Blizzard!

Hello everyone,

       So first off, Family, thank you so much for the Thanksgiving package. It was the best. Lots of food,  pictures, AND a Christmas tree haha. Amazing. Funny thing too, one of the packages of instant potatoes ripped opened somehow. So, everything had a nice layer of powder on it, and smelled like mashed potatoes haha. I'm sure Bryce would of enjoyed it =]. Anyways I really loved the package (especially the ties!), it made last night very entertaining. I'll be sure to give Carlos and Marisela their Pavo Real very soon. Hopefully, the Christmas tree isn't some sort of premonition that I won't be getting my Visa until after Christmas.

Ok, so the big news of the week would be snow...and lots of it. Yesterday there was a blizzard warning in the Salt Lake Valley. A blizzard was supposed to hit around 4:00. We got out of our 4:30 appointment and....nothing. No snow yet, but the clouds were getting darker and scarier. We went to our dinner at 5, and at about 5:45 we noticed that it was snowing...A lot. It had snowed probably 3 or 4 inches just while we were inside for dinner. We luckily got a ride to our appointment at 6, and once we were done we got a message that said if you have set appointments than you should go to them but if you don't, you should go home. There was almost no visibility. We went in to the house for our 6:00 appointment, leaving footprints up to the door. When we got out around 6:45, our footprints were no where to be found. So needless to say, winter is here. We were home by 8:00 for the night as opposed to 9. Today it is pretty cold still and it was snowing very lightly all this morning. Luckily you sent me all my winter stuff and I still have Elder Burbidge's coat. (I'm using the toe warmers today and they are amazing.)

So as far as the work goes we have 3 people that are pretty solid on getting baptized this weekend. Jesus, who is 11, is planning on getting baptized this week.  His sister, Jessica, wants to learn a little bit more before she is baptized. Then there’s Yamel and her daughter. Yamel was baptized a long time ago, but her records don't exist so she will have to get rebaptized.  Her daughter has never been baptized, so she will join her mom this Saturday.  And then we have 3 others who were on date for this weekend...Yaret and her two daughters...but we have not been able to find them. They don't return our calls and they are never home. They seemed so excited to be baptized, they know it's true, but we just can't find them. So it's very unlikely that they will be baptized this weekend but we willl keep praying and hope for the best.
Those were pretty much the big things this week. The fact that we're having baptisms this weekend (I might be doing the actual baptism this time) and the snow hitting us is really the big news of the week.

As for our Thanksgiving plans....tomorrow will be our P-day, so we will play a little zone turkey bowl I think (probably inside the gym haha) go get our shopping done, and then I think we're planning on eating with Bishop Robinson (the guy we live with) at around 1 or 2 and then we're going to the mission home to eat AGAIN around 4. So it should be great and Mom don't worry I will be taken care of. Plus, if worse comes to worse I have my creamed corn, stuffing and mashed potatoes I can cook up =]

And then tomorrow night, since it is a holiday we have been instructed to not take away from family time with lessons, but we will be making short (less than 10 mins) by less actives, recent converts and investigators to wish them a happy Thanksgiving. So that should be fun as well.

Oh and last but certainly not least....HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD. I took a picture for you as you can see, and I know it's a little early but the snow was falling and it was just the perfect opportunity, so just imagine it was on the 27th. I hope you have a great one and Thank you for everything you do for me and for our family, and the example you have set for me.

I just want to close with my testimony that I know that this church is true. I love sharing the gospel with people, even if I'm not great at Spanish and can't roll my R's. The Lord has called me to preach the Gospel in the Spanish language and I can testify that he has qualified me for the work and will continue to qualify me for the work as long as I am faithful. Because honestly, I was not good at Spanish in high school, but I know that I am learning it so much easier now because the Lord is helping me. I need his help in this work, because there is no way I can do it alone. There are too many challenges and temptations in like to try to do it on your own. In 2nd Nephi 4:34  it says:

"O Lord, I have ^atrusted in thee, and I will ^btrust in thee forever. I will not put my ^ctrust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his ^dtrust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm."

This is one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon and it is so beautifully written by Nephi, and he proclaims his trust in the Lord because he realizes that there is no way he can do it alone, and if he trusts in the Lord and has faith in Him he can do anything. I can testify that that is true. Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and he will help you through anything, no matter how tough it may be. He loves us, each and every one of us and He knows us personally. Trust Him. He will help you.

I love being a missionary and this is my joy (Alma 29:9)

Have a great Thanksgiving and a great week.
Love and miss you all =]
Elder Peacock