Mother's Day

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