I love my family and this Gospel!! February 28, 2011

Hello my mommy. I love you so much and am excited that you are feeling so great. Well better. Man I am in such a great mood. I love my family. Let’s say it again. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! I have to scream it from the roof tops. Oh man. Our family is so unique in every way and I realize that more and more that I’m on my mission. I'm so grateful for amazing parents that show me what it means to have Christlike love and great parenting. To have siblings that are like my twins and my cousins like my sisters or brothers. Where else is it like this. You are unlike anyone else I serve with; it's unique. I love it so much. I could talk about my family all day and sometimes do. That is one way that I share the Gospel. By sharing my family and the things that has brought us so knit together. I know it's only through the Gospel that we have become like that. I love it. I don’t have much time today but I'm again staying in this area. This will be my longest area and longest companion. Ok so my companion is my height but you know what I mean.haha! It has been a blast and we will continue to see success. I just know it! I love it here so much. The people are amazing! Well that’s it for today. I know its lame but the president’s letter is better. Our teaching pool has become small but will become big again. I know and have faith in that. It's after obedience and hard work, God makes up the difference and provides. I love you!

President Barry~

This has been a very good week but I think the best was this weekend. Eddie of course was confirmed despite how sick he was. He went home right after sacrament. He will be given the priesthood next week. He really seems to be improving. Even his look is changing. He seems neater and put together. Eddie was in a car accident where the result ended in some brain damage but In his blessing he was blessed to have a good memory and that his mind will develop and he will learn to have a deep understanding of the Gospel and I am seeing it, as he is doing what it right. It's so awesome to be here for those changes. I'm so excited to stay here in this area and be able to see things change even more. I'm striving to be the instrument in the Lords hands by working hard and being obedient. I think the best thing about this week was being able to see Brother Toms bless the sacrament. It was so amazing. I have never experienced one of my recent converts bless the sacrament before. He was nervous but he did such a great job. His wife was beaming. I think sister Hafslund and I couldn't stop smiling. The day before we had a sit down dinner with them and two other families and talked to them about going to the temple with their family names in the middle of March with the branch. They are so excited! I wish I could be there but I understand why I can't and really know doing it without us will insure that they will continue to do it without us being there. They are going to take their parents names to the temple. I'm so happy for them. The lesson on the temple was so heartfelt and the spirit was so strong. I think we all were tearing up at the vision of them going to be sealed in the temple as husband and wife. I told them if they go through the temple in a year I would like to fly out to be with them and he looked at me funny and then corrected me and said, "Sister Pedersen, It's not if, it's when." They are truly amazing. We talked about their conversion and why they joined. He was teary eyed as he talked about knowing there was a God when his wife had cancer and had to remove, I think it was, eighteen inches of her intestine. He explained that he didn’t want to lose her. He said he did a lot of praying and he knows God saved her from death when he knew that he couldn't. Alta said she always knew there was a God but sitting in church she knew something was not there because they taught contrary to what her heart believed. She said she had so many questions that just never seemed to be answered the way her heart knew to be true. She said she never dared to open her mouth and say anything to anyone because her church taught against many other churches and if she were to say anything she too would be persecuted. Alta said when she was out delivering a goat in her farm she looked up to see who her dogs were barking at and saw us. As she walked closer she said it was like she were seeing two angles standing at her gate and she knew she had to listen. She said she knew everything we were saying was true. They both agreed there was something missing in their life but they said they knew now what it was, the Gospel.

It has been a true blessing to watch them grow. I'm so grateful to be able to stay here to help Eddie and many others have some of the same experiences. How Glorious is this Gospel! What a change it makes in the lives of men when we leave our will in his hands. Oh my goodness I just love it with all my heart. There really is nothing better than this. That is why we do it his way because there is no greater joy than this and if we do it any other way it will fail because it will never bring happiness. Happiness comes at the price of sacrificing what we want now for what God knows is the greatest. Isn’t that wonderful?

Till next week,
Lots of Love~

Sister Pedersen

I love you all so much and am thankful for each and every one of you! Stay healthy and strong. I pray for you day and night!

Love your Forever Sister Pedersen~