E-Mail June 18

Hey Randi!

So, I know you were prolly just down there for Pa's Day yesterday but, Michelle has a box there waiting for her! It is a kind of multi-gift box. Haha. It was going to be sent to your place for Michelle's Birthday but, it wouldnt have gotten there until Today! SO, because it also has Pa's Father's Day gift I sent it to their house so he would get his gift ASAP. But, Michelle does have a present there waiting for her. I hope she likes it!

Oh! Thanks for the letter! Hand Written! FAAANNNCCCY!! I forgot it at the trailer so I might have to respond a little later to it. Lo siento! Anyway, I love your stinkin-rotten-guts!

~Elder Daniel Peterson

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E-Mail June 11, 2012 The Show Low Rap

Errybody say "Olo!" Cause I'm stayin here in Show Low!
Cause the Lord knows, this is where im sposed to go.
If you wanna write back I wont give any hack
cause itd be appreciated... So i wont know I'm hated...

Hahaha, I crack myself up sometimes. That was a rap by the by. =D

June 10, 2012

Hey Pa!

Elder Woerner just gave me a couple of pens & this one was a different color so I thought I would use it! Although it's super leaky so... New pen! This one is kinda the same way but not as bad. Anyway, how have things been? How many times have you seen The Avengers now? Haha, I heard it is one of the best movies people have seen in a long time.


Things have been going okay up here. (Much better pen.) I know if I say what I want to say next I will hear about it on Monday but... The Lord must be trying to teach me patience and obedience while I'm up here. The work has been slow. We only have a couple of people we are teaching & even then they aren't really going anywhere. Because of that we have been a little more lax on things. I know that's not right & I am working on getting back into the right gear. It just gets super monotonous trying to get a hold of the same people everyday. Luckily we have had a lot of service opportunities lately to break up the monotony of it all.


We have one guy named Kasey that just fell off date for his baptism because he feels like he needs to continue to get a feel for things before he is ready. It would help if he would come to church more often! Agh, urks me. Elder Woerner says I worry about it too much but, I don't know. Then there's the Hutchinson family, 3 of 7 are already members so we have been working with 4 of them. Only big issue with that is the dad used to be super Agnostic so he has all thses crazy concerns, now that he is coming back into activity, that  trinkle down to two of the older kids. He won't set foot in a temple because of the Angel Moroni on top of them. "Those are graven images! The scriptures specifically say, 'No graven images!'" He kills me. Anyway, these are really the only people we are teaching right now.


A couple of other things have happened these past few weeks but nothing too exciting. I branded/castrated cows. Got to try Rocky Mountain Oysters *if you don't know what that is, Google it!*, not so great, and while on exchanges locked ourselves out of the trailer we were staying in, so we had to break in. Besides that we have just done a lot of service lately. Nothing too big to report on.


I hope everything is going well with/at the Peterson household. I lov eyou Pa. Miss you too. Hope to hear from you soon!


~ Elder Daniel Peterson

Men In Black Rap

So, before Daniel left for his Mission I was planning a pretty sweet Men In Black themed birthday party for him. As part of the party I was re-writing some of the lyrics of the original MIB song by Will Smith. It turns out a few other people have done this as well so I took a few of their lyrics when I couldn't figure out my own. Anyway, it ended up like this...

We are your best, last, and only line of  offense.
We work with power, we exist by authority.
And we dress in black.

The good guys dress in black, remember that
On a bike, car, bus, we make contact
The title held by me: MISSIONARY
Teaching with great power and authority

You know we won’t cruise, or the spirit’s gone
Conservative suits with the Wembley ties on
Walking urgent, with a purpose
Eating up all of the members’ surplus

And yo, we ain’t got no strings attached.
Our flaxen cords are cut so we don’t detract
See something cute, turn our back
Cause we’re keeping holy where the MIB’s are at

Now from the hottest of Tempe‘s streets
On the horizon white shirts enter the sight tight
Faithful men, 10 on a scale of 10
And then like BOOM white shirts fill the room up

With the quickness talk with the Witnesses
Confounding, and astounding
Testimonies strong tear down doctrine wrong
Ain’t no anti-cheese, can I please

Learn what we teach, that’s the way we kick it
Know what I mean?
I see all my commitments getting wicked on ya
We’re you’re best, last, and only line of offense against the worst scum of the universe

So don’t fear us – hear us!
If you ever get near us you’ll see that we’re fearless
MIB’s leading up all your pack
“What’s that stand for?” Men in Black.

Alright, check it, let me tell you this in closing
I know we might seem imposing
But trust me – if we ever come your direction
Believe me – it’s for your own election

We don’t be teaching what we need not teach
And we don’t be speaking what we need not speak
So come unto Christ, cut this apostate crap
Show love to the black suit, cause that’s the Men in Black.

Then, just last weekend, Bryan and I went to see Men In Black 3. The song at the end of the credits caught my attention right away! I still had to change some of the lyrics, but a lot of them actually worked just the way they were. It's not the whoe song, but this song wasn't written by Will Smith so... it just wasn't as clean, and that made it a little more difficult to work with. So, here's the two main verses (my missionary version)...

Black suits, white shirts, black glasses with a matching tie
Like Elder P or Elder K, and I wish the whole world would
Understand what we understood
Ok, I’m tryin' make our world make a little sense
I’m a go-getter, mover, shaker, culture, bury a boarder, record-breaker won’t cha
Give credit where credit is due don’t cha
Know that we come, not as one, always there’s two
Y'all just got halfway thoughts
Not sure how to make up your mind
But to understand the future we have to go back in time

He got the globe, yeah, in the palm of His hand
Wherever He spin it, that's where I land
Let’s save the world
Men In Black I know you understand
Stop the movement, they can try if they want to
We can’t be stopped, we’re too strong for you-know-who
What it solves is meant for all to know
Took like jigsaw and built it all
From the bottom up, we can explain it all
Y'all just got halfway thoughts
Not sure how to make up your mind
But to understand the future, we have to go back in time!

E-Mail June 4, 2012

Hey everyone!
This week has been really good. We started out the week (P-day) by going to a members house and roping. I was really learning how to do most of it but, it was a lot of fun! I also got to ride a horse! Bare back! Hahaha, it was so legit! I got a couple of pictures and will be sending those home this week. We might be going to do something like that again today. The rest of the week kind of went as usual with no real excitement other than the fact that we had 7 or 8 lessons this week which is the most we have had in a while! Then on Friday we were out in Vernon looking for this family that had just moved into the ward and was being taught by other Elders. So we found their road but none of the houses had house numbers so we turned around and started to head back to Show Low. On the way back there was a snake in the middle of the road, just a little Bull Snake, and we had just picked up this pole (the end of a broom) earlier that morning. So I backed up and Elder Woerner and I started to mess with it! We picked it up, on the stick, although I really wanted to grab it by the back of the head and then send THAT picture home, and took a few pictures and everything and then I was gonna let it go but Elder Woerner was like, "Lemme see!" So I gave it to him and he swung the stick, with the snake on there, like a baseball bat and flung it out into this field about 50 feet out. It looked pretty funny flyin through the air. But, after that we came home and finished up the night here in Show Low.
Then comes Sunday. Yesterday was amaz-zing. I really strengthened, if not gained, a testimony on Fasting. Saturday night when I was beginning my fast I prayed that we might be able to work in a way to help our area progress and that He might help us see the fruits of our labors. Well... Let me tell you; He definitely had a hand in this one. We go to church not expecting anyone to be there since we havent really been teaching anyone in this ward (Second Ward). This guy Chris Satterlee, who we only get to teach about once a transfer cause he works 4 jobs, shows up to church! He hasnt ever been and decided he really wanted to go this Sunday! Woot! Miracle #1 done. Then, since it was Testimony Meeting, every other person started to bear their testimony on the missionary work they have been doing! So, we still need to go and stop by all those people but still! Miracle #2 done. After that ward let out we went back to our place and studied for a little bit before First Ward started. We went there and we see 4 of our investigators, The Hutchinsons, there. Normally only 3 of them come but all 4 of them were there. AND one of the little girls said she wants to get baptized with the other 2 that we put on date this week! Woot! Woot! Not only were they there but like 15 kids got up and bore their testimonies on all the missionary work THEY had been doing also! What the heck! Miracle #3 finito. I couldnt believe it! It was absolutely amazing! Now, it wasnt all just gonna happen without there being some obstacle right? Of course not! Bro. Hutchinson, the father, used to be super agnostic so he has looked at everything there is to know about any religion and really takes things by the letter. Kind of Pharisee like. It's dumb. But, after Gospel Principles class he walks out and tells us, "I've been really good today at not correcting people." Elder Woerner and I look at each other and give each other a puzzled look. He goes on to say, "Today is NOT the Sabbath... The Sabbath is NOT Sunday." Oh my heck... this guy has crazy concerns for being LDS. Secondly, he says, "Oh! And I went to the temple the other day. Not inside cause I cant do that, not that I ever would, but I walked around outside it." We then ask him, "Well, what was so bad about it?" Then he comes up with this crazy answer. "Theres a friggin statue on top! I told you I have had issues with that in the catholic church! The Bible specifically says 'No graven images!'" ... ... ... How the heck are you supposed to answer that? "We dont worship those idols. I have always thought that that was what the Bible says about that. That's what it says in the next verse." Nope! That doesnt matter. He just goes off on this tangent about the Bible saying that we are not to have ANY graven images. I really wanna throw it back in his face and say that it also says "nor any likeness..." So does he want us to take down all of our pictures of Christ and any other things? And what about in his house? Should we point out that he has pictures of Christ in his home?? It's ridiculous. He's crazy and I am scared to be bold with him cause he has openly said that he has no issue taking people out of the picture... Yeah, he's insane. But, there are people in there that need the Gospel. So yeah! besides that Sunday was awesome!
I hope to hear from everyone soon! I love and miss you all!
~Elder Daniel Peterson

June 4, 2012

Hey Familia!

So, this is really just a letter to let you guys know what all has happened today.

So, today being our P-day * Preparation day* we get to have our fun day, right? Well, the Tuesday prior we had all talked about going to some caves. That didn't happen! So instead we went to a members property & helped him with some chores. But first, lets recap real quick what I did last week. Learned to rope & rode a horse bare back. Done! This week I helped corral cattle. Sorted out all the calves. Helped with the chute. Tagged em'. Branded em'. Here comes the fun part! Castrated the bulls! Woot! Haha, I have done just about all there is to do. Then we went over to the members place & had bratwursts, watermelon, deviled egg potato salad, pink lemonade & elk sausage! Went to teach a FHE *Family Home Evening* lesson with a family & came home feeling like butt! So, I think I am going to go to bed now.


I love you all & miss you!


~ Elder Daniel Peterson


P.S.- Here are some pictures from last P-day. 


*Still have to scan those in. I'll post them here ASAP!*

E-Mail May 28, 2012

Hey Familia!

This week has been super hectic. Elder Woerner had a bunch of meetings and things to go to so he was barely in our area this week. He was down in the valley for 2 days and then we went out to Vernon to do some service, then White Mountain Lakes for service and then we went back to our place to finish up the night there. It's just been super weird. Not a whole lot to report on this week.
I love you all and miss you! Keep on the straight and narrow and listen to the words of our prophet and Savior!
~Elder Daniel Peterson

May 20, 2012

Hey Kates!

Happy Happy Birthday, from all of us to you! We wish it was our Birthday so we could party too! Ay!

Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Katie. Happy Birthday to you!

You've had a Birthday shout "Hooray!" We want to sing to you today. One year older and wiser too. Haaappy Birthday, to you!

Happy Birthday Kates! If I had a job I would probably have gotten you an actual something! But, I'm a broke missionary so here's a little something.

So how have you been? I know I kinda got to talk to you on Mother's Day about a lot of stuff, but there's always something, right? How's the gang doin'? Are they diminishing yet? Anything funny? Crazy? Crazy funny?

Well hey, I love you Kates. I miss you. I pray for you often. You are a great sister & an amazing friend to have in my life. Despite you killing my car : p haha! Just a joke! Remember, "If you don't like where you are, change it. You're not a tree!" (Randi Michelle's Words of wisdom). I love you lil sis. You don't live in my shadow. You stand next to me walking the path together. I love you.

~Elder Daniel Peterson

*The back of the letter addressed a family competition on being the first person to wish someone a Happy Birthday. These were Daniel's sentiments...*

HA HA!! I WIN ON TELLING YOU FIRST! WOOT! WOOT!!! : D

May 14, 2012 Part 2

Hey Pa!

I feel like I didn't get to talk to you very long on Sunday. Plus, the camera/sound seemed to be all messed up. So, how have things been? Is work any better yet? How about your calling as HPGL *High Priest Group Leader*?

Well, like I said on the phone call home, things have been going kind of slow out here. Not really discouraging at all though. We actually got a call from a member today telling us that we should be getting a call from a lady that wants to be taught. It's kind of a funny story.

So we were at this member's home, the Beecrofts, & he was telling us about this lady & her husband who he had picked up to give a ride to. Well, he is missionary minded & always has a B of M *Book of Mormon* in arms reach. So he gives this couple a ride & hands them a copy as they get out of his truck. They give him a call later asking for a ride, he says sure and during that ride he asks them is they have read from the B of M at all. They said "Yes!" One week later, Brother Vought is closing up his shop & sees these two women walking the street. He feels prompted to talk to them & see where they were headed. They said Wal-Mart & asked for a ride. Well, he was already closing up & getting home so he told them he couldn't. As he was getting into his car he felt prompted again; this time to go toward Wal-Mart & find these two ladies. He saw them only about a quarter of a mile from his shop & told them to get in. They got in and asked about his "man-purse" on the dash. He explained that they were his scriptures & that he was LDS. One of the two then exclaimed, "You people are so nice!" He asked, "How do you mean?" She went on to explain her experience with Brother Beecroft.

Now, 3 days after, she is more then ready to meet with us. The Lord touches the hearts of those we come into contact with each and every day. We just need to live our lives worthy of the spirit so as to be able to follow his promptings.

I love you Dad. I hope all is going well. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

~Elder Daniel Peterson

*One the outside of the envelope Daniel added a quick P.S.*

Could you send my 2 baseball gloves? Not the catcher's mitt though. Thanks! Love ya!

May 14, 2012

Hey Penny!

It was great to get to see/talk to you this past Sunday. I know I already e-mailed you about it, but thanks for everything you do!

So, I was going to order some garments today (Monday) but the computer was being weird so I thought I'd try your help! This is what I would need:

*Let's keep the sizing of Daniel's underwear a little private, shall we? I mean, do you really want to know?!*

It should come out to about $20 or so. I would've just ordered them today but, again, the computers were being retarded.

Thanks again for everything! Love you & miss you! Hope to hear from you soon!

~Elder Daniel Peterson
-YMS

Mother's Day

These pictures were sent home along with a Mother's day card and a small gift from Daniel.

I couldn't get the card to scan in, but Daniel did a good job and picked out a Peanuts card for Mom. (Mom loves Peanuts.) Inside, he wrote...

Hey Mom! I know you don't typically like Mother's Day so here is something for a different day! *His gift was a Nativity, which my mom collects and is going to pass down to her favorite daughter (me, of course) one day : D*  I love you and miss you a bunch! Thank you for your support and sacrifice. You know you have been a huge influence in my life. Always there to support my decisions, right or wrong, & you have always steered me in the right direction. Thank you so much for everything you've ever done for me! I love you! 

~ Elder Daniel Lawrence Peterson

-YMS

E-Mail May 7, 2012

Hey Kiddos!
I'm on! And my new companion is Elder Woerner. He and I get along great! We have a lot of fun together. He is getting to be a little like Elder Carroll. Except a little less.... well, idk. We get along great and it will be another awesome transfer. He has been out for 16 months and right now has a broken Elbow. In his last area he let an elder borrow his bike and they broke it and didnt tell Elder Woerner. So he was riding down the street, hit a bump and fell off landing on his right elbow. Sucks, but, he is healing up quick! He played baseball as a pitcher and says he could throw a little over 80. Kind of rediculous but then again, thats about what guys my age should be throwing at. We now live with two other elders. Same address and everything but they moved in with us. We all get along pretty well also. They seem to be slightly more meat-headish than Woerner or myself but, theyre pretty funny most of the time. Anyway, Hope to hear from you all soon!
~Elder Daniel Peterson

More of Daniel's Famous Photography

Elder Koons found some glasses after General Conference.

I spent $90 this day. $30 on the belt buckle, $20 on the jacket, $20 on groceries, and $20 to send home a package. I was satisfied.

The Belt Buckle I bought for $30 as an impulse buy because we just got money.

I fount this plastic hat.

*...Yep, still Daniel.*

Look at the date on the bottom of the picture! We got like 6 inches!

I look like a Goober cause I'm slouched, but this is the Pig Pen I & Elder Koons & our ZL's *Zone Leader's* built for a less active member!

E-Mail April 23, 2012

Hey Everyone!
I dont have a whole lot of time left so the message will probably be a short one. But, first I have an unrelated question: What is everyone's conversion story? With the exception of Chelci and Brain, we have all been members of the church our entire lives BUT, that doesnt mean there hasnt been a point in our lives that converted us to The Gospel.
So, there was a brother in our ward that gave a talk to the youth yesterday that really stuck out to me. I have always admired my Young Mens leaders so that might be why I enjoyed this talk but! He was talking to the youth about the examples that they set. He told multiple stories of instances where the example that someone had set was what caused them to join the church. This brother went on to say that "We are here to help others understand and reach their highest potential." We can do so by setting an example that they can follow. We try to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, as best we can. So when others that surround us see what we are doing or hear how we are talking they should see a representative of The Lord. They, if they decide to, will try to follow our example and in turn are trying to follow the example that Jesus Christ has set which will allow them to reach exaltation.
Connor has been a huge influence in my life, not always for the better but, he has been. I know that I have at least made an impact in his life because of how he acted when he was around me. He was respectful and honored the moral values that I lived by. He would clean up his language, for the most part, when he was around me and would refrain from doing certain things that I know he used to do years ago. I dont know if he will ever join The Church in this life but, I hope that by doing what I am doing it will make an impact on his life. Now, the rest of the Family can still do so. I know that he has been over at least once (or he said he was going to) so whatever you are doing, he is watching. "How great will be your joy"...

I love each and every one of you. I hope that the examples that we set for others can help build up the kingdom of God by building up His children.
~Elder Daniel Peterson

April 23, 2012

Hey Kiddos!

So, this past week has been crazy hectic. We went on like, 3 exchanges over the course of about 3 days! So, I haven't been in my area much this week. With all of that we had 2 baptisms on Saturday! Super awesome. One of them, for Glen, was kewl cause it is something he has wanted for a long time now. The other, James, was awesome cause he came from a super rough background.

Baptism of Glen S*

Glen S*  was at one time a construction worker. He had an accident that should have killed him but rather disabled him with lower back problems. He loves to help people whenever possible. He wants us to feel comfortable in his home to the point where he practically yelled... well, sternly talked to us, to loosen up. Mainly Elder Koons : p. He compared us to Starsky & Hutch. I'm Hutch : p ! But yeah, he was telling us to take off our ties, joke around more, we don't need to be so serious all the time. "I'm Glen! I'm not gunna hurt ya! I'm just Glen!" Haha, I kinda get a kick out of it. He is a great guy though.

James (left) was Baptized by Michael (right) his soon to be Brother-in-law.

James comes from a rough background. He was born in Washington state & moved to Nampa, Idaho with his wife, who is from here. He knows every drug dealer, mainly meth, in the city & those surrounding. He cleaned himself up from every aspect of the W of W *Word of Wisdom*: Coffee, Harmful & Addictive drugs, Alcohol, Tea, & Tobacco(CHATT). Every one of those he had issue with. But, he wanted it so badly he got rid of it all! He is a truck driver by profession but does the whole scrapping game now. He is a crack-up to listen to & there is an amazing spirit about him.

A Better Picture of James' Baptism

Those are the people in the pictures & a little bit about both of them. Oh, and then there is the horse whose house is too little. All I could think when I saw this was,
"Seize the boy! Why aren't you seizing the boy?!"
"I can't! I have a big head and little arms!"

Anyway, I love you guys! I miss you bunches!

~ Elder Daniel Peterson

E-Mail April 16, 2012

Hello Familia!
So, this past Sunday we had the Conference of the Stake. It was good stuff! I got alot out of it but, there were a few things that stuck out that I felt impressed to write home about.
Privileges = Blessings
There was a Sister who gave a talk during the adult session. It was kind of a weird talk just because of how she was speaking and everything. She was just called to serve in Argentina with her husband but she was talking like she had just gotten called to be the next General Primary President. It was super weird. BUT, super good! She brought up the point that Privileges are blessings. She told us what Webster had to say on the two words. They dont really use the same words but, the connotation seemed to be surprisingly similar!
We have all been given many "privileges" in our lives. Randi and Jessica were privileged to get married in the temple. Ryan has been privileged to have Chelci in his life. Katie is privileged to take over my job and Mom and Dad have been privileged to have all of us as their children! I have been especially privileged to be able to serve a mission. These privileges that we have been given have all taken us in a direction that our Father in Heaven would have us go. We need to capitalize on these "blessings." The blessings we receive in this life are not always for our benefit but, for the benefit of others. The blessing of the Holy Ghost in our lives is one that is given to us for the salvation of others while, in some instances, is for our personal welfare.
Follow His Promptings
The promptings of the Holy Ghost are not something we should take lightly. It is something that we would strive daily to understand. A gentleman got up and spoke on this topic. He gave the experience of one Sunday in Elder's Quorum. He said that the teacher had given a great lesson of the Gift of the Holy Ghost and how powerful it can be in our lives if we utilize it. He felt the Spirit strongly and had gained a testimony of the truthfulness of what this teacher was saying. At the end of the lesson the teacher then invited all of his fellow brethren to share their testimony if they felt prompted to do so. Five minutes of an awkward silence passes. The teacher then gets up and asks for a volunteer for a closing prayer. During that five minutes, the brother sharing this story had a prompting to get up and share his testimony. He ignored it. He felt the prompting, recognized it, and got too caught up in his own self consciousness of what others would think if he misspoke. I have definitely been guilty of this myself but, now realize the importance of it after having come out on my mission. If there is anything I would urge you all to do is to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, regardless of how strange it may seem.
Integrity is the Foundation of Life
The last speaker, one of the counselors, spoke on this subject. Integrity is what we should build our moral codes upon. He likened this to the building of the Salt Lake Temple. When building the Temple, Brigham Young was faced with a dilemma. After 7 years of hard work and careful measurements, there came a time, because of extenuating circumstances, that they had to bury the foundation that had been laid. After digging it back up they found that the foundation was severely cracked and would have to either remove their 7 years of hard work and start anew or, build a much smaller, less extraordinary temple. He pondered on this decision for hours. He came to the conclusion that it was something that needed to be done and that they would remove the foundation. The temple now stands as a monument to the world. We should also be able to stand upon the foundation we build and become immovable to Satans immoral society he has built around us.

I love you all very much and miss you just as much.
~Elder Daniel Peterson

April 10, 2012

*As I was getting ready to type up this next letter I realized that I haven't put ANY of the letter that Daniel has written to ME in here! Here's what happened- I collected all of the letters that the family had received up to this point and put them in order by date, then started updating as fast as I could. I completely forgot to add my own letters to the pile! I have also neglected to post his e-mails. I know, I'm slacking! So, I will post this letter, and finish out the letters that I have from the family, and then I am going to go back and add the letters and e-mails that I haven't posted yet. So, if you read something that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, I'm sorry! You are certainly welcome to go back through and read posts that I have updated though! Sorry again for all the confusion. Hopefully I'll get done with all of this updating soon and then keeping up with the current e-mails and letters will be much easier, and more organized too!*

Hey Randi & The Blowfish!

So, first off, here are a few pictures that have been taken recently. There are a few others that have been sent to other members of our family. So, get with them to see the rest of them!
*Those will be in the next post so I can give explanations on all of them.*

Secondly, all of your questions I HAVE to answer- So...

In my first area:
Number of companions- 2, Elder Gibbons & Elder Carroll

Number of baptisms- 12!
December 10th- Nannette R.
Feb 11th- Joe & Joanna W. and Latrell D.
Feb 18th- Keisha & Kanosh C. and Haydn P.
March 18th- Grant A.
March 24th- Leo, Rose, Katia, & Nikolaus D.

Favorite Contacts- Zeigler's, Busby's, and Egbert's

Food:
Most interesting thing I ate- Frog Legs!
Best thing- Sister Busby's pancake breakfast (Pancakes, Strawberries, Syrup, Whipped Cream, OJ, Fruit Salad, Eggs, and Sausage Patties)
Worst thing- Frog Legs! Haha
Most Expensive *Daniel added this for his own memories*- Christmas Eve at the Cunninghams! (Crab legs, Steak, Ribs, Potatoes & Cheesecake.)

P-Day Memory- Too much of the same thing, but playing soccer with the Spanish Branch!

NEVER Forget- Elder Carroll & our companionship there.

One Sentence Summary- "Crezoosionaries got this place up from 0 TO's to 16 TO's after riding 20 miles every day in one transfer!"

Thing Learned- Patience and Obedience

There ya go! Love ya!

~Elder Daniel Peterson

Happy Easter

Happy Easters!

I hope everyone has fun doing Eastery things! Make sure you take one of Ryan's eggs so he searches for it for another 15 years :p

During General Conference President Monson told us to remember what it is we were celebrating in one week. So, try to remember our Lord & Savior in all that you do. Start a habit of it. The few holidays a year that we have should not be the only days we dedicate to Jesus Christ.

I love and miss all of you. Let me know how everyone is doing! Have a day!

~ Elder Daniel Peterson

E-Mail April 2, 2012

Hey Kiddos!

What did everyone think of Conference? What was your favorite talk? I think mine was the one where they were saying that we should write our missionaries and send physical letters rather than e-mails because then it gives them something tangible to hold onto and cherish. But that's just me. What about you?! =P

Haha, No, I had a few talks that I really liked. There were a couple by Uchtdorf that I absolutely loved. I wish I could write fast enough to jot down everything he said! President Eyring gave a really good talk in the Saturday Morning session. He talked about how we need to build and solidify our foundation of faith. That service towards other will do just that, to the point where it may become unshakeable. Elder Holland gave a great talk that morning as well. I love his talks because almost always he uses a few exclamatory sentences that really get us to better our lives. But, in this talk he posed the question, "Why should you be jealous because I (The Lord) choose to be kind?" I love that! We sometimes look at others, even within our own families, and we may want something that the other has. Whether it be a physical blessing or a spiritual blessing, God has given to us what He has so that we can grow to live in His presence again. Maybe there is something we need to figure out before He will bless us with that attribute? Or maybe we simply need to ask for it ourselves. Elder Holland later said that "God enjoys most being merciful." I believe that to be true! He gives us things we have not asked for. He has given us that which we have asked for. We have been given so much in the course of our lives, why would we not "impart of our substance" unto those who are in need. In Mosiah, King Benjamin tells his people just that. If He, who has given us all we have, why would we not give to those who ask of us? We are the way that God blesses us. We are the "small and simple" that bring to pass His marvelous work. We should help His work move along by providing service for those that we come in contact with. We should also move His work along by teaching our families of the Gospel. All of Saturday session I could not help but hear anything else. "The Family is the most important unit in time and all eternity." Boyd K. Packer, Cheryl A. Esplin, Donald L. Hallstrom, Paul E. Koelliker, Dallin H. Oaks, Robert D. Hales, and Quentin L. Cook, ALL touched on the subject, just to name a few... And that was just on Saturday! President Eyring, last general conference, made the statement that if something is repeated, it is probably important. As I looked back on my experiences within the family, I came to this conclusion. My family has prepared me for my previous callings in the Church as well as to serve my mission; my mission is now preparing me for my callings in the Church yet to come and for the family I will have in the future.
How important are families? Very. There is nothing we do that we cant bring back to the topic of family.

I love you all so very much. Thank you for preparing me in the various ways, to serve my mission and become who I am.

I know that Heavenly Father lives and that He wants ALL of His children to return to Him. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we are now able to do just that. I know that the Holy Spirit will guide us in all that we do if we just live a life where he is invited in. I love you and miss you all.
~Elder Daniel Peterson

PICTURES

Daniel hasn't been the best at taking pictures or at sending home the few pictures that he has taken. So, for now, here's what we've got...

"My Snow Angel!" 3-18-12

"More pictures of when it snowed." 3-18-12

"Even more pictures of when it snowed" 3-18-12

"ELK!" 3-23-12

"BAMBI!" 3-23-12

"These obviously aren't streets but I can tell you that Deb & Danny live at the white house that is on that street." 3-23-12

"Our humble abode & truck!" 3-26-12

"This is right above my desk!" 3-26-12

"I ALMOST fit into these cupboards!" 3-29-12

"Big horse no like tiny house!" 3-30-12

Like I said, Daniel's not the best photographer, but you get an idea of where he is, and how hard his life must be right now. I mean, to be up in the mountains surrounded by deer, horses and beautiful forests... that's gotta be rough! ;)

E-Mail #2 March 26, 2012

Hey Kiddos!

So, I am now in Show Low Arizona! It's up in the Mountains which is super legit! I was down in the Valley for the winter where it gets like, 50 at the lowest, and now I am up in the Mountains where it gets 90 at the most! And even then thats only like a week out of the entire summer. It's fantastic. I lucked out. But, things are going well! The area is super beautiful and the people are kind of weird. We were in a lesson and the mom and dad ran out in the middle of it, grabbed their rifles, and ran after some coyotes in their backyard. That was funny. And then later in that same lesson (the two girls we were there for are mentally handicapped) one of the girls stopped the lesson and said "If you wear black after Easter than you're white trash... Only white trash and Indians steal." It was Hilarious!! Luckily I wasnt the only one laughing. The parents thought it was funny too. But, yeah... it was good stuff. There was another lesson that we were headed too and when we were walking up to the house, Elder Koons (My new comp.) showed me their garage first. You look inside and what do you see? Take a guess? PLEASE take a guess... It is FULL of marijuana plants! The guy grows his own medicinal marijuana. It was hilarious to see! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Apparently it's legal or something for him to do it. It was just a weird thing to even think about. The work is kind of slow here, compared to Ahwatukee which is something I will have to get used to. They make more member visits than we do potentials and everything because everything is so spread out that we would be driving for hours to contact just 6 names! It's like having missionaries in Jessica's neck of the woods.. except in the mountains.
So, everything is going well. Not a whole lot has happened just yet but, I will send a few pictures home soon so that you have them. I am a dingleberry and left my camera back at our place. So if i dont get physical pictures in the mail this week, you will definitely get them next p-day.
I love you all and miss you much!
~ Elder Daniel Peterson

E-Mail March 26, 2012

*At this point we STILL didn't know where Daniel was! No address, no companion updates, nothing! So, I decided to be stern with Daniel, the same way I am stern with my own children, and get some answers.*

DANIEL LAWRENCE PETERSON!! You are in big trouble mister! I have been checking my mail box every day waiting for a letter from you. I wake up in the morning and think to myself, "Today I will get a letter from Daniel with his new address!!" then I go skipping out to check the mail that afternoon (yes, I have literally skipped to the mailbox) and- NOTHING! So then I think to myself, "Maybe the mailman just hasn't delivered it yet." So, I have sent Bryan out to the mailbox every night to double check it for me, and guess what?! NOTHING!! So I sat there Saturday night and thought to myself, "Well.... maybe he sent it to Mom and Dad and they just forgot to share with everyone." So, Sunday evening I was talking with Dad and asking him if he knew your new address or at lest where you were transferred to, and guess what...... NOTHING!!! So, it's not officially Monday and I know that today is your P-day so I BETTER GET AN ADDRESS!!! And, I tell you what, if you don't send me your new address today... so help me Daniel Lawrence, I will send you straight to Time Out!!

Now... I don't want to leave you with harsh words, because I'm not sure that I'll be on when you get on. So... how is your new area? Who's your new companion? Are you taking pictures? (I already gave you a hard time in this letter so I won't give you more of a hard time about pictures. BUT- just remember that these two years are going to go quickly and when they are over you're going to want pictures to look back on. AND- your scrapbook is going to be pretty sad without any pictures!) Do you need anything? How are you doing? You could tell me if you're sad about leaving your old companion or your old area or whatever! You need to be able to tell someone and I don't mind if you vent to me. I did it to you...lol! Or, if you're doing well I would love to hear about the awesome people you're teaching or the beautiful weather you've been having. (Yes, I know your weather has been beautiful, I have an app on my phone that tells me the weather in Melissa, Plano, and Tempe AZ! lol!) Alrighty, Tina Marie is screaming at me so I have to get going. I love your guts! Keep up the good work! (And take pictures of yourself doin' it! ;))

Love you!
Randi and The Blowfish

*****

Randi Michelle Peterson!! (Yes, PETERSON) YOU, lil' missy, have NO stewardship over me to throw me in time-out. You havent gotten a physical letter because I didnt know my address until Thursday and I am only allowed to write letters on P-day. So, I have waited because obedience brings blessings. I have sent Mother-dearest an e-mail with some small stuff about the area and all that jazz so speak with her. But, I will be sending a physical letter home and that will have more stuff in it. Because we still have things to do! Unfortunately. I kind of wish we could just make phone calls on p-days, ya know? It would make things go so much faster! But, that is not what is allowed. So yeah, I would talk to some peoples back in P-town about pictures and letter and stuffs in a few days. Thanks much!
I love you Rand! Keep being the super-mom you are! Miss you!

March 26, 2012

Hey Family!

So, here is a box of stuff! Some of it is for individuals of the family. Possibly birthdays or just a surprise gift! But, to kind of give specifics:

• The Barea shirt is for Katie
• The purple boxes are for Ryan and Chelci
• The sweater- there was only one & I know Mom kinda hates the Mavericks right now so maybe just give it to Dad, but I will let you fight over it :p Ha ha. I "Kidd". 
• Other stuff is for storage purposes. I don't have a whole ton of room & I don't use it so, here it is!

Now, for the whole Show Low information stuff. I am up in the mountains, like I said & it is fantastic. The weather is lovely & the people are super weird. I kind of gave the two big stories that I have for right now. We live in a trailer with two bedrooms but we sleep in one & use the other one for stuff. I use it for the closet and drawer space & Elder Koons uses it to spray paint his bike! He put up a whole bunch of trash bags & created his own little painting booth & went to town! His bike is now white from all the primer he used. And we have cleaning checks tomorrow so he is tearing it all down right now. It's fantastic!

 Oh, & we get our own bathrooms which is kewl. My shower head sucks. It sprays the walls more than it does me so today I almost bought a real cheap one just to fix that issue. You'll also find it lovely & Daniel-like to know that when I moved up here I forgot my tooth brush & paste in Anwatukee! So, I went 4 days with FUNK! Then today I got a brush and some legit toothpaste. I was so excited to be able to brush my teeth again! There ya go... I'm still me & all sorts of disgusting.

But yeah, that's really all that is going on now. I miss you all! I hope to hear from each of you soon!

~ Elder Daniel Peterson

E-Mail March 19

Hello! I'm on! But, this is the last time I will be in this library. I
am getting transferred elsewhere! I dont know exactly where just yet
but, it will be where the Lord needs me (to help with the work or to
get something through my skull)!

**A blog-worthy response from Pa**

I figured this would be transfer time for you. You've got the right attitude son. Go and do don't sit and stew!  The Lord needs you and that's all that matters. Know that we love you and support you with all our hearts. Let us know as soon as you can where you end up (we need an address not just your area... LOL). Good luck son!

E-mail March 5, 2012

*This is another one where it's more of a conversation then just a quick e-mail, and it wouldn't make any sense to just post Daniel's side. So, here's my e-mail to him, his back to me, and so on...*


Hey Tempe! How are things going? Ok, so I've talked with the family and we have all decided that you need to explain why you want to be adopted into elder Carolle's family! I don't have a whole lot of time to write today, but you usually don't have a whole lot of time to ready either, so it kinda works out! ;) Clayton is spending the day over here while Jess stays with Ben in the hospital (No big deal, his knee has been giving him some trouble and he's having surgery to get everything fixed. I'm sure Jess will tell you about it when she gets a minute!). But I thought I would send you a picture I took of Michelle and Clayton. I'm not sure how many pictures Jess sends you, but I thought this one was pretty cute! Anyway, I love you lots! Keep up the good work!

*****

Hey Rand!

Everything is going well! Haha, I said that I was just going to be
adopted into Elder Carroll's family because I wasnt getting any
mail/e-mails from ANYONE in the family, except you of course. It
happened like 2 or 3 weeks in a row so I just decided I would go
elsewhere. Even still, you and Mom and, like 2/3 of the time, Dad are
the only ones that I get e-mails from. The only way I know what is
going on with the family is through you. It's redonkulous! But, ah
well.. The work is true and the book is blue. I have been good though.
The pictures I get are always from you, although I have gotten a
couple from Mom in a package or two that they have sent.

But yeah! I love you and I miss you and your blowfishy family.

~Elder Daniel Peterson

*****

Awww, Daniel!! I can't believe you're not getting mail! Judging by how much everyone talks about you all the time I'd think you would be overloaded! Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but I know that, in my ward, we were recently counseled to be careful with how much and how often we write to our missionaries! We were told a letter a week is appropriate, but more then that can become a burden on the missionary. BUT- if you're not getting too much from everyone else then maybe I'm allowed to write more often?! lol! Anyway, just know that a lack of mail in no way reflects a lack of thought or love from your family! I don't think there has been a single time that I have been down that you weren't talked about or prayed for. We all love you VERY much! and couldn't be more proud of you! I love you Tempe! Keep up the good work!
-Randi and the Blowfish

*****

Hey Rand!
Thanks for always writing and everything. I know the family is thinking about me and everything, which is good to know I havent been forgotten just yet =P. I got stuff from Jessica and Ben this week which was awesome. The fact that Jessica took time out of her day to HAND WRITE a letter... ASTOUNDING!! Haha. I loved it. I was very greatful to hear from Ben-jammin too since he just had his surgery and everything. That's crazy!

So, I dont have a whole lot of time left but, tell Michelle I love her and that I have a surprise for her birthday already lined up. I cant remember if her birthday is on the 17th or the 23rd of June. *It's the 16th* Or maybe its neither. I just remember it being 3 or 4 days right before or after Ryan's birthday. I also have stuff for Ryan's (he is going to LOVE it... hopefully) and Katie's birthday. Mom for mother's day since that is coming up soon...ish. But, Tell someone, prolly one of the parents or Jess, unless you know, to let me know if the Mavs really do suck this season and why. I hear rumors that we now have Lamar Odom on our team. If we do... I might just cry and disown the Mavericks as my team. I cant believe it... I wont believe it... NEVER!!

Anyway, I love you Randi Michelle. Thanks for everything. For being the example that lead me to this point. Keep up the good work, even if it is on members ;)

~ Elder Daniel Peterson

February 29, 2012

** Dearest Modda

Hey Mom,
Thank you so much for the package! Thin Mints are ALWAYS good to get. I'm gunna get more closer to Easter, right? : P Joke! Haha. The scriptures are awesome! Los Choco Zucaritas son vale. Haha, the chocolate Frosted Flakes are okay. They kind of taste like roasted mallows. But, thank you so much for it all.

This week has been good! We have had a good/weird past couple of days. You know how I sent that e-mail about the flat tires and everything? Well, last night I got yet another flat tire. So, we walked 45 minutes to get home at 10:00 pm. But, yet again, we had a great day because of it. We were walking to the bike shop to get a new inner tube and we passed a few people on the way. We talked to ALL of them. Then we came across this lady who just moved to Arizona a couple months ago. She told up she had been looking for a church and we set up an appointment with her! After we got the inner tube we were out doing our normal thing but when we were on our way back for dinner we came across this guy who flagged us down. He asked where he could get a B of M & we whipped one out for him. He is kind of a theologist and wants to look into what we believe. We now have another person to get a hold of in a couple of weeks! Today was awesome. It was, once again, all because of a flat tire.

Last night was super weird though. I will write about it in the e-mail home on Monday.

So, things are going well. There are only 2 more weeks until the next possible transfer, jut a heads up!

Love you much Mom! Miss you!

~Elder Daniel Peterson
YMS

February 29, 2012

**This letter was addressed to "Dearest Fodda" Lol!

Hey Pa!
Thanks for the scriptures! They are great. I think I should also attribute the "Choco Zucaritas" to you as well, si? Haha, they are different. They kind of taste like roasted mallows. So, not bad, just different.

The bike is holding up well! Although the roads & my front tire don't seem to mesh well. After going through the original tube, 2 slim tubes, both of which had the protective liner as well, I decided to get on of those super trick tubes. Next i will just go to the straight rubber tubes! It's crazy.

I might end up sending the iPod back. There are a lot of songs I can't listen to, unfortunately. But there are a lot that are really good, the talks are awesome & most of the videos are way good too. I'll prolly make a playlist of all the songs I can't listen to or something. I fyou wanted to you could also add a couple of Albums in their place. They are all "Tribute" albums. There is like tribute to the Work, Tribute to The Trek, and one other one I can't think of right now. Sorry! I kno wyou worked on that for a while.

So how has everything been? I hear it's starting to warm up there. Any snow this past winter? Oh, I took my camera to Best Buy this past P-Day & they said it would be fixed in "5 to 10 business days". They will be calling the house though. I couldn't give them our number so, they will call you guys when the camera is ready. Back to my barrage of questions. How are Ryan and Chelci doin? How about Katie? How is she liking Cinemark? The big question... How is Charlize? That's the Maxima, just so you know : P Now, how are YOU doing? I had to pry that answer out of Mom. So don't make me do it out of you! Haha.

Well, I love you Pa. I miss you. Hope all is going well.

~ Elder Daniel Peterson

P.S. Choco Zucaritas are fantastic with Peanut Butter.

E-Mail February 27, 2012

Hey  Family,
    How is everything going? How's life?
    This last week, nothing too exciting has happened. We have had a
few lessons with people but, nothing too much to report on.
    I got yet another flat tire this week. I actually got 2! It was
fun stuff. But, because I had gotten a few flat tires before I bought
one of those "slime" intertubes that is supposed to fix itself after
it gets punctured... didnt work. So I had to patch that up with all
the slime trying to ooze out of the hole, heck-a-fun! So after I got
that all patched up, the next P-day we went to Wally World (Wal-mart)
and bought the Slime brand protective liner that goes inside your tire
so as to prevent anything from puncturing your tire in the first
place. It worked well! For a while... Then this week happened. I went
throught 6 patches and I think I finally got it all fixed up. Where is
the hole I am trying to fix, you might ask? Cause if I just put in
that liner I shouldnt be getting any more flats right? I got a hole in
the side of my tire... HOW it happened, I have no idea. So, I am
working on keeping my front tire alive. Arizona sucks to ride a bike
in because of all the needles from, not only catci but, from trees and
other plants they have growing out here. Its frustrating! But, they
almost always seem to be a blessing in disguise.
    When I got the first puncture, there wasnt anything great that
came out of that. We were trying to contact a few people and it ended
up taking a full hour to hour and a half to fix it. It was rediculous!
Then later in the week (Friday) we were coming out of an apartment
complex and the patch I put on originally decides it doesnt wanna stay
on. So I am there trying to fix it all up and that is taking forever.
We had a lesson to get to in 15 minutes which meant, from where we
were, I had 2 minutes to fix it all. THAT didnt happen. So we called
the people, told we would be late, then called a ride to pick us up. I
continued to try and fix my tire and this guy walks up to me. "You
havin' bike issues??" You have NO idea how badly I wanted to just
turn, look at him and say "Nope! I just wanted to take it apart to see
how it all works... 'Here's your sign.'" Haha, no, it did run through
my head though. I turned and said "Yeeeaahhh, but what's up?" "Are you
guys Mormon?" "Yeah, can we help you with something?" "Well, I have
been wanting to learn a little bit more about you guys. That
possible?" ... ... I dont understand... People seem to WANT to hear
what we have to say! So we continued asking some of the preliminary
questions and set up a time to meet.
     This is where the second principle of the Gospel comes in. God
answers our prayers. Not always in ways that we expect but, He will
ALWAYS answer our prayers. Every time Elder Carroll and I pray
together we pray to find those that the Lord has prepared to hear the
message of His restored gospel. I always word it, "Let us be placed in
the paths of those that Thou has prepared." How did He answer that
prayer? By giving me a flat tire... Sometimes I think I need to use
slightly different wording.
    The first principle was We Have a Loving Heavenly Father. The two
principles go hand in hand and it doesnt take too much thought as to
see how. But, it doesnt take some looking into to see how He is
blessing our lives. We need to take a look at everything going on
around us. Take a look at the things happening in your lives. Look at
all the bad things and look at what has come because of it. Remember
that the Lord has something more in store for you than what you could
possibly imagine.
    I know that He loves each and every one of us. He WANTS to bless
our lives. He knows who we are. He knows what we need and what we can
handle. Satan uses the tool of discouragement most often, in order to
disrupt the plan that God has laid out for us. Please remember to
thank God for all that you have, all that you have gone through, and
all that you are. "You are not yet as Job," He told Joseph Smith in
the darkest hours of his life. We are not yet as Joseph Smith. We may
do all we can to protect ourselves from the dangers of this world but,
somehow, some way, Satan will find a way to put a thorn in our sides.
Do not let this discourage you. Pray always, go to church often, and
read from the Book of Mormon as much as you can.
    I love all of you and hope everything is going well.

~Elder Daniel Peterson

February 22, 2012

Hey Mom!
I know I just wrote you but, the same day I sent that last letter out I got your letter. So here is another one!

So with Jerry's age. Brooks has this weird way of remembering the area code. He says, "85, the age of your grandpa. 04, the age of your nephew. 8, the age of baptism." So, I had to check & see because Clayton actually is 4. **Actually Clayton is 3, but we'll let it slide.** Haha, weird, I know, but I had to find out. I will definitely write him back if he writes me.

With Sister Longhurst, I would love to write her but I don't have her address. I just looked through all of my letters and I don't have any from her. At least not with an address on it. So if you could send that in an e-mail that would be awesome.

I didn't know our mission Pres. had asked us to do that, Haha. I just felt bed not everyone would get a letter. Plus, I wanted to write all of them. Speaking of, did Nick end up going? And with all of the priests in the ward, I don't have most of their addresses. Could you send me all of the teacher's and Priest's addresses?

I write to a few people. Jovanna is one that writes pretty frequently. Another is Kristen Klein. I worked with her way back when and went to her confirmation with Katie in Denton that one Sunday a few years back. Randi writes a lot if she doesn't e-mail on Mondays. ** : D** I actually just got a post card from Megan Maker, Taylor Baker's sister. She is serving in California right now, spanish speaking. So that was kewl. But, no I haven't heard from, nor have I been able to write, Matt or Taylor cause I don't have and of their info.

Katie & Josh?!? What? I never would have put them two together. I knew she was getting married but I had no idea to who. That's crazy.

Well, I'm glad to hear you're doing okay, for the most part. I love you Mom. I miss you. Thanks for the picture. That is the first time I've seen it.

~ Elder Daniel Peterson, YMS

E-Mail February 20, 2012

*This first part is an e-mail from me to Daniel, and then he responds and asked that I share his response.*


Hey Tempe! I probably won't be on-line when you get on today, but I wanted to make sure I still got to talk to you. So, I'm writing now! lol! Anyway, how are things? I can't believe you already had your first baptism!! That's so exciting!!! Oh, man! Jess and I were talking about it and both of us had the same reaction when we found out that you were going to be baptizing someone. We both thought "I want to go!!" That is so awesome! Do you know what you just did? I mean, yes you baptized someone, but do you really KNOW what that means?! By baptizing just one person you not one washed away all of their sins, giving them the chance to go through the temple and return to our Father in Heaven, but you gave them the chance to get sealed in the temple! The have children who will be baptized, who then could go through the temple themselves and have their own children do the same thing! By baptizing one single person you have given generations of people the chance to return home!! Man, I know how proud of you and how happy I am for you, I can't even imagine how our Heavenly Father must feel right now! If the rest of your mission you don't baptize a singe person, you can bet that you'll be welcomed back to Heavenly Father with His arms wide open! I am so proud of you Daniel! I love you very very much! Keep up the good work!
Love Always,
Randi

P.S.- Don't get me wrong. You still have to do all the "enduring to the end" stuff to gain full celestial glory. I'm just sayin' you're in a pretty dang good spot right now! ...lol, just sayin'!

*****

Lol I gotcha Rand, thanks! I was actually thinking about that the other day. I was talking it over with Elder Carroll and the ripple effect that missionaries have is astounding. If you think about it, we have been called to gather Israel, right? The gathering is happening in these latter days and we are ALL a apart of it. Brigham Young issued a "Missionary Challenge" during his days as a prophet that I found in our apartment not too long ago. It talks about how ALL of us are missionaries and that we are ALL a part of this work. We all take part in missionary work. That is why the missionaries, because of the apostles and prophets, have stressed member missionary work so much these past few years. They know that 60% of all convert baptisms are because of member referrals. We may have the knowledge and skills to teach the gospel to them but, it depends upon you all to give us the investigators. We can go out and try to find people all day but in the end it isnt very successful. We need you, as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to do missionary work as often as possible, otherwise we are spending time finding instead of teaching. I dont mean for this to come out as a rebuking kind of e-mail but rather an e-mail to give you a sense of how important you are to the work moving along. You as the member have had more influence on these people than the missionaries will ever have. We come in and teach AFTER you have befriended them and taught them the plain and simple truths that you feel are important for them to hear. We come in AFTER they have accepted YOUR invitation to meet with us. We are there simply to do what most member dont know how to do or feel comfortable doing. You are the ones who have built their foundation, you have strengthened them when they felt they were going to fall and you have kept them strong after they have entered into the covenant of baptism with our Heavenly Father. There is no one more important than the members of this church.
     I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us just as much as He loves the next. "He is no respecter of persons." We all have a place in a mansion that He has prepared for us and He is building it up each and every day of our lives so long as we strive to do all we can to build up His kingdom. "Behold the number of [our] sheaves! Are they few? Nay. They are many." You, Randi Michelle, have already brought 3 people into the Kingdom of God by simply loving them. Their lives have been blessed because of your missionary work that you performed without realizing you were doing it. "If your joy will be great with one sould that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!"
     I Love you Randi, I miss you and appreciate everything that you do for me.
~Elder Daniel Peterson

P.S. - If you wouldnt mind sending that to the rest of the family that would be great =P sorry! It is specifically for you but, I also think it would be good for the rest of the family to hear.

February 20, 2012

Hey Kates!
How is everything going? I always ask the same questions so... just answer the usual por favor.

There isn't a whole lot that has changed & I don't know what you want to know either! But, you will get what I give you.

So... I got nothin! I feel like I am just rambling. That's becaus eI am! But, I am determined to write you a letter! This will happen!

Oh! Elder Carroll & I got a chance to play Fruit Ninja the other night! I actually got some video of it : P It's hilarious. We were messing with a Coke can and "demolitionizing" it with a knif. So I threw a Hershey kiss at Carroll. He swung at it in the air while yelling "Fruit Ninja!!" So after that we got out the bananas. He pretty much just chunked 'em at me while I swung the knife in the air. I died laughing, checked the video... It's greatness. You will love the video when I send the card home. It's legit. There are a few videos that are pretty funny.

Anyway, I love you Kates! Hope to hear from you soon!

**I honestly didn't understand what the heck Daniel was doing when he wrote the following. It took me until just this very moment to figure it out!**

~ 31!)3!2
!*373!250!\!

 **That was followed by a smiling guy with a word bubble yelling "wooooooo!!!" ...yep, that's my brother.**

February 20, 2012

Hey Mom!
How is everything going? How about work and everything? How is Pa doin? I know he wants to hear from me more often and I really should write to him more. So much to do, so little time.

I lost my pen and is has been forever since I have written in pencil! But, things are going well here. We had another 3 baptisms if you didn't see those pictures. 2 of the 3 I have been teaching since I came out. It was so awesome to see them finally make that step. Keisha and Kanosh are their names. They are in the picture with the big family. The other boy was Haydn. He is 9 yrs old, but super smart. He could practically recite the previous lesson when we would ask what he remembered about it. His dad, Corey (**Maybe Larey, it's hard to read Daniel's handwriting sometimes!**) is now coming back to church because of Haydn and he has quit smoking! It's amazing to see the changes these people want to make.

We have another kid who is preparing for baptism on March 3rd. His name is JT. He is 11 and almost a little too chill about everything. But, his mom has been disfellowshipped and we (missionaries) are the only to have gotten into her house in the past year or so! AND JT, by wanting to be baptized has reactivated his mom. She still has to go through some stuff but still, now she's coming!

But yeah, those are some of the people I am working, or worked, with! Things are great! I love you! I miss you!

~ Elder Daniel Peterson
YMS