FINAL COUNTDOWN, 8 days

Emily's mother, Cheri wanted me to post the following information. She would love to see everyone join her in celebrating Emily's return.

Thurs., Sept. 22nd, 12:30 Emily arrives home at the Spokane Airport. Lunch for anyone interested at Emily's house at 1:30. (14111 E. 42nd. Ct., Veradale, WA 99037, Call 290-3064 with any questions.)

Friday, Sept 23rd, 6:00-9:30pm - Party/Open house, 14111 E. 42nd Ct., Veradale, WA 99037, Call 290-3064 with any questions. FOOD, FUN, FAMILY & FRIENDS! Everyone is invited!

Sunday, Sept. 25th, 9:00 -10:00am Emily speaks in church and gives her "homecoming" report at the Spokane East Stake Bldg., 13608 E. 40th Ave., Spokane, WA 99214. Call 290-3064 with any questions.

Week full of adventures

It was an interesting week! About 6 PM on Wednesday I got a call from the mission office telling me I´d be renewing my visa the next morning and could we catch a bus to Sao Paulo that night. Surprise! So after FOUR buses and SEVEN subways we got to the Sisters house in Caxingui at 11:30 PM exhausted, got up at 5 to go to the Policia Federal, stayed there all day with the missionaries from the CTM, (that was fun!) I got to visit a few recent converts in my old area in Caxingui, then did the whole trip backwards again only to arrive in Eden at 11:30 again...exhausted. So it was an adventure for sure!

We also have been spending a lot of time with Bruno´s family (whom we love to pieces!) They help us so much and are such a great family with so much potential. Maria went to the luncheon on Saturday and we went back with her to help make 300 coxinhas and 100 kibi (they´re Brazillian snacks). We had an interesting experience at Bruno´s house when his Dad invited his pastor to come speak with Maria since she´s no longer going to his church. Unfortunately he began to say things about our beliefs and our religion that arent true, while we were there listening in the other room! Maria explained to him how she felt that she would no longer be going to his church because she didn't like the way she felt. He invited us to participate in a prayer and as he began to speak, my cute companion couldn´t keep quiet and began to put him in his place by explaining that "we too believe this" and "we need to obey the commandments, etc." hahaha. Then he more or less cast out all the demons in the house (aka: those that were in me and my companion) That will for sure be an unforgettable experience from my mission!

Fortunately Maria didn´t believe any of it, she still loves us and doesnt believe we´re devils and is coming to church next Sunday! Bruno continues to be strong and an incredible example to us despite the confusion and controversy he´s receiving from his family. We´re all trying to be patient in this process and realize that the Lord really knows what he´s doing and has a plan and a purpose in all things.

Hope everyone has a good week!

-Sister Peck

I´m not trunky yet.....okay maybe just a little...

It´s getting sooooooooooooo hot again! Summer is coming and I can´t help but day dream about snow when walking in 100 degree weather. But sacrifice brings blessings right? And it sure has! We received a bunch of really good references from members this week for the first time in a long time and we are very excited to start working with each of them. On top of that....

Bruno´s family came to church on Sunday! What a blessing. (Bruno I know you´re reading this so it´s strange to be writing about my mission news but it really was the highlight of my week! haha.) His mom, Maria and brother, Gabriel both went to church with him and loved it. Unfortunately Marcelo, his dad wasn´t able to go but promised to the next time he is available. I love this wonderful family so much and am so happy to be a part of introducing them to the restored gospel. Relief Society was all about Eternal Families and Maria (his mom) loved it! She even volunteered to bring a pot of rice to our Potluck...Fast? (almoço de jejum?) on Saturday! haha

I´ve already started packing my suitcases. I know I´m trunky, literal. I think its the heat. ugh. And my wonderful companion is helping me leave behind ALL of my nasty old clothes that I almost brought home with me. haha. Funny how attached you get to things.....

This week we were able to go to a leadership training with our new mission president President Martins whom I love to pieces! I could listen to him talk forever!!! He is such an inspired man. We learned so much about so much and it really helped! One of the trainings was given by our very own LZs and it was about correction. I really loved it. It was about how all of us have a need to be corrected by our leaders, be it a bishop, parents, etc. (in our case LD, LZ, mission president). If we are doing something incorrect we have a need to be corrected by our leaders who do so out of love. Correction is essential because without it we wouldn´t have the opportunity to learn from our mistakes and grow, change and be better. That's where repentance comes in. What a blessing it is to repent! To be made clean and have the chance to start over. Instead of getting defensive when someone corrects us, we should look at the situation as an opportunity to become better and be grateful. there were a lot more things that were said but I´m not remembering all of them right now! Ask me in a few weeks and I´ll show my notes to you, haha. But it was really a great discussion. I loved it! I absolutely love how the things that I learn on my mission will always and forever be applicable in my every day life after the mission! The gospel is amazing isn't it??

I love Brasil and my mission...even if it is SUPER HOT! Beijos e abraços

-Sister Pe

Esta semana!

Hi everyone!

This was a good week for us as Lucimara was baptized! The spirit was very strong and there was a great turn out from both members and investigators. It went perfectly. She was very happy and so were we! What a blessing it is to be able to help individuals understand the truth and make covenants with God. It is so evident that this is what SHE wants both for her and for her children. It was really a great service.

On Sunday, after Lucimara´s confirmation, me and my companion sang with the Releif Society in Sacrament meeting and I had the privellege of looking out into the congregation and seeing ALL of the recent converts that have been baptized since I´ve been in Eden! What a beautiful sight that was! I instantly became emtional and couldn´t sing very much after that. It´s hard to end a mission isn´t it? I took a picture with all of them after. That is all of my recent converts for now......theres still a lot of time left!!!! :D

We were able to have a good meeting with Bruno´s parents the other day and I think it helped a lot. We were able to explain how we really only invite the people we teach and if they recieve an answer and have a desire they choose to be baptized which is what happend with Bruno. His mom seemed to be better about that and said she would speak more to him about it. So maybe we will just have to be a little more patient with the situation. He is an elect and choice young man of the Lord. His testimony astounds me and even if I won´t get to be here for his baptism, okay I will be sad, but it will be okay! It´s not about me, whats important is that he gets baptized!!

Today, P-day, was one of the best I´ve had in a looooong time! We went to a city called Votorantim and got together with all of the sisters again and had lunch at a members house.....a family that is AMERICAN!!!! So that was pretty much awesome! The father is here working for a few years and the whole family came with him. Today we had tacos and laughed and spoke English the whole day! Yeah it made me even MORE trunky.....dang it.....but I´m hanging in there! Like I said its an emotional roller coaster to end your mission. One day I´m crying cuz I dont want to leave the next day I´m eating mexican food and countind down the days! hahaha. Anyway have a great week e até semana que vem!

-Sister Peck

Selado no Éden!

Last P-day when we received the call from our LD that we would be staying together we both screamed for joy (and actually cried a little too!) I did not want to die in a different area nor with a different companion. Suffice it to say we are very thrilled that nothing has changed. But it is still strange to think that very soon this will all be over and be just a memory. But I´m trying my hardest not to be trunky!!! I mean we´re still working hard and having success but sometimes its easy to get distracted and start thinking about home and then I realize that honestly there is no where I would rather be than right where I am, serving the Lord and the people of Brasil.

My knowledge and testimony of different aspects of the gospel sure has grown tremendously over the past year and half. One thing in particular is of the power of the enemy and just how real he is. For example there is a recent convert here who was baptized with 25 years. Unfortunately that's too late for him to serve a full time mission but he had such a great desire and received special permission from the first presidency to go! We were all SO excited for him. Sister P and I told him the first day we found out he´d start preparing to be a missionary that he would be tempted tremendously, now more than ever. A mission is a very important and sacred experience and Satan knows this and doesn´t want you to go. We tried hard to warn and help him but unfortunately he is now being very rebellious and isnt even going to church. It makes me SO sad. The power of Satan is so real.

I see the same things happen the weeks of our baptisms. EVERYTHING imaginable happens to make it so the baptism doesnt. It´s incredible. Last week Lucimara´s uncle had a stroke and her family was all in a panic, of course because its a big deal and sad. But to me it was just so obvoius that somethign like this would happen and that we would have to move back her baptism. Fortunately Lucimara told us that she TOO understood this and that she woudnt delay her baptism beacuse of something that could happen any day but because she wanetd more than anything for her family to be a part of this very important day. so now its marked for this Saturday and we are praying so much that nothing happens and that it goes through!

We are also having difficulties with our elect Bruno who is already practically a member. He is beyond ready but his parents are apprehensive to let him be baptized. We are doing our best to help his family as a whole but naturally the Lord has a plan for everything and maybe its just not the right timing yet. (though I really hope it is because I want so much to see him get baptized before I go home!!!)

I know the church is true and that miracles happen daily. I´m grateful to be a missionary and if I had it my way I´d never let this adventure and journey end! It´s such a blessing and privilege to be here. Abraços and Bjus!

-Sister Peck

"Just so you know, I´m atheist."‏

I love Eden. I love Sister Pedroso. I love everything about my mission right now, I´ve never been happier! Just like normal, at the end of every transfer we are impatiently waiting to hear if one of us is going to be leaving our area. I doubt it, because I only have one transfer left, so I´m pretty sure Sister Pedroso will be with me to the end of my mission, but of course anything is possible. I will be SO sad though if something drastic happens!!!! We´re praying that we stay together and that I stay in Eden!

Well we had a pretty good week! We have made quite a few changes both individually and as a companionship and we can truly see the Lord´s hand in the blessings we receive. We have been helping and teaching a lady named Lucimara for quite some time and this week she accepted to be baptized! Her baptism will be held on Saturday and I am so excited. She is a single parent of two darling boys and has really had a rough life but it is amazing to see the power of the Atonement work in her life and to have been able to see her conversion process. A while back we had visited her and she told us about two dreams she´d had. The first was that her two sons were dressed in shirt and ties and had black nametags; they had both become Elders and served missions! The other dream she was dressed in white and was preparing for her baptism. Me and my companion were there and I had said to her "Let´s go Lucimara! We´ll help you!" and she said "No Sisters, I´m ready, I´ll enter the water by myself." Something to that effect. ;) Anyway the spirit was really strong when she told us and it was just one more confirmation for her and for us that she is ready. It has been such a privilege to know her and to see her tremendous example for her family and friends.

On Saturday we were running around to make our appointments that kept falling in the hot sun, when we saw Luiz. He was sitting on the sidewalk reading a book and I felt like I should contact him, but I ignored the tender voice of the spirit and we kept walking. My amazing companion didn´t let us walk 5 more steps when she said, "Lets talk to that guy, I feel like we have to." Yep, that’s the spirit alright. So we started talking. He said that he was reading his second book of the day. Sister Pedroso gave him one of the pamphlets and he said "Too bad it’s kind of small." We both looked at each other and she said "Well here let me give you a bigger one!" So we gave him a Book of Mormon and he promised to read. I invited him to come to church with us the next day and he said he´d love to but "Just so you guys know, I´m atheist. BUT I´m always willing to be proven wrong!." After a few seconds of awkward silence we said "Well great then we´ll pass by at 8:15 to get you!" My first thoughts were "He is an intellectual and won´t be easy to convert but thank heavens we have the spirit on our side!" He is the first person I have met of this faith on my mission! Seriously! Sunday morning there was Luiz on the sidewalk waiting for us with his Book of Mormon in one hand and a cigarette in the other! I was so pleased to see him ready to go! The first thing he said was "Can I wear my Nirvana shirt?" hahaha! Loved it. So basically he loved church. Of course he did. Who wouldn´t? It´s nothing like anything anyone ever expects. And it´s literally IMPOSSIBLE not to feel the spirit when you´re there. He kept making comments like "It´s so calm, but not annoyingly calm ya know?" "Wow we actually learn things." During gospel principles HE was the one asking questions. One recent convert was able to relate to him and answer his questions because he used to be Atheist too! (what are the odds?) It was neat. Since yesterday was fast and testimony meeting it´s always special. The only thing that "bothered" him, for lack of a better word, was how EVERY single person said "I KNOW that the church is true....I KNOW we have a living prophet, etc." He said "How can you have an absolute certainty about something? You have to be willing to change and have an open mind!" We were able to explain about what it means to have a testimony and how it really is impossible to deny when you´ve had a personal witness from the Holy Ghost. It was SO incredible to see his intellectual side struggling and battling with the spirit that was touching his heart! We are going to meet with him again this week and I can´t wait!

Our recent convert Jonanth bore his sweet testimony yesterday too! ahh there is just nothing better. It´s impossible to explain how I feel to see a recent convert publically bear their testimony and cry about the love they feel for the Savior and his Atonement and how he wants nothing more than to serve a mission to share this wonderful message with others! QUE ORGULHO!

Well that’s about it on my end! The Lord continues to bless our tiny branch here in Eden and I am grateful. I know he loves and protects his missionaries and I am grateful!! Thank you everyone and have a wonderful week! Bjos e abraços

-Sister Peck

Loving Life in Brazil

Pancake party with our zone!
They sell lice in Brasil? lol
Biggest piece of Bacon I´ve ever seen!
Fila Unica!