my life. my loves. my ramblings.

Hello my dearest family and friends!

Well, the biggest news of this week is that ELIZABETH PRZYBOROWSKA (yes, I just wrote that without checking the spelling! sorry, proud moment) was baptized on Friday night. In the ocean. To answer Becky's question, yes, we do have fonts here, but most people prefer the ocean. I don't know why, but it sure makes for some great pictures! :) She was smiling and when Sister Hale asked if she was excited, she said, "Yes, I've been waiting for this for four months." That was neat because that's when we started teaching her originally, not when we picked her back up the beginning of August. So many miracles though! The water was warm and calm; the weather was beautiful. And her father-in-law (who is Muslim) came. Her husband didn't come and neither did the children, which made her sad, but she felt the love of our branch family.

On Sunday, she was confirmed and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. Before my mission, I never quite realized how excited I would be to see someone receive that gift or what it meant in my life. But, I CAN see it now. I can see how it directs my life and my choices and just the overall comfort I receive. I am so grateful that Elizabeth will be able to have that blessing. The next thing is to prepare her to do baptisms for the dead in the temple! Woohoo :)

We also met a really sweet young mom while knocking doors. She is Spanish; her husband is English and they have two adorable children. She wants to know more about the church and we are really praying that we can meet with her again this week! It was exciting to actually be invited in to a house! Hehe.

This week we helped at a senior center picnic ... um so much fun! We help every week, but we have really gotten to know the people there now and they love us :) I had to get a picture with Charlie. And then, I spotted a few older ladies playing of all games ... Mah Jong! Oh, Zach and Jenni...you be so proud. They were shocked that I, a young person, knew of the game, let alone how to play it! They played it a little differently, which was confusing, but it was still a flashback of Christmas time with you. And I was teaching Elder Baker how to play too.

Friday was our Zone Training Meeting so I got to see Sister Sandberg again! Always fun. We had an amazing discussion with our zone about the Atonement. It has never hit me so hard that just as we are forgiven with the Atonement, we must use the Atonement to forgive others. I know that the Atonement is the power to see others as God sees them -- to forgive others. To be healed. To be whole. It is so prideful to reject the Atonement. In reality, Christ suffered for EVERYTHING that makes us not like the Father. And whether or not we utilize the Atonement, He has already paid the price. The gift is there to take; we just have to do our part.

It was Branch Conference yesterday and I really learned so much from our stake president, President Hardman. At one point in his life, he was an Atheist and an Anti-Mormon. Now he is so strong and really knows the doctrine. He is inspiring! But here are some of the key things I learned yesterday:

--Results are the Lord's but the action is ours. (Important to remember in missionary work! We had a goal of visiting about 8 people yesterday after church and though only one was home, we did our part in calling and stopping to their homes).
--If you want power in your calling, you cannot deviate from the manual. (This was directed at the leaders and the manuals of the church, but applied to missionaries, I thought of our missionary handbook and Sis Hale thought of Preach My Gospel. We have been given the tools to use and we will be "endowed with power from on high" if we live true to those resources.)

He also gave this awesome object lesson involving power, lightbulbs, and Priesthood power. We have to be "tapped in" to the source and plugged in to receive the light. If we sin, we break the connection. Obedience is the cord that connects us to the light. I wish I could explain it better, but alas.

Okay, one last thing. I was reading over the lyrics to hymn #185 yesterday and I loved this verse:

"At the throne, I intercede;
For thee ever do I plead.
I have loved thee as a friend
With a love that cannot end."

Isn't that beautiful? The words plead and friend stuck out to me. Christ is our advocate with the Father. Please use Him in your life. Let Him in. Your life WILL be better.

until next week (and a new transfer!),

sister peacock

Me and Charlie at the senior center