Hey Family,
It was so good to talk to you this last Saturday! I love you all so very much and I miss y'all alot, but I know this is where the Lord wants me. I hope the spirit of Christ was present with y'all this Christmas as it was with me and Elder Christensen. The magic of Christmas is not in the Presents but in his Presence!!!! Thanks KJ........I am excited to tell you about my week and the great things that lay ahead and how we spent Christmas in PINE WHAT? PINEHURST!!!!!

Mon-
Happiness is now, Elder Christensen got a little home sick, but I took care of that real quick!! All his family was at home visiting, and we talked about the Joy from missionary service and I really think I needed that talk more then he did. I feel like I always have an answer for everything, like a pretty good profound answer but I need to use them and put them into action, and that is what I am trying to apply as I share the gospel with others and in my own path, while trying to become that Son the my Heaven Father expects me to become. My main man Nate Kirk picked us up and took us to breakfast then we went and helped him clean Kirk Tour Vans!!!! It was cool , I love the Kirks they are such great people. That night a woman we taught a couple times called us and asked for our help, said she needed us to pray for her. We taught her over the phone about prayer and fasting and it was really neat; at first I didn't think she was prepared but she still is. We went out with Tim to teach Sister Cameron it was so cool to see Tim, who hasn't been baptised, yet testify to Sister Cameron of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, and truthfulness of the Gospel it was so cool! He was neat to watch! Afterwards he said being on the other end is so neat!!!!

Tues-
NCRM deep clean day baby!!! It is so crazy to me how you can feel the spirit more in your life in a clean environment! Thank you so much mom for always keeping our home clean and orderly and just for all you did to strive to have the spirit their! And Billy thanks for supervising!!!!! We had dinner that night with the Doolittle's they are the bomb and their little Daughter is getting a Chin Chilla for Christmas....It is like a bunny thing. I am so excited for Christmas it was a really good day! We stopped by to see some people that evening and sung Christmas carols and all is well in tinsel town! Have you all watched the LDS video called, Look to the Light!!! I love it!!!!

Wed-
We had District meeting, it was really good, it was on Revelation through Prayer, we had our Senior couple there, Elder and Sister Burris, they are both converts and from Texas, they are a great asset to our District. We really were able to use them which created an environment where the Holy Ghost could teach and help us understand what is truth. We all learned alot, that when we teach these people and we run out of time and have to go to our next appointment, it is just crazy and we just say will you read and pray about the Book of Mormon and not teach them prayer and why we pray, that we really can't expect to go back with them having received revelation!!!! We went to Pizza Hut afterwards and the Burris's paid for it all! Bless their HEART!!!! I got a letter from Lyssa and Pres. Wheeler!!!! I went on an exchange with Elder Johnson everything fell apart, our dinner was an hour late so we ate deer burgers in a truck, we went to our appointment, they weren't there and we had no ride back, so we went knocking doors, everyone was upset, they said it was to late!

Thurs-
We went out that morning and were on fire. Elder Johnson is a good elder he lifts me up alot and I love that feeling!!!!!! Today is Joseph Smith's b-day and is the same day Tim got baptised! So the baptism was awesome, like it just worked out so well. Tim's parents were there. His mom was emotional from the very beginning!!!! I talked to her afterwards and asked her about what she felt and if she would want to feel it again!!! I love asking those no brainer questions, and we set an appointment it was neat and really exciting. A good day to be a missionary!!!!!

Fri-
I was able to drive down to Laurinburg and interview Bro William Gessler, it was so neat I was able to apologize to him and his wife express to them my love to them and how I have been praying and fasting for them. They told me that they loved me and it was all good. That felt so good, like a load was lifted! We had cookout and played Monopoly at the Laurinburg Elder's apartment!!!!! And I won!!!!!!! We came back and went to have a lesson with Sis Fox in the Bayless home and she was a no show!!!! So we went to the Bishop's house it was really good, it was like a Christmas back home. They gave us a cool BOP IT where one of the steps is to shout it, then we left and the Security Guard at the gate looked like life was awful, so we went in and talked to him gave him the Christmas Orange story and a copy of the Book of Mormon so we will see where that goes!!!!!

Sat-
We were at the Kirk's, we did a white elephant exchange, they got us some gifts, we had a really nice lunch and watched them shoot their AK 47, we then went over to the Joyner's, their son in-law went to the Harvard of Culinary schools and man was that true, it was such good food, then we called y'all! I always hate the night after that phone call home! Your mind wanders to much!!!!

Sun-
No church!! I have cabin fever! I have been stuck in here to long. We built a snowman and then I was kind of depressed and missing home, wondering why we were out here cause we couldn't find anyone to go with us to our appointment! And while on the pot being selfish I said a prayer, and I was like if you even want me out here, help us find an exchange and the moment I said that the phone buzzed and I heard Elder Christensen answer, and it was an exchange!!!! We taught Sister Cameron and her and her daughter are prepared for baptism!!!!

Mon-
We went shopping and Bro. Seaquist bought all our groceries, he is a really nice man! From Grantsville crazy huh!!!! So we had all this candy, 1 giant box of Pot of Gold chocolate and 4 king size Hersey bars, I made Elder Christensen eat them all and then drink a huge glass of milk!!!! He almost threw up, it was so funny we then went out and taught a lesson with a crazy amazing member it was so neat!!!!


I love you all, I love my call, I love the gospel, and I am so thankful to be a part of it!

Love and Respect,


Elder Taylor Petersen

So, my boy Nate Kirk took us to breakfast this morning and that is why we are a little late emailing. I'd love to talk to Kels! But especially my main man BILLY and my main WOMAN WILLMEETA! So I am so excited to tell you all about this week, but I do not have alot of time. So I will just tell it to you all when I call home on Sat. I am not sure of a time, we will call you like Friday night to confirm a time because I have to go redeem myself Christmas day and drive up to Laurinburg and interview that man again for baptism so he can receive the O so many blessings! Tim is set to jet, he is prepared everyone always says he prays like a member and it is cool so this Thursday at 7 o'clock Timothy will go UNDER!!!!!! Sis Cameron is amazing, she is so hard on herself, but yet she is learning so well. She has alot of stress in her life right now and it is so neat to see her turn to the gospel for peace. Her and her daughter will be baptised on the first good new years resolution, right!!!!!! We taught a cool couple, new families this week, we invited one to be baptised she politely declined. But when she feels the converting power of the BOOK OF MORMON nothing will stop her! So, saturday we had a ward Christmas party, the Guevaras were their, all 9 of them it was so neat and then the next Sunday they came to church all 9 of them! The Christmas program was wonderful their was an Angel their visiting from USU! Go AGGIES. We had a great week we were able to go out with Bishop Houseman and talk about missionary efforts in the ward, then on Sunday we had an incredible talk with the MAN, President Brock he is a missionary minded fella! Speaking of which Billy, I need you to share some more light to me on your missionary program, I think next transfer we might get it up and running, but I don't fully understand it! At Church we had 7 investigators! IT has been so neat to look at myself and see who I have become in the span of a year. I feel like I truly know my Savior and I owe it all to this, and what I have been doing out here! I wouldn't exchange this time for anything in the world, I know this is where I am suppose to be! We found a part member family we are working with that is way cool too! I have been starting to feel a little sick but nothing some wheat grass can't fix! I can't wait to talk to you, pray for the Guevars they are ready! Just need to figure out how to invite them! Thanks for the love and support you all show to me, I hope you have a wonderful week and I can't wait to talk to you on Saturday! It will be a blast a good old time for only 10 minutes is what President is saying now!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA OH my main man BK sent me a way nice Christmas gift! The members in the ward are hooking us up with GIFT CARDS!!!!!!! PIZZA HUT 5 DOLLAR BUFFET BABY!!!!! ELder CHristensen is doing great, I love him to death. Sorry this email is probably lame, but I gotta go love y'all!

With Love and Respect,

Elder Taylor BLAINE Petersen

Family,
OH MY GOODNESS I LOVE Y'ALL! Christmas is almost here! I hit the one year MARK, I honestly didn't think I would have made it this long! I thought I would have gotten eaten by a dog or hit by a car or I am not sure what, but here I am, and I am so thankful for the relationship I have gained with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in this past year! It has been crazy to look back and see where I have come! Seriously, it was just yesterday, that we were all loaded in the Armada, Dad got pulled over and told the cop someone stole our license plate, Mom got worked up and said to Dad, what a great example of Honesty before your son enters the MTC! Then to spend time with you guys at Temple Square, faking that night that I was sick so I could post pone leaving, and have one of the most Spiritual experiences of my life giving each of you a blessing, so great to think how powerful the spirit of the Lord was in that tiny hotel room! Entering into the MTC!! I love this gospel, I am so thankful for those memories and for all of you, I love you all so very much and so excited to tell y'all about my week!

Mon-
We went out with Bro. Harris that night and had a crazy powerful lesson on Faith and how it is an ACTion word, so therefore we must ACT!!!!!! It was so neat to see the Holy Ghost working through Sis. Cameron and Bro. Harris, the spirit was so strong and everyone was made better because of it. It was so neat to ask Sis. Cameron to consider what she thought she could do, to come to church on a more regular basis, she said, that you mean how could I act, to come to church more regularly! She is such a neat lady and has been prepared by the Lord! The Lord's Kingdom needs more African Americans, they have such a rich History and background of FAITH and ENDURING!

Tues-
The man wrote me a letter Bishop Tibbitts! He is a great man of faith and has just a complete trust in the Lord! I love our BISHOP! I'll never forget the text he sent me asking me if I was excited to enter the MTC, and I told him NO!!!!! He said that it may be tough but just like each brick must under go high temperatures to be strong to add to a solid foundation, so must we go through high temperatures so that we will build a foundation on which the Lord can depend on us! It was bitter cold today! We biked to our appointment and got their and he had to leave with a wrecker because his car broke down! Bad luck for him, He was missing out on the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ! So we had dinner at the NEW RS Pres. Sis Kratzer; after dinner they asked if we would go with them to deliver some goodies, like a door bell ditch one, and then they pass it on! Well we did and Bro. Kratzer was flying in reverse down their long driveway and plowed over their mail box and got wedged between a tree and the mailbox, it was so funny and we GOT CAUGHT! We went out later that night with Bro. Chandler the new counselor in the Bishopric and it was a good time! We taught Tim and he is set to jet for the 23rd and also taught a guy named Marcus black, he is what you call Good FOLK, his wives family is all members and he is interested but from a distance, but we were so thankful for Bro. Chandler who was able to literally teach to this mans needs! I am so thankful for the exchange program!

WEd-
For the first time in my life since eighth grade, I saw a 1 on the scale for the first number! 199.2!!!! Crazy huh, I am getting deathly skinny!!!!! JK, but running everywhere makes the difference! We went tracting and were able to set 2 return appointments all with middle aged single African American women with at least four kids, but they live in a pretty decent neighborhood! We had a great lesson with Doug that night. He moved out, and he is such a good guy, like I think he is going to come back and his girlfriend will get baptised in the process. He just has natural leadership skills and if he is choosing righteousness people with just naturally flock to him and follow his example and he writes awesome country music! But after the lesson his girlfriend said "I going to read my scriptures tonight" things just feel good and they invited us over for dinner for a good southern MEAL!!!!!! WOOT WOOT

Thurs-
One year MARK today, oh my oh my oh my! I was thinking alot about it today and like I used to think that Elder Christensen hindered me from being successful, that his differentness or oddness slowed me down. But I realized, like I am my biggest barrier, like I slow myself down, I limit myself and create walls that don't even need to be their! If you can learn to control your mind, your thoughts, your fears and trust in God, I think you can master alot! My main man, Jared Kirk who is just like Uncle Andrew went out with us last night on a short moments notice and we had a great lesson, we taught Sis. Cameron, she asked why their aren't more blacks in the church, she asked why so many people are opposed to the LDS faith and then she told us she acted and asked her supervisor and got every other Sunday off possibly 3 Sundays off a month! Our prayers and fasting were answered it was so incredible! We saw this woman named Selemia and her 4 kids we taught them and had a great lesson with them, her son Peanut is a basketball all star for the freshman team and like 2 members are on the b-ball team and after the lesson he was like Connor George is always like Peanut, you are such a Mormon, he then said that he is so excited to finally become a Mormon and he gave us a big hug! Such a neat respectful kid!

Fri-
Interview with the BOSS! President Cotterell is the man. We had a great interview and then had a neat district meeting following. I think member missionary work just keeps President Cotterell up at night , I was looking at this study journal and that is like seriously his main focus, but it is really the only way we will be successful here in north cacalacky! WE went to Andy's you will have to get online and look up my companion, Elder Trevor Christensen, he did the BIG A challenge and ate like a 4lb burger and his photo is online, I was so proud of my boy! I went on an exchange with Elder Foster and he is like literally part Indian and he is figuratively as well, because he tells so many stories! We taught Tim the commandments and he committed, then we went to a less active members, we were out with a member who has this new crazy nice JAG like he is filthy rich! And nobody truly understands what he does!

Sat-
Elder Foster was taking a poop, I don't know if y'all remember, Viva La Bam but when his dad is pooping they pull his shirt over his head and just slap him and stuff, I did that to Elder Foster and he flipped, he is 250 and a really large kid it was so funny, but we had a great study he told me how he died! We went to Laurinburg exchanged back and went and did service on a horse farm with this RM from MASSACHUSETTS! He is the man but is kind of Less Active. IT was scary, man you have all these spiritual experiences and you still can fall away! I don't want that to be me. But I am afraid because it happens to anybody! But daily scripture study makes the difference. We had a lesson that night with Sister Cameron and she had read the whole Ensign she had a lot of good questions, she is ready January 1st baby!!!!!

SUN-
I am a firm believer in the quote in Preach my Gospel, under Christlike attributes speaking on diligence! Their is no cure to missionary work except work! The Cameron's came to church, they loved it! She is awesome! Then we had dinner at the Winkley's, we had a great time their, there is such a pure spirit in their home! We biked out to the lady from England that bought us our reflective gear gave her a Christmas card, a copy of the Book of Mormon, and Joy to the World! She just got married, we didn't know that they were leaving for their honeymoon tomorrow, I think we might have rained on their parade! But hey at least they were doing it in the statues which God has established! They both just did the iron man and do triathlons all the time! They are some fit people, hopefully they want to learn more, they didn't that night, they would have rather gotten back to the parade and didn't know of another time that would work, but she works with a member so it is all good!

I love y'all, Hope you have a great week!!! Merry Christmas.

With Love and Respect,

Elder Taylor BLAINE Petersen

No Longer a Teenager!!!

Taylor and Elder Weston -Nice lights

Elder Petersen & Christensen at a Nativity in NC

I am 20 y'all! That is so crazy, I feel old, like I can finally be mature and make correct decisions because I am not a TEENAGER! What a week, Birthdays in the mission are weird, I won't lie! But wow, this Gospel has never been more true! I love Christmas, I love the spirit that this seasons contains. Some big changes in the Pinehurst ward this week! But it has been an eventful week with Sister Carla Cameron, Danielle, Deja and also with William Walters, it is awesome! It snowed! Just a good week to serve the Lord, ya know never again on my birthday except next year would i get to serve the Lord on my Birthday, what a great gift that has been for this period of my life! But here we go! I Love you Mom and Dad and Kenz and Drake and Sophie and even KELS.....pretty goofy Christmas card y'all sent, I loved it! Tell Kelsi I write her faithful every week, just like Old Faithful goes off every hour! OH, I have the coolest family and FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!

Mon-
So this older single woman in our ward, her mother died and she took a train to Florida; well she left her dog Bosco who she had never left before in her entire life and she was nervous about it, but who could she call......who could she trust..........THE ELDERS. So for 2 days we were on dog duty....well this dog freaked out that her mommy was gone and did some dirty work to that house! So I think Pinehurst might be short one member but we pray and hope not! But it actually went fairly well, she was grateful. We had dinner with the Kirks.......they remind me of Andrew and Courtney it was fun going out with them to dinner, they have a brand new baby and she was crying in the back seat so they made me sing songs to her.......BUT IT JUST MADE HER CRY HARDER! I guess it was some birth control for myself and Elder Christensen! But to be honest, I am so pumped to have a LITTLE PETE! But why am I talking about that, it is so far away!!!!!!!! Or is IT?????HAHAHA Just kidding!!! Later that night at dinner, Bro Kirk just being nice asked is their anything else y'all want. I said no, and they had free chips and Salsa.....like we had three baskets and had alot, Elder Christensen eats like a horse though. So Sis Kirk got there baby all ready to go, we get all bundled up and Elder Christensen was like I want another basket of Chips and some more salsa. Bro Kirk starts laughing as did I....but Elder Christensen was toally serious, but then I straightened him out, told him he needed to worry about his girlish figure and finally got him to leave. We went and tried to catch up with some potential investigators but not much success. Time is a delicacy here in Pinehurst and none if it is available to Mormon missionary's..

Tues-
Elder Miller went Zone Leader in Fayetteville and Elder Pierre-Louis my African American brother went Assistant to the President! GO MINICO SPARTANS!!!!!!!!!!! Get some Flavor in the office! We went out with Bro. Stovall he is 82 and still works as a realtor! We went to go see William Walter, we had a great lesson with him where I testified my heart out to him and just pleaded with him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, they are so prepared they just don't know it. His wife doesn't sit in but she is really smart and I am pretty confident she sits in the back room and listens. But he said he would and we could stop by to follow up with him! We biked around alot and finally got to go see Rod Anderson.......he was the man we met at the Chevy dealership and he talked to us, he told us his neighbors were Mormon and his nephew, I felt prompted to give him a new pass along card with an older couple asking what happens to their marriage after they die. But I chickened out. That night we went out with his neighbor who said his wife died a few weeks ago. So I knew I had to give him the card. So, we finally got to the doorstep, it was emotional. The spirit was so strong and he and I were crying and I told him of the plan of happiness that he could know where his wife is. But he said it was still to hard to meet with us, but that he would call his neighbors when he was ready. It was so sad and hard for me. But I did it for myself, I can do nothing except in the strength of the Lord, I can do all things! We went out with the Stake Presidents son, Jeremy Brock he is the man. We saw Sis. Cameron where we had a great lesson, we taught her the Word of Wisdom and she was like, really! Then she got a pen and paper out and said if the Lord commands it, I better write them down they must be important....so she did and she is awesome. We saw a less active woman.....that was interesting but it was a good night teaching!

Wed-
We had district meeting. We got a new Elder, Elder Ringamoto from Fiji by way of Hawaii by way of Provo! He is huge! District meeting was really good, it was on Faith to Find 2 new investigators each week. It was a really spiritual experience preparing for that! The Lord wants us to be successful....but it is just like Chaydo told me, how can we expect missionary work to be easy when the Savior had to go through the atonement! I miss Chaydo, we went to pizzahut afterwards and Elder Christensen has not limits when it comes to a buffet! He ate them out of house and home. I went on an exchange with Elder Weston to Laurinburg.....It was good, we did some tracting, I had a baptismal interview with a girl named Keri who was 29 days older then Sophie and had the same birthday as Kelsi! It was so neat, like I was just thinking of myself interviewing Sophie and the covenant she made when I baptised her! It was really emotional for me with all of that in my mind but it was really neat, her family coming back into activity and she was leading them!

Thurs-
The elders in Pembroke met with a young man who is going to UNC at Pembroke, that is from Smithfield, and he said he knew me, it was way cool. The Lord works in mysterious ways! In the North Carolina Raleigh mission 90% of the baptisms are part member families except in the Fayetteville West Stake! So we looked on our roster and their were 115 part member families. So we have alot of in house work to do and as President Cotterell said, get more bang for our buck! I just think in part member families the spouse protects their spouse way to much it is odd. I got 7 letters, Chaydo, Dealba, Patrick, (who is dating Alyssa) that is so cool, and mom I got 2 from you, and Monica and Tarha and Noel, so cool. We had a great lesson with the Cameron's in the Gilmore's home they are so awesome she is our teaching coordinator! But the spirit was present and Sister Cameron is ready! Elder Christensen really is trying hard just has no people skills at all, but he is trying and is obedient and that is all we can ask for!

Fri-
This lady said something that shook me up! We contacted her and she said she knows what we are all about her best friend in Washington is a member and she isn't interested, and I asked if we could come share a Christmas message with her and her kids and she politely declined. But as we walked away her son said mommy why were they here, and what she said to him shook my world, She said "they just were coming by to make sure we know Jesus." IT killed me, like our message is so much more than that, like how do I not convey that message to somebody, that I am here not to just help them know Jesus loves them but to let them feel that he loves them. Our message is so much more than that! Ladder Golf Tourney, I took 2nd, Sis Cameron came and loved it a brother approached her and said, hi I am Jared and she said I am Sister Cameron; so do I call you Bro. Jared and he said, no I apologize I am Bro Young! It was so cool!

Sat-
BIRTHDAY-----------WOWOW 20 years old that is crazy! A member invited us to a breakfast for the Kiwanis Club, it was good stuff, it was snowing, we biked everywhere. We met with the Walters, Bro Walters hadn't read the scriptures, but Sis Walters came out and was like "if I read in the book and pray I can know the message is true, and she was like really, and then she went off asking all these questions about the church, it was so cool, she was on fire. She said, "well, where do I read and I will read it to Bill and we'll both pray about it!" We told her page 429 and when we were leaving she said,"so 429 right" and I was confused, but then I got it!!! It was so neat, they are so prepared! We taught Sis Cameron; Bro Young came with us. After the lesson he was said, I see Sister Cameron in the temple like that is where she is going, it is awesome, she is so prepared! We taught her daughter Danielle, she has a cognitive learning disability and she kind of gets it! It is freezing cold, I seriously can't handle it but the warmth of our message warms me from the inside out!

Sun-
NOBODY AT CHURCH AGAIN, WE STRUCK OUT!!!!!!!! Elder Hervy said in his letter to me or Patrick said when he was AP that in the Pinehurst area, everyone was pessimistic about it. I always get sent to those areas, but I just keep reminding myself of the quote Chaydo told me in his letter. If I had Elder Miller we could tear it up! We could bring anything out! The Pot was stirred in the Pinehurst Ward, New Bishopric, new Relief Society president, a couple left on special assignment to preside over the Rockingham Branch, so it was funny everyone was really sad about the Relief Society president leaving, but the new one seems awesome and she has a daughter on a mission so that will help our case. We went to the nativity scene lighting, Sis Cameron came....it was awesome, we rode our bikes their in our cool reflective gear! The devotional was awesome! It made me think of what I remember of Christmas and to be honest, I don't remember what I got last year or the year before that! But I always love and look forward to and remember Christmas eve, I love the spirit that is in our home. I remember one year dad set up an extra chair for the Savior to be present, just the spirit that comes into our home that evening is amazing! I love this season. I love you all and can't wait to spend it with you in 2012 because I am getting an extension! So don't count on Dec 9th! IT would be the 14 anyways! You always come home 5 days after your reporting date! I love you all and Wish you all a Merry CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Love and Respect,

Elder Taylor Petersen