Winding down...

For our last event with the whole group of

Sr. Missionary couples here, we were

taught for 2 1/2 hours last night

about "The Apostasy and the need for

A Restoration" by Philippe Kradolfer.

"Wasn't that incredible!" Walt said as we left.

My husband doesn't use that word very much.

So you know it was really something.

The spirit, which was already very strong,

flooded the room when Philippe bore

testimony of The Restoration at the end.

Watch for his book, soon to be published.

I'll blog the name when it's translated into English.

The other couples treated us to a Chinese Supper

as a "going away" gift.

Philippe and Regula Kradolfer are an outstanding couple.

He was the DTA (Director of Temporal Affairs)

in Mexico City while we were serving

as president and wife of the

Mexico Merida Mission 1995-1998.

Now he's been the DTA here for

the South America South Area

during our time here on this mission.

They have lived in 9 countries, and each know

several languages. We love them a lot.

As we been working side by side this morning

getting our apartment ready

for our replacements to come

(April 1--interim physician and wife for 3 months;

then another interim physician and wife for 3 months

before a full-time area medical advisor can come)

I started to clean out the fridge.

"Here, I'll do that for you," Walt said.

What a guy!

Have I mentioned I love my husband...

my eternal sweetheart!We're goin' home we've done our time...

Happy Birthday, Sam "4" on February 26

Sam, hope you had a happy

birthay on February 26, 2010.

We can't believe you are 4 already!

Sam, what a special day with your

family last January when your

brother was blessed,

and your sister was baptized.

Sam, how fun to have your Dad come to teach

your pre-school class about eyes.

Sorry, I can't get your new family photos into my "picture file" to upload onto the blog.

Happy Birthday, Taylor "7" February 25, 2010

Happy Birthday, Taylor "7"

on February 25, 2010

We hope you are having a fun day!

Taylor with her family at the blessing

of sister Elizabeth Brinn

on February 7, 2010

Taylor in the middle of her sisters back in Detroit

Taylor, how fast you have grown up!
(Lost photo)

Happy Birthday, Taylor "7" February 25, 2010

Holding your new sister back in November.

Hope you are having a fun day.I know I have this photo at the first, but I started with it, so it was on the bottom.

I love this photo, so am leaving both in.

Happy Birthday, Ben "5" on Feb. 21

Happy Birthday, Jerry BENJAMIN Brewer...

5 years old on February 21, 2005.

It doesn't seem possible that it's been 5 years

since we flew out to New Haven, Conneticut

when you were born just before we left

for our Central America Area Mission.

Ben is on the far right.

Here's Ben with his family in November 2007.

Ben is on his Mom's lap.

Benjamin, second from left, with his family

in Rexburg, Idaho with the Fishers last summer.

Looks like he was king for a day.

Ben got to be with his family and

the Fisher family last summer.

Here's Ben with his sister Sarah last summer

at Yellowstone Park.

Looks like Benjamin had lots to choose from at his

family's New Year's Eve party this year.

Ben, front left, is with his family on the blessing day of Elizabeth Jane

in January 2010.

Ben is the second from left by his new baby sister's flower.

Ben now has two brothers and two sisters.We hope you had a very happy birthday on Monday of this week.

Happy Birthday to McKell "13" on Feb. 19

McKell, Happy Birthday "13" on February 19, 2010.

I did photos on your birthday letter

and thought I had posted a blog for your birthday.

However, in looking back through my posts,

I see I didn't get a birthday one in for you.

We're sure you had a great birthday

becoming a teenager.

Fun with brothers and sister.

We know you had a great birthday with your family.

May your wonderful musical talents continue

with you through your teenage years and beyond.

(P.S. Now, we just have Ben, Taylor, Aunt Phyllis, and Sam

left for our 10 February family Birthdays.)

Happy Birthday "5" today, Ben....I hope to blog it tomorrow

my eyes are going closed now.

"Sister Fisher," missionary, known to family as Aimee, Happy Birthday "22" on February 20, 2010

Happy Birthday to our first-born granddaughter, Aimee.

"22" on February 20, 2010.

On March 18, 2009 at the MTC

Aimee told her family "goodbye"

for 18 months.

Janie & Shawn stand by "Missionary Training Center" sign

where they also stood for

Janie's going to the Argentina Rosario Mission

Aug 1984-Feb 1986,

and Shawn's 1979-1981 Mission to Honduras.

Aimee became "Sister Fisher" at the MTC

Sister Fisher with her first companion, Sister Lemmon,

and the mission president's wife.

Our oldest granddaughter is serving in the

OKLAHOMA TULSA MISSION

March 2009 to September 2010.

We wished her a Happy 22nd Birthday

February 20, 2010

Aimee with her family Christmas Eve 2008

Sister Fisher arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 9, 2009. Called to serve ...

March 18, 2009 to September 18, 2010

In addition to working so hard each day,

she has also done some exciting things on her P-days:

A member, Brother Rightnowar, in Rolla, Missiouri,

took her and her companion fishing.

Wow! A 13-lb carp. That second one was way bigger than the first catch. January 2009, just before Aimee turned 21,

the families gathered in Gooding to celebrate Grama A's 89th birthday. "Sister Fisher" we know you had a great birthday in the mission field!
And we know you won't see this blog until you finish your mission.

We did send you a birthday letter in the pouch mail from Argentina.

We know what "joy in our posterity"
is when we hear how hard this oldest granddaughter is working
and how many she is bringing unto Christ.
She has amazed us from the get go in the MTC,
and each week she amazes us even more.
Here is part of her e-mail home to her family from last week...
"How much I love the continued change
and progress I feel in my heart and mind.
The longer I am out here the more I feel
the purpose of a mission deepened in my heart.
My purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ,
and baptism is central to the message I bring:
Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement
Repentance
Baptism
Receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost
Endure to the end
It's not about the indicators or how many lessons we get for the day.
If I have not invited or helped someone come unto Christ
by preparing for baptism (or attending the temple)
I have missed the mark.

And then I'm really not helping them at all.
I love Chapter 11 in 3 Nephi

when Christ visits the people in America!
And what is the first thing that he teaches them?
Baptism.
What a huge lesson He is teaching to all of us--
the importance of baptism
and, may I add, the importance of
keeping those 3 covenants we make at baptism.
I am so grateful for Jesus Christ

and His eternal teachings and example!
My heart is overwhelmed with the blessing I have
of knowing the Fullness of the Gospel
and my purpose in this short time on earth!
I wish I could stop everyone I see
and sit them down,
look them straight in the eye
and share the blessing of this knowledge.
My heart feels so anxious that
so many of God's children do not know..."

Now you see why she is
the great pathfinder for
the new generation in our family to go forth as missionaries...

Happy Birthday, Julie - 30-something on February 17, 2010

Julie, no matter what birthday presents you got for your February 17th birthday,

these will always be your most precious treasures.

Hope you had a happy birthday.

Julie, here's a treasure in your life.

Julie, here's another of your treasures...

Julie, hope you're all moved in...

Julie...yet another treasure...And your treasures all together!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - AND MANY MORE.

Love, Mom & Dad

Happy Birthday, Carter "9" February 16, 2010...

Carter, We know you had a fun birthday with your family.

Carter, Happy 9th birthday, Feb. 16, 2010.

Hope you had a Happy Day!

Love, Grampa 'n Grama Mission

Carter, I tried to put more photos on but they wouldn't work.

Good luck in your soccer games. We love you, Carter.

See you soon...like in 3 weeks and 1 day.

Happy Valentine's Day to my Eternal Sweetheart...

Happy Valentine's Day

to my Eternal Sweetheart --

Walter Ray Petersen.

We were married June 14, 1961, in the Salt Lake Temple.

Going on 49 years on our way to forever together.

Besides me,

our 7 children, their spouses, and

our 32 grandchildren love him.

This family photo was taken in November 2007.

We have had 3 more grandchildren born since this photo.

Whether Walt's plowing our garden plot...

...enjoying kids and grandkids in whatever activity...

...or helping Grama A plant flowers at her home in Gooding, Idaho

in the spring of 2008 (her last year in her home there)......he has been of service to many.

(He will be upset with my blogging about his goodness.)

His first mission was to the Uruguay-Paraguay Mission

August 1954 to March 1957.

(We were in Montevideo last February and saw where he

first lived, but our photos are lost in my crashed laptop computer.)

We have served 3 missions together.

Our first one was in the Mexico Merida Mission

where we were called to be Mission President and wife.

What a blessing it was to serve with our wonderful missionaries in the Yucatan Peninsula

from June 1995 to July 1998.

We had 126 missionaries when we arrived, and

went to as high as 186, then we had 177 when we left.
On our current mission,

Elder Petersen has given the "Missionary Health & Safety"

45-minute power point health presentation in all 14 missions here

in the South America South Area - Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay--

some of the missions more than once.

I figured we've presented it in about 70 zone conferences during this mission.

And even more times in our Central America Mission - March 2005 to Feb 2007.

In our almost 18 months here, Elder Petersen has talked with about

2,500 missionaries about their health concerns. WHAT A GUY!

I love you, Walter Ray Petersen~! :)

P.S. No, he isn't perfect so I don't have to worry about him being translated on me,

but he has been the "perfect one" for me.

Did I mention I love my husband?

And, Walt, I will love you forever!

Happy Valentine's Day

Zone Conference #7 of 8...Caleta Olivia, south of Comodoro Rivadavia along Argentine's Atlantic coast...

It's always fun to see missionares eat with "mucho gusto!"

After the 3 1/2 hour drive from Trelew to Comordoro Rivadavia with

the same "wannabe" sagebrush-like stuff all along the way

(see final photo on previous post), it was nice to have

an ocean view of the Atlantic from our hotel room.