Email dated Feb 27, 2012 at 10:29 AM

Subject: first weeks in Grand Prairie

I am glad that you received my first letter and package.  I was kinda frustrated last week not being able to email because I had a lot that I wanted to tell y'all as soon as I could, but hopefully the letter covered most of it.  This last week has been pretty busy, and the library doesn't give us much time to be on the computers, so hopefully I can get through the most important things.

On Thursday we had a Zone Conference and our speaker was Elder Duncan of the Quorum of the Seventy.  It was pretty awesome! He talked about seeing a "vision" of how our mission will be in the future (temples, stakes...) and doing our best as missionaries to help the TDM achieve the potential that the Lord has for it. The Lord will show us want he wants to happen and who has been prepared if we will but ask.  The conference was also awesome because we got to catch up with our MTC Elders. Sister Cole and I talked to them every moment we could and got to see how everyone is doing.  They are all great, though we all are kinda sad because we obviously don't see each other as often as we did in the MTC.  Elder Azure is still here on the mission which is so great!!  When I was talking to him he told me that I am the reason and the inspiration for him staying.  Elder Azure said it was thanks to me that he made it out here on a mission.  He says that even though I may not feel like Dallas is the best place and time for me, he knows that I was sent here at the right time and the right place so that I could influence him to keep serving his mission. so cool!! I really didn't feel like I had helped him out that much because he already has such a strong testimony and just needed to see it, but I was grateful that I maybe played a small part in helping him because that was a big focus of what i did at the MTC.  I am so glad he is still here and I know we will be best friends forever.  Elder Azure is Native American, so he totally promised to give me an Indian name when he becomes a grandpa and gets the right to!! haha- it will be the best!

Saturday we had our first baptism!! Super awesome. Her name is Zubeeda Holman and she is from Trinidad. The baptism was great and so full of the spirit.  It was a lot more simple than any of the baptisms we have ever had in the family, but I think that made it even better. She got confirmed with the Holy Ghost yesterday, which was also a great experience. I feel so grateful to have been a part of her teaching and baptism, especially so early in my mission because it makes me even more excited to do more and spread the gospel.

The work in Grand Prairie is going pretty well.  We have a few investigators and are hoping this week to find a bunch more to increase our teaching pool and find those that have truly been prepared instead of just those who are inviting us back again to be nice or even to try and get us off of their doorstep.

I am loving both of my companions. Sister Heaton is a great trainer and good at giving advice on what I can improve on and fix. she is great at working through problems and helping resolve issues whether in our companionship or with investigators. Sister Cole is doing great at becoming more comfortable with talking to everyone, which is awesome to see. She is also great because she keeps us all happy and getting along. She is the sense of humor in our companionship. I love them both and we get along pretty much all of the time!

Everything seems to be going well. I love just having time set aside everyday to really study and learn more about Christ and his true Gospel.  It is such a great blessing to be serving the Lord 24/7 and be focused only on that. I love being a missionary so much now and know that feeling will only increase as I continue to serve and love the people of the TDM! It is great being a missionary and the time is already going by so so fast! crazy.  It has barely been a month!!

I love getting all of your letters. I got one from Aunt Shauna a couple of days ago, a wedding announcement from Brooke Hammer, and a letter from Dad all in this past week. Thank you all so much. I will try to write back any letter I get, but never have much time even on Preparation Days.

I love you all and hope that everything is going okay back at home. Thanks for everything especially all of the support and love!!!

-Sister Peck

Letter dated February 20, 2012 (received February 24, 2012)


Hey Y'all.  Hopefully you get this letter pretty soon.  It is President's Day, so the libraries are closed and my trainer wouldn't allow us to go to a member's home to email because it is against the missionary handbook.  So yep.  Hopefully you get this before next week's email or else you may be really confused and worried.  You should have gotten another letter from me that I wrote when we arrived in Dallas.  We are not ever supposed to write besides on Preparation Day, but they let us write February 13th to let you know we arrived safely.  We didn't know anything at that point, so I've got a lot to update y'all on.  There's some very exciting stuff.


First off, I did get my suitcase and Valentine's day package when I arrived.  I also got a letter from Aunt Karen too.  Thanks so much!  Yesterday I also received a letter from Dad and also the emails Mom printed for met that Connor last wrote.  I was pretty surprised to get mail since I hadn't been able to get y'all my address yet.  It is always good to get mail and hear about the family.  Thanks!  Dad asked tons of questions in his letter, so I'll try to answer them all and update everything that's going on here.


So I arrived in Dallas at 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 13th.  President and Sister Durrant picked us up and the three of us Sisters rode back to the ward with them.  On the way, President started speaking to me in Spanish and said he heard that I speak Spanish well.  We talked for a little in Spanish and he said not to be surprised if one day I get changed to Spanish-speaking.  As much as I originally wanted to speak Spanish, I now am really enjoying English because I don't have to worry about a language and I can speak straight through the Spirit.  I guess we will see what happens.  That night, we all got split up to do some missionary work with experienced missionaries.  I went tracting with a Sister Walker and then we had a lesson on the Restoration with a part-member family.  I committed the Dad to baptism at the end of the lesson and Sister Walker set the date.  Pretty awesome!  Sister Cole, Spencer and I stayed the night at a member's home and she fed us the famous Blue Bell ice cream brand which is actually really delicious.


Wednesday we had a couple more orientation meetings.  They had all of the new trainers there and President Durrant had them each introduce themselves.  President said he really believes that we would know when our trainer introduced themselves.  One of the trainers, Sister Heaton, introduced herself and said she really likes purple - as is in she wears it EVERY day.  I totally thought that she might be my trainer, but Sister Cole (my MTC companion) leaned over and said she felt that Sister Heaton would be her trainer, so then I really didn't know.  President had us all stand up front and then our trainer would be told to us (the trainers have no idea either who their comp. is).  President told Sister Heaton to start walking to the front.  Sister Cole and I were standing right next to each other.  When Sister Heaton got close to us, President Durrant said, "Sister Heaton, meet your two new companions!"  Totally crazy!!  Sister Cole and I are both being trained by Sister Heaton, which is pretty much unheard of to have 2 trainees to 1 trainer.  It totally makes sense though because we both thought Sister Heaton would be our comp. and neither of us felt like we were going to be leaving each other.  It is pretty awesome to still be with Sister Cole and we both really like Sister Heaton.  Everybody meets in the parking lot after to transfer luggage and meet, so that is where they got pics of me to put on Facebook.  Sister Heaton is the really tall, brown hair one like Dad guessed and Sister Coloe is the short, blonde hair one in one of the pics.  It is funny because we are all different heights and we all have different hair colors.


Our area is Grand Prairie.  Apparently, it is pretty much the ghetto of the Texas Dallas Mission (besides Oakcliff, but I guess that city is more just the gang and homeless person place).  The people in GP are very poor, but very giving.  I guess there are a few people that have decent money, although no one is super rich.  The house that we live in is part of a member's (the Harshaws) home.  We actually live in a small apartment above the garage and I haven't even met the family yet.  It is a one bedroom and bath apartment with a small kitchen and a short closet that is very squished and I can't even stand up in it.  We had to squish another bed in it (which is a funny story because it made us a couple hours late for curfew on on very first night and many of the members know about it).  The apartment is super nasty, dirty though.  There is more mold in this shower than I have ever seen, I have no idea when the floors were vacuumed last, and plus all sorts of other dirtyness.  So guess what I am going to be doing the rest of Preparation Day - CLEANING!  I bought a bunch of cleaning supplies today too because all they have here is a broom and Windex.  It is going to be so much fun!  Yuck!  Even better, when I first walked into the apartment, there was raccoon poop all over our doorstep and the previous Sisters had left a cockroach trapped under some bowls because they didn't have time to kill it before having to be to transfer meeting.  Bad first impression, but it is getting better.  I haven't seen any other cockroaches yet and Sister Heaton promised that was the first one she saw in our apartment, plus I get to clean all afternoon so I will be able to live in here more comfortably than I am right now.


The Grand Prairie area is right on the edge of the Texas Dallas Mission and if we cross over into Arlington, we are out of our mission.  We have done that accidentally a few times since our map isn't the best and is very much falling apart.  We are in charge of 2 wards here:  Grand Prairie 1st and 2nd.  The ward building is on 2010 S. Carrier Parkway if you want to Google it.  So we had a long time with church yesterday though it wasn't too bad and we actually had 3 investigators come and 2 converts that were baptized last Saturday.


Guess what?  We already have a baptism for this Saturday.  Her name is Zubeeda Holman.  She is from Trinidad, is 49, and always likes to say, "Yeesss Sisstah" or "Nnooo Sisstahs" when we teach her.  It is pretty funny because we'll teach her something and she wont' agree, but she will end up calling us the next day to tell us that she now believes it is true and asking us to come back.  Obviously she was being taught before I arrived, but we finished the lessons, got her interviewed, and are now setting up the baptism!  Pretty exciting and awesome!  I'm so excited for her baptism!  Sister Cole and I committed 3 other people to baptism this week, so hopefully all will go well with the lessons and we will have some more baptisms soon.


The work is going great!  I am really liking G.P.  There are some of the greatest member that go teaching with us.  Almost all are old ladies with deep Southern accents.  You gotta love it.  Everyone is so hospitable and we have dinners with members pretty much every night (besides Mondays) and I am going to get so fat.  We've had real BBQ at "Outlaws," enchiladas, and Chicken Pillows (Yummy!).  Real good food.  I love the members and we have met some pretty crazy members too.  It's all great!  I love the companions and love the area!  Pretty exciting stuff that is going on around here.  Hopefully I can email next week so it'll come faster.


Love Y'all,


Sister Peck






Letter dated February 13, 2012 (received February 24, 2012)


Family -


So I am now in Texas.  We landed a couple of hours ago, have done some orientation and are now taking a little break at President Durrant's home.  President and Sister Durrant are very awesome and seem like the nicest people ever.  I am so excited to be serving with them while I am here.  President is SUPER tall with huge hands, but is already amazing and says he loves his missionaries "this much" with his arms fully outstretched.  Pretty Awesome Guy!


We couldn't even see when we landed in Dallas because it was so foggy.  The weather is kinda rainy and overcast today, but apparently will be up to 71 degrees on Wednesday.  Everyone keeps saying that we are going to be hot, hot, in the summer and I definitely believe them.  It is still very surreal that I am here on a mission, but I'll probably get over that pretty quick since we are going out tracting right after this.  It should be great.


Tonight we are going to be staying at a member's home and then head back early for more orientation meetings.  We don't yet know who our companions are or where we will be serving, but we get to find that out around 10 a.m. tomorrow.  I will be able to email you all of the new information on Monday, next week.  Thanks for sending the Valentine's package and my other suitcase.  They had both of them waiting for me when we met up for the first meeting.  Thanks so much!


I am super excited to be here and start teaching actual investigators.  I am ready to work hard, be obedient, and love the people of Dallas.  My life for the next 18 months has now begun and it is very awesome.  I really just can't even express how awesome this is going to be and how excited I am to be here as a missionary.  I know I am at the right place, at the right time.


We rode from the airport with President Durrant and I had a nice conversation with him in Spanish.  Pretty funny because he asked if I could speak it and I said that I could just a little.  He just went off and we talked in Spanish for awhile.  I told him I understand a bit of Spanish, but I feel really uncomfortable speaking it.  President ended up saying that it is possible that he may switch me to Spanish eventually.  I actually hope I stay English because then I can really express myself and not be worried about speaking a language correctly.  I guess we will see what happens.


Well, I will talk to you guys on Monday and update you on everything that is happening.  By then, I will have a new companion, address, and so much more.  Exciting!


I love this church!  I can't wait to share the Gospel.  Don't forget to always pray and read the Book of Mormon because that is what will truly help each and every person in their lives!


~Sister McKie Peck


P.S. - Thanks so much Dad for coming to see me off at the airport and bringing me things.  I love you and appreciate it so much!

February 14, 2012

Pictures of Sister Mc 

from the Texas Dallas Mission 

Transfer Day Facebook page.

Elder Azure is the big guy in the gray suit

Her new companion?

Mc with Sister Cole, her MTC companion

February 13, 2012

Sister Mc

at the airport

the morning she

flew out to the

Texas Dallas Mission.

Her flight was delayed

by an hour and so

it gave us some
extra time to

spend together!

Email from the MTC received February 8, 2012:


2nd Week at the MTC



Hey All-
So i have come to the end of my second week at the MTC.  It has been good with all the great devotionals, but I do tend to get a little bored in class still. I decided that I am going to try and challenge myself more to get deeper into the doctrine and stay entertained. I know it is important to learn the basics because that is waht we will teach time and again to the investigators, but I want to build my testimony too because a missionary can only convert someone as far as their own conversion.

Yesterday was an awesome devotional where Brother Edgley from the presiding bishopric and his wife spole.  The sisters and I got to sing in the choir!!!  We were seated so perfectly that apparently it showed us every time they zoomed onto the director.  The Elders also told us after that they had at least 4-5 close-ups on sister Cole and I.  She keeps joking that we are famous now.  Cool stuff though!  And it was great to sing with the missionaries- even though they are not all that great, but everyone one of them sings with passion because they are excited about what we are doing.

Went to the temple this morning for the last time. Who knows when or if I will ever get to go in Dallas.  Hopefully so, because I love the temple so much and learned so much in the endowment session this morning because I really opened myself up to wanting to learn or understand something new because I was starting to feel like it was very repetitious from all the times I have gone. Maybe that is just where I am in my life right now- everything seems to be a repetition.  That just means I need to work harder to teach myself but also opening up myself more to be taught by the spirit.

I am so excited to be heading out of the MTC soon!!!  In 5 days I will be in Dallas!!!!!!!!!  Can't wait because I am excited to start teaching real investigators although that might also be a scary experience because they will be rejecting me for reals and might not be as kind as the MTC actors.  I guess it will be an experience! And I am excited to have all those experiences.  I am also exicted to be around the Texans, their hospitality, and their awesome accent.  

Thanks to everyone that has written me!!! I love getting letters and knowing about what is happening back home.  Thanks especially for all of the prayers for Elder Azure that I wrote about last week.  He is doing a lot better, but it is so easy for any of us to be discouraged here in the MTC because we feel unprepared. I let Azure know that my family has been praying for him and has put his name in the temple (thanks gma and Karen!!!) and he wants to thank you all He is grateful for the prayers and knows that they have been helping him becuase he doesn't think he could have progressed past last week without help from everyone else.  Thanks so much!!!

Don't have much time left, so I will just tell you all that I love you!! Thanks for everything that you all have done for me. I am so grateful to be on a mission!!  Look forward to me sending some pics home after I leave the MTC :)

Love you all, best of luck to everyone and remember that I pray for you all- so let me know if there is something I can do, please.


- Love,
 Sister McKie Peck

Letter dated Sunday, February 5, 2012 and received February 8, 2012


The MTC Experience


Dear Family -


Thanks for the package with all the stuff in it!!  The food and snacks will definitely help since they feed us at random times and I don't feel like I am getting enough protein - just a lot of carbs from all the breads, pastas, etc.  The food is decent enough though, although nothing is too remarkable.


The 30 minutes given on P-Day is not near enough time to write everything I want in a letter. One of the things I forgot to write about was the 50th Anniversary of the MTC.  It was a very special occasion and I feel very blessed to have been here at the Provo MTC this week of all the times I could have been called to participate in such an event.  The Sisters in my District and I had all practiced to be in the choir that night.  We even showed up over a 1/2 hour early to the practice that night, but only Sister Barnhill made it in to the choir.  Sister Cole, Sister Love, and I were just a few people too late and so we started waiting in the line just to get seats in the gym, but we were too far back in that line as well.  They had many visitors to the devotional like past Mission Presidents, teachers, etc, plus all the current Branch Presidents, etc, so most of the current missionaries had to sit in the overflow like I did.  The devotional was still pretty amazing.  Elder Russell M. Nelson and Jeffrey R. Holland both came and spoke and they also had many members from the Quorum of the Seventies there.  I am still just amazed that I could be here at the such a time as this because there are so many missionaries that arrived a day too late or departed a few days too early or are in the England MTC like Holli instead of here.  Pretty Awesome Stuff!


I hate to be pessimistic, but I am not enjoying the MTC all that much right now.  Don't get me wrong, I love my District (most of the time), I love my companion, I love all the cool devotionals, but honestly, I am BORED.  The classed just tend to drag on and be very repetitious.  I love the teachers that I have, but I am tired of going over the same things.  I understand that some people need more time to learn and retain the information and this material is very important to us as missionaries, but I kinda feel like I am back in 12-year-old Sunday School class.  I want to learn more.  I want to be challenged.  At least I could be happy with some more personal study time and not some many class "review" sessions.  There are only five lessons we need to learn and yet we have barely made it through the first two lessons.  At this rate, we probably won't even make it through the next three before we leave.  I am trying to be understanding and patient, but I am just bored out of my mind with learning doctrine that I have known since I was a little kid.


The other thing is that I have become the "know-it-all" for the class.  I am not trying to show off and in fact try to stay quiet for much of the time, but it is too hard not to point out a scripture or doctrine when everyone else is either searching for the answer or arguing over it.  It is not even that I know scripture references that well, it is just that most of the answers and doctrines are found in the scripture mastery they teach back in Seminary which no one else seems to remember.  I don't really hate being smart or at least having a pretty solid understanding of the gospel, but I am just getting tires of the mocking, "Oh, Sister Peck will know that answer to that" type of comments.  It even causes people sometimes to feel intimidated to be paired with me for role playing.  I tend to always have other scriptures they could have used better but letting them know what they could change tends to make everyone discouraged or disappointed in themselves which I am trying hard not to do because the MTC does that easily enough just being here.


I guess there is not much I can do to fix my reputation at this point or to make the MTC less boring.  I just pray for guidance and am just totally excited to be leaving in less than 10 days!  I can't believe how fast the time has gone, but at the same time, I am glad the time going by so fast.  If it blink too much it will already be next Sunday and I will be packed to get on a bus and head to the airport at 5 a.m. the next morning. I can barely believe I will be arriving in Texas right around noon the next Monday, February 13th.  I am so pumped and excited to let the real missionary work begin!!!  It is going to be an awesome experience and being in the field will teach me so much more and increase the spirit (as well as the difficulties) at least 10 times more than here at the MTC.  It is going to be great!


Even though I find the MTC boring, I have already grown a lot and fell like such a different person that I was two weeks ago.  The spirit here is crazy strong.  Everyone is so happy and friendly all the time - well, not all the time because Satan has a strong hand in discouragement and worthlessness here too.  But when you walk outside, everyone is smiling, saying "hello" and just so filled with the light of Christ.  My companion, Sister Cole, is so much like this.  She is so awesome and uplifting almost all of the time and always giving everyone else compliments.  I love being around her and am so grateful she is my comp of everyone else that I could've ended up with.  I am also glad that we are going to Dallas together and totally plan on seeing here on the plane ride home in 18 months, if not sooner.  ha ha


We have so many good Elders in the District, even though sometimes it is hard to deal with them when they act immature and like young boys.  They are all going to be great missionaries though because I cal already see how much they have grown and progressed in just the last 10 days.  I can easily understand how Connor grew and progressed and so quickly to become a true representative of the Lord and Jesus Christ.  It is amazing and truly a miracle how focusing one's life on Christ and feeling the spirit more readily can truly change a person to be better, stronger and more of an example to other people.


I know that the LDS Church is true and that the way was prepared so carefully so that Joseph Smith could restore the gospel just as it was during Christ's ministry and previous dispensations.  I know that our Heavenly Father loves each of us individually and wants to help us return to live with Him.  That is why He sacrificed His only Son, so that we could each repent and come unto Him.  Our Savior, Jesus Christ, was willing to suffer for each of us, no matter what we have done and I am excited to be a missionary and share that message.  Everyone can repent and Christ will help you do that.  Our Savior descended below all things so that each of us can come unto Him if we are willing to reach for His had to pull us from our sins, despair, sickness and weakness.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the only way we can be saved!  I urge everyone to repent because it is the only way to fully come unto Christ and it is the only way to find true happiness.


I love you all and hope with constant prayer that everything is going alright.  If things aren't going okay, please turn to the Savior for help because He knows how each of us is feeling and can help you no matter the situation.  I promise and know that this is true!!  Hold on the way and keep pressing forward in Christ.


I LOVE YOU!!


-Sister McKie Peck




(McKie asked her Mom to email the following to Brother Bartholomew who was an Church Institute instructor of hers):


Brother Bartholomew -


I just want to thank you again for the great Institute class last semester on Christian History.  There are so many missionaries that don't even know about the apostasy or why it happened.  I feel so much more prepared to answer investigator's questions and concerns on the true need for a restoration.  The class made me so much more appreciative of Joseph Smith and all he did.  I had a cool experience teaching an investigator here in the MTC the other day (not sure if she was an actor, recent convert or true investigator).  She was a firm believer in the Bible.  By properly telling about the apostasy and the exact same qualities between the Restored Church and the church organization when Christ was on the earth, my companion and I were able to commit her to read the Book of Mormon, ponder it and pray.  We even got her to say the prayer at the end of the lesson, which was so sweet and sincere.  I know things will probably be much tougher in the field, but I have so much more confidence especially about the need for a restoration since your class.  Thank you for what you and the spirit taught me!


With love,


Sister McKie Peck

February 1, 2012


First Week at the MTC




Not much to tell since the letter where I talked about most of the stuff that relates to the cool connections that I have made with people and Connor here at the MTC.  Yesterday I did meet Connor's teacher, Brother Hepworth.  I asked him if he remembered Elder Peck that was tall, brown hair, and came through a couple of months ago.  All he said was "how could I forget him."  haha I thought that was pretty funny.  Connor was definitley in the classroom right next door to my class and was in my branch which is pretty awesome.


One of the Elders in our district has been having a really tough time- he is not sure if he is supposed to be here on a mission and he doesn't feel like he is prepared in the way that he needs to be.  Please pray for Elder Azure if you remember because he really needs it.  I feel a deep kinship with him because this is exactly how I was feeling before my mission. He really does have the strongest and sweetest testimony and has been a great example to all of my district so far.  We have all been fasting for him today because Satan is really discouraging him.  His trials have broughtr us a lot closer as a district and made us more conscious of our companionships and those around us.


I am actually enjoying the MTC quite a bit.  The classes tend to be a tad bit repetative, but I am learning so much and my testimony has already grown leaps and bounds.  It is great to have the Holy Ghost with me so often.  I love my companion and all the other members in our district.  They are the best!!!


I love you all and pray for you continually.  Thanks for all the support everyone has given me over the past couple of months.
Write me!!!


Love- Sister McKie Peck

January 28 & 29, 2012


Dearest Family -


So I wanted to tell you about some interesting things in the MTC.  On Thursday night, I met my Branch President.  His name is President Mickelson.  Come to find out, he is from Idaho Falls.  He doesn't know Solveigh Querry specifically, but the are probably related since both are from Idaho.  The cool thing though is that he knows Connor's District Leader from the MTC, Elder Mickelson.  The Pres. is Elder Mickelson's Dad's uncle.  Even cooler...Connor was apparently even in the same branch as me.  President Mickelson became Connor's Branch President for the last Sunday Connor was here.  My teacher, Brother Marlowe, said that he remembers the Elders going to the Marshall Islands being in the classroom right next door to mine.  I have class in 8M-333, the George Q. Cannon building and my District is 34A.  Pretty cool stuff!  


I will try and email Connor about this when I have my prep day.  The time I have to email will be on Wednesdays while I am scheduled to do laundry starting around 12:30.


Another cool thing happened.  On a Saturday morning at breakfast, my comp, Sister Cole (so cool by the way - I LOVE HER!) overheard a senior couple talking about the Marshall Islands.  I went over and this couple is actually headed for the MI in a couple of weeks.  They, in turn, introduced me to an Elder Dick that arrived in the MTC the same day that I did.  Elder Dick is from the MI and he is headed to the Texas Fort Worth Mission.  I asked if he remembered Connor Peck, but he wasn't sure.  I then asked if he remembered Elder BakBak and he actually met Connor in Majuro just before he came to the MTC.  SO AWESOME!!  The senior couple took a picture of me, Sister Cole and Elder Dick to hopefully show Connor when they arrive in the MTC!  AMAZING!  It is pretty crazy how small of a community the Church really is, especially when looked at through the eyes of one in a few thousand missionaries compared to the world.


Saturday was also the first time we got mail.  I got a letter from Tom and I also got a package from Connor!!  He sent it to me in the hopes that I would get it before leaving the MTC.  I had his left over stamps since he can't use those.  He also sent me a handmade (from a Marshall Islands member) woven scripture case out of some reeds or something.  It has "Yokwe" woven into it in black and fits on my Bible.  I will have to send you a picture of it.  It is pretty legit and I am so glad he sent it to me!


The MTC is actually going very well.  My district is actually all very mature, especially for having 19-year old boys.  We are all getting along very well and I think that is the best part about the MTC.  The Spirit in our classroom is so strong and it is amazing how much I feel I have already grown in the Spirit is just a few days!  I am so excited to get out in the field and teach "real" people.  So far, we have just been teaching "investigators" that are our teachers.  Starting Tuesday, we will do TRC, which is teaching progressing investigators, less actives and referrals.  These people will possibly be "true" investigators or recent converts.  Only a few of them are hired teachers and trainers, but we don't ever know when going in to teach if they are real or just acting out legit stories,


As I mentioned before, I really love my comp, Sister Cole.  We get along so well and have many similar tastes in personalities.  We are able to build from each other a lot and I am really glad for her spirit and constant companionship.  As much as I enjoy the other sisters in my district, Sister Cole and I definitely are the better match for each other.


I am already called as the pianist in our Branch.  We are only two Districts right now and the other District is has Elders that are leaving this week.  We are getting 2 new Districts this week (all Elders again for now) and one is stateside Elders and the others are all going to Armenia.


I am really enjoying having Allison Querry here because she is kinda acting as a guide to what is going on since there are no other sisters to help.  She warns us about cleaning checks, best shower times, when to get to places and devotionals, etc.  It is very helpful.  


Overall, things are going very well here and I am enjoying my time here, although it would be nice to sleep more.  I hate to say that I don't miss you guys, but I am having an awesome time and learning so much!


I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!  I am so grateful to be a missionary and be out on this new adventure.  I love the gospel so much and I also love to teach it!!


With love and prayers -


Sister McKie Peck