Well in that case...I'm DEAD

Hello I have a sinus infection and not the good kind. So basically because I haven't been wearing a quote on quote "stocking cap" in this frigid weather all my spidey senses have turned against me. I'm now subject to using the classic Neti Pot thrice daily which basically means I shoot water up my nose and hope that it heals me. #sendprayers

~hand dryers and bathroom pics bc we're cool and
actually it was colder than hell frozen over

Other than the fact that I feel like my face is going to explode at any second and my ears are constantly ringing, this week has been so fun! I went on an exchange with the legendary Sister Evensen. Of course y'all know her but she's the bestie and I love her so much it's unreal! But sad day for her because campus was like -36 degrees and pouring rain. We ran into the bathroom and used the hand dryers because we're low key not allowed to go into any other buildings on campus..... you gotta do what you gotta do. The only person we contacted was this guy on crutches who couldn't run away. (:

President Nelson is the PROPHET!!!! WOOOO HOOOO. Today in our lesson with our investigator Katherine, Sister Smario was all "I know Russel M. Nelson is the Lord's prophet on the earth today." And in my head I was all "ohhhh yeah that's what's up." I love him so much and I know he is truly God's prophet today! We got to watch the broadcast and press conference as a district and we could not stop laughing at his comment to Peggy the feminist, "I know your mother." HAHAHAHAHA SOOOOOOOO FUNNY. Anytime one of us does something stupid now we all say "Get your act together Peggy." HAHAHAHA  Also at district meeting , we had a funeral for the beloved Sister Katy Leavitt! She flies home Tuesday after 23 months of service! I love this girl with all my heart! What a tender opportunity to have served with her on campus!

~Sister Smario and Sister Fast are actually my favorite humans,
I just love them more than life and I love this pic because it gives me life (:

Alright, alright, alright, just like Matthew McConaughey we decided to make a movie! Haha so a couple weeks ago Sister Smario and I had the opportunity to do 'dress and grooming training' for the mission, so we decided to make a motion picture... aka What Not to Wear: FTM edition! It was hilarious to film it, and we're all so excited to see how it turns out! Stay Tuned.

~movie stars for dayz

I love you all a whole heaping lot, and I hope that you really take a minute to think about how much the Savior loves you. If all you get out of this email is that the Savior is like a Neti Pot, I hope it changes your week. Think about it...he breaks down our walls and heals us, just like that nasal solution is breaking up my mucus and making me feel better. 

"It always comes back to the Neti Pot." -Sister Smario

MUCH LOVE FRIENDS (: (: (:

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n

~Sister Katy is QUEEN

I say, that what you say, is what I SAY

Put it on the books, you heard it here first, miracles are straight going down in Bama. WARNING: Please properly secure your surroundings before continuing the following email, in the words of Mitchell Mosher, it's gonna get "lit."

Dumping tea like she's a Yankee

Tracy- What a wonderful human being. On Monday night we committed her to live the Word of Wisdom. I promised her I would run a mile every single day until she gets baptized. We went back on Wednesday and she confessed that she had been drinking the rest of her jug of sweet tea trying to finish it off. We were devastated. So one thing led to another and the spirit did it's thing, and we were standing in her kitchen cheering her on as she poured every last drop of the sweet tea down the drain!!!! SHE IS SUCH A MIRACLE!

I've ran 26.2 in the pouring rain, what's 1.3 more?

.....then I got super super sick on wednesday and thursday because there's actually a hurricane outside and we wanted to keep our promise about running so we still ran in the pouring rain...... don't try this one at home kids.

Later in the week we had exchanges with some sisters and it was SO FUN! I was like "okie doke Sister Whatcott, I have no idea what I'm doing so let's just go for it." And then MIRACLES! We happened to go to the library and while we were there, this guy walks straight past us, turns around, and then introduces himself! As we talk with him, we find out that he has been friends with all the missionaries that have come through this area for the past couple years or so. Turns out he's been kind of out of contact with them but he was so nice! And get this, his last name is "Moormen" LIKE WHAT. That's not even a joke. He ended up coming to our volleyball shin dig that night. Well it was good at first, but then we quickly got into a soft bible bash, LIKE WHAT. The Elders, just like walked away, HAHA. So me and Sister Evensen held our ground, invited, testified, showed charity, welcomed him to stay and play volleyball. It was crazy. But I felt like the spirit was actually able to be in that convo because we were standing in the church! MIRACLE.

(SAUCES)

So basically me and Sis E have the most unified companionship with the spirit and we were able to testify and back each other and it was beautiful. The next day at church our lesson was on witnesses and double edged swords. The gospel will pierce souls when the testimonies of two or three (spirit) witnesses bear it. Whenever I have no idea what to do, I look at my companion, we look up, and we say that what He says, is what we say. Because we're the ultimate Newsies, spreading the GOOD NEWS OF THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL.

SEIZE THE DAY, SEIZE THE MOMENT. And for all you humans in the world not living in Alabama.... Ezekiel 20:29, my heart goes out to ya.

It's a birthday present.... from ME

Welp. Nothing new for the new kids on the block. Oh except one small thing.... HAPPY 8 MONTHS TO ME AND SIS E         

 SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

Let it rain, Let it pour

Blessings come through raindrops and this week we had MIRACLE HURRICANES! Miracanes? Hurricles? I've heard it both ways.

Friday we had an awesome day. Everything we planned actually happened. Well by 5:00 we had planned to go contact people at the park and it started pouring rain, thus nobody would be outside at a park. We brainstormed for a minute and both agreed that the hand of the Lord was in our planning and we needed to go to the park even if it was a hurricane outside! 

grateful for gazebos

When we got to the park not a single car was there. We still got out and ran to get cover under the gazebo. Not even 10 seconds after we sat down this twenty something guy gets cover under the roof to like a smoke. Like I have no earthly clue where this dude even came from! NONE! So of course I'm like, "Hey you" and immediately we dive into a lengthy discussion about God. After about 20 minutes of talking about who/what God is and how Jesus Christ plays a role in that, along comes another fella. His brother! Both of them smoked about 3 packs combined by the time we finished our conversation, but we taught both of them about the Restoration and gave them Book of Mormons. They were on vacation from North Carolina so we sent them as referrals up there. 

Here's the miracle of the tale: It was pouring rain and thundering = captive audience under the gazebo protection. They were searching for understanding about God = very open to the spirit. They were on vacation in Marianna = HUGE MIRACLE BECAUSE WHO IN THE WORLD VISITS THIS PLACE ON VACATION. Miracles come in thunderstorms. 

oh mercy, I had some divine meals this week. I'll just leave it at that. mmmmmm. ok.

national cat day with Southern

Southern legit sobbed when we taught her the Word of Wisdom... it was a rough lesson. Send prayers. HAHAHA. "I am a basic white girl who needs her coffee." HAHAHAHA

Sister Housel my STL from Dothan spent the day with me here, and she gave me a really remarkable talk that gave me a lot of understanding about the atonement of Jesus Christ and Repentance. 

"Living perfectly is not the plan. Repentance is the plan. Jesus Christ is the plan." I think we erroneously equate perfection with living a perfect life, with never failing or falling short, but Jesus Christ is the only one who ever did or ever will do that. Perfection for us, then, must be about something else.
When we turn our broken pieces over to the Savior, our gaps are filled with Him—with His perfection—and we are made complete; we are finished by the Great Creator through the restorative power of “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). We come to know the Savior not just by recognizing and reverencing His scars but by recognizing and reverencing our own. We are bound to the Savior through our mutual scars, “and with His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5; see also verse 4).
Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, desires to mend your broken pieces, fill your empty spaces, and make of you a vessel that is more beautiful and whole.
May you each find the strength to fail and, in the hands of your Savior, the power to finish."

I love y'all so much. Keep it fresh and ranchy and FINISH STRONG.

SISTER  p e t e r s e n  

life in photos:

sis Cobart makes costumes for Civil War reenactments and gave us confederate flags lol

trying to get some webbed feet contacts