Shake it Off!

First and Foremost, 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

WOO WOO!!! that is just so exciting! :) 

Hope your birthday is just fabulous! :)  

Last week was so long and good and hard! Ya know.. the usual.  We had a Zone Conference with my Mission President and Wife, The Burt's and their two sons and it was SO. GOOD. Like dang. they remind me a lot of Utah.  We are having Elder Mayne's, Who is a General Authority, come on Saturday SO I am pretty stoked about that! On Wednesday I am driving with the Burt's to the Temple and my convert Merle (who got baptized a year ago yesterday) is getting endowed! SO that's gonna be awesome! :) :) Yeah.. Hopefully this will be a good week!

All You Can Eat!:)

So, I think at the end of May, there were these two elders in the Spanish area in this city named Surrey, who were out contacting it up on the streets!  One of them spotted this guy across the street and they ran over to talk to him. This man's name was JC (short for Juan Carlos) and I mean, he was nice and listened to them but wasn't looking for a church.  He told them that he is 99.9 percent sure that he was not going to convert to their church.  One of the Elders told him that they would work with that point one percent.  That softened his heart and he was baptized four weeks later in Spanish, into the Richmond 1st Ward! The Spirit was SO strong at the service! I'll never forget it.  I tell you this story because I absolutely love this man! He is one of my favorite people! He is so converted that it is not even funny.  He will always randomly text us and tell us How proud God is of us and how awesome we are for doing what we do and he is just the best!  He got his temp temple recommend on Sunday and he is going to do baptisms for the Dead with Maricel this Wednesday! Sniff.. So proud! :)  Well about four weeks ago, He calls us and wants to meet.  So we show up at the church and sit down with him and among other things, JC tells us that he wants to love his neighbors more and needs advice.  He happens to have REALLY REALLY REALLY bad road rage. like I mean it is really bad haha. So we suggested that he listens to different and softer music on the road. (he likes to BLAST heavy metal/rock music in his huge truck!)  He was very hesitant about the idea, but he said he would try it.  A week later, he comes to our scripture study, and when we asked him about listening to softer music, he said and I quote, "I felt like I was getting stabbed several times over!" Ha. lovely.  We told him to hang in there and Work iT!!  A week later we were having a pretty 'eh' day when we get a voicemail from JC.  I don't remember word for word, but he basically said, "Hi Sisters, JC Here.  I've got two good news. Not sure which one you want first.. the good news or the good news.  Ok. so first I called Malcom (our investigator who he is true friends with) and he said he is coming to church.  Second, I went to church at the one by the temple (Brookswood ward baby) and the temple was amazing! I walked all around it and there was a garbage can right there by it. So I went into my truck and I got all my heavy metal music and rock and one by one I threw away over 20 CD's.  Now All I have to listen to is 3 CD's of the Book of Mormon in Spanish! Well I hope that brightened your day! Have a Wonderful Capital letters, W-O-N-D-E-R-F-U-L day! God Bless. Talk to ya soon!"  OH. MY. HECK. We were dying!!!!!!!!!!! He has so much faith! He is just so amazing and he has no more road rage! just sayin! :) I've thought about the change of heart he had a lot and he truly shook off the natural man and became a Saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord.  It has been so cool to witness.  

As we know, the Natural Man is an enemy to God and has been since the Fall of Adam.  I studied about it in the Book of Mosiah this morning and it made me realize that it is so natural to get upset. It is so NATURAL to get annoyed and impatient and sad and frustrated!  It is natural to be disobedient.  I guess that is why we are a chosen people.. because we are trying to shake off the natural man and become as a child.. we try to choose the right and be submissive, meek, kind, humble, loving, patient, understanding, willing, obedient.... ya know, all that good stuff.  I know that when we do those things, Heavenly Father is just like so, so, so, dang proud of us because he knows it's not exactly natural for us to be that way right now.  He knows it takes effort and that is why when we are Christ-like and follow Him, He blesses us so dang much!  It's because He really is pleased!  He really is happy! So I challenge you guys to become the Saints he knows we can be and repent of anything you need too and then shake off the Natural man! Will you do that?! I promise that when you make those small and simple changes in your life, great things will come to pass!

Sister Haight, Gibb, me, Galbraith, Willmore.  They all went home last week! Sis Willmore was my MTC comp! We all came out the same day! :) these are my girls!

So Be strong and of a Good Courage and fight off the natural man Baby! I love you all SOOOOOO much! Thanks for all the support! WORK iT!! Five Stars! :)
Love Sister Petersen:]           

Little Miracles! :)

Hey! HEy!! HEY!!! 
I sure hope ya'll are having a great day! 
Attitude of Gratitude baby! 

Well this past week was so Fabulous. LEt mE tell Ya!  We got to go to the Temple and it was SO SO SO good! I was dying.  Temples are da bomb! ha Sis Tingson and I were in heaven as we chatted back and forth in the Celestial Room about all our insights! man. I could have talked all. day. long! so good.

After a long day with my Mini-Missionary (from the start of my mission)

Today is Sister Tingson's Birthday by the way! HollA.

I had my last Zone Meeting on Friday.  I didn't even realize that until I was asked to bear my testimony.  I didn't know what to say cuz you know me, I like to talk, so I already gave all my thoughts throughout the meeting ha ha.  

Breakfast

Yesterday Sister Tingson and I both had to speak in Sacrament.  WE WERE SO NERVOUS! the place was packed!  8 Converts were there, a handful of Less-Actives, an Investigator, the Stake President, and OUR MISSION PRESIDENT AND HIS WIFE! are you kidding me. no pressure right?? Needless to say, it was full house!  Well our talks went awesome!  tears were shed. hearts were touched. lives were changed! :P  Dad I hope you don't mind, but I used one of your stories in a talk you gave! ha it was a hit! a crowd pleaser for sure! So uh.. thanks!  :)  All week long I have just been thinking about how good God is to me! Really I just feel so blessed. He is just SO, SO, SO Good to me! Like ahh! I love Him!

Food, Glorious Food

I am trying to think of good stories for you.... um we went out to dinner with these recent converts in the ward to celebrate that he got a calling! It was fun and it helped me remember that the small and simple things really make the greatest difference in a person's life! SO make sure those small and simple things are good and positive and uplifting! 

I love you all like CraZy! WORK iT!!!! be strong and of a good courage! XOXOXOXO five stars!
Love Sister Petersen!! :]           

Now Let Us Rejoice!

Hi! This has been a really good week! Minus the fact that I'm apparently allergic to Canadian Mosquitoes and have dozens of bites the size of quarters! ha.. not sure what to do about that, but oh well! :P  Anyway, this week I have gained so much personal revelation and knowledge and received so much strength from the scriptures and the reason why is because of you.  Every. Single. Time. I learned something or came to a realization or felt strong or felt happy, the Spirit whispered to me that it was because of the prayers of my family.  I believe and know that's true.  I've never felt your prayers more in my life than I have this past week.  I want you to know that God hears and answers prayers and he has heard your cries and showed mercy upon me and I am so grateful for your faith.  Thank you so much for supporting me and loving me.  I truly have the best.  Your faith is making me whole and I feel so close to you right now.  When I heard that you fasted for me yesterday, I began to cry and it confirmed that everything I had been feeling all week was true.  I have the most incredible family in the entire world.  I love you so much! If you only knew!  I wish I could explain to you, all that I learned, and one day I will, but for now, I will just share with you one of my insights... So as some of you may know,  for that last 8 months of my mission I have been dealing with a lot of physical pain.  I have never been in so much pain or felt so weak in my entire life.  The agony, suffering, and torment I have experienced can only be understood by my Redeemer.  It has been said that most people come to understand the Atonement because they must repent and be sanctified through the blood of the Lamb.  I was humbly told that I came to know and understand the Atonement and who my Savior is because I was exactly obedient to the Will of the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, and I was privileged to feel a very tiny bit how the Savior felt the night in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Sacred experiences have testified to me that that is true and that I had faith to be healed, but the Lord had greater plans for me and knew that if I endured this trial, I would become even more like him.  I know that is why we are here.  I know we are preparing to become like our Father in Heaven.  I know that everything I have gone through has been for my good and for my experience.  I am forever grateful for my mission.  Yes it has been extremely hard, and painful at times, but I can testify to you that on the other hand, I have never felt so much redeeming love and Joy in all my years.  It reminds me of the Scriptures in Alma 36 (that I know were written for me) that states:   
         
 20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!

 21 Yea, I say unto you, my FAMILY, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my FAMILY, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

 22 Yea, methought I saw, even as our father Lehi saw, God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels, in the attitude of singing and praising their God; yea, and my soul did long to be there.

 23 But behold, my limbs did receive their strength again, and I stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of God.

 24 Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

 25 Yea, and now behold, O my FAMILY, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;

 26 For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

 27 And I have been supported under trials and troubles of every kind, yea, and in all manner of afflictions; yea, God has delivered me from prison, and from bonds, and from death; yea, and I do put my trust in him, and he will still deliver me.

 28 And I know that he will raise me up at the last day, to dwell with him in glory; yea, and I will praise him forever.

My dear Sweet family I know what Alma said is true.  The pain. The sweat. The tears.  IT IS WORTH IT!  I have found so much joy in the fruit of my labors! I love my converts with all my heart, but I think the biggest conversion that has taken place has been my own.  I know who I am.  I know God's plan. I know that he loves me. I know that I am his daughter. I know that I am more than enough. I know that it is only through the Savior that I can return and live with my Heavenly Father and my family again.  I am fully converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I am diligently committed to fight the good fight until the very end.  And when that day comes and I am kneeling down before the Son of God, and when I get to feel the nail marks in His hands and feet, I will know no better than I do now that Jesus is the Christ and that salvation comes only through Him and in no other way.  I hope that if you don't already know that, one day you will come to the same knowledge that I have, and you will taste of the fruit of the tree of life because it is most precious and sweet above all other fruit. How do you come to this knowledge? Alma Chapter 36 begins and ends by telling us that, "inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land."  If you cross reference 'prosper'  It will lead you to Joshua chapter 1.  coincidence? I think not.. prospering is being strong and very courageous:)  We are then promised that if we do this, the Lord our God will be with us whithersoever we go! So be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed!  The next chapter in Alma teaches us that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.  I know that is true.  I know following the commandments will help us be happy and will lead to eternal life.  I love you all so much.  Thank you for being my family!

5 stars:) Work iT!! :]
Love Your Sister Missionary, Sister Jaynanne Petersen