8 Months!

[Email dated March 21, 2011]

Hey family and friends,

Its been another good week here in Metepec. Especially hearing that BYU is still cruising in the tourney! haha.

Can you believe I´ve been out 8 months already? I for sure can’t. Man, before I know it, I´ll already be out a year. Crazy. Pat has been out 10 months too! That’s crazy. 

This week went well. We worked hard and had a lot of potential, but a lot ended up falling through. We had 3 potential baptisms coming into the week, and each one of them fell through for a different reason. Jose, who probably was the best of our potentials, just had a lot of doubts about Joseph Smith and because of that he thought it was better to wait to get baptized. So, it was a little disappointing in that aspect. Sunday was still a pretty good day though. It was Stake Conference here in Metepec. Luckily, our chapel is the stake center, so we didn’t have to travel too far. One ward had to take a bus for 2 hours to arrive! But it was a pretty emotional meeting. The Stake President here got released after 10 years and they called his 2nd counselor as the new stake president. Elder Johnson, the Area Seventy was there as well as President and Hermana Villarreal. They all spoke really well, I thought. President Villarreal talked about how General Conference is coming up. It’s such a great opportunity for us to hear the words of modern prophets. He said we should begin praying so that we may be prepared to receive their messages and apply them into our lives. I thought that was interesting, but it’s true. If we don’t have the right mind set or attitude while we listen to General Conference, we won’t apply the things we hear into our lives and they will be of little benefit to us. We need to be ready to follow the words of our living prophet Thomas S. Monson, so that we can receive guidance and blessings in our lives. 

I had a new food experience this week....No nothing gross or weird. It was actually REALLY REALLY good. Its called a pambaso (sp?). It’s this sandwich roll that they take and fry in who knows what...and then they fill it with whatever you want in your sandwich. Mine had potatoes, shredded chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and salsa.....realllllllly good. And all for about $1.25 (15 pesos) in the street. It was a good way to finish off the day on the way home. Also, I started cooking myself eggs in the morning this week....felt like a change from cereal. It was good haha. 

My companion, Elder Diaz, and I continue to work well together and work hard.  He is pretty quiet, but he is willing to work hard and be obedient. I´m learning more and more just how different it must be to live in Peru. He has never seen tacos or tostados or anything like that....They don’t even have donuts in Peru!! What’s up with that? Also, they eat hot dogs for breakfast...rice for every meal, and avocados with bread is a common breakfast.....weird haha. He is having a fun time adjusting to spicy foods....let’s just say it’s not his favorite haha. But all that aside, he really is growing in his confidence and growing as a missionary each and every day. 

Hmm....lets see what else.....I´m sorry I don’t have any pictures to send....didn’t get around to taking any this week so there’s nothing new as far as pictures go. 

I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It has been restored through a modern day prophet named Joseph Smith, and I know that EVERYONE can come to know that he was a prophet of God by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon which is another testament that Jesus is the Christ, and a record of prophets in ancient America. By knowing that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God you will also come to know that Thomas S Monson is a living prophet of God, and we all have the opportunity to listen to him speak and give us guidance, along with the Twelve Apostles in less than 2 weeks. Heed their words, because I know that they are called by God and inspired. 

Were gonna keep working hard here in Metepec. I love being a missionary.

Love you and miss you all

And this is my joy (Alma 29:9)

Elder Peacock