Sister Peterson Week 4

In Sistrict We Trust

Heyyy everyone!!!

I love you all!

We are officially a full sistrict now! Our only 2 elders (Perez and Gaynor) got moved to another district for a couple reasons. So basically we scared them off. Just kidding, but we miss them very much. So we now have a sister district leader and that is the one and only Sister Hammer! She is amazing and is already doing so many good things for us. 

This week went well. I feel like I am getting out of the hard adjustment phase and I am just enjoying my time here. And no matter what anyone tells you the food is really not that bad. Its not good, but its not bad.The best things are by far the donuts and the chocolate creamies! YUM

Classes in Japanese are actually going pretty well. Our teachers are patient with us thank goodness and do everything they can to help us understand. Charades, pictionary, videos, etc. They are pretty creative! Amongst other things I now know how to bear my testimony which is so cool. And tell you my birthday!! It is weird though because for some things it makes sense in my head but when I put it to use it does not come out right. I just gotta keep practicing! And praying!

 

I took on the challenge to read the amazing Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar so ha uh pray for me. I have tabbed the most important to learn at this moment given to me by my teacher. It is a lot. A whole lot. (Picture below)

In my personal studies I have been mostly in the Book of Mormon but I ventured out to the good ol New Testament and found an AMAZING scripture. Even taped it up on my wall. 

It is Romans 8:18. 

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." 

How Beautiful. Read that a couple times and let it sink in. All the hard work we put forth will be rewarded. It may not seem like it right away, but we go through hard things for a reason!

ALSO there is a Japanese teacher here and a girl from his mission has a sister that is passing away soon.. so a couple Japanese districts all got together and we filmed a video singing love at home in Japanese because it is her favorite church song. The spirit was SO STRONG! I will attach a voice recording I took! Give it a listen! 

I love all of you and so does Jesus. So much that he SACRIFICED HIS LIFE FOR YOU. I hope you all have an amazing easter and party it up for me andddd eat lots of candyyyyy. But dont forget the reason for the season ;) I know that might be a Christmas phrase I think but it applies for right now! 

<3 Peterson Shimai (Sister Peterson)

OH! I also have 2 tips for you that I have learned while here at the MTC

1. Dont drop your bar of soap in the showers because it will slide into another persons shower stall and then it gets very awkward trying to get it back.

2. Make sure the load of whites are YOUR load of whites before you throw them in the dryer.  

Pictures below...

-My tabs for Japanese Grammer bleck

-The best companion duo aka Sister Merrill and I

- learning my favorite scripture in Japanese!

-RIP Elder Perez

-bus ride to the temple!!

- A very fitting picture of Jesus!

ENJOY

Sister Peterson Week 3

Hey Everyone!!!

I am basically fluent!

Just kidding, I am very very far from fluent. We started immersion yesterday so all my classes are in 100% Japanese. Yep, our teachers are already real good at charades and we even played some word games I swear I played in preschool. So fun, I am just trusting in the Lord and working my hardest because that is all I can do. WOOP

On Saint Patrick's day we got a special treat!!! Steven Sharp Nelson (Cello guy from Piano Guys) came and talked to us and performed. Everyone went wild, you would have thought 1 Direction walked in ready for a reunion. It was so good though and he brought up so many cool things to think about. 

The beginning of this week was so nice and sunny so we held most of our classes outside. Unfortunately my scalp got burnt though so if anybody knows good sunscreen that will not make my hair greasy... send it my way!!!!!

Thank you so much to everyone that wrote me a letter and gave to my mom to give to me. Seeing how many people wrote to me made me cry!! I have been reading a couple here and there so maybe on a random day just imagine me reading your letter because I probably am! ;) 

Devotional Tuesday was also amazing! President Johnson (General President over Relief Society (the women's program in our church)) talked to us and also said so many amazing things. One thing she said that stuck out to me was that we can still feel joy when we are going through a hard time. Think about that. Look for the sweet things throughout your day and you will live happier. That is what I have been trying to do and it has been helping me. Slowly but surely!

There are times where I think to myself what am I doing?!? I have thought about how bizarre missions seem to other people not in the church because what. I am 19 years old and about to move across the world for a year and a half for my church. BUT WAIT. That is wrong. I am not doing this for my churchhhh, I am doing this for my Savior and His children. The joy that Jesus Christ and His gospel has brought me is enough to motivate me to share it with people. I am so excited and happy to be doing His work and to be part of His plan. Dont forget you can be missionaries too! 

I love you all more than you know and miss you so much. 

Dont forget God loves you too! You are His child!!

<3 Peterson Shimai :)

P.s everyone is getting sick but it hasn't hit me yet... PRAY FOR MEEEE

Pictures!!!

-Joy D Jones!!!

-THE Steven Sharp Nelson

-Our lovely drawer

-might be back into my cereal kick, we will see

-went to the temple today with my amazing district!!

Dinner Date

Kefford warned me that I was going to get a lot of teasing about getting sick while out on Marks boat, Mark razzed me about it whenever chance he got a chance to while we were at his house and he told Bob about it happening. On our way back from the coast Mikell had sent a picture of Emily to our family group chat for National Downs Syndrome day and after people commented Bob sent a message to me. He was teasing me about getting sea sick and it honestly didn't bother me. I have been apart of this family long enough to recognize the teasing meant with love and I love that he feels comfortable enough with me to give me a hard time about getting sick. I know that he would not do it with everyone and I love that we have this type of relationship.

Friday morning I took my daily walk and decided to walk through the Spurwing subdivision to get to the green belt which took me past the temple. I love this trail and love that I am able to see the Temple on my morning walk.

Kelsey and Brit gave Kefford and I and bob and Alison gift cards to an Asian restaurant that is in Eagle. Bob and Alison were staying at the temple House Friday night and Alison came by to give Rylee her belated birthday gift, we asked if they had plans for dinner and decided to all go out to use our gift cards. It was a new restaurant for all of us and fun to try but it was not super impressive and I don't see any of us going back. I had fun being with Bob and Alison and love that them being in the Temple Presidency means more time with them in Meridian and more time for us to do things with just them.

Rylee, Alison, Bob and Kefford

 

Alison and Bob

Oregon Coast; Saying Goodbye

 Thursday morning we planned on traveling back home, we had a good week visiting Mark and Debbie but were ready to go home. We were not in a rush to leave so that morning I joined Kefford and Mark on their morning walk and we walked around Winchester Bay for a couple of hours. 

We saw this memorial which I really liked, it tugged at my patriotic heart strings and I wanted a picture so I could remember it.

There was a pier out into the ocean that looked broken and unusable at the end but I asked Mark if we could walk down the pier. I wasn't't sure if we would be able to but when we went over to it we saw that it was not closed off and we were able to walk down it. The end of the pair had a small fence around it but we could see where the pier used to go out to and I took a picture of the wood sticking up out of the ocean, I liked the seagull sitting on one post looking like Scuttle.

I took a picture of Mark and Debbies house and then Mark took some pictures of us in front posing with their wood carving captain. They bought the carving at the same place the crab came from, the chain saw carving competition. The crab won first place and if I remember right this boat captain won second or third, I cannot remember which.

We had a great week visiting the coast and Mark and Debbie and would be happy to go back any time.

Oregon Coast; Sand Duning

 On Wednesday when I got up Kefford and Mark had left on a walk so I went on a walk by myself, Rylee was still sleeping. I wanted to walk down to the beach and walk along the shore so I ventured off to go find the ocean.  

I love the beach and I loved walking along the shore, there were a lot of broken shells but I did find one large shell completely intact. I forgot to take a picture of it but I did keep it and carry it will me for the rest of my walk. I found a heart shaped piece of driftwood that I did take a picture of. I love finding random hearts in nature.

After walking for a couple of hours I got a phone call from Kefford asking where I was, they were on there way to pick me up so I could go with them to watch the counting of the salmon.

The counting of the salmon was interesting but not a super big deal. They have tanks where the baby fish are living and they catch them in the net weigh them before putting them in a separate section to keep the counted and the uncounted separate. They total up the weight when they are done and then from that they are able to know how many they have. We watched that for a little bit and then we fed some of the fish in their tanks and then we went inside to see where they breed the fish and grow them from the egg stage. We did not spend too long at the fish hatchery which was good. On our way back from the hatchery we saw a diner that was advertising pie. I did not have breakfast and it was lunchtime and pie sounded so good so when we got back to the house I asked if anyone wanted to go get some pie. Everyone was game so we went and got lunch and pie at the diner. I got a peanut butter chocolate pie and it was good but nothing that I am going to be dreaming about going back and eating.

After we ate Kefford wanted to rent a side by side and take Rylee to the sand dunes. While we were at the shop to rent the side by side Rylee found their pet kitty and had fun cuddling him for a little bit.

Kefford and Rylee went to the sad dunes while I stayed back at the house and chilled. They had a lot of fun and since Rylee was underage she could only be a passenger which she was one with. Kefford had her take the wheel for a minute but it freaked her out and she did not last long.

I wanted to go see the Lighthouse so after they did the sand dunes the three of us along with Mark, Debbie and Bouda (their dog) walked to the Lighthouse. We looked in the gift shop and looked at the beautiful view but we did not tour the lighthouse, I really wanted to but nobody else did. It was half an hour until the nest tour and the tour lasted about a half an hour and I did not want to make everyone wait that long for me so I opted out. Next time we visit them we will have to take the tour, and if nobody else wants to I will go on my own.

Oregon Coast; Fishing

 On Tuesday Mark took us fishing. I wasn't keen on going but I thought I should give it a try and go with my family. In hind sight I should have just stayed back because I got so sick on that boat ride. I have been on boats before and have never gotten sick but this boat ride was an entire different boat ride. Mark drove us about 12 miles out into the open sea and I don't know how fast we were going but it was choppy and bumpy and I very quickly started feeling nauseous. I tried to hang in there though and once we arrived I took pictures and did my best to ignore the sickness in my stomach but it was not going away and it was getting worse. I think a combination of the boat rocking and watching Marks friend Doug cut his fish off the line and seeing the bloody knife and the bulgy eyes of the fish was a lethal combination for me. 

This certain type of fish is a fish that is illegal to be caught and so if you hook one you have to release it. Mark put him on a hook thing that lowers him back to the depths of the ocean but he was filled with air and bobbed back up to the surface and we watched him float away. The next illegal one he caught he poked him to let the air out and when he lowered him to the depths the fish stayed there. 

Kefford had a couple fish bite but he was not able to get them to stay on his hook long enough to bring them up.

Rylee on the other hand ws doing so good and caught a couple of fish, I was pretty proud of her and happy that she was doing so well.

I unfortunately was not getting better and I finally had to call it quits and ask Mark to take me back in. He kept telling me he would and so I finally took him up on his offer. When we got back to the dock Rylee and Kefford stayed back with me. Kefford was starting to get sick on the ride back and Rylee's arms were tired so they did not think it best to continue on. Mark dropped us off and he and Doug went back out and fished for a couple more hours, Debbie and Bouda, Marks Dog, met us at the dock and walked us back. 

Mark had some crab pots out in the ocean and he pulled those in and brought home some fresh crab for everyone to eat. He also brought home some sand dollars that had gotten in the crab pots and gave them to Rylee. 

Debbie cooked up the crab and I was game to ry them and cracking them open and pulling out the meat was kind of fun but I did not enjoy the crab. I tried it with butter and with some lemon and it just was not to my tasting. Kefford and Rylee loved it and I am glad they were able to eat some the fresh crab.

For dinner we walked over to the pizza place which also sold seafood and Kefford bought us all pizza to eat. We wanted to eat at the restaurant but it was closing so we got it to go. On our walk to get the pizza I got a picture of Rylee in front of the crab sculpture which was made from chainsaws and won first place in the chain saw sculpting contest a couple of years ago. We also saw the dock that was the resting place for a lot of seals The dock is off limits for people because it is home to all the seals so we couldn't get any closer to them.

I also had to get a picture of Rylee in front of this sculpture at the pizza place.