This week was pretty sweet. We had a lot happen and we were super busy. I already had an email typed out but it froze or something and it got deleted :( So, Im going to type out my email again to the best of my recollection.
So, this week we did a lot of tracting and street contacting which is hardly ever successful. People in New York are just kinda hard to talk to especially in the winter when its cold out. They get all grumpy and dont wanna talk to you. Which is kinda understandable because if i was home, I dont think i would wanna talk to two younguns that approach my door in big black coats. They must think we are salesmen. But we are salesmen! WE ARE SELLING ETERNAL LIFE PEOPLE!!! Sheesh. I know. I gotta keep my cool. I gotta be nice. And its nice to talk to people that actually want to talk to us or are courteous enough to talk to us about their religion or act like they care. It is way more fun talking to them and have them tell us respectfully that they arent very interested than someone who says, "Not interested" and slams the door. But hey. I just gotta smile and go find someone else to talk to. Its all good. I love the people here.
This Saturday, there was a baptism! Her name was Yasmeen. She is super nice and has two little boys who are 6 and 2. The 2 year old is named Oscar and he is so cool haha. No one was watching him after the baptism and they found him over by the cookies having eaten a whole row of oreos i swear haha. The baptismal service was pretty sweet. President Francis and the Assistants came down because Elder Detlor had been teaching her and just recently got transferred. The Spirit was super strong. Everyone was crying. And I got to say the closing prayer. We almost had more missionaries there than members haha. I think we did actually.
This Sunday, I got to be part of the circle when Elder Rushton gave the Aaronic Priesthood to a new deacon! It was way cool.
So this week I have been decorating our apartment with Christmas lights and such. Our room has Christmas lights all around the ceiling and it looks pretty cool at night. But the coolest thing i think is our Christmas tree. We got our presents from family (thanks Mom and Fam) and needed a tree to put them under so we went and tried to find a tree at like Walmart and a couple other places. But, we didnt really want to spend money so we went and found a pine tree and broke off a couple branches for our tree. We threw our presents underneath and put up some lights and it was pretty sweet. It made me think of one of my old pickup lines: Girl you must be an interior decorator because when you walked in the room, the room became beautiful ;) Okay well, our apartment isnt that beautiful, but you gotta admit its pretty good for a couple guys haha.
Oh and also, we made cookies and went caroling to our investigators. It was pretty cool. I taught the other elders how to sing We Wish You A Merry Christmas in Samoan but we didnt really get to sing to anyone because by the time they had it down, it was the last house and the person didnt answer :( oh well we will get another opportunity to sing it this week. (Yes Mom. I said I made cookies. #MissionsChangeYou)
I miss and love you all. With it being a special time of year, I just wanted to bear my testimony on the Savior. He is the light and the life of the world. If you go to Him, He will guide and protect you. No matter your past, present, or future life. He is there for you and will always be there for you. He is always there for you. All you have to do is reach out to Him and grab His hand that is already stretched out toward you. He will lead the way.
I love you guys. Thanks for the love and support. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Elder Peters
Sent from my iPad
Monday, December 14, 2015
Hey you guys!
This week was a pretty good one! I had two meetings where we had to drive for a while to get to. One in Pittsford and one in Palmyra. Palmyra is the place where Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ if you didn't already know. The Palmyra meeting was super fun cuz we got to go to the Palmyra temple!
You guys have all got to come here some day. It's such an awesome place. I love getting to serve. It is pretty hard when you miss your family and friends back home but it gets easier when you know that they are behind you and they've got you're back. Thank you all for that.
This week we had planned to go to the church history sites with Marge but she was sick so that got cancelled. We went to pizza and wings instead with the guy that was gonna drive us up there. The pizza was huge and yummy and so were the wings! But I was kinda thinking they were kinda spicy with the NY buffalo sauce on em. Then, George pipes in and tells me that they aren't even spicy at all. I was telling myself to man up and act like they're not even spicy. It was good. Despite the fact that my burps smelt like buffalo sauce for the rest of the day haha.
The work is hastening here in Batavia. Little by little. We are slowly starting to meet new people. We are praying everyday that we see success in our efforts and it's paying off! Prayer is such an amazing thing that we have in our lives here on earth to help us. Don't take it for granted. It's the best. I know that our Heavenly Father truly does hear us and He cares about us and He answers our prayers.
This week was also our church Christmas party! And I got asked if I wanted to play piano with Elder Detlor as he sang Silent Night. So this whole week I stressed out about practicing and finally it all payed off. I think someone video Taped the performance so I can probably send it to you later mom haha. Oh! And the missionaries did lots of things. I taught them how to sing We Wish You A Merry Christmas in Samoan but they didn't feel comfortable singing that in format of everyone so we sang Hark the Herald Angels Sing instead. People acted like they liked which was nice of them haha.
Still no snow. It was 67 degrees today for cryin out loud! Weird weather. But I've lived in "weird weather" all my life haha (Shoutout to The Northwest and The Midwest). My comp keeps tryin to tell me that the weather is weird here but I'm used to it.
Also, i am grateful for being able to grow up a country boy in Ozark and then live in Seattle too because we often are going into country areas and then city areas and I can relate well with both. It's pretty cool.
Well, I think that's all for this week! Thank you for all of your email and letters! It's the best feeling to get mail as a missionary. I love and miss you all! Take care and have a great week! I'll talk to you next week!
Love you all so much!
Elder Peters
Sent from my iPad
Monday, December 7, 2015
Hey y'all!
I lived in Missouri for 7 years so yes I can say "y'all". I miss you so much! I hope you are all doing well. This week was totally rad. We did a lot and taught some more lessons and did a lot of service. I loved it.
We served this Lady in our branch this week by helping her hang up lights on her house. Probably wasn't the safest service project I've done before but it all worked out and I'm here emailing now so I guess I made it. We got there and we took her neighbors 30 foot ladder (that's how long it was when it was collapsed) and it fell on me and I caught it (#buffstuff). But the tricky part was there were so many low hanging telephone wires and we couldn't touch the wires because the ladder was metal so we eventually found a safe place to lean the ladder up against the house. But then she told us we had to take a smaller ladder onto the roof of her porch so we could hang the lights the way she wanted them so we did it. But the roof was slanted and the ladder was kinda shaky but all is well because we got the job done and the house looks extra pretty now.
This week we went to the big parade downtown called Christmas in the City with Marge one of our investigators. We ate chili, cookies, and drank hot cocoa, watched the big Christmas parade, went to tour a house full of all these differently decorated Christmas trees. Despite being cold, we had a fantastic time. We loved it. And we ran into so many people we knew. Marge kept saying, "Ive been here all my life and you've been here 3 weeks and you already know more people than me!" I just shrugged every time she said that cuz I didn't know what to say haha.
This coming week is so exciting because not only is it Christmas time, but we get to go to Palmyra twice this week! Once Thursday and then once Friday. Thursday we have a meeting for new missionaries to check up on them and how we are doing. And then Friday we are taking one of our investigators to all the sights! It's gonna be so cool. We are going to see the Hill Cummorah, the Grandon Building (where the Book of Mormon was first printed), and then we will go to the Smith Family Farm and the Sacred Grove. I'm so excited for Marge to go there it's gonna be so sick.
Both Joellen and Marge were sick this Sunday and couldn't come to church which is a bummer but at the same time, I have to remember that it's not in my time but in the Lords time. All I can do is trust in Him and He will direct me in where to go, what to do, and what to say.
We got to share the Christmas video with people this week. We might kinda look like drug dealers on the corner of the street wearing big black coats. But if Salvation is a drug, then we are sellin that all day everyday. So, some people aren't very open to talk into us but that's okay. All I can do is my part. If any of you haven't seen it yet, go check it out! christmas.mormon.org
Welp, that's all I've got for this week, I miss all of you and love you even more! Have a great week! Happy Holidays!
Much Love, Elder Peters
Sent from my iPad
This week was pretty good! Thanksgiving was great! We got fed real well. (So no need to worry mom haha) we had a lot more success this week compared to last week! Lots of tracking and street contacting but we are finally beginning to get more lessons scheduled! It's exciting the work is hastening!
Most of our investigators are older Ladies. I guess I just attract the older ladies haha. One is named Marge and another is named Joellen. They are both very sweet. I think they get lonely a lot and wnjoy our company when we go over to talk to them. I love teaching them because they are so nice and we can just talk about whatever and always relate it to the gospel. Both Marge and Joellen are widows and I am so excited to teach them about the Plan of Salvation and eternal families. Ah can't wait.
It's that time of year! Christmas lights are lighting the streets and bringing the holiday cheer! Wow that sounds like it could be lyrics from a Christmas song. Anyways, yeah! The Christmas lights are getting pretty populous here. It gets dark real early so we get to see the lights a lot. And we are getting to set them up too! For the people in our branch who aren't the most physically apt to do it. So Wednesday I'm excited because Sister Long needs help to set up her Christmas lights and she told us that it has to be perfect or she will get upset haha. She has won awards in the past for the best Christmas light display. I'm excited to see her house when it gets dark! It'll be a fun experience and service all at the same time.
It's good to hear about all of your lives. I miss being home and being part of your everyday lives but this too shall pass and "i'll be home for Christmas" (not this one or the next but two years from now!) I'm just so excited! It's the Christmas Spirit! I heard Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You the last Monday in Walmart and I've just been humming Christmas songs ever since. I love it.
Anyways I love you all and am so happy to hear that you are doing well! Talk to ya next week!
