Hiii!
Yesterday was Byron's baptism and it was so amazing! This was my first time going to a convert's baptism and I loved it! The whole program was in English because he is from New Zealand, so I really got to appreciated everything. It is interesting because in Japan, it takes a lot of teaching and understanding for a person to be Baptised. And Japanese are really stuck in their Buddhist culture ways. So when a baptism happens, not too often, it is pretty powerful and meaningful. I am happy I got to be apart of it. -just wait for next week 
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Last Pday we went to the aquarium with some other missionaries and oh my goodness you guys. I had the best time. We got to watch a dolphin show and it was so precious. The cute little dolphins seemed so excited to show us their tricks and jumps. There were some balooga whales, turtles, jellyfish, lots of other aquarium things! Overall 8/10 aquarium. (They didn't really have sharks:/)
Haha I made an absolute fool of myself on Friday. As most of you could probably guess, I am just not good at all at basketball. But we were invited to play with some people. We show up and it's literally the elders and all teenage Japanese boys (+2 older ppl) who are SO GOOD at basketball. My comp didn't want to play, so I was on my own. Idk how I did it but I ended up scoring a whole 6 points for my team WOOP! I will not tell you the total point we had and let you think 6 is a lot! 
We had zone conference this Friday and wow, so amazing. As always of course. (I also got to see my favorite Sister Harris from the MTC! Oh I love her!!) The main thing I learned and am really trying to work on is being mindful and present. My brain tends to wander a lot and over think a lot. Especially being on the mission this can be a problem and has become one quickly. I over think small things I have done, maybe I didn't talk to a person I walked by, I stress because I do not know the Japanese for my next lesson, etc. It's hard. But I am working on focusing on things around me, being more present and allowing the spirit to just guide me, and trusting that God will always pull through!Alma 36:3
"for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day."
I am sorry, I have to cut this email short. I am exhausted and have lots to do.
Next week's email will be more fun!
I love you all!
God loves you too!!
<3 Sister Peterson
08/26/24
Also my bike ATE my skirt and tore it so bad 
very unfortunate, humbling, exposing moment for me. (ăăă Ferraz ć§ćŠč, the skirt was great while it lasted
)
very unfortunate, humbling, exposing moment for me. (ăăă Ferraz ć§ćŠč, the skirt was great while it lasted)Also my mom already chastised me for freezing unpeeled bananas, and I have already understood why you gotta peel the bananas, THEN freeze them. So I don't want to hear it.
Guys, I have been eating like 5 bananas a day... A member from another ward knows one of our elders because he served in that ward previously. Well this man asked if he could give us Bananas so we were like oh sure. HE LITERALLY GAVE US A WHOLE BOX WITH LIKE 100 BANANAS! So our whole apartment smells like Bananas now. I am planning on making banana bread, but please if anyone knows what to do with a bazillion Bananas LET ME KNOW!! I am not sure if I can keep up with my 5 a day streak for much longer.
On Tuesday evening we went out streeting and talked to this man. (I approached him, so I was proud of myself) We told him we have free English classes (eikaiwa) and if he was interested (in Japanese). He responded "a little bit" in English!!! We were like woahhh. We then were able to get his phone number and add him to our eikaiwa group chat! A couple days later he texted us asking if he can bring his friend. We were like ummm of courseeeee! After eikaiwa that night he told us he has ANOTHER friend he wants to bring AND that friends child! So by talking to 1 person, we got 4 more people to our class. It was so amazing!!
Another evening we were streeting again hehe (basically all we do) and we saw this girl named Sashini! We had talked to her a little bit a couple days before while we were all riding bikes but she had to go to work. The conversation was really casual. Well, when she saw us again this evening she was riding her bike while we were walking. Girl screeches her bike to a stop and asks US for OUR phone number! It was amazing! I'm guessing she is about 17-18 years old. She had to zoom off to work again, but I have high hopes for her!
We had dinner with a member and her daughter, then they took us to a Matsuri (festival)!! It was fun! There were a lot of people there! When we got there we went over to this area where everyone was doing like Japanese culture dances. They were pretty simple so we joined in! We also walked around the vendor area where they had lots of food. I bought a yummy chocolate covered banana (despite my collection at the apartment) and a frozen can of mandarin oranges haha. Both were amazing! I decided that I literally do not care the price, I am going to buy a kimono. You know, the fancy outfits Japanese people wear. A bunch of people were wearing them around the festival and I felt so left out. 
Japan Tips!
This week we visited with a member and she shared an incredible personal story that made it into the Ensign (a church magazine) like forever ago! I will attach a picture of it, so PLEASE READ IT!
I have to explain some of these pictures...
If any of you did not know, Nagoya is like the 3rd largest city in Japan. Gokiso is our area name, but it is actually just a train station name here, and the ward`s name, so I am in Nagoya city. I feel like I am in the devil's armpit. Not only is it super hot, but it is unbelievably humid. I am so lucky to be from beautiful, sweet, DRY Idaho. Unfortunately this has made the work hard because we just want to be in air conditioning all day. But we do our best we can!
I forgot to mention last week that I was reunited with half my sistrict!! It was amazing. Reminded me of when Alma and the sons of Mosiah reunited and were all just super happy and excited. Fun fact my amazing MTC comp Sister Merrill is now companions with my trainer Sister Takahashi!!! Haha they are both very very lucky.
Last week I was able to meet an amazing person here named Byran! He is from New Zealand (speaks English with an AMAZING accent)!! He is already on date for baptism, but I got to help teach a lesson to him and wow you guys. He is amazing. He takes everything so good and applies it to his own life so well. I wish everyone would be able to get the opportunity to meet him. He is a testament to me that the spirit works. This man didn't know it, but has been waiting for these truths his whole life. I am so excited for his baptism! 
I know I have already talked about the humidity, but I want to address it again. I have literally never in my life sweated as much as I have this past week. There was a sweat line from where the strap of my bag was. Like across my body hahaha. Literally what. I am being humbled that's for sure. I just keep reminding myself I am here to serve the lord not find a husband. Because if that was the case... 
Nothing too crazy has happened this week, so I am just going to speed run the little things. 
I am sorry to those who mainly read my emails for the Japanese tips, but I do not have the mental capacity to think of any right now. Love you all!! 
A little bit ago I was thinking about Role Models. I might have read a conference talk that sparked this thinking. I think in the talk it said we should admire qualities in other people, but our role model should always be Jesus Christ. He is the person we should strive to be. While I was thinking about this, another thought crossed my mind. Well who is the person we should strive to look like? I thought for a second then I was like HOLD UP. There is none. Absolutely 0. Because we were all purposefully created to look and be different. There are a lot of worldly standards for what we should look like, both male and female, but those are WORLDLY. 
