Wow, can you believe it's the end of November already? Where did that time go?

So, yes, I bought a camera. It was $100.00. It's a Nikon coolpix S3-500. Thank you for the money.

There was a little left over, so I got myself an early Christmas present. Thanks mom ;)

Our investigator Alison came to church!!! 5 weeks of nothing....worth it.

Other than that one investigator, nobody else is technically "progressing".

Alison is the only one keeping commitments. Eventually, she will be touched and gain a testimony.

Right now, when I look at her, I can tell she does not understand the Spirit. She needs to be taught a lot. It's hard because we can only meet with her once a week, and that only if she feels like it. I also feel like she doesn't have a strong desire to know if any of what we teach is true.

 

Um...I went to Taco Bell expecting great things. Boy was that the wrong idea. Haha.

I saw that they had some form of flatbread...menu item. I remember eating dozens of flatbread sandwiches before, because they were so darn good. And cheap. But this new flatbread thing was a little expensive. It was huge! But I assumed it was good because of my sweet memories of Taco Bell before my mission. I bought it. *puke* ugh gross. Good thing I had a large Mt. Dew Baja Blast to wash it down with. :)

 

Thanksgiving last year was with the Bobryks. Prob my fav fam since I've been out. So several weeks ago, we visited and talked about holiday plans. They will be gone for Chritsmas like I said before, but they would be home for Thanksgiving. So we made plans to eat there. But, the Deaf Branch has the right to feed us if they choose...which they usually don't. . . but they want to use us to teach their friends and to reactivate their less active family members...I think the only reason I'm not as happy about it as I could be, is beacuse it's not at the Bobryks. I don't mind being used for good things...but this family never feeds us. And randomly they want to feed us on Thanksgiving so we can try teaching a bunch of people. And they live really far away. They would probably be closer to a different Branch. But I am okay with it. As long as we get fed. I don't mind. Also, the Egberts, who feed us every Monday, are providing a turkey dinner tonight, so that will be good. :) 

ok, I'm done complaining and talking about food and nothing important. 

 

So,  that's about it. Talk to you next week. bye

 

Elder Peck

 

Hello,

 

I really don't have much to say this week. Sorry.

Um...I haven't really felt unaware of things going on in the world until now.

We are supposed to be set apart, so we can focus.

Now I'm very curious. I want to know things that I'm not allowed to know right now.

I don't want to break any rules, so I won't ask for anyone to tell me things, and I won't go looking for what's out there.

But I'm curious. I feel like when I come home, I will be less interested in what goes on and more focused on what my plans might be. I really don't know how I can make my emails more entertaining to read.

I suppose since yall are my parents, you have an obligation to care about what I am experiencing so anything I say is going to be somewhat interesting to you. That's comforting.

 

So, life in the Deaf Branch right now is kinda like waiting. Just floating along...until I leave. I feel like I will leave the mission from the deaf branch. Of course, I don't know for sure, but that's the feeling. Finding new deaf people to teach is hard. We get a couple referrals from other missionaries, and we see some deaf people every now and again. The members still don't trust us. We have met deaf people who are not members, but know the members of the branch...and yet we have never heard of them from the members. They will not give us referrals because they are scared they will lose a friend. We don't want their referrals until they make contact first. They have to invite, fellowship, teach, and so on. I feel like we are just someone to get the members motivated. I would think that General Conference would do that. But as good as those talks are, and as inspired as they are, the members still don't apply what they learn. What more can I do for my vineyard!?!? I do have a cool story to share...

 

I was at Walmart and on the way back to the car I saw a man walking into the store. He was thin and very tall. He had tattoos and ear piercings. I walked up to him and asked him if he would like a blessing of peace and comfort for his family. He said he would. I got his information and walked away. A few days went by, and knowing that this man "Mike" wouldn't be taught by us anyway because we only teach Deaf people, I figured it was time to hand him over to whoever might teach him. I found his number, but no address. I didn't know who's area he lived in. I decided to call him. He answered. I asked him if he would still like that blessing. He said that he did. I asked when would be the best time for us to come and leave the blessing. He said "tomorrow at 4."  ok! I asked for his address. He told me. I knew right where that was. He lived in the Arlington Heights area. The Zone Leaders' area! I called the ZLs and quickly told them about Mike and their appointment for tomorrow at 4. They were happy.

 

Sunday came and I met with the Zone Leaders shortly. I asked, "hey, so how did the blessing go?"

They said "Great! Mike and his family are getting baptized next month. They came to church today!"

 

So that was a cool story.

 

Elder Peck

Hey family!

 

Um...so like I miss Harry Potter. Elder Jackson and I were quoting Harry Potter for like 30 minutes today. It was fun. Hey Dad, remember that High Adventure at Flaming Gorge? did I spell that right? I quoted Harry Potter until all the Priests were quoting it. Hahaha! That was a really fun trip. Also, the Green River trip was very memorable, too. What a spoiled kid I was.

 

Bad news...my camera broke. I had it in my pocket, and somehow when I bent my leg getting out of the car or something and I heard a crack. I took it out later and looked at it. The display screen is busted...so I'm sending it back. With the SD cards. There are pictures on them, too. I don't know if you can fix it somehow? If not, I would like to have a new one. Sorry for the inconvenience. I know they're not cheap. BTW, during the week (before my camera broke) I had a thought of something I could do for work when I get home. Or much later...either way: I would like to take pictures for a wildlife magazine thingy. Yeah...thingy. My plan is, to first, buy a camera. Second, go hiking a lot. Third, move to Yellowstone and take a lot of pictures and hike a lot. Sounds fun to me! I love the outdoors and during my mission, I've come to love taking pictures of things. Especially landscapes and sunsets and animals when I can. Anyway, just a thought. The possibilities are endless, I know. Also, I can't just abandon the piano. I must pursue it. I also want to learn auto mechanics. Strange huh? I can't really make up my mind. Nevermind.

 

The deaf branch is going ok...since I've been back, we haven't had any investigators come to church. I'm bad luck. I don't know what else to do. The branch is praying for them when they go to the temple, too. We try everything we can do. It's getting annoying. I know there must be something to learn from this. Something or someone (me) needs to change. But how? what needs to change? Wouldn't that be easy? I was reading the book you sent me for my birthday (love it btw) and it was talking about trials and why we have them. This is a trial because of how I am reacting to it. God doesn't give us trials that won't be for our good. But those trials only come when we are worthy. Yeah. Worthy of trials. Trials are necessary for growth. It is a stretch to become like God, and stretching is difficult and often painful. But in the end, we are far more capable of great things. I'm kinda just waiting it out and keeping my mind open. Trying to be sensitive to the Spirit.

 

The Bobryks are going to be in Canada this year for Christmas...so I'm not sure where we are going to be. Thanksgiving...I'm not sure either. We could go to the Bobryks again. That would be fun. But I'm guessing someone in the Deaf Branch wants to feed us...last year that really didn't work out. Haha..I just remembered the Thanksgiving before I left. Anthony got his call that day. We were at the Beardalls and "Hairy-Bignose" said quietly "smell my bellybutton". Only Charlie and I heard it, and I couldn't stop laughing. At that time, I was working at the Post Office, I had work that evening infact. So my sleeping pattern was off, and hearing something like that in the middle of a massive meal is not easily ignored. I could not stop laughing. Do you remember?? It was funny.

 

Anyway, I gotta go. Thanks for emailing and such. I would like a letter from the girls. that would be nice. I know they can make me laugh. Laughing is the best. I'll try sending the camera with the digital picture frame, too since I can't use it. sorry for being not responsible for my things. I'll pay you back?

 

♥/Elder Brian Ross Peck

♪California Riverside Mission♫

Wow, October flew by faster than September. Which was faster than August. It's getting kinda scary how fast time goes by. In the scriptures...not sure where, it mentions a "shortening of days". I'm pretty sure it's talking about these last days. They are getting shorter and shorter. 

 

So, today I got a letter and found out that one of my friends is married and having a kid next year. I was shocked. I knew he would be getting married soon, but a BABY?!?!? I'm so glad I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff right now. And I wont have to...for a long time. :) Ok so maybe like 5 years? or less? idk. Life...*sigh*. 

 

 Being a missionary right now is very exciting. I'm kinda sad because I will not be involved with "normal" missionary work for the last 6 months of my mission. 

In the Deaf Branch, it's different. It's like we are the exception to everything. We have permission to do a lot of things that other missionaries simply cannot do. I won't go into details about that but it's fun sometimes. Being in the Branch sorta excludes me from the regular life of a missionary. So I won't get to experience the same things as other missionaries. I guess I'm happy about that. 

 

I can say that my mission was truly unique. So can everyone...but mine is more unique hahaha! How many missionaries can say that they served a sign language mission? Probably less than 2% of all the missionaries. Just a guess...? So I feel special. Yay.

 

I sent a letter to you people. Enclosed is a letter to Gma. I'm guessing the words are much too small for her eyes to read, so someone will have to read it to her. Thanks.

 

♥/Elder Peck

 

P.S. I'm not really growing a beard. ;)