The missing Thanksgiving email....

So apparently my email from Thanksgiving didn't actually send. Here is a very rushed recap of the already short email.. (plus a couple I forgot to attach from this week)

We painted rocks on P-day last week it was super fun #lincountyrocks! Any guesses to what my egg shaped one is?? I'll give you a hint I kind of themed my rocks around the same gospel center event ...

An investigator bought a Book of Mormon phone case!

We had a porch dinner on Exchanges because the girl didn't show up so we couldn't go in.

AaWww I have to run bye

I'll let you figure out the rest of them! Bye

*Editor's note: Anna did email me a little note on Thanksgiving.  I'll include a part of it here:

I love you mom!! Im glad you finally went to the doctor, I hope you (and everyone else) start feeling better soon!

Things have been crazy recently, but you and dad's and everyones emails always help pull me back to reality, so thanks for remembering me :) 

We are doing Thanksgiving at a members house. They are super nice and apparently invite a lot of people over so we won't be the only guests. 

The Porpoises of God!!

Hello lovely people whom I love so much! I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was full of pie, happiness, and family (in that order). I know my email last P-day was super short but I'll try to make up for it today by adding some random details. 

*Editor's note: she didn't actually send an email last week....so if you think you missed something, you're not alone.

Last Thursday was P-day but it still feels like its been a full week! Thanksgiving was awesome! We ate, and ate, and ate some more! I mostly filled up on this beautiful spinach dip and sourdough at our pre-dinner dinner that we crashed (which I did talk about in the last email.) I got into a very intense game of Egyptian War (a slap the cards game), with the family we ate our main meal with. The one game lasted around an hour and was in hyper stress mode by the end, I was shaking, my cheeks were flushed, and no I didn't win. I got second place though! Oh the family also makes deviled eggs the same as my family so I got kind of emotional over eggs... We also had apple pie and ice cream with a less-active member we have been teaching. Super yummy! 

Friday we had an awesome district meeting. We then decided to walk (instead of find a ride) to our appointment which was all the way across town. We decided to take the sketchy route by the jail and a big bridge. We invited some people to participate in Light the World, and had a fun conversation with a very talkative man, who somehow knew everyone on the street, and told us some fun stories about his life and the area... That conversation set us behind a bit so we sped walked to Cassie. We found her inside our area, but her house is literally right outside of our area. So we had a hand off lesson with us and the elders from her area. The lesson went really well but sadly she didn't want to be handed off so she came to our ward this week anyway. And everyone knows once you meet Takena Ward you never leave Takena Ward! We also had a lesson with Stone and put him on date for baptism!! 

Saturday was a really weird day. We got a ride to mysterious North Albany with a member to try to see some referrals but No one was home! We were able to set up rides for people to get to church and confirm who was coming over the phone so that was good. We also combined our dinner (leftover lasagna from a kind member) with movie night and watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas! That movie is a CLASSIC! It brought me home for the holidays. 

Sunday we had four investigators (plus 2 children) at church! Having multiple investigators at church is the best and most stressful part of a missionary's week. Sister Quinton gave a talk. AND we sang a musical number called This is the Christ. Did I mention we have been stressing over this musical number for weeks now? BUT it's over so that's good, but I signed myself up to be part of a number for Zone Conference... sooo we'll see how that goes. It's a newerish primary song called; Choose Him Again. We just got to practice so I'm a little less stressed now.  

Now to explain some of the pictures I'll be attaching... 

Lots of art pics this week! (....and none of me... sorry mom...) 

-Sister Quinton just drew this on the chalkboard for the sweet couple that is in charge of the family history center, honestly it looks just like them. 

-Pics from a calendar (from Eugene) a member showed us. DON'T LET THEM DULL YOUR SPARKLE! 

*Editor's note: she didn't attach those pictures....

-A member who loves Totoro drew and made this!

-The whole entry of this members house is covered in masks from all over the world! She and her husband both collected them before they met and when they got married they joined their collections. 

-"THE PORPOISES OF GOD!" This one might take a bit more explaining. Everyday in Companion study we do recitations. One of them is the quote from Joseph Smith Jr. "The Standard of Truth." (I'll just type it...)

"The standard of Truth has been erected! No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, and armies may assemble, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent until it has penetrated every continent, visited every climb, swept every country, and sounded in every ear. Until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say, 'The work is done!'" So of course we were saying it in a British accent and it turned into the porpoises of God, so sister Quinton drew it. 

-Albany has a carousel. Its pretty new, but they've been working on it for years! Our member took us to look at it, and the carving studio. Super cool. didn't get to ride it though. 

 

I know I haven't been very good about being specific about things and I've probably neglected to cover some topics or answer some questions, BUT I would love to answer any question you have been wanting to ask, or just any requests for what you would like to see from my emails, really I have no clue what I'm doing. So I think I'll try a Q&A for my next email, so send in your questions this week and I'll do my best to answer them! anna.peterson@myldsmail.net

Spiritual thought time! 

I was reading Alma 36 this week and rediscovered that it is a cauasmas, caiasmus, casmussusus, camuslusbosdfdjj(okay fine I give up, I can't figure out how to spell it!) (*Editor's note* "chiasmus.") ANYWAY, It's an ancient type of poetry that can be found throughout the Bible and the Book of Mormon. It follows a pattern of repeating ideas or phrases in an order like this >< ... if that makes any sense. So it will start with one idea, and end with that same idea. and it goes on an on in until you reach the main point and then it starts going back out again going in reverse order of the first half. So Alma 36 goes in this order... read it and you will understand.

1, 30: keep the commandments and you will prosper.

2, 28-29: God will deliver you out of bondage like he delivered our fathers. 

3, 27: Put your trust in God and you will be supported in your trials. 

4-5, 26: I don't know this of my own knowledge but because of God. 

6, 24-25: Destroy the church VS. build up the church.

7, 23: Fall to the earth VS. stand on my feet. 

8-15, 22: Hell / not being able to stand the thought of being with God Vs. Heaven / longing to be with God. 

16, 20-21: "Pains of a damned soul" VS. "Soul filled with joy" 

17, 19 Tormented by memory of sins VS. remembers sins no more. 

18, 19: Caught hold of a thought. 

The first half is dark, sad, and hopeless which is the exact opposite of the second half! but where is the turning point? Everything starts to flip back in verse 18. It says "I cried within my heart: Oh Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me..." The change happens when he cries out and turns to Christ. 

I know that amazing change can happen, even when we feel completely hopeless and lost, if we will turn to God. He will turn your despair into hope, your sorrow into joy, your weakness into strength, and your fear into courage and conviction! No matter how lost you feel its never too late to ask God for help. 

I love you all so much! Please know you are beautiful, smart, talented, enough, and so so loved! Have a great week!!

-Sister Peterson :)

*Editor's note* I was actually able to respond to Anna's email while she was still at her computer.  I included this comment: "And for the record, SEND ME A PICTURE OF YOU EVERY WEEEEEEEKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!! I must have it - it's my lifeblood." Nine minutes later, I received this:

Here's your life blood :)

Courage, for the Lord is on your side!

Hello everyone! Before I forget, next Monday is Not P-day! Our P-day next week is on Thanksgiving. So don't worry when you don't get an email (I'm talking to you mom). 

We started the week in a different area! Sister Quinton went to an all day missionary leadership conference with her STL companion (Sister Williams) so I stayed in her area with her companion (Sister Leavet). Their area is downtown Salem, though we didn't get to go to the cute historic downtown, no we stayed in the more ghetto side of town... It was fun. We drove back to our area with them and did exchanges together the next day. 

We "power washed" our area, (both sets of sisters stayed in one area for the day.) I got to be with sister Williams. It was weird having to lead out and take charge because I was the one who knew the people and places we needed to see. It was kind of stressful but also a good way of measuring where I am at in my teaching and talking skills. I'm improving... Slowly but surely. Talking to people is easier, still don't know how to small talk but that's OK. 

We are working with so many great people it kind of gets overwhelming how many people need our attention. But I'm excited at the same time to see who is ready to progress and how far some people have already come.

We met with Stone this week, (the one we met on Saturday who said he wanted to come to church). He's a rock solid investigator. Get it!? He is super eager to learn and wanted to come to church this week, we got him a ride... But it didn't work out. He still wanted to come but we didn't hear the ride canceled until Sacrament Meeting was over! And our other investigators backed out. It was a stressful disappointing day, BUT we have such a caring ward that is so willing to help us out it really turned the day around. We played a game after dinner with a member family and guess what? I won! It was super fun. 

We also had a great lesson with Marci this week. We invited her to be baptized, she said she would have to pray about it. That is perfectly fine with me, it's not flat out rejection so I'm happy about it. 

Apparently Albany has the biggest Veteran's Day parades this side of the Mississippi, and guess what? We walked the entire route... In the rain...

Scripture of the week... Alma 34! It is such a powerful chapter. It explains why we needed the atonement, how we should pray, and what this time on earth is for, along with a bunch of other wonderful insights from Amulek. One of my favorite parts is verse 16;

 "And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore only unto him that has faith unto repentance is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption."

I just love the imagery of being "encircled" by arms of safety. Repentance is allowing the shield of the atonement of Jesus Christ to protect you. His love is always there, you just have to have the humility to accept his help. There is no need to stand unprotected in this storm of life. It's as if you were in a rain storm (like the one that's happening right now), and you forgot your jacket (like we did last night), but Jesus is walking next to you with an umbrella. All you have to do is be willing to walk in step with him. 

Love you all! Have a wonderful week! 

-Sister Peterson :) 

Pictures:

Most are from last week because they didn't attach in the last email. 

From this week... Eating Thai food with the Hermanas. 

The Veteran's Day Parade. 

EXCHANGES with the Salem Sisters 

With sister Leavet

At Walmart (because we realized we didn't have many pictures... But we do because I forgot last week.) 

And my new Facebook profile picture! Finally got it up and running!

November 6, 2017 🙃📬🕸️🎃🥑🌧️⏰🌻

Hey everyone! (I couldn't think of anything to put in the subject line so I took Sister Quinton's advice "When in doubt, emoji it out!" I'll let you decipher the meaning. 

Wow this week flew by! Time for the weekly overview... 

Monday:

super low key... for us at least. The other sisters in the area were busy packing all day because two of them were going home! Crazy, I can't even picture the end! So while the others packed we took naps. It was awesome. Monday night we had a "five course dinner" with an investigator. He and his daughter are the sweetest people! The 5 courses he made us were jalapenos poppers, salad, pizza, home made pumpkin pie, and a pallet cleanser (york peppermint patty.) 

Tuesday:

HALLOWEEN! Which as a missionary means in by six and no handing out candy even if you have a bag waiting and a group of little kids is standing at the door because you forgot to turn off your porch light and you just have to hold your breath until they leave hoping they don't see the picture of Jesus in the window because Jesus would definitely give out candy. (oh we also had Hermana White with us while she was waiting for her new companion.) 

Wednesday:

We were still with Hermana White, and therefore we also were with a car! We had Pearl of Great Price study with a bunch of cute older ladies from the ward in the morning. We helped out at a local food bank. We had some awesome lessons. It was a pretty good day.

Thursday:

A little rougher but just because it was raining, we no longer had Hermana White (or her car), and I forgot to wear waterproof shoes. But it was still a great day. We had lots of lessons arranged for us by our ward mission leader. We also had dinner and a lesson with Amanda and an amazing family in the ward. Our ward is so great! They are really starting to surround Amanda with love, which is exactly what she needs right now. 

Friday:

We spent most of the day inviting random strangers, investigators, and members to the Missionary Devotional that we had on Sunday night. Also had some more awesome lessons with investigators. 

Saturday:

More of the same as Friday. One of the speakers for the Devotional was a recent convert from our ward so we spent some time helping him fine tune his talk and fit it within the four minute guides, it was fun. One cool thing that happened on Saturday, we were going to a house to invite one of our investigators to the devotional and as we walked up another guy from the house came out to us and ask if we were the Mormon missionaries. We said yes, and he told us he needed the church address because he wanted to go to church on Sunday. It was super out of the blue and a great way to end the day. 

Sunday:

Unfortunately, he didn't show up for church. But we are not giving up hope! He probably just forgot about daylight savings and forgot to turn his clocks back... I don't know, but we have a lesson scheduled with him tonight so I'm excited. Another investigator also backed out of church, it was sad because she is really progressing and I know how much coming to church will help her but agency is a thing, an important thing, but a frustrating thing as well. 

Sunday night however was awesome! This was a devotional run by the mission so our mission President and his wife were there. It was a very spiritual night. Conversion stories, musical numbers, powerful videos, and talks from the mission president and the stake president. oh and root beer floats served after. We invited literally all of our investigators, only two made it. At first I was really disappointed but by the end of the night I realized that our job is to work with individuals. The numbers don't matter, missionary work is one on one (well two on one but you get what I'm saying). There is a scripture D&C 18:15, "and if it be so that you... bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" 

I really felt the truth of that scripture last night looking out on the audience (all the missionaries were in the choir) and seeing our two investigators feel the spirit. It was amazing, and I know it's an experience they won't soon forget. 

 

I'm so grateful for all the amazing experiences I've had already on my mission and all the wonderful people I've had the privilege of meeting! 

OH today we a went to go the antique mall downtown! It's so easy to get lost in old stuff! The second floor was full of vintage clothes from the 80's back to the 40's that you could try on... I died. So I'm awful at remembering to take pictures but I'll attach any I can find!  

OK jk none of the pictures are working (sorry mom) 

Life is good, God is good!

Have an amazing week!

-Sister Peterson :)