(Please note this is probably the most special email we have and probably will receive during Jordyn's whole mission. There is a very special story* that is very near and dear to Bill, I and Jordyn at the end of this letter. I have of course made it bold and easy to find. We are very honored to be blessed with the true miracles that God performs in our daily lives. Love, Jennifer)
MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES MIRACLES
Can anyone guess what this weeks theme is?
It's hard to even know where to start this week. SO many miracles have occurred! It is the best overwhelming feeling I have ever felt.
Missions truly give us strength. I don't want to know how I would feel if I have received all the unpleasant news that I have received on my mission, before my mission. It is truly through the spirit that I have been able to feel continual peace and be calm in the midst of a storm. I can see and recognize the hand of the Lord very strongly in my life and especially on my mission. This week especially was filled with miracle after miracle.
For our transfer goals we really fasted and prayed to know what our goals should be. We both felt strongly impressed to set them very high. Higher than I ever would have because it would seem crazy. Yet I still felt strongly that we needed to set these goals. So we did. However we knew with goals this high, we couldn't just set them. We had to plan very carefully and precisely to be able to have success. We looked to the California Los Angeles Mission standards of excellence and saw that we needed be minimally at that level to achieve our goals. We realize that no we may not make every goal we set, but as we are being stretched and working harder than ever we are seeing our efforts be truly consecrated. Our transfer goal is to as a companionship have 7 baptisms, which we latter found out is our zone goal.
In Ted Callister's "Consecrated Missionary" it says something along the lines of "to baptize as many people as you can, you have to teach as many people as you can, and to teach as many people as you can, you have to contact as many people as you can". We have taken this to heart. This along as something Elder Richard G Scott said in a devotional while I was in the MTC. He said "To reach a goal never before obtained, you must do things never before done."
We have put these together and are acting accordingly. We have carefully planned out ever half hour of the day, every day, for a lesson with two back-ups for each lesson. We have gone through the Preach My Gospel 20 minute lesson plans, teaching plainly, and role play constantly. We have set a goal to minimally contact 10 people a day and we have. We do this by every door we knock whether member, non-member, investigator, etc, if the door is answered we have to knock both of that individuals neighbors door and talk to every person we see. To receive referrals we are literally asking everyone for someone we can share the gospel with. This week we not only received 21 referrals but we contacted 17 of them. We received 5 new investigators, 9 new potentials, and have two solid baptismal dates. One for this Sunday and one for November 3rd. We fast together as a companionship at least once a week and individually we have once a week as well. Vance had a baptismal date but it was dependent on his parents. We fasted specifically to know how to help them, as soon as we were about to break our fast, his mom texted us asking for a lesson that night. They hadn't gotten back to us all week. The lesson we had with them that night was so powerful and now Vance has a solid date set for November 3rd. We contacted/ tracked into one girl Christine who happens to be best friends with the Bishop's first counselor's daughter who is at BYU Hawaii and told us about the law of chastity and word of wisdom. We have a return appointment with her tomorrow. The less-actives we have contacted this week have been more receptive than I have ever seen them and are excited to meet with us this week as well! To achieve these goals we also do daily planning from 9:00pm- 9:50pm to plan for the extra lessons. We realize that it is not our time, but Heavenly Father's time, so we use it the best we can for Him. At first it all seemed crazy, literally, but it has been happening and these goals are becoming reality! Its incredible! These aren't the only miracles though. This week I had a very special miracle that I could have never even have dreamed to occur.
* We were at a dinner appointment with Brother and Sister Malu and their sweet family. We were just getting to know them and asking us where we came from and such. The normal questions. Brother Malu is Tongan and so I was excited and told them about how my mom's side of the family is Hawaiian but most are in Arizona. That's when Brother Malu stopped me and asked where in Arizona. As soon as I said "Tolleson". He said "No way. Your grandfather isn't a member is he?" I said no he wasn't. He said "Sister Petersen I served in that ward with your family 20 years ago." Then I asked "20 years?" He said "yes just over 20 years ago..." We both just sort of paused and looked at each other while I started tearing up. He said "Sister Petersen, your mom and dad had just gotten married and were moving from Flagstaff weren't they?" I just nodded as I teared up even more. He said "Sister Petersen, I taught your dad the missionary lessons and was at his baptism..." I just nodded and smiled and said thank you so much again and again. Sister Malu thought it was the coolest thing too and it is for me. My dad has been the biggest example to me of how this Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses and changes lives. If it wasn't for those lessons that Brother Malu taught, I may have not be in an eternal family or on this mission right now. It was the biggest tender mercy miracle I have had on my mission personally.
Heavenly Father is ALWAYS aware of us and what we are going through, even if we are not. He has a plan for us, and blesses us as we do our part. I am so grateful to know that my family is forever, to know that we have a divine purpose in this life, and to know that I am a child of God and that He loves me.
RAP OF THE WEEK:
IMMA SISTA MISSIONARY HERE BORN AND RAISED
AND ITS JUST ABOUT TIME TO SET THIS WORLD A BLAZE
ALL I EVER WANTED TO DO
WAS GET A SKIRT PAIR OF SHOES AND LEAVE FOR TWO
PREACHIN THE WORD TO THOSE READY TO LEARN
CAUSE MY HEARTS WARMED UP AND ITS STARTIN TO BURN
Love,
Sister Jordyn Petersen
Sister Jordyn Kealoha Lani Petersen
California Los Angeles Mission
1591 E. Temple Way
Los Angeles, CA 90024-5801
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