Grandpa

hello hello

     wow i don't know what to say here.  it sounds like you guys had a really good week.  really special.  ha ha nothing super special happened here and i don't know if i can compete with those last few letters.  it was really cool to call home.  it was good to talk to you mom.  ha i totally thought you were jaynanne.  you sounded very young or something ha ha.  not that you usually don't sound young:)  i enjoyed the pictures.  i feel left out but what can you do.  its good to see everybody there, everybody reuniting.  i haven't seen daniel in a long time.  that looked fun.  your many temple experiences sound great.  i miss the temple.  sometimes i think about it.  like right now i'm reading in exodus when they made the tabernacle, and it makes me reflect on our modern temples.  very different, but same purpose.  i'm excited for steffanie.  it sounds like she'll do good.  she's lucky to have you guys help her.  its nice to hear that byu continues to lose.  that'll teach them.  dad i really enjoyed your talk.  i remember bringing grandpa up that first time.  i was nervous also ha ha.  he was a good man who had a good testimony.  reading your talk made me emotional.  it probably the best talk there.  you are an awesome speaker.  always good.

    

Masalim

well like i said, this week had nothing super special.  one huge highlight was our baptism this last saturday!!  very good.  his name was Masalim.  he is the grandpa of the Ning family.  so that makes 9 people.  he was the last non-member from that house and now they are all baptized and doing good.  its so exciting.  i am so glad that i ever met them.  they are so nice and have helped us so much.  it brings me joy that i helped them change their lives.  they were telling us that before they were baptized their family was different.  more angry, especially the mom.  less love.  more confusion.  they didn't like going to church.  now we can't get them to leave the church.  they are always laughing and playing.  there is definately love there.  they are no longer confused.  their lives have a purpose, a direction.  they know where they are going as a family.  how awesome is that!!!  i was so blessed to ever knock their house. 

     a lot of random things happened this week.  First of all i need to teach you how to say Sandakan.  the a's are pronounced like aw, like in lawn. all a's in malay are alike. 

I caught two more rats.  there wasn't even bait on the trap but two wandered in there at the same time and we got em both.  there are still plenty more to catch.  

we have a new mission policy.  pretty much every other mission in the world is the same, or close.  as in all of their policies and what not.  our mission has been very different in the past as far as the name tag thing, visa runs, clothes we wear, who we can and cannot teach,  stuff like that.  starting next week we all have to wear suits to church.  we're one of the few missions that doesn't already do this.  its going to be hot.  a lot of elders are angry.  i'm just like whatever, i look good in a suit ha ha.  it will be hot though. Next week we are going to KL for a weeklong training.  that should be really fun.  we'll get to see a lot of fun elders.  and President Clark's trainings are good.  i don't think we will be having a P day so i don't know when i'll email you next week.

     the first week of every month we have a branch social.  since it is october, this last friday we had a costume party.  they don't celebrate halloween here but we did.  it was pretty fun.  they had a bunch of clothes so i threw some on and ended up with a preacher type outfit.  we played games and ate food.  i won a trophy for my costume.  we also got to judge the noodles.  none were really that good. i mean how good can noodles be? ha ha but we had to give out the trophys.  it was a fun party.  i think sister wieland will send you some pictures.   on monday we went and had family night with the Chins.  their son added dad on facebook ha ha.  their other son is just getting into this mission field today.  Bro chin is the first counselor in the district presidency and sister chin is the relief society president.  they're pretty nice.  we had fun.  she cooked for us.  we played Jenga. the game with the block tower that you have to pull out peices and put them on top.  ha ha they got way more into it than we expected.  they were good.  it was intense.   

     i have a few thoughts about grandpa.  i miss him.  just think of how much we grew because of him.  i feel pretty bad that i didn't really sit down and talk with him or try to get to know him until this last year.  i enjoyed my time with him.  think of how much we grew because of him.  i think our family grew closer together.  i think we kind of set our immediate needs aside and focused on him.  that's pretty christ like.  he needed our help and we had the means so we helped him.  i think this whole ordeal must have been hard, and frustrating at times like when dad and the brothers were sorting out the will and finances and all of that.  but i think that i saw our relatives more than in the last five years combined.  we had more contact and discussion.  we were forced to, but i think it was a blessing.  it was frustrating at the time to bring grandpa around but i really enjoyed brining him around the store or around church or just sitting and talking with him.  i learned patience ha ha.  anyways, this whole thing has been a huge blessing.  think what we were supposed to learn from all of this.  there was probably some intended reason we had to go through this whole thing.  very interesting to think about.  i hope you realize it too.

     thats all for this week.  things sound great there. keep going to church and reading and praying.  hopefully i get to watch conference this weekend.  they scheduled it for this weekend but i don't think we'll have the dvd's yet.  we'll see.  it sounds good.  i'm excited.  i'm safe.  i'm healthy.  i love you all!!

Elder Petersen