school supplies?

Well,

It's August. I couldn't believe when we went grocery shopping at
Target today that all the school supplies are back! Sister Montgomery
and I both said how we love them. But, how can it be turning that time
already? As I've said with other months, July just flew!

This week, we had two exchanges, a joint MLC with the north mission
leaders, and a BOMB lesson with M, our investigator. She's lovely :)
But, starting at the top of the list .. our two exchanges. Sister
Pieper, who is now serving in Hampton Bays, came to Plainview with me
:) We had a great time and I always learn so much from her. We were in
the same zone for 4 transfers, and I remember when she started her
mission. She said I remind her of her older sister, so she was excited
to go on the exchange. She said it felt like visiting "home." :) We
were able to stop by an investigator Sister Hale and I began teaching
last summer who lives in Hampton Bays. It was such a blessing to see
Laura! She is receiving lessons again and has started reading the Book
of Mormon, which she struggled with last summer. It was amazing to
feel that immediate love come flooding back the moment I saw her.

On Friday, we had a joint MLC. So, the mission leaders from the north
mission joined us on our side. I felt like I learned so much and
received personal revelation, and also felt the Spirit telling me what
i Needed to improve and change to be a better, more obedient
missionary. It was also interesting to be with President & Sister
Morgan (from the north mission). I learned from them also, but I
definitely have a testimony that we are called to a mission for our
mission president. One of the things I learned at MLC was about the
gospel of Jesus Christ, which we always talk about.

See, we can define the gospel of Jesus Christ  (faith, repentance,
baptism, etc.) but HOW is the Gospel of Jesus Christ defining us? How
is it changing us? We need to let others see it defining us. What can
others see as they are around me? Do I follow promptings? Do I testify
frequently about realtime repentance? Am I different because of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ? We talk often about what is known as #realtime
in our mission ... #realtime conversations and communication (meaning
we use our ipads to talk with our leaders and be accountable),
#realtime planning (planning throughout the day), and #realtime
repentance. I have a testimony of realtime repentance that is getting
deeper roots everyday. I know when we repent #realtime, we receive
immediate blessings, immediate peace, and immediate forgiveness. This
is one thing I've definitely come to to know here. We don't have to
wait and wait to repent. Do it the instant you know you've done wrong.
And you receive forgiveness.

So, the MLC was great and I ran into an old friend from SUU who is a
zone leader in the north mission. I also sat next to an STL there that
was serving in a YSA ward at Christmastime and guess who her bishop
was? Kyle Poll. She said she loved spending Christmas at Emily and
Kyle's house :)

We also had a bomb lesson with our investigator. Every time we meet, I
am more and more convinced that she is not atheist. She prays every
time we are there, and is praying on her own now. In the last lesson,
she prayed and said, "Thank you for being there." Her heart is
softening. We are praying that she will have the desire to be
baptized. We love her!

Other than that, we've been doing the usual ... trying to find new
people to teach, going to leaders' meetings, and waking up feeling
like we never even slept (I heard about this at the beginning of my
mission from older missionaries ... it's true! You get exhausted and
you FEEL the exhaustion!). But, life is great. I am so happy. I have
never been happier. Even with the exhaustion and the struggles, I have
never been happy as I have been as a missionary. So grateful I still
have two months to do all I can for the people in New York and for my
Heavenly Father!

I love you all!
Oh, and I hope mom had a happy birthday yesterday and HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to Jen today!
Love,
Sister Peacock