Smells Like Fish

Hey

So a quick rundown of what happened this week.

On Tuesday I traveled about 4 hours to my new sector, which was awesome.  We drove by some beautiful Chilean countryside and I took a long nap. It was a nice and well needed break. I arrived in Concepcion and met my new companion, Elder U.  He is from Vina del Mar Chile and he arrived in the mission with me, so we have the same amount of time.  He's way cool.
 On Wednesday we went to zone meeting.  I saw a lot of great views of my sector from the bus.  My sector is on the beach, so I saw the coast and hundreds of boats.  After the meeting we went and bought the best empanada Ive ever eaten and then came home and ate lunch with a family.  Because of the Chile vs. Spain game, we had an extra hour of language study, as we can't really work during the game.  After the game we came out in the street.  Everyone was going crazy.  Everyone was out in the street running around yelling, everyone was honking their horns in their cars, there was a huge group of people in the plaza who climbed the fountain.  A group of guys with a huge Chile flag that spanned the street ran towards us and covered me and my comp in the flag and went crazy haha.  It was a crazy day.

On Thursday we worked and went to Gringo Express at the end of the day.  It's a bus that sells really good completos and stuff, as well as hamburgers and gringo food.  It's run by a Canadian guy who doesn't speak Spanish, so it was fun to talk with him in English for a little while.  Haha it was so weird to talk to someone in English haha. 

Friday on our way to lunch we stopped by the harbor and took some pictures of the ocean and the ships.  That night the top bunk of the bunk bed broke haha.

Saturday we had a wedding.  A member of the congregation here got married in the church and we were there almost all day helping with the wedding.  The members wife gets baptized this week, along with two more people that Elder U and I are teaching.  I'm really excited for that. 

Sunday was just good.  I love the Sabbath.  We went to Church and made some visits to less active members afterwards. 

Today we got permission to watch the Chile vs Netherlands game.  It was fun, even though Chile lost.  The whole world is sad here today haha.  But -yeah.  That was my week.  I love it.

Diligence works.  I have seen so much this week instances in which I have been diligent and receive direct help from the Spirit, as well as situations where I slip, and that helps leaves.  It's devastating when it does.  I see though that every act of obedience leads to power.  Sin is weakness.  Diligent obedience brings strength and power.  And it's not so much that we become powerful, it's more that God helps us complete the tasks He has asked us to do and that we have promised to do.  He makes us able to do it, using our efforts and preparation and adding His divine guidance.  It's wonderful.  Missionary work doesn't work if we try to do it on our own.  It's when we finally accept Gods help that we begin to see the miracles.  Its so great. 

Anyways, thanks again for the support.  You are awesome. 

Elder Peck