Week 81: THE LAST EMAIL!!!!!!!

MY TRANSFER MOTTO:

"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. ...but watch thou in all things, endure afflictions...For I am

now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing"

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS MY LAST EMAIL HOME....I SURE CAN'T...

 Well this last week of my mission has been crazy...but great. I prayed so hard this week that I would push through all my weaknesses and just give it my all. I prayed specifically to have Heavenly Father "throw it all at me" I told him I'm ready to take on any challenge and work so hard.Well come Thursday...I GOT SO SICK! It's like the worst flu/cold I've ever had. I came to two conclusions 1) Satan is working really hard 2) This is exactly what I prayed for and Heavenly Father is trying to teach me a life lesson before I depart. So I worked as hard as I could! I tried every method possible every trick in the book to alleviate my symptoms so I could at least not sound like a dying frog as I taught the gospel. Nothing has worked and I am still so sick! Saturday was the worst. Everything was going wrong...I didn't feel good...I spilled my boiling hot tea all over me in the car and burned

myself...the only good thing was that the sun was out to dry my shirt and lots of people were out walking around! I tried so hard to just stay positive and not think about myself. I was on the verge of just mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally breaking down. I had reached my max...We were walking up a super steep hill and I just told myself JUST BREATHE (even though I can't breathe hahah) and I told Sister Amat to hold on and I just stopped on the hill...I took some deep breaths and I offered one of the most heartfelt and submissive prayers I've ever said. I told Heavenly Father that I literally couldn't do this....I couldn't breathe, I couldn't walk, I couldn't talk...WHY AM I ENDING MY MISSION LIKE THIS!!! But I told him that I knew there was a reason and I was going to be positive, but I really really really needed his help right now and I needed it now. After that I felt so much better, I had so much strength to continue. Later that day I got a blessing from our Ward Mission leader and he blessed me with so many things I needed to hear. It was a great experience! He blessed me that I would find the meaning in this sickness, that I would be able to get the rest I needed and also be so proud of what I've done on my mission. He said even the Savior rested during his ministry. He also blessed me that I would go home with pride, not unrighteous pride, but pride knowing that what I've done is worthy and good!!! IT WAS TRULY AN ANSWER TO PRAYERS!!! Ever since then I've just been pushing along and trying my best to ENDURE TO THE END!!!! One of the members in our ward studies reflexology and she offered to give me a foot massage and she promised that it would help me get better by Wednesday. 

She taught me all sorts of things about how the foot is a map of the body and by the end I felt so much better!!!!! It didn't take all my sickness away, but all the tension and anxiousness was gone! Alice came to church again on Sunday and she loved it!!! She texted us this morning and wants to meet up tonight!! Woohooo!!!! Today at 2pm I have my Exit Interview with President Burt...things are getting so real now....Tomorrow I have to have all my things packed and we are attending the temple at 12pm and then we have a dinner and testimony meeting at President and Sister Burt's house that night. Then we go to a hotel for the night and then Wednesday morning....I FLY TO LAS VEGAS!!! I can't believe it's coming to an end! I have learned so much!! I wanted to just leave you with my testimony and some spiritual thoughts :) I love you all and I am so grateful for all the prayers and support for me! I am so blessed to have so many people cheering me on during my mission! 

See you on Wednesday!!

Love,

Sister Peterson

MY TESTIMONY:

I know God is real and is aware of us. I know He has a perfect plan. I'm so grateful that I have felt of his love on my mission. I am in awe of God's great plan, that he provided a Savior, Jesus Christ, for us. I know Christ lives and that he lives in me whenever I exercise my faith, seek to do better, or testify of him. I have felt Christ supporting me through my hardest times on my mission. He gives me the motivation, strength, and courage to just go one step forward. I know I have developed a stronger relationship with him and my Heavenly Father through my personal prayers, scripture study,

and partaking of the sacrament. I feel the spirit testify to me of their love each time I simply do the basics. I know that blessings come, most of the time way later than I wanted, but I know that they come. I have had so many tender mercies on my mission that have deepened my love for my Heavenly Father and my Savior. I know they care for me and will do anything to help me. I know that it's only through Jesus Christ that I can truly be happy. My life has become so much better as I've followed His gospel. I know that we have prophets today that continue to help us live that same gospel. I know the scriptures are true and living. I have found so much comfort in the Book of Mormon. I love that book and I know it has brought me closer to Christ and better prepared me for life and to meet God. These are only a few of the things I've learned and come to know are true on my mission. My mission has been so special to me. It has pushed me and helped me accomplish things spiritually that I never thought were possible. The biggest blessing is that I have learned...finally ...to trust in the Lord. I need him and I know when I just trust in him it will all work out. I know I have been so blessed and my family and I will continue to be blessed for my service as a missionary. My mission has brought my family closer spiritually and I know God needed me to be on my mission so we could accomplish that. I am so grateful to have learned the gospel from my parents. I know the influence of the gospel in all our lives is so important. I've seen God's love and the Savior's gospel change people's lives. I have loved having a front row seat as I've seen the power of the Atonement in other's lives. My mission has changed everything and I am so grateful I was called to serve in the Canada Vancouver Mission. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Amen.

Sister Shelby Peterson

Week 80: I CAN DO IT

This will have to be short! We are sight-seeing in Vancouver today so I don't have as much time to email :)

Monday- we were driving with the STL's to go get our car that got stuck on the hill the night before and they got in an accident...we are all okay but the other ladies car is messed up....the STL's car is brand new and looked fine... still sad though :( Once we got our car we went and had dinner with Russ and Rachel my relatives that live in Port

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Moody! They are so nice and we made plans to meet and have dinner and stuff when I come back with my family in May!!! So cool!!! Later that night we helped a couple in our ward sign up for family history and I realized 1) I'm so grateful I have family that has already done so much work! 2) I love family history so much Tuesday-We met with Rose! We taught her a little before but let her "reflect" for a little bit. We did an overview of the Book of Mormon and she finally realized she needed to read on her own and be more committed! Super cool! Our member Sister Howitt took us out to lunch! She recently lost her husband and she needed to get out of the house. While we were there she started pointing and freaking out... "IT'S THE PREMIER OF BC!!!!!" I was like...what in the world is that...well apparently it's like the Governor or President of BC. She came over and talked with us...I think her name was Christy Clark. She talked to us about how we were missionaries and how we were doing a great job :) We talked a little about the church it was really cool! She was with Steve Darling who's a sports broadcaster I think and he's a candidate or

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something...anyway it was super cool. The photographer was snapping pictures of us left and right while we talked to her and we made sure our name tags were shown hahahahah Wednesday- I woke up and just had a strong desire to bear my testimony to someone who was bashing me! I didn't pray for it, but I thought about it. Well later that day we met some people who were just bashing us so bad!!!! They were manipulative and so rude!!! It was crazy!!!!!! But I just kept calm and bore my testimony and at the end we agreed to agree on our belief in Christ and it was all good :) I now have a testimony that God knows our desires and answers our unspoken prayers!!! He is so aware of us!!! We had a really great district meeting I learned so much!!! I LOVE MISSIONS!!! Thursday- We met with our recent convert Duean and she is doing great! She has such a strong testimony and she is just wonderful!  We had dinner with the Dortons and she signed up to feed us 2 more times before I go home!!! She is so great! She is so excited to feed me my "Last Supper" hahahah She said ANYTHING YOU WANT!!! I love them!!! They are going straight to the

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Celestial Kingdom!! Friday was good until I remembered later that night... oh yeah I'm going home...then I cried and Sister Amat had to help me....I feel like a 2 yr old....It's ridiculous. Don't get me wrong I'm super excited to go home and see my family but leaving the mission is the hardest thing.  Saturday- We met with Alice at the library to talk about family history and she said, "I read somewhere in the Bible that there will be more prophets and scripture, I wonder when that will happen..." I WAS LIKE UM.......WE NEED TO TEACH THE RESTORATION!!! So we did and she is so excited to pray about it and see it's true!!!  We walked all over the place today and it was so fun!!! I was asked to give a talk on Sunday too, so I had to plead with members to print me off some talks and quotes hahahah It was crazy!! Sunday- I gave my talk on Oaths. It was interesting. Sister Amat said it was good, but I know she's just being a good companion hahahah. Alice came to church which was AWESOME!!!!! Church was just so good!!!  In Relief Society we talked a lot about what I've been struggling with lately, giving credit to myself for the good things I'm doing and forgiving myself for my mistakes. One sister asked, "How do you not feel bad for the things you didn't accomplish...I know we can't be perfect but...?" The old ladies in our ward are just SO comical and one said, "Honey, yes you can be perfect....you'll be dead!" hahahhahahah Then another one said when you're having a bad day...look in the mirror and PUT YOUR LIPSTICK ON!!!" HAHAHHAHAHAHA  They

Mission Accomplished ;)

talked a lot about positive affirmations and it was just so good! Something we all needed to hear! They said, "Don't get buried!" Take one task at a time or one day at a time. Sometimes we think we can get everything done but we can't. We just do our best...good advice for home! We ended our night with coordination meeting and I t felt so good to present our week and all the things we got done! We worked hard this week!!! Overall it's been great :) I've starting doing something new where I put little smiley face stickers in my planner whenever I feel super happy, a miracle happened...etc. It's really helped me to see that I am doing good and that good things are happening!!

This week is going to be great! Lot of things to do and lots of miracles to find!!!

Love you,

Sister Peterson

Week 79: Finally....A Week of Miracles

Wow...this week was packed full of so much stuff....

Monday was a great p-day!! Sister Steele helped me go shopping so I could buy some "going home clothes" Well We decided halfway through that one of my dresses is just too fabulous and I should just buy some shoes! hahahha So she took me to go get shoes and I found the cutest pair!!! I am so excited!!!! Later Monday night we had Family Home Evening at Bishop's house! His wife made yummy Korean food and our recent converts Duean and Hamid came!!! Our lesson was legit! We taught about

scripture study and we had a Book of Mormon in English, Korean, Thai, and Farsi!!!! IT'S AMAZING THAT WE CAN ALL READ THE BOOK OF MORMON IN WHATEVER LANGUAGE WE UNDERSTAND!!! SO COOL!!! Later we had an appointment with a member family. At the end, the son came out and his mom said, "They are just leaving." and he took that as we are going HOME, like ending our mission. Well apparently he has a crush on Sister Amat because he asked for her email so he could "keep in contact with her" hahahhahahhahahhahahahhahahahhahhahahahh I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW AWKWARD IT WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHH Then we had to tell him, "we're just leaving your house actually." Anyway we laughed all the way home!!! Tuesday we did some service! IT WAS SO GREAT!!! I LOVE IT!!!! We had a lesson set up with a potential, but she cancelled last minute :( bummer! We had a great day of finding though!  Wednesday we drove to Burnaby for District Meeting and I wore my fancy new shoes. They are so fabulous! I was asked to bear my testimony about working with members (very fitting since that's what I've been focusing on this week!) I shared a story from Kelowna and I just remembered how awesome my mission has been! How I have seen the hand of the Lord everyday! Later we stopped by a former investigator and when we got there Sister Amat said this is where Maliheh a recent convert lives. Turns out the former is her daughter. From what we've heard Maliheh has decided to go to a different church and is not interested in coming back :( SO we decided to just

go and talk to the daughter. Well the daughter moved, but Maliheh was home and invited us in! She's from Iran and speaks Farsi and her English is so much better now than it was when she first started investigating! We talked about the Book of Mormon and she said she knows it's true and she feels so good at church and that she wanted to start coming again!!!!!!! So we set up a ride for her, a translator for sacrament. IT WAS SO GOOD!!!! Then, it snowed on Sunday so only a few people came :( Anyway...funny story...we were walking through the mall and I was just looking around and BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I RAN SMACK INTO A HUGE PILLAR IN THE MALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WAS LIKE "WHAT THE HECK!!! I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE IN MY WHOLE LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Sister Amat said no one saw, but I'm pretty sure they did hahahahahha I was dying it was so funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thursday we had a great visit with one of our members! She wants to come contacting with us at the bus loops!!! So we role played with her about how we can refer to the Restoration simply and it was so good!!!!! I asked her to pretend she was an investigator "if the missionaries came to your door what would you expect of them?" She said "I would want them to answer my questions" So now when I talk to people I tell them that we're out today answering people's questions and we've gotten some good conversations started!!! Friday we tried the bus loops and we talked to a couple people and they knew exactly who we were!! It was cool! One lady had the cutest umbrella! It was clear and had high heels printed on the vinyl around the trim. I commented on it and we started talking she noticed my badge and we had a good chat and then she walked away...then I hear "Sister Peterson..." I turn around "Let's swap...she closed her umbrella and wanted to give it to

me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I said oh my goodness I can't take your umbrella!!!! I told her that we travel a lot as missionaries and it would have to fit in my carry on bag so I couldn't take it...she said "thank you so much for the good work your doing!!". Oh my goodness! It was so awesome!!!!! Later that day we had a great lesson with Sister Chen and her baby :) We brought one of our fav members Sis. Dorton!! THE SPIRIT WAS SO STRONG IN OUR LESSON!!!!!!!!! Super powerful! It reassured me of my testimony of the restoration! THEN....man I am writing a ton this week but that's good right??? WE WENT ON EXCHANGES FRIDAY NIGHT!!!! I went with Sister Steele and since neither of our companions drive I had to drive to North Vancouver....I FINALLY SAW THE VANCOUVER SKY LINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO PRETTY!!!!!! Sister Steele and I had a blast in Port Moody!!! WE "tore it up!!" We worked a lot on our area book  and we found 5 formers that are still interested in learning!!!!! We even set up appointments for saturday and I was finally able to teach some investigators!!!! yay!!!!!!!!!! We had way too much fun and we got so much work done too!!!! So many miracles happened this weekend!!! At the end of our exchange Sister Steele was talking about how I go home soon...and she asked me for some advice. I literally started bawling...GOING HOME IS NOT FUN PEOPLE!! It's so hard :( I feel like I'm dying or something!!! Like I'm being thrown into the front lines of life...It's so bittersweet. I told Sister Steele to just make sure she's fulfilling her purpose everyday! She is literally the most dedicated missionary I know so I don't know why she asked me for advice!! hahah But yeah the struggle is real...I am so emotional about

going home! It's really weird and not at all what I expected! but everytime I tear up and cry it reminds me that my mission is so special to me and that It really has changed me and meant the world to me!!! I'm excited to see what the next 2 1/2 weeks have in store!!!!! Sunday we woke up and it had snowed...when it snows here everyone freaks out so we were just waiting for the call that church was cancelled....then they called and said we would only be having sacrament today! yay!!! AT LEAST WE COULD TAKE THE SACRAMENT!! I've come to LOVE sundays and I find that I desperately need to take the sacrament each week in order to feel normal! So we went and there was about 20 people there! hahah It was testimony meeting and we filled up all the time despite there being low numbers. I of course got up and bore my testimony...I really didn't know what to say but then it came to me...I had read this week the visiting teaching message in the ensign and it's all about Nephi and the enabling power of the atonement! I realized when I read that, that I had been praying for God to just help me and bless me with what I wanted...but I should actually be praying to be strengthened by him so that I, Sister Peterson, can go out and do the will of the Lord. It talked about how Nephi was bound with the cords and they didn't just magically fall off...Nephi was blessed with the strength to break the bands himself. Later that night it started snowing bad again....we left our member appointment at 8:45 and we realized quick that our little car wasn't going to make it up the hill plus there was an accident blocking the road...so we tried the other way..it was a steep hill so we coudln't make it down. Our tires were so bad that I didn't want to chance getting in an accident. So we called President Burt and we started calling around the ward to see if people could come get us. No one wanted to drive up there because it was so bad...so we decided we would take everything out of our car and leave it there all night and hike down to the main road (wasn't

that far) so we got to the main road and there were two member families out there looking for us! They finally found us and we were able to get a ride home! We didn't get home untill about 11pm!!!!!! crazy!!!!!! It was like a rescue operation. Bro and Sis. Tolman called President Burt and said "President, We got em!" it was like in the movies where it's super "high stress situation" and then everyone celebrates once the people are saved hahahahahhahahahahhaha so funny!!!! Anyway! Crazy night!!! So we're car-less today so the sisters are driving us around until we can go back!! hahah Anyway...that was my week...full of adventures and craziness and TEACHING!!!!! I CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM THAT I WAS ABLE TO TEACH SOME INVESTIGATORS THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!! 

Thanks for all your prayers and for reading my emails each week :) 

love you guys!

Sister Peterson

***this week I hit my 18 month mark so we went to RED ROBIN TO CELEBRATE!!! I TOOK A BALLOON!!!! HAHHAHA It was really cool because I was able to pray to Heavenly Father and say...I have dedicated exactly 18 months to you and this work and that's what I promised him I would do! I'm super stoked I have 2-3 more weeks left though so I can just work so hard and see even more miracles!!!!!!!!!!

Week 78: REAL TALK

Our week was good! We were able to go to the temple which was much needed!!!! I loved it!!! 

Tuesday night we were able to meet with Russ and Rachel! My mom found them through ancestry.com and found

out they live in Port Moody and they are related to me!! So I got permission from President Burt and we got to visit them!!! IT WAS SO COOL!!!! They showed us old photos, told us stories, and we got to tell them a little bit about the church! IT WAS LITERALLY THE COOLEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!!  Wednesday we went to District Meeting is Burnaby!! Afterwards they surprised us and we had to do our own car inspections :) After we had lunch with the Chinese Sisters and The New West sisters! It was fun! Funny Story: So we were tracting Wednesday and this lady has asked us to pray for her and I didn't have my planner, so I wrote it down on the mormon.org card with all the details, then I wrote another return appointment on the card. Well somewhere along that street I had accidentally put the card in someone's door. I REALIZED THIS AT THE END OF THE STREET HAHAHAHAHAH So we went back to every house and looked at every card hahahahahha WE COULDN'T FIND IT!!! I was freaking out!!! hahaha It had something written like "pray for dale's sore back...1425 Ross rd 10 pm..." hahahhaha super awkward if someone was to find our card and read it hahahahah Finally we found it...we

had put it on the trailer door instead of the house door....phew!!! IT WAS SO FUNNY!!! Thursday, I was told I had an accent!!! MY LIFE DREAM!!! Hopefully it sounds good. We picked up a Young Woman from the Port Coquitlam ward who is preparing to serve a mission and took her to a lesson with our former investigator! The lesson was interesting, somehow she thought that we were going to help her be a prophet....um....no. We told her we just help people to build a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. We'll meet her 1 more time but It was VERY interesting. Sister Amat and I would just look at each other like "What in the world do we say?????" hahha I just kept saying "I Know Jesus Christ can help you..." Oh my goodness!! So funny!! But I was sincere :) I know Christ can help anyone!!!!!! Well Alexa works at a Bubble Tea place and she convinced us to try it! See pictures :) Friday was my brother's birthday!!!!! YAY!!!! We had a good day of tracting and finding! We talked to some really cool people! Later that night we met with the Bennington's in our ward! They are in their 90's and true examples of Enduring to the End! They are so cool!! 

Saturday we went to a potentials house and as we were getting out and walking up we saw this car stopped behind us with people dressed similar to us...they were just staring at us! We went and knocked the door and then they drove away! When our potential answered the door he said, "Oh yeah your the Jehovah's!" We said no, we're the Mormons. HE WAS EXPECTING THEM TO COME AND VISIT HIM. IT WAS THEM IN THE CAR...BUT WE SHOWED UP SO THEY LEFT! Oh my goodness! We were dying! We taught him the Restoration though and he is very intrigued. He meets with all religions and is trying to find one for himself! We told him we'll stop by next week! Hopefully not when the Jehovah's Witnesses come! We also stopped by another potential and it turns out her husband is a member!!! She's super interested and we are going to meet with her in 2 weeks! Her little boy started crying at the end because he wanted to come with us!!! hahaha Sunday was good! It was Ward Conference and I sang! Later while we were tracting there was a cat that followed us the whole way! Like 2 k's hahah He was so obedient and would just wait on the step for us to finish, and then walk with us down the street hahahahhah We named him Nephi G. Moody (the G stands

for Gidgiddoni) We had a great rest of the night!  This week was really good!!!! Here's the real talk part of it all though: So we currently have no new investigators to teach. It's rough.  Yesterday we were talking to our Ward Mission Leader about our teaching pool and he asked how our spirits were. Honestly, my spirits are high one day and a little low the next day. I'm just trying to make sure I'm doing my best and succeeding this last transfer before my mission ends. He said, "The Spirit really prompted me to tell you that right now the best work you can do is to grow the ward." I thought about that, and in the recent Missionary Broadcast Dallin H. Oaks talked about how establishing the church is a HUGE part of our missionary purpose. Brother Saunderson said that maybe our purpose right now is to help the ward...not find a ton of people. He shared with us a quote by Elder Holland: "We can all have what we want or something better. I think that's the way God see's it. The only time you wouldn't get what you want (for me it's new investigators and to teach) is if He has something better. And as a good parent, would overrule for your good. I believe everyone can have what they

 want or something better." That resonated with me. I want something that is SO RIGHTEOUS!!! I JUST WANT TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH PEOPLE AND HELP THEM COME CLOSER TO CHRIST, but I'm not getting it. GOD MUST HAVE A BETTER PLAN!!! If I look at the work I'm doing with the ward I'm being so successful! Members are having faith repenting! They are getting excited about the gospel! They are feeling the Spirit!!! But if I measure myself based off of the work I'm doing on my own efforts I would rate myself as not as successful SIMPLY because people are using their own free agency and saying no. Yes I am going out and pushing through the rain, snow, anti, and other things in order to share the gospel. I'm trying my best to share my testimony of the Savior each day and trying to learn and improve. WHY DO I EVEN HAVE THE SLIGHTEST DOUBT THAT I'M NOT DOING GOOD ENOUGH??? It's literally the craziest thing. I know it is totally the adversary. I pray every night to Heavenly Father to help me feel successful, like I've done enough each day.  Sister Steele told me this week: "The biggest thing I learned from you was to make the best of your situation. You are so good at that. You're so good at just being happy!!! So keep doing it!" That really helped me!  So since then I've been determined that I'm going to make the best of it! Enjoy everyday! It has really helped!!!!  I'm going to continue to pray and seek those promptings! I know God has a better plan and right now all I want is new investigators and people to teach, but God knows what's better. He knows what I really need and maybe it's just to grow the ward  and help the ward members :)  To be honest, I'm grateful that the past two weeks have been a little shaky. It's helped me grow and realize that I just have to keep going, keep doing what I know I need to do, try to improve, and rely on the Lord. The Basics of Life :)

Keep praying for us!!!

Love,

Sister Peterson