Hermana Rachel Ruth Peters

Feb. 10, 2015

Hello family,

Hope everyone is healthy and happy :) 

i don't have a lot of pictures, but here are the girls i live with :) they are the best!!! we went on a little hike yesterday... :)

I'm trying hard to not get sick from the cold and so far, so good. :) but i guess i should knock on wood right... ? haha

This past week has been great and i am learning so much here in Santo Domingo  One thing that i have noticed about this past week is the power of the gift of tongues.  My Spanish has been improving slowly the last 7 months, but i feel like it just took a huge jump. Multiple times this week people have commented about how amazed they are with the Spanish i know and can understand.  The other day i was talking to these two ladies on the street and hadn't mentioned anything about the time i had here. One of them turned to the other and said Wow this girl has really good Spanish. Then they turned to me and asked me how long i had been here in costa rica, learning Spanish. I told them 5 months here, and 7 months learning Spanish. Their jaws dropped, and they didn't believe me. haha also a man today on the bus told me that if it wasn't for my hair, he would have thought i had been speaking Spanish my whole life. All i can say is that i know this whole Spanish processes has been something i have worked soooo hard for and i know that i haven't been doing it alone. The gift of tongues is real everyone :)

Also today i had such a cool experience. i was in the bus on my way to a multi zone meeting and a man came and sat by me.  (the same guy complimented my Spanish.) We started to talk, he told me all about his life, his hardships, and trials. lets just say he has a crazy life story that i don't have time to tell. But at the end of it he told me that from the second i looked at him and said Hola, he could see something different in me, something different in my eyes. He told me that i need to talk to as many people as i can, because just by the way i am, i can change lives. WOW: I have thought so much about this, and the power i have not only as a missionary, but also as a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the power and light that we all carry with us that is just waiting to shine. Shine your light :) 

At our conference today i learned so much. It was given by President Cordon because President Wilkinson is in Utah healing from a hip replacement. But i learned so much from Cordon and also Hermana Wilkinson. Hermana Wilkinson talked about how its not just enough to be a missionary, walking around with a plack. (i think thats how you spell that) now is the time for us to step it up as missionaries, to do all we can do. I am here on the Lords errand and this is His time. Also President Cordon talked a lot about faith. He said that lots of times missionaries get discouraged, and down hearted and are looking for answers on how to get motivated and have energy for the work and well the key is faith. 

Lets see what else can i tell you.? Ohh the branch here has English classes every tuesday night... guess who is the new teacher?... haha yep don't know how much i will help, but i will try.Everyone here tells me that i am Hermana Fowlers twin, with red hair :) haha i love being able to talk with people here about Hermana Fowler. And i hope to be able to be at least half the missionary that she was here.

 Mom here are answers to your questions :)

Do you have a washing machine for your clothes now? YES finally :) i can have clean clothes again :) 

Do you have a cook or do you make your own food? We make our own food.

Do you have a fridge or do you have to buy nonperishable for the week still? we have a fridge :) its little but it is a fridge haha

How is your new companion? she is so great. i am learning so much from her and i want to become more like her. she is so funny and full of the missionary spirit. i love her :) 

You are a greenie breaker, so we are told by the missionaries here – that’s what they call your second companion, someone who helps you move on and into missionary work.  So how is that going? haha i am working really hard to help her feel loved, and like she can do this.  I hope to continue to help her.

It is amazing the weather change.  What do you experience now with weather? honestly the weather here is perfect. i love it. it is cold in the night, but i love it. and in the day it is usually cool, its like fall here. you just need a light jacket, but can cuddle up in your blankets at night :)

Did you get the dear elders and letters from the mission home when you were transferred last week? i got 2 dear elders. 

 Do you get those things easier and more often now? not really.. haha

What cool new thing did you see or experience this week? Well i already shared a few... but lets see.. something cool that i am seeing is that i really can already feel so welcome into this new branch, and have why i am here. i know that my mission call was inspired from God, and also every single one of my areas and companions.

So we are working right now, preparing a women named Gaby, to be baptized in two weeks. I have never seen someone so prepared and ready to change. She is going to all the activities, doing all of the thing that we leave with her, and last night hosted the family night that the branch has for everyone in her house :) She is amazing and i feel so blessed to be a part of her conversion. 

Well i love you all soo much :) happy valentines day! haha 

Love,

Hermana Peters