Since I'm going to Hawaii I haven't been eating sugar SOS

Hello friends. I am in Tallahassee Florida and I've never been colder in my life. 

-first night in Tally and we had to sleep on the floor. #lol

So right now, FSU Campus is closed for Winter Break. Fortunately, we have a man who receives revelation from on high for the missionaries here! We have literally just been riding the Tallahassee city buses for days on end talking to everyone we come in contact with. It's so fun!!! After we meet people and such, we just hand them off to other missionaries. It's kind of sad because we don't get to teach them and see them progress, but we are contacting like fools!

Bus people are crazy. 

Straight up.

 

-bus life. just look at this picture. this is bus life.

                        I have to clarify before I tell you this story, I DID NOT HITCHHIKE! Ok, glad we're both on the same page! We got stranded our first day, twice actually. The first time a miracle happened! We were nowhere near a bus stop and the bus we needed to get on was passing us and I may, or may not, have stopped it, so, very graciously, the bus driver pulled over and we were able to join the future saints of the C Bus!! (: I won't go into detail but we have been stranded a couple times and they have been learning experiences and growing pains! I remember Sister Smario through tears of laughter, and rain freezing us to the marrow of our bones, with a semi that just splashed water on us, said, "This is the lowest point of my mission!"   HAHAHAHAHAAH   Later, as we were waiting for the bus that never came, we decided the only thing worse than standing there would be if other missionaries saw us, right then a Malibu with a bike rack pulls up to the light! IT WAS THE ASSISTANTS TO THE PRESIDENT! ...TALK ABOUT EMBARRASSMENT ... HAHAHA!!

Real talk, we met a really special couple at one stop. Sylvester and Christine are from New York looking for work. They were SO PREPARED! They both accepted a Book of Mormon and Christine started crying and told us she prayed very earnestly on Christmas that God would find her and we were the answer to her prayers! We have a church tour with them today! It was almost like a movie to me. It was one of those out of body experiences while we were riding the bus with them and having a very spiritual conversation. Elder Jones and Elder Burbidge were also on the same bus contacting the person next to them. I was listening to Sister Smario testify of the restored gospel and the peace Jesus Christ offers us. The spirit was penetrating our small company. It was one of the moments from my mission I will never forget. The kingdom of God is rolling forth.

-What better time to wear matching ugly sweaters
than when skyping home?

For Christmas we watched a movie called The Other Wiseman. There was one line that really hit me. This wiseman was searching for Jesus Christ his whole life and a prophet told him, "To find the Savior you must look among the sick and impoverished, the weak and the weary, and there you will find him." That's how I feel being on the buses. Even though we have met some prepared people, most of the people we are in contact with are homeless or very close to being so. It breaks my heart to see them in this state, but I know that the Savior loves them and he suffered for each one of them just as he has for me. What an eye-opening experience to bring the gospel to my brothers and sisters here. <3

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n

-FTM Jingle Belt

*Christmas conf pics because look how fun it is!!*

            

*MERRY CHRISTMAS*

 & HAPPY NEW YEAR!