This is the last time I wait so long to write this. I'll start doing it in the mornings or something, idk.
But anyway, great week. I can't remember any of it...
I do remember the fireside though. On Sunday we drove over to Baytown (I think it was) for a fireside. Elder Rascon, an area seventy, was speaking. It was incredible. When he got up, before he even said a word, it was as if the spirit entered the room and grabbed a bag of popcorn saying "oh, I like this guy." He spoke with incredible power and testified constantly that these are the last days. He talked about how we were saved for these days because we are God's "best players." Then he had an Elder come up and share a testimony. A very good one. And then he continued to have random youth go up and bear testimony. I felt safe though. There's no way he calls me to go up, I thought. Then he said "You know what? Why don't all the missionaries come up here and sing called to serve." I kind of laughed, cause in a sense I was called up to share testimony. (Songs are powerful ways to express testimony, in case you didn't know).
That part was really spiritual and when the congregation joined for the 2nd and 7th verse, I saw a lot of people get emotional.
OK, I kind of did too. But I didn't cry!
After the fireside I walked up and shook his hand and talked to him for a minute. He asked me about my family, about my area, and about me. He then peered into my soul and gave me some of the most encouraging advice I've ever been given. He said some things that no one, unless influenced by the spirit as he was, would think to say to me. I was shocked and I just stood there for a second or two. Then he said even more stuff to me! I was already full of the spirit, he was trying to get me to pop!
I shook his hand again and thanked him. One of the things I learned from him was to never miss an opportunity to act on a spiritual prompting.
What a great Sunday.
Today was transfer day. I am now living in Port Arthur with my new companion Elder Bowers. We actually flew in together, so I'm excited to be with someone at least a little familiar. We're also finally out of training and I feel a lot cooler now. Even though pretty much nothing changed. It took about 2 hours to drive from the transfer chapel to this area, but it was a scenic drive. I got a bit of a tour and then we went to the church to hang out for a bit. The church is much bigger than Broadway's, and the court is full size. So that's awesome.
We got fed at a restaurant with a weird name I can't remember. But I got cajun ribs and they were gooood...
And salty.
Other than that and unpacking, not much today. I wish I could actually remember what happened last week... I'm just too lazy to dig out my journal right now. Oh well.
I can't stop thinking about all the stuff Elder Rascon taught me. Especially about our divine potential and about always following a spiritual prompting. I cherish the knowledge that we are all sons and daughters of the Almighty God. And that we have infinite potential thanks to His plan and of course His only begotten son. I'm also forever grateful for the Holy Spirit to guide me in my life. I'm trying very hard to always listen and follow the promptings I receive, and I see incredible things when I do.
If any of you don't understand what it means to be a child of God or you struggle to believe that you are a child of God, know this: the most powerful being in the universe, the creator and master of all things, is your Father. You are His child. As such, He loves each and every one of you with an unfathomable love that we as mortals cannot comprehend. God is perfect and thus His love for you is perfect. He wants more than anything to help us and to dwell with us once again. Prayer is the way that we communicate with our Father in Heaven. Always make time to pray. ALWAYS. If you do not yet see the blessings that come from prayer, you one day will. Communing with God is so incredibly vital to our experience on Earth that we cannot spiritually survive without fervent participation. Pray always. And know that He will always hear and answer our prayers. Again, if you don't see that yet you one day will. I am grateful to be His son, and I'm grateful for His love.
I always get a little carried away with the testimony part, sorry.
But anyway, know that I love you guys too!
Be safe and pray ALWAYS.
-Elder Peterson
The pictures are few this week, sorry
1) Oh yeah, I did some service on Saturday and found a snake. We were just moving branches from a members yard
2) Elder Webb's "want peace?" flier
3) Take that Sisters. (They did it to us first)