Grandma Teuscher

Dear Family, These are some of my thoughts on Grandma and you can read it at her service if you want! I love you! -Sister Petersen


I love my Grandma Teuscher SO much!  She is one of the strongest and most faithful people I have ever met.  The way she has endured her life has set such a huge example for me and my love and respect for her has grown so much over the years.  Although My Grandma lived with my family for a time, I can't seem to recall very many memories of her, but I will share with you what I do remember about her.  Grandma Teuscher is Southern and always very proper and polite in her way of thinking and talking.  Whenever someone in the family would say something some-what crude or unkind or what we felt was humorous, Grandma was always quick to call them on it! In her Southern accent she would say things like, "Lori, don't talk that." or "Susan, why do you have to talk that way?" or my favorite, "Oh brother." 

Grandma Teuscher was very, very loving and thoughtful.  Every time it was a grandchild's birthday, she would give us a card with five dollars in it.  Well, one day my mom mentioned to her that we pay tithing on it, so then Grandma started giving us five dollars and two quarters to pay for our tithing. What she didn't understand is that we would then have to pay tithing on the quarters as well! It was the thought that counted:)

Grandma Teuscher always had ice cubes in her milk, drank coke, ate McDonalds happy meals, and always had a jar full of taffy at her house.  Grandma Teuscher loved looking at pictures and doing genealogy.  Grandma Teuscher was ALWAYS annoyed with Grandpa Teuscher.  I've never seen Grandma drive. She was always buying me random items of clothing that I never wore and she always wanted me to paint her toe nails. 

Grandma Teuscher was easy to tease..  When I was younger My family went on a trip to Bear Lake with Aunt Susan and Uncle Paul and Grandma and Grandpa Teuscher.  Well, one day Trevor and I were playing and we found this fake plastic thumb and my Aunt Susan thought it would be funny to fill it up with Ketchup and pretend it was blood and then try to go trick someone! SO Trevor got his pocket knife and we went and sat in front of Grandma and as he was "carving" a piece of wood, he pretended to slice off his thumb! The ketchup and fake thumb went flying and Grandma stood up and started screaming in horror! I just remember laughing and high-fiving my Aunt Susan! It wasn't so funny after we got in huge trouble and Grandma wouldn't talk to us the rest of the night, but I thought we were pretty clever. 

Grandma Teuscher loved her family and loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Even though She was in pain most of her life and went through a number of hard things, I never saw her faith shake or weaken in the Lord.  She never turned her back towards him and never blamed him for her trials.  She endured them so well and I know she had a firm hope that one day she would be able to rest from ALL her afflictions.  I know that she is up in the Spirit World right now looking down on each of us and smiling.  I know she is no longer suffering, but is at peace and comfortable. 

I am so grateful for my Grandma Teuscher.  I am so grateful for her faith and hope in the Atonement of our Savior.  The sacrifice she made in her lifetime is a glimpse of what the Savior went through for each of us.  He would never give us something we could not handle and he is always right by are side lifting us up.  I know that each of us will see her again as we are obedient to the commandments of God.  I know that families can be together for time and all eternity.  I know and believe with all my heart that Grandma Teuscher is Happy and full of joy right now.  I know that she is with her parents and that they are sharing the gospel to those in the Spirit World who don't know true happiness.  She is valiant and full of Charity.  She is a beloved daughter of our Heavenly Father and she is more than enough.  Her firm understanding and obedience to the Doctrine and Principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ have paved the way for her posterity.  She is a chosen Daughter of God and I am so grateful she is MY Grandma.  I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and I know that one day we will all be glorified and perfected like our Savior Jesus Christ and we will live together forever.  I know that Jesus Christ loves each of us and wants us to be happy.  I know he feels everything we go through and I know he is extremely mindful of each of us.  I am so happy to be a Daughter of God and I am so happy to be a member of his church.  I love my family with all my heart and I know we were all meant to be here together. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.    

Families are Forever :)

WELL HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREVOR, AND JEREMY, AND BRIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO WOO.

That is so sad about Grandma passing away.. I know that she is in such a better place now and she is no longer in pain.  I am so grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation.  It's beautiful:] Families are forever my friends. don't you forget it! :)

Well this has been a long week! I've been sick:/ I've got lots of pain in my back and neck and head. Stress.. it'll getcha! I swear it'll be the death of me. I was talking to Sister Tilleman on the phone the other day and she was like.. "You know that last scene in the movie, 'Incredibles' when Dash is in that race and the family is yelling, 'Slow down! Go for second! Go for Second!' Well I'm going to start calling you Dash! You are not a superhero! We can't have you get trasnfigured yet! We know if we just let you loose, you'd be off! Slow down and go for second!" hahah well, I just thought that was funny... I love her! :)

Me with Tanya & Sis Foley

So I have to tell you about this lady named Tanya! So a couple months ago, Sister Allen and I were about to go tracting.  I think it was the end of November or start of December... anyway before we got out of the car I was just like, "Sister Allen do you have faith that we will find a new investigator tonight?!" she was like, "HECK YA!" So, we said our prayer and told the Lord we would.  The very first door we knock on is Tanya's.  I kid you not, it was one of the best door approaches I have ever done. All I remember is while I was talking, it wasn't really me talking.  Like it was all the Spirit! I distinctly remember thinking that this is what it must feel like when the Lord loosens your tongue.  Well she was so optimistic and said we could come back, which made her a new investigator! Well the first lesson with her, I was not here! I was in Osoyoos on Exchanges, but apparently it was real powerful. Can't go wrong with the Restoration.  So the follow up lesson the week after that, we show up and no one answered! We were SO disappointed! The next day We were driving around and I just had a feeling we needed to go to her house.  So Sis Allen and I go there and Tanya was home but only had a few minutes to talk cuz she was about to leave! We simply bore our testimonies to her and the Spirit was so strong.  I invited her to be baptized at the end of December and she willingly accepted.  This meant that she had to give up coffee and get work off on Sundays.  She felt the Spirit and she said she would do it.  Well, We dropped by a couple days later and she said there was just no way she could get work off on Sundays. There is just not even a chance. Shoot. This was a setback.  Her date was dropped and we had lost contact with her for 2 weeks.  Then, there I was at the Christmas dinner Serving Stuffing, and all the sudden Tanya is just standing in front of me with Some guy! I was like AHHH!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT?! I was so shocked. She said she wanted to surprise us! The whole time I was thinking, "who is this guy?! we are going to have a law of chastity issue! It's ok, we can work with that!"  Well turns out that this guy's name is Bill, and Bill is an ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHHHHHHHAAAAATTTTTTT!!!??????!!!! apparently they met at work and started dating the same time we knocked on her door and she thought that he sent us to her! MIRACLE!!!!!!!!! he Lived in Kelowna, but he just moved down to LANGLEY and into the BROOKSWOOD WARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! is that not the biggest sign ever?! Bill was just so happy about all this.  He wasn't sure how he felt about dating a non-member and this was an answer to his prayer! Well the day Sister Allen and I were going down for transfers in December, we were supposed to go See Tanya so we texted her and asked what time and than she texted us back and was like, "I'm not interested anymore. I'm happy with my faith and future visits are unnecessary." WHAT?! oh man.. i just cried.  So this whole time I still prayed for her and I prayed that she could get work off.. in the meanwhile, the holiday's happened and things were going ok.. than Sister Foley and I get a call from Bill after Christmas and he was like, "Why haven't you seen Tanya?? She says you haven't called or dropped by!" WHAT!?! we were like no she dropped us. and explained it to him.  Well he just couldn't believe it cuz this was a make it or break it for him! so he called her and she was like I didn't say that! AHHH!!! were like did one of her daughters text us?! we were so confused.  So then we go over to her house and she was like no I'm still interested! we compared texts and it turns out that we texted a different Tanya in our phone! WHAT A MISTAKE!!!! so embarrassing. so we took care of that and then a month ago we had a lesson with Tanya and Bill.  The Spirit was so strong and she told us that she still had to work on Sundays, which is so hard cuz I prayed and fasted that she would somehow get it off.  WELL! she then goes on to explain that for the next five Sundays, her work is doing renovations and she can't work! WHAT A MIRACLE!!! as soon as she said that, tears filled my eyes and the spirit confirmed to me that this the Lord providing a way for her to be baptized. AMAZING! Well two weeks ago, her dad died and it was devastating so she wasn't able to come to church because of that. We brought her a gift and I think this was prepping me for Grandma.. anyway She came to church for the first time yesterday and she just fit right in! We haven't even seen her in like 4 weeks and as of today She has been living the Word of Wisdom by herself for an entire month!!!! are you kidding me right now?! We weren't even encouraging it cuz we didn't want to add stress.  Well she is doing amazing and I know she will be baptized.  
I love Tanya and Bill and I know the Lord prepares his children. 

I know the Lord is in the very details of our lives. SO remember the small and simple things. Be strong and of Good Courage. WORK iT!!!!!!! five stars. 1-10-15& 3-2-1 LoNG LiVE. keeep calm and carry on.  I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!! the church is true.

LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY FOREVER, Sister Petersen.

Grandma has just passed away

Jaynanne and Spencer,

Another angel is now in heaven watching over you and supporting you as you do the work of The Lord.
Your Grandma just passed away about 10 minutes ago.
More details to follow.
We love you and pray for you!
Truth Will Prevail!
Love Dad

Sent from my iPhone

11 months baby! :)

Hi! I loved all your emails! Thanks for sending them! :) Sounds like things have been pretty intense with the grandparents.. I hope that everything works out! Just keep repeating to yourself, "I'm too blessed to be stressed!" :) 

YESTERDAY I GOT THE BIGGEST SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!! Merle & Babs came to the Penticton Ward to see me!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!!!! They are my converts from the Brookswood Ward! I was SO excited and happy! The closing hymn was, "God be with You till we meet again" and that is how I felt as I sat with them! :) it was great.. 

Merle & Babs & Me :)

Well today is my 11 month mark! Can you believe that?! It's bitter-sweet really.  I've been pondering about all the miracles I've seen thus far and all the things that have taken place on mission up to this point and it is overwhelming.  I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me and the people of British Columbia.  
The Week ending January 12th, the Mission had a new record of New Investigators found in a week... collectively we found 1,085! Sister Foley and I found 15 and last week we found 10.  We have just been so blessed.  The Lord is truly hastening his work and I feel like I have a front row seat!  When I first came out, we were finding 200-400 new investigators per month! Now we are finding 500-700 Per week! It's incredible.  The Lord is the one doing everything.  We are all simply his tools and instruments. 
We might be dull and a little out of tune, but he qualifies those he calls. I know from personal experience that this is true.  And you know who he calls? ALL latter-day Saints. There is no way we could have done this without such faithful members!  The members of the Church in this Provence are something else. let me tell you what. I feel very humbled to be serving along such strong disciples of Christ.  The active ones make the church look real, real good. 

So I don't like telling you too much about my investigators in case it goes sour, but whatever. YOSO<<-----hopefully more than once but hey..  So, We have been teaching a couple people, one of which is named Edith.  Edith is 67 and super cute! Her mother joined the church in 1979 and passed away in 1997 I believe.  Anyway, Edith was born in Austria and has had an extremely difficult life She was born Catholic and became Lutheran.  Studied with the JW's for a bit, and has traveled a lot.  I met her at the Creche open house in December and gave her a tour of the church building. She became a new investigator and we have been seeing her ever since! Her biggest leap of faith was letting go of tea and with the help of studying the Book of Mormon and prayer, she has been able to do this so easily.  Well, She was scheduled to get baptized in February, but we know she is ready, so this week we are going to invite her to be baptized at the end of January! (she has to be living the word of Wisdom three weeks or we would have baptized her yesterday)  Unless something comes up, I don't see any red flags.  She has an incredible true friend helping her progress and I love Edith with all my heart! Yesterday day at church she casually said to me, "Yeah, this church is the one." :)    yeah it is. It really truly is.  I love this church!!!:) I know this is the church of God.  I know it was restored onto the Earth through Joseph Smith. I know the Book of Mormon is evidence of this. I know the things written in there are true. I know God is with us. I know we are all children of a VERY LOVING Heavenly Father and I know He sends angels to watch over us. 

I know that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass

Be strong and of good courage! 

Keep calm and carry on! 

1-10-15&3-2-1 

BE YOU AND ONLY YOU! 

five stars! 

LONG LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

WORK iT!!!! :) :) :)   
LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY FOREVER!!!! 

Sister Petersen.

I'M a HappY CamPer

Thanks TARA!

Hi Ya'll! :) HAPPY 16TH BiRTHDAY ErrrrMMA! I just can't believe it.. I still remember babysitting you when you were five. OH AND ELLiE! HAPPY LATE BiRTHDAY TO YOU! ya hippsterrr ;) TARA I GOT YOUR PACKAGE!!!!!!! WOO WOO. You shouldn't have! haha I have to say that the cheeto's were my favorite part!:) Well Thank you everyone for all your emails this week! LOVED THEM! 

Yeah.. Last week was such a blow, but it's ok.. life is a tough crowd and we just gotta BE FAITHFUL & ENDURE IT WELL!!! We had to give the relief society lesson last minute yesterday so i told the story of dad losing his phone on the hike and it was a crowd pleaser! tear jerker! haha kay. So on Saturday, even though we no longer needed an interview with our investigators, President Tilleman decided to fly all the way here and see us! How kind was that?! He believes that this has all brought about a lot of good because he was needed in parts of the Okanagan and would not have come if we didn't call.  He could have just switched his flight to Kelowna, but instead he came an hour out of his way to Penticton and interviewed us and then was off. I felt pretty special! :) I just love that man! I know that he is a man of God! Him and I had a REALLY good long chat and it was so nice to just sit there and feel the Spirit. He told me that just two days before, he found out that at the start of March, four General Authorities are coming to our mission and one of them is an APOSTLE! ahhhhhhhhH!!!!!!!!! We were freaking out together hahaha. So I better prepare myself well! 

So these past two weeks I've had the opportunity to talk to each of my converts on the phone and I can't tell you how much joy this brought to my soul!  I haven't been able to talk to them in awhile because I was trying to focus and figure this area out ya know?? Well talking to them really caused me to reflect on my purpose as a missionary and how my mission has been going these last several months.. during one of my studies I was so overcome with the Spirit that for the first time in my whole mission I was at peace with my work thus far. For a sweet moment, all the pressure was gone and all I felt was the Lord's deep love for me and I knew that he is pleased with my efforts as his missionary.  It's a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life.  I have become so converted to this work and I know that I am a good missionary.  I know the Lord loves me and I know that I am a daughter of God.  The Spirit also bore witness to me for the first time that I knew my converts in the Pre-existence and I promised them in the beginning that I would help them get to the end, which is Eternal life.  I know this is true.  I know that we are eternally connected and I feel so humbled and grateful to be serving a mission.  I could not imagine being anywhere else in my life right now. I LOVE MY MISSION.  I have never loved anything so much before.  For me, British Columbia is sacred ground because this is where I understood the Atonement and came to know my Savior Jesus Christ.  I feel so blessed to have the knowledge of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am so happy for my family and I am forever grateful that I have them and that I was born where I was.  I believe in Eternity and I know it is truly there.  I just feel so at peace and If I spend the rest of my days as Sister Petersen and Bring save it be NO more souls unto Christ, I will be totally and completely content with that.  I have seen way too many miracles to ever ask for more.  I love my conversion. I love my mission. I love my converts and friends and family. I love the church. I love the leaders. I love the Prophet. I love the Scriptures. Most importantly, I love my Savior Jesus Christ.  He understands everything.  He is my rock. He is my Salvation. He is my Redeemer and I KNOW that he lives.  I know he loves me and I know he cares about me and I love him tremendously.  I love it when I am Strong and of Good courage. I love the small and simple things. I love 1-10-15 & 3-2-1 I love WORKIN iT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love keepin calm and carryin on! I love five stars. LONG LIVE IT ALL BABY! I LOVE YOU! :)
LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY FOR ETERNITY, Sister Petersen.     

BE STILL and KNOW that I AM GOD

So first things first... 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIFFANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
AHH! you are just fabulous! :) LoVe Ya.  

New Year's Eve was a joke.  I did the same thing I do every day.. except we had to be in by 6:00 PM and we just planned. WOo WoO.

Alright So I've got a tale of a tale to tell you lads! A tale of a tale or two about this Mother and Daughter who we have been teaching for several weeks now....I used to think one day I'd tell the story of them, how we met and the sparks flew instantly! And people would say they're the lucky ones.. well Once Upon a time, I believe it was a Sunday, when I caught their eye and we held on to something.. I hold on to the night, they looked me in the eyes and told me they'd be baptized.. I was sooooooooo excited and happy because I just love these two people so much! If anyone were in need of the Gospel right now, it would be them! Everything was running so smoothly and the eight year old was just soaking everything in and it was so fun teaching her and I could not wait for their baptism, but were they just kidding? cuz it seemed to me, one second it was perfect then we never spoke! I didn't feel welcomed anymore.. I just thought, God, what happened? please tell me, cuz one second it was perfect, now their halfway out the door! Well we were going to have this make it or break it lesson at the church on Friday and Sister Larsen was with me on Exchanges and I was way nervous about it! Well I got tired of waiting.. wondering if they were ever coming around.. my faith in them was fading.. when I met them at the church on the outskirts of town!  So up to this point, we taught them everything, save it be a few commandments, So that night we taught about the Doctrine of Christ and keeping the Sabbath day Holy. It was such an incredible lesson! The Spirit was SO strong and good ya know? We stood in the font with them and all the Mothers fears seemed to be drained away and she said they would be baptized next Sunday! So I told the eight-year old that I talked to her mom, go pick out a white dress, it's a TRUE story, baby just say YES! So they chose out their outfits and we went over the interview questions right then and there! Upon doing this, we discovered that they would need to be interviewed by the Mission President, So later that night we called and had a really good conversation with President Tilleman and he booked a flight to fly out this coming Saturday to give them their interview!  Well I was just so relieved and stoked for these two special friends of mine!!!! I can just picture the Baptism and I can picture the Mother just feeling all the burdens and guilt and shame that she has been carrying around for years be lifted off of her and that is what I promised her! So on Sunday church was about to start and there was no sign of them, so we quickly went into a room and I called them! The Mother answered and she informed me that she was NOT getting baptized next week and not only that, but she does NOT want any contact with the church at all! period. I just felt numb. I was trying to be really calm and I just asked why? she said it doesn't feel right. I asked her what her friends and family thought and she said that nobody knows. I told her it was ok if she doesn't want to be baptized right now, but that we would still love to visit with them:) she said no.  she is done.  THIS BROKE MY HEART. I just started crying. I just feel like there are so many things that I wish they knew and so many walls up I can't break through. I told her that I love her and testified of how much Heavenly Father loves her and cares about her despite anything she has ever done and then, that was that.  So we went to the Sacrament meeting and there I was sitting alone in a crowded room and we weren't speaking.. and I was dying to know, Is this killing God like it's killing me? I just couldn't help but cry.  My heart literally aches for them. I love them more than I could ever explain and the worst part is that they do not even understand what they just turned down. I have had a lot of dates drop, but NEVER this close the the baptism and I have never been this emotionally invested for the drop.  I guess the story of them looks a lot like a tragedy now... But I just keep hoping and praying that they will have a change of heart.  I keep staring at the phone and they still haven't called and I feel so low I can't feel nothing at all and I just flash back to when they said forever and always..  I know that Heavenly Father has a plan though and I know that he is full of grace and mercy and truth.  I don't know what went wrong but as I was praying I thought.. Dear God.. I see it all now that they're gone... didn't Satan think we were too strong to be messed with his dark twisted games when we loved thee soooo... I shoulda known.  The Lord is very mindful of what is going on in our lives and I have faith that one day both of these individuals will be baptized as members of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.   

When our hearts were depressed yesterday and we were about to turn back (Alma 26:27) this little girl came up to us after Relief Society and she said, "Hi I need you to teach me so I can be baptized!" We were like who are you? she said that she was the 1st councilor in the Bishopric's granddaughter and that her dad isn't a member and her mom is inactive, but she got permission after a year and she is eleven and wants to get baptized as soon as possible! WHAT!!?!?!?!?! We looked into it and it's all true. incredible.  The Lord said to be patient and he would grant unto us success.  I don't know how this story of this little girl will end up, but I hope it's a happy one.  I was reading Alma 26: 26-37 and it's just so good. I can relate so well to the entire chapter. I love it and I love this Gospel.  Anyway, I am not giving up! even if the skies get rough! I'm giving it all of my love cuz God Knows it's worth it! 

SO be strong and of good courage.  

keep calm and carry on. 

five stars. 

remember the small and simple things. 

Long live. 

1-10-15 and 3-2-1 

long live 

WORK iT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY! SISTER JAYNANNE PETERSEN!!!!!!!!!