Since it was Peter's Birthday on Tuesday I just wanted to let everyone know what he has been doing on his mission this past year. I wrote this for a talk that I gave on Sunday so if it sounds like a talk then it probably is.
I have saved all of Elder Riehle’s letters since he left the mission home about year ago for the Knoxville Tennessee Mission. As I went through them I could have used a urium and Thumum to read them. His hand writing is very difficult to read but I have to say it has improved at each letter. Our family jokes about if we can’t figure out what the word is we just make up a word and fit it in the letter sort of like add lib and it ends up funny in the sentence but we usually figure out what it is he is trying to tell us.
So here are some of Elder Riehles’ experiences through his letters. At the MTC he writes This is great here! I can’t tell you how much my testimony has grown, and how much I have learned I’m so excited to serve the Lord. He describes his first companion Elder Hooley from Lehi he is a really cool Elder. We are not allowed to call him a guy or a dude anymore only Elders. I noticed this when he called on Mothers day I kept trying to call him Peter but he always corrected me and he said he was Elder Riehle. They are really focused on there call as missionaries. He goes on to say that he was a little homesick at first, but the letters really helped him get through it. He loved almost everything about the MTC except the long classroom hours and the food. He said that there was any kind of food you could want but it didn’t agree with him.
In his last letter from the MTC he describes how much he will miss the Elders in his district and he loved his experiences there. He says I have learned and I have grown so much in the short time that I have been here. But it appears that I still have a long way to go.
When he arrived in Tennessee he writes from the mission president Godfrey’s home he says I just want you to know that I have arrived safe and sound. The flight was fine.
The people here are absolutely wonderful! When our flight got delayed the flight attendants brought us all lunch. Just because we were missionaries. She wasn’t even a member of our church. It was just because we had the name of Jesus Christ on our name tags.
His first area was in Dryden Virginia. The first week he baptized Barbra Wood. He writes I am not taking credit because I didn’t teach her. She loves the church and her brother in law is the bishop of the ward. My companion/ trainer is Elder Bennett he has taught me a lot since I have arrived. He is way cool.
Did you know what is even cooler is that I am living in a trailer. That is right a trailer. It is very nice I even have my own shower and bathroom. I thought this was funny I usually don’t think as a trailer being nice but he did. But I did see pictures of it and it did look very nice. In his next letter he calls me mamaw it is how the people in Tennessee call their mothers. Other hillbilly slang that he uses are ya’ll, howdy, Pappy and he has been acquainted with such food as hush puppies, corn bread , collard greens and fried chicken to name a few. And everyone has an antique tractor in their front yard.
His next area was a place called Pennington Gap Virginia. The people are very friendly and some want to argue about the gospel but most respect what we are doing. Pennington Gap is very beautiful. During the summer it is very hot & humid. But this year it unusually dry. It hasn’t rained and all the lakes are low.
He writes about how there are not teaching any investigators so they do a lot of tracting and reactivating inactive members.
His next area is Jefferson City. I’m finally in Tennessee. They are very poor but they are some of the sweetest people you will ever meet. We are teaching a woman named Carly she is a student at the Baptist College. She hasn’t picked a date for her baptism she is afraid if she joins she will lose her family. But the gospel can really bless her life. I know she will be great. He goes on to say that when she did tell her parents that she wanted to join the church they weren’t to excited at first but they are more accepting now and support her. He writes about her baptism she was baptized on his 6 month mark. And how happy she is you can see it in her face. She invited all her friends and family from North Carolina.
I am grateful to be a missionary I love serving the Lord. I have especially seen that with Carly the light in her eyes is astounding, she is so happy. And As I tract it is amazing to me how the people respect what we are doing and who we are. The other day a man invited us in his home and he sang us a bluegrass/Christian song he wrote about missionaries from our church he wasn’t interested in taking the discussions but he respected us and what we are doing.
He writes in his letter I know I was sent to the East Tennessee Mission for a reason there are so many people that can be blessed from the fullness of the gospel.
He writes about the service they do he has painted houses, changed oil in cars, fix lawn mowers, mowed lawns, raked leaves he says giving service always makes them feel good.
He writes I have to admit that Christmas time is slow. We don’t have any investigators to teach but we will keep working and try to find more. Zone conference is on Tuesday. I am always excited for that. We get to learn how to become better missionaries and have fun in the process. And afterwards the relief society ladies make us lunch and we always sing Armies of Helaman and it always makes me think of our mothers.
His last area is Jonesborough it is the oldest city in Tennessee. He has been there since the beginning of the year. In the winter it is very cold because of the humidity and the wind is worse. But there is no snow. But when there is snow they close down everything just for 2 inches of snow.
For a new years resolution the mission president challenged them to restart the Book Of Mormon and mark certain passages and finish it by Easter Sunday. And Elder Riehle challenged us to do the same. But I decided I would just continue where I was. I have started the book of Mormon over way to much.
He talks of the speeding ticket he got while going to zone conference and he sent us an urgent apologetic letter saying please send money.
In his most recent letters he writes about his companion named Elder Johnson. Before he left he and Elder Johnson got together and went to the temple and just hung out and became good friends. And now they are companions. He also writes about the new mission president coming in July. President Griffin. His wife was born in Tremonton.
He writes about his newest investigator he says we are actually teaching a clown his name is T.J. and he will be apart of a program next Saturday for the church. He works at circus pizza an all you can eat pizza place. He feed us and it was really good.
He also talks about how great the ward is they feed us almost every day. The problem is they don’t give us referrals but we will keep working hard.
And after each letters he bares his testimony and his love for us. Reading Elder Riehle’s letters has helped me develop a love for missionary work. We all need to support our missionaries by writing to them. I even need to be a better writer. When Andy was on his mission we were a little relaxed in sending him letters and one evening the mission president called and said we needed to support our missionary we need to write more. So when Peter went on his mission I promised I would write once a week and for the most part I do. I hope that you also can write to him wish him a Happy Birthday and a happy over the hump day. Elder Riehle's address Tennessee Knoxville mission office PO box 22730 Knoxville Tn. 37933-0730
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