2011! I thought that was way far in the future!

Email sent Monday 3 January 20100

2011. Wow I can not believe that it is already 2011. Crazy. I still feel like time has frozen back in May 2010. And it won't start moving again until Dec. 2011. But here I am in Texas. People celebrated New Years super crazy here. Well for us as missionaries we started the new years eve day out normally. Just working. But then...at 4 we all (the zone of laredo) went to the church where presidente trayner had arranged for us all to be able to watch Toy Story 3!!! (so that we could improve our spanish haha) It was super fun. Well first they fed us an awesome turkey dinner and then we just got to relax in the relief society room and watch toy story 3 which I had never seen because it came out while I was in the MTC. It was a super good, super funny movie. And of course our favorite parts were the spanish lessons we learned from Buzz. It was awesome.

But then that got over around 6:30 and guess what we had to do? Go home to our apartments and do weekly planning. Yes. Party right? No. We planned till about 9:30 and then we got ready for bed and such and said goodnight and tried to sleep around 10:30. But our neighbors don't understand that we are missionareis and have to follow the rules even if it is new years eve. And so they were loudly partying and dancing, and yelling and shooting off fireworks and drinking and who knows what else right outside Sister Zamora and I's bedroom window until about 12:30am so we didn't sleep very well until they called it a night. So That was our new years celebration. I remember rolling over in bed annoyed at the fireworks and screaming and looking at the clock and seeing "12:00" and thinking, "yay" with little enthusiasum because I was so tired and then falling back asleep. Ya it was pretty funny. The funniest new years celebration I have ever had. But now it is 2011 and that is weird to think but we are here and ready to baptize 1200 people in the year 2011 here in the Texas McAllen Mission!

Our investigator Ralph should be getting baptized this weekend! Well we need a miracle, but I know that those can happen. He needs permission from his mom. And she has said no twice so far. So that is what we will be focusing on this week is getting her permision so he can be baptized. He is an awesome kid. We have really been able to see the change in him since we started teaching him. He is 17 and even though he tries to act cool, really likes church. We are super excited for him.

Our Ghanain investigator should be getting back from Ghana this week so hopefully I can meet him. And maybe he'd like for Quinton (Quinton went to the Ghana Cape Coast mission and speaks Twi and Fante) to teach him about the doctrine of christ. Maybe I'll lend him your talk. :) He'd probably like that.

Dad, I hope you are feeling better. Don't let your truck slide into curbs. I hear that's bad. Hope your side heals and everyone keeps helping you shovel so you don't have to hurt yourself more doing it.

A new bishopric? Wow. Sad. I love Bishop Bangerter. I was meaning to write them a letter already because they send all of us missionareis things about every couple months. And I got a christmas card from them. Bishop Wilkins will be good too though. Wow they are young. That's about the age of most bishops we have here in Texas, or younger actually. But it isn't quite as normal in Utah. One thing that I have learned from being in Laredo is that when God calls people to be your leaders you should follow them regardless of whatever weird past things that have happened. The branches here are still struggling in supporting the changes. This I think stems from not having a true testimony of prophets and how the prophet of God has called President Trayner to be the mission president here at this time and that he has the authortity of God to preside over the district here in Laredo. People who do not accept the changes that he makes here are not accepting the will of God in their lives. This is what we are struggling with here, but the members who are strong are very strong. We hope to keep becoming stronger.

Well, we find out about transfers this next saturday and transfers are tuesday. I am pretty sure I am staying. And Sister Zamora will probably stay too, but she might leave. Who knows. President is unpredictable. There are 3 new sisters so a new area will have to open up in McAllen. The mission is also opening up a new zone in Edinburg and another elders area. We just keep growing. We are excited to start this year and work towards our goals.

I love you all and hope you keep remembering your gift you are giving to Christ this year and work to be better every single day.

Love,

Sister Petersen

ps. I think one of my friends got called to spencer's (a cousin) mission. Marlene Ricks. Cool huh?!

pps I got to talk to Nicole (daughter of President Trayner and great friend who just came back from China and came to visit with her parents for Christmas) on the phone on new years eve for about 15 minutes. That was really fun!