Rainy days and Mondays.... ALWAYS GET ME PUMPED ON JESUS

I LOVE HURRICANE SEASON! Scary, but so fun.

Man I don't even know where to start with all the #MiraclesinMarianna! 

Clint & Lana Brock- We got referred to a family from our bishop and as it turns out the Brocks who took extremely good care of missionaries in Fort Walton is Clint's uncle! So now we're teaching his family and man, it is so amazing to teach a family. Every single time I even think about them I get emotional because I realize that the gospel is truly centered on families and connecting generations. So I'll keep you updated but extra prayers for them, they are my reason in FWB and Marianna <3

OUR HOUSE, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE..............woods? HAHAHAH We contacted a potential from our area book and she told us "I live in the woods." Well listen, EVERYONE lives in the woods... so we thought she was just mistaken us for a couple of sissies. As it turns out, this lady wasn't joking. We were with a member who was determined to find this woman and we drove miles and miles on the winding dirt roads, in and out of trees, around a lake, over a bridge, across the Mason Dixon line and back, and finally ended up at this tiny little cabin. Needless to say we did not have cell phone reception or GPS and the thought crossed my mind many times that we could very possibly be in a poorly filmed horror movie. Well it turned out that the lady has been working on her Family History for MONTHS and she was absolutely thrilled to have us back... It's therapeutic and we're connecting generations = worth the drive.

Angerita! We got a bible referral from SLC for this house. So after driving on this road, oh ps only the main highways in Jackson County are paved, everything else is dirt, so we finally get to this house and turns out this 8 year old kid ordered the bible. Well we end up talking to his cousin and she just graduated high school and she is amazing. I love her so much. She is very prepared and the spirit was just beaming in her eyes as we shared the Book of Mormon with her! She has amazing things in store!

Confederates Baby. We asked this sweet sister in our ward what it's like learning about the Civil War in the South and she told us that the confederates are highly praised! HAHAHA She said one time growing up the North sent them text books and the schools got so mad about the perspective, they sent them back!

Ok last thing. I swear the members here have a competition to see who can make us gain the most weight in one dinner appointment. Well IT AIN'T GONNA WORK ON ME FOLKS! 

House #1- A gallon bag of Spaghetti sent home, that was served on my plate and I ate about 1/5 of it! 

House #2- TBONE steak from their cow THE SIZE OF MY THIGH! Sent home with tin foil

House #3- 4 Fried chicken breasts, brought it home in a box

House #4- potatoes, collard greens, and grits...!!!

you already know I've been doing my daily sprints every morning pretending Hansen is standing there yelling at me. Geez Louise. 

Master the Moment- sister  P E T E R S E N

Pics for the record of my father: 

We role played bible scenes for Sister Jones' Sunday School class. Hank Sims(14) asked "Jesus" (far left) if any of the feet he washed were nasty. 

Country Roads...take me to the homes of the prepared.

These are the days you will remember!

one for the BOOKS. JW's, Dogs, Gunpoint, Ant bites, Peanuts, Gators, and Rain. LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN. stay tuned.

I really had to use the bathroom in one of our small towns (Sneads- yes it's a place, we also have 2 Egg, yes the number is in the title) with no members. So we rode our bikes to the school football field park hoping the bathroom gate would be open. It wasn't. But across the street was a family getting ready to leave for bible study. We stopped and talked to them and as it turns out the mom was taught by sisters in Panama City a few years ago, so she recognized us and was totally willing to talk. As we stood there teaching, this car pulls up with a nicely dressed couple. The homeowners who were talking with us looked at us in question if the people were with us, we looked at them thinking the car was with them, both of us shrugged and out of the car came two Jehovah's Witnesses. So what do you get in a trailer park with 2 Baptists, 2 JW's and 2 Mormon Missionaries? 2 New investigators. HAHAHA. They turned the couple of JW's away and accepted a return appointment with us! All the while, I never did get to pee. 

HUUUUGE (Trump voice) pitbull almost ate my head off when I walked into it's chain radius. I didn't see it hiding under the trailer we were knocking on. Tap the tag. It's fine, I'm fine. Just peed a little but it was all fine. Probs pee from the JWs.

I was standing on an ant hill while we got stopped by this lady and got huge ant bites all over my feet and they have itched like no ones business! I keep waking my comp up at night because I itch in my sleep. Lol the mission doctor lives like .5 miles from our house and he's been watching my bites like a hawk. 

I went up to ALABAMA!!! For exchanges.. Lol so Dothan is like the Peanut Capital of the world and they have all these statues outside of businesses with huge personified peanuts. I guess a few years ago the stake center up there ordered two painted like missionaries and as they were putting them up in front of the building a guy from Salt Lake came and put a huge kabosh on the whole operation.... which begs the question, is our church also anti-peanut? What will hit the headlines next???

Our ward mission leader gave us a referral and she greeted us around the corner with a huge shotgun on her hands questioning who sent us. HAHAHA we threw Brother Wimberly under the bus faster than you can say sweet nibblets! Our area book description of her goes, "Threatened us with a gun, referral from Brother Wimberly, SUPER NICE, try again in 6 weeks." Hahahaha. Oh what can ya do.

It's Hurricane season. Nothing too exciting there. But the rain is hot. It's like I'm taking a shower all day long, IT'S AWESOME HAHA

Ok spiritual note. I had a really humbling experience with my STL Sister Housel this week. We talked a lot about people that live in the past and the future and they're always missing out on the present. Life is just a small small small moment in the eternities. Enjoy the eternity of every moment because you will never live it again. I love being a missionary. Yes there are days when it's pouring rain and all your appointments fall through and a little girl pours her juice all over your favorite skirt and ants bite your legs and you get 5 'check your speeds' from TIWI, but you just throw your hands in the air and laugh at all the fun stories you'll tell your kids about your life. Learn to love the moment. 

master your moment.

-sister  P E T E R S E N 

Mind your y'alls and all y'alls

Elder Uceda visited our mission this week and that was really amazing. He gave us great insight on how to go about the Lord's work. He is from Peru and we had the opportunity to hear from his wife as well. Sister Uceda speaks Spanish so one of our Spanish elders had to translate for her. She talked about what mothers hope for their children to gain on a mission. Her whole topic was very moving as each of us thought about the people we want to become and the missionaries our families back home pray that we are being. I was particularly touched by the thought of sacrifice by all the missionaries and their families that are serving the Lord as best as we can. The spirit was very overwhelming. Afterward, I ran up to Elder Uceda and talked to him for a moment. In the fall he actually spoke at USU and I had the opportunity to listen to him in the crowded Spectrum. We talked about his talk he gave on prayer and he shook my hand and looked me in the eyes and the spirit was very piercing. I am very grateful for the servants of God that I get to work with. 

So the funniest experience happened! We went to visit a less active, and boy are southerners TALKERS! Phew.. ok so we go up to her porch and the moment we get out of the car, mosquitoes ATTACK! We try and make the conversation short but this lady, not even inviting us in, just keeps gabbing on and on about her life. Finally Sister Viola cuts her off and offers a prayer before we leave and she agrees....... Sis V- "Our dear Heavenly Father," "Wait one more thing I need you to pray for! (Followed by a long list of things to pray for)" Hahaha we didn't even know how to stop this one! 20 mins later we were back in the car with more bug bites than I've ever had in my life. But it was totally worth it that this sister was able to have the spirit on her porch. 

Ok, so tonight we went to a member's home for dinner. They have a few kids and man I just love the south! We talked about accents and all the kids giggled telling me I have an accent! The one daughter about 9 goes, "Yeah, you sound like you're talkin out of your nose!..........Ma'am!" Hahah I love how respectful everyone is here! Even little kids makin fun of how I talk! 

I've joined in a lot of street prayers with people and we commonly join hands in a circle because that's typical here for group prayers. This isn't something we normally did in my family and sometimes it can be kind of weird. But the more I do it, the more I love being connected spiritually and physically with my brothers and sisters. I am constantly reminded that our prayer language is very important. Mind your thee's and thou's, we gotta respect and love God the same way my cute friend respected me even when she was laughing at my voice (; God is always listening!

Also last thing, Marianna has some DANG HUGE hills. I'm talking San Francisco stuff here. Yeah I biked up a super steep one and needless to say I'm gonna have thunder thighs pretty soon. Hahahaha.

Y'all have a good day. (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: 

-sister  P E T E R S E N

You ain't seen nuttin yet!

Transfers are always bitter-sweet but this week has been probably the funnest week of my entire mission!

I said all my goodbyes to my FW crew and headed out for Marianna! Holy smokes it was a long day for transfers. We finally arrived at the transfer spot and my new comp Sister Viola was just waiting for me! Next to our red car~ and no car share here!! But we have to bike a TON! Because our area is huge!!!! Like half the county huge! Our ward covers the whole county and the elders have the other half! My district is smaller, only 6 missionaries and the senior couple, but the other sisters are an hour or so away so we only see them at district meeting once a week! Our Elders just whitewashed this area and one of them is straight from the MTC and the other just got done being AP and this is his last transfer, basically we have the dream team in the mission!

Sister Viola

My companion is probably the funniest person I've ever met, and I know some pretty hilarious people! She is so random and honestly just amazing. She is so hardworking and literally never wastes a single second of the day! Sister Viola is from Ohio and she has been out about 8 months. This is her 2nd area.. nothing too exciting to tell about her but she is always laughing and just an all around goofball! I love being with her! I am learning so much from her everyday! The other night we were about to go to sleep and she says, "Goodnight Sister Petersen, don't let the........... Oh hey I forgot to tell you, you have bedbugs.. anyway Goodnight!" I SPRANG OUT OF BED! LIKE WHAT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Don't worry we're bed bug free but it was so, so, so funny! Hahahah.

We work so hard here. We have appointments on top of appointments and it feels like we don't even have enough time to see everyone! Every night we get done with area book and every thing at like 9:50! Oh man. But this area is so fun! Nobody does anything away from their homes around here, so everyone always keeps their appointments! Hahah it's so crazy! And everyone is willing to talk to us! At least until they find out we're mormon! Hah. This lady invited us in, found out we were mormon, and like the black plague or the devil himself she kicked us out! "Behold, they were cast out of the synagogues". Oh well. 

But everyone is such a hoot down here! This is the deep deep South. If I thought I had any idea what the South was, I was wrong. Hahaha. Movies got it all Hollywood and glamorized, this is real. I ate boiled peanuts! hahahah.

It's so fun down here! Details to come.. but the coolest thing about being down here is the people. The love down here is just shining in everybody. One fella said "We give respect until you do something to lose it, and we give love because you can't do anything to lose it." People are just amazing here. And they truly worship the Savior. Testimony meeting yesterday blew me out of the water! This is not a Mormon congregation, it is a congregation of Saints. They sat shoulder to shoulder in the chapel, said amen, sang loudly, and testified boldly of the Jesus Christ as the Savior and Redeemer of the world.  I add my testimony to theirs. He is our Savior and this is the Kingdom of God rolling forth. 

I love this place. They are my people. (:

-sister P E T E R S E N