Written on October 24th

Hey Family what is going on?

Dad, are you to busy to just drop me a line on the email. I miss hearing from you. You're my
bestfriend! HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA VIRGINA!!!!! This week has been such a great
week. I don't have much to say because I emailed you last Wednesday. This Saturday we had an awesome bike ride out to Grantham. It is 18 miles from our apartment and the church was really big out there. We talked to 10 part-member families and we ended up finding one that wasn't on the records. That was a great day. The people are so much friendlier out there and everyone
waves to us! Life is good! I love you all so much, we are having a baptism on Saturday possibly! I'll see you in
6 weeks bye!
I LOVE YOU!!!!

Elder Petersen

Hey Family!

Things are going well in the Mission Field! I had some neat experiences the past few days that I am extremely grateful for and so excited to share with you! We had Stake conference this weekend. We had a General Authority visiting Elder Paul V Johnson. He is the man, a powerful speaker. It was so crazy how he could just unfold the scriptures and talk about them so simple and just go off as guided by the spirit. I was able to talk to him for a little bit after the adult session Saturday night and he visited with our investigator for a little bit, it was so neat. They carry such a special spirit with that calling!

Then on Monday we had a mission tour. Elder Marlin K Jensen toured our mission and presided over our Zone conference. He taught us so wonderfully. He focused on the sacredness of the spirit and how to often we talk lightly on our spiritual promptings but what we don't seem to grasp is that we are communicating with a third member of the God Head the Holy Ghost. His wife was such a sweet woman and you could tell that he loved her with his whole heart. Sis Jensen played a game and picked 6 companionships and played a companionship unity game. Elder Clinger and I proudly took 1st place. During Lunch I was invited along with two other Elders and a Sister to interview with Elder Jensen. It was such a spiritual experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. He is such a tender man and so in tune with the Holy Spirit. He taught me so much in our interview.

One day this week Elder Clinger and I were out seeking out the honest in heart. I rolled up on my bicycle and these squirrels took off running and there was a Squirrel that was paralyzed from the stomach down, it was running around dragging the back half of its body. It was running across the road and we stopped traffic so it could get across then the squirrels started teasing it again and I was telling Elder Clinger we have to put it out of its misery! So as it was running around and there was no traffic Elder Clinger slammed his front tire down on its head and put it out of its misery! It was so funny!!!!! So scary!!! We were tracting yesterday and this guy came out and we had a great gospel discussion with him and then he said he was going to grab something. He shut the door and locked it. After we waited for 5 minutes someone came up to the door and said go away the Devil lives here! It was way scary! We took off running.

Jose is this man that just moved here from Hollywood. He is Latino. He bought a house and co signed with a guy that is trying to take over the house and sell it! It is a crazy situation. We have really incredible lessons with him and he came to all of General Conference. He has a real pure heart and has accepted the invitation to be baptized. He has this dog max that he brings with him everywhere. We are trying to get him a job. Bishop has been a great help.

Jessica Ream is the girlfriend of a member. She is 17 and is a great girl. She was really involved in this church and had plenty of opportunities to get baptized in it. She never did though. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her dad. We have been teaching her in the member’s home and the spirit there is so strong. She is pretty excited to be baptized. She has been coming to church and attending seminary (early morning) and mutual for 6 months!!!

Jacob Mud is a young airman from Oklahoma. I really think the world of him and we have had some incredible lessons with him in the member’s home that invited him. Sunday we had a lesson it was powerful. The family’s parents were visiting from SLC and we taught a powerful lesson and had dinner. We ate this Greek food called Grape leaves that was so good! Jacob came to conference this weekend! I really hope he enjoyed it.

Stake Conference was like a reunion I saw Elder DeKalb and we ran around talking to everyone in the Smithfield ward. It was funny, when I was at Zone Conference Elder Clinger and I sat next to Elder DeKalb. He asked how kenz was and I told him she was engaged. He was so upset; it ruined his day he said. I have had a lot of flat tires this week! It stunk! Maybe Dolly and Kenz will hook up, I would love for her and him to date. He has changed a lot. Sorry my email was late! I hope you’re doing good Billy! Mom I love you and am grateful for your example of compassion. Kenz I love you and will keep you in my prayers! Drake will you be old enough to go on a double date when I get home? Sophie are you getting ready to wakeboard again? I love y'all so much! Keep me in your prayers!

Love,

Elder Taylor Blaine Petersen

Familia,

WOW I love this work and I love you all so much. I hope things are going well! Mom I hope you had a fantastic Birthday! You are such a good mother! You are just an incredible person and will always be a beacon in my life! I hope you got my card and it found you well! There is this new CD called,The Work a Nashville Tribute and there is a song that goes bless my Son, bless my precious one, give him the power to ................before she turns out the lights heaven hears bless my son! It is just a neat song and when times get tough I just think of you mom going to the temple every week so I could get sent state side, I think of you just offering sincere prayers for me that I will grow and stay strong and I really have felt them hold me up in tough times. You are a woman of great faith and I am grateful for your example!! So our WARD mission leader BRO B!! Reads my emails you guys post or whatever! It is kind of embarrassing! But I just want to give that BROTHER a shout out! He and his awesome family had this Bro from China who was visiting over in their home and we taught him a lesson! It is tough teaching people without a Christian background, but I am so grateful for the Boren's home that was just a conduit for the spirit of the Lord there to testify to Eric that he is a Son of God and that God loves him. Eric offered a silent prayer it was really neat! The Mclellands are this awesome family just like a picture perfect family with cute kids and super funny. When I said the prayer in sacrament meeting their little girl yelled, Amen!!! We are teaching this guy named Jacob he read in the book of Jacob we are so excited to meet with him. We also had another lesson in some members homes, the Draughons are some great people from New York and we were able to share a message with their neighbors Bozo and Ann Mozingo! We had some homemade pizza that was to die for! We had a great lesson as we brought it back to the basic principles of the Gospe,l the spirit was so quickly there to testify. It was so neat. We are meeting with them again next week! Paul Coble is running for congress and Bro Jackson offered to buy us lunch but then Mr. Coble did so a man who was running for congress bought us lunch he was a super nice guy, we went to the fair and I have to tell you the list of things I ate Funnel Cake, fried Pickles, Fried Oreos, Hot Dog, Lemonade, Hamburger, Fried Philly Cheese Steak! I felt so gross! But we have been running like four miles in the morning so I didn't feel too bad! Me and Elder Clinger were walking around contacting people and Bozo the clown was in the dunking both and had a mic and was just taunting people and when we walked by he yelled EVERYBODY LOOK, THE MORMON RUN!!!! It was funny! This one guy told us he was tired of what we were selling! I told him it was FREE, he didn't think that was too clever! Those Carneys sure are crazy! We had a tough week. We were supposed to have a baptism but we called it off because we didn't feel the family was ready. Bishop Rouse said we did the right thing. The family was supposed to come to church Sunday and meet with the Bishop and they didn't show up. We helped the Brother today with his yard. He said one of their kids were sick. But he just has this fear of meeting with the bishop, or maybe his isn't ready to give up what is keeping him from baptizing his son. I just don't know.Then Bro Bredin wasn't going to come to church and we read with him 3rd Nephi 18 and had such a spiritual experience in his home. At the ending of reading it he looked at us and said there is nothing stopping me from coming to church. We brought it up in Missionary Coordination meeting and they said this isn't a church that buses people around. So we were able to find a sister that would be willing and talked to her on Saturday evening and she said she was good and then she just didn't show up. It was tough, but thankfully the Bredins understood.This Sunday we fasted that Bro Varney would get to talk to the Bishop and that Bro Bredin would receive answers to his questions at church, and they didn't show up we were kind of down, and then on our way out, Jessica this 16 year old girl calls us out and said that she wants to start taking the discussions so we are meeting with her this evening. She has been coming to church since I have been here faithfully and goes to seminary and mutual as well, she has her own quad!!!! It was a miracle, we were so grateful for and it helped us realize that the Lord is in control. I am so grateful for the Holy Ghost in this work, it prompts us, guides us, warns us, lifts us, when were down! IT is awesome and I don't think I could have done it without it! Well I love you guys so much and I hope you have a great week! I appreciate your support and prayers and know you are always in mine! Have a great WEEK!!

Love,

Elder Taylor Blaine Petersne

Hola Family,

How Blessed we are to hear the Prophets voice!!!!!!!!

Wow time is flying fast. I am so excited to think that I will be sitting with Dad and Drake at priesthood session next time. Wow, was Elder Hollands talk powerful. I am still recovering emotionally from what he said. I love Elder Callisters talk on the Book of Mormon. I am trying to arrange for a Loud Speaker to get attatched to our car so we can go around playing that talk and handing out copies of the Book of Mormon. I also loved Elder Christofferson's talk on repentance, I love how the 70's give talks and it is like, wow that is great I need to apply that asap. The apostles take such a simple and broad topic as repentance and speak so deeply about it and just make you really ponder about the topic and just like ponder about it so much that it keeps you up at night! I love General Conference and I am so excited to apply what I learned and can't wait for next session! Lexi looked beautiful in her pictures! I am so happy for her and Seth. I hope for the best for them. I've come to learn on my mission from this great member Bro. Smith that marriage truly is happiness. That if you aren't happy in your marriage, you won't be happy in life. And you can't reach the fullness of happiness with out marriage, so I am so happy for Lexi and Seth and wish that they will always be happy. I got your letters Mom and your packages! Thank you so much for the Candy Gram it was desperately needed. Elder Clinger and I have cleaned out our apartment of all food that wouldn't fall into the catorgory of raw. We had recently received a juicer and we were eating healthy but we were going crazy and Elder Clinger was mad that I talked him into it! But your candy gram saved him from killing me!

We are scheduled to have a baptism this Saturday. I do not think it is going to happen. About two weeks ago we met with the family and made a plan for Parker to be baptized on the 8th and his Father to perform the baptism. The family struggles to live the word of wisdom, the mother and the father both with Coffee and the Father with Alcohol as well. We invited them to meet with the Bishop and clear things up. We gave the Varneys the number to the Executive Secretary and we followed up and he said it was taken care of. We came over to plan the baptism program and the father said, "Elders I won't be able to perform the baptism." We later found out that he never called the Executive Secretary, therefore he never met with the Bishop. We are pretty confident the mother and father didn't keep the commitment invitation to live the Word of Wisdom. We don't want to set this family up for in-activity or to just fall back into the same slump they have been in the past 8 years. We fasted and feel that we should postpone the baptism.

I went on an exchange with Elder Johnson. He is so happy which I believe led to his seeing a lot of miracles that day as we were out searching out the honest in heart. We met this Lady named Joy from Peurto Rico. Her cousin is on a mission in Maryland and said, Joy, you just need to hear the message, she said she would but didn't think there was anyone that could teach it to her and low and behold we knocked on her door! Elder Johnson is going to make me an awesome satchel out of pants to carry copies of the Book of Mormon in!

We helped the Jacksons alot this weekend! This republican running for Govenor came over to their house and it was catered and they had valet parking and we helped clean up their yard all week for it! They raised $10,000 for the guy! I love the Jacksons they are such kind people and try so hard to share the gospel.

We had dinner last night with a family. He invited his friend from work to dinner! It was awesome he was from Oaklahoma, we asked him if he was a Cowboy or Sooners fan he said he was the only U of O fan in his family and then we turned the rest of the discussion into the gospel! The family we had dinner with are coming back to activity, it is so awesome. We are excited to teach him again in their home! There is so much power from teaching in members home, I love it!

Since I have been here we have been inviting members to invite a non-member friend into there home to hear the missionary lessons. I have been really frustrated because I haven't seen any success come from this invitation. These last 5 days we have had three lessons in members homes with people they invited and are having another tomorrow night. It has been an incredible experience.

Know that I am always keeping you in my prayers! I love you guys so much and you bring so much happiness into my life! I love family and I am grateful for God our father who created this divine and Holy social unit! I love you guys have a great week!

Love, Elder Taylor Petersen

I am so excited for General Conference!!! I hope you all are too. We get to hear from our Prophet and the Apostles and others who the Lord has chosen and prepared through Revelation! I hope I come prepared to learn what the spirit is going to teach me!!

Elder Clinger and I had a falling out this week. We settled our argument with a scripture, we read in Mosiah 3:18 that the natural man just wants us to fight and not agree with each other. It was a real neat experience. We set a goal as a companionship this transfer to kill the natural man! Actually to SLAY it. We don't want to torture it just put it out. We don't want him to win. The more he wins in the little things the easier it will be when a big thing comes up.

There is this older woman Ms. Jane. She lives near the Jacksons, she is a single retired school teacher whose daughter has cancer. She had this old shed in the back of her yard that is all beat up. We offered one Sunday on our way home to clean it up, and she with great thanks accepted our invitation. We cleaned it all up and hauled it to the street and Bro. Jackson said he would have it all hauled off. After serving her we talked to her about the church. She talked about how at ECU the head of the athletic department was a member and how great his kids were. We talked about the Savior about how she has drawn strength from him at this time of trial with her daughter. Then we talked about the Book of Mormon how she could learn more about the Savior from it and she kind of shut her listening off (spiritually at least) We asked her if she knew what the book was and she had no clue. We offered her a copy and are going to invite her to let us share with her in the Jacksons home the significance that book can be to her in her life. Keep Jane in your prayers.

We taught the Varney family this week. We couldn’t find an exchange so we had to ride our bikes out there. We had a great lesson. Parker has read so much in the Book of Mormon and is such a great kid we just have to get that family to church. Sister Varney works every other weekend in Kinston. She is the life of that family. I guess last week they were all ready to go ,then Parker got sick. We taught Parker the commandments. Sis Varney is so funny she was like "dang you boys are hitting the hard ones tonight." On our way back we saw a high school football game going. We stopped by and watched for 10 minutes. So I didn't feel guilty we contacted a few people and put probably 100 pass along cards on parked cars. Eastern Wayne was getting blown out 48 to 0 at half to North Johnston. But please keep the Varneys in your prayers. The Ward needs them back and they need the ward back!

Elder Hintze is leaving, I miss him already. He has blessed so many peoples lives and I think the Goldsboro 1st ward is sad about the loss of him. We have some Spanish missionaries coming in this transfer. I am not sure if it will be a companionship of Spanish Elders or if President will do a Zebra companionship with Elder Davies. I have a hunch that Elder Dealba is coming back to the Goldsboro Zone.. I hope and PRAY!!!

I have a few questions, one I haven't gotten a letter from you guys in ages.(I, his Mom, mail him a letter every week, I am not sure why he doesn't get them) The Jacksons got there letter and Sis J is such a sweet woman. You guys need to either write me a letter each week or a good email each week to let me know what is going on over there!!! Also I was wondering if I could buy some shoes. My shoes I bought at the beginning of my mission I have only wore them to run in and they are about worn out. I have put a lot of miles on those shoes. Is Kelsi still around? I haven't heard from her in awhile like 3 weeks. I am sure she has been busy with School and the wedding and California. But still just wondering how she is doing? Also I was wondering if you could send me some stamps! Bro Jackson is obsessed with the stamps with pictures on them and he is getting a bunch of them! Sister Rouse came up to me at church and was like Elder your mom emailed me and told me to tell you Hello! She is such an incredible Sister! Just a soft sweet spirit!

Bro Breen Smith is probably the richest man in Goldsboro and also probably the most Christ-like. His son goes to BYU-I and is here for the summer with his wife. He picked us up and we went and did service for his neighbor MR. Gordon who just had a stroke. He doesn't talk much and is kind of a hermit. We cleaned up a lot of fallen trees for this man and went to the door to introduce ourselves he just smiled and said thanks. Bro Smith was so happy we did it, he said all I want is for that man to feel the love of God and he did. We went to this place called the Tasty Shoppe afterwards. Bro. Smith has an open tab, we ate our hearts out! He said that we are more then welcome to stay in his home if me and my family ever come back to visit. He is leaving to go on a deer hunt in Malad I believe!

This week in companionship study the focus was on recognizing the spirit and also the role of prayer. We taught this Bro. and he has been just a miracle. We role played that day inviting him to offer the kneeling prayer. We taught the doctrine behind the principle and Elder Clinger invited him. He prayed to know the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. As he stood up after the prayer and said he has never felt that before but he knows that it is true. It was the spirit of the Lord that touched this mans heart!

Bro Dubois is a hard man to catch. He is a car salesman at Frema Motors here in Goldsboro. He works about 69 hours a week and doesn't get home till 9 or 10 most nights. We called, asked if he could meet with us and he said he wanted to take us to lunch. We went to Andy's this Saturday had lunch and a miracle happened this girl who is in a part-member family that worked at Andy's was like Elders, we were talking about you guys the other day and our family was saying how we are ready for you all to come over. So we received all her info and then the conversation was lead to us talking about how the Lord knows where we are going and has miracles prepared for us. We went to his home afterwards. He said before we talk or you guys ask questions. He said Elders I am closer then I have ever been. I have been praying to the Lord asking for him to help me understand my two hang ups. Now I am just praying for peace and the Lord slowly but surely is giving it to me. He said I went to my mothers home the other day I told her that there is this Elder with his eyes on me, and I let her know that I am going to get baptized a member of the church. She was happy for him!! We invited him to be baptized and he would'nt set a specific date. We asked questions, like what we thought he needed to do to get 100% of the way there. He said that he was doing it and that he won't set a date because he fears failure but he will let us know soon when he was ready. I am just not sure what to do. I love this Brother so much and I just don't know what to do. Keep Bro Dubois in your prayers.

I went on an exchange with Elder Miller this last week. I love him so much. He has such a natural talent of just making you want to be the best You! Some leaders have talents to help you be the best they think you should be. But Elder Miller has a talent of finding your talent and lifting and inspiring you to be your very best at it. They have a lot of great things going on in there area. I am grateful for a great leader.





In my personal study I have been trying once again to answer the question of how can we create an environment where a person can notice there is a hole in there heart and the gospel can fill it or that they are on a journey and the gospel is what they are looking for. I really like what Elder Holland says that if we listen with Love it will be given to us be the spirit and by our friends. I think that is so true, about the friends...meaning those we are teaching if they recognize us as servants of the Lord and feel of our spirit. They will say something in which will highlight a gospel truth in which we can testify and offer more. I love the spirit in this work it truly makes all the difference as I strive to be worthy exactly obedient and try my best.

I love you guys so much. Please pray for me, to finish strong, with a strong desire to always have the spirit with me. I only have two more transfers it is crazy! I love you guys so much. I hope you all have a great week and always strive to feel the spirit of the Lord!

Love,

Elder Taylor Petersen

Message body



We had a great week this week. We had a lot of miracles and Elder Clinger and I are working great together! I am so thankful that we are basically guaranteed to be together for another transfer! We have some great things going on here in Goldsboro, we are seeing miracles often and the attitude of missionary work has changed here in this ward and I love nothing more then to see the attitudes and behaviors of an entire ward change as we teach true doctrine and strive to make the ecclesiastical and the missionary church come together as ONE church and we are doing it one day at a time!!!

We are having concerns not getting the help from ward council to help a family come back to activity and to help there son be able to return to the waters of baptism! His name is Parker, he is 12 years old. Last week he was on page 186 in the Book of Mormon, now he is on page 343, and I believe it is all on his own efforts. Elder Clinger asked the Young Man how he feels as he reads the Book of Mormon he said, "I feel the peace, I feel when my little brother is sleeping!" He had us all laughing but he recognized the peace that came from the Book of Mormon. He is a great young man and we are trying really hard to help this family come back to church. We are represented at Ward Council by our ward mission leader, he is a great guy, and try’s his best but I believe he could use some further training. We have helped him make a habit of, like will you do this and when could I follow up. He just hates to ask people to do anything so we spend a lot of time finding our own exchanges.

We taught this Brother named Alex, we had a great series of inspired questions which brought out his true concern and then we were able to role play his concern of talking to his parents about joining the church.

Bro Dubois is doing great, Sis Dubois' daughter is living with a man named Steve who we are teaching. He came to church this Sunday. They are getting married in January because that is when he will have been separated from his wife for a year. Odd law in North Carolina. We are teaching the Law of Chastity tomorrow as we invite him to be baptized. I am nervous but trust the Lord will guide us. But the funny thing is Bro Dubois, who isn't a member but comes every week, we asked if we could meet with him this week and he set up a service project with us, him, and Steve so we could fellowship Steve more.

Saturday a Sister called us and said that her husband is interested in the Church. We set up an appointment for Sunday, we went and had one of the most spiritual lessons! This Brother is prepared. We introduced the Book of Mormon, I asked a question I had never asked before the Brother then expressed he is feeling chills as he reads from the Book of Mormon, we help him identify that as the spirit and Elder Clinger immediately invited him to be baptized and we set a date for Oct 22nd! It is kind of a rough month for baptisms in the Goldsboro Zone with General Conference and Stake Conference in the same month!! Good thing it is a five-week month!!

Just great things going on here in this area. I Love it here! We have an appointment with Bishop Rouse and are inviting his Family to do missionary work and hopefully taking it to the whole Ward we are so excited!!!!!

This morning we got up pretty early we went with the other Elders and fished on the Nuese, Elder Clinger as soon as he casted his pole in he caught this huge carp and then I casted in and wasn't catching anything. I was fishing with chicken, then I caught these two pretty big fish! We kept the big ones and are going to have a fish fry!!! HOT DOG!!! It was so much fun, I seriously love North Carolina, I honestly don't think I want to come back! Like, I love Goldsboro! Like, when I think of North Carloina I think of this place!!! The Jacksons' got your letter! Sweet Nita Jackson is gone for three weeks in the Pentagon! We are just her pool boys!! We taught this guy and this powerful statement came out of me I have never even said before and it has been on my mind! I might have read it some where I have been trying to find it but I can't find it so far. "We don't want to just share the gosepl so you simply understand, we want to share simply so you can't misunderstand!!!" IT really has made me think how important this is! I love this work! I love my calling!!

I haven't gotten a letter from my Family or Kelsi in like two weeks! I am not sure what is happening but I hope all is well! I love you guys so much! I appreciate your prayers! Have a great week, that is exciting to hear about Kenz and Jason.

Love your son and Missionary Elder Taylor Blaine Petersen!!

HA HA HA HA HA HA... We had a GREAT WEEK!!!! Today we went out to an appointment (talk about dedicated missionaries it was preparation day) our appointment flaked on us so we went to visit a referrel in the Ghetto!!!! Our exchange was stressing, he was like I hate this place there is gun shots in here everyday, it is a bad place. Then we went and helped a member move a love seat and then we got two referrals one from the member we moved the couch and then from our exchange then we ate at BOJANGLES!!!! Look it up it is legit!! Then we played ball there were so many black people!! I swatted this one guy into next week! Then I just posted up and like it was 6 nothing all from Elder PISTOL PETE working the GLASS! I was windexing MAN!!! It was so much fun, I will tell you what.



We had a crazy week..... so my dream came true....I finally got in on a black congregation!!! We went there and taught them, they invited me to come up, I got cold feet and just got way nervous but I bore my testimony! Then my Brother, Bro Melvin got up and was like there has been truth taught here tonight but there is more Truth and my Brother Elder Petersen is called of God to deliver that truth and if you would allow him to come back the message he shares can and will change your life!! He had the spirit so strong, I love Brother Melvin he is one of the only active African American members and weighs probably 500lbs of pure love!!! So we went back with him this Friday and the pastor lied we shared with him the message of the restoration he loved and then I invited him to be baptised and he just flipped!! So that went south but it was real great.



Susan was confirmed a member of the church this week! She got up there and bore her testimony and rocked it, it was so powerful and the other Elders had a baptism of a guy named Jimmy, who I interviewed his wife and him for Baptism but i interviewed his wife about a year ago in Chapel Hill. Small crazy world! Sacrament meeting was nuts, they were just shouting out how much they love the missionaries! We have changed the culture of this ward but we have a long way to go!!!



We taught this great family Steve and Vivian they aren't married yet, Vivian is a member S isn't and can rip it on the Guitar! I felt so much love for Steve, as I taught him, I am really hoping we can help them make the changes in there life to live more in harmony with God and His teaching.

We keep teaching Parker but we just can't get the ward to help us get him to church! He has in three weeks read by himself 186 pages in the Book of Mormon! Isn't that awesome! He is such a great kid and I have such a big heart for him!



We are having a lot of success we are teaching two sisters, Lisa and Felicia great things should happen with them. Well this lady is breathing down my throat to get out of the library so I gotta go!



I love you and tell Jas and Kenz congrats and give them both a fat hug! Gotta go! Love YOU!

Elder Petersen