Hey everyone! It's been a little,
So on Tuesday I left the MTC and had to say goodbye to every one, I never really cried in the MTC besides about Spanish lol but the first time I really cried was saying goodbye to Hermana Lindley she would be serving in Malaga and I'm in Barcelona. Hard goodbye but only better things to come!
The MTC was amazing but nothing like the field let me tell ya!
So I am serving in the Vilafranca area and my companion is Hermana Rockhill! She is amazing and is so fun and cute, she is so good with all of our investigators and really patient with my Spanish haha. Also I love my mission presidents they're amazing! Hermana Dayton gave me a make over haha. This area is amazing it's so humid. The second you walk outside you're wet, the food is crazy we eat so much and get fed all the time!! I ate 4 dinners on Friday haha! I also ate my first cow heart on a stick so that was exciting! A family invited us to BBQ on top of their roof and it was the most amazing thing! The sun was setting and everything! The only thing better than the food is the people! Ok! Everyone here is so amazing and are so kind!! I love all of our investigators so much!!! They're so great! We have a lot, and have lessons all the time. One of them is Margarita she is a super old lady who is so sweet and so talkative all the time! And speaks super fast Spanish, when we went to go visit her she tried hooking me up with her 40 year old son lol. She loves the gospel. Another is George and ok here is the exciting news.. WE ASKED HIM TO BE BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY AND HE SAID YES!!! He is from Africa and only speaks English which is a blessing. HE is so amazing and loves the church hymns! Uh I love him so much! And so excited for him to be baptized his date is set for August 12th! MY FIRST BAPTISM!!!! I can't believe it!!
Another is Carlos his testimony is growing so much and he is such a great guy he reminds me a lot of my dad. He has the cutest little nephew and niece who are about 8 and they are my best friends! I love them! Also more exciting news my dream of playing soccer in the streets with little ninos finally happened! Carlos said he had an evil spirit in his house and didn't feel good there so we went with some elders to give him a blessing after Carlos and Santi (his nephew) walked with us to the park, I asked Santi if he wanted to play soccer and so me and him played for a while and then 2 little boys came up and asked if they could play so we played with them! Uh it was so fun! Especially when the little kids yell at me in Spanish and I have no idea what their saying and just laugh and say "si!" We also worked in the ward garden, taught a lot more people and played soccer with the elders and some little boys who are SO GOOD! They kick my trash! But I love it! Missionary life is so amazing! I can't even remember all of the miracles from this week! I wish I could tell them all! I am growing so much and have already seen my self changing, its so crazy. Spain definitely isn't Utah and I am learning to depend on the Lord. I am learning so much especially about myself and my Savior. It is really hard, the hardest part for me is adapting, mostly with the language. It is so hard and frustrating when I want to talk to others or they try and talk to me and I have no idea what they are saying especially with younger kids, I want to talk to them so bad. My Spanish is still struggling a lot but I am getting a ton better! And I've learned that the language barrier isn't as big as I thought and you can still have a relationship and show love to someone who you can't fully understand. It's actually teaching me a lot it is so hard but I'm grateful for it. Also I don't think I will every get use to the kissing on cheek thing, its weird haha. My first week of church was rough haha just because Spanish but the mission is so great and this church really is true. It's so true. God is there and is helping me and teaching me so much in ways idk how to explain. This is amazing being here.
Also today for preparation day we went to the Sagrada Famila. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!! So crazy!! I love Spain and the culture! I love this gospel so much! I am learning so much and I know that this gospel blesses life's in ways I'm not sure I even understand! I have to doubt in my mind that this is the true church of Jesus Christ and I know it blesses and heals lives. THIS GOSPEL IS SO TRUE! We have a loving Father in Heaven who we can go to always and a Savior who gave his life for us!
There are so many more miracles that I have seen this week, mission life is living!
Ok so just so y'all know I can no longer check my emails everyday but please still send emails I love them! Opening my emails today and seeing all of your emails was the best thing ever! And also if you want to send letters send them to this address and so that way they will go straight to my apartment but I will also still get them if you send them to the mission home
Apartment adress: placa Maria manent 15 2 2 08720 vilafranca espana
Here is a quote I really liked from this week it's for missionaries but I feel it applies to everyone:
You may permit the Lord to change your nature if you give yourself to Him and to His work. He cannot work on what he does not have, and He cannot have you, unless you give yourself to Him.
Love, Hermana Peterson
Her first companion in the field Hermana (Aubrielle) Rockhill
She is from Pleasant Grove
First Apartment Address
Inside her apartment
Her bathroom. They each have their own
Eating out with other missionaries in my area.
She ate my first Kabob...So now she say's she's a real missionary
Jeremy Guthrie is a former American Pro baseball Player. He was the pitcher for Kansas City Royals. (2012-2015) Kansas was the World Series Champions that year. He served a mission in Spain. He was offered a million dollars to stay and play but went on a mission instead. He came home and went on to pitch in the World Series. He came to the mission home and talked to the missionaries and our investigators.
Meeting at the Mission Home with the missionaries and investigators.
Carlos with his niece and nephew Sarah and Santi meeting Jeremy Guthrie
Carlo's Niece Sarah
Barcelona FC Jersey's
Helping in the ward garden
Margarita
"Sometimes you got to Flirt to Convert" in reference to Margarita's son
George!
He agreed to be baptized August 12, 2017
George was practicing being baptized by bending his knees and going under the water.
Monday, July 31, 2017 They went to the Sagrada Familia for P-Day!
Sagrada Familia means "Holy Family" and is a large unfinished Roman Catholic church/temple in Barcelona, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí.
In 1882 construction of Sagrada Família commenced under architect Francisco Paula de Villar until 1883, when Gaudí became involved when Francisco resigned as the head architect. Taking over the project, Gaudí transformed it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.
Sagrada Familia's construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death
Rockhill, Peterson, Barton and Harris
She said it was amazing!
Dinner at McDonalds and then...
Grocery Shopping
Ran into a Spanish Speaking man named Enrique who gave them cans of coke.
Weird Spain Food
Gabriel and Alejandro. Brothers whose parents are becoming reactivated.
First week in the field and lots more to go!
