May 29 2020

(Elder Petersen)

Hey how are you all doing this week? It has been a pretty good week this last week. And this next week is looking to be pretty good as well. We are finally getting to the point where we are actually busy in the course of a week and it is going to be nice knowing that we are going to be able to do something in the next couple of weeks. One thing that I am excited for is that our district leader just challenged us to set up as a district 250 appointments for this next week. In a district of four sets of missionaries that might be thought of as an extremely hoped for and far reaching goal but I know that we can do it. And one thing that I love is a challenge. I hope y'all are challenging yourselves to become better member Missionaries even at this time where we can't get out as much as we may like. I know that missionary work is possible, I know that it is hard sometimes not being able to see your friends in person. But one thing that I truly do know is that God loves each and every one of us each individually. He knows us so he will never give up on us and he will never give us a challenge that we cannot overcome. That is one thing that I do know. I hope y'all have a great week! Love y'all.

Cows can get depressed?

(Elder Slade)

To the best friends and family a person could hope for!

I hit my 4 month mark this week! Other than that, it wasn't a very eventful week. We did see a miracle the other day though. As we were driving, we saw a family that we've been trying to work with for a while now, playing outside. We havent been able to get a hold of them since the quarantine. We parked, and walked back to them and now we have contact with them again. And it was all because we were randomly driving back from an appointment. So yay!

On Saturday, it was Elder Baron's birthday! And as celebration, mother earth decided to send snow, in the middle of May. It's a birthday miracle! We also were given a random sandwich from a family in a park we were having companionship study in. That was a highlight of the week. I also got attacked by a random really chubby kid! Were supposed to try to keep social distancing, but when we were over for dinner at one house, this kid came out of nowhere and hugged me. It was a bit awkward.

The title comes from me. We were in the car and we hadn't talked in a few minutes. We were driving past fields and pastures and I broke the silence by saying, "Can cows get depressed?" My companion broke out laughing, but I thought it was a valid question! I mean, they eat the same thing day after day, they are always looking down, and they only can say one word. And depression is just physiological, so wouldn't it make since that cows can get depressed? The train of thought that got me there was a lot weirder though, and I won't get into that deep subject. Thinking about cows being depressed is depressing though, so I'll stop. But food for thought, aye?

Something that's been on my mind lately is the idea of hope. There is hope in every situation! No matter what the circumstances, there is always hope.

Hope for the quarantined missionary, hope for the struggling student, hope for the jobless parent, hope for the lonely, sick, and afflicted. There's even hope for the depressed cow (lol, sorry!). When we have hope, especially the hope that comes from the Atonement of Jesus Christ (see Moroni 7:41) we can get through all things, and we can do it with happiness as well. I'd invite you to look for the hope in your lives. It can always be found.

Interesting fact: potatoes are among the most environmentally friendly vegetables. They’re easy to grow, and don’t require massive amounts of fertilizer and chemical additives to thrive like many other vegetables do. That's probably why they don't taste good. Because they don't take as many nutrients from the ground. Thanks potato for your contribution, but I think I'll pass.

Pictures (Sorry, not many taken this week):

1. The snow

2-3. We made some impressive cookie creations, including: The Mohawk, The Threesome, The Sdoughman (you get it! Like snowman, but with dough! Haha...nevermind), The Collosal cookie.

They all just ended up as piles, but they tasted good.

4. The perfect representation of the Idahoans desire to give us food. They offered to feed us dinner, but we already had a dinner set up. I'm seriously surprised I'm not fat right now.

The Ghost is Clear

(Elder Slade)

To the best friends and family a person can hope for,

It's been a crazy week. One thing is that we moved to Rexburg! We now live in an apartment 10 minutes farther away from out area. Why they moved us, you ask? I don't know. I think the other Elders we were living with claimed it was too crowded. I guess they never had a family of 8. But, it's good. This apartment is almost twice as big, and with half the number of people. So, quick math action...carry the one...take the integral...do some unnecessary rounding...(ugh my brain hurts)... we have about 4 times as much space. Yeee!

But it's been a good week. We've been able to go out more, as we are allowed to teach in person. We have to wear our masks while teaching, but I can't complain. It's better than being stuck inside. Along with getting out more, came the worried member moms who think we are starving. Suffice it to say, we are well fed. It's also my companions birthday this week, so we gonna celebrate with hamburgers, chips, soda, and cake. Yum! 😋 Looking forward to it. The quote from this week came when we were driving, and stopped at a stop sign. My companion tried to say the coast is clear. Are ghosts clear? Food for thought.

My favorite part of this week though, was meeting with some of my favorite people, the Boughs, who we are teaching. They are such an amazing and kind family. They buy us dinner every Friday and are just super funny. I believe I was sent to this area to meet them. These next two weeks, they are preparing to be baptized on May 30th. I'd ask you to keep them in your prayers, that they will be able to do what they need to do. It's been amazing to see how they have changed since Elder Leavitt and I met them. My knowledge of the Atonement has grown by seeing how their lives has changed. They are so much happier. They see miracles and tender mercies in their daily lives, and they are blessed in so many ways. If reminds me of my favorite scripture, Mosiah 2:41:

And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual.

Living the gospel and helping other live it has brought me so much happiness. Having this knowledge has helped me realize how much Heavenly Father loves me.

I don't have an interesting fact about potatoes this week, but we did eat at a members house where bothered thr fries and hamburgers were home grown, so, that's cool. Also, my new address is:     

240 E. 4th S. Apt. 7 Rexburg ID 83440

But I don't know how long we will stay here.

Pictures:

1. Elder Baron hiding in a mattress.

2. Some cool house decoration.

3. Beautiful tree. Or should I say, beautreeful 😏

4-5. We went on a walk up to the Rexburg temple. We live like a 10 minute walk away.

May 20th 2020

(Elder Petersen)

How are y'all doing this week?

I've been doing well this week although it has been I bit boring I have managed to bring some bit of entertainment into my life through baking this last week I have made bread, bagels as well a different things in cooking. I hope that y'all are finding things that you can do to help break up the monotony of life right now when you are stuck in doors with little variety to spice up your lives. If nothing else you can pick up your scriptures and read about the Striping warriors or read about Jesus Christ healing the leaper. I love this gospel, I love God and the one thing that has kept me sane these last few months is the fact that God loves me no matter what I do. And I can promise you that he loves you to and he will always be there looking out for you. I love y'all and I hope you have a great week!

I'm a father now

(Elder Slade)

To the best friends and family a person could hope for,

I'm free! I'm finally freeee! We can now meet with people in person now! As of Thursday, we have been teaching all of our appointments in person. We have to wear a mask while doing it, but we can't really complain, since the last month and a half we've been stuck inside. One of our lessons this week, we taught right next a campfire. A real life fireside. It was awesome, even though some of my clothes smell like smoke now. We also are now able to do some more service, so a few days ago we helped clean up some branches and trees in a house someone we are teaching is renovating. We also got to meet as a district for district council at a church, and I got to play the piano! Let's gooo! I was missing playing piano.

In other news though, this week was transfers, and I got a new companion! His name is Elder Baron. He's moved around a lot, but most recently lived in Texas. He is straight out of the MTC, that is, the online MTC, so I am training him. I don't know what they were thinking having me train! I've only been out 3 months. I think this Corona thing got to them or something. There's a kind of missionary genealogy terminology thing (I know, very specific right?). When you train, your trainee is your son, and you are their father. So, I've got a son! Congratulations mom. I think we're getting along quite well though. We both like reading, and are both kind of socially awkward. I keep the words of my sister Anna in mind though: "You've just got to remain TOASTy!" Or in other words, Thriving On Awkward Situations Together.

It's been pretty fun though. I've been Scarring Elder Baron for life with horrible puns. There was a large pile of hay we were driving past and I said, "I hay-te to break it to you, but that's a lot of hay. Do you know what I like to put on my pancakes? M-hay-ple syrup." Then I started singing All-star by Smashmouth, starting with "Hay man, get your game on..." Then singing "Hay There Delilah". It was fun. Any other Hay puns yall can think of? (Elder Leavitt, from the south, got me to start using the word yall. The struggle is real.)

It was a great Mother's day yesterday, and particularly poignant as I have recently become a father. Lol. But I just want to say how much I love my mom. She is the best person I know. She is always there for me, and is so selfless! I am grateful for her raising me, and showing me what Christlike love truly is. She's the one who truly prepared me to serve a mission, and for that, I am so grateful for her. Thanks mom! Love you!

Anyway, that's about all for this week. It's been pretty good, despite the fact that I don't know what I'm doing. I mean, I'm training, and I've only just finished my training. But, an interesting fact that gives me strength is that Potatoes were first introduced in Europe by Spain in 1536, by Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada. Potatoes were not accepted at once in Europe because clerics said they were not mentioned in the bible, while others believed potatoes can cause some diseases. Just kidding, that doesn't give me strength. However, it does give me a reason not to eat potatoes! It's not mentioned in the Book of Mormon either. Coincidence? I think not.

Pictures:

1-3: Elder Baron and I. I'm hanging out with royalty! You get it? You know, because his last name is Baron...haha. I'm so funny.

4. We got to see a really nice fluffy dog.

5. I went in a potato field one day and met Akbar! Sorry, if you don't get that reference, but it's a very nice potato field anyways.

6. Beautiful tree.

7. There's a high school in Idaho thats mascot is the Russets. Those are types of potatoes. Only in Idaho, *shaking my head*

8. Elder Trezise doing...you know, I don't really know what he's doing.

May 13 2020

(Elder Petersen)

Hey y'all what's up?

So this last week we had our first district council in person for about 6 weeks and it was so much fun! I had honestly forgotten how much that I had missed going to missionary meetings in person and how much more fun they were. In anticipation of that and the fact that we had, had transfers the day after and we were saying goodbye for at least a little while two of the Missionaries in our district because they got transferred out I made cinnamon rolls to say goodbye to those Missionaries as they went off to their new areas. Our new district leader is awesome his name is Elder Wakatsuki. Other than district council last Tuesday and transfers that happened Wednesday all is going well, albeit a tad boring still. Sorry the letter is so short but I hope these pictures make up for it!

Bread

(Elder Petersen)

So this week we was a pretty good week being, we just got transfer news yesterday and I am staying up here in Malad with my companion Elder Davis, we are still under quarantine so it has been pretty boring so to keep the monotony down I have been baking so that I don't have to eat the same things everyday and can do something during the day. So this week I made bread dough, which I have since turned into pizza crusts bread loaves and cinnamon rolls. I apologize for how short my emails typically are lately but I'll try to make them better in the future.

The Sun is my brother!

(Elder Slade)

Well. It's official. I've spent more time in the field in my apartment proselytizing than outside. Yay! That was sarcastic if you couldn't tell. But, actually it's been good. This week has been fun. We were able to do service this week! That's why we moved our p-day to today. Ed did it last Wednesday and yesterday. We were working at a Corona testing sight, directing traffic and telling where people to line up. So if there ever was a time that I got Corona, now would be it! Coronawesome! We had to wear masks during all of it, and me being as smart as I am, decided not to put on sunscreen last week. So my entire forehead was sunburnt, but the lower half of my face was white because of the mask. It looked really attractive in my opinion. Lol, jk.

So, we could some big news today. I'm getting a new companion! In the next 3 weeks or so, we are getting 30 or so new missionaries who served somewhere foreign, who are being reassigned to this mission. I don't know anything about my nee companion, but the exchange will probably happen in the next day or two. I'm sad to split with Elder Trezise, but we'll still see each other. The plan is that they'll just split the area, so we'll both be staying in Sugar City.

In other news, a few funny things that happened this week. I was talking to Elder Fa'aumu during the service project. He is from Tonga, and thus his skin is darker. I asked him "Why don't black people get sunburnt?" His response was "The sun is my brother! He is nice to me!" I thought it was the funniest thing, especially in his Tongan accent. Another funny thing happened when we were doing a video chat family with a family in the area. The family is super quiet and passive, while their youngest girl who's probably like 5 kept screaming at us. She accused us of having a secret. We were hiding gold or something. She then proceeded to claim we should be in jail because we hid the gold. The rest of her family remained quiet and looked bored. It was pretty funny.

 It's starting to be super beautiful up here! Spring is really coming in force up here. It's super nice weather, and Elder Trezise and I actually started doing our companionship studies outside. The beauty reminds me of the many blessing I should be grateful for now. This may not be exactly the mission experience that I imagined, but it's still great. I get to laugh, teach the kindest people, and enjoy in the beauty of a wonderful place. I'd invite you to think on the blessings in your life. Be grateful for the small things, and it will make the big things seem less difficult.

Interesting fact. In 1995, potato plants were taken into space with the space shuttle Columbia. This marked the first time any food was ever grown in space. That's one potato that I could enjoy. A space potato. A spatato!

Pictures:

1. Filming a video for Elder Trezise to just a facebook event. Our mission is starting to proselytize a lot more with facebook now. Gross. I don't like social media. However, it does show a beautiful view!

2. An idea of what it looks like when we teach. You can probably see th sunburn mark on my face.

3. Filming a video of me singing a song for facebook. You can also see a sunburn on my face in this one.