Welcome to the ward! Will you play the piano for our baptism?

(Sister Slade)

So just kidding. I was supposed to be in a trio, but one of my companions decided last minute that she was going home. It's a pretty sad situation, but long story short, my only companion is Sister Faleafa. She has been out for 4 months and is from Utah.

Before transfers happened I had some really amazing experiences. We taught the young man whose in laws are members on Monday night. We taught the plan of salvation and it was incredible. I asked him what it would mean to him to receive the celestial kingdom and he said that it's the thing he wants most. The spirit was so strong in that moment.

Goodbyes are the worst. But it made me feel good that it was hard for the people I was saying goodbye to as well. :) Sister flippo threw me a small going away party. She's my mission mom in Harrison. Sister Pabst is my mission mom in Central Park. I wonder who my mission mom in Fayetteville is going to be ;)

Fayetteville has kind of been struggling because of the sister who left, so it's been an interesting couple of days. We had a lesson with a woman named Johanna. She is so golden! She wants to be baptized and have her 2 year old daughter serve a mission.

We also had a baptism on Sunday. His name is Tommy. He invited his brother to come to the baptism and now his brother wants to hear the lessons. Another cool thing that happened was that everyone was really stressed out about the music for the baptism because no one can play piano, so they were all praying that someone who could play would come. And then I was transferred into the area and was able to save the day. Just kidding. It was a really spiritual baptism though.

God is good!

Sister Slade

Pictures:

Rock climbing

Saying goodbye to the dean's

Saying goodbye to Grandpa

Tommy's baptism

Sister Faleafa and I at service on Saturday

Saying goodbye to sister Flippo :(

Saying goodbye to Gene

President let us go rock climbing and ziplining for our stake pday

 Saying goodbye to Addie

Saying goodbye to the people at service

At the stake activity

Sister Brown was really tired on wednesday

Generation picture with Sister brown and her trainee sister Johnson

Wow..What a week!

(Hermana Ellsworth)

Well I had my birthday this last week and that was eventful....

To start off my birthday we woke up in the middle of the night to a pretty good sized earthquake and a notice for a tropical storm that was going to hit Puerto Rico. We ended up not being able to enter our area due to the storm so we worked in the area that we live in. Through a weird series of events we ended up going to a members house to have lunch with the elders in the area and while they were singing happy birthday  lightning hit the nearby telephone pole and caused a black out for the day also... But I made it through the day and I am now officially 20 years old :)

 But the next day was the best day because one of our investigators and 3 of our recent converts surprised me with a birthday cake and a box of chocolates :)  Talito, Miyito, Miguel and Tortuga

I would love to talk about opposition. In 2 Nephi it talks about opposition in all things and I think I would not have loved that bithday cake as much as I did if not for the earthquake, storm, and lighting strike the day before. I know that we have lows we are able to experience the highs. I am really grateful for the blessing that the Lord has given me but I cant be grateful for the blessings without also being grateful for the hardships. :)

We have seen some amazing blessings in our areas and we have seen some amazing progress in Tortuga who has been giving up some really hard addictions recently through the help of the Lord.

The members here are amazing and I love being in Toa Baja. I will also be staying here in Toa Baja as a Sister Training Leader with Hermana Carrasco for this next transfer and I know this is where I need to be and the Lord knows what he is doing :)

I LOVE YOU ALL AND I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU ALL :)

Our first day as STL means FRAPPES!!!

Shawn and Cesar in our lesson :) #rules

September 30th email

(Elder Petersen)

So my week has been pretty good we got a kid baptized this last Saturday a it was so special his dad baptized him and after the Baptism the 9 year old boy just hugged his dad for a good long minute. It was such a special experience one that I will never forget. Today we had a multi-zone sports day and it was a blast we had a volleyball game going as well as basketball games and any board games that missionaries had brought which was fun but the big thing that is on my mind at least is general conference and the fact that, that Sunday I will know whether or not I will be transferred away that Wednesday so it should be an interesting couple of weeks love you all. Next report next week.

8 Months and 20 Years!

(Hermana Ellsworth)

8 months down in mission life and 20 years down in real life (almost, tomorrow) But It is crazy how fast time flies and I am really grateful for all the blessings that I have seen here in my life.

I don't have a lot to write but I have some pictures :) I love the people here in Puerto Rico. The lord is working miracles. I will write a better email next week but I looooove you all :)

Pictures:

*Jeffrey has a baptismal date and is doing great things to move forward in his testimony :) He made us breakfast and gave us a birthday cake for our birthdays :) I love Jeffrey so much!

*Our group of recent converts for a family home evening with Hermano Toro who bought us a birthday cake for our birthdays :)

*Tortuga when he accepted a baptismal date

*Jeffrey and Joanna

*Talito, Miguel, Tortuga, and Miyito also got us a birthday cake for our birthdays :) )

Update Email

(Elder Petersen)
So this week has been a fairly interesting week this last Thursday my companion Elder Coupe was sick so we stayed in our house until around 12:00 that day which was very different from want I am used to. But he got better so we were able to get the things that we needed done done that day instead of having to reschedule. One of those things that had to get done that we were not able do was setting up the gym in one of the church buildings that my companion and I have jurisdiction over for our missions zone conference that transfer. Our Zone leaders had to fit 20 round tables, four rectangle tables, a piano, podium, and a chalk board into a half court gym. Which is where we had zone conference that Friday and everyone got chewed out by the mission president mainly about gossiping because apparently that had been a problem before I came out. Now I don't think that there is going to be much gossiping anymore because he told everyone that if they were caught gossiping that after three times they will be sent home. So that was fun but it was crowded there were 5 zones there in that gym 5/9 of the zones in our mission. I love all of you. Hope you all have a great week. Praying for those whom are in need of it.

I'm going to be a grandma!

(Sister Slade)

So transfers are this week. Sister Brown is staying and she is going to be training! In mission terms, Sister Brown is my daughter because I trained her and now because she's training, I'm going to be a grandma! I am going to Fayetteville and I'm going to be in another trio. My companions are going to be Sister Faleafa and Sister Pierce. I'm sad to be leaving Harrison. There are some really amazing people here and I know I've made some life long relationships.

This week I had the prompting to do something special for someone we're teaching named Alyssa. She's been having a hard time at work and doesn't really have any friends or family nearby to support her. So we heart attacked her door. Some of the hearts had our favorite scriptures and quotes that helped us in our hard times. She called us later that night almost in tears. She said that it had been a really hard day at work and the timing of the heart attack couldn't have been better. On Saturday we went to the Arkansas Grand Canyon with Alyssa and talked about the Book of Mormon for most of the drive. I'm sad that I won't get to see her keep progressing in the gospel.

A lot of other things happened this week, but not much worth writing about. I know that I was in Harrison for specific people and that I'm going to Fayetteville for specific people. The Lord loves all of his children and wants them to hear the gospel and feel his love. It's my job to do all I can to help others feel that love. I love being a missionary!

God is good.

Sister Slade

pictures:

 I got to hold a turtle!

Alyssa and sister brown at the Arkansas grand d canyon

 Me packing. :(

Me saying goodbye to a sister I got really close to

 Sister Brown holding a turtle. 2 seconds after this picture was taken it popped on her.

At the Arkansas Grand Canyon

Me saying goodbye to a family I really love

At service we found a ton of cow stuff

Only in Harrison

(Sister Slade)

This week was just crazy. Nothing too spiritual or monumental happened. The week was just a bunch of random stuff that would only happen in Harrison Arkansas.

We had a lesson with a schizophrenic man this week. He was convinced that he was given the mark of the beast while he was in the hospital last week and they put a microchip in his hand. But he has started taking his medication and is actually really interested in the gospel.

Who else isn't surprised that I went to the Urgent care again this week? I ended up having some type of infection that caused my lymph nodes to swell up so much that I couldn't swallow. They also put a lot of pressure on my ears and head. But it's ok! The doctor gave me an antibiotic and I'm all better now. Sister Brown's bad luck must be rubbing off on me.

This week Sister Brown ate 18 pancakes. If you remember a few months ago, my previous companion Sister Elkins ate 16 pancakes. A family in our ward has a running competition between missionaries on who can eat the most pancakes. I don't even attempt to compete.

So this week both sister Brown and I were asked to speak in church. The bishopric had some confusion on when ward and stake conference was and were short speakers. So on Thursday we were asked to speak, but didn't have time to write the talks until Sunday morning. We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I think both of our talks went pretty well.

This week was just crazy. Nothing too spiritual or monumental happened.

God is Good!

Sister Slade

Pictures!

Sister brown needed a "chocolate fix" and there was nothing else in the house

Sister Brown getting groceries after spraining her ankle

An old man in our ward that took us out to lunch

Sister Brown on pancake 12

Pancakes 15 and 16

Us at the urgent care

Sister brown after eating 18 pancakes

Us at service on tuesday

We had a book of Mormon study and craft night with someone we're teaching

At the pancake eating competition