! my mom should have one for you at her house already.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM DIIIIIAAAAAAA‏

2009-10-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

One of the Brazillian matainance workers here at the CTM greets the missionaries all the time with a long and drawn out: BOOOOOOOOOOOOM DIIIIIIAAAAAAAA! He is the most adorable Brazillian man. He doesn~t speak a word of English but you can tell in everything he does that he loves life. He is excited about fixing broken lights and cleaning up after messy 19-25 year olds and he is ALWAYS happy. Everytime i see this man my day gets a little brighter. I decided i want to live my life so that perhaps my attitude will help others. He came up to me earlier this week and said: Sister PAY TOR SON meu filho nome e PAYTORSON. He always gets so excited to see me.

Well this week has been just like the other weeks i get up at 629 am. Get dressed and ready and study all day till 900 when i get to go pig out on delicious cake and chocolate milk then go to bed at 1030. That is mostly my days here. We have devotionals on Sundays and Tuesdays and then other devotional type things not called devotionals on saturdays. They totally get me pumped.

One thing that I have come to realize is that God is extremely good at giving constructive criticism. He is suttle when perhaps a little nudge will get me to recognize what is going on and when that just wont do, well He knows how to get my attention. Im coming to realize that i~m a pretty prideful person most of the time and humility is sometimes a hard lesson to learn. All in all im learning things about myself in ways that i never thought i~d learn them.

We got some new Brazillians this past week and they have my mealtimes. I get to practice all the time now. It is fantastic. I learned that peanut butter is Amendoim. One Elder from Recife has about the same language ability in English as i do in Portuguese so we learn a lot from eachother. It still amazes me how patient these people are. In the states most people would just say: LEARN ENGLISH.

I~m running out of time today, i guess everything is mostly the same, but i love you all and i love what i do.

Jesus Cristo e nosso Salvador e Redentor. Atraves Sua Expiacao nos podemos tornar as pessoas melhor que nos pensamos possivel. O Evangelho de JEsus Cristo e verdadeiro.

proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

2009-10-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

Dear family and Friends,

I am so grateful for those of you who sent me letters this week! My concept of time is completely messed up here. The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. I am starting my fourth week tomorrow, meaning I am teaching some fake brazillian investigators after this week and then in two weeks Sister Moyle and I are proselyting out in sao paulo. Speaking real Portuguese, with real Brazillians that have never heard the gospel. We get to proselyte in Sao Paulo twice while in the CTM. This is such a great place to learn.

I never cease to be amazed at how fast the language is coming. I understand what i read for the most part, I can speak well with what i know, but when it comes to a Brazillian speaking at a normal pace i catch maybe every three words but by the time i translate it in my head they have already started on something else. I know it will come and i~m not too frustrated. well not often frustrated i guess would be better.

This past weekend was General Conference. I don~t know what it was but this was one of the best I have ever heard. They talked a lot about love and service. Dieter F Uchtdorf made a bunch of amazing points: he talked about how we all have a vast capacity to love others. That love should be our walk and our talk. We should strive to emulate the Savior in all things, but without love for our fellowman, we are nothing. one quote that really stuck out to me was: Though we are incomplete He loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. That message so simple and so true is why I am here. God loves us so much and unfortunately not everyone knows that. The strength i have recieved from Heavenly FAther has helped me to accomplish every single goal i have ever attempted.

President Thomas S. Monson talked about the importance of serving others. He talked about the benefits for us and for humanity because of service. It totally pumped me up, it is hard sometimes but I am trying so hard to find ways to serve the people here. I only get one day a week where i am outside of the CTM but in serving my companions and district i have found that our relationships have grown closer and i am much happier. President Monson said: you will never regret the kindness you extend to those around you. God put us here on this earth to help eachother. As we serve, we are literally God~s hands.

So family and friends this is my challenge to you. Find someone this week who perhaps is down or having a hard time and find some way to serve them. Little things even. I remember a quote from Henry B. Eyring i believe that said something like: Treat every person as kind as you would treat them if they were facing the hardest trial of there life. More often than not they will be. I know that as we strive to do kind things for others we are blessed and we genuinely bless the lives of others.

Sister Moyle and I have been having a lot of fun adventures this week. We have been sitting with the Brazillians this week, most of which left this morning to the mission field. They teach us a lot of funny things and we help them with there english so its a win win situation. I asked them if they get tired of people always asking them Como Vai? and De onde voce e? and cual missao? they thought that was funny.

I try so hard to strike up conversations with the brazilian workers here at the CTM but my vocabulary is still quite limited. like i said it is coming. i love you guys so much. i can~t even begin to relate to you how much you are in my thoughts and in my prayers. Sister Moyle and I talk about our families more often than not i talk about my neices and nephews. Like the day I taught Kalena Tudo Bam and she ran around the house yelling TUDO BANG. my compenieras loved that.

Send me pictures family unfortunately i was a fubeca and totally forgot to bring some. i love you all!

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

TUDO BAM is the word‏

2009-09-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

Dear everybody that i love.

Did I ever mention that I love Brazil, Brazillians, and Brazillian Portuguese. The language is amazing and beautiful and intimidating. It is INSANE how fast it is coming. I still get frustrated because I still have a hard time understanding what Brazillians are saying to me and how to respond intelligibly, BUT I get to practice with natives daily and I~m very blessed to be here. I love BRAZIL!
I found my new favorite candy. Paçocas Rolhas. They are like reeses peanutbutter cups minus the chocolate. Delicious. Fattening. Heaven. Also VW buses seem to be the thing here, no wonder its so cool!
I have two instructors: Irmao Ribeiro and Irma De Santana. Ribeiro knows very little English but is really funny. Irma De Santana is a whole bunch of sass ground into a stocky Brazillian lady. She is hilarious and she has to be. The Elders in my district are awesome but often have trouble focusing. They always ask Brazillians to quote nacho Libre. I have to say that Brazillians say: get that corn outta my face! better than nacho does himself. Brazillians seem to do everything better.
Im in class for a minimum of 7 hours m-f and then me and my companion study for at least 2 more hours on language alone. Its a lot. Slowly i think my English is leaving me so sorry if things don~t make sense all the time. I study exclusively the gospel during personal and companion study and then for a little bit during classes. This week I~ve been thinking about families a lot. We~ve had so many Brazillian speakers come to talk to us about gospel topics and often they talk about their conversion stories. Many of the Brazillian missionaries are first generation members. Their testimonies are incredible. The gospel has changed their lives in extreme ways. The people here are so receptive i think, partly because they have their priorities straight. Family is such a huge part of there culture.
Today sister moyle and I didnt get to go to the Temple for our Pday so we went exploring in the area surrounding the CTM. We were looking for this pastel shop that everyone was telling us about. We got lost and had to ask directions. Needless to say, We don~t speak portuguese, but these people love us and are kind and smile at us as we stumble over our broken portuguese. Pastels are delicious huge and fattening as well. They are like huge empanadas.
my companheiro, sister Moyle, is probably one of the best companions anyone could ever ask for she is the perfect example of quiet dignity. She is kind, patient and hilarious. At the CTM we fast from after lunch saturday till lunch Sunday. Saturday night we were talking when out of nowhere sister moyle says: shh! do you hear that? its quiet...we should starve them more often! i laughed so hard i almost peed my pants. The Elders are so loud at night usually so it was nice.
This is an amazing experience. I cannot even begin to communicate to you all what this is like. It doesnt seem real half the time. I feel very priviledged to be serving in the most wondreful country, with the most wonderful people, teaching the thing that makes me the most happy. I love this gospel I love its influence in my life, i wouldn~t be the person i am without it.

Proud to wear the tag,

Sister Peterson

Jessi's 1st Letter from Brazil

2009-09-23T10:23:00.000-07:00

Oi Familia e Amigos!

I feel like I waited forever and now I am in the second largest city in the world sitting in a Cookie Shop writing my very first email home as a missionary. It is crazy that A week ago I was saying my goodbyes. This has been one of the longest/shortest weeks of my life. Being a missionary is amazing, but incredibly challenging and Im not even in the field yet!

My companion is Sister Moyle she is from Holladay Utah and is going to Maceio with me November 17th. Heavenly Father blessed me with an awesome companion. She is just enough like me that we relate well and just different enough so that we compliment each other well.

In my district there are 7 other elders, one more is in Provo waiting on his visa. They are typical 19 year old boys, imature but hilarious. They treat us sisters very well and provide entertainment so i cant complain. Apparently they do things like mattress jousting at night time. The sisters just sleep.

There are about 400 to 500 missionaries here. about 200 of them are Brazillians and less than 50 of the 500 are sisters. The MTC here is actually called the CTM (say tay emee) And it is amazing. I am surrounded by the brazillian culture. We try to sit with the Brazillians at at least one meal a day to work on our Portuguese. So far I can have very short conversations with them and then they end up laughing at me.

Yesterday, my class went to talk to the Brazillian class. We just asked them simple questions like how are you? where you from? what mission? how many people in your family? But i learned a lot. The Brazillians are so kind and patient. If they get annoyed or frustrated they don~t let us know it. They are always talking to us and telling us english words. One of the Brazillian Elders talked to meabout my family when I told him how many sobrinhos (neices andnephews) i had he was in shock. VINTE-SEIS? he said then told all of his companions around him. One of the Brazillians showed me a picture of his nephew. It was an awesome experience I cannot wait till i am fluent or till i can at least carry on a conversation. A lingua esta´beleza!

I study hard each day. I was getting very frustrated and stressed by the fourth day. Sometimes this preparation is very overwhelming and i was asking God why is it so Hard. Well that night we had a devotional and a talk by Elder Holland was shown. He said, The reason why this work is so hard is because Salvation was never a cheap experience. I felt chastised and comforted at the same time.

When I get stressed or frustrated I am forgetting the reason why I am here. I am here to help people come to the realization that We have a loving Heavenly Father and He has a plan for us. It seems like whenever I have a doubt or frustration, it is always addressed the same day. I see God blessing me almost hourly. He has the confidence in me, I just have to trust him and have hope that He will help me learn what i need learn and do what i need to do. It is so much easier that way.

I love this work. I am so stoked to go to Maceio in two months. Everything in Brazil is beautiful, the vegetation, the language, the people, even the graffitied buildings and broken up sidewalks are gorgeous. I love it here. I know this is where I should be. Everything about this past week has shown me that Heavenly Father knows me so well.

Eu sei que a igreja de Jesus Cristo e verdadeiro. O livro de Mormon e a palavra de Deus. O Deus nosso amoroso Pai Celestial. E VERDADE!

Proud to wear the tag, Sister Peterson ps. I am only allowed to write emails to families so if my friends would like to write me my address is:

Sister Jessica Ruth Peterson
Box#48 District# 38-D
Brazil Maceio Missao
Rua Padre Antonio D´Angelo 121
Casa Verde
CEP 02156-040 Sao Paulo, SP
Brazil

What life is all about

2009-09-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

As of 09/01/2009, my best friend Jessica Dawn Smith agreed to marry some Portuguese speaking hooligan. I just gotta say CONGRATULATIONS to that wonderful girl. Jessie you are totally my hero, Anthony is one lucky dude to have such a beautiful amazing strong and worthwhile fiance. Thank you Jessie for your awesome example to me. You are one of those people who never stopped loving me even when you had the opportunity and perhaps even an excuse to stop. I hope that I can become as selfless humble and driven as you lady. I'm bummed i'm not going to be around for the wedding but I'm so glad that you are doing it the right way girl. Good luck on all your upcoming adventures with your hubby, I'm so proud of you!

Also, one of the most influential people in my life over the past year got her mission call. Sister Nicole Dowdle will be serving in Taipei Taiwan for a period of 18 months. You are going to be a rockin missionary girl. You have one of the most firm foundations in anyone i've met. You always stand for what is right, you are one of those people that Heavenly Father placed specifically in my life for my betterment. I love you mija, you are my best friend, sister, and role model.

The adventures facing these two wonderful people make me so happy, I really admire these two people there actions exemplify a quote by Ezra Taft Benson:

"We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must come first...When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives."

I see you both doing this daily, and I see the effects of it. I'm so proud of you both!

22 days till you can call me Irma

2009-08-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

Things I will "miss" for the next 18 months:

Sleeping in past 6:30 AM.

adventures with bestfriends

Running by myself, listening to my ipod.

minha familia

playing with this little boy...

and laughing with this little girl:

PEANUT BUTTER!

SNOWBOARDING

Hugging good lookin boys

Studly Men in general

Ripsticking & Longboarding

Cash, Michael Jackson, Marley, the Beatles, Sinatra and Jack Hody Johnson

School & the late night cram sessions that accompany it.

(this was taken at approximately 3 AM)

wearing sweats, jeans, and shorts most of the week.

ADVENTURES WITH ROOMMATES

WINKING AT PEOPLE (semi-inappropriate on a mission)

going to the temple whenever i wanna

Possibly the english language

luxuries involving the American culture

playing all the time

autumn in Cache valley. all seasons in cache valley

=]I sure can't wait to start missing these things!

i am untitled

2009-08-14T07:30:00.000-07:00

I sit here scraping the last globs of yoplait yogurt out its container while trying to think of a witty title for this, my blog that I rarely write. I was thinking of: Scraping for life at the bottom of my peach flavored yogurt container, but the connotation for that seems negative. I am anything but negative.

I am wakeful in my Utah State sweat pants and 15 year old wrestling hoodie that my brother used. I am sitting next to a window looking at my brother's "blonde" lawn turn green due to increase in rain and I am admiring the way the multi-shades-of-gray sky contrasts perfectly with pinetrees and other sorts of vegetation. Washington is everything beautiful to this mostly awake 21 year old.

I feel like...whoa i just started off three paragraphs with I...what would my english professors think? she's gettin rusty.maybe i am shhhh.... I feel content in this waiting period of life. I realize to have adventure you have to look for it and sometimes that means making adventure up. Whether that be building a blanket and pillow fort with 7&8 year old boys or running down a hypnotizing canal trail as rain drizzles slowly enough to build into puddles on your skin and you feel like you are all water and cloth as your shirt and shorts weigh down. but you keep running anyway because it feels good. Sometimes adventures involve getting lost into the concept of how the world works and how our minds and our hearts and our bodies combine to form this brilliantly structured being, perfectly suited for this world. The best adventures involve thinking outside yourself.

My hope, is that one day i will perfect the making of adventure. As Peter Pan said: "To live would be an awfully big adventure." and that is what i aim to do.

simplicity

2009-06-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is what a 21 year old looks like...

I pride myself in the fact that if I wanted to, I could take all of my belongings, fit them into the back of my 2001 kia sephia (john wayne) and drive until my gas tank hit empty. I take pleasure in the fact that most of my hobbies require no money and that rice and beans are the staple of my diet. I love how quarters are critical and how they seem to be non existent due to the fact that every load of laundry wipes me out, quarterly speaking. I like living the simple life and finding happiness through my simplicity.

In Portuguese, Voce gostas minha bunda peluda means: Do you like my hairy butt?
A mozambiquan taught me this phrase on a drive home to Caldwell. Of all the things that I've learned to say in Portuguese, I only remember the things that probably won't help me very much as a missionary.

As far as life goes my life be like ooh ahh. i think in fact i capture the idea of that song. I have recently moved to Yelm Washington where I'm with my brother and his family. I basically get to hangout with my favorite two year old, an overly sassy three year old and the best 7 and 8 year old boys I've met. And my sister in law.

Life is simple for me right now i have approximately 36 days till i leave for Sao Paulo and I don't have much to stress about or much to say. I'm happy and i'm learning. I learn mostly from what I'm studying which with 36 days left is pretty much the gospel, but I get a lot of hands on experience with kids. Slowly, I've come to the conclusion that being a mom would pretty much be the raddest thing ever. I used to make fun of the girls in my church who only had one ambition in life and that was to be a mother. I admire these girls now. To be so with it at such a young age, man it took me nearly 21 years to figure it out.

I look at society and the future freaks me out, but then i think about it and realize...if everyone took parenting as seriously as they should, the world would be awesome. If everyone sought to be the best versions of themselves boom roasted i wouldn't dread the day when i hold this creature that i made in my hands and expect them to grow up functionally in the environment its been placed. I hate on the idea that family is not important in our society, it is the most fundamental and critically important thing possible.

I'll hop off that soap box for now. I'm just saying that I look forward to the day God tells me to start a family so I can experience the joy that comes from being completely and totally selfless. But until then, i'll work on the selfless part of me and be grateful for the selfish opportunities i have now.

That is me. Poor priceless and pleased to live such a wonderful life.

CALLED TO SERVE

2009-05-22T09:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning I called the post office at about eight o'clock in the morning. The post-woman eyed me as she realized I was the young lady who subsequently had been stalking her for the past three or four days at my apartment complex. She gave me my post, and i thanked her. I opened my call and it said:

Dear Sister Peterson,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Brazil Maceio Mission.
All I have to say (and it's really not all I have to say) is that this call was the perfect call for me. I'm stoked and incredibly humbled that God would give me this calling. I cannot wait to meet the wonderful people of Maceio and share my simple testimony of the gospel with them. This is one thing in my life that brings me joy beyond anything else. I am very blessed to have it and I am very blessed to have this opportunity to serve.

At night a bunch of my friends came to dinner to celebrate. I feel blessed to have so many friends supporting me. It was a lot of fun. I'm gonna miss some of these wonderful people.

117 days till i enter the Sao Paulo Brazil MTC. Life is good.

SUMMER LOVE

2009-05-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Summer has this intriguing way of making me smile 24/7, making me break out into song (oooh oooh oooh HONEY!), and filling my soul with happiness. Amen sista, it's true, I've fallen HEAD OVER HEELS for Summer. I'm considering making this thing official, unfortunately by about september i'm longing for my other love, Fall. Although I know this is a short fling, i am so much in love with this summer thing that I must blog about it.

I am a quarterly blogger, i must admit, but hopefully i will have more time to dispel my about doings to those two or three faithful readers. Baha. love it!

I have recently moved to the beautiful city of Provo Utah and yes, it is a whole new universe here. It may take time to get used to the smiles and constant lds jargon in and out of class. My roommate overheard someone saying "Not only is that against the Word of Wisdom, but it is also against the honor code." I like BYU, it is different but i like that my religion is encorporated in my learning and it is something i am very grateful for.

I am rooming with one of my previous roommates, Nicole, and one of my lifelong biffles for riffles Lindsey. We like to have adventures they involve ripsticking, rollerblades, longboards, and peanut butter no bake bars. Lindsey constantly likes to ask, "are you ready to play, will you please play with me?" our apartment is GHETTO, but we love it. We all love eachother and life is GOOD.

I put my missionary papers in last Thursday. So within the next three weeks i should know where i'm going! EXCITING! I want nothing more than to serve my God in any way possible and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to do so by volunteering a year and a half of my life. I love my God and I know He loves me. That simple truth brings me happiness, pure simple and lasting happiness. I hope i can bring that happiness to others.

I must say i've got a lot to be thankful for. Love it.

"There's a five piece gospel band in the heart of every man." -Shake your Peace!

ALOHA Mi Hermana un doitchland.

2009-01-25T20:55:00.000-08:00

I haven't "blogged" in awhile due in part to my busy lifestyle and that my life isn't all that interesting. BUT if you are reading this you probably like to know my life so here is a synopsis:

1. Once again, I have experienced CRAZY ROOMMATE SYNDROME. Without fail i get a crazy each year. But the problem is gone and now i have awesome roommate virus so i'm happy.

2. The snow is here and that means: SNOWBOARDING!!! I spent a week in Tahoe Nevada/California snowboarding with some friends and experienced the beauty of a banana board.

3. It was a pleasure to congratulate me on being accepted to BYU and BYU Hawaii.

4. The physiological functions of the human body never cease to astound me.

5. I've found that one of my favorite places in the entire world is around the Seattle Washington area.

6. I lost my cell phone snowboarding (its the same number so if you call me i will have your number too).

7. I'm in love with Jack Hody Johnson. --------->

8. Andrew Michael Peterson, my brother, is

my best friend.

9. Rock climbing is rad.

10. And last but not least and probably not even last is this one simple truth:

The Family is ordained of God.

Although I have not always shown it in the past, I love my family with everything I have. Sometimes I get frustrated and upset. I often don't understand why they do the things they do, but I know I was given the family I have for my betterment. I love them and I wouldn't want to change where I came from. Although I am under the impression that half my family is computer illiterate a

nd the other half have no intention of reading the rest of this, I hope and pray that they know and feel the love that I have for them and the continued desire that I have for their success.

crinkled paper and orange juice

2008-10-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

“What is the feeling when you're driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? -it's the too huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies."
-Jack Kerouac

It is a bittersweet feeling when you leave those you love. But you rationalize it. Going to college, here is my adventure: friends. classes. life. love. i'm leaving the ones i love for the next step. its different yet similiar feeling, not necessarily worse, when you're the one that is stationary.
A little over exactly one year ago my wonderful Heavenly Father looked at me and thought. This girl needs some help. His incessant shouting of "hey girl, hey, hey girl, hey." was obviously not sinking in. So He sent me an angel in the form of a short girl with a big personality to compensate.

One of my first memories of my best friend took place my second semester at Utah State University. I was sitting outside old main on a wood-slabbed bench. The weather was a beautiful bitter cold unmatched by any place outside of Logan. I was rummaging through my ninja turtle back pack and as Hayley walked by i heard a, "hey, cool back pack." i replied back with a thanks.

little did i know this girl was going to be one of the best and truest friends i would ever meet. People often tell me, you usually hate people who are too similiar to yourself. That my friend, is not always the case. Because in this past year i have found my clone in Hayley. Perhaps i am incredibly narcissistic (which very well could be the case) and i love myself so much that i welcome a fellow me with ease, but one thing i do know, i am a much better person for knowing this clone of myself.

Now Hayley doesn't need another "Ode" of sorts. I believe the Blaker has that one covered. Instead, i'm going to focus on me, because i'm a narcissist with apparently too little to write about. I am standing here stationary, while my other half goes on a great adventure to Germany for a year and a half to bring truth and light into the lives of those in doitchland. And i'm frustrated. and ecstatic. Happy. yet full of sorrow. It is hard because one person i have depended so much on is no longer there to be my support. Heavenly Father brought her into my life to build me up but now is giving me the opportunity to stand on my own chuck t's and IT IS HARD. already, though she has not left, it is hard.

in the last General Conference (i'm stealing this from you Hayley)--if you are not mormon General Conference is like the Grammy's for Mormon's where a bunch of incredibly wise and divinely inspired men instruct us and give us inspired counsel--one talk that was prominent was by sister Elaine S. Dalton. A main topic of her talk was this: I CAN DO HARD THINGS. Heavenly Father can be pretty obvious at times. I feel so weak and so small. I'm working so much going to school so much and at the same time i'm attempting a pre-medical major. to some this could be nothing, but it is my mountain and the altitude is high. I can't breathe sometimes. And i am weak. I am small. But my Heavenly Father has made it clear to me that I can do these things.

Although I feel i'm stationary, i'm not. I feel sorrowful for the absence of my HSML, best friend, and cocaine. But at the same time I know that this opportunity for loneliness is what is best for me. More than that, I know that God has a plan for me and has given me the understanding I need to be a light for myself.

OUR GREATEST FEAR IS NOT THAT WE ARE INADEQUATE. OUR GREATEST FEAR IS THAT WE ARE POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE...AND AS WE LET OUR OWN LIGHT SHINE, WE CONCSIOUSLY GIVE OTHER PEOPLE PERMISSION TO DO THE SAME. AS WE ARE LIBERATED FROM OUR FEAR,

OUR PRESENCE AUTOMATICALLY LIBERATES OTHERS.

Hayley, thank you for being my example. my best friend. and for liberating me through letting your light and goodness shine. Although we are so much a like i owe you more than i could ever make even with what i'd make as a doctor. thank you for allowing our Father to use you as a tool to improve my life. thank you for your preparation.
You are and will always be my sister and my best friend i love you and i'm so proud of you.
Good Luck in Germany girl!

i don't appreciate when your hate affects my study time.

2008-09-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

This past week I've taken on a new challenge: studying. For those who are close to me, you know that for me, studying is reading the material the night before the test. Up to this point in my collegiate career i have found this method of learning suitable to my interests which, sadly and unfortunately, have been little. The best example of my study habits resulted last semester when two things happened, one good one bad. I discovered the beautiful sport of snowboarding. It altered my views regarding God, Nature, and my own physical being. However it also resulted in about 60% class attendance and more all nighters than any college student should attempt. The result: All A's and a B+.
Some of you may say, "wow you're a smart girl." My rebuttle: No, I'm an innately "lazyish" girl who up until this point in her life has taken the paved road equipped with a free motorized bicycle. Did i mention this road is pretty short.
One short note: i say lazyish because if i really want to work for something i will make it happen. I have it in me, as i believe all people do, to be an incredibly hard worker.
Not all bad things came out of this short aside, i did improve my writing skills and i had the opportunity to receive tips for studying effectively. Not that i used them till now, but nonetheless they are there.

So now that you know all this about me, you will understand my utter frustration caused by the events on the campus this week.

Obviously it's the beginning of the semester and there is going to be activities going on. I can study semi-well in environments with background noise, but this week as i tried to study an evangelist preachers shouts overpowered the process of aerobic respiration resulting in 36 ATP.
I'm all for sharing beliefs with others. In fact i totally encourage it. The free flow of ideas and concepts is what makes America, well, America. But I do not know how any one can concentrate on the good and happiness in the world while someone screams of eternal hellfire and damnation. it is distracting and irritating. Of all things I know about God (which is little) I know that He is love. Pure and lasting love. I'm pretty sure that no matter what we do, he will give us as many opportunities as possible to find happiness and truth.
So you may think i'm a damn hippie and ya know thats okay, but at the same time i believe in a more existentialist approach. While i do believe our creator is our guide and the reason for our existence, i think that it is up to us to be happy. Call it karma, call it agency, call it whatever you like, but this is true: Good people tend to be happy. Good people who do good things are happy. Bad things happen to good people, but i think it is the ability to continue in goodness or righteousness or selflessness that truly connects us with Diety.

I guess the taking the road paved complete with the electric bicycle is easier. Sometimes its hard to share beliefs with people when you are on the same level as them. but when there is no chance for reciprocation or even legitimate rebuttal, i suppose its quite easy. I guess i'm not the only person who likes to hear them self talk. it's easy to live your life just getting by...but i s'pose the road less traveled by is where i have found meaning and understanding. So please, don't hate. Appreciate. All you need is love. And i am a scientist.

reflections on a premature thought process.

2008-08-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

This semester I'm studying Shakespeare in one of my English classes. Oh how we all love Shakespeare and his beautiful work,how he revolutionized English Literature, his major contribution of... wanna know the only hard evidence he left behind? A certificate of birth and court orders against him for violence and tax evasion. I'm not saying that I agree with the cynics who claim that Shakespeare didn't write what he claimed; i'm actually pondering the question of when you die, what will you leave behind? What will be the hard evidence against (or for) your cause?

For Shakespeare, the records he left behind do not paint a picture of the romantic, brilliant, intelligent man we get from his plays. He seems more like an arrogant rich kid without direction. So far the only records I have to my name are a birth certificate, a high school diploma, and a speeding ticket. Due to modern technology and what not there could be more information if someone were to look for it. I guess that's awfully presumptuous to believe that one day someone will actually think enough about me to study my life. Perhaps I will do great things and be a great mom, friend, sister, or even just person. However, it seems like quite an easy thing for people to fall into the category of "sucking at life" and i hope that i won't fail myself and the people who look to me for support. So in short I guess you must ask yourself:

"To be or not to be?"

13.1 to clarity

2008-08-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
-Marianne Williamson

I often find myself getting stuck in the common mindset, limiting myself based on social standards. This past week i've had time to reflect on my thought process because of the many experiences i've had which include: watching the olympics (Go Misty Mae-Treanor and Kerri Walsh!), visiting family & friends, enjoying the beautiful outdoors that is Utah, and running in the Top of Utah half marathon!!!
Around April I was sitting on my couch and thought to myself, "hey i wanna run a half marathon." The next day I emailed one of my closest life-long friends Lindsey and we planned a training schedule. I'm gonna be honest, I have never been a runner. In fact, I hated running. But i really wanted to accomplish this task. I've always been a determined person, but in the past my determination stemmed from something less noteworthy. For some reason I've always felt the need to prove myself. To whom, I'm not entirely sure, but after talking with my best friend Hayley, it could be attributed to the fact that i am the youngest child. However, the experience of training for this marathon totally changed my perspective and perhaps even created a new driving force in my life.

After a few weeks of training I realized just how amazing the sport of running is. I can't even begin to relate how this sport has changed my views. It is such a personal sport and you get exactly what you put into it. As I was running my marathon I had approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes of "me" time. I contemplated life's worries and wonders as i experienced the cool canyon air and crisp smell of pine while my ipod mixed with the dull thud of approximately 2,000 runners played in the background. I kept reminding myself, mind over body, mind over body. I pushed myself so hard and I never stopped running (really jogging cuz i'm slow) till i crossed the finish line. It was amazing. This goal that I set might have been initially set so i could say, "hey i ran a half marathon," but as i crossed the finish line, it was all me. I crossed at around 2 hours and 40 minutes into a huge crowd cheering me on and my best bud lindsey who finished about 20 minutes faster coming out to meet me. The feeling of finishing was indescribable until the first wave of nausea swept over me...

In short, I accomplished something that 6 months ago i never would have dreamed of doing. It's all about mind over body. I am fabulous. Gorgeous. & Talented. Just like life, we have our passions, but it's mind over body that direct our passions. I don't know if my accomplishing this goal will liberate others, but this experience made me reflect on the people in my life who liberate me which i will talk about in future blogs.

My very first blog

2008-08-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

I would like to pretend that i'm a girl that has something to say. I may not have to pretend that i have something to say, but perhaps i just have to pretend that what i am saying is worth writing. In Caesars time they actually listened to the poets. The poets were wise people. Now, writing is more critically viewed. Maybe it's because the people have gotten smarter...or the poets just became stupider (word?).
What i have to say may be unappealing to many, but i'll write because i love to do it. It is my passion, a driving force in my life. People may think it is a waste of time, and perhaps it is; however, i look at this passionless world of people just living to breathe and i can honestly say i have one up on the average joe in his average world and average job. I have passions and i think that is what separates me from most of the world.

So i'll write about my life. My opinions. My job. and pretty much anything else i can think to share. Keep you up to date with the life and times of a girl called JP.