Mom!
     Okay well I'll give you the scariest thing that has happened to me since i have arrived on my mission. Yesterday, after we finished watching conference, we were walking home to take a little break. At the top of our street my companion stopped to talk to four big guys. Three of them standing in the street and one was in a BMW that they were all standing around. I noticed that each one had a gun and the biggest of them had two. But my Dear Companion was oblivious to such things. He talked to them for about a half hour and I just stood there awkwardly because I realized that they were part of the Mafia. One of our members also walked by and stopped to talk with us. She wouldn't speak directly to them though. after a while they pretty much said get out of here, so we left and walked the 10 yards to our apartment. The member who was with us said "Elder Ferwerda, did you know that those guys were part of the Mafia?" Of course he didn't. He actually asked them a few times what they were doing, and they just kept saying oh nothing! it was pretty scary.
     Other than that we went on an excursion up Vitosha Mountain. it took all day and it was pretty awesome! I took tons of pictures and actually filled up my card so I have to buy a new one now. I'll send you as many as I can! At the top there is a bus to get back down, but when all of the Members who were with us got in, it was filled up. So the missionaries had to RUN down the mountain. Me and 2 others made it down in 35 minutes what took us 4 hours to climb up. It was pretty awesome! But now my calves are pretty sore!
     Well I'm pretty short on things to say other than that, but I will send lots of pictures!
Love,
Elder Petersen

The whole gang! We are just starting!

We saw about 100 of these guys! They are everywhere!

Our excursion group! There are about 5 missing from the picture :(

Yep thats me! Oh yeah I got a hair cut

River of rocks! Super cool

Standing on top of the waterfall!

That water tasted yummy!

Also yummy water!

I can take underwater pictures! This is Elder Gardner

My companion fell in a little!

2012 Zone Conference

Elder Petersen & Elder Ferwerda

Zone Conference 2012 Zone 1

Mom,
     Sorry i didn't tell you last week, but my p-day got switched to Tuesday just this week. We had Zone Conference on Monday! It was great of course! The mission president really tightened down the rules so we don't have anymore people like my trainer. We should have a lot more success in the mission now! We did get to listen to conference but only the Saturday stuff! We will get to see the Sunday sessions on next Sunday! They have to translate it you know! That is so crazy about the missionary age changes! So many more people will have an opportunity to serve now!
     We have a great investigator named Stoyan (стоян). He tells us that every time he comes to the lessons he can feel the light of Christ! It is a great feeling to be able to convey that to people! What a wonderful opportunity to be the carrier of the Holy Ghost and be able to share it with the world! He has told us that he knows that the things we teach him are true. Multiple times he has pounded on the table and said this! We believe he will be baptized before the end of the year! Also he usually brings friends with him who are also interested in learning! It is wonderful what the Lord has planned for His children!
     The mission right now is better than it has ever been! We are on track to have about 70 new members in the church by the end of the year! It's so exciting to see the change in happiness and countenance of all these wonderful people!
     What else to tell you... Transfers are coming up on Friday the 19th we will receive our calls then on the 22nd we will transfer. That's the day after your birthday! Cool! So, I'll know if I'm staying or where I'm going! They are opening 4 new small small cities so I may get to open a new area! How cool would that be???
                                                                                                                                                                                           Love, Elder Petersen

The Mission Home

Sweet Jedi Companion

"Yummy" Peppermint Drink

Children don't have brakes!

10/1/12

Mom,

Not a very exciting week! That happens every now and then. We just had some lessons and looked for some people. We didn't have much success and we only had a few lessons. I'm sorry to say this letter will probably be pretty boring! We had 5 investigators show up for church and we had about 70 people present! That's pretty good! Like really, really good! I'm really lucky to get to see the church grow here in Bulgaria! It is really awesome! Today our Mission President challenged us to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover before the end of the year. Easy. I'm going to get that and the D&C half way before Christmas! :)

Well Mom I'm really terribly sorry but I don't have much else to tell you this week :(                                                 LOVE, Elder Petersen

A nice looking church

The National Cultural Center!

Don't forget your umbrella!

9/24/2012

         This week we met with a couple about mid 40's or 50's and had a great lesson with them before they leave for a two month vacation. We met them in a park two weeks ago and went to a little cafe to get some drinks. We talked about a lot of things including, engineering, English, their sons, and the gospel. We gave them a picture that my companion sketched of Jesus holding a sheep. I’m sure you have seen it before. They were very happy to give us their number and meet with us again.
          We called them all throughout the week to try and get a meeting with them before they left. We finally got to meet with them again this Tuesday, the day before they left for their vacation. We walked with them through the same park where we met them and sat down at a little stone table. They had made us some Banitsa and so we ate it together. After that we started talking with them about the restoration and the apostasy. They were very interested and seemed to be in agreement with everything we told them. When we were about done I extended a challenge to them. We read Moroni 10:3-5. When I asked Stephanie to read it she said she can't read at all without her glasses, which she didn't have with her. So I gave a book to her husband and he started to read it to himself. I felt prompted to give her my book even though she said she wouldn't be able to read it. When she looked down she started reading and had no problem reading every word. When she finished she looked up at me and said "this book is a gift from God, I can read it without my glasses!" They promised us they would read the book over their trip and we packed up to go. When we were about to part ways, Stephanie looked at us and said "We love you like our own children." We got big hugs from George and left. What great people there are to find when we just look in faith!
          That was the highlight of my week. Other than that we had one other meeting and when she came in and sat down she said, "last night I was thinking about you boys, I think I want to test your faith." Elder Ferwerda and I were at a loss for words. I am very thankful though at that point a member walked into the room and stayed through the whole lesson with us. It is obvious that there is a very good reason why we are in companionships. And I am thankful for that. Well I hope that is enough for you because I don't have any other things to say!

Love, Elder Petersen

9/17/2012

MOM,
About the villages and stuff, no they don't have country homes, they have these little shacks out in the villages and pretty much the have gardens that they care for on the weekends. They pretty much all live in the cities. They have these things called blocks that are just really tall buildings with lots of apartments inside of them that are pretty small. This is where 85% of people in Bulgaria live.
         So no we don't get member referrals. There are so few members that they have all been asked about a million times. 95% of our investigators come from people we just find on the street. And, no we don't have any wards just branches. It did start to cool off! I am actually wearing a long sleeve shirt RIGHT NOW! But it has been raining pretty good for the past couple of days! Which reminds me, if the Holy Ghost tells you to go back up the stairs and grab your umbrella, you better do it! Lesson well learned. :)
         I'm all out of cool things... OH WAIT! We found this really cool couple! They are about mid 40's and they are soooo interested! But they are going on a 2 month vacation tomorrow! So we need to meet them soon! Actually they called us to set up a meeting! THAT NEVER HAPPENS!! Anyway yeah they are really cool! So cool that they have jobs! And don't want the church for money! And they are super cool... :)
          Anyway, Send my love to the family and please, please, please, please get Karl to send me something so I can write him!
LOVE, Elder Petersen

9/10/2012

This week was pretty exciting here in Bulgaria! On Thursday it was Bulgaria day I guess! So nobody was working and everyone went out of the city and stayed in their villages for the weekend! That’s what people do here in Sofia, the city is surrounded by a bunch of little villages and EVERY Saturday and Sunday about 3/4 of the population all leaves the city and so it’s very dead! But, anyway, on Thursday it was a holiday so they all just figured the next day is Friday so they take that one off too! It’s very interesting logic but I can't say I disagree! Except there was no one to teach from Thursday until today!
          We had a baptism this week! And by WE, I mean a companionship in this city baptized someone this week! It was super cool to see how very happy he was! And he only had to be dunked once! His name is Mario and he is a very lively guy who loves to joke and play with the missionaries but he also has a strong testimony.
           I also am meeting with a member every Tuesday at 5 p.m. and she is giving me a Bulgarian lesson! She is so awesome! She has the strongest testimony I have ever seen and she LOVES to share it! Her name is Elka and she is pretty much the bomb! I’ll get a picture with her this week so I can send it to you!
            I have been reading Jesus the Christ and I have just realized how much I don't know about things he did when he was on the earth! It is such a good book and it really helps us understand what Christ did and how to understand the atonement better! You should definitely read it!
            In Sofia where I am at right now just in case you forgot. We play a lot of football (Soccer) on p-days! I never knew how much fun it was until I got here! I think I should have done that when I was growing up instead of other things because it is pretty much awesome! Plus I get to play with Europeans all the time and they are pretty much the best so I have to learn real fast like! ........yeah I’m pretty much out of things....                                                 Love, Elder Petersen