Hey hey everyone!
Thank you everyone who has supported me so much to get to where I am now and on my mission. It means the world to me all the kind and uplifting things you send and say to me. Without you this would be a heck of a lot harder! So thanks 
Sister Sowter and I caught the flu so we were inside most of this past week. We watched meet the Mormons twice and a bunch of Mormon messages, and we almost started the district, but that was too much tv for us. But don't feel too bad because we are feeling 100% now and the beacon hill ward took really good care of us. We have the most amazing members who just love to serve. The few times we got to go out during the week was for a special training meeting with President Russell, our mission president, and Sister Russell and the assistants to the president. During the meeting a recurring theme was putting myself aside and focusing on those around me. Which is so important because when we focus our efforts and attention on other people we end up becoming happier anyways. So that's something I've been working on this past week is to focus more on the people around me rather and my own personal life. The APs talked about putting on the armor of God and we watched this video where soldiers took off their armor in battle and died. Pretty gruesome for a room full of missionaries! But the message was to never take off that armor because when we have it on we are more confident and we have God’s protection. So never take off that armor! We also got our car inspected by someone from salt lake and we passed! Yay! Our zone had a car waxing party the day before so all our the cars were looking pretty good. President Russell started talking about the millennium and during that he talked about the celestial kingdom and how the only way to get to the top is to be sealed in the temple and sister Sowter and I looked at each other praying we don't die yet! So whenever president asked a question and we answered it correctly we would get a cookie. And guess who got a cookie? This girl! 
It was a really good training meeting because everyone has something different to bring to the table and I learned a lot about who I am as a person and missionary and how to improve in all aspects of my missionary work.
There was so much talk about weddings this week mostly because a girl in our ward got married to an elder that served here and guess who got an invitation to the wedding reception? We did! And of course we went because weddings are amazing, but let's not forget the wedding cake and I'm all about that cake life. But they looked so cute together and knowing they were sealed in the temple for all time and eternity is so great! I'm very grateful for the knowledge I have of temples and to be able to go so often on my mission. It's a house of God where I can feel the closest to him here on earth. My little slice of heaven. But really who doesn't love weddings?
Tuesday night we had a more relaxed lesson with M since we are almost done teaching him all the lessons required before baptism. We watched "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" all about how christs true church was brought back to the earth. It was also about Joseph Smith’s life and the challenges he faced for so many years so make sure that we had the Book of Mormon and that we had the gospel on the earth today. It's a really powerful movie and shows anyone who watched it that this church is true or no one would go through so much pain and suffering to continue it. It's always really cool to hear M’s testimony because it grows every time we see him, and we also found out that his brother who isn't a member has noticed a change in M and he might want to come to church and find out what is so different about his brother. It's amazing seeing how M is such an example to those around him that he's going to change lives! On Wednesday he had his baptismal interview and he is all ready to go this Saturday! We are so proud of him and the change he is making in his life to do what God has asked of us. We had another lesson with M on Sunday all about missionary work! Oh yeah! And service! One thing that I shared with him that I want to share with everyone reading is what I've heard before and that is the fact that being a set apart missionary I wear a name badge on my shirt with Christ’s name on it showing that I am a representative of our Savior, but everyone else wears that same name badge on their hearts because everyone is a missionary. Everyone is a representative and example of Jesus Christ. We don't need to be wearing a badge to be that light and example to others or to share our testimonies with people who need to hear it. God places people in all of our paths and all we need to do is be ourselves and share what we believe because what we believe is who we are. It's a way of life. We also talked with him about how serving others makes everyone happy! And we can all say amen to that. Then we talked to him about getting a calling and becoming a home teacher and it was all so exciting because he is getting baptized on Saturday and confirmed a member of the church of Jesus Christ if Latter Day Saints on Sunday! Everyone here is really excited for him including him. Sister Sowter had to explain to him that because this is the week leading up to him being baptized Satan would work really hard to get him to change his mind and back out, but to stay strong. M said nothing could change his mind about doing what God wants and getting baptized. He is so ready to take this next step and I know it will bless his life and many others who he knows and will meet.
Saturday we had a really great lesson with L on baptism. We read D&C 20:37 which goes over what is expected of us to be baptized, and also what God promises in return for following him. We went over the baptismal interview questions with her because in the past she had questions about what would be required of her to be baptized, and as we went over the questions her testimonies of each part came out and I could really see that she knows this is the true gospel she's just not admitting it completely to herself. Lila is a really amazing person. Since we were sick this past week she called us and made us soup so that we could get better! I love getting to talk to her and teach her. She also came to church and stayed for the sacrament meeting and looked adorable in her little petty coat.
We also had a lesson with MY on Saturday. Since we haven't seen her in two weeks it was really good to check in on her life! She's been doing really good and our lesson was so good! We read the Book of Mormon introduction with her and first off she thought it was way cool that the lamanites were the native Americans and also to feel the spirt just from the introduction was amazing. She thought it was sad how Joseph smith was persecuted, but we were able to teach her the importance of reading the book. Just like in M’s lesson earlier in the week we were saying how there is no way it can't be true MY said the same thing basically! Sister Davis the Relief Society president was with us and she bore powerful testimonies of her conversion and the truth of this book. It's amazing to know that by reading and gaining the knowledge that the Book of Mormon is true helps you gain a testimony of everything. It was such a great lesson! Also she came to church on Sunday! And she stayed for sacrament meeting and it was awesome to have her there and sitting next to us.
We swung by K’s on Saturday to say hi. She's been having another hard week. Satan is really working hard to get her down. But I know that when we visited her is the time that we needed to be there. And what we spoke to her about is something she really needed to hear at that time to be comforted. She is such an amazing person and I want her to actually see that divine person that she is. Like how we see her and how God sees her. Before we left she gave us a bunch of roses that she's been growing and that just made our day! She makes everyone happy who's around her and she has one of the strongest testimonies I've ever heard.
On Saturday we had dinner with the L Family and her daughter really wanted to make a lesson pie, and we told her she had to make one so she did and then they showed up to our apartment Sunday night with some pie and I had to share that because it was so sweet of them and just to prove how amazing the members here are. Haha
I love you all! Have a fantastic week and make someone's day with service!
Love,
Sister Peterson
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