Oh! I love to see Hermana Fowler!!!!!

April 6, 2015

Hello family,

I hope that you all enjoyed conference as much as i did. I was almost in tears of joy seeing the conference center and the beautiful temple in Salt Lake...yeah i was trunky for a second or two :) haha we had to go to Heredia to watch conference, but that means that i got to watch it in English :) They had a little room set up for those who wanted to watch it in English and then everyone else was in the chapel. I did watch the Sunday morning session in Spanish and was able to understand everything, there is just something so different being able to hear their voices and the passion they have behind every word. Something that you cant really tell or hear  with the Spanish translation... 

This conference i decided to be more like Dad. So i had my notebook and drew a line down one side of the page. I called the bigger part my Large Plates and the smaller part my Small Plates. I wrote down things that i liked that they were saying on my large plates, but on my small i wrote thoughts i had that came to me, or things i wanted to change, or answers that i was receiving. I went into conference with like 3 questions, but came out with about 20 answers, it was amazing.  

It was also fun to see the choir from Davis County. When they said that i was like "aww these are my people :)" then couldn't help but think of that country song.. these are my people,this is where i come from..:) haha

This past week we found 2 families to teach and they are amazing. One of them we were talking to about us being here away from our families. Usually people go on and on about how strong we must be to be away from our families for so long and all this stuff. But this mom went on and on about how hard it must be for our families at home. She couldn't believe that my mom would let me leave the country for so long. She just kept on hugging her little baby and saying "You cant leave me okay?" haha so mom and family, i am sorry if it´s hard for you guys. I hope you can feel the blessings from me serving a mission. 

Also we went to visit a less active family this week and the mom and little girl were really sick and asked for a priesthood blessing. We called two men in the branch and then waited for them to come. The thing that was hard, for all of us,is that her husband was home, he has the priesthood, but has made choices in his life, and now does not have the right to exercise his priesthood. All for a few little choices he made, that now are tearing apart his family, a family that has been sealed in the temple. I hope that this experience opened his eyes to help him want to change. And i just have to say thank you dad, for always being so worthy and willing to give me a blessing whenever i needed it. When sister Burton was talking in conference about the importance of fathers i wrote in my small plates. "find a man like dad" :) 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter, and that you all remember how much i love you all :)keep working hard, praying hard, and studying your scriptures. so simple, yet so important. 

LOVE;

Hermana Peters 

April, 1, 2015

Hello family,

Sorry that i am two days late emailing.. Our pday got changed because we went to the temple today :) Yes we went to the temple. It is so amazing to me how i can walk into the temple and feel right at home. It is something that i didn't really understand until coming here, the great feeling of being at home in the temple. I thought and prayed for every single one of you in the temple, because being in the temple, you cant help but think about your family. I hope you all know how much i love you. I feel so blessed to have a family that is strong in the gospel, that is FOREVER. 

This week was really good, and i learned soo much. I am lovin being able to train, because it is giving me the chance to remember all the little things that are so important in the mission. To make sure that i am ALWAYS being a missionary that my companion can look up to, and serving with all my heart. I caught myself a few times this past week feeling down as appointments were falling, but then when i looked over at my companion, seeing her face, knowing she felt the same way, maybe even worse, i hurried and change my attitude to help her feel better. Sunday night we were praying together and i heard her start to cry. Sunday was a hard day because we didn't have anyone investigators at church, and then that night had a very interesting talk with a man that is atheist. So easy to say that it was a hard day. So after our prayers i leaned over to hug her and we talked for a bit. She said, "Hermana, i didn't know that the mission was going to be so hard." awww poor thing. We talked a lot that night about the Atonement. 

Mom this week i got a whole big stack of letters from December that my zone leaders in guanacaste forgot to give to me... haha so i finally got your cute calender!! :) thank you soo much!! i love it!! I also got your talks that helped me so much this past week.

This week in Costa Rica is Semana Santa or Holy Week, which means all the Catholics have their big crosses up in the yards with a big purple piece of material that hangs around it. I guess that on Sunday, everyone will change the purple ribbon thing to a white one to remember Christ. Everyone here doesn't have school this week or work, like you guys on Spring Break, but here is is for semana santa. So that means that most of our investigators left for Guanacaste... But it also means that there are families that are all home together! We just need to search for them :) haha

So with Easter and all right now we are focusing a lot on the resurrection of Christ, telling everyone and anyone we see that Christ Lives. It has made me think a lot about my Savior Jesus Christ, and how amazing He is. That we have Him here with us, everyday, every second, all we need to do is not leave Him. He won´t ever leave us, only we can leave Him. It is soo sad to see broken hearts, and families falling apart, because they are leaving Christ. He LIVES. and is here with us. Don't let anything, anyone, or any situation take you away from Christ. He is the light and the life of the world, and the way we can make it back to our Father in Heaven. Oh how amazing is this gospel, and my older brother Jesus Christ. I wish that everyone could feel the way i feel, and am working so hard everyday to help them at least have a glimpse of His love. Maybe the slam the door in my face, or lie right to me, but hopefully their hearts our open enough to at least see the love of Christ the i am trying to hard to shine. 

We are seeing soo many miracles here, with people that are wanting to listen to us, and wanting to get baptized. I know that it is because of our faith and diligence in the work. I have been saying a lot of prayers lately to be directed in where i need to go, and i know that I am being guided in every footstep.

Well i love you all so much and hope that everyone has a wonderful week this week! Be safe in all of your adventures, and remember that i love you all, but more importantly, that your Heavenly Father loves you :) 

LOVE,

Hermana Peters

oh and it was sooo fun seeing your pictures on Sunday. Ya i was soooo shocked to see Lexi in my sacrament meeting... haha but was a fun surprise :) love you all!! 

Lexi at Sacrament meeting!

Hey family!   I am doing great!

My best friend Peters Pan!   Everyone here calls me Peter Pan

I don't really have words to describe this picture but my companion looks so cute!

Went to the temple today!!! Oh wonderful day!

March 23, 2015
Sup Family :)

Well i guess you all already heard, but I am now training :) and in the mission, it means that i am now a mom. Let me tell you everything from the beginning...

Wednesday night i was getting ready for bed, and saying my prayers. In my prayer i was just kinda talking to my Father in Heaven, something i do a lot here. I was telling him about my day, my worries, and told Him that i felt like i had so much i needed to change, and learn. That i needed to learn how to feel confidence in myself as a missionary, and to put more trust in Him. Right then the phone rang and it was the APs. So they said "Hermana Peters,do you know that you have a meeting tomorrow at one?" i said no. so then they said "Well Hermana, you broke the law of chastity, and your baby is coming tomorrow." i sat there and then my companion starts screaming and jumping up and down saying "I knew it!" haha and i just sat there shocked. 

The next morning as we were praying again, the APs called us again, saying that we needed to hurry to San Jose because we had interviews with president. So we hurried and got ready and were off to San Jose. Lets just say that this interview was an answer to my prayer. I was feeling very nervous, because training is a huge responsibility.. So i walked into this interview to President with a huge smile on his face. He asked me how i was doing and i said nervous and he said good :) haha within the fist minute i already was feeling better. To hear him say just how much confidence he has in me, and that the Lord has in me was incredible. President gave me a lot of really good advice on how I can be a good trainer and by the end I felt so much better.

After i had a meeting with all the trainers and was shocked to find that there were only 3 sisters in total that were coming this change, but felt honored to be able to have the opportunity to grow. President talked to us about the creation, and compared it to us as trainers. We are creating a new misisonary, creating a new companionship and need to make sure we are doing it in the way of the Lord. Which is something i am trying to do.

After we waited, and waited and waited. It was like 2 or 3 when we finished the meeting, and i didnt receive my companion until 9!! Ya so we went on divisions with some sisters and then went back to wait some more. We all went to President´s house and ate dinner together and then we sat together and President read off who was with who :) my new companion is Hermana Gomez! She is from Guatemala and is INCREDIBLE. i am pretty sure she is already a better missionary than me. But President just asked me to make another me as a missionary so i guess i am doing my part right? haha

So by the time we ended it was already 9:30 so we didnt have time to go back to my apartment so we slept with the sister close to the house of President. But do you know what that means? yep i slept in my dress...and the next day was the big meeting with the whole mission, and Elder Duncan and Elder Maine, so i was worried i would have to go in the same clothes, but the other sisters brought me clothes and my toothbrush :)haha so i had second day hair and make up... gross. But sacrifices bring forth blessings right? and yep i received blessings.. A PACKAGE :) you guys are so sneaky :) we were all taking a picture as the whole mission, and after this man walks up and says "Hermana Peters, come here" i was like...What in the world?? But then he explained that he is from our stake and brought me a package. Best Day Ever :) Thank you soooooooo much!!!

After we had an amazing meeting with Elder Duncan and Elder Maine. They are amazing men, filled with the spirit of God. Their words were so inspiring, and helped me to know what i need to do to become better everyday. i have soo much more i want to tell you but am out of time. I will tell you more next week!!

I love you alll soooo much!! Thank you for the prayers :) 

LOVE,

Hermana Peters

My Baby!

Four Generations.  My Baby, Me, my trainer, and her trainer

My package from home and Hermana Gomez

March 17, 2015

Hey Family, 

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful St. Patricks Day :) Honestly i completely forgot about that holiday so i am not wearing green.. Shoot... hehe

And i am sure you all heard about the volcano... yeah that was something new... haha on Thursday we were walking around, when all of a sudden i look over at Hermana Perez, and was like "hmm there is something all over her glasses," and then i looked down at my shrit "shoot, that something is all over me" and then we turned a corner, looked down the street to see nothing but a whole bunch of ashes. Yeah at the time i didnt know what was going on, but then people started yelling the name of the volcano that i cant remember right now.. haha so we hurried to the house because i had my contacts in, ya bad idea with the ash. And grabbed a whole bunch a baby wipes that we just happened to buy last week. We walked around that day and the next with wipes over our nose and mouth. so everything and everyone got covered in ashes for 2 days, which opened many doors for us to go serve.

So yesterday was Hermana Perez birthday and let me just tell you, it is so hard to try and surprise your companion with something for their birthday because you´re always with them.. Haha but i tried my best :) i woke up like 15 minutes early and had banana pancakes ready for her, and chocolate milk :) haha and then we had our normal study time and then got permission to go to the mall :) so we went and ate lunch with some other sisters and then went shopping. I felt sooooo weird to be in a big mall again, eating quiznos and shopping in normal stores. How weird is real life.... haha but Hermana Perez was so happy and so i was too :) It was also a weird day Monday and Sunday night because we were waiting to hear if we have tranfers or not. Everyone here was positive that Hermana Perez was going to leave because she´s now been here for 6 months. So sunday night she was basically just waiting to know where she was going. But we never got a phone call.. Then the leaders sent us a message saying they havent heard anything about tranfers.. So we dont know if one day this week we will have tranfers, or what is going to happen. I think that maybe something might happen Friday because we are going to have a meeting with the WHOLE mission. Yeah everyone!!! So who knows if they will make a big announcement or what.. but i will let you know next week :)

We have an investigator right now, and she is one that i like to call... an eternal investigator. Someone that is progressing slowly, and all the misisonaries know that she will get baptized someday, but no one really knows when. Right now she has been having a hard time receiving answers to her prayers. We have challenged her so many times to pray about the church, about the authority of God, and about Joseph Smith, but she always says that she didnt feel anything... So we were about ready to drop her, but decided to give her one more chance. So this past week we were having a lesson with her, reading a conference talk. The spirit was so strong as we talked about the power of prayer. I was them prompted to bear my testimony with her. As i did, my eyes began to fill with tears, as i simply started what i know is true. And at the end we asked her again to pray and really wait to feel an answer. She sat there for a minute and then said "Well want to know something, i know it´s true. i know that everything you said is true." Wow. So she promised that she would come to church (which didnt happen) but i feel hope again. I know that when things like that happen it´s heavenly father saying "dont give up on this one yet". What a great reminder.

Also this morning i was studying, with a prayer in my heart to find something. i didnt really know what i was looking for, but i felt that something was missing right now in me and my mission. I want to be able to live every day without regrets, and to feel good about what i am doing with the Lord´s time right now. I felt like I was doing good in many things, knew that i lacked a lot of things, but felt like there was something more. As i was studying i read 1 Corinthians 13:2... it hit me like a rock.  Maybe i do have faith, have the knowledge of the Book of Mormon, i have a testimony, but without one certain thing i am NOTHING. and its Charity, something that i have always heard about, studied a lot, but now realize just how important it is. especially charity for my companion. I love her but i need to be better at showing it, and loving her as much as i can right now. 

OH and I will now be writing on Mondays again, just so everyone knows :)

Love you alll soooo much!! Have a wonderful week!! :)

Love, 

Hermana Peters

Volcano Dust Cloud

This is how we stay safe

Just a little ash!

Mall day!  Weird!

Hermana Peters and Perez

Mar. 3, 2015
Hi family,

How is everyone doing? Looks like you guys will be having a nice cold snowy March.. haha but better late than ever right? haha

So this past week we had a really cool experience. Hermana Perez and i have been working really hard to find new investigators because we dont have very many people to teach. So we have been talking to as many people as we can, but not finding people that want to listen to us. So we were talking to our District Leader one night and he said ¨Okay Hermanas, do you have faith?¨so we said yes of course. and then he said ¨okay tomorrow you are going to find a family of 5, in a house with a black fence. One of the kids in this family will be 7 years old.¨ so we were like okay Elder. 

The next day we went out, with a lot of faith in our hearts, stopping at every house with a black fence. There were a lot.. haha and we werent finding people home, and werent finding people that wanted to listen. Then a big chunck of something got in my eye and it killed. Like the hurt when you cant open your eye. So hemana Perez was like we are really close to the house, lets hurry back to get your glasses. As we were walking back, out of the corner of my hurting eye i saw a black fence. I stopped, yelled ¨Buenos¨ (thats like ringing a doorbell or knocking a door here) and out walked a lady. We started to talk and then she was like ¨would you like to come in?¨ ummmm yessss please ;) haha so as we walked in the told us how she lives with her husband and right now her daughter and her two kids... family of 5, black fence... okay just one more thing!! so then we asked how old were her grandchildren. She said ¨One of them is 13 and the other one is 7.¨ WHAT?!

As we began to talk, it turns out that this family is an inactive family, as of like 10 years. There were very active and then something happened that turned them away from the church, and they havent been back since. i was sitting there thinking, and after this past week i have been thinking about this. Because this past week we didnt find the new investigators we wanted, not even close. But that doesnt make me a good or bad missionary. It is if i am fufilling my purpose which is to invite others to come unto Chirst. not only those that arent baptized, but also those inactive, less actives and members of the church. 

So miracles happen. Faith is real. And although there were many times this past week when i felt like i was a bad missionary, i know now that i am doing what i was called here to do. My Heavenly Father has a purpose for me, for Hermana Peters. and maybe right now that means that i need to learn patiences, learn that it isnt what i want, but what the Lord wants. 

Well i ran out of time, sorry this is shorter. Know that i love you all sooo much. Thank you all for you words of support and love, especially today. it was just what i needed.

Never doubt yourself, or God´s plan for you. I know that i never will again.

Love you all,

Hermana Peters

Meeting Monday 3/2/15 at a church by the temple

Grateful for the peace of the temple - even on the temple grounds

First trip to Pricemart!

Oh my goodness!!!!! Look what I get to eat!!!!!!

March 3, 2015