Les Oies Blanches-White Geese!

    Apparently all the stories of birds flying south for the winter originated here.  We have a nice-sized reservoir near us and about a week ago we noticed large groups of white birds resting on the water. The number has increased over the last week to the point that the water looks more white than blue.  A few days ago we noticed that Victoriaville was holding a fete this weekend to celebrate the white geese. A little googling provided some interesting facts about this annual phenomenon.  Apparently the geese congregate here because hunting is not allowed; they somehow know this, and thus can rest safely.  Most of these are white Arctic geese, not the Canadian geese we sometimes see in the U.S., although there are some these darker ones as well.  They seem to come in the early afternoon, and by early evening hundreds of them are flying, in formation, away from the lake.  It is something to see and hear, but it is nearly impossible to capture the whole effect in  a picture. However, here are some of the fabulous pictures my talented Elder Peterson took:
       

Guest Birthday Posts #5 & #6

Today, on Dad's birthday, we will end our guest posts with the 2 youngest of their children.  We (your 6 children, 5 son/daughter-in-laws, and 17.5 grandchildren) are truly grateful for the service you give and the example you continually set for all of us.  Thank you!

Guest Blogger: Brett

Mom and Dad,

Happy Birthday!

While I was a missionary up in the northern part of the new territories in an area called Fanling, one afternoon while on exchanges we had a small but subtle prompting to go to an area that is not very conducive to street contacting. It is a large square in the center of some apartment buildings that contained a big fountain in the center of the square. We were walking around the fountain and contacting people who were walking around the square. At one particular time we stopped someone and my companion was talking to this person and trying to have a street discussion with them. I was praying in my mind that this individual would open their heart and feel the spirit testify of the truth and the intent of our message. I remember seeing a kid about 8-10 years old (its hard to tell how old Chinese kids are because of their misleading size) out of the corner of my eye walking along the edge of the fountain. The fountain didn't have any water in it. The drain at the bottom of the fountain was about 2 feet by 1 foot and had a metal mesh sheet covering the drain. The corner of the metal mesh sheet had been bent and was pointing up into the air about a half of an inch. My companion continued to talk to the person that we stopped as the kid continually went around and around the edge of the fountain. All of a sudden the kid tripped and fell into the fountain. He landed head first on the corner of the metal mesh grate and it lanced his head. Instantly as he stood up his head began to gush with blood. My companion and I ran over to the kid and began to administer to him. As if I was reading the boy scout handbook word for word, I pulled out my handkerchief and put it on his head to try and stop the bleeding. I then told my companion to help me lay him down and elevate his legs. We were quickly surrounded by a group of people just watching what was going. We were the only people helping! After a few minutes the mother of this kid comes running up and starts screaming etc... my companion calms her down and I ask someone standing nearby to call for an ambulance. Eventually the paramedics arrive and take over for me and my companion. We then go to a nearby restroom to wash up etc before we head home.
This was an awesome experience for a lot of reasons. Some that I can think of:

1. We were in full proselyting gear helping someone

2. We were actually recognized by bystanders for the help that we were giving

3. I had an overwhelming confirmation on the bus ride home from that experience that I was in the place that I was supposed to be doing the things that I was supposed to be doing at the right time.

As I reflect on this experience, I only wish that bystanders seeing us teaching someone the eternal truths of the gospel on the street would garner such acceptance of our message as the physical help that we were able to give that little boy. Because at the end of the day we are all in need of this same emergency assistance, only spiritually.

I loved my mission. I loved my mission for the experiences that it gave me the good, bad, and the ugly. It made me appreciate the place where I was born, the family that I was born and raised in, and the blessings that I received while growing up. It also helped me to understand that all things are for our good and are given or presented to us for our benefit.

Guest Blogger: Jaclyn (in her own words - it's "short but sincere" - I'll add that it's a fabulous and most perfect way to end our birthday posts!)

One of the things I loved most about moving to North Carolina after being at BYU for so long was attending a ward where we actually had investigators. The missionaries would sit at "the pit" on campus once a week and talk to students going to and from classes and invite them to church or institute. I was able to attend several baptisms in the two years I was there and it was always so uplifting to see the faith and courage of my peers who were accepting the gospel, many of them doing so without family support. It had a great impact on my life and caused me to look more closely at the way I was living my religion. It helped me focus on making sure that I wasn't only active in the church, but active in the gospel as well. I'm so blessed to know those people.  It has been so wonderful to see many of them serve missions, get married in the temple, and take on leadership responsibilities in the church in the last few years. It is a testimony to me that the gospel of Jesus Christ changes the lives of those who embrace it for the better.

Guest Birthday Post #4

October 22 - Guest Blogger: Paige

I was thinking a few weeks ago how I haven’t had the experience of converting someone to the gospel.  I haven’t served a mission, and I’m very uncomfortable bringing up religion (or politics!) to anyone unless they specifically ask.  Then my son got baptized, and I realized I had done it!  I had taught someone the gospel and the result was a baptism. :)  And what a good little convert he is, too--the next night he read his new scriptures for two hours.

One thing I do really enjoy is answering questions and dispelling myths online.  I’m more comfortable writing than talking, and it makes me feel good to set the record straight on a lot of misconceptions people have about the LDS church and its members.  My own testimony is strengthened when defending my beliefs, and I’ve had some really meaningful religious discussions with friends and other people online.  I’m very grateful for the opportunity technology has given this shy girl to share the gospel in a way that I believe really makes a difference.

Birthday Guest Post #3

October 21 - Guest Blogger: Courtney
    It's been hard trying to figure out what I wanted to share but the experience that has entered my mind more than any other is one that I didn't understand until months after I got home from my mission.  Over the course of my mission I had several fevers, many of them quite severe.  They never kept me from doing the work, even when I felt like I needed to be in bed.  2 months before ending my mission, I was called to train a new missionary.  There was another sister in a neighboring area that also was called as a trainer, but on her way to pick up her new missionary, she was in a car accident.  That entire first month, I acted as trainer for both new missionaries and we worked both areas.  The next month, my last month in the mission, I got very sick and had a fever that lasted 2 weeks.  I was in bed the majority of the time and too sick to go outside of our apartment.  We had to make arrangements with ward members to take my companion out and she, being 1 month out on the mission had to carry the majority of the burden of running an area.  I had never felt so frustrated in my life, knowing that not only was I putting great responsibility on my companion, but that I was missing out on the precious time I had left.  After my mission ended and I was in Utah out at school, I got a phone call from that companion.  I was shocked to hear from her as she was supposed to still be in Argentina.  She told me that she had 6 more weeks in that first area and then on her next transfer, she was sent to a new area and was made a trainer!  She was in that area about 4 weeks when she got very ill and it was discovered that a hole in her stomach was leaking stomach acid into her bloodstream, essentially poisoning her.  She was sent back home and needed to end her mission.  After speaking with her, it hit me hard that my trials at the end of my mission weren't so much for my benefit, but hers.  She needed to have a complete mission experience: serving in 3 different areas, running an area on her own, and training a new missionary.  She needed this complete experience but had only about 5 months total in the country to do it all.  She expressed to me that although she was frustrated to leave the mission early, she felt very at peace that she had the experience as the Lord had intended her to and she knew that her mission was complete.
   I do think it's a hard lesson to learn, but eventually we understand that not every experience we have is for our benefit... our Father in Heaven loves all of His children.  He gives us ALL opportunities for growth in this life in a variety of ways.  You may not understand the why of everything you experience, but He does.  It's up to us to do the best we can in any situation and trust that He will take care of the rest.

Birthday guest post #2

October 20: Guest Blogger - Andrea

I had many meaningful experiences while serving a mission but there is one lesson I learned that I think of often, especially since I have become a mother.  

I had served what would be considered a successful and honorable mission. I worked hard, strengthened and shared my testimony, found people who were interested in the gospel and taught them about Heavenly Father's Plan. I had been faithful and had seen the power of God at work in his children's lives. One evening during my last few weeks as a missionary, my companion and I found ourselves with a little free time on our hands.  I think we had had an appointment to teach a lesson that had fallen through.  We were at the chapel in a part of town that had been thoroughly visited by missionaries.  It was a dark and stormy night, literally.  We discussed our options and felt strongly that we should go tracting.  We did.  We were out for what seemed like a couple of hours, knocked on many doors, talked to a few people, but had no results that would have been consider outstanding or significant. As we walked home I had an overwhelming feeling that what we had done was correct.  That the Lord was pleased with our obedience.   

As I continue to experience the lessons that come with every choice, those feelings becomes of more value to me.  I have known the confidence and the peace that comes with obedience and I am (still!) learning that it is preferable to all other situations. As with that last tracting endeavor, not all decisions we make, good or bad, will have immediately visible or tangible fruit, but every decision we make is of consequence, sometimes to nothing else but the making of who we are and what we will become. These building blocks cannot be taken lightly because they will eventually define us. 

Happy Birthday! (Introduction)

  As many of the blog readers may know, Sister Peterson's birthday is today (Oct. 19) and Elder Peterson's birthday is in a few days (Oct. 23).  As a celebration of their lives and missionary service, their children decided to share some missionary experiences that have impacted them or their family in some way.    These experiences will be posted everyday between their birthdays.  Thank you both for your amazing examples!  Happy Birthday!!!

OCT 19 - Guest Blogger: Trent

Power of planting a seed

When Jane was 5 years old she saw and interacted with missionaries in her home after they tracted into her mother and visited them a few times.  It wasn't until 13 years later that Jane was asked by a friend if she wanted to attend an activity at a nearby chapel.  It was the initial interaction and memories of those earlier missionaries that gave her the comfort to attend that activity which led to her eventual conversion and joining the church.  So you never know what seeds are being planted and how long it will take for them to grow.  Your example and the influence you have on others is so easy to dismiss because we rarely see the impact of our own actions on others over time.

Home and Back

   Last Thursday we left our mission boundaries in a big way.  We flew to Utah for the baptism of Paige and Matt's oldest son.  It was a short visit and we were determined to stick to the East Coast time schedule, which meant going to bed at 9:30 or so, and getting up about 4:30. Technically we should have been asleep by 8:30, but that just wasn't possible.
   We had a lovely time, the baptism was marvelous, and we were able to see many family members.  I will admit there was just a minute or two when I fantasized about staying. Then I remembered the individuals who are counting on us: for rides, for English class, for lessons, for nurturing, for the food boxes every Saturday, etc., and I knew we needed to return asap. It is amazing how intertwined we are in the lives of these people already. We arrived back in Montreal on Monday night, a 9-hour trip which included a four hour layover in Chicago (we will endure anything to save a couple of bucks). On the bright side, Paul re-entered Canada on his Canadian passport and thus expedited the customs requirements.  Is this a definition of getting in on someone's coat tails? If so, it was well worth it. Guess I will continue to stick with him.
   Today I reflected on the marvel that we are here, in Victoriaville.  There are at least four single church members here who have become friends and with whom we have ongoing interactions.  There was a retired couple here in the branch who had been helping these individuals, but a couple of months ago they were called as senior missionaries and are attending a branch in another city (while living at home).  Today I wondered who would have been able to pick up the responsibilities for these wonderful individuals if the mission president had decided to place us somewhere else in Quebec.  As challenging as it is some days to feel that we are as busy as we would like to be, there is no doubt that the Lord knew the needs of these singles, and provided us to help fulfill those needs.  He does love His children.

They pop up everywhere

    In the last month or so, we have literally been handed some opportunities to share our beliefs with others.  I mean, even when we haven't been looking for likely individuals, (I know, I know, we should always be looking )  there one is, right in front of us.  Here are a few examples:
    Paul and I went to the mall one day to look at warm winter coats.  We had been told not to buy one beforehand because there would be better, and warmer ones here.  (I am not sure that is true, by the way.)  As I was looking at one, a sales lady came up and asked if she could help us.  Since I wasn't completely sure what she said and didn't know how to fluently answer her, I turned to my companion.  He struck up a conversation with her and in doing so, found out she is a widow but her mother-in-law is a member of the church, an English speaker, living in another part of Quebec. We talked with her a bit about the church, why we are here, and invited her to English class. She didn't come, but at least she had a nice conversation with a "Mormon". It might help when she meets another later.
   Then, we had the experience at the hair salon where the stylist wanted to know all about what we teach people. ( See the 'Flash to the past' post) We visited her at her home, with her 14-year-old daughter, showed them the Restoration DVD, and gave them each a copy of the Book of Mormon. They came to church once.  She now says she isn't too interested in hearing more, but since her daughter is, we still have hopes that this will continue.   We will keep trying.  The point is, we were able to teach her some gospel principles.
  For me, the most exciting and challenging encounter occurred last week. I have been meeting with a woman who attends our English class.  She offered to meet with me once a week to help me with my  French.  I have a conversation with her in French for thirty minutes, and then we switch.  Last Wednesday she came  in and said. "I would like you to tell me about Mormons,  I read a little about a man named Joseph Smith and am wondering about him.  Tell me about him in French." So, for the next twenty minutes I bumbled along in terrible French, telling her of Joseph's experiences with prayer, the first vision, and the Book of Mormon.  I gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon, asked her to read the Introduction, and said we would discuss it further this coming week.  I am a missionary!  And it felt good.

Want a laugh today?

   My back has been giving me fits for the last week or so and it is difficult to keep positive when in pain ( at least for me).  We have been experiencing some glorious "Indian summer" days (not sure that is still politically correct to say?), and so, to lift my spirits,  for our Preparation Day we drove to a city abut 45 minutes from here in search of what we had been told was a restored "old town"  similar to those in Europe.  Unfortunately, from what we could determine, it turned out to be more of a tourist trap, where one pays to enter and see some old buildings.  When we drove past, there were two women about my age, standing out front in costumes from the 1700's.  I could't take a picture because it would have been too obvious.  The funny thing about this was that when we pulled up to ask them a question about the site, they told us it was closed.  Apparently, their job that day was to stand out front, in costume, and tell people it was closed.
    With that outing a bust, we decided to go have lunch.  Since the weather was absolutely gorgeous, we found a restaurant with outside seating and ordered salads.  They were the some of the most beautiful salads I have ever seen.  Here is Paul with his crab salad:

    Now for your entertainment, here is me with mine.  I laugh every time I look at this picture, mostly because the only other response would be to cry:

  In my defense,  I didn't know he was taking the picture.  Paul's comment was, "There is nothing I can do to please her!"   Hope this makes your day better, as you gratefully contemplate that you don't look like this...

It's nice, and a little unbelievable.

    Life in Victoriaville is vastly different in some ways than in life in northern Virginia.  In some ways it feels like the way it was "in the good old days".  Except for grocery stores, the stores all close daily at 5 or 6 p.m., including those in the mall.  The mall, and other businesses, (except grocery stores)  are all closed on Sunday, and the grocery stores are closed by about 5 on Sunday.  There is a definite tranquility in the downtown area on Sundays, and although many people go on walks around the lake or on the numerous paths (which wind through the town) and do not go to a church service, Sunday feels like a day of rest.  Here is another example which just seemed incredible to us. Last Wednesday afternoon we took our car to have new tires put on and a block heater installed.  Block heaters, for those of you who live where the temperature never dips below 0 degrees fahrenheit, are devices which keep the engine warm enough to prevent freezing.  Every parking space in apartment buildings and homes has an outlet attached to a board, in plain view, which one uses to plug in the block heater. Here is what they look like:

 
   And just so you know what we are in for as far as winter is concerned,  when was the last time you saw this on the side of the road? (Yes, that's a snow mobile)

     The garage lent us a car for the day without even looking at a driver's license. True, they had our car which was much newer than the rental.  Anyway, the bill for four new snow-ready tires, and the block heater was significant.  When we went to retrieve our vehicle, the woman who runs the garage with her husband told Paul their computer was down, and asked if he could come back this next week to pay the bill.  We hadn't given them so much as a driver's license, a credit card number, or any I.D. of any kind and away we drove with all the new items. We aren't sure if our missionary plaques convinced her of our honesty or if she have that much faith in mankind generally.  I would like to believe that in some parts of the world trust is still a viable characteristic.  Update:  when we sent in to pay the bill yesterday, Paul asked the owner if they often let people take their repaired vehicle and pay later.  She said that yes, on occasion they have to do that, and they just hope the individual will return and pay them!