Today we are going to the airport to pick up a new sister who is coming in mid transfer, like I did. She is going to speak Chinese! The first sister to be called that here & 3 more will be coming next
transfer. We are also getting ASL sisters in the coming transfers. The work is growing!! But, we are picking her up with her companion & then spending the night at President's house with her. It should be a fun day!
Miracles this week?
MANNY!
So, Manny is a Jew. His wife is Chinese. She is a member. They are
awesome! So funny. We love them. The elders have been teaching Manny
since the summer but last week we asked if we could visit Sister Zohar
(in an effort to meet a lot of ward members) & ended up having an
awesome lesson with her and Manny! And we committed them to read the
Book of Mormon together. And they DID! Sunday, he came to church & he
asked us when we were coming over again. It was also funny because on
our first visit, he kept giving us food to try...like these "oatmeal
cookies" that had dates, figs, oatmeal, raisins, banana chunks and
absolutely no sugar. Also, this poppyseed "cake" that was kind of like
a cracker cause I don't think it had flour. It was ... interesting.
But, at church he said, "So, I shouldn't give you so much starch.
You'll gain weight. Next time you come, I"ll make lemon chicken." It
made me crack up!
We ended up teaching another lesson yesterday after church. He made us
homemade peanut and almond butter (my favorite!) on the spot in his
vitamix. He also had a new type of "cookie" to try...But, I liked the
almond butter! They're always making us laugh. She had an aloe plant
and was talking about how she had used it in cooking before and Manny
kept saying, "What?? Cooking? No! You use that on your SKIN. Not on
your food!" It isn't funny to read but his Jewish accent is BIEN NICE.
And they just have a cute, funny relationship. SIs Zohar told me I had
eyes that looked like cougar eyes. And Manny told me that my companion
was the genius and I was the actress. It's funny too because they
think I"m quiet. HA! I explained once you get to know me, you know I
won't stop talking!
And, it would be really, really, really great if Manny got baptized
because then they could be SEALED as a family! So, that's our goal :)
As far as Liz and Angela, Liz had the flu this week so we weren't able
to visit her. Sad face. But, hopefully we can visit them tomorrow
night. They still haven't come to church, but I think it is just
because they are so awesome that Satan is working harder on them!
Speaking of Satan working hard...our dear Sister Dillon, who was
supposed to go to the temple this Saturday, is in the HOSPITAL! She
has diabetes and her blood sugar over the weekend was 15...so, she
ended up in the emergency room. I blame it on Satan not wanting her to
make essential, crucial COVENANTS this weekend. But, we'll get her
there! I know it.
We also had exchanges this week. I was in Flushing, a super Chinese
area of Queens (supposedly it is the second most populated Chinese
area in the United States). It was really fun getting to work with
Sister Baker and seeing other areas of the mission.
I also tried Filipino food this week. We have quite a few Filipinos in
our ward and they are hilarious! We had shanghai this last week, which
is basically like an egg roll/taquito mixed. It was delicious! Better
than the Filipino balut I tried a few weeks back. Also, not sure if I
mentioned that I ate tripe two weeks ago at our member Sandy's house?
She is Haitian and served us a Haitian meal, which was also
delicious...minus the tripe. Not a huge fan of cow intestine!
We did service last week for a woman whose husband had just died at
the beginning of the week. She was a former investigator but the
elders have been doing service for her family for quite some time. We
went and helped a few days after her husband died. We cleaned her
house and the elders shoveled the driveway and walk. She called us an
"army of angels." Her husband was sick for about 3 years with a very
rare condition that basically shrinks your brain. So, his mental age
was that of a child and for almost the last year. She had to change
him, feed him, do everything like you would with a child. But, I know
there is hope that she will see him again. There is no doubt in my
mind that this life is not the end. Hopefully we can visit her soon &
share that message of hope with her. This life is not the end!
I mentioned a few weeks ago how our goal this year is known as "5/5/5"
which is 500 baptisms, 5,000 in church, and 500 recent converts/less
actives to the temple. Well, on Friday, we had MLC (mission leaders
conference) and the whole meeting was about 5/5/5 and how each zone
was doing. It was really interesting to be a part of MLC, sitting on
the council with President, the zone leaders, and the APs. I left the
meeting with a huge sense of URGENCY. We have a great work to do here!
It has been a struggle to find new investigators..for most of my whole
mission. But, finding is baptizing. If we don't find people, we don't
teach. If we don't teach, there aren't baptisms. So, we are really
trying to find new ways to find people. THe best way is through the
members, obviously. Anyway, we haven't quite figured out the HOW but
that is what our goal is...FIND FIND FIND!
So, those are the highlights of our week! The rest of it was a lot of
meetings for various things. But, hopefully we will have some temple
trips in the near future! And, I am really excited to spend time at
President's house with the new sister. What a flashback to my first
day in the mission! I remember how special I felt, going out to dinner
with President Calderwood and his family. Hopefully she will have the
same experience!
Sending lots of love!
Sister Peacock
PS
I almost forgot! I have to throw in the two pics from my exchange in
Flushing. There is a legendary crossroad in Flushing. I had to take a
pic! Kissena + Elder. Get it?
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