Turning the page

Hey everyone!

Well, it seems that a lot of things have ended, as well as began, this last week. We have had a few missionaries go home, including Elder McElwain (my first companion). Also, today is my mission president's last day of service. Our new president will soon take over, and he will preside over next Sunday's sacrament meeting in a couple of days. But, these changes were not just mission-wide. A lot of them also were specifically for me.

As you may have noticed, I have been hit with some changes this Transfer Conference. Most notably (but not necessarily most importantly), my P-Day has changed to Friday, meaning that will be the day to expect an E-mail from me. However, that was not my only change. The biggest change is that I am no longer serving on the International Floor of the Family History Library - in fact, I am not in the library at all! My new assignment is in the FamilySearch contact center, where I will accept calls from patrons having troubles with FamilySearch, and attempt to help them fix the problem best I can.

I also have another brand new companion, Elder Garfield. He comes from Casper, Wyoming - a place which sounds very similar to good ol' Woodruff, Utah. We have been getting along very well so far! The other people we am rooming with, our district leader Elder Callister and his companion Elder Hunsaker, are also pretty agreeable, and pretty good at assembling a meal plan. That is very good that they can do that, putting in the effort to put together a meal plan is very much worth it in the end, when we are eating good food and saving lots of money! Such is the reward for planning things out in advance!

I have been training in my new zone by going through training modules on the computer. I wish I could say every last second of my mission was enjoyable, and it still generally is a great experience, but the training is not so. Going though module after module is going to eat through my brain! Luckily, everyone says that the training is the worst part of working in the zone, and the work itself is fun to do. It really does seem that way, aside from the times when some of the other missionaries get calls from less agreeable patrons, but they say that doesn't happen often. The work itself actually does not seem too dissimilar from what I did in the FHL - I will be helping people with relatively basic tech issues, such as when an account isn't working like it should; if the issue is too much for me, I can just send it forward to the paid staff who know what they're doing better than me. This is much like what I did in the FHL. The only difference is I am separated from the patron by a phone and a computer screen. So yeah, I am excited for the job, but I cannot wait for the training to be over. 

I also do like the idea of being able to work without my suit jacket, a privilege gained by the fact that my job isn't exactly patron-facing. The summer months are getting noticeably hotter, and wearing a dark suit jacket is not very much fun. Being able to take it off in the office is much nicer and more relaxing! I still to have to take with me a white shirt, slacks, a belt, and of course my name tag. I can also take snacks with me to work, so long as I am not eating right over the keyboard or anything like that. Food is no longer solely a break room thing, I can take about anything within reason to my computer! The missionaries are also more able to talk with each other, so long as we stay focused on when we get a call. So, all in all, it seems to be a nice arrangement for me, and I look forward to my service here in the contact center! My only regret is that I am no longer allowed to use the language learning software to work on my Danish - that will have to become a personal thing...

I must also mention that I got a couple visits last week in the library! I was very much surprised to see people I actually knew, but it was good to have visitors! Now, my first visit went like this: I was working at a computer when I was alerted to someone wanting to see me. I thought it was another missionary who wanted me to help a patron, but when I turned around, it was the Leifson family instead. So we visited, and had pictures taken. I was very excited to have seen them come in for me, but I did not expect anymore people to be coming in. But, not even a full ten minutes later, the Pareiras came in as well! (I apologize in advance if I butchered the spelling of their name.) I was happy to see them as well, and I also got pictures taken with them. These pictures were sent to my mom, so I will have her send them to you all. 

So, this week has been quite interesting. The page has turned for me last Tuesday, and I am looking forward to a bright future serving here in the mission! Here is my challenge: As great as the scriptures are, they are not our only source of revelation. We also have living prophets today who spend their time looking out for us and helping us as best they can with the guidance of the Spirit. So, the challenge is to read over what they have been teaching us through modern-day revelation. Read or listen to their General Conference talks. If you are not already subscribed to church magazines, I would suggest you do so. By keeping up with their teachings, we can be taught things which specifically apply to our day and age, and through application of these teachings, our lives will be blessed. Thanks again for reading all this, it is so great to have support from all of you. It truly means a lot. I love you all, and will talk to you again next week!

From,

Elder Bryce Petersen

Things are heating up

Hey everyone!

Well, I am typing this E-mail in a short-sleeve white shirt, and my suit on the chair next to mine. Things are quite a bit hot here in SLC, much more than they likely are back in good ol' Woodruff. Thank goodness the rules allow for us to work without the suit jacket on if things are uncomfortably hot enough. I may have to work like this for a while down there on the International floor. Aside from this, things have been pretty good, and there seems to be some excitement in the future.

I have recently seen a presentation on the Mission Intranet on some history of the mission, and some changes it has gone through in the past ten years. Over these years, the mission has been slowly shifting from a service mission, which Young Elders could serve more according to their own schedules, to a full-time mission. I think the change officially took place last January, when the missionaries changed their badges from the right side of their suit to the left, matching the style of all those serving proselyting missions. Anyway, another shift towards the more standard mission style was announced last Wednesday, and implemented last Thursday: We now only have to report at zone at 9:30 AM each morning, as opposed to the 7:30 AM we previously had to be there. We will still wake up at the same time, and are expected to use the extra time in the same way that is standard for other missionaries: scripture studies, exercise, week preparations, etc. The change has been readily accepted by other missionaries, and I too am enjoying this changed: I am no longer rushed to get to zone each morning, and I can have more time to do other things in the mornings! I am excited to see more changes which come to the mission, especially with the new Mission President!

Speaking of which, there was a special party held last Monday for departing and incoming missionaries, especially for President and Sister Tate (which I think I have talked a bit about in the last E-mail). Me and the other Young Elders had practiced a bit more for it last Sunday, and got to perform at the party for them. We have gotten many compliments for that, especially from President Tate. It was a great way to remember what they have done for the mission, and they will be missed by us all!

The mission is quite excited at the moment, because we currently have four new Young Elders! We do need more Young Elders, a lot of the ones we currently have will be going home quite soon. I just wish I could be able to get to know them better like I had the ones before them, when there was room in our apartment to house and train them. I don't know a ton about them, but I do think that, if I am still in International after this month's Transfer Conference, I will see one of them there - I forget his name, but one of them can actually speak quite a few languages pretty well (sadly, Danish isn't one of them). I am excited to see the new faces, and I hope that I can see more come in next month!

Speaking of Transfer Conference, Elders Lindsay and Reeves think it will be me who leaves the tri-companionship. I thought Elder Reeves might be assigned to a new Young Elder to help train him, but their logic is more sound: Elder Reeves needs to train Elder Lindsay in his new leadership position. Either way, I am a bit excited for the conference. I do not want to have to move again, but aside from that, I wouldn't mind a little change of scenery. Come to think about it, I may have used that same phrasing before every one of my Transfer Conferences, but that's just how I feel about the whole thing. I like change, but they do like me in International. I will just wait and see where the Lord takes me.

Our companionship did have a dinner appointment with some Senior missionaries. However, we realized that the Appointment Card we had was for another companionship, so me and Elder Lindsay had to go back to the JSMB to find out if we actually did have a dinner appointment. After a bunch of running around only to find the place locked up tighter than than the Vault, we got a text from an Assistant to the President who had a list of the week's dinner appointments, and we did have one. So, we made a mad dash back home to grab Elder Reeves (who we had left with other missionaries in a temporary exchange), and we went on over to the apartment where dinner was to be had. The dinner itself was great, and there was some nice conversation to be had there! 

Today was P-Day, but not much was bought today. We already have quite a bit of leftovers, and we want to eat through a bunch of those before we go buying more food. So, after buying a couple staples, we called it good. We then tried to find another place, a discount grocery store called NPS, which we learned about at the dinner appointment. After a couple wrong turns, we finally discovered the out-of-the-way location. The way the store was ran was this: they pick up food which is about to expire from other stores (among other things), and sell it there. In return, we can enjoy some very good prices - there was a sale on some diet sodas for five twelve packs for ten dollars! I do think, despite the inconvenient location and the appearance of the interior (which was a dim, grungy, garage-like look which made Wal-Mart look like a palace), we will be returning there in the future!

Well, my next E-mail may be any day of the week, as Transfer Conference is next Tuesday. I will try to work out a P-Day by Saturday of that week, so that I don't have to keep you waiting too long for an E-mail, as well as buy myself some food without having to wait 13 days. If I do get transferred from this zone, I hope that I get placed in a non-patron facing zone, for a change of pace. For my Weekly Challenge, I will give you the same objective which was given the Young Elders at Transfer Conference. There, we were challenged to read the Book of Mormon, cover to cover, in 90 days. I think I have given you something similar in a recent challenge, but this time, I am also giving you a goal to go along with it, which is something which I will attempt to give my challenges from here on out. I have faith you can do it, if you set your mind to it! Anyway, that's all from me for the week. Next week, Transfer Conference will have come and gone. Here's to hoping things go well! Have a good one!

From,

Elder Bryce Petersen

Change is good

 Change is good pt.1

Hey everyone!
>
> Yeah, I know this E-mail has been sent to you guys a bit early. It seems as though I no longer have much of a solid, actual P-Day. However, we needed to change our P-Day due to some stuff related to Mission Conference and the Choir's performance in that. So, for those reasons, I am writing this today.
>
> The week itself has been relatively uneventful, however. It has been mostly business as usual. It should be noted that there has been talk about the new mission president, Elder Fenn (or at least that's how I imagine it is spelled), who will be put in to replace President Tate soon. The rumors say that he will be more strict with the rules and such, though I don't really believe them - I don't think that those claims have a very sound foundation anyway. All I know is that, no matter what happens, this mission is in the Lord's hands, so it will all be for the best in the end.
>
> I did already go shopping today. This week, however, I got a chance to lay down a meal plan for the week with Elder Reeves. This way, we were able to put together a shopping list full of all the ingredients we need. In the end, all the things on the list added up to only be about half the price of my normal budget. Of course, we then went shopping at Costco where I bought some frozen chicken sandwiches for some quick lunches, so that added a bit more to my final price tag. However, it was still quite a bit less than what I usually spend for the week, so all in all, it has been a great week of shopping! Now to prepare to do some cooking...
>
> Well, I may have more to talk about later today, but I need to leave for the Choir's performance today. That will give you more time to read about my "adventures" anyhow. Either way, I will see you soon!
>
>
>
> From,
>
> Elder Bryce Petersen

 Yeah, I know this E-mail has been sent to you guys a bit early. It seems as though I no longer have much of a solid, actual P-Day. However, we needed to change our P-Day due to some stuff related to Mission Conference and the Choir's performance in that. So, for those reasons, I am writing this today.
>
> The week itself has been relatively uneventful, however. It has been mostly business as usual. It should be noted that there has been talk about the new mission president, Elder Fenn (or at least that's how I imagine it is spelled), who will be put in to replace President Tate soon. The rumors say that he will be more strict with the rules and such, though I don't really believe them - I don't think that those claims have a very sound foundation anyway. All I know is that, no matter what happens, this mission is in the Lord's hands, so it will all be for the best in the end.
>
> I did already go shopping today. This week, however, I got a chance to lay down a meal plan for the week with Elder Reeves. This way, we were able to put together a shopping list full of all the ingredients we need. In the end, all the things on the list added up to only be about half the price of my normal budget. Of course, we then went shopping at Costco where I bought some frozen chicken sandwiches for some quick lunches, so that added a bit more to my final price tag. However, it was still quite a bit less than what I usually spend for the week, so all in all, it has been a great week of shopping! Now to prepare to do some cooking...
>
> Well, I may have more to talk about later today, but I need to leave for the Choir's performance today. That will give you more time to read about my "adventures" anyhow. Either way, I will see you soon!
>
>
>
> From,
>
> Elder Bryce Petersen

There and back again

Hey guys!

Well, this week has been quite a wild ride, to say the least. It seems like forever ago that I got to visit the Church's video set in Goshen, the one they used to film the Bible videos documenting the life of Jesus Christ. The drive was an hour and a half from the apartments, which was in reality a nice break little from the life of the city. The first part of our time down there was spent cleaning up tumbleweeds which littered the set. I believed this would take about as long as clearing the thistles the day before. However, we only did it long enough to fill up a large truck bed, which only took about twenty minutes. After that, we had a guided tour of the set, learning a bit about how it was filmed, some facts about the actual city of Jerusalem, etc. The whole thing was a great tourist experience, and I am glad to have had an opportunity to go visit!

I have told you last week about how my companion, Elder Goodsell, was going to leave soon. Well, that happened last Friday, and I anticipated moving, as I packed up my things and moved my stuff into the apartment in which lived Elders Lindsay and Reeves. With that came a bunch of challenges, including packing all my stuff up, unpacking it yet again, and realizing I forgot a thing or two or ten. Of course, all this was expected, that is the nature of moving apartments here in the mission.

What I did not expect, however, was the honorable discharge of another missionary who was working in the Granite Mountain Record Vault the very next day. I do not know quite why this happened, but I was assured it was all good things. Anyway, this left his companion, Elder Mitchell, all by himself. So, the immediate reaction of the President and his assistants was to move the other extra missionary (me) in with him. So, I got a zone transfer to the Vault, and I got to move apartments yet again, for the second time in two days. As you can probably expect, I was a bit stressed, but excited to begin work in such a zone! However, as I soon found out, it was not meant to be...

The next day, we did not go out to the Vault, because it was Sunday. So, I attended Sunday meetings with my new district, which was actually in a different branch than International (the mission has two branches, one for those serving in the Library, and one for the other zones). Not much was different, aside from organization of the meetings - Priesthood meeting was first, followed by Sunday School, then Sacrament, a reverse of the other branch.

Later that day, we had a fireside with none other than Stephen King (not the Stephen King), head of one of the Church's media departments. He talked to us about how the Church uses media and advertising to present itself to the world. It was a nice little presentation, and it was interesting to see how the Church went about this business. However, it was right after this fireside when I was told by one of the AP's that, due to clearance complications with the Vault, I was going to be reassigned to International. That meant that I was to move back in with Elders Lindsay and Reeves. So, last Monday, I got to do my third move in four days. I am still remembering things I left in the apartment I shared with Elder Goodsell. However, I have survived, so that's good!

Yesterday, some of the Young Elders had interviews with President Tate (the last one's he will be giving), and my district was among that group. This meant I got to talk to both President Tate and his wife. They both apologized for all my moving, and they commended me for enduring it with a good attitude. Sister Tate had a bit of a form she read off of, which had a checklist with basic self-care items listed. I was able to tell her that, though there was room for improvement, I was doing quite tell with them. I do feel like I owe that in part to my experiences as a missionary. I may have said this before, but serving a mission is probably the best way to prepare young people to take on the world, and live independently. Anyway, the interviews went great, and I left with confidence that I was doing well, and could follow the tips they gave me to do even better!

So, this was quite the week. I got to go visit the church's film studeos I had an unplanned transfer to the Vault which lasted for only a day (without even going out to the Vault), and I got to move three times in four days! The week has not been uneventful, and though there were some pretty fun things which happened in that time, I am glad it's over. Judging from President Tate's language when he interviewed me, I probably will not get transferred at the next conference. Not only does the Presidency want to go easy on me after this week, but the Zone Leadership here in International does seem to like me, and will try to hold on to me for a bit longer. So, I don't see myself going out to another zone any time soon (no, not even the Vault). So, that's it for me. Your challenge is this: I have learned quite a bit about genealogy while I was out here on the mission, but probably the biggest thing I have learned is that anyone can do it - if you can read this E-mail, then you have the technology to connect to a lot of the records directly, and you can request more to be sent over from here in the Library. So, this is my challenge to you - try your hand at doing some genealogy work for your family. If you do not know how to go about it, learn how using online resources from FamilySearch, and from elsewhere on the web. Okay, guys, stay safe, and have a great week!

From,

Elder Bryce Petersen