Quality vs. Quantity

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! 

-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 

-Witch ride

- 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

 Nikos found his twin. I have the best humans in my life here. 

I look around me and I see it isn't so

The world is BEAUTIFUL! I don't care if it rains or pours or storms the world and the people in it are BEAUTIFUL!

From getting donuts with our Soul Sister, Sister Dykes, to Tallahassee, to Church Tour adventures with Bishop Boxx! This week was SO MUCH FUN!

Thursday we drove to Tallahassee for an exchange. We were on FSU campus! It was so fun! Tons of people to talk to!!! We got to teach some awesome people! And basically we walked allllllll day hahaha. It was great! We had to sprint across campus to meet someone and I felt like I was in a movie! It was so fun and Sister Jenkins is legit the coolest person I know. 

Sunday was awesome! We had a crazy storm blow in and got stranded at the church. Meanwhile, Bishop took us on a tour of the rafters. And then later that night, everyone came to the church for ADDY'S BAPTISM!!! AHHH. Here are my thoughts. Heavenly Father knows us. He knows each and everyone of us by name. I had a couple of very personal experiences this week and I cannot deny that God knows me. He knows it and I know it. And I know what we're doing matters. When Addy's dad confirmed her a member of the church he gave her a blessing from her Father in Heaven and it was powerful. I felt the power of the Holy Ghost touch every person in that room. We did a small talk about rainbows and the promises we make at baptism. We are all colorful lights making an impact on the world! And the amazing part is that everyone has the light of Christ! Every single person is a child of God! 

I have cared too much about what everyone in this town thinks about me wearing a nametag and I have cared too much about walking up to their fancy houses. I have cared too much about people loving their own church. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE. Because the joy and love I felt in Addy's confirmation blessing, I KNOW they do not have that in their lives!

SO WHO CARES!!! WHO CARES IF YOU FILL THE WORLD WITH SILLY LOVE SONGS Y'ALL!!?! WHO CARES?! Let me say this again EVERY HUMAN ON EARTH IS A CHILD OF GOD! 

Go out and love them to death (: (: (: (: I promise you that's what we're doing. We are ALL enlisted. We might not be perfect 

missionaries. We might get a little distracted by their cute dog or the weather, but I can tell you one thing...

I LOVE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN FAIRHOPE ALABAMA.

I love you all!

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

Touchdowns for Jesus

Yesterday I went to a rock concert church and it was...... pretty awesome, actually if we didn't have the priesthood, and temples, and the Book of Mormon, and the fullness of the gospel, and stuff, I might consider converting. Just imagine how much me and Sister Evensen worshipped yesterday, it was awesome. They had fog machines and laser lights and a yelling pastor and the whole nine yards. It was great! Very apostate, but great!

TRACY CAME TO CHURCH. I REPEAT TRACY CAME TO CHURCH! No texts, no calls, nothing for weeks! And then, the gospel principles door opened and she walked in and sat down next to me like it was no big deal. IT WAS A HUGE DEAL. Wow. We couldn't even sit still we were so happy. I'm still smiling just writing this.

We finished Addy's lessons yesterday (: She's getting baptized next Sunday! Super super super excited! 

Sister Evensen is twenty. aka super old. Either I have dirty glasses or she has wrinkles...

Friday we ate at a member's home and she fed us pizza, God is real. 

Marina!!! Wow. WOW. Wednesday night I taught the Ramos family with Sister Pipe. We taught very simply and powerfully why Jesus Christ is our Savior through the atonement. It was very spiritual. The best part of the lesson to me was when we asked her if she feels God's love and she told us yes. Because she would never be able to sacrifice her child for anyone. I know my words are weak, but this evening was very pivotal for her. I am so grateful for all the unseen angels in their living room that night. Thank you all for her prayers. Please, keep praying. She is so, so very close. I love this family very much.

Finally, our triumphant baking experiment. Me and Sister Evensen threw some stuff in a mixer and called them pumpkin cookies. I was very skeptical of how they would turn out. When the beeper on the oven went off, I asked Sister Evensen how they turned out. She turned and with the most loving look she exclaimed, "They're BEAUTIFUL."

Love you all! The weather dropped to the 70's today, really starting to feel like fall! Oh yeah, this is the true church and that's a fact. So at the great and spacious building church, the pastor gave a pretty bumpin speech. He said that thousands of fans don't buy season tickets to watch 11 grown men bend over in a huddle on the football field. They want to see how that huddle effects the game. That's how our church, scriptures, and prayer is. What are we taking onto the field after we have our personal huddle with God? 

Get your game face on. Go wear your jersey with confidence in the true and living God.

- SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

Hurricane Nate: Forecast for disappointment.

I'll cut to chase, I'm still alive. Nate hit over in Mississippi. It's always a sad day when they tell you you're gonna get a hurricane and then it never happens..(Irma, Jose, Nate) Quit playin with my heart Al Roker.

Tuesday- Embarked on a man hunt for people to teach. We biked. We walked. We danced. We sang. We knocked. We worked our little butts off. And as it turns out, the Lord is very mindful of His servants. We were led straight to Missy and Sophie's front porch! Missy was raised all hell fire damnation, and demonic crap, which has caused her to become somewhat agnostic. We testified of the Plan of Happiness and just seeing the light and love that filled their home. Wow. Sophie is 10 and she is the cutest girl in my life. Pretty much a miracle if I ever did see one.

Wednesday- 9 MONTH MARK BABY! We had to spend the day at Transfer Spot in Pensacola.. it was hot, hot, hot. BUT, I got to see our Elders from the MTC so that was super fun! Oh man at Chick-fil-A I couldn't decide what to order so I let ONE person go in front of me and he turned out to be the 100th customer of the day so he got free food and cookies!!! UGH I WAS SO SO SO ANGRY AGHHHHH. Still mad just thinking about it. Lesson learned.

SHOUT OUT~ Tiff birthed my new baby niece!!!!! <3 

family is forever, that's what's up.

Thursday- In the car for 6 hours to be at Mission Leadership Council, but don't worry I told the whole story of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat to Sister Evensen with music included. MLC was hilarious but turns out I'm the only person in the mission who understands quality humor, so yes I was the only one laughing basically the whole time. HAHAH!

Friday- Zone Conference in our building. It was craziness. Basically, Thursday night we drove straight to the church, set up tables, drove home, slept, came back to the church. So my little tush was sitting for almost two days! It was a good conference but the energy level was low. We did everything we could to pump it up, BUT THEN we got word of the hurricane coming in!!! Dang that was super exciting! 

Ok best part of the whole day, Sister Evensen was a champ and got her flu shot!! We supported her the whole way, she never would have got there without us. (; but fo reals she was a flippin baller getting the needle plunged into her arm!

Saturday- We wake up to texts and phone calls from the Zone Leaders that they are evacuating us! HAHAHAH We were SO EXCITED. Throughout the day we got assigned and reassigned to other missionaries/members homes. We finally ended up staying at our Stake President's home with his family. Then a miracle happened inside my soul...

The Jurgens made their kids get our stuff from the car, now that's quality service.

This whole week I was having somewhat of a pity party being a little pooper. I was really missing home. I was sick and tired of my leadership role. I felt like we didn't get to work much. My head and body have been throbbing (because of the drastic changes in air pressure), I was basically done. Friday night I prayed to God and I told Him I just can't do it. I cannot be the missionary He expects of me. I received a spiritual confirmation "hold on til tomorrow". Saturday we spent literally from about 3:30 until 10:30 playing games and eating and laughing and telling stories with the Jurgens family through the storm. They had a bedroom set up for us. We mentioned caramel popcorn and they made it. I had homemade waffles with Mrs. Buttersworth Syrup! CHECKMATE ATHEISTS!!! They treated us like royalty! We had permission to watch Aladdin. For the first time in my mission I felt like a normal person. This was probably one of the funnest nights I've had this year. 

Sister Evensen's first time watching Aladdin, obviously converted her.

As I was writing in my journal that night I realized that my true favorite part of the whole day was teaching Ben the Word of Wisdom. I found so much joy teaching him about the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. And that's when I understood true happiness. Don't misunderstand me, Saturday was beyond fun on so many levels, but nothing will ever compare to the pure joy I feel when I find, teach, and baptize God's children. Nothing compares to the pain this burden is. Nothing compares to the happiness that enters my soul to look into someone's eyes and proclaim to them a God who created them and loves them. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father sent Hurricane Nate, which ps never even touched our area just some intense thunderstorms, to let my see first hand the contrast of my normal life and what I'm doing now. Commandments, mission rules, standards, promises, covenants, they are not restrictive, I promise they create the perfect and only path for true undying joy. I know that God wants me here. I know that we are making a difference in His kingdom.

I know that God answers prayers.

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

Permanently moving to Alabama just for the sunsets.

If we don't find Tommy or Gina this week I'll be highly disappointed.

Halfway baby. How did that happen? Couldn't tell ya. State the obvious, this week was not a perfect fantasy. I'll be honest with you, we're hardcore on the struggle bus to find new investigators right now. Fairhope is a really fun, artsy city, kind of like Park City, therefore people don't recognize anything missing from their lives. BUT that's ok! We're still searching. 

​Sis Asberry made me caramel popcorn for General Conference <3

General Conference was fab. Like totes ma goats the realist. I could get very deep with you and share all my personal insights, but it would take me years to write that. I loved hearing from God. Read the Book of Mormon daily. It is true. There are no coincidences. Show your love for others by putting your phone down long enough to serve them. Yes, that applies to you who are reading this thinking that doesn't apply to you.

Just a note on my favorite humans in Fairhope (:

Marina and Byron Ramos~ Marina is taking the lessons right now and we're taking things very slow with her. She is from Moldova and her foundation of Jesus Christ is really shaky, unlike every soul in the south, she really isn't Christian. The sisters have been teaching her for a long time, helping her know about Jesus Christ enough to come to know Him. Also she's pregnant and she is the cutest lady in my life! Brother Ramos is a convert himself and he absolutely loves the gospel. Yesterday they had us over for dinner and she made me BORCHT (Spence, I don't know if that's how you spell it). It was the kindest thing in my life. She made it because I mentioned how I wanted to try it one day! The spiritual highlight of the night was when we asked about their experiences watching conference. Brother Ramos told us his only goal in life is to have his priesthood restored so he can be worthy to give his children father's blessings. I almost fell out of my chair the spirit was so raw and powerful.

I've never thought about how blessed I have been in my life until I served a mission. 

Sister Evensen is stuck with me another six weeks and we have our work cut out. It is our reaction to the hard situation that we're in that will distinguish us from the world. Also, I love her more than peanut butter so it's gonna stay bumpin.

Sis Evensen sent this...She
s determined to teach Sister Petersen the Splits!

Mid-Mission Crisis: A milestone that one reaches halfway through serving a Full-Time LDS mission (typically 9-12 month mark), when said missionary reaches the capacity to handle emotional, physical, spiritual stress and starts to question or doubt the effectiveness of the past several months. Usually resulting in a state of panic causing much stress and self criticism, while recognizing desired improvements and goals that may or may not be reached by the time they are released.

Antidote: "Take my hand, we'll make it I swear, we're livin' on a prayer."

SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

Man, I feel like a Woman.

CAN WE ALL JUST AGREE HOW AWESOME IT FEELS TO BE A SISTER IN THE CHURCH AND A WOMAN IN THE WORLD?!?!

~We deserve Donuts

Okie doke smokes. Tuesday morning we had interviews with President Smith and that's always fun. Then I had to train at District Meeting on contacting people/HTBT. It was funny because I'm not used to teaching solo haha so every time I said something I'd look at Sister Evensen to chime in. HAHA. She did, like a champ. 

We hunted down Tracy at her work because she has not been answering any texts or anything. When she saw us come in she just started crying. Tracy is probably one of the most solid people I have ever met on my mission and basically her boyfriend is an alcoholic and very abusive and he's anti-ing her hardcore. She's in a very sticky situation. But she assured us that it had nothing to do with us or her testimony of this gospel. She just needs to figure some stuff out because he won't even let her see us. It was heartbreaking. I've never left Pizza Hut sad until that day. 

~ Our cute Buddy Bella (: (:

Later that night, we had a few minutes before we left to go to the ward Relief Society activity. We decided to go find a recent convert of 4 years that we've never met before. As we were driving, we were both a little down because of all the events of the day, and then we couldn't find the address anywhere! Alex Boye did a cover of "Have I Done Any Good" and it came on in the car. We were kind of laughing trying to get pumped and this line pierced me, "Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?" Just then, I looked up and saw two older gentlemen, one in a wheelchair, who both looked homeless. I told Sister Evensen to pull over! Bruce and Charles were NOT interested to hear about the gospel and they made that known as soon as they saw us. But, as we talked with them, they invited us inside into the Rehab Center they were in front of.

The next day we went back to the facilit,y to talk to the activity director to volunteer in the week, where we met Antonica, a young mom from Jamaica, who recognized us because she's seen missionaries a lot back home on their bike! And while we were talking to Antonica, a woman rolled her chair to Sister Evensen and in a very hard to understand pleading voice she said, "Are you Mormon?" Sister Evensen said, "Yes, I am!" And the woman replied, "Me too." We didn't discover until later, that Debbie was the recent convert we were originally searching for!!!! She had a stroke shortly after her baptism and she's been in this rehabilitation center ever since.

How marvelous are the workings of God? I know I did my best to explain this story in words but it's impossible to explain how miraculous it was to meet Debbie. And her tender spirit is just hungering to be close to the Savior. Everyone we told this story to didn't realize the magnitude of what had happened, but we know it, and we know that God knows it. "To God each good work will be known."

~ DEBBIE!

Ok, ok, ok, I know that was heavy stuff but I can't control the miracles that we saw this week. This is a quick one. A few weeks ago I wrote about my bee sting story.  🐝 So on an exchange with Sister Whatcott, we went back to go see John, the old man with the bee cream. Well, his wife was not warm and fuzzy to say the least, and she turned us away. So we went across the street to knock some doors and the neighbor we went to was also quite uninterested. But right as she was shutting the door, Sister Whatcott asked if any of her neighbors had recently moved in, and she directed us to their other neighbor. When we went and knocked on the newly moved in neighbors, we woke Ashley up from a nap. She was pretty groggy but really nice. She told us we were more than welcome to come back it was just a bad time.

This initial contact with Ashley happened about a month ago. Wednesday, during our daily planning, we looked at our whiteboard of names and we both zeroed in on Ashley. When we went to her house later that day her husband Blake answered. He was so, so nice. He explained how he grew up Jehovah's Witness and he left that organization because he felt like he didn't really know God. He believes in God but he wants to know the God of justice AND mercy. He wants to know the God of commandments AND love. We had a really great conversation with him and we hope to teach their family very shortly. Send prayers because they are searchers of the truth. There is too many things that have led to them being found, God does not design coincidences!

~Sister Viola at Sister's Conf (:

Also we had a mission wide Sister's Conference on Friday, and I'm pretty sure President Smith saw that me and Sister Evensen are getting along way too well, so with transfers coming up next week, extra prayers are welcome to the #SaveSistersEvetersen companionship! HAHAHA

~A little piece of home (Cafe Rio Salads) 

                                   My soul cannot wait to hear the words of our prophets this week at General Conference. Friends, the true and living church of Jesus Christ is on the Earth today. I know it. And I know that God is working miracles through His servants to bring to pass His children's happiness. It's like when a loving parent fills your car with gas without you asking, or folds your laundry, or has your dinner ready on a plate when you are running in and out of the house, or gives you their gloves when you're at a soccer game in a blizzard. Yes my parents did all these things because they love me, and you don't realize it until you look back how much the Lord loves us and he is cheering us on every step of the way. (: I love you all so much!                                                                            SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

Don't let the fear of not being Slash, keep you from playing guitar

Short and sweet, just like my pinky toe. We did back-to-back exchanges this week. We went up to Atmore and then drove over to Semmes. It was way fun but truly exhausting. I've never felt more excited to come back to my own bed. Which isn't actually my bed.... but still. It gets the job done. 

ATMORE: We stopped and got some dinner at Subway and when we walked in the worker was like, "Those name tags look familiar." AHH. We flipped. Bethany turned out to be a less active member who has really been struggling. She bought us dinner and then sat down and joined us. It was really cool because we could talk very boldly and openly with her because we don't even know her. She is so amazing and we were so excited that we ran through her path that day!

SEMMES: My dad always threatened that we would have to live in a "double-wide down by the river" if he ever lost his job. Well I'll have you know, double-wide trailers are actually quite cozy. The Semmes sisters sleep in a trailer. In the middle of nowhere. On a farm. Needless to say, I will no longer be complaining about the weird smell in our study room. Whilst in Semmes, me and Sister Wall were walking and started talking to a lady sitting in her front yard. I asked her what she's looking for in a church and she said she just wants a church that's focused on families. We walked away because we didn't know how to help her. JUST KIDDING BECAUSE THE RESTORED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST HAS THE PROMISED BLESSING THAT FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER THAT'S WHAT'S UP. Yeah Kristen and her family will be baptized in the near future, I guarantee it.

Other than that, we have been searching for the elect. We sadly did not reach our five goals, but the Lord is still helping us out. Please pray for our investigator Tracy, she was supposed to be baptized this week and she has a lot going on in her life. We love her so much and she is very prepared, Satan is just working his hardest. 

Last note, no pun intended. At Zone Conference last week President Smith asked us if we're happy with the person we're becoming. Then I had a vision for not only myself but all my brothers and sisters around me. Are they happy when they look into the future? Do they have hope? Not the way we do. They don't know their Savior to the full extent as we do. I read a talk that explained how Jesus Christ knew what he had to do before he preformed the atonement, but he had never actually experienced the true exacting exquisite pain of it. And his submissiveness to being our savior, being who our Heavenly Father appointed him to be, change the course of human existence through the eternities. In our primary program the children sang "Gethsemane." At the climax of the song, each little child sang powerfully, "The fight was won by Jesus." 

So if Jesus Christ can be a pivot point, why can't we. I decided I want to be someone that I am proud of becoming. I wear my glasses now, I'm applying to BYU, post-mish, and I'm picked up playing guitar. Who knows what the Lord has in store for every single person on this earth. But I do know we have the divine gift to choose which direction we go because of the beautiful gift of our great Redeemer's sacrifice.

Decisions determine destiny, choose your course and then run as fast as you can towards God.

-SISTER  p e t e r s e n 

ps. my nails are only blue because my bff Addy who's getting baptized in October painted them today. (: