Wow. Suddenly we're in November ... the leaves are still colorful, but are quickly falling. The air is a lot chillier & the wind is stronger. The nights greet us at about 4:45. And, we continue working :)
So, this past week wasn't super eventful, but a few things did happen. We met all the new missionaries in our zone on Wednesday. It's super weird that I've now been here the longest. When did that happen?? Transfer 6. Wow! I hit my 7-month mark yesterday.
Do you know what happens on Halloween as a missionary? Well, we had to be in the house at 6 p.m. and then we were allowed to do things as if it were PDay. So, Hna Acosta and I pulled out a mattress, set up our 6" DVD player, popped popcorn, and watched "Ephraim's Rescue" (it's from the 17 Miracles director ... and I enjoyed it a lot). Then, we went to bed early. As in, lights off at 8:30. And I was SO EXCITED for the extra sleep. Can you tell I'm a missionary? Who would've ever pictured me asleep before 11? It was glorious.
We taught my friend again on Friday, and it is seriously such a blessing now to use Skype and Facebook. I've seen some big changes in him -- and he just looks happier. It's an awesome thing to recognize in someone you've known for 4 years! Also, cool experience ... last week, we were on FB and I noticed a woman's name that was on our branch roster. I hadn't planned to add her, but decided to send her a quick message. She was very short & not super friendly :) in her response back, but I felt prompted to ask her one more question, regarding when she was baptized. That opened up a huge conversation, and by the end of our time on FB, she said she was so glad that I had talked to her and how alone she had felt. Now, we chat multiple times a week, and I send her videos from mormonchannel that she's been watching & enjoying. It's amazing -- the blessings of technology!
Saturday we had a huge service project in our stake. We helped clean the grounds at the Veteran's Memorial Hospital. It was a great experience and the people in charge were very thankful for the help from the church. We raked a ton of leaves & it was a beautiful drive through the changing leaves, so that made it even better :)
And, yesterday the most exciting thing happened! We were headed to church when we got a phone call from our inv Isaura, who we started teaching in September. My first thought (honestly) was,"She's canceling on our appointment for this afternoon." BUT, no! She was calling to see if she could get a ride to CHURCH. What?! We were so.so.so excited about this. She's been pretty apprehensive about coming, and this was out of the blue. She came with her two little boys & was able to meet some of the Spanish members, which was also a plus. Hopefully she'll want to come again next week. YAY! Blessings!
Also, I told you last week that I'd mention more about sacrifices, right? Well, following the example of my friend Sister Schaff in Russia, I decided to give up treats/desserts for this transfer. But, it's not just to give them up, but it's to help me understand how an investigator feels when we ask them to give up coffee/tea/alcohol or other addictions. When I first read the email from Rebekah, I thought, "Um...no way I could do that!" I love baking for the district & yes, I have a sweet tooth. But, I thought...that's why I should do it. Because it would be a challenge. For sure. So, I know it will be a challenge, but I am sure it will help me understand how hard it is when we ask someone to do something. The best part came when my friend Carter that we're teaching via Skype asked me how my challenge was going. I had mentioned to him that I was going to have two cheat days (on my birthday and Thanksgiving) but he challenged me to try it for the transfer. So, I gave him a challenge about reading the Book of Mormon and he gave me one too. It's great to have support! And, it's a lot easier with members to explain why you can't have something than to just say "no." So, what do I learn? I need a PURPOSE. We all need a reason to back up what we do -- and I've found strength in thinking of our investigators too. If we ask them something, shouldn't we be willing to sacrifice as well? So, it'll be a challenge, but we'll see how it goes! :)
Anyway, love you all & always enjoy hearing from you. Missionaries really do love words from their family and friends! :)
Hermana Peacock
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