We may just be young girls with a badge, but we carry Christ's name,

Oh man, it has been a wonderful week! I don't know why I am so happy, because literally I am so exhausted but I am just so happy and want to keep moving every second! Literally, I never knew how much I could get done in a day until I came on a mission. It is such a blessing! We have seen so many blessings I can't even believe it!

First off, our schedule has been PACKED. I love it! We are literally bouncing all over Carlsbad, sharing the sweet message of the restored gospel with so many prepared people! This week we had a zone conference and we talked all about our teaching skills. And ever since then, I have set a goal and it has changed the work completely. My new goal is to "actively work to teach with greater power". Ever since I have started, I have seen people progress and the spirit is truly the real teacher in lessons. People can feel the power and authority that Sister Perez and I carry and we are truly so blessed to see it help people change. We may just be young girls with a badge, but we carry Christ's name, and we bring His message, and as I remember that, I remember what this work is all about. The Savior truly gives us power!

When it came to finding this week, the Lord was guiding us the entire way. It's funny to watch Sister Perez learn how to street contact; she loves it so much, but the second they get mean or pushy, she just looks to me for help. It makes me laugh, simply because I have no idea what to say! Training is weird, because I feel so inadequate in leading, but somehow, the spirit gives me the words and we are able to touch peoples hearts. We were biking one day, and we saw 2 older woman talking. I had 0 desire to talk to them, because most of the older population out here is set in their ways and always rejects us. But I went ahead and introduced us, and boy was I glad I did! They were a mother and daughter who used to investigate the church. They went for about 2 years, because they mom's husband was a less-active member working on coming back. They went to Salt Lake to see the temple and loved it! The only reason they stopped, was because of one dumb comment one person said. But they are so open to hearing more and coming back to church! We were able to teach them right then a bit of the restoration and help them feel the spirit it carries. They were so much fun! And I was so glad I followed the spirit in following them. It truly has been just experience after experience like that this week, and I love it! The Lord truly guides every step we take, no matter where we are.

Real quick, last night, we taught some potentials. We were so excited to teach them, but that was the 4th time we've been over, and the dad just gets drunk and blabbers on the whole time so we can't even talk, but the rest of the family really wants to hear the message! So as we sat there just being totally ignored, Sister Perez finally got them to be quiet for a second and bore one of the most powerful testimonies I've ever heard. They spirit was unavoidable and made the entire family quite. I know that truth always rings the most powerful. And being able to share my second witness too, it helped my testimony grow even stronger. It was truly amazing.

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week! This gospel is true, so go share it with everyone!

Hermana Peck

I am 100% exhausted, and it feels amazing!

Our investigator had us match with her and her daughter at church

We tried.

Hello! What a wonderful week it has been! I am 100% exhausted, and it feels amazing. When I get home at night, I love the feeling like I really earned my pillow. It is so FULFILLING. 

We have been so busy! Tuesday was transfer day. We drove out to Odessa, TX to drop off Sister Blyel and then pick up Sister Perez, my new trainee. She is amazing. She's from Sacramento, CA. She's the youngest of 5 kids, and she actually isn't fluent in Spanish. But she is determined to learn it and I love it! She is just determined in general. She came out prepared and ready. She is already re-training me. I am so blessed to be able to serve with her! She has already taught me so much and she is snapping me right back into the basics. I am more aware of everything I do and say, because I want to train her right and help her become who Heavenly Father wants her to be. It is so much fun!

This week was super hectic though. It was crazy trying to balance getting Sister Perez adjusted, moving to a new apartment, and taking care of all the people we are teaching, but somehow we did it! And we did it well! If that isn't grace and mercy in action, I don't know what is. But we are officially moved, and it is nice! We have amazing people we live around. We are smack in the middle of our area. There are no cockroaches, and the AC works! I love it so much:) It makes finding time to bike and walk so much easier, because we don't have to fit in the extra time of traveling in and out of our area. And we have been blessed because of it! We were walking home from our last appointment and met a man named Tristen. He and his wife are a teen couple, just married, with a one year old son. They are just seeking for help and they have opened up to us a ton. We have been so excited to teach them, and we can already see the glimmer of hope in their eyes even with only meeting with them once. We get to meet with them again tonight, so pray that they can feel the spirit and that their family won't hold them back from accepting the gospel! After our first lesson with them, Tristen told us that he didn't know why, but he trusted us and knew we were there to help, and that he was desperately needing it. I am so blessed to be a representative of Jesus Christ. I love when people notice it. It was so cute: as we walked away, Sister Perez just hugged me and smiled so huge. She was so excited to feel that missionary spirit! It truly is a wonderful thing to be a part of.

This week we (well, the amazing Sister Perez took the lead in doing it) set 2 baptismal dates! People are progressing so much, and we are working our hardest to be spiritually prepared to teach them according to their needs. I don't know how, but all of a sudden, we are jam packed with things to do and people to see! The Lord is putting so many people in our path to share this gospel and I am so eternally grateful! I have learned that all we can do is be diligent in keeping the Lord's will, and pray fervently  for forgiveness when we don't, and then trust in whatever the Lord has in store. Eventually, our will lines up and we are the happiest we could ever be!

Our investigator told us this week that whenever she goes to church, she actually feels pretty! It was so cute. That is truth people, the spirit 100% makes you feel pretty, because we are worth so much! 

I hope you all have an amazing week! Love you!

Peace Out

Hermana Peck

Rejoicing when the moving out was done!

Sunday night Spanish movie nights

The very first person I saw at the temple was Karla all dressed in white!

Lubbock Temple trip 

This week was SO MUCH BETTER.

Friday and Saturday, I was able to go to the temple! It was such a fun weekend trip. It was weird to be out of our area that long, but it was a much needed trip! Friday night we did baptisms with our recent convert Erica, and then spent the night with the Lubbock Sister Training Leaders. Saturday, we got to go to an endowment session with Karla from Borger! It was so amazing! I walked into the temple and the very first person I saw was Karla! All dressed in white, such a marvelous sight and so sweet to my heart. She was witrh Sister Long. I got to see so many missionaries and members from Borger that I love so much! I couldn't stop from smiling the entire time I was there and I just felt so much love. Being in the celestial room truly felt like heaven. Just a huge reunion. Man, the fruits of missionary work is more glorious than I ever realized until that moment in the celestial room. I loved it!

I was able to ask them all about Janie, which was much needed. She passed peacefully and her husband Doug is doing alright. Now his sights are set directly on the temple! He can't wait until the day they get sealed and I can't wait to be there! Until then, keep praying for him, he's going through a lot. But with time, the peace of the Atonement is healing it all. What a blessing it is to have knowledge of the Plan of Salvation! There is so much peace in knowing that God truly does have everything planned out for us and He is rooting for us the whole way through it all.

This week we saw so many miracles. I don't know how it happened or what exactly happened, but all of a sudden, the work BOOMED. We are blessed to have so many investigators that are solid and progressing and less actives that are truly wanting to change and get the spirit back into their lives! We are so blessed and so busy. I love being busy as a missionary, it means it's all working! We had an investigator, Joe, come to church this week, and he was talking to us all about how when he first met sister missionaries, an emptiness in his life was filled. He stopped meeting with them and the emptiness came back. Now that we're teaching him again, he felt his life be full again. He told us he know's that it is because of the spirit and with tears in his eyes he thanked us for letting him have that. It was heart warming. I am excited for him! He is progressing so much and loves everything about the gospel! They talked about the family proclamation in sacrament and he had us get him some copies to share with his family!!! I love the converting power and truth of this gospel.

So, as for transfer calls this week. I will be staying in Carlsbad! Yay! I didn't want to leave one bit. Sister Bleyl, however, is getting shipped out to Brownwood, TX. And my new companion will be Sister Perez. She is FRESH off the plane today! I can't believe it, I'M TRAINING. I'm a mom...I am scared, but so excited. I don't know anything about her, but she is a Spanish missionary, yay!! I feel so inadequate to train a missionary, but I know the Lord qualifies us as we accept the calls he extends. I never know quite what He's up to, but I know following His will leads me exactly where I need to be.

Also, we're going to be moving apartments this next week. We've been living outside our area, so we're moving mainly for convenience...And it's nicer....that's just a plus though:)

MY NEW ADDRESS IS: 

1402 W Church St Apt. B

Carlsbad, NM 88220

Love you all!!!

Hermana Peck

Getting soaked teaching lessons in the rain

The District

Temple Trip

Janie passed away

This week was one full of prayer and tears. Christ's grace truly works miracles and fills out lives with peace. The strength He gives us is so hard to understand, but He is always sure to get us through any trial we are brought to.
The start of it was amazing! We had our miracles on Monday that I wrote about last week. And Tuesday were interviews. I am so blessed with an amazing mission president. He gave me some wonderful advice and I always feel so enlightened and ready to work after talking with him. You can just tell the spirit leads and guides him. It is wonderful, because I know when he gives me any assignment, whatever it be, it is coming directly from the Lord. Being a missionary is wonderful like that. No matter what, I know I am exactly where I need to be, and that is so comforting. 

Wednesday I got to go on exchanges in Roswell with Sister Slade! It was so fun to be there with my mission momma:) It was her last exchange before she goes home! I basically got my wish of serving with her again. PS mom and dad she's coming to California for my homecoming. It's planned. Anyway, it was so good being with her. We get together and just talk a million miles a minute. We got to teach some amazing people that night and do some super fun service with another church. I LOVED it. 

Thursday after we made the switch back from exchanges, my zone leaders notified me that my recent convert in Borger, Janie, had passed. It was the hardest thing I have ever gone through. I couldn't believe she was just gone. But I know her spirit lives on! I know receiving the gospel was her last task she needed to accomplish before ended her mortal life. She passed not even 3 months after her baptism. It is heartbreaking anytime I think about it. I don't think I have ever cried so hard. I just ask that you all pray for her husband Doug! He needs prayers and love right now. I know without a doubt that she is still with me. She is now blessing my life, as another angel, helping me bring others the gospel of Jesus Christ that she loves so much. She truly was an amazing woman, and I was so blessed to take part in her coming closer to Christ. I will love her forever!

The rest of the week was good. I have never felt so close to my Heavenly Father. It's funny how that works. Our lowest moments can easily turn into our brightest through the love He has for us. He brings me peace, He gets me through it all. 

I LOVE YOU ALL! I hope you know how much I love you!

Hermana Peck

The Caverns are COOL!

Last Monday at the caverns was so cool! I was amazed at how detailed this world truly is. Even underground it's beautiful! And it truly felt like we were in a completely different world! The two pictures I sent were from inside the caverns, you can barely tell how intense they were, but it was so cool! They were huge!! It took us like an hour and a half to walk through it all. And I may have slipped and almost fallen to my doom...but we're all good:)

Also, sad new Dezire didn't end up getting baptized this week:( She just wasn't ready. But some day and we're still going to work hard with her to be ready! Because literally, the only thing that seems to be holding her back is that she wants to "want" to be baptized. She believes it's all true.  She loves the gospel, and she is so solid. She just isn't actually excited, so she's waiting until then. Pray that if something is wrong, we'll be able to help her!

The Kings, one of our favorite families, moved. It was so sad! It was probably for the best, because they are going to be close to family, but we will miss them! They were doing SO well and progressing SO much. Hopefully they stay strong and one day make it to the temple!

We also got to go on splits this week with our relief society president and visiting teaching coordinator. It was so much fun! It was weeeeeeird to not be with another missionary, but I love the women of our ward, so it was great. It was my first time ever on splits! And we did some great work. We were able to contact a lot of people that haven't been seen in a while, and we just had fun the entire time. 

This week flew by and I cannot believe how fast the transfer has gone. We have been contacting a ton of former investigators this week, and we have met so many amazing people through that! One lady was so sweet.  She let us right in and was excited to meet with missionaries again. The crazy part was that the next day, we were cleaning out trash from our car and we found this flyer for a house that we had grabbed to see how much stuff costs here (sorry, random tangent of the story). ANYWAY, we looked at it and she was the one selling it! It had her name and face on it! We couldn't believe it! God had been pointing her out to us for a long time, and we didn't even notice! I'm just glad we finally got there:) God just had to practice His perfect patience with us for a few days.

Also, today we saw the coolest miracle ever! We had to take my companion to the clinic here in town, and when we went to pick up her medicine, they hadn't properly sent in the prescription. After a lot of confusion and a frustrated companion, we ended up back at the doctors just in time to run into someone we've been trying to contact, plus we met this amazing guy who really wanted to know about the gospel! We have appointments with both of them now:) My companion and I walked out of the doctor's office and both looked at each other in total awe. God is always leading us. This work is amazing and I love being a part of it! MIRACLES PEOPLE! SO MANY MIRACLES!

I love you all and I hope you have a great week and a happy fourth!!

Hermana Peck

IT IS HOT HERE. OH MY LANTA

IT IS HOT HERE. OH MY LANTA...I don't even know what that phrase means, but that is how I feel. It has been a wild week full of sweaty faces and teary faces. But lets just say, I am grateful for clean water to drink, and dirty rivers to stare off into.

Anyway, happy father's day dad! Our Sunday school teacher had us all share experiences about our dads and Sister Bleyl and I were on the verge of tears. I just miss you so much dad! You're the best dad out there!

This last Tuesday we had zone training and it was Sister Slade's last one, so she shared her farewell testimony. I balled. All my friends that I love so much are leaving the mission! I can't believe it! It's weird to start being the old ones in the mission, because all your friends leave and you have to make new ones again. But it's fun, because I get to meet new people all the time! Especially with how huge our mission is. We have soooo many missionaries it is wonderful!

This last Thursday, we had our bike day. And we went to go check out this senior citizen's place for volunteer opportunities. It was supposed to be like 5 minutes away...it was more like 4.5 miles away on back roads, in the 100+ degree heat next to huge semi trucks that honk at us. So, of course, I had to whip out my camera and document the ridiculousness of the moment. We were so nasty by the time we got there, but they were happy to have us and now we have a wonderful opportunity to serve more people in the community! I love it. Serving in a bigger town means more service opportunities. We actually use the 10 hours a week that they let us use to serve! It is so much fun.

Our investigator Desire still has a baptismal date set for this Friday, so we are hoping that will go through. There's a ton of outside factors that may push it, but pray that it will go through! If not this week, it will happen soon. She is so ready. The light of the gospel is already in her eyes brighter than it was when I first met her! I know this gospel changes people, I know that because it is changing me and the people around me. I love it and I want everyone to know it!

Not going to lie, I hit a bump in the road this week. Kinda broke down on Saturday, and it messed with my head, but my companion has been amazing to me! And my president pointed me in the right direction to start finding some peace. What I loved the most that he said, that have come to know for myself, is that sometimes opposition comes out of nowhere. It's not necessarily from obedience, or the actions of others, it simply comes because God wants us to take the next step forward. He wants us to grow and be better. So this week was full of growing pains, but luckily, we have the grace of Christ to help us, not only at the end, but all along the way! It's never fun to be in a trial, but it is worth it, because I know the strength it will bring me. Just maybe send some extra prayers my way this week to not get discouraged:)

I have to go, we're off to the caverns today! I can't wait!

I love you all!!!

Love,

Hermana Peck

The message of the restoration holds so much power

The weeks just get better and better out here in Carlsbad! I cannot believe how much I love it here already. Some days I think about how sad I was to leave Borger, and it just blows my mind that I already love it here just as much! Although, they will all have such special places in my heart:) Karla wrote me and told me she'll be going through the temple this transfer, so I will hopefully get to go with her!

Anyway, as for things here in Carlsbad, we are being so blessed! Somehow, even with this crazy heat, we have found amazing people to teach. We found a new investigator this week. She is so amazing. She was a media referral, but she can't remember requesting the bible that we got told about. But she let us right in and we were able to teach her the restoration. She loved it! She cried for about 5 minutes after we shared the first vision, and she just kept saying how every single breath she took after hearing it felt like more and more weight off her shoulders. The message of the restoration holds so much power. It is amazing to see how it changes lives, and I love being the one who gets to share it with so many people for the first time. Even just the words of the first visit changes hearts!

Our other investigator, Desire (not Desiree, Desire) is doing AMAZING. She has been taught for about 1 year now on and off. And she has never progressed or accepted a baptismal date. BUT the very first time I met her, she told us about an amazing experience she had. She finally asked God if she should be baptized, and no matter where she turned in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, she read a scripture or story about baptism. She knew God was telling her that she needs to be baptized, but her problem was that she simply just doesn't want to do it. We went over and talked a ton about the why of baptism and it was an amazing lesson. The spirit was the one teaching her the entire time! It came so clearly to her mind that if she wants to have a desire to be baptized, she has to actually read every day, come to church, and act on what we teach her. She was like, "man! That's why y'all always ask me to read and pray and come to church! I get it now!' We were STOKED! It is so rare that that actually clicks in an investigator's head, but when it does, they just soar:) Her baptism is planned for the 26th and she will be ready! Pray that it all goes through. We can't wait!!

This week we also got to do service at a food pantry here run by the Methodist and Catholic churches. They loved us! It was so fun. We walked in and they were like "Oh, it's the Mormons coming to help!" They were so happy to have us, and it was so wonderful to be all together, working as Christians, simply trying our best to follow Christ and help others. No one cared that we were LDS.  They were just happy to have help. That is truly the way it needs to be. Pure love, and pure service!

Also, I hit my 9 months this week! I could not believe it!!! Time is all downhill from here,  but I know the works is all uphill:) I have been blessed with an amazing first half of my mission and I cannot wait to see what's in store for the second half. 

I hope y'all have a blessed week and know that I love you tons!

Hermana Peck

Goodbyes to People I love so much in Borger.

Goodbyes to People I love so much in Borger. 

Goodbyes to People I love so much in Borger. 

At the transfer sight 

At the transfer sight 

?

At the transfer sight 

The bunny room I wrote about last week 

My new district 

NINE MONTHS 

Investigator's daughter's old prom dress.
I look like an 80s Cinderella! 

Feeding the ducks behind our apartment 

The river behind our apartment 

Spanish sisters love our Mexican candy!