First Week in NEW YORK!

How is everyone doing!! It feels like a year since I last wrote everyone! So many things have happened this week! I wasn't able to sleep on Monday Tuesday or Wednesday so those days were terrible. but New York is awesome! I love it so much! a couple days before I got there, it was 45 below zero, not what I wanted to hear. so far it has only got 20 below. but February is supposed to be the coldest month of the year. New York has 0 similarities with Utah. it is so crazy how different it is. my area is called Saranac lake. it is up close to the Canada border and is the coldest area in the mission, and I can definitely feel it. My companions name is Elder Siddaway and he is from bountiful Utah. he has been out 20 months so I could potentially be his last companion. We don't have anything in common so it has been a little weird but we have been able to get along and I have had so much fun.

    Also about a month ago he got caught going 90 in a 55 zone so I am the driver... haha it has been so crazy getting used to driving in new York! the roads are just a tangled mess and there are turns every 10 feet. but I love it. there are so many trees and it is so beautiful. both sides of the road are just covered In trees. it feels like I am driving through a painting everywhere I go. also they started their ice castles that they do every year, where they cut blocks of ice out of the river and stack them and seal them with slush. it is way cool to watch them make it, and it is just down the hill from my apartment. so on Wednesday we go and help out at the soup kitchen in a near by Baptist church, Thursdays we teach a bible study class for any religion that wants to come, and Mondays we have a singles game night where we just play ping pong and stuff with people, and that is tonight so I am excited about that. But my first night, after the soup kitchen, we went knocking on doors. so we were knocking for about 45 minutes with no luck at all, and it was my first time experiencing how much people hate us here. but it was getting later and I just said a little prayer in my head hoping just one house would let is in, (not just because I wanted to teach but it was like 8 at night in new York and I was freezing) but sure enough the next house we knocked at they let us in. and oh boy are they awesome!!! I instantly fell in love with them. its a 50 year old couple and the husband is a preacher for some church but recently retired, and the wife works at a convenience store and cooks. so we talked with them for over an hour and they are huge patriot fans and they have tickets to the super bowl! I was so dang jealous!! and they are from boston so they are straight fever pitch fans and it is so awesome! we have talked with them almost every day through text because their schedule is so crazy, but we are meeting with them on Wednesday. I just fit right in with them, but my companion is more of a science fan so they liked me just a little bit more ;) and also apparently there is a non active family that is crazy into sports but none of the Elders like sports so they were praying that a sports fan would come along, and here I am! haha I thought that was so awesome! so I have just fit in so well with everyone here and I just love it! but everyone here smokes like 3 packs a day and every where is just apartment buildings, so all my clothes smell like smoke and I feel like I now smoke like a pack a day. but everywhere we go there are just cigarette stuff and empty beer cans everywhere, not what im used to, but it is awesome that I can help.

         im sorry there is so much stuff here, but so much has happened this week, and I wrote down all I wanted to say and im not even half way down the page so im just going to save some for later. but I just wanted everyone to know I am absolutely loving it and I am having so much fun here! it is still taking me some time to get used to the crazy schedule and all the changes but all the members and people are shocked when I say I have been here 4 days so I feel like a champ. it will come some day I hope. but one last thing. so on church on Saturday we pull up and I thought it was just another little house! the church has like 6 tiny rooms! there were like 25 members at most! but it was amazing to see how much people love the church! also after church they do a thing called linger longer and everyone brings food and eat together after church which was way sweet! but sorry for the novel but I love it and I love all of you! have a great week! 

First Week!

hi everyone! i hope everyone is having a great day and had a great week. i leave to new york tomorrow morning at 3 in the morning... not excited about that. but this week has just been a crazy week filled with ups and downs, but mainly ups. but my first story is we got to teach an actual investigator! his name is Ashton. we taught him monday wednesday and friday. The spirit was so strong when we taught him and he picked up things real quick and he committed to be baptized! it was such an amazing experience and it was so emotional when he said yes. that was just the best thing in the world. he's working with his bishop to pick a date and i just wish i could be there. but there were also plenty of the low points. I was really struggling with being home sick and just questioning if i could do this (i think everyone goes through that) but on Saturday i had an answer like none other. it was like the spirit slapped me in the face and just testified to me that so many people need me in new york and it just made me feel so good and all doubt has left my mind and i have been doing everything i can to prepare. Also my companion was to the point where he wanted to request to be sent home. so our teacher and i had a chat with him for about 30 minutes and that is when i really got my answer that not only did the people in new york need me, but everyone around me needed me. he has turned his attitude around and we are just having a blast. but during this conversation my teacher said something to my companion that really has stuck with me that i have never thought of. He was saying that through to atonement that not only will Christ take upon our sins but our sorrows. i had always heard that but he explained that it meant  that if we have a feeling we don't want, like being sad or mad or whatever it may be, that Christ will take those feelings upon him, so we don't have to be sad or mad or anything like that.   and  it just hit me, the love our savior must have for us to do whatever it takes to make us happy, all we have to do is just go to him. There are so many people out there that need that in their lives and i cant wait to let people know how amazing this gospel is. I am learning so much and just having an awesome time! the days are long but i'm loving every second of it. i had one last experience i wanted to share. so my boy Luther Bradley is in my building and i see him all the time. he has been here a week longer than me and is learning marshallese or something like that. so he was showing me his book of mormon in that language and it looked like chinese and spanish and caveman drawings all mixed into one. so i asked him to tell me something in that language and he said all he could do was his testimony. so he shared his testimony with me in that messed up language and i had no idea what the heck he was saying but the spirit overcame me so strong and i started to tear up, and i had no idea why. i just thought that was cool. Also i am the coolest guy in the whole building because of all the packages i have gotten!! haha! i cant express the love i have for all of you and how happy i am to see an email or a package from someone. it makes my whole day better! ill send personal letters after the temple so dont think i have forgotten about you all!! the church is true, so let everyone know. we have a gospel that makes everything right and can fix any problem, so let people know about it. i love everyone so much!!!! have a great week and you'll hear from me in new york!

First Email

hi everyone! this is elder peterson! i have been in the mtc for 5 days and i am absolutely loving it! the first two days were really hard and i was questioning if i even wanted to be here but i soon just forgot about myself and just did what i could. i was made zone leader on friday so i have been in meetings and training ever since. i get to welcome all the new missionaries in my zone on wednesday and im way excited about that. Yesterday we watched a devotional called character of Christ and it changed the entire way i look on life and how i look about my mission. its a few hours long but i encourage everyone to look it up and watch it. im still feeling pretty sick and im still in a good amount of pain from all my root canals and crowns but i am battling through it. my testimony grows every meeting i go to and i have no idea how i am learning and remembering so much. the church is so true and the spirit is so real, we just need to strive to have it with us throughout our day. the natural man is capable of very little, but with the help of the lord we may do all things. just take that very literal, and realize that no matter what is in our way or what we face, with the help of the lord we can do things we didnt think we could accomplish. i love you all and i appreciate the love and support i have received from all of you! the church is true!

My district!!!

Temple selfie!!!

My boy Luther!!!

Off To The MTC!