More Pictures in the MIssion

Sister Santos!

I'm going to take this home as a souvenir!!! I LOVE HIM!!!

The three amigos.

Looks like we are in the Amazon right???

Pictures

I LOVE MY COMPANIONS!!!!

Baptism of Kayth!!! Notice we all match!

El libro de Mormon. My comp calls me "argentina" because of my spanish accent.

Esta semana corrida‏

Ola everyone! This week was pretty good, normal. Unfortunately our baptism that we scheduled for Saturday fell through because she was kidnapped! Not literally, but kind of! A little old lady named Maria, she´s 82! She is absolutely adorable! I LOVE HER! She is so elect and has such a solid testimony. She is from Spain and her accent rocks! Unfortunately, her family doesn´t agree with her being baptised and thinks she is crazy. Friday, the night before the baptism, her son told her to pack her bags as they would be leaving in the moring for the country, no idea when they´d return. :( Really. Sad. We were all really at a loss for what we should do. But we were advised from our leaders that all we really can do is just wait and pray. Ah patience.
We are doing the best we can to find the Lord´s elect. Fortunately the members here are super good about giving referrals, (WHAT A CHANGE FOR THE BETTER!!) so that is a blessing for sure. This past week we had interviews with President (at the mission office two minutes away from our house, YES! LOVE IT!) and he stressed the importance of really teaching about following Christ. Do we love Christ and desire to follow His counsel and be like Him? Then we will truly have a desire to be obedient to His commandments. So far I think its been really helpful advice. Except for the time we asked our investigator and he flat out said no, but he´s just stubborn. He´ll come around!
Just something before I go: I´m serving in the oldest stake in South America right now! How cool is that?! But really I hve never been happier and more excited to work hard and serve. Hope everyone is well! Thanks for the letters, love, support, and prayers! They are needed! Ate mais!!

-Sister Emily Peck

Ola from Caxingui/Jardim das Vertentes

Suffice it to say that the Lord loves me! All last transfer Sister de Souza and I spent hours and hours trying to find a decent house to live in. As you know, we found one. Perfect! But juuuuuust in case something happened and either one of us was going to be transferred the next week we didnt even unpack. We just lived out of our suitcases. As it turns out our area was closed which means we would both be leaving. So we basially spent all our time looking for the perfect house....for ELDERS! I hope they´re grateful.....lol. Actually I am very excited for them and I know they will have lots of success there! I cant wait to hear all about it! I am now serving in the capitol of São Paulo in two areas instead of one, Caxingui and Vertentes. We are two minutes away from the temple and mission office, in a very nice house (NO DOGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!), the members are awesome, and ITS VERY COLD HERE! I am SOOOO happy!!!!!!!!! Whats more? I´m in a TRIO! I think it has to do with the missionaries waiting for visas again in the states. But oh my goodness my comps are absoultely wonderful. We are all already besties! Allow me to tell you a little about each of them. Sister Kellie Steinbeigle is most recently from Issaqua, WA (she doesn´t know Jan and Jeff) but was basically raised in Utah. She is perfect. That pretty much sums her up! Seriously she has o dom de talentos or the gift of talents! She is an artist, a dancer, a singer, and she speaks absolute PERFECT portuguese. She is such a sweetheart. She always teaches with the spirit. She kind of reminds me of a quieter version of Jenna. Even though she is very short, I definitely look up to her. ;) We sing together in every lesson and it´s so great! I love singing with her! She is definitely the example of quiet, righteous dignity (haha Sister Przybyla ;) But yeah I adore her. Sister Santos is from Maceió and is oh my gosh down right HILARIOUS. I seroiusly haven´t stopped laughing since we all got together on Wednesday. She is always playing pranks or telling jokes and is just straight up cool. Apparently my spanish accent is still really strong, especially when compared to Sister Steinbeigle´s perfect accent, and Sister Santos thinks its so funny. She already has all these nicknames for me. I´m really trying to loose my Mexican accent by reading everything out loud and practicing like crazy. Everything I say Sister Santos follows it up with something like "Isso mesmo Argentina! or Mexicana! (or my favorite) Sister Cooley!" (Sister Cooley speaks Spanish too and has a very strong accent, just for your FYI) :) anyway we are having so much fun. I am learning so much from both of them!

On top of that the area is GREAT! I already love it. The members are wonderful and so eager to help. It´s like I´ve stepped into a whole new world. We already had a baptism on Sunday, a girl named Kayth, so that was a great welcome! We are teaching some very elect people too! Our first day we met a young man named Felipe (again, a referral from a member, WOW!) and he is SO prepared! We spoke to him just breifly then two days later had a real lesson with him. It was increddible the things he retained, even after my Sportuglish (Spanish-Portuguese-Enligsh). He is very excited and has a desire to learn more and more! We marked a baptismal date with him and we are so excited to see his progress.

Yep so pretty much I´m loving the big city life. I fit right in! Its cold, busy, and beautiful and I LOVE IT! Want to know the best part? We get to go to the temple while serving here!!!!! I don´t think this transfer, but the next one, so hopefully I stay at least for a little while!!! I feel so increddibly blessed to be here. I know the Lord is aware of me and my needs. What a privellege it is to be learning such a beautiful language and to be preaching the gospel to such an amazing people! My first Sunday in this area was Stake Conference. I just sat and looked around at all the people and thought wow. How lucky am I? I am serving in basically the center of the church in South America. This is where it all happens down here! We meet general church leaders almost daily! Yesterday I met Elder Godoy, an area 70 and, this is cool, the man who does all the Portuguese translations for basically EVERYTHING is our ward mission leader! All the church films, the book of mormon on CD, and any film down here, its his voice! yeah he´s pretty much a big deal. We had tacos at his house yesterday for lunch. I have only been here for 5 days and can you tell how much I love it? I don´t know if Heavenly Father could have picked a better place for me. As far as I can tell, I dont think it was Teresina. ;) Anyway sorry this is so long! Thank you for all your prayers, love and support. I don´t know what I did to deserve all of this but I am grateful! I hope everyone is well at home! Até logo!

-Sister Emily Peck

P.S. I don´t know if I already mentioned this but ficamos sabendo que Elder Bednar is coming next month to speak to us. Neat huh? Anyway President Cooley called and asked me..........to lead the music! hahaha. I thought he was going to ask me to sing but nope! Tudo bem. I told him that definitely would not be a problem. Just for your FYI!

Emily's Birthday

When I got the pictures from you guys, yeah!

Wow 6 months on the mission already! Can you believe it?? It has just flown by! I havent heard whether or not I will be transferred this week but its very likely. I´ve already said goodbye to everyone so that would be funny if I stayed! My birthday was wonderful!!!! Our friend took us to lunch, we went to the salon and I got a manicure, and then my companion planned a whole surprise party for me! It was so much more than I expected or needed but it was great. I loved the apple pie and pictures! thanks!!! I may or may not have cried when I saw them........:) The work has been going well too! We had a lot of investigators at my party and at church on Sunday too!! It was wonderful. I got a little emotional during church just thinking about the people I have come to know in this area. I sure hope I was able to be an instrument in the Lords hands and that I made some difference here. Even if it was just to plant a seed. That is alright by me! Everyone has their time and agency. And the Lord has a plan for each of us!
Many people were sad to hear that I wouldnt be teaching the English class any more which made me feel really good! haha. It really has been helping my Portuguese to teach the class.
Well sorry this is so short! I just wish to send my love and (the heat) to everyone back at home! haha. Things are super fine and super hot here. I am happy and one year older! Happy Birthday to everyone who has a birthday this week!

-Sister Peck

P.S. my new favorite thing is an Avacado milkshake!!!! ITS TO DIE FOR!!!!!!!!!!! Avacado, milk, sugar, and you can add an apple for taste (SO GOOD!) ;)

Em's Birthday and More

Karina and Clecia!!!!!!!! My favorite people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Funny how the less actives and investigators help the missionaries out more than the members.................whats the deal.....

Xico comes to church! hahahaha

Emily's Birthday and More

In case you're curious...this is our Zac Efron look a like investigator, Marcel. He's awesome!!!

It was one of our investigator's birthdays too, Fernando she is so adorable. We blew out the candles together.
the day we moved into our apartment in the rain! Thanks elders!

Loucura em Sorocaba!‏

This week has been nothing short of crazy! Everything has felt completely upside down and out of the ordinary. Fortunately we were able to rent a house--FINALLY!!!!!!!!!! Its in a nice neighborhood and very spacious. The lady who lives underneath our house is very nice and a member of the Congregação Cristã do Brasil and whats more?´Oh she doesn't have any dogs. lol. Interesting the little trials we get to endure.....:) However I am feeling very confident that I will be transferred this next week into the capitol (São Paulo) so I will get to enjoy at least one week of sleep! Today we will be spending our entire P-day cleaning and packing and getting ready to move tomorrow.

Remember our Zach Efron look-a-like investigator Marcel? We were so sad that we lost contact with him. He just stopped talking to us and it was really heart breaking because he was really progressing. We did what any sister missionary would do and wrote him a thoughtful note attached to a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and left it at his house. A week went by and we still didn't hear from him. :( Yesterday we were kind of sad because all of the people we invited to church had made excuses as to why they couldnt make it this week. In my morning prayer I fervently prayed for a miracle, that someone would come to church of their own free will. When we arrived at the chapel there was a young man talking to one of the brethren in our ward so of course we went up to meet him. To our SHOCK and JOY there was Marcel! In the capela all by himself!!! It was truly a miracle. We were soooo happy. He stayed for all three hours, loved it, loved our note, and wants to keep taking the lessons. He´s so great. He kept asking questions about serving a mission. We introduced him to our friend Fabricio who served in Japan, who speaks English too. He thought that was pretty trippy. In my broken Portuguese I bore testimony of the power of prayer and that miracles truly do occur. I know Heavenly Father listens to us, even in the smallest of situations. Prayer is real! So are miracles! I cant wait to hear where Marcel gets his mission call in a year!! :) haha, don´t tell him I said that, it would freak him out!

Anyway things are good here. Hope all is well at home and in the states. I hear bits and pieces about the U.S. I guess the troops are removed from Iraq now? Interesting. Well I gotta go. Beijos e abraços

-Sister Peck