Thursday, November 26, 2009
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!
Dear Family and Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time of year it is. I can feel your holiday spirit and warm smiles all the way here in Korea! I love it. :)
So many wonderful things have happened on my mission. It is true what the brethren of the Church say about how your mission will bring greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced. I feel so happy because of this gospel and the testimony I have of my Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and their restored gospel. It has been wonderful to share it in big and small ways with each of my companions and the other missionaries here in Korea. We are sharing it and strengthening each other and we are sharing it with all the people we meet.
I know with all my heart that the things we are teaching are true and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains the fullness of the gospel. May we always remember the Lord's counsel and promise to "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (D&C 88:63).
To all my friends and family, I love you! And I pray for you. Please pray for me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Sis Peterson :)
Happy Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time of year it is. I can feel your holiday spirit and warm smiles all the way here in Korea! I love it. :)
So many wonderful things have happened on my mission. It is true what the brethren of the Church say about how your mission will bring greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced. I feel so happy because of this gospel and the testimony I have of my Heavenly Father, our Savior Jesus Christ, and their restored gospel. It has been wonderful to share it in big and small ways with each of my companions and the other missionaries here in Korea. We are sharing it and strengthening each other and we are sharing it with all the people we meet.
I know with all my heart that the things we are teaching are true and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints contains the fullness of the gospel. May we always remember the Lord's counsel and promise to "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (D&C 88:63).
To all my friends and family, I love you! And I pray for you. Please pray for me.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love, Sis Peterson :)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
I love morning study!
Thoughts from this morning...
Wow, so many things I am grateful for on my mission and one of those is study time. It is something I hope to carry with me and apply the rest of my life--individually and as a family. It is interesting that truly as Joseph Smith said, the more we comprehend God, the more we comprehend ourselves and this life and this time to build the kingdom of God and prepare to live with him and receive of His glory (something like that he says). :)
A wonderful scripture to enlighten us all:
"Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." (Joshua 3:5)
How do we "sanctify" ourselves?
Wow, so many things I am grateful for on my mission and one of those is study time. It is something I hope to carry with me and apply the rest of my life--individually and as a family. It is interesting that truly as Joseph Smith said, the more we comprehend God, the more we comprehend ourselves and this life and this time to build the kingdom of God and prepare to live with him and receive of His glory (something like that he says). :)
A wonderful scripture to enlighten us all:
"Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." (Joshua 3:5)
How do we "sanctify" ourselves?
What do we talk about?
As a missionary, if I could go back I would have testified more. A simple and sincere testimony--soo powerful! Like Elder Perry talked about (i think) in this past conference, we can share our testimony of three things: the restoration, the atonement of Jesus Christ, and the Book of Mormon.
And as we do people's hearts will be pricked and those who are prepared will have a desire to seek after the goodness!
"And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God." (Alma 31:5)
And as we do people's hearts will be pricked and those who are prepared will have a desire to seek after the goodness!
"And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God." (Alma 31:5)
Understanding our Role
What is our purpose as members?
I truly love morning study as a missionary! It is soo wonderful and filled with new knowledge and being taught by the spirit--sooo so special to me!
So yes, what is our purpose as members... Well in Ezekiel I was reading in chapters 33 and 34 and it talks a lot about our role as people with a knowledge of the gospel.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill . . . and none did search or seek after them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
. . . my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd . . . . (Ezekiel 34:6-8)
And so yes.. I was reading this and thought oh how we the Lord wants us to share the gospel with His children! And to share His love with them, so they can be free.. the truth makes us free isn't that right?
So let us open our mouths! And like it says in Romans let us not be afraid of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, "for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." (Romans 1:16)
I truly love morning study as a missionary! It is soo wonderful and filled with new knowledge and being taught by the spirit--sooo so special to me!
So yes, what is our purpose as members... Well in Ezekiel I was reading in chapters 33 and 34 and it talks a lot about our role as people with a knowledge of the gospel.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill . . . and none did search or seek after them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;
. . . my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd . . . . (Ezekiel 34:6-8)
And so yes.. I was reading this and thought oh how we the Lord wants us to share the gospel with His children! And to share His love with them, so they can be free.. the truth makes us free isn't that right?
So let us open our mouths! And like it says in Romans let us not be afraid of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ, "for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." (Romans 1:16)
Understanding People
Something interesting I read this morning during my study. Alma 33:20.. "the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them."
Many times (before and during my mission) I have wondered what keeps people (non-members and members), all of us, from coming to Christ--using His atonement and feeling healed and whole.
I think this scripture perfectly pinpoints one problem. In order for people to use something so to speak, they have to believe it will work--they have to. Maybe that is why faith is the first principle of the gospel? It is sooo important. I see that more and more everyday.
So here is a question to think about.. how do we help people to have faith--to hope for things and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ will heal them and help them more than anything else?
How do we help people to "have so much faith that they plant the word in [their] hearts and try the experiment of [the gospel's] goodness" ? (Alma 34:4)
Many times (before and during my mission) I have wondered what keeps people (non-members and members), all of us, from coming to Christ--using His atonement and feeling healed and whole.
I think this scripture perfectly pinpoints one problem. In order for people to use something so to speak, they have to believe it will work--they have to. Maybe that is why faith is the first principle of the gospel? It is sooo important. I see that more and more everyday.
So here is a question to think about.. how do we help people to have faith--to hope for things and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ will heal them and help them more than anything else?
How do we help people to "have so much faith that they plant the word in [their] hearts and try the experiment of [the gospel's] goodness" ? (Alma 34:4)
Personal Revelation
So now I want to talk about Sheri Dew's last point about personal revelation.
Lately I've thought a lot about personal revelation and I wanted to share an experience. It's a personal experience to me, but mostly I want to share it because I believe that as we share some experiences of how we see and recognize God's hand in our life, the more we can become aware of the many ways God communicates with us that we maybe haven't recognized. So here you go :)...
Thursday, July 30, 2009 - morning study
This morning during my study I received a special blessing from my favorite apostle :). Ha, no not really. I wish. But I decided to do something I tried about a year ago when I was going through a hard time.
This past week I've really felt unmotivated. I've still been doing the work, but I haven't felt that my heart has been all the way there. And I guess I just know myself well enough to know what it feels like when I am all the way there. I think I just keep thinking about a lot of different things and maybe I just start going around in circles and I lose focus or become distracted.
So I decided to do this thing I did once. What I did was I imagined that President Hinckley (don't laugh, I really did this :) ) was giving me a blessing. And that he listened to me. And he heard everything I had to say, and he truly understood how I felt. And then he gave me a blessing. I imagined what he would say to me in this blessing and guess what. I had written it all down, and there it was--personal revelation to me from a loving Father in Heaven who is not so far away. And it was exactly what I needed to hear. So in a way I didn't need President Hinckley, I just needed the spirit and to be still and to listen with my heart.
So I did it again, with someone different this time. And as I prayed and listened I received this special blessing from God.
"Amanda, please know how much your Heavenly Father loves you. Don't worry too much about the small things that seem big now. Keep turning to the Lord and have faith in Him, and as you move forward in doing His work you will see the miracle He makes with us."
That was it. And how much peace and comfort and warmth filled my heart. Really. I know that God lives and He is near. Through the Holy Ghost we can feel His love and know He is our Father and that we are His sons and daughters, with divine potential to be like Him.
Lately I've thought a lot about personal revelation and I wanted to share an experience. It's a personal experience to me, but mostly I want to share it because I believe that as we share some experiences of how we see and recognize God's hand in our life, the more we can become aware of the many ways God communicates with us that we maybe haven't recognized. So here you go :)...
Thursday, July 30, 2009 - morning study
This morning during my study I received a special blessing from my favorite apostle :). Ha, no not really. I wish. But I decided to do something I tried about a year ago when I was going through a hard time.
This past week I've really felt unmotivated. I've still been doing the work, but I haven't felt that my heart has been all the way there. And I guess I just know myself well enough to know what it feels like when I am all the way there. I think I just keep thinking about a lot of different things and maybe I just start going around in circles and I lose focus or become distracted.
So I decided to do this thing I did once. What I did was I imagined that President Hinckley (don't laugh, I really did this :) ) was giving me a blessing. And that he listened to me. And he heard everything I had to say, and he truly understood how I felt. And then he gave me a blessing. I imagined what he would say to me in this blessing and guess what. I had written it all down, and there it was--personal revelation to me from a loving Father in Heaven who is not so far away. And it was exactly what I needed to hear. So in a way I didn't need President Hinckley, I just needed the spirit and to be still and to listen with my heart.
So I did it again, with someone different this time. And as I prayed and listened I received this special blessing from God.
"Amanda, please know how much your Heavenly Father loves you. Don't worry too much about the small things that seem big now. Keep turning to the Lord and have faith in Him, and as you move forward in doing His work you will see the miracle He makes with us."
That was it. And how much peace and comfort and warmth filled my heart. Really. I know that God lives and He is near. Through the Holy Ghost we can feel His love and know He is our Father and that we are His sons and daughters, with divine potential to be like Him.
Lessons from Sheri Dew
Sheri Dew came to the MTC while I was there and spoke to our Relief Society. She talked about what she would do if she were Satan to keep people from seeing/knowing the truth. There were 3 things she mentioned...
The first thing she said she would do is to get us all confused about who we are, so that we wouldn't understand that we are children of God, with inherent worth and potential waiting to be uncovered. And without knowing who we are, we would also be confused about what we really wanted in life or what we hoped for. And we would be blind to our own potential as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.
The second thing she talked about was that she would get us confused about the atonement and what it could do for us, making it seem too abstract or really far away from our understanding.
And the third thing, the last thing she mentioned was she would make us think that we could not receive personal revelation--answers, guidance, comfort, and love--from our Heavenly Father who so wants to communicate with us.
So essentially she was saying that these 3 things are our foundation where all other things are built off of. And if Satan can hit these things then he doesn't have to try very hard in other places--he lets us do the rest.
So then how important are these things--understanding the nature of God and ourselves, understanding Jesus Christ and His infinite atonement and how to use it, and understanding how to receive personal revelation from our Heavenly Father.
The first thing she said she would do is to get us all confused about who we are, so that we wouldn't understand that we are children of God, with inherent worth and potential waiting to be uncovered. And without knowing who we are, we would also be confused about what we really wanted in life or what we hoped for. And we would be blind to our own potential as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.
The second thing she talked about was that she would get us confused about the atonement and what it could do for us, making it seem too abstract or really far away from our understanding.
And the third thing, the last thing she mentioned was she would make us think that we could not receive personal revelation--answers, guidance, comfort, and love--from our Heavenly Father who so wants to communicate with us.
So essentially she was saying that these 3 things are our foundation where all other things are built off of. And if Satan can hit these things then he doesn't have to try very hard in other places--he lets us do the rest.
So then how important are these things--understanding the nature of God and ourselves, understanding Jesus Christ and His infinite atonement and how to use it, and understanding how to receive personal revelation from our Heavenly Father.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
more pictures!
Some more pictures to add!
new companionship--Sis Lloyd Sis Walker and me!
cute little boy with his dad at the park!
wow, being in korea makes you strong ;)
new companionship--Sis Lloyd Sis Walker and me!
cute little boy with his dad at the park!
wow, being in korea makes you strong ;)
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
a great message!
Week 6
Mark 5:19
Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee; and hath had compassion on thee.
Since I am a missionary I eat, sleep, and dream mission-things. And so this week as I was thinking about my blog I decided to use it primarily as a tool to remind members of the power that is in missionary work, especially member missionary work. Aren't you excited to keep reading :)?
So of course I want to talk about funny mission jokes and life-altering events and spiritual experiences, but I've decided that my main purpose will be to invite members to act by bringing to a remembrance our covenants and that we may be personally taught by the Holy Ghost who will reveal all things we should do! (is that a mission statement or what?)
As a full-time proselyting missionary my testimony has grown of our Lord's work. I testify that God does have a divine plan for His children. Jesus Christ is central to that plan. I know He was crucified and resurrected, and that because He overcame death, our life on earth goes far beyond death. God does promise us eternal life and divine power through our covenants.
Because of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, we can "live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love, that will transform our lives today, tomorrow, and forever" (Elder Holland). Do we know what a blessing that is? When all is said and done I know these are the things that will endure and prevail.
So as friends and as families let us think about the message of this gospel. Should we ever be shy or afraid in sharing this with anyone? No! Not ever!
If anything, when we come to see what God sees, we become more afraid of not sharing. As the sons of Mosiah said in sharing the gospel with the Lamanites, "they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish, the very thought causing them to quake and tremble" (Mosiah 28:3).
So please, as a missionary I sincerely ask and invite us all to act and be better at reaching out to all those around us. Let's talk to people. And listen to what others have to say. And then let us share with them the greatest message that I know exists on this earth--the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
God lives. He loves us, knows us, and hears every prayer from our heart. Jesus Christ is our Savior. And the Book of Momon does teach us more about Him, His mission, His atonement, and God's plan for us. It is truly the most correct book of any on the earth. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and because of the restoration of the gospel, we today have a knowledge of these things.
May we all together be willing and ready to share this gospel!!
Mark 5:19
Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee; and hath had compassion on thee.
Since I am a missionary I eat, sleep, and dream mission-things. And so this week as I was thinking about my blog I decided to use it primarily as a tool to remind members of the power that is in missionary work, especially member missionary work. Aren't you excited to keep reading :)?
So of course I want to talk about funny mission jokes and life-altering events and spiritual experiences, but I've decided that my main purpose will be to invite members to act by bringing to a remembrance our covenants and that we may be personally taught by the Holy Ghost who will reveal all things we should do! (is that a mission statement or what?)
As a full-time proselyting missionary my testimony has grown of our Lord's work. I testify that God does have a divine plan for His children. Jesus Christ is central to that plan. I know He was crucified and resurrected, and that because He overcame death, our life on earth goes far beyond death. God does promise us eternal life and divine power through our covenants.
Because of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, we can "live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love, that will transform our lives today, tomorrow, and forever" (Elder Holland). Do we know what a blessing that is? When all is said and done I know these are the things that will endure and prevail.
So as friends and as families let us think about the message of this gospel. Should we ever be shy or afraid in sharing this with anyone? No! Not ever!
If anything, when we come to see what God sees, we become more afraid of not sharing. As the sons of Mosiah said in sharing the gospel with the Lamanites, "they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish, the very thought causing them to quake and tremble" (Mosiah 28:3).
So please, as a missionary I sincerely ask and invite us all to act and be better at reaching out to all those around us. Let's talk to people. And listen to what others have to say. And then let us share with them the greatest message that I know exists on this earth--the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
God lives. He loves us, knows us, and hears every prayer from our heart. Jesus Christ is our Savior. And the Book of Momon does teach us more about Him, His mission, His atonement, and God's plan for us. It is truly the most correct book of any on the earth. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and because of the restoration of the gospel, we today have a knowledge of these things.
May we all together be willing and ready to share this gospel!!
Photos!
1st TRANSFER...
our house--yes, this is our kitchen, but besides 2 other rooms and a bathroom--that is it!
the sisters of the seoul mission--bonding time--all eating yummy korean lunch together before going to the temple!
At the temple...
me and sis lemons!
our elders! (elder reese and elder barton)
PDAYs...
my first one--riding bikes with all the sisters around this big body of water!
somewhere in the middle of the transfer with our zone--water fight! at a random park!
our house--yes, this is our kitchen, but besides 2 other rooms and a bathroom--that is it!
the sisters of the seoul mission--bonding time--all eating yummy korean lunch together before going to the temple!
At the temple...
me and sis lemons!
our elders! (elder reese and elder barton)
PDAYs...
my first one--riding bikes with all the sisters around this big body of water!
somewhere in the middle of the transfer with our zone--water fight! at a random park!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I love to see the temple
Week 6
Every transfer our mission has a temple day, where the entire mission gets together to go to the temple. Last Wednesday was our temple day, and it was so neat to be there with all of the missionaries.
For those who don't know, in the temple we make covenants through sacred ordinances and prepare ourselves to more fully receive the highest blessings available through the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ.
It is such a blessing to go to the temple. Recently I read a quote by President Boyd K. Packer. He explained how the ultimate purpose of all we teach in the church is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of living again in the presence of our Heavenly Father.
As I think about my life and what it is I really want, I clearly see what matters, what is truly important. On this earth, my family and other relationships are what mean the most to me. And though knowing this doesn't always make life easier, it does give me the understanding of what life really is so that I can spend my time towards those things that endure and bless and prevail. :)
I testify that in Christ there comes every good thing (Moroni 7:22). Through this restored gospel and through God's divine authority--the priesthood--our families are sealed together, linked throughout the generations through time and all eternity.
Knowledge gained in Sodaemun
Week 2
This past week we all learned something important. If you're going to play in Texas, you've got to have a fiddle in the band.
Hehehe hahaha.
Last Saturday night we had a ward activity and... 2 baptisms, woohoo!! It was awesome. The ward activity had a western theme and we (the 4 missionaries--2 elders and 2 sisters) spent actually a lot of time preparing.
It was a great activity--primarily because we had about an equal number of members and investigators/friends show up. We ate hot dogs and chips and lots and lots of watermelon. After the food there was a movie (Finding Happiness--great 5 min movie ;0), a tour of the church, and a dance program, kind of.
During the dance program, the missionaries choreographed and performed a piece for the song, "If You Want to Play in Texas..." It was really fun, and funny! The ward members loved it. Oh, and we also sang a rousing version of "Home, Home on the Range." Later we taught everyone a line dance. It was great.
The best part was what came after the Cowboy Party, which was the baptism of a little girl and one man. It was neat, and not in the sense that anything magical happened, but as I grow a little older, I see more of what life really is. Life for these two new members or for any of us, it's not magically going to be perfect and we won't be free from making mistakes and life may not get that much easier.
But I truly believe this life is a journey of learning, and the farther we walk the more we notice the miracles. Because of the gospel people can change, their hearts change, and family members grow closer to one another, and we start seeing with our own eyes the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, working in our own lives and in the lives of all those around us.
Baptism is the gate which leads us towards eternal life.
The Savior said, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt 11:28-30).
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Welcome to Seodaemun and the Shinchon House!
Week 1
I am in my first area with Sister Lemons! We are serving in the Seodaemun Ward and Seoul English International Branch. Everyday we are blessed by the Lord! We are teaching people the gospel and proclaiming with all our hearts the love and joy we feel.
In response to this we have received a few funny looks, noticeable stares, warm smiles, peace signs, and lots of giggles--gotta love it :).
Why are we here? Wonderful question. Let me tell you. We are in Korea--paying our way, putting off school, eating lots of unfamiliar food, and learning a super hard language bc we know God lives. He is our Father and we are His children. He knows us. He loves us and wants us to be happy. And through the restored gospel we are free. The truth gives us knowledge and light, to live and to be who we truly want to be. Through Jesus Christ, all our losses are made up and we can overcome all things.
Learn of His gospel. I know it is true. If you already know it's true, strengthen your testimony. And as the truth sinks into our hearts we will more fully enjoy and access the blessings God has in store for us.
As Paul proclaimed, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth" (Romans 1:16).
:) Smile and press on.
anyang-hashimnika (are you are peace?) !!
FIRST UPDATE from AMANDA in KOREA!!!
I'm in Korea! After an exciting 14-hour plane ride I arrived at the Incheon Airport.
With so many thoughts swirling around in my head, I fell asleep that night thinking of the story of Esther...
"Think not . . . that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, . . . thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed.
Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13-14)
What a wonderful work we are engaged in. Shall we not go on... with courage and hope, in so great a cause?
the end.
Updates from Korea!
Hey all friends, family, and fans of Amanda ... I'll be posting pictures and updates from Korea on her blog while she is far off in Korea sharing the restored gospel. It will probably be about once a week that I'll post the letters and pictures she sends me. So you won't be able to comment so she can read it, but you can hear how she is doing and what she is doing. Fabulous, huh?
Happy reading!
(from Amanda's friend, Jessica)
Happy reading!
(from Amanda's friend, Jessica)
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