Fort Collins - week 4

Thank you Family for the emails!

My pday is on Mondays now and will be for the rest of my mission I think. Well, I made it to Colorado and I have been here a week! I'M SERVING IN THE FORT COLLINS AREA! Everyone says it's their favorite area to serve in. My boundaries includes the stake center and it's exactly like our stake center back home so it's kinda weird walking around it. My trainer is Elder Shearer. I think I sent a picture to a few of your emails, but sorry if I missed someone, I'm short on time since I don't have a library card and have to use a 20 min computer. Elder Shearer is pretty cool, we're working hard and have had a great week.

The first night I was able to participate in a baptism for a young man who turned 18 that day and was eager to be baptised against his parents wishes. I said a prayer and shared my testimony but the program just read Elder Green would be speaking (because I was a greeny that day haha).

This ward is awesome. The ward missionaries really know their calling and there are so many cool families. It kinda reminds me of our ward. This mission is very unique in the world. President Ely is a great man and Salt Lake has given him the opportunity to test run some new programs for the mission field. For one, this is the only mission that is completely housed by members. Every companionship has a members house to stay at. I stay at an elderly couples home but we are moving soon. We also have the most cars to missionaries of any mission (but we're still on bikes but that's okay).

I have had the chance to teach a lot of lessons and to knock alot of doors. I have had some interesting experiences. My favorite one was teaching a guy named Steve. He just got out of prison but he is really cool. He is so ready to be baptised but he can't because he is on probation and cant fully repent until he pays his debt to society. Well, we went to the halfway house planning to teach some commandment but had to forget the lesson when he started expressing concerns for why he couldn't be baptised and what the scriptures actually said about the situation. He talked about alot of things but I shared my favorite scripture DC 121:7. It applied a lot... READ IT!

Doctrine and Covenants 121: 7 - "  My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment" 

Elder Peterson and Elder Shearer

Well I have a couple more minutes so I'll just tell you about my day. I woke up and did all of our studies and laundry then we went shopping with the Timberline elders (we're the Parkwood elders). After that, we tried to bike to the Horsetooth Mountain on mountain bikes. After 2 hours, we were only half way there and since we spent most of the morning trying to fix the bike I borrowed (cause mine hasn't come yet) it was already 3. It was up hill the entire way and there was no way that I was used to biking in this climate yet. The timberline elders went on at the expense of the rest of their P-days and Elder Shearer and I turned back. It was an awesome ride back down and we got to help the same biker that gave a directions up the mountain with his flat tire and then we saved 4 ducklings that were stuck in the street behind the curb. Elder Shearer was laughing because all he heard me say was " elder, elder! Ducklings!!"... I got way too excited haha. We just picked them up out of the street and dropped them by the pond where their mother found them.

well I smell disgusting right now and my pday ends at 6 so Elder Shearer and I should go back and shower. Talk to you next week and send me letters and I will respond. ttyl!

-Elder Peterson