12/9/13 Letter

Where the heck did this week go? We were booked to the max!!!! Well, this week we talked at the college again and had a great turn out and after, the teacher who lives in varaždin drove us home and we gave her a first lesson in the car!!!!  She agreed with everything that we said as we talked about the differences between our church and the catholic church!  At the end we gave her a book of Mormon and she said ok i will call u if i have any questions! Then we did service for a less active member named lidija who has the cutest girl ever!  

She knows the gospel is true as she was one of the first members in Varaždin  but she fell in love with a boy whose family was so against the church that they had to go into hiding, and after a while she just stopped going cause it was too hard¨! it was so sad to hear her story as there is so many others like hers! there are so many less actives here because of family problems. 

The thought crossed my mind today as i  reflected on the words our mission president-pres. Rowe said at district conference about  how " 2 apostles have blessed this land that it will bloom and how after all they have been through here,  there will be great peace and happiness here, and how this will be a promised land." Today i though about how these people are like the pioneers! Look at all the pioneers went through as they had so many hardships  but because of their efforts and their enduring to the end,  we have so many Mormons in Utah and a beautiful temple!  THESE PLACES ARE SO MUCH ALIKE AND THIS LAND HAS BEEN PROMISED A TEMPLE!   These hardships will only last a season, but we have to keep our perspective on the bigger picture, the eternities and enduring to the end, knowing that because of our good works others will be blessed! I am so grateful to be here and part of this work here in the Adriatic mission!  

I feel like the pioneers story is being modernized right before my eyes as this week we had district conference and my branch took a 3 hour train ride, then walked an hour and a half in the cold 35 degree weather to get to the train to get to the church!  We truly don't know how blessed we are in America! There were 108 members at district conference from all over Croatia plus about 70 missionaries! Shoot i woke up at 4:30am,  took a bus at 6 and got to the church at 8am.... me and my team of 6 were proud to say we were the first ones there hahaha! My comp and i did a musical number as she played the piano and i sang i feel my savior love and i know my redeemer lives! we combined them into one and it was way cool!  Apparently president Rowe started crying.. i love making tough guys cry haha! I was so grateful and humbled  for the opportunity to share my testimony through the talent i have been given!  Well, then on Thursday we had Zone conference with the missionaries! so again i woke up at 5:30! who needs sleep right ... I’m wendy petersons daughter! like #realtalk i have the best and smartest mission prez ever! The Croatian Book of Mormon doesn't have an introduction so instead it uses Moroni 10: 3-4!  President Rowe talked about how it never says ponder in your head if these things are true, but in your heart! what does that mean.... to ponder in your heart?... That when a person reads the Book of Mormon, they need to pay attention to the way they feel, then everything will make sense in your brain!  if we look at the book of Mormon like just another book then is it, but if we ask and pray  and ponder with our hearts, then our eyes will be opened to the truth and power it speaks!  

This was at conference where Brianne sang her song and was reunited with her MTC companion Sister Frampton

On Friday our friend from osijek came down and it was way fun to have him here!  For aktivnost(Which is usually on Friday nights) we had a music party as one of the members was a professional singer  and we sang like a rock Christmas song with him. haha it was really fun,--shoot, black gospel choir here i come! then we sang "rollen in the river"as i had to make up my own words to the song... well im not the best song writer let’s just say, but i was pulling people of out of their chairs and just having such a fun time!  then we met with 3 students who wanted to meet us from the English presentation we did!  It was so sad though, because we met with them for 2 hours and in that time they had to leave and smoke 3 times!  Then one of the girls said  it was nice going to coffee for once and not coming home smelling like smoke! I count my blessing everyday that i don't smoke. it has such a depressing sad effect on people !  One student we taught took ping pong lessons for 8 years so i will be playing here and getting my butt whipped by her!  ping pong and hand ball are huge here! 

Then on Saturday we saw lidija  preform at this event with her Croatian instrument (i forgot what it was called) and after that, we watched Saturday session of district conference  through skype! Well i will skype everyone soon as božić dolazi!  hope all is well and remember nothing is too hard for the lord!

love

sestra peterson xoxox