If we don't find Tommy or Gina this week I'll be highly disappointed.

Halfway baby. How did that happen? Couldn't tell ya. State the obvious, this week was not a perfect fantasy. I'll be honest with you, we're hardcore on the struggle bus to find new investigators right now. Fairhope is a really fun, artsy city, kind of like Park City, therefore people don't recognize anything missing from their lives. BUT that's ok! We're still searching. 

​Sis Asberry made me caramel popcorn for General Conference <3

General Conference was fab. Like totes ma goats the realist. I could get very deep with you and share all my personal insights, but it would take me years to write that. I loved hearing from God. Read the Book of Mormon daily. It is true. There are no coincidences. Show your love for others by putting your phone down long enough to serve them. Yes, that applies to you who are reading this thinking that doesn't apply to you.

Just a note on my favorite humans in Fairhope (:

Marina and Byron Ramos~ Marina is taking the lessons right now and we're taking things very slow with her. She is from Moldova and her foundation of Jesus Christ is really shaky, unlike every soul in the south, she really isn't Christian. The sisters have been teaching her for a long time, helping her know about Jesus Christ enough to come to know Him. Also she's pregnant and she is the cutest lady in my life! Brother Ramos is a convert himself and he absolutely loves the gospel. Yesterday they had us over for dinner and she made me BORCHT (Spence, I don't know if that's how you spell it). It was the kindest thing in my life. She made it because I mentioned how I wanted to try it one day! The spiritual highlight of the night was when we asked about their experiences watching conference. Brother Ramos told us his only goal in life is to have his priesthood restored so he can be worthy to give his children father's blessings. I almost fell out of my chair the spirit was so raw and powerful.

I've never thought about how blessed I have been in my life until I served a mission. 

Sister Evensen is stuck with me another six weeks and we have our work cut out. It is our reaction to the hard situation that we're in that will distinguish us from the world. Also, I love her more than peanut butter so it's gonna stay bumpin.

Sis Evensen sent this...She
s determined to teach Sister Petersen the Splits!

Mid-Mission Crisis: A milestone that one reaches halfway through serving a Full-Time LDS mission (typically 9-12 month mark), when said missionary reaches the capacity to handle emotional, physical, spiritual stress and starts to question or doubt the effectiveness of the past several months. Usually resulting in a state of panic causing much stress and self criticism, while recognizing desired improvements and goals that may or may not be reached by the time they are released.

Antidote: "Take my hand, we'll make it I swear, we're livin' on a prayer."

SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

Don't let the fear of not being Slash, keep you from playing guitar

Short and sweet, just like my pinky toe. We did back-to-back exchanges this week. We went up to Atmore and then drove over to Semmes. It was way fun but truly exhausting. I've never felt more excited to come back to my own bed. Which isn't actually my bed.... but still. It gets the job done. 

ATMORE: We stopped and got some dinner at Subway and when we walked in the worker was like, "Those name tags look familiar." AHH. We flipped. Bethany turned out to be a less active member who has really been struggling. She bought us dinner and then sat down and joined us. It was really cool because we could talk very boldly and openly with her because we don't even know her. She is so amazing and we were so excited that we ran through her path that day!

SEMMES: My dad always threatened that we would have to live in a "double-wide down by the river" if he ever lost his job. Well I'll have you know, double-wide trailers are actually quite cozy. The Semmes sisters sleep in a trailer. In the middle of nowhere. On a farm. Needless to say, I will no longer be complaining about the weird smell in our study room. Whilst in Semmes, me and Sister Wall were walking and started talking to a lady sitting in her front yard. I asked her what she's looking for in a church and she said she just wants a church that's focused on families. We walked away because we didn't know how to help her. JUST KIDDING BECAUSE THE RESTORED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST HAS THE PROMISED BLESSING THAT FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER THAT'S WHAT'S UP. Yeah Kristen and her family will be baptized in the near future, I guarantee it.

Other than that, we have been searching for the elect. We sadly did not reach our five goals, but the Lord is still helping us out. Please pray for our investigator Tracy, she was supposed to be baptized this week and she has a lot going on in her life. We love her so much and she is very prepared, Satan is just working his hardest. 

Last note, no pun intended. At Zone Conference last week President Smith asked us if we're happy with the person we're becoming. Then I had a vision for not only myself but all my brothers and sisters around me. Are they happy when they look into the future? Do they have hope? Not the way we do. They don't know their Savior to the full extent as we do. I read a talk that explained how Jesus Christ knew what he had to do before he preformed the atonement, but he had never actually experienced the true exacting exquisite pain of it. And his submissiveness to being our savior, being who our Heavenly Father appointed him to be, change the course of human existence through the eternities. In our primary program the children sang "Gethsemane." At the climax of the song, each little child sang powerfully, "The fight was won by Jesus." 

So if Jesus Christ can be a pivot point, why can't we. I decided I want to be someone that I am proud of becoming. I wear my glasses now, I'm applying to BYU, post-mish, and I'm picked up playing guitar. Who knows what the Lord has in store for every single person on this earth. But I do know we have the divine gift to choose which direction we go because of the beautiful gift of our great Redeemer's sacrifice.

Decisions determine destiny, choose your course and then run as fast as you can towards God.

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

ps. my nails are only blue because my bff Addy who's getting baptized in October painted them today. (:

What about second breakfast? Elevensies?

Yesterday was KILLER! Such a wonderful day! I got to talk to these crazy rascals, codename: Petersen's, and it was AWESOME!

Just in the spirit of some home cooking our members made us Cafe Rio salads, yes tears of joy were shed. And then later that evening we went over to another member's house for late night steaks!!! Holy cow, no pun intended, it was an amazing day for my belly! 

This week Kenny has been doing so awesome! We taught him the Law of Chastity and after the lesson Sister Mathews commented on how spiritual and mature we were while teaching and I thought to myself, "Yeah we were, when the heck did that happen??" Hahah I guess it was the spirit because I still laugh at jokes that a fifth grader would laugh at.. Haha. 

So here's my spiritual thought of the day.. While I was trying to skype my family we had a bit of technical difficulties, not naming names or anything, but Trevor and Tiffany were a weak link (; So the three way call made it where I couldn't see my family in Utah but I could see my family in Seattle and they could see both of us. I've thought about that call a lot and the role our Savior plays in our lives. Our Heavenly Father is like my family in Utah. We can't see him, but he sees us and he hears our cries. We have to trust in our Savior, or family in Seattle to be our mediator. I am very humbled that God listens to my prayers and He send me His son Jesus Christ so that I can make it back home to Him one day. 

We see a lot of unhappy families down here and I just want everyone to remember that God is our Father, we are His family. 

Mother's Day 2017

Side note, while the Elders were dropping off our car two nights ago this random kid just sprinted into our apartment and I was like, "Kid......come back...." Hahaha it was so random! 

Raindrops...

When you can't walk, RUN! Much love amigos!!! Blessings come in RAINDROPS!

-sister  P E T E R S E N