This week was very difficult. As you know, the last few weeks have been difficult for us. Wednesday my companion got really sick, with what they think I had a couple weeks ago. So we weren’t able to work terribly great that day, but the next day we were able to get out and work. Thursday morning during our personal study time we got a call from President. He wanted to meet with both of us in the offices that morning. We were really nervous we had done something wrong, because its really unusual for President to meet with missionaries during the week unless its an emergency of some sort. So we took the half hour bus ride to the offices. When we got there my companion went to the bathroom and President pulled me into the office. He told me he wanted to prepare me and that he´d gotten a call that morning that Elder F's father had passed away in the night. Then he told Elder F. It was really hard for him, as I'm sure you can imagine. Later, as they were trying to call his family, I sat in the offices with EF, he asked me why, and said his father wasn’t a member (which I'm sure hurt worse) but that he was a good person. Later he told me he didn’t want to talk to his mom because he didn’t want to hear her cry. Eventually he was able to talk to his family but it was a very rough experience. He had the option to go home for a couple months but he chose to stay. President Christensen and I gave him a blessing, which was very powerful. We ended up resting a bit that day, but the next we got out and worked. I know he is still very hurt inside but he is strong and I greatly admire his faith.
This experience put a lot of things into perspective for me. I have tried my best this last week to love and support my companion the best I can, I have learned a lot. I have told him a lot of things to hopefully comfort him and as I've told him these things the spirit has strengthened my own testimony. God is aware of all of us here on the earth. And we are all wanderers in a strange land, very far from home. But his mercies are all over the earth (alma 26:36,37). He loves and knows each and every one of us. And he does nothing that isn’t for the benefit of the world which he loves (scripture I don’t remember). We don’t know when we´ll leave this earth but God has a plan for all of us. Unfortunately, we cannot always see the reasons for why things happen, but there is comfort in the knowledge that Father is in charge, that as we are righteous and keep His commandments, He will guide our paths. In all things HE is trying to teach us something. We come face to face with many problems and afflictions in this life but there is One who has already experienced all these things for us, so that he may know how to succor his people (Alma 7:12). His love is always there for us, and we will never be left comfortless if we but call upon Him.
We´ve thought a lot about the plan of salvation this week. We are only here for a short period of time yet sometimes we lose sight of what's really important, we lose sight of the goal. We have been blessed to know of the great plan of our Father, and in this we can find comfort. We have been blessed to know of the gospel of Christ, and through its principles we can find joy and happiness in this life and receive the necessary ordinances to live together as families forever in the eternities to come. I'm so very grateful for all the blessings and privileges I've been given in this life. I hope we can always stay focused on the goal and remember we each have a purpose here and Father is always in charge and as we learn to accept His will in all things, he will make us the people he wants us to become.
I love you all so much. Have a great week. I challenge you all to ponder on the plan of salvation and strive to learn more of Christ. The church is true, Christ lives, as we strive to serve Him with all our heart, might, mind and strength we will begin to see the blessings fall from heaven. As we have been so blessed to know of this great plan of happiness we should look for opportunities every day to share it with other. The love of our Father in Heaven is obvious in our lives if we but take the time to recognize the blessing and tender mercies he offers us every day we will begin to feel of this love more strongly in our lives. The scriptures are true, all of it is true, and in these things I find joy, and will give thanks every day to our Father on high! Have a great week!
Love Elder Peterson
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