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