Sister Peterson Week 50

Avynlea Peterson <avynlea.peterson@missionary.org>	Sun, Feb 16, 11:59 PM
to bcc: me

Hey everyone! I feel like it has been forever, but it has only been a week!! Lots of things happened this week!

On Pday a member took us to Costco!! I guess I have never done my own grocery shopping there and paid for it.. because I was not prepared for the money we spent there. It was very worth it though!! Our member told us we have "Costco Fever"! We did indeed have "Costco Fever". Also, Japanese people do NOT do Costco like we do in America. Our member only left with 1 bunch of BANANAS. That was it. Im like where are your muffins and your huge party size bag of chips. Oh well. At least they had samples there.

The Takayama elders were stuck here in Toyama because the trains were not working for them to get home! We really enjoyed double covering again and got lots of ekis done to put toward our mission goal! Our mission is currently at 693/1,000!!!! Got lots done this week! Yay!

Had an amazing (as always) zone conference in Kanazawa! We talked all about Joseph Smith and the first vision. The spirit was really strong as we studied about personal revelation and even as we practiced teaching the Joseph Smith lesson in Japanese. 

The best day ever, YAY Paul and JJ got baptized yesterday! This was one of the best days of my mission! Everything went so smooth and the mix of an English and Japanese program was really special! You couldn't catch anyone without a smile on their face the whole day. It was so cool listening to their testimonies about the things they have learned. To reflect on where they were at, what they knew, and who they were when we first started teaching them. I am so thankful that Heavenly Father put these 2 in my life and made everything work out so they could be baptized. This IS a gospel of joy!

️We were at a train station doing finding yesterday, then all of a sudden, BAM. I immediately put my hand up to my head where I hit it then MacDonald 姉妹 let's out a huge gasp. I looked at my hand and BLOOD! Haha apparently head cuts bleed a whole lot. I was okay and just laughing the whole time because MacDonald 姉妹 was absolutely freaking out. Turns out the cut was just so tiny but decided to bleed a lot. Don't worry, I will not insert a picture. I don't want anyone to feel like MacDonald 姉妹 who said to her head bleeding comp "my legs are weak" Ha.

In a BYU devotional called Change: It's Always a Possibility, the woman tells a story of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. She says...

"So, what are you willing to give up being so that you can fly? Your spirit wants to fly! Your spirit remembers your premortal assignments and aspirations. What are you willing to give up believing so that you can be all you really are—all that you committed, even covenanted, that you would be?"

I love this so much because we are always taught to "give up the natural man". Our spirits know what we want and need, we just have to train out bodies to be more adaptive to that. I have been trying to think a lot about how I can change into who I am supposed to be and how to have the discipline to do that! (Something I kind of lack). What are you willing to give up so your spirit can fly?

God loves you and He will help you as long as you are trying your best!

I love you all!

Happy late Valentines Day!!

<3 Peterson 姉妹

02/17/2025

thats my comp

this 13 year old tried to get my number... and he is blocking MacDonald shimai in the picture. This was a scary time.

ZONE CONF

besties

moments before my comp's legs went weak

COSTCO

JJ and Paul are Baptized

I have been wanting to display my blog books for a while but did not like that they were all different colors. The ones from the last five years are black but the other ones are not. I have been looking for solid black book covers but haven't found them. It seems like I should have been able to find something but maybe I haven't looked in the right places. So anyway I asked Ryker if he would just make me something on Canva and he was able to put together book covers for me that have the years on the spine. They are not perfect and don't match exactly but it works and I can have them on display and looking good on my shelf.

Avynlea and her companion had a baptism and we were able to watch! JJ and Paul were introduced to the church by one of their Ward members and they loved everything they were taught. Avynlea and her companion Sister McDonald developed a really sweet relationship with them and I am so happy we were able to watch their Baptism service. They did the Baptism after church on Sunday and all of the Ward members were able to stay and be supportive. Avynlea gave an introduction to JJ and her companion did Pauls introduction. After they did the talks their member friend baptized them which we were not able to see. Avynlea and her companion also sang a song which sounded really nice. 

 

The Ward Family

I did a Valentines Day themed dinner on Sunday and for dessert I did strawberries and chocolate. They were super yummy and a 10 out of 10.

Valentines Day

I made Oreo truffles for my family for Valentines day which is a fan favorite every year. I also made a special Valentines breakfast for Rylee and Kefford which was pancakes and a smoothie. They liked the pancakes but I don't think the smoothie had enough sugar in it for them.

Kefford and I went to dinner that night at the Texas Roadhouse and we had a really yummy meal. Kefford gave me a Heart Wreath Lego which I am excited to build and use very year for decoration. I enjoyed being out with Kefford and celebrating Valentines Day.

 

Sister Peterson Week 49

What a week!!!

We have been grinding out lots of ekis (train stations), I think we were able to do at least one each day this week. Nothing too crazy has happened, but we have been able to see little miracles! 

Please pray that we will be able to reach our mission goal of 1,000 by the end of the transfer! Right now we are at 427!!

On monday we went to Takaoka and saw lots of Buddhas. Yay Japan! We also went to this restaurant that gave huge portions for cheap. The pictures do not do justice the big bowls of ramen they served. It was a wild experience.

It snowed a lottttt this week! A lot of plans changed because the trains were down for a hot sec. A few missionaries were stuck here in Toyama with us, but we had a grand old time. 

 

JJ and Paul are doing so good! Thank you for the prayers! I had some of my most spirit filled moments teaching these 2 this week. Me and MacDonald 姉妹 were worried about some lessons we had to teach them, but the spirit carried! There were some moments where I did not really know what to say, but I opened my mouth, trusted, and the spirit filled it. I can't explain it well, but I am so thankful for the spirit they are able to bring and my companion is able to bring! There are just a few final things we need to do, then they will be baptized! Sooner than I think you will expect!! If you could see the dance parties me and MacDonald 姉妹 have you would understand how trully excited we are!  

I recently listened to a podcast the church news put out with Laurel Day. She talks a lot about agency. That there are so many times in life where we don't know what decision is best. We ask God, "what decision am I supposed to make?"

But that's not how it works. He won't make your decisions. We have agency. This is YOUR life, YOUR choice. You do what you want to (with good intentions and following Christ of course) and He will fill in the gaps. There may be a fork in the road of decisions, but because of the agency you fought for, you can choose what you want to do and God will be able to work with you there. He is there to support us, not to live for us. He will warn us if we need to make a specific decision or to protect us from danger, but other than that, it's all you girl. Those are my recent fav deep thoughts!

God loves you, he trusts you. Everyday I am reminded of this and find comfort through this. Like come on, I am a 20 year old in Japan, with the responsibility of changing people's lives! Crazyyy

I love you all! Thank you for the emails! I love them!!!

<3 Sister Peterson

02/10/2025

Lacrosse Pictures

 Rylees team had Lacrosse pictures taken for us to purchase but they did a fundraiser and if we got at least one person to contribute to the fundraiser we would detour pictures for free. Rylee had Peterson Orthodontics to contribute and then Whitney so kindly contributed as well. I have bought and did just buy pizzas from Whitneys kids for their school fundraisers so I didn't feel too bad about Rylee asking her for help with her fundraising. We were able to get the pictures and I really love how they turned out. Rylee is just so cool.

Rylee also got the group pictures she took with her friends Esther, Shay and Brinleigh

Anita is Baptized

 Saturday was a really special day. In the morning we started off by getting doughnuts and then going to the cemetery to visit around Dad's grave. We told stories and laughed and talked and it was really special to be there together as siblings with Mom. Erin had a migraine and originally said she wasn't going to be able to make it so we pulled her Picture off the wall and brought it with us so she was still there.. kind of.After a little bit Erin was able to rally and she arrived and was able to be there for some of the time which was nice. We were able to take pictures of all of us and have the remembrance of the time with all of us there. 

We also brought Dad's picture and Joshua got flowers to bring for Dad.

Stephanie, Erin, Jeremy, Elizabeth, Mom, Heather, Emily, Joshua, Ashleigh and Andrew

After pictures and memories at the cemetery we all headed home to get ready for...Anita's baptism! This was a complete surprise for most of us when we found out a couple of days earlier that Anita was getting Baptized. Most of us did not even know she was taking the discussions but we were so happy for her and for Jeremy and were so excited that she was able to get Baptized on a day we all would be there. 

Abigail is my little buddy and I love her so much. She is a mini Ashleigh and reminds me so much of Ashleigh when she was this little.

We were all waiting for Jeremy and Anita to come out so the program could start but it was taking them an awful long time. Heather told me I should go back and see if they need any help and me being the "fill in"oldest sister I went back to check on them. They were standing back there together not sure what to do and I explained to them that there was going to be an opening program before the actual Baptism. I am honestly surprised no-one filled them in on what was going to be happening. They came out and the program began

Jeremy Baptized Anita and Joshua did the confirmation. It was a really sweet baptism and I enjoyed watching Jere y Baptize his wife. After the Baptism we took pictures and had cake and ice cream.

Anita and Elizabeth

Alec, Jeremy Jr, Jaylynn, Anita and Jeremy

Andrew Brown, Stephanie, Anita, Erin, Jere y, Andrew, Jaylynn, Atticus, bonnie, Joshua, Heather, Alec, Emily, Abigail, Ashleigh, Elizabeth and Jeremy jr

Elizabeth and Heather

Stephanie, Erin, Jeremy, Elizabeth, Bonnie, Heather, Emily, Joshua, Ashleigh and Andrew

Another picture we found with Mom, Andrew, Grandma Ware and Elizabeth. This was taken when I was a Jr or Sr in High School

Friday Moms Day

 

I am one of the middle children in my family but I often find myself taking on the roll of the oldest child because my older siblings do not step up. It was no different with this weekend. I initiated the idea of us all getting together for the weekend. I planned the menu with some input and bought the food with the expectations we would all chip in and I would get paid back, I did. I also planned out what we were going to do that weekend and organized it all. Friday morning the day of Mom's birth we went to Brandons, her favorite place to eat breakfast. The one she frequents was randomly closed so we went to the other location and luckily they had room for us. It turned out the first one lost their power which is why they were closed. We all had yummy food and even though Mom said not to we did tell the waitress we were celebrating her birthday. She was one of three in the restaurant who were celebrating which was funny and took a little of the spotlight off of her. The waitstaff would bring out some ice cream and sing and by the time it got to Mom the rest of the crowd in the restaurant had lost some interest. 

After breakfast we went to the Mall to get some Candy from See's Moms favorite chocolate place. While there we spotted a Japanese store filled with little machines like gumboil machines but they all had different trinkets in them. I took a picture to send to Avynlea.

Elizabeth, Heather, Erin, Emily, Joshua, Stephanie, Ashleigh, Andrew and Mom. I am not sure where Jeremy was hiding but he managed to not be in this picture the bum.

After the mall we went to Mom's and hung out and visited. Joshua had his scanning machine that was left at Mom's so he and Andrew started scanning her pictures to digitize them It was fun to look through the old family pictures. I found these pictures I had sent Mom when Kenedy was a baby and took pictures of them to send to her. Believe it or not but the cur win my hair in these pictures is my natural curl. I think I have spent too many years straightening it to have it be like that right now but I bet if I worked at it I could restore the curl. I am just not sure it is worth the time and energy right yet.

I like this picture of Dad that was taken when they came for Kenedy's Blessing. In my family we grew up saying family prayer at night and then after the prayer we would have to say something nice about the person next to us. some of my younger siblings started this thing where they would say about my Dad," I love Dad because he likes green because he drawswell like Roswell, get it?" Because Roswell New Mexico is rumored to have the aliens. It was just something funny they would say and so when they saw this Roswell sign in Idaho they had to stop to get a picture of him with it.

Mom got a cake mix, frosting and a heart shaped cake pan for her birthday from her friend Sharon. She got a cake the night before at her party but I thought she should have one on her birthday so I used her items to make her this delicious cake which she loved.