Miracles and Blessings!

April 27, 2015

People I love!

It's hard to believe this transfer will come to a close this week! I have learned so much from the ward and from Sister Brimley this transfer! She has been in this area for 6 months so we are both pretty sure she'll be leaving this next week. I have been trying to cram as much information about this area as possible into my head while I still have Sister Brimley here! It has been a wonderful and crazy week needless to say! 

Sis Brimley and I at the Cracker Barrell with the M family

We had MANY miracles and blessings this week. I'm not sure if I've mentioned our investigator A. before, but she is an incredible woman who has been SO prepared for the gospel! We haven't been able to see her for a long long time, but this week we were blessed to be able to teach her twice! We weren't sure what her concern was...why she wasn't progressing. But we were able to see the Spirit work in us this week and were able to resolve her concerns!

Revelation through District Meeting is a real thing. Elder Fa (DL) did a training about invitations to church. We answered two questions: How do I feel about sacrament meeting, and how do your investigators feel about sacrament meeting? Then we came up with a plan to help that investigator feel the importance of sacrament meeting. It turns out that both Sister Brimley and I had written, "A. feels like church is a hassle." We came up with a lesson with A. so she would realize that church is more than just another place to go, it's a place we receive revelation and renew our covenants for the week. Sure enough, the next time we sat down with A., one of the FIRST things she said was, "Guys, I feel like getting to church is just a hassle." I was amazed, yet again, of how all-knowing our Heavenly Father is, to show us exactly what A. was feeling and needing! WOW. We were able to talk and share what we had prepared. Then, on Sunday, we were able to watch her walk into church for the first time, with her daughter, smiling and beautiful! The Lord's hand is in this work!

It was such a blessing to have 4 of our investigators come to church this week! Especially J. S., an almost 80-year-old wonderful man, who at first told the sisters he would never change, never come to church! But the spirit was working hard this week, because he committed to be baptized on June 6th, and showed up to church for the first time.

We got an unexpected call on Tuesday! Our mission is going to be having a last-minute mission conference in Charleston, MO, and Elder Ulisses Soares, of the Presidency of the Seventy; Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, Presiding Bishop of the Church; and Elder Quentin L Cook, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will be in attendance! We are soooooooo excited! The best (or worst :0) part is that our district will be performing the musical number we did last Sunday for our mission president! Ohhhh boy we are nervous. Pray for us!

I love this area, I love my mission! The gospel is true! I know it, and God will reveal that truth to anyone who asks about it :) (Moroni 10:4-5)

20 min after we cleaned our car HA!

Oh, and I just think it's great that I drive a RED Toyota Corolla!

We got excited about the "Restoration" part

Easter Miracles!

April 20, 2015

Hello all you people I love!

Wow, what a wonderful week. I am loving this area so so much. I feel like I learn from these wonderful people every day!

A highlight of this week was an Easter fireside we hosted in the Centralia ward...President and Sister Morgan came and spoke! The spirit was incredible. They both spoke about our responsibility as members. We are not only to be active in the church, we need to be active in the GOSPEL! There is a big difference! Sister Morgan did a little object lesson...she had an empty pitcher that represented a person's life. She gradually filled it with water--representing the way we choose to fill our life. She started with things like work, school, hobbies, entertainment, and when the water was nearly at the top, she started mentioning Christ, and the gospel. By that time, there was no room left in the pitcher, and it quickly overflowed! When the gospel is not our priority, sometimes adding it on top of everything else we do overfills our pitcher. What are our priorities? Christ should be the CENTER of our lives, then we will find happiness and peace. 

Easter Fireside with the Morgans

Our missionary district did a musical number, and that is when I felt the spirit the strongest! I was on the piano, but I felt close to the Lord as we all testified through music, "I Know that My Redeemer Lives!" The last verse, our district leader sang a solo, and started crying! I looked out at the ward and realized that EVERYONE was crying!! The heartfelt testimony in that song brought the spirit like nothing else! There was a unique spirit of unity that night...Christ was with us! It was so wonderful to see one of the returning less-actives we are working with, along with her granddaughter, who we are teaching, there at that fireside! Also one family was so touched, they stopped to help a random lady carry a mattress on the way home from the fireside. They invited her to church, and referred her to us that night! I was amazed at the miracles we see when Christ is with us.

Right now we are helping our investigator, A., discover who Christ is. She bared her heart to us this week when we taught her. She is struggling with several things, as we all do, and she doesn't know where to turn! We were able to help her realize that Christ is the way, and will be her light! She had so much hope when we left, and she prayed for strength to come to church and read the Book of Mormon so she could find Christ. It's so simple...Christ is the answer!

I love you all. Come unto Christ!

Sister Petrie

Me and Sister Brimley

We are loved!

April 16, 2015

Hello my beautiful family!

I hope you know I love you all!

Welcome Spring with joy!!

This week was FULL. Both of trials and miracles. 

I want to share when I felt closest to my Savior this week. We had a former investigator, D., call us up this week. He is going through such difficult trials. He had dug himself in a hole so to speak with his choices...and his call to us was a humble cry for help. When we met with him on Saturday, he seemed empty, we could tell he felt hopeless. He expressed to us that he felt lost, too far gone for any rescue. My heart hurt for him! But as we talked, we began to testify of the most important truth...the infinite saving power of the Atonement. We were FILLED with the spirit as we promised him that his burdens could be lifted through the Savior. That there are NO lost causes. That there is always hope! We felt impressed to share the scripture, Moroni 7:41, "And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the POWER of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise." Christ is all-powerful! Though his choices may always be remembered by men, and he may have to deal with those consequences the remainder of his life, as we learned in conference, there are no spiritual scars! Christ's sacrifice can leave us clean. New! We can change. As we left, he said he DID have a hope after speaking with us. He had a flicker of faith! He committed to be baptized at the end of June. I KNOW that there are no lost causes. You are not a lost cause! There is hope! Remember to cry out to the Savior. He is here!

We were led by the spirit so much this week! On Thursday, we were in an appointment with our investigator, T., and it was time to leave to make it to our meeting with Bishop Waggonner on time. However, we felt prompted to stay a little longer. So we took our time, finished up with T., and were running about 15 minutes late to our meeting. Just as we pulled up to the church, a young man approached us. He had walked to the church from the High school and had just arrived there when we had pulled up. His name was N., and we started talking to him. He said he had come to the church to feel peace...he felt a lot of conflict inside, and wanted to feel close to God. We gave him a Book of Mormon, brought him into the church, and the elders gave him a blessing and began teaching him. The timing of it just blew me away! The church is almost ALWAYS empty, but the Lord guided him and us to meet at the right time. Now he has a baptismal date for mid-may!

I hope these miracles I've shared help you feel how much God loves his children. He is constantly guiding and planning for us, whether we recognize it or not. I know this to be true! Things always work out. 

Sister Brimley is the greatest!

Have a wonderful week everyone! You are loved!

I milked a cow this week.  No really!

Hello From Centralia!

Sister Brimley is great!

April 6, 2015

Hello From Centralia!

Oh I just love this place already. Sister Brimley and I have so much fun! I look up to her so much. She is very strong and works hard for the spirit. Such a beautiful soul!

Wasn't conference just incredible? I LOVE THE PROPHETS! I hope you all, like myself, had incredible answers to prayer.


I felt so much love for my Savior this week. And so much love from him as well! If any of you have not yet seen the "Because He Lives" video, please take time to watch! We have been showing it to every possible person this week...and it has changed my life! Ponder the question: What is different about my life because he lives?" I promise you will find that the Savior has worked miracles in your life. When the Savior touches us, we change. He changes our very nature so that we desire to follow him!

Our 9-year-old investigator, S., was an example to me this week of following the Savior. His mom, R., is a member and has such a desire to return to church and become active. They read the Book of Mormon together every night! We asked S. after showing him the "Because He Lives" video, "Will you follow the example of the Savior and be baptized?" He said yes! We asked, "What does it mean to be baptized?" His answer just filled up my heart!! "I don't really know the answer to that question, but I want to follow Jesus!" Such a faith-filled boy! I love him. I want to have as much faith as S. Like Sister Wixom said in conference, we don't have to see the whole path in order to take steps on it. Press forward in faith!

We had zone conference this week in Frontenac! (St Louis) It was wonderful!! I can't express my love for President and Sister Morgan. They are always always reaching out to help others. They only want success and happiness for their missionaries and to serve the Lord.

There have been so many Nauvoo throwbacks for me lately! A family in the ward, the M's, got accepted to be in the gold cast this summer! We have been talking about it so much! Also, I ran into Sister L. at zone conference. She was related to/knew the B's in our cast! And they were in the yellow cast! Also, we got a referral of a sweet lady who is interested in the church because she attended the pageant. Oh, and a couple in the ward, the M's, goes to the pageant yearly, and knows ALL the YPM's there! So we had a chat about the P's (from AZ) of course :) Fun connections!

I wish I had time to talk about all our wonderful investigators. We teach a lot here! I love them all so so much. Just know I am doing well and my testimony is stronger than ever of the truth of this gospel!

S. Family and our awesome Elders!

General Conference!

March 30, 2015

Hello my lovely wonderful family.

What an incredible women's conference that was on Saturday! It made me so grateful for my family, immediate and extended, and for the support I receive from all of you! Thank you thank you thank you. I love you all so so much!

General Conference is this upcoming weekend! What a blessing that is! Prophets speak for GOD! I feel so blessed to live in a dispensation with a living church. He LIVES!

Centralia is so great. The work here is exploding! We teach so many people, and it is because of the involvement of the members! If any of you want to help the missionaries, find friends who are prepared for the gospel! Pray to be led to those who are prepared. I have a lot of faith that this transfer will be excellent!

Selfie in the Car

Sister Brimley is awesome. She has been out a transfer less than I have, which means I have to drive the car! Let's just say I am slowly gaining back my driving skills... Hopefully I can send a picture of us! I love her, I love this area. The ward members are lovely to us! I miss Danville a lot, but I am grateful to be here.

This week was great! I am so excited about a family we just started teaching...A. and S. They are wonderful. They have been so prepared to hear the gospel! S. told us he wasn't sure if there really was even a God. So we talked about faith, and read to him the inspired words of Alma in chapter 32 v. 26-27. We told him if he even had a particle of faith, just a desire, he could KNOW there was a God. We asked him if he had that desire. His answer was so humble. "Yes. I want to believe." He committed to pray that night, for the first time probably in years. People I love, I hope you KNOW that God is so merciful! He wants to give us the knowledge and the answers, but it does take faith. Ask, and ye shall receive. We may wish we had knowledge from God, but how many times do we actually ASK. I have an ever-strengthening testimony of our Father's willingness to give us all our righteous desires if we but ask!

I LOVE this work! I am so happy to be trusted to be a missionary. I love you all! Thanks for all your support again.

Love! 

Sister Petrie

Transfers, a baptism, and a PIANO!

Our Fantastic District!

March 23, 2015

There seems to be so much that has happened this week! Many MANY miracles. 

First of all, I am getting transferred! I am leaving Danville and going to Centralia, IL, which is south of here! I've heard it's a great area. My new companion will be Sister Brimley. Leaving Danville will be one of the most difficult things ever. I love this city and these people! But I know the Lord is in charge and this new area will be the right thing!

S. got BAPTIZED on Saturday!!!!!!!!! I wish there were words to describe how happy everyone was. She has come so far! It has been almost a year since she started meeting with the missionaries, and now she is a member! I am so so SO proud of her for being so strong! It was one of the best days of my mission. She stepped out of the font glowing with happiness. She was so beautiful! During the baptism I just was filled with gratitude that I was able to teach such a wonderful daughter of God. I look up to her so much. AHHH God is good!

S.'s baptism!!!! OH the joy :) :) :) She did it!!!

J. committed to be baptized on May 9th this week. My joy was overflowing!!! They are so happy as well!

I am running out of email time but I need to share this incredible miracle! Friends and family, prayer is a REAL power, and God loves us so much!!

B,, the sister who was baptized my first transfer here, is super talented and plays the piano! She told me she would be able to play for church if she was able to practice. However, she didn't have a piano. So a couple of months ago, I told her that somehow, I would get her a piano!! I have been praying ever since that if Heavenly Father somehow had some spare time, he would lead me to a piano for B.! So this week, I had kind of given up hope...the end of the transfer was approaching and no piano! Then, on Friday, a friend of S. calls us up and asks if we could go over to his house to help him move some of his collectible items up and down stairs. While we were moving, I noticed a very nice, full-length keyboard in his basement, and the spirit told me to ask him if he played the piano! He said no, then asked "Do you play?" I told him I did. "Do you have a piano?" I said yes, we had one at our apartment. "Do you know anyone that NEEDS a piano?" Of course I said YES!! He then told us that he would give away his piano, probably worth several hundred dollars, just because we had helped him that day. So we walked out with a piano sitting in the back of our car! I just started crying, I was so full of gratitude and amazement....truly God is SO GOOD! So that night we delivered a piano! It was another highlight of my whole mission...to see the surprise and delight on B.'s face when we walked into her house with a PIANO!

Me and B!!!!

 AHHH family, I wish I could express my love for these people in Danville! They have changed my life. I would do anything for them all. I hope you all have a fantastic week.

The Snow is Finally Melting!

The Beautiful Lake Vermillion

March 16, 2015

It's almost spring! We've been able to go out walking a lot this week! It's been wonderful to talk to people in their yards, offer service, and just feel the sunshine on our faces! I feel so blessed to be a missionary, to have the restored gospel and to be offering it to everyone we meet.

I'll just skip straight to the two highlights of this week, the two times we taught about temples!

The first was with S. We had the most incredible lesson with her Sister C. (she got baptized in November and is amazing). I LOVE teaching about temples! The temple is evidence that our growth doesn't end at baptism but begins! As we strive to be worthy of our temple recommends, enter in the house of God, make new covenants and perform ordinances for our ancestors, we receive some of the most wonderful blessings of being members of the restored church. There are so many that don't have the opportunity to partake of these blessings...we need to take advantage of them! Anyway Sister C. was able to testify of the blessings of performing baptisms for her own deceased ancestors, and it was powerful! Like I've said, I LOVE teaching with recent converts!! They have a unique, fresh spirit of the gospel about them. S. was so touched and motivated by her testimony! S.'s ancestors mean a lot to her, especially because she felt like she received her testimony of the gospel through her grandfather, who has passed away. The spirit testified to me as we talked that the temple is a blessing for so many reasons! Having the temple and it's incredible blessings and service available to us as a goal motivates us to remain worthy and to continue to grow in the gospel. it's another stepping stone on our path to God!

Pic with S. while J. talking with Bishop Fulton...they came to church for the first time yesterday!

They LOVED it! Seriously my favorite people ever.

The second lesson was with J. and S. After talking about the commandments and the blessings of obedience, we read Mosiah 2:41, which talks about the state of never-ending happiness that is available to all who obey Heavenly Father's commandments. J. asked one of those questions that makes missionaries die of excitement in lessons haha...He said, "in that state of never-ending happiness, is there a way for us to be with our families and those we love?" Of course we couldn't stop smiling as we explained yes, there was, and they could have that sealing power in their lives when they were baptized, through the ordinances of the temple! S. basically passed out of excitement, it was SO CUTE. She said, "Oh baby, that's what I want! To be with you forever and ever!" hahaha we couldn't stop smiling for a long time after that!

I am SO grateful for temples! It has also been a blessing to live in the district of the almost-finished Indianapolis, Indiana temple, only 1 and a half hours away! I have seen that truly the Lord builds the people as he builds the temple...like the B's for example! They are a returning less-active family. They have a hard life and lots of sticky habits keeping them from holding a temple recommend...but they have so much faith that by the time the Indianapolis temple opens, they will be able to enter it together! It's been incredible to teach them and see them change and grow, already! I love them!

Well, it's been a good week, and we have another great week ahead of us. I can't believe it's the last one of the transfer! Time flies.

S. took us out on a four-wheeler on Monday to the lake she lives on. I love S.!

Lunching outside! #spring