Fort Collins - Week 16

Hello Everyone,

This week has been really fun. Elder Brandenburg and I have been laughing a lot during studies and were definitely improving our unity and teaching skills. President Ely actually asked Elder Brandenburg to start language studies in the morning to improve his accent. He has great grammar, were just working on pronunciation. I'm doing my best to mold him into a proper American! So far he says things like "aunt" rather than "ant" and I decided that he should say "root" rather than "route". It’s cool because he thinks just because I say it one way that it’s right! ha-ha. But seriously were going to start memorizing scripture mastery for language study.

Did I ever mention that it is still warm here? Well it is and there are some days we don’t even need coats. It’s pretty sweet. People are saying that were in the middle of some heat thing and that as soon as it passes the fall season, were going to have snow. I might buy some gloves. Oh yeah we had interviews this week and president Ely gave me some a hat and earmuffs and when the other elders saw it they laughed because they said it meant that I would be on bike all winter long. They were actually someone just donated them for the missionaries and I laughed too but I feel like I might be on a bike through the winter. We’ll see how that goes.

Well today is starting to turn pretty overcast and windy so I hope things aren’t changing yet. I hope you all have a great week and I’ll write you all next week!

(p.s. that family that came last week ended up coming again to see their son in the primary program! Some members even had a birthday party for his dad too! we talked to them about marriage and we have a bit of work to do but were doing our best!) 

-Elder Peterson

Fort Collins - Week 14

 NEW COMPANION - ELDER BRANDENBURG

Hi Everyone,

This week has been much like the last few with days were Elder Shearer felt a little too sore in the morning to do a whole lot. He wasn't being lazy, the physical therapy and bike riding wore him out. Well that all going to change because I have a new companion!!!! Elder Shearer has been made a district leader and actually moved two wards over; he will be my district leader and have a car. He is a little nervous having more responsibility but I think he will do great.

Well right now I have spent the past three months within the Parkwood Ward which is only like 6 square miles. It is in the Fort Collins Stake so if you go to Fort Collins Colorado and look for the streets College, Prospect, and Horsetooth, that are our ward boundaries. Prospect is the northern border, Horsetooth is the southern and College is the western. We kind of go off into infinity to the west so I don't know where that ends. The members’ house where I am currently living is 512, Cortez CT and we’re real close to the church which is in the corner of Stover and Swallow. Let me know if you find it! Also Elder Shearer go hit at the intersection of Lamay and Stover. Check it out on Google Earth!

Anyway my new companion is Elder Brandenburg. He is from the Netherlands!!! He has a strong accent, is 23 years old like Elder Shearer, mathematics major, is amazing at Chess, and that is just what I’ve learned from the past hour. He has been on his mission for 6 months and this is his first transfer as senior companion. I am also the first American companion he has had. He told me stories of his Mexican companion and him tracking where neither of them understood the person on the door step. This is totally going to be a whole new experience for me. I'll be planning most of everything because this is still my area and I know what is going on. I'm a little nervous but I think we are both going to grow as missionaries from it. Life as a missionary is about to change for me but I still love it. i hope everything is going great back home! Have a great week!

-- Elder Peterson