WE GOT TRANSFER NEWS: I’M STAYING IN LAPPEENRANTA!!!!
On Friday we found out that Sister Staples and I will be staying
next transfer
and continuing social media!!! Unfortunately we are losing our
SMS Elders,
one to become OUR OWN DL, and the other TO BECOME AP!!! Guess we
trained them well *shrug* (KIDDING). Our district will stay
mostly the same
besides losing an area, and Elder Jeffries moving to Tampere (
). More
excitingly, we just got put in a NEW ZONE!! THE EAST OF FINLAND
NOW
HAS ITS OWN ZONE #theeasthasrisen #whatteam #EASTVIBES
Other good stuff:
·
Veli Roysko in our
ward took us to the Russian Boarder and fed us a
·
WHOLE FISH WITH THE
EYE BALL STILL INSIDE IT and our
·
ward mission leader
ATE IT
·
Met with our friend
David and he helped us roast makkara in the woods
·
which was a blast
· Had district council which consisted of drinking monster for the first time(???)
· and frisbee golf with a random Russian kid (welcome to being the only sisters
· in your district and now zone)
·
Got hit on by said
Russian kid as he told us we were so beautiful we must be
·
Russian… (final
confirmation that I must be Russian)
·
We tried pizza with
reindeer meat on it!!!
With staying in the same place for 6 months I have been thinking a lot about progress.
I am worried about staying stagnant or losing energy with so little
changing.
But I think it is important to realize that progress doesn't
come from the outside or
your surroundings, but the decisions you make inside. I'm
working and struggling
with that one this week, so if you have any advice for me,
please shoot me an email
and let me know your tips! I LOVE YOU ALL HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK
AND
REMEMBER GOD LOVES YOU AND WILL HELP YOU ALWAYS!!!
Jumala Olkoon Kanssasi,
Sisar Anna Petersen
Word of the week: näkki - small sausages or "hot dogs." There was a
holiday in Finland on Friday/Saturday called Vappu or "May
day" (basically labor day)
but for it we got "picnic food" from Sister Hämäläinen
consisting of hotdogs, boiled eggs,
beet salad, potato salad, bread, and a DELICIOUS
strawberry shortcake.
HYVÄÄ VAPPUA TEILLE!
Photos attached:
David, fish, reindeer pizza, district plus Russian friend, monsters
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Mon, May 3, 7:26 AM (10
days ago) |
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18 months down, 6 to go.... This week I hit 18 months of being a
missionary! Since President Nelson didn't announce 18 month missions for Elders
this past conference I guess I'll be serving the full 24!
Busy Week: This week was crazy busy full of lots of teaching,
bashing, and serving. We have an investigator who really loves trying to prove
us wrong using the Bible. What's great is when we hit him back with a verse
from the Bible he just says, "No.... I don't see it that way." Don't
worry we definitely weren't bashing him just showing him what we believe in a
loving way
We had Zone Conference this week and it was pretty interesting
having it over Zoom!! I think we were the only Elders who didn't wear our suits
to the virtual meeting
I didn't know
we were still expected to wear our suit to virtual zone conference but now I
know haha!! Although it was over Zoom it was such a motivating, empowering
experience. Being able to learn from our Mission President and his wife every
transfer is such an amazing experience.
Quote of the Week: This quote explains my Mission President to a tee! During the middle of Zone Conference he goes, "Elders and Sister's if you're sad, good!! At least your motivated. You can be sad at times but not unmotivated." At first I kinda thought that was strange but I started thinking about it a little more. Yes, there has been times on my mission I've been sad. There's been times I've really missed my family. There's been times I was sad for an investigator who wasn't fulfilling our invitations. I think what he meant was: there's gonna be hard times, but in those hard times if you stay motivated, and keep working, the hard times will pass. I'll always be open about this in talking about a mission. A mission is not easy! It wasn't meant to be easy but it is worth it.
Quote #2 of the week: For some of my study time I've been reading, Teachings of the Presidents of the Church--Gordon B. Hinckley in Portuguese. In the beginning of the book he's talking about his mission and how he felt very inadequate and felt he was wasting his father's money by being out on a mission. He wrote to his father and told him how he felt. His father wrote back with 6 words, "Esqueça de si mesmo e trabalhe." In English, "Forget yourself and go to work." That is such a good reminder for me. I decided to put my life on hold for 2 years to come out and serve. That's the cool thing about a mission when you lose yourself in the work you find Peace and happiness!
I'm so excited for these next 6 months of my life. I know it's going to be hard but it's going to be 100% worth it. I love all of you and am so grateful for the support I feel from you!! Hope you all have a great week. [End of Elder Petersen's e-mail.]
Here's my response to Elder Petersen: Monday, May 3, 2021
Dear Elder Petersen...
Wow! 18 months! Your mission is 75% fulfilled.
I say: Bump, Hump, Pump, Jump.
6 months = Bumps out of the way
12 months = Hump is half-way thru
18 months = Pumped to finish with all your might, mind,
strength, and heart!
24 months = Jump off running, ready to continue serving the Lord
forever!
Our stake president who was just released the end of March often taught us that "when we do our part, the Lord will do the heavy lifting of converting His children. We just need to open our mouth, teach with the Spirit, and He will do the converting."
The news in our household is that we had a new bishopric sustained in our Saratoga Springs 3rd Ward Sunday, May 2, and John is the Second Counselor to Bishop Roger Cheney, with David South as First Counselor. John's Dad came from Burley to ordain him a High Priest. Then the Second Counselor in the new Stake Presidency set John apart in his new calling.
It's always thrilling to see the Priesthood in action.
A very tender moment was when John's Dad in ordaining him a High Priest told John that as the oldest son in their family, when he (his Dad) was gone he would be the Priesthood leader for his Mom and siblings.
Another interesting note: The new stake president, Jordan Erickson, said when Roger Cheney came in for his interview, he told President Erickson that he had known for two months that he would be called as the new Bishop, and already had his counselors chosen.
Our stake president in Burley (the one just before Grampa
Petersen) had told us that often callings are revealed to a person before they
are called. President Matthews added "We just have to be sure we are in
tune to call that person the Lord has already revealed it to."
Grampa Petersen said several of the Bishops he called during his
9 years as a stake president told him it had been revealed to them ahead of
time.
I don't remember if Walt knew he would be called as a Bishop four years after we moved to Burley (he had just turned 36) but he did have it revealed to him ahead of time that he would be called as stake president in May 1983 (he had just turned 49). Even tho he kept pushing it out of his mind, he did have his counselors chosen when the Apostle Mark E. Petersen called him to be a stake president that Saturday afternoon in May 1983.
He served 9 1/2 years until Nov 1992 and was called as a Spanish-speaking Patriarch 3 ½ months later in Feb 1993, serving about 15 stakes in the Magic Valley.
Then at age 60 he was called as a Mission President for the
Mexico Merida Mission 1995-1998.
After we served that 3 years, and 2 medical missions after that, Grampa Petersen was 77 when he was called to be a Temple President of the new San Salvador El Salvador Temple. Called in April, served 3 years 3 months--July 2011 to Nov 2014.
Elder Petersen, you are a hard-working, wonderful missionary. I know you are serving with all of your might, mind, strength, and heart in the Brazil Salvador South Mission, as you also served in the Idaho Pocatello Mission during your time there!
Carry on!
Bless you heart.
Love, Grama Petersen💜
Ladies' Lunch Tulip Festival...
Daily Scripture: And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. - Mosiah 16:7 |
Daily Quote: There can be no sacrifice greater than the atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ. His Atonement, though incomprehensible and without equal, was this world’s crowning event. Gratefully, because of His supreme offer of charity, there is no sting of death, and the grave has no victory. - Robert K. Dellenbach |
Family is Everything… I have no greater joy than to know my posterity walks in righteousness... plus the joy of knowing that I will be with my eternal sweetheart-- Walter Ray Petersen for eternity, after our 59 years together on earth.
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