I'm like fluent now!

Nothing ever is consistent on a mission. It's so weird. Every single week, something new happens that I just never expect. On Monday, we were in Clovis shopping, so I finally have warm clothes! I look like a dang marshmallow, but I'm warm! It's actually been nicer weather this week, which is awesome, because we got to work on our finding. We were out on our bikes like every single day! We found so many people and they are all so cool! I swear, the people in this town are so nice. They all welcome us into their homes, talk to us openly. It's so crazy how people just trust us like that! But I am eternally grateful for it, because we meet so many amazing people. Our pool of potential investigators is growing, and I can't wait to start really helping all these people we meet.
Tuesday and Friday we had to go to Lubbock. Tuesday was a planned trip to go have zone training (and I didn't get us lost!). On our drive there, there were these two sketchy black vans following each other behind us. They finally passed us and they were some government vans. Who knows what they were for, but we had fun trying to guess. Road trips as missionaries turn out weird when there is nothing to do for 2 hours. We're just not used to sitting around like that! Friday was an unplanned trip that they told us about last minute. It was so cool though! We got to hear about a new church program coming out for Christmas. Y'all can see the video on the 28th, so be sure to check it out! I'm so excited about it. The church is going hard on missionary work. We want everyone to hear our message! And they're totally making it happen!!

Saturday we got to go to our branch Thanksgiving dinner. Oh goodness, it was so fun. The people here know how to laugh and how to eat too. This holiday season is looking bad when it comes to healthy food.  But, one of our investigators was there! And he brought his aunt! So fun! They were given such a warm welcome by all the members, which is so important. Because once we are gone as missionaries, they need members to help them stay active! Member fellowship is so much more important than I ever realized. So props to mom for always inviting the recent converts over! You're a boss.

Sunday I had to give a talk in church. I was SO nervous! But it went really well. All the members were complementing me on my Spanish, and we discussed the things I talked about in Relief Society for a solid 10 minutes. It made me feel so good. Guys, I'm like fluent now. It's crazy! I can understand all the members! THIS IS HUGE. I've wanted this for like 6 years now, and I can finally say I did it! It's amazing what serving God with your full heart can do to your talents. They just explode!

Also, sad story from yesterday, my companion threw up on the side of the road:( We were driving home, and at a stop she told me to wait. She ran out and...it was nasty. I felt so bad for her! Could you imagine?? I swear, something new happens ever dang day. For example (this is totally not spiritual) this guy named Cholo asked us if we wanted to see his tattoo, and proceeded to flash his stomach which had some prayer written across. He also has a bunch of gospel music he wants us to have. He was a hoot. I just love being a missionary!

Miss you all!

Hermana PECK

Cleaning out a garden for service, and the old rotten vegetables were NASTY. The entire inside was like turned to water...But we sure laughed a lot that day!

Driving to Lubbock twice in one week is killer....

Spanish branches celebrate Thanksgiving too! Except the food is 91285612 times better

Teaching in the Cold

Holy cow, did y'all know that missionaries teach outside in the cold? I mean, I always assumed that was a thing, but oh my goodness, it's COLD. This California girl can't hang. Plus, driving in the snow..SKETCH. I've never done it before, and all of a sudden I have a mission owned vehicle to take care of...in ice and snow. Sometimes, people in the church are way too trusting.
This week was much better! We got so much stuff done. Lots of finding, lots of new investigators, and lots of work to be done.

So, I only have like 10 minutes left, because I got so many wonderful emails from people that are the bomb. But I'll try to say as much as I can!

As a missionary, you can make anything fun.
Even a district p-day to a tiny museum 

Monday, our district leader decided to have a p-day together, so we went to the museum here at the college. Oh dang, it was so boring. Basically the history of dirt. But we got stuck there for like an hour, because the guy who works there was very excited to tell us everything he knows. We figured we would humor him, because we basically do the same thing to other people all the time!
We had exchanges this week, which means I got to see my old trainer! It was so fun being companions with her again. We got teaching together DOWN. It was a blast. The second half I was with our other STL, and I kinda broke down to her. We talked about how coping mechanisms to stress just aren't the same in the mission. All I wanted to do was go for a drive, blast some music, and sing at the top of my lungs. And you know what? God is so good. We got lost looking for a potential, and ended up driving, while jamming to glorious, my new favorite song (thanks, Chrystal). We didn't even have to break a rule! It's amazing how much God takes care of us. That did not have to happen, but the fact that it did, made this week so much better. Since then. I have noticed God's hand in my life so much more. He is just everywhere! And I just wasn't noticing.

3 Generations

We also had zone conference in Lubbock, and Hallelujah, I didn't have to drive! It was so much fun. Our leaders are seriously so amazing!
That night, the elders still had our car coming home from conference, so we had to hop on our bikes to make it to our dinner appointment. Pitch black, freezing cold, on a flat tire. Oh boy, was that fun! But we made it and didn't even get close to dying. Yay!

Saturday was luckily a little warmer, so we got to hop on our bikes and go finding. We were out there for like 3 hours, but it was so much fun. We just go all over town and talk to everyone. And the people here are so nice. I don't think I ever want to leave Portales. The people are too nice.

Anyway, I love you all! But I have to go. I didn't get to say all I wanted to, but y'all are the best and I love missionary work!

Love, Sister Peck

Packages from the best moms ever!
It was such a happy trip to the mail box

Goodbye Sister Slade. Hello Sister Rocha

This week was way hard. We had transfers on Tuesday, and I had to say goodbye to Sister Slade and pick up Sister Rocha. Sister Rocha is so awesome and she is an amazing missionary! I am really glad that I get to have 2 trainers, because I get to learn 2 ways of doing things. BUT this whole transition was like the hardest thing mentally. Being the trainee, I was so used to just relying on my trainer to know what to plan for, how to use our time best, where to go, and how to get to the places we're going. Now that I'm the only one who knows the area, I get to plan everything. There were so many days when I could not figure out what to do with our time. Appointments were falling through, investigators were dropping, and we were not finding anyone to teach! I mean, don't get me wrong, we met plenty of people, but they all preferred English, so we had to refer them to the elders. We ask everyone for referrals of people who speak Spanish, but everyone just says "oh, well everyone here speaks Spanish!"...I don't know what they're talking about, because I'm not finding them! Definitely not one of the happiest weeks of my mission, but we're working on building up our teaching pool, and things are looking up!

The much needed, gorgeous sunset

I've only gotten lost like...5 times. I mean, lost is not really lost here, because the town is so small, but it's weirdly lined up. We did get a little lost finding a potential investigator on the outskirts of town, but got this gorgeous view as a perk!

SO.MANY.DIRT.ROADS. And cows, a whole lot of cows. We had to pull over at one point, and these hilarious hick guys in this fancy sports car pulled over to see why we were stopped. I swear, they looked like duck dynasty guys. I've never actually seen that show, but the fancy car, huge beard, and camo shirt just screamed duck dynasty. It was classic.

Sister Rocha, my new compa:)

My companion is teaching me how to knock. We didn't do it at all last transfer, but now that it's colder and no one is outside, we figure it's the best way to find people who are interested! We meet so many varieties of people. Luckily, no doors have been slammed in my face either! Last night, one family let us in and we got to teach them the whole Restoration. It was in English, so the elders will teach them from now on, but teaching in English is bomb. I get to say all the stuff I want to! And I can use analogies, oh it's just the best.

Also, my old companion is now my STL [Sister Training Leader], so she is coming on exchanges with us tomorrow! I have a "size of Texas" list of questions for her about this area, because she knows so much about it. That will hopefully help next week go way smoother.

Anyway, I love you all! Thanks for the letters, dad. I got the one from home and the one from Europe on the same day this week:) They helped me so much!

Bye bye blonde

I just want y'all to know, that even though this was the hardest week for me so far, I learned so much, and I'm not going to let it push me back at all. Now it's time to get to work and start seeing the blessings for doing something that's so hard.

See ya in 16 months!

Hermana Peck

P.S. I turned 2 months today! I need to stop counting...it makes it all go way too slow

LOVE YOU

It's like angels singing when you hear investigators say stuff like that

Manuel came to church! He asked us how he can truly prepare for baptism, because he wants to be clean and get a new start. Which, by the way, is like angels singing when you hear investigators say stuff like that. He is doing amazing and I can't wait to keep watching and helping his life change for the better. Marissa and her daughters are a hoot. We have so much fun teaching them, and they really love it when we come over. We just hope and pray that Marissa can start coming to church! But she works on the dairy every day (as does this whole town). Some serious prayers are needed for that one. But I know miracles will happen, because I can see that they are truly prepared! We also got to teach Linda this week (the one who we did service for) and she is great! We're still trying to figure out who will teach her, because she speaks Spanish, but reads English, and we can only teach people who plan to come to the Spanish branch.

On to the craziness of this week. Friday was the mission tour, when Elder Pino from the seventy came to visit and talk! It was awesome. He spoke in Spanish too (with a translator) so I got to hear it all twice! Boss part of being a Spanish missionary. We were in Lubbock with half of the mission. Our mission is too huge to ever do anything as an entire mission. But it was really wonderful. Our old stake president [Elder Waddell] was his [Elder Pino's] old counselor! He was excited when he found out that I knew him.

All but two of the Spanish sisters in the mission

That night we got home just in time to have to stay at home all night. Halloween means in the house by 6! But don't worry, we partied it up (like missionaries do). We had costumes, trick or treaters, eating doughnuts off a string and then, thanks to the best sister ever, homemade cookies!

Halloween party festivities

Members coming to trick or treat at our house.
I was a cheetah and Sister Slade was a cow.

Temple trip!

The next day we drove back to Lubbock to go to the temple. We got to do a session in Spanish!!! It was so amazing. The Lubbock temple is tiny, but beautiful. Like, it's weird how small it is. But the spirit is just as strong! We're allowed to go to the temple once a transfer so we went for it!

Sister Slade's old companion was there 
(yes, it was planned)

I'm so glad we did, because the next day, we got TERRIBLE news. Transfer calls are not my favorite. Our mission president called and told us that my trainer [Sister Slade] is leaving to go be an STL [Sister Training Leader] and I'm getting a new trainer. Who, by the way, is my trainer's old trainer. Or in other words, my grandma. I was basically in tears, because I'm terrified to be the one who is supposed to know stuff about the area. I barely know anything! It feels like we're getting white washed. That happened to the elders, so I will be the only missionary in Portales who isn't new to the area. PRAY FOR ME. But, my new companion is apparently amazing. Her name is Sister Rocha. She's native, which will help a lot! I'm terrified, but so excited to learn more stuff. Plus, Sister Slade is now my STL, so I'll still see her when she comes for exchanges! Which, will be the bomb.

Also, fun news, Brenda and Danni from our ward had 11 pit-bull puppies this week! Bad news, there will be another 11 dogs in Portales to bark at and chase me. PIT-BULLS! This week, I got chased and almost bit by an evil dog. Luckily, I was on my bike, or else I would not have gotten away. Does that make me a real missionary now? I think it does:)

Shout out to Chrystal this week for the boss package! My companion and I LOVED it. It was such a super surprise. And tell Tyler [Castleton] thanks for the CDs! My companion is best friends with someone he made a CD with. Christian Hobbs? She wanted me to tell you.

Siblings, Y'all did wonderfully this week at sending letters! I felt the love. Oh, and I'm probably going to dye my hair. I don't think my companion will let me not do it now. I've talked about it too much.

Love you all! I loved knowing that Dad, Cliff and I were all in the same state this Halloween! I thought about you all a lot! LOVE YOU MILLIONS.

Peace,

Hna. Peck