Miracles!

My amazing family,

You are all so busy! Thank heavens school gets out this week. And send some rain this way please, it's too hot already. Keep doing all the good things you do. I look up to each of you so much.

It was one of those weeks that felt like eternity. I hit just about every emotion you can hit. I don't think it helped that we had interviews AND exchanges. With so much going on I am surprised it didn't go faster.
Monday was a pretty chill preparation day, as usual. Laundry. Cleaning. Writing. Calling home was sooo nice. Getting a bigger update from Landon about life and school made my week. I made creme brulee, I guess that was a highlight. Sister Mutter had never had it before so that was cool. I burned my finger on the broiler but still worth it haha. After Dinner we met with some people we're teaching and that was about it.

Tuesday was interviews in Fredrick, so we went there for district council, had a lunch break, then had interviews in the afternoon. Interviews were fantastic. President Mutombo was sooo busy and had like a billion other meetings today but he still took the time to come to Fredrick to meet with us in person. He gives very straightforward advice and council, he does not sugar coat and he doesn't always say what you want to hear. He pushes us very hard but I appreciate it. He has a lot of faith and trust in us. 

District council was also excellent. This district is awesome in their own way but makes me appreciate my last district a little more haha. They just get distracted easily. But they're still great. I learned a lot from Sister Mutter's instruction about becoming a disciple. Not the easy way, however. The next day I studied more about becoming a disciple (read the talk "Becoming a Disciple") and from that decided that I wanted to increase my patience and temperance. Maddy once told me to never pray for patience on my mission because Heavenly Father is quick to give us situations that try our patience. But I forgot and paid the price for it haha. My patience has been tried in so many ways this week. Yes, it has been painful. Yes, there has been growth. But now I'm just exhausted. One of the biggest struggles is that Sister Mutter's headaches are getting worse and worse. We've had to take it slower and slower and come in early some days. It's taking a toll on me because I feel like I am just hitting my stride and am ready to run. Hence the patience. 

Thursday night we had a lesson with Billy. He was in such a good mood! Like laughing and talking more than we've ever seen. We learned he's been reading the Book of Mormon every day! We had no idea! He's amazing! He is definitely progressing towards baptism but still has a lot to learn. 

After that lesson and then a lesson with a member family, we drove to Brunswick for exchanges. I was sooo excited! It's so nice to get into a different area and learn how other missionaries do things. It turned out to be everything I hoped for and more. 

Sister Eborn, the Sister Training Leader I was assigned to, has experienced many situations similar to my own and was able to give me amazing advice as well as show me how to be brave and bold talking to people. We talked to over TWENTY PEOPLE just walking around. And picked up a new person to teach! It was amazing. And we got to ride bikes!!!! I was like a genuine missionary! 

And to make the experience even more real both of our bikes broke at one point in the day haha. But we made it. It was so fun. We also got to go to Cafe Rio, the only one in the whole mission so #blessed. Met a distant relative there, thank you family history. Have to say that that was my second favorite day of the mission so far. 

Saturday was a pretty cool day. I saw miracles that come from prayer and fasting and simply opening our mouths. We were supposed to help a member family dig up some bushes and replant, but they weren't home when we showed up. We decided to walk around and see if we could do service for anyone while we waited for them to get there. We were crossing the street when I felt the need to turn around and go the other way. I saw two women in their yard and I asked if they had any service we could do for them. They were surprised but said that they could use some help weeding under their deck. While we were doing that the woman's husband came home and turns out he's an inactive member! We had no idea! 

He invited us back next week to have a cookout and a lesson with his kids. Miracles. Then we helped the member family dig up bushes. If my face looks weird and swollen in that picture, that's because it is. Allergies here are no joke. But it was fun. IT IS SO HOT HERE. The humidity is insane already. August is supposed to be a million times worse, we will see if I survive that. We are getting very tan and mosquito bitten. 

Later Saturday evening, I was blessed with this special dose of energy and faith. It was such an incredible feeling, like I could knock any door, talk to anyone, pray for any miracle and it would happen. It felt amazing. And we did have miracles. First, we knocked on a door and an older woman said I looked just like her granddaughter, down to the way I crinkle my nose. She said we could come back! Then we knocked on a door and the woman was so sweet. After we got her to open up a bit she asked us a lot of questions. She asked if she could have a copy of the Book of Mormon so she could study it for herself. Wowzers. She said she's been looking for a church for her and her son. Can you say miracles? Then later than night two woman chewed us out from their porch and it didn't even bother me. That's the power of the Holy Ghost. So many miracles. It was amazing. 

Other than that everything has been pretty mediocre. We had our ward memorial day picnic and that was pretty fun. A man we are teaching came with his recent convert son so that was exciting! Hopefully he will want to start coming to church. 

In between all of these miracles and highlights are some not so great moments. It just doesn't seem to be in the plan for us to get too comfortable before things get hard again. I have such a strong testimony of prayer and reading the scriptures. It doesn't always feel like it helps the hard and the hurt go away immediately, but nothing works better. Thank you all for the prayers and letters, I need them :) I love you all more than I can say! 

Love, Sister Peck