Argentina Week 3

Well hello family and friends! Hope everyone is doing good and are enjoying the halloween season. I am not really sure if the have halloween here or not, but I guess I will find out. Today marks the two month mark for my mission! I cannot believe how fast time has gone! I feel like I was with you all not too long ago. With time going by so fast I have been making sure I make the most of every opportunity I have here and be the best missionary I can! The language is coming along really well! I get a little frustrated because I still don´t understand everything and can´t talk as well as I would like but I have to remember I have only been in Argentina three weeks! You all know how impatient I am but I am getting better! I just always have to remind myself that it is going to take time and for the short time I have learning the language I am doing really well! All the other missionaries here in my zone always tell me how much better I am than they were when they had the same amount of time as me. That is good to hear but it is still not good enough! This is where the patience comes in and I have to realize I have been so blessed to know what I already know and I know that as I rely on the Lord and work as hard as I can He will continue to bless me! Going along with this, we had divisions this week. This is where the four missionaries go out with four members in our ward and go on visits. I was so nervous to go out with someone from the ward and have to lead the lesson and do everything. I prayed so hard to be able to do well and not look stupid and guess what? It went amazing! We taught a less active, Juan Carlos Paz, who got baptized and has not been back to church since the day of his confirmation. I went with the Elder´s Quorum president Hermano Gomez and he is amazing! He was pretty straightfowrard with Juan and said you know you need to come to church and it solely depends on you. It was a good example to me of following the spirit to know when to be blunt and when to not be. I participated quite a bit and did well, at least I thought. At the end of the lesson we were asking for references from him and he said there was no one and exactly at this time a young man walked by and started talking to him. He shared some experiences he has had in his very difficult life and I was able to give him a plan of salvation pamphlet and bear my testimony to him. We now have an appointment with him tomorrow and I am super excited! I remembered to that Heavenly Father for this blessing and for his hand in my life! We often times only ask Him for things and forget to give thanks to Him after and I have been trying to be better at this! I had lots of first´s this week! I wore my coat for the first time because it was freezing cold here and then the next day was super hot! The weather here is crazy! I had my first phone conversation in Costellano with Eduardo, the future husband of Yesica, my very first investigator! It was only to confirm an appointment time but I was still super nervous but it went well! They are super nice and understanding about the language which is very nice! Eduardo´s younger brother, Gonzalo, is awesome and we talk soccer all the time! I am so gratefulr for FIFA so I can know a little bit about the soccer world haha! He loves when I talk in english and asks me to do it all the time, it´s pretty funny! I also gave my very first blessing yesterday! It was to a little girl Lucia Lagos who has been pretty sick recently. It was right after church and it was with all four of us elders. Elder Núñez asked here who she wanted to give her the blessing, she looked around at all of us, and chose me! I was so scared but I really wanted to do it! I talked really slow and had to correct a few things but it went really well! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to give priesthood blessings and bless the lives of others! I also got my first haircut! Sebastian, an investigator of the other missionaries, cut it for me and did a really good job! He has his own shop and it was almost like getting a haircut from mom back home but not quite as good obviously! I will send a picture! Overall it was an amazing week and I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to live in Argentina and to teach the people here about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I have already seen how it changes peoples lives, it really does and it is so amazing! All of you are in my prayers and I hope you know how much I love and miss you all! Until next week!

Love,

Elder Petersen

P.S. If you would like to send me a letter you can to this address:

Cartas:

C.C. No. 92
1702 Ciudadela
Buenos Aires
Argentina

Paquetes:

ALL Packages: La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos
de los Ultimos Dias
C.C. No. 92
1702 Ciudadela
Buenos Aires
Argentina