Ciudad Evita 2B

Nueva Área!!!  I look across the train tracks and wave to Rocío. :)  Not really, but it is super close.

We went to the new ward yesterday and I felt like I was back in Bella Vista.  The bishop is like the bishop there- muy capo, full of love, tall, skinny, and rubio.  He even makes the same kinds of jokes.  And he has high hopes for his little flock.  We were greeted warmly by everyone.  They are excited to have sisters because it is the first time ever.  S we felt loved and felt a lot of love for all of them as well.  It is incredible how quickly you can love somebody.  I already feel at home here in my new home.

We knocked a lot of doors this week.  We started with nothing on Tuesday so we are visiting all the members and they are all incredible and many are willing to go out and work with us.  But after all that there is still plenty of time for knocking doors.  We found a few people that let us talk with them, and for that we are grateful.  We ask for water at almost every house because it is stifling hot.  People get really sweet and eager to help us when we ask for water.  People are the best.

Hermana Passos is suffering slightly from culture shock but she is, as all of my companions have been, a real trooper.  She is eager to learn and change.  That part is so important.  She has been helping me a lot in this week to remember all the things we need to get done and helping us see what more we can do.  We are developing a ward mission plan that involves brownies and I think it will function quite well. :)  Everyone needs to feel the joy that comes from inviting and teaching and testifying to the people we love.  If we need a brownie to get us rolling, I see nothing wrong with that!  It will be fun.

Christmas was wonderful and I hope it was splendid for all of you!  I loved seeing your faces.  So beautiful.  I thought and studied a lot about the birth of the Savior this Christamas season and I think it was the best Christmas Ive had so far.  In the few chapters of the Bible where it talks about Jesus´ birth it talks a lot about prophets, revelation, following the guidance we receive, submitting to the will of the Father, humility, obedience, and walking with faith.  Such a perfect beginning to such a perfect life.  Although the day of Christmas has passed, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas throughout all the year of 2014.  It is going to be a good one.  I can feel it in my bones. :)

I just love you all a lot.  Be well.

Hermana Peterson

Felices Fiestas

Family,

We had a lovely Christmas Dinner in the ward this week and we were pleased to have four investigators there!  We ate the most delicious chicken.  The fiestas are quite grand.  It is the season of food and family and love and laughter!  It is all happy.

We are finding more people to teach all the time.  The Lord is preparing people everywhere to receive the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This week we had a great experience with a woman named Alejandra.  She is a single mom that has recently passed through some unfortunate events.  Her sister was recently baptized in another province and she was curious about what made her change.  She had to stop smoking and change her life around.  Alejandra is very receptive to the Spirit.  She needs a lot of peace.  She is nervous a lot of the time, feels anxious.  Her son is twelve and she has raised him so well.  She is looking for a new apartment and we are trying to help her find one close to the chapel. :)  The day we found her she told us she had just asked her boss if she could change her schedule to have Sundays free, and this week she told us that starting in January it will be so!  Blessings.  She wants to have a new life and she wants all the blessings the Lord has to offer.  New year, new life. ¿Por qué no?

I love Justa so much.  We will be together in el reino celestial.  She has the most wonderful sense of humor and we laugh and laugh.  She accompanies us for hours each weeks making visits and we walk from one end of Tablada to the next.  What a trooper.  I love her.

It is getting incredibly hot here. We sweat a lot. jaja.  Apparently this is just the beginning, so buckle down and get comfy.  The summer is coming.

I am so excited to talk to you and tell you I love you.  I hope all are well.  We had a powerful zone conference this week and learned more about light and darkness and the work of salvation.  Hermana Carter showed us an awesome video of a photographer that takes pictures of two strangers in the street in poses that show love and we compared it to how we can help the members and investigators work together.  Its awesome, you should look it up.  The project is called Touching Strangers, maybe you've seen it already.  We can love people in an instant, but we might have to do something out of our comfort zone to get there.  I love you!!

Hermana Peterson

P.S.   

President told me recently that on Wednesday I will be leaving Aldo Bonzi and opening a new area in Ciudad Evita, and training a new Brazilian sister straight from the CCM!! Whooweeee.  So, what this means is that when I talk with you on Christmas all will be new!  I also couldnt set a time with a member to use their computer, so Im just going to set the time with you and figure it out with the member later. :)  There shouldn't be any problem. Its one of the wealthiest areas of the mission so I think there will be plenty of houses with internet and the members love it when sisters come to their wards.  jaja. 

 President told me that this ward has only had one baptism in the whole year of 2013.  There are two elders there so we will be four missionaries.  He said the bishop is determined to turn his ward into a missionary ward through the missionaries.  If you have any suggestions, Ill take them. :)  I am excited and sad to leave Aldo Bonzi. ITs been good to me.  My tummy feels all nervous inside but at the same time I have peace. I'm excited to talk to all of in a few short days!! Thanks for everything. I love you!!

Luz y Oscuridad

It is what has been on my mind as of late.  I read a talk by Presidente Uchtdorf this morning where he shared a story of a girl who grew up being abused and she learned how to stop feeling because the darkness was so great.  When she turned 18 she found the Restored Gospel, was baptized, and began a life of light.  As time went by she battled with her past.  Eventually she learned that she had to accept that darkness exists, but not to dwell there.  She chose to dwell in the light.  

Where did she find the strength to leave the darkness?  How did she change her future to be so drastically different from the lives of her parents?  How did her spirit fight to be heard, to melt her wounded heart, and let the light in?  Her spirit is obviously quite valiant.  And once our spirits know what it feels like to live in the light, miracles ensue.  Light is so powerful! It is infinitely more powerful than darkness.  It is the power of Jesus Christ.  And we have to hold that light up high, for all to see and feel and enjoy!  I think of Heidi´s face as she sits in the sun on a lovely summer day.  She LOVES it. It is what gives her life.  And so it is with our spirits and the light of Christ.  The darkness doesnt hold a candle to the Light. ;)

Vimos muchos milagros esta semana.  Mucha luz en lugares de oscuridad.  

Dad, your letter this week was right on the button.  And you asked to know more of the struggle, so I will share some with you.  God leads us to many of His prepared children.  They are discouraged and lonely and confused and broken.  They are also incredibley wise and strong and intelligent and full of love for family.  They let us in and our hearts are so full of gratitude and love and light.  We see them as beautiful, important children of a loving Heavenly Father.  We do everything in our power to help them understand the magnitude of what we are sharing.  We leave, praying that they will find the strength within themselves to leave the darkness and step into the light.  To leave the sadness, sin, substance-abuse, confusion, bitterness, guilt, fear- and receive the best gift that our Father has to offer us- eternal life.  We pray and pray, but so many times people choose to stay where they are.  It is heart-breaking every time.  But we never lose hope because Jesus Christ lives, and He is our Savior.  People need to hear the truth a good number of times before they are willing to accept it and act upon it, in most instances.  And every day there is more and more light in this beautiful world that God created. 

We are all needed in the work of salvation.  What a wonderful season to be talking about Christ with everyone.  Diciembre es un mes de milagros!  Tenemos una cena navideña en el barrio este viernes y estamos muy animados.  Oh, la Navidad. *carita feliz*

I love you all so very much!! Un besito!

Hermana Peterson

Diciembre ya?

Mother, I received your card!  I loved reading your wise thoughts and it made me very happy. Thanks.

We had another week of miracles.  

We were knocking doors on Tuesday night and a woman opened the window. We told her we were representatives of Jesus Christ and had something important to give her and her family.  She quickly said no, that she was taking care of her paralyzed brother and didnt have time, but we promised her this was what she needed and she shut the window.  We didnt know if that meant she was coming to the door or no, so we waited a moment and we heard the key in the door.  She opened and told us to enter.  We stepped into her house to see two teenage girls sitting on the stairs .  She told us to enter the kitchen, so we did and there were four boys, all on laptops.  We asked how many kids she had and she told us- eight.  I was trying to think how we could invite everyone to listen when everyone shut their laptops and came into the kitchen and sat around the table, attentive and quiet.  Well that worked out nicely!!  The youngest is 12, then there are twin boys, 14, and the others are 18, 19, 21,23, 25, and one more whose age I dont know.  We asked what their favorite thing about their family is and they said, the love.  We shared some of the gospel of Jesus Christ and invited them to be baptized and everyone said yes.  As we were leaving the mom told uis we arrived in the perfect moment for her family.  We left their home with tears of gratitud for how wonderful is our God.

But the story doesnt end there!  We went back every day and guess what? They were never home or never answered the door.  Major disappointment.  But we knew this family was prepared by the Lord and that we had to exercise faith.  We left a note explaining how to get to the church and prayed and fasted.  Halfway through the first hour of church someone called us out into the hall and told us we had two investigators that were sitting in the sacrament meeting of the other ward that was about to start!  There sat Micaela (19) with her boyfriend.  We were so happy to see them.  They stayed all three hours and felt great.  We have high hopes for this family.

The Lord led us to other prepared people this week and blessed us abundantly.  We feel a lot of love.  It doesnt come without trial, but that is why we are here, living on this beautiful earth.  To be tried.  And alone we fail, but with Christ we succeed. De diez!  

I love you all and pray for your progress.  Thanks for all you do and are.

Can you believe it is already December?  Christmas!!

Hermana Peterson

Rocio is Mormon:)

My heart is full when I think of Rocio.  She is incredible.  This week before her baptism she was so full of faith and so excited to take this important step.  She wants to know everything!  She asks what more she can do, what more she can learn, and she sees obedience as a quest, not an obligation.  She shares her testimony openly and was telling the investigators of the other Hermanas in church yesterday how being baptized is just the best thing they can do.  Already a missionary.  I love her.  And her little boy, Benji, is adorable.  Future missionary. :)

We had divisions this week with the Hermanas Lìderes Entrenadoras and it was incredible.  I learned so much.  It is always good when we get to work with other missionaries because it helps us see more clearly how we can improve.  I was with Hermana Gonçalves, de Brasil.  It was lovely.

We found a woman this week that had been meeting with the missionaries before.  Her son passed away a year ago and she feels very sad.  She said she liked the message and went to church once but after that she still felt very sad.  We talked about the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  We asked is she would pray and she said she doesn't like to because she cries.  After a minute she decided to do it and she prayed a heart-felt prayer.  And Heavenly Father heard it.  And I learned once again that God is aware of each one of us.  We often feel lost but God has given us a Shepherd, and He really is searching diligently to find us.  It is the best feeling ever to be found.

Family, I love you.  Thanks for the prayers and the love.  I am the luckiest girl.

Hermana Peterson

Mauro

We got to hear Elder Holland speak and I will never forget it. Incredible.  We all need to became true disciples of Jesus Christ and live like He lived- doing the will of the Father.

Rocio is a rock star.  She is so excited for her baptism.  She asks us if there is anything else she needs to know, anything else she needs to change, if there is another commandment she needs to obey.  She wants all the blessings the Lord has to give her and she is humbly obeying each of His commandments.  She is showing incredible faith as she changes her life.  The result is beautiful, and it will get better yet.

Several weeks ago we met an old deaf man and a young hearing man in the street outside their workplace.  They are both from Paraguay.  We chatted a bit with them and they were friendly and receptive and we set up a cita with the young one for the next week.  After a change in plans, having to go to the offices, we couldnt make it to the cita and he had told us he couldnt meet another day.  Life went on and we kept working and finding and teaching.  Yesterday we needed one more lesson to complete our goals for the week and we were searching faithfully for someone to teach.  Walking along the sidewalk, we saw two men seated outside enjoying the evening air.  As we got closer I realized it was the same two men from before!  We said hello and asked if we could sit and have a lesson with them and they animatedly said yes and pulled out two chairs.  Bendiciones. We began to talk and the young one said he had been waiting for us that day, Saturday at four, and we never came. I felt so badly.  We began to ask about his life.  We asked him what the most important thing in his life is right now and he hung his head, paused, and said, "I just work and sleep."  After a pause he said, "Im going to church next Sunday."  We shared about how he is a special son of God and that God has an incredible purpose for him to fulfill.  He feels completely empty.  We invited him to be baptized and before the question was even finished he was shaking his head, "Yes."

I am grateful for second chances.  We had forgotten about Mauro but the Lord sure hadnt.  Heavenly Father looks after each one of His children and loves each one so perfectly.  This gospel brings peace to weary souls.  Let it bring peace to yours.

My family, I love you.  You are all so beautiful and full of light.

Loves,

Hermana Peterson

Recent Convert Power!

 aren't you proud of me? we made this delicious cake for hermana Davis because it was her birthday.  Chocolate, coconut, oreo, dulce de leche cake, and it is like heaven. with a sun for argentina on the top. ;)

I am getting more gordita and I just don't know why...:)

I love these Hermanas.

Both Justa and Gabriel accompanied us in various lessons this week and it was INCREDIBLE.  Justa, in her 75 years and witty smile, shared how before she was so sad about losing her husband and she didnt want to sleep, didnt want to eat, but then she was baptized and now she is happy, she can sleep well at night, she feels peace.  Gabriel shared about how before he lived the same life than so many young people are living, full of sin, but that as he began to learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he prepared for baptism.  He shared that he didnt know if he was ready, but he acted on his faith and was obedient, and that now he has a new life.  He knows this is the Church of Jesus Christ and that we have a living prophet.  And to keep it short, we will be inviting them to accompany us in many lessons to come.  The Lord often invites us to do things before we feel we are ready but then we do it and we feel the Spirit and we are strengthened and after it all we see that the Lord loves us and really does know best.  And then we can serve and grow and smile some more.

Hermana Zamora is eager to learn and she is good at doing it.  Yesterday she led everything from planning to teaching to finding the addresses from getting people to church!  Que capa.  We are working hard to find the people the Lord is preparing here.  We are seeing the blessings of the Lord in every day.

Rocio is preparing well for her baptism.  Have I told you about Rocio? I dont remember.  Well she is from Bolivia, has two sons, and is working hard to support them.  She has been so prepared by the Lord.  She is excited for her baptism and is reading the scriptures and praying constantly.  She is making huge sacrifices to have lessons with us and to go to church every Sunday.  She is an inspiration.  

Family, I love hearing from you and reading your letters. Thank you, Aunt Jennifer and Sister Grover for your inspired and beautiful letters.  I received other letters several weeks ago- thanks to all of you as well!  So good to hear your testimonies and words of love.  The Church is true!  Jesus Christ lives.  And I just love it.

Hermana Peterson

La Hermana Zamora y Yo

We are companions! And today I will send pictures.  Well this week was full and we saw lots of miracles.  We had an Hermana´s Conference and it was incredible.  There are some amazing missionaries in this mission and I was inspired and uplifted as I listened and learned.  We realized we all pass through the same challenges.  We are learning the same lessons.  And we are all here to become better servants to our King.  There is power.

It rained all day Friday and our citas all fell through.  As we were leaving the house of Gabriel a dog decided to accompany us out of the neighborhood and was jumping in all the puddles, running with us through the rain.  We thought he would turn back after a bit, but no!  He followed us the whole day long!  We named him Solovino.  He was really excited the whole time and sometimes jumped up on people and they gave us mean looks, thinking the dog belonged to us.  We had a leson with Justa and he sat outside crying quite loudly throughout the whole lesson.  When we came out again he found us.  I am growing a love for dogs here. Never thought I would say that, did you? Me neither.  After four hours when we got on the colectivo we had to leave the dog behind, but we will probably meet him again some day. jaja.

That same day, after knocking on many doors without anyone letting us in, we came upon a man standing on the corner. We asked him what he was doing and he told us he was bored so he decided to step outside to see what was going on.  We told him he was probably supposed to hear what we had to share with him.  He pulled out some chairs we sat there under umbrellas, learning about his life and feeling the Spirit.  He is a widower of ten years and his children are all grown.  He doesn´t believe in life after death and doesn´t feel much purpose to his life.  His name is Aldo.  We testified of the ressurrection and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He felt it.  God loves him and is acutely aware of his needs.  Heavenly Father does have a plan for each of us, and He does have a way for us to find happiness amid the gloom we may feel.  With Christ, there is light.

I just really love Argentina.

I love you too, family.  You are special.

Hermana Peterson

We went to contact a reference from a member yesterday after Church and it turned out to be a beautiful family of five.  The dad, the mom, and three daughters, 22, 20, and 9 years old.  We are looking forward to our next visit!

                                                                    nuestra angelita

                                                                  Justa Y Maria

                                                               Three Baptisms this day

                                          hna Alley y hno Guillermo, misionera de barrio

                                                                         La feria

                                                        this is milanesa. GIGANTE.

hna Graciela that always accompanies us and I love her

Nos Quedamos

So much happened this week!  Hermana Salas left us for Perù and with 54 new missionaries that arrived this transfer there were changes all over the place to accommodate until transfers, which were this morning.  I was with Hermana Alley, an adorable new missionary from Utah, for two days.  Her feet were worn raw within the first few hours and she was suffering but she didn't complain one bit and persevered all the way through.  She will make a wonderful addition to the mission.

Hermana Zamora and I are now working as a companionship, still in Aldo Bonzi.  I love my area.  This will be an excellent tranfser and we are ready to keep working with all diligence.

You will all be thrilled to know that Justa made it to her baptism on Friday and yesterday received the gift of the Holy Ghost!!!  I love Justa so much and I have pictures to send but this computer wont connect to my camera so you will have to wait until next week. I know, the suspense!  Justa is all smiles these days.  She makes me quite felìz. And she always giving us un montòn de nìsperos.  I think that is how you spell it. Delicious.

We were walking down the street one day this week when we heard someone behind saying, "Ey! Chicas!"  We turned around and there was a woman walking up to us.  She asked if we were from a church and we told her yes.  she said she always sees us and we are always happy, and she was curious about who we were.  We asked if we could pass by her house to tell her about why we are happy and she said, "Yeah, let me show you where I live."  Woah!  So she showed us her door and we set up an appointment for later that day.  Milagros.  God is always preparing people to hear the gospel.  He leads them to us and us to them.  

I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  I know that we are all brothers and sisters.  I know that we are required to love all men and treat them like what they are- our family. :)  Everyone you see and meet and know is important to Heavenly Father.  Let them be important to you as well.  

Family, I really love you with all my heart.  Also, I love Argentina. :)

Hermana Peterson

Justa

Justa is a wonderful woman.  We found her one day sitting outside her house watching the cars go by, about a month ago.  We sat down with her and began talking.  She is from the province of Jujuy and is very timid.  People from Buenos Aires LOVE to talk, generally speaking, but oftentimes people from the provinces are more reserved.  This day Justa was very quiet and she told us she felt very sad.  Her husband passed away two years ago and she lives alone, never had any children.  She is 75 years old.  She wouldn't let us into her home to have a lesson but we had a little lesson, there sitting on the cement.  She said she didn't know if we could come back for another lesson because sometimes she goes out and she never knows when she will be home.  We eventually found a good time for the both of us and she said it was fine.  We had been passing by every few days and one day Hermana Salas needed a bathroom and Justa was hesitant to let us in.  Hermana Salas put on her "pretty please" face and Justa let us in.  

Her walls are covered with artwork.  She has a collection of padlocks on one wall.  A picture of her husband sits on her kitchen table, with his long white beard and kind eyes.  She began to tell us about how she and her husband were artists, she likes to paint nature and he likes to paint people.  One day he didnt feel very well and they went to the doctor.  The doctor told her he needed some therapy, and he died the next day.  It was very sudden and she misses him terribly.  She wants to be with him again, and we shared with her the plan of salvation.  The next Sunday she went to Church, all three hours.

She is leaving behind the traditions of her fathers and entering into the waters of baptism and it is so happy.  Now that we have her trust she is such a crack-up.  She is quiet by nature but she is always making little jokes and she is so much happier than when we first found her.  When we taught her the law of chastity and asked if she had a novio she asked, "Why? Do you want me to find one?"  She goes to church by herself and just smiles and listens all the while.  I love Justa.

ALSO, we received a new companion this week!  Her name is Hermana Zamora, from México!!  She is fresh from the MTC, plus a few weeks waiting for her visa.  She is all smiles and full of energy for the work of the Lord.  She arrived on Wednesday and she has made a wonderful addition to our companionship.  The Hermana Salas leaves us for her blessed Perú this weekend and I can hardly believe it.  She has taught me more in these weeks than I have learned in years of schooling.  She will be missed.  We have transfers next Monday and we are not sure what will happen.  

Yesterday was El Día de la Madre in Argentina, entonces, Felíz Día, Mamá! La quiero un montón.  Good timing for your birthday as well. :)  Felíz Cumpleaños!!  You are the most amazing woman I know.

This gospel is so true.  The power of prayer and the scriptures and the ability to change and act are beautiful blessings.  Be humble and accept the will of God with patience and charity and you will be miracles.  Always be available for the work of the Lord.  I love you, family.  You are so righteous.  And so beautiful. :)

Loves and besitos,

Hermana Peterson

Gabriel se bautizo!

And it was hermoso.  We passed by the day before his baptism and he told us he was anxious for the day of his baptism to arrive. :)  His mom, Juana, and brother went to the baptism.  We are hopeful that Juana can follow his example soon and be baptized as well.  They are a special family, one I have come to love very much.  Gabriel and his brother go to a special needs school.  Juana´s house what burned a few months ago and she lost everything but she just keeps on keepin´ on with incredible faith in Jesus Christ.  

Hermana Salas has given me the reigns to lead to area so that I will be prepared for this coming transfer when she leaves me for her home in Perú.  I make a lot of mistakes.  But I am learning a lot in a short amount of time, and I'm learning more about what it means to be a focused, diligent missionary.  It is intense!  What a privilege to care for the children of God that He has blessed to know.  I am trying to give them all I've got and to let Jesus Christ change my heart into how He wants it to be.  It is a process.

I want to have time to send pictures so I am going to keep this one short!  It was also the birthday of Hermana Castillo and we had a good time with that. :)  I love this ward so much. Everyone is so full of love.

I love you all!!! Thanks for your love and support and powerful examples. You are beautiful.

Loves,

Hermana Peterson

                                                                  bautismo

                                       el barrio, the ones I love so much

                                            An Argentine dessert...sweet potato jello on top and mozzarella cheese on the bottom.  It was the first time I had it. Delicious. Sits a little heavy on the stomach. but really good.

                                                      More birthday fun

the two in the back sitting down are Antonio y Martita and we love them very much.  They were converts of hermana Castillo four months ago and they are the greatest.  Some of my favorite people. :) and the old man, Roman, is the cutest old man you could ever meet.

The family that was sealed

Come hear a Prophet!

At the end of the last transfer Hermana Davis and I were companions for a day, on exchanges.  That day we found a woman, Mari, with her kids in the park and we sat down and had a lesson with her.  She was very receptive and said she wanted to be baptized.  We noted her address and phone number and set a date for our next lesson.  Well when we went to go to the appointment we discovered that her address didn't
                                           

 exist.  Major bummer!  She was so sincere and yet she gave us a false address. We were sad.  Then this week happened.

We were walking, Hermana Salas y yo, when Mari approached me and said, "Hey! How are you? I still remember about my baptism for the 12th, viste?"  What a happy moment.  So we wrote her address again and invited her to General Conference for the next day.  We went to talk with her the next morning only to discover that once again, the address didnt exist!  We asked around and eventually found her door, she opened, we had a lesson and she went to Conference later that day.  She is now planning on being baptized the 26th. :)  Maybe I need to do some practices with writing down numbers in castellano or something... :)  It wont happen again.

We worked hard this week to have as many investigators as possible in General Conference. It is a wonderful opportunity for people that usually work Sundays or need a boost to their testimonies or for EVERYONE!  We take the Randy Murray approach in this mission to help people get to church, and we were running en todos lados to go with investigators!  In the end we had six lovely people listening to the word of God in General Conference.  And what a Conference it was!!  What power and love.  The Church is true.

Hermana Salas making pan de banana con amor!

Gabriel is preparing to be baptized this Saturday.  We are praying and working hard to help him make this important first step.  What an exciting time to be alive.  The Lord is hastening His work.  And we all get to be a part of it!  No one can walk this path alone.  We all need a friend, a lot of support, people that can empathize and love, and people that never give up in the work of the Lord.  The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.

The peace that the Gospel of Jesus Christ brings is incredible.  Even though I am far from my family I feel their presence in a deep and very real way.  I miss Grandma Joyce.  It is hard to not be there to share in this moment with everyone, but The Lord doesnt have the same boundaries that we do, and through Him we can feel a comfort and unity that you just cant find anywhere else.  And we know Grandma Joyce is smiling a fresh smile and busily working to help bring more souls to Christ.  What a grandma. :)  What a family.  I really love my family.  I really love Jesus Christ.  And now it is time to get to work!

Loves,

Hermana Peterson

                               We are cute!

Gauchos

We set out on our morning run this Tuesday to find horse carriage after horse carriage passing through the streets!  There is a yearly festival for all the gauchos at the end of September and they travel from all over Argentina.  My companion was all excited because last year at this time she was in Lujan, where the festival takes place.  It was exciting to see all the families going, with their horses all pretty, everyone in gaucho-gear. I love Argentina.

Perks of being with a missionary in their last transfer: (Lets be honest, the list is endless because if they have worked hard the whole time to become the best missionary they can be, they are awesome missionaries- such is the case with Hermana Salas- but this is one of the BEST perks-)  We got to go the sealing of a family she taught!!!  It was heavenly.  The office called on Friday night and told us they were getting sealed and that they had called Preisdent and told him they wanted Hermana Salas to be there.  So special.  So happy.  Families really can be forever.  It is want God wants for each family.  It requires work and diligence and humility and cooperation and a whole lot of faith, and it is beautiful.

This week we focused more on sticking to the plans we make each night and the Lord showed us that He is leading us to where He wants us to be.  We found a lot of new people who were ready to listen and we are excited to help them progress in this journey towards Christ.  One family is from the Dominican Republic and they have the cutest little baby boy, Mateo.  Precioso.

I love this work.  And I love you!  Be well, keep smiling.

Hermana Peterson

Roadbumps

We don't see many stop signs here, but the road bumps are endless.  

This week was not as peachy as the last, I hate to say.  Our investigators are hitting some road bumps that are causing them to wobble.  This is a hard fight we are in, to fight for our salvation.  Just when we think we are about to find safety the adversary comes and clotheslines us!  But Jesus Christ is always stronger and He is always there to reach out a hand and help us up, or carry us the rest of the way.  That is the beauty of it all.  No matter what happens, Jesus Christ is our Savior and we can always turn to Him.  That is the lesson of the week, my friends.

Saturday was Felíz Día de Primavera!!  And it rained all the day!  So spring is here but the cold spouts are not over.  Some days it feels like we are in an oven and some days we are all decked out in our winter wear.  Today it is nice, the sky a lovely celestial blue. :)

The other hermanas in the ward had a beautiful baptism this week.  A man of 83 years entered into the waters of baptism, leaving his cane on the stairs.  After he came up out of the water his wispy hairs were all askew and as he ascended the stairs he turned to the ward mission leader, who is bald, and said, "Che, hermano, do you have a brush?"  Well we had a good laugh at that.  He is so prepared.  After a lifetime of smoking and a month of trying with all his might to quit, he was ready for that baptism and the whole ward rejoiced.  I love baptisms.

Well family, the work is always moving forward and we are working, working, working!  I am excited for all the good that the gospel brings to the world.  There is nothing better than the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It can turn frowns into smiles.  We see it day by day.  I send my love!!

Hermana Peterson

Amor

This place is full of it.  There is love everywhere.  And this week I really felt it.  Hermanita Henao se fue a otro barrio and the big surprise was that Hermana Salas, who left on Monday, returned with me on Wednesday!  So now we are working together, just us two, and it was weird for the first day or two.  We are learning well together and we had a wonderful week.

We worked hard to have daily contact with our investigators this week and the results were miraculous.  Juana and Gabriel have told us that they have no doubt that this is the truth and are excited for their baptisms this month.  They came to Church and everyone welcomed them with open, loving arms.  Jonathan and Angie are living la Palabra de Sabiduría and Jonathan began praying for a new job so he can keep the Sabbath Day holy.  They came to Church and Jonathan told us he has a new job in a bakery, Monday-Saturday. :)  Silvia, who has been meeting with missionaries off and on for months, read Alma 34 four times this week and came to Church for the first time.  The hand of the Lord is undeniable in the lives of these wonderful people.  We were all smiles at Church yesterday.

The Lord really prepares people to receive the truth.  I love watching Him work in the hearts of people as they put it all on the line and trust in Him.  The blessings that come from going to Church are incredible.  I dont think I noticed the blessings from church attendance much before, but here I can see it clearly.  In our District Meeting this week we talked about the blessings of church attendance and how we can help people to attend.  The truth is that the Lord promises us the fulness of the earth if we sanctify this holy day, which basically means He promises us everything if we will take this time to worship Him.  I love it.

I am happy.  I am learning. I am seeing that we are all children of God and that He has so much more for us than we can imagine.  In a world of darkness He offers us light.

Family, I love you.  You are the greatest blessing in my life.  Be well.