March 25, 2019

This has been an interesting week. Tuesday was a regular mission day, walking around, talking to people, with little success. Wednesday I had an exchange with the Zone Leaders. I was with Elder Pukahi and it was super good. We found four new people which is a record for me (don't judge) and we got a another baptism date!!! I learned a lot from him and I'm working to apply what he taught me. Thursday we met with a man named Jay, he's from Texas and he thinks that he's a prophet. Just talk to my dad about people who think they're prophets from Texas, he knows all about it. He started talking to us about how he had visions of the premortal life which we thought ok cool. But then he started telling us about how he met Joseph Smith in the premortal life and was telling us all kinds of things about him that didn't make sense. He started telling us how God talks to him and tells him all this weird stuff like how he went under a rainbow that crossed like an X and God told him that he was baptized a second time for driving underneath it. It's been the weirdest lesson I taught so far. He wanted to end the lesson after we began telling him about President Nelson being our prophet today. Friday was another regular day we had a ward basketball night that was super fun. Saturday I had another exchange, this time with Elder Gordon and it was a weird day. We had a lot of doors slammed in our face (more than usual) went to the church for an Emergency Prep Fair. I got to shoot the firetruck hose! We walked around and came back to the church to have a lesson at the church and it ended up being an hour and forty minute lesson. Even as long as it was, we were able to help him with his doubts and overcome them. We also had a super cool baptism.  We ended the day with. a member visit and they gave each of us a box of cereal. Sunday was a good regular day, we had a priesthood meeting and it was super good. One of the things I learned is the Gathering of Israel isn't only taking place here on earth but it's also taking place in the Spirit World and we all need to take part in it. 
That's it for me. I hope everyone is doing great at home or in their mission, I love and miss you all.

1. Me with the house

2. A cool view we came across

3. Goofy picture of Elder Gordon

4. Me and Elder Pukahi

5. Me and my companion Elder Hutchins

                                                                                                    

  

Letter we received from Skyler's Mission President . . . .

19 March 2019

Aloha Brother and Sister Peterson,

We are grateful to have Elder Peterson in our mission. We have had situations in the past that have prompted me to call your attention to a most difficult and delicate matter. My strongest desire is to help Elder Peterson succeed as a missionary. Consequently with great love and sensitivity, I need to discuss with you the issue of visits to Hawaii by family and friends.

Our missionaries face a difficult challenge. While many may half-jokingly remark that a mission in Hawaii is a prolonged vacation, the realities are that the beauty of this place is both a blessing and a burden. The streets are filled with people in recreation apparel and the atmosphere is often one of distraction. Our Elders must face this in white shirts and ties and our Sisters in dresses. They work diligently to bring a message of Eternal Life through Christ to souls caught up in temporal pleasures. If they lose focus in their calling, they frequently turn their thoughts towards their home and friends. They become discouraged, sad and unproductive.

We love our missionaries. We spend many hours strengthening them, counseling them, and providing encouragement which will lift their spirits and give them courage to continue in the work of the Lord. You can help us in this effort to strengthen your missionary.

Hawaii is among the world's most sought after vacation spots. The families of many of our missionaries plan vacations in Hawaii. We regularly hear from parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends, acquaintances, friends of relatives, ward members, former ward members, school chums and others requesting addresses and phone numbers of missionaries so they can “just say hi” or take them to lunch, dinner, church meetings, sightseeing, meeting companions, meeting former companions, visiting members, new converts, investigators, former ward members, and countless other “activities” always for just a few minutes or just an hour.

Experience has proved these visits to be uniformly adverse to the best interests of the missionary. The missionary frequently loses the Spirit in his or her work. The companion of the missionary is also adversely affected, sometimes even more dramatically.

Many parents request an "exception" for excellent reasons. However, the visit by family or friends always is communicated through the astonishingly effective grapevine and every missionary who wants to see family or friends on their vacation trip reminds us that "so and so" got to see their family, why not me?

We urge you to not plan any vacation trip to Hawaii while your missionary is serving here. If you do plan such a trip to Hawaii, we strongly urge you to avoid any contact with him. Do not plan to meet up with him, attend church where he is laboring, request him to have meals with you or arrange any contact whatsoever. Please inform all other family members of this request and discourage friends likewise. We plead with you to not write and ask him to request permission for family or friends to visit. All such requests have the potential to create tension and disappointment in the missionaries that we love so much.

We know of your love for Elder Peterson. Please join with us in protecting him so he can obtain the fullness of the Spirit that comes from dedication and focused service to the Lord.

Sincerely,

James H. BekkerMission 

PresidentHawaii Honolulu Mission 

March 18, 2019 I MADE IT!

The video is VERY QUIET. President Bekker announcing my new companion, Elder Huntins.

      

Sorry everyone for not doing a mass email yet I didn't get a P-day this last week I was struggling to try to email everyone I could in the airport its all good I'm in Hawaii now. Right now I'm on the main island called Oahu I'm in the city Wahiawa which is right in the middle of the island its kinda a ghetto city but everyone here is for the most part nice. The genius I am I took so many pictures and when I mean a lot of pictures I mean 5 and none of them are in wahiawa I'll be sure to have more pictures next P-day. my companion is Elder Hutchins and he's from Lindon Utah he's such a great trainer, he's been here for 7 months now and I'm the second missionary he's trained which is nice since i'm not the burnt toast of the missionary's he's trained. The plane ride here was LONG, and the pilot had such a hard time landing I thought I was going to die. I got my first baptism date already! Her name is Edris and the missionaries before have been talking to her she's gone through a lot trials but since she's been talking to the missionaries she's been praying and doing everything she can this past week the Lord truly blessed her and has been getting her prayers answered. Everything else has been going great just a reminder if you wanna message me it has to be through email I'll respond to you on P-day if I get around to it (sorry if I didn't private email today it's been a hectic day). Be sure to check out this upcoming rapper from Utah, his name is Flip J I heard he's super good. Hope my email wasn't a mess I kinda rushed this one but hope everyone is doing great at home or doing great in their mission I love and miss you all.

your's truly 

Elder Peterson

P.S. I'm keeping track of everyone who emails and the winner get's a lei 

Elder Peterson has arrived in Hawaii. Here are a few pictures of the group of missionaries that arrived on Monday, March 10, 2019. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Skyler didn't have time to send an email, but we had a great video chat with him today. He is really enjoying the MTC and his two companions. He and his companions are participating in the MTC Choir and he was pretty excited to go to practice. He said that they sing for all of the devotionals on Tuesday & Saturday nights. They record the devotionals and send them to all of the other MTC's. He said that last week Elder Christofferson, from the Quorum of the Twelve, spoke and the choir sang. He said it was a great experience. 
He will be flying out to Hawaii this coming Monday, March 11th. His flight leaves around 11 a.m. and should get there around 2:30 Hawaii time. It is a direct flight from Salt Lake to Hawaii, which will be nice. Since he will be flying on Monday, which will be his new P-day, we won't be able email or talk to him until the following Monday. He will try and call quickly after he lands in Hawaii, but he's not quite sure when.
He also said that he doesn't have many email addresses, so if you would like an email, you'll need to write him first. His email address is:     skyler.peterson@missionary.org