Como Estai

Hey Everybody!

First of all, thanks for all the emails! I love getting emails and I feel your support. It is so edifying every week to hear from you. I sure appreciate them and am truly grateful for your support.

I also love hearing about whats going on at home.  Its a great blessing for me to hear about the great things y'all are doing! ¡Que bakan!

So this week, no crazy stories, just another week of improvement. There's a man we are teaching named Mario.  He has such an honest and sincere desire to learn and grow.  He is already really close to God and just wants to get closer.  When we teach him, I realize the amount of faith and the kind of relationship I could have with my Heavenly Father.  He is so willing to act and there is not an ounce of pride in Him.  He is going to be baptized soon and is already taking steps to face towards Jesus Christ and His gospel.  I cannot wait to see him progress in the gospel of Jesus Christ and see the blessings it brings to his small family.  Even on the roughest days, simply talking with people like Mario make the whole day great.

Mario shows me what humility brings into ones life.  While pride is destructive, taking us away from God and away from truth, humility helps us to become more like Christ, strengthens us, and lifts us to a higher perspective.  An interesting side note: In my reading in the Book of Mormon, I was reading in the book of Nephi, chapter 8.  It talks about the dream of the prophet Lehi.  In his dream he saw a "great and spacious building" that we later learn represents the pride of the world.  In English, verse 27 says that the building "stood" in the air.  However, when I was reading the verse in Spanish, I didn't recognize the word used in that verse, "erguirse." In the dictionary, I read that this word both means "stood" as well as "to swell up with pride." I love the way God works through His scriptures to communicate truth.  My reading of this section of scripture revealed many truths and parallels that I can apply in my life.  1 Nephi 8. Read it and know that humility and submission to our Heavenly Father is liberating and empowering.  It brings us true and lasting joy.  This is what I learned from the Book of Mormon and from Mario this week. 

Have a great week everyone and thanks for your support and prayers!

Elder Peck