Aug 20, 2010

Family,

Can you believe it has been three weeks!?! Time is flying! Everything is great here at teh MTC. I feel like the only thing I'm doing now is eating - ha ha. The days are blending together not :) I love recieving your letters, so keep them coming! I'll be sending home my picture card soon, so you will be able to see my companion!

I have some sweet scriptures I want to share with you.

1 Nephi 1:1-18

Read this section mom and dad, but especially you siblings! It is an amazing set of scriptures. When you do it as well, insert your name in for Nephi's, it is powerful and wil fill your heart with love for having such wonderful parents, and give you guidance for the rest of your life. I also realized that Lehi taught Nephi by a fathers example to "go and do" Lehi himself prayed, recieved revelation, a book, and then WENT out and testified to the people. He WENT and DID, just as Nephi said to his father, "I will go and do" Thank you dad for being such an amazing example to me. I learned many great life lessons from you. You are my hero. and will continue to be.

I have been having some pretty amazing scripture study sessions with the B of M and it got me thinking. Are you all reading the B of M consecutively each day? We have been counseled that when doing this, our hearts will be upon the things of the Lord, and blessings will be poured out of Heaven. True happiness will be yours, and honestly the Lord has given us this book, and many men have died for it. Would it be too hard as to study, not just read, STUDY for 15 min. each day? That's my challenge to you all. Make goals for yourselves, and find answers to your prayers in the words that will lead you to eternal life. Share them with each other. Love them with all your might.

I went to San Francisco Tuesday to apply for my visa! I would have told you, but I didn't know till Monday, the day before. It was a great experience, but a very difficult and humbling one. After we had finished our Visa work, we had about 2 and half hours to walk the piers. We at at In' n' out burger, hmm.. and then explored. I wanted to contact earlier, but my companionship (I was in a trio, because Elder Heywood went two weeks ago) didn't want to yet. After smelling the stinkin sea otters ha, we began to contact. Of course it was TERRIFYING! haha, first time out of the MTC and trying to talk to REAL people... ha ha yeah scary. We successfully talked to about 3 people, handed out 3 pass along cards, and I placed a Book of Mormon. It is interesting though, she came up to us. She wanted to guess where our ancestors were from by our last names. She was a very old British women who loved geneology and poetry. We didn't get a chance to talk to her about the Gospel and as I was about to tell about the B of M, her daughter grabbed her and pulled her away. Luckily I was able to let her know we knew she liked to read and she should have the book :) I placed it ha ha, and my testimony was in it :) After that it got harder, and lots of rejection. Nobody wanted to talk to us, and being in a trio was probably intimidating as well. Two men walking up to you is okay, not three. But it was good, because Member families always found us and said hi! I actually tried contacting two individuals who were actually members. No wonder I was drawn to them haha. They were sent from God to cheer us up :) One member offered us money, but we explained we couldn't take it haha. We had a 3 hour delay in San Franscisco Airport, and I just wrote in my journal. After the trip into the real world, which was REALLY WEIRD, and a little awkward, I can see why some missionaries can't handle it. But don't worry, I know the Lord is my strength. I have learned humility is key. The savior did of literally a broken heart... and he asks us to come to him with a broken heart and contrite spirit. The trial of my faith, and all of our faith, is to keep that prayer of humility in our hearts always. The Lord is great, and we can make it through with all the tools he has given us today :)

I just wanted to tell you this one last ting! Watched a devotional recording called "The Miracle of a Mission" by Elder Holland. You MUST WATCH IT. Please find this and watch it. I believe it can apply to you as well as me. I'll share what I learned about it in my letter home, I'm running out of time! I love you all and can't wait to hear from you again!!

Dad could you type up my letter I send home and send it to everyone with this email. What I have to say is very important concerning Elder Hollands devotional. Thanks, Tu es le Meche! ( You are the man)

Love your son, and brother,

Elder Petersen