Back In The "City"

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great fourth. I didn't see any
fireworks which was a bummer, but I could hear some going off from our
apartment. We had to go home early on Monday because of the holiday.
Which was fine because that gave us time to get to know each other! So
Medford is basically the closest city besides Eugene, so I'm back in
the "city" but it's really small. This week has been a little crazy,
and a lot has happened so buckle your seat belts for this ride!

So on Tuesday morning we went to do service for this place called
restored. And they basically take old things and make them into new
things. So our job was to break down wood and metal filling cabinets
using crowbars and hammers. Let me just tell you that it was a ton of
fun. Probably the best service I've done my whole mission! Besides
pulling weeds of course... Later that day we had a lesson with a woman
named C who was baptized a couple months ago. We shared a
short message on God and how no matter what we are going through he is
always there for us. She's had a hard life, but I know and she knows
this gospel has strengthened her.

Wednesday we had a lesson with an 8 year old girl named K. Her
great grandparents are taking care of her and are members of the
church. The bishop asked missionaries to teach K before she was
baptized. It was different having to teach a child because I haven't
had to do that before. But we played gospel jeopardy and she actually
knew a lot about the resorted gospel and plan of salvation! We asked
her why we need to get baptized and her answer was so we can be three
steps closer to God. We aren't sure why it's three steps, but any
steps closer to him is better than none! Her baptism was in Saturday
and we were able to go. 6 kids were baptized that day and it was so
cute to see them all so excited to become members of the church and
start their journeys.

We had a really cool experience happen on Sunday night. After dinner
we decided to walk around the members neighborhood to contact some
people taught in the past, and to walk off all that food. On the walk
we met a woman named E. She used to meet with elders in the
past and told us we could come back to teach her the plan of
salvation. I'm really excited because she was so nice and friendly.
Then we knocked on someone's door and a woman answered. She told us
she wasn't interested, so we left and as we were walking up to the
next door we heard someone call out "sisters" so we turn around and
this man walks up to us, and he apologized for his wife. He told us he
was sorry if she was rude and of course we said it was ok, and we
thought that's all he wanted to say, but then he started talking about
how science is more realistic than the thought of God. He also brought
up an analogy about how some people believe that lizards created the
earth. It was really confusing and then after about 20 minutes the
people in the house who's driveway we were standing in came outside
and we were just like uhh hi.. So we gave him a Book of Mormon and
went on our way. That's when we met L. He was walking up the street
so we went to talk to him. We said hi and he stopped to talk to us. He
moved from Mexico about a year ago and He is learning English, so
there was a bit of a language barrier. It was harder to communicate a
message, but we showed him the hallelujah video and you could see the
spirit pour into him. It was so amazing how we did have to know
Spanish, and the spirit still testified the truth to him. It was such
a testimony builder for me because no matter where I go I know that
the gospel and spirit will always be the same.

It's just been me trying to get adjusted to the new area, but we are
seeing really good things happening here and I'm excited for the rest
of the transfers! I love you all. Have a great week.

Love,
Sister Peterson