Letter #16

Dear Mum and Family,

It sounds like it has been another enjoyable week back in the great Valley of Cache. It's great to hear from everyone and to hear how much fun that you guys have every week.
To start off I would like to tell you all that I have been transferred to a new area.  It is called llenelley Wales. My new companion is Elder Farley from Tooele Utah.  He has been out a little over 18 months so he is at the later part of his mission.  He is a great companion and is a lot of fun to be with.  
Mum you said that you looked to see if they have Thanksgiving in England and that is definitely true what you looked up.  They don't celebrate Thanksgiving here, but Christmas is really big.  The Brits definitely love Christmas time.  They haven't really started decorating much, but there are a lot of Christmas things that you can buy at stores.  And I thought that they started it too early back home…..It's going to be a little different because they really don't get any snow, but at the same time I am really excited for it. 

Everything is going well with I***.  We are almost done teaching him all the lessons in Preach My Gospel.  His testimony has really grown and I have really enjoyed teaching him.  Hopefully we can stay in touch now that I have moved areas. It was definitely a lot of fun getting to know him though.

You also asked what temple is closer to Birmingham….The Preston temple is closer than the London temple so they go to the Preston one.  Usually once a month they rent a bus and they get a ride to the temple which is really cool.  A lot of members go to the temple when they have those temple trips which are really cool.

The last week we have been doing a lot of tracking, but haven't been really successful.  It has been quite rainy the last couple of days while we have been out and we have definitely been getting quite wet. I don't think I have told you, but in this mission when you tract out in the rain they have a thing called spouse points that you get.  So the more spouse points the better looking your spouse will be.  But of course you guys know me and my opinion about girls and how they are a waste of time.  And that my time is very precious. So my spouse points get converted to MAN CAVE point.  One spouse point is equal to Three MAN CAVE points. And just so you know I am going to have an amazing MAN CAVE when I get home because I have a ton of points and I am only into my mission three months.

It has been raining quite a bit the last couple of days, which it does in Wales, but it is pretty nice today.  They do not have any mountains that I have seen.  If you ask someone from Wales they call some hills mountains, but they are definitely not mountains they are hills.

Caden I bet you are really excited now for winter to come so that you can start playing some hockey. I am really going to miss playing, but that's okay because when I get back I will be able to go again.  I hope that you have a lot of fun when the ice rink gets done and make sure that you play a lot for me. I bet you will be there almost every day and that you will be a lot better by the time that I get back.

Chelsey that is really exciting that you are going to be getting some of your braces off the next time you go.  I can just see how excited you will be when that happens.  That is so cool.  Too bad I got mine off before you though and it is really nice. 

Lindsee I have heard about the Ebola virus, but I haven't heard a lot about it.  You should give me an update because it sounds pretty interesting.
I don't have fish and chips too often.  Maybe every fortnight or so.  ( fortnight is equal to 2 weeks).  It is really good though and it's probably one of my favorite foods other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  But then again all food is really good. But still nothing beats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have at least one for every meal that I eat everyday along with something else.  They are truly amazing.
Every week is actually pretty different even though we do a lot of the same things each week.  They are pretty different though.
There really are not any weird bugs or spiders here or animals really.  We do see rabbits every once in a while when we walk through the park, but that is really all.  The most common animals here are dogs because almost every one owns at least one if not two.  And they are always taking them out on walks.  They definitely love their dogs in England.
and Lindsee  I definitely don't miss you as much as Mt. Everest.  That is way too much!

Dad that is too bad that SV wasn't able to get the W this last week I was really hoping that they would take it to timpview.   SV did have a great season though this last year and I wish I was able to be there to watch some of them because they sounded great. It is really good to hear that USU is doing really good though even though they are really struggling with the injuries. I hope they can keep it up and continue to have a great season.  

Also that's really cool to have a new stake Presidency.  I am sure the last stake presidency is relieved now, but I bet it will be a little weird for them because they won't have as many meeting and they will have more time on their hands.  It sounds like the new presidency is really great though even though I only know Keith.  It will be weird to come home to a new one that is for sure.

One quote that I want to share with you is a great quote and I really like it. 
“Perhaps when we face our Maker, we will not be asked, how many positions did you hold? But rather, how many people did you help?"
I really like this quote because no matter what calling you have in the church it really doesn't matter to the Lord because we can help lots of people with whatever calling that we have.  I know that it is really important that we help others.  We read in the scriptures lots of examples of Christ helping others and if we are like him and just help others we will be blessed for that.

The other thought that I have for you guys this week is kind of long, but I really like it.
 ”The wounds in the Lord's hands, feet, and side are signs that in mortality painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect. Signs that that tribulation is not evidence that God does not love us. It is a significant and hopeful fact that it is the wounded Christ who comes to our rescue.  He who bears the scars of sacrifice, the lesions of love, the emblems of humility, and forgiveness is the captain of our soul. That evidence of pain in mortality is undoubtedly intended to give courage to others who are also hurt and wounded by life, perhaps even in the house of their friends."
- Jefferey R. Holland

I really enjoy studying what the Savior has done for us. I refer to the book Jesus the Christ a lot when I study.   I have learned a lot more about what he went through. So when I found this from Jefferey R. Holland I really loved it. I hope that it helps strengthens your testimonies of the Atonement like it has mine.  I hope that you guys can find time to maybe read a little more about the Atonement when you are going through a rough day or maybe just whenever.  I know that it will really help you because it has definitely helped me.  
It sounds like you have all had a great week and I hope that this week is even better.  Keep up the good work and thanks again for all of you letters. 

Love,
Elder Peterson.

P.S.  I didn't get transferred I am still in Sheldon, but Elder Farley is really my companion. 

P.S.S
You also asked if they have daylight saving in England. 
Yes they do change the times in England so we are still 7 hours different.