And There Was Much Rejoicing

Hey everyone!!!

About a third of the missionaries in the Guatemala MTC in July
Elder Peacock is in the back row, second from the right

First I would like to say that the package was a life saver and yes, I did share [we sent a package with a friend who entered the MTC last week].  Elder Peacock 1:1 "..and there was much rejoicing among the people of the land of room 201".  Also, this last week Jenny came to the MTC!  Oh wait, I mean Hermana Pereira, haha [the aforementioned, much appreciated courier!].  Her group and transfer was tiny and the MTC is almost half empty now.  We made 5 districts when we got here and they only made two. I didn't think it would be so crazy to see her down here but there are only ten or so North American sisters here and it's crazy that I know one of them.  Also, in the new transfer there was another Peacock but they didn't mess up his tag so I guess they just weren't as excited for me to come, haha [his original tag was Elder Peacook--hope he got a picture!  They probably learned from their mistake...]. Oh well. Anyway, that's pretty much all that's really new for this week.  There will be pictures when I get into the field, by the way.   There are filters on the computers which do not allow pictures to go out.

Response to dads questions: I'm the bottom bunk below Elder Stewart and there is hot water.

Other than that, I guess I will talk about the teacher investigators since I don't have much new to talk about.  I have two teachers and they both play our investigators at different times throughout the day.  They go get into street clothes and go up into these rooms with cameras so they can record our lessons and watch them over again to give us feedback.  They try to act as though they are real people they actually taught on their missions and it is really tough stuff with a month of Spanish and no notes to speak of anymore besides using scriptures and maybe a folleto.  Sorry, I don't remember that word in English right now but you have Google and my brain hurts with Spanish flying around up there.  [Translation:  pamphlet.  Thanks, Justin]  Lessons are also really hard because they push us out of our comfort zones and make us try to teach before they show us how to do it.  They really expect a lot from us and I both love and hate it.  Our teachers were obviously amazing missionaries because later they demonstrate for us how they would do a lesson and even though the doctrine in the lessons takes a little more than 5 or 6 minutes you really can feel their Spirit and their care even when the investigator is non existent.  We have also really only been taught how to do the first two lessons so me and Elder Stewart have had to just kinda make it up as we go in planning then hope to remember it without notes.  Then, it's always a surprise as to whether they tell us we did terrible or are really progressing.  However we feel after the lesson, they usually tell us the opposite.

Anyway, still healthy, love the Gospel, don't have Zika and cant wait to be hiking up mountains all day every day!!

Elder Peacock

[Mother's Note:  I just learned about this awesome package delivery service for missionaries serving in Guatemala and El Salvador.  See HERE for the link to Mission: On the Fly.  I'm so excited.  After having missionaries in Mexico and Peru, I am so over the unreliability of international packages!]