Year 3, Here I Come!

***Note: Loren was originally scheduled to be released on Feb. 11th, but with the large number of missionaries they were losing in February, he received special permission to extend for 6 more weeks. Loren's mission will now end on March 23rd.***

Dear Family,
Howdy! Power was out yesterday so I have just a few minutes to write you and tell you I'm alive. Next week the email will be coming on Tuesday as well, it's transfers next week but we don't know who or where.
Yesterday for our activity we went to some waterfalls in the San Luis area. It was great! The only thing that would've made it better is if we could've gone swimming in the pools! It was a short hike, but incredible scenery, I felt like I would've been better prepared with a machete at my hip, the forest is so dense here. It's impossible to leave the path. I got a lot of great pictures but it's lunch time (I'm hungry) and so I'll hook up the camera next week. Sorry! We've been working this morning in the middle of San Luis and we met an incredible lady that knew about our family history research and welcomed us back to teach her (no male present) and she really wants to find her family tree. Too bad we don't have any pamphlets about that in Tagalog, but we'll get some information for her in English.
President Puzey and 9 of his family members came to church here in San Luis on Sunday, boosting our attendance to 42. Because of the lack of priesthood, we had to help bless the sacrament again. Really there would have been enough priesthood, but two of the men were less active and it was their first sunday back. They declined and the third father was late. President and Sister Puzey spoke. When they came at 8:45 we were getting the sacrament ready, and because the water we were using wasn't purified, we had to throw all the water away and start over with bottled water he'd brought. I didn't even think about the sacrament water being clean! We had one investigator at church, a young woman marrying into an active family -- Angie Pecson is her name. It was her second time at church. The Dignos were gone for 2 weeks but will be back on Saturday. We're working with a lot of new investigators and we're discovering just how religious the culture is here. Over and over we heard people saying: Your message is great, but I just couldn't leave my church. We've been there forever and I couldn't uproot the family. We've got to stick with what we know." But my testimony in Joseph Smith is stronger than ever and so many people are listening right now. I love the people and this is probably the best area in the world. I love the work and love ya'll too!
Love, Elder Peck
P.S. on Friday I think I hit two years. Woohoo and still going strong!