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

Tender Mercies

(Hermana Ellsworth)

1 Nephi 8:8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies. 

I just wanted to share a quick testimony of the Tender Mercies of the Lord :) Heavenly Father is always out there waiting to give us everything we need and sometimes all we need is something funny to happen that helps us remember that he loves us.

We are teaching some really cool people and we had 3 people come to church this week, Julio (Tortuga), Jeffrey, and Ramon. We also met some incredible people yesterday with a lot of amazing stories with how they came in contact with us. I know that Heavenly Father is preparing children to learn about his gospel and it is really hard to find them sometimes but I know that they are out there.

I don't have a ton to write but I really love the members here in Toa Baja :) Shout out to the Toro family that celebrated 40 years of marriage this week :)

Also shout out to my companion who is amazing and made breakfast :P

Miyito :)

Lesson with 3 of the recent converts :) #vensigueme

Week 6

(Elder Petersen)

So yesterday Sunday I got the privilege to be a part of three blessings of the sick and afflicted. I personally did the blessing of two of them if was a wonderful feeling that brought peace to my heart and to the hearts of the people whom we had blessed. One of the blessings that I was a part of brought such a strong feeling of the spirit into the room and you could feel the blessings take hold of the lady and replace the demons that had control over her beforehand. Over Thursday and Friday I had my first exchange of which they decided to put two greenies together to take care of one area by themselves. I think we did pretty well even though we did not do it as well as a more experienced companionship to be curtain. Today we had a zone sports day at a church building watching the Joseph Smith restoration movie. I had a great time we also played baseball and overall had a great time. Love you all have a great week.