The Greatest Adventure of My Life

Heyyyyyy,

531 days ago I was pretty skeptical if I would make it to this day, but here I am and in 8 days I will be in Utah and be able to give a big hug to my cute family!!

First, I would just like to say THANK YOU to anyone and everyone who has helped and supported me through this adventure! Every leader, companion, neighbor, friend, and family!! I would not be here if it weren't for all of you pushing me to keep going and helping me be a better me!

This last few days/ weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions and thoughts about going home, but oh how grateful for these 79 weeks in Peru! I never thought that something so hard could also be so worth it and so rewarding. I’m so grateful to have been a missionary in Perú Lima South and Perú Limatambo.

One of my leaders here once shared a story with us and related it to the mission and shared that we are called to be FULL TIME missionaries. That we should always be willing to contact and teach and serve. I learned a lot and have recently been thinking a lot about what i have learned from my mission and what I want to take home. What I want more than anything is to be a FULL TIME disciple of Christ. I know that my mission doesn't end when I take off the name tag and get to wear jeans again! I want to do what the Lord wants me to do and have faith and trust in him because I LOVE MY SAVIOR!  I am so grateful to have a loving savior who gave everything for us. I am so very grateful for the Atonement who helps me as a very imperfect person become better and reach my divine potential!

I am truly filled with so much gratitude for this experience that I was lucky enough to have. Perú has a special place in my heart and I will never forget the opportunity to have had a front row seat of countless miracles and blessings and the opportunity to see the hand of the lord each and every day in my life and in the lives of others who I love so much. I am grateful that I have seen so many people change their lives and feel the joy and peace that I feel with the knowledge I have of this gospel. I am so grateful to have been able to be an instrument in the hands of the lord. I know that this is HIS work and he is the one changing lives and not me. I started this whole thing thinking that I was going to have an opportunity to help lots of people here in Perú but what I didn't realize was that this was going to help and CHANGE MY LIFE!!  I never knew that a year and a half could change my life so completely. I know that I am not the person I was before. I know that I have grown and become someone who I love even more!

I am so grateful for my Father in Heaven who loves us so very much and has a very perfect plan for each and every one of us! I am so grateful that this mission was part of his plan for me even though I never in a million years thought that this is where I would end up. I am grateful for the lives that I have seen change thanks to the atoning power of Christ and the covenants that help us become more like our perfect example Jesus Christ.

I know that this is the true church of Christ restored on the earth. I know that the Lord's will and timing is a whole lot better than ours and as we have faith and trust in him he will be there alongside us each and every step of the way giving us the strength we need to keep going and endure. I know that our very loving heavenly father hears and answers prayers. I love this gospel with my whole entire heart!

I know that I have said thank you and that I am so grateful about a million times but I have nothing more than gratitude in my heart for these past 18 months!

The goal starting this mission was to return with honor to Layton, Utah and make it back to see my family and now that I am almost there I have a bigger goal, to return with honor to my celestial home in heaven! I know that this journey to make it back is a whole life kind of thing and not something that ends when I leave Perú. My mission has set the course and helped me know who and what I want to be.

Thank you all so much and I hope you all know how much I love my savior and how much I love this gospel!!

With lots and lots of love, for the last time from Perú

Hermana Jacey Petersen