The best way to correspond with Emily is at emily.peck@myldsmail.net. She is able to read those e-mails every Wednesday. She only has 30 minutes of computer time so she first has to read any e-mail she has received and then try to get a letter typed and sent within the 30 minute window. I know her heart is racing trying to remember everything she wanted to say while watching the clock and trying to download pictures, etc....I haven't received any pictures yet, but we are still working on it. Maybe this week!!! Cheri
How is everyone??? I WAS SO HAPPY TO GET YOUR MISSIONTIES LETTER AND PACKAGE!! Oh my gosh. It was pretty much the first letter I have received since being here in the CTM. I assumed that they would forward any mail from the Provo MTC but apparently they dont. They THROW away all dearelders and return regular mail to the sender!! So anyone who sent a dearelder in the last month it didn~t get to me!!!! Please just send it as an email please please please! I~m sorry, I think its kind of an odd system but whatever. Anyway it was wonderful to hear from home. Thank you mom! And me and Sister Przybyla thank you f rom the bottom of our hearts (and stomachs) for the cookies and chocolate!!! That couldn't have been more perfect!!!!!!! Love love loved it!
Ok real quick as I watch the time tick.....so I was hoping that the South American mosquitos wouldnt like me as much as at home but I was wrong....I basically get eaten alive every day. Im like one walking mosquito bite!!! Its kind of a bummer but oh well. I just hope I dont get some weird disease like malaria or something....any idea for preventativeness?? Also I´m glad you shared that story about the lady who enjoyed the song Anna and I sang. That song gets stuck in my head often "My Kindness Shall not depart from Thee". I was thinking....do you think tehres anyway to attach that as an Mp3 so I can listen to it? Or not. I may not ever have speakers on a comptuer. Just a thought. So Elder Russell M Nelson came to the CTM last week!! What an increddible opportunity to be able to hear from ANOTHER apostle of the Lord!!! We actualyl got to all meet him and shake his hand individually. Gosh I~m just so grateful to have been able to go to both MTCs! Seriously what a blessing. Well I think I~m going to spend the rest of my time trying to attach pictures. I love you all and love to hear from each one of you!! Please be patient in my response. Mail takes a little longer here than in Provo.... But I have a testimony and know that this is the Lords true church established once again on the Earth! I have so much to be thankful for and I~m so grateful to be a missionary at this time! Only TWO more weeks in the MTC before I am a REAL MISSOINARY!! Today at the temple I met a ton of elders AND SISTERs who are from my mission!!! They made me so excited to get out and serve!!! Alright well keep in touch! Talk to you all soon... Sempre, Sister Peck
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Happy P-Day
Actually its an ACTUAL holiday in Brazil toady but I dont remeber what its called so Im celebrating Pday! :) Unfortunately that means that the post offices are closed and that we cant send letters. Bummer. First things first, I~m not sure what the mission ties thing actualyl is. In fact I dont even think I am allowed to use it as of last week they made that announcement. Some of the missionaries still do, but yeah I dunno. I think its just an easier way to receive letters from home because dearelders appaerntly get sent to the Provo MTC and then actually mailed here!! So it takes like a week to get them. But dearelder might just be easier. I dont care either way, really. Someone said it cost money?? If so don~t do it! Save the money and just send dearelders since thast free! Then I can get actual letters in the mail! yay!
This week has been awesome. The highlight was definitely going out and proselyting!! Of course we were real nervous at first with our limited Portuguese. But prior to leaving, my district had the idea to watch Elder Hollands talk on the Book of Mormon from last October conference and it really got us pumped and filled with the Spirit!!! It was hard at first...but then we just did it! We jsut talked to people! With our limited language skills we were able to communicate! Amazing. Whenever someone would start talking, of course we didnt understand them, so we~d smile and nod and then bear our testimony about the BoM!! We were able to place EIGHT Books of Mormon! Which of course we thoguht sounded like a lot! But then the more I thought about it, thats only eight people that have the truth in a city of millions of people!!! There is SO much work to do and I am SO SO SO excited to get out there and do it!! What an increddible experience it was. We definitely don~t get that opportunity in the Provo MTC! We were even able to get two addresses from people who wanted the missionaries to come over and talk to them! We ran into the "real" missionaries, and gave them the referral information and they were STOKED! Apparently the Sao Paulo North mission gets a lot of referrals from the CTM proselythign missionaries!! Cool huh?! I still think that the two people we met were actually just members who were pretending to make us feel better!! hahaha!!!! Eitehr way it was a powerful experience! Next week we will get to do it again in another part of Sao Paulo similiar to Times Square in New York!!!!! They REALLY prepare you for the field here!!! In more ways than one....the food is always always always rice and beans. Good thing I like rice and beans but some times it does get a little monatonous. Its good though. Dont come here if youre planning on losing weight tho. Rice beans and bread is basically what we eat! So yeah! But I do like it.
Somedays I find myself day dreaming about Red Robin french fries though....or a Caeasr Salad from Olive Garden.....mmmmmmmm........haha okay. Waht else?? Have I told you about my Brazillian rommates that shower three times a day? I think I mentioned that last emial, its pretty funny. Its such a small world in the church though because we found out that Sister Campos boyfriend served with Luke Millar (Laura Nowlings boyfriend) she knew exactly who I was talking about!! So you~ll have to tell Sister Nowling!! Gosh I wish I had more time to write all my experiences. I guess its different when we get out into the field. We get a lot more time. So for now you get a basic summary. Elder Nelson is coming to speak to us tomorrow! We´re all very excited. Its a VERY big deal here. In Provo when the apostle came we didnt know til he walked in the door. Here theyre turning the place upside down and making it perfect. So its funny! I feel like there was more I was going to write but I can~t rememebr!! my time is short so I must go. But know that this work is so important!! It~s amazing!! The Book of Mormon is true and it is for everyone!! If I~ve learned anything so far its that by small and simple things are great things come to pass. I feel so small and inadequate sometimes, but the Lord can make us stronger!! He needs us to carry on His work so he qualifies us for his work!! Even though what I can say in Portuguese is only basic, like what a little girl in primary wuold say, its powerful!! It can have the same impact! I cant wait to be fluent and realyl be able to asy what I feel but I'll be pateint (the christlike attribute that i~m striving to develop every week!!!) I love each of you!! Thank you tahnk you thank you for your emails and letters and thoguhts and prayers!! I couldnt feel more blessed and happy than I do right now. Until next week everyone!! Ate logo-- Sempre, Sister Peck
This week has been awesome. The highlight was definitely going out and proselyting!! Of course we were real nervous at first with our limited Portuguese. But prior to leaving, my district had the idea to watch Elder Hollands talk on the Book of Mormon from last October conference and it really got us pumped and filled with the Spirit!!! It was hard at first...but then we just did it! We jsut talked to people! With our limited language skills we were able to communicate! Amazing. Whenever someone would start talking, of course we didnt understand them, so we~d smile and nod and then bear our testimony about the BoM!! We were able to place EIGHT Books of Mormon! Which of course we thoguht sounded like a lot! But then the more I thought about it, thats only eight people that have the truth in a city of millions of people!!! There is SO much work to do and I am SO SO SO excited to get out there and do it!! What an increddible experience it was. We definitely don~t get that opportunity in the Provo MTC! We were even able to get two addresses from people who wanted the missionaries to come over and talk to them! We ran into the "real" missionaries, and gave them the referral information and they were STOKED! Apparently the Sao Paulo North mission gets a lot of referrals from the CTM proselythign missionaries!! Cool huh?! I still think that the two people we met were actually just members who were pretending to make us feel better!! hahaha!!!! Eitehr way it was a powerful experience! Next week we will get to do it again in another part of Sao Paulo similiar to Times Square in New York!!!!! They REALLY prepare you for the field here!!! In more ways than one....the food is always always always rice and beans. Good thing I like rice and beans but some times it does get a little monatonous. Its good though. Dont come here if youre planning on losing weight tho. Rice beans and bread is basically what we eat! So yeah! But I do like it.
Somedays I find myself day dreaming about Red Robin french fries though....or a Caeasr Salad from Olive Garden.....mmmmmmmm........haha okay. Waht else?? Have I told you about my Brazillian rommates that shower three times a day? I think I mentioned that last emial, its pretty funny. Its such a small world in the church though because we found out that Sister Campos boyfriend served with Luke Millar (Laura Nowlings boyfriend) she knew exactly who I was talking about!! So you~ll have to tell Sister Nowling!! Gosh I wish I had more time to write all my experiences. I guess its different when we get out into the field. We get a lot more time. So for now you get a basic summary. Elder Nelson is coming to speak to us tomorrow! We´re all very excited. Its a VERY big deal here. In Provo when the apostle came we didnt know til he walked in the door. Here theyre turning the place upside down and making it perfect. So its funny! I feel like there was more I was going to write but I can~t rememebr!! my time is short so I must go. But know that this work is so important!! It~s amazing!! The Book of Mormon is true and it is for everyone!! If I~ve learned anything so far its that by small and simple things are great things come to pass. I feel so small and inadequate sometimes, but the Lord can make us stronger!! He needs us to carry on His work so he qualifies us for his work!! Even though what I can say in Portuguese is only basic, like what a little girl in primary wuold say, its powerful!! It can have the same impact! I cant wait to be fluent and realyl be able to asy what I feel but I'll be pateint (the christlike attribute that i~m striving to develop every week!!!) I love each of you!! Thank you tahnk you thank you for your emails and letters and thoguhts and prayers!! I couldnt feel more blessed and happy than I do right now. Until next week everyone!! Ate logo-- Sempre, Sister Peck
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
OLA
Oh my gosh first week here!!! I LOVE IT!!! It is so wonderful being a missionary let me just say. It´s really crazy though cuz it seems like in Provo they stress more teaching the gospel and say "The language will come" whereas here its the exact opposite!! For example On Friday we're already going out and street contacting and placing Books of Mormon!!! Good thing we can barely speak Portuguese!!! I mean we think we´re pretty good and a big deal until we practice on the Brazillian missionaries and we cant understand a word they say!! haha!! It will be great for sure though! I´m nervous but also way excited!!! Super good practice. Speaking of not speaking the language....Sis Prz and I have two roommates who are both Brazillian! They do not speak a word of English so its SO good for us to practice!!! They are awesome. Our communication involves a lot of sign language and noise making but eventually we can get our points across!! lol! The first time we met them, one of them asked if we liked Lady Gaga!! hahaha. That night we asked if she wanted to pray in English and she said she couldn't! The only thing shed be able to say is "Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day.....we thank you for...Lady Gaga..." HAHAHA!!!!! She absolutely cracks us up!!! They are great. Ok what else?? Oh I wish I had more time!!! Logan Steeles brother is in my district. Yeah. Awkward. He looks like his twin. And of course whenever anyone asks where we're from we both say Spokane and they say "Oh! Did you know each other from before???" then we go through the WHOLE drill...he and I both blushing profoundly the entire time. haha. But he's pretty legit. He's an excellent singer so we have fun singing the hymns in Portuguese together. But it still startles me sometimes when I see him across the room or something....also Aunt Tracy will appreciate knowing that I see the girl from her ward here too! Sister Williamson. Shes awesome!!! I like her a lot! Mail is like nonexistent here. Its totally different than Provo. I guess cuz it takes such a long time!! So if I don't get regular letters to you until like 2 weeks later, its not my fault!!! But you can all still write me!! YAY!! :) Funny story, yesterday I taught my entire district how to do Pilates!! HAHAHA! It felt great to be better at SOMETHING during gym time than everyone else. I was laughing at everyone so hard cuz no one could do them. One elder said "This must be what they do in Iraq to get people to talk!!!"" hahahah!!! Another funny story...apparently there was an American missionary who was trying to get an investigator to commit to reading 1 Nephi 3^7 you know about obeying the commandments? and he asked if they'd read verses 7-8 and pray about them. Well instead, he accidentally said "3 Nephi 3:7-8" READ IT!!!!!!!!!! HILARIOUS!!!!! Sorry this is so random and out of control! If you cant tell I get stressed out during email time cuz I have to read all the emails and type one too!!! Also the keyboards here are weird so my typing is also out of control. Oh so are the toilets. You can't flush paper down them!!! Hard to get used to......But please know that I love love love love it here!!! Things are so great and life is wonderful. I love you all!!! The church is true! Even in Brazil!! Its amazing. Today we went to the Sao Paulo temple!!!!!!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!! I'm so happy this is where I'll be spending the rest of my mission!!! Thank you for your love and support!!! Ate mais!!!-Sempre, Sister Peck
Just a note from Cheri about the scripture Emily referenced in her "funny story." Apparently the Elder wanted the individual to read and pray about this scripture found in 1 Nephi 3:7, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." Instead the Elder asked them to read and pray about this scripture found in 3 Nephi 3:7-8, "Yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with us and become our brethern that ye may be like unto us--not our slaves, but our brethern and partners. And behold, I swear unto you, if ye will do this, with an oath, ye shall not be destroyed; but if ye will not do this, I swear unto you that on the morrow month, I will command that my armies shall come down against you and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct."
Just a note from Cheri about the scripture Emily referenced in her "funny story." Apparently the Elder wanted the individual to read and pray about this scripture found in 1 Nephi 3:7, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." Instead the Elder asked them to read and pray about this scripture found in 3 Nephi 3:7-8, "Yield yourselves up unto us, and unite with us and become acquainted with us and become our brethern that ye may be like unto us--not our slaves, but our brethern and partners. And behold, I swear unto you, if ye will do this, with an oath, ye shall not be destroyed; but if ye will not do this, I swear unto you that on the morrow month, I will command that my armies shall come down against you and they shall not stay their hand and shall spare not, but shall slay you, and shall let fall the sword upon you even until ye shall become extinct."
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Emily's Flight and Email: April 7, 2010
The best way to write Emily is to e-mail her at emily.peck@myldsmail.net. Thank you for your love and support. I know she'd love to hear from you!
Chris & Cheri
So I made it! It was a loooooooooooooong flight and I´m tired but it´s all good. I am also reunited with Sister Przybyla!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are both so excited to be companions again. It just feels right. We´ve already laughed our heads off. Pretty sure the entire CTM will know who we are by the end of the week! It was a good flight over all. Long, as I said but I met a lot of cool people, got to use my Portuguese, and talk about being a missionary to anyone who would listen!! Sister P actually gave a Book of Mormon away on her flight and bore her testimony!!!! AWESOME! I met up with a lot more missionaries in SLC and Dallas, but of course they were all brand new and hadn't had any rules yet. So I panicked when one would go off alone without a companion or when we´d hear regular music! AHH!! The bubble of the MTC. So anyway the CTM is right in the heart of Sao Paulo and its totally more chillax here. They have FREE TIME!!! hahaha and you actually get to like walk around the city!! Totally unreal. I´m so excited to be here. Its fun to see other people who were in the Provo MTC too and then wait for others to receive their visas as well. Basically I´ve never been happier and I love everything about my life right now!!! P-day is today, Wednesday and I will probably be emailing about this time...1:30 so I think that's 10:30 your time?:?? I dunno....I was told there´d be no math. haha.So look for my e-mails a week from today!!! Oh yeah and WRITE ME!! :D Okay I love you and it was soooooooo great to talk to you both!! Bejios e abraços! Semre, Sister Peck
Chris & Cheri
So I made it! It was a loooooooooooooong flight and I´m tired but it´s all good. I am also reunited with Sister Przybyla!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are both so excited to be companions again. It just feels right. We´ve already laughed our heads off. Pretty sure the entire CTM will know who we are by the end of the week! It was a good flight over all. Long, as I said but I met a lot of cool people, got to use my Portuguese, and talk about being a missionary to anyone who would listen!! Sister P actually gave a Book of Mormon away on her flight and bore her testimony!!!! AWESOME! I met up with a lot more missionaries in SLC and Dallas, but of course they were all brand new and hadn't had any rules yet. So I panicked when one would go off alone without a companion or when we´d hear regular music! AHH!! The bubble of the MTC. So anyway the CTM is right in the heart of Sao Paulo and its totally more chillax here. They have FREE TIME!!! hahaha and you actually get to like walk around the city!! Totally unreal. I´m so excited to be here. Its fun to see other people who were in the Provo MTC too and then wait for others to receive their visas as well. Basically I´ve never been happier and I love everything about my life right now!!! P-day is today, Wednesday and I will probably be emailing about this time...1:30 so I think that's 10:30 your time?:?? I dunno....I was told there´d be no math. haha.So look for my e-mails a week from today!!! Oh yeah and WRITE ME!! :D Okay I love you and it was soooooooo great to talk to you both!! Bejios e abraços! Semre, Sister Peck
Saturday, April 3, 2010
April 2, 2010: Good News
I GOT MY VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited. I fly out Tuesday morning for Brazil!!!! It's a full day of traveling all by myself but it's all good! I'm just excited to be going. I don't know what my address is there yet so for now I guess just send e-mails or dear elders to the BRAZIL SAO PAULO MTC. Thanks!! Once they handed my my travel plans I kept waiting for someone to say APRIL FOOLS!!! lol. But that didn't happen thankfully. I didn't want to be overly excited though because there are a lot of elders who have been waiting here a LOT longer than me...so hopefully they get their's too. The visas seem to be coming a whole lot faster though. It went from some 300 Brazilian bound missionaries to now there are only like 12 of us (I'm the only sister). But I can't wait to be reunited with my companion or A companion. Although being a solo sister hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be! I have a companionship/district of three elders who take great care of me (i.e. walk me around everywhere, wait for me....) they love it!
It was a bit of a surprise for me though since they're class is about 2 weeks ahead of me! We speak ONLY portuguese in class so I was a little flustered the first day but its all good. It's forcing me to learn much more and faster. Um what else?! Nothing too new and exciting in the life of a missionary. Our schedules are pretty routine and always the same which I love. . I'm so happy to hear that the missionary effort is flourishing still up in Spokane. I brag about my home all the time and what and increddible place it is. I SO wish I could be there for the dinner going on at the Nowlings!! How fun is that!!! Please let me know how it goes!! Ah gosh I wish I knew more what to write? Life is just great. I absolutely love it here and recommend it to everyone!! I'm so happy that this is general conference weekend! What a privellege we have to be able to hear from our prophet and his apostles! Just like when Christ was on the Earth and called His twelve apostles! The one and the same authority!!! It still blows my mind when I bear testimony of it teaching lessons or something. Its such a beautiful thing. The one thing Sister Przybyla kept saying while she was here was "I just hope they don't send me to Brazil before Conference cuz I want to watch it in English!!!" hahaha yeah too bad for her!! I'm happy I'll get to watch it in English and then be more prepared for the October session in Portuguese.
Please continue to pray for all the missionaries in the world. This is such a great and important work we're involved in!! The more I study the more I come to understand that!! I love this gospel with all of my heart! I'm so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us. I am so imperfect but the Lord selflessly understands and forgives even me! I just feel so blessed. I wish I could better express in words how I feel sometimes! I have met some increddible people here!! When I got put into the foursome of elders one of the teachers seperated us and told us to specifically be mindful of being too casual and flirty, etc as I guess tends to happen with solo sisters. It cracked me up though cuz she told the Elders to view me as they would their Bishop's wife and they told me to view them like I would the Bishop! She said "I assume you've heard, just think of him like your kid brother" But then it takes away the respect for the priesthood, district leader, etc. Which is understandable! But now we all joke about that. How I'm like this old grandma to them or something. But truly it is amazing to see these young men out here. I honestly will admit that I had the whole "19 year old" boy sterotype in my mind. I don't feel one day older than any of them nor do I feel one iota more prepared. They are all AMAZING!!! Their testimonies rock solid, their desire to learn the language and study just straight up golden. It's awesome. They are all great examples to me. I wish I knew more of what was going on as far as health insurance and stuff....I guess I'll find out more when we speak?? Also the suitcase thing. I assume you all have it under control. Okay well I guess I better end this. I love and miss you all!!! Please write!!! Mail is the best plus I want to hear from all of you!!!!!!! Thanks for your prayers and love and support and encouragement!!!
Sempre Your missionary,
Sister Emily Peck
It was a bit of a surprise for me though since they're class is about 2 weeks ahead of me! We speak ONLY portuguese in class so I was a little flustered the first day but its all good. It's forcing me to learn much more and faster. Um what else?! Nothing too new and exciting in the life of a missionary. Our schedules are pretty routine and always the same which I love. . I'm so happy to hear that the missionary effort is flourishing still up in Spokane. I brag about my home all the time and what and increddible place it is. I SO wish I could be there for the dinner going on at the Nowlings!! How fun is that!!! Please let me know how it goes!! Ah gosh I wish I knew more what to write? Life is just great. I absolutely love it here and recommend it to everyone!! I'm so happy that this is general conference weekend! What a privellege we have to be able to hear from our prophet and his apostles! Just like when Christ was on the Earth and called His twelve apostles! The one and the same authority!!! It still blows my mind when I bear testimony of it teaching lessons or something. Its such a beautiful thing. The one thing Sister Przybyla kept saying while she was here was "I just hope they don't send me to Brazil before Conference cuz I want to watch it in English!!!" hahaha yeah too bad for her!! I'm happy I'll get to watch it in English and then be more prepared for the October session in Portuguese.
Please continue to pray for all the missionaries in the world. This is such a great and important work we're involved in!! The more I study the more I come to understand that!! I love this gospel with all of my heart! I'm so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for us. I am so imperfect but the Lord selflessly understands and forgives even me! I just feel so blessed. I wish I could better express in words how I feel sometimes! I have met some increddible people here!! When I got put into the foursome of elders one of the teachers seperated us and told us to specifically be mindful of being too casual and flirty, etc as I guess tends to happen with solo sisters. It cracked me up though cuz she told the Elders to view me as they would their Bishop's wife and they told me to view them like I would the Bishop! She said "I assume you've heard, just think of him like your kid brother" But then it takes away the respect for the priesthood, district leader, etc. Which is understandable! But now we all joke about that. How I'm like this old grandma to them or something. But truly it is amazing to see these young men out here. I honestly will admit that I had the whole "19 year old" boy sterotype in my mind. I don't feel one day older than any of them nor do I feel one iota more prepared. They are all AMAZING!!! Their testimonies rock solid, their desire to learn the language and study just straight up golden. It's awesome. They are all great examples to me. I wish I knew more of what was going on as far as health insurance and stuff....I guess I'll find out more when we speak?? Also the suitcase thing. I assume you all have it under control. Okay well I guess I better end this. I love and miss you all!!! Please write!!! Mail is the best plus I want to hear from all of you!!!!!!! Thanks for your prayers and love and support and encouragement!!!
Sempre Your missionary,
Sister Emily Peck
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