Monday, July 21, 2014

Marriage and Baptism

or the week of many pictures!
This week was wonderful.

As almost always, the week before baptism is full of challenges, and such was the case this week.  We taught about the priesthood in more detail to help prepare David.  He got all quiet and then angry and said that if anyone gave him a calling he wouldn't go to church anymore because he just wanted peace and just wanted to keep being like they are.  When we entered their house that day David was singing and listening to music, and when we left he was almost crying.  That is not how you want to leave a lesson!  So we prayed a lot and had another lesson the next day and he was normal again and said, "I don't know what happened to me yesterday."  Well, okay.  

Cecilia is super excited to learn everything there is to know and is reading everything she can get her hands on.  So we called on Thursday to see how she was doing and she was crying.  "I don't know if we´re getting married tomorrow," she told us.  We rushed over with her member friend, Romina, and she was crying in her bedroom.  We asked David what happened and he said, "I don't know, ask her.  I'm getting married tomorrow.  What's the big deal?"  Oh my goodness.  So Cecilia was excited and wanted David to be as excited, so it hurt her feelings and then David was all, "I just want to be an eternal family, but that can't happen for another year. That´s what I'm excited for."  Oh my goodness.  jaja.  

And then Friday came... And everything was perfect!!  David and Cecilia were so happy, all smiles.  Their families came and then we had a lovely lunch in the chapel.  It was so happy.

And then Saturday came...  And it was all perfect again!  They are SO HAPPY!  And we love them so much.  We sang and it was evident I hadn't sung in front of people for a while because I was shaking the whole time.  But they liked the song, so that was good.

And then Sunday came, and they were still so happy.  Feliz Dís del Amigo!  They gave us adorable friend mugs and a letter and chocolate.  They are perfect.  

They always talk about how Hna Morales came to get them married, then Hna Millet showed up to get them baptized, and then I showed up.  David was trying to figure out what my mission was and then he found it-  to add to the family. jaja!  One day I said that Jazmín needed a little brother and then it became a joke.  And the day they got married David said, "Hermana Peterson, I think your mission will be in process before you go home." jaja!!  so we´re thinking of names.... :)

I want to send more pictures, so that´s all for this week.  The Church is true! I love you all!!

Hermana Peterson
Setting the scene

David y Cecilia

they are so CUTE! en el registro civil

dundundun

jazmin putting on the rings

rice!

con las misionaras

los anillos

Sole y Maxi (David's sister and nephew)

cute party favors

David wrote this...
Saturday

I loved this moment


flia Lopez y flia Martinez

happy friend day

Friday, July 18, 2014

Keep Calm and Love Argentina

I am so happy!!!!!!!

I loved going to Saladillo (in the dictionary it says that saladillo means "salty peanut" so that made me like it even more).  All of the little pueblos here are basically like Granville but in castellano.  It´s pretty great.  I was working with Hermana Ancheta, from Honduras.  She is a scripture master and I want to be more like her.  We met some great people and I loved it.  We watched the game with a member family and it was one of the greatest Argentine experiences of my life.  Definitely worth giving up part of our P-day.  Everyone gasping and cheering and crying.  One of the girls had her face all painted and then cried at the end when Argentina won, her tears falling down blue and white.  It was priceless.  My camera card has a virus right now and I have to get it fixed, otherwise you would have pictures.

Then I came back to beloved Bragado.

We won't talk about the match yesterday.  We weren't watching, just listening to the shouts of agony that could be heard in our apartment complex.  Que triste.

We had wonderful experiences this week.  Firstly, David y Cecilia, the young couple that will be getting married and baptized this weekend.  They are so righteous and excited and worthy that it makes me want to cry.  Their goal is the temple and they will never forget it.  We reviewed DyC 20:37 and when we asked why they wanted to be baptized their answers were perfect, and they said them with conviction.  Cecilia because she wants to belong to the true church of Jesus Christ, and she wants to follow Him.  She wants to be cleansed from her sins and begin a new life.  David said that the sin of not living the law of chastity weighs heavily on his soul and he just cant wait to be freed from that burden.  The happiness we feel as we teach them and see them grow cannot be put adequately into words.  This Friday and Saturday will be some of the best days of my life so far. They are getting married!!! And then they are getting baptized!!!  And it will be so happy!!! :)

We also had an incredible moment with Romina.  She is 24 and a few years ago her son, who was 3, passed away.  He had a bad fall, hit his head, was in the hospital for about two weeks, and then passed away.  She had been fir in her church before, but after that terrible experience she felt lost and stopped going to church.  This week we were able to share the Plan with her and read her the words of the prophets that say that all little children who die before the age of accountability are saved in the kingdom of God.  We cried together as we rejoiced in the glorious plan that our Heavenly Father has prepared for us.  She is now determined to be prepared to return to live with her son and with Heavenly Father.  She is preparing for baptism.

I feel so blessed.  This work is the best work there is. :)  

I love you all.  Hugs and kisses.

Hermana Peterson
la zona de chivilcoy sur:))

This was from the leadership meeting a few weeks ago

Jazmin

la zona con presidente

mi companerita y yo

Saturday, July 12, 2014

Let the games begin

We get to watch the match this Wednesday!!  We are so excited!!  Everyone is super pumped and Argentina is going to win!  So that will be fun.  If only the world had the same ánimo for the gospel as they have for futbol...  :)

President Robertson.  We went to Ramos on Friday and presented all the zones and talked about the strengths and weaknesses of the mission right now.  We all fell in love with the familia Robertson right away.  They are so full of love.  They are ready to help us keep growing and learning.  Our zone will get to meet them this Friday and we´ll all have a short interview with him.  He has been called of God and will follow the divine guidance he will receive in bringing more souls to Christ.

It rained a cold rain this week and on bici that is not so fun!  I didn't think there was a downside to bicis, but this week I found out there is one- the wind and rain and cold feels a whole lot more windy and rainy and coldy!  So we parked the bikes for a day and I put my walking feet back on.

We were walking, on the way to a member´s house, when I looked up and asked, "Hermana, ha tocado aquella puerta?"  She said no, so we went to see who lived there.  A woman opened the door and let us in.  We talked with her and her daughter, Romina, 25.  Romina listened as we shared the story of the Restoration.  She said she had always wondered why there are so many churches if there is only one God.  She felt the Spirit as we testified that this was the true church, that Christ had restored all the truth in one gospel, where all the children of God can find what they are looking for to live as He would have us live.  She is excited to attend church and pray to ask God if it really is true.  

We had another similar experience this week with a reference from a member, Eliana.  We talked about how the church was when Christ was here, the organization with a prophet, 12 apostles, priesthood, revelation. As we told about Joseph Smith´s experience she smiled and said, "I've studied about religion, and I know that if there is a true church, it would have to be organized in the same way that Christ organized it."

I love it when the Spirit talks to peoples hearts and tells them that what they are hearing is true.  That is when they begin to believe.  That is when they begin to desire the blessings.  And that is when God can work miracles in their lives.  It is beautiful.

I LOVED all the pictures you all sent this week.  What a gorgeous family I have.  I'm glad you're all happy and celebrating.  Hugs all around!

I will be on a division this week in Saladillo, if all goes as planned, so I will tell you all about it next week.  

Un beso grande,

Hermana Peterson

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Aldo de Tigre

¡Aldo y Patricia se casaron y se bautizaron!!  After almost three years of waiting the day finally arrived!  Patricia said she was hardly sleeping for days before because she was so excited.  It was beautiful.  Unfortunately, we were not able to go to the wedding because we had a Leadership Meeting in Ramos with President Carter, and it is a bit of a trip.  But the Branch did everything for them and they were all smiles.  The baptism was on Sunday because the first missionary that taught Patricia came from capital to baptize her. ¡Qué tierno!  It was special.

The meeting with President was awesome.  We will miss them so much.  They both gave their whole souls to this work.  I'm sure the Lord is pleased.  And now we get to meet and love and learn from la familia Robertson!!  They came with three of their kids, ages 17, 15, and 9, I think.  We are super excited to meet them.  We get to go back to Ramos this Wednesday.  We received the first Sol (the mission newsletter) from our new President this morning and just from reading it I can tell he will lead us in the ways of the Lord.

The Lord led us to some great people this week.  I love working with Hermana Millet.  She is so diligent and patient.  We are learning a lot together and I feel like we just work so smoothly together.  I am trying to learn the streets of Bragado but it is super hard for me on bici.  I'm so accustomed to being in the city where we walk and take colectivos and the streets are always marked and there are always a million people around that you can ask for directions.  Not so aquí. :)  So I'm trying to be more observant, paying attention to the big tree and the field and the yellow house and the pink kiosko, etc.  Me cuesta demasiado. jaja.  But I like it.  I love Bragado.

Cecilia y David are progressing so well.  They went to church again this Sunday and are anxiously planning for the future.  They were saying how they always eat gnocci the 29th and I began to say how I had heard that it was a tradition here but that in all my time in Argentina I had never eaten gnocci on the 29th.  Well a comment like that will get you an invitation, even though it was not my intention!  So we ate gnocci on the 29th, with 2 pesos under the plate, for luck.  It was lovely.  They are lovely.

I can't believe the letter got there so fast! Now I feel bad I haven't written more.  Consequences of technology.  Fewer hand-written letters.  But faster responses!  I like it.

Well mi querida familia, the time is passing all too fast and I love every day. It makes me smile SO BIG when I read of your happy tales, and I always love the photos.  Be well!

LOVES,

Hermana Peterson
Cecilia y Jazmin

We all completed 15 meses el viernes...viejitas

This isn't Burger King

Mission office photos



Aldo y Patricia:) dos angeles