Wednesday we had the opportunity to go and teach Jim and Vickie. Both of them have extremely poor health and because of some circumstances they are not legally married. Because of this Jim is prevented from being baptized and they continue to wait to be sealed. They are amazing. I love being in their home. They have been together for about 15 years and the love they have for each other makes me emotional. I have never seen love like theirs. I AM DETERMINED TO HAVE A LOVE ONE DAY LIKE THEIRS!
Every time I see them they hug me and tell me how much they love me.
While we were at their house last week we taught them about temples and what it really does for us. I showed them a picture of me and my family the day I was endowed and made sacred covenants with the Lord in the Salt Lake Temple. I had the opportunity to testify of families to them and the importance of the sealing covenant. We set a BCD with Jim to make his first covenant of baptism and with faith, prayer, and fasting, we know they will be able to make and keep sacred covenants to be together forever.
Why do I tell you this? Because we are sent here to love. To learn to have perfect love. Our ward mission leader challenged us to study what it means to have perfect love. I've learned that perfect love is accepting the Savior's love and emulating that in everything we do. We learn perfect love when we truly view and love people as daughters and sons of God. Our BROTHERS AND SISTERS! Now I don't have a perfect family, but I sure love them like crazy.
We have much to learn and we are imperfect, and so is everyone else. Give people a break. Have patience. Stop criticizing people. Have charity. Make it who you are.
"To love another person is to see the face of God."
Is that not true? A member expressed to me how beautiful it is to hold your newborn baby who is completely innocent and you have a perfect love for them. God loves each of us so much. He loves us enough that he sent his perfect, perfect, son to die so that we could return to Him. Guys, just love. That's all we're sent down here to do. Find strength in the power of Christ's love. I'm not talking like puppy love and lust, but real love for the children of God in our everyday lives. Because of the infinite atonement we are never 2nd place to the Savior, and his love never runs out.
Accept other people's love as well. My companion Sister Ramadhar shows her love very differently than I do, but I know she loves me. The other day I was really struggling during studies and she stopped everything we were doing and she made us sing hymns at the top of our lungs for 20 minutes! She hates singing. But she did it because she knew I needed to feel the spirit. Look for those opportunities to serve around you.
I'm so grateful to be a missionary. I'm so grateful to have Sister Ramadhar as my trainer. Missions are hard. But the knowledge and testimony I've gained of my Savior and his love for me, I wouldn't trade for the world. Let love be your motivator.
We are worthy of Christ's love, simply because we are His. My name is written in the palms of His hands. And so is yours.
I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I LOVE Y'ALL. I LOVE GOD. I LOVE FLORIDA (ps Christian they only call the elect to the sunshine state, might as well call it the celestial state, basically you're now part of the elect) I LOVE LOVE.
I LOVE YOU, THE LORD LOVES YOU, and satan hates your face.
-Sister P E T E R S E N 
#petersenpreaches
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