Happy NEW YEAR!‏

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