TRUST FALL! 🙌

Good afternoon everyone! 

Highlights of the week! 

The rain hit and I was completely unprepared! It was clear and warm in the morning and then all of a sudden it started pouring! My shoes were completely soaked through.

Sister Alvey and I were the Judges for the ward's Chili Cook off. I'm not the biggest fan of beans so I don't know if I was really the most qualified judge but they wanted and unbiased opinion so... 

We went on Exchanges with the Cornelius Hermanas. It was a blast! Hermana Kilpack and I have so much random stuff in common we were laughing and reminiscening the whole time! 

CHRISTINA AND HER WHOLE FAMILY CAME TO CHURCH! It has been amazing to see the progress of this family, her dad, Aaron, in particular. He is fully engaged in coming back to full activity and hopefully he will be able to baptize Christina when the time comes! 

Sister Alvey continues to be sick🤒 Along with most all other people who we are teaching. They have all been either sick, busy, or unable to contact this week. But we keep pressing forward and are learning patience! 

Spiritual Thought! 

"Faith is confidence in something or someone. As most often used in the scriptures, faith is confidence and trust in Jesus Christ that lead a person to obey Him. Faith must be centered in Jesus Christ in order for it to lead a person to salvation." -True to the Faith   

  

Recently I've been thinking of faith as a trust fall, and Jesus is the one who will catch you. You can have the confidence to take the action knowing that he will catch you. The more we understand his perfect character the more we can trust him. The more we study the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon, the more we learn of him. That is a reason why reading the scripture develops our faith. 

Pictures! 

-The rain☔

-Exchanges with the Hermanas

-end of a long day

-this was last P-day

Love you all so much! Remember Heavenly Father doesn't expect perfection in this lifetime, just that you keep trying❤️

Sister Peterson :) 

Enjoy the ride🎢

Hello All! 

This week has been full of ups and downs, but that's just life. One of the biggest themes that I got out of General Conference was that mortality was not meant to be easy or comfortable. Instead we are here to learn and to grow, and that can sometimes hurt! I love conference and I have loved relistening to the talks with Sister Alvey. We downloaded them onto a flashdrive and have been listening to snippts of them whenever we are driving.

This week we went on exchanges with the McMinnville Hermanas. It was really fun to see Sister White again. We were in Albany together at the begining of our missions. It was a little rough being behind the wheel again but we managed. 

Alot of the people we have been teaching have been out of commission this past week so not much progress there. We did have a great lesson with a young girl we are teaching. Her father is a member and she wants to be baptized. We are aiming for December 15th! It was awesome to teach her the plan of salvation, or God's plan of happiness yesterday. It's so comforting to know that God does have a plan and it all revolves around our happiness. It was neat to see the light come on and things connect as we were able to teach and testify of God's love. 

I love being a missionary! It's a rollercoaster, but I'm enjoying the ride :) 

Love you all! 

-Sister Peterson

1. Beautiful fall🍁

2. inspirational fortune cookie

3. Exchanges with Hermana White

4. Sunday picnic in the park (soaking in the sun while we can!)

5. My favorite book😍

6. Train track selfie because why not. 

October 15, 2018: 🙌🌱😃 (My Favorite Emojis)

Good afternoon everyone! 

This week I got thrown into the STL fire! We had MLC (Mission leadership council) at the mission home on Wednesday. That was the first time I have been back there since I arrived in the mission field. It brought back weird memories! It was a great meeting though. I love learning from President and Sister Tateoka! 

I also got to go on exchanges with the Vernonia Sisters! It was such a great experience! I absolutely loved revisiting old friends and getting to know Sister Bonzo, the sister who took my place. 

On Sunday morning before church we had a lesson with a less-active, part member family. We are teaching his 13 year old daughter Christina and she is now on date to be baptized on December 15th. We brought an older single woman from the ward. Going into the lesson she asked us, why would you pick me? There are plenty of other people who would match better with her, young women, young women leaders, so forth.. 

But as the lesson went on it was evident that she needed to be there. She was able to really connect with Christina and be bold with her father. Her father wasn't able to go to church this week but this member offered to pick Christina up and she had a great experience. 

God knows best, and as we try our best to listen to and follow him, he will cause miracles to happen! 

A phrase that really stood out to me at conference was "See his Influence, Hear his Voice." Looking back at the talk now this phrase wasn't said exactly like this but by the spirit it has stuck with me. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/gather-together-in-one-all-things-in-christ?lang=eng

This phrase reminds me that I need to be grateful because God's hand truly is in the details of my life, and I need to acknowledge him. It also helps me remember that as I do I will be more receptive to his guidance when it comes. 

I am so grateful for the course my life is on. I am grateful to have a knowledge of this restored gosepl and for the opportunity to share it with others. I know I am being set up for success, because God does nothing save it be for the benefit of His children. 

Mosiah 2:41 reminds us of our responsibility in receiving the help that God so desperately wants to give us. 

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." 

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and never forget that you are a precious son or daughter of God❤️

Love,

Sister Peterson :) 

October 8, 2018: Another Day, Another Destiny!!

Hello everyone! 

Well the rain finally hit! 

It's been a long week with so many changes yet I feel like I don't have very much to report! My brain is just a little fried from trying to take in everything. 

Council Creek ward has been so blessed! The seeds have been sown and cultivated and now is the time for the harvest! I am excited to be reaping in an area that has been so well loved and prepared. People's hearts are soft here. 

But of course there will always be opposition. Sister Alvey and I have been working hard to do our best despite all the people we are teaching being sick or busy. 

We went out to dinner with a member and while there Sister Alvey and I both felt like we recognized a guy who was sitting next to us. We introduced ourselves to him and he also thought we were familiar. Well we gave him a pamphlet with our number but in the rush forgot to get his number. but not 10 minutes after parting he actually called us!! THAT NEVER HAPPENS! Ya we think we probably promised to find him in the pre-existance.

As we were out walking one day we started a conversation with this guy and as we talked found out he was a member, as we talked more we found out that he actually grew up in my grandparents ward in California! He and his brother remember them with fondness and appreciated all that they did for them in their youth. The world is so small and I am so grateful for the example of my grandparents in influencing these boys for good! 

We had the opportunity on Sunday night to teach the Stake President and his family, they live in our ward. It was really cool to see the trust build throughout the lesson as we taught plan and precious truths. At the end of the lesson they opened up to us about a family who they know who would be potentially interested in meeting with us. 

The biggest highlight of the week would have to be General Conference. I have been so pumped for conference! It has become one of my favorite weekends of the year! It is such a wonderful opportunity to experience the exhilaration of the spirit as we listen to our Prophet and apostles. It is a witness to me every time I hear them speak of the living reality of this this church, as it breaths with revelation, and most importantly the living reality of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

To echo the counsel of our Prophet yesterday, I know that Jesus Christ leads his church. I know that it is only in and through his infinite Atonement that we can be saved. Everything should be centered on him, and that is why I am excited for the united effort to correct the error that has crept into the church in the nickname "mormon." I am proud to say that I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

Have a wonderful week!! Love you all! 

-Sister Peterson

October 1, 2018: Obsession 😍📖🌧️

Hello everyone! 

Another Transfer has come and gone! Now it's time for a new adventure! I am leaving my lovely West Salem to serve in Forest Grove!! I will be in the Council Creek ward and will be companions with Sister Alvey. Also exciting and scary news I have been called to be a Sister Training Leader! Which means my companion and I are responsible for the care of the other sisters in the zone, so we get to go on exchanges. (I might be able to go on an exchange to Vernonia, my old area!!) We also get to go to an additional training meeting with all the other Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders. 

Needless to say I feel inadequate for the calling but I am excited for the opportunities that await me! I feel humbled that I would be trusted with stewardship over these other wonderful sisters. I am excited to learn from them and be able to minister to them. 

This week Sister Runs Through and I have become OBSESSED with missionary work! Because why not? This is a once in a life time opportunity to have every waking, and sleeping moment, dedicated to the Lord's work! How cool is that? Plus as we serve we are ourselves strengthened! This is an opportunity to learn close up from the master teacher and healer himself. I want to drink in as much as possible! 

When you are obsessed with something you want to be as immersed as possible. You enjoy it and find energy in it. The little things, that might be tedious to others, become fun to you, and you crave more! 

This scripture in Alma 26:36-37 is an example of a missionary who has reached this obsession with the Lord's work... 

 "Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

  Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

It truly is a glorious work we are engaged in, and I wouldn't give it up for the world! 

Thank you for all your support and prayers! 

Love,

Sister Peterson

1. We were taught how to make fried rice at Zone Conference... so we made some. 

2. District Pic!

3. So when we came into the room the white board was all filled out with names of a K-pop band that some of the young women of the ward love, so we decided to change it to match our obsession...

4. just cuz.