20 what?

Dear Family,

I don't know if you knew this, but I turned 20 last saturday. Happy birthday to me. I feel the same only I got to open the goodies mom sent with me. It was candy from halloween, which surprisingly still tasted ok, and a cd player and MoTab. Thanks mom! too bad we can't listen to music at the MTC. I guess it will have to stay in packaging until I get to Cape Verde.

Grant got home and has already written me more dear elders and letters than everyone but merilee and neal. and mom. Christian you bum, write me.

Also, there will be $94 charge on my bank account mother, it's from a few shots that I got here. Namely Polio (i guess it's a big problem over there so I had to get a booster) and Hep A part 2. So don't worry about it.

My companion, Elder Teilor, left for Canada Tuesday at 5:00 AM, so I have been assigned to another companionship in a trio. It's been a wierd transition and I was sad to see my first companion go after 4 weeks, but I'm getting the hang of it. He left early because his parents are Brazilian and he understands all Portuguese. He only had a little problem with speaking because he would usually talk to his family in enlglish even though they spoke Portuguese. Hopefully he's doing great work bringing the people of Toronto to the gospel.

The language is coming. Next week we go to all Portuguese. That means that our teachers will no longer speak english in any of the lessons. Both gospel and Portuguese lessons will be in Portuguese. Trial by fire here we come.

Food at the MTC sometimes is as ambigiuous as the things mom cooks. I've gained like 5 lbs so far. I don't plan on putting on much more. I am eating as healthy as I am in the mood for. which means that in the mornings I eat fruit and oatmeal with milk of the white and chocolate varieties. Lunch and dinner always have fruits or vegetables with them, and the entrees for the most part aren't that unhealthy. Unless you go to the combo line which is always the most unhealthy choice. The first few weeks I went to that line. I've been not going to that line recently. I'm sure that has something to do with my decrease in gaseous emisions.

Sarah- Thanks for more pictures of Cylon baby. Thanks for the stickers. I will put them to good use. Thanks for writing. you are awesome.

Cookie- Thanks for writing. I hope you get those pictures to me soon. Thanks for the camera, I will put it to VERY good use. I don't know if I can send pictures from here though, so i'll probably just print them off and send them in snail mail.

Jim- I'm Utah, managed to escape getting stuck in Branson. Glad you found Grant. He's been gone for quite a while. Yes you can have my pie.

Christian- Write me yo.

Mom- Glad you could get some work done. Thanks for the birthday goodies.

Neal- Thanks for writing. The pictures of Sally were awesome. I love getting pictures of my way cute niece. I'm glad to hear she still remembers me and talks about me. I hope that keeps up while I'm gone and that none of her other uncles will take my spot as favorite. Fat chance. Don't work too hard. The less you work the more you can write me. *wink wink* *nudge nudge*

Merilee- thanks for sending me your blog. You live such an interesting life. And if that isn't the case, you certainly tell it in such a way to make it seem so. Keep it up. I did hear about your great fall. That sounds painful and I hope you are doing better. Try to keep your cougar-esk tendencies at bay. Keep rocking the Miley since I can't. How's the mission stuff coming? Papers submitted and all that jazz? waiting on the call? exciting.

Thank you everyone for writing me! Merry Christmas! Don't have too much fun without me.

~Elder Canute Peterson

Elder Canute draws lots of pictures-

However, I don't believe we have a scanner, so that's just not happening. Here's a poem EC did for you: Eu quero servir a Deus. Eu preciso estudar Portuguese. Eu vou fazer metas boas. Eu gosto de ler as Escrituras. Eu tenho que confiar em Deus. Eu Posso aprender o Evangelho e Portuguese. Eu Gosteria de Durmir.

So if you can grab anything from that, please do. Note: I'm thankful for P-Day. I'll be thankful when Fast Thanksgiving meeting is over. There's a cool picture of Golum, Indiana Jones, and Darth Vader. Commentary says: Precious. This outa go to a museum and I find your lack of faith disturbing.

Dear Family,

Tudo bem? Merilee: have you just been rocking the kitchen? Christian tells me you are still listening to Miley Cyrus music. I don't get to listen to music.

Christian: Do what I told you in the email. Also, if you could find the pedigree chart on Grant's computer that would be great. It's on the C: drive, codenamed Hyperdrive. The folder is called the...Find it, change Grant's name to mine and send it please. Also, stay classy.

Dad: God your email, sent a reply. That just got me thinking about my taxes. I was wondering if you could do them or have done them for me, because I would not be able to. And because I have earned a lot of money this year through Moxie and the apartments, that will be important to be done. Just keep that in mind please. Also, it's interesting that your parents once owned part of the land where the missionary field is today.

Mom: Because I only have 30 minutes for email and I only get emails from anybody, I barely have time to read and write them, much less have a 'chat.' Try back in a month and a half or so. Also, is Josh staying with Aunt Amy and Uncle Graydon till the end of the year?

Also, there are some teachers here who went to Cape Verde and one of the Elders in my district has a book about it. It sounds very...interesting. I'm excited though. It can seem a little discouraging when I hear that Creole is only related to Portuguese and that every island has its own dialect, especially when I'm struggling to understand Portuguese, but the Lord qualifies who He calls.

Here at the MTC we are supposed to wear our suit coats every day. When you only have one suit coat, it gets a lot of wear. And dirt. The other Elders in my district going to Cape Verde have the same problem.

It's getting really cold here in Provo. I can't wait to get to Cape Verde where it will be warm all the time. I'm really glad I took Uncle Ron's advice and brought a jacket. I think I'm going to start layering a sweater and suit coat. I really didn't pack for winter. Anyways, please write. There's an Elder in my district that gets a stack of letters every day. I don't need a stack, but I would appreciate more than a letter every 2 weeks.

Tchau! Elder Canute Peterson

P.S. Ignore the spelling and grammar mistakes. You know, if you can, considering my marks.

P.P.S. Christian, if you could forward my mailing address that would be awesome. Just tell him you're my bro and give him my address.

P.P.P.S. Send me some ugly and crazy ties.