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!