That's the way I loved you

I HAVE QUITE OFFICIALLY APPLIED TO BYU

#sos #sendprayers2K18

- that one time we lived out of our car for a solid week (:

We were not in Tallahassee from Tuesday morning through Friday night. I told Sister Mifflin my parents are gonna be pretty disappointed when we visit the mission and we're actually driving the whole time. She said it won't be too bad all I have to say is, "Yep, this is my favorite area, I-10 (the freeway)." HAHAHA Oh the sad truth though. We drove for a total of 10+ hours this week (: (: that's called grit. and love.

Good News! I finally finished my sunflower seed bottle that I started in January. 🌻

One HUGE lesson I learned this week is the importance of communication. I am so grateful for the spirit in helping us know what Heavenly Father wants to tell us. I am so grateful for prayer and the night and day difference it has in our lives. I'm grateful for cute stationary that your companion wastes on you to make you feel loved. I'm grateful for Facebook to keep up with my friends of other faiths. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to see my family and just love on them! Skype is incredible. (: overall I am just so grateful that God sends us down here together as brothers and sisters and we don't have to go through this life alone.

- She has the fish, I have the bread, we put them both together and yeah it really worky!

Today we got to do service at a nearby church handing out food. Sister Mifflin was giving people frozen fish and I was giving people bags of bread. It cracked us up that we were LITERALLY handing out fish and loaves. Then of course, because I'm me, I got pretty emotional talking with each person that passed through and hugging them and just feeling their light next to my heart. I love being a missionary more than I ever thought possible because my whole existence right now is to love others as the Savior did. It's so wonderful and humbling to give your whole soul to the person who already saved it. I love Christ and I know he is my closest and truest friend. He hears my souls complaint and listening He can hear the songs I cannot sing. He is the perfect communicator. I love him. What manner of man is He? He heals on the Sabbath and He fed five thousand with five loaves and two fish. He loves. That is His first mandate. 

I'm trying to be like Him.

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n️

- this morning the TCC Sisters CO2 detector went off, it was pretty exciting,
but basically they ripped the monitor off the wall and put it in a drawer and said to ignore it. Haha

More. Many. Much. MOOSEN!

Hi, Sister Petersen here, with another weekly email from the promise land also known by the name of Marianna, Florida. 

We set a contacting goal this week with our district. 70 people for every companionship. I'll just skip to the end of this story and inform you that we did not reach this goal HAHAH, but we did meet a lot of really awesome people that we otherwise would not have talked to! We contacted in Payless, TWICE. It's golden, you tell the worker you need close toed comfy shoes, they ask why, and BAM. or should I say...... BOM! (book of Mormon) (lol)

This email is going to be shorter, here's all I have to say. Being a missionary is tough. But it's really not. We get to get out everyday and do something meaningful. Not many people can say that, not many people want to have that opportunity. This week we lost quite a few of our friends whom we have been praying for to progress.  They have chosen in the words of Jynx, "The Mormon's not for me." Well you know what! WE LOVE YOU ANYWAY! Yes we wish everyone would just COME TO CHURCH but we have agency. And, that's a beautiful gift.

Get out and go love someone! Go spread Jesus Christ's love! Wake up, and do something MORE. More holy, more worthwhile, more christlike, more important, more meaningful. I love you all so much. All is well in Zion, we're just searching for the elect and Happy Are We. 

- SISTER  p e t e r s e n

8 cows for you, 8 cows for you, EVERYONE gets 8 cows

T'was a good week in the neighborhood~~~ 

Our investigator Shon is getting baptized August 26th (: (: (: Southern and Caitlyn are getting baptized August 19th (: (: (: both really special days to me and now I'm so excited I get to share it with them! 

Shon is the chillest woman I've ever met! She is so awesome! She is pregnant right now and she has 3 kiddos and she's going to school and UGH I JUST LOVE HER! Every time she says the closing prayer and she always says "Thank you for sending my sisters" :'D I love her to pieces. Oh and she has like the SICKEST dreads! Anywho, we had the funnest lesson with her the other day. I was on an exchange with Sister Smario and we re-taught the Restoration using little plastic cups. Shon was very quiet and truly taking in everything we explained.. but her cousin Leeah! HAHAHA OH WHAT A HOOT! Leeah had so many questions and she was so much fun she just kept laughing and asking us REALLY off the wall topic questions like if her daughter's name was actually from the Bible or if she made it up. HAHA It was so much fun teaching them together!

Southern and Caitlyn! Wow I love these girls more than life itself I swear it to ya. They are so near and dear to my heart. Their mom is a convert from many, many years ago and because of moving and life, she has become a little distant from activity in the church, but she has such a firm foundation of the Savior and the truthfulness of this gospel. The other day we stopped by Tonya's (the mom) shop, and she got really emotional as we talked about how much progress her girls have been making. They're 12 & 17 (: I just love this family so much. 

My sweet Clint and Lana (: wow. You have never met a family that is closer to receiving the gospel. Our Bishop is very mindful of them and he advised us to go slow and test the waters a bit. Today we got to meet with them and teach the Restoration. It was really, really good. They had some concerns and questions and even though we can't answer all of those, we did help them understand God's love for His children. (: They are perfect and I am so excited. KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS!

Trolls under a bridge (:

So yes, tis true I have gained a pound here or there while serving in the FTM. But listen up. God looketh upon the heart! WE LOOK AT PEOPLE'S HEARTS!!! I love every single person the moment I look into their eyes, yes some don't want our message but I love them so much! I love that I get to represent the Savior in their homes and on their streets. They are not ugly to me. They do not have ugly hearts, they have ignorant hearts. Searching hearts. Broken hearts. I truly believe that the way we talk about others and the attention we give them shows them how much we care. This subject weighs heavily on my mind when I hear someone had a bad experience with someone in the church, or with missionaries, or had a "difficult" companion. Elder Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve said, "To effectively serve others we must see them through a parent’s eyes, through Heavenly Father’s eyes. Only then can we begin to comprehend the true worth of a soul. Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children. Only then can we sense the Savior’s caring concern for them. We cannot completely fulfill our covenant obligation to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort unless we see them through God’s eyes. This expanded perspective will open our hearts to the disappointments, fears, and heartaches of others."

Second Coming Skies (: 

So even if they seem ugly on the outside... or on the inside... treat them like an 8 cow soul! BECAUSE GOSH DANG IT, I AM AN 8 COW WOMAN, YA HEAR?

Moroni 7:48  “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ.”

share the love. share the cows.

-sister  P E T E R S E N    pics for the win:

Polaroids (:

Southern and Caitlyn (:

                                                                                                                        

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 

I love you! I know.

"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in retuuuuuuuuuuuurn."

Wednesday we had the opportunity to go and teach Jim and Vickie. Both of them have extremely poor health and because of some circumstances they are not legally married. Because of this Jim is prevented from being baptized and they continue to wait to be sealed. They are amazing. I love being in their home. They have been together for about 15 years and the love they have for each other makes me emotional. I have never seen love like theirs. I AM DETERMINED TO HAVE A LOVE ONE DAY LIKE THEIRS!

Every time I see them they hug me and tell me how much they love me. 

While we were at their house last week we taught them about temples and what it really does for us. I showed them a picture of me and my family the day I was endowed and made sacred covenants with the Lord in the Salt Lake Temple. I had the opportunity to testify of families to them and the importance of the sealing covenant. We set a BCD with Jim to make his first covenant of baptism and with faith, prayer, and fasting, we know they will be able to make and keep sacred covenants to be together forever. 

Why do I tell you this? Because we are sent here to love. To learn to have perfect love. Our ward mission leader challenged us to study what it means to have perfect love. I've learned that perfect love is accepting the Savior's love and emulating that in everything we do. We learn perfect love when we truly view and love people as daughters and sons of God. Our BROTHERS AND SISTERS! Now I don't have a perfect family, but I sure love them like crazy.

We have much to learn and we are imperfect, and so is everyone else. Give people a break. Have patience. Stop criticizing people. Have charity. Make it who you are. 

"To love another person is to see the face of God."

Is that not true? A member expressed to me how beautiful it is to hold your newborn baby who is completely innocent and you have a perfect love for them. God loves each of us so much. He loves us enough that he sent his perfect, perfect, son to die so that we could return to Him. Guys, just love. That's all we're sent down here to do. Find strength in the power of Christ's love. I'm not talking like puppy love and lust, but real love for the children of God in our everyday lives. Because of the infinite atonement we are never 2nd place to the Savior, and his love never runs out.

Accept other people's love as well. My companion Sister Ramadhar shows her love very differently than I do, but I know she loves me. The other day I was really struggling during studies and she stopped everything we were doing and she made us sing hymns at the top of our lungs for 20 minutes! She hates singing. But she did it because she knew I needed to feel the spirit. Look for those opportunities to serve around you. 

I'm so grateful to be a missionary. I'm so grateful to have Sister Ramadhar as my trainer. Missions are hard. But the knowledge and testimony I've gained of my Savior and his love for me, I wouldn't trade for the world. Let love be your motivator. 

We are worthy of Christ's love, simply because we are His. My name is written in the palms of His hands. And so is yours.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I LOVE Y'ALL. I LOVE GOD. I LOVE FLORIDA (ps Christian they only call the elect to the sunshine state, might as well call it the celestial state, basically you're now part of the elect) I LOVE LOVE.

I LOVE YOU, THE LORD LOVES YOU, and satan hates your face. 

-Sister  P E T E R S E N 

#petersenpreaches