Week 15/16, Merry Christmas: Twin City Ward, Beaumont Texas Stake (Port Arthur); Companion: Elder Bowers

My family sent me a little bluetooth keyboard to connect to my phone. Boy, it makes this a lot easier! Maybe I'll try to write the future emails earlier in the morning so that you guys can wake up to a good eye roll and "what is he doing over there..." 

This morning Elder Bowers and I woke up and checked under our fabric Christmas tree that hangs on the wall to see if Santa came. Underneath the tree were presents! But Santa didn't come, because if he tried to fly over Texas, he'd probably get shot at. All the presents had my name on them, because Elder Bowers wouldn't put his packages under the tree. Lame. 

We opened our little collection of gifts until the other Elders (Fisher and Gale) knocked on the door. We let them in and then we all talked about the cool things we got. I got a rain jacket from my parents, which is super nice and helpful for this unpredictable weather. I also got this keyboard, a book with piano sheet music, and a ton of candy and other trinkets. I also got a lot of candy and cards from some of you guys. Thank you so much!! I love candy!

After opening everything we hungout with the other Elders and played games while taking breaks to call family. We originally had plans to go to some member's homes for meals and to hangout, but interesting thing happened. We got Covid.

We've been in quarentine since Tuesday and we have not been able to do much. I believe I talked about how I wasn't feeling good in my last email, but on Tuesday I felt like I had a cold, but our mission president was urging those who were sick (about half the mission) to get tested. We all tested positive and have been having a blast inside. Apparently someone brought it to the Christmas conference and spread it around to everyone there. I wonder who it was... 

We've been doing our best to fill time, but it's been difficult. We've been calling a ton of people trying to set up appointments over the phone or for after our quarentine. About 90% of the people who actually answer agree, but then 99% of them fall through on the appointments.

It's okay though, because at least we're trying. And we actually had a super sweet lesson on Thursday with Crystella again. Last time we met we taught her the restoration and invited her to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Unlike most of the people we teach, she actually read and prayed!! She told us that she feels it is true and she really enjoys reading it. We were so excited, it was probably a good thing it was over the phone because Elder Bowers and I were fist pumping and silently whooping. It's sooooo exciting when people actually act on our invitation, I can't even express the feeling in words. So we talked about her reading and then about how the spirit works. Then we taught her about the Plan of Salvation. I absolutely love teaching the Plan of Salvation. When people actually listen and open their hearts to the message, there is always such a strong spirit. The Plan of Hapiness is called that for a reason, everyone is so touched by this beautiful plan that our Father in Heaven has created for us. Crystella listened intently the whole time. She expecially loved the idea of a spirit world where everyone gets the opportunity to learn about the Gospel and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. 

It was a super good time and she told us that she's going to pray about everything we shared and keep reading the Book of Mormon. I'm so excited for her!

Other than that super awesome lesson, not much has happened during this week. We went to a couple parks to take a walk and get fresh air, but we aren't allowed to talk to anyone. Next Wednesday we can come out of hiding and began working in person again. I hope it comes soon.

Christmas is such an awesome time. It's a time to give and to be with family and loved ones. But most importantly, it's a time to remember the Savior and all He's done for us. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ's example and for His infinite Atonement. I know that everything is centered on the Savior and that it is only through him that we can return to live in heaven with our Heavenly Parents and our other family. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have of this plan that God has put forth. And I'm especially grateful for my family and for all they have given me. I love them and I hope their Christmas is centered on the Savior.

I love you all and I'm very grateful for each of you.

(Also, this is my warmest Christmas ever. 81° right now)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!️

-Elder Peterson

1) There's actually a street named Peterson in Port Arthur! (Technically Nederland, but that's in the Port Arthur area)

2) Elder Bowers in the sky

3) A cool boat that went by us. As it went by a couple people waved at us and they honked the horn. A very loud one. I got a video of it, but it's too big to attach here.

4) A paper signed by some people in my ward (you guys rock! Thank you!! )

Pictures December 14-20

 

Week 15: Twin City Ward, Beaumont Texas Stake (Port Arthur); Companion: Elder Bowers

Port Arthur is awesome. There's no huge buildings cramping us in and the neighborhoods are spread out way better than in Broadway. I missed being able to breathe.

Except right now I can't. For some reason I'm sick again. If I get sick every time I transfer to a new area, I'm gonna be a very upset cheerful missionary (yes mom, I'm cheerful. Don't you say anything ). 

We've been having a ton of appointments and teaching opportunities. It's been crazy. We went and taught a lady named Ashly about the Restoration and it went great. We gave her a Book of Mormon and she agreed to try it out. We had a member there with us, I guess she and Ashly are friends somehow. It was nice having a member there to share her own experiences, but sometimes she got a little carried away. To the point of even mentioning polygamy. I held my breath when she said it, but Ashly didn't seem to notice or care. It's not that I don't know how to explain the church's history with polygamy, I'd just rather not in our first lesson. But anyway, it went great and I'm excited to see her progress.

Last Wednesday we went to do service at a soup kitchen, which was really fun. 

I got to hand the trays of food to people and see how grateful they were for a little food. Many different kinds of people came through, but I think only one person out of them all was a little rude. We were there for about 3 hours, and I loved every minute of it. 

On Thursday the Beaumont and Houston East zones (I'm in Beaumont zone now) had a Christmas conference. It was awesome. We started with some words from President and Sister Larkin where they shared their testimonies of the Savior and then they turned the time over to us. We had a testimony meeting that lasted almost 2 hours. Partly because there's always a couple people who tell 15 minute stories but also because so many of us went up. About halfway through I finally decided to go up as well. I just shared a brief testimony on how the Savior lifts us through our trials. I shared D&C 122:7-8 and Jeremiah 31:18 (look em up). After testimonies we went into the cultural hall and ate a ham and potatoes lunch. It was very good, and there was also a chocolate fountain! One of the missionary's mom works for a company that makes pins, so they got all of us a newly designed mission pin. It was really nice, and I like the pin a lot. After the meal we had a talent show. Some of then were really cool while others weren't really talents (musical chairs??). It was all fun though. I got called up to participate in a comedic act, thankfully all I had to do was eat a croissant. Then we watched a slide show of pictures across the mission before grabbing mail and heading out. The whole thing was a ton of fun and I'm glad we got to do it.

The week has been wild, I've met a ton of new people and we teach several people a day. The past couple days have been a little rough, due to my sickness, but even then it's been great. It never ceases to amaze me how the spirit works in people. In this past week alone I've seen several people moved by the spirit to the point of tears. A couple people we teach have expressed excitement about the things we teach them and others have felt the promptings to contact us. The spirit really does pull us towards the Savior, it's our choice to follow it or not though. I've seen many people angry at us for simply trying to spread the light of Christ. I've taught people who are so drunk or drugged up that they don't even remember meeting with us. I've come to realize how easy it is to ignore the spirit and even drive it away. It is so important that we stay in tune with the spirit at all times. Constantly strive to follow its guidance and never let yourself do something that would cause it to back away from you. 

I'll probably write a quick email on Christmas. Have a good week!

-Elder Peterson 

1) my pins

2) no, i didn't actually fall in. There was a grate

3) weird duck thing

4) soup kitchen

5) lookout dog

Week 14: Twin City Ward, Beaumont Texas Stake (Port Arthur); Companion: Elder Bowers

This is the last time I wait so long to write this. I'll start doing it in the mornings or something, idk.

But anyway, great week. I can't remember any of it... 

I do remember the fireside though. On Sunday we drove over to Baytown (I think it was) for a fireside. Elder Rascon, an area seventy, was speaking. It was incredible. When he got up, before he even said a word, it was as if the spirit entered the room and grabbed a bag of popcorn saying "oh, I like this guy." He spoke with incredible power and testified constantly that these are the last days. He talked about how we were saved for these days because we are God's "best players." Then he had an Elder come up and share a testimony. A very good one. And then he continued to have random youth go up and bear testimony. I felt safe though. There's no way he calls me to go up, I thought. Then he said "You know what? Why don't all the missionaries come up here and sing called to serve." I kind of laughed, cause in a sense I was called up to share testimony. (Songs are powerful ways to express testimony, in case you didn't know).

That part was really spiritual and when the congregation joined for the 2nd and 7th verse, I saw a lot of people get emotional.

OK, I kind of did too. But I didn't cry!

After the fireside I walked up and shook his hand and talked to him for a minute. He asked me about my family, about my area, and about me. He then peered into my soul and gave me some of the most encouraging advice I've ever been given. He said some things that no one, unless influenced by the spirit as he was, would think to say to me. I was shocked and I just stood there for a second or two. Then he said even more stuff to me! I was already full of the spirit, he was trying to get me to pop!

I shook his hand again and thanked him. One of the things I learned from him was to never miss an opportunity to act on a spiritual prompting.

What a great Sunday.

Today was transfer day. I am now living in Port Arthur with my new companion Elder Bowers. We actually flew in together, so I'm excited to be with someone at least a little familiar. We're also finally out of training and I feel a lot cooler now. Even though pretty much nothing changed. It took about 2 hours to drive from the transfer chapel to this area, but it was a scenic drive. I got a bit of a tour and then we went to the church to hang out for a bit. The church is much bigger than Broadway's, and the court is full size. So that's awesome.

We got fed at a restaurant with a weird name I can't remember. But I got cajun ribs and they were gooood...

And salty.

Other than that and unpacking, not much today. I wish I could actually remember what happened last week... I'm just too lazy to dig out my journal right now. Oh well.

I can't stop thinking about all the stuff Elder Rascon taught me. Especially about our divine potential and about always following a spiritual prompting. I cherish the knowledge that we are all sons and daughters of the Almighty God. And that we have infinite potential thanks to His plan and of course His only begotten son. I'm also forever grateful for the Holy Spirit to guide me in my life. I'm trying very hard to always listen and follow the promptings I receive, and I see incredible things when I do. 

If any of you don't understand what it means to be a child of God or you struggle to believe that you are a child of God, know this: the most powerful being in the universe, the creator and master of all things, is your Father. You are His child. As such, He loves each and every one of you with an unfathomable love that we as mortals cannot comprehend. God is perfect and thus His love for you is perfect. He wants more than anything to help us and to dwell with us once again. Prayer is the way that we communicate with our Father in Heaven. Always make time to pray. ALWAYS. If you do not yet see the blessings that come from prayer, you one day will. Communing with God is so incredibly vital to our experience on Earth that we cannot spiritually survive without fervent participation. Pray always. And know that He will always hear and answer our prayers. Again, if you don't see that yet you one day will. I am grateful to be His son, and I'm grateful for His love.

I always get a little carried away with the testimony part, sorry.

But anyway, know that I love you guys too!

Be safe and pray ALWAYS.

-Elder Peterson 

The pictures are few this week, sorry

1) Oh yeah, I did some service on Saturday and found a snake. We were just moving branches from a members yard

2) Elder Webb's "want peace?" flier

3) Take that Sisters. (They did it to us first)

Pictures December 6-13