#3 letter from Jeffrey

July 9, 2014

Well, I love to get emails from you guys and the pictures were even better.  I love you guys so much and I hope all is well back en Estados Unidos.

It has been absolutely awesome down here!  All the teachers watch the game down stairs while we are in class studying. It’s disappointing not being able to watch but it’s great to hear their reactions when Argentina scores.  This last Friday we went proselyting and we killed it!...(So humble, lol)  We asked 3 people to be baptized taught 21 lessons, got 11 referrals and had 46 contacts.  It was very nerve racking but after talking to a couple of people I got the hang of it.  I talked to everyone I saw! (This is huge for Jeffrey, before he got his Eagle Scout, he HATED talking to people)  

Our area was next to a companionship of sister missionaries that have been here for over a month and it was there third time proselyting and every time we saw them they were sitting in the exact same spot they were the last time we saw them.  We found out later that they only got 8 contacts and taught no lessons.  They said that their area was really hard…it’s probably because they didn't talk to anybody, but I guess everyone has their own struggles. 

Jeffrey, sleep walking?  With assistance?

His new buddies

One man that we met was named Rodolfo.  He was smoking a cigarette when I introduced us as missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ.  He stopped to talk to us but wasn't really receptive. I asked him if he had ever heard of us before and if so, what he had heard.  He said yeah and that all he knew about us what that “you guys are wrong".  I was a bit taken off guard and didn't really know what to say other than to ask him why.  All he said in return was "so what happened with the year 2012".  We explained to him that that was not our church.  I testified to him that we have living prophets who speak with God but we don't know when the world is going to end or when Jesus will come again.  At that point he put out his cigarette and started to open up to us.  You could tell that he felt the Spirit and that it testified to him that what we were saying was true.  It was quite amazing.  He told us an experience he had had with God, so he knows that God exists.  We then told him about the example Jesus Christ set for us and asked him to follow that example and be baptized by the proper authority.  He said yes but didn't want to do it right then.

We get to go out again this Friday, unless Argentina loses because then they will play on Friday and everything closes on game days.  (Argentina won!)  I hope to meet Rodolfo again and become good friends with him. I know that his life will improve if he has the Gospel. 

The area we went proselyting in was a really nice area for Buenos Aries but the equivalent to the ghetto of South Jordan (haha!..or Los Angeles).  There were dogs on the rooftops and sketchy hobo villages everywhere.  I never knew what a great country we live in and how privileged we are to have the things that we do. 

Our teacher, Hermano Cristeche, was telling us about the mosquitoes that are in Paraguay.  He said that the biggest one he saw was about as big as his pinky finger!!  He also said that they eat monkey! haha!  Oh, I can’t wait. : )  I’ll take some pictures of the city the next time we go out and I’ll send them to you next week.

I love our family so much and I pray for you guys every day.

Love Elder Petersen