July 9, 2012

"He's as thin as a bicycle!" "...what?

July 9, 2012

Well hey there everyone!

So, I didn't get a transfer, but sadly enough my companion, Elder Stoddard, did. For the first time in my mission I'm going to be with someone younger than me, which is a bit nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time. His name is Elder Strebe from Arizona and I'll be picking him up for the train station tomorrow morning and then head out to Marks again. Crazy stuff!

This week has been an interesting one as we've been preparing our investigator for baptism. Her date is set for the 21st of July, which is coming up pretty quick, so we'll keep on working to prepare her for baptism! No miracle on church attendance this week though, sadly enough, she got pretty sick the night before and it was a better idea for her to rest up that day. Good stuff!

Oh! Almost forgot to mention. Right now I'm at the Williams apartment in Saratov, my favorite senior couple! So awesome being able to see them again unexpectedly before they head back out to the States. Crazy thing, but apparently they're spending a couple of days in London before going back home because the Olympics are happening! Woah! I had no idea this was an Olympic year, so that'll be pretty exciting I bet.

This may be a short and kind of lame letter, but this was a good chance to send out some pictures since there's a port on the Williams computer for doing it. So...picture time!!!

Going in slightly backwards order, that me and some cows there in Marks. Proud to say I'm in the only town in the mission that has cows. Good stuff!

The next picture was at a dinner a week or so ago (also where last weeks brownie quote came from). The grandma there loves missionaries and feeding them delicious Russian food. The woman next to her is her niece and the guy is a wonderful member here in Marks. An investigator the other day got a bit mixed up because they call St. Petersburg simply "Peter" (a member was talking about St. Petersburg for some reason, if I remember right a sister of hers lives there) and she was getting introduced to Peter and then she got so mixed up with my name also being so close to Peter that she got us all mixed up in calling Peter, Peterson. Good times :)

The third pictures just a pretty sunset we had here in Marks over the bazaar there a couple of weeks ago. Marks has the biggest sky I've ever seen in my mission and reminds me a ton of White Rock and Rexburg. Bummer that we come back home before the stars come out, but I bet I'll be able to see them in August or something :)

And, one last picture that you may or may not have gotten from my friend back in Ulianovsk, but I thought I'd share the picture with you on the offchance that you didn't :) Good memories of Ulianovsk.

Anyways, short e-mail this week sorry, but I hope you like the pictures! Thank you so much everything :)

With love

--

Elder Peterson

P.S. a HUGE thank you to some very good friends of mine for the letters. I haven't got the package yet, sorry Mom, but it'll come soon I bet :)