Word From the MTC - Oct. 7, 2010

I just saw Elder W! I was expecting to see him sometime in the lunch room or something but I guess not! Funny how small the mormon world is. I frequently see more Elders from BYU.

President Uchtdorf

Something cool. Brother W, our new teacher, was telling us how everyone is calling Germany the new "sleeping giant." Similar to what south america was refered to before it blossomed with baptisms. We are told that the German people are prepared. President Uchtdorf sometime ago dedicated Germany as a whole, asking for the hearts of the German people to be softened. Plus there was that scandal with the Catholic Church last year and supposedly many people have left the church and are questioning their faith. Not to say that is a good thing but Brother W thinks it is a sign that the people are being prepared to receive the true gospel. I feel in my heart that this is right. And I am extremely stoked to go invite others to come unto Christ. We had an LGM (large group meeting) where we learned that our success is based on our attitude. We are supposed to throw away all of those assumptions and accusations that we won't baptise anyone. We can do it!!

Elder W and I have been doing really well with our teaching experiences. Always learning as much as we can. Going in with the intent to learn helps too. We do role play with our Zone once a week. Last thursday Elder W and I taught our second lesson with these particular investigators. I don't know how to explain it other than that we taught powerfully with the spirit. One of the zone members was playing a friend and got really into his role. It got to a point where Elder W and I felt the need to leave the lesson behind and focus on the principle of faith. Elder W and I were balanced and we both just taught principles and things that popped into our head with out hesitation and it worked so well. We felt the spirit and the zone member said the coolest thing was that he felt the spirit as if it were for the first time. Similar to how his friend would have felt. It was very cool :)

Three weeks have gone by and we are no longer the youngest district. We only got 4 new elders yesterday going to the Alpine mission but they were welcomed just the same with the traditional sped up version of Lobe den Herrn. One is from Denmark and one is from the UK. The UK one has the name Ramsbottom but when he says it it sounds like Romsbottum. One-ish more weeks and I will have been out a month! That was fast. I think once a month has gone by it will seem even faster having the perception of how a month feels.

Sorry if you couldn't see me in the MTC choir but I wasn't there! Sign ups were filled before I got here and they only accepted Elders with singing experience. Conference was great and I have to say I think that was the first time I sat through all the sessions in a very long time. Probably the first time I got as much out of it as I did too.

I don't really get home sick but there are times when my thoughts will escape to the memories of Christmas past and the times with family I will miss for two years... sigh. I try not to think about it but sometimes you can't help but wonder what it will be like when you get back. These thoughts I try to ignore because they can get distracting sometimes. That doesn't mean I don't want mail! I still like to know that my family loves me and supports me and hasn't forgotten about me.

As far as sending me stuff... I don't have any real requests. Unless you see a cheap tie or something? Tie trading is still very much alive and there is always something of value on the market. I've made it a goal to obtain a tie for each House at hogwarts. A red and gold one, and blue and silver one etc. I bet I can find some good ones in Germany.

My biggest temptation is the Babylonish still! It's in my blood and brain and heart and soul! Working on it.

Anyways. Love you all! Let me know what is going down.

Elder Evan.

Word From the MTC - Sept. 30, 2010

 Dear family,

     Thank you for the overwhelming supply of food and fiber products :) I'm extremely grateful for the relief from MTC food. I must warn you, however, that much more and I won't have anywhere to put it! We don't spend a lot of time in our rooms so the ratio of time for eating to food received is almost out of proportion. I thank you though :)

     This has been a week of ups and downs. I have realized how important it is to keep my thoughts constantly towards Christ. I have had some great teaching experiences and some not so good ones. I've seen the difference between teaching by the spirit and not teaching by the spirit and there is a huge difference. My companion and I were called as Zone Leaders on Sunday. Yup. That was completely out of nowhere. The previous ZLs leave on monday so President C called us. We've only been here 2 weeks! He says the Lord trusts that we can handle it and I believe that is so.

     Funny story from my Australian companion. We were at lunch and somehow the conversation came to killing animals. Someone asked Elder W if he kills kangaroos with a boomerang. Elder W said he'd only killed one animal and that he'd never do it again. Apparantly there are these giant ferel cats in Australia that are considered pests as much as rats and whatnot. Elder W was twelve at the time and there was one outside his house. I think he went out to scare it off but instead that cat jumped at him and sunk its teeth into his hand. Elder W tried to swing it off but it wouldn't let go. So he banged it as hard as he could against a tree. Luckily he was next to their woodshed because he had a better reach at the ax he used to chop off its head. Yup. He banged the cat against the tree, slammed it down on the chopping block, and took its head right off. In his defense it was self defense :) We all thought it was funny. Hopefully it doesn't give Mom any ideas about Beast &Zoe.

     I'm getting anxious already. Brother Z showed us pictures from his mission on the last day he taught us. I can't wait to get out there and do some real work! It would probably help to know a little german though. I keep seeing more and more people I know filter in to the MTC. One kid from my ward and S! My roomie from Fall semester. What was funny was that I was just thinking about this the other day. Now I know where he is and... I think he is going to the North Carolina something mission. He's speaking spanish I know that much.

     So I got your dear elders and am unable to remember everything it is you wanted to know. I am working on a scripture and I just took some pictures with my companion on the way back from the temple. We are going to get some developed and I will send you some. The internet isn't the greatest here and I don't want to risk my precious minutes loading pictures onto an email. I must tell you that the hardest thing to remember is no babylonish. No quoting movies or singing songs that aren't church appropriate. Elder M is a roomie of mine and is as big a movie buff as me. It's hard for us not to feed off each other. We try! Obedience with exactness.

     One thing I've found is that you say a lot of prayers at the MTC. Not just at meals or in meetings but small ones all the time to ask for guidance and also forgiveness. The MTC is an extremely humbling place.

     I'm trying to remember what you said in your letters and now it's bugging me. I have 5 mitnutes left! I do remember mom asking me if there was anything I wanted with in reason but I can't think of anything at the moment. I hope the yard goes well and that seminary is not too much of a struggle. I'm sure dad will still be teaching it by the time I get back. Two years seems like a long time but at the same time it doesn't. I miss you all!

Love

Elder Peterson

Word From the MTC - Sept.23, 2010

   My time is limited so one e-mail is all I can provide! Thursday is my pday and you should expect an email around this time each Thursday for the next eight weeks. I'm going to say this now before I forget... Use dearelder.com!! You can send me mail through dearelder.com and they print it out and put it in my mailbox. This way when I read your mail it won't eat into my email time.

   Ok. So this first week is already done and I can't believe how much I have already learned. One day feels like several. My companion will be like, "remember a couple of days ago when we did (something)" and I'll say, "that was yesterday, Elder." Time goes by slow but fast at the same time. Hard to describe. The food... Let's just say it doesn't agree with me :) There are definitely healthy options... but who wants that?! I have what we call "keinfall" which you can probably figure out. As of late I have been eating more fiber dense cereal than anything else. But all is good!

   The MTC is great just from the sheer fact that everyone is here for the same reason. You here the humming of hymns and "hey, Elder!" everywhere you go. Elder W and I sat outside one time for personal and companion study and were approached at least five different times by companionships bearing their testimonies in their mission language. By the end of day one we were doing the same auf Deustch. The rooms are always hot and of course the smell of 10 elders in a small room is always present. But this spirit is strong which is most important.

Elder W & Elder Peterson's TE

   As far as teaching goes, we learn some in class but most we have to experience in a TE, which is a Teacher Evaluation meeting type thing. Elder W and I set up several appointments for the week. There is a teacher there who pretends to be an investigator and never breaks character. Generally they pretend to be someone they know so that they can respond as they would and also hopefully learn some way to reach out to those they pretend to be. We as the Missionaries teach them a lesson. The first one we did was awesome! We taught the lesson really well and were extremely confident. The teacher gave us some awesome feedback at the end. Through these TE's we have learned how to get to know individuals and find out there main concerns and how to address them. We were given this analogy about a doctor prescribing medicine to a patient. A doctor wouldn’t look at the symptoms and then throw out random prescriptions hoping to solve their problem. He would evaluate and prescribe as necessary. We as missionaries must determine whether the investigator hasn't felt the spirit or whether they have but don't want to follow certain principles. After all it is the spirit that we teaches the investigator and our job is invite it and help them understand how to recognize it. We do this by leaving them with commitments that require them to find out for themselves what is true. By the end of the lesson we want them to be jazzed about keeping those commitments. The last TE we did left Elder W and I a little discouraged but we've been working through it. We set up our own TEs with our district and pretend to be people we know. It helps but is difficult because we are often more open than the individuals we know would really be.

   As far as German goes, I've almost reached the extent of what I already know. What I'm worried about is being able to teach in German because I'm still trying to figure out how to teach as a companionship with a strong spirit.  Elder W and I determined that we need to be patient and remember that we're not perfect. Most of our German though is studied during MDT (missionary directed time) that is hard to be motivated to do when you haven't nailed teaching yet. But it's coming. We spend most of our hours in our designated classroom teaching ourselves which is great I think. We have several hours a day with teachers who teach us new things but most of it is up to us.

   I have had some incredible spiritual experiences here but I am running out of time so I will wrap up. I'm doing well and am constantly reminded of why I am here: To invite others unto Christ. Thanks for the mail and remember! DEARELDER.COM! Lots of love

Elder Peterson

                                                                                                 

MTC - Day 1

Sept.16, 2010
I only have 15 min. to email today so I will be brief but normally I will have 30 min. So yesterday was the first day as you know. All those anxious feelings associated with entering

the MTC just kind of melted away as soon as I walked through the doors. They have a very slick system as far as checking you in. It moves so fast that you don't even have time to feel home sick or anything. That is the whole idea centered around the MTC that you are so busy you don't have time to think about anything else. The check in was kind of like an assembly line. One sister or elder would direct you to the next step whether it was obtaining a nametag or getting the meal card. Haven't met the branch president yet. I will be doing that tonight. Most of my time is spent in my classroom with my district, which consists of 5 companionships. However, one of the elders isn't here yet... don't know what that is about. My companion is Australian! Not like Alex from summer semester at BYU but a real Australian. His name is Elder W and he’s quite the celebrity, being the only Australian. There is a lot I can learn from him. I have taken one picture so far. That probably doesn't even put a dent in the average you are expecting but I'm trying.

After we checked in yesterday we went to an orientation meeting and had dinner and then we went to a mock investigator meeting type thing. There were fifty of us in a room and there were "investigators" who we had to teach. They were actually members, but they were converts so they shared their conversion story.

                                                                                                           

Funny thing. I have seen two other Elders who were in my ward at BYU during fall semester. AND! Another kid from my German class during fall came in the same day I did. We're in the same building and both saw each other and were like, "Hey!" That was about it. Funny though.

I'm trying to think about what else but it all comes and goes so fast I can't remember everything, which is why Dad said to write it all down in the journal of course. Let me know what's going on there please! I will try and write letters but we only do that on P days. I probably have more time to write actual letters but I prefer the E Mail.

The spirit is strong and I am ready to learn and get lost in the work. We haven't dived into the language yet but we're almost there. All of us have some sort of previous German language experience. My comp Elder W knows a lot of Swiss German. I've heard it though and it is quite different from traditional German. Anyways. Lots of love!

Tschuss!

Elder Peterson

                                                                                                

The Big Day

September 15, 2010

Yesterdays picture taking wasn't enough torture, so we decided to do it again today.  I have to say we got some great pictures of Evan with his nieces and nephew, though!  And the sibling shot isn't bad either.  OK!  I'll admit it.  The sibling shot was taken in Pasco.  Sorry, I just couldn't help slipping it in.  I love that picture!!

I've heard a lot of stories from several people about their experiences of dropping their sons or daughters off at the MTC.  But I don't think any of those fully sink in until it's your own kid.  Then the world stops.  And it's a really strange dichotomy.  You're happy that he chose to serve a mission, happy that he was worthy to go, happy for the growth he'll experience (and the adventure).  And you wouldn't want him to be anywhere else at this time in his life.  But, as a friend once said about their son leaving on his mission, "It's like someone reached in and ripped your heart out when you see them walk away".  And while I'm sure Evan will serve Heavenly Father and the people of Germany to the best of his ability and with all his heart, we here at home will miss him dearly for the next two years.

Little Miss Piglet will be
a totally different person
when her Uncle Evan gets
back home in 2 years.

That being said, the system for dropping off your missionary at the MTC is a slick one.  They have it well planned and orchestrated.  You pull up to the curb, shove them out the door, and speed away.  Just kidding.  You actually have a set time for drop off, along with many other missionaries.  Several in every set of 15 minute increments.  When you pull up to the curb there are resident missionaries waiting to help with the luggage and to escort the new missionary inside and show him the ropes.  Terry and I each gave Evan a brief but very large hug.  Before getting back in the truck, I turned and gave Evan a big grin and a thumbs up.  Then I got in and promptly fell apart.  How slow can two years go, right?
Well - right now it feels like eternity.

     

The Day Before "THE BIG DAY"

September 13-14, 2010

We all arrived in Utah, tired but safe, on Monday evening.  Dinner was waiting, as well as great accommodations.  Thank heaven for family living in the area. Thanks again guys!!  Most of Tuesday was spent in last minute preparations before Evan would enter the MTC the next day.  He still needed a good winter coat for Germany and we wanted to get some pictures by the MTC.  And of course, the day wouldn't be complete without lunch at Heaps Brick Oven.

As Tevye would say, "Brick Oven is TRA-DITION".  Ok, maybe he didn't say "Brick Oven", but you get the idea.  Anytime we're in Provo we have to go to Heaps.  I don't think it means much to those of the family that actually live in Provo.  But hey, to Terry and I, it goes back to our college days.  And our kids grew up with many a trip to Utah, which always included Heaps Brick Oven.  So there you have it - "is TRA-DITION".  And they even gave Evan a goody bag to celebrate his mission call.

"I hope they call me on a mission, when
I have grown a foot or two!"

Taking pictures at the MTC was a little out of the norm.  There's a photo op that almost every family takes advantage of.  It's the one of their missionary standing next to the sign that says Missionary Training Center.  Well, there was construction going on all over near the building.  And they must be doing something with the sign too, because the brick work surround was there, but the sign was gone.  Needless to say, our pictures were a little out of the ordinary.  Oh well!!  Que sera sera!  How do you say that in Deutch??