Dear Family,
It's been a CRAZY week! It's been good to have Elder Carlton as a companion, we've actually been talking about trips to southern Utah and everything else we've got in common this week. We only got to spend 3 days in Lupao this week, which is not enough, and general conference took time out as well. We totalled 9 lessons in Lupao, but we had an interesting experience. We were walking one night down one of the better lit roads towards the highway on the way to our appointment with Ronnel Carig. We were passing a mother and daughter walking, when the mother asked, almost casually, "excuse me, but I'm curious, how does someone become a member in your church? Does one have to be a member to go to your church?" Wow, that's exactly the question every missionary wants to answer. We didn't get to talk long but she gave us her name and rough directions, and then she was gone with her daughter -- they were in a hurry. On the appointed day, we started looking for them at about 8 o'clock at night. I hadn't been to the area before, even though it's close to our apartment, and we discovered just how rough the directions were. She'd said in front of the high school, and as far as we could tell in the dark, there were no houses at all anywhere close to the highschool. We wandered down a promising looking "driveway" (or so we thought) only to find ourselves on a pig farm. We asked a few people for directions, but two of them were drunk, and we were just about to head back. It wouldn't have been the first time we'd been given a phony address. As we headed back, we passed the highschool and the empty field across from it. On the very corner of the big lot, there was an empty eatery for students that was dark. As we were about out of sight, somebody called to us, and we noticed that behind the building there was a light and a group of people. We didn't even slow down, they were saying "Hey!", and "Joe!", and I thought it was another group of drinkers on the opening Fiesta night, and people call us things like that all the time. We just kept on walking, and we were out of sight by the time we heard the last call: "Elder!". We looked at each other, turned around, and headed back. They let us through the big gate and there we found the Sister with her 4 children and some friends. It was their job to guard the lot through the night. We found out that sister had some contact with the church when she was young, and it happened that she was interested in religion. She's a widow, her husband died of a heart-attack when he was just 29, leaving her with 4 children. She's trying to stay financially afloat -- she cooks for students out of a small garden, but now it's summer break with no school until June. We didn't get to teach her yet but we had a good talk and got to listen to her. We'll start teaching her family this week. Ronnel isn't quite ready for baptism, we extended his goal date, gave him a copy of his teaching record, and talked about what's expected before baptism. He needs a little more time, but it'll come sooner or later. We work every other day in the San Isidro area, and we had some really spiritual lessons there, with one older couple -- the Fajarillo family. Things have been moving slow with them and we're still a little tentative, because they are our landlord there, with their house in the same compound as ours. But they approached us, and came to church before we started teaching them. They have a lot of family in the church. They are now reading the Book of Mormon seriously every day and they've come to church 4 times, and one of those was General Conference. They are golden! This week Sister Fajarillo, after the lesson said, with some feeling -- Elders, I'm going to church, but I know that I can't really call myself a member of your church without being baptized. I really like what I'm learning, and I don't know about you two (her husband and sister) but I really, really want to be baptized. If I can be." We just looked at each other with wide eyes. That's exactly what every missionary wants to hear! We got a baptismal date worked out, and her husband and sister also have a strong desire to be baptized. Not sure how all these little miracles happen, but it sure is wonderful to be a missionary at times like these, I know things are happening!
I loved general conference and had a lot of questions answered about how to face/overcome trials -- both those that happen and those I create. In the Sunday session one speaker said never to pass blame or to get discouraged or down or passive. He also said to avoid murmuring, and to take responsibility by changing attitude. (We were only interrupted once by a brown out!) There was so much about the family! I felt the spirit and I know President Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet. Thanks so much, family -- I love you!
Love, Elder Loren Peck
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