July 8, 2013

Hello!

Um...this week was good. . . you just HAD to mention the 4th of July. Just a heads up, Holidays as a missionary only means that it's harder to make appointments and harder to get people to listen to you. It doesn't mean you get the day off. It doesn't even mean you get to go see members! (unless it's Christmas). So honestly, this 4th of July was less than great. The package made it better!

The main reason the 4th was bad this year, is because I had a stupid eye headache all day. It was pretty bad. It started around noon during lunch. Some members fed us these huge New York steaks and potatoes and salads and stuff. By the time I finished most of my steak, I was too sick to eat anything. Then they brought out dessert. Some kind of cake with whipped cream and heath bar stuff...I took a very small bite and it just made it worse. I am the designated driver, and since my companion wrecked the car earlier, I had to drive us around all day with a migraine.

At dinner, the family was having a barbecue outside so I went inside and lied down on the couch. People kept coming up to me and asking what's wrong and offering to help, and although there intentions were good, they only made it worse. My hearing became supersonic and I listened to every one's conversation going on outside. It was horrendous. They talked about the dumbest things. Maybe I only thought that because I didn't want to hear anything...hmmm.

After dinner, we walked around trying to talk to people. I wasn't in any condition to start preaching, so I kept my mouth shut most of the night. The missionaries in the Zone were at the church playing games and watching "the other side of Heaven" while we went home and I tried to go to bed. Perhaps my memory of last year's 4th of July made it even worse. Elder Mercy and I went to Big Bear Lake and just chilled. That was way fun! breaking rules is the best! But this year was worse for the headache reason, and because I now know better to not go to Big Bear. :) It's weird thinking that it has been a whole year since that time.

Nothing scares me more than turning 21. October is close. Another session of General Conference is close. Then it'll be 6 months and I'm home. Weird. That's still a long time, and there's a lot of work to do here. I'm keeping my focus now that my head is a little more clear. We will be having another baptism this weekend. It's a cool story. The father of the family is Mormon. He married a non member and they had twins. 9 years passed and the missionaries found two golden investigators! Their dad baptized them and missionaries started focusing on the mother. 10 months passed, and she is finally getting baptized. She started out with no testimony of anything. She has since then come to know that Jesus lives and loves her. Now, their family can be sealed for all time and eternity in about a year. Such miracles!

I have been blessed with many. I wish I could do this for the rest of my life. I love it! After my mission, I'm going to move somewhere where there is a low population of Mormons so that I might be the means of bringing those souls unto Christ. There is no better feeling. No better way to gain a testimony than to share it. I'll try to send an sd card soon. Thanks for everything! K bye!

Elder Peck