12/05/15

Mom,

Well, it has been a good week! If 17 weeks are the weeks I have left...please stop counting. It makes me really sad to have to think that so little time remains, but at the same time I still have a lot of time left. I don't ever want to finish, honestly. This month we probably wont do any traveling, everybody is going to come to us. Next week we start the Christmas dinners/zone conferences. I'm glad all the kids are doing sports! Hopefully they will all succeed, good thing it runs in the family!  

So this week was good. I am in a trio right now with Elder Valenzuela and Elder Fredrick. Elder Fredrick is a great missionary! I am excited to learn from him. We will be in a trio until January most likely. But this week we had changes so we had the dinner for the missionaries that finished the mission Monday night. After that we went to the airport and picked up 5 of the new missionaries and got home around 12am. Then Tuesday morning we went back to the airport and picked up the other 6 new missionaries. Tuesday night we had the welcome dinner for them at Presidents house and a testimony meeting. They all seem like great missionaries. Wednesday we had the meeting for the new missionaries and the trainers. So we did some training for that, which was good. Thursday and Friday we were getting ready for Christmas dinners. Today we played soccer in the morning. It was a lot of fun. And that about sums up the week! Something we have been doing as a mission and something that I really love is "ponderize". There was a conference talk about it. I don't know if you guys are doing it, but I would recommend it. It has helped me a lot. You are supposed to memorize a scripture every week and ponder it during the week. I would love to know what scriptures you are doing as well!

Love you all so much!

Elder Peterson

p.s. don't forget tomorrow is fast Sunday!

Thanksgiving 2015

Hey guys!

Well, this week has been fun! I think...wait...I don't really remember, I guess. We had leadership council this week which was good. We trained about finding people and I think it went well. The rest of the week we have been working on the Christmas card that we will be giving out at the Christmas dinners with all the zones, starting next week. Other than that it has been a normal week. We have changes on Sunday. We will not have any changes though, but this next week will be a pretty busy week. The family we were teaching got baptized. There was another family that got baptized the same night. I will send you pictures. They are truly an awesome family and I believe they are chosen children of God. Their testimonies are so strong. They know the church is true. Never have I seen two people make so many changes in their lives so fast. They want to keep all the commandments. They have the goal to go to the temple a year from now and be sealed. I'm so happy for them!

Also for thanksgiving we went and had dinner with President Christensen and his family, which was fun. I got way too full. I'll send pics later!

I have been studying this week about the missions of Alma and the sons of Mosiah. I love the story of the anti-nephi-lehi's. Their conversion was so strong and because it was based on the atonement of Christ and repentance. I like the story of King Lamoni´s dad. When he first met Ammon and thought that Ammon was going to kill him he said he would give him even half of all his kingdom. But when he learned about the plan of salvation and the atonement and repentance he was willing to give up all that he possessed. Everything, his kingdom, his sins, everything. When we truly understand the gospel and have hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it brings about changes in our desires, behaviors, and actions that otherwise are impossible, not even the thought of dying brings about that change. 

I know the church is true! The atonement is real, with and by it we may change.

Love you all, have a great week.

Elder Peterson

PS, say hi to Uncle Cody and Aunt Erin for me and all my cousins! Tell Uncle Cody we will have to go fishing when I get home!

11/20/2015

Hey Guys,

So I am writing today because tomorrow we probably wont have a Pday. In about an hour we are headed out to Riobamba. Tomorrow morning we are going to do a training there. Then we will come back to Quito with just enough time to get ready for a baptism. The family we have been teaching is going to be baptized tomorrow at 7pm! So we are really excited! Tomorrow is going to be pretty busy. Anyways this week has been about the same as the last few just with less traveling. We have been doing interviews and training's with all the zones but this week we have been doing the zones in Quito. We've also been trying to get a few things ready for all the zone conferences/Christmas dinners that are coming up in a few weeks. Also we had the verification of the new missionaries this week. So things are busy as always. 

We have been training on the Area Book to all the zone. We have talked a lot about the worth of souls, the atonement, repentance and the temple. As we have trained on it, we learned a lot. The Lord has really been teaching us a lot about those things without us realizing it. The family we have been teaching has taught us and helped us a lot.  If many missionaries would have seen or known a little bit about the past of the investigators we are teaching would never, ever, have thought that they could change or that they would progress. I know that because maybe a few months ago I wouldn't have believed it myself. I wont say anything about their past, because it's in the past. But in three short weeks they have let the gospel change their lives. Everything about them has been a miracle. The way that we found them, they way the have received the message of the Restoration, they way they have progressed and changed. Because we have been traveling so much we haven't been able to teach them a lot. The Lord has truly taught us that we are nothing in this work but instruments. We can do nothing of ourselves. The spirit convert., The spirit changes hearts. The scriptures lead people to exercise faith and repent. The spirit teaches about the true power of the Atonement. We are only instruments. All we did was act. Because the spirit could not have guided us if we were standing still. One of the stories we have shared with all the districts of the mission is this one....

 

"A story is told that during the bombing of a city in World War II, a large statue of Jesus Christ was severely damaged. When the townspeople found the statue among the rubble, they mourned because it had been a beloved symbol of their faith and of God’s presence in their lives.
Experts were able to repair most of the statue, but its hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be restored. Some suggested that they hire a sculptor to make new hands, but others wanted to leave it as it was—a permanent reminder of the tragedy of war. Ultimately, the statue remained without hands. However, the people of the city added on the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”

So as we have been trying to teach that to the missionaries. The Lord has been teaching us the same thing. 

I know the church is true. The Atonement is real. The Gospel changes lives. I have lived it and seen it. I love the Lord with all my heart!

Elder Peterson

Have a great week!

11/14/2015

Mom,

The mission has truly been a blessing in my life. The Lord is shaping me. One of my favorite words to study in the scriptures is voluntad, in english it would be will. In verse 11 of section 31 it says go your way withersoever I will. The Lord gives Thomas in D&C 31 a lot of instructions in this section but the key always has been do the will of the Lord. Because if we do His will like it says, just after, it will be given us by the comforter, or we shall have the spirit to be with us. And if we have the spirit with us, neither Satan nor hell itself may stand against us. Though we pass through afflictions or ridicule or mockings we will have that ever reassuring feeling that God is pleased with us, that we are on His errand, doing His work, that we are His sheep. It also says pray always. It means we should pray always, non stop, without fainting. Our eye should be single to the glory of God. Apart from all that ,what I like most about that section is verse 3, "lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come." This does not only apply to missionaries. As missionaries we have interviews with the stake president before we start our mission.  You said President Harris' pre-mission speech was great to Cody. I don't think it is too far stretched to believe that we had a similar interview with our Heavenly Father before coming down to earth, and that he spoke similar words, "lift your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission has come". The gospel is happiness. The plan of salvation is a plan of happiness. The atonement is almost always coupled with happiness and joy in the scriptures. How can we not rejoice knowing what we know. That is why missionary work is the best work ever. That is why we as latter day saints should be the happiest people ever. We should be examples of Christlike love, because we truly understand, even if in only the least degree, what the atonement means. Those are my thoughts on section 31. 

Other than that, this week we traveled a ton. We went to Santo Domingo Monday and left Tuesday to go to Guaranda. From there we came back to Quito for the night and left Thursday afternoon to Baños. We stayed that night in Ambato and I went to visit some old converts and people I used to teach. Then yesterday we came back from Baños and went to visit that family we are teaching and then went to bed. Today we did a little shopping and laundry. Tonight we have stake conference. Next week will also be a busy week! 

Love you guys. I love the gospel with all my heart! I love the Savior and am so eternally grateful for His atonement. Have a great week!

Elder Peterson  

11/072015

Hey mom! 

How is the family? I didn't hear from anyone this week so I hope everything is OK. Please let me know that everyone is OK. This week has been pretty busy. Tuesday we had the leaders meeting in the mission which was good. Wednesday we started interviews. Every three months president interviews all the missionaries so we travel to the different zones and my companion and I train while president interviews. So we have been pretty busy with that. Wed we were in Los Chillos. Thursday in Ambato! I got to see my old zone. I miss Ambato a lot. And Friday we were in our zone here in Quito. Today we have been taking care of a lot of emergency changes and things, so we haven't done much. 

We are teaching a family right now that is super good! It was kind of a miracle that we found them. We were going to contact their house but because of where it was at, we almost didn't. But we talked to the wife who told us they were busy and then we left. A half an hour later we were contacting up the hill and she came and found us and asked us to come back and teach her and her husband. So we went back and taught them. They are awesome! So willing to accept the gospel. It makes me so happy to see them happy. Since we have been teaching, they have both received an answer that it is true and their lives have already changed a lot. 

Anyway, this week we are going to be traveling a lot. We might not even come back to Quito until Saturday. So we should stay pretty busy. How is everything over there? Hope to hear from you guys!

Love,

Elder Peterson

10/31/2015

Hi Mom,

I have seen a lot of missionaries go home. It is very hard. I'm sure it will be hard for me. I don't like to think about it. Well this week we have traveled a lot. President had to go to Peru for a mission president seminar for the week. He just got back yesterday I think. So we have been holding down the fort. We did divisions on Thursday here in Quito and on Friday in Santo Domingo. It was my first time in Santo Domingo. It reminded me of Tena but bigger. So that was good. This week we are going to be traveling a lot as well. We have the leaders council on Tuesday and then Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday President will be doing interviews in a few zones. While he is doing that we will be training by districts about a few things. Should be fun.

Me and my companion want to eat healthier and start working out better. I need easy ideas for healthy breakfast and lunches as soon as you could write me something. I think we are going to go shopping today. 

I love you! Have a great week!

Elder Peterson

10/24/15

Mom,

I'm sorry that I worried you guys a lot. I didn't mean to. Well, I'm not sure I can cover all that has happened in these last few weeks in one letter so I will have to just sum it up. First, is Cody excited? 

Well in these last few weeks lots has happened. During my last few days in Ambato, we rescued a less-active family and baptized the youngest daughter who was not a member. We also had a lot of families that could progress and hopefully they will be able to get baptized in the future. Our zone was doing really good. It was a really good zone with really good missionaries. My new responsibilities are basically to verify the mission and how it is doing, update the information of the mission., do divisions with the zone leaders and anyone else we feel needs it. Meet with President about the mission and plans for the future. Train the whole mission during zone conferences and interviews, and train the zone leaders in the leadership meetings. Also to Train the new missionaries, and a whole lot of other things. We are always pretty busy. 

This week we received five new missionaries and we also sent off the missionaries who were finishing their missions. So I was in a lot of testimony meetings. There is something that it says in the mission manual that I love, "the missionary leaders should remember that they can learn a lot from the missionaries they serve", I have come to understand that statement better this week. The new missionaries that came were really good missionaries that had a real purpose in being here. I don't remember if I told you but we had to send a lot of disobedient missionaries home recently which was very sad. Three of them were in my last zone. But anyway, listening to the testimonies of these new missionaries reminded me of when I started the mission. You come to the mission with your trust placed 100% in God. I have seen that after the missionary learns how to speak the language and how to teach and everything, he stops putting his confidence in the Lord and just falls into the routine of doing whatever. I talked to my last zone about that and I saw it again in these new missionaries. We were waiting outside of the house of the secretary (where the new missionaries were going to spend the night) and my companion and I showed up and they were contacting somebody there and asked us for a Book of Mormon so we ran up to our house to get a Book of Mormon. Then the new missionary (an American) was going to present it. He looked at me because he wanted me to do it. But I would never rob him of that learning experience so I just looked at him until he realized I wanted him to present it. He took a deep breath and with the little Spanish he knew just bore testimony of the Book of Mormon and how it would bless and change the life of that person and of his family. I thought that when he looked at me that if I presented it I was going to rob him of a learning experience but it seems I would have been robbing myself of one. Our testimony is the most powerful instrument we have as missionaries as long as it is accompanied by the spirit and shared with love. I  have learned a lot these last few weeks. The mission has changed my life. The Atonement has changed my heart. The church is true. God loves His children. Jesus Christ lives and through Him we may be perfected. 

I love you so much! Have a great week!

Elder Peterson

P.S. Don't tell everybody about my new assignment. I would prefer that everyone doesn't know.

also could I take out a little bit of money I am going to need to buy some new white long sleeve shirts because I will have to use my suits a lot more.