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

I wanna know, have you ever seen a MIRACLE?

ok folks, sit down, strap in, and get the popcorn.

THIS WEEK WAS WILD.

As you may know, because I feel like I've complained to just about everyone, our campus was CLOSED this week. Devastating at best. With fire in our souls we pressed forward with determination! We searched high and low and traveled a distance to the metropolis of Crawfordville. We found a random neighborhood located on a dirt road and fanned out. The sisters who joined us went left, and we went right. for hours we knocked and walked and knocked some more. Just as we were heading back to the car we noticed fifty yards down an older woman sitting on her front porch, we turned on our heels and marched forward! Deborrah welcomed us with a warm heart and open arms! She was waiting for us! Minutes later her brother JL joined us! They loved talking to us and when the elders went back a few days later they committed to be baptized! Right time in the right place, God is using you to reach His children.

~the babes all enroute for CRAZY PREPARED CRAWFORDVILLE

Well Crawfordville left us on a high note so Tuesday we headed out to Fort Walton, my homeland.  Sister Fast and I killllllllled it. Oh I love this girl SO MUCH. Haha we ended up doing service for a member who I love! Brother Atrice was my ward mission leader when I was there and now they have a baby and a house and stuff and man did I feel like an old missionary talking about the good ol' days of the mission haha. It was a tender mercy to be in their home! The Lord has my back!

Thursday was one of the most miraculous days of my mission.

We got up a little early to go run on the track down at FSU. I was running briskly haha trying to shave my time on my mile run. As I was on my second lap I started praying with Heavenly Father just asking Him for strength to go throughout the day and to be healthy and strong in what I do and thanking Him for the healthy body I have. I was starting to get pretty tired, on my third lap this lady started running by my side. Her name is Taccorra. She encouraged me to keep going strong. We started talking about God and the Book of Mormon and somehow, in some miracle, I was able to testify of restored truths to her! I still to this moment do not know how on earth I was able to talk because I couldn't even breathe! BUT SOMEHOW GOD HELPED ME! I finished my last lap and I spent the rest of our time talking with Taccorra about her son and her relationship with God. She is so amazing. I know that God gave me strength to keep up with her so I could talk to her. Now we're running buddies and she's going to start working out with us in the morning! Oh I love her. She told me that she knows "We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us." AMEN!

zone. conference. was. perfect.

Later Thursday night we met up with a girl who found our number on Mormon.org (: She used to meet with the missionaries and she wants to learn more. SHE FOUND US! It was crazy. It was unbelievable but, BELIEVE IT BABY! She told us in the first five minutes that she grew up Jewish but she knows the Book of Mormon is true and she's ready to be all in. So, that is literally the kind of ensign stories that happen here in the South. I am so humbled God let me and Sister Mifflin be a part of Melissa's story! It's so exciting to see what will happen from here. (:

Right now I am nearing the end of my mission and it's hard. It's a hard reality knowing that you are going to finish something that you love so much. But I know without a doubt I have done what Heavenly Father wanted me to do. I have become who Heavenly Father has wanted me to become. And I am going to continue on this life long pursuit of happiness in my discipleship to Jesus Christ. He lives. He speaks through President Nelson today. Believe that miracles can happen, and stand back and watch the Lord's hand be revealed. You are amazing. You are more than enough for God to work through. YOU can do ALL things through Christ!

I love you!

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n

T? As in Troy?

This week was BUMPIN. And as my subject suggests, it ALWAYS comes back to High School Musical.

-TRROOOOOOOOOY, right now I can hardly breathe.... oh oh 

So we had some crazy transfer stuff and we ended up going to TROY ALABAMA on a quick little exchange with our sisters there! Not many know, but Troy has been my secret dream area of our mission. I have wanted to serve there sooooooo bad. And wahhhla! All of my wildest dreams came true! It was everything I hoped for and MORE! There were Asians, Baptists, and Mormons! It was a great time. But I learned a valuable lesson this week.

Whilst out in a service project, weeding for 5 hours, I thought to myself, "Self, it doesn't matter if you do service if you are not doing it with a willing heart." Just like Troy in HSM. His head was in the game, but his heart, his heart was in the song....

- Literally Katy is my favorite human,
just look at her!

THE LORD REQUIRES THE HEART! Brother Bigler in high school seminary always told us your heart is like a parachute it can't help you if it's closed! So I opened my heart more and this whole week was just awesome! We worked and it was long and hard but it was so enjoyable. I remembered why I am here and I was so excited to share the restored gospel!

Katy is doing amazing. She is reading the Book of Mormon and always wants to read more. Right now she is really searching for an answer from God. I know that she will get one. Please please pray. She is my person.

- look at how cute little Miff is

I've seen way too many missionaries throw away their last few weeks, but you can tell the devil, no, not today. I am on the Lord's errand doing small and simple things, and hey guess what, so are you! Make today count. Have some passion in your life! And if you don't know what it is, find it, and do it well.

ps... Sister Mifflin is the most mellow companion 

I've ever had. Literal spiritual giant. I LOVE HER! 

Funny moments: 

• We didn't have enough missionaries for church tours so the Elders investigator Bre started teaching these people the Plan of Salvation haha. 
• Our landlord Dan said I'm the anchor of the household so I keep using that unrighteous dominion over everyone. 
• I've recently added humus to my diet, it doesn't sit too well with us hahahaha. 
• We met a guy on campus who was painting with his feet. That's about all. (:

ps read this talk. just do it.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2003/10/choosing-charity-that-good-part?lang=eng

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n

- Her name is Liv Fast, die hard.
She's the best soul I know.

- Sometimes when your hair looks like a rat and you did a billion hours of service
 in the melting sun you just need some ice cream #thankyoubluecard

Pulling Weeds

Honestly here's my food SQUIRREL for thought for ya. We have tons of investigators and that's why I hardly ever write about them because I can't even keep up with all their stories. So we've been working really hard on trying to SQUIRREL discern the progressing people. And ​ for whatever reason, we SQUIRREL aren't even trying to find, and Heavenly Father keeps putting people in our path and dang it I just can't keep up with all these sheep sometimes! Like having investigators is not the problem but helping them see the fruits SQUIRREL of the gospel is!

Earlier this week we stopped by a former investigator's house, Penny, and offered her any service (super slacking on our service hours...). Well she invited SQUIRREL us back the next day to weed her "garden". Sounds good right? We get there the following day and she shows us her JUNGLE of weeds and plants and SQUIRREL overgrown moss and vines and sprouts and trees and I just wanted to say "this mess is too messy!" Needless to say we doused SQUIRREL ourselves with deet, rolled up our sleeves and got to work in the 98* 75% humidity. We sweat, we pulled, we swatted, we yanked, we gathered, we burned, but we did not plant a single plant. Well by the end her "garden" looked SQUIRREL so beautiful. It was clean and fresh. Even though we were absolutely disgusting, we didn't care. She invited us in and she had ordered us pizza (TENDER MERCY JUST FOR SIS P's UNDYING LOVE OF THE GREAT ITALIAN DELICACY).

Anyway Hebrews 12:1- PULL YOUR WEEDS PEOPLE AND COME UNTO CHRIST.

ok bye. oh and try guessing what I was fed this week, I'll give you a hint.... SQUIRREL.

-sister  P E T E R S E N  4:20

PS - Elder Bradley Gunnell is sadly departing from our Marianna district and going back into the world of the great and spacious building aka Denver. Long live the MaryHadALittleLambDistrict. 

*whistles Hunger Games theme. 

He fought a good fight. 

He stayed the course. 

He kept the faith. 

RIP ELDER GUNNELL