QuEsTiOnS of the WeEk 2-16-09

1. Do you ever have visiting general authorities? If so who has come and who is your favorite?

Colts answer: number 1 well have what they call mission tour once every six months and thats when one of the area presidency comes to teach us and see the mission how its going and things like that so I havent met any apostles or anything but general authorities yes. It was pretty cool.

2. Are there still rice fields where you are at etc?

Colts answer: Yes in my area no there are not any rice fields but in maputo the general area yes there are tons and the people dont change all that much just the people that work and live in the city are more educated so that is a good thing and actually nice to work with. we did a pretty cool little service project the other day hopefully I will send pics today.

3.Are you teaching any one that is interested right now?

Colts answer: Yes here is the deal we are always teaching people but people that are progressing and actually understand what they are doing very far and few between but yes at the moment we are teaching people who are progessing and working towards baptism.

4. You said that one of the benefits of having a Brazilian companion is that you learn the language better. How is the language going? Do you feel like you can speak it pretty good? How about understanding it?

Colts answer:Yes Now I am feeling confident in the language and with talking about basicly any topic. It finally started to click around last transfer. Finally! well it took a lot of humiliation and practice and hard work but it came

5.What you're new apartment like? Is it as good as the last one?

Colts answer: The new apartment is pretty good not nearly as big as the last one but its nice and in a pretty good area. So ya I am liking it and also I am now living with Elder Smoot he is probably one of my better friends on the mission so that makes it nice.

6. Were you able to make the cake I sent for your birthday?

Colts answer: Yes there are some pics of the cake that you will get sorry I sent the sd card home because it quit working in my camera I dont know why but it did so it still should have everything on it but it just didnt work so I figured I would send it with him. Thanks Well I love and miss ya a bunch and hope that all is going well back at home and that everyone is safe and happy.

Love Elder C. Peterson

FiNaLlY some PiCs!!!!!

A party for a newly baptized member

Digging a hole for a POTTY!!! ( oh Boy!)

Here they are!!!!! Some evidence Elder Peterson is really over in Africa!!!!! "Doin WORK!!"

Also Colton told me in his email yesterday that he wants to run a marathon when he comes home. With me and lisha so everyone remember that so we can hold him to it. And WISH HIM LUCK!!!! :) HAHA

Primary Teachers in the MANGO trees!

Dear Camie,

How are ya doing camie? Well I am doing alright, nothing all that new has happened and the mission is a lot less exciting here in Maputothan it was in Beira that's for sure. The church actually functions here and even though the branches are small they are really strongstill a long ways from becoming a stake but really strong little branches. You sure don't find your Primary presidency in mango trees during primary on a fast Sunday that's for sure ha-ha. Well I hope all is well back in the valley I told Alisha that one of my old comp'sis going to be coming home from the mission soon and he is actually taking a trip up to Logan so he is going to bring a box of goodies from me for you guys some little Africa souvenirs. Elder Buckner I am sure that he will have a couple stories for ya if you ask and he cantell ya what Marromeu is really like. Well take care if you want anything specific let me know next week Love and miss ya.
Love Elder C. Peterson


After I got this email today from Colt I forgot that I wanted to explain the story on his blog about the Primary teachers in the mango trees! Colt told me this story on Christmas Eve when I got to talk to him on the on phone and it was so FUNNY. So here goes..... Colton was telling me about how in his area in Marromeu it was sort of difficult to get the principals across about attending meetings and serving callings in the ward. Colt explained that one Sunday he went outside of the church house and noticed all the primary kids were out there just RUNNING around and he asked where their teachers all were? So he looked around and found them sitting in a Mango tree eating Mangos!!! Colt said he told them to come down and come teach the CLASS!!! And the best part was it was even Fast Sunday! :) Oh you have got to love that!!!

Recap on the STAPH infection episode!

Colton has a hard time with detail. :) As some of you might know. So to help with getting some information about his mission and what things are like in Africa my Mom has come up with the "questionnaire" Every week she sends numbered questions to Colton and then he answers them in his return email. So here are some recent questions and email . These are right after my Mom recieved an email from his mission president. Telling her that Colton was staying at a couple missionaries' home because he had gotten a serious staph infection in his arm. Did Colton write and tell anyone?.....Oh no not Colt! So I am going to post the email where Colton finally lets everyone know what is going on and then the questions. I definetly wanted to post this because this is something memorable! :)So here it is......

Oct 13, 2008

Ok Everyone I am going to apologize before hand because today I am only going to be able to send a mass email. So sorry but the internet in beira is jacked. Well this was quite the interesting week thats for sure! for one as i just mentioned i am in Beira not Marromeu this week and that is because I got a staff infection in my arm in Marromeu haha. So here is the story so last saturday while out working i started to notice that where i had been bitten by a mosquito was starting to get a little red and kind of swell. So I didnt think anything about it of course! and sunday it slowly started to get worse and there was a red circile that was slowly getting bigger and more sore. but I kept working and thought nothing of it. Then P-day came around and it was worse it had started to take up my full forearm and I had red streaks going up my arm into my armpit where it was hurting so i figured i would give sister packard a call that night and see what she thought it was. Well night came around and we called and you know how i am i dont like to bother people and i figured that it would just go away so i really didnt want to call but Elder Buckner made me. But it was a little late so she didnt answer so I figured no big deal. Well i went to bed and woke up the next morning and it was very swollen and very red and hot! I really couldnt bend it and it was pretty sore. So Elder Buckner called Sister Packard and made me talk to her. So she called The area Doctor and they sent The Ross's in their car to come get me that day. Well turns out that I had a staff infection and it was spreading but luckily Sister Ross had medicine that i needed that she gave me antibiotics. I had to get three shots in the butt and i am on antibiotics but i never had to go to a hospital i am very grateful for that. But i am good now so nor worries everything is back to normal and after zone confrence I will be going back up to Marromeu. I love you all and miss you sorry for not sending individual emails. Thank you for the Love and support
Love Elder Peterson
P.S. I will not be writing next monday it will either be this Saturday or next Wedensday but if you dont get anything on either no worries it will be the next next monday

Here are some questions and Colt's answers

? 1. How was your experience working with the missionaries in Biera while you were staying with the Ross'. Did you go out with two other missionaries or how did they work that? Did you feel good enough to do anything? Did you have to take any days off? Was it different than any of your experiences so far?

Colton: Nope I didnt take one day off As Soon as i got my shots and he anti infection stuff i was out walking and I worked in the city which I havent got to do yet on my mission so that was a different experience> knocking doors getting rejected and stuff the life of the missionary haha but its all good.

?2. Do you drink bottled water? Someone was telling me that all the missionaries could drink in their area was pop. Even the bottled water wasn't safe. I'm worried about the fruit too after the Nikole Canfield experience. Do they tell you to be careful about the fruit you eat?

Colton: We have filters in the apartemnts so they are what we drink from its pretty convienent. Fruit ya you have to be careful thats for sure but its all good i am learning a lot thats for sure.

?3. Hey when you had your baptism, where did you baptize Manuel? In a river? I'm sure your church houses don't have baptismal fonts! And also do you have any pictures of that? If so, please email them to me!

Colton: Well the only person that I have baptized so far was Jone and yes> our chapel has a baptismal font. Its like a 2 million dollar chapel in the middle of nowhere it was a huge waste of the churches money but its here and thats the only reason the missionaries are here sad but true just to babysit so to speak.

?4. In one of your most recent emails you told about Juaqim and Elsa. Anything new happening there? You also said that it was really hard to get people married civilly in Mozambique. Is that the government or is it just the people's beliefs or what?

Colton: Well we just had a nice dinner with Juaqim and Elsa last night she can cook and it was really quite impressive. Wow I love them so much they are getting their documents and everything in order and should be married here within the next two months I hope but they have come a long ways from when we first started teaching them. Its an amazing thing to see.

Elder Colton Peterson

I wanted to start a blog for Colton for those that want updates on him! Hopefully this will help update you all on how he is doing and what he is up to! I know we all love him so much but sometimes I know it is hard for him to write to everyone! So if we could all pitch in that would be great. If you get a great email that you would like to share or if you hear an update that you would like others to know please email me at cccclark84@yahoo.com and I will post it! I dont know if he will be able to look at the blog but I think that it will be something that he can look at, print off and really enjoy when he gets home! Now pics might be low because he NEVER sends any so I might just have to be creative! Please leave comments for him to see or read when he gets home! So please join the followers list so you can see all the updates as his mission continues. Its like our own journal for him about our thoughts while he is out serving! Please everyone continue to email him and support him in his work! WE LOVE YOU ELDER PETERSON!!!!!!