Field Support

Hey everyone!

This E-mail will probably be more brief than my normal one, as I had spent quite a bit of time replying to people who have written me. Of course, having people write me is no problem - I could read news from home all day long! I just have to pace myself so that I will be able to reply to you guys at home and type out this general E-mail.

Anyway, I have a bit of an announcement to make regarding the service I do here in the field, which I may have alluded to a bit last week. Now, some of you may remember that some people from the missionary department have toured the zone, and I may have mentioned they were considering having us provide technical support to missionaries in the field. Anyway, my big news is that four missionaries from the zone have been selected to pilot this new project: Elders Hunsaker, Harris, Black, and myself. We will be providing support to missionaries in the field who are using cell phones, tablets, and other electronic devices in their service. For the next couple of weeks starting Monday, we will not be doing any typical work at zone, except for on Thursdays or during night zone. Instead, we will be doing training in the West Office Building for all of day zone. Of course, we will return to zone for night zone, and on Thursdays I have leadership meeting. Anyway, when the training is finished, we will be returning to the library, though we will still be separated from the rest of the zone so we can focus on working cases regarding this new type of work. If everything works out (which we anticipate it will), then we will begin to train the other missionaries in the zone on this type of work.

So, I don't think I will be getting transferred out of the zone for a while. I have been here a while, but I guess that I can do it for a couple months more if that is what the Lord expects of me. I have many different feelings about this project. As the district leader of the bunch, I will be expected to report back to both staff and mission leadership, including President Buffington of the mission presidency, on how the training is going. I am also to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as it can. I do hope that the Lord can strengthen me to accomplish this task, because I know that I would not be able to do so as well as I would like to on my own. It is pretty cool to be able to help out with this type of work though - this is the closest I will be getting to typical mission work in this mission. I also feel like the others won't need much correction - Elder Hunsaker has quite a bit of experience in both the zone and the mission; Elders Black and Hunsaker, though new, are very smart with this sort of stuff; and they are all good hard workers, and very much able to stay focused on the task at hand. I look forward to working with them in the days ahead.

Anyway, there is more going on in this mission than the work at zone, as always. The choir is going strong as ever, and will especially do so when President Oaks comes to speak next Monday. We have been working hard on a special musical number for this - "Let the Mountains Shout for Joy". It's a satisfyingly difficult number, which I anticipate we will be able to pull off well this Monday. Of course, we as a mission have been making other preparations for this monumental visit - the young elders have been admonished to be at their absolute best for this event. Haircuts have been received, suits have been cleaned up, and the mission is in a bit of a state of anticipation. I think things will go well though - the choir will sing the best it can, and the young elders will leave a great impression!

Finally, yesterday was April 6. Now, those of you who know your church history will know that is the date in 1830 when the church was first organized. As a result, the mission got to take part in a special activity. We visited a special meetinghouse in the SLC area. I was one of the drivers who drove the young elders over there (though I did get lost for a moment or two). There, those in attendance, including the mission presidency and their wives, were given opportunity to bear their testimonies. It was truly a spiritual experience, to see so many young elders go up to the stand so they could share their testimonies with their brethren in the mission. I am glad to have also had a chance to do the same then. After this, we were served a dinner of hot dogs and hamburgers, and returned home to the apartments.

Well, that's my week. Thank you all for your continued support, your reading what I have to say means a lot to me. I look forward to hearing from you, and I hope you all have a great week!



From,

Elder Bryce Petersen



Challenge: In the Bible, we read of many stories of people who had started out spiritually strong, and who's acquaintances must have considered to be unconquerable. However, some of these people's stories don't end quite as happily as they start - the temptations set in, starting out small, and they grow bigger and bigger until they make huge mistakes. We probably know of people who may have also made mistakes like this in modern days, whether this be in the news or within our circles of friends and acquaintances, or even in the church. This can truly try one's testimony, when one whom they had trusted makes a mistake. This is understandable, though we must remember that the church is made up of imperfect people. We are to love one another, no matter what they may have done. Even if such a mistake is made, this does not mean that the person who had done it is a bad person (it should also be noted that very few people are inherently evil) - he or she is still a spirit son or daughter of a loving Heavenly Father, and we are to continue to love them, as He loves them. However, remember that we are to attempt to emulate the example of only One. "And now, my sons, remember, remember, that it is upon ... Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation." (Helaman 5:12). He was the only sinless being to ever walk this earth, and following him will be the best way to continue to walk in the paths of righteousness. Though others may make mistakes, He is the same as He was when He led a sinless life in mortality a couple thousand years ago. So, my challenge to you is this: forgive others their trespasses, and strengthen your testimony of the Savior of the world. Doing so will make you strong enough to weather the storms of life, and help you heal from wounds of past days.