Trace Atkins and Honeysuckle

Hey family and friends!

Serving in White House is pretty much a full-time adventure, and I love it! There are the good times and the bad, but it's always a learning experience for sure.

Monday-After we put in a few loads of laundry in at the local laundromat, I asked if we could go to the library to email, but she said that she had a feeling that we should stay. I'm not gonna lie, I was feeling pretty stubborn, so I told her that it would be fine and that southern people could be trusted. She thought otherwise... So we stayed. While we were sitting and waiting, I saw an older lady struggle with getting a load out, so I offered my help and took it to her car. She saw a glimpse at my tag and said, "what church to you serve at?" After I replied, her eyes lit up and she said, "I'm a Mormon too!" She had just moved from Las Vegas and she had been really thinking of coming back (she left the church when she was 18), but she couldn't find one. So, we gave her our number, our church address, and the time that it started and she left with a huge smile on her face. It was way cool, and right after saying goodbye I knew that we were meant to stay here because we had to meet her. It was a very humbling experience, and I felt sad knowing that Satan was definitely there trying to tell me that we wouldn't have to stay there, but because Sister Talbert listened to the promptings of the spirit, we were able to meet this wonderful lady who has been searching for our church. So great!

Tuesday- A few weeks ago we got a referral for someone named Eric Washington... After receiving his name we had tried multiple times to go see him with no luck, but finally we met him! We taught him the first lesson and answered some of his questions concerning the Book of Mormon and he just lit up the whole time. We're meeting with him again next week, and we're going to ask him to be baptized! (Pray for us on that one...) Later we went out and taught some less actives with a lady in our ward. We were able to teach 5 less actives, and all of them were so appreciative of us and not one of them turned us away. One of the less actives that we taught lives in a house that looks like a boat... And she has a giant wooden rocking chair in her front yard. So obviously, I had to take a picture with it. That night we had such an amazing miracle! Our mission president has asked us to go tracting for 1 hour everyday... For me this is a newish thing seeing that in Tompkinsville we had TONS of investigators. I was a bit nervous for our first time around, but we had some great success! We ran into a lady who is a strong baptist, but she really wanted to learn more about what we believed and she was so kind to us (which is not usual with the baptists here). We plan to go visit her late this week. :) Later we started talking with an older couple about what we believed, and they told us that they had been searching for something like this. They said that they weren't too fond of the "talking in tongues" ordeal that happens in other churches. The guy then proceeded to tell us that he was the steel guitar player in Trace Atkins' band and asked if we were fans. We might have freaked out a little and asked if he could get us some autographed items, in which he agreed and told us that we would have to come back with a smile. :)

Wednesday- We went out with with the same lady that we did on Tuesday, and we did some visiting teaching with her! One of the ladies that we saw had a 3 year old son that reminded me a lot of Lola, and it freaked me out a bit. Later we taught the Blum family. They're recent converts, and because of Brother Blum's recent stroke they can hardly make it to church. They both have such sweet spirits. We just need him to get feeling better so they can make their way to church! :)

Thursday- Sister Talbert got super sick so I spent the majority of the day inside doing some person studies, which were incredible and well needed. Later that day though, we were able to do splits with some sisters in the ward. I went out with Sister Barnes, who is a return missionary, while Sister Talbert went with Sister Williams to get some rest. Sister Barnes and I went to Greenbrier to meet the members that lived there, and we were also able to get some tracting in. It was a very neat experience, and she was able to teach me a lot about what to expect and how to become a better "door-knocking missionary". It was so cool... usually when someone answers their door I say the usual, "Hi! We're missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...", and it just seemed too rehearsed, and when someone wouldn't seem to interested I would usually just say "Have a blessed day!" But Sister Barnes would ask them before they shut the door if they would mind saying a prayer with us. It made the people more interested, and the spirit was there every time. :)

Friday- Friday was a pretty boring day, not going to lie. We did do some "inspired tracting". We sectioned off our area and individually prayed as to where Heavenly Father needed us to go knocking. It was our first time, so we had some pretty big expectations, but we weren't that lucky. We did have an interesting encounter however... We were driving by this house and both me and Sister Talbert looked at each other and said, "we need to go to that house!" Nervously we knocked on their door, not knowing what to expect, but no one answered. Confused, we said a prayer, and soon after some guy came up behind us and asked what we needed. "Sister Talbert bravely told him that we had been prompted to stop at his house and asked if he needed anything. The guy's face was priceless. He looked mostly scared. After what seemed like an eternity, he said, "Uh... I think we're... Okay...?" It was pretty funny... now we're both just anxious to see if anything will come out of it.

Saturday- Pam McKean asked us to go on a walk with her, and we ended up having a very spiritually uplifting conversation. Usually when we teach the McKean's, we teach both of them, but this time was so great because we were able to spend this time focused on Pam's needs. We talked a lot about receiving personal revelation, and she proceeded to tell us that she had received a lot of personal revelation, but because her church doesn't believe in it, she wasn't able to talk to anyone about it. So she was pretty happy to find out that Heavenly Father means for us to continue having personal revelation, even today.

Sunday!- First off, Sunday was probably the most beautiful day that I've ever experienced on my mission. Secondly, the McKean's came to church! They had come in a little late, but we're just so happy that they came. Both Sister Talbert and I prayed that the spirit would be there and that the speakers would know what to say to help get the spirit there, and boy were our prayers answered. All three of the speakers did such a fantastic job, and the spirit was most definitely there. :) That night we tried do to some more inspired finding, and after some personal praying we both came back with the same street! It was truly incredible... We were lead to a street with a lot of very big, intimidating houses so we were a wee bit nervous. It was our 6th and final house, and this man comes to the door. He had a big smile on his face, and after we introduced ourselves, he lit up and told us that he had gone to Hawaii with his wife and that they had seen the temple and that they were curious as to what we believed. Instead of us asking him, he asked us if we could, "come back some time for dinner and a chit-chat." It was so stinking cool. He told us that with all the kids getting out of school that his schedule would be a bit full this next week, but he invited us over for a barbecue in two weeks, and that he would invite his Mormon friend too so that we wouldn't feel uncomfortable... Seriously, it was golden.

Well, sorry for the stinking long email! I love you all, and I hope that your weeks were just as good (if not better) as mine was! :) Thanks for all you do, and remember to keep keepin' on.

XOXO- Sister Peterson

Hola mi familia y mi amigos, feliz cinco de mayo!

Hola mi familia y mi amigos, feliz cinco de mayo!


So things here in White House have been kinda slow with us not knowing
the people here and not knowing really where we're going, but The Lord
has blessed us so much!

Tuesday- we had the opportunity to help out at the bishop's
storehouse, and just seeing all the people there that were willing to
help was so amazing. I've found that pretty much every person here is
nice... They may not believe the same way that we do, but they truly
love their savior and I have learned way more than I ever thought I
would from the people, and I hope to continue learning for the
duration of my mission. :)

Wednesday- not a lot of things happened on Wednesday, but we were able
to ride our bikes for the first time. I'm not going to lie, It was
pretty darn horrifying at first, but after a while it became a lot of
fun. While biking, I couldn't help but think of how grateful we should
be to even have bicycles. I would think of all those missionaries that
started off with nothing but their own two feet to take them where
they needed to go. After searching for new investigators in all the
different neighborhoods, we were able to see that at least 90% of the
people here are baptist, and apparently there is a class offered here
that supposedly teaches people what to do to get rid of the Mormon
missionaries... Challenge accepted. :)

Thursday- we moved! Because we lived on a highway out of town with a
part time car, our mission president thought it necessary to move...
and thank goodness. We definitely feel a lot safer riding on streets
instead of highways. We had some of the members and the elders in our
ward come and help us. And even though we hardly knew any of them,
they were more than willing to help. I love people.

Friday- we had such a successful day! This day was probably my
favorite of the week. We went out finding, and we happened upon a man
that had once been a member, but hasn't gone in years. It turned out
that he worked as a part-time custodian at the church, and he saw that
the only way that he could keep the job was to join. He told us that
he had gone to temple and had done all his home teaching, but that his
testimony had just lacked. After a good discussion and some service
for his sick wife, we were able to convince him to try coming to
church one more time to see how it was. He held back a little bit, but
luckily his wife was more than willing to come and try it out. Also, I
got free pie. It was a good day.

Saturday- we had an appointment with a less-active woman who hadn't
come to church in over 5 years. She had told us that she was raised in
the church, but that she seemed to only run off of her parents
testimonies and not her own. After a good discussion about the Book of
Mormon, she said, "ya know, even though I haven't been to church in
years, you missionaries never seem to give up on me... I feel like my
ancestors are trying to bring me back, and I think it's working." Both
me and Sister Talbert's hearts practically exploded with joy, and we
were able to set a return appointment :). Later that night we went to
go see a member, and it turned out that she was having all the YSAs
over for a dinner and lesson and she asked us to teach it. The lesson,
even though it wasn't well-planned, was awesome and the spirit was
definitely there. We discovered after the lesson that 2 of the people
in the room were less-actives and that this had been the first church
related activity that they had gone to in years. Coincidence? I think
not.

Sunday- the less active and his nonmember wife came to church! It was
perfect top, because all of the testimonies shared were so beautiful
and we could just see that they truly felt the spirit too. They
couldn't stay for class, but they said that they would definitely come
next week. MIRACLE! Later that night we went over to see a man whose
name was on the list that the elders that served here before us left.
It was kind of late, so we didn't really expect to go in, but to our
great surprise he let us in and said, "ya know why I let you in? I saw
your name tag." Now that doesn't usually happen... Turns out this guy
has been taking the lessons for 14 years and has had 34 sets of
missionaries in his home. He gave us food, talked about his religious
past (where he told us that he had defended our church multiple times
in his church), and he got his wife to drive us home. Coolest guy
ever.

I love you all a whole bunch, and don't forget to share the gospel. :)


--Sister P.


First day on the bike!

Love this talk! Share it with someone today. :)

The Way Home
:Thomas S. Monson

Overlooking the azure blue waters of the famed Sea of Galilee is a historic landmark: the Mount of Beatitudes. Like a living sentinel with an eyewitness testimony, this silent friend seems to declare: “Here it was that the greatest person who ever lived delivered the greatest sermon ever given--the Sermon on the Mount.”

Instinctively the visitor turns to the Gospel of St. Matthew and reads: “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them.” (Matt. 5:1–2.) Among the truths which he taught was this solemn statement: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matt. 7:13–14.)

Ageless in its application, wise men throughout the generations of time have sought to live by this simple statement.

When Jesus of Nazareth personally walked the rock-strewn pathways of the Holy Land, he, as the Good Shepherd, showed all who would believe how they might follow that narrow way and enter that strait gate to life eternal. “Come, follow me,” he invited. “I am the way.”

Little wonder that men did tarry for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. It was the gospel of Jesus Christ that was to be preached, his work that was to be done, and his apostles at the head of his church who were entrusted with the work.

History records that most men indeed did not come unto him, nor did they follow the way he taught. Crucified was the Lord, slain were the apostles, rejected was the truth. The bright daylight of enlightenment slipped away, and the lengthening shadows of a black night enshrouded the earth.

One word and one word alone describes the dismal state that prevailed: apostasy. Generations before, Isaiah had prophesied: “Darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people.” (Isa. 60:2.) Amos had foretold of a famine in the land: “Not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11.) Had not Peter warned of false teachers bringing damnable heresies, and Paul predicted that the time would come when sound doctrine would not be endured?

The dark ages of history seemed never to end. Was there to be no termination to this blasphemous night? Had a loving Father forgotten mankind? Would he send forth no heavenly messengers as in former days?

Honest men with yearning hearts, at the peril of their very lives, attempted to establish points of reference, that they might find the true way. The day of the reformation was dawning, but the path ahead was difficult. Persecutions would be severe, personal sacrifice overwhelming, and the cost beyond calculation. The reformers were like pioneers blazing wilderness trails in a desperate search for those lost points of reference which, they felt, when found would lead mankind back to the truth Jesus taught.

When John Wycliffe and others completed the first English translation of the entire Bible from the Latin Vulgate, the then church authorities did all they could to destroy it. Copies had to be written by hand and in secret. The Bible had been regarded as a closed book forbidden to be read by the common people. Many of the followers of Wycliffe were severely punished and some burned at the stake.

Martin Luther asserted the Bible’s supremacy. His study of the scriptures led him to compare the doctrines and practices of the church with the teachings of the scriptures. Luther stood for the responsibility of the individual and the rights of the individual conscience, and this he did at the imminent risk of his life. Though threatened and persecuted, yet he declared boldly: “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me.”

John Huss, speaking out fearlessly against the corruption within the church, was taken outside the city to be burned. He was chained by the neck to a stake, and straw and wood were piled around his body to the chin and sprinkled with resin; and he was asked finally if he would recant. As the flames arose, he sang, but the wind blew the fire into his face, and his voice was stilled.

Zwingli of Switzerland attempted through his writings and teachings to rethink all Christian doctrine in consistently biblical terms. His most famous statement thrills the heart: “What does it matter? They can kill the body but not the soul.”

And who cannot today appreciate the words of John Knox? “A man with God is always in the majority.”

John Calvin, prematurely aged by sickness and by the incessant labors he had undertaken, summed up his personal philosophy with the statement: “Our wisdom … consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and the knowledge of ourselves.”

Others could indeed be mentioned, but a comment concerning William Tyndale would perhaps suffice. Tyndale felt that the people had a right to know what was promised to them in the scriptures. To those who opposed his work of translation, he declared: “If God spare my life, … I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou dost.”

Such were the teachings and lives of the great reformers. Their deeds were heroic, their contributions many, their sacrifices great--but they did not restore the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Of the reformers one could ask, “Was their sacrifice in vain? Was their struggle futile?” I answer with a resounding “No!” The Holy Bible was now within the grasp of the people. Each man could better find his way. Oh, if only all could read and all could understand. But some could read, and others could hear; and every man had access to God through prayer.

The long-awaited day of restoration did indeed come. But let us review that significant event in the history of the world by recalling the testimony of the plowboy who became a prophet, the witness who was there--even Joseph Smith.

Describing his experience, Joseph said: “There was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. … It … became general … [creating] division amongst the people, some crying, ‘Lo, here!’ and others, ‘Lo, there!’

“… I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.’

“Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion … understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

“At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. …

“So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty.

“… I kneeled down and began to offer up the desire of my heart to God. …

“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

“… When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other--This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (JS--H 1:5–17.)

The Father and the Son, Jesus Christ, had appeared to Joseph Smith. The morning of the dispensation of the fulness of times had come, dispelling the darkness of the long generations of spiritual night. As in the creation, light was to replace darkness; day was to follow night.

From then to now, truth has been and is available to us. Like the children of Israel in former times, endless days of wandering now can end with our entry to a personal promised land.

The restoration of the gospel dispels the gloom described in our time by the noted educator Robert Gordon Sproul. He had looked at the churches of America and declared:

“We have … the peculiar spectacle of a nation which, to some imperfect but nevertheless considerable extent, practices Christianity without actively believing in Christianity. We are asked to turn to the church for our enlightenment, but when we do so we find that the voice of the church is not inspired. The voice of the church today, we find, is the echo of our own voices. And the result of this experience, already manifest, is disillusionment. There is only one way out of the spiral. The way out is the sound of a voice, not our voice, but a voice coming from something not ourselves, in the existence of which we cannot disbelieve. It is the earthly task of the pastors to hear this voice, to cause us to hear it, and to tell us what it says. If they cannot hear it, or if they fail to tell us, we, as laymen, are utterly lost. Without it we are no more capable of saving the world than we were capable of creating it in the first place.” (Vital Speeches, Sept. 1, 1940, p. 701.)

Perhaps the famed Winston Churchill best declared the world’s pressing need. Said he: “I have lived perhaps longer experience than almost anyone, and I have never brooded over a situation which demanded more patience, composure, courage and perseverance than that which unfolds itself before us today: The need of a prophet.”

Today we have heard God’s prophet speak--even President Spencer W. Kimball. Today there goes forth from this pulpit an invitation to people throughout the world: Come from your wandering way, weary traveler. Come to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Come to that heavenly haven called home. Here you will discover the truth. Here you will learn the reality of the Godhead, the comfort of the plan of salvation, the sanctity of the marriage covenant, the power of personal prayer. Come home!

From our youth many of us may remember the story of a very young boy who was abducted from his parents and home and taken to a village situated far away. Under these conditions the small boy grew to young manhood without a knowledge of his actual parents or earthly home. Within his heart there came a yearning to return to that village called home.

But where was home to be found? Where were his mother and father to be discovered? Oh, if only he could remember even their names, his task would be less hopeless. Desperately he sought to recall even a glimpse of his childhood.

Like a flash of inspiration, he remembered the sound of a bell which, from the tower atop the village church, pealed its welcome each Sabbath morning. From village to village the young man wandered, ever listening for that familiar bell to chime. Some bells were similar, others far different from the sound he remembered.

At length the weary young man stood one Sunday morning before a church of a typical town. He listened carefully as the bell began to peal. The sound was familiar. It was unlike any other he had heard, save that bell which pealed in the memory of his childhood days. Yes, it was the same bell. Its ring was true. His eyes filled with tears. His heart rejoiced in gladness. His soul overflowed with gratitude. The young man dropped to his knees, looked upward beyond the bell tower--even toward heaven--and in a prayer of gratitude whispered, “Thanks be to God. I’m home.”

Like the peal of a remembered bell will be the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the soul of him who earnestly seeks. Many of you have traveled long in a personal quest for that which rings true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sends forth to you an earnest appeal. Open your doors to the missionaries. Open your minds to the word of God. Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that still, small voice which testifies of truth. As the prophet Isaiah promised: “Thine ears shall hear a word … saying, This is the way, walk ye in it.” (Isa. 30:21.) Then, like the boy of whom I’ve spoken, you too will, on bended knee, say to your God and mine: “I’m home!”

May such be the blessing of all, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.


http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1975/04/the-way-home?lang=eng

-Sister Peterson

Temple trips and Halloween masks

Happy (late) Easter everyone! 

The weather here in Kentucky has been so darn spankin' beautiful. :) 

I don't have a lot of time, but here are some of the updates from this past week. 

-On Tuesday we were able to go with sweet Brianna Trammell to the temple to do proxy baptisms, and it was her first time and she did "swimmingly" (ba doom ching). 

-We did some service for Christy Hammer and her father, and we were able to have a good conversation with her dad about our church and what we're all about. He told us that he would try to come to church "one of these days". THERE'S HOPE AFTER ALL. 

- We had a great meeting with some of the ward members this week on how we could hasten the work in the Tompkinsville Ward. We're trying to get the members pumped about missionary work, and so far it's kinda working... 

- On Friday we had "Movie Night" and there were 14 people... 14! It's the new record. We watched "Ephraim's Rescue" and the spirit was so strong. Luckily there were some investigators, and after the movie they had a lot of questions. Yay for church movies! :) 

- On Saturday we went out to lunch with Brianna and her great-grandpa and I ate my first catfish! It was pure southern deliciousness. (Here's the sad news...) Later that night we got transfer calls, and I'm being transferred to White House, TN. When we got the call, they said I was going from the "sticks" to the "STICKS". I'm definitely sad to leave this promised land, but am looking forward to the many adventures that await me! 

- Early Sunday morning we had a sunrise service and we had a pretty good turn-out. There were 36 people there and us three sisters did a musical performance of "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and it was a great last performance. Later in Sacrament meeting I was asked to bare my testimony, and just looking out at all the marvelous people in our small little ward made me feel so grateful for being able to serve there. 

I sure hope everyone's week was just as wonderful as mine was. :) 

With all my love, 

--Sister Peterson

Pictures from this week :-)

Me, Dalton, and Riley Hull after our plan of salvation lesson

Long-johns and sippin melted chocolate...

Hello! 

What a great week! Here's a quick synopsis of our adventurous week. 

Monday- We had our study group down in Burkesville, TN! The numbers are kind of struggling seeing that we only had 9 people, but we're happy that we had those 9 people for sure. Brianna Trammell, a recent convert, went with us and we had a great study. Afterwards we were asked to go visit a neighbor of the lady whose house we were at, and boy was that interesting. When he answered the door we were hit by a wave of marijuana smoke and discovered that he was only in long-john bottoms and Doc, who was with us, said, "Woowee, now that's marijuana." Luckily he didn't hear, but we gave him a Book of Mormon and we hope that he reads it. 

Tuesday- After teaching Brianna and her grandpa, we took her with us to go sing with the old folks again. Every time we go we get asked to sing, and this time we sang "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" and it was great. 

Wednesday- We watched "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" with Christy Hammer and we talked a lot about the Restoration and we were able to answer some of the main questions that she had. Later we were on the subject of fasting (somehow...) and she said, "what, you fast for 2 meals?! Why would you do that?" So we explained the blessings that she could get and she told us that she would fast with us this next fast-Sunday and if her baby sleeps through the night, she will be baptized. Challenge accepted. Later as our car was being fixed, we decided to go salvation seeking (aka. door knocking). Because both me and Sister Lamborn had done it before, we had Sister Trussell lead the discussions, and she did great! We were able to set 2 return appointments and we feel really good about both of them. One of them is a strong Baptist that at first seemed a bit hesitant to talk to us, was able to open up and tell us more about her job. We told her to call is if she ever needed help around the house and she seemed very excited about the offer, so cross your fingers!  

Thursday- We had a great lesson with the Hull family. :) We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and we were able to get them pretty pumped for the after-life. As we were talking about Baptism, Dalton looked at us and said, "wait, you get baptized when you're 8 and I'm 10. Why am I not baptized?" So we told him that he could once he felt like he understood everything and felt the desire to, and he surprised us further by telling us that he knew that it was true and that he had felt the spirit tell him so. :) 

Friday- We had our Trainer-Trainee meeting down in Nashville, and it didn't get cancelled this time... Man, it was such an amazing meeting and it got us all pumped to go out and do the work. During one of the trainings, one of the AP's talked about setting a vision for our investigators about how it will be once they're baptized and all three of us looked at each other and thought of Ronnie Hamilton. Ronnie is an investigator. His wife has been a member for most of her life and they come to church every week without fail, but Ronnie is having a hard time deciding whether to be baptized into our church or into the Church of Christ. We've been in a runt with him for a while, but since that meeting we feel a lot more prepared as to what to teach him. After the meeting we went to Chipotle with our driver, Sondra Davis and we talked all about what we had learned and she told us that she had learned a lot and is ready to teach some of her friends about the gospel. Woot! Woot! 

Saturday- Because we were unable to do our weekly planning on Friday due to the Trainer-Trainee meeting, we decided to have one on Saturday. So we packed up sandwiches and headed to Lafayette, TN and did our planning at a local park. After the 3 hours of planning we decided that we deserved the chocolate bunny that awaited us in the car, but discovered that the bunny had completely melted, but that didn't stop us! We ended up using a straw to drink it out of the bag... yep... boarder line crazy, maybe, but I can tell you that it was pure melted deliciousness. Later we were able to help Martha Hawthorne with her family history work. We helped her print out her late husbands card so that we could take it to the temple with us when we go on Tuesday. It was cool to see how excited she was, and the spirit was very strong. It makes me excited to do my family history work for sure... 

Sunday!- Always the most stressful, yet most relaxing day of the week. We were able to get Brianna Trammell to church to get her temple recommend to do baptisms, and later we went to visit with a sweet lady who has been less-active for a few years now. She lives with her husband and her 6 year old son in very tough circumstances, yet she is continually grateful for all that she has. Even though she hasn't been active for a while, she still has that sweet spirit that you find in those that are solid members. We invited her to come to church on Sunday, and we got a "maybe"! Later that evening we kidnapped Brianna again and took her around with us to all the teaching lessons that we had, and man, even though she is only 14 she was able to help us get 2 soft-baptism dates for 2 of our investigators. The first one was with Ms. Fay Bryant. Brianna told Fay that if she set a baptism date, that Heavenly Father would help her get over her fear of water, and Fay said yes to getting baptized on May 25th!!! Go Brianna! The second was with Phyllis... Now, you all know how stubborn Phyllis is.... yet Brianna was able to help her set another soft baptism date for the end of May... Like, what? We have been trying to do it for months and finally she decided to reset her date. Miracles happen! 

Well, I sure hope everyone's week was just as peachy keen as mine was. :) 

With all my love, 

--Sister Peterson

more from good ol' Tompkinsville

Hello family and loved ones! 

Another week flies by down here in southern paradise. It's amazing how fast missions seem to pass by... 

Here are the highlights of these past two weeks. :) 

-Last Tuesday when we went over to teach Riley and Dalton Hull, their dad came up to our car and said, "Would it be okay if we rescheduled?" Worried what he would have to say, he surprised us by saying, "Is it okay if both me and my wife, Kathy, start taking the discussions too? And please bring 2 more Book of Mormons." We were shocked (that seems to happen to us a lot). This man is the son of two solid members, but he left the church 6 years ago, and he had told me and Sister Dixon that it just wasn't for him... the fact that he is willing to take the lessons again (this will be the 3rd time) is a massive miracle. And here's where it get's better. Right as Sister Lamborn was backing me up, he ran back to the car and said, "And just so you know, it'll be a while till I get baptized, so you'll have to be patient with me while I figure some stuff out." Yep. The man said "till". 

-Last Wednesday we got a call late at night from a lady named Ella Curtis. She said that she really needed to talk to someone because her mom was back in the hospital. Her mom, Kathleen, has been fighting cancer for a while now. Even though she has had chemotherapy and radiation done multiple times, the cancer continues to grow. The doctor told Ella that Kathleen only had a few days to live. Panicking, she decided to pray. She told us that when she opened up to God, he told her to call us. I decided that President Eyring's talk, "Mountains to Climb" was the perfect talk for her. Me and her talked on the phone for a good hour and a half, and after a few good scriptures and a ton of tears, she was finally feeling a little better. Right before she hung up the phone she said, "Ya know, I really think that God wants me to be baptized into your church. I know that I've already been baptized into the Baptist church, but you guys are the only ones that have ever been there for me, and your visits always seem to lift me up." The spirit fills my heart, and I bore my testimony to her. This was only the second time that I had ever talked to her, but it is truly amazing what the Holy Ghost can do. 

-Last Thursday we packed up some lunches and Book of Mormon's and spent the day searching for less-actives living in Red Boiling Springs, TN. There we discovered that pretty much everyone's address on the ward list had to be updated, because mostly everyone had moved. We had one more person to find, but we had no luck. Totally bummed, we started to head back to town, but as we were leaving I made eye contact with a man working on his car at the end of the street. Because we're in the south where everyone knows everyone, we decided to ask him if he knew where this guy lived. He kindly told us that he lived down the street, but that he wouldn't be home, so we just talked to him instead. His name is Thorn Tree that Blossoms. Coolest name ever. He is a painter and a very opinionated Christian. We told him a little bit about what we believe, and he actually seemed interested! He told us that we could go teach him again some other time, but he asked us to only tell him what we truly believed and none of that "passed down through our fathers crap." Whatever that means. So one day this week we are going to head back down there and share our testimonies. 

(bear with me, this email is going to be long)

This week: 

Monday- we were invited over to this lady's house for dinner. No later when we arrived, we discovered that she had invited 3 more of her friends over. So basically it was us and 4 old ladies, and it was the best. We were able to talk to them about the basics of what we believe and showed them a video of Temple Square. They were all mesmerized, and we had a great lesson about temples. 

Tuesday- We went to the Senior Center and listened to old people sing gospel music. Truly made my week. We all sang "Amazing Grace", and boy could those ladies sing. Later that night we went over to Shelia Turner's and talked to her about the power of prayer. Her and her daughter, Kelci, are going through a tough time right now, and it makes me so grateful for the good relationship that I have with my mom (shout-out to you Momsy!) She told us that she has been feeling more of God's love and that she is grateful for the trial, even though it's hard. 

Wednesday- We had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders, and we committed Faye Bryant to a soft baptism date in May. She had been excommunicated a few years ago, and she is more than ready to come back. Every time we would come over, she would bear her testimony to us that she knew that this church was true, but for some reason she wasn't wanting to set up a baptism date. So finally, we asked her why. She told us that it was because she had a strong fear of water. It turns out that she has had a bad experience with almost drowning and that it has been something that she's been fighting for most of her life. We told her that we know that if she were to set a date that Heavenly Father would help to take that fear away. She definitely needs those prayers! 

Thursday- We found June! Me and Sister Dixon had taught her a few times, but she moved and changed her number. So basically it was nearly impossible to find her, but after we left an appointment Sister Trussell said, "Uh, there's some lady trying to flag us down." And it was her! I nearly jumped out of a moving car, and I ran to and embraced her. We talked to her for a bit on her front porch when her husband came out and asked if we would rather talk inside (in Spanish, might I add). We had a really good lesson with June, her husband and her son. Luckily Sister Lamborn knew some Spanish. His name is Israel, and he's from Mexico. He seemed very interested, and he asked if we could bring him a Book of Mormon in Spanish. June told us that this would be good for him, because he is having to learn English, and we told her it was good for us because we are trying to learn Spanish. It's definitely a win-win scenario. Later I had boogers wiped all over me at the Hammer's. They have 4 little kids that really like to brush my hair... It's a good thing that I have a lot of it. That night we did some service for Amanda Brown, and we got to talk to her boyfriend a little bit. Amanda later told us that he was very touched at the fact that we were always there helping and that he wanted to attend church next Sunday. Yay! Amanda's baby boy, Nathaniel, is now 7 lbs 11 oz. He's healthy and steadily growing. :) 

Friday- We had a trainer trainee meeting down in Nashville at 9 AM and because we live way out in the sticks, we had to wake up at 4:30 in order to get there on time. We woke up to 30mph winds, rain and lightning (I'm a huge baby and sure afraid of lightning/thunder), but that didn't stop us. 10 minutes before we had to leave, we got a call from the lady that was going to be our ride, and she told us that she was on her way to the hospital because her heart was freaking out. Worried about her and worried about what to do, we said a prayer and called the AP's. Luckily they were able to get us miles approved to drive there ourselves. After the 2 and a half hour drive to Nashville we thought to check our phone to see if anyone had texted us, and well, here's the sad part. The meeting had been cancelled due to weather. So there we were in the middle of Nashville soaking wet and about ready to cry, but we picked ourselves up and drove the 2 and a half hours back to good ol' Tompkinsville, Kentucky. Boy did we feel awful... So we decided to work our butts off the rest of the day to make up for the time lost, and we did! We got to visit all the people that we had hoped to visit, including Ms. Katherine Jackson. We were a little hesitant to see her, because we were so worried that she would just end up slamming her door in our face, but to our great surprise, she let us in. We started to see how she was, and if we noticed that both the picture of Christ and the large-print Book of Mormon were still on her coffee table. We asked if she still read it, and she said that she did, and that she loved to. 

 So, at this point we were all a little confused yet very relieved. So we asked what happened, and it turns out that she just needed more time to figure everything out. She told us that she would love to come back to church because she enjoyed it, but that she needed more time till she got baptized. We all told her that she could have as much time as she needed and that we were simply teaching her because we loved her and wanted her to be happy. That made her smile, and what made me so happy, was when she said, "Whenever you girls come, you lift me up! My depression just goes away!" We just smiled and told her that was the Holy Ghost telling her that what we were teaching her was true. She told us to come back soon, and that she would try to come to conference if time allowed. So basically, it was a HUGE MIRACLE. We had been worried for so long because we thought that she had been told anti-Mormon stuff, but in reality she was just wanting to take a step back.

Saturday and Sunday were conference days, and let me just say, CONFERENCE WAS AMAZING. This past week we had committed most of our investigators and members to write down the questions/concerns that they were having and to pray about them. We told them that they would be answered, and by golly, they sure were. One of the talks that really stood out to me was President Uchtdorf's on Sunday where he talked about keeping a positive outlook on life's trials. My favorite quote was, "... how much can life be wasted if we only look for the rainbow instead of thanking God for the rain." It reminded me that God is always there looking over us, and no matter how hard life's trials may be, our Savior has gone through it, and he is always there going through those trials with us. 

Well, sorry for bombarding you with missionary experiences. I love you all, and I hope that you enjoyed this past week just as much as I did. Keep keepin' on! And don't forget that we are all called to serve, so never turn down the opportunity to teach the gospel! 

With all my love, 

--Sister Peterson

 Also, we have a (NEIGH)bor that has asked us to groom her horses at least once a week. We are all okay with that. :) Pictured below is me with PJ and Holly