This week... Days here feel like they last a week, and so when I think back to the beginning on this week... We'll just say it feels like it was a lifetime ago.
General Conference was so wonderful! It's amazing that when you have something on your mind, it seems like the conference is directly tailored to your needs. I felt like the only things that were talked about were service and love and the things that will lead you to serve and to love. And that it what Missionary work is all about! I love this work! It also confirmed my testimony of this gospel and really made me feel like this is something everyone needs in their lives - everyone. Because everyone does. And the only thing that keeps us from sharing it is because we're afraid of what they are going to think of us. And fearing what man will think of us is a form of pride (thanks to Sister Black all us sisters read Prz Benson's talk "Beware of Pride." It was very enlightening.)
I feel like I keep learning the same lessons over and over again - be proactive, be humble, take responsibility. Our companionship was teaching "Gi" (the investigator our teacher pretends to be for us who only speaks portugues) and the lesson didn't really go over very well. We were lacking a lot of things, especially understanding on the part of Sister Ogletree and myself, because we had little idea what was being said by Gi and Sister Cornwall, and I wanted to say things at times but hadn't a clue what was going on. When we went back in the room to talk about how it went, there was one point where I told Sister Cornwall that she kind of gives up when people haven't followed through on commitments, and Irma Holtzclaw said "That maybe she did, but so did you." It was one of those moments where you soak in what was said, and you fully realize that what they're saying was true and that you really didn't give it your best effort at all. And I was really humbled. I'm so glad for people who are willing to point out my faults since it's so difficult to notice those sorts of things for ourselves.
After that lesson we dedicated ourselves to teaching better lessons by planning more, and we have had so great planning session since then, really focusing on what our investigators need, about why we're teaching certain things and making sure that we're fulfilling our purpose of bringing people to Christ as we teach, and it's been really helpful. On Wednesday we taught four lessons by the end of the night (which we'll do again tomorrow) which might not seem like a lot, but the most we've ever taught in a day before was 2, so it was a little rough by the last one. But it was so neat to be able to teach, because that's what we're here for and that's how we learn best. I have also been told that I need to talk more, so that is something I'm really trying to work on. We're all trying to work at being more unified as a companionship. It's a lil difficult since we are so different and yet so alike in some ways. But we have seen what o Senhor can do when we dedicate ourselves to him and it is wonderful.
Elder Torres and Elder Malloy got their visas this week, which means that on Tuesday, there will just be us three sisters in the district. And since our coordinating sister left yesterday for her reassignment - to Baltimore - that needed to be filled. So, I am now the coordinating sister for the zone/ district leader of 15D. Crazy, huh? I don't really have too many responsibilities since we are the only sisters in the zone at the moment, but if others come in then I get to help the zone leaders with training and things like that. And as 'district leader' I get to get our mail everyday! How exciting is that?
I feel like I've been slacking a bit with these letters home, because I haven't been telling you the most important things I know. I know that God lives, that Jesus Christ is His son and our Savior, and that this beautiful gospel is the one way to make it back to Him. I know He loves us so much, all of us, every one, because we are His children and he wants us to return to him.
Em nome de Jesus Cristo, amen.
Sister Petersen
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| Sis. Cornwall, Sis. Petersen & Sis. Ogletree at the Provo Temple |
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