Happy Pday! woop! One of my favorite 7 days of the week!
I feel like these past couple weeks have been a blur. They are going by both very slow and a little fast. I am thankful for them though, don't get me wrong.
I think 2 weeks ago the elders found a woman for us to teach! Okay, I already have a hard time understanding Japanese, but this woman's Japanese is like impossible to understand. Luckily we have Elder Akiyama (Japanese) and Elder Spillett (half Japanese) to help us with lessons! This woman is super faithful and is progressing so fast. She is already on date for baptism!! October 20th! Please pray for her! It is so cool to hear from her how the knowledge of the gospel has already blessed her life so much!
Like I mentioned last week, for Pday we went to the Nagoya Space and Science museum! It was so fun! It was kinda like the Discovery Center in Meridian, but 10x bigger. Lots of fun! Unfortunatly the big planetarium presentation was in pure Japanese (I do not know space related Japanese) and the lights were dimmed just perfect for a nap. hehe, dont ask me what I learned during that.
I understand why people say they grow the most when they are training. I mean obviously my Japanese is SOOO FARRR from where I would like it to be, but you guys. This week I taught lessons, testified, taught people on the streets, etc. all in Japanese. "Sister Peterson, shouldn't you have been doing that your whole mission?" Well, yes, but this time, I am the more experienced companion out of the 2 of us. I have the responsibility. I am being relied on. I lead. This week has been cool because I have really been able to see my progress. I still have lots to work on, but I am proud of myself for this week! 
Japan Tips- People still look really scared when we say hi to them
- Every doorbell has an intercom. It makes getting denied at the door a lot easier when not face to face.
- It's true, Japan is very stylish. I am constantly impressed by people's day to day outfits!
#usacouldneverWe had a lesson this week and a member joined and she commented something really good! I will explain. She said has always been a people pleaser. Before she found the church, she sought people's love and approval. It was like a jar that would get filled up, but it had a whole at the bottom. She never felt satisfied with that love from others. Worldly love. Once she found Gods love the jar was filled and even overflowed. She said she now wants to share the love she knows from God with others.
I loved this comment so much because we can seek love from the world, but it wont last. The only love that will last is Gods.
1 John 4
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
I love you all!
God Loves You!
Make it a good week!
<3 Sister Peterson
09/30/24
Training is hard, but not as hard as I thought it was gonna be. Probably because my beanchan is so amazing. She is super understanding and laughs with me when I make a mistake. Like that one time when a lady talked to us for like 20 min and we had no idea what she was saying so we kept bearing (is that the right spelling?) our testimony of the Book of Mormon haha... ohhh that was pretty awkward. But it is hard having all the responsibility and being the one who is always relied on. It's okay, I take it day by day!
When I first got to this area, the member × missionary relationship was a little rough. Not very many people talked to us. But recently, it has been so good! Everyone is willing to help us and bare with us through our rough Japanese. The support and love has been soooo helpful.
We played apples to apples with our Eikaiwa class which was pretty fun. My favorite part was hearing them try to say hippopotamus. Hahahaha I was dying. The best part is they are all older people and so hearing them talk like 5 year old English is amazing. I have great respect for people who learn a language for fun. Because it is HARD WORK!
Last Pday we walked around Nagoya and it was so fun! The city is so big and there are so many things to see and do! Today we are going to the Nagoya Planetarium space museum thing. Yay!! I am super super thankful God put me here!
On Tuesday I received the call from my mission president that I will be training. I said these exact words to him "are you sure president?" because literally what. So yes, I got my daughter, my beanchan on saturday night and I am seriously lucky! She is so ready to work and is the sweetest ever. I am just a little stressed.
Saturday evening was the best time of my life. 
Second, Elder Cook spoke to us!! It was just our mission that he spoke to and you guys wow. The spirit was so thick you could almost see it. I want to cry thinking about it. He said SO MANY amazing things like wow. But a really special moment for me was when we (the mission) were singing a song for him that we had worked so hard on. It was a whole Tabernacle choir arrangement, so it was beautiful. Throughout the song I kept looking at him (I was in the second row!!) and at my favorite part I looked up and made eye contact with him and saw that he had tears in his eyes. Immediately my eyes flooded. It was really cool to sing for an apostle of Jesus Christ AND to hear him testify of Jesus Christ. I will hold so many things from that devotional super close to my heart always.
Random thought: anyone know the game crossy road? Well, I had a realization that it literally predicted my mission to Japan all the way back in high school. BECAUSE I got my highest score ever with the Samurai character. Random, but literally I think crossy road is a little magical!
Okay, I have to cut this email short because I do not have much time left. But I just want you all to know that everything is okay, you are okay! Life is supposed to be enjoyable, so make it!!! Lets do it together, because right now is pretty hard. I don't know about you, but wow, ya know? We just have to find the little things!
