Half Way Babayyy!

Hola Amigas y familia,

Como Estan?? I hope you all have had a fantastic week and will continue to enjoy the weekend! Please do something way awesome and adventurous for me! 

The time here is super weird, it all just smooshes into one huge, long day! I get way confused on the time here. It is insane that I am half way done with my MTC experience! I feel like I need 10 more weeks, but I guess 3 more will have to do! I can't even imagine being in Mexico! I'm so excited! 

It was a good week, but I did a have a rough day once. We taught this member and I had the hardest time understanding her and I was getting upset with myself. I just want to be fluent and I know that it has only been 3 weeks, so that is not possible. I asked for a priesthood blessing from our zone leaders. It was great to hear that God does trust in me and called me to this work, so he will help me. Just getting that extra encouragement and blessing was great! I feel so blessed to know of priesthood power and fully believe in the power of God on the earth today. In 1 Nephi 3: 7 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

This is absolutely true! God has called me and thousands of other missionaries and He will help us in anyway possible for us to accomplish the beautiful work of bringing His children closer to Him! 

I have given many lessons on the atonement and the greatest thing I have realized is that each time we have taught it, we have mentioned that you can be forgiven for your sins. But the atonement is so much than that. Jesus Christ knows exactly how we feel at all times and will be there for us when we feel lonely or sorrow. He is there to continually strengthen and uplift us. We just need to ask for His help. He can help make our weaknesses strengthens and push us to our full potential. I am so happy that I can understand that with Jesus Christ on my side anything is possible. 

So I mentioned that I am on the West Campus. This is like 5 minutes away from the main campus, so we are our own little world! Everyone speaks spanish here! It's sick! We have three huge domes that we get to play either volleyball, basketball, or lift weights in everyday for an hour. That is way fun! But the downside is the food. At main they have so many choices and we go there about twice a week to eat. But I am glad we don't eat there! I would be so fat!! Here we have two choices, cereal, soup, salad, and fruit everyday. So it's a good variety, but not a huge buffet! But there food will mess you up here! haha It is also really social. Everyone will say hola to everyone and make friends. I heard main is not like that! So count your blessings! 

I love you all dearly! Keep up the hard work and remember to pray and thank God for all your many blessings! 

Mucho amor,

Hermana Peterson

 

pictures... we all matched in stripes! Too cute;) 

Lovin' Life

Hola!

I hope you all had a great experience this past week! I know I for sure have. It's crazy to think I have been here for 2 weeks. It is such an interesting experience. It is not what I had expected at all! But luckily it is better!! 

Valentine's day was different here. Thanks family for sending me valentines! Those were fun getting. And thanks for giving me some to give to my district. It was a fun little treat! The worst thing was every single one of the 8 girls in my district got boxes full of candy and crap! So if we all get fat, we know who to blame! But luckily we get to play volleyball everyday! That is such a nice get away! One of the girls played volleyball for ISU and amazing! So its fun to play with her and try to keep up. But really we just mess around and have a great time!

My companion and I taught our investigator yesterday and it was AMAZING!! We planned out an entire lesson and had it figured out what we wanted to talk about, but we ended up saying an entirely different lesson. It was amazing! I felt complete love for this investigator and just wanted to help him so much. A week ago, i was reading off a piece of paper and it probably still didnt make sense. Now I am just speaking what is coming to my mind and heart! It for sure is not near perfect spanish, but they can figure out what I am trying to say! After the lesson i was so happy I ran into this other district's room and yelled, "I love being a missionary!" What is better than helping people come closer to Christ?? 

My companion said that I was sleep talking and I was speaking spanish. Weird right? This one day, we decided to all study outside since it was a nice day. We were sitting on these chairs and we sang "I'm a child of God." These Elders walked by and we felt really awkward. At the end of the first verse, Hermana Tidwell shouted at them "Now second verse eldersss!" and pointed at them. We were all laughing so hard and the elders just walked by awkwardly. Hermana Tidwell is the funniest girl! She is just crazy! She keeps us all on our toes for sure. 

In one of my lessons last week, my investigator asked about the difference of baptism and my companion started answering and we didnt know enough spanish to be able to say anything we wanted to, so it got awkwardly silent. I didnt know what to say, so i just said Dios es amor! Which is God is love. It had nothing to do with the lesson and was just dumb to say, but it was pretty funny! Gotta love those awkward moments! 

I never picked my plaque scripture before I left, so I was thinking about it and I came to a scripture that I love.

 Alma 29:9 

I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

I love this so much, because I know that everything I have learned , I could not do without the help of my Father in heaven! I have so much joy from the gospel and all I want is to share the complete joy of Christ with everyone. I feel so blessed to be able to be God's hands and participate in such a marvelous work. I know that this gospel is true and I absolutly love it! I know that God will answer all of your questions and will be with you through every trial and hardship. He is your Father and loves us all so much. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week! 

Mucho Amor,

Hermana Peterson

Spanish word of the day... Dios es amor! (God is love)  

picture is of my zone and the other is my companion:)

It's for real now!

But this is hermana Capener! We often match.. it's weird:) And the other pictures are of some of my district!

Esta Bien! 

I am sorry I haven't been able to talk to anyone for over a week! My P-day isThursday, so I had to skip my first one. But thank you all for sending Dear elders! Those are freaking bomb! I still don't even believe that I am a missionary. It's loco! 

As for the MTC, I feel the first thing I should say is that I haven't cried yet! I am pretty impressed with that! I guess you raised me right, I can actually do things on my own. haha But the MTC has one huge main campus and then West campus for all the crazy Spanish speakers. So that obviously puts me on the west campus. It is so awesome! I live in the Wyview apartments (Bryn did once right?) and my classrooms are in RainTree. So we have to bus up to the main campus just forSunday and Tuesday Devotional. I love West just because everyone is speaking spanish, so it is our own little village! When we go to main, people think we are all crazy though. 

As for the beautiful language of spanish, I can say that I am way better already! But I for sure need 18 more months to figure it all out! The 3rd day we were here, my companion and I had to give a lesson in spanish!!! It was crazy. I have already taught 5 Spanish lessons... whatttt? I have to be completely honest and say that we script out a lot of it, and we need to get over that! We ask our investigator all sorts of questions and I get about every 4th word she says.. haha So I understand the main point of her answer, but it is difficult! I have to focus on her really hard! I must say learning a language is the hardest thing I have ever done!! But the best thing I have realized while being here is that I know I cannot do it on my own. My heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are there to push me on and help me every step of the way. When I think I just can not do this, I remember that this has nothing to do with me! I am learning this language so that I can bring some people in Mexico closer to Christ. I am just a tool and it is a refining process the whole way. I really can not wait to just be able to listen to my spanish teacher and actually understand every word! But I need to be patient and continue to work hard and it will come:) The second day I was reading preach my gospel and I turn to my companion, way too excited, and say I am reading fluently!!! Oh wait... that is English. hahah I must say I have some serious problems now! But yesterday, I answered a question and my teacher laughed and said "Hermana Peterson, you are sunshine on a cloudy day! Please never change!" He is a really good teacher, I have much to learn from him. 

I think the greatest blessing so far is my district! It is very unusual to have a district of 8 sisters, but that's what i got! Which we all know is exactly what I needed! We are all so close. It's only been one week and we have planned meeting up after the mission! Love them!! But as for my companion... oh my goodness, I adore her! I think we were long lost friends! We are so alike and have so much fun together! Everyone constantly tells us we are perfect and they just love watching us. Her name is Hermana Capener and I feel so blessed to have her! 

Super awesome story... my Branch President is President Blackham! We are totally cousins, we talked about Martha and her sons coming to America. It was way cool! So I do have some family with me here!

My embarrassing story of the week is pretty great. I was eating lunch with my zone and I sat across from Elder Guy and I had never met him, so I asked about his family and he said he had 15 brothers and sisters! I then asked how old his mom was and he said 37! I couldn't believe it!! I was so astonished as I put my Juice down, and I completely spilled it all over him! I felt horrible. But what was I to think 15 babiesss?? Dang! 

Yesterday I went to Salt Lake to get my Visa! They said they will send in next week. So I will for sure be going to Mexico by March 17! Crazy stuff! 

As for my first week as a missionary, I have already learned so much. I am absolutely grateful to have the opportunity to be able to Serve my Lord everyday! I can not think of anything else I would rather do right now. I have gained a greater love already for my Savior and all people around me. It is insane how fast I start loving people and wanting the very best for them! I hope you all continue to have a great week! Please keep me in your prayers as I try to learn spanish. I need all the help I can get! 

I love you all so much! 

Love, 

Hermana Peterson 

Spanish phrase of the week... si, se puede! (yes, we can!)

Chari's Contact Info

I am sure Chari would love our love and support and to hear from all her friends and family through mail! Here are her addresses so that you can write her:

Sister Charlene Virginia Peterson
MAR17 MEX-CUER
2023 N 900 E Unit 865
Provo UT 84602

In March she will be in Mexico and her address will be:

Sister Charlene Virginia Peterson
Mexico Cuernavaca Mission
Avenida Palmira #35
Colonia Palmira
62490 Cuernavaca, Morelos
Mexico

Also, her email is:

Charlene.peterson@myldsmail.net

Sending Off Chari to the MTC

Welcome to Chari's Mission Blog! While she is gone, I (her sister-in-law, Emily) will be posting her letters and pictures and any other updates for Chari. She has been called to serve in Cuernavaca, Mexico for an 18-month mission, Spanish speaking.

Wednesday Josh, Chari and I went to lunch with Grandma and Grandpa Blad. They drove 2 hours just to have lunch with Chari before she left. After that it was time to take a few last pictures and send her off to the MTC. She was calm, cool and collected the entire time and you could tell she was just ready to jump on in and get to work. 

We all love her very much and are excited and blessed for her desire to serve God.