I'm An UNCLE!!!! Happy Easter...

I can't believe that Shanna had her baby 3 weeks early! I was in shock; I wish I could be there so bad to see her. She seems so cute and doesn't look like almost 8 pounds! I'm so excited for Adam and Shanna! I can't believe I'm an uncle now! I can't wait to hold her in my arms. Were you all super surprised that Shanna was going to have her 3 weeks early or was it kind of expected? That awesome that she was able to be born the day after my birthday. Well Thank you for the pictures, they made me feel at least little closer to home.

My birthday was awesome and so was Easter! Their was many families that invited us four over to their house to sing happy birthday to me and so I ate a bunch of cake, I wish I could send you pictures but I don't want another virus to get on my card.

We went to 3 houses to celebrate my birthday and so we had a lot of fun. They were super nice to me even though I haven't been here for that long.

This Easter was a good one; I actually made some Easter eggs. I and the other gringo that lives with me both made them Sunday night to celebrate and so it was exciting. And on Sunday in the morning as I was pondering I was reading about Christ in the bible and so many scriptures hit me differently while reading them, it's interesting to see how studying the scriptures with the spirit make you look at certain verses and you see it in a different way according to what God would have you know or understand.


We also had interviews with president this last week and they were awesome, President Laycock is so inspired by God and called to carry out his work here; he truly cares for the one. I always look forward to interviews with him and this one was our last official one together until the exit interview! Crazy huh? He challenged me to do certain things including writing down after and in mission goals.

Well sorry about the short letter but I'm so happy about the birth of baby Ella. I want more pictures too ha-ha

Love you all and hope you have a great wonderful week

General Conference!!!

So I guess you are all in Utah watching Chanelle if I'm not wrong, so I'm pretty jealous but in no time I will be able to see her. I love her too! But still there is not an excuse for not writing me, but it's all good she actually has written me a lot.
By the way thank you so much for the package! I got it on Thursday and so I was way excited. I loved the ties and the shirt was exactly what I needed because I only have four shirts and they are turning gray and yellow fast no matter how much I bleach them. Lol I loved all the letters and was especially thankful to finally receive a letter from Kenny, I don't know why but I was happy to hear from him and I have been thinking about him a lot lately. I love him and pray for his spiritual safety and hope everything is going great with him.
General conference as usual was so uplifting and moving making me walk away so much more energized spiritually and as well uplifted. I loved the talk by elder Uchtdorf; it was perfect for the Chile as well of course for the whole world. It's so true, so many times we judge others, we have to simply stop it and love and forgive everybody and gives them the same mercy that we ourselves desire.
Also I loved the talk by Elder Bednar about the priesthood! It was way inspiring and loves the story he shared.
Also I loved the first few talks in the first session and they were exactly what I needed escpecially the talk by Elder Eyring, he has gotten to such a high level of spirituality. And of course the talk by Holland, I love all of them but like you said I love the way he teaches! You should see my iPod, most of all the talks I have are from him lol.
Well this week was a bit slow just looking up to general conference but this week I have like dad says my batteries recharged lol. By listening to general conference I realize how important we need to look back and study the talks that are given because I listen but by going back over the in the months to come I get something totally different out if it and like elder Uchtdorf says I am able to get custom revelation.
So this next week I'm excited because we have family home evenings on Thursday and Friday even though I have only been here for short time the other missionaries say it's my birthday coming up this week and the members jump in to do something. I actually didn't know that I was going to the temple with Skyler this Monday. Lol I would love to but I don't think will be able to. We have been planning on doing something this next p-day but he is having a mission activity, lame huh but as soon as we can we will meet up at least three times before I leave!
I love being zone leader for the fact that I get to go to meetings with president and learn so much from him with the other leads of the mission. When I get back I will have to tell you stories and things he has taught us.
I'm so excited for the baby of Shanna and can't believe I will be gone for my first niece but at least I won't be gone too long to not see her as a baby. I heard you and dad are going all out on this baby and baby shower. We will be so spoiled. ha-ha
This next week I hope we all can take a moment to reflect on the death and the resurrection of Christ and what it means to us and make the fact the he really did bear our burdens and carry our sorrows help us to be able to make better decisions in our life. I realize that this life is so hard to always remember him with all the worldly distractions in our life and all the voices fighting for our attention but I know that if we really carry out the promise we make when taking the sacrament by remembering him always, it would make a dramatic changed in our lives for the good and we would slowly but surely become more like him thinking about every decision before we take it.
I love you all so much and bear testimony that Christ is real and that he loves us so much and will never leave us comfortless if we just turn to him. His love is so great that we can't even comprehend but its real for all and he is too.
I hope your questions were answered this conference and that we can continue to find them through reading and pondering the talks given.
Que Siguán Adelante en el Evangelio!
Les Amo a todos!
- Elder Pedersen

Testimony....

Thank you mom and dad so much for your testimonies. I love hearing the testimony of both you and dad. You make me want to do better and try harder. Your testimonies lead me to want to not only respect the name of the family that I carry around with me but also the name of the Savior that I took upon me and helps me and reminds me to push harder. There is no greater cause than this one and I only have a couple months left to be in it as a missionary. Thank you for reminding me and motivating me, I think it was the words I needed and will need later on.
Speaking of the spirit, I actually had to speak yesterday about the spirit, and how they do it here is they usually tend to tell you of the assignment the day before so the bishop gave me the opportunity to speak even though I've only had so little time in the ward and its funny cause I just spoke the week before I left my last ward and so do is giving me many opportunities to speak and to become better I think.
I spoke and it went really well, it probably wasn't the best talk but I gave it  following the spirit and the spirit really guided me. I was glad I talked on the spirit cause in these last few months of my mission I have really understood the importance of the spirit. I told the members that if we want to be successful in this life and progress, we need to fight for the spirit daily, and to do so and I explained that it easy to make wrong decisions in the world today and to become deceived by all the rumors and ideas which makes having the spirit even more important in our lives to fill us with joy and the desire to make right decisions. I as well explained the difference between the power of the Holy Ghost and the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I also said many other things, I think it was a good talk and people seemed to like it.
This sector is pretty hard and there is a lot of rejection, so I'm trying to look for that Spirit to keep my spirits  high.
SO right now we are basically looking and teaching less actives and so I'm hoping it all goes well in that area.

So how is Shanna coming along? I'm really excited for the baby, I can't wait! I want to see more pictures even though Shanna already sent me a bunch.

I'm super excited for General Conference you have no idea and I don't know why. Well I do know why, but I'm overly excited!!

Well I love you all and stay safe.

I hope all the boys are doing well, I've been praying for them all. 

Keep going forward. 

Shall we not go on in such great a cause?

Con Amor,
Elder Pedersen

Doing well in my new ward...

That’s way awesome that Jordan might be coming home early! That would be cool if it was the same week.
I seriously cant believe either how fast the time Is going by I cant believe it and part of me can’t wait to come home and see everyone, half of me is kind of ready but the other half of me is aware of the fact that I will get thrown into reality and I feel like I’m still not the perfect missionary yet but I know I will never be the perfect one but I’m shooting for it and that’s the most important part.
That funny that you mentioned that it was my birthday in 3 weeks cause I actually forgot about it, like I knew it was coming up but I was more focused on the fact that General Conference is coming up!
Well this week was a little slow but still a good one, it’s a lot more fun living with four missionaries and it seems like the time goes by super fast especially cause I’m living with an Elder that was in my same district in the MTC and so sometimes its fun to talk about home but at the same time it gets us a little trunky. lol
The work is super slow here and when we knock doors nobody wants to listen to us and so it’s kind of frustrating because it makes it hard to not say rude things to them and love them but we are trying and it’s still going and also the members help us a lot and there is a lot of cool kids in the ward that go with us! I like the ward already and so I’m getting to know a lot of cool people so far, it’s just the sector that is a little difficult.
The zone leader position is going well, it just feels really weird and I don’t really feel like I’m a leader but it helps me with reaching out to other people. Mom you know how I am, I’m more of a one on one person lol, but I think that I will get used to it after a little bit.
Well this is a short letter but I will try to send some pictures to make up for the lack. Ha-ha Pictures say it all anyway!
Love you and can’t wait to be an uncle!!
-Elder Pedersen

Zone Leader!

Sent from your IPad? Wow that’s nice. Lol

Well as you knows today we had changes and I left my sector after only being there for 7 weeks. But it’s all good, at least I got to get to know the ward pretty well in that last sector. I was kind of mad because I got there with nothing and we were preparing two people to get baptized, but like you said the Lord has the blue prints and knows what I am supposed to be. Also that idea helped me because today we all got our changes and President asked me to be the new Zone Leader. Crazy huh? I thought I would get through the mission without having to be Zone Leader. Well it just affirms the quote that says ¨God comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable¨. I don’t feel like I’m such an amazing missionary, but I guess I’m in this position to help others and for me to grow. But overall I’m excited because I’m zone leader with a Elder that I came with and he's pretty tight. The only thing that’s kind of lame is that I’m not companions with him. We live with four so he has his comp. and I have mine and mine is from Paraguay and is really quiet but I will get him to open up more, also the other one we live with is a bit quiet as well.

I’m jealous that you were able to go see Chanelle dance. I can’t wait! Seriously I’m so stoked!! Also that you say its freezing there, that sounds soo good!

I can’t believe that you were able to see and talk to Elder Guarro. I thought you would have totally forgotten about that. It’s funny because I actually was reading in my journal that I brought with me before the mission and one entry was about the cool experience that I had with him. SO that’s funny and awesome to know that I will be able to see him at BYU.

Well yesterday we had stake conference with all of the Santiago Mission and Elder Perry, Andersen and Sister Beck spoke through satellite and it was pretty good. Of course it’s always better to hear them in English but it was cool because I got to hear them speak Spanish except Elder Perry because he couldn’t. But Elder Andersen spoke on tithing and Elder Perry on the importance of the Book of Mormon in our lives.

Also I’m glad that you were able to get the videos and the pictures. Did you get all the videos? They’re not as great as the ones that Chanelle took on her mission but whatever.

Also I wanted to ask you if you knew about the classes that I will be taking. And when I need to sign up for them?

Well sorry for the short letter but I love you all. Pray for me.

Con Amor,
Elder Pedersen

BYU here I come....

Congratulations to me!! Man I was worried about not getting accepted into BYU. I'm excited! I'm glad that's over.

The pictures of Chanelle and her roommates affirm the fact that guys over there are retarded. I was looking at the pictures wondering why she is not married or why a bunch of guys aren't all over her asking her on dates. It must be because she is intimidating or something. Maybe God is just making her wait until the right one comes to present himself. I'm just glad that I can go to BYU and protect her from stupid guys.

Well on to new stuff, this week was a good one full of great experiences. Elder Richards of the seventy did a mission tour and came to our mission and he and his wife taught us and they are way awesome.

We started the day off with all the leaders of the mission gathering early in the morning with him. And since I am a trainer I was invited We were with about 15 missionaries in the mission and he taught us about real understanding through the spirit speaking to our hearts of the truthfulness of the Gospel. That is when we actually learn. He asked us if we have ever read the same scripture over and over, but on the 5 time it makes sense to you and becomes meaningful to you personally? He said it's because we are learning by the spirit and that's when he speaks to our hearts and minds to teach us the things we need to learn.

Then when the meeting was ending President told me to come and talk to him and when I did he asked, "You know who the new mission president is right?¨ and I said yeah and he told Elder Richards ¨This is interesting, Elder Pedersen here has a dad that works with the new mission president¨ and so we started talking and his wife asked me questions about Oregon cause she had done a tour up there with the Relief Society presidency and so President asked me if I could share something or talk about him with the mission and so I told him I know him but I don't know a ton about him personally, but overall I said yes. And so at the end of the meeting president told me how thrilled he was about the new president and how anxious he was to talk to me today and so basically every time he saw me he was saying how excited he was. Lol



So we started the main meeting and the President introduced who the new Mission President would be and he asked me to come up and say something, and so I just said that he and his family are amazing and he has two kids serving missions and that he works with my Dad and my family and I grew up knowing he and his family. President Laycock went on to say that all his kids speak Spanish except one who served in Brazil and that his wife is trying to learn Spanish hard before she gets here. Then after that Elder Richards said, ¨now imagine the burden Elder Pedersen has now, he will have to act accordingly in all places. And I said well at least for 5 days till I leave ha-ha so they thought it was funny. But I actually realized that I will be with him for 10 days, so that's cool. Special treatment coming up lol jk. It's even cooler that I'm the only one in the mission that knows him and so they all keep asking me questions. So yeah President is so excited to meet them.

We then got taught a little more by Elder Richards and then he sat down to eat with we me at my table and we all started asking him questions about General Conference and the tours that he goes on and what not, I learned a lot. It was a really cool Wednesday.

You finally got the package that I sent like forever ago! There's not a bunch of pictures, but hopefully enough and I hope you like them. I wasn't able to get the videos on their but whatever. I guess you will have to wait 4 months to see some.

Also, Dad I thought I was coming home to rest a little bit? Lol! Wow, a 50 mile hike! I'm going to kill myself especially being out of shape like I am and everything. I remember the first 50 mile hike that we did and I felt like death after, I can't imagine how this one will be lol. But I'm willing if you want me to. After all I will be with all the boys. I just wasn't excepting that so soon. lol.
Also McKenna is so cute. Lol I loved the story that you told me that happened to her. Weird but God teaches in mysterious ways. That's a cool experience for her to always remember. God hears and answers prayers.

Also tell Steven card that I have not forgot about him even though I don't write him. It's just hard sometimes to write friends because I don't know the protocol (yeah I know it shouldn't be an excuse) but it's hard sometimes when I hear that everybody else can write other people other than their family and I can't. But whatever, I good with it.

Well I love you all and hope Mom and Shanna have a great time in Idaho with Chanelle. Think of me as your their! Thank you for your prayers and keep praying for me to accomplish goals and overcome any weaknesses in the time I have here left on my mission.

Love you all and I'm always thinking about you!

Con Amor,
Elder Pedersen

David Wright...New Mission Pres.?!!!

Sorry to tell you but yeah I'm getting skinny. Well whatever what can I do? lol I guess in four months you will be able to fatten me up?

I can't believe that David Wright will be my president for 5 days! Yeah, I bet everyone is going crazy their but I think he will be a great president, I wonder if my president knows? but I am writing to tell him.

Also cool huh that Skyler's Mission President gave him permission to go to the temple with me! But we will actually see each other before that time. Or I hope. Wouldn't that be cool it he trained David Archuleta!? Funny huh?

Well this week, like always was a hot one. It's crazy to think that it actually snowing there in Medford. SO this week was super hard cause everybody was on vacations and nobody has time but overall it ended good because we were walking around looking for less actives in a certain part of the sector and nobody was home and it was late so before going back home we wanted to pass a certain part of the sector to look for less actives and when we did we found a family that has been less active for a while, actually ever since their dad died 3 or 4 years ago and they said we arrived at the perfect time because they were going through a hard time and the missionaries hadn't passed by for like 3 years as well. We didn't have much time so we set a appointment up and taught the whole family on Saturday and the spirit was really strong and they even were there with note pads taking notes and at the end we invited them to the church and they went and they were so happy in coming back and they couldn't stop thanking us for passing by and also the wife is not sealed to her husband and so she thinks that our showing up was a sign to get on that. Also yesterday we passed by a guy who we taught the first lesson to about 5 weeks ago cause he left on vacation, so we went by and he said he had almost read the whole book of Mormon and so we set up an appointment to come back and we are praying that it all goes well with him this next week, it's definitely a miracle.

Also mom did you get my pictures that I sent to you all on a cd? And also I didn't get the web page of BYU which reminds me that I need to know if I got accepted into BYU because it's freaking me out.lol

This week was cool cause a returned missionary came back the mission and talked and talked about the mission and its funny cause he seems like he is adapting easily to being home and it totally makes me think about how it will be when I get home! But don't worry I am still working hard and I'm focused but I'm excited to see the family I'm not going to lie but I'm loving the mission while it lasts.

And commenting on scripture study, I can say that scripture study is a process cause when I first got on the mission I didn't realize the importance of reading the scriptures like I do now, but I say that it's a process cause as we read the scriptures our testimonies grows one step at a time studying and reading them and as we read we find that we can find answers and comfort and that gives us motivation to want to read them every day. We have to also take notes or at least be ready to receive revelation while reading because the Lord will try to speak to us if we are listening but if we are reading just to read and not looking for revelation we won't receive revelation. I could say a lot on it but we have to have a study plan so we don't study randomly and we have to study wanting and being willing to apply whatever is learned into our lives.

Hope that helps. Well I got to go but I love you and thank you for your prayers,
They are a great source of strength for me here.

Con Amor,
Elder Pedersen