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