Sacrament with chickens : )

Well family,

This week was alright, not much happened but it was still pretty good.  We had a lot to do this week but we got it done.

We had to walk to another rama (branch) almost every day this week which wasn’t too fun because it’s about a 30 minute walk.  We had our first zone conference with president and his assistants.  It was very long and I didn’t understand a whole lot because of the language barrier. But it was alright.  The next day, stake conference started, so we had priesthood leadership meeting.  Then the next day was Sunday and we went to the general session.  

After the general session of conference, Elder Fielding, President and I drove to Santa Clara to hold a sacrament out there for the people who couldn’t make it into the conference.  So, elder Fielding and I blessed and passed the sacrament while chickens and dogs were running around.  This sacrament meeting was definitely not inside. haha it was a little different but it was great.  I had to duck to get under the trees while I was passing the sacrament.

Then after the meeting, President was conducting interviews with the members out there and Elder Fielding and I were being entertained by the members who showed us how to eat sugar cane.  I didn’t know this, but you can honestly pull it out of the ground, peel it and then take a bite.  Sugar cane is so delicious.  I wish we had more of it in the states.  They also showed us all of the wild banana trees and berries.  They were soo good.  Fresh is truly better!

On the way to Santa Clara we had the chance to get to know President a little bit better.  He told us of an experience that he had on his mission where, long story short, he had to ask the fire station the fill up their baptismal font.  Haha!  President is a very cool guy and he knows so much. He is such a great guy.

Well that’s about all that happened this week but I’ll keep you posted on what happens this upcoming week.  I love and miss you.

Love elder petersen

New pictures from Elder Fielding's mom

New pictures make a momma Happy happy happy!  I got these from Elder Fielding's mom!

President McMullin, his wife and Elder Fielding (the trainer)

Mom and Dad

Hey there parents,                                                                                              Aug. 18, 2014

I can’t tell you guys how much I miss you.  I have so many questions I want to ask you but you’re not here to answer them.  Every time I’m faced with a problem I ask myself, “What would you guys have said to me”.  We were faced with somewhat of an issue.  We went to visit an 18 year old who wants to serve a mission so we set an appointment up with the branch president for him.  We went to his house after church to see how it went and the news wasn’t good.  He said that he wasn’t worthy to go because he had sex with his girlfriend 8 or so days ago.  This was kind of a shot to the heart.  We tried to help him with everything we could but he hasn’t told our branch president about it yet.  So we explained to him that he needs to talk to him and get rid of any temptations.  We stuck a picture of Jesus above his bed in hopes that he would see it and think twice about what he is doing.   

We asked if he had anything else that would lead him to do it again and he told us that he has condoms but is not willing to give them up because he will need them for next time.  So at this point we realized that he is not ready to change yet and that’s when I remembered what Theron (our stake President in Mesquite and great friend) said to Chance about his problem, "I can’t help you until you have hit rock bottom".  We know that we can’t do anything until he truly wants to change his life but then we found out that he has a kid already but he still has hopes to go on a mission.  I don’t know what to do about this.  Do I tell him that he can’t go on a mission if he has a child or should I let the branch president do it??  It really breaks my heart to know that one decision could potentially change his life forever.

On a happy note, I had my first baptism and it was really quite amazing!  I was so nervous leading up to it but when I entered the water I received this overwhelming feeling of peace and comfort.  I was nervous that I would forget the words but I said them to exactness and it felt great.  It was a little bit harder to say it in Spanish but I've got the hang of it now.

 

Cleaning the font, getting it ready for his 1st baptism!

His comp, Elder Fielding, supervising the new kids cleaning skills : )

We also had the opportunity to give a blessing to a sick child in our branch after the baptism.  It was hard to hear each other speak because the baby was crying but as soon as elder fielding started the prayer, he stopped crying.

It’s really amazing to see the miracles that happen every day out here but it’s hard to be away from everything I know and love.  Don’t get me wrong, I love it out here but I miss you guys so much and I can’t wait to see you again.  I can’t wait to run errands with you dad and mom, I realized this week when all we had was butter, noodles, and some flour that i will never again say "there’s nothing to eat in this house" again!!  I just love being around you guys and I look up to you more than you know.

I got word that the packages got here and are in the mission home but I live 9 hours away and it’s hard to get them up here so I don’t have them yet.  It takes about 6 to 8 weeks to get packages out here.  I’m so excited to see what is in them though.  Something from America.  Yippy!!  It’s like Christmas!!

Oh, and there is 4 months and a week until we can Skype. : )

Love Elder Petersen

Ant hill and dead animals

 
I've got lots to tell but not a whole lot of time, so id better get to it.

A couple of days ago me and my papa (elder fielding) were walking down this ghetto street that seemed to be more of a dump and we came across a very bloated dead dog a dead horse and another dead dog. haha! its really not that surprising anymore to see this kind of stuff.

"Bloated Dog"

"Dead Horse"

Yesterday, we were teaching a lesson and i don't speak very good Spanish so i was kinda just chillin and i looked off into the distance and on top of a house i saw a toucan! Yes, it was quite possibly the best moment in my life.

He is an area that's on the boarder of Paraguay and Brazil

Standing on an ant hill!

We also had the opportunity to go to a village in our area that is a 45 min. bus ride away form our house, its called Santa Clara and its in the middle of the jungle. we went with a member and its a good thing we did because all that they speak out in Santa Clara is Guarani and neither me or my companion speak Guarani. all we did out there was give blessings. it was way cool. these people live in huts smaller than my room with 7 or 8 people living in it with dirt floors and a rusty tin roof. its really sad to see but it makes me grateful for what i have.

During another lesson, i was just chillin while my comp was teaching and this lady's dog brought in what seemed to be a chicken foot. but then it dropped it next to me and it definitely wasn't a chicken foot. hahah so i was curious and being myself, i grabbed it and put in my back pàck so i could take it home to get a better look at it. i pulled it out of my backpack when i got home and it turned out to be an armadillo foot. haha how cool is that??

And finally, i don't know why but i guess its ok to breast feed in front of the missionaries but it happened again. haha its pretty normal now. it doesn't even phase me.

Something pretty cool about our investigators is that we have one, named Ignacio, being baptized this Saturday and my comp. said that im baptizing him. im soo stoked but soo nervous. im getting to know the members more and it is getting to be more fun. i can communicate most of the time with most people when they speak very slowly and very clearly. unless that happens, i cant understand a single thing. its hard but worth it.

Ive never prayed so much in my life and my knees hurt because of it but i know that what im doing is the right thing and i have seen the blessings that come from it. i have found a new love  for the book of mormon and i probably would have found it along time ago but i was stupid and never took the time to read it. i took a lot of things for granted back home that i wish i wouldn't have but im grateful for my mission and the things ive learned.

I bear testimony that you can receive an answer to any question if you ask in faith and read the scriptures. i can now say that i know that this gospel is the only true gospel on the earth today and if you dont know for yourself, get on your knees where ever you are and ask to receive a testimony. ive done it for several months now and have had many sacred experiences that have bore testimony to me that it is true.

i love you so much.

love elder petersen

primero semana en Paragauy (first week in paraguay)

Dear Family,                                                                                                     Aug. 4, 2014

 

well to start out i love you guys so very much and im so glad that i was raised in this gospel. through this gospel we can know that we can live with Conor again and i cant wait. i dont know Conor but ive been crying for a while now. i love him like ive known him my whole life. Amanda said something in her email that stuck out to me. she said " i honestly dont know how people live without the atonement or the knowledge of eternal families". i realized that i dont either. ive never known what it would be like without it. that is why im out here serving the lord, to bring the knowledge that answers so many of my own questions to others. we are so blessed being born into this gospel. i never had a testimony of eternal families before i read that email that explained to me the circumstance of my dear nephew. after crying alot of tears of grief i realized that Conor really is in a better place and they turned into tears of joy. ive never cried like this before. i love knowing that Conor and I are both doing the lords work and bringing knowledge to those who dont have it.

on a more funny note, ive seen more boobs than i ever want to see again. haha theres a sotry i promise. so in my area, pedro juan cabellero, we are the farthest area away from Asuncion and most of the people here are seriously and in all honesty real lamenites. (im preaching the gospel to lamenites) so they are all so chill and do things the old fashioned way. so we are reading the scriptures with a member named Liliana, and her 3 year old kid starts to cry. so while im reading the scriptures, she whips out her boob and starts breast feeding her 3 YEAR OLD KID. awkward! then this Sunday i was walking past the relief society room and like 12 women are breast feeding. ahhhhhhhhhh!  i looked at my trainer elder fielding and he said you just get used to it. how the heck am i supposed to get used to that??

anyways, its really cool here. all the streets are dirt so my shoes are so dirty. elder fielding said to get used to that too. we went on a hike in the jungle today and i saw 3 frogs. i know thats dumb but i thought it was cool. our house is so fetchin dirty but everyone keeps telling me that its the cleanest one. they also tell me that this is the best area. there is also alot of parrots here. i had to get new bateries so i dont ahve any pictures but ill send a lot luego semana (next week).

the language is killing me right now. im not sure what they tought me in the mtc but its completly different than out here in the field. elder fielding says its all like spanish, guarani mixed. i dont know how they ecpect me to learn a language that isnt really a language. needless to say ive been on my knees a lot!

im excited to be out here and finally doing what i was told to do. im grateful for the knowledge that we have and i hope that we can always keep it close to our hearts. i think that "high desire, strong intention, and aim to start a new life" is a great family motto. you are in my prayers.

con mucho amor, love elder petersen