....and you all thought I was serving in Texas

Hello from PORTALES, NEW MEXICO! 
My first official area as a missionary:) They call it taco town. Probably because of the Hispanic Heritage here. I'm about 2 hours away from the mission home in Lubbock, and I feel like I'm in Mexico.  We go for our run in the morning…DOGS EVERYWHERE…there are just gangs of dogs prowling the streets. It's actually pretty sketchy. But, the people here are way cool. The houses all look like they're at the point of falling apart. Especially ours. When we pulled up for the first time, I was terrified to even go inside, because it just looked so awful. But inside is super nice! We have a 2 bedroom, 1 bath casita. 
   My companion is Sister Slade from Idaho, like 10 minutes from Utah. And maaaan she has a country accent. But hers is like an idaho accent. I've started to pick it up, but not too much. I probably won't come home with an accent, because I'm surrounded by spanish speakers. 
   I'm serving in the El Llano spanish branch. It's way small, and we're working on reactivating a lot of members right now. My spanish is doing really well!  The members seem to think I'm amazing! It's super fun. 
   The food has so far been pretty American, which was a total surprise, but last night we got molé and this weird pork thing in the best tacos EVER. 
   We don't knock on doors ever here to find people. We just do morning finds which are terrifying! We just ride around on our bikes and talk about the gospel to anyone that we see. I'm still super bad at that, but I'm learning. My companion will look at me when she wants me to talk, and I'll just look back at her with panic in my eyes if I know I can't do it. But for the most part, I toss my 2 cents when we find someone. The people here are mainly Catholic...and love to pray with us. One guy in the street had us stand in a circle holding hands and prayed for a solid 5 minutes repeating "father god" about every 2 words.  But any faith is good! 
   We are 100% in the bible belt, but my companion always says that our church is the buckle. One guy had this huge CTR tattoo across his stomach and a tear drop tattoo on his eye. I was laughing at the irony, but my companion told me that apparently CTR is a gang is Roswell, NM. SKETCHHH. 
Another guy that we met had us come into his house so he could share a story of being visited by a saint or an apostle...I can't really remember. They all have these dramatic stories to share with us. But for the most part they are pretty nice and I'm learning to love it here! 
  I often feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere. Like, once you get out of the main town, there are just miles of fields and dairies, where everyone works. It really is a different life out here.
   We watched women's conference in Spanish and I just about balled when I thought about you watching it too, mom! I love that we had that same thought:) I miss home so much, and I'm really tired all the time, but the work here is so fulfilling. 
   One night, we were teaching our new investigator, and I just got so excited and full of the spirit when I realized that she was hearing these messages of truth for the first time! It's just so weird to be the one sharing the message. Like, I'm a legit missionary! Whaaaat?!?! 
   We were biking along the road, and people were waving to us and it finally dawned on me that I'm like an actual missionary. Kinda freaked me out, but then I had to calm back down before I fell off my bike. We're in a car area, but we don't have too many miles, so we try to bike as much as possible.  I'm breaking in my bike, and I basically feel like I'm dying everytime I ride it, so hopefully by next week it'll be all be good. Also, I get to take naps!! We have an hour for dinner, and on the nights we don't have a dinner appointment, I eat super-fast, write or read something, and then usually sleep for like 20 minutes. My trainer fully encourages it, so I'm so down. 
   Send me letters!! And my blue blanket and my white hoodie! And graham crackers and Nutella. My address is 1801 N Ave K, Portales, NM, 88130. I only get the ones you send to the mission office when we're in Lubbock, which doesn't happen that often. Although, we will be there tomorrow for a last minute zone conference! We're hoping it's the announcement of ipads. We'll see! I love you so much, and I miss you like crazy!

Traveling to Lubbuck

In the far right-hand corner.

She has been spotted!

Hermana Peck helping other missionaries

We love this sister so much!

Facetime with Dad and Chrystal and Cliff and Jocelyn and Lindsey and Mom 

and later a Conference call in Dallas with Elizabeth and Kathryn and Lindsey and Mom.

Through security and off to Lubbock Texas to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ!

She said, "I'll talk to you at Christmas time." 

Excerpt from a letter to her Dad

16 Sep 2014

I really do love it here.  [On the first day] I got my books in Spanish, loaded onto a bus, and was taken to west campus at Wyview where we dropped off our things, met companions, and went straight into class!  It was so fast & it hasn't stopped since then.  But I am amazed everyday at how strongly I feel the spirit & how much I am blessed.  It is unbelievable!  I was feeling super down on myself, because I felt like all the other sisters in my district were so much better prepared than I was.  But then, I got called as a Sister Training Leader for my zone, which was such a blessing, because I really felt like Heavenly Father was telling me that He knows I can do this!  I pray so hard to understand the scriptures in Spanish.  There are so many words that I just don't get, but as I pray, read, study, and put all my effort into serving the Lord, he really does open my mind up to all the wonderful things He wants me to learn & teach to others.  I feel like my heart converts further to Christ every minute I am here, even when I'm just joking around with my hermanas.  The MTC really is holy ground.  Tomorrow, me & my companion get to lead (with the zone leaders) the new missionary orientation for our zone!  It's crazy to think that I'm already looked to as an example, but that's how it works here!  You learn really quick.  We've been studying the Plan of Salvation lesson a lot recently, and I couldn't help but think about all the missionary work that Robert is doing alongside me.  I am so grateful for all the love & support I have from all the family on this side of the veil, but I am especially grateful for all the love & support from those on the other side.  I feel all your love & prayers everyday!  I miss you so much, but I am so glad that I have this opportunity to serve the Lord with everything I have.  I was in the temple today, and I just kept hearing in my head, "Give it your all!  That's the way to do this!"  The Lord is really looking out for me & making me stronger every day.

Miss you millions!

Love,

Hermana Peck

Snail mail from Sep. 10, 2014

Hola familia!

I can't believe day 1 is over.  Already, I did it!  It's been so crazy busy, but I've already learned SO much.  This will be short b/c I only have 5 minutes before quiet time.  They got us home late, so I had no time to unpack anything besides what I plan to wear tomorrow.  My companion is awesome.  We're kinda quiet together though.  She's from Senora (?) Mexico originally, but she's lived in Salt Lake for 5/6 years.  Her name is Hermana Marin.  And she helps me sooo much w/ my vocab.  Tomorrow is even busier, but I needed to have this letter written so I could mail it @ breakfast!  I love you so dang much!  I already feel the spirit so strong.  It's like being in the temple - you just forget all the bad aorund you.  I'm so happy to be here.  My p-day is Tuesday, so I'll email you then!

Love you Millions!

Hermana Peck

ONE WEEK DOWN

Oh my goodness, it's so crazy to think that my first week is already over. Weeks go by so quick here, but the days take forever to get though. And I'm only here for 12 days! The advanced class is really hard, because I have to pay really close attention to every word, but I'm understanding, I'm able to share comments, and the scriptures in Spanish are almost easier to understand now than in English. I'm sorry if I repeat any information, not too much variation happens here. Anyway, my thoughts, dreams, journal writing, prayers are all in Spanish these days! The transition was pretty easy. Plus, my companion is so helpful. She is from Mexico, but speaks perfect English, so she is always helping me. Yesterday was the first time we got to teach an investigator that wasn't our teacher. Pretty sure he's a member still (they won't tell us), but man, it was the coolest thing of my life. He told us a little about his life, and me and my companion just looked at each other so ready to share exactly what he needed. We taught him for a good 45 minutes too! Which is way crazy, because when we teach our teachers, 15 minutes feels like an hour. I'm starting to feel so much more comfortable using the scriptures and Preach My Gospel. We study so much. Which can get pretty boring, but when we really work hard, we learn so many cool new things. I'm so glad I have my Spanish hymn book though, because we sing all the time, and I don't know any of the songs in Spanish! I'm learning "I am a child of God", "Called to Serve", and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" right now, so I have some of the good pump up songs under my belt, haha. I also always have a list of new words with me to start learning. It took me forever to remember the word expiación, which means Atonement. I don't know why, but it took a solid 3 days to get it nailed in my head.

Overall, I'm doing really well! I'm totally exhausted and I miss sunday naps like crazy, but it has been so fun. Me and my hermanas laugh non stop here. We're all so close already, I can't believe we have to say goodbye in 5 days!  Tomorrow we get to welcome the new districts for the advanced spanish zone. Since me and my companion are the Sister training leaders, we get to lead their orientation with our zone leaders! This morning I went with my zone to the temple, and we met two sisters (literally, they are sisters) from Paraguay, who will come into the MTC tomorrow! It's so cool how everyone here are just automatic best friends. We're all here going though the same changes, so we all just love each other! I absolutely love it when people ask me for help with their Spanish. It  makes me feel so much more prepared to go teach in Spanish.

Also, before I forget, I got my flight plans like my 4th day here. I have to be ready to leave Monday morning, the 22nd, at 4:30. Ha. I can't wait to see how that works out. My flight leaves at 8:10 from Salt Lake, and they like to give us plenty of time to call family! I can't wait to talk to you guys, so make sure you're awake :)

I got mom and dad's letters last night. Mom's made me laugh forever, and then I just balled during dad's. All my hermanas were so worried about me, but I was really fine! I just hadn't had time to think about how much I miss you all so much. The support I'm getting makes it so much easier to be here. My heart breaks for people that are here with no family supporting them. So, thank you all! You help me so much!! I miss life back home, but there is nothing like being here at the MTC. I learn so much everyday. It really feels like the temple here. It's so peaceful, and I have absolutey no idea what is going on now in the world around me. It's such a weird feeling. Mom and dad, I miss you both so much! It's hard not having you guys to talk to, but I know you are home thinking about me and hoping the best for me! I love you guys so much. I have to go now, but I' ll call you Monday morning around 6 am.

Love you all!

Hermana Peck

The hermanas in my district

Happy #TPT (tool pic tuesday)

Story of my life these days...study, study, study!

adios!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! te amoooooo

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

Estoy sobreviviendo!

HI family!! I miss you all so much. My p-day is actually on tuesday, so I will get to write you then, but I had to write to my branch president tonight and they gave us permission to write a quick letter here too! Yay! I needed it for sure. I love it here so much. I'm safe, happy, too busy to freak out, and loving every minute of it! I wrote the family a letter, but I bet you'll get this first. I didn't have a chance to read all your letters, because I only have like 4 minutes to write. But I will read and respond to those on tuesday. My companion is amazing and so patient with my spanish. Reading scriptures in spanish is HARD, but it amazes me how well I am doing. I can bare my testimony, read, teach, and joke with my district in spanish. I can't believe I only have 9 more days here! It's going so quick. The first picture is of me with the hermanas in my district and the second when I got to see elder mullen from Canada. Also, exciting news!! Me and my companion were called as sister training leaders over our zone which will start this sunday. SO FUN! My district is all native speakers besides me and one elder. It's too fun, but hard at the same time--no true way to explain it. But I love the gospel and I love all of you!!

Hasta luego, 

Hermana Peck

¡Ya es hora!

I can't believe the time has come already; it all flew by so fast. I report to the Provo MTC this Wednesday. Add your email address over to the left to be able to follow my blog.
I will be at the MTC for just a short period of time (probably 10 days) to learn how to study and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ in the Spanish language. After that, I will fly out to Texas and begin my full time service as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
I would love to keep in touch with all of you, so please write me! My contact information including my email, MTC address, and mission home address are all under the contact tab on my blog (above). My mom will update my address as I get assigned to different areas in Texas.
If you want to read my weekly emails, my mom will post them here. You can subscribe to get notifications of my blog posts under the picture of me, where it says "add your email below to follow my mission." Just enter your email, and you will then be able to keep tabs on me while I'm out in Texas! Love you all.
Until we meet again,
Rebecca Peck