EMAIL: Mon, September 3, 2012 1:10 PM
Subject: The Harper Family
Hello Y'all!!
This last week was
pretty crazy, but it was also really great. We had a Sister's Conference on
Friday. It was great to be around and be trained with just the Sister
missionaries. I love each of them so
much. They are all such an inspiration to me as a missionary. They all have
amazing talents and abilities as missionaries, and I know that they truly bless
the areas and investigators that they serve.
Another crazy thing
happened this week. Everything was going just fine and dandy with Hnas Lopez,
Spenner, and I in our tri-panionship, when we got a surprise call from the
assistants. Hermana Spenner was emergency transferred! She had to pack her bags
that night and be ready for her new area in the morning. She didn't even get to
say goodbye to anyone! Another Spanish sister had to suddenly go home, and so
they needed a companion for the Hermana left behind. Hermana Spenner was the
lucky one. She was transferred to a great area with a great companion (Hermana
Motuliki from Tonga
I am glad for the
opportunity right now to be with Hermana Lopez. Spanish work is much different
than English work, but I love it. It is
difficult to try and split time between Spanish and English. All is going great though! Hermana Lopez is
amazing, and she is great at easily getting the members and everyone else to
love her and trust her. She has some interesting cultural differences, but I
think this is why people (especially Hispanics) feel so comfortable around her.
We are having a great time together. Hermana Lopez is working on saying her
prayers and testimony in English and I am working on doing the same in Spanish.
I am so grateful for this new experience of doing Spanish work and I know it is
helping me as a missionary!
One of the
highlights of my week has been the Harper family. We met with Rene on Tuesday
and taught about temples and information about families and parenting from the
Family Proclamation. She loved it and loves that the church is so centered
around families. Rene is progressing so
much more quickly towards baptism and her desire to learn about the gospel is
increasing now that her family is involved. I can definitely see the importance
of teaching families. I know I have been
saying this a lot lately, but the gospel truly does bless families and is a
great place for families to learn and grow together. I can see this more than
ever as I teach the Harper Family.
The son Quinlan is
so smart for an 8-year-old and I love teaching him. Hna Lopez and I taught the Word of Wisdom on
Friday. We were discussing the 5 things that the WOW tells us to avoid. I asked
Quinlan if he knew what tobacco was. He responded that "Tabasco
I have always
struggled with getting investigators to come to church, but the Harper family
is entirely the opposite case. We met Tom and taught him his first lesson right
before church one Sunday, he followed us to church, and he hasn't missed church
since. On Sunday, Rene had to leave just
after Sacrament meeting because one of her close friends was having a bridal
shower. Even though Rene was leaving,
Tom and Quinlan both stayed at church. Even Mormon families don't often do
that! We talked to Rene later in the
evening and she was so upset that she had to miss Relief Society and Gospel
Principles earlier. She was also very upset and disappointed that her friend
would have scheduled an activity on Sunday that wasn't in-line with keeping the
Sabbath Day holy and going to church. I was so happy that Rene saw the
difference in how she felt because she missed church (even though she still
went to sacrament meeting). Rene now has a great testimony of church!
I love this family
so much! I can't even describe in words
how prepared they are! I feel so
privileged that the Lord would allow me to teach such elect people. Hna Lopez and I challenged them to read the
scriptures and pray together as a family every night. We knew this would be
difficult especially because Tom is a trucker and is only home 3 night a week.
We figured that Rene would just read with Quinlan on those nights. To our
surprise, Rene has been calling Tom when it is time for scripture study and
they have been doing it together as a family over the phone! Quinlan will read
the verses and Rene and Tom will both help explain it to him. I also gave
Quinlan an easy reader BOM a couple of days ago. He is so excited to get to
know the stories in the BOM, but he also wants to keep reading in the other BOM.
This family is amazing. They already seem like Mormons, and soon they will be
after their baptism on September 22nd. Quinlan is excited because the next day
is his birthday, so he is going to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost on his
birthday. I love this family!! I hope that I will get the opportunity to
keep teaching them (even though transfers are this next week) up until their
baptism and also help out with the new member lessons after.
I am grateful to be
a missionary. I am grateful to see lives changing. I love sharing the gospel of Jesus
Christ! The Lord truly does love his
missionaries. I know that I am not teaching the Harpers due to my own credit.
It is all from the Lord that they were found and that I am led by the spirit to
teach them. I love my Heavenly Father for this! And I love this gospel!
Thanks for
everyone's love and support. I love y'all and pray all is well. Don't forget to
read your scriptures everyday. It truly does make a difference! Please pray for
the Harper family. Although everything is going well right now, I know that
temptations and difficulties will arise. They always do! We need all the help
we can get to get the Harpers baptized because they are going to be amazing
members of the LDS church. I love them so much! And I love y'all too!
Love always,
-Sister Peck
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