HAPPY SUNDAY!!

It is always a wonderful day when you get a text message from one of your former Young Women girls!!  But today was especially awesome!!  Sweet Kalisha Wilson (formerly Kalisha Walters :) was at the Provo Temple enjoying a beautiful Sunday and who did she run into????  YES!!! She saw Jordan!!  I love that they saw each other!  First, Kalisha has been a wonderful example to Jordan and is just about the sweetest thing!  I am so happy she was able to give her a tight squeeze and give her some words of encouragement before she leaves for Norway tomorrow!!  Pictures like this just make me SMILE!!

And because Kalisha knows me so well - she knew I would want to "see" her, so she

sent this quick video!!  The video is short and sweet, but just to see her smiling face and to hear her speak the language is FABULOUS!!  I love how her Norwegian has it's own special "Texas Twang"! 

 

FINAL DAYS IN THE MTC

Jordan is leaving on Monday for NORWAY!!!  So she was allowed to email me today!  It was great, as always to hear from her!  We were able to sort out last minute things and she was able to send me some really fun pictures!  She explained leaving the MTC is bitter sweet.  She is very excited to get to Norway and start her mission there, but she will also miss the friends she has made in the MTC.
But first, (in her words) LET ME TAKE A SELFIE!!



Jordan will miss having Søster House as her companion!  She has been wonderful and I am so happy for the friendship they have made! Sometimes I wonder if they have WAY too much fun!!  haha!! I'm not sure what this is all about.... but they are sure cute!!!

Jordan mentioned she was dreading packing!  Oh boy!!  All I can say is good luck packing everything and making the weight limit!  She will have to wear her boots, heavy coat, and pack as much into her carry on as she can!!  Looks like she isn't the only one dreading packing!

The following pictures are from when they are playing four square!  I'm not sure if this is on their P-Day or during their "gym time".

 I am truly amazed at the creative outfits they managed to put together!

 What a fun group of missionaries!!  WORK HARD AND PLAY HARD!!

Jordan has been able to meet great missionaries in the MTC!  There were two elders in particular that she and Søster House met in their zone and became close friends with.  Elder Silva and Elder Hunter! 

Jordan has mentioned many times how blessed she was to have such amazing teachers!  She shared many times of how full of the spirit they were.  Many times Jordan was feeling frustrated and her teachers new just the right thing to say! 

Sister Landry was wonderful!

Brother Smith was Jordan's "absolute favorite!"  She says, "He will be a prophet.. mark my words!"  I wish I could give these teachers gigantic hugs!  As a mom, I know how much Jordan needed their love and support, and they came everyday, willing to do that!  AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!  Thank you, Thank you to the teachers at the MTC!

Just a little piece of goodness for you to see!!  This made my week!

Oh, every time I watch these - I just SMILE!!! and one more!!  This was on their P-Day, I believe earlier this week!

 

I am so excited to read Jordan's first email once she arrives in Norway!  I have seen so much growth in her and am so very proud of her! 

Next stop...... NORWAY!!!

 

 

 

 

COME AND SEE..... Elder David A. Bednar

Jordan asked if I would post a copy of a talk that was given in Conference this past weekend.  It is a great talk directed to those that are not members of our church. 

The talk was given by Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Here is the link to this talk:  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/come-and-see?lang=eng you can also find other talks from Conference at this link

COME AND SEE                                                                

---

The Church of Jesus Christ always has been and always will be a missionary church.

10991_000_57bednar

My message is directed specifically to individuals who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I will address a fundamental question many of you may have: “Why are Latter-day Saints so eager to tell me about what they believe and to invite me to learn about their church?”

I pray the Spirit of the Lord will help me to communicate effectively, and you to understand clearly, my response to this important question.

A Divine Commission

Devoted disciples of Jesus Christ always have been and always will be valiant missionaries. A missionary is a follower of Christ who testifies of Him as the Redeemer and proclaims the truths of His gospel.

The Church of Jesus Christ always has been and always will be a missionary church. The individual members of the Savior’s Church have accepted the solemn obligation to assist in fulfilling the divine commission given by the Lord to His Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

“Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19–20).

Latter-day Saints take seriously this responsibility to teach all people in all nations about the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. We believe the same Church founded by the Savior anciently has been reestablished on the earth by Him in the latter days. The doctrine, principles, priesthood authority, ordinances, and covenants of His gospel are found today in His Church.

When we invite you to attend church with us or to learn with the full-time missionaries, we are not trying to sell you a product. As members of the Church, we do not receive prizes or bonus points in a heavenly contest. We are not seeking simply to increase the numerical size of the Church. And most importantly, we are not attempting to coerce you to believe as we do. We are inviting you to hear the restored truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ so you can study, ponder, pray, and come to know for yourself if the things we are sharing with you are true.

Some of you may respond, “But I already believe in Jesus and follow His teachings,” or “I am not sure if God really exists.” Our invitations to you are not an attempt to diminish your religious tradition or life experience. Bring all that you know is true, good, and praiseworthy—and test our message. Just as Jesus beckoned two of His disciples to “come and see” (John 1:39), so we urge you to come and see if the restored gospel of Jesus Christ enlarges and enriches that which you already believe to be true.

Indeed, we feel a solemn responsibility to carry this message to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And that is precisely what we are doing with a force today of more than 88,000 full-time missionaries laboring in over 150 sovereign states around the world. These remarkable men and women help the members of our Church fulfill the divinely appointed and individual responsibility each of us has to proclaim the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 68:1).

More Than a Spiritual Duty

But our eagerness to declare this message is not merely the result of a sense of spiritual duty. Rather, our desire to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with you is a reflection of how important these truths are to us. I believe I can best describe why we are so forthright in seeking to explain our beliefs to you through an experience my wife and I had many years ago with two of our sons.

One evening Susan and I stood near a window in our home and watched two of our little boys playing outside. During the course of their adventures, the younger of the two boys was injured slightly in a small accident. We quickly recognized that he was not seriously hurt, and we decided not to provide immediate assistance. We wanted to observe and see if any of our family discussions about brotherly kindness had sunk in. What happened next was both interesting and instructive.

The older brother consoled and carefully helped the younger brother back into the house. Susan and I had positioned ourselves near the kitchen so we could see what next took place, and we were prepared to intervene immediately if additional bodily harm seemed likely or a serious accident was imminent.

The older brother dragged a chair to the kitchen sink. He climbed up on the chair, assisted his brother onto the chair, turned on the water, and proceeded to pour a large quantity of dishwashing soap onto the scratched arm of his little brother. He did his best to gently wash away the dirt. The reaction of the little brother to this procedure can only be described accurately using language from the holy scriptures: “And they shall have cause to howl, and weep, and wail, and gnash their teeth” (Mosiah 16:2). And did that little boy howl!

After the scrubbing was finished, the arm was carefully dried with a towel. Eventually the screaming stopped. The older brother next climbed up onto the kitchen counter, opened a cabinet, and found a new tube of medicated ointment. Though the scratches on his little brother were not large or extensive, the older brother applied almost all of the ointment in the tube to the entire injured arm. The screaming did not resume, as the little brother clearly liked the soothing effect of the ointment much more than he appreciated the cleansing effect of the dishwashing soap.

The older brother returned again to the cabinet in which he had found the ointment and located a new box of sterile bandages. He then unwrapped and put bandages all up and down his brother’s arm—from the wrist to the elbow. With the emergency resolved, and with soap bubbles, ointment, and wrappers all over the kitchen, the two little boys hopped down from the chair with bright smiles and happy faces.

What happened next is most important. The injured brother gathered up the remaining bandages and the almost empty tube of ointment, and he went back outside. He quickly sought out his friends and began to put ointment and bandages on their arms. Susan and I both were struck by the sincerity, enthusiasm, and rapidity of his response.

Why did that little boy do what he did? Please note that he immediately and intuitively wanted to give to his friends the very thing that had helped him when he was hurt. That little boy did not have to be urged, challenged, prompted, or goaded to act. His desire to share was the natural consequence of a most helpful and beneficial personal experience.

Many of us as adults behave in precisely the same way when we find a treatment or medication that alleviates pain with which we have long suffered, or we receive counsel that enables us to face challenges with courage and perplexities with patience. Sharing with other people things that are most meaningful to us or have helped us is not unusual at all.

This same pattern is especially evident in matters of great spiritual importance and consequence. For example, an account in a volume of scripture known as the Book of Mormon highlights a dream received by an ancient prophet-leader named Lehi. The central feature in Lehi’s dream is the tree of life—which is a representation of “the love of God” that is “most desirable above all things” and “most joyous to the soul” (1 Nephi 11:22–23; see also 1 Nephi 8:12, 15).

Lehi explained:

“And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

“And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also” (1 Nephi 8:11–12; emphasis added).

The greatest manifestation of God’s love for His children is the mortal ministry, atoning sacrifice, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The fruit on the tree can be considered a symbol for the blessings of the Savior’s Atonement.

Lehi’s instant response to partaking of the fruit of the tree and experiencing great joy was an increased desire to share with and serve his family. Thus, as he turned to Christ, he also turned outward in love and service.

Another important episode in the Book of Mormon describes what happened to a man named Enos after his earnest and pleading prayer was heard and answered by God.

He said:

“And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens.

“And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed.

“And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.

“And I said: Lord, how is it done?

“And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. … Wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.

“Now, it came to pass that when I had heard these words I began to feel a desire for the welfare of my brethren, the Nephites; wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them” (Enos 1:4–9; emphasis added).

As Enos turned to the Lord “with full purpose of heart” (2 Nephi 31:13), his concern for the welfare of his family, friends, and associates increased simultaneously.

The enduring lesson we learn from these two episodes is the importance of experiencing in our personal lives the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ as a prerequisite to heartfelt and authentic service that stretches far beyond merely “going through the motions.” Much like Lehi, Enos, and our little boy in the story I recounted, we as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have felt the anguish associated with spiritual uncertainty and sin. We also have experienced the cleansing, the peace of conscience, the spiritual healing and renewal, and the guidance that are obtained only by learning and living the principles of the Savior’s gospel.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ provides the cleanser necessary to be made pure and clean, the soothing salve to heal spiritual wounds and remove guilt, and the protection that enables us to be faithful in times both good and bad.

Absolute Truth Exists

To you family members and friends who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have attempted to explain fundamental reasons why we are missionaries.

Absolute truth exists in a world that increasingly disdains and dismisses absolutes. In a future day, “every knee [shall] bow” and “every tongue [shall] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10–11). Jesus the Christ absolutely is the Only Begotten Son of the Eternal Father. As members of His Church, we witness He lives and His Church has been restored in its fulness in these latter days.

The invitations we extend to you to learn about and test our message grow out of the positive effects the gospel of Jesus Christ has had in our lives. Sometimes we may be awkward or abrupt or even relentless in our attempts. Our simple desire is to share with you the truths that are of greatest worth to us.

As one of the Lord’s Apostles, and with all of the energy of my soul, I bear witness of His divinity and reality. And I invite you to “come and see” (John 1:39), in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

BRACE YOURSELVES, GIRD UP YOUR LOINS, BUCKLE YOUR SEATBELTS!​!! THIS LETTER CONTAINS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATIO​N THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!!!

 

HALLO!!!

Before I begin just a friendly reminder....Monday October 13th, yes this Monday I will be leaving for NORWAY!! I cannot believe it!! So, just a reminder that Friday the 10th is the last day that I can receive letters, mail, packages, and Dear Elders to my MTC address. Please please please write and email me in Norway, just make sure if you write you use the Norway address and not the MTC one. Also, Dear Elders will no longer be a thing while I am in Norway, you can only email and write me!  Email will be the fastest way of communication however who doesn't like a good old handwritten letter every once in a while!? Am I right!?

Okay so this week has been..... WOW!!!! I don't even know where to begin!!! I cannot believe that I hit my one month mark!! 1 month down 17 to go!! Time is literally flying by!!

So this week for service, Søster House and I had the privilege of cleaning the bathrooms..... BOYS and girls!! That was an experience let me tell you.... Never again will we do that!!! It has scarred both of us for life!! Literally wanted to gag!! I will spare you the disgusting details!! Let's just say Søster House wasn't used to cleaning bathrooms so cleaning the boys made it very fun with her.  hahaha

 

Oh my!!! So Søster House and I got to LEAVE the MTC!!! She had to go to the orthodontist and we got to leave and go into the real world!! We had to ride in a dark van and there were two drivers.  It was so weird to see Halloween decorations and hear real music and see real people! The orthodontist even gave us slushes!!! So awesome!! Man that was a great day!!

 So General Conference was way awesome!! I loved all of the talks!! I felt like I could relate and apply all of them to questions I had or being a missionary! My favorite talk was by Jorg Klebingat.  You can read the talk here:  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/approaching-the-throne-of-god-with-confidence?lang=eng

Our families sent us M&Ms to snack on during conference!!

Søster House and I skyped a member in Norway this week!! Wow... was that an experience.... It was very overwhelming and scary and nerve wracking!  I literally had the hardest time understanding what she was saying!  It was a really cool thing to experience though because that is how it will be in just a few days!!

The language is ehhh coming along.  For only have been learning it for almost 6 weeks I feel like I know a lot, but I feel like I am not prepared for what awaits me in Norway.  My goal is to be almost fluent or fluent by my birthday in February!!

Here's some great news!!! Søster House and I's investigator agreed and wants to get baptized!!! When we talked to him about it and asked him we were so so happy when he said yes! We definitely did a happy dance when we left! 

So... the part you have all been waiting for... The reason for my exciting headline!!! THIS TEXAS GIRL IS GOING TO NORWAY ON MONDAY!!!! My flight plans came in and all 15 of the Norway missionaries are leaving Monday!! All 15 of us!! That is a miracle!!

We got our flight plans during class and waiting to get mine was nerve wracking!! When we all got ours, we were all crying tears of joy!! Then I looked down and read the flight plans and started crying even harder! This is what it said...

Best News EVER!!

I am so happy we are going over together!!

We leave from Salt Lake early Monday morning and fly to DALLAS, TEXAS!! Yes I said DALLAS, TEXAS!! MY AIRPORT!! From Texas, we fly to LONDON, ENGLAND!! My dream place!! Than from London we fly to Norway!! It is going to be such a tease knowing I am like 45 minutes from my house!! I am so beyond happy that my visa came in!! I cannot believe that I am leaving for Norway on Monday!! Like what!!? However, this plane trip is literally going to be the most exhausting and longest thing ever!! We arrive in Norway Tuesday around 4 in the afternoon. Norway is either 7 or 8 hours ahead I'm not sure exactly the time difference. 

Again thank you everyone for your love, support, prayers, and letters/mail/packages!!! I seriously appreciate it so much!!! Please please please email and write me in Norway!!!  The next time you hear from me, I WILL BE IN NORWAY!!! I'm not sure when my P Day is in Norway, but I will write as soon as I am allowed too!!

xoxo,

Søster Peterson

I would like to share my testimony with all of you! I will do as much Norwegian as I can, but there will be some English! It's also hard typing in Norwegian because I can't use all the letters because the letters are different in Norwegian so bear with me and know that not all the Norwegian is spelled correctly due to an English keyboard....

Jeg vet våre kirke og mormons bok er sann.  Jeg vet det Joseph Smith var a sann profet of Gud.  Jeg vet det Gud elsker oss og vil ha oss komme tilbake til han. Jeg vet det hellige ånd er alltid med oss og kan hjelpe oss føle de sannhet. Jeg elsker a bli misjonær og dette kirke!!!

(translation)

I know our church and the Book of Mormon is true.  I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God.  I know that God loves us and wants us to come back to Him.  I know the Holy Spirit is always with us and can help us feel the truth.  I love being a missionary and this church!!!

Jordan's Tidbits:

·         The MTC is what you make of it!!

 

·         It is always fun seeing a friendly face in the MTC!!!  This is a friend from school, Elder Josh Williams.  Currently serving in New Hampshire!

·         I cannot express how excited I am to be getting away from the food at the MTC hahaha

 

·         For the first time ever and I know this is probable terrible to say... but I watched all four sessions of conference and stayed awake!! It's a miracle!! It's amazing what being a missionary can do to you! hahaha

 

·         They don't say ma'am or sir in Norway

 

·         If the movie Meet The Mormons is in a theater near you, it comes out October 10th, please please please go see it!!

 

·         So we learned how to sing Happy Birthday in Norsk.... Wow that song is so long and complicated!! Our teachers die laughing listening to us cause we are so bad!! However on the bright side there is dancing and motions involved!!

It was Bror Bartholomew's birthday.  He is one of our teachers!

• I sit by the ASL missionaries at devotionals and I love it!! There are two real deaf elders and they gave me a sign name!! DREAM COME TRUE!!

·         Me, Søster House, and Søster Boud love taking naps on the top bunk hahaha. It is very squishy!

 

·         Packing is going to be rough. I have no idea how I am going to only have 45 pounds in each suitcase...

 

·         For those that watched the priesthood session of General Conference.... All of my district and zone elders were in the missionary choir as well as other elder friends!! It was so awesome to get to watch them sing!! Also the missionary that had a solo is in my zone and a good friend!! He is from Scotland and me and Søster House love messing with him.

·         I am going to cry very much when I have to say goodbye to Søster House, Boud, Firth, Johannessen, and all of the other Søsters!! It will be so weird not being with them!!

 

·         Søster House is seriously my best friend!!! I absolutely love her and am so grateful I was able to be her companion and make this life long friendship!! She has helped my MTC experience be absolutely wonderful!! We always have a great time and of course rock at teaching our investigators!



·         I am beyond excited and nervous to be finally going to Norway!!

·         Telling time in Norway will be a challenge... They use military time and they do time completley different!! They only round to the nearest 5 or 10 so if it is 1:43 they would say 1:45. They also say the minutes first. So for example, if it was 4:40, I would say klocken er (the time is) halv fem which means half of five....Or if it is 1:15 i would say klocken er kvart over ett which means a quarter after one. Those are the easy examples.... so yeah very confusing and difficult.

·         "When we lose ourselves, we find ourselves." 

·         I have come to learn and understand that as I am serving the Lord and leaving everything and everyone behind that I am forgetting about myself and going to work.  I know that as I forget about myself and focus on what and why I am serving the Lord that I will be more successful, love the people more, and learn who I really am and develop qualities that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and help me become a better person!

• Søster Johannsessn hates how ratty my hair is when I get out of the shower so she decided she would show me and help me wash my hair! hahaha We went into the handicap shower and she washed my hair for me.  Of course I was wearing clothes and that felt weird to be showering in clothes. Søster House and Boud thought that was a hoot!! they took pictures and everything!!

·         General Conference is when we hear from the leaders of our church!! They share wonderful messages!! I highly recommend checking them out online!

Have questions or curious? Check out www.lds.org

Also if you want to know more about general conference check out www.lds.org

General Questions I have been Asked:

1.     Do you go to the temple every Wednesday?

Yes, I go every Wednesday

2.     Do you write daily in a personal journal?

Yes, I write in my journal every day

3.     Did you get your scriptures fixed?

Yes, I got my scriptures fixed

THE LORD REALLY DOES HEAR AND ANSWER OUR PRAYERS!!

HALLO!!!!

So this week was so much better compared to last week!!

The Lord really does hear and answer our prayers, even in ways we completely don't expect!!  I know without a doubt that he will always answer our prayers! Maybe not right away, but he will! I had so many prayers and questions answered this week totally unexpected and it was so awesome and a great blessing!!!  The MTC is such a wonderful place!! This week I have definitely felt your love, prayers, and support. Thank you so much!! The language is coming along, it is hard, but it is getting better.  Looking back I can't believe how much I already know and can say in just 4 weeks!! It is truly a miracle and I know I couldn't do this without the Lord's help! 

 

All my BOOKS!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While at the MTC we are assigned investigators to teach and share the gospel with and we meet with them every day. This week however; we get to Skype someone in Norway to teach!! That is going to be so awesome, but also very nerve wracking because they don't know English at all! Even though we have to teach our investigators in Norwegian (here at the MTC), they do know English, but the people we are skyping don't!! So that is going to be a struggle!!  

Look what I can write!!

We get our travel plans on Friday!!! I cannot believe I have 2 weeks left at the MTC and only one more Wednesday!! I am so nervous and anxious for Friday!! The bad part about getting our travel plans also means we find out who doesn't have their visa ready.  That means that some people may not be going to Norway right away. If the visa isn't ready they will be sent on a "temporary" mission in the United States until their visa is ready.  Since there are 15 of us going to Norway the chances of one of us not having our visa ready is very high.  Just thinking about one or two of us not going to Norway all together makes me so sad!! However; if some of us stayed back, how awesome would it be to say that you kind of got to go on 2 missions! 

 

One of the main people over the Norway missionaries just recently got back from visiting Norway!! He told us that the mission president over there said that most of the baptisms in Norway are from the sister missionaries! Whoop Whoop!

There are 88 missionaries total in Norway, about 60 are elders and 30 are sisters including me and the other 10 sisters in the MTC right now!! So crazy!! The weather is getting cold in Norway.  I found out that once I get there they have many conferences that involve all the missionaries so I will be able to see Søster House and all the other sisters in the MTC with me in Norway at least a couple of times!!! That made us all so so happy!!! I love all of the søsters and will miss them when I don't see them everyday!

 

 

I know I say this every time, but seriously ya'll are the absolute best for writing me letters and emails!! I don't think I can ever express how great they are!!  I'm trying to make sure I email everyone back, so please be patient with me!! Thanks again and keep it up!!

Being a missionary is the best thing in the world!!

 

Jordan's Tidbits:

·         Already sick of my clothes and so are the other Søsters, we are definitely getting creative with our outfits and starting to share clothes!!

·         Do NOT eat fiber bars!! Just don't do it

·         All of the matching that you see in pictures is totally not planned!!!

·         The MTC is what you make it!

·         Really miss not wearing comfy clothes all day and like whenever I want

·         The food here is getting very unappetizing

·         At dinner one night I went to sit down and missed my chair and went to fall backwards over my chair!! Yeah so embarrassing except the elder next to me caught me and literally saved me from total embarrassment and probably flashing everyone cause my skirt definitely would have come up probably over my head!!

·         I saw and sat by the sign language missionaries!!! That was so cool and way awesome!!! I watched the teachers sign to them during our meetings and devotionals and even though I'm rusty, I could make out a lot of what was being said!! Didn't realize how much I miss sign language till now!

·         Elder Chris Isaac left yesterday!! It was so great to have him here!! He will do wonderful things!!!

·         I have never laughed so much or hard in my life before!!

 

·         I have never learned or grown so much in my life before!!!

 A quote that I heard that I thought was awesome!:

"Jesus Christ left his throne divine and the things he loved to come to earth to experience the world and life.  Go on a mission for a year and a half or two years and leave the things we love to serve Christ."

Studying Hard in Class!!

I think we drive our teacher, Bror Bartholomew crazy!! haha

 Have a great week!!!

Questions or curious? Check out www.lds.org

Søster Peterson

 

General Questions People Have Asked:

1.     What do you do on Saturdays and Sundays?

On Saturdays it is basically the same as any other day.  Sunday the only difference is we have church and meetings, but we still have a lot of study time.

2.     Do you feel like the time has one by fast? 

Time has gone by so fast!!  There are days where it seems live I’ve been here for months but looking back, I can’t believe I’m about to leave!

3.     Are you excited to go to Norway?

So excited to go, but so nervous!

4.     How are the work outs going?

Working out is a struggle because we don’t get that long and I don’t really want to sweat a lot because I would have to go to class right after

Norwegian and Translation:
elsker dere = love ya'll
elsker deg = love you
eldste = elders
søster = sister
bror = brother

I CAN DO HARD THINGS!!

Hello familie og venner!

(Hello family and friends)

So this week was probably the toughest week at the MTC.  However I know that the Lord wants me to be here and that he does hear and answer prayers because he has definitely been helping me so much!!   This week was very emotional, stressful, and just rough, but also very humbling.  The language is difficult and I felt like I haven't been progressing and I still can't roll my r's which really frustrates me!! Haha.  I know that with patience, hard work, faith and trust in the Lord he will help me though! Søster House and I asked one of our favorite teachers Bror (Brother) Smith who is so awesome if we could talk to him because we were both having a rough day.  At first we talked about how we were doing when we teach our investigators and the first thing he said (not knowing we were having concerns) was that the lesson we had just given was the best he had ever seen us do and it was the best Norwegian he had ever heard us speak.  I literally burst into tears because it made me so happy and was an answer to my prayers!  He helps all of us out so much and is just so inspiring and knows exactly what to say!  So in my last email I totally forgot to say that Søster House and I are the Sister District Training Leaders!! Way exciting!! (Except on Sundays because we have to wake up extra early to go to meetings) As district training leaders we are in charge of the søsters in our district! We talk to them, make sure they are doing okay, attend meetings, etc... This Sunday we got to watch the Ogden Temple get dedicated as a temple of our church. That was an experience that was so cool!! It was awesome to see and hear the prophet of our church Thomas S. Monson speak!  We also had M. Russell Ballard speak to us at our devotional on Tuesday!  He talked about missionaries and how he wants to make sure we know that we are on the Lord's errand and we are being servants for Him!  He also focused on making sure we knew that EVERY soul is great in the sight of God and that everyone is a son or daughter of God.  Being a missionary is seriously the best thing ever!  Yes, there are hard times, but the good definately outweigh the bad!  It is such a life changing experience and I am growing and learning so much!  I have a new love and appreciation for the church!  It is so awesome to think that the Lord needs me in Norway and that he has called me to go there for a reason!  Something awesome happened the other day!  We were doing an activity in class and our teacher told us to write down a question that we wanted to be answered than we were to go off on our own and just take our scriptures with us and see if we could find our answer.  I had no idea where to even start to read, so I prayed then closed my eyes and opened to a random page and just started reading and GUESS WHAT!!! The answer to my question was literally right there!! It was soo cool!! Søster House and I are becoming better at teaching our investigators and started not to rely on our notes as much and just listen and go with what the Spirit is telling us to say!  When we do that, our lessons have been so much better and more of a conversation than us reading from almost a script.

Jordan's Tidbits:

·         I saw Elder Chris Isaac this week!!! So great to have him here!

 

·         Søster House and I memorized our first scripture in Norsk! Moroni 10:5

·         I definitely know how people gain weight here.... All you do is eat and sit in a classroom and teach!

·         The food is slowly becoming unappetizing....

·         I absolutely love love love everyone's letters and packages!! Thank you, thank you so much! I cannot express how much I love them!! I'm trying to write everyone back, so if I don't write you back right away I will soon!

·         It is never a dull moment in the Residence hall with my Søsters! hahaha 

 

·         My grandparents sent us this big glass bottle of cider to celebrate our halfway mark so of course we were going to go out with a bang!  However, we had a little difficulty opening the bottle... and when we finally popped the top off - it exploded everywhere and on everyone and everything!! We were all dying!!

Halfway done in the MTC!

Sharing my goodies!

 

 

·         Søster House and I tried to run and bump bellies with pillows in our shirts.  We full on sprinted from opposite sides of the rooms and her being so much taller than me, I totally bounced off her and flew onto my back!! All the Søsters were dying laughing!!!

 

·         My district is seriously the best! The Eldste's (Elders) and Søsters are so awesome and are so helpful! I don't know what I would do without them!

(Clarification: District is the eldste's and soster's going to Norway. Zone is the missionaries going to Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, and West Indies)

·         There are 4 elders and 11 sisters in my district and about 40 plus missionaries in my zone

·         I do not go outside very much, when I do it's to walk to other buildings or for class activities and even when we are outside literally everywhere we walk has coverings above us.  So I don't get much sunlight....

·         I was asked if I sing a lot..... hahaha!!  Søster House loved that question because we literally sing all the time and she isn't a fan of singing!  However; we have to sing in Norwegian, but it's nice to sing in English when we have meetings or devotionals with all the missionaries in the MTC

·         The friendships I am making here are seriously going to last a lifetime!!

 

·         A mission is the best thing ever!!!

·         I'm nicknamed as the "Sister who gets all the letters" haha

I would like to invite those that would like, to do a Book of Mormon challenge with me!  I will be starting today and reading the Book of Mormon from start to finish.  I will be reading a couple of chapters a day, however; you can read just one or just read for time like 15 min a day.  If you do not have a Book of Mormon and would like one - email my mom at texaspetersons@gmail.com and she would love to get one for you! 

Any questions or curiosity about the LDS church go to www.lds.org!

Thank you everyone for all the love and support!!!

Jeg elsker dere,

Søster Peterson

General Questions I have been asked:

1.     What is your schedule every day?

Every day I wake up at 6:30, personal study time till 8, breakfast at 8, then gym from 8:30-9:15, then class and teaching instruction with teachers for 6 hours -basically for the rest of the day including lunch and dinner and personal study time, companion study time, and language study time

2.     What do you do on your "P-Day"?

We email, relax, basically do what we want, than we go to the temple and then after dinner at 6:30 we have class

We dress "comfy" on P-Day!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.     Does a General Authority speak to you every week?

A General Authority doesn’t always come, we   have just been really lucky!!

4.     Is Monday still a "no English" day?  All day?

No. there’s not a “no English rule”, but sometimes our teachers make us and we do a thing called SYL which is “speak your language” and we have to speak Norsk, but the words we don't know we can use English

5.     How many hours of sleep do you get a night?

I usually get 6 hours of sleep a night

6.     What are your favorite foods there at the MTC?

The food is kinda gross!! hahaha

 

Mom sent a box of Oreos and peanut butter!!!  Jordan's favorite!!

Thanks for all the packages and treats!!