Please stop the time. It is flying too fast.

Email sent Monday 7 November 2011

Greetings again, from Port Isabel, the best area in the Texas McAllen mission.

This week was such a whirlwind. It was crazy. We just didn't even have time to breath. Not to mention that yesterday was daylight savings time and nobody told us so we got up an hour earlier than we had to and missed that extra hour of sleep that was much needed. :( but we'll get over it. But really this week flew by. Sister Perkins and I carved a pumpkin last p-day of two sister missionaries, it was cute, when I get home you can see the picture. sorry, don't have time to send it now. haha. On tuesday I got to pick up my new companion. Sister Jenna Mazey is from San Diego California, well Carlsbad really I guess. She is super cute and lots of fun and talks a lot. My throat is getting dry from talking so much :) but that is good cuz I love it. haha. People ask us all the time if we are sisters, cuz we are kinda the same height and sort have the same hair and eyes and blah blah blah, so everyone here thinks we are really related. It's funny. But it also is funny how alike we are in other ways too. It will be a fun last transfer.

That is crazy that it is snowing for you. Sad there are no piles of leaves.

We are teaching this one kid, and he is really funny. He is a jokester. He is 18 and is a "cool kid" if you know what I mean. He has a tatoo of "misunderstood." His name is D... and he knows that baptism is something he needs to do, but he also knows, even without being told that he needs to stop drinking...and some other things in order to be ready. He just says it is really hard because of the "scene for kids his age." He is amazed by us, being 22 and 23 and that we don't do that stuff. He comes up with the funniest analogies for things, for instance when teaching the sacrament he saw a picture of the sacrament cups and called it "shots of holiness." It is hard to not laugh while in lessons with him. Stay serious stay serious stay serious, but afterwards when we get in the car we just bust up laughing over some of his lines. He is really cool though. He is probably one of the smartest people I have met here on my mission. He picks up on things so fast and understands the scriptures so well. It is incredible for someone who didn't finish high school.

Umm, g... is doing well, we're just still waiting on approval. I really hope it comes before I leave. That would be so sad if it didn't.

We are still teaching i... and i... and debating about their baptism, because they are 10 and we want to make sure that they can stay active afterwards even though their parents aren't interested. Their older sisters were baptized three weeks ago, and they are doing great but we will keep working with the twins to help them too. It is sad if children have to pay for parents wrong choices. That, too me, is against the 2nd article of faith, it really frustrates me that maybe because of the lack of desire to follow christ of their parents, the children have to suffer. ugh. Being a missionary makes me want to be such a good parent someday.

Well got to go, I love you all. Write me letters!!!! I think my mailbox is broken maybe cuz it never gives me letters. hint hint.

Love,

Sister Petersen