BROTHERS AND SISTERS!
The Lord directs our plans! That's a fact of life. Thursday we went into downtown Fairhope to contact at this Farmer's Market. As we were driving into town, there were witches everywhere!!! On bikes and roaming the streets all decked out black pointy hats strolling around. We jumped out of the car and found out that there was a huge charity witch bike ride! I LOVE FAIRHOPE! We contacted a bunch and watched the parade, it was a blast! Oh and we were casually on tv because the news reporter was filming right next to us... (:
MEAGAN! Send prayers for our dear friend! We met her at Subway a few months ago and we saw her again and she is so stoked to learn more and meet! MIRACLE. I'm telling you what she was a straight answer to tons of prayers!
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| -Dogwood girls at the 5k- High class stuff here. Frankly Scarlett. |
Saturday the Elders ran in a 5k (Turkey Trot) and they took 1st and 2nd! HOLLA! We were at the finish line cheering them on! It was so, so, so freezing cold, but with all those race vendors and such, it was #worthit.
Yesterday, I had to speak in Sacrament Meeting with President Smith. That's right, President Smith as in the President Clint W. Smith of the Florida Tallahassee Mission. :] I wasn't stressed at all. Anywho, I spoke on overcoming the world and I took a spin on overcoming the natural man through Faith, Hope, and Charity. For charity I talked about how my mom has grown to love and forgive our family cat after clawing up her favorite couch. It was a crowd pleasa. I love being around President Smith, he just brightens my soul. But dang it they pulled a prank on us!
So Bishop Boxx has a specific spot in our church parking lot that he likes to park in. Over the past several weeks we think it's so funny to race him and try and take his parking spot before ward council and such. Well, yesterday Bishop Boxx legit pretended to be really mad in front of President Smith that we've been stealing his parking spot, and then this morning for interviews President very seriously rebuked me and Sister Evensen, telling us we need to respect Bishop Boxx. We felt pretty bad and we were also annoyed with Bishop because he knows we're just trying to be funny. Well, I get into my interview with President and he just starts laughing! Apparently, after our fireside last night, Bishop and President devised this twisted plan over dinner to make us feel really bad. President knew the whole time that it's all lighthearted fun! He apologized if he was too harsh but I was just so joyfully surprised that President Smith is a real life jokster!!! I LOVE MY PRIESTHOOD LEADERS (:
We have been having kind of a dry spell the past several weeks in our area but this past week we have seen a billion miracles! I got to pondering about the work we've been doing. In Elder Ballard's book Our Search for Happiness he says,
"'The quality of our lives.' It's an interesting phrase. I suspect most people think of this concept in terms of the comforts and conveniences they enjoy. But I prefer to think that the quality of our lives has more to do with substance than style. A quality life is one that positively influences others and makes the world around it a better place in which to live. A quality life is one that is constantly growing, expanding its horizons and enlarging its borders. A quality life is one that is filled with love and loyalty, patience and perseverance, kindness and compassion. A quality life is one that is based on eternal potential and not confined to this life only. A quality life is a life well-lived."
I know I am surrounded by quality people. I have given a quality effort. We might not have a huge teaching pool, but we have quality individuals we have the opportunity to be around. I have had a quality mission, and that's all that I think really matters to me, and the Lord.
Bring more quality blessings into the world around you! I love you! I genuinely love each of you very much!
-SISTER p e t e r s e n 
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| -Witch ride |
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- My best pal Nikos put on his Dumbledore costume when we went for dinner.
Legit he is the coolest human I know.
LOOK AT HOW SPOT ON HIS COSTUME IS. I LOVE HIS FAMILY. #parentalwin |
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| Nikos found his twin. I have the best humans in my life here. |
This week I had the opportunity to go to Saraland after Thanksgiving. As we were driving up to their apartment, Sister Larsen realized we didn't have the key and it was on it's way to Fairhope with Sister Nielsen and Sister Hulstine. She felt really bad for not remembering and at first I was annoyed that we had to waste our miles to go back, and we wouldn't get in on time. Then, I remembered who I was representing to this new sister, and I frankly forgave the situation. Later as I was writing in my journal, I remembered an exchange many months ago when the exact same situation happened with a key mishap and I was that younger new missionary. That exchange changed my mission. To this day the only person who maybe knows how much it touched me was my dear Sister Training Leader.
