Dec 21 2010

Family,

Don't worry, I haven't left Brive! Elder Boehme however has, and is now in Marseille. It is a bit bizarre that you can be with someone for 9 weeks, then just be without them in one day! I will miss him, but my new colleage is super cool! Il S'appelle Elder Nicholes! He is from good ol' Orem Utah!!! The Lord loves me and knows my needs, that is all I can say! Ha ha.

The last week, the weather was actually pretty decent. Me and Elder Boehme seen many blessings this last week, and found 7 new amis!!!! That is two new families! I'll tell you about them!

The first family is the Famille Lecruse; do you remember me telling you about the women we found at the dry cleaning place? Well we finally taught her family!!! She has two little girls, one is 9 and the other 8! They absolutely love us, and it was heart warming to see one of the little girls treasure a picture of Jesus we gave her! They came to the Soirée Noel Saturday and brought the husband too! They loved it, and we were able to eat with them Sunday afternoon as well! We were iffy about the husband... you see we actually had knocked on the family's door before actually meeting Delphine, and the husband told us "ça m'intéresse pas" which means "I'm not interested". He is rather intimidating, reminds me of dad, But after talking with him, he is super sweet! He committed to read the Book Of Mormon! Lots of hope for this family!

Then we ate dinner with a member family who invited a non-member friend to the soirée noel and church, and then dinner! We talked briefly about the Book Of Mormon, but the mother and the kids are interested and want to continue visiting with us!!!

Then there is Iraj, the Iranian I told you about. We moved his baptismal date to the 8th of January, because of certain factors, but he loves to meet with us, and learn the Gospel. It is difficult to know if he completely understands the principles due to a language barrier he has, but we are working at it! We are going to try really hard to get his wife involved this week!

I am a little bit nervous, and can see that this week and the weeks to come are going to require a lot of work. I have a new companion who doesn't know the ville or amis.. but that's life! Life is full of changes, change is good! Im' keeping a postivie attitude, and know I can always place my trust in our Heavenly Father; truly he does not change. He is the only constant thing in my life right now! I will strive to steadfastly look forward to Christ and persevere with joy! Coach Chournous and Coach Hawes always taught me to keep my eye on the ball, and when I did I was able to make things happen. However, after that you had to be smart when running the bases. Hitting the ball is one thing, but to make it home is another. If you aren't smart at the bases, and do not know what to do in certain situations, you will quckly find your spot right back the bench. Of course we all know I struggled a lot my senior year, and frankley just didn't keep my eye on the ball. My time at the plate was numbered, and the chance to redeem myself passed, but I can still keep my eye on the ball; that is to keep my eye on what I want most. Salvation and Exaltation. If I keep my eye fixed firmly on Christ, and his Gospel, I can make things happen, I can find what I want most. But like the game of baseball, once you have hit the ball, you have to run the bases! You have to run the bases with everything you have, and be smart about it! You can do so by I being obedient,having faith, and doing work! if we do these things, we will have the constant companion of the Holy Ghost and be smart as we run the bases of life and ultimatley make it to home base; eternal life!

It is like it is said in Helamen 5, if we build ourselves on a firm foundation, we cannot fall! That foundation is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I know this Gospel is true! I know this work is true! I absolutley loved the picture story from the tabernacle fire because it speaks to my heart.

Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

When all other lights go out, the light of Christ will shine in darkness. No matter what should come to pass, Christ will forever be a beacon of Hope and Salvation!

I love you all, and can't wait to talk to you on Christmas!!!!!!!! I'll figure this situation out with the calling, you just be waiting ;)

Love à Jamais,

Elder Petersen

p.s

I included pics of the famille lecruse; some members; me, Elder Boehme, Elder Heywood and his companion Elder Magnan; and a picture of Iraj (picture with black man in it)

Dec 12th 2010

Family!!!

I don't have much time this week!!! Sorry I was late, we had our Christmas Zone Conference yesterday, it was so much fun!!! We got a tie for Christmas ha ha, I included a few pics too. Yes President Carter and His wife sing together! And the black family is Famille Hubert! The mutation will be ending Monday, and we will get word of our leaving or staying on Friday. I'm sure I'm staying, but I think Elder Boehme will be going. He has been in Brive for 4 mutations. I will miss him, but change is good, and the Lord knows best where to place his servants!

It is really disheartening to hear about Uncle Curt... I loved him very much, I felt like I had three grandpas. I did send him a letter, and simply shared my testimony of the great plan our Heavenly Father has for us. I didn't know how it would be recieved, but now I know it calmed his soul. In the great mercy of our Savior, I have no doubt he will find peace. It means a lot to me that he read, and studied my letter, I poured my heart into it. Tell Rita I love her, and apologize for not writing her, I think I will. I was sad that he didn't come to my farewell, but knowing that my letter touched him is even better. He knows I have a testimony of my Savior and Redeemer!

I'm so happy that you were able to go out and have fun for Mom's birthday! That's too bad Cami had to leave, but we still love her! ha ha ha I hope you had a great Birthday mother! You deserve it!!! The card was the least I could do, I mean after all you gave birth to me ha ha! I really wanted to show my love, and make something from the heart, but of course you will be receiving a package in the mail in a couple of weeks! There are some fun stuff in it!

I loved the Christmas presents, you are way too good to me! I feel really spoiled mom and dad, please know that I am grateful, especially for the gloves and scarf! Much needed ha ha!! I love the picture frame too, I can always see someone or something I love when I am at my desk!!!! You two are way too good to me!! I am saving the tape recorder for later, it is nestled under the tree :)

I have been sending Elder Lewis some emails, he has already had two baptisms! That is great! Just like every mission, it is tought though! He had to drop some investigators this last week too! I love seeing little message from him in my inbox, I just grin from ear to ear! Speaking of which, that picture of Emma is adorable!! I don't know how she managed that, but she is definitley a prodigy of her mother ha ha!!!! I can't believe how much she looks like Cami! And Alli she is just growing up so fast, she is a little lady! baby Mason is going to be a Captain Moroini, I know it!

This last week was CRAZY!!! We found a man named Iraj Soltani, he is Iranian. I speaks Persian nativley, but knows english, and very little french. It's ironic, his wife speaks a little english, but is French... who would have thunk!? He is a very humble man, and now I now why. His wife and son are both very low in health right now. The son is 17 and has epilepsy. Iraj is depressed because of their state of health, and is a stay at home dad to take care of them. He just wants to help his famiy. Our first rendez-vous we taught how the Gospel brings healing, and engaged him and his entire family to baptism. They all accepted! Iraj has accepted the 26th of this month! He told us that he read the Book of Mormon and prayed. He said when he reads, he feels happy, and peace; he feels like a burden is being lifted; he told us he knows it is true! He even told us he knows Joseph Smith was a Prophet! It is truly a miracle, and blessing from the Lord! He came to church Sunday, and Family Home Evening with a ward member yesterday! We even moved his baptism up the the 26th!

The Lord has his elect, and I can testify that this is His work! I feel very unworthy of this great and wonderful blessing, I don't feel I have worked hard enough to receive such a blessing, but yet here it is! We are meeting with him again today and many more times to come before the 26th.

This Saturday there is a baptismal service in Perigueux for two young boys in our ward, and he is going to come with us to watch! It is all so wonderful, and I just marvel at the blessings that are being poured down from heaven! I truly stand all amazed!

I just want you all to know, I love this work! It is hard, very hard, but I wouldn't be anywhere else! This truly is the only time in my life I will ever get to be a missionary, to have the authority and power to promise God's children blessings in his name! Is there a greater work than this? Than to bring souls unto Life eternal? No there is not!

I love you all, and pray for you all continually. Never forget the Lord in everything you do! Pray always, that you may be lay up store and act in faith that you may prepare a place for your kingdom on high!

Love à jamais!

Elder Petersen

Dec 6th 2010

Family,

Weeks fly right on by don't they! Don't worry I can share your excitment for Monday to roll around!!!! Ha ha, I pray you are feeling like a million bucks momma, and your smile never fades ;) I can't wait to see a picture of the house, I'm sure you did an amazing job dad!

The temple, oh how I miss the Temple ha ha! Lucky!!!!! ha ha ha. Wo wo wo

Christmas Spirit is hitting Brive smack dab in the face! ha ha. They really go all out for the season; with lights down every street, and Christmas classics ringing through out Centre-ville! They block off streets in Centre-ville and set up booths and trees and all sorts of things to celebrate the season! There is no way I couldn't be happy! And that is very valuable right now :) I remember home with all this Christmas spirit and I remember why it is so special for me. It is even in the word Christmas. I think of all He has given me, and His love that enfolds me every day. I think of you, my family. Heavenly Father gave you to me so I might have joy in this life! Christ, His son, gave His life that we may have joy together in the life after! Although I am grateful for the presents you sent me, it isn't the material in them that give me joy; the little tree in the midst of them is a monument of your love to me. I will treasure our memories together more than any pleasure a gift or present could bring! I am the son of Shane and Lori Petersen, my hero and my angel. We are all sons and daughters of a king! What joy there is in celebrating his life this Christmas season!

I appreciate all your prayers and I feel your love every day! This week was hard, but good! We had some upsets, but the blessings always out weight them. We had to let go of 4 of our investigators because they aren't progressing, and that was no easy decision. We prayed and both felt it was the Lord's will that we use our time more efficiently to find His elect who He is preparing! I will share an experience with you quickly before time runs out! Yesterday, we were in a dead end, and didn't know where to go or what to do. Our plans could only take us so far, but we needed help and guidance. I told Elder Boehme we should pray to know where to go. He asked me, do you really think that will work? I testified that it would, for I had had an amazing exchange with our district leader earlier in the week, and our prayers were truly answered. We prayed, and it was no sooner that I remembered a street I had seen that I felt I should have entered, but passed on by. That was where we needed to go. We back tracked till we found the street, did some door to door, but no luck. But in that dark lone street, we found a man, named Alex. He comes from a family of many religions, but he himself has not found one. We set up a rendez-vous, and got his information to share our message with him.

God is in control, and this is His work! If we truly desire to know His will, with faith and works, He will prepare his elect, and guides us to them.

I love you all! Keep the faith!

P.S. if you really want to give a gift this season, invite the missionaries over for dinner ;)

Elder Petersen!

Nov 28th 2010

Fam,

I know weeks are flying by! I did get your packages, and no tax :) President says it doesn't usually happen, just happened to get the every 'once and a while open up the box and check' ha ha! But the pringles weren't banged up too much, and I got the Christmas package!! The presents are nestled underneath our little tree of Christmas spirit!

That is sad to hear about President Jensen's son, I don't remember specifically

who he was, but it is always a disheartening day when a young man's life is cut short. I have been too close to that too many timesto not be sensitive; car wrecks touch a sensitive part of my memory.

Mother I got your letter. It was truly amazing, and what I needed, a answer to my prayers. I realized there have been days that I have wished away while I have had my short stay here in Brive, looking towards the day when I can return to you all. I have even created the moment when I will be slowly descending down those escalators, tired, and weary, full of joy to s

ee you all again. It has been difficult for me at times, but your letter is a blessing! Elder Boehme had just shared with me the very same inspirational quote you included in your letter, the day before; find joy in the journey! What a statement! I will not wish my mission away! I will cheerfully persevere and serve the Lord to the end!

This last week was truly a week full of blessings from the Lord. We found two new investigators, and they are sweet! It is kind of a bitter sweet moment however, because we were dropped by an investigator too. Started teaching here, and dropped us in the same week. We had

high hopes for her, but the adversary got to her first. She was polite, and very kind in her opinion, but I know why I'm out here, and the Lord knows, and I can't deny it. I love you all, but the world is full of our brothers and sisters, and it is a responsibility to bring this

message of the Restoration to them. They are family too! I wish I could have said that at the time. We as missionaries are fueled by love, how can we do this work without out that? It is impossible.

All is well however, we still have some cool amis, and have high hopes! Sunday we had branch conference in Bordeaux. That is like stake conference, but on a smaller level. It was great! I didn't really understand a whole lot, but I can understand bits and pieces... BUT, I can understand President Carter really well, he spoke. He spoke about consecrating our lives to the Lord; reiterating Elder Christoffersons talk in General Conference. He spoke about the Savior and his sacrafice for us, how he truly consecrated his life. Something that stood out to me however was the statement that when we consecrate our lives to the Lord, we will find joy. In the life of a missionary, it is really easy to get discouraged and find joy. The only joy I find sometimes is in the fact that I know what I know, and that I have you! Recently I read an article in the Ensign that explained how a missionary had been into his mission for a year and not had the joy others were having. In a zone conference, he recieved the answer to his prayers. No matter what, we can always have joy in the Atonement of Jesus Christ. When all else fails, He is there for us, because he paid the ulitmate price. I have a neat little story from a book Elder Boehme let me borrow; it is called 'footprints':

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that at times of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that these were the lowest and saddest times in his life. This bothered him, and he asked the Lord, "You said that once I decided to follow You, You'd walk with me all the way. But during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints; Why, when I needed You most, did You leave me?" The Lord replied, "My son, I love you and would never leave you. During those times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I was carrying you."

This touches my heart deeply, and I'm sure it will touch yours as well. It is hard work out here, I'm burdened with a constant nagging of temptation to give up. To take the easier path, but I cannot. I will not. It is at those times of greatest strife, that I know the Lord is carrying me. Mother we all know that you are a testimony of this principle. You couldn't have dones this on your own. NO MAN OR WOMEN CAN!

Just as I speak of the wonderful peace and calming assurances that your letter brough

t me, I know that you have endured much in your life, but more importantly you FIND JOY IN THE JOURNEY! I know you will continue as well, and you will be a living testimony to all your beautiful daughters, that life is meant to be lived, not endured!

I recieved many letters this weeks: one from Uncle Steve, one from Becca my cousin, you, Mindi, my childhood friend Elder Lewis, and my friend from college Elder Clark. I can't tell the joy I have felt, and the love He freely gives me. I can testify he knows each and every one of us, and he is just waiting for us to pray to Him so he can lighten our burdens. Each of these letters edified me in one way this week, and gave me hope!

Baby Mason is such a cutie, I can't believe how handsome he is! Mindi and Matt did a good job ha ha! Alli kitty, your drawing was beautiful! Thank you for your sweet little heart!

I haven't opened any presents yet, but I can't tell you I wont open them before Christmas! ha ha OH AND IT SNOWED THIS WEEK HERE IN BRIVE!!! It was only a little but it filled me with Christmas spirit!

I love you all, and love this Gospel. I know it us true with all my heart, and that we are members of the only true church on the earth today! Continue in faith, keep the faith, nurture your faith! Do not forget why we are here; to serve the Lord and prepare to meet him again!

I CAN DO HARD THINGS

Son, brother, and uncle,

Elder Dustin Shane Petersen

Nov 22-2010

Ma Famille,

Another week has come and gone, and I feel like I just wrote you yesterday!!! Time is really beginning to fly here it france! It continues to rain, but people are beginning to light up their houses with christmas lights, and there is a square that they have a ton of overhead lights on as well!! I hope I get to stay here for Christmas! Mother I did get your packages! I can't tell you how full my heart truly was when I saw two huge packages from home, then the camera card and plug in the mailbox! The day before I think I got your letter from the 4th too! I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you send me packages and letters…. I cry every time I get one, I am just so full of love and appreciation. You know me well mom and dad.

Thank you for the tree :) I don't honestly know how the chips are, but the oreos weren't smashed so I'm hopeful :) This part of the letter is going to be a little sentimental.. I want you to know how much I love you, and how every day I thank my Heavenly Father for you. You are even in my dreams everynight, I haven't had one yet without you in them! I am just getting over my new missionary blues and putting my shoulder to the wheel. I love the Lord, and I realize this work is all about LOVE!

We had a zone conference last Thursday and Elder Texiera, a member of the

inter-region (Seventy) spoke to us. It was one of the best meetings I have ever been to in my life! The spirit was so strong, and I was overcome with the love that is in this work. I have no doubt this is the Saviors work, and His hand is ever shaping it. Elder Texiera was carried away in the spirit, he spoke for almost and hour and a half! He shared things with our zone that he didn't with the other zones, he said that there is something special about our zone! He gave us a lot of counsel, and I see there are many places where I need to improve. There is always a reason we aren't either happy, or having the success we want. Usually it is because there is something we know we need to do, BUT AREN'T DOING THEM!! It all comes down to dilligence, hardwork; and love!! I also evaluated myself in the Christ-like chapter of Preach My Gospel, chapter 6 pg 126 I believe. I realize I have work to do, and right now I need to work on patience, Faith, and Hope. Preach My Gospel is such a beautiful tool the Prophets have given us, and it is defintley a treasure in terms of the 'perfecting of the saints'! I challenge you both right now to start using Preach My Gospel in your studies!! I use mine everyday, and so should EVERY MEMBER!! I like how Elder L Tom Perry counseled that it is every members responsibility to 'find people for the missionaries to teach'; How do you think members learn how to do this??? PREACH MY GOSPEL!!!! I can't wait to hear how this goes for you!

In the conference Elder Texiera also told us that the time for planting seeds is over. "We are sick of just planting seeds, we have been planting seeds for many years now. We aren't here to plant seeds Elders and Sisters, we are here to baptize. It is time for the harvest!!!" He is right! We are disciples of Jesus Christ, and we have been set a part and given the keys to baptize. Do some research, there are very few who have the keys of baptism. I am not going spend my time here thinking planting seeds is good enough, because it isn't. I wasn't called to 'plant seeds', I was called to invite others to come unto Christ by bringing them down into the waters of baptism. I see there are many things that we have yet not tried, and I know that the Lord will bless us as we expirement and have faith in His every guiding hand.

A family the other night came out of their house to talk with us after knocking on their door. They were once religious, but now athiest because of all the bad that happens in the world. The women explained her reason for turning her back on God, and that is because I little child in her School (she was a teacher) died of a tumor. I testified of the power to overcome death one day, and that this life is but a moment in time. I recounted your experience with grandma mom. I testified that although she didn't follow Christ throughout her life, on her death bed, she requested to say a prayer with her daughter for the first time and for the last. That is faith. I wasn't there, but I know that she could see the truth. Mom, I know that we will see Grandma again, without a doubt. I know that satan can take away everything we love, everything we hold dear, and thanks to the grand plan devised in the beginning we can still rejoice; even then! It is hard to except when babies suffer, and nations starve, and the homeless wonder without purpose, but there is message that can bring light and joy to everything. The Gospel of Jesus Christ! Christ is my strength, I am nothing of myself.

We had another great experience with a new member in the ward too. He got in touch with us first, and then we were able to have a rendez-vous with him to welcome him to Brive. He immediatley opened up to us, and shared the struggles in his life right now, and the scars sin has left on his soul. Without doubt, I have never seen a more humble man. He began to cry, and bore witness of the truth of this Gospel. He knows that without a doubt it is the light and the way. His love for the Savior is more than words, and his desire to change is described as nothing more than PURE LOVE! We watched 'the touch of the Master' with him, and it was perfect. Though life rages, and we are banges up, and scarred by the pains of our mistakes, with the touch of the masters hand, we can be restored. I have seen the pain and sorrows of sin in my own life , but I have felt the touch of the masters hand in my life, and

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of arighteousness for his bname’s sake

Ps 23:3

I know this is where I need to be. I love the Lord, and I thank him everyday for keeping you safe from the days journeys; I pray for you all continually and can't wait to here from you and your Spirituel Experiences !!!

Love your son, brother, Uncle,

Elder Dustin Shane Petersen