Pioneers and Transfers

Hey guys!

Okay, so with this transfer, not much has changed at all for me and Elder Garfield - not even our P-Day is any different this time around! The only real difference for us is that our district is training one of the new Young Elders, Elder McDonald. He is living in the same apartment as us, and so we now see a lot of him. He is still getting used to the mission, but he is doing exceptionally well so far - though Transfers happened only last Tuesday, he is already almost done with the zone training it took me a week to finish! I believe he will do very well in his zone, though we do need to set a good example for him. This means living to a higher standard than we have been previously. But, that hasn't been a problem for us. It's been great seeing a new face around, and I hope he sticks around for a while (which I think he will). However, we also have lost a lot of Young Elders that Transfer Conference as well. They will be missed, though I will still keep in touch with them through E-mail.

It is a bit crazy that this is my 4 month mark. As I may have said before, the days are short but the weeks are long out here. It's a bit crazy to think that I am already one sixth of the way through the mission! I am not one to count down the days though, it just does not seem quite like that long. Before I know it, I will be packing my bags to return home. But, for now, I am to focus on my work out here in the mission field. I have still got a ways to go, and I will serve well, not just for myself, but also for you guys, who have supported me through all this. I will continue trying  my best to make you all proud!

The day before Transfers, however, we got to celebrate Pioneer Day. We started the day off by watching the Pioneer Day parade. The floats were outstanding, more impressive than most I have seen before (no offense to you guys back home :)). After the parade, the Young Elders went on a hike to Ensign Peak, where we were told about the significance of the place. After that excursion, we walked back down the hill to have lunch together at President Fenn's house. The food there, slow cooked barbecue brisket, was outstanding! Sister Fenn truly knows how to cook, because I could have eaten that stuff any day of the week! After that, President Fenn shared a devotional with us in his backyard. We then went home, and had sports together a little later that day. All in all, it was a day well spent, despite not being in the office!

Aside from this, the week has been fairly typical. I have kept learning in the zone, and improving how I could help serve. I have practiced baking, and have had varying amounts of success in that endeavor. I have eaten out a couple times too many this month, and have stretched my budget to the limit (I plan on being better about packing lunches). I have gone to the temple earlier today on the Young Elder's monthly trip (I haven't been able to go myself for a couple weeks due to it being closed). The week has been another good one, though I say that in each of my E-mails, don't I. Well, the mission is generally a good experience, and it is good to be here. Thanks again for the support, guys, and I will talk to you again next week!



From,

Elder Bryce Petersen



Challenge (D&C 64:10): I have heard before that holding a grudge describe has holding a hot coal, with the intent of throwing it at someone who has offended you. The comparison is not inaccurate: the only thing such feelings will do to one is eat away from the inside. Forgiveness is almost never an easy choice, especially when you feel like you are correct, and the one who has offended you is in the wrong. However, even if you are right, these feelings of anger and resent are still destructive. So, some time this week, I would like to challenge you all to try your best to forgive others. Apologize to someone whom you may have offended. Make amends with someone over any troubles you may have had, even if you the problem or problems were his or her fault. As you begin to become more forgiving to others, you will find the truth in the statement that forgiveness is just as beneficial to the one giving the forgiveness as the one receiving it.

Four months old, pace picks up

Hello everyone!

Wow, it seems like just a couple days ago when I last sent an E-mail to you guys. The pace is really picking up for my missionary service! Next thing I know, I will be packing up my bags to return home to the family! However, the days still do feel long. It's a funny occurrence, where the days are long but the weeks are short. However, from what I'm hearing, this is the standard for all missionaries. I feel like it will be especially like this when my final days of service come around.

Speaking of final days of service, we have quite a few missionaries who have finished theirs, and are ready to return home. I believe there were ten Young Elders who were finishing up - one who I talked to a bit earlier said this was his final day of service. I hope we can get new Young Elders to replace the ones who are leaving, we will need more to fill in the gaps made by the departing Elders.

We did get four new Young Elders this month - Elder Lindquist, Elder McDonald, Elder Mathews, and another one whose name escapes me. I am excited for them, and I hope that they are able to become comfortable out here in the field. The arrival of new Young Elders also signals one of our "favorite" events as Young Elders - Transfer Conference. So, that will happen next Tuesday. I do not think I will have to change much, as I am still new to the zone, but anything could happen. P-Day could definitely change, so if it does, then sorry in advance. I do think I will remain with Elder Garfield though, I don't think he is quite done training me for Contact Center. Also, Elders more often than not spend much more than a month in CC. So, I don't anticipate much changing this Tuesday, but P-Day might.

I have progressed quite a bit in CC. I am able to handle most basic issues on my own there, that meaning I don't have to ask other Elders there for help with most of the problems patrons call in for. The week itself has been busy - we have had a lot of problems with the servers for FamilySearch, resulting in a lot of calls and E-mails reporting that people are having trouble. So, the week has been quite busy. However, that meant that I had a lot of opportunities to interact with patrons on certain issues, and I have grown a lot from that. I anticipate myself becoming a lot more experienced in the months to come.

Pioneer Day is coming up. That means that we will be having a day full of activities coming up soon, just as we do during any other holiday. However, that is later, so I will cover that in my next E-mail. What did happen in celebration of the holiday this week was a special musical performance from the Choir. We sang a medley of six pioneer-related songs for the mission last Monday for the devotional. The whole thing came together quite well, and it was very good to be able to perform that with the rest of the choir! I am looking forward to the next thing like this that the Choir does!

Speaking of musical numbers, I finally performed in the double quartet/octet I have been talking about for a while. We performed for sacrament meetings for both Branches in the mission, and the Branch President of one of them (who is also in the Mission Presidency) was so moved that he asked us to perform again for Transfer Conference. This I look forward to quite a bit! I love making music, and this is a good way to do so out on the mission!

I also celebrated my companion's six-month mission anniversary with the rest of our district, as each companionship was celebrating a milestone of some sort. So, for Saturday, we went out to eat at Tucano's. It was a nice little trip downtown, and a nice break from the hustle of missionary life. Of course, it cannot be an every-day affair, given the prices at Tucano's, but every once in a while, it is worth the money! We all ate a bit more than we expected to, given the all-you-can-eat styling of the restaurant as well as the quality of the food. We all ate and ate and ate until we felt like we could not eat any more without experiencing some sort of medical issue! And every bite of it was delicious!

So, the week has been a good one. I am doing well out here, and I do predict I will continue to do so. If you can find the time, send an E-mail, I would love to hear from you guys! Thanks a lot for the support you give me. I will talk to you all again sometime next week. I cannot promise it will be on Friday again, thanks to Transfer Conference, but that could only mean that the next E-mail might get sent earlier. Either way, the E-mail will come, so just hold on. Alright, I will see you all next week!



From,

Elder Bryce Petersen

Knead more practice

Hello everyone!

Well, this was a good week. Last Monday, I began to accept calls in the contact center. It seems a bit crazy that I have only been accepting calls for a week now, it seems that my training was not too long ago. So far, things have not been too stressful. The patrons which I have helped out so far have been agreeable, and I have not been too overwhelmed with the workload so far. I wonder how long this will last though. I have heard that, mentally, this zone is the most strenuous. I do think I can handle it, though. Even if it turns out to be a real challenge (which I believe it may), I will come out stronger in the end. That is what life is all about: going through trials you may originally view as difficult or challenging, but making it through them alive and coming out even stronger than before. 

Last Friday, after I finished typing out my weekly update for you guys, I went and bought myself a cookbook titled Bread Illustrated. Bread baking, though the ingredients required for most recipes are already within the reach of most people, takes quite a bit of work, and I can't make it most days. That is what makes days like today a bit more special - I have a loaf rising right now as I type this! It is something to look forward to (without distracting from the work at hand, of course!), and it gives me a creative outlet. So, I look forward to learning how to learn a bit more about cooking while I am out here!

We have also had mission conference this week. I have actually had to attend three sessions of this - one for the Young Elders, and two for the Senior Missionaries (I think I may have told you all about this sort of thing once or twice, I had to sing in the choir for the latter). Singing with the choir is amazing! I may not be able to play guitar on the mission, but at least I can not only keep my voice in tip-top shape, but I can also exercise it and make it even stronger! Anyway, back to the conferences. These were the first conferences for President and Sister Fenn, so they were the only ones to speak. They both gave wonderful talks at all the sessions. I know I may have said this before, but President Fenn is a phenomenal speaker! He will do some wonderful things with this mission, and I am excited to see it all come together!

I have also been working towards certifying to become a mission driver. I have actually gotten my papers for it a week ago (thanks Mom), and I have turned them all in. Though it has been a while since I have last driven, I do feel like I have quite a bit of experience from doing that (that's what happens when you live in Woodruff, Utah), and I feel like I can pick it up again. The test I was given was also a bit challenging, but I think I did well. All that's left to do is get a photocopy of my driver's license and set up a day when I can do a test drive. At that point, I can guarantee that the only thing that will make me go to Harmon's again is the availability, specifically the lack thereof, of any mission vehicles. Which is good, I am tired of having to carry groceries home (which, thankfully, didn't happen this week, me and Elder Garfield were able to find a driver today).

So, the week has been wonderful. Thanks again to all of you out there who have been supporting me, and cheering me on from the sidelines, it means a lot to me! I know I have probably been saying that so much it has maybe become a bit redundant, but I assure you that it still rings as true as always. Stay awesome everyone, and have a great week!

From,

Elder Bryce Petersen

Challenge: It has been said by many that the Book of Mormon is the cornerstone of our religion. This is very true. It is another testament of Jesus Christ, containing much more needed revelation which will help us make it through this day and age. So, study the Book every day. Choose a time which is convenient to you - if this means squeezing in a bit of study before bedtime, then that works too! If you haven't read the Book of Mormon, I would kindly ask that you give it a shot, and pray about it's truthfulness. If you do so sincerely, you may know the truthfulness of it. 

Red, white, and blue. And also green.

 

Hey guys!

Well, I finished up with the training course for the Contact Center yesterday. That has not been my most favorite part of the mission, though it has been good for me to learn a new skill such as that. I am still the greenhorn in the zone though, so I think I will be given some practice interactions before I am let loose helping actual patrons, or at least I will start off helping patrons with some help from the more experience missionaries in the zone. Part of me is excited to finally be able to do some actual service in the zone, and another part of me is just happy to be done with the training, that stuff burns out your brain!

As I am sure all of you know, Tuesday was the 4th of July, aka Independence Day. Now, as most of you previous missionaries know, the 4th, in most missions, is treated as any other holiday - that is, it doesn't mean much, and service is done anyway. However, all the missionaries work among paid staff, and so everything closes down on work holidays. This means the missionaries get the day off too - sort of. Of course, we still have the day planned out - you know, keep-us-out-of-trouble activities. So, the day started off with a movie to match the theme, "A More Perfect Union." The movie is based around the Constitutional Convention which shaped the United States Constitution which we still use today. Personally, I am not a huge fan of political-themed movies such as this, but some of you may like it, so I would recommend giving it a go! 

Later that day, we had activities in the Stake Center. A lot of different activities happened there, but a lot of it was team-based. I started off with Dodgeball, and did that for an hour or two. We then had dinner together, after which we played a game of Human Checkers, which is pretty much what it sounds like - normal checkers, but instead of pieces, we used Young Elders. I like to think that went well. All in all, it was a good day for me. 

It should also be noted that President Fenn began his service in the mission this week too. We got to know him and his wife at a fireside they put on for us last Sunday. Sister Fenn (who actually is the daughter of Bruce R. McConkie) spoke to us first, and she seemed pretty likable. Then, President Fenn spoke, and he was a phenomenal speaker! He shared his message with us very well, and all of us Young Elders agreed that we were going to like him!

I had my monthly interview with the President the other day, and it was a great opportunity to get to know President and Sister Fenn a bit better! I first met with Sister Fenn, who's interview reminded me a lot of the ones I used to have with Sister Tate. I then got to meet with President Fenn, who I think I will like quite a lot! He reminds me a lot of my Dad, for one. Also, not only does he like music about as much as me (he plays piano like I played guitar before my mission), his first two instruments he learned to play were the piano and saxophone, like me. But he does seem like he will do his job well. He previously served as the president of another mission, like President Tate did. He has some experience, which I think will carry over well to this mission. All in all, I look forward to serving with President Fenn.

I will have to work towards certifying to become a driver soon. The mission has lost a lot of it's certified drivers, and a lot more will be finished with their missions this coming month. Without drivers, me and Elder Garfield have had to walk to Harmon's. Don't get me wrong, Harmon's is a great grocery store, though it is a bit more expensive than Smith's. That's not the problem though - while the store is within walking distance of the apartments, that is still a long way away if you are carrying a week's worth of groceries with you. It is also quite noticeably warmer outside than it is in good ol' Woodruff, especially during the summertime. All that makes for an uncomfortable time hauling groceries back home. Elder Garfield has been trying to get his driver's certification, but he needs a new driver's license, which he is still waiting to be sent over to him. So, in case that doesn't work out soon, I will take matters into my own hands. 

So, there is my week in a nutshell for you. I am still new in the Contact Center, just as President Fenn is new in his calling. But, while we are still green, I think we will both come to be great in our callings. I am doing well, and I am thankful for your support. Thank you very much, and see you again next week!

From,

Elder Bryce Petersen

Challenge: This week, we have celebrated our country's Independence Day. But let us not lose our sense of patriotism. We are living in a great country, and we should not forget to give back every now and again. Look for ways you can help out around the community, and keep an eye out for volunteer opportunities. Keep yourself informed about public issues, and let your elected officials know how they can do their job just a bit better (in a civilized manner, of course). If we can put in the effort to make our country a better place, little by little, it will deserve even more the praises we sing to it at the beginning of the July of every year.