Elder Aaron Peterson: Week 13

We've had a good week so far! Hermana S. got confirmed this Sunday. Almost all the recent converts and investigators came to church which was great to see. We've been really busy lately as both our ward and the other ward have been asking me to help them with the piano. The primary program is next Sunday, so I had the opportunity to learn some songs from the Children's Songbook (I've needed to do that for a while- I love playing with the primary and love the music too).

I also had the opportunity to help out with the other ward with a Young Men's/Women's activity about serving a mission. I learned a song and accompanied them.

I also played the piano for a funeral of the husband of a Hermana in our ward. It was really sad, but it's wonderful to have the knowledge that through the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and living the teachings and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have the promise that death isn't the end, and that families can be together forever.

Elder Cruz will still have his boot on for two more weeks, but he's a good sport walking everywhere even though it hurts. We've been contacting a lot lately, and I've been talking with people at every opportunity I get. I don't know what happened with me haha, but I just decided I was going to do it without any fear, and I've been doing really well at it! Before, I'd feel awkward and not do it very often, but I know my responsibility and privilege as a missionary to help others find greater happiness in their lives. My companion is really proud that I've started to talk to people at every opportunity (he has no fear). I'm more confident with my Spanish, and as long as I don't get too nervous, I make few mistakes.

I'm learning that faith, diligence, and patience are essential in becoming a better missionary, or learning anything worthwhile. It's difficult, but the reward of attaining a goal, ambition, or objective of merit is almost always directly proportional to the amount of work put into it. I've been trying to become more like my Savior every day by learning about his attritubutes and working every day to implement these qualities and become a better missionary and person. I realized that I'm missing a lot, but I know that every day with faith, dilligence, patience, and the help of the Holy Ghost guiding me, I can become more like Him.

We are teaching lots of people and meeting a lot of new people every day. We've been having a lot of unplanned setbacks and other responsibilities to tend to recently. We're working every day to help the wonderful people we've been teaching learn how to bless their lives through the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's amazing to see the changes in people as they come to know God as their loving Heavenly Father and His Beloved son as the Christ and the pathway to eternal and genuine happiness.

I love you all!!