A Good Week

Hello family and friends.

Thanks for the letters, emails and all of the support.

As for the week, it was really good....really really good. The Lord truly did bless us this week and without a doubt I saw His hand in the work. We have been teaching this guy named Jose for a couple of weeks now and he really does have a desire to follow Christ. He agrees with almost everything we teach him and he has a lot of knowledge of the Bible and he has been searching for a church that he feels is correct. BUT, he had huge doubts about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. It seemed as though no matter what we invited him to do, no matter what we did, taught, testified of, he just couldn’t get over that doubt. We felt a little bit helpless to be honest, because we felt that he was just closed off to the idea of a modern day prophet and there was nothing that we could do to help him. As a companionship we prayed all week for him, both in our personal prayers and prayers as a companionship...every prayer we prayed for him that he would receive an answer and feel that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. We passed by on Friday to visit him, and we watched the Restoration 20 minute video with him and we testified of its truthfulness, but he still didn’t believe it. [This is not the same video]

We gave him a pamphlet about Joseph Smith and committed him to read and pray about it and continue reading the Book of Mormon as well. He said he would but he didn’t think it was going to change his mind. We told him we would pass by the next day, Saturday, to see how it went. The next day we came by, and he said that he was reading and studying the things we left him and that he now felt that they weren’t bad....they testified of God and the things that he believed in...he asked us what time he could have the baptism on Sunday!! I know without a doubt that the Lord softened his heart and answered our prayers, he received an answer. Jose went from being super stubborn and unbelieving to someone who was ready to act with his faith. It was amazing to see that change...in just one day, I know the Lord blessed him with an answer and through his decision to be baptized he will receive so many more blessings in his life as well as a remission of his sins.

So, on Sunday we confirmed Hector and Veronica who were baptized 2 weeks ago and we baptized Jose.  It was a good day.  Afterwards, we ate at the Bishop’s house...they made burritos... American style. They lived in California for a little bit so they must have picked it up there. Big flour tortillas, steak, beans and rice. They were really good...while we were eating, we looked over and saw Elder Diaz taking pictures of the burritos...apparently they don’t have those either in Peru...I´m really starting to wonder what they do eat in Peru. From what I can tell its rice, bread and salad. Lets just say I’m glad I’m eating food in Mexico for 2 years and not down there.

This week it was also Elder Diaz´s birthday (Friday) as well as Elder Lopez´s (Thursday). Elder Lopez is one of the zone leaders and they work in the same area as us so we see them all the time. So, an Hermana in the ward brought us a cake to celebrate (see pictures). Also last week something else kinda funny/sad happened. After I emailed last week I left the internet cafe with Elder Diaz and asked him how his family was doing...he said good...but that the girl he had been dating before the mission just got married!! Apparently they had been dating close to 2 years (anniversary on his Birthday) and she already married another guy. He’s only been on his mission for about 2 months...crazy. So all the missionaries in the zone have been joking with him about it....I think he’s fine with it...but we’re men and don’t talk about our feelings alot. But from what I can tell he´s fine. We all told him not to worry about it...because when he gets back he´ll just steal another missionaries girlfriend that is ¨waiting¨ for him haha. 

Well, that’s pretty much it for this week. I know that this church is true and that I am here in Mexico on the Lord´s errand. Go VCU and Go Lakers!!

Have a great week everyone

And this is my Joy (alma 29:9)

Love you and miss you all

Elder Peacock