Letter #13

Dear Mum and Family,                         October 20, 2014

It sounds like you have all had a great week this last week and I was really glad to read all of your letters.  I want to start off by letting Grandma Crossley know that I am really glad that she has cancelled the Halloween party this year so that I don't have to go without it.  I just want her to know that everyone might be mad at her because she cancelled it, but I totally agree with her decision.  I think that it is a great choice.
We have been having some nice weather again.  We had a total of 10 days straight of just rain and the past couple of days have actually been quite nice.  There have been some blue skies with very little clouds.  It's still a little cool because it is fall over here, but at least it's not raining.  The weird think though is over here all of the leaves don't fall off the trees until about January or February.  Some of the leaves have fallen, but most of the trees are still pretty full with leaves.  When you look outside it doesn't feel like fall, but the cool air definitely makes it feel like it.  The coat that I have is actually really warm even though it seems light. There is a fleece lining in the inside and I have actually taken that out for now because I have been too warm.  So the coat that I am wearing might not look too warm, but it is definitely warm.

I have really enjoyed the packages of Twinkies that you have sent me and the great reeses candy bars.  When I picked those packages up I also received the two letters that you guys have sent.  I have not opened them up yet though because they say I have to wait until my birthday so they have been sitting on my desk just waiting to be opened. Thank you guys for the great American cake and the letters even though I haven't opened them yet.  I hope that you guys enjoy the cake that Grandma Crossley said she was going to make for my birthday.
Please tell Dennis thank you so much for all that he is doing.   Tell him thanks for the birthday money that he had you put in my account.  I will make sure that I go and get fish and chips with the money that he gave me for my birthday.

Lyndsey I figured you didn't know about chair football because I know you don't know a lot about soccer.  Pretty much we go to the gym in the church house and we have a soccer ball.  We each have a corner in the gym and we each have a chair that we have to protect.  The same rules in soccer apply so you can't use your hand and you have to kick the ball and try to hit other people chairs.  Once your chair gets hit 3 times then you are out and you have to sit on your chair.  The last person up wins.  It is actually quite fun and it is really competitive.  Especially when we play with the other Elders.

Mom you asked if we have seen any miracles this last week and we definitely have.  First of all we met up with I*** and he told us that he has officially given up smoking.  He has been trying for quite some time and he has finally given it up.  He has been working really hard and he has been doing really well with reading his scriptures and praying.  I have really seen a difference in his life and I definitely know that the Lord has been helping him.

Another miracle that we had this last week was really cool.  I haven't really told you much about our tracking experiences, but in England it is really hard to find people that want to learn.  We always get doors slammed in our faces and we are always being rejected. I can't think of a single time that we have found anyone since I have been out other than this last week.  We went tracking on a road that we both felt we should do.  We followed the spirit and we didn't start off too hot.  We had quite a few doors slammed and lots of people rejected us.  But with the things that I have learned in sports is you just need to keep going no matter how hard it is.  We eventually knocked on a door of an older lady whose husband just passed away about a week ago.  It was very sad because when she told us she just started to cry. She invited us back and we will be meeting with her on my birthday and of course I felt prompted that we need to share the Plan of Salvation with her so we will definitely be doing that.  We knocked on a few more doors after her and we kept getting rejected, but I didn't care at that point because 100 slammed doors are definitely worth one potential investigator.

 We then went to another house that we both felt really good about knocking on.  A younger mom had answered the door and she said right off the bat that she was going to go pick up her kids in 2 minutes and that we need to say whatever we wanted to say fast.  We just took our time though and said the thinks that we felt we should say.  Apparently the lady was converted to the Catholic church not too long ago, but she was actually interested in what we had to say.  She listened to everything that we had to say and it was really funny because we ended up talking to her for almost 10 minutes.  I definitely felt the spirit work through that experience and I know that both of those ladies that we met were definitely prepared for this time and this time only.  Had we not gone tracking down that street at that time they probably wouldn't have heard the Gospel and I am really grateful that we decided to tract that street.  Those experiences definitely strengthened my testimony of how the Lord is preparing people for us to teach at this time.  It is definitely worth all of the rejections.

The bishop's wife came up to me in church yesterday and said that she has talked with you on Facebook a little.  I am glad that you got to meet her on Facebook because they are an amazing family.  They are very spiritual and they are just all around great people.  She said that she was interested in Family History work and that she was going to talk with you about it.  She asked if I could show her the pedigree chart that I have, but I didn't have it at the time so I will have to wait until I see her next time.  They are such a great family and I am glad that you were able to meet them.

You asked about how big the ward is over here and I am sure you will be surprised like I was when I got over here. I was thinking it was going to be a really big ward, but I was shocked when I showed up on my first Sunday to see a really small ward.  There are about 40 members that are at church every week and sometime there are a few more than that.  It was definitely a shock going from a huge ward to such a small ward.  They are a really good ward though and they are definitely really strong in the gospel.  Most of the members are converts and it is kind of rare to find members who have been a member for all their lives.  They are all really great people though and I enjoy talking with them every week at church and sometime during the week.
  
The thought that I want to share with you guys is probably one of my favorite quotes that I have found out here on the mission.  It is from President Uchtdorfs talk about having no regrets.  
He says: "Life is not a race, it is journey.  Sometimes in life we become so focused on the finish line that we fail to find joy in the journey."  I have really thought about this scripture a lot lately.  I have heard a lot of missionaries out here that are just counting down the days until they go home.  Some missionaries are always going so fast to get to some place.  Ever since I read this quote I have slowed down what I have been doing and have started to enjoy the fact that I am in England serving the Lord for two years.  I am blessed to have an opportunity to be in a different country, live the gospel for 24 hours a day 7 days a week and for 730 days.  Really all I have to do is wake up do studies and then go out and teach the wonderful Gospel that I have grown up learning my whole life.  Yes it is hard, but why would it be easy.  We definitely learn more when we go through hard times and I have learned to face the fact that we are going to go through hard times and the best way to go through those hard times is with a smile on your face.  I know that you guys are going through trials of your own back home because we all have them.  That is just the way life is.  But I know that if you go through those trials with a smile on your face and if you learn to find joy in the journey then life will be so much easier and you will enjoy life so much more.

I hope that you guys have a great week this next week and I hope you have fun in St. George for those of you that are there.  Have fun enjoying the nice weather mom, but don't get too use to it because I want to be coming home in 2 years to Newton not St. George. 
I am really going to enjoy my birthday in England because this will only happen twice in my whole life.  Thanks for all your letters that you have sent me even though I haven't opened them yet. I know that I will really enjoy them anyways.
Have a great week and I love you all.
Love,
Elder Peterson

Letter # 12

Dear Mum and family,                               October 13, 2014

This last week was a pretty good week for us over here in England.  Like I said last week that I was getting a coat and I am really glad that I did. For the past 7 days it has been raining over here.  That is not counting today which surprisingly it is also raining.
I really enjoyed reading all of your emails that you have sent me and by the looks of the picture it looks like mom really enjoyed my letter that I sent in the mail.  I have received the packages and the letters that you guys have sent me.  I opened up the package and I was really surprised to see the boxes of Twinkies thanks a lot they are great.  I also received a box of Reeses and I was wondering if that was also from you guys because it didn't have a name on it.  I have not opened the letters though because they say that I have to wait until my birthday so they are sitting on my desk right now.  
We were not able to teach I**** this last week because he is really busy with work, but we will be teaching him tomorrow.  It should be another great lesson and I am really excited for it.  We have also been staying in contact with L*****, but we have found out that she might be moving out of our area sometime soon.  We aren't quite sure when, but we are trying to find a good day to meet with her and maybe teach her some more.

We had a really good experience this last week and it really taught me a lot about this gospel.  We met a guy named A**** who has met missionaries before and at the end he didn't want to learn.  It was a good experience though because we talked with him on his porch for about 30 minutes. The part that I really liked is he just kept on asking us all sorts of different questions and we had an answer for every single question that he asked.  We didn't even hesitate between each question and we answered right away.  I know that the Holy Ghost was there with us to answer his question and it was cool to be able to answer all of them.  It was just too bad that he didn't want to know more.
It sounds like you guys are going to be having a great time in St. George and it sounds like you guys are all excited to go.  I do think that mom is the most excited to go though.  I can definitely tell from this far away.

I am really excited for this next week and I am definitely really excited for today.  After we are done emailing we are going to do our shopping for the week.  Then I am going to go and get some fish and chips for lunch and I will make sure that I take a picture of it for you. We are then going to go to the Bishops house at 3 and we are going to play some board games with his two sons.  One of them just returned from his mission in Germany about 4 weeks ago and the other one is about 17 years old.  We are planning on playing risk so I am really excited for that.  They are then taking us out to eat at some restaurant. I am sure that it will be a really good restaurant because our Bishop loves food.  It might be hard to believe but he loves it more than I do. So it should be a really fun Pday today I can't wait.

Chelsey It sounds like ‘Meet the Mormons’ was a really good movie and that you guys really enjoyed watching it.  I was told that mom and dad started crying at the end.  That doesn't really surprise me too much. I haven't really tried anything too new.  Yesterday we did have some lamb meat with some potatoes that a member gave us and that was really good. Other than that I haven't had anything new. 

Caden Dad told me all about the great deer hunt that you had this last week.  It looks like a great deer that you shot and it's really cool that you shot it at such a far range. It sounds like a really good deer hunt and good job taking a long shot. Just make sure you don't shoot anything bigger than what I have shot until I get home to see it.  It's okay if you just shoot the does until I get home. 

Lyndsey I am glad that you like how I am always talking about food. I think it is because I really do enjoy food like I do back home.  The good thing is I haven't gained much weight yet which is a good sign so that I can keep eating the great food.  We really don't do anything with our Mission President other than meet with him.  He is always busy with a lot of different things. He lives about an hour away from us by train which is actually really close compared to other areas.  If I go to Wales I would have to travel by train for about 4 hours to get to the mission home so we have it quite nice.
There are two missionaries that are in the same area as us right now.  It is Elder K***** and Elder D****.  Elder K***** is from Canada and he has been out for 8 months and Elder D**** is from Seattle Washington and he is going home in about 3 weeks.  They are both really cool and we have a lot of fun together. A couple of times we have played chair football with them and we did play monopoly with them on one pday.  It was a lot of fun.
My favorite thing that happened this last week was probably meeting with the Mission President on Friday.  It was a lot of fun talking to him and his wife and also all the other missionaries in our District. 
I hope that you have another good week this week and make sure that your letter next week doesn't mention anything about Real unless you want to tell me that they lost.  That would definitely be okay. And Lyndsey I do miss you maybe just a little bit.... About the size of a mustard seed.

The thought that I want to share with you guys I have been thinking about a lot this last week.  It goes with why we have hard times in life and it has made me understand why we have hard times on the mission.  Some of us ask ourselves why we have trials. We have people ask us all the time why God would let people have trials if he loves us so much? Sometimes missionaries ask themselves why do we as the Lords servants go through hard times and why do we get rejected by so many people? The answer to all the questions and many more questions like these is because Salvation doesn't come cheap.  That has really made me think a lot about different trials that I have had through my life and I hope that it makes sense to all of you guys and that it help you guys understand like it helped me.  Because I have found that it makes me enjoy my trials even more knowing that I am working my way toward salvation and to be able to live with God again someday.
I hope that you guys have another great week this next week.  Keep working hard and thank you for all of your emails they are really fun to read.

Love,
Elder Peterson

 P.S. I will be sending you some pictures of a lot of different things.  One is of my new coat that I bought.  I also took a picture of a picture that is sitting on my desk that I hope that you enjoy. On Tuesday we went and had some fun with the young men for mutual.  We had some fights with cardboard as our sword and our armor.  It was pretty fun.  I also took some pictures of the money because Chelsey wanted them.  One is of the notes or the bills like they call them in the U.S. and the other are all of the coins.  As you will see they are really colorful and it's weird because they are also different sizes.  
A pound is like a dollar back home and a pence is like a cent back home. As you will see there are a lot of different coins.  From left to right it is a £2, £1, then it goes 50 pence, 20 pence, 10 pence, 5 pence 2 pence and 1 pence.  £ is equal to $ back home.  As you can see there are not any one dollar bills they are carried around in coins.  It is actually kind of a pain sometimes because I carry around a lot of coins.  Things over here are definitely more expensive than back home.
I hope that you all enjoy the pictures that I have sent home.

Elder Peterson & Elder Leal

Elder Peterson with his new coat
"What a Stud"

Picture of Elder Peterson's Family

  From left to right it is a £2, £1, then it goes 50 pence, 20 pence, 10 pence, 5 pence 2 pence and 1 pence.  £ is equal to $ back home.  As you can see there are not any one dollar bills they are carried around in coins.

Letter #11

Dear Mum and Family,

It sounds like it has been another great week in the great Cache Valley.  I really enjoy the emails that I get from you guys every week.  I always look forward to Mondays so that I can see how things are going back home.  I am glad to hear that everything is going well.

This last week we taught I**** about tithing and fasting. The lesson went really well and because he is a less active member he pretty much knew all about those subjects. There were a few things that he didn't know though so it was good to teach him some new things.  He lives with his parents at the moment and he works at a glasses store.   We don't know when we will be able to teach him this week, but I’m sure we will find out soon.  

We have been keeping in contact with L***** we just haven't had the opportunity to teach her yet.  She has been really busy with work lately, but we are going to try and set up an appointment this next week with her.  She actually texted us while we were watching conference and said that she had looked it up on the internet and she actually watched a session.  That was probably the best thing that I heard from her and that just shows how much she is interested in the gospel.  She said she really enjoyed the talks which was also really good to hear. Hopefully we can talk with her this next week. 

Things are going really well out here on the mission.  I really enjoyed listening to conference this last weekend.  We went to the stake center on Saturday and we watched the Saturday morning session live at 5 pm over here.  We then went back to our flat and came back on Sunday and watched the priesthood session at 10 am and then the Saturday afternoon session at 1pm.  We then watched the Sunday morning session live at 5 pm. We will be getting the Ensign when it comes out so I can read the last session and the talks from it when we get it.  We had a break between each session and because it was Sunday we didn't go out to buy anything.  I brought some bread and made some peanut butter and jelly of course for lunch and I bought a small pizza on Saturday and cooked that for dinner on Sunday.  It was mostly missionaries there, but there were some members also.  Most of the members look it up on the internet and watch it so there wasn't too many.   It was a really great conference and I learned a lot of great things. I'm glad that you guys enjoyed it too.

Thank you for the package that you sent. I have not yet received it, but I should be going to the mission home either this week or the week to come.  I have really enjoyed the letters that I have been getting from you in the mail.  I have sent a letter to you and it should get there in about a week.  You don't need to worry about putting money in my account to send letters though.  It might be hard to believe, but I have actually been doing really well with managing my money that I get every month.  I have always had extra money at the end of each month which is pretty nice because I don't have to worry about not having any for food.
I am glad that you enjoyed the picture of me holding a football. I didn't buy that football it was actually in our flat so we just pumped it up and went and passed it around for a little bit.  It was actually quite fun. You asked if I have to duck when I walk through the door frames….Well I don't have to duck when I walk under the door frames, but it is actually quite close.  The doors are a little smaller here so I don't have much room between the top of my head and the door.

You can let Grandma Crossley know that it's okay that she didn't teach me a whole lot about sewing.  I probably wouldn't have paid much attention because sewing is definitely not my thing and I don't think it ever will be. 

Chelsey that is really scary that you are going to be getting your driving permit.  I am kind of glad that I am in England right now because then I don't have to worry too much.  I am sure that you will be a better driver than Lyndsey is though.

It has really made my day to hear that all the sports in Utah went great.  It sounds like Caden is continuing to do a great job this year and that his team is having a great season.  I was really glad to hear that SV won Logan.  They really deserve that win and it sounds like it was a really great game.  I talked to Elder Andrus on Saturday and I found out early that USU beat BYU.  We had a great time talking about it and we were both super happy that they won.  It is also really good to hear that U of U is actually doing well against some really tough teams.  It sounds like the games were all fun to watch this week and that everything went great for the State of Utah.

In the ward we haven't really attended any meetings.  Because we have such a small ward here we haven't had a ward mission leader until just last week.  We will be having a meeting with him eventually, but for right now because he is new and he has been a convert for about 7 year we are teaching him what he is supposed to do as a ward mission leader. Once he starts getting used to it I am sure that we will be having more meeting which will really help the work. 

My favorite thing that happened this week is it finally rained so I really enjoyed going outside and walking in the rain and getting really wet.  It doesn't sound like much fun, but I actually really enjoyed it. 

 Thank you for the quote that you gave me I really enjoy it.  I have been doing lots of great studying on the Prophet Lorenzo Snow and I have learned a lot from his life and his teachings.  I have found a lot of great quotes from him and I am excited to share some of those with you guys.  I will share a couple with you this week.

The first one is probably one of my favorites. "As man now is; God once was: As God now is, man may be."
I really like this one because it shows that God has gone through the same things that we have and if we follow his commandments that he has given us on this earth we too can become like him.  That's such a great blessing that we have and also we have a great blessing of being able to live with our loved ones for eternity.  All we need to do is follow the commandments.

The second one I want to share is about becoming perfect. “Do not expect to become perfect at once.  If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today."

That quote is totally true that we can't expect to be perfect right now.  Being perfect like Christ is a really hard thing.  But we can be better each day and if we do this we can become more and more like our Heavenly Father.  We need to know that it is not going to be easy, but we can do our best each and every day to be just a little better than we were the day before. 

I hope that you guys have a really good week this next week. I am really thankful for the great email that you have sent me. I really enjoyed them all. Have a good week and I love you all.

Love,
Elder Peterson

Letter #10

Dear Mum and family,

It sounds like it has been another fun and exciting week in the great valley of cache.  I'm really glad that you enjoyed the pictures of the flat and that you got a good laugh at the washing machine.  I'm really glad that we don't have a lot of dishes to wash or else I would really wish that the washer was a dish washer.  It is nicer to have a washer though so we don't have to go somewhere to get our clothes washed because it is pretty expensive. The flat is usually that clean most of the time. I made sure that I took pictures when it was the cleanest though.  We had our flat inspections that day and we passed with flying colors so that just shows that we do keep it really clean.  Just so you know my desk is always that clean though.  I really don't like studying at a desk that is really messy.  I sleep on the top bunk and no I don't keep my companion up with my snoring. 
  
This last week’s lesson went really well with I***.  We taught him the 10 commandments and the law of chastity.  The lessons were great and he said that he really is enjoying our lessons.  I'm glad to be helping him out and it's really cool to see his improvement every week that we go over there.  I know that your prayers back home are really helping us out.  

We talked to L***** this last week.  We talked to her about pray and the importance of reading and praying about the Book of Mormon.  She said that she would read and pray about it before we talk to her again.  She works a lot of hours and so it's kind of hard to see her sometimes.  We did text her the other day and she did say that everything was going good and she said that we can most likely see her this next week.  I'm sure she has done the things that we asked because she does really enjoy reading the Book of Mormon and she told us that she does pray every night so that was good to hear. 

I don't have a new companion.  I will for sure be getting one in six weeks though because he has been here for a long time.  I probably won't be moving from this area until about a week before Christmas so l still have some time here.  
The peanut butter sandwiches with bananas are really good. I have one at least once a day.  I will admit the peanut butter doesn't taste quite as good as at home, but it's not horrible.  I do have a new recipe that's also really good.  You just get some oats and you pour boiling water just like you would to make oatmeal.  You then add some jam to it, a little bit of milk and sugar.  It is actually really good.  The best thing is that oats over here are dirt cheap so I think I will be stocking up on those today when I go shopping.

I did get all the letters that you have sent to me.  Just so you know I will probably be getting my mail probably once or twice a month.  We have to go to the mission home to get it and that is usually once a month.  I really enjoyed the pictures that you sent and I was actually already planning on getting a frame for the family one.  I also really enjoyed reading the newspaper clipping and the letter that I received from Blaine.  I wrote a letter for him already and I will be sending it to him today.  The recipes are great that you sent.  I haven't tried any of them yet, but I will be getting some of the things that I need for them today so I will probably make some this next week.

I'm glad that you guys are all excited to listen to General Conference this next weekend. I too am really excited to listen to it.  We will be going to a church house on Saturday and Sunday to be watching it on a big screen.  Because of the time change all of the sessions but one will be a recording. We won't be able to see one of the sessions though because of the different time, but I’m not quite sure which one it is yet.  I really can't wait to listen to the great talks that will be given.  All the missionaries that I have talked to have said that attending conference while serving a mission is really special.  That has made me really excited and I can't wait to listen. It will be kind of weird not being home, but it will be the same talks you guys are listening too. 

My clothes are holding up really well so you don't need to worry. I just had to sew that one hole that was in the shirt that I was wearing when I left.  You will have to tell Grandma Crossley that it was kind of hard not to watch her sew because it was interesting that she could sew and watch TV at the same time without messing up.  I haven't got to that stage yet, but maybe in two years I will get there.  I doubt it though. 

 It sounds like another great week for Sky View Football this last week.  I am really glad to hear that they took it to those Mustangs. They really deserve that win.  I'm sure that Lyndsey was paying more attention to the boys then the game that's why she didn't know much about it.  It sounds like it was a really good game and that the defense did amazing.  That's too bad that Caden's team wasn't able to get the win this last week.  I hope that they do well in the play off this next week though. I'm glad that he had a great game though.  I hope that he is really enjoying playing offense this year.  It sounds like he is doing really great and that he is enjoying it from what I’m hearing.  

I'm glad that you guys had an enjoyable time at the Pheasants Forever youth hunt.  I bet that was a lot of fun to go hunting in the rain all day.  I'm glad you guys are getting the rain because we haven't had any for quite a while.  I'm really surprised that Chelsey went and actually shot a gun. It sounds like she had a lot of fun.  Sounds like Caden is doing really good at the hunting thing.  Hopefully he doesn't get any better or I’m not going to be able to out shoot him anymore.  I'm glad that it was a lot of fun for you all though. 

It was really funny this last week. When we were walking back to our flat one night you won't believe what we saw.  We were walking on the sidewalk and a fox ran across the road and into some bushes.  It was really weird because as you know there is a ton of buildings around and it was weird to see a fox.  The first thing I thought was where is my gun because I know mom really wanted one.  But oh well maybe when I get back I will have to get one for her.
I have found one thing new that was actually quite nice.  Last Monday we found a restaurant that's all you can eat for only 5 pounds.  It was really good and we are going there again today with some other missionaries so I’m excited for that.
You ask me what one of my favorite topics is to teach…..I have to say that  
I think one of my favorite topics to teach to people is probably the restoration.  It's a pretty simple topic to teach out of preach my gospel and I really enjoy the spirit that comes when we quote the first vision from memory.  It's really cool and I really do enjoy teaching it.  I do enjoy teaching all the topics though.  

The scripture that I have for all you guys is in Mosiah 2:23-24 and it says:
23 And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him.
24 And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you, for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you, and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are and will be, forever and ever, therefore, of what have ye to boast of?

The Lord has done a lot for us and because he does so much like this scripture says we are in debt.  I think that we will always be in debt for the many blessings, but a way that we can pay just a little back is by serving him and serving his other children on this earth.  We definitely will not be able to pay back everything because he is continually blessing us, but we can try our best to pay just a little.  
I hope that you guys have another great week this week and that you learn a lot from General Conference this next weekend.  I know I’m really excited to learn.

Love, 
Elder Peterson

P.S. 
I hope that you enjoy the pictures that I sent of the really big spider that we found in our flat.  I tried to compare it with my hand but the spider actually looks a little smaller than it actually was.  I also put a picture of me holding an American football.  We actually went outside last pday and passed it around and it was really fun.

Spider in Flat

Size of Spider compared with Elder Peterson's Hand

Elder Peterson with an American Football

Letter # 9

Dear Mum and Family,                 September 22, 2014

It sounds like it's been another great week back in Cache valley and I guess St. George.  I was told by everyone I think about the re-dedication of the Ogden Temple and it sounds like it was a really great experience. I can't wait to go through it when I get home.  

We had another great lesson with I*** this last week.  We are still teaching him about the commandments.  This last week we taught him about prayer, studying the scriptures, and keeping the Sabbath day holy.  We also had a really cool experience.  I*** has to work on Sundays so he really isn't able to come to church very often.  We felt impressed to tell him that if he prayed and then went and talked with his boss then he would be able to get Sundays off.  We talked with him at Stake Conference on Saturday and he said that he did exactly what we told him.  His boss said that it would be okay for him to have Sundays off which made him really excited and it really strengthened his faith.  It was really cool for him and for us.  

We also had another great experience this last week with L***.  She texted us and said that she still wants to take the lessons which was really good to hear.  She just knows how important baptism is and doesn't quite want to commit to it yet because she knows how important it is.  It was really good to hear from her again and I can't wait to start teaching her.  I know that all the prayers back home are really helping our investigators and those experiences really show that they are helping. Thank you guys for having our investigators in your prayers it really does help. 

It sounds like the family is doing really well back home and I’m glad that everyone is enjoying my letters that I’m sending.  You can tell Nan (Grandma Crossley) that I have learned a lot from her.  I have watched her do her sewing many times while she has been watching T.V. and I did a pretty good job in sewing one of my shirts this last week.  It wasn't as good as she probably could have done it and I don't think that I ever will get there, but just watching her helped a little I think.

We finally got a pump from the District Leaders and it works great.  We finally have our bikes back, but we haven't ridden them yet because we bought a week long bus passes and we decided to use them instead until they expire.  I'm glad to hear that you are working out now Mum and that you are finally taking my training advice.  I have tried to be your personal trainer many times, but you would never listen to me.  I'm glad that you are now though. 

Now I will answer some of your questions that you have I guess.

I have not been asked yet to give a talk in sacrament, but the first sacrament meeting I was here I had to bear my testimony.  That wasn't too bad of course, but I’m sure I will be asked to speak before I leave.
The members are really great in Sheldon. We always have DA's (Dinner Appointments) every week which of course is super nice.  The foods I have had at them are really good and I haven't had anything gross yet.  There hasn't been anything new that you guys don't eat back home so there isn't much excitement there, but it is good.

I'm not really missing any of the foods back home really.  I have my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches almost every day so I think I’m good. I have made an improvement though.  I now put bananas on my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and that is super good.  The American restaurants like McDonald’s don’t taste as good here, but its ok because I would rather go to a Chippie and get fish and chips than go to one of those.  We might be going to one today so if we do I will get a picture with me eating one.  

My favorite thing to do on Sundays is to go to church. Mostly because it's fun talking to the members and there are another set of missionaries who are really cool that are in our ward and it’s fun to talk to them.  One of them is from the Philippines and he is super funny.  

I'm really not that tired, but I sometime take a nap on Mondays since it is our Pday and we really don't do a whole lot.  Other than that we really don't have a lot of time to take naps, but that's okay because I’m used to getting up early now so I’m not too tired during the day.  

On Saturday one of the members gave us a fish pie that was really good.  It's kind of like dad's shepherd pie.  It has potatoes, salmon, onions, cabbage, and hard boiled eggs cut up.  It tasted really good and the good thing was she gave us a ton of it so I wasn't very hungry after.  

The weather here is starting to get chilly also.  It's funny because most people are freezing over here when it's actually 70 degrees and it's quite nice.  The mornings are a little chilly, but it warms up throughout the day.  People are always asking us if we are freezing because we aren't wearing coats, but I actually really enjoy the nice weather. It hasn't even rained this last week which is really nice.  I'm starting to think that they don't get much rain over here, but I’m sure it will come. 
It sounds like everything is going well back home and I hope that everything continues to go well.  

Some interesting news that I have for you guys is the reason that they were going to change the Union Jack's colors was because Scotland was planning on not being a part of the UK anymore.  They voted on it last week and the votes were pretty close.  The results are they are not leaving the UK so the flag will stay the same.  So don't worry about getting a new flag
.  
Also I could be getting a new companion tonight.  My companion has been in this area for quite a while and tonight is what we call dodge night.  Every six week there is a transfer and the Mission President calls us up and tells us if we are staying or moving.  Since I just arrived here I will most likely be staying, but there is a possibility that my companion could leave.  We will be finding out tonight at 9 so I will let you guys know next week how it goes. 

I wanted to share a few scriptures with you guys this week.  The first one is found in 
Isaiah 49:15-16
.... Yet will I not forget thee, Behold I have engraven thee upon the palms of my hands.

That is the Savior of course and we need to remember that he is always there for us and that he died for every single one of us.  He knows everything that we go through and that he knows EXACTLY how we all feel. Let us all remember that he is always there no matter what's going on in our everyday lives.
The other thought I wanted to share with you mostly goes for the young men.  We are told as missionaries to encourage younger boys to serve missions and a quote that I have from the prophet goes great for the young men.

"Within two short years, all of the full-time missionaries currently serving in this royal army of God will have concluded there full-time labors and will have returned to their homes and loved ones.   Their replacements are found in the ranks of the Aaronic Priesthood of the Church. Young men, are you ready to respond? Are you willing to work? Are you prepared to Serve"?
- President Thomas S.  Monson

When I read that I thought about when I was in young men’s and how I thought that it would be quite a while before I was going on a mission. But as the prophet says it is really "within two short years" missionaries will be coming home and time will fly and the next thing you know you are actually serving the Lord.  The young men need to do all they can to prepare to serve not only because they are told to, but because the Lord needs them to. This doesn't just apply to young men either.  Young women also have the opportunity to serve for 18 months and they also need to prepare to help God's children come closer to Christ through his gospel.

I hope you all have another great week this next week and have fun in St. George Mum and Dad. Keep working hard and remember to always read your scriptures. 

I love you all and thank you for your prayers. They really are being answered six thousand miles away. Have another great week in good old Cache Valley.


Love, 
Elder Peterson
I will send you some pictures of our flat today

Bedroom

Dining room

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living room

Bedroom

Letter #8

Dear Mum and Family,

It sounds like everyone has had a great week especially since it was homecoming.  I saw the pictures of Lyndsey with my jersey on and it looks like they had a lot of fun at the powder puff game.  I'm glad that you guys are enjoying wearing my jerseys. The only thing that I ask is you don't make them smell like girls because that's not cool.  

This last week we were able to teach the gentleman I have been telling you about. We taught him at his house. We have started teaching him the commandments.  Last week we taught him about the Word of Wisdom and that we need to follow the prophets. We read D&C 89 with him and he really enjoyed it and he said that he learned a lot since he couldn't remember the Word of Wisdom.  You asked where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that we taught him last week.  It is in the Preach My Gospel book in the third chapter. It's a really cool chapter that really talks about what we need to do in life to return to Christ.  And of course it is very simple so it's really not quite everything.  

Our other investigator we haven't taught our other investigator yet she texted us last week and said that she is not quite ready to make commitment.  It was really weird because we haven't committed her to do anything yet so we don't know what's going on.  We have been trying to get a hold of her for the past week, but she hasn't answered our texts.  We are going to try and talk to her and see why she doesn't want to learn and then we will go from there.  We just need to trust in the Lord and I know that everything will go well if we do.  

I'm glad that you like my bike because right now I’m kind of frustrated with it.  The third day that we went out riding my front tire got popped.  I have a tire repair kit and I fixed it, but our pump is horrible so we can't pump my tire up or my companions.  So we have gone back to walking and riding a bus until Wednesday when we can get a pump from the District Leaders who said that we can have theirs since they don't use it.  We have to carry our bike up three stories of stairs which I don't really mind because it's some great exercise. 

Speaking of exercise I talked the Elder from Tonga that I met in the MTC, and he gave me the best workout ever.  He told me his secret on how to get strong so I have started doing it. He said that he does 600 push up morning and night with his feet on a chair and that you need to drink milk.  So this last week I have started doing that.  Of course I’m not quite to the part where I can do 600 morning and night, but I have got to the point where I can do 300 morning and night.  It's super hard and I’m sore almost every day, but I love it.

I'm glad that you said that you really enjoy the way that my hair looks. Just to let you know I have not gotten my hair cut yet so you can thank Melissa for doing it because she is the last person who cut it.  I will be getting my hair cut today though because it is getting kind of long so I will see how that goes.  
I have not had beef kidney pie yet, but I hope that I do because everyone that has had it says that it tastes pretty good.

I will send you guys some chocolate sometime soon, I just don't know when.  The chocolate is really good over here especially the Cadbury chocolate.  I always look at the ingredients to make sure there is no alcohol and I haven't really found much chocolate that does have it, but I will make sure I don't send any home.  
I don't really need clothes for my birthday because we still wear a shirt and tie on Pday, but if I have money on my account that might be best so then I can get things that I might need later.  I forgot to tell you guys that we only have to wear suits when we go to church and when we go to meetings.  So really we only wear them on Sundays and once during the week for a couple hours. It's actually quite nice to only have to wear a white shirt and tie.

You asked me if England just received Twinkies.  
No I just decided to take a picture of the Twinkies; we did not buy them because they are super expensive. That box cost about 8 pounds which is about 16 dollars so it was so not worth it. I just decided to get a picture with it so I could enjoy looking at it.  

The most interesting thing that happened this last week is some kids about 12 or so thought we were policeman so they kept saying hi policeman. It was really funny and I don't know why they thought that because the police wear all black over here and we have white shirts on.  It was really funny though.

I have not really had any interesting foods this last week, it has all been normal food and the only restaurant we went to was a chippie which is where we bought fish and chips so that's not really interesting.  
Also it hasn't rained any so I don't know what you are talking about when you ask about the rain.
And Lyndsey of course the girls are not cute and I don't know why you asked that because you already know that I’m not getting married so why would I be looking at them.  I'm sure they look at me though because I’m soooo muscular, but I can't really help that I do a lot of push-ups every day.  

I have attached a picture of fish and chips. It doesn't look like it's that big, but just so you know the fish alone could cover one dinner plate and the fries cover about half of one.  It was great and I was super full after it. 

Fish and Chips

I'm glad that you guys had a great week this last week and that you guys had fun meeting my companion’s parents.  Thanks for the pictures that you have sent. I really enjoyed looking at them. Have another great week this week and continue to work hard. I have noticed that you never really know how much you love something until you go without it.  I'm glad that I can be serving a mission though and plus two years really isn't that long. Have a great week.

Here is my quote for the week:

Declaring our testimony of the gospel is good, but being a living example of the restored gospel is better.
Wishing to be more faithful to our covenants is good, but being faithful to sacred covenants- including living a virtuous life, paying our tithes and offerings, keeping the word of wisdom and serving those in need is much better.
Announcing that we will dedicate more time for family prayer, scripture study, and wholesome family activities is good, but actually doing all these things steadily will bring heavenly blessings to our lives. 
- Pesident Uchtdorf

Love, 
Elder Peterson


Something that I forgot to tell you that is really interesting.  England might be changing the color of their flag this week. They haven't quite decided wether they will or not.  I'm sure that you could find it on the internet though.  It will have the same design the colors will be changed to black, white, orange and red I think it was.  It was pretty interesting and I thought that I would let you know because the flag hanging up outside of our house might have to be changed.  I will let you know next monday what they have decided, but i'm sure you might find out on the internet before me  

Letter # 7

Dear Family,                          September 8, 2014         

It sounds like everything is going great back home and that everyone is enjoying school.  We had a great week this last week and some good experiences with teaching.  We taught the gentleman that I have been tell you about on Tuesday of last week and it went really well.  We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he really enjoyed it.  He is really doing well and he has been making some great improvements.  He said that he is praying every night and that he can't fall asleep unless he prays.  It was really good to hear that from him and to hear that he has been reading almost every day out of the Book of Mormon.  He really understands what we are teaching and we will be teaching him again tomorrow. I can't wait. 

We have a new investigator.  She lives pretty close to our flat which is nice.  She just moved there from a different area and she has been taught some of the lessons from the sisters in the area that she was in.  She is really excited to learn more about the gospel and we can't wait to teach her more.  She has been looking up a lot of the church websites online so she already knows a lot about the church which is kind of nice.  We showed her around the church house this last week and she said that she really liked looking at the baptismal font.  It was really cool to see how excited she was and we should be seeing her next week we just don't know when because she works a lot.  

Yesterday we had a really cool experience at church.  It was fast and testimony meeting yesterday of course and we were in sacrament bearing our testimonies.  A man walked in and sat in the back of the chapel.  We have never seen him before and the other Elders who are in the ward haven't either.  He walked up to the pulpit to bear his testimony which wasn't really a testimony because he is not a member.  He told us that he has been homeless for about 10 years now and that he really loves his mom and sister, but they have both died and he feels really lonely because they are not here.  He then went and sat down in the back of the chapel again. My Companion and I thought that he had left so we stood up and went out to see if we could find him, but of course we didn't because he was in the chapel.  So we walked back in and saw him so we went and sat by him.  We told him that he did a good job bearing his testimony and that we were proud of him.  He then started talking to us so we took him outside and got to know him a little bit better. We spent the whole sacrament sitting outside talking to him and it was cool to get to meet him.  He then left and said that he would be back next week so hopefully he will come because we have already made plans to teach him about the gospel next week.  

I finally got my bike this last Tuesday and it's kind of nice to be able to get to places a lot faster.  It was kind of weird at first riding on the left side of the road, but I have gotten used to it now.  I definitely like riding a bike a lot more than walking and riding a bus especially since it's helping me keep in shape so I can eat some more great food.  

Today should be a really good Pday.  After we email we are going to go to a Chippie and get some fish and chips.  I really enjoy them and Kyle and Robby said that I’m supposed to eat a lot of fish and chips for them so that's what I’m doing.  I have had crumpets a few times and they are really good.  We have been having some great food and I really enjoy the great tasting chocolate.  I will have to send some home so you guys can taste it.  Elder Leal has sent some to his family and he said that they love it.  We have a couple more dinner appointments this next week and I can't wait to see what amazing food we will have then. 

You asked about the stupid pigeons that have taken over our balcony.  They are definitely not cute, but the good thing is they don't wake me up.  A couple of days before they hatched we were going to throw the eggs off the balcony so we wouldn't have to worry about them, but we were so busy that we forgot to.  So now we have to deal with them for a little longer and then when we think they can fly we will probably throw them off.  They don't really make a lot of noise; it's just annoying because they made a mess all over our balcony.  

This week should be another great week and I’m excited to find more people to teach.  We haven't really had any success finding people while tracking, but we are working hard and hopefully we can find some people who want to listen.  I hope that you guys have another great week also and that you have fun going to school.  I will be wearing my Sky View tie this week again so hopefully they can get another win this week.  That includes Caden's team too.  Go Sky View!

I received my package this last week, but my letters weren't there yet.  In the package there was a pillow case and a plan of salvation card.  I think that the funniest thing on the pillow is that is says not to jay walk.  It's funny because jay walking is legal over here so we do it all the time.  
Thanks for the package and hopefully I will get the letters soon.  I will be putting a couple of pictures in dropbox and I made sure I was in them.  

My thought for this week is D&C 90:24.   Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good....
So if you read you scriptures and pray and believe that God will help you then everything with school and work or anything else that we do will all work out for us. Have a good week.

Love, 
Elder Peterson

P.S. Lyndsey to answer some of your questions most of the people are pretty short over here so I feel really tall walking around and they are mostly really skinny.  Since I’m so muscular and strong I look like a beast.  Actually I looked like one back home so I guess not much has changed.  
Our flat is pretty much like any apartment would look like back home so it's pretty nice.  We have a pretty nice kitchen, a bed room, a study room with couches and desks, and a good sized living room that has a dinner table in it.  It's mostly wood floor so it's pretty easy to clean.  
McDonald’s back home is a lot better than the one here.  I think that all the American restaurant’s like McDonald’s, Five Guys and a few others taste better back home, but they are still pretty good here.  
My favorite thing this week was probably getting my bike so we don't have to walk everywhere.  And I’m definitely glad that you are still in America.  It's nice knowing that you are about 6,000 miles away.  
Have a great week in school and have a fun homecoming week.  Work hard in school and remember to read your scriptures. And Go Sky View!

Elder Peterson found Twinkies in England

Elder Peterson's New Missionary Bike