Just Another Day in Paradise!: 20th Birthday, Thanksgiving and Transfers

HOLY! This week was absolutely insane so many things to write about so I apologize in advance! I had an amazing birthday, thank you all for the birthday wishes! Meant the world to me thank you so so much! As for my birthday here in Spain, I honestly just kind of talked myself down and told myself it was going to be a little different and probably a little lonely. But my birthday was amazing! All of the members made me feel so so loved! Hermana Bodden wanted to get a cake for me for my birthday but like every other missionary we are absolutely broke so I woke up that morning to Hermana Bodden sitting on my bed with Christmas lights wrapped around her singing happy birthday to me while balancing a scented candle on an orange. She about scared me to death! It was so funny!!! Jose Angel told me he needed to check on my neck and to come in that morning so we went in and my comp said something about my birthday and he started freaking out saying he forgot and he was so sorry, he then told me to close my eyes because he had a present for me. He put a newspaper in my hand and I just totally went along with it because I thought he was trying to be funny and telling him I loved the Catalan newspaper and it was all I wanted! I started flipping the pages and there was a little black bag in one of the pages. I handed it to him thinking it was something for his clinic. He told me it was for me and I opened it and it was a super nice necklace with a C on it!!!! It made my whole day! So nice! We than had a lesson with Nacho that day and Julio (his friend who gave us nacho as a reference) said he would make us food and we got permission for the elders to come eat with us! So we got there and Julio went ALL out, literally Thanksgiving!!!! Along with a giant full-on cake, like a cake cake that he made (He works at a restaurant here in Spain)!!! I was freaking out that he did all of this for me!!! After Nacho gave us little presents that he had gotten us and gave me a little angel wood statue that was so cute! After we taught him with the elders and it went super good! He just absolutely loves everything about the Gospel and soaks it all in he is going to be so amazing! He will be baptized this Saturday!!!!! And bishop said we might be able to use the new church that isn't even open yet!!!! A family from my ward also made a cake and sang happy birthday to me. All of the missionaries told me that birthdays on the mission usually are not like this, literally I was just blown away that all of these people were going out of their way to do all of this stuff for me so I wouldn't feel lonely on my birthday! Literally the people here are family! I have heard many times that when you are apart of our amazing church you will have family no matter where you go. But I never understood that until now. I can hardly talk to these people and feel like I can't do a lot. But I know that any of them would do anything for me. Our Church really truly is a family. I feel so beyond blessed. I don't feel like I deserve these blessings. We have so many amazing people and I am just barley getting by with my Spanish and blessings are just pouring in from all directions. I don't know what I did to deserve this. I love the people of Vilafraca and want to do all I can to not let them down. They trust the missionaries so much. Also the absolute best birthday present of them all was we got a phone call one day from George telling us that he was in Vilafranca! He had gotten on a 7 hour bus ride to come see me for my birthday! It was amazing! Literally wanted to cry when I saw him. He wanted to spend the night with his friends and go to a disco but instead went home so he could go to church the next morning. To a ward that he can't even understand! This church is amazing! The people here are amazing! I have been telling him that I want to be African because I just love the people, the music culture everything so he brought me a real African dress! Wow! I was so pumped! I am so so blessed! People are beyond amazing! We also had zone conference this week and something I really like that a Hermana said is "love kills fear." And I have a ton of fear with Spanish. But the other day we were teaching a lesson to Margarita and because she has become very ill and feels that her life is getting close to ending, she has a lot of fear. I shared a scripture with her that I had read that morning in personal study and she began to cry. I just felt such a love for her and wanted to help her so bad. I began to share my testimony and just speak with her for a while, like I have never done before. I have noticed when I teach because I love the person I am not scared about my Spanish but more focused on their needs, it is a completely different experience. Also, another crazy thing this week is it was transfer calls and everyone thought that I would leave and my comp would stay, I had my bag half packed and everything! But we got the call and Hermana Bodden is going to train and be a sister training leader and I am staying in Vilafranca. To be honest I was a little sad, I love Vilafranca but it has been hard and I was so ready for a fresh new start. But I have decided that now instead of everyone knowing Hermana Peterson as the missionary who struggled through Vilafranca, I am going to live this transfer so everyone remembers Hermana Peterson as the missionary that grew like crazy in Vilafranca! My new companion was also just Hermana Rockhill's companion and she is so so cute! I'm so pumped! Saying good bye to Hermana Bodden was hard but bigger and better things are ahead! I feel so so beyond blessed to be here on this mission. I know that this church is true that this is God's gospel and that it is restored on the church today! That this Gospel is joy! That Christ is always always always here for us. That there is so much power in small prayer and scripture study. I have learned that I like to think I am strong but I have learned that I really am very weak and everything that I have gotten through in my life has only been through and by the Savior. He is my strength, He is why I am here doing what I am doing. Wow, just my Savior is everything! A scripture that really touched my heart this week was 2 Nephi 22:2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation" I hope that we will always turn to our Savior especially this Christmas season coming up, what a better time to come and know our Savior Jesus Christ more. Christmas is all about giving and he truly gave the the biggest gift that could ever be given. I am so proud to be representing my family, my church and my Savior here is the Barcelona Spain mission. "I have never loved my last name more than when it was next to my Saviors on my tag" -also hearing it in an Spanish accent! Love you all so much have an amazing week! I love you all so much thank you again for the birthday wishes and sorry for the honking email!!!