Feliz Navidad and a Happy New Year

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Sorry I couldn´t email yesterday. They changed our day to email this week, because they didn´t want us out prosilytizing today, because there are going to be a lot of parties, and a lot of people aren´t going to be home. 

My Christmas was great. I was so happy to skype my family. It was great to talk to you guys, and even eat dinner with you guys. What did you think of my prayer in Spanish... I thought it was pretty cool. Christmas is similiar here, but here in Peru they don´t wait for the morning to open presents, they open them at Midnight. I got new shoes, which I needed. I also got a new tie. And of course I got my Families package. Thanks for the Skittles and Peanut butter. Those where two things I missed. I also really like the Thomas S. Monson Book you sent. I read it before I go to bed! And of course thanks everyone for all the letters. I got a lot! 

Also I told my family all ready, but I had a small accident this week. I was walking and sprained my ankle, and then fell and hit my head on some metal bars of someones house... I got three stitches!!! But it is fine, and the stiches are all ready removed. My ankle hurts more. But I was lucky, and nothing is really bad. The Mission President told me I need to be more careful when walking. But sometimes it is hard when all you have are dirt roads, and the aren´t flat. Even when we are lucky to have sidewalk, it isn´t a perfect sidewalk. Anyways, I will try to be more careful. 

On a brighter side, we had a baptism this week. Antonio was baptised. He wasn´t married so we couldn´t baptise him before. But we Planned there wedding, and planned there baptism for the same day. I am sure it isn´t the first time Missionaries have planned a wedding, but it was my first. And I didn´t know you don´t plan a wedding the day before. Lucky the Relief Society President in our ward said she would take care of the Reception which would take place after the baptism. So we just had to worry about the Civil Marriage in the Big Library in Chiclayo Central. My Companion and I were the Witnesses for the marriage. The Civil Marriage was great and they had a lot of family present. The Civil Marriage was at 1pm. The baptism was at 6. It was an amazing experience, because it was more then just a baptism, or my first baptism. It is a family becoming and Eternal Family. In one year, they will be able to go to the Lima Temple and be sealed as a family, and in two years Antonio will be able to baptise his son Joshua. 

Tonight is New Years Eve. It is celebrated a little different here. They stay up till midnight and at midnight every house has a scarecrow in front of there house, and they light it on fire, and then everyone lights fireworks. Christmas had fireworks too. It is cool to see them going off all around you, because everyone in the city is setting them off. I heard there are even more for New Years.

Anyways I hope everyone had a good Christmas, and will Have a Happy New Year. I look forward to 2014, an entire year as a Missionary. I know it will be a great year. I attached a few photos also. I wish I could attach all my photos, but that would take me forever. But I hope you enjoy the ones I attached.

Con mucho amor,

Elder Peabody

Week #14 Feeling the Heat

Dear Family and Friends,

Good News! Antonios Baptism is set for the 28th of December, and his wedding is the 27th of December. Everything is payed for and we have no more problems as of now. My companion and I get to  be the wittnesses for there marriage. Also this week was the Primary program in my ward. It was fantastic. I just absolutly love seeing the primary kids share what they know about the Gospel. It was really cool to listen to them sing in spanish. I even understood just about everything they were saying. So I guess summer here is a popular time to repaint houses. We painted two last week, and I have two more planned for this week. 

So the other day I was talking with a Sister Missionary in my Zone. I saw she was from Nova Scotia Canada, because she got a post card from home that said Nova Scotia. So I told her about President Jacobsen, who was the Mission president of Nova Scotia. And she was like ¨Yeah, I met him once, and shook his hand¨ Pretty cool no! 

So this week I made it to my three months in Peru. There are a few things I want to share that I have learned in three months.

First. Something my Teacher in the CCM said was ¨Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet vocie at the end of the day, saying, I will try again tommorrow.¨I enjoy my mission everyday, but it isn´t always easy. I get dorrs slammed on me, Investigadors who decide they don´t want to be baptised or go to church anymore, and I have to tell myself all the time ´I will try again tomorrow´ It has helped so much to have a postitive attitude. 

Second. MY companion has taught me that a goal not written is simply a wish. As a missionary we have daily, weekly, and Monthly goals. Elder Muhun has me right them down and tape them to the mirror in our room. Looking at my goals especially for learning a new language, Castellano, really helps me stay focused. 

Third and last. My Penchinista is amazing. She is a Catholic woman and isn´t LDS, but absolutly loves the Missionaries. She has a quote on her wall that says, ¨Service is the very purpose of life, it is the rent we pay for being on this planet¨ My cook serves the missionarys every day. And she loves it. Service is so important, and I am so grateful for the oppurtunity to serve people every day.

I hope Everyone is having a good Holiday season!!!

Love

Elder Peabody

Week #12

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been an amazing week. Antonio finally commited to be baptized on the 14 of December! I am super excited. We are really going to push for that date, but we still need to get them married first. He has an interview with the Bishop this week about getting married. The Bishop is going to help pay for the marriage. I am just praying he agrees to get married really soon, or we will have to push back his baptism date. He is a golden investigador, he just needs to get married. Other then that we have a few other investigadors, but no baptism date. One Indida can´t have a baptism date because her husband doesn´t believe in marriage. Her mom Donitilla, says she needs more time. I think Donitilla will come around soon. She has been coming to church every week! We also met a new family. They are really nice, but I am not sure how interested they are in the Church. We are trying to get them to come to church atleast once! 

So tommorrow is our first cambio or change. And guess what!!! I get to keep my companion Elder Muhun!!! Everyone thought he was going to leave! I prayed so hard that he wouldn´t. He really is an amazing companion. I wouldn´t be able to lead the area without him. He has all ready been here for 4 and a half months. I guess we will make it 6 months for him.

So this week every light in Chiclayo went out. I don´t know how big Chiclayo is exactly but from my roof I can´t see the end of it. It is the 3rd largest city in Peru. Anyways my companion and I had just finished up and appointment and were late for another. So we took a small short cut. It was night time, and I knew the area we were going in was kinda dangerous, so I asked my companion if it was safe. He was like we will be fine, we will just go in and right out. Anyways we took like 5 more steps after that, and !!!!!!!! We couldn´t see our hands in front of us! My companion and I immediately turned around because we didn´t want to be in that kinda dangerous area especially without light. We made our way back to our apartment without being able to see. The Black out lasted for like 30 minutes. 

Well I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I can´t believe it´s all ready december. I heard for Christmas we eat a big Turkey, so I will celebrate Christmas and Thankgiving this year together. Thanks for all the prayers and support. And thanks for the emails and letters. Sorry if I didn´t have time to respond to personal emails today. I am always rushed for time. Anyways have a good week and enjoy the photos!