Happy Birthday!

Email sent Monday 18 October 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! Aren't you lucky I get to write you this ON your birthday! haha, hope it's going to be a fun monday for you.

This week was alright. Nothing super crazy..well sort of, it could've been, there were lots of changes taking place here but none of them really ended up involving Sister Morrill and I. So transfers are tomorrow...and we found out on Saturday what was happening. We really thought that we could be changing, but we didn't want to because we get along really well (she is awesome) and we want to see our people progress here. But luckily the changes did not involve us. One sister area had to close because 3 sisters are leaving and only 2 are coming in. We thought that one of us could be training, but we're not. President Trayner likes to make really young missionaries train. A girl that came in one transfer before me is a trainer for her second time. (Granted she already spoke spanish) But ya, so Sister Morrill and I are still here. But the other big change came yesterday at church. For church in our spanish ward we had 3 wards meet together for the big announcement. In our stake there were 4 english wards and 4 spanish wards that cover the same area. But yesterday they got us all together and announced the changes and the creation of a 5th spanish ward in our stake!!! Wow! So they had to re-align the boundaries and some of our members will be in the new ward and it was all sad, but happy that there are now enough members to create another ward here!!! So they had to call new bishops and stuff and that guy that gave me the blessing last week was called to be the bishop of the Hidalgo ward. Cool huh. We think his prompting to give me the blessing was sort of the lord testing him to help him learn and follow the spirit to prepare him for this new calling that he has. Cool huh!?

Ok so those were the changes, now about what actually happened this week. On Tuesday, Sister Morrill and I had organized this activity to do for mutual with all the Young Men and Women in our Spanish ward. It went awesome. We had 2 Elders come too, and we did this funny knocking doors roll play. The youth thought it was hilarious, little do they know that is what our life is really like. :) But then we helped them make plans and practice sharing the gospel or inviting their friends to church or mutual or something. We think it is really going to help the work progress here, because the youth are the strongest members in my opinion. The youth here in Texas are AWESOME!!! Way more awesome than youth in Utah. Like no one goes to mutual in Utah, which is partially because of the school systems (and sports teams) and how they can't have their whole teams missing on tuesday and wednesday night, but the youth here work it out with their coaches and teachers. They say they have to go to church and that the schools have to respect the students religion and so they all come to mutual, and are awesome. Anyway, sorry, youth are just awesome here.

We ate dinner with the bishop's family in our spanish ward this week. They are so awesome. The bishop is a funny guy, it's different to see people in their homes and not in his suit up on the stand. He was humming and dancing around in his kitchen. I love them! Their kids are awesome too, their son is thinking about going to UVU or BYU. That would be so cool.

On Saturday I went on an exchange with Sister Ruano(who we live with, who just got here 5 weeks ago). Her and I went in her area for the day. It was a really good expereince for me I think. I got to be the "old one" so it was kinda wierd to see if I could actually do this whole being a missionary thing sorta by myself. And I realized that I can do more than I thought I could. Sister Ruano already spoke spanish, but she's still super new and sorta shy - as am I - but I had to step up and take the lead instead of just letting my trainer or senior comp. do it. We had an awesome day. We taught a ton of lessons and found 6 new investigators. And hugged a 17 year old boy----that part was funny...don't worry, we won't ever see him again, and it was totally Sister Ruano's fault. And also a guy tried to give us money. It was a good day.

So we will start another transfer together. Here we come Texas.

I love you all.

Love,

Sister Petersen