Last One, Fast One

*** Note from Mom: The reality that Sister Peterson's next transfer call will bring her home has definitely set in. She is so blessed to have been given Sister Natalie Motto as her final companion. I know Sister Motto is not only perfect for Sister Peterson, but this is an answer to my prayers as I did not want Kori's mission to end without an opportunity to serve with this amazing young woman. She is from Utah County and will return to BYU January 2015 when Kori returns. There is no better person prepared to help Sister Peterson end her mission strong and focused. If you would like to cyber meet Sister Motto, her blog can be followed here

I would so appreciate if Sister Peterson's final six weeks could be flooded with words or encouragement, strength, and your own testimony. Her address is: 

Kirche Jesu Christi

Sister Kori Lee Peterson

Alfred-Schmidstrasse 35

81379 Munchen

Deutschland

Thanks so much- now on to why you're really on this page!

Hello Friends & Family, 

 

All my swimmer friends and family should definitely recognize the title of this email. It is going to be my motto for the next several weeks! I might be headed in for the last swim, and I know it's going to be a fast one- but I'm going to give it all I've got! 

This week has been much needed for Sister E and I. As much as I love being in Munich and serving here, we have always kind of struggled finding new investigators here and finding people who actually have serious interest and will progress! We have seen a few miracle families and people, but its been kind of rough to get in contact with a lot of them lately.However, the past two weeks have been filled with miracles and we've seen many areas of our work finally starting to pick up! 

I was especially grateful for the blessing of serving in a companionship this week. Sister Erdenetsogt and I decided to go to a city that takes a while to get to on the S-bahn in an effort to visit a less active sister in our ward- unfortunately she wasn't home. We really had nothing else to do, so we headed back to the S-bahn station to go back into Munich.  

I was praying in my heart, explaining to Heavenly Father that we had planned to visit this lady but she wasn't home. As I shared my feelings about how much time in travel  it takes for us to get here and back, I asked Heavenly Father to please let us find SOMEONE so that our trip wasn't in vain. 

Well, we sat down to wait for the Bahn, and two people, a sweet lady and a very drunk man sit next to us. The man sees our name tags and immediately starts ridiculing us for believing in God and serving in Germany; he was not being very friendly and he just would not stop.  

The lady was sitting on the other side of the man, sending us sympathetic smiles whenever she can and when the S-bahn finally got there, we tried to sit down next to the lady to talk to her; but the man would have none of it and he followed us to sit next to her as well.  

I tried desperately to get a conversation going with her, but every time I did, the man would interrupt and start asking weird questions again. Finally, I just to give him my full attention and talk to him for a bit. The whole time I prayed (and prayed, prayed, PRAYED) that Sister Erdenetsogt would talk with the lady.  

We got off the S-bahn, and sister E not only talked to her, but got her number and address and set up an appointment! We visited her family a few days later, and they are so amazing! They are so ready and so open to the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I still cannot believe that none of this would have happened if we weren't working with a companions, if we weren't unified in our purpose, and if we hadn't gone to that city to contact the less active woman! There are many things I hope to keep alive in post-missionary life and this is one of them. Being unified in such a way that the Lord's work can be fulfilled; if not by my hands, than by the hands of someone I am trying to support. 

One a boat with Mathias

The Senior sisters in the office, Sister Sonomura and Holmgren, are going home this week, so we decided to invite them over for dinner after our apartment inspection. It was so much fun, but it felt so backwards! Normally we are the ones who are invited over, but this time we got to prepare for the missionaries. They even gave us a spiritual thought at the end of dinner which was so nice that I about died with excitement haha

King Ludwick's memorial on Starnberg Sea

One of our investigator families, the Göbs, have started to become some of our best friends.  We have visited them every week for about 2 months now, and we have really enjoyed going over. They heard Sister Erdenetsogt and I talk once about how we want to go to the Zoo so badly because we live right next to it, but that we don't want to pay ourselves so we haven't gone. A few weeks later, they arrived at church so excited and presented us with Zoo tickets! We have been trying to go week after week, but with other commitments, limited time, and bad weather it just never worked out.  

Well, it is extremely obvious at this point, be we knew we were getting limited on p-days before it was possible that we would be separated again when transfer calls came up, so we decided that we would go on Monday, rain or shine, no matter how much time we had, we were going!  

Just a little sad that it is raining

"I spy with my little eye..."

Well it definitely turned out being more rain than shine, but WE WENT! 

It was pouring rain the entire day, but being the determined little missionaries we are, we bundled ourselves up, grabbed our rain gear and left headed straight to the ZOO! 

It was still fun, there was no heat nor long lines; we got the whole zoo to ourselves! 

I just really want to touch him!

As we left, we saw some nicely dressed people in the distance. As we got closer we saw the name tags and realized they were missionaries too! 

One of these things isn't like the other...

 

"In the USA, there is a law against tying a giraffe to a light post"

The Kohler's and the AP's had decided to go to the Zoo as well. Ha, even though Munich is huge and there is a ton to do, I guess going to the Zoo on a rainy day is THE THING to do. 

As for transfers, we will be making a companionship swap with the Tübingen Sisters. Sister Erdenetsogt is going to work with Sister Pentz in Tübingen and Sister Motto is coming here with me!  Though I will miss Sister E and we both dreaded the thought that one of us was leaving, we were blessed to get to work together again! 

Aside from saying good-bye to Sister E, I am so excited to get to work with Sister Motto!!! 

It was definitely weird in church yesterday to see Sister E say her goodbye's to the members; it doesn't feel real yet. I already saw her say goodbye in Linz, now I have to do it all over again?  But we will still see each other at MLC, so this isn't my last goodbye :)

Making cinnamon rolls

Well, I think this is all for me today. I have one final request from everyone- that is simply that you all will please pray for me!  

Pray that I will be able to keep my wits about me and that I do not get distracted; that I will stay focused this last transfer! I want to give it my all!  

Sleepover with the Munchen III sisters

There are so many miracles in Munich waiting to happen, so much potential waiting to be discovered! I can feel it!! 

I know I only have 6 weeks left, but like we would always say on swim team, Last One, Fast One!

Love to you all,

Sister Peterson