This week here in Texas

Email sent Monday 20 September 2010

So this week Sister Morrill and I (team Jordan) went to work. We had a lot of fun this week and found a lot of success. It seems that everyone that we find and are teaching are troubled youth. We are teaching SO many people betweent he ages of 17 and 26 ish. EVERYONE. We like attract these people or something, or they are like the ones that we can connect with or something I don't know. And they are all very similar in background. They've done stupid things (like in trouble with the law and alternative lifestyle type things) and are trying to change their lives around and get out of trouble.

We had a lot of miracles this week. In planning session on Friday we were going through our investigators and deciding to drop some of them because they were not progressing...by that I mean we had tried countless times and could not get ahold of them in person or on the phone. But there was this one that I hadn't seen in a month that I just didn't want to drop. What I now recognize as the spirit told me that we should try to go by her that day. So first thing after planning session, we went by her house. While we were praying before getting out of the car, the school bus pulled up and our investigators daughter Ashley got off the bus. I had only met her once, but never taught her. So then we went and knocked on the door. Ashley answered and we asked for her mom, but she said she wasn't there. So we asked if we could come in and teach her. She said sure. We got to know her and found some of her needs. We had a realy good lesson. The spirit was there so strong. She started to get more and more into the lesson as we asked inspired questions that really made her think about what she wants in life and her potential as a daughter of God. We taught her about repentance because of her desire to change and baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost and how it will be her companion to guide her as she tries to change her life to stop getting into trouble. Her face just lit up as we talked about how she could have a fresh start. We then extended the invitation to her to prepare to be baptized on the 24th of October. She accepted and proceeded to tell us that she has been waiting for someone to ask her the questions that we had been asking her. She was feeling the spirit so strongly. It was amazing and a testament to me that when we are doing what we are supposed to be doing and are really seeking to have the spirit with us, it will be with us and we will be given the words we need to say in the very moment we need them.

We also had this other super cool lesson this week in which we were SO bold. Bold with love though. This guy we were teaching was unsure about his belief in God. He is a very logical thinker and has had many experiences in life that lead him to question the existance of a loving supreme being. But we really laid it down in the lesson. Another testament to the fact that when we are studying diligently in the mornings and praying for the spirit to guide us we will have the confidence in ourselves and the trust in the Lord and the Spirit that we can say the things the Lord would have us say to help people exercise their faith.

All in all this week was really long, really good, and then...not so good in that only one came to church. But on the up note we have an appoinment to talk to our amazing investigator Ge...'s mom. We are going to ask her if Ge... can get baptized. We are stoked about this. Ge... is basicaly a member. She comes to church, seminary mutual you name it she comes.

I love you,

Sister Petersen