Letter #65

Hello Mum and Family,

Thank you all for your great letters I truly love reading them each week and feeling the great love that you have, not only for me but for others too. I am glad that you are all having a great time and that you are loving doing things together.  You guys are great examples to me. 

This past week has been a hectic week as we have tried to get things moving here in Westcotes. The investigators that we have at the moment are not the most solid investigators and they have been taught for quite some time and they just seem to be progressing at the moment.  So this past week our focus was on finding new investigators and building our teaching pool. You might not believe me but since I have been out on the mission I have grown to love talking to people. Don't worry though I am not a chatter box like Lyndsey though. At first I wasn't really sure about stopping random people on the street and talking about the gospel with them, but now I cannot walk down a single street without looking at people and thinking of who I am going to stop. It has become a habit and I don't even think about doing it. It is something that I have noticed this past week and it's crazy how it happens. So I guess what I am trying to say is that I have grown to love talking to strangers. So everything you taught me mum and dad about not doing that, sorry I threw it all out the window. Haha

We were finally able to meet the members of this ward this past week. This ward is a bigger ward then Tamworth but not too much bigger. It is definitely a lot younger ward though which is kind of nice. It is a very energetic ward with lots of great members that I am excited to get to know and to serve. They are very involved with missionary work which is a big help for us obviously. Missionary work goes best when members and missionaries are working together. I am excited to see what great things happen as we work with this wonderful ward.

Elder Stokes has been out for 6 months now and he loves Football. It is about time that I got a companion that likes real football and not that soccer stuff that they call football over here. We are having a lot of fun together working here in Westcotes. 

Don't worry we definitely have enough food right now. All of the other missionaries are jealous because of the amount of good food that we have right now so we are surviving. I took money out last week because the axle on my bike broke and I had to get it fixed. It was a pretty cheap fix though. The guy that we take it to knows the missionaries so he gave me a discount. This area just can't get any better. 

Don't worry my camera didn't break. I just use the iPad because we have it all the time with us and it's just easier to take them with it.  I can start using my camera a little more if  you want me to though. I have used it a bit though just not recently. The iPads are just nice to use because it is so easy to. 

This past week we had a zone meeting on family history which was pretty exciting. Like I told you guys a couple of weeks ago we have started to do more things with family history. It hasn't fully started up, but we are applying different things and trying to improve the things that we do with family history.
I would like to share something that really stuck out to me during that meeting. So I guess you could say that you get 2 spiritual thoughts this week. How lucky are you guys?  Haha

Ether 3:6
And it came to pass that when the brother of Jared had said these words, behold, the Lord stretched forth his hand and touched the stones one by one with his finger. And the veil was taken from off the eyes of the brother of Jared, and he saw the finger of the Lord; and it was as the finger of a man, like unto flesh and blood; and the brother of Jared fell down before the Lord, for he was struck with fear.
The question that goes with this is " Was it more important that the Lord put the light in the stones or that the light was put into the Brother of Jared?" Obviously it was that the light was put into the Brother of Jared.  In order for us to do family history work we need to gain that light. We need to gain the Spirit of Elijah. When we realize the importance of the family and living together forever and when we realize the importance of the temple ordinances that we perform for those who have passed on then that's when we understand the importance of doing family history.
Well I am excited for this next week and to see what great miracles come as we use family history and as we spread the joy of this gospel. I love seeing the look on people faces as they feel the Spirit touch their hearts when we share the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know this is the true church and that today we having a living Prophet just like in times of old. I am grateful for his direction that he gives us and how we come closer to our Heavenly Father by following his guidance. 

Now it is time for the spiritual thought that I love sharing with you guys each week. If it doesn't teach you anything it definitely teaches me something that's why I love sharing it. 
The lesson that I really loved in church yesterday was on leadership. The part of that lesson that stuck out to me was the examples of leaders that we each have in our lives that have helped us to be the person that we are today.  
Sometimes we think that leaders have to be people who are in a high ranking in the church, or a person who is a popular person, but that isn't always the case.  I know that the people I looked up to were all different. Some had high callings and others didn't have what we consider a high calling. I know that I learned a lot of great things from them all because of the person they were all the time whether they were serving in their callings or not. 
We all have those great examples but we too may be that great example to others without even knowing it. It is good to ask yourself, "Am I living the type of life that others could follow and get closer to Christ?"  You never know who is watching you and following your actions. Actions do speak louder than words.  One of my favorite quotes goes something like " Always teach the gospel and sometimes use words."  We need to be that type of person that others can see our loving Heavenly Father through us. 
I know that I didn't fully understand how people saw the light in me.  I know that the way we live is how we are a good example, but the light that people see in us I never understood where that came from. The other day I was studying Alma 5 and I found this scripture that explained it perfectly to me. 
Alma 5:14&19
...Have ye received his image in your countenances?... I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?
If we truly do accept God in our lives and we are doing our best to live the commandments that He has given us then we are changed in a way that we appear as our Heavenly Father whose image we were created in.  We gain that light from our Heavenly Father and we start to become more like him. So we need to make sure that we are living the right type of life so others can see our loving Heavenly Father through us.

I know that as we do our best to live the gospel the way that our Heavenly Father would want us too then we will be that great example to others whether we know we are that example or not. I know that others can be brought unto Christ because of our examples. We need to make sure we are that person that God would want us to be all the time.   
Thanks again for all the wonderful letters. I truly have the best family writing me and supporting me. Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Peterson