I Love My Mission

HELLO EVERYONE!!!!!! :) :) :) :) ahhh. what a week. yesterday we had two baptisms. it was pretty good. the rest of the week was a blur. ha. lots of miracles though.

Wendy and Rebecca's Baptism! :) My district.

I went on exchanges.. We have so many meetings this upcoming week! One of which is with an APOSTLE! woo woo. so stoked.  All of your emails were SO dang good! Grandpa's stories are soooo funny.

I have to say that Mollie's email was one of the best emails I've ever gotten on my mission. No offense to any other emails.. I just really miss my Mollie and I can't believe she is going to PROM! I've got mixed feelings about it!

haha Where has the time gone by? that makes me so... dare I say it... "trunky." Gah! I remember that everytime I heard Trevor say that word in his emails home I would just think it sounded ridiculous!  Well now I get it.  I can feel the down hill slope of my mission and it is awful. haha it's like sand slipping between my fingers and I can't even stop it. it's the worst. I love being a full-time missionary! This is without a doubt the best decision I have ever made in my entire life.  I can honestly say that not one time on my whole mission have I ever thought about going home early. never.  I've never even entertained the thought in my head. it's like a sin!  That doesn't mean it hasn't been hard.  There are times when I am just so exhausted and so tired and so so so stressed out, but you know what? I never wanted to give up.  I always just wanted things to get better or fixed and if they didn't then I would just painly endure with a firm hope that one day I'll be able to rest and that it will all be worth it. I've come to know that it is worth it. I wouldn't change a thing.  I have learned so much about myself and the Atonement and about my Savior Jesus Christ and the Restored Gospel and God's Plan. I've had experiences here in Canada that have changed my life forever and I know that these days will be ones never to be forgotten. 

On my Year mark I read the letters I received my first week or so on my mission and I have to say, I have the best family in the entire world.  Your love and support give me the strength to endure without delay and I want you to know that I love you.  I am so happy. I couldn't ask for a better support group than the one I got.  I admire all of you and look up to each and everyone of you so much.  When the hard days come and the feelings of despair and loneliness try to creep in.. I remind myself to be strong and of good courage because I know that each of you believe in me.  I know that I am so loved and thought of and cared for back home.  I hope I make you proud and I can't thank you enough for your prayers.  I know I'm who I am today because I knew you. I've been changed for the better out here. So much has changed but so much is the exact same.  I'm still obsessed with Taylor Swift and I still want my life to be like an 80's movie.  I still have to be the one to open the bag of chips and eat the first curly one I see. (so weird) I still don't drink soda. I still get grossed out and awkward about everything. I still scream and laugh all the time! I still love wearing scarfs. I still sing in the car at the top of my lungs and get road rage.  I still love ice cream.  I still am way OCD about EVERYTHING! I still Work iT!! I still choose the Right.  I still know that I am a Daughter of God.  I am still me and only me.  Testimony Sundays are still my favorite.  I still save money like I don't have any.  I still quote movies without even realizing it.. old habits die hard. I STILL do and am a lot of things, but My mission has taught me to "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD."  I trust the Lord more than ever before. He is my rock. He is my go to. He is the one I tell everything to.  He is my best friend. he is my Savior.  Before my mission I was just Jaynanne and when I came out I tried to be this Sister Petersen.  One of the biggest lessons I've learned on my mission is how to be Sister Jaynanne Petersen. I thank the Lord for that.  I know he made me who I am today.  So bring on the winds and the storms. Let it rain. Heck, let it pour! It doesn't matter because the Lord is the is my firm foundation and with his hand in mine I will never crumble or fall or break. He's got me. He won't let me fail.  He won't forsake me. He won't let go.  The Church of Jesus Christ is true.  We have a living day prophet who guides us back to our Savior. The Book of Mormon is True. I can testify that what Spencer said is true that God does hear and answer prayers.  God's Merciful Plan is true and real.  The Savior's Grace is real.  I know Families are forever.

I love you all. remember the small and simple things. 1-10-15 & 3-2-1. CTR. Long live. five stars. keep calm and carry on. be strong and of good courage WORK iT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

LOVE YOUR CANADIAN SISTER MISSIONARY! SISTER jaynanne PETERSEN.                 

Miracle after Miracle:]

HeY. Hi. HeLLo. So the Reason Why I am emailing today instead of yesterday is because we got to go to the temple today! OH MY GOODNESS IT WAS SO GREAT! let me tell ya. I love my Langley Temple:) felt like I was right at home seein it. 

We are actually still in Langley because we are going to Brad and Loretta's for Dinner! :) YaY! Never thought I'd be emailing in this library again though... ha it's weird to be in the area cuz it's all just so normal and comfortable to me! Like I can't explain it..! 

My District Sista's

OH HEY-O! I GOT HANNAH AND COYE'S LETTERS!!! 
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU! LOVED THEM!:] 
You can just send letters to the mission office cuz we drop by a lot! :)

Anyway Sister Struempler and I had the craziest week of miracles of my life! like oh my heck.  I do not even know where to begin! SO MANY MIRACLES! Well first off we finally moved into our apt. It is a set of Elders old apartment and it was disgusting.  We spent five hours cleaning the Kitchen and one hour on the Tub alone! GAh. so nasty.  I'm gonna miss my Chinese Sista's.. ha

So let's talk miracles. So last Saturday we were out street contacting it up when a man covered in Tattoos was walking our way! Of course we stopped him and started up a convo.  Turns out he is a Mormon! WHAAAT? this happens all the time I swear. So we get talking and he has like brother's who are active Bishops and family who go, but he has been inactive since he was 14 because he saw his teacher's quorum Leader Smoking and it shook him.  SO SAD.  Well, we asked if the Elders could come visit him since he is a male and he was like, "actually could you come teach my two little girls?" ahhh. They are ages 8 and 12 and we went and visited them last night and I already love them! SO that was a huge miracle. I am so excited and happy for this family and I know they will one day be sealed in the temple. 

Another huge miracle that happened this weekend was while we were finding.  So Sunday night we had a huge rainstorm and it was just wild.  Right before we got out of the car to go finding, we said a prayer and asked that someone would let us in out of the rain so we can teach them about the restored gospel.  Well, we got out and the weather was ridiculous.  We looked like Mary Poppins getting blown around with our umbrella's! So the third door we knocked on was this Chinese Lady named Kaddy.  Before we could even say who we were or anything she was like, "Come in!" So we went in and she took our umbrella's and laid them out to dry and she got us these slippers to wear and told us to sit down on the couch and than she got us hot water.  We told her we were missionaries and she said she knows.  Her English was very poor, but she was incredibly kind!  We started talking and she told us that she also attends a Jesus Christ church.. She then went and got a small piece of paper with the address of her church.  Turns out it is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! WHAT?! ha We have a Chinese Branch so we thought she was member of that, but nope.  She has been attending the Saturday Morning English classes provided by the Chinese-Speaking Missionaries and she thought that was church! haha so cute.  They always start off class with a hymn and a prayer and she was so excited to tell us that she never knew how to pray, but the Elders taught her how and that it was like a hamburger! haha start-middle-end.  haha She went on to say how she always feels peace when they sing the song.  We very simply taught her the Restortation and now she wants a Book of Mormon in her language and said missionaries could come back.  It was such a miracle. I know the Lord answers prayer and that he loves Kaddy.  

My One Year Mark! :)

Well I have to go, but I love you all so much! thanks for all the support and love! You are the greatest and I am so happy to know you! Can you believe it's been a year?! ahh. I can't even describe what I think of it all.  It's just unbelievable. I hope you are all reading your scriptures EVERYDAY and praying and I hope you are happy! :)

Be strong and of Good Courage Yo. Remember that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.  1-10-15 & 3-2-1 Baby.  five stars! Long Live! Keep it Calm and Carry it On! Above all else, WORK iT!! :]

LOVE YOUR CANADIAN SISTER MISSIONARY FOREVA. Sister Petersen!!! :]      

9th Transfer Baby :)

Hi! So last Monday I found out that I was getting transferred, but not only that, Penticton got closed down for Sisters! WHAT!? I was so shocked... we have been doing real well... probs the best I've done... we had really solid investigators and baptisms coming up and we handed everything over to new Elders! SO surprised! 

Doing my stretches on the Greyhound

I LOVE MY NEW AREA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO I am opening the Richmond English Sisters Area with Sister Struempler!!!!! :) This is the same area where the Mission Office and Home are! The Tillemans are in our ward (even though the are probably never there) and all the Office couples! :) This is also the Assistants to the Presidents Area and they haven't had any Sister Missionaries here before!  Apparently this was a lot of Sisters in the Mission's Dream to open this area and I never even knew it was an option! They told me a week before transfers that I would be transferred and that it would be close.. I didn't think it would be that close! ha. So Richmond is a HUGE city and it is its own Island. The only way in or out is a tunnel or bridge. This is where we always come for transfers. The Airport is here and it is also about 90% ASIAN!

Sisters Li, Struempler, & Ding

In fact, our apartment is not ready yet so we have been rooming with the Chinese Sisters and OH my Heck I love them! It's Sister Ding and Sister Li.  They are SO cute and they laugh at everything and they are just such a good stress reliever. Plus, they cook real food and it actually tastes good and they have been feeding us since we had nothing! ha so that was great.

I'm still a tich sick but on the mend.  I LOVE MY COMP! Sister Struempler is from all over cuz she has moved a lot in the U.S. But she is currently from Dallas Texas. She has been out 6 months and is 19.  Her and I are a lot alike and I just love her. She just gets it.  I would be so happy if I got to stay here the rest of my mission and was comps with her! So Pray for that! 

Anyway.. These last few days have been hectic and strange, but we are finally starting to get our area together! (still living out of a suitcase though)  Yesterday at church this Part-Member family came up to the Missionaries and said they were ready to be baptized!  The Mom is not a member, but the Husband and their two oldest are. They have been coming to church ever since they were married and met when he was on his mission in Japan. Any-who, The Mom said she would be baptized when the youngest turned eight. Well that time came and she wasn't ready so the youngest Daughter Rebecca, who is now nine, waited for her mom Wendy to be ready so they could do it together! Well now she is ready so she had her interview after church and we are going to go over everything with them for the next two weeks until their baptism! SUCH A MIRACLE!  I just can't even believe it.  So My first Sunday at church was pretty good to say the least;) Um what else.. I had to give the closing prayer in Sacrament.. We switched cars with the Chinese Sisters; So now I am driving a mini van.. whatever. Umm.... I am in a Chinese District now! I love it! :)  Elder D. Todd Christofferson is coming to our mission with three other General Authorities at the beginning of March!!!! The show "Once Upon a Time" is filmed here in Richmond.. Just a few blocks away is the clock tower and Granny's and Mr. Gold's Shop... Or so I heard from the Office! Ha we are like best friends with the Office! :)  Richmond is just so huge.  We went Street Contacting our first night here and ended up standing where all the people got off the sky train and it would be all crowded and crazy and we would be like frantically trying to talk to people and then 30 seconds later it would be completely empty! hahah and then an entire batch would show up again after two minutes and we would start all over! It was pretty ridiculous. haha :) Change is always interesting and before I left Penticton, I just promised myself that I was going to have so much Faith and Trust in the Lord in where ever he sent me! Well I can tell you that the Spirit has been with me through out all of this and I know that the Lord trust and loves me! I am back.  I feel like this is where I belong. I know that some of my finest moments as a missionary for the Lord will be in this area! I am ready to work hard and love the people and be exactly obedient and GO FOR SECOND!  I have struggled and gone through a lot so far on my mission and it has made me the person I am today and that is a disciple of Jesus Christ.  I know that he is there and last night during my prayers, thoughts entered my mind concerning why we go through trials and suffer tribulation... My mind was then enlightened with The Plan of Salvation and particularly the Kingdoms of Glory! This caused me to really ponder this morning during my studies on our Agency and how we will obtain and enter into the Kingdom of God and to what degree we will achieve. I was led straight to the Book of Matthew in the Bible as well as my Patriarchal Blessing and it brought further light and Knowledge into my view concerning these things.. I know that Obedience to the Laws of the Heaven is vital and I know that we show our faith in Christ when we are Obedient to his commandments.  I know that God hears and answers our prayers and he wants us to be happy.  I know that we go through hard times because it is a trial of our faith. I know that if just endure and hold on, then the good things and the blessings will come.  Sometimes we don't know why things happen the way they do and we don't know why it has to be us that has a certain trial, but I can promise in the name of Jesus Christ that if we put all our Trust in the Lord and have patience with a firm hope that one day we will rest from all our afflictions, then we will be forever happy in the Eternities. I know that The Gospel of Jesus Christ is True. I know it has been Restored on the earth and that we have living day Prophets who lead and guide us towards our Savior.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the most correct book of any here on the earth today.  I know that I am a Daughter of God. I know that there are Angels round about us that lift us up and support us. I know that Families are Forever. I know that My Redeemer Lives.  I know that we must be strong and of Good Courage in this life.  I know that the small and simple things make all the difference. I know that keeping calm and carrying on shows Heavenly Father that we trust and have faith in him. I love my family and I am so grateful I am a missionary.  I love everything about it and to think I am 2/3 done is mind-blowing! Long Live! 1-10-15 & 3-2-1 five Stars! WORK iT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :]
LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY FOREVER, 
Sister Petersen :)

Just Keep Swimming

Hi!:) I haven't been able to read through all of your emails yet, but it sounds like Grandma's service was very good! I just love our family! :) we are so blessed to have each other ya know? I love being a Petersen.

Well, tonight is transfer calls and I am pretty sure I am going to get transferred, So I guess you will find out next week! :)  

It's a picture, I have to smile :)

This past week I have been way sick! I was just in a ton of pain in my neck and shoulders/back.  I went to a walk-in clinic on Monday and the doctor didn't even look at me or anything! Our two minute convo was him telling me that I should get counseling from my church cuz I'm stressed, and maybe a massage. Um ok. what a waste of money!  So then I did get a massage from this lady in our ward who has a business, on Tuesday, and it hurt so bad! I was so sore and tender.. it's like as if someone has a sunburn and you go up and slap them! that is how I felt! So Wednesday morning I woke up just in so much pain and I was just like this is ridiculous I'm not putting up with this anymore! So we totally didn't even do our studies or anything! I was still in my Pajama's and I just drove myself to another Walk-in Clinic.  When we went out to the car, it had snowed the most it ever has, here during the night and I was so not in the mood to see how Canadians drove in the snow. 

Headed to the Clinic in the SNOW :(

Anyway, we made it to the Doctor and he was WAY more helpful then the other one.  He explained what the pain was and gave me medicine and and all this stuff. So great. Well later that day I went to a Physio-Therapist who was also very, very nice and he was so good.  He gave me all these stretches to do and he put like this electro thing on my back and yeah.. crazy stuff.  Anyway towards the end of the week I was doing a lot better! The pain has gone away mostly so that is good! I've just been resting it up.  Thank goodness for modern medicine. Such a blessing. Oh that reminds me that I got a Priesthood blessing last week for my pain! Gotta love those:)  Other than that, not much has happened this week.. I gave a dang good District Meeting despite being sick.. um our lesson in Relief Society lesson was way good yesterday! It was about how sometimes when we are going through a hard time we often ask ourselves, "How Long?" but really that hard time is just a "Small Moment."  It was really good and I totally agree! I loved it! I bore my testimony Yesterday! I didn't get a chance in Sacrament, so I bore it in Relief Society.

Alright, so there is this lady named Sharon who is an investigator and I love this woman.  I have known her since Thanksgiving and she is 80 years old and weighs about 60 pounds. she is just a tiny little thing.  Well anyway she is kinda crazy.  We haven't really been teaching her cuz she just isn't prepared yet for baptism, but she comes to church most Sundays and kinda just hangs around.. haha it's so funny. She absolutely loves me! I have no idea why, but she thinks I'm so cute and she always calls me her Angel.  Lots of strangers call us angels.. kinda odd. ha but nice.  One of my investigators named Brian came to church yesterday. Such a miracle.  We have been teaching him for 3 months and that man just will not keep his commitments so two weeks ago we reflected him.  We decided if he was truly interested, than he would take some choice and accountability, and progress.  Well yesterday he asked me after Sacrament when his baptism was, (cuz he had two dates previously) I asked him if he was still smoking and he said yes.  I told him that when he starts to live the Word of Wisdom then we can talk and set a date. he said ok. haha so that was that.  People have their agency and you can't control what they do.  It's their choice whether or not they want to live the commandments.  We simple invite and teach them.  

Well that is all I have time for this week! I love you all and I am so grateful for God's Plan for us! I know it's true. Well have a great week everyone! Remember the small and simple things and to BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE! long live. 1-10-15 and 3-2-1 baby.  Five Stars! WORK iT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! keep it calm yo and carry it on.
LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY FOREVA.. Sister Petersen.