My ankle brace has become a part of me.
This was with the Childress sisters. Like 10 minutes away from Oklahoma!

Hello family and so many people that I love dearly! This week was fabulous! Just as an update, my ankle is doing MUCH better. I can walk enough to do the work. And I've been taking it easy, because today we have to turn in our car to get it worked on for about a week. Which means biking everywhere with my hurt ankle! Pray for me. But I think I should be fine, because I've been taking really good care of it this week. My companion kinda forced me too, because we wanted to make sure we could still get out and work this week!

Anyway, our week was AMAZING! We had so much fun, and saw so many blessings. Plus, with the transfer coming to an end, we finished up with exchanges and we now have a full week and a half without having to leave our area. I am pumped to get good work done!

Speaking of exchanges, they were great this past week. We went to Childress, about 100 miles away from our area for a day with the sisters there! It was great. That place is golden for missionary work and the people are amazing. I don't think I have ever been hugged by so many strangers in my entire life! And they needed help with contacting all their Spanish people, so basically that's what I did. Talked a whole lot of Spanish! I'm not sure how much I was able to teach the sister I was with, but it was fun.  The sisters there are amazing. One of them knows Chrystal! She wasn't her student, but she would hang out in her class all the time. That was fun to find out!

So, teaching this week was great. Our investigator Megan, the one who was married last week, is ready now to be baptized! She is so excited about it too. I've only been able to teach her like once, because she has been so busy with school and her wedding, but now we are getting back into teaching and getting her ready! I had a super amazing experience at her wedding that I didn't share last week. But I was able to share that with her as we taught her this week, and it was truly wonderful. We were both in tears, and the spirit was strong. I am excited for her to now be baptized and get ready to be sealed a year from that day!

Also, I taught my oldest investigator ever this week! A 90 year old man named Zane! It was so fun! He is the cutest, and cried the whole way through. I loved teaching him, and I know he has been given this time for a purpose. It's time for him to accept the gospel!

Our investigator Tim is doing great too! He didn't come to church:( Which totally broke our hearts! But he is still doing really well besides that. So pray for him to wake up and make it to church! This week, we taught him almost everyday. He is changing so much, and even noticing how he is changing. He is making talking with us a priority, he prays in lessons now, and he has been reading what we ask him to read between lessons. This gospel truly changes people, and I love being able to watch it. We had a super cool experience last night. We brought one of the recent converts to the lesson, and it was PERFECT. Tim has a friend, Omar, who always is there when we show up, but he sneaks out before the lesson. But last night, he decided to stay, but didn't really say anything. Before the lesson, we had decided to teach the plan of salvation, but had no idea why. It was for Omar! As we taught about Christ's Atonement, he started responding really well. He started asking questions about if he could really change and how he could do it. He asked about our personal experiences, and all three of us were able to testify of how the gospel has personally changed us. Even Tim, our investigator began to tell him about how it has changed his life since we have met him! It was seriously amazing! Omar then told us a story about how one time, sister missionaries talked to him and his friends while they were drinking. He ignored them and crumpled up the picture of Christ they gave him. That night, he got in a huge head on collision and just about died. The first thing he saw after was that picture of Christ as it fell out of His pocket. He paused for just a bit, and then said that he hopes God will give him this second chance to fix his life. And I know with all my heart that He will! This gospel is about second, third, and forever more chances. We can always change!

I love this gospel, I love being a missionary, and I love you all so much! And I hope this week is great for you!

Hermana Peck

Kids have influence on their family

Exchanges with Sister Jackson--
I felt so short all day!

I cannot believe I have already been out here for a year! That time seriously flew by. And it become more and more real every day of how little time I have left to have this wonderful blessing of being a missionary! And of course we had to celebrate! I can't pass up a reason to have fun. Sister Wilkins and I went out to a classy (well, as classy as Pampa, TX can be) Texas BBQ Steak House and enjoyed delicious Texas food. 

Also, I'm not even sure if I have talked about Cayden yet in my emails, because there is always like no time, but he is this adorable 8 year old kid that we have been teaching. His entire family, besides his grandpa is less active, and he decided that he wanted to be baptized and start coming to church, even if his family doesn't go. Seriously, he is the smartest kid ever! And so desirous to do good. He will be the reason his family comes back! He is like the Nephi of his family--I love it. But anyway, HE WAS BAPTIZED THIS WEEK. It was such a powerful baptism. And his great grandma got up at the end and bore her testimony. Everyone in the room was in tears.  It was amazing!

Also, funny story about the baptism. Our font here only runs hot water, so it was about 125 degrees in the font. We had no idea how to cool it down, so we had to get real inventive...we took a mop bucket, put in a clear trash bag, and would fill it with cold water in the maintenance closet. Then we would run it over to the font and dump it in. After about 15 minutes of looking like the hugest fools, we realized how to turn down the water heater....it was so ridiculous, but a good memory for sure!

This week we also went on exchanges with the sisters in Canyon, TX. Sister Wilkins and I had planned to have me go to Canyon, because I had only been in Pampa 2 weeks, and don't know the area well enough (or at all) to lead out in it. BUT after a whole lot of prayer, we decided that The Lord wanted me to stay in Pampa for the day. So I took the lead in an area I have been in for like 2.5 weeks with a sister who has been on her mission for 2.5 weeks. And somehow-we survived! We seriously saw so many miracles. I did not want to do it, but the Lord blessed us immensely for being willing to follow His will. We found a family to teach, lots of potential investigators, 2 less active members that no one knew about, and we taught some amazing lessons--and had a ton of fun, and somehow didn't get lost the entire time. It was too perfect!

We also got to do a ton of service this week! I was cutting down trees and felt like a macho woman. That is seriously so much harder than it looks! And we were helping an 84 year old woman who normally cuts her trees herself--so cool! She is way intense. 

Also, quick update on Erma, the girl we found last week.  We got to teach her this week and she wants to be baptized!! I am so pumped! Hopefully this gets her uncle reactivated and her entire family interested. It amazes me how much influence kids can have on their family. It is no surprise that the Lord tells us to become as little children! They are truly so humble and close to the spirit. 

I love you all and I love being a missionary. I want you all to know how much I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. And if you want to know why I love Him so much, read this talk:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/04/where-justice-love-and-mercy-meet?lang=eng

Our Savior made it possible for us all to be lifted up from our fallen state. Without Him, there would be no hope, but with Him, there is eternal happiness!

Love you!

Hermana Peck

Exchanges with Sister Jackson--I felt so short all day!

Cooling the font water
for Cayden's baptism 

Sep. 8, 2015 I absolutely love being up here in Pampa

Hello everyone! I hope your week has been wonderful, because mine was soooo happy! I absolutely love being up here in Pampa and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! Except for all the bajillion places that we go throughout the week, then I want to be there:)

So, Tuesday was the best day ever. I got to go to exchanges in Borger with Hermana Vance! It was just like I was back there, seeing all the people I love! I got to teach Lourdes, my old investigator, Doug, my recent convert, and Mario, one of my old investigators that was baptized right after I left! And a few members that I love dearly. Truly, I felt blessed. I loved being back there, speaking so much Spanish, and being with people that have truly changed my life.

Friday, we had MLC down in Lubbock, which was great. It was all focused on being better leaders, so it was perfect for my first MLC. I am learning so much about how to help my sisters and it truly is changing me for the better. The Lord seriously always knows what He's doing. When He calls us, it has nothing to do with how perfect we are, but because He knows what we need to become more like Him. And I am growing more and more every day because of all He is teaching me.

The rest of the week, we got to stay in our area thankfully:) And we saw so many miracles! People that usually want nothing to with with us are opening up and sharing so much with us, so we can better help them. We are finding new investigators too. They have all said they believe our message is true, and the spirit is strong. One lesson in particular, we were teaching a girl named Melody. She has had a crazy life, full of many trials, and the spirit was so strong as we taught the Restoration, applying it to her specific needs. After sharing the first vision, she just looked up, smiled, and said she had such strong chills. The spirit had testified to her heart that it was true, and she was so open, that you could literally see it change her countenance. I love this work so much!

Also, Sunday, we drove to one of our outlying towns, Panhandle, TX, to visit a less active and teach a potential investigator. Right as we got into town, our gas light popped up...we were 30 miles outside of our area, on a Sunday, with no gas. We prayed real hard and went to our appointments. In the lesson with our potential investigator, we found out that she had always wanted to know more about our church. She has even read the entire Book of Mormon, I have no idea why she never joined, but she is VERY interested, and I am excited. We are blessed to be led to such prepared people. And then, the adventure home...oh man. 100 degree heat and no AC, because we were trying to save gas...after about 15 minutes, our car wouldn't even tell us how many miles we could drive before running our of gas officially. By grace, and a lot of prayer and faith, we made it back to Pampa in one piece and just walked the rest of the night:)

...and while we were out walking we met this girl. We asked if she had ever met missionaries and she responded, "no, but I'm Mormon...", as if to say that she didn't want to listen to what we had to say. My companion and I both looked at one another so confused and happily said that we were Mormons too! After talking a little more, she told us that she had never been baptized. She just goes to the church with her uncle every once in a while, but they haven't been in a while. Her uncle is a recent convert and now we're going to teach them both! I am soo pumped. Seriously, I am amazed everyday at how much the Lord is blessing us.

I love you all so much! I hit a year in the mission this Thursday...super crazy! This truly is going by too quickly!

Have a wonderful week!

Hermana Peck

Borger Exchanges 

The GORGEOUS sunrise on our way to MLC 

MLC adventures! 

August 31, 2015 in Pampa, Texas

Goodbyes in Carlsbad, New Mexico

Hello family from good ol' Pampa, TX! I love being back in Texas so much. It just has a different feel:) So this week has been crazy between transfers and learning the new area, but I have loved it. 

Monday was full of packing and goodbyes. It is so sad to leave, but once all the goodbyes have been said, and you're officially assigned to a new area, there's complete closure and you can head out off to your new adventure. Tuesday was pretty sad though. Sister Perez and I drove to Hobbs together where a member came to pick me up. I was so sad to leave her! I remember when Sister Slade left me after my first transfer in the mission to get a new trainer and I was TERRIFIED. I felt so bad doing that to Sister Perez. But luckily, that sister is so much more amazing than I was and she will do so well back in Carlsbad! So after I was picked up by a member in Hobbs, we drove to Lamesa, then another member took me to Lubbock, another member took me to Amarillo, where I FINALLY met my new companion:) Then, it was even more driving (while also getting lost in Amarillo) to Pampa! After about 9 hours of transfers, I made it from the south half of the mission, way back up to the North. And I love it here! The panhandle is seriously one of my favorite places! The hills, the wind, the people, the sky, it is all so amazing!

So, when President Heap called me to tell me I was transferring to Pampa, the only thing he told me about why I was being called there was that they needed Spanish. And boy was he right! Seriously, the first night, we taught a Spanish lesson, and I have been speaking Spanish every day since! It's kinda hard, because Sister Wilkins can't speak Spanish, so I feel like I am taking over the lesson, but we are working on it! She can now pray and say the first vision in Spanish:) Plus, she prays for me and helps me with what to say when I get stuck. She is so patient with me and I love her for that! But seriously, I love that I am speaking Spanish again. And the ward is so excited about it too. They all greeted me as Hermana instead of sister and were telling us about all these people we need to start visiting. I feel so blessed to have been able to learn Spanish and now use this skill to help other people! It is so much fun.

Also, I got to go to Borger on Thursday! I was so happy to be there:) I felt like I was home! I didn't get to go visit anyone, because we were there for a District conference with President and Sister Heap and the APs. That was an amazing conference. We talked all about the Fall and the Atonement. It opened my eyes so much to the importance of the work we are doing out here. It made me realize how there really isn't much difference between me and all the people I teach. No unclean thing can be with God, no matter what. We are all in desperate need of Christ and His Atoning sacrifice. I learned to show my weaknesses to the people that I teach, not just my strengths, just as Christ did when He came to visit the people in the Americas. He showed His willingness to help. I am out here working to help others be able to return to live with their Father in Heaven and their family for eternity, but at the same time, that's what I want too. We truly are here to help each other get there, because we all need the help so badly! And it's our job as members of Christ's church to make sure that everyone know how they can make it back. This gospel is true, it is Christ's teaching, and it is the only way to true happiness!

As for the new calling as an STL, I haven't noticed much difference yet. I still just do the work! I just have a few extra sisters to learn from and love lots:) Tomorrow I get to go on exchanges to Borger, TX! I am so PUMPED! And this Friday will be Missionary Leadership Council in Lubbock. My favorite part about this calling is that I have a baggilion more opportunities to learn from other people! I am loving this work, my companion, my area, and my calling. It truly is amazing!

Love you all and have a great week!

Hermana Peck

Goodbyes with Hermana Perez 

Hellos with Sister Wilkins!