July 20, 2015

Hello Family :)

Well another great week has come and gone, and way tooo fast. I really am loving my time here, and pretty sure that I`m the happiest person in the world. Really the key to happiness as a missionary is just to work. Work until you cant work anymore, then work some more. And you will be happy :) I realized this this past week as I was on divisions with one of the sisters here. Her name is Hermana Beletzuy. She is from Guatemala and only has about one week in the mission so she fresh in the field. I could see in her eyes as we started that she was a bit sad, and discourage, so I said a little pray in my heart that she could feel excited about the work, and feel the love that her Heavenly Father has for her. Then of course all of our appointments fell... haha that`s just what Satan loves to do. So I told her, ¨Well lets start looking for people who want to listen to us¨ We walked for a while, talked to a few people, then found a few kids sitting outside there house. So we started talking to them and then asked if we could talk to their parents, they went in and got their grandma, and she invited us in. So then we started trying to teach the lesson, but the kids where more interested in me being a gringo than anything else. The beginning was hard, but then we started being able to talk more with the Grandma, and to bear our testimonies with her. After we left, I was a bit disappointed, because I wanted to be able to start off divisions great with Hermana Beletzuy.... So we walked out of the house and I just asked her how she felt. She had a huge smile on her face and told me that that was the best lesson she`s had in her whole mission. WOW. It showed me that I really need to looks at things in a better way. She was soo happy, because she could feel the spirit in the lesson, and felt like she could really testify of the truth. I guess that is something I have been taking for granted, because it`s something so normal now. But I realized that I really should be really enjoying all my lessons, and the spirit that I can feel in them. The next day with Hermana Beletzuy was also great, and I was really able to see such a growth in her, in just 2 days. I am very grateful for the time I have right now to help the sisters here. 

So Franchesca made is safely to Nicaragua, which is great, but we miss her a lot. We are hoping that she comes back soon. But our miracle from last week, Jennifer, is AMAZING!! I leave her lessons heal clicking because I am just sooo happy. I got a little worried because we had an appointment with her and she wasnt home so we just talked to her sister for a bit, and her sister told us that this has happened before, that Jennifer will get all excited and want to do something, and the next day not want anything... So I`ll be honest, I started to doubt. But then I remember the story in the Bible about doubting Thomas, (at least i think that`s his name) and knew that i need to just move forward with faith. Faith in every Footstep. The next time we stopped by she had the same glow in her eyes. YES. then she came to church on sunday. YES YES. and she loved it!! YES YES YES.  So she is now more excited than ever for her baptism on Saturday. :) 

We will also have another baptism that same day of this old lady named Cristina. She is the cutest old lady I have ever met, and honestly when I first met her, i didn't think that she would progress, but then she was progressing like crazy. I am thinking of making a quote book of all the funny things she says, so you can all read it after my mission. But she told us this past week that she will go to this church until the day she dies. she the best! We were teaching her about Joseph Smith this past week (actually with Hermana Beletzuy) and she asked Cristina is she believed that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. she said ¨No. I know he is¨:) 

This past week we also had interviews with the new president. I´ll be honest, I was a bit nervous, but like always, I left feeling better than ever. In the beginning he just asked about me. He asked me where I was from and I told him Bountiful Utah. He looked down then up way fast and said ¨Like Hermana Fowler¨ (She had her interview like 5 minutes before me) and so then we talked about how we are best friends and all that jazz... Hopefully he has a soft spot in his heart for best friends and will put us together as companions ;) but after he asked me if I had a boyfriend. so I said no, and he was surprised and asked me if I had one before the mission. I told him no and than I have never had one, and that I`ve never kissed. He sat there silent for one minute and then said ¨I didn't know there were more people in this world like that.¨ He explained that he had raised his kids in the same way, to not have anything serious before the mission, especially to be careful with your kisses. He spent about 10 minutes just congratulating me for such a great accomplishment. I realized every day here really how grateful I am for the choices I made in the past. Michael, and especially Sarah, dont fall into peer pressure. Dont let the talk of others get to you. You may stand alone, but know that you are standing high. As an example to everyone. We as members of the church cannot relax, living in Utah is a blessing, but also puts a lot of people in a staight of relaxation in living the gospel, because they are just doing what all the other Mormons are doing. Stay strong. It`s not easy, and I´ll be honest, sometimes it`s not fun either standing alone. BUT IT IS SO WORTH IT.

Well my time is now up, again, but I hope you know that I love you all so much. And am soo grateful for all of you. You are all such great examples to me. 

LOVE,

Hermana Peters

Leadership conference  July 20, 2015

July 13, 2015
Hello :)

How is everyone doing? Sounds like the time of farewells and homecomings has come again. It`s soo crazy for me to hear about all my friend getting home. I am soo excited to see the change in everyone. it`s been really cool for me to be able to be here, and see the change in so many people. I just hope that i can keep changing myself. 

So this last week was a little tough. Right now we are working with a family, well especially 2 sisters.. Franchesca and Sheilyn. They are amazing. We met them like 3 weeks ago and they are progressing sooo fast. They came to church the first time we invited them, and are reading in the Book of Mormon and praying. They really listen to us, and really want to change. Over this time i have spent with them, the spiritual experience we have had together, i now know that these were 2 of my friends from heaven, that i told i was going to come find. It is the highlight of everyday to be able to go with them, and the miracle of every night that i can write in my journal. So me and my companion were both sooo happy and we were positive that they were going to get baptized this month.  But last Monday Franshesca got news that her grandma, who lives in Nicaragua is really sick. She hasn't seen her for 14 years, and so she told us that she would be leaving for Nicaragua on Friday, to see her. I was sooo sad. Not only is she leaving but she doesnt know when or how she is going to be coming back. She has a little bady, 1 year old, and she decided that she was willing to do anything to see her grandma, so will be taking a bus to guanacaste, and then will be walking for 5 hours across the border illegally, because a passport is way to expensive for her. Not only is that way dangerous for her, but also for her baby. So we are now praying that everything went well, and as well that she can come back soon. So that was rough, especially because they were are 2 baptisms that we were going to have this month.... 

But God always comes through.

Saturday night we went to go visit an inactive member. She got baptized when she was like 9 and then stopped going. The missionaries found her like 5 months ago and she said that she would come to church once she had her baby because she was pregnant. So like a month ago she had her baby and now wants to come back to church. But in this whole processes, i guess her little sister had been listening to the missionaries too. On Saturday we met her, and we didn't know that she knew anything.. so we started with the basics. Prophets. So i ask her what she think a prophet is and she says "Well Joseph Smith was a prophet right? They are like guides for us" WHAT? Haha soo then she tells us how she`s been reading the book of Mormon and everything. So turns out she knows a ton and already has a testimony of the church. :) She is now preparing to be baptized at the end of the month. 

This is one of the many tender mercies i see every day. God really does know everyone, and everything. He has a plan, and his plan is perfect. If something doesn't go the way we planned, just know that it is exactly the way God planned. Although i wont be able to help Sheilyn and Fran be baptized this month, i know that i will be able to help others  :) 

Also on Tuesday we had the chance to have the newbies come stay with us. Like straight off the airplane, newbies :) haha my apartment is now the house where the sisters stay if they are visiting from far away, like guanacaste, for the newbies, and for the people that will be going home. Basically if anyone needs to go to the mission office, and will stay over night, they stay with us, which also means we will be moving in 2 weeks. but ANYWAYS... haha we had these 2 gringas with us, that were just amazed at Costa Rica. It really helped me to see the little things. Like i was walking and every 5 seconds this sister was saying.. oh my this flower is so pretty, oh wow look at the mountains, oh wow it is so green here. Haha it was so cute. But i went on splits with one and my companion with the other. So i was like i am going to make the first day in her mission one that she will always remember. And it was easy because she had so much faith. So when we started we prayed to find a family of 4 to give a Book of Mormon. And that`s exactly what happened. A family of 4, very interested, and very open :) it was great! 

Today we had a big zone activity. I love my zone!! I know that lots of people i am here with will be my friend forever. They are amazing people. So we had i huge hike up a mountain, and got to the top and had the chance to have a big testimony meeting. I am amazed at the strength in every missionary here, and the change that happens to all of us.

Well i love you all so much! Hope that everyone is healthy and happy and know that i am always praying for you all :)

Love,

Hermana Peters 

My wonderful companion!

My best friend!!! I love seeing her!

Our Zone climbed this mountain

July 6, 2015
Hi family,

Sounds like such an exciting week!!! MICHAEL I AM SOOO EXCITED FOR YOU!!! Oregon is sooo lucky to have you :) and i am sooo excited that we will be about to speak spanish together!!! :) And also congrats Grandma White!! That is so exciting that you got to do something you love so much!

So this week we really good, crazy busy, but really good :) i finally got to be companions with my best friend and lets just say it was the best day of my life. I wish i had a video of our whole day together because it was literally like a dream! i do have a few but they are too big to email so you`ll just have to wait :) Hermana Fowler came here to my area and we were like little fire balls just talking to everyone. In our first lesson together  she was talking and then i said that i knew what my companion said was true. I had the biggest smile on my face to be able to say "my companion". it was really like a dream come true. 

Also i already told you all about the reunion with the new president. He is a lot different from President Wilkinson but i know that i will learn a lot from him. And i am excited to work by his side. He is going to just keep changing this country to become even better and even stronger. I sent you the new address because everything that was of the mission before is not of the east mission. So send everything to the new address :)

Our investigators are progressing like crazy right now, and we are really seeing so many miracles. ahhh i am out of time. 

Mom i am really sorry, i know you wanted a long email today, and i wanted to send one, i just spent tooo long trying to see my little brother open his mission call... haha but i promise next week will be longer, and i will tell you more. but dont worry about me. i have never been happier in my life. :) 

Thank you for you love and suport!! i have the best family in the world!!!

LOVE YOU SOOOO MUCH!!! 

love,

Hermana Peters

PS. take notes for me when president wilkinson speaks!! AHHH and tell him i say hi :)

1. We heard there was some flooding there, is it super super rainy?

Actually these last two weeks here in Escazu have been way dry. They say that they always have 2 weeks close to july where there is no rain and then more will come. So this next week i think we will be seeing more. 

2. Tell us about your branch or ward, whatever it is.  How big, the people, your assignments if any. 

I am now in a ward, that has about 180 attendence every sunday. And right now i don't have any assignments just a normal missionary. there are 6 of us missionaries in this ward too. The people are great!! Lots of gringos, sometimes i feel like i am back in a normal ward in the states. But i really really like my ward!! .)

3. Where is your companion from, what is she like, how is your friendship, how is this companionship different than others?  What is the best part? 

Okay my companion is from Mexico and she`s great! She is a really hard worker, and has such power when she teaches. She is sometimes a bit truncky... because she`s engaged, and will be getting married in November.. but actually this week she has been a lot better. we had a leadership meeting with the new mission president and he actually spent a good chunk of time telling us that we cant serve 2 gods, so we shouldn`t be serving god and our boyfriend or girlfriend in this time. He told everyone to take down any pictures they had of their significant other, and to really give everything we have to the Lord. It was a big punch in the face for some, like my companion. But she was really good about it and really showed her faith, right when we got home she took down all the pictures and also her engagement ring. so that`s good. But the thing i like about her is that i really feel like i can be myself, and that she laughs at me :) haha its nice that we both know what`s going on in the mission, like i don't feel like i´m babysitting anymore. We are equal, and we are working hard :)

4. You told us that some of your area is rich, gatred entries and such, and that there are more gringos there.  What else can you tell us about the area? 

Okay so yes parts are way way rich, but others are poor, just like all of Costa Rica. You should search for Escazu in google maps and see what comes up :) it`s in the mountains which i really like, but which means walking up a lot of hills. haha the weather lately has been way nice, not hot, not rainy, just perfect. also its a really big area so we have to take a lot of buses and taxi to get from place to place. 

4.  Sometimes when you are walking do you look at a tree or flower and say, wow that is beautiful! ? There has to be tropical plants that smell or look gorgeous.  Can you tell us about some? 

OHHHH YAAA. everyday i just think i am sooo lucky to be here. Everything is soo green and the flowers here are soo pretty. and are everywhere. i don't really know how to describe them but will try to take pictures this week :)

6. What do you know about your new mission president?  Things will be different, for sure.  Just because it is different doesn't make it wrong.  What changes, if any, do you see?

Okay so like i said we had a leadership meeting with him on Friday. We were all really nervous. But i really like him. His name is President Laboriel, he`s from Honduras so he  has a different way of leading. I look at him more of like Captian Moroni, and we are his army. He is a lot stricter, but sometimes i think that is what a bunch of youth need. He has a very strong testimony, and soooo much energy for the work. He told us all that as  representative of Jesus, we should be able to say the all of the articles of faith at any time. He also wants us to learn all the prophets of this dispensation, the living apostles..(now there are only 10.....) the books in the book of Mormon, D&C 4, and to really KNOW the scriptures. So i have been memorizing everything this past week... hahaha and he also said we cant drink any type of coke product. He is a lot stricter with the Elders, and says that the sisters are the flowers in the mission to help the elders looks better... haha but i really think he is what we need right now. It`s hard to change from someone you love so much, but i know that President Laboriel is also called of God.  

7. So how are you? , how are you really, now how are you really really? :-);-)

I am really really good. And i´m not lying :) i feel really happy, and feel like i am really now becoming who my Heavenly Father wants me to be. :)

Escazu skyline

Escasu skyline at night

My day with Hermana Fowler

July 4th!  I am proud to be an American!

I even found a flag!

A beautiful sunset

More sunset wonderfulness!

My companion got really really tired:)

We went on a hike this week

this is the end of our hike

we didn't even make it to the top:)