WOW!!!!!!! 9 months
already!!! I have done the uphill 9 and now I am on the downhill 9! So crazy!!
I cannot believe I am halfway done! These past 9 months have probably been the
best 9 months of my entire life! I have grown in ways I never believed
possible, I know I have changed for the better, and the experience and challenges
and trials I have faced I know are to help me be a better person, missionary,
future wife, and mother! I wouldn't trade this opportunity for anything in the
world! It is crazy to think that 9 months ago I couldn’t even say “Hi my name
is Sister Peterson and I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter Day Saints”, and now I can happily say that and so much more! I know
that learning Norwegian and being able to communicate with the people here is
all because of God! I would not be able to speak the language or be doing what
I am doing without Him! I would like to share my testimony that the work I am
doing and this gospel are true!! I know that without a doubt!! We have the same
exact Church that Christ had when he was on the earth and we have the same
exact priesthood authority that we had! We have a living prophet and 12
apostles today! God has not ceased to communicate with us! My biggest hope
would be that people can see Christ's love and light through me and that I can
be an instrument in His hands! I hope that when I come home in 9 months, people
can see a difference and change in me than 18 months prior. The Gospel is
true!!! I am so grateful that I can know that we can live with our families
forever and that death isn't the end! We will see our loved ones again because
of something called the Plan of Salvation! I once heard a missionary say “The reason I came
out, isn't the reason I stayed...” I feel like this is so true for me! Of
course I came out to serve the Lord and to bring others to the truth, and for
all the right reasons, but I feel like after being out, being a missionary and
being on a mission has made such a deeper meaning and impact on me than I
expected it to when I first came out.
If any of you have any
questions or are curious or anything please email me! Or check out
mormon.org!!!
TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, YOUNG
WOMEN AND MEN, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES:
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
CONSIDER GOING ON A MISSION ESPECIALLY TO THE GIRLS!!!! I am not just saying
this because I am a missionary, but because I know what the mission has done
for me and my life and for the life of others and I want everyone to be able to
experience the joy and happiness that comes from serving a mission! When the
time comes to consider going on a mission please please pray about it and even
if you think a mission isn’t for you still pray about it! That is exactly what
I did! I was never one who wanted to go on a mission even after the age was
changed, but it was because of prayer that I knew it was something I needed to
do.
Things that happened this
week:
Elder Holland came to
Scotland for a European conference yesterday!!! I love every talk he gives, but
this one was just so powerful. The whole conference was just the best! Elder
Holland talked about the Book of Mormon. I can't even type out the things he
said! I can just testify that I know Elder Holland truly is an apostle of Jesus
Christ and that we have a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. The Book of Mormon
is true and there is no way that any other man could have written it, or
translated it, save it be by the divine power or God. My testimony of Joseph
Smith and the Book of Mormon is stronger right now than it has ever been before
and it just brings me so much happiness! Everyone needs to read the Book of
Mormon and then read it again and again and again. The Book of Mormon is the
greatest thing to happen since the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No wonder it
is the keystone to our religion.
“No wicked man could write
The Book of Mormon and no good man would write it unless he was commanded by
God and had His help!” (cough cough Joseph Smith)
Ramy is legit and the
best! He is from Sudan and can kind of speak English, so we use Google
translate to help us. His father converted to Christianity in a Muslim
community so the only things Ramy knows about Christ and the Bible has been
taught to him by his father. He is sweet and just wants to learn about Christ
and Heavenly Father. He asks the best questions and I am learning from him as
well through the questions he asks and the studying we have to do to help him! He
is really cool in person and has never had a Christmas so Søster Bender and I
told him to come to the states and we would show him who Santa really is and
what Christmas is really like!
We stopped a guy on the
street who was eating shrimp and we began talking to him. He was very nice and
was in Norway just for a week from Germany. He had us eat shrimp with him and
kept giving Søster Bender and I more and more!
The shrimp was really good, except we had to like peel of the head and
stuff so that was kinda gross. He had heard of Mormons before and we were able
to set some rumors straight about polygamy and agency with him. Just so
everyone is clear..... WE DO NOT PRACTICE OR BELIEVE IN POLYGAMY!!!!
Lill who is a member and
the sweetest is very good at Norwegian, so she is going to begin to do language
study once a week with me and Søster Bender!
So the 9 month burning
ceremony...... I had my shirt all ready to go and then it began to pour!! And
it has been raining for like the past week soo hopefully we can burn it this
week!
So Søster Bender and I
went to go visit this family we found in the area book and of course we got
lost..... so we decided to bank! OH MY GOSH!!!!!! Banking with this girl is the
funniest, but also you never know what to expect!! So we usually take turns
first talking to the people when they open the door and it was Søster Bender's
turn..... We knocked and the lady opened and Søster Bender DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING!!!
So it was an awkward silence for a couple seconds, then I started talking.....
Afterwards I was like you were supposed to talk! She goes I know, I just
thought it would be funny if I didn't hahahah. uff da!
A MIRACLE HAPPENED!!! So
remember Brenda!? Well we called her cause we hadn't had contact with her and
she invited us over to eat dinner with her and her family!!! Like what!!! Her
husband isn't too fond of her meeting with us, so this was huge!! So Søster
Bender and I went over and ate and played monopoly with her and her family and
introduced For The Strength of Youth to her and her Family! Brenda really loved
that!! Such a miracle!!!
Søster Bender and I were
doing weekly planning and we were calling some people in the area book and I
was talking to this one guy about the Book of Mormon and he laughed and hung up
the phone... rude.... It's okay he is only missing out on ETERNAL SALVATION!!
Come on people!
Dingaan!! Well you all
know how awesome he is and how much we love him! Seriously he is the best
ever!!! We had the coolest and most spiritual experience with him ever this
week! I wish everyone could have his reactions and think the way he does! We
were talking about the Plan of Salvation and he said that questions he has had
his whole life are finally getting answered and he knows without a doubt that
this church is true and that he is never going back!! He couldn't stop smiling
and was radiating happiness!! It was the coolest thing ever!
Did I mention Dingaan is
also like way good at playing the trumpet!? We got to see him play and dang he
is like Mozart but for trumpet playing!!
So one of Our
investigators, Selvano he is hilarious! When he sees us talking to people on
the street he will come up and be like you need to listen to these girls!! and
totally talk us up! It is great
****SHOUT OUT to my girl
Linn in Stavanger who just got her call to serve in the Utah Salt Lake Temple
Square Mission!!!! So so excited for you!!! Can't wait to visit you there and
speak Norwegian with you(: You are going to be an amazing missionary!
Jordan's Tidbits:
- I am becoming a better
cook and creative with meals all thanks to Søster Crabtree!! Mom you would be
so proud!!!
- I can't believe all the
rain Texas is getting!! so crazy!!! I saw a flooded picture of a ride in Six
Flags in Texas... that stinks!!
-Loved getting my “HUMP
DAY” package from my family!! Lots of
great things inside!
- Søster Bender loves to
make me laugh while I am trying to talk to people on the phone, so sometimes I
have to mute the phone so they don't hear me laughing!
ha en fin uke dere!!! eat
a Popsicle, go outside, read the scriptures, do something crazy!
glad i dere!!
xoxo
Søster Peterson
Quote of the week:
Sister Bender said to me
and I quote: “I legit go to bed praying you fall off the bed...”
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