Language Lab - or is it ground control... ha ha

The Map - to where I'm headed.. France

Ambassador Friends from USU

Here I am

The power of God works according TO FAITH, God doesn't give us faith. When we show acts of faith, and endure through the hard times, he blesses us with so many blessings we cannot count them. I can testify that is true. Part of that Faith, is SERVING OTHERS AND FORGETTING YOURSELF.

Friday, September 3, 2010 excerpts

Un autre semain passe! Another week past and time is flying! I'm trying not to think about it however, so time will fly even faster :) It almost seems like there isn't enough time in the day anymore. There is so much I want to learn about the Gospel, and so much I want to study, but only 3 and a half weeks left to do it till I am thrown into the field! I have faith, and know the french will come along one way or another. It really hasn't been that much of a concern, but we are beginning to teach completley in French now, and it can be difficult sometimes. Can you believe 5 weeks ago I was just learning to pray in french, now I'm teaching!

Sunday, Elder Heywood was released as District Leader and a new one was called.....They called me, can you believe it! It was a rather interesting situation, with one of the branch presidency cornering me and all haha. No escape! . Something else that is interesting, they do not set us apart for the callings. When we are set apart as missionaries, we are given all the powers, rights, and authority to accept and preform any calling on the mission. Cool right!?

I specifically bore witness during a lesson (in english) on the power of prayer, and how it is difficult to sometimes recognize the still small voice and promptings of the spirit. For the longest time I prayed to my Father in Heaven for answers to my prayers, and continued to pray and wait and pray and wait. It wasn't until college perhaps, and afterwards that I started recieving these promptings and HEARING and RECOGNIZING them. I especially will never forget the moment I followed as Moroni promised and prayed for the truth. I didn't recieve an answer right away, but the next day as we (me, mom, and dad) discussed the Book Of Mormon, I realized the testimony and conviction I felt was an answer to my prayers. That I did know the truthfullness. I will never forget that moment, thank you mom and dad. I have learned an important lesson, too often we are impatient and think we are being forgotten. Oh but too often it is the other way around, we just don't know how to listen :) Well times up, Love

Aug 27, 2010 excerpts

Bonjour Ma Famille!

Commen Ca Va? (How are you doing?) This week has been truly amazing! I promise I'm not counting days, but It has been a month now since I entered the MTC. Can you believe it!? I have felt all your prayers and am greatful to have such an amazing family! Thank you!

I just want to share a few experiences from the week! Friday August 20th, we taught a lesson in English to "Christiano" in the TEC (Teaching Evaluation Center) It was our first visit and we didn't know anything about him. In our lesson plan, we were going to teach him that God loves us, and we are his children, which is from the first lesson in PMG. We also were going to give him the B of M challenge. However once we got to know him, the spirit guided us by his needs, and we testified of prayer. I shared 1 Nephi 18:20-21 and testified that God blesses our familiies through prayers. Then Elder Heywood taught him how to pray. We committed to him to pray for the conviction that God is our Loving Heavenly Father, each day. He accepted :) Truly the spirit guides us and tells us what the investigator needs.

Sunday the 22 nd , always a good day! I blessed the sacrament in FRENCH! Thats right haha, it was awesome! I blessed with Elder Meza, an elder from our district. It was a great experience, and surprisingly wasn't that difficult. I seen more ambassador friends this day. Elder Julian Brown, Josh Daniels, and Chase Anderson..( not sure you knew them but yeah) I also found this really interesting sermon from Joseph Smith at a funeral on Lds.org. You must look it up. It is called "King Folletts Sermon" It is deep docterine, but it helps us understand more fully the purpose and characteristics of God.

Monday the 23rd, I had my 1st Zone conference. Pretty much just the Zone getting together and discussing, and actually doing things to better our studies and teaching. It was great! Cami also sent me Fresh cookies!!!

Tuesday the 24th , is our service day. We got a new assignment too... the spanish Elders Residence Hall.... EEEEG, ahahah. It was fun though. I got to empty garbages, so not too hard. I did miss replacing a few bags because I was talking. Afterwards they got replaced, but I pondered it and realized if my whole heart isn't into the Lord's work, int he mission field I could forget something that could be devastating for an investigator. Lesson Learned!

ALSO YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHO CAME TO OUR DEVOTIONAL!! Elder Jeffery R. Holland! It was amazing! All our dreams come true, we have been hoping for an apostle. He gave us his famous long introduction, and "Don't you go home" speech. I know right, its ironic I told you about it last week from that video, but it was so much better in person :) That video might be hard to get your hands on as well. Ask Brother Craven if he can help you out on that, it might be a video only BYU staff can have.. not sure. But anyways, He had, of course, many wonderful things to say on obedience. He helped us understand that this is war, a war that started before this world, in heaven. Though we aren't shooting bullets, we are the ones bringing others bandages. It is our responsibility and calling to fight for the Lord, our captainl. One day he will return, and and this war, but for now we are called to do his work, and fight for eternal salvation of many souls.

Thursday the 26th, great day also!! Taught two french lessons!!! They were amazing, and I can testify the gift of tongues is real. Since I have been here, I haven't worried/struggled wtiht the language that much, but I was nervous to try teaching a lesson. Our second lesson was really difficult. Our investigator had lots of hard questions. But something amazing happened. At the very end, I was able to bear my testimony about the Book Of Mormon. It was like nothing I can explain. I was able to feel my testimony through the foreign language I was speaking, and Elder Heywood said it was powerful as well. I can testify that it wasn't me, and I know the spirit works through us, when we are faithful. It has probably been a highlight for me while being here!

Your Son, Brother,

Elder Dusty Petersen

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

Aug 13, 2010

Well another week down fam!

Everything is extremely well, don't worry! I have so much to tell you, and I hope I can get it all in before my 30 min are up ha!

First off, thank you for the letters and the packages! I felt so blessed, and it was an answer to my prayers! I enjoyed all you had to say, and I will try to get back to all of you!

Second, Sundays are amazing at the MTC! All of the sacrament meeting is in French, but the spirit is so strong it doesn't matter if I don't understand all of it. We each actually have to write a church talk in french, and the branch presidency randomly calls up people to speak. I didn't get called up luckily ha, but because I prepared mine, I was able share a lesson with a member of the branch presidency later in my accountabiliy interview. Last week it was on Obedience, and so I shared the account of Moroni in Mormon chapter 8. Mom and Dad know how much this scripture means to me, I shared it with them before I left. Moroni is completly alone. His father has been killed, and he is left to write the sad tale of the destruction of his people. He lives from day to day knowing he could die at any minute, but he stays true and faithful and keeps the record in which his father commanded him. He seen Christ and witnessed his glory, and also witnessed our day. He would have done anything, and probably did for the record.

I realized something important. We are not alone like Moroni. We have family, friends, and even a living prophet! Why then is there any reason to be disobedient and not follow all that God commands us? There is no reason for selective obedience. I realize that now, especially with the MTC rules. I know as we continue to be obedient, even unto giving our lives for the gospel, we can obtain exaltation. Like my patriarchal blessing says, "Search for those things of real worth in this life". Also if you get some time, study 3 Nephi 18. Great scripture and there is much counsel from the Lord on obedience and prayer. Almost every fireside and devotional they talk about obedience, so you can believe when I say they won't let us forget, and I am not going to let you forget ha ;)

On Sunday nights we have a devotional and a movie to watch. The movie the first week was 'mountain of the Lord', YOU NEED TO GET THIS!! It is a great testimony builder on all the saints went through to build the Salt Lake Temple. Also this last week we watched Joseph Smith:The restoration, WHICH YOU NEED TO GET TOO! It revamps your testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel.

Funny experience for you. The other day, I saw a good friend from college. Dad will remember her from choir, her name is Sister Druanne Murray(Pic. above). She is serving in San Franciso Mission. Any who, she saw me and the first words out of her mouth were, "I LOVE YOU"! It was weird ha. I mean we are missionaries and all, and I didn't know if I was supposed to say it back. I blushed ha ha. I was embarrased. I mean the last person who told me that was Mom :)

As I have been serving the Lord, I am starting to understand the magnitude of my calling. In Preach My Gospel, chapter one, "Power and Authority of Your Calling" It tells us that we "are set-apart from the world" Literally from the world. We are brought to a "Higher plane of thought" and much is expected. The power of my calling is "conditional upon faithful preformance". Moral of the story, I need to completely seperate myself fromt the world. I have been doing well, but every now and again i will quote a movie, or sing a song.

There are missionaries shipping out Monday and so the other night, they did a "Pass along" night... There aren't traditions in the MTC, so don't think it is ha ;) Elder Shaffer passed down his beloved Fanny Pack, that's right, he gave ME his FANNY PACK!(Pic. above) Elder Logan Rhodes gave it to him, and He gave it to me. I will give it to Morgan when he gets here too. ha ha I wear it with pride. I'm a dork I know :)

I am still getting used to have a companion 24/7, it is sometimes difficult, but the Lord will see me through. Keep Elder Heywood in your prayers too. That we might work well together as we have and become good friends. Speaking of which he hasn't been feeling to well today, so say a little prayer for him. He went to San Francisco Wednesday to get his Visa with a couple other Elders. I'm not sure When I'll get mine, but it will come. I went on a temp exchange wtih Elder Brough, and we had a good day. We taught a progressive investigator that morning, and totally got our first rejection to pray about the book of Mormon ha. Although they aren't real investigators, I feel they are real situations, and they are preparing me so much already!

Elder Deakin's parents sent me Krispy Kreme the other day, isn't that nice! They must have known I was homesick. Could you call and thank them for me ?

OH I NEVER TOLD YOU ABOUT THE TEMPLE!! It was amazing! We went last P-Day and will again today. It sealed the deal for me and my stay here at the MTC. I went into the temple, and felt at peace. It was weird, it felt like my first time again. All I know is that I was calm, and I felt like I was home again in the temple. ME and Elder Heywood even did sealings. We can only do them for kids, but it was great!

I heard about Mindi, and I want to thank her for writing me and sharing her testimony with me. Mindi you are in prayers always, and little Mason is lucky to come into this world with such a great mom! Nothing is greater than the bond a mother and son has, I can attest to that! Dad I love you, and am so proud you and mom are happy. You make me happy when you two are happy! Keep hangin in there, and I want to let you know I am proud of you! Thank you for your example!

Until next time, I'll probably write a few more letters, my email time is about up! Love you all, thanks for your letters and can't wait to hear from you!