First Born In The Wilderness - 08/03/15 (Belleville, IL)

Dear Friends and Family,

Well it is now the start of a brand new transfer here in the Missouri St Louis Mission. This past transfer as a mission we had the highest baptizing transfer so far this year,  a total of 54 new members baptized and confirmed. Pretty amazing! 

I believe that we will have a baptism in Belleville within these next 6 weeks! There is a lot of work to do here and there is just so much potential. We are going to work as hard as we can this transfer to bring one of our brethren closer to Christ through baptism. We know that there is someone out there who is prepared to make that change in their life! 

Wednesday morning I had to drive into St Louis with Elder Langston from Shiloh for transfer meeting. I had to be there by 9:30am for a New Trainer Meeting. We had a total of 26 new missionaries come into the field Tuesday. So I was 1 of 26 new trainers called. In our meeting President Morgan talked mostly about how a trainer will be the most important companion a new missionary will ever have their entire mission.. That really hit me. 

But at Transfer meeting all of the new missionaries stood up and told everybody who they were, and where they are from, then announced one by one where they were going to be serving and who their trainers are! It was excited, and I was nervously waiting to see who my greenie would be!

My new companion, his name is Elder Griffin.. He is from Vancouver Washington! (Not canada). He is 18 years old and is just 5 days into the mission field now! He is a great kid, and I have loved being able to serve with him so far. I am grateful and humbled that I get to be his trainer and that he is my son, my Firstborn in the Wilderness! 

Not much has happened this week, mostly just been helping my greenuie settle in and adjust to being a missionary. We Have been out working hard though and have met many people who seem interested in hearing our message. We have tracted a lot, had a few lessons, passed some stuff out and talked to a few crazy people. It has been great fun! 

There is a member in our ward who was an Air Force Fire Fighter, now he is a fire fighter for a local station here in Belleville. Today for P-day we are going to go and tour the Station and see everything there, then we are going to take Elder Griffin to see the East River front! 

Well I hope everyone has a great week! I will write again next week with all the new and exciting things that are going to happen this week. I will end with this quote... 

"I testufy to you that our promised blessings are beyond measure. Though the storm clouds may gather, though the rains may pour down upon us, out knowledge of the gospel and our love of our Heavenly Father and of our Savior will comfort and sustain us and bring joy to our hearts as we walk uprightly and keep the commandments. There will be nothing in this world that can defeat us. My beloved brothers and sisters, fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith." - Thomas S. Monson

Have a great week everyone!

Elder Chase Peterson