I love telling people about the Gospel because it is awesome.

HAPPY 25th BiRTHDAY ABiGAiL! :] 
oh my heck I loved Trev&Tiff's Photo's! So Presh!:)  

Today I am super Excited because my Trainer Sis Byam is Staying with us tonight and then Wednesday morning we are driving her to the Airport because she is at the end of her mission! Such a tender mercy from the Lord that we get to be with each other! YaY! :] Later, Wednesday Night, the new missionaries are staying with us and we are bringing them to transfer meeting! I love transfer week! :) 

So today we went to this place called Granville Island in Vancouver and I ate delicious Thai Food at the Farmers Market and it was So Yummy! :)  In my area, there are a lot of Philippine people and sometimes they give us food and it. is. so. good. Nuff Said!  Not gonna lie.. I love food.  like really though.  Last week I went on exchanges with the Chinese Sisters and I love it cuz they always cook awesome food so I get fed well! (I have close to no cooking skills.. no time.. rather sleep.. plus no money.. learned to work while being hungry long ago) 

So many great things happened this week. I don't even know what to talk about though... Reading the Book of Mormon has been taking me forever because I just enjoy it so much... it's so good and every time some one will take a Book of Mormon from us and will sincerely commit to reading it, well it is just like the best feeling ever.  You just want them to like your recommendation of the Book so bad and you want them to love it just as much as you! Sometimes I get too excited about the Book of Mormon and about everything else pertaining to the Gospel too! I need to calm down haha I just love everything about God's Plan and when people are actually curious and interested to know more I am just like, "WELL LET ME TELL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!" haha not really, but sorta.. :) that's how I feel inside anyway, but gotta play it cool if you know what I am saying.  Hmmm...

What else.... alright so my typical day includes lots and lots and lots of contacting.  We talk to everyone we see and we try to have a least twenty quality gospel conversations with people a day which means share a principle of the gospel with them, invite them to do something, and have an actual conversation. If they are interested we say a prayer with them and set up a return apt.  That is what makes them a New investigator and our mission has been having well over 1000 of these every week for the past five months.  I love when I came out on my mission because I have seen it grow so much.  We hasten the Work in the Canada Vancouver Mission.  My day also includes lessons and drop-by's and member visits and more lessons and drop by's and lots of tracting which is contacting and lots of praying and studies and it's just the best.  COME JOIN THE RANKS! :]  

Well I gotta go! I love you all! Be spiritually safe! Choose the right! Be strong and of good courage. Remember that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass! 1-10-15 and 3-2-1 baby! five stars! Keep on keeping on! Long live! WORK iT!! :]

LOVE SISTER PETERSEN! :]

GUESS WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???!!!???!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jessica and I fly home the same day:) 
WHAT. COME. AGAIN!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? 
shut the front door. 
Wait, are you serious?!

Happy Easter!! :]

So yesterday was officially the best Easter I have EVER had!  I felt the Spirit so strong throughout the entire day and I knew that God loved me. no doubt about it.  

So to start out, Church was just incredible and we had so many of our friends come and Celebrate Christ's Resurrection with us which was totally awesome.  Throughout the entire week to prepare for this blessed holiday, I studied about the Atonement and Resurrection a ton, and man did I get the full impact of the true meaning of Easter yesterday.  So many questions that I had throughout the week were answered as I listened to all the lessons and talks, and so many more questions came to my mind and my knowledge of it all was just increasing so much that I couldn't keep up! I felt like I received so much revelation. LiKE iT WAS iNSANE PEOPLE! There is this video called "Because of Him" that we watched twice and dang. it is killer.  Check it out yo. Also, there is this other video about Christ, but it is from his Apostle John's perspective and it was so so good.  Again, Check it out.

Well So anyway, a little bit after church we had the privilege of witnessing a baptism of our dear friend Anne in Vancouver.  We began teaching her just three weeks ago and because she is YSA age and willing to go to the branch, We handed her over to the Vancouver YSA Elders.  She was so prepared and I feel so humbled that I got to be a tiny part of her story.  Every time someone came up to us, she would introduce us as, "The missionaries who found her!" It was just so cute! haha She invited us several times to the service because she did not want us to miss it and then later she texted us and thanked us so much for going! Earlier in the week she just kept thanking us for helping her find her Lord, Jesus Christ.  I love Anne:) The Baptismal Service was one of the most Spiritual services I have ever been to.  I literally was just shaking when we left.  Anne's non-member Sister stayed with us through-out the entire thing and it was such a special experience for me to explain to her what was going on and have her sister be the example. It is something I will cherish for a long time and the fact that it was Easter made it so much more special and sacred.  Ahh I just can't help but smile when I think about it..  When Anne got baptized, her sister was just like, "Oh! That was so simple."  It really is so simple and yet so meaningful and beautiful and magical and wonderful!  Anne bore her testimony and she talked about what true happiness was and how she thought she had it but it it's not something you have, but instead, it's something you feel and oh my gosh I was dying.  It was so good.  In that service, I felt true happiness.  

Just when I thought the day couldn't go any better, that evening I got to go back to Brookswood and have Easter Dinner with Brad and Loretta's Family!!!!!!!!!! Awh man. I can't even find the words to describe how much I love these people... They are family for sure and I can't wait to watch them get sealed in a couple weeks! :) :) :) I also dropped by my Recent Convert Marion which was so great too! :) Yesterday was just an awesome day and one I will never forget.

 

Sister Tilleman, Sister Struempler, me, Sis Curd, Emily, and Sis Hogg!! :)

I want to bear my testimony.. I know that sometimes life is really hard.  I know that sometimes we endure things that are so painful and so overwhelming and so stressful that we just don't know what to do and we feel so alone and so lost and so broken.  But we are not alone.  We are not lost. we are not broken.  We have a Savior who is always with us and knows exactly who we are and how we feel and can heal us.  For the past couple months I have been dealing with a lot of health issues and it is still on-going and has been extremely challenging for me both mentally, emotionally, and physically to say the least. During this time I can honestly say that I have never felt the Power of The Atonement more strongly in my life than I have while I have been weak.  It's true you know.. that God really does give us the strength to endure our trials.  I know he is always there even if the rest of the world isn't.  I know that he has comforted me in times of distress and I know that he has visited me and wept along with me in times of sorrow.  I know I can always go to him and his arm will be stretched out to recieve me.  I know that he loves me enough to die for me.  I know that because of him I have the chance at Eternity. I believe in Christ so come what may.  He is the light. He is the Life.  He is everything. "And now, after the many testimones which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!" (D&C 76:22)  I know this is true.  I know that My Redeemer lives.  So I will be strong. I will hold on.  I will be steadfast and immovable.  I will have courage. I will have faith. I will remember the small and simple things. I will keep calm and carry on. I will choose the right. I will dare to stand alone.  I will do 1-10-15 & 3-2-1. I will get five stars. I will Work iT!! I will Preach his Gospel! WHY? Because I love him:) Long live.
-Sister Petersen.          

Rock-Like Faith.

Hey There! :) So Spring is in the Air and there is nothing like Spring in British Columbia! It is so pretty and green and there are flowers everywhere! I love it!  

So, I got to see so many miracles this week. It. was. insane.  
A huge miracle I saw was this inactive mother (since she was fifteen) and her three little boys came to church! Oh man.  We have been visiting her for over a month and how she was found in the first place is a miracle. (she is not on the ward list) She doesn't have a car and she lives 20 minutes south of the Church in South Delta which is obviously a different town and taking the bus would take forever! (tunnel, freeway, traffic little kids, etc.) So we managed to have the sweetest elderly lady who had a van give her and her boys a ride and Saturday night we drove all over the place to find/borrow three car seats from members so her boys could be safe! All I can Say is that if there is a will, there is a way.  Even if it means driving a half hour east of Richmond to pick up seats then driving back down to South Delta before church.  It is a testimony to me of how important Church attendance is!

So Earlier in the week I remember having a thought that I wish I had the kind of faith the scriptures talk about.. ya know.. like Unshaken Faith that could move mountains and all that...
Well Anyways, Yesterday we went and visited with an older couple in the ward.  The Wife is super active and the Husband is super inactive and very anti.  Well, As we visited and listened to all their funny old people jokes,  The husband kept making rude comments about the church.  He said things like, "there is no other book but the bible" or "The Book of Mormon is made up and Joseph Smith was crazy! There is no way he had visions! or saw God and Jesus Christ! He was fourteen!"...blah..blah..blah  or "the Nephities aren't real!" and on and on he went.  Hearing all this isn't new to me..  In fact I hear stuff like this all day everyday, but I don't let it bug me.  Well  the Husband was relentless and he just would not stop and it finally got to the point where I couldn't stand it anymore.  Much to his dislike, We shared a spiritual thought and we had one prepared and ready, but I decided to read 2 Nephi 29 6-14 instead.  We usually go around and each read a verse, but as I began to read, I couldn't stop, and the more I read, the Louder I got, and the more powerful I felt.  When I finished Reading, I testified in the name of Jesus Christ that the Book of Mormon was the Word of God, and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of the Lord, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church on the Earth today.  When I finished speaking, there was silence and at that moment it occurred to me that I do have unshaken faith and the Husband couldn't think of what to say and didn't have any way to attack my testimony because he felt the Spirit and the things I preached were true.   

It reminds me of the Scripture in Helaman 5 verse 12... "And now , my sons (and Daughters), remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation: that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds,yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build, they cannot fall."

Jesus Christ is my rock and my salvation and no one can mess with that.  Be strong and of good courage. remember the small and simple things.  1-10-15 and 3-2-1 WORK iT!!!!!!!! five stars! Long live.  keep calm and carry on. have rock-like faith! :)

LOVE SISTER PETERSEN! :)  

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is True!

OH. MY. HECK.  DiD YOUR HEARTS NOT JUST BURST AT THE SEAMS WiTH THE SOUND OF CONFERENCE!?!?!?!?!!! 

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I love General Conference! :)  

I have so many favorite talks! like I can't even choose which one I liked best! I'm dying to read them all again and study it up! One thing is for sure, We have living day Apostles and Prophets on the earth today and The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored in these latter days! does that not just give you goose bumps?! IT'S SO COOL!  ahh. I just can't get it over it.. love it! Well in case you were wondering, I don't have anyone throwing mashed potato's my way so no worries! ;)

I love that Elder Ballard followed up on his last two talks.  that was awesome.  I gave a copy of his last talk to over thirty families in my area when it first came out and I testified and challenged them along with Elder Ballard to have someone ready by Christmas and when Christmas came and went, there were many who did not complete the challenge the Lord had given them through his Apostle.  So as a mission we have followed up by going back to all the families in the providence with the talk and helping them prepare someone by Easter!  Just because you did not have someone by Christmas does not mean you give up and that was your only chance!  You keep faithfully trying and being persistent and if you want to find someone to introduce the restored gospel to and help them feel the Saviors love, YOU WILL! it is all in your attitude!  You may ask your self why or if it's even really worth it or if your efforts will even make a difference.. Well you listen to me... IT IS WORTH IT!!!!!!!! 

Jesus Christ Atoned for ALL of our sins and He suffered for EVERYTHING we have ever experienced that has brought us pain and sorrow and remorse and he did not do it for nothing.  He did it so that we can return and live with our Heavenly Father in his Kingdom.  Heavenly Father loves his all children. Not just some of them... Not just a certain few.. no he loves each and every one of us and he wants us all to live with him again.  We are all brothers and sisters of God and don't you want to live with your family forever?  We have to help our brothers and Sisters return home too.  We do this by small and simple means and by listening to our leaders when they give us direction such as 1-10-15 or 3-2-1 or reading Preach my Gospel, studying the scriptures, praying, and having family home evening.  We follow God's Commandments by Being Strong and of Good Courage. Even if that means standing alone.  We also love everyone around us and have an attitude of gratitude.   We keep calm and carry on under pressure.  We let go.  We repent. We remember our Baptismal covenants.  We help each other with their yoke and load.  We WORK iT and have five stars.  When we do all this,  then we, and our brothers and sisters, can  forever live. 

I know that God's Plan is real and I know that Jesus is the Christ and the Saviour and Redeemer of the World.  I know He Lives and I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true and living church on the face of the planet.  

Have a Glorious Week Everyone! I love you all! :)
LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY- Sister Petersen! :]