Staying in Andrews!

Hey y'all!!

I get to stay in Andrews for at least 7 more weeks! Unfortunately I don't get to stay with Sister Christensen though. My new companion will be Sister Koford. She will get here on Tuesday! Sister Christensen is headed across the border to Artesia, New Mexico.

This week we did a blitz (our STL's came down to help us out for the day so we could cover more ground). We were able to find 3 new investigators which was such a miracle!! One of them is a referral we received from one of the summer sales Vivint ladies who is a recently returned missionary. His name is Billy and apparently he is a former investigator. We have seen him once but hopefully we will see him again this week! Another one is named Abigail. Abigail works with one of our branch members. He owns his Chiropractic office and he has a BoM out and she has been looking at it recently. She really looks up to the member and his family so we can't wait to go back and teach her more!

I don't think I told you last week but we found this awesome older man named Bob. We knocked into him and he asked us if he would know his wife after this life. Of course we were beyond excited to teach and testify that YES! He can see her and will know her again! We went back this week with a member and taught the whole plan of salvation. Unfortunately, he probably has Alzheimer and isn't going to remember any of it but we are praying that that is not the case!

We did yard work for Brother McMahan this week. He finally let us help! He was hilarious! He would show us that we need to cut the weeds down with the weed whacker and then you have to tilt it down to kill the root! He is just trying to kill his grass because he doesn't want to have to mow it haha!l

We had 32 people at church this week! 2 were visitors from the stake though. More people should be in town next week so we are looking forward to a full house!

Have a great week y'all!!

Read and pray everyday!!!!!!

Hermana Peterson

PS. Also we got to help out at the little kids rodeo! It was so much fun! I just ran flags back and forth and tipped barrels back up if they knocked them over. Sister Christensen was keeping time.

In Sister Chritsensen's Words . . . Mexican Bible Bash

Hey y'all!!

It has been a pretty "normal" week here in Andrews. Monday we went to see a less active who has a Christian rock band. I guess sometimes we go over to band practice for a couple minutes because the band loves Mormon Messages. It is pretty crazy!

Unfortunately we haven't been able to teach Maria again yet but we did get to see her on Monday night and she had just gotten back from a trip to Mexico. She had some family staying with her this week so she didn't want to meet but hopefully they will be gone this week!

We did A LOT of finding this week and the area we were in was a lot of Hispanics so I got to practice some Spanish door contacts! Also like the title says, we got to have a long talk with a Hispanic man who just wanted to fight (: our favorites! NOT. He opened the door, saw us, turned around and yelled to someone "it's the Mormons!" Then he talked to me forever in Spanish and I was only catching bits and pieces so we really couldn't argue like he wanted to (and we wouldn't because that is not our purpose) but we committed him to read the Restoration pamphlet and told him if he wanted to talk more he could call the Spanish Elders.

We had like nothing to do (other than keep on knocking) so we decided to take a chance and try some LA's that were do not contacts. So far none of them have been mean, just not interested in coming back to the gospel! I think we just have 1 left to try.

We had zone conference this week. It was great! It was surreal saying goodbye to the Heaps but I also can't wait to meet the Hales! It was all about the transition and how we can make it go best for us and for them. Afterwards we got to go to dinner with the Cayton's (a senior couple). We love them!!! It was great! We ended up getting stuck in Midland for about 45 extra minutes though because it was pouring rain and our little car wouldn't make it through the flooded streets! This week in Midland and Odessa there have been some CRAZY storms! Baseball size hail that breaks hundreds of windows! We have only seen pictures because while we are pretty close to both towns, Andrews doesn't get any of that weather because we are kind of in a hole so it goes around us.

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We had only 28 people at church this week and only 4 of those were men so it was a close call as to whether we would be getting the sacrament! We were worried until they started showing up late! It has definitely helped me to better appreciate the worthy priesthood around me!

Love y'all and hope you have a blessed week!!

Hermana Peterson

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It's Only a Little Warm!

Hey y'all!!

It is definitely heating up over here! Finding in 110 degree weather is a little challenging but that is what we are out here doing! Everyday we sweat buckets but we love doing it! No one can truly understand the feeling of a missionary. People continuously question why we are doing what we are doing and it gives us the perfect opportunity to testify of the truth we share!

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This week we had exchanges up in Midland which are always great! We love our sister training leaders and we love the chance to learn from other missionaries!

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Sister Christensen broke her bike this week so that was an adventure. Luckily Heavenly Father was watching out for us! We had been riding all day and we were headed to our dinner appointment when it happened. Somehow the derailer and the chain got bent up into her wheel. Needless to say it was not rideable. We were trying to be independent and fix it ourselves (not possible) when Heavenly Father prompted our branch president to drive down the road that we were on. At the same time that he and his wife pulled up a man with a truck pulled up. It was perfect because the man in the truck was able to take our bikes back and the branch president and his wife were able to take us home to clean up and get our car. It was a mess! The next day we ended up having to take her bike to a shop in Odessa. We plan on picking it up on our way to zone conference this week.

We had 30 people at church so that was good! Almost didn't have enough priesthood for the Sacrament but we made it! I had to play piano for primary so that was interesting!

We had an amazing lesson this week!! Her name is Maria and the other sisters found her about a month ago. We finally were able to see her again and had a great Restoration lesson! She is a single mom of 4 kids. She told us that her 9 year old son the night before had picked up the Book of Mormon and told her very firmly that she needed to read that book because it would bring their family closer. We were able to testify that it is true and that she will find peace through that book! We haven't had any contact since Monday but we are supposed to have another lesson tonight so pray that it goes through! She also wants us to teach her kids!! Miracles!!

Love y'all!!!

Hermana Peterson

Leer en las escrituras cada dia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Smiling Jesus

Hey y'all! Hope y'all have had a fabulous week!

It has been good here in Andrews. Not a whole lot happening here. We had a miracle though!! We went to visit this less active man who is never home. We decided to try by because our appointment fell through. He was there but told us the kids were asleep and wouldn't commit to a time we could come back. We left and were sitting in the car on the corner of the block trying to figure out where to go next. Next thing we know his (nonmember) girlfriend is driving up next to us. I guess she thought we were walking so she came out to find us. She told us we should meet them at the duck pond in 20 minutes because they were taking the kids out to feed the ducks!! She came out and found us!! That doesn't happen!! We have to take it kind of slow with her but she is so sweet and now we just have to get him on board! His parents are active members in our branch as well.

I had a Texan meal (at least I think it is) Frito Pie this week. It is really just Fritos with beans and taco meat on them but they were good!

Bro McMahan, a LA in our branch gave me his smiling Jesus picture (he gives them to all the missionaries) He loves it and it is so funny! He is pretty cool! He is also obsessed with native Americans. He gave me a dream catcher key chain last night. In our apartment we have a box full of the most random stickers that he has given us! He loves to give us things! He gives us treats every time we go (usually 2 times a week).

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We went to the nursing home this week too. Bill was so excited (he is the main person we see over there). A couple weeks ago he got to go on the honor flight. He was excited because he made Andrews newspaper front page! He was showing everybody! He was also updating us on his bowel movements while we played cards!

This week we had 40 people at church, yay!!

We got to go out to the Smith's ranch again this week and this time we were branding cows. This was totally Sister Christensen's favorite! I really didn't do anything. I was just moral support! It was an interesting process though! I love going out there! It is pretty in a totally different way!

Have a blessed week y'all!!

Hermana Peterson