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 :)

Transfer Numba Seven Yo

Goodbye Brookswood!

WOAH OH! I'M HALFWAY THERE! (well on wednesday anyway) WOAH OH! I'M LIVING ON A PRAYER!!!!!!!! 

Seriously though..  haha So right now I'm in this old school of a library in Penticon! It is so different here than from Langley.  It reminds me a lot of Utah and it has this small town feel to it. There are mountains! Ahh. I was so so excited about this! :) We had to take a six hour Greyhound Bus ride up here and we drove all through these snowy mountains! My goodness it was pretty. I got bus sick of course so that part wasn't real fun..! It snowed here and it's cold.  No big deal though. the snow melted and plus I have my big coat, but I didn't take it out of the travel bag for nine months and Bishop Towns told me that was stupid haha. apparently it is not as effective now! oops.

So during transfers, Sister Allen and her old comp lost the phone! WHAT!?!? that is literally our life line out here.  So we haven't been able to contact my district or investigators or members or anyone and it's the worst.  hopefully we'll be getting a new phone in the mail soon.  So including us, there are four companionship's in my district and we are all about an hour apart from each other.  We got Sisters Galbriath & Willmore in Kelowna YSA and Sisters Byam & Peterson in Westbank and Sisters Larsen & Holm in Osooyoos.  I'm pretty tight with all of them except the Osooyoos sisters and my Comp of course.  She is from Coalville Utah by the way.  Which is in Cache Valley.  She is 19 and sweet.  My Bishop's name is Bishop Northcott.. he's cheeky.  haha So I'm in the Penticton Ward and there are Elders here as well.  The ward mission leader here is pretty much awesome and amazing. He just got put in recently and he is going to be good.  He came up to me and was like, "Hi! I'm gonna be your Dad out here!" ha.. not gonna lie, that actually made me sad! haha I was thinkin um.. that's alright.. haha kinda just jokin! he's my favorite person here so far.

So not being in Brookswood is a lot harder than I thought it would be.  I thought it would be no big deal, but the first night I was with my comp and we were staying in Maple Ridge and she was telling me about all these people in Penticton, I started to get homesick for my Brookswood Members and I could barely stand it.  I Think it sunk in that I was not going back there in a long while.  The bus ride was especially hard.  I've only cried a little bit because I have to stay strong for this area.  I know why I was called here.. this area needs me.. not that I'm all great, but I'm more obedient than I realized compared to other missionaries! TRUST ME. blows my mind.  Plus I know what it takes to baptize and this area has not had a baptism from sisters in almost a year! esh. no pressure.  I'm excited to help this area grow and help strengthen it! I almost feel like Penticton is just this huge project for me and in a lot of ways, I feel like I'm opening up the area.  It's hard not knowing the ward.  I was looking around on Sunday at all these people that I don't know yet and it was just like sinking in that I have a lot of work to do.  I can't believe I knew  Brookswood as well as I did.  There was not one person, young or old, that I could not write a paragraph about.  I'm going to miss my Brookswood. I read this scripture and it reminded me so much of my last days in Brookswood.. "And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the Multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them"- 3 Nephi 17:5  Saying goodbye to certain members was hard.  Wednesday night after my last goodbye to my favorite family, I just cried!  I bet none of them even notice I'm gone! haha I'm going to miss getting Taylor Swift updates from Brad and hug threats.  I'm going to miss my Friday's at one with Marion.  I'm going to miss Loretta's Sunday Dinners.  I'm going to miss seeing the Temple.  I'm going to miss Sister Andrews kisses on the cheek.  I'm going to miss Sister Hansen's Relief Society Lessons.  I'm going to miss my 2013 Chevy Cruze.  I'm going to miss waiting for that stupid train.  I'm going to miss Ward Council.  I'm going to miss my Apartment. I'm going to miss lectures from the Bishop.  I'm going to miss my converts. I'm going to miss district. I'm going to miss the Lower Mainland.  I'm going to miss My Brookswood. 

But it's alright because I am going to love the day I get to see them again.  I'm going to love the memories.  I'm going to love the area I'm in now. I'm going to love my companion and my district and the people who need me here.  There are a lot of changes and there are going to be a lot of new adventures and challenges, but one thing that will never change is my Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever and he is always here for me no matter if I'm in Brookswood or Penticton or where ever.  When we didn't have a phone this weekend and I felt isolated, Well that is when I got on my knees and I prayed to God to be with me in this new place.  I know he heard me.  I know he loves me.  I know he is with me withersoever I go. I have to be strong and of good courage.  I have to be an example in the believers.  I have to love the Lord my God with everything I've got.  I love serving for the Lord.  Leaving my Brookswood Members was hard and if this is how missionaries feel when their missions end, than I dread the day that I have to say goodbye to Canada and my tag.  I'm scared to become so emotionally involved again.. I'm scared to gain connections here.  I just want to work and do my duty, but that's not really the Lord's way completely now is it? SO, I will do my very best to serve here.  it'll be just for a moment in the big scheme of things anyway.. I'm grateful that I was able to serve in my first area for so long because it helped me to know how things are supposed to be done.  It was truly a blessing to serve there.  no dwelling. no comparing. no complaining.

Oh and I received so many wonderful letters this week when I went in for transfers from a lot of you so thank you so much! SHOUT OUT TO MY EMMA! I LOVE YOU! :] your letter was presh. thanks:)  

This church is true folks.  I wouldn't be in Canada if it wasn't.  Everything about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect.  I know that Jesus is the Christ and I know that God has a plan for each and every single one of us. you better believe he does! I know that he counts us one by one and he knows us individually and personally.  I know that he thinks about us all the time and wants nothing more than for us to return and live with him one day.  I know that he gives us experiences in life to help us grow and learn.  I know that he trust us to spread his good word to all the world.  I know that with him, all things are possible.  I know that Jesus Christ is my Redeemer and that he restored his church back on to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that The Book of Mormon is the Word of God.  I know that the more we read it, the more we can Work iT!!  I know, I know, I KNOW that families are forever and that I will return to my Heavenly Father and Savior with my family and friends and that we will be together for the Eternities. 

Oh remember remember  the small and simple things we can do to make this possible. Remember to keep calm and preach the gospel. Remember that you are all children of God.  Remember 1-10-15 & 3-2-1 Remember that the Church is true and Jesus loves you! Remember that I love you.  Remember to always get 5 stars.  Remember to be strong and of Good Courage.  Remember the walls we crashed through.  Remember to be you and only you. Most of all, Remember to WORK iT in all that you do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long Live Ya'll.
LOVE YOUR SISTER MISSIONARY! SISTER JAYNANNE PETERSEN! :) :) :)