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

oh oh oh it's glorious....FOOD glorious FOOD!

friends and friends of friends, we had some FOOD MIRACLES this week. That's right. Everyone is happier when food is involved. The following events are based upon true stories. . . . .

1- Two weeks ago we discovered under a hidden rock a gem by the name of MOMO's..... wherrrrre's momo? IT'S AROUND THE CORNER PEOPLE! Well, Momo's is known for having PIZZA THE SIZE OF YOUR HEAD. Basically it's named after me for a reason. Well alas we over indulged in our new discovery and we found ourselves in a pickle of sorts. All the sisters who hadn't eaten there before still wanted to eat there, but we were kind of tired of it but didn't want to miss out on the fun. So I decided I would get a Firehouse Sub and bring it into Momo's pizza. While eating my Firehouse, the waitress brought out everyone's slices. I was starting to regret my sandwich decision, but I doubted too soon because right when I was contemplating throwing away my hook and ladder............. the waitress brought me a slice of pizza because they messed up and fired too many!!!!!!!!!!!! MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord never gives us one or the other, our joy shall be FULL. and I was stuffed like a bird on Thanksgiving after that dinner. (:

2- On our way to Dothan, Alabama this week for an exchange my heart was yearning if you will for the companionship of a chocolate chip cookie from the home of the chosen chicken. When we got to Chick-fil-A, although we were in a rush we both felt we needed to go inside and not just through the drive-through. I went straight to the register because I knew what I wanted and I was on a munchie mission. The girl behind the counter asked for my name and I went to point to my nametag and before I could say "Petersen" I said "Pe..." She interrupted me and said "Are you on FAMU campus??" Raven went on to tell me that the sisters found her and she lost contact with them and she wants to take the lessons and come to church and, she's gonna get baptized she just doesn't know it yet but it was like love at first sight, but missionary and investigator, in a celestially timed interaction over the counter of my favorite place to spend money on food. MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord blesses those who keep the Sabbath Day Holy, like Chick-fil-A workers because they're closed on Sundays. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain

3- This is a tribute to Sister Blume. The Bluminator. Baby Blume if you will. What a champ. This sister has served valiantly on FAMU campus since November. Through rain and snow. Buses and booths. She has stuck it out til the end. And now.. Heavenly Father has taken our little girl to Dothan. AKA our personal chef is now gonzo and I won't gain any more calories from her deliciousness...... MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord gives you a good thing but He sometimes takes it away to help you fully appreciate what you had!

4- We walked into a cafe called "Kool Beanz Cafe" and the menu turned out to be on average 27$ meals with wine on the table so we discretely walked back out and had to just embrace the awkwardnessssssssssss MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord gave us the confidence to get up and walk out so that we didn't waste precious tithing funds.... (;

5- After Mathedrick's baptism, (TCC Sisters) we went to 50 CENT CORNDOG DAY AT SONIC!!!!! BECAUSE TODAY IS NATIONAL CORNDOG DAY AND IT WAS ACTUALLY THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY WEEK AND I AM SO SATISFIED WITH HOW I SPENT THAT MONEY. MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!! The Lord gave me a blue card for a reason.

Moral of the story kids, today marks 12 weeks to my last Pday and the Lord blessed me to enjoy this last week! I am actually so grateful for all my memories with the sisters here. Especially, Sister Smario. She is so wonderful and beautiful and amazing. I am so grateful she was my companion at this point in my mission and she will forever be one of my best friends! *doo doo doo dooo (Hunger Games finger kiss)

Remember to enjoy the little things of life and just let your soul delight in fatness. PS- God loves all his children, even the chubby ones (; No but really who doesn't love food. We all need to be more like food in other people's lives. We need to help people feel loved and important, we should be as excited for others' success as we are when we get free samples at Costco. We need to remember to share our sweet fruits of the gospel with all those Heavenly Father has placed in our paths! 

-SISTER p e t e r s e n

F-O-O-D is how you spell love!

also, literally just look at my companion like hot dang. Boys she comes home May 4th! AND SHE'S SINGLE! I can put in a good word for you because this Sister has it going on! Mmmph I love her!

"I didn't say it, I declared it." -President Smith

Over hill over dale. IT WAS A SUPERB WEEK. MIRACULOUS if you will.

Tuesday during conference call President Smith ended the call saying, "AS THE MISSION PRESIDENT, I HEREBY DECLARE THIS MIRACLE WEEK!" And let me just say the faith of the missionaries in the Florida panhandle shot up ten thousand freight trains full!

MIRACLE #1- Kenny got baptized *** AHHHHH. It was so amazing. We got up uber early and played beach volleyball with the district for exercise, and then we headed to the church to fill up the font. Everything went awesome. Kenny came with his family and Brother Atrice did the ordinance. The whole meeting was really awesome but what was even better was the next day when he got confirmed. He looked so sharp and pure. I feel very humbled that Heavenly Father let me teach Kenny. We tracted into his house the first day of this transfer and Baptized him the last. IT HAPPENS. People are here and they are prepared.

Kenny

MIRACLE #2- While on exchanges in the nearby town of Crestview, I was at the park doing studies with my STL Sister Jamison. She was talking to me and I had a random thought about Spencer serving in the Czech Republic and how the heck he found people to teach. I was interrupted in this thought when Sis Jamison wanted to go talk to a family who was rock hunting (Crestview thing, don't ask) (I'm in the South, get over it). So we go over and not 30 seconds into the conversation, Jennie tells us she did a mission for her church in the Czech Republic. MY JAW DROPPED, I'm not a codfish so I quickly shut it! We talked with Jennie and her 20-year-old daughter Rennie for two hours about missions and the restored gospel and the Crestview sisters are now going to teach them! It was amazing. I'm still amazed.

MIRACLE #3- Shauna. A referral from the Elders. She told us to come teach her Sunday at 3. So we stopped by and she was in a frenzy because of a financial crisis. I didn't really know what to say to her and I thought she was just looking for money so I wanted to leave. Well the spirit very firmly told me I was needed there. I told her we can't help with what she needed money wise, but as she listened to our message everything would work out. We testified of the gospel and Jesus Christ and she told us she's been waiting for God to answer her. I testified that we were servants of God representing his son Jesus Christ. She very humbly and quietly responded with tears running down her face, "I believe you." I will never forget the rest of the conversation we had with her and the power of God that I felt. Her body was filthy and her house reeked of cigarette smoke, but Shauna's eyes shined with the hope of Christ brighter than I've ever seen in my life. Truly miraculous to be in the presence of God's children. Shauna is getting baptized July 22nd. 

God is pouring out miracles on us every second of the day. Faith proceeds the miracle. Look to Christ the author and finisher of our faith. I'm getting transferred to Marianna on Wednesday, so in my farewell to Fort Walton Beach all I can say is "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" which shepherd is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be His. 

-sister P E T E R S E N 

Pics- Saving souls and saving lives just for you pops, Kenny gets dunked, and Ruth's Crappy Happy song (: Enjoy!