Alright alright FLORIDA PT 2

So Florida is kind of whack. Like this is the weirdest place in the US I'm sure of it. There's these random U-turn spaces but no medians. So if you're driving down the road and you miss your turn you have to wait for a U-turn spot. They even have it on the freeways.. Kind of like the highway patrol spots in Utah. Oh and driving is super fun but there's this little box in the corner of the car that's connected to our system and we have to log in to it with a card with our name whenever we drive. So if you speed or aggressively drive TIWI comes on and says "Check your speed" or "Aggressive Driving" HAHAHAH and then it reports it all back to the mission office. Last transfer I was a green driver and Sis E got red driving hahahahahahaah. Also we're in a car share so we only have the car every other day, but our neighbor hood is pretty sketch so our elders are peaches and always bring the car and pick it up. It's actually really kind of them.

The food is normal. We do eat southern food but nothing too crazy because I'm in a beach town so mostly it's just normal. Except get this. If you open a box of crackers or cereal or something they go soft! Because of the humidity! It's so nasty, we have to keep everything in our fridge! 

The District

The building we are in has two wards, first and second. There's four missionaries in the second ward (us and the elders) and six in the first ward (two sets of spanish and the other sisters (Sis Evensen and her Trainee Sis Mifflin)). So our district is those two wards. 10 missionaries in total. In that picture the sisters on the back are -my bff for always-Evensen, Mifflin, Davis, and yours truly, the elders sitting are Greene (spanish) Moore (spanish) Sturdavant (Spanish) and Shaw (second ward) and the one laying is Barrus (Spanish) and Magnussen (second ward). Moore and Barrus are our ZL's so basically we're tight. 

The weather: hot. humid. and sticky. You just feel gross all the time, but if you make any comment on the weather everyone is just like "JUST YOU WAIT TIL SUMMER" It's super annoying. So you just don't comment on it. 

Squirrels: THERE'S DANG SQUIRRELS EVERYWHERE (Jen would not survive hahaha (;

Everything out here is flat. It's weird not having mountains. Everything in Utah is like a bowl but here it's just flat

We work with quite a few less actives Marie is 89 and she left the church like 60 years ago and SHE IS AWESOME! Super stubborn, super old. Like older than dirt. But SHE CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY for like the first time in 60 years! ahhhh.. And then we work with a 9 year old named Brock. His mom is Less Active and he's super awesome but we're hesitant to baptize him because his family is not a good support and we don't want to baptize him into inactivity. It's been a really hard situation. Kammer family- this awesome awesome awesome (that's three awesomes) family. Part member family, and we have taught them the restoration. The mom Letty is from Mexico and she makes the BEST food. AHHHH just talking about it is making me hungry! We are excited to see them progress but they're legit ALWAYS out of town. so... we'll see. They'll progress just kind of slow. Those are just a few of my favorites. 

We met Kenny on thursday and set a BCD with him!!!!! He's 20. And the only problem with it is that he's not quite all there socially and we're not sure how much he really understands so we're kind of waiting it out.

We meet a lot of people and we teach the first lesson a lot but no one sticks. It's hard. Nobody that I met my first two transfers are even on our boards anymore and it's kind of depressing haha. Because you grow to love these completely random strangers and then you have to love them and leave them, or they leave you. Haha. 

Members: probably the best part about everything. Our ward is amazing. I can't even explain how much I love our ward. There's so many people that I feel like I'm just best friends with. Sometimes at church, especially when we don't have investigators there, I just feel like another member of the ward! The Mathews are a couple from Utah and they have a baby boy who reminds me so much of my nephew! I love them. The Stevens feed us every sunday and they are amazing! Their daughter is serving right now in Las Vegas and Mr. Stevens is not a member. SO COOL. Sis Stevens mom made us this food called boil, which is just this big pot of random foods cooked in cajun seasons and then they pour it out on the middle of the table and you just eat with your hands! hahah. 

Man I don't even know I love so many people in my ward this could take years to write. The Brocks are my grandparents I didn't even know I had. Brother Atrice our ward mission leader is like the cool black friend I always wish I had, Emma didn't quite cut it. hahaha. 

Our accents aren't that fun where I live, but if you go like 20 mins North ITS INSANE hahahaha it's like you step onto the set of Honey Boo Boo or Duck Dynasty! ITS SO COOL. I want an accent so bad. 

The beaches here are crazy beautiful. And I got all the hookups with my ward so when I come back to my mission with my fam or husband or something let me just tell you, it's gonna be a PARTY. 

ok there ya go. just a little bit of Fort Walton Beach Florida. Y'all have a FABULOUS WEEK AND GO SHARE THE GOSPEL DANG IT

are you my companion?

Sis Davis

transfers were solid. My new comp Sis Davis is so so kind. She is awesome! She's from West Bountiful and she has been out for 13 months. TOGETHER with God we are unstoppable. Oh and she cooks. Like actually cooks. So no more poptarts and warming up frozen pizzas like me and sis Ram have been scrounging off of for the past three months hahaha #Blessed #PRE-BLESSEDFOOD

so side note. there's this seafood shack place owned by a member and no matter what time or how often they feed the missionaries for free, yes you read that right, FOR FREEEEEEE! So new life goal: own a yummy restaurant and pay it forward to my future fellow soldiers. 

MISSION LIFE: 

There are times when you might feel aimless and can't see the places where you belong

but you find that there is a purpose it's been there within you all along.

Just keep listening, and pretty soon you'll start to figure out your part. 

And you will know how to let it ring out as you discover who you are.

Others around you will start to wake up to the sounds that are in their hearts.

It's so amazing what we're all creating!

Live everyday give it all that you have, because we only have one life to live. "It doesn't matter how hard you hit, it matters how hard you GET HIT, and get up." 

God's kingdom does not have a place for fence-sitters. Choose who's team you're on and get out there and play your hearts out. Because YOU SAID YOU WOULD.

love y'all so much.

-sister  P E T E R S E N 

every ROSE has it's THORN

​well well homies transfers are here. 

Ok so this last week has probably been the best on my mission. Leading up to Easter we really pushed to get people to church and we shared the Prince of Peace church video a TON! Well Sunday came and not one person we taught came. I was pretty bummed and then I turned and our investigator that we've been really worried about who is currently on Oxygen was sitting in the back pew!!!!! IT WAS A MIRACLE TO SEE HIM THERE!

Sis Davis

Saturday night we got transfer calls and it was extremely bitter sweet. Sis Ramadhar is going to Panama City Beach and my new comp will be Sis Davis here in FWB!!! I am so so so stoked that I get to stay in my area! But it is really hard to see my trainer leave.

Easter Socks

One my first day in the mission field my trainer, Sister Ramadhar, looked at me and said "Hey look it's gonna be really hard sometimes." And then she told me that your mission is like a field of roses. You walk through and the whole time you are getting cuts and scratches and scars from all the thorns but when you look back at where you've walked, all you see are the roses. In the Prince of Peace video the one line really struck me that said "His only crown was made of thorns." Being a new missionary is not easy. I struggled a lot as many of you know, but Christ didn't just help me get through it, he wore my crown of thorns. He literally felt every scratch, every cut, every scar, that I have experienced. And He has showed me the joy of missionary work. All I see the past four months are roses. ROSES EVERYWHERE. And I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be led through that field by my dear Trinidadian Trainer (:​​

Sister Ramadhar, The Brocks

OK lastly, there was a fetching cockroach in our apartment and I almost died. Yeah. The video won't load for me to tell you the tale, but maybe next week, stay tuned.

MUCH LOVE> BE SAFE> BE GOOD> DON'T DO ANYTHING I WOULDN'T DO TWICE>

-sister P E T E R S E N       

I gotta, I gotta, I gotta, I gotta, I GOTTA POCKET FULL OF SUNSHINE

well not only did it storm like crazy this week, but we had tornado warnings and ALL that fun stuff. It was great.

So tender mercies all arounnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd towwwwn. Wednesday night Sister Ramadhar realized she had lost her wallet some time that day.. Thursday morning after searching everywhere we set out on a wallet man hunt.

 We went everywhere, called everyone, even the police. It wouldn't be that big of a deal typically but since my comp is from Trinidad her ID cards are like uber important to get home haha.

We prayed a lot as you can imagine missionaries would. And both bishops in our building stopped by the church to see if we needed anything. As Sis Ram called everyone she had to in order to get her cards cancelled we gave up hope on finding the wallet. As we knelt in prayer one more time the phone started ringing, we both paused in the prayer and I hurry and said "In the name of Jesus Christ Amen!" 

WELL THE WALLET WAS FOUND! We rushed back to the church to contact everyone again! to not cancel the cards! It was a miracle and a half that no one took money or anything from the wallet! Anyway she must've left it at this smoothie shop ( SMOOTHIES ) we went to which turned out to be owned by members and they were so awesome! It was really cool and I know our prayers were heard!

In other news...

- I had a frosted lemonade from chick-fil-a

- I jumped in rain puddles

- I picked up scrap-booking as a hobby 

- I bought a pillow pet

ok keep it classy. some people dance in the rain.............others just get......wet.

-sister  P E T E R S E N

John Hughes, John Deere, JOHN 3:16

John Hughes: He may or may not have directed my life this week. There I was just a walkin down the street singing "Do wha----t is right?" And whilst walking we met a man who for the sake of the tale we shall call Jesse. Jesse Bradshaw to be exact. Well Jesse is a friend, yeah I know he's been a good friend of mine, he's my Zone Leader to be straight. Well He's got himself a referral and we wanted to make it ours. So we drove to this referral's house and Knocked three times on the ceiling if they wanted us. Crickets. All is well, we got knocked down but we got up again. 

We celebrated with 16 candles the months I have left to serve my king. And then we hit the road Jack and pounded the pavement. We were walking down a long a lonesome road and we met a couple and THEY SAID "Play the best song in the world" so we sang them the song of the restored gospel. Because what would a week be without a great musical number? Well our newly acquainted Jewish friends didn't quite gel with our message so they went on their way. 

The road diverged in the mossy wood and I inquired which way we should go. Being thus led by the spirit, we tracted into a couple who welcomed us warmly. Lainee and Chris accepted a return visit and two copies of the good word of God we sometimes refer to as the Book of Mormon. Then, trying our best to bike 88 miles an hour to beat the rain WE WERE CAUGHT. GREAT SCOTT THE RAIN CAME. It came without package ribbons or bows. It came just the same. The rain came down and the floods came up. But the Sisters on their bikes rode still. (actually we froze and almost got struck by lightening but WE DIDN'T!) 

At a stop light drenched and miserable a passerby asked if the Mormon Missionary standing in front of him was interested in dinner. AS IF! We made haste and the lion slept that night. But Saturday during service, we thrust our fist into the air because we know that we had conference that morning. So once, just once, I feel like my mission was like and 80's movie. But no, John Hughes did not direct my life. Heavenly Father is at every turn.

John Deere: Doh a Deer. We mowed some lawns for the needy. Autobots roll out. Do or do not, there is no try. PS - fresh cut grass is the best.

JOHN 3:16- All the crazy jokes aside, I am overwhelmed with the love God shows us. If you do not feel the power and infinite love that you find in this verse, study it again. And again. God so loved you. He so loved me. He so loved my dear sweet Rod, Suann, Jacob, Amy, Nathaniel, Kaleb, Seth, and He so loved James, that he gave his only begotten son. I testify that the power of the Savior is enough to make our efforts enough. Rely on the power of Jesus Christ. All he asks of us is to come unto Him and let our burdens be light. There is nothing to lose from teaming up with Christ but oh, everything to gain. God loves each one of us so much. Hold on to that testimony. Don't let circumstances define what you believe and what you know to be true. Be still and know that the greatest creator and God of the world is our Father in Heaven. Pray He is there. Speak He is listening. You are His child. His love now surrounds you. Christ is His love. Come unto Christ, come unto Him. And by his grace be made whole again. He's calling your name, he's waiting for you with arms open wide.

My dear loved ones I leave you this week with the testimonies of so many before me that He Lives. And Because Jesus Christ Lives we will all see our loved ones again and be with them through eternity. Death is not the end. Death is a stepping stone to forever. I love you and I KNOW that God loves you. Go outside, or sit in front of your computer screen, and thrust your fist in the air because you know He has you. He is holding you. He is God. 

-Sister  P E T E R S E N