Serving in the Oregon Eugene Mission

Thursday, January 28, 2016

January 25, 2016
January 18- 25th
We went ice skating today after I finished emailing and it was a ton of fun! I was a little shaky at first but by the end of it I could have been considered a speed skater!!! I'm pretty much the next Apollo!! 😉 jaja! today was really fun and I really enjoyed the whole day!! we ice skated for a while and then there is this thing here called lithia water. it was super gross but apparently it is super good for you for some reason. haha now that I think back to it I think of Tyler and his durian (that super wierd fruit that smelt bad) and how it smelt so bad but he just ate it. well this water smelt super bad! like really bad. but it is something you do here so I did it! apperently it is like this mineral water or something. and then we did a surprise dinner with one of members! hehe! because they live in Ashland and that is where we were today (Ashland is like 20 or so minutes from where we live and the jorgenson family said that they want us to come over when ever we can. so we did! we called them up and asked them if we could come over and they let us! it was such a great night and it made me even more happy! hermano Jorgenson is starting this product and he is working with the "biggest loser"!!! it is this probiotic and it sounds super amazing!! he told us all about it! mostly because I kept asking more question about it! (btw this was in English for the most part) and it sounds like super amazing!! then we had this stellar lesson with the Fuentes family and man it was amazing!! it was probably the most peaceful lesson I have ever had! no one was running around, everyone was paying attention, they were answering the questions and it was such so great!!!!!😄😄
Specialized training! Wow! It was really good! One thing that president Russell talked about was pride and how bad it is. It really made me look at my life and I seem pretty prideful... I have been thinking way to much about myself and not enough about others and how I can help them. We also talked about inviting everyone! And how it is important to not just have the ball and not take the shot. If you never kick the soccer ball or never shot or never swing, nothing will ever happen. You have to see your goal and take the shot. Anyways I won't bore you will more of that.   I started off at such a spiritual high and slowly my spiritual well was getting lower and lower. By the end of the night I felt like I was scrappy bottom. I didn't want to write anything or do anything. But as i started writing in my journal about my feelings I understood why it is so important to constantly be adding to my spiritual well. It is like a fountain that slowly pours the water out. I have be constantly be adding a little more water to keep things good! I then remembered how dad said he would watch like a Mormon message at lunch sometime at work to help him keep the spirit and keep going strong! (He is letting out some of his secrets!) I understood finally that no one else can fill my well for me. It is mine to fill! 
We had a World Wide Missionary training today and it was epic! The theme of the meeting was that now as missionaries we teach repentance and baptize converts! I have a bunch of notes from it but I won't bother you with them. 
We had a stellar lesson with Efrian and Carolina today! We were pleased once more that he had been reading from the Book of Mormon and he had questions and we answered them and he said he enjoyed the book and its teachings. The wife for some reason is having a harder time. She said she doesn't want to commit to something that she thinks she won't be able to keep. Which is good because it shows that she keeps her word. This family is so awesome and if they can get an answer to there prayers then I think we might be able to start cooking with peanut oil! After the lesson we walked to the members car and someone had parked there truck behind their car. The truck was giving another truck a jump but the weird thing is that no one was around. The truck was just running and just sitting there.... So we waited for a bit and then I guess our member was done waiting because haha he got into the truck and moved it forward so we could get out!!!!! It was so funny! 
Hehe today I pulled a fast one on my district! So like past missionary know we have new missionary training ever Friday and the new missionary's show their ability to teach and to come prepared with memorized things and most of the time I have just done them in English because everyone else is saying them in English and it is a ton easier sometimes but this week I set the goal to do it all in Spanish and I did it! I didn't even say anything, like that I was going to speak in Spanish, and so when they called on me I just started talking in Spanish and I think everyone was a little confused for a little bit! Hehe but it for sure got EVERYONES attention! Everyone wanted to hear what I was saying even though they had pretty much no idea what I was saying! ;) so that was fun! 
It has been a little warmer lately which has been nice! Like there one one day I was just in my long sleeve white shirt and I was warm enough. Not like super warm but warm enough! But as usual it was a warm before the storm and we got some more rain. 
I know that everything that is happening here is for a reason and God is teaching me something everyday. I know that he is watching over me and trying to help me become a better person. I love you all and thank you for all your support!
Love 
Elder peters!



Friday, January 22, 2016

Jan. 20, 2016
This is when we were in Ashland to ice skate. We drank from the fountain(lithia water) and saw these deer chilling and then had dinner with a member down there.




Tuesday, January 19, 2016

January 18, 2016
January 11- 18
So this week I am studying out of the first 12 weeks book and it is really great! I really am loving it! Like today(Tuesday) I studied the doctrine of Christ, the missionary purpose and I was just in so deep of thoughts today! Some of my thoughts today have come from other talks I have listened to while I have been out here and one was why was it so necessary that Jesus died in a cross? And then in those a scriptures I read today were like boom! Here you go! I really enjoyed my study time! 
You would all be proud to know that I have been recognized as someone who knows how to work hard! Hehe! 
Today we were talking with some other elders (senior couple) and we talking about where we were from and when I told them I was from Utah they said sorry. I was talking with elder palomeque afterwards and about why it seems like everyone here doesn't like Utah. It doesn't make sense to me why someone would like it there. But them he was like "aren't there a lot of Sunday Mormons there?" And I first thought no! But there kinda is. It made me kinda sad for a bit but then I decided that I can help people see my side of Utah and be the kinda person I know I need to be! I don't know why I am telling you this but maybe i hope one thing that you get out of this is to we need to better ourselves and life as a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint at all times! Not just Sunday, everyday! Every moment! 
We were talking to this guys about how like people are called through inspiration and through much prayer. Like how stake president call bishops and the prophet calls missionaries to places through inspiration from God. Then it hit me! Like dad has said many times and so has rachel that God will qualify those who he calls! I realized that it was not just dumb luck that I was called to speak Spanish! I am here for a reason! And so I told the investigator this and tried to explain it to him the best I could that I knew NO Spanish before but I was called to speak Spanish and how God has helped quality me for this calling! Just like he qualifies everyone else who he calls!
So you asked me about Andreas baptism. I was super glad that I was able to help her get baptized but I don't really feel connected to any of the people that we are teaching..... And I hate it!!! I am going to start tonight and start praying for more of a love and connection with the people here. Like I really want to feel that connection with the people I teach!! I think I would have been more excited if (hahaha) I could have understood everything and also if I got to sit down and hear what was said and stuff. Like I was running around with one of the elders and then he had to find his phone during the beginning of everything so we were running around... Anyways lots of emotions and lots of things happen. As I think back to it not I am really glad that I got to be apart of her baptism. She was so ready and it has really blessed her family. Her mom and dad had gone a little less active since there baptism (like a year ago) and because she wanted he dad to baptize her, we tried to get him more active and ready to do it. And it has helped them all a ton. I am grateful that God has a amazing plan for everyone! I also think that I just don't truly understand how amazing of an ordinance took place. Haha also another answer to your question is that I do have a picture but.... I am not in it.......... I was trying to get the font filled and things ready and then I asked elder Blake and them to just wait one sec and I would be there soon. But.... They did it without me... 
Something really cool that happened after district meeting today we went out to eat and some random person bought me, elder Blake's, and one other missionary's food!!!!! It was awesome!!! I felt so blessed! 
Also a huge blessing this week has been the car!! We have been able to do so much more work and find a lot of people! Like today we were able to visit a lot of people that haven't been seen for a while or former investigators. We met with Fabian and Maria and Hermana Gonzales and others but those are 3 huge ones that were great!!!
Fabian is a guy that we haven't seen for a year or so and he was totally up for meeting with us. He even asked if we could meet somewhere else so that it could be quite and stuff! 
Maria was so amazing! She blow me and even more elder Blake!! We remembered her from like a year ago and he only talked to her for a sec on the door step. She let us teach her for a while on her door step even though it was cold. And she just seemed to understand what we were talking about. When we asked if we could come back she said "si, pero no. Por qué mi esposo no le gusta ustedes" (Yes, but no. My husband does not like you.) or something like that. But we did give her a Book of Mormon and hopefully she reads it. 
There was a TON of rain today!!!! Like it rained all day! Till about 4! But we were able to have so much success! We were able to meet with a family who was a former investigator and we didn't just have a door lesson, we got inside and sat down and talked and taught them for a whole! It was super awesome! I also think the rain helped because it kept people in there houses and so we could find them. Also people are more willing to invite us in if it is raining. So I saw the rain today as a blessing! Just like mom said in the letter she wrote me. Rainy days are required to have beautiful and amazing nature! 
So I still love Sunday's! They bring so much joy into my life and help me refocus for the coming week! I am so thankful for the Santa cena (sacrament) and the opportunity to be cleansed from sin and be able to become more and more like Christ!
Today elder Palomeque had the insane idea to send me and elder Wirthlin  out together to go teach a lesson and then go find some people! I honestly was a little nervous and kinda scared to go do it with elder Wirthlin because we are both new.. But it ended up going pretty great! We were able to find 2 potential investigators and one new investigators! It was sweet! Haha they all spoke Spanish and English so that was a huge help! And I was able to talk to a lot of them and it just made me feel so good! I was able to apply a ton of what I have heard and seen elder Blake do! It showed me that I am not a little kid that is following around this missionary. I am a missionary and have been called to preach the gospel in Spanish! And if that is what the Lord wants for me, I KNOW he has a plan prepared for me!
 I have changed SO much since the first week! wow! that is crazy to look back! I honestly couldn't explain to you the changes I see just from looking back like 12 week! this is the most I have changed in such a short amount of time! like 12 weeks ago i would have never just gone and knocked on some random persons door and just started taking to then and shared the gospel with them!! and so much more!
As I look back and ponder about my week and about yesterday, I know that those feelings of doubt, fear, worry, uselessness, and others are from satan. I know he is working hard to have me just quit. But I will not quit! I want to at all times give my all and best wok to the Lord! At time My best may be to run or sprint, but maybe sometimes my best is just crawling. And that is all ok! God loves me and he knows the intention of me heart. If I am trying to improve he will see! I know that my Heavenly Father is aware of me and is watching out for me. I know prayer is such an amazing things and we are so blessed to understand it they way we do. That we can talk to God just like talking to our parents. He is there and he is listening. (Like the primary song "a child's prayer) We are His children and He loves us more then we truly can comprehend! 
I love you fam! You guys are truly the best! I hope I get to talk to all of you today! I love you all so much! That includes cam and Kirsten too, and thank you for being me brother and sister! You may be a in-law sibling but you feel just like my Siblings! I love you all so much and I am excited to hear from you all!
Love 
Elder peters
This is after it had rained all day and the sun decided it was its turn to shine!

  • Thank you grandma! The package was great!!! I really hope that the sweater didn't cost that much. I can't even really use vests. They have to be full sweaters... But thank you!! The jacket is very nice! I broke my other one this week. I washed it and some how the dryer melted the zipper and broke it.... So my zipper doesn't work but it still is good jacket.











Monday, January 11, 2016

Jan. 11, 2016

January 4th to January 11th
So i have been listening to the recording that Sarah sent me and I love them!!! And Sarah can I just be like the millionth person to say that your voice is beautiful!!! You have to keep going forward with this gift you have!!! I listen to you and I feel so much peace and joy! If I close my eyes It is almost like you're right here and your are singing to me! Thank you so much for this and I am so glad you thought to send those to me! I love you!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!!!!!!!!😄😄😄😄
i love you so much!!! i looked at My iPad and i looked at the date to see what day it Was because i always forget and then i saw it Was thursday and i realized that it also said January 7th!!!! I was like wait! It's Sarah's birthday!!! 
So we have been having troubles with our toilet and it wouldn't flush and so if you flushed it, it would just all run out over the bowl... Lucky I have a handyman side (thanks dad) and I knew where the shut off valve was and so I got it turned off and then I cleaned up the floor. This happened 3 times and we were about to call someone but then I did it one more time and it flooded over and I forgot which way to turn the valve and so I actually turned it on instead of off so it really flooded but then when I turned it off and got it all cleaned up again the toilet worked!!! Yay for the simple things in life! (Sorry Brandon..... I'm sorry you don't have this problem...)
It has been a weird couple of days...
Gum... Gross 
This week has been weird. I have felt a little bit off for some reason and things have just been a little different.
This week I have struggled a little and I wasn't really sure why. Satan has been trying hard core to get me down and some times he would but one night this week in particular I just was like "enough something has to change right now with my attitude or I'm not going to be able to function and stuff" so I decided to just start typing my feeling and then all of the sudden the reason behind all of my problems came out! And you know what? It was something really dumb and little and I don't even remember exactly what it was. But I do remember what happened when I was typing. I was feeling all down and I have been trying to figure out what kinda person I am and then I asked that out loud (don't worry elder Blake was in the shower) and the thought came to my head "I'm a child of God" and I tried to push it away because I guess I wasn't ready for that and satan was pushing me to hold my grudge. But it kept coming back! I know I am a child of God and that he loves me more then I humanly can imagine! 
Happy birthday rachel!!!!!!!!! I don't know where to even start with how thankful I am for you! You have helped me so much and helped me become the person and missionary I am!
Transfers happened and...... Drum roll please! I'm staying! Haha didn't see that one coming! Hehehe! And so is elder Blake, elder palomeque, and so it elder worthlin. We are all staying. It has been a little weird and interesting with everything that is happening. They are reducing the number of Spanish missionaries down to 10 for some reason so 3 of our fellow Spanish amigos will be English speaking now....  Dad why would they reduce the number of  Spanish missionaries if we have plenty of work to do and places where we could use help? Also dad how can I make more out of what is happening and apply everything that I am learning? I guess that I am learning so much it is hard to keep it all but there are so many things that I want to be good at but it is hard... Wait no you said nothing on the mission is hard... It pushes me to be more. But how do I keep learning? I feel like I get to like the middle or towards the end of the day and I am just dragging. Not a ton but I just don't have the drive like I do in the morning after I listen to a conference talk. Idk but oh well.
Oh we had a baptism this week! Andrea  was baptized!!!!!!! It was so great! It was interesting and a little weird to be on the missionary side. But it was fun. Like when we were filling the fount it wasn't filling fast enough so I suggested that we fill up pots of water in the kitchen and then dump them in. So we did that till like 5 minutes before they started! Hehe! I decided I do a lot of background work! I (as the tallest and longest) was chosen to pull the plug on the drain but the little hook that opens it out doesn't work and so I had to be pretty tricky and I had to take off my shoes and roll up my pants and take off my sweater and roll up my sleeve and reach into the bottom of the font and pull the plug! It was pretty intense! And you know what, I still got wet!!! My bum some how got all wet!! Lucky my pants are all dark so you couldn't tell!!! Hehehehe! It was fun! 
1 Nephi 21: 15-16 much comfort in two very short verses. I found these while I was studying and I had just listened to the talk by Elder Holland "behold thy mother" (also I really recommend listening to like one conference talk a day!! You are able to learn a ton!!! ...at least I do!!!) and I absolutely loved what it said and then I found these verses and I was like "Wow!" 
15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
This is what really stuck out to me! He can and will never be able to forget us! Even if he tried! We are greaves upon his hands! He knows us, our sadness, happiness, concerns, worries, EVERYTHING! This brought me so much peace and comfort!!!
I love you all so much!!! I am so thankful for all of you and everyone that has helped me in life!! I know I couldn't have been the kind of person with out all of your help! That includes the family and also all of my friends, neighbors, leaders and so many people!! I am so thankful for all of you! Thank you for being so kind and loving to me! I love you all and I hope that everything is going good for everyone!! And don't forget that anyone can write me.  love, Michael


Just like my Sisters, I finished the Peanut Butter all gone!












Monday, January 4, 2016

Jan. 4th, 2016
December 28-January 4
Get high like paper get high like planes:)
I am able to see a lot of tender mercies. Like we were able to make it to the bus station and make on the bus in time to make it to an appointment. It was 6 and the bus left at 6:30 and so we had to get ready quick and then hurry over there and we made it! And on the bus lucky someone pulled the cord to get off and I realized where we were and so I asked if we needed to get off and we ended up being like right across the street from where we needed to be but we had to cross the street and then all of the sudden the road was clear so we could cross it! It was fantastic! And the lesson went good with Ana and stuff and then on the when we got to the bus we realized that we didn't get a return ticket and then when the bus came back the bus driver was one that we are friends with so he let us in free! And then we got back and we needed wifi to finish training and then all of the sudden the other elders call and they offer us a ride! The lord it watching out for us!
We walked into someone's house this week and elder Blake said, "you smell that? That's weed." And I couldn't really smell something, I could tell something smelt a little different then outside but a lot of houses do, but after we were in there for like 3-5 minutes my head was like "wow!" Kinda like what happened in Denver! It was weird! So I may not be able to exactly smell what weed smells like but I can feel it in my head! And let me tell you, it is not something that is fun! 
I saw this and I just started laughing because my comp says things are clutch when they are good and so I started laughing! Haha we also have this voice that we say it in and it makes it so funny! 
Wow 2015 is over! That is insane! The last couple of days I have been thinking of what I want to do better this year. I really just want to become the missionary that God needs me to be so I have been really thinking about what I can do better and I feel like there are so many things I can do to improve myself. I really want to become what God whats me to be. I'm not exactly sure what that is right now but I know when I do what Is right I will be guided by my father in heaven to become what I need to do.
We had a district meeting this week and it was awesome! I was able to learn a lot about how I can improve and how to better teach people! It was a little bit easier to follow along with what was happening because it was all in inglés so that's great!  
After district meeting we got to watch big hero 6! It was awesome! I enjoyed it! A cool thing that happened before the movie is that the guy who's office we were at (we watched it in this conference room and it was really cool) who is like the owner of this company called million air and he talked to us about money and how it is important to have a plan and stuff (dad should I be putting my money in like mutual funds? He talked to us about those) anyways it was interesting. Then after the movie we had to go out preaching again! Hehe is was a little weird like going from watching a movie to going and preaching! 
After the movie we had an Exchange with the other Spanish elders and I enjoyed it! I was able to learn a lot and see things I was to improve on and things I need to try harder on!
While we were on the exchange we were able to find 5 new investigators! That's pretty crazy! We found 2 that night and then we found 3 the next day! We started off with not really having much success and we were getting a little down but then we did one last door and we found these people! If things hadn't gone the way they did we would have even gone looking for these people! The Lord definitely works in mysterious ways but he is super smart! 
Update on my wrists. So last night I tired doing a push up but I did it with (you know that pull up bar I have) i did it with that. So I wasn't pushing weird on my wrists and I could do them and I don't hurt today. I think the things that hurt more if twisting and stuff. I'm hoping to make them stronger!

Sunday's are so cool! This year we have a weird block because since like all the kids know English they go to primary and Sunday school and Ym and Yw with the English ward. So we have Sunday school and the other class and then we have sacrament meeting! And this year we get to meet in the chapel! Oh it was so nice to have the sacrament in a chapel! Also something awesome we had 7 investigators at church! We have never had that many! It was so awesome! I finally understand the joy Rachel talked about of when your investigators walk into church! It is amazing! 
I love you all so much and I am so thankful for all of you!! We talked to this young man and we told him about prayer and about how we pray and how we first give thanks. I realized that I need to be better at this. I feel like I jump around a lot and more focus on please bless me. I tried last night to really take the time and be thankful and it was amazing! (This guy is like 19 and if I was not a member of the church I think I would be a lot like him. We are pretty similar! He is a really cool guy! And he is also the son of the guy I talked to in the airport!!!! You know the one that kinda like walked up to me and elder Ellis and just started talking to us. Ya! I found him! And the best part is that he remembered me!!! He was like hey red head!!! You remember me!!? Oh it was cool!!) 
I love you all so much and I am so thankful for all you do for me!! You all are amazing!!!! I hope you all had an awesome New Years and made some great goals that will help you though this year. Make this the year that you do them!! 2016 is going to be simply marvelous!!!!!!! 
Te amo!!!!!!!!!!!!!❤
Elder Michael Peters!!!!!
😊😀

This is our car! Isn't it nice! Maybe one day I will be able to drive it
We just went on this amazing hike! It was so great! I loved it so much and it was just so nice to run free in my nature habitat! The mountains! 😀 it is honestly the best! I have a ton of pictures and I will send them next week! Because I am not by a computer today so I can't plug in my camera.... But it was beautiful and awesome! 


Saturday, January 2, 2016

December 30, 2015
These are some pictures from the Mission Presidents blog!
New Missionaries at mission home

Being trained about mission


Elder Peters trained by Elder Blake


New Missionaries in December 2015