Pictures

These are random photos I found of Josh while I was at my mom and dad's house.


This is a group shot the day Josh opened his mission call. The second picture is of Josh when he was going into the MTC.
The top photo in this group is of Josh reading his call and Justin has a cell phone so one of us that couldn't be there could still hear him. Look how happy Josh was on he day he left.
These are family pictures at the MTC. Look at that Rose among those thorns.

Josh reading his call.

04/09/08

Well I am in my new area and wow let me tell you it is a huge change from Calgary. The place I am in right now is smaller than Burley is and part of my area is on an Indian reserve so it will be a little bit of a change. We are not allowed to go proselyting, so all we really do is service and less active work.
I totally forgot to tell you and mom some amazing news, but I got a letter from Skye and she told Jordan Liljenquist my friend in Idaho who I went with the missionaries and helped to convert, received his call and is going to Budapest Hungary. I am so excited for him I think it is so awesome that he has chosen to go on a mission. He will do amazing.
I am really close to the B.C. border and guess what the best part of where I am serving is? Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump is in my zone and so I am going to get pictures and send them home to you.

04/08/08

Hey Everyone
I forgot to tell you last week that this would be coming a day early because of transfers tomorrow. I have news that I have never had to write home to say before but I am being transferred tomorrow. I am going down to a small town called Pincher Creek. It is really close to Cardston and so that means that I will be able to go to the temple a few times while I am down there. I am way excited about that but I am also a little sad because I really like this place and I don't want to leave it. I am sure I will find members and people to teach there as well. So from what I have heard from my companion who was down in that general area last transfer, you are not allowed to go tracting in the place I am going to. It will be mostly service and less active work from what I hear so that will be a little different. I am sure I will catch on real quick.
Do Not send any mail or packages to the mission home until I am back in Calgary. Because I am so far away they will bring mail down maybe once a transfer so when I get my address I will send it to you and that is where you and everyone else needs to send mail to for at least the next six weeks.
I am sure you would like an update on the whole rib thing huh? Well I am doing amazingly perfect! I haven’t had to take any pain meds or anything for over a week and there is almost no pain at all no matter what I do. But just almost. So I think this last weekend was my very favorite two days of my entire mission so far. On Saturday we had conference and wow let me tell you how amazing it is to be able to watch conference while you are a missionary. It was so awesome.conference was not the only thing that was so amazing this weekend. It was actually my very first baptism! Wow it was so amazing. I don't think I have ever felt the spirit so strong then that day with conference and Kayla’s baptism it was just so amazing I don't even have words to explain how wonderful the feelings were. She was so happy and so excited I am so happy for her.

Ouch from Calgary 04/05/08

You may have heard that I had a little accident last P-day. I will try to tell you all about it.
I just want you to know that really, truly I am just fine and I feel almost perfect, thanks to all of the many prayers I’m sure. But anyways how it happened and the whole story. We were playing a game in the gym at church (you know me I either play hard or don't play at all), and we couldn't stand in the key. So to touch the ball you had to jump across the key. So the other team was down on our side and one of them went to jump across the key, grab the ball in mid air and throw it at the goal. So I jumped at the same time to just get in his way so he couldn't catch the ball. As I was going through the air my legs hit something or someone and I landed flat on my back/on my left shoulder blade. I knew something was really wrong when I couldn't get up and the pain was very strong.
As an elder ran to call president, I asked one of the zone leaders for a blessing as I lie on the floor and as he spoke words coming straight from our heavenly father I knew that I was going to be ok and I became almost totally calm. A little while later I loaded up in a car and we drove to the mission office where Elder Lowe who is over transportation but who is a doctor looked me over. You know I thought it was my shoulder that was hurt and my shoulder blade. He looked me over and said that he had never seen a broken shoulder blade but it was very possible and that I needed to go get some x-rays.
We went to the clinic and then to the hospital and found out that they wouldn't be able to get me in until the next day. So after all that I just went home and tried to sleep as best as I could (I am no stranger to hospitals or pain). the next day was very sore and very painful while they took x-rays and everything but the doctor came in (he is a member in the stake right next to ours and is in the stake presidency so that was nice to have someone like him be looking after me) but he told me I have good and bad news. He said that I have no problems with my shoulder at all that everything is in good working order but the bad part is that I have three broken ribs up behind my shoulder blade. I would have to take it easy for the next few weeks but to just let them heal on their own and there was nothing he could do to help and that he was very sorry, but you know me I can't stay in bed for long.
So this all happened on Wednesday and I prayed very hard to heal quickly and Sunday I was out doing regular missionary work as usual just a little more sore than usual. When Elder and Sister Shultz came over I asked if you had been phoned and that was on Saturday and they said that they didn't know and they would ask Sister Priday (she is in charge of medical things like that). I guess they had not so they called my Mom. It all worked out alright and I am just fine I will just be sore for a while and the prayers keep helping so please don't stop.
The plans for the baptism are still on and she is doing so amazing. The baptism will be at 12:30 Saturday afternoon right after the morning session of conference. I am so excited I think it will be an amazing day for her. Prayers for her would also be good just to make sure that she is still staying strong and doing things right.
I promise that I will be safe it was kind of a freak thing that happened anyways but yes I will promise to be more careful and to be safe.
I love you so much and hope you are all doing great.
Love Elder Josh Pehrson (still patient #31)
P.S. Working Hard With No Regrets!

Letter 03-27-08

Dear Friends and Family:
Well nothing really exciting has been happening up here other than missionary work. But we are still getting ready for our baptism in just over a week, I am so excited.
I will be sending a few pictures soon. You would be so proud of me. As you might know, I do not like snakes? Well one of our members has like three of them so one night we decided to go over there and each take pictures of us holding them. It was not very fun but I smiled so you might like them.
It is starting to really warm up during the day up here but we are still in our suit coats. We have to wear them until it gets to 25 degrees Celsius then can we take them off. Let me tell you, when your body has gotten used to cold weather, when it gets just a little warm it is freaking hot and we have to wear a suit coat but oh well I think I will live. Those of you who are going on the trek are so freaking lucky. I wish I could go again but it's ok I am doing my own trek. I really hope you have a good experience with it and you will have to tell me how it goes. Hope all is well, I love you all. Please write. Elder Joshua Pehrson