EMAIL: Mon, December 24, 2012       1:29 PM

Subject:  Merry Christmas!

I hope that y'all are having a great December. For me, this month has been full of miracles. I feel so blessed!

On Saturday I had 2 baptisms! The first was Hanna that I taught while back in Rowlett. She is so sweet and already has a strong testimony of the gospel. The second baptism was Gina that I have been teaching in Sachse. She was so nervous to be baptized but was so happy afterward. Both of these amazing girls are a great example to their families. They are so willing to share the gospel, especially with their mothers, and I know that their examples will bless the rest of their families.

I can't believe that Christmas is already here. I remember the anticipation I felt last Christmas while I was preparing to serve my mission. Now I am here and the time is flying by so fast. I am so excited to share the gospel with others this Christmas season. What a great time to find families and help them know even more about Jesus Christ.

I love y'all so much. I hope y'all have a Merry Christmas. Most of all I wish that all y'all will take some time to remember the Savior this holiday season. I have been reading the gospels in the bible in the month of December, and it always amazes me how much how Heavenly Father is willing to bless us and give us according to our faith. I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I love the miracles He performed when He lived on the earth and the miracles He still performs today. I love reading the scriptures because they provide answers to prayers and really help you understand Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary. I love sharing the gospel! I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ!

Love Always- Sister Peck

EMAIL: Mon, December 17, 2012       12:27 PM

Subject:  Baptisms!

Howdy Y'all!

This past weekend was great! I was able to attend 2 baptisms of girls that I taught back in Rowlett. The first was Cherish. She was the girl that was taught all of the lessons by the missionaries in Ghana. She bore her testimony at the baptism which was beautiful. She talked of how she knows that the church is true, not by any physical proof, but by a feeling in her heart that cannot be denied. Cherish already has such a strong testimony of the gospel and such a desire to share it. I really love Cherish and I hope that one day she can become a full-time missionary (she is already considering this too).

Then in the afternoon was the baptism of Sarah. She is the 9-yr-old with a less active mother, Michelle. Sarah's baptism was great, and she looked so adorable in her white dress. The best part of the baptism was the testimonies while Sarah was getting dressed. They had asked Brother and Sister Harper to share their conversion stories and testimonies of the gospel. I have heard Tom share his testimony in church, but Rene never has before. They were both beautiful! Rene talked of how she had been searching for a church, but something just kept pulling her back from attending other churches with her family. Then a few weeks later the missionaries knocked on her door. I love hearing how Sister Harper knows that the gospel has changed her life and will continue to. She knows that she is meant to be the example for others in her family. Sister Harper is so grateful to have the gospel in her life and she radiates this continually from her countenance. I love Sister Harper so much! It was amazing to see the rewards for sharing the gospel with the Harper family. Their life has been changed forever, and they are so excited to keep living the gospel.

December is a month of miracles! This weekend I am going to have 2 more baptisms! I have never had so many baptisms in a month before, and I know that it is a blessing from the Lord. The first baptizee is Gina. She is a senior in high school and has been taught here in Sachse. Her boyfriend is a member of the church and referred her to the missionaries. We had to teach Gina really fast so she could be baptized, but she is so prepared. She is excited for her baptism this weekend. She has already invited most of her friends from school and she is working hard to have her mom attend too. Gina asked me yesterday in church if she could already pay her tithing even though she is not quite a member yet. I told her yes, of course. Experiences like that just testify to me how the Lord prepares souls to hear the gospel. I am very excited for Gina's baptism this Saturday.

The other baptism this Saturday is back in Rowlett. It is for Hanna. Her story is similar to Gina's- she is also a senior in high school and was referred to the missionaries by her boyfriend (before they were dating). Her mom is not the most excited about her baptism because she is staunch Church of Christ, but she is letting Hanna be baptized and she is also going to attend the baptism. Hanna is amazing and also so prepared by the Lord. She has been looking for a change in her life, and she says that she has found it. I am so excited for Hanna's baptism.

What a blessing to have so many baptisms in the month of December. The Lord is blessing His missionaries in the TDM! I love being a missionary so much and having the opportunity to bring so many souls to Jesus Christ. How great a calling!

I hope y'all are having a wonderful month of December. What a great season to remember our Savior Jesus Christ and His atonement for each of us individually. I love Christmas and I am so excited to be sharing the gospel message at this great time of year.

I love y'all so much and hope that y'all have a great week. May the Lord bless.

Love Always- Sister Peck

EMAIL: Mon, December 10, 2012       1:10 PM

Subject:  Wylie/Sachse

Howdy Y'all!

This week has been interesting with both my companion and I being new in our new area. We have been trying to meet our investigators, less-actives, and other members. We finally know how to make it back to our apartment without a map- so I consider that a great accomplishment. We cover the Sachse (sack-see) Ward and the Wylie First Ward. Wylie First covers about 5 cities and is so big that it is not all on the Wylie map that we have. We are still trying to figure out where our northern boundary is. The area seems pretty great though. We do have a baptism coming up on December 22nd for a girl named Gina. She is a senior in high school and her boyfriend, Nick, is a member and also one of our ward missionaries. Sister Overy and I are both very excited for Gina and she seems very prepared for the gospel in her life. We get to have a lesson with Gina tonight and teach her all about the commandments, which should be great.

Most of our day yesterday was spent at church. Sachse ward meets at 8:30 and Wylie 1 meets at 2:30 and we have all of our meetings in between. It was a very long day at church, but both wards are very great. This area hasn't had sister missionaries in over 6 years, so both wards are super excited to have us there. We have already had so many of the Relief Society members volunteer to go to lessons with us and give us rides anytime that we need them. It should be great to work in the Wylie/Sachse Wards. I am excited for this are and the potential that it has. Sister Overy and I are planning to work hard and increase the missionary work.

The wards are both good sized. The Wylie First ward is huge with almost 400 people at sacrament meeting! Right now we go to a meeting house about 30 minutes away in Garland. But a couple of months ago they broke ground for a new Wylie chapel in the ward boundaries. The new chapel is scheduled to be finished in May. They will probably split up the Wylie First and Second Ward even more once the new chapel is finished. The new chapel is the big talk of Wylie, even for those we just tract into. It is very exciting for the members to soon have a new building that will be much closer to home (and they won't have to go to church at 2:30 pm anymore).

The other really good news is that the elders tried really hard to clean our apartment for us. It still isn't the best and everything is falling apart, but at least it was livable when we moved in. I have been very lucky to live with members over half of my mission and I am so grateful to each of them for allowing missionaries to live in their homes. It is a new experience to be in an apartment as a missionary, but it will be good.

My new companion is Sister Kallee Overy. She has been out 14 months. Sister Overy is from Fort Bridger, Wyoming. She is about 5'2" with dark brown hair and a very strong personality. She got her Associates in Music Theater and she loves to sing. She and I already performed a musical number for the Wylie 1 Christmas party this last week.

Nothing else too exciting, just a lot of finding investigators and meeting ward member this week. But, miracles are on the way for the Wylie/Sachse area. I plan to get the missionary work moving in the ward and gain the support and help from the members. I am excited to have an experienced companion to help me in this. I look forward to working hard and changing lives here.

My new address is:

6360 Murphy Road #123

Sachse, TX 75048

If it is not urgent, the mail would be best sent to 13747 Montfort Dr. Ste.120, Dallas TX 75240. I will for sure receive it there at the mission office. Thanks!

Love Y'all so much!

Love, Sister Peck

EMAIL: Mon, December 3, 2012  10:45 AM

Subject:  Miracles in Rowlett

Howdy Y'all!

Can you believe it is December already? It was 82 degrees yesterday here in Texas. What a winter! I hope all is well for all y'all. I love the Christmas season - what a great time to bring souls to Christ! I hope y'all were able to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional because it was amazing. I love our prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, and I know that he is an authorized representative of our Savior and Heavenly Father. How great that we have a prophet in our day. What a blessing and great example of our Heavenly Father's love for His children.

This last week has been amazing. Rowlett has some of the best new investigators and will be having at least 3 baptisms in December. Sister Hansen and I have been so blessed. One is named Hanna (wrote of her in last weeks email)- she learned about the gospel from the Elwood family in our ward. We just taught the first lesson, but she has already been attending seminary, reading the scriptures, going to mutual, and has been to church the last 4 Sundays. Hanna has had a hard life but she knows this church is increasing her faith and knowledge of the Savior. She loved the Christmas devotional last night and is so excited to keep meeting with the missionaries.

Sister Hansen and I have a 9 year-old girl named Sarah that is going to be baptized on the 15th of December. She is so excited to learn. One day she asked us how many more lesson we had. We told her about 5 more lessons and asked why she wanted to know. Sarah said that she just wants to be baptized. Sarah is amazing. We are just praying for her mom, Sister O'Neal. She has been less-active and it is a struggle to come back to church. They also have a difficult situation at home. We pray and hope that all works. Sarah wants the gospel so badly in her life, and I know it will bless her and her family.

Another miracle is Cherish. She was a media referral. Sister Hansen and I haven't had the best luck with media referrals, so I might have been skeptical when it said Cherish wanted to be baptized and taught. We finally contacted her 2 days ago and she wanted to meet with us the next day. Turns outs, Cherish was in Ghana for a study abroad. One class asked her to attend a religious meeting, so she chose our church, was talked to by the missionaries, and started investigating the church. She was taught all of the lessons in Ghana and went to church the last 3 weeks she was there. She came home and wanted to be baptized. Cherish already has a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the church and wants so badly to share that with others. She recognizes the hand of the Lord in her life and all of the events and questions that have led up to her knowing that this is the fullness of the gospel. Sister Hansen and I invited Cherish to be baptized on the 29th of December and she looked so sad. We asked her what was wrong... She said she was hoping to be baptized in the next few days. Cherish will be baptized on the 15th of December! What a miracle and a tender mercy of the Lord to find such a prepared soul!

Rowlett is an amazing place. I love the people! I love the members! I love our investigators. The news of the week is transfer calls. Sister Hansen is going to be staying in Rowlett and her new companion will actually be her MTC companion. Sister Hansen is going to be the senior companion- she will do a great job and she is so ready to take over the Rowlett area. My transfer news is surprising, but I know that it is exactly what the Lord wants. I am going to be heading to the Wylie/Sachse area. This area is currently an Elder area, so my companion and I are going to be opening it up for Sisters. It should be an adventure. My companion is Sister Overy. She is actually the second oldest sister missionary in the mission, and I am the 4th oldest sister. It should be amazing to work with such an experienced sister once again. Sister Overy has a great voice, so I am super excited to go caroling/tracting for the holidays.

Unfortunately- I do not have the address for this area since we are opening it for Sisters. Y'all can still send me mail at the mission office and I should have an address next week. I am very excited to be going to this area. It is a little bit scary because I don't know what happened in this area that they would need two experienced sisters to come in. I also don't know if I will be in an apartment or living with members. But I do know that Wylie/Sachse is where the Lord has called me to serve. I am excited for this opportunity and trust that I can help open an area for sisters. I am torn to leave Rowlett- I spent 1/3 of my mission here. I am going to miss everybody so badly. It has been a disaster to try and say goodbye to everyone that I love in Rowlett. The worst was bidding farewell to my Harper Family yesterday (but Rene promised me they would be sealed in the temple next year!) I have made so many eternal friends here and am grateful for each of these relationships. The great news is that Wylie is the area directly north of Rowlett. It is in a different stake and in a different district, so I won't see Sister Hansen too often. But it is close enough that I can come back to Rowlett for all of the baptisms and see everyone again! What a tender mercy!

I love the Lord! I love being a missionary! I love my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement! This gospel is amazing!! I love all y'all so much. Thanks for all of the love and support.

Love Always, Sister Peck

p.s. have y'all checked out the new site www.mormon.org/Christmas It is pretty awesome with free Mormon Tabernacle Choir music, free DVD's, and so much more. What a great thing to share with neighbors and friends during the Christmas Season. I invite all y'all to check it out and share it with those you care about! Love y'all

EMAIL: Mon, November 26, 2012      12:52 PM

Subject:  Hanna

Hello Y'all!

I  hope that y'all had a great Thanksgiving! My Thanksgiving "present" was... Sister Carla Squarcia. Sister Squarcia was one of my previous companions from Italy. She had finished her mission about a month ago. Very graciously, a member family from our area flew Sister Squarcia back for Thanksgiving! It was great to see her and spend some time with her!! I love Sister Squarcia! And I love the Cantwell family for their kindness to all missionaries, especially Sister Squarcia. It was a great Thanksgiving!!

We had an amazing miracle happen yesterday. One of the families at church has been bringing their son's friend named Hanna to church. This family is great, but they were a little bit cautious about letting us teach the lessons because they don't want to destroy their relationship with Hanna. So Hanna has been to church the last 3 weeks and she loves it! She wore jeans the first week- but she was so excited to come back that she went out and bought new dresses to come to church again. We gave Hanna our info and told her to call us if she had any questions. Sister Hansen has been building a relationship with Hanna at church and hoping to soon teach her. First miracle is that the member family yesterday finally decided to invite us and Hanna over tomorrow for dinner and a lesson. I am so excited to start teaching Hanna and pray that the spirit will guide us. Then the second miracle happened last night. Hanna text us to see if she could ask us a question. We called her back immediately. Hanna had been reading the For Strength of Youth Pamphlet. She read about tattoos and piercings and was worried because she had them. She expressed her concern that she wanted to keep coming to church and she was planning on going to Seminary today, but she didn't want to continue if we didn't accept that. We overcame her concern. Hanna even admitted to us that she feels guilty for the tattoos now and wishes she didn't have them. Then Hanna told us how much she loves church. She was raised and born in the Church of Christ, but she felt like she never learned anything there. She says that she has learned more the last 3 weeks at church then she ever had before. Hanna said, "I feel that my faith has increased each time I have come to y'alls church." That is amazing! What a miracle! Hanna is so prepared to hear the gospel! I am so excited for the opportunity to teach her tomorrow- I hope all continues to go well.

Once again, transfers are next week. I can't really believe that it is already the end of another transfer- the time just flies by. Sister Hansen is doing really well. I have had a great time being her companion. I have really enjoyed training her- although I think she actually trained me. I am excited for Sister Hansen and all of the opportunities and successes that she is going to have on her mission. She is a great missionary! I have learned so much from her. I am proud of Sister Hansen. She is full of charity and enthusiasm for missionary work. I know wherever she serves, she will influence the people and work her hardest. I love Sister Hansen.
I love Rowlett!! Honestly though, I feel like I am going to be transferred. I will let y'all know next Monday. It will make me super sad when I must leave this area, but I will go where the Lord wants me to go. I am trying to get over my selfishness because I really want to stay in Rowlett for Christmas and my Birthday, but I know I will be where the Lord wants me to be. Rowlett has become my home. I love the members, investigators, and everyone else there. It has been great to serve as a missionary in Rowlett for the last 5 months. I love being a missionary!

Thanks for all of the Thanksgiving cards. I love y'all. Hope y'all have a blessed week.

Love always, Sister Peck!

EMAIL: Mon, November 19, 2012   2:00 PM

Subject:  Happy Thanksgiving!

Howdy Y'all!!

I just want to tell all y'all how thankful I am for each of you. I love you each so much and am so grateful for your love and support. I am very thankful to my mom. Thank you for putting up with me and still loving me. Thanks you for sending everything I need and even those things I want. Thank you for supporting me to serve a mission. You are the best mom! I love you mom!!

I am thankful to my dad. Thank you for writing me every week of my mission. I look forward to receiving those letters in the mail each week. Thank you for taking care of our family. Thank you for being an example of scripture study and prayer. Thank you for being so concerned for me and so caring. I love you dad!!

I am thankful for Libbie and Colton and Elder BakBak. I love y'all so much and am grateful to have y'all for my brothers and sister. I am grateful for the letters you write me and the love you send me. I am so grateful to Elder BakBak for his example in serving a mission right now. I love the response I get from people when I tell them I also have a brother serving a mission in the Marshall Islands. They are always amazed. I love claiming y'all as my family. I love you Elder BakBak and hope all is well down there in paradise.

I love the rest of my relatives. I can't even describe all that all y'all do for me. Thank you for the letters and the packages. Thank you for supporting me and the rest of my family. I love having such a great family! I am grateful to be related to all y'all. Thank you Nana and Papa and Grandma and Grandpa for your examples and for your love. I especially love each one of my cousins!

I am grateful for all of the teachers and friends that have influenced my life. I can't even name all of you! Thank you for teaching me the gospel. Thank you for increasing my knowledge in other school subjects. Thank y'all for working hard at what you do. I love each of you and appreciate so much how y'all have changed my life.

I love all of my friends. I am grateful for each laugh and good time that we have had. I look forward to seeing y'all again. I am so especially grateful for each one of my Sisters that are serving their own missions. How I hope that each one of you is doing well and loving the time and opportunity that y'all have to share the gospel. I love and appreciate the example each one of y'all are for me. Keep working hard and being a great missionary.

Most of all, at this time, I am grateful to be a missionary!!! I love serving the Lord! I am so grateful to be in the TDM. There is no other mission I would rather be in the entire world. I love Texas. I love my mission president, President Durrant, and his family. They are an inspiration to me. I am grateful for their love an encouragement to become the best missionary that I can be. I love each of the companions that I have had. I love y'all! Thanks for teaching me how to be a missionary and how to work hard. I can't thank each of my companions enough. I am even thankful for each of the companions that I am going to have. I know that the Lord puts us where we need to be and with the people that will help us become better. I am so grateful for all of the people that I have met in Texas. It is going to be awful to leave y'all behind. I love my converts, I love my members, I love my investigators, and I especially love every member whose house I have lived at. I am so grateful to be preaching the gospel . I am so grateful for all of the miracles that I get to see. I wish I could better describe my gratitude to all y'all that read my letters- but just know that I am so grateful for my mission. I love my mission!! I am so grateful to a Heavenly Father who loves me as an individual. I am most grateful for Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world and the Saviour of me.

There is so much more that I am grateful for. I wish I could going on with this list, but I am running out of time...

I hope y'all can take some time this week and think about the things y'all are grateful for. Count your many blessing... see what God has done. I love y'all so much!!!!

Thanksgiving is going to be great. Don't worry- We already have had 4 people invite us over for Thanksgiving dinner and many more people for dessert. I will not go hungry on Thanksgiving. Plus, I am fixin to try some deep fried turkey this year! Apparently that is how everyone buys or cooks their thanksgiving turkeys down in Texas. Yeehaw!!

Have a blessed week!

Love, Sister Peck

November 5, 2012.  Postcard from Sister Mc and the accompanying letter that came with it: