Caught a Firefly!

Well this week was full of fun surprises!! But before I start let me say that the "F" key on this keyboard struggles a lil bit, so if you see something strange in my spelling, first assume that its actually my spelling than assume it’s the keyboard!! ; )

First, this week, we had divisions with our zone leaders and it was interesting. Elder Goss and I went in his area and taught his investigators/members. It was really fun to meet new people.  We had a lot o really great lessons throughout the day and they went really great, but there’s always got to be something in the mission life that throws you or a loop!  In the last lesson of the day, we were teaching a less active who married a catholic man who doesn’t want anything to do with the church.  Well, he came home from work while we were teaching his wife. Not good!  We were going to watch the restoration video and we asked him to watch it with us and he did, for about the ffirst 30 seconds and then he said that he had seen it before!!  so we paused it and asked him how it went the first time, he then said that he doesn’t believe in Joseph Smith because the first vison happened in America.  We tried to explain to him everything we could but he wasn’t having it!! Eventually he told us to leave his house but then there daughters got involved and it turned into one big family fight, that we had started (not meaning to)!!  We explained that that is the exact opposite of what we are trying to do and we had to leave before it got worse!! #depressing

That lesson brought up some good questions between Elder Goss and I so we climbed a water tower, looked over the Paraguayan river and talked about life!  

Elder Clark and I missed the collective (bus) back to our area so me crashed on the floor in the Zone leaders apartment, woke up the next morning and found a little baby scorpion right by my head! haha

Maybe the coolest thing that happened to me this week was that I caught a firefly straight out o the air with my hand!! haha it was the accomplishment of a lifetime!!

Service project building a house

Captured Firefly!

A lot of good things are coming our way work wise!  We had a lady come to church for her 3rd time in a row who wants to be baptized which is great!  She is a really tough lady!  She has a really hard time walking because she has some weight issues but she walks about a mile to church every Sunday!  We also help a man in a wheelchair come to church every Sunday as well.  He can’t talk but his smile says it all!!  He loves to come to church and I am privileged to help him do so!!

Pics: my pet firefly and a service project we did building a house!

I love you all and I love this work!!  Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts!!

Love elder Petersen

Thief on the bus

Well family and friends,

This one will be good!! A lot of things happened this week that are pretty funny and pretty crazy at the same time!  Hopefully I can remember them all enough to tell you guys!! 

First of all, last P day, on the way back from where ever we were, we were riding one of the many collevtivos (bus) there was so many people in this bus it was impossible to move, but somehow with all the people touching me at one time, I felt like I needed to turn around and check my backpack, and it’s a good thing I did, to my surprise I found someone trying to pick pocket my backpack. haha he tried to explain to me that my backpack was unzipped and that my Book of Mormon fell out and he was trying to put it back!! haha I guess I should have been a little bit more Christ like and believed him, even if my backpack was unzipped there is no way that my Book of Mormon would have fallen out into his hand!! Haha  I tried to give him another one but he didn’t want it!! haha #Paraguay

Okay, we found an investigator named Bruno and he is really great but he is from another church.  We went to his house the other day to see how he is and to teach a little bit more but he said that he talked to his pastor and he told him to not let us in anymore because it’s a sin!! so at first I thought we lost him, but he said that I feel that any religion that tells me not to listen to other religions isn’t of God", I said "yup" it was great but I think he is still a little bit attached to his religion so I gave him a research project in the Biblia so hopefully he can find the truth!!

Unfortunately I have run out of time but I’ll continue the story next week!! I love you all so much and thank you for your support.

Love elder petersen

Questions:

Did you get your birthday package yet?  I hope so cuz we’re running out of time before the big day!  I can’t believe you’re gonna be 19!!  It was just yesterday that your older sisters were dressing you up in high heels and makeup : ))))

I did get my package and I absolutely love it.  I couldn’t have asked for anything more for my birthday.  oh man, its sent from heaven.  I mean, beef jerky!!!  That’s awesome!!! as well as starburst minis!! Possibly the best birthday ever. It’s great that you sent the banner because I’m going to use it if one of my comps has a birthday.

 

How do you stay so upbeat and cheerful?  Seriously, for the last few years, you’ve been, for the most part, a cheerful, happy person.  A real joy to be around.

Well the secret to my success is to realize that you are the only one that makes the decision to get upset or feel hurt.  Every day, if you wake up and tell yourself that you’re going to make it a good day, it will be a good day because you decided already.  In reality, no one likes to be around someone that gets upset too easy or doesn’t want to do anything.  So, here’s my motto, don’t pass up an opportunity to meet new people to make new friends or strengthen the relationship you have already and make it a good day!! 

 

So what are you thinking about life after mission (A.M)?  You mentioned it in your last letter so I’m just curious.  

About life after the mission, I’m really thinking that I want to go into the Coast Guard!  I’d love to be a helicopter pilot or a rescue swimmer.  I was also thinking that maybe Kraig could use some help on the ranch for when i get back so that I can work during the day and go to school at Dixie at night.  I would really love to work on the ranch again and earn some money for school because I don’t want you guys to pay for my schooling.  I think that I would appreciate my schooling more and take it more seriously if I were to pay for it all!!