After an amazing week of "Preach My Gospel" training, Alissa came to the MTC and picked us up for the weekend.  We went out to the temple with Alissa, Bryce, Randi, and Jarom.  My Randy and I used to attend the Provo temple every week the first year we were married.  We sat on the hill of the temple grounds after he purposed to see if our answer was "Yes" and it was.  Provo temple has good memories for me and it was good to attend a session while in Provo.

It was Jarom's birthday so we went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate.  A steak sounded good.  We love the MTC food.  I am amazed at the variety and the goodness.  The soups are all excellent and the entres are amazing but we were hungry for steak.  No steak is served at the MTC.  Texas Roadhouse steaks were marvelous.  One of Randi's cousins was there at the Roadhouse and knew it was Jarom's birthday and paid for both their dinners.  Wasn't that nice?

Jarom's birthday at Texas Roadhouse

I am trying to write around the outside of this picture and it is working.  Yes!
We took left overs home from Texas Roadhouse filled Alissa's fridge with them.  We did finally eat them before we went back to the MTC.
It is good to be with family.  It is nice to have both Alissa and Jarom in Provo so we can get with them on weekends.  This, however, was the last weekend we will be doing that for two years.

Pierce, Alissa, Jarom, Randi, Teril, and Stan at the bottom

Jarom and us at the top of the "Y"

Randi and us looking down from the top of the "Y"

We loved going to "Y" mountain to hike.  We were so needing a good hike after all week sitting in class during the "Preach My Gospel" week at the MTC.  We went up slow enough that we were able to visit with people traveling up and down the mountain and found people from all over the world there.  Only in Provo!!!
What a great feeling.  We love our family.  Doing things with the family is a marvelous experience.  I am thankful we have had such marvelous experiences with the family these past 6 weeks.  I am grateful for the reunions that have happened.

"Welfare Square" classes

This picture shows the office buildings in the window behind us.  In the window opposite this one, it shows the temple and tabernacle and the conference center.  What beautiful grounds all around this square.  We are sitting in the Utah Hotel up on the 10th floor.  We learned what the Church's mission in the area of Welfare.  I feel so much better about what we will be doing in Mozambique.  It is becoming clearer.
I was so impressed with Welfare Square.  They own the land these products are grown on and follow the produce up from the ground to the canning.  Their grainaries or silos are spread throughout the United States.  That grain is not touched except to be replaced each year so that it will be there in case of an emergency.
I was touched by the principles taught through the good will offered within the service of Welfare.  It is not about giving.  It is about empowering people, enabling them to learn to take care of themselves.  For instance, they found in one of the natural disasters it cost a couple of million just to transport the foods to them.  The church decided to use that 2 million by spending it on local foods that could be brought into the areas in less time.  It was also stimulating the economy of the area.  Help people help themselves.  That is what Welfare thru the church is all about.

Salt Lake temple outside the window

Isn't this a sight to behold, the Salt Lake Temple.
We traveled back to Provo in a shuttle that had gotten us there early that morning.  We will have 3 more days of Welfare Instruction before we fly out for Mozambique.  When we got back to the MTC, we checked on our visas.  They were not in our mailbox yet.  We can't fly out without visas to Mozambique.  Luckily the travel office had not closed yet.  We had been praying the visas would come thru.  Sure enough, she said she had put them in the mail just 2 hours ago.  We went back to the mail room and there they were.  Whew!!!! Lots of others had been reassigned to other places because their visas had not come thru yet.  I was faithful not even mentioning such a fate and sure enough.  Here they are!!!!
Amazing miracles.  We can leave Friday as scheduled.

[Elder Petersen]
Sister Petersen has covered the last couple of days pretty well.  It was so wonderful to be with Bryce and Alissa and kids and Jarom and Randi.  My cousin, Lance Chapman just happened to call me Sunday afternoon not knowing that I was in Provo.  He and his wife came over to Alissa's and we had a great visit.  Reminiscing about our adventures was a blast! 
The training today covered welfare principles.  Many of you have asked if we know what we will be doing.  The answer is yes, but not exactly.  We were told to be very flexible.  It will range from major church initiatives (clean water, immunizations, mother/baby care, food production, wheel chairs, and vision) to smaller projects we identify and submit, to being involved in member/leadership support of the wards and branches.  You can be sure we will keep you posted on our activities.
There is no doubt in my mind this is the Lord's work.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.

Here are our visas! Yeah!!!