A Missionary's Work: The Last One

7/9/2018

Hey guys,

sorry I didn't write last week. We lost track of time and didn't get to email very long. Well things that happened of cool or significance this week starts with us having a BBQ (like a real American one, AWESOME!) on the 4th of July with all the other missionaries, next was getting the worst food poisoning ever the very next day (3am-11pm of just throwing up and more ughhh), then the best Sunday ever cause a recent convert of ours gave me a ukulele (yessss, I've wanted to get one for ever!!!). But if that's the shadow of this coming week its going to be the best week ever and I think it'll be an amazing week! 

So guys its kinda crazy I'm coming home next week, not really sure what to think I've been in the Philippines for 2 years its kinda like I really live here and is my 2nd home for sure. Anyways I just want to bare my testimony as my last email. 

Over these last 2 years of missionary work and service I have really come to know and love these Filipino people and others, myself, and God. I really know that He has a plan for all of us and a purpose for everything and situation. He has, like in times before Christ, given us Prophets and Apostles today and I know God do not change in this concept. He gives us modern revelation and has given us the Bible and Book of Mormon so that we can all have 2 witnesses that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that He loves us very much. I know the Book of Mormon is true because I have read it and asked of God if it was and is true... and it is. He gives us trials and hardships so that we can learn grow and change consistently and always so that we can be better and more Christ-like. Joseph Smith was His instrument in returning Christ's church to our dispensation. God gives everyone of His children on earth many opportunities to come unto Him in this life and the next. But I have really come to know that He's there and loves us. I see it every day as someone gains faith or help from Him in their lives. He's there and we can all know that if we seek Him through Prayer, reading the Scriptures, and go to His house (church). I love each and everyone of you guys. You are each children of God and He cares for you. I know these things to be true and you can too. And this is my testimony in Jesus name amen. 

Love you guys seeya in a week, ung huling ingat ko sa inyo lahat bago darating ako doon... Ingat!

-- 

Elder Peterson 

remember stay Pogi, smile on, and laugh a little!

A Missionary's Work: Grace and Second Chances

6/25/2018

Hey guys how's life goin'? It's going great here, sooo much fun! It's been fun to eat new foods and learn more and more about the culture here. It's great! 

Today my comp had to get a blood test done so afterwards we went to a Filipino fav. restaurant called mang inasal and we tried to teach the kinda new couple missionary to eat with her hands Filipino style but she couldn't do it haha. I've also been thinking about the future a lot lately like school and a future career and such. I've also been asking around about sports medicine information or dietitian info or PT info just to figure out my future courses. 

Anyway this week I listened to my fav. talk by Brad Wilcox called his grace is sufficient, and was really inspired about it. Even though I've heard that talk a 100 times I still pull different things out of it. This time was about 2nd chances. Grace is great we have the ability to repent and be forgiven but there is a bigger purpose than just a "sorry" and a "that's ok", it's meant for change. Because we're not perfect and we sin we can be forgiven and learn from that and grow for those sins or mistakes. Like with any sports, you only get better when you learn from your mistakes and change. It's the same. We can learn and change from our mistakes and become a better Us. In the process of change we need 2nd chances. Not one or two but unlimited. If we only have 1 or 2 chances to make mistakes and change in sports we'd never improve and be limited, in God's plan we need his grace to have those "unlimited" chances to continually improve and change. Because if you to meet God now, would you be happy with who you are now or would you want to change and be better? For me I want to be better before then so I'm full of grace. We have those unlimited chances so we can grow. I know God really loves us and He knows who we can become and wants us to get there and we can! Well I'll see you guys in a few Ingat palagi!!

-- 

Elder Peterson 

remember stay Pogi, smile on, and laugh a little!

A Missionary's Work: Update ing haha

6/18/2018

Hey guys it's been a while since I emailed... almost like a week or something haha. Life's been good lately, my comp. and I are awesome and loving every moment of it. To release some stress my comp. and I made and air guitar band, my comp. loves to practice his soccer skills on frogs so life is good haha. 

It's been raining a lot lately and it has been great to break the heat but man it's an over dose of rain. Anyways we were able to teach some great people this week, sister Janice from ilo-ilo and sister marielle and the linaban family from Mindanao. so the we have a lot of different languages to deal with. They're really amazing they're really trying to come unto Christ and become who God knows they can become. I can tell their lives have changed a lot, they are so much more happier and seam to have less of a burden in life. That's what getting to know God is like and that's what they're doing. You can tell they really act different too towards other people, they seam to love a lot more and forgive even more. I respect these people sooo much. But anyway thats just a little update. love you guys! Amping Gid!!

Elder Peterson 

remember stay Pogi, smile on, and laugh a little!

A Missionary's Work: Gratitude

6/11/2018

Hey guys its been a rainy week. I can't tell if I like the 120+ degree heat or being soaked all the time. yay. But its been a wet fun week we did a lot of good and found some great serving opportunities. 

There have been great blessing in the work right now and we have been able to teach a lot of people. I love this place and am very grateful for being here. I think gratitude is a big deal. if we were more often grateful I think we'd never be stage frightened and we'd be a lot more positive and happy. I've just started to learn this but I'm finding that if you take a few moments every day to be grateful about something it makes everything better. My days have been a lot happier as I have done this exercise. With every companion I'm assigned with I make a gratitude list of that person. And then sometimes if I meet someone that really gets on my nerves I do the same thing, I look at the good and eventually that's what I see in them and I can love them as a person, better. Its a challenge I want you guys all to do but not only for people but for but for situations too. I love you guys and will seeya next week on email haha

Elder Peterson 

remember stay Pogi, smile on, and laugh a little!

A Missionary's Work: Short and Simple

6/4/2018

Hey guys, the "time is far spent" (don't actually know what that means but it sounds about right). We're here in Tarlac getting our x-rays for our departure home in a month and a half, so ya super fast. Anyway, this week was complete with being chased by dogs, eating ant eggs, and yard work for a school. It's been super awesome lately and I love it here. It'll be an adjustment coming home for sure.

Anyways this week I learned two new sayings that I love. One is  "Things will work out" and the other is "don't complain, don't compare, don't criticize". I love these new sayings because if we live them, we'd be less stressed and more positive and loving to other people. I want to start living these things so that people become more meaningful to me. I can tell even in these simple things we can become more Christlike. Here's my short but awesome message seeya next week love you all!!

-- 

Elder Peterson 

remember stay Pogi, smile on, and laugh a little!

Ant Eggs

A Missionary's Work: The Real Importance

5/28/2018

This week was hot...  I love the heat but man I'm using an umbrella, what is this! haha!

This week I got sick and am now pushed to drink about 4.5-5 liters every day, but hey I feel better now, healthier, and saving money, ha its great!

So this week I have been studying faith. I love this topic soo much because it brings greater meaning to everything. I downloaded this talk about faith in wrestling by wrestling mindset, and I love it because (Seth Gross was the guest speaker), Seth talks about how he wrestles. He wrestles with faith in a greater purpose, he talks about how he goes out there and gives it his best, but knows in the end, what's important. I love that mentality and how faith works in everyday things like wrestling. I like to add this to a bigger picture of our lives. With work and studies and such, if we have faith in a bigger purpose or even the mentality of remembering what's really important, in the end of it all doesn't all that stuff all of a suddenly seem smaller? Ya I think so, I believe that a loving God has given us such things as family, His own plan and other things so that we can find the deep, real importance in life. We don't have to get lost in little things that simply distract, instead we can have faith and find those things that really matter to see, even a little bit more of, the bigger picture. I love you all see ya all next week!

-- 

Elder Peterson 

remember stay Pogi, smile on, and laugh a little!

A Missionary's Work: "One Day More"

5/21/2018

Hey guys! this week was really fast and awesome, and "I'm loving it up in the city" (guess that phrase). It's been really great though. We had tons of opportunities to serve this week and the opportunities keep coming and its great, I love serving! We got to paint the elementary school and clean up a bunch of stuff, then tomorrow we're goin back to do some more because there's a lot more to do. We also cooked an awesome Filipino desert called bibingkan kanin its a sticky sweet rice with caramelized coconut sugar on top (hhmmmmm).

So LG (life's good), and really fast but great. Anyway this week at church I heard a great talk about a different talk they had listened to called, "One More Day." Its about a family who had a child with an illness and knew that he would die at a younger age. Then on in the talk it's about loving up our time that we have while we have it and sacrifice. He said that this short time we live is a time to, of course spend time with those we love, but also make sacrifices. I think about this time here and now to serve the people of the Philippines, I really love making memories and spending time with them, but it's the sacrifices that count. I remember something that someone said to me, "What would you do for your family?", next he said, "now what would you do for God?" It was a good question, would I give my best to share his word or give of my time or give up certain wants for him? Ya it's a really good question with a limited time period. Maybe we should think more of our time and what we can Give or Sacrifice during that time.

I love you guys and seeya next week lagi maingat kayo!

-- 

Elder Peterson 

remember stay Pogi, smile on, and laugh a little!