Pictures

China town

I love sticky rice and mooping (pork on a stick) I buy it at a market by the church

Week 9.. I think...Getting people to church is like....

Hello everyone! I have learned a lot this week! 

Last P-day we went to Chinatown and I bought some Thai fabric! I love it so much. The Thai fabric is so beautiful!

On Tuesday I had an interview with President Johnson, and he's awesome. He has the ability to make anyone fell good about themselves after visiting with him, which is a gift that I hope to one day have! 

The common theme of pretty much any missionary’s life, but especially mine this week has been pid nats (cancellations) after pid nat after pid nat. It's way frustrating, but I am slowly learning that other people cancelling on us doesn't mean I'm not successful. 

A few weeks ago during one of our inviting times Sister M was talking to one person, and we kind of have this rule that if your companion is talking to a person, you shouldn't be standing there with them because you miss the other people walking past without giving them the chance to hear where the church is or just to hear Jesus Christ's name. So anyways I saw this person, and asked if they want to go to church, and this person was actually kind of interested. So I got their number and we went our way. But I made the mistake of forgetting to call right away (rookie mistake) but we finally got around to it. Turns out she really struggles, and has been needing a change, or to just know that God loves her. She said "I have a lot of problems, but then Peterson told me about the church." She also cried the first time she prayed. 

Yesterday a lot of our investigators said they couldn't come to church (so annoying), and then one last min said he was sick... So we decided to go the long way to church in hopes that we could talk to a few people. There was no one, so we kept walking and we see this one guy ACROSS the busy street, and we wave him down and tell him to come over here. He actually did which is crazy and we said "Come to church with us!" AND HE DID! He stayed for all three hours, and stayed for the Elder's baptism after too and said "Wow thank you for taking me here. I want to come back, this is what I have been missing in my life." Such a miracle. It made my day especially since our other investigators didn't come. 

 This week I have been able to realize how grateful I am to be a missionary and to teach people how to talk to their Father in Heaven, why Jesus Christ is so important - essential, and to even just teach people how to sing hymns in sacrament. I am so grateful to be able to "persuade my brethren to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God... We preach of Christ so that they may know to what source they may look for a remission of sin" 2 Ne 25 ish I think. 

Love, Sister Peterson

On fire, and actual fire :P

This week has been long, and tiring. We've been working really hard at getting new investigators and getting them to COME TO CHURCH. It's so hard to be patient sometimes trying to get people to come to church... but we got almost got double booked - so that was cool! We got 8 new investigators too, so we'll see how that goes. We have a new family we are teaching that I’m really excited for! A whole family! Complete with a dad and everything - I think they're legally married too, so yay!!! I've been hoping and praying to teach families rather than individuals, so that was a blessing! I really hope they are prepared and that I can be the kind of missionary God needs me to be for them. 

My attribute of the transfer has been patience, and I have really needed it so far this transfer. Patience with myself, situations, people, delay, etc. I read a talk by Pres. Uchtdorf from 2010 called "Continue in Patience" I believe, from a priesthood session. "The ability to wait - to be patient - is a key character trait that might predict later success in life. Apply yourself consistently. Patience requires actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results don't appear instantly." I've learned this week that if I focus on patience, I don't get as stressed. I hope and pray that patience will be more of a "cultivating characteristic" of myself by the end of this transfer. :) 

I am english leader now too, so I plan all of the english lessons for english class, in english.  

We went on switch offs this week too. During switch offs we visited an old lady who lives near the river in the STL's area. We had to walk on a raised board walk with garbage water underneath of it, making sure that we only stepped on the beams to prevent falling through the rotten wood. It was intense. This one drunk guy commented as we walked past "The falang is scared!" (Falang: foreign white person; kind of like the equivalent to 'gringo'... I think.) We finally got to her house, and had to walk underneath of the building and then up some more stairs. She told us every night her basement floods. By the end of our visit, we looked out and saw that the bottom part of the building was already starting to flood, so we had to walk through the murky water before getting to the board walk. 

Got flu shots this week. 

Sister Maskovich hit her year mark, so naturally we burnt stuff (one of her old shirts, in a wide open space, not fire hazardous, the fire was contained, don't worry!)

Love Sister Peterson

P.S. We're going to Chinatown today - in Thailand :) 

Transfer day video link

Link to video of transfers at Mission Office headquarters

https://www.facebook.com/mormonthai/videos/1645981672100775/