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