June 4th

Hey mom!
Yesterday was the craziest Sunday of my life! So, it was Fast Sunday as you know, and we have Sacrament Meeting at 8 am. At approximately 7:45 they asked me to be the District Leader for the rest of our stay here in the MTC! It’s pretty crazy! I get to pick up the mail now, and go to meetings and stuff! Then about 5 minutes later, they asked ME, out of about 1500 missionaries to say the opening prayer on Tuesday the 12th for the devotional! That is the one that is either an apostle or a member of the 70! Super cool, but I will not get to sing in the choir that week which is our last Tuesday here in the MTC so that sucks, but I will practice with them any way because I love singing.
          Also I don't know if I told you, but mail has a hard time making it to us while we are in Bulgaria, BUT our teachers have never had a problem getting and sending packages! They said that if you have to do a customs thing and declare how much it is worth you always just say about 80$ dollars. If it is more than that then it will get stopped and searched and then you have to pay over 200 dollars to get it through! Some things I want before I leave the MTC... spicy hot Cheeze Its! A chess set, flavored water packets, you know the ones you can dump into a water bottle? Thousands of those!
          Uhhh, it sounds like Karl is having a very good time with marching band! I met a guy who marched with the Blue Knights! He was really cool. I have met a lot of other people that were in marching band. Actually one of my roommates is a baritone player! He is kinda strange though. I have been wanting to play my trombone so bad! I want one of those p-bones! They are so cool!
           I’m so excited to go to Bulgaria! The food sounds amazing and so do the people! I don't remember if I told you but the zoos are crazy because nobody really cares so you can reach out and touch like the tigers and stuff! So crazy. Maren used to send me a dear elder every Sunday but I haven't heard from her in a little bit, but I wrote her again last week and I hope she writes back! I have heard from you and Dad and Kaitlin and Maren and Lisha and Sharolyn and Jensen.
          I’m pretty much the man around here now. I’m a beach volleyball champion that you would be proud of. We play against the Cantonese elders every gym period and it is so much fun! I wish we would have played more volleyball because I love it! We rock the Cantonese! :)
          There is a really big Tongan elder standing right next to me singing and he is soooooo good! Really cool. I’m struggling with finding things to say because my weeks have started to run together a little bit! It’s so crazy how fast time is flying! I’m going to write you my testimony in Bulgarian!

знам че книгата на мормон съдържа словото божие. знам че църктвата е истинна. аз вяра че можем жевот с небесен отец пак. ние сме негови деца. той обича вас. знам че джозеф смит е пророк на бог.

I don't know how well that will translate in Google translate, but you could try it! I may have spelled some things a little bit off! I will give you my translation!

I know that the Book of Mormon contains the word of God. I know the church is true. I believe that we may live with Heavenly Father again. We are his children. He loves us. I know that Joseph Smith  is a Prophet of God.

Well I need to go eat some lunch! I’ll let you go! I hope to hear from you soon! Your letters and everyone else’s are very welcome! Sorry I have not written back to your deal elders from last week but if you send more I will write back! :) I love you Mom and let everyone know the same for them! Especially Dad! He is THE MAN!

Love, Elder Petersen