My joy is full

Well, this is it. I can't believe that a year and a half has come and gone. This was such a good week though!! 

"For this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation..." 

Alma 26 in the Book of Mormon (a chapter that helped me through my mission) 

I was able to go on a switch off in Samut Prakarn which is the neighbouring area of my greenie area of Bangna. It was such a good switch off with the lovely Sister Mader. On the way back, I saw the place where as a greenie I invited and contacted people constantly. Then, when we got on the sky train, for some reason instead of waiting at the first door, I kept walking down (I hadn't noticed I had done this, until Sister Mader pointed it out later) and then we sat down in a random spot with not a lot of people around. Then a few stations down, I look over, and someone I recognized sat in on of the empty seats a few spots over. She was a girl who had (over a year ago) learned with the other missionaries. I recognized her right away and REMEMBERED HER NAME. She remembered me too. I was able to talk with her and ask how she was doing. She didn't remember how to pray and so I was able to teach her that again. I felt like me seeing her again, and the fact that I recognized her and remembered her name was evidence of God's love for her and that He hasn't given up on her. God never does give up on us. 

I have been really happy and grateful this whole week just being a missionary. I love this work. But I am happy because when I go home, I won't stop being a missionary. 

Saturday: our investigator Aun in the last week has been progressing in her faith and conversion so so well and was interviewed for baptism! She passed! She was so happy and excited to be baptized.

Sunday was such a good day. We went to go help sister Bee (who was baptized last month) and helped her organize a few things so she could stay at church in the evening for a special fireside. THEN, we had Aun's baptism after church. It was such a beautiful and simple service. She and the Elder's investigator (who I and Sister Rogers on a switch off actually contacted at first and then reffered to the Elders) were baptized. The room was packed full of members and some people of interest all there to support. As Somchai went into the water first, I remembered the first time I met him, and how after we walked away when we thought he wasn't interested, Sister Rogers heard him call after us and asked if we could go back and teach him more about Jesus Christ. Then I remembered how last transfer, me and my companion Sister Bluem prayed to find a family in a specific week that would be baptized in the next few months. Then one evening that week, we were contacting in a park and I saw Aun and her sister and Mom and her son. At first I'm sure I was very awkward in trying to talk to them. I invited them to learn English at first, but then Aun saw the church's name on the card and totally lit up. She had been waiting for people who taught about Jesus Christ to come and teach her. And now, she has come so far and has been baptized. Her sister is also going to be baptized in a few weeks. I am just so in awe at the miracles God can do in the lives of His children. 

I love Elder Renlund's talk from this last general conference. I wish more would really understand the principles in that talk.

 

In the evening on Sunday, there was a fireside (a church devotional meeting) where Elder Tad Callister and Elder Meurs (cool right?!) Spoke!! Its was so good! AND many people from Bangna were there and remembered me!! I was so happy to see the people who so graciously welcomed me and took care of me when I first came to Thailand. They all said that I was way better at speaking Thai too haha. I love and cherish the friendships I have made here. These people are so wonderful. I love them so much. 

More than that, I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I have learned the significance and necessity and magnitude of Heavenly Father's plan for all of us and about how Jesus Christ's gospel is the way we can be successful in Heavenly Father's plan. I invite all of you to take a leap and learn about God's plan and how you and your family can be together forever through following Christ. This will change your life and you will be happy. 

I love you all. See you soon! 

Love, 

ซิสเตอร์  พีเตอร์สัน

Pictures

Running Asoke in Pink

This has been such a great week :) I feel Heavenly Father is blessing me with so many great experiences. It's hard to believe that so much can happen in one week, but that is also normal life as a missionary - so much happens!!  2 days this week I found myself wearing a pink shirt and a pink skirt. Pink on pink. Haha they were happy days! Monday night - our original plans didn't work out and we were scrambling to make appointments and find something to do. We ended up beign able to meet with one member who we haven't met with or seen in ages. And then as we were walking away after the appointment, we randomly ran into another member who we haven't seen in a very long time and were able to talk and share a message with her! No coincidences! Side note: I'm supposed to plan an escape room activity for english class tomorrow... does anyone have any ideas??? (Please please please I need all the help I can get!) We had จบer's meeting (meeting for all the missionaries that will soon be going home)... weird that I am one of those missionaries now. We met with the Relief Society president (finally!!) And were able to serve her! She at first said she was good and didn't need any help... but when we asked again she said "well ever since my injury it's been hard to carry in water up all the floors to my apartment. Do you mind going to 7/11 and getting me some water?" I almost screamed with excitement at the chance to serve!! This group of little boys kept following us, amd they asked to walk us back to wherever we were going. So we had them help us carry all of the water back to the apartment. We bought them candy from 7/11 and explain that we teach about Jesus Christ :) "I like you! Where are you from? What do you do here? How old are you?" Haha they kept checking the RSP door while we were visiting her. A few weeks ago, sister Shaw and I were in charge of the food for zone conference. We had ordered everything and then thought that we should have some watermelon with the meal. The watermelon at the store were a little pricy but we have enough in the budget so we bought them. We took all the food to the church a few days before. The day of zone conference we found that someone had STOLEN the watermelon. I was so mad. I called the mission office to check the cameras to see who stole them. Anyways, this week there was a really foul smell from one of the cupboards in the kitchen... one of the members found our rotten watermelons! Ahhhh so sad. We had to go clean it up. I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am so blessed and am so happy to serve God. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, that Jesus Christ lives, and that we can all live again with our families for eternity as we live the gospel of Jesus Christ. Love, ซิสเตอร์ พีเตอร์สัน

Janey Too

Last Monday: we picked up a Sister from Burma (I can't remember if I included some of this last week, but I will write about it this week anyways.) Janey Too has been a member for little over two years. She had never ridden in a plane before and has never been to another country either. She was amazed by all the small things. Escalators, the Waterway transportation, our MRT cards. She had never seen a real church building before, so we gave her a tour of the church. Then she helped us teach an investigator! She bore powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon, which she has not yet read in her native language (it is still being translated into Burmese), she has only read it in English, and was able to read the whole Book in 2 months. Amazing. We took her to president's house for dinner, and then she was set apart as a missionary! It was so cool to see that as I come to the end of my mission, and this sister begins hers. I remembered my setting apart blessing (making me a missionary) and the peace that I felt from that. This sweet sister has never been to America or out of her country, but she faced the airport the next morning (at 4 am!!) So bravely. Sister Shaw and I were a little worried, just trying to make sure that she had every thing she needed, but she was just calm and told us that the senior couple gave her a blessing and that she knew she would be ok. Such faith. 

I went on a switch off in Thonburi and worked there for a day! Such a cool part of Bangkok. 

Met with this really cute girl for the second time that I met earlier this transfer. She was so excited to learn how to pray! Then we rushed to the other side of our area to meet 2 potiential investigators who fed us dinner! But then it turned out that they just wanted to be our friends and not actually hear the message of the gospel. Awkward when we tried to share... 

But other than that, we have been having great teaching opportunities and I pinch myself every lesson to make sure that it is real. I am trying to cherish every minute left! I cherish the opportunities I have to recite Joseph Smith's first vision, or bear testimony about Jesus Christ. It is the best. :)  

General Conference has been awesome! I love the straightforward and bold guidance we received!! 

รักนะ 

ซิสเตอร์ พีเตอร์สัน

Pictures

Crazy flash flood rain storm

Spontaneous service

Some of my favourite sisters at zone conference. Sister Yo from Myanmar and Sister Wong from Thailand (from Mahasarakham!!) 

Another great crazy week!

We had zone conference this week where me and my companion and the zone leaders gave training about planning, goal setting, and accountability! We had a slide show and activities with the training! It went great! We also Tim tam slammed! Then later that night I threw up... weird. 

Even though I was a little sick, I was still able to switch off twice this week with some awesome sisters! I love being able to work with different sisters and learn from them. 

I absolutely love this Gospel. I know that God has called a living prophet, President Nelson to lead His church! I love love love General Conference! I still haven't watched all of it, but I am also so excited for my investigators to watch it! 

Tomorrow morning we have to get up at like 3 am to drop a cute sister from Myanmar off at the airport to go to the MTC. She is so brave! 

We had an awesome lesson with a new investigator last week where she understood almost everything we explained! She understood about the Holy Ghost and about just everything without us having to explain a few times like how we usually do... does that make sense? 

I gave my farewell testimony at zone conference. Bitter sweet that that was my last zone conference... 

Love you all!! 

Sister Peterson

I wish my life was a movie

I have said "I wish my life was a movie" so many times this week with Sister Shaw. So many cool, weird, interesting stuff has happened. 

One of those moments: we were teaching a new investigator who is actually from Burma. She didn't speak Thai that clear so it was interesting to begin with trying to communicate with her. Then her friend who was also Burmese came, and so me and my companion are trying to teach them in the heat at Lumpini Park. Then this (probably homeless) guy comes and is trying to see what we are doing. Then he holds his hands out towards the sky and stands there for a few minutes. So weird. We were like 'what in the world is going on?' 

Another one of those moments: We decide to visit an investigator who hasn't been coming to church in a few weeks. When we get there, she was tearing apart a piece of flooring using the biggest kitchen knife along with a hammer. We were slightly confused, but then we asked if she was going to go to church with us or not. She came!! 

On this app called LINE we found a contact that was a former investigator. We contacted her and set up an appointment. When we met with her, she seemed slightly annoyed that we had wanted to meet with her and asked if our appointment would take a long time. I said no, so we just decided to teach her prayer seeing that she didn't want to be with us for very long. We painfully taught her prayer because she didn't understand a lot of it/wasn't paying attention. So I just started speaking very straightforward with her and asked if she loved Jesus Christ. She said yes. I asked if she wanted to follow Christ. She said yes. Then I felt to invite her to be baptized. So I did. She accepted! 

We met with a woman who doesn't come to church anymore. We have been trying to build her trust and her faith to come back. It was her birthday and she wanted to spend it with us!! We met with her and made her a little card with a picture of Christ. She hugged and kissed the card! Then we showed her the "Because of Him" video and she began to cry. She opened up and we were able to see more of the "whole iceberg" of her problem. She doesn't have friends at church. 

So please go find the one that needs a friend. 

Love, Sister Peterson

This picture captures Thailand!

Most of our original MTC group.  Current companion Sister Shaw has the long braid and black and white striped dress.