Pictures January 1-31

 

Week 73: Lake Charles ward, Orange stake, Companions( Trainees) Elder Woodhouse and Elder Heronema

That's probably the best subject I've had yet.

Last Monday I started an exchange with Elder Jensen. It started out super normal and super fun. We had a great lesson with a guy in their area. We talked about the Book of Mormon and why we have it. The guy was listenening very intently and he had good questions too. At one point he asked me a very interesting question. "Have you ever considered the alternate?" He was asking if I have ever explored things against the church and other religions. I told him that I don't waste my time with it. I testified that I know this church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I told him something that came straight from the spirit. I explained that it would be a sign that I lack faith if I were to explore "anti." I said "Once you have the truth you should grab it and never losen your grip. Why would you? If it's the truth you want, why would you ever let go of it once you've found it? Once you have the truth, what else matters?" Something like that. He thought about it for a bit and then agreed with me. It was cool, cause I really was just speaking by the Spirit and didn't have much idea where I was going with my words.

     The next day is when the exchange got crazy. Around 2pm we started getting tornado warnings. By 3 there were tornados across the mission (at least two or three). We took shelter for several hours and just ended up studying the whole time. It was actually really fun. We read Isaiah 2 and compared it to 2 Nephi 12 and learned a lot from the parts that had been lost from the Bible and restored in the Book of Mormon.

     On Wednesday we had TLC (I didn't have to sneak in!) and it was a blast. I don't have the energy to explain the whole trip, but it was super fun. Elder Heronema and Woodhouse did awesome. Better than they think.

     On Thursday I had another exchange. Elder John came with Elder Woodhouse and I in our area. It was super fun, Elder John is a super good missionary and just a straight up great guy. It was a very fun exchange and we all learned a lot. We ended that exchange the next day during district council. 

     On Saturday we went to the Leadership and Adult sessions of Stake Conference with Brother Gardner. We were the only missionaries at the leadership session so President Harris had us sit on the stand with him. It was kind of strange to sit up there, but the topic was missionary work. So I guess it made sense. The other missionaries in the zone showed up for the adult session and we all sang a special musical number. The next day we rode with the O'Dell family (I love that family) and they even made us breakfast before we left. Stake Conference was great. A lot of it was about Temples and it helped me realize that I need to live close to a temple when I'm settling down with a family. These people out here are 2 hours from the nearest temple. I feel bad for them because back home I'm about 5 minutes away from one... Oh well, Idaho is just the promised land.

     It's been a great week and now we're in the last week of the Transfer. I'm really curious to see what is going to happen next week.

     God is good, and this work is good. I love being a missionary, I'm learning so much!!! READ THE SCRIPTURES!! It does wonders (and they're commandments...)

-Elder Peterson 

Boiled potatoes for dinner

Week 72: Lake Charles ward, Orange stake, Companions( Trainees) Elder Woodhouse and Elder Heronema

 Well, I'm still alive, I guess. This ends week 4 of the transfer, only two weeks left. Not that I'm counting down or anything, I'm just really tired and ready for change. It has been a good week though, here are the highlights:

    Last Thursday was district council (it was a Thursday instead of a Friday because we also had our interviews with President Larkin). It was a great district council, we had great discussions. We were talking about the Covenant Path and how we help new members stay on it. I really emphasized making sure that they actually know what it is first. I almost had an argument this week with a lady about works. She, obviously, was on the side that as long as we accept that Jesus Christ died for us, we get to go to heaven. I tried explaining that it is not that simple, and I won't explain here what I said because if you just read the scriptures and study the words of the prophets you should understand just fine. The reason I bring that up is because the Convenant Path (obviously) includes ordinances and covenants that we make throughout our life. A lot of converts down here unfortunately misunderstand and think that once they are baptized, they're done and can now live however they want. WRONG. So we talked about making sure that misconception does not prevail. It was great.

     That night the Assistants came over and we did a little blitz exchange from 6 to 9 and it was awesome. Elder Rydalch and I found a whole family that wants us to come by again sometime to share our message. Elders Heiner, Woodhouse, and Heronema found a couple people who are interested as well. It was very productive and I was happy to spend time with Elder Rydalch, he's a stud.

     From Friday to Saturday we did an exchange with the Lake Charles Elders and I was with Elder Burton in his area. It was fun, he taught me how to play the flute a little . It's a lot harder than I expected and unfortunately I now have a lot of respect for flute players... We visited an inactive member who was in a care center because he's old and he broke his foot. We talked with him for a while and it was very fun. He shared some funny and spiritual stories and I could tell he is trying to come back to church. He said it's hard to come back after not going for so long. I don't know how true that is (obviously) but I guess I can't force him anyway. He offered us pudding like 5 times. I kinda wish I took his offer... pudding is good.

     Those are the interesting highlights, I'll share a cool experience I had yesterday though.

     We went to what was supposed to be a lesson with a really nice woman and her daughters, but it didn't happen. When we got there she tried handing back the Book of Mormon we gave her saving that we believed different things and felt that she was of the correct faith. I wasn't in the greatest mood (because of things that don't matter) so I just kept quiet as the other guys awkwardly said okay, bye. The only thing I said was that we wanted her to keep the Book of Mormon, so she did. As we were driving away I kinda got chastised by the Spirit and felt that we needed to go back.

I told them why I was turning around and they got kind of nervous I think . I knocked on the door and she came outside again. She was just as polite as the first time so I explained why we came back. The first time she told us that she had done some research and that's how she learned about what we believe. When we came back I asked her what that research was. She said (to my little surprise) that she had spoken with her pastor about us. She listed off a couple things that he said we believe (90% of which was incorrect). I then explained what we actually believe and shared my testimony about the restoration and that we have modern prophets and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. She still wasn't interested, but we had a cool conversation about her life and her core beliefs (many of which align with my own). She thanked us for clarifying some things and told us that even though she doesn't believe the same stuff, she respects us for what we do. We got talking about other things and found out that her father just recently got into an accident. We told her we'll be praying for her family. She thanked us and said "I'll pray that no one slams their door on your faces!" I would greatly appreciate such a prayer .

     So in the end we didn't change her mind, but I feel infinitely better knowing that I did everything that I could and that I declared the things I know to be true. I've learned to never pass up an opportunity to share my testimony, because at the very least I get uplifted. Plus, we left on a much much better note after that second visit.

     The book of Isaiah is awesome! Go study it!! Frozen pizza hit the spot today. My eyes hurt from typing this. Have a good week!

-Elder Peterson

That's Elder Heronema.

Week 71: Lake Charles ward, Orange stake, Companions( Trainees) Elder Woodhouse and Elder Heronema

 Last week went by kind of slow, not gonna lie. Not in a bad way though, I think there just wasn't a lot happening. Here's a couple highlights though:

     After pday last Monday I started an exchange with Elder Scibelli in his area. I cannot express how well I slept that night. They live in what used to be a pool house in the backyard of some members. It's one big room, besides the bathroom, but I actually really like it. The best part is that because it's one big room they can put their beds wherever they want. "Why is that so exciting?" I can hear you asking yourselves. If you've served a mission you'll know what I'm getting at here. This was the first time in 16 months that I got to sleep more than 6 feet away from someone. In fact, it was probably around 12 feet of space. I felt like I was sleeping in a room by myself again and it was a fantastic feeling. 

I guess a lot of you are married though... I don't know, I just thought it was great. 

If that place had a dishwasher and laundry machines I'd beg President Larkin to send me there 

     On Thursday we had Zone Conference in Beaumont. It was really nice. Elder LeBaron is the only Elder in this district that I know somewhat well, so It's felt a little lonely since Elder Colt, Frogley, and Gale got transferred out. I caught up with Elder Colt at the Zone Conference and saw some other guys that I haven't seen in a while. The ZC was great too. We talked a lot about including members in our efforts and how to actually do that. President Goodman showed us a great way to help members feel the spirit and I tried it at our dinner with the Andersons and it was probably one of the most spiritual experiences I've had . We read through 3 Nephi 11 and just discussed what it would have been like to be there when the Savior appeared to the Nephites. It talks about how He ministered to each person in the multitude one by one and had them feel the prints in His hands, feet, and side. We all thought about it and it was amazing how tangable the spirit was as we did. 

     That night (that we had dinner with the Andersons) we also had an awesome lesson with Joseph. Brother Aucoin came with us and we had a discussion about the Book of Mormon. We talked about why it is so important to find out if the Book of Mormon is true. We told him that it is either true or it is false. There is no inbetween. We read about what it feels like to feel the spirit and how we can recognize when God is communicating with us through the Holy Ghost. We also read about how God always answers our prayers when we ask in sincerity and with a real intent to act upon the answer we receive. Which brings up an important thing I've realized out here. God does not answer hypothetical questions. He's not going to give us anything we are not ready for. So if someone asks if the Book of Mormon is true, but has no intent of changing if needed, God isn't going to humor them. Moroni tells us that a testimony of this work comes from asking "with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ..." (Moroni 10:4) and that we must begin with reading and pondering to find truth. I have met MANY people who claim to have read the Book of Mormon and tell me that they received no spiritual confirmation of its authenticity or even that they received an answer that it is not true. I testify that every single one of those people did not perform the experiment correctly and they have been deceived. This, I believe, is the sifting factor. God is calling the elect to His ranks and is searching for the humble and meek. He answers the questions of the faithful and the honest seekers of truth. I explained these things to Joseph (in a more simplified way) and asked him a question. I said "Joseph, if you receive God's witness that this book is true, you will then know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that this Church is the only church on Earth with the authority to baptize and perform saving ordinances. If you receive that answer, that we have spoken the truth, are you willing to be baptized?" (that's probably not 100% accurate of my question, but that's essentially what I said).

He said yes.

We then further emphasized how to get that answer and we each shared our testimonies of the Book of Mormon. It was a powerful lesson. Elder Woodhouse and Heronema did a good job. They taught with the scriptures and with their testimonies. I let them know they did great as we left. 

     I know that God lives and that His son, Jesus Christ, is the Savior of all mankind. The Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith is the prophet of God that restored the Church of Jesus Christ with all its doctrine and authority in these days. I love the scriptures and I love my Savior. I love being a missionary.

This work is true. That is my testimony and I treasure that knowledge.

I wish it was easier to express my feelings over an email .

     Have a great week! 

-Elder Peterson

Week 70: Lake Charles ward, Orange stake, Companions( Trainees) Elder Woodhouse and Elder Heronema

Well... it's been interesting. Training two elders in an area where we rarely see other missionaries and fulfilling the obligations of a District Leader. It's been great. And very stressful. Very tiring too. It's good though... I'm actually learning a lot! I've had to study a lot to keep myself from going crazy (studying the scriptures is very therapeutic, you should try it!). It's also cool to have 3 different understandings of the Gospel, it makes things interesting .

     We've been doing a lot of finding since Elder Heronema got here on Wednesday and it's yielded much fruit. We've had multiple lessons scheduled every day, it's been awesome (maybe 20% of those planned lessons actually happen. People are flakey). These guys are learning quickly too. The rules take a minute to adjust to, but they're doing well.

     We had a lesson with a guy named Herman the other day and it was interesting. This was also right after some random guy yelled stuff about John Smith being racist at us from behind a door. I don't know any racist John Smiths, but I do know a great man named Joseph Smith who treated everyone with Christlike love, no matter what they looked like. Even the people who tried killing him! John Smith should learn from Joseph. 

Anyway!

Herman was kinda interesting. We tried talking about how the church Jesus Christ established has been restored and he kept going off on how any baptism is acceptable. We tried explaining how dangerously incorrect that is, but he wasn't really understanding anything we were getting at. After the lesson Elder Heronema suggested we be more straightforward and bold next time. I told him that's probably a good idea. So we'll see what happens this Saturday.

     We had dinner as a zone yesterday and President Harris answered a bunch of questions. Someone asked how we best avoid apostasy (or something like that) and I really liked his answer. His answer was long, but my favorite part was when he talked about having a personal relationship with Heavenly Father. He said that we will be able to avoid many sins and mistakes in our life if we kneel down, at least once a day, and offer a real prayer. If we council with the Lord in a worshipful way and listen for His counsel to us, we will be guided in a powerful way throughout the rest of our lives. I've been praying way more than I ever have and it's been so helpful. I've begun praying the way he suggested and it's changed a lot as well. I feel so much love from my Father in Heaven and it's helped me with my stress and other problems.

     Unfortunately I don't have much else to say, I'll do better next week, I promise! I'm also sorry for the lack of photos, my mind has been very jumbled this past week and I forgot to take pictures.

But I hope y'all have a great week!

-Elder Peterson

Here's some pictures from when I was in training. Good times.