January 24th 2011 Excerpts

Mom and Dad,


I'm so glad that the Birthday bash went well! Believe me, I didn't know either dad ;) ha ha. I am so happy that you had a great night! I'm especially happy that you held in there and was patient with mom ;) Thats my pappa! Thats funny that she did that, I felt like a experienced the whole thing as you explained it ha ha. You deserve everything that you have been given, and I know you will continue to receive blessings upon blessings upon blessings!!! Mom your top 50 were great and spot on and I loved how you included our Lord of the Rings and Zelda obsession ha ha! However I do have just a few more things. 


Dad,


-I could always count on you to give me a good punch to the arm ;)
-I could always count on you to make me laugh with your ridiculous jokes.
-I could always count on you to work by my side on the lawn.
-I could always count on you to dry my tears and calm my fears.
-I could always count on you and will be able to for years to come!






Mince, I was hoping that my package got to you by now...... I hope it didn't get lost in the mail. I took the cheapest option possible to send it, and it was without insurance too. It wasn't anything of great value, just a few books, some mini cards for you,  and porcelain thimbles for mom... just material things. and  I would like to quote Elder Nicholes at this point, "I will visit France, but I will NEVER live here!!" Everything is so expensive, I can't send you a package less than 30 dollars without it being without insurance and under 2 grams..... I sent two more packages today, so I hope and pray they get to you. One contains all my DVD cases because I can't carry them around my whole mission. (they give us tons of different films to use for missionary work) I also sent some candy home, FRENCH chocolate ;) I want to send my camera card home, but they don't have padded envelopes here to do it... and I would send you some pictures this week, but the computer I'm at doesn't have the sd card slot. Sorry!


I don't think I told you last week, but SigEp sent me a tee-shirt and a legit charter for our Fraternity on USU Campus! Please be sure to tell them I loved it and think about my brothers all the time! Carrie, my cuz, sent me a letter too! Tell her I loved it, and will write back!!


Have you heard anything about Elder Shaffer? I heard that he was kicked out of the area he was in... Not sure though. And Ryan gets home in three weeks..... that is crazy.


So I have been told that we can listen to any Josh Groben CD so if you feel like sending one go ahead ha ha. Dad if you have any classical music older than 100 years, I would love you to send me a cd. Believe it or not,  music keeps me from going insane. 


I'm not really sure what to tell you this week... The weeks are going by so fast, and I feel like I have so much to learn in such little time. Yes I have realized I have been out 6 months, but i'm not counting either ;) However, it is impossible to keep it from crossing my mind. the french is...coming. I understand so much better than I can speak. The members told me that usually comes around 6 months in (6 months being in France). It is frustrating because I don't know where to start sometimes, but Elder Nicholes tries to help me as much as he can. It is interesting, because even though Elder Nicholes is my "polisher" I feel like he has been somewhat of a formatter for me too. I have learned so much this Transfer, and am glad that the Lord gave me Elder Nicholes!!! Speaking of Transfers.... This is the last week of the Transfer, WEEK 6. I can't believe it, I feel like I was just at the Gare saying goodbye to Elder Boehme. I have a feeling that I will be leaving Brive this transfer.... I don't know how I feel about that. 


I have fallen in love with the people here and even thinking about leaving brings tears to my eyes. I know change is good, but everything I know about missionary work started here in Brive. My life is here, I have lived here for 4 MONTHS! The other day, I was at the church and I had a out of body experience. I was greeting and talking with all the members and I realized, the people I felt so foreign around at the beginning, are now those that I feel closest too. There have been so many laughs and tears and good times spent with the members of Brive. I could go on forever talking about all the nights we have spent at Frere Selli's eating rabbit or chez famille Meloen teaching Maryline, Marie-Ocean, and Nicholas Créquit. And if I may throw an honorable mention for the Rogeye Saucisse chez Jeremy Labina! He has fed us SO MUCH!!! There is also the time I ate escargot for the first time chez famille Hubert! Oh and there is no forgetting the relentless Madame Dupuy AKA Mammy, who each morning climbs the stairs to give us a baguette, or patisserie, or anything else she feels like bringing ha ha! I can count on my hand the number of times she didn't come in the morning in the last 4 months ;) Like I said relentless. She even comes back up at noon to give us anything from grocieries to little chocolate candies!  Last, but not least Delphine Lescure. She is the women at the dry cleaners.She even dry cleaned one of my sweaters for nothing, and is even going to take us to a Japanese buffet on Friday.


 I have been blessed tremendously by the Lord, and Brive will always be my Ville de Naissance! 


Well I guess that is my letter this week. I want you to know that I'm giving this all I have, and I don't want to let my Savior, Jesus Christ down. I am not going to waste my time here, and my desire is to go and do the things the Lord has commanded me. I am His Disciple, and I will be until the very day that the Stake President removes my plaque from my chest.... but even then it will always leave a mark on my heart. I will always wear His name as a banner for all to see.


 Maria Gaillarde told me to tell you that your letter meant the world to her. Soeur Pratique even told me that it lifted spirits a lot after she read your letter. She is going to keep contact with you through Soeur Pratiques Email. Don't worry about translating your letters, Soeur Pratique will do that for you, just write in English. You my dear mother have touched someones heart on the other side of the world! Don't lose contact with her!!! Soeur Pratique's email is _removed


I love you and will talk to you again in a week! P.S. we get to move our P day to tuesday if we have a Zone Conference on Monday ;)


Elder Petersen