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