Thanksgiving=slower week

Last week was kind of a slow week mostly because everyone was out of town for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving day was the slowest, but a member invited us over to there house for dinner. It was strange both Elder Bell and I felt out of place.

We did meet with John and he is doing great he understands what we are teaching him and is excited to keep meeting with us. He didn't not come to church on Sunday, we aren't sure why but will are going to find out. 

Lorenc has moved out so he can be closer to school. He doesn't have a car so it took him about an hour and a half by bus. We are a little sad because he was doing great. We both know that he was a testimony but he doesn't know that he was a testimony. We was rent from John and Jerry so we kind of started teach John and Lorenc together. One time John asked us a question and Lorenc stepped in and answered it for him and pretty much testified to him without realizing it. So we are letting the missionaries that cover the area he moved to know so they can continue to teach him.

We meet with Denise but her daughter Brittney was not there, Denise told us that they would both come to church on Sunday. Denise walked in and sat down, we didn't see her so we thought she didn't come. So we stopped by and found out she did, once again Brittney wasn't there. Denise says Brittney interested, so we keeping hoping to teach her with Denise. Though working with Denise will be kind of slow, she didn't really remember much. 

So if I didn't mention it we live with our zone leaders, and at the start of this transfer the new zone leader Elder Davenport, came out with me and we had lived together in the Orangewood ward when I was in El Monte, then he trained while we were still there. Last week the other zl Elder Mendoza when home to Spain a couple of week early so he could go to school. His replacement was Elder Maybe, the missionary that Elder Davenport trained, so all three of us are living together again. To make things crazier Elder Bell and Maybe were in the same MTC district. That doesn't happen everyday. 

So that was my week transfer calls are this weekend, most likely I will be staying in Claremont. The mission office has moved to a new location to make more convenient to get there by bus. It is 614 west Foothill Arcadia. Another thing is that I'm not sure when but it will be soon we will start Facebook proselyting so don't freak out if when you see me on Facebook. And you can't talk to me when I am on there or my mission president will make me defriend you. That means you Kersten.

Thanks for the love and support.

Elder Peterson

my week in a nutshell

Well last week was busy and kind of crazy.

As you know we have been trying to pick up John as an investigator and we did. He asked us if he could meet with us. So we set up a time to meet with him. We were also helping him with his yard. So we taught him the Restoration.  That went really well and he still wants to meet with us. We couldn't contact Lorsne this week, we found out later it was because his phone broke. Both he and John showed up at church as well as Jerry (John's adopted dad who is less active). That was exciting to see them, they participated well in gospel principles. There is a member who is a professor at Cal-Poly (i think that is how you spell it) who is in our ward, Bro. Lamb. Lorsne and Bro. Lamb know each other so that was a nice surprise for both of them. Brenda and Sean, we haven't been able to meet with them last week. 

Thursday morning we got a call from the missionaries in the Claremont first ward, and they told us they had meet a part member family that lives in our ward who wants to meet with the missionaries, so we got the information, and gave the wife, who is not a member, a call. The husband is less active and the kids are not members. She sounded excited to meet with us, and we are planning on meeting with them. Saturday we had dinner with the bishop and when we told him that he told us that members in the ward have been working with them for a long time. It sound like he was going to ask us to go and visit them. The Lord works in amazing ways.

We went to subway on our way home from helping John in his yard. So we were still in our work clothes with our name tags on. The girl that was making our sandwiches saw them and started to talk with us. She told us that her mom used to meet with missionaries, so we asked what her moms name was when she told us it was Denise Sheets both Elder Bell and I recognized that name as a former investigator.  And she asked us to go by, the next day when we had some time we went over there. Denise said that is was okay for us to keep coming by, we even saw her daughter, whose name is Brittney, they both said that they would come to church, but they didn't show up, so we are going to try and stop by again this week.  

A member gave us a referral, which means they gave us a name of a person or family for us to go and teach. The family name was McGarey and they know a few people in the ward. So we stopped by both of them were feeling sick but they said to come by on another day. They seem excited to meet with us. Then Saturday night we got 4 referrals from the Spanish Sisters who we need to contact this week. So that's my week in a nutshell, thanks for the love and support.

Elder Peterson

better week

 

So last week was a good week. Also a little crazy with how things worked out.

Monday evening we were at dinner, while we were there we got a call from Jerry (the less active member with the non-member son named John). He called twice and left a message, we checked the message and he thought we were coming over, there was some miscommunication we thought he had said Sunday the day before, when we tried it was a bad time. So anyway Elder Bell and I both felt like we needed to go there he lived just around the corner from where we were. We biked over there and when we got there there was a man in his late twenties standing out front. He asked are you  Mormons? We said yeah we are we are looking for Jerry and John. He then said Oh they are inside and he let us inside. His name is Lornse, he is renting a room from Jerry. He moved from Italy about four and a half years ago and is going to school to be an engineer. He was also talked with missionaries in Italy. He started asking some questions, and we just started with the Restoration. Jerry was there, John got up and left into the other room. Lorsne had questions, he accepted what we taught him, and a Book of Mormon he said that he would read it. Then we both felt like we should invite him to be baptized. We told us that if he found out the Book of Mormon and what we taught was true he would be baptized. We left and were like that was awesome. He meet with him again on Saturday, which was just as awesome. We got there and it was just Lorsne this time. He had read the first 6-8 chapter of First Nephi. We answered his questions, he said that he had been praying about it, but is still not sure. Then we asked if he had any other questions, then he asked what happens to those that die and didn't not get to hear about Mormonism, Elder Bell and looked at each other and smiled and started to teach him the Plan of Salvation. That went really well, he said that he would keep reading and asking if what he taught was true. We plan on meeting him this week. 

We weren't able to to meet with Brenda last week or Sean. We decided that we should drop Amber. We couldn't get in contact with her. She wouldn't answer her phone and she wasn't home. And we think she wasn't all there mentally. And it didn't seem like she wanted to meet with us, because she wouldn't contact us. Stuff think this happens so we just move on.

Other than that it was kind of a boring week. Thanks for the love and support

Elder Peterson

kinda rough

So last week was kind of a slow week. We found out the Elijah is going to stay at his grandparents for the holidays, so he will be gone till about January. We are still hoping to be able to teach his mom Denise, but we haven't been able to get in contact with her. We were unable to meet with Sean on Saturday, she didn't reply to our messages to confirm the appointment. We wanted to confirm because we needed to bring another guy with us because she lives alone, and we can't go in with out another male there.  So we were hoping to confirm so we could find someone, instead of finding someone and the lesson canceling. So we hope we can get a hold of her soon.

Amber has kind of dropped of the face the planet, we can't get a hold her, she doesn't answer her phone, or respond to voice mails, and when we go by her house she isn't home. But both Elder Bell and I don't think she is all there mentally. Hopefully we can meet with her again, and see if she will progress. So we will see what happens. 

We did pick up a new investigator, her name is Brenda she had been taught by missionaries in the past, but she is willing to meet with us. She is on call, so we can't set appointments in advance, but will still will be able to meet with her. We have also been trying to pick up another investigator. His name is John Phan. He is the adopted son of a member who was baptized a couple of years ago but has stopped coming to church. It kind of annoying, but the weird thing is they gladly have us come over to do yard work (mostly us doing the work), but they won't sit down and have a lesson with us. We asked John when we were over there last time if we could have a lesson with him after we were done. He said yes, then a few minutes later he said can we do it tomorrow. We went by the next day, and they canceled. But they want us over to do more yard work though.

I guess the only exiting story I have this week is I got really sick on Thursday. It was at zone meeting, and I started not feeling well shortly before is started, Long story short I got up twice to go throw up, after the Elder Bell knew I was sick after the first time. So basically  we stayed home while I slept and puked about all day. It was not fun especially after there is nothing left in your stomach. But I feel better know, the weird thing was my chest hurt more than it had been that day. It has calm down to its normal pain level now. But I don't want do to that again. Thanks for the love and support.

Elder Peterson

"Being a district leader is basically being a babysitter"

Last week was great. Being district leader is basically a babysitter for about two other companionship (district can vary in size). And on Thursdays I teach district meeting, this week it was on Our Purpose as missionaries.

So the sister missionaries gave a referral. They are teaching a kid about 14, and his friend sat in a few times. His friend, Elijah, wanted to be taught by the missionaries. So they gave us his mom's number, and I gave her a call. She said that Elijah wants to come to church and she would like to come too. Her grandma is a member, and had come down to visit and brought them to church. We haven't started teaching them yet but we will this week, but the grandma is excited and Elijah and his mom, Denise, are excited to meet with her.

We are meeting with Sean Saturday, she doesn't seem to understand we would like to meet with her more that every two to three weeks. At least we are still meeting with her.  We haven't met with Amber again, but she called Saturday night at 8 because she wanted to come to church, so thankfully we were able to find a ride for her on short notice. We are hoping to meet with her again. We aren't sure how it is going to work out because either she was or is still on drugs, because she doesn't seem to be all there.

Halloween was just a normal day, expect we had to go in earlier. Last exciting story for the week. I can't remember what day this happened, Elder Bell and I were figuring out plans because other plans fell through, as we were standing there a car full of teenage boys drove by and were flipping us off. They then turned around and drove by again. Elder Bell kind of held up his hands, and looked at them like what's your problem, it wasn't a glare or anything. So they stopped and got two of them got out and started to walk towards us. I was watching them the corner of my eye as I was looking at a map, Elder Bell was watching getting ready to beat them if they tried anything. When they were a few feet away from us. One of them stopped and said I can't do this that's messed up. The other guy looked really tick off left us alone anyway. As they were walking away he said something, and the other kid said that God is right there man, and was pointing between Elder Bell and I, after they left we both felt we needed to get out of there, so we did and we avoided that area the rest of the day. 

That about sums it up, thanks for the love and support.

Elder Peterson.

 

 

New Companion Elder Bell

 

Transfers were today, I am staying in Claremont and Elder Thomsen went to Arcadia. My new companion is Elder Bell. I have also been called as the District Leader which means I get to teach district meeting every on Thursdays, and there will be 8 of us in the district.

Amber missed our appointment on Thursday, and we set up another time to meet with her on Wednesday, she also didn't make it to church. We were able to meet with Sean again, we taught her the plan of salvation, she understood it, but I think she just wants to know more about the Church rather that join it. Tuesday we had a pass of lesson with the Spanish ward sister missionaries. Which is a lesson where you pass an investigator of to another set of missionaries, in this case the investigator wanted to go to an English ward. Her name is Bianca, she is looking for a good Church, mostly for her son. She understands what we have taught, and we are meeting with her again on Tuesday. The biggest concern is that her husband is a Jehovah's Witness, and for some reason they don't like Mormons. So we are hoping to talk to him and find out if it is okay if we can teach her.

 On Friday we had a mission tour. A General Authority came and taught us. Elder Sitati  of the Seventy came. He is originally from Kenya. He focused mostly on our purpose as missionaries. It was most of the day, I learned a lot from it, and I study the notes I took and apply what I learned. 

I think that's about sums up my week. Thanks for the love and support.

Elder Peterson

New investigator

Since Wednesday not much has happened. We had interviews with our Mission President. He does this just to check up on us and see how we are doing.We had a lesson with a referral we got. Her name is Amber. She had a rough past and wants to turn it around. She has been living in a sober living home for women. The missionaries that found her said that she was ready to be baptized. So we were able to meet with her on Thursday. The rough thing is that she doesn't answer her phone so we can't really confirm with her. She always remembers though. We taught her the Restoration. Just talking with her brought up some concerns. We aren't sure if she is all there mentally. We were talking about Joseph Smith and she started talking about how she wouldn't ever do heroine. That's just an example. So we are going to keep teaching her and see what happens.

This weekend the LaVerne stake, the stake I am in, had there stake conference. Elder Risenmay of the Seventy was the presiding authority. He shared some of his missionary experiences. There was also a special meeting for investigators, recent converts, and less actives. Amber was able to make it, she enjoyed both meetings. On Saturday, one of the councilors in the stake president talked about increasing our testimony. He shared an experience he had. He had an opportunity to go to the Hill Cumorah. While he has there he wanted to make it more memorable. So he grabbed a small tree he felt the bark, then he shook it, a few leaves fell off. Feeling good he grabbed a bigger tree. It felt the same when he tried shaking it, but it didn't budge. He compared that to growing your testimony. There will be times where your testimony wavers like the first tree. As you continue to grow it will be the second tree unmovable. The entire stake conference was really good.

Thanks for the love and support

Elder Peterson.

The sweater fits, I like the pillow case and towel. The other missionaries have commented on them.