Week two in Thailand!

Week two in Thailand!

We had a Firside in the branch I’m serving in, about missionary work.  Several of the Youth here want to serve and it makes me so happy!  President and Sister Senior came and spoke at the fireside which was so awesome!  The Youth were so excited that they made T-shirts with missionary tags... so cool!  Now that I’m serving a mission and I love it.  I just want everyone to serve and feel like I feel.

There is nothing better than serving other people.  It makes me think of the scripture that says when you are in service of your fellow beings you are only in the service of your God.  I've seen how the message of the gospel can change lives in such a short time here and I've seen it in my own life.  I know that the things our Heavenly Father asks us to do will make our lives happier!

This week I've also had the opportunity to host ward FHE and attend a Family Home Evening in a member’s home.  It’s so fun to see the kinds of games Thai people like.  We were in charge of the activity on Monday nights and the activity committee is in charge of the activity on Wednesday nights.  They really like games with punishments!

On Wednesday we played a game and if you lost, you had to throw baby powder on your face. J …Of course, I lost and they drenched me in the stuff.  L It’s called “bang” here.  I thought it was just a random tradition but when we went to a members home, we played a different game but we still had to throw bang on us if we lost.  LOL  Everyone thinks its hilarious...and it kind of is. J 

This week we had two less active families that we taught come to church. It was so amazing! We didn't even talk to them about church when we visited. Sometimes it’s better to just love people and show them that you care and then they will remember how much heavenly father cares about them! 

 

There is much more out here to do, many more to teach.  The economic level here is so diverse.  This is one of the poorest families we have visited.  They live in basically a shed.  But isn’t this little guy the cuties!!  And a home is a home.

 

 

Love,

Sister Marina Peterson.

This has been a busy week for my family.  Evan, my little brother, just entered the MTC to prepare for his mission in Paris France.  I know he will be an excellent Elder and will feel the spirit of the Lord, as I did while in the MTC.  Take advantage of your time there!  There is no place like it, except out in the field.

Wow, my family is all over the world now.

Love to you all!

Sister Marina Peterson

In the Field...week 1

Hello everyone!

I'm finally in Thailand!  It has been a crazy but awesome.  I began my first week of training by buying a bike (cagrayaan).  This is when it really hit me that I had to ride a bike around Thailand traffic!  When my room mates were teaching me how to ride a bike this summer, in preparation for my mission, I didn't think I really thought about it much...or at all.  I made them take me to trails because I was to scared to drive in Provo traffic.  J

 

In my few day of dodging motorcycles, maneuvering Thailand’s U-turns, and trying to keep up with my companion (not easy), I've found a few coping methods.  The first, singing hymns to myself so I don’t freak out and seriously praying for safety.  But it’s getting easier every day…what hasn't gotten easier is riding in skirt.  J  I am pretty sure I’ve flashed everyone in my area, at one point or another.  LOL  The other sisters say you just learn how to manage it, but they can’t explain how???  Oh well, till then I'm Marilyn Monroing it.  :-0

 

Anyways, I love the branch I’m serving in and I love the members.  I can’t understand 90 percent of what they are saying but they are so strong and kind. The members really want a meeting house and they're definitely enthusiastic in helping with the missionary work! 

 

My companion and I have a white washed the area, meaning she had never been here before and so we were kind of starting from scratch with investigators.  We started teaching an investigator that we met at his shop.  He's been thinking about religion for a long time because his parents believe in different religions.  We had our first official lesson with him and though my Thai is not so good, I definitely felt the spirit. There is a power intensified in your beliefs and I love bearing my testimony to the people of Thailand!

 

A cultural tidbit about Thailand.  Talking about peoples race is not taboo and they definitely do it often.  I get called a farang several times a day and everywhere I go I stick out...a lot.  The other sisters I work with are either khonthai (native Thai) or half Thai, so I really stick out.  J  The blessing side of it…it gets me noticed which allows me to talk to many people!  

I love you all and I'll write more next week!

I'm here...

A real missionary has to ride a bike!

 

 

 

With my trainer, Sister Mullenand

 

 

Arrived. Safe and Sound

VIA EMAIL                                                                                                            

 

Dear Brother and Sister Peterson:

 

We are happy to report that your daughter arrived safely in Bangkok.  She is in good spirits and is anxious to begin laboring in the Lord’s vineyard in Thailand.  I love Peterson’s enthusiasm and spirit.  She will be an amazing missionary. Your daughter will be oriented today by the Office Couple Elder and Sister Jones, the Mission Assistants and also by Sister Senior and me.  She will experience her first opportunity to meet people on the street in a “Dan Jones” street contacting experience later today.    Later this evening, Sister Peterson and her group will be joining my wife and me for dinner at the Mission Home.

 

Sister Peterson will receive her first assignment tomorrow morning.  Preparation day will be on Monday and she will be able to email you each week.  I am sure she will have much to share regarding her experiences with Thailand, missionary activities and first Sunday in her assigned area.

 

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions during Sister Peterson’s missionary service.

 

Sincerely,

 President and Sister Senior

 dsenior@ldschurch.org

There will be 23 hours of plane ride ahead of me, but I can't wait!!  This is what the last 8 weeks has been about.

Sister from Thailand and her companion, assigned to Temple Square.

 

 

Our teacher.

 

 

Week Eight:

 

My last P-day at the MTC!!!! I'm so excited to get out into the field!  

 

This week has been one exciting day after another!  (Sorry for all the exclamation points but I…can't help it!!!!)  Reason one:  Our progressing investigator Eey, finally committed to baptism! I've probably mentioned this before but even though deep down I know these investigators aren't real, our lessons with them and their progression really affects me and from what I’ve gathered, the same goes for every other missionary.  Eey was really hard to figure out and understand his needs but on Thursday night, our lesson just went beautifully and my companion and I were really feeling the spirit and we ended our lesson with a baptismal challenge (we'd already ask a few times but he wasn't ready) and he said he was ready and he understood the importance of it!!!!

 

Reason two:  My district received our travel plans right before General Conference.  The time here was starting to slow down (painfully) and this gave my district the boost we needed to use our time wisely.

 

Reason three:  General Conference! For those of you who were unable to watch it, I urge you to go online and do so.  Never have I been so spiritually fed in my life.  The over-all themes I received from the talks were the Lord is hastening his work and Now is the time to develop faith and then put it into action.  If you were here at the MTC you would know this is true the Lord is hastening his work and so many missionaries have responded!  For me personally, I have been learning a lot about faith and the power that comes from it.

 

Several of the talks urged us to put our faith in Christ into action and I'm so excited to start doing that (especially as I head out to Thailand!).  I know that the Lord will bless us when we show we have faith in him (Ether 12:6).

 

Reason four:  I'm leaving for Thailand in 5 days! And finally…

 

Reason five:  My companion and I were asked to demonstrate how to begin teaching to all the new missionaries today!  This means we get to go in and teach one of the actor-investigators in front of a bunch of freshly dropped off missionaries.  I'm really nervous and very excited at the same time.  This is the first time my companion, Sister Maughan and I will be teaching in English so I sort of feel like I'm starting from scratch.  I remember our first day here watching this demonstration of teaching and thinking those missionaries are being awkward and I'm probably going to be twice as awkward but...oh well experience is worth its weight in gold and we'll just rely heavily on the spirit!

 

Love

Sister Marina Peterson

The famous MAP photos.

 

Class and the Elders

 

 



 

Week Seven:

This week was amazing.  I had the opportunity to sing in the Sister Missionary choir at the Conference Center!  When they told us President Monson was speaking, I was so excited!  The whole experience was very surreal.  Our choir director, during rehearsal, taught us how to cry and not look like a mess.  She explained that if you try to choke back tears they will just end up running down your nose, which isn't very pretty.  If you rapidly blink them away, they role down your cheeks, like in a movies.  I didn’t understand why at first they were teaching us this because I’ve never cried in a song before, but when we were singing the spirit was like ten times stronger then during our practices and about half of us were crying (me included)…but you couldn't tell because of our crying training, LOL.

 

President Monson talked right before our final song and I’ve never felt so inspired in my life.  I know with all my heart the Relief Society is a divine organization filled with amazing women of all ages and nationalities and I felt very humbled and blessed to have the opportunity to sing for them.  

 

It was really nice to leave the MTC for awhile...I realized I hadn't been in a car for a while because the minute we passed BYU campus in the bus, I was car sick.  J  I don't know what I'm going to do on a 18 hour plane ride!  (She has done it before so I know she will be OK. Dale)  I'm so excited to go to Thailand but now that its closer, I'm also really sad to be leaving my teachers and parting ways with my district and companion.   :-(  

 

My companion and I hosted the new missionaries today for the first time.  It felt good to talk to Sisters who were just beginning their mission.  I’ve never been so excited for another person in my life!  I was so nervous coming into the MTC but reflecting back to my first day here, the minute I was in my class, serving the Lord, I knew I was where I needed to be.

 

I love my companion and my district and we've all become such good friends as we struggle to learn a Thai!  I showed two sisters around and both of them were pretty nervous and it felt good to be able to say with conviction that their time here was going to bless their lives and their respective missions.  I have a strong testimony of the importance of missionary work and I'm so happy to be apart of it!

 

Love

Sister Marina Peterson

Last Saturday, Marina sang at the Relief Society General Conference in Salt Lake City.  You can view it on lds.org  You can see her on the opening and closing songs.  Here are some pictures:

Last week was a busy week for Marina and me (her Dad).  Sorry for the late posts but here they come!