Six Months!

Burning my tie

Family O

World Cup Soccer celebration in the street

Hey!

6 months!  I have officially been on my mission for half a year.  To celebrate, as is tradition in the mission, I burned my tie.  It was a really special ceremony and I had fun thinking back on the last 6 months and looking at my pictures, as well as looking to the future year and a half ahead of me.  I have learned a lot and changed a lot, but I still have a really long way to go and lots to learn.  But I would not be anywhere else other than in the place I am in now.  God has blessed me with this amazing opportunity and adventure to bless and change my life and help a few others.

I read a talk at the beginning of this week by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, an apostle in the Church.  He mentioned the phrase that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years back, but the second best time is now.  I think every moment we have is a chance to start again.  We shouldn't wait for opportunities to change.  We often procrastinate, waiting for the opportune moment.  But then we miss it, or at least we have wasted a lot of time waiting for the moment to arrive.  The Lord has said that we are to be anxiously engaged in a good cause, not waiting for a moment to arrive in which we can begin to do good things.  Do all you can right now to make the changes you desire in life now.  What a blessing it is that God always forgives, always loves us and always desires the best for us.  We can repent, we can start over, and we can begin again in the moment in which we have the desire. 

I love this gospel and my Savior Jesus Christ.  Through His eternal sacrifice we can make these changes.  We do not need to be perfect. We do not need to wait until we are perfect.  We simply need to change our desires and allow the good desires we have control our actions, rather than the desires of the natural man, such as laziness or procrastination. 

This week I tried to apply what I talked about previously, about loving all people and letting this labor become a labor of love.  It works.  It pulls me out of confusion, out of the midst of doubt, out of pride, and out of physical weariness and weakness.  It allows us to teach and act a little more like the Savior and adds clarity to our thoughts.  I have also tried to be myself, and the good desires of my Spirit take hold.  It works too.  I love God. 

Thanks for the support.  Y'all are awesome (Im teaching Texan English here in Chile.  My Latino comp now knows how to say y'all and ´Merica. )

Elder Peck

Good job Germany!

New friends. Family in Los Sauces

Hey everyone

This week went well.  We found a great new family. They are amazing.  There are four in their family, a 7 moth old and an 8 year old and the wife is a member of the Church.  It was great meeting them and finding out how prepared they are to hear the gospel message.
Other than that not much happened.  Got a haircut. Super busy week, but really good. 
But I have learned a lot spiritually this week.  Lots of personal answers to questions I have had as well as more spiritual and practical understanding.  From all that I have learned this week, the most important is love.  When we love the work and the Lord, we can do anything in this work.  Love is a qualifying feature of the work.  It is necessary.  The more we improve how we love those we serve, we indirectly improve every other aspect of our service.

I love all of you and hope all is going well.

Elder Peck

Chilean hamburger before the avocado

Chilean hamburger with avocado

Fish - before

Fish - after

More food

lame Big Mac meal

Coronel

 

 Hey!

This week we had a conference with the new Mission President.  He is from Arizona and is really really good.  We talked about Joseph Smith and his experience, and how we can compare our experiences to his.  Then we celebrated the Fourth of July by flicking matches off a matchbox for fireworks and folding the Texas flag we found military style.  Then a lady in the ward made us American hamburgers.  Chileans do not know how to make American hamburgers.  They were good anyway.  Then we played soccer and ate a ton of fish.

All I can say this week is that the Spirit works through our actions.  The phrase go forward with faith means that if we want the Spirit to guide us, often we have to decide what to do first and then let the Spirit confirm our decision.

Gracias por todo and thanks for everything

Elder Peck

Botes

Puerto

Morning study

Room in Coronel

Good Week

Hey!

This week has been long, but really good.
Fun stuff, we got to watch the Chile vs Brasil game again.  It was super intense and Chile ended up losing by one penalty shot.  The whole world was sad walking home.  Everyone was so sad. Also, we went to the gym last Monday too.  It is interesting having a Latino companion, because there is always a bit of miscommunication.  We went to the gym and just starting practicing.  I asked my comp why and what we were practicing for, but he just said to practice! I was confused.  Then a coach came out and started making us run around the gym and blowing his whistle, and teaching how to perfect my volleyball spike.  I was even more confused. I kept trying to find the missionary work related aspect it, but my companion didn't seem to know what was going on either, but he was just going along with it haha. Anyway, so we accidentally joined a volleyball team. I think it was tryouts or something but yeah, we are on the team! Haha I can't really explain it, but for me it was really funny and confusing.  It was one of those situations where everyone seems to be doing something that makes no sense at all and you just have to kind of go along with it because you're the only gringo in the city haha.

I have been learning more patience and diligence this week. Also about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I don't have much time and the internet here is really slow, but all I can say is that when we diligently strive to do little things right, the things that are within our power, enduring the trials with patience, God makes up the rest and qualifies us for what He has called us to do.  Jesus suffered and died so that He would know how we feel, how to help us in these situations.  Even if we feel dumb for stuff we have done and for thing we messed up on, he makes it up, because He knows us and how we feel.  He has provided away to help us take advantage of the sacrifice He made.  Thank Him for this gift and use it.
Thanks for the support.  Les quiero....

Elder Peck