Letter #30

Elder Peterson
2/6/2015

Dear Mum and Family,

It sounds like you have all had a great week and it also sounds like there are some mixed emotions about seeing David Archuleta this next week.  It sounds like all of the girls are excited for it and Dad and Caden are just excited for the food afterwards.  That is what I am getting from it and if I was there I would definitely only be going for the food afterwards, but that is just me and you probably don't care what I would do anyway. Ha-ha I hope that you all have a great time though.

We have been stopping by S**** every once in a while and she is still doing great.  We talked to her daughter the other day and she has definitely seen how her mum is a lot more happier now that she has the gospel in her life which is definitely true.  We have seen a pretty big change in her life since she has been baptized.  Her daughter isn't quite sure if she wants to learn more about the Gospel right now or not, but she does have a Book of Mormon and S****  is still trying to help her so I know eventually she will want to learn more.  It is so cool to see S**** be such a great example to everyone around her now that she has found the happiness of being a part of Christ's church.

Now to answer a few of your questions Mum.  Well not to be rude but you answered the first question from what you said in the second question that I am an adult.  So I think that I am fine without hand warmers and I only have to keep warm for a year and a half and I can be as warm as I want when I get home.
You asked if the car’s license plates are really that big and to answer that yes they are.  They probably look so much bigger because the cars are pretty small here too, but yes they are big at the same time.
The picture of the Hobbit sign was taken when I was in Sheldon riding the bus along with a few other pictures of just roads.  They were taken on top of a double decker bus and I thought you would like them.  
The castle is in a place called Kidwelly which is about a 10 minute train ride from us.  Apparently it is a pretty cool castle and it doesn't cost too much to go in so we are going to be going there sometime soon.
The aprons were given to Elder Shaw from his mum I believe.  We just wear them when we cook and we decided to take a picture with them on because we are always wearing them. I am glad that you think that I look good in an apron because I don't know if I will be wearing one that often when I get home because you will be making most of the food.

It sounds like you have all liked the picture that I have sent and yes that is all of them.  I hope that you also like the letter that I sent.  Chelsey was telling me that mum wasn't just crying a little she was actually crying a lot.  And she also told me that she was rubbing her face on the envelope because I had licked it.  Ha-ha The reason that I find that so funny is because I actually didn't lick it.  The letters that I bought you don't need to be licked you just pull a little tab off and they are sticky under it.  Ha-ha My day was made when Chelsey told me that.

Thank you for the great thought that you sent on the Atonement.  I really love studying the Atonement and I especially love studying about it deeply.  I have learned a lot of great things about it and I am still learning a lot of great things.  I told Lyndsey that I love studying a lot and if you guys have any question that you would like me to answer just ask and I would love to try and answer them.  By the way I like hard questions because then it gives me something to study.

I want to share a poem with you that I am sure that you have all heard of, but it is one of my favorites and I would like to share it with you.

 It is called "Footprints in the Sand"

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.  Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.  In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.  Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints.  This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow, or defeat, I could only see one set of footprints. So I said to the Lord, “You promised me Lord that if I followed you, you would walk with me always, but I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand.  Why when I needed you most you have not been there for me?"  The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."

I really love this because it shows how much Christ actually cares for us and that he is there for us to help us.  I think a big part of that is because of the atonement and the price that he paid.  He knows what we are going through when we have hard times.  And when we have those hard times he is sometimes carrying us through those hard times.  I once read somewhere about the Atonement and how we can look at it.  It said: "While many Christians view Christ's suffering as a huge favor He did for us, Latter-day Saints also recognize it as a huge investment He made in us."  Christ paid that price for us so that we can return to him and He paid that price because He trusts that we will use it so that we can return to Him.  We need to use that Atonement as often as we can so that we can live with our Father in Heaven and our families again someday.  This life is too short to procrastinate our repentance. I know that by using the Atonement 24/7 we can become closer to Christ and we can become more like him. 

Thanks again for all that you do, you are such a great family. I really look forward to P-days so that I can read what you guys have been up to during the week.  I hope that you all have a great week and thanks for all of your great letters and quotes. I loved them all.
Love, 
Elder Peterson