Week 31: Quest For the Raspberry Milkshake

Hola everyone! So this week, we got some bad news and some good news: our investigator Maribel told us that she didn't want to take the missionary discussions anymore. We were sad, but kind of saw it coming, because she's been a little flaky on us lately, and also hasn't been progressing a whole lot. It's okay though, we know that this just isn't her time right now. Her husband and daughters are active members, so hopefully they will be able to rub off on her in a positive way. The good news though, is that we've been having all these super good interactions with her two sons, Tony and Eric! Tony used to take the missionary discussions a while back, and is this SUPER smart kid and knows he needs to read the scriptures,  go to church, etc. He's just an 11 year old boy and talking about Jesus isn't as fun as playing video games I guess. But, this week, we've started having a little soccer group for all the kids and youth in the area, and they both loved it! Tony even told us all about some of the things he read in the Book of Mormon this week. Good things are brewing here y'all. 

 Late night shakes

We also had an AMAZING lesson with this wonderful less-active lady, Barbara! She went inactive when she was a laurel but now she just has the strongest desire to learn and to know if the church is true or not. We read the intro to the Book of Mormon and the first chapter of 1st Nephi with her and she just soaked it all up and asked all these wonderful questions! She even connected her phone to her bluetooth speaker so she could listen to it while she was cleaning her house? And yesterday at church she told us that she is already on 1st Nephi chapter 13 and that she even went and found her patriarchal blessing. Her son and granddaughter who live with her are conveniently not members of the church, so even MORE things are brewing here in Bear Lake and I am just so excited for this next transfer you guys.

 I know how to fill the tires of our car with air!! I hope every man reading this email is proud of me.  

Speaking of transfers, both me and Sister Gutierrez are staying here in Bear Lake! It was kind of expected, since I gotta finish training her. I have now spent more of my mission in Utah than Idaho, whoa how crazy.

So, in my past emails, you have seen me talk about how everything tastes like raspberry here in Bear Lake. Specifically, the most popular thing is their raspberry milkshakes. Since it's getting a little warmer here all the restaurants have started to open up again, so it has been my personal goal and mission this week to try every raspberry milkshake and decide which one is the best. I will just tell you guys right now - they are all good. I can't pick a favorite! I will tell you though, the ones made with real ice cream and real raspberries are significantly better. But they are all good so if any of you decide to come up here for vacation (and to possibly catch a glimpse of your favorite missionary hint hint), you can't go wrong anywhere you go!! My mission is actually one of the highest weight gaining missions in the country and this week I have figured out why. 

A fun sign our friend Laura from Laketown has in her house

One of my favorite quotes from general conference this past week was by President Nelson. He said that "regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true". Here in this area, I work with a lot of less-active members of the church, who most likely don't go to church because something someone once said or did may have hurt them or caused them harm, so they no longer choose to go to church. It breaks my heart to see and work with so many people who voluntarily miss out on all those wonderful blessings in their life. The gospel is the most joyful thing on this earth, and they are choosing to turn away from it! But, like with our dear friend Barbara, you can always choose to turn back. God still loves you and wants the best for you. Don't continue to miss out on all He has offered you. (Another good talk about this is "And Nothing Shall Offend Them" by Elder Bednar. If you wanna go check that out). We shouldn't choose to ignore the soft whisperings of the Holy Ghost in our lives. I've seen too many people do that and all the suffering they have gone through because of it. 

Practicing our baptizing (a lady we have been working with's husband works there so we went to go chat with him)

Okay y'all I hope you have a lovely week I love you so so much!! 

- Hermana Peterson