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!]

Rewind: Uncle Love

[June 30, 2016]

We found out last year that we were getting our first grandbaby...

Will was so excited to be an uncle.  He wanted to make sure he could meet his nephew before he left on his mission so he set his availability date accordingly when he put his papers [mission application] in.  Brady Lewis Peacock was born on June 8th and we got to meet him for the first time at the end of that month.  Suffice it to say, it was love at first sight.

Rewind: Farewell

[June 19, 2016]

Will spoke in church prior to leaving on his mission and due to scheduling, it happened to be on Father's Day.  We were lucky to have so many of our family and friends join us for the day.  Here's what he had to say:

***************

Hello, first I would like to do something unusual but necessary in my current situation.  That is to introduce myself to all of you.  I am Bryce William Peacock.  Some call me Bryce, others Will, but you can call me Elder Peacock because I have been called to serve in the Guatemala Quetzaltenango mission and I report to the MTC on July 13^th.  To give you some reference as to who I am, my father serves as a Gospel Doctrine teacher and my mother is now the Relief Society President.  I am the youngest of three brothers, the third to go on a mission, but the most attractive of the three.  I have served as quorum presidents and counselors in my youth as well as served on our youth committee [a regional organization of youth leaders] in California.  I just recently went to a year at SUU and of course, my parents conveniently followed me, their last child, a solid 90% of the way to the school I chose as they moved away from our home in California.  Seeing as I do not exactly know many of you, this talk is kind of like an Aloha moment where I mean both hello and goodbye, but at the same time.  I did bring some people with me that I do know, so there is still some pressure to do well up here.

            Today I was asked to speak about fathers, and I think it is not only important to talk about our physical father or Father in Heaven, but also those father figures around us as well because these men are all our fathers in a way, and deserve to be recognized as such.  In an attempt to recognize those people, I want to say how my father figures fathered me and appreciate them.

I love this picture...
2 dads, 2 missionaries-to-be sharing a moment

First and foremost, I must talk about my birth father on this day.  The Peacock men as far as I know seem to carry this gene that forces us to show the Spirit through shakiness of voice as well as through our tear ducts occasionally, and my grandfather, father, and I are no exception.  I both appreciate and regret having this in my family.  Obviously I do not want my voice to shake or to blow my nose when speaking about a subject such as this, but it has always been a perfect example of what the Spirit can and should look like.  It also always acted as a good wake up call for me to know that whatever my grandfather or father was saying was important and that I should listen and have the opportunity to hear something so important to them that they would lose their composure.  While they may have hated that they would do that, I admired and respected them for it.  Rather than show weakness that they may see it as, I see it as humbleness and meekness of heart that I know I need in order to be a proper and successful missionary. Elder Neal A. Maxwell said meekness “is the presentation of self in a posture of kindness and gentleness. It reflects certitude, strength, serenity; it reflects a healthy self-esteem and a genuine self-control”   It also acts as a tool through which one can almost forcibly spread the spirit to others.  And what better gift could a father give than to be able to instantaneously spread the Spirit through a room. So I would like to say, gosh dang it dad, but with an actual message of thank you dad.

My father has always been a definite role model for me.  He has taken care of me in so many ways that I could never thank him enough for.  He has also shown me how to do so many things like offer help to others who need it, even when it may not be convenient, to be prepared, to be responsible, to not give up on a task even when it may seem impossible, even if that means yelling at a ceiling fan because it is stupid and obviously is being the problem when he cannot figure out how to install it.  Even though my father has not been the face of patience every single day of my life, he has taught me valuable lessons even without meaning or trying to.  I am a person watcher and often I will watch those I know very closely to see what they do in situations and do my best to emulate those behaviors I admire most.  It helps because my father is often a silent doer who will do helpful and generous things that he will never get credit for, or was never asked to do. Again another thing I cannot thank him enough for being.

Elder D ToddChristofferson gave a short story about his father when he said “I myself was blessed with an exemplary father. I recall that when I was a boy of about 12, my father became a candidate for the city council in our rather small community. He did not mount an extensive election campaign—all I remember was that Dad had my brothers and me distribute copies of a flyer door to door, urging people to vote for Paul Christofferson. There were a number of adults that I handed a flyer to who remarked that Paul was a good and honest man and that they would have no problem voting for him. My young boy heart swelled with pride in my father. It gave me confidence and a desire to follow in his footsteps. He was not perfect—no one is—but he was upright and good and an aspirational example for a son.”

Often I have had similar experiences with meeting people that knew my father and would say how much they admired and revered my father.  This is especially so important to me because my father recently switched jobs for reasons out of his control.  It was a stressful time and our family did not know where or what we would do.  My father could have done many things but he persevered and worked day and night until he found a way that he could support us his family.  This was one of the hardest things I have ever seen my dad do, but was also the biggest feat of strength or any other such thing I could have seen him do. He could have done many things like laze around for days, sulk, or otherwise not show determination what do what needed to be done.  He did not hide his head when it was a struggle.  Rather he pulled himself up and did what needed to be done.  My father has truly shown me how to work and persevere, and I know I will be better for the things that I have seen him do, for as a missionary, and as a priesthood holder, husband and father for the rest of my life. 

Then there are the father figures we all have, or have had besides our birth fathers.  These could include priesthood leaders, uncles, grandfathers, other priesthood holders or even those who are not a part of this church.  These men are also vital to upbringing and these men have shown me personally, examples for how to live my life, treat others, and to be a missionary.  These men have shown me how to do everything from being a leader and taking control when a situation needs it, to throwing a lesson together in 5 minutes, as well as be accountable for my mistakes.  These men are important to everyone’s lives and it is important to know that if you are a priesthood holder, you will most likely father someone that is not your son or daughter  I have more than a couple of these figures that I can think of for me and many of them are here to hear me speak.  I am thankful for their advice and wish I could publicly acknowledge them all but due to time constraints, I will talk about one that has had one of the most notable effects on my life to date.

Rick Power wearing what else?
           A Hawaiian shirt and his trademarked smile

One such person that has been such an influence on me has been my Young Men’s President, Brother Power, from my ward in California who I did not know would be here until late last night.  When I was about to turn sixteen, my stake [regional organization of local congregations, who meet according to where they live] went through boundary realignment, I was switched from the only ward [congregation] I had ever known into one that I was not particularly fond of.  I didn’t feel like I had many friends in this ward and lost any real interest in going to activities or being active in that new ward.  I did not want to be there and I became closed off and critical saying how someone had gotten it wrong and I wasn’t supposed to switch wards. What I did not expect was Brother Power.  All I had known about Brother Power that he was the funny guy wearing Hawaiian shirts that never stopped smiling.  I figured out fairly quickly why he indeed never stopped smiling.  The reason was that this man always had a joke up his sleeve and would set you up for a punchline of a joke at the drop of a hat.  You cannot have a normal conversation with him without him putting a pun or some other joke almost right into your mouth without you knowing it until he laughed so loud that you couldn’t help but love the guy.  He pulled me up and showed me how to come into that new ward with a smile on my face and to keep going even if the situation wasn’t what I wanted it to be.  Brother Power was my friend and showed me how to joke and have a good time, but then keep the Spirit and get down to business, and serve others even when it was Fast Sunday and I wanted to go home and eat an enormous early dinner and take a long Sunday nap.  He was like a father in that he guided me in this unexpected situation and showed me how to deal with a tough situation by becoming a leader in a ward with not the most young men and making sure I knew what was important as a priesthood holder. I did not find the silver lining to the ward change, but figure out that I had no idea what was really good for me.  He quite frankly may have saved my testimony and kept me active with one of the largest smiles and laughs that has ever been a part of this church.  He also then gave me a place to sleep when my parents had moved out of their house and before I left for school. So thank you Brother Power for being one of my fathers, so to speak.

Parents and Grandparents

I think the main idea of what the Spirit has been trying to get me to say is that fathers should be and are so often, perfect examples.  No I do not mean to say that these men are perfect, but that they show things that our perfect Father in Heaven is.  Being an example is most important because teaching by example is often the most effective medium through which to teach.  We have missionaries who follow strict rules so that they can be effective teachers, we have priesthood leaders who are handpicked by the way they live so that they can be examples, and we have other male role models that do things who do just that.  Be role models, but more specifically, models of our Father in Heaven.  Yes they teach us directly those things that they would have us know, and yes they have other responsibilities as a father, but those lessons learned by children through way of example are often the most powerful and memorable that are ever learned.  With that being said, I think it is important that men understand they are most certainly a father figure to at least one person even if they do not know it or are not a father yet themselves.  It is for this reason that priesthood holders are good examples of our Heavenly Father and of Jesus Christ.  It is also the reason I am so thankful for these figures in my life.

A little Father's Day levity...

            I wish I could have time to acknowledge each of the people who fathered me as they deserve on this day, because I truly had many who are so important to the person I am today as well as the missionary I will be in 24 days.  I know this Church is true and that Thomas S Monson is a true Prophet of God.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith was a true Prophet of God.  I am thankful for all that the Lord has given me in the form of loving and caring parents, friends and family.  I am so excited to serve the people of the Guatemala Quetzaltenango mission.  And I am thankful for the examples that have been set by my father figures, mothers and all else that were around me and I know that because of their testimonies and faithfulness, that I will be a better missionary than I ever could have been on my own.  I do not know what to expect for the next two years, but I know that if I am true and do as the Lord would have me do, that he will protect and guide me to be a successful and devoted missionary.  I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

****************

Will and the Cella Family

Will and Taylor

We especially missed Will's oldest brother Justin and his family.  They live in Vancouver, Washington and had an 11-day old baby and so they couldn't travel.  More on that later.  We took this picture, however, with cousin Jordan standing in as proxy for Justin.  Someday maybe I'll figure out how to do a headswap. 

Tyler, Will and "Justin"

Aww, they're going to miss him

Cousins

Outside the Fence

Hey everyone!!

After my last letter, they let us go to a little mart around the corner and buy a little candy and it was like Christmas because they don't exactly give us tons of access to food or anything outside the fence.  The only thing we get to go out to do on a regular basis is the temple.  Speaking of which, we went to the temple this morning and the president of the MTC and his wife went with us, so that was cool.  They're super sweet.  Also, apparently Elder Stewart emailed our mission president before he got here and we can use backpacks in our mission because of the ¨mountainous terrain¨ so that stinks [because the packing instructions said that backpacks were not allowed, so Will only brought a messenger bag with him, much to his chagrin].  Also one of our two teachers leaves the MTC this week to start selling his designer ties which I think is kinda funny and not something I expected from our tiny Guatemalan teacher.  

Sundays are a blast because we get to take a break from Spanish but not before they essentially have the Hunger Games and call missionaries up at random to give a 7 minute talk in Spanish.   Luckily, I haven't gotten called up yet but you never know.  Two more Sundays with a chance of that happening.  Pray for your boy because that is not fun since were the only district in our Sacrament Meeting [main church meeting] that doesn't natively speak Spanish hahaha. [Mother's note:  I suggested that he might prepare a talk "just in case" because that's what moms do.  He assured me he has, so how bad could it be?]

The reason my letter is a little late is that today the MTC cleared out of all the Latinos and the older group [they have completed training and ready to enter the mission field] so they sent us to the town square here to go to the market and hand out copies of the Book of Mormon!!  You know, the Spanish they teach here in the MTC didn't quite sound the same as the Spanish they were speaking.  But somehow, we still handed out four books when everyone else handed out one, two or none at all [he's not competitive or anything].  It was a super good experience and the people that we talked to were so incredibly nice and willing to listen to our three week Spanish.  Elder Stewart refuses to think that he does well with the language but he does really well.  Actually, I should just say now that the gift of tongues is super real because we already can teach the first four lessons in almost perfect Spanish (according to our teacher because we don't think its so perfect) without notes.  Truly the work of the Lord to be able to speak as much Spanish as we do already.  

After the handing out of the BOMs, we went to the market and the place was huge and had just about anything.  I got a lapel pin of the Guatemalan flag and a shirt that says "Guats Up"... get it? Guats up, cuz ya know I'm in Guatemala?  The teachers that took us said that the trip today usually only happens every other transfer so we were lucky we got to go out today.  I'm sure dad will be pleased to know that we ended the outing today with some Wendy´s.  I say that because he told me about all the places that were around the MTC.  Little did he know that they don't exactly let us come and go from the MTC.

I know this Church is true.  I'm healthy, happy, and ready to work.  I love Guatemala already and can't wait to be out in the mountains of Xela teaching the people.  It is truly inspiring even just doing it for 50 minutes like we did today.  Love you all and I pray for you all.

Elder Peacock

[We forgot to get a transfer cord for his camera before he left, so it is flying to him tonight with another missionary who is arriving at the Guatemala MTC tomorrow.  Cross your fingers that this means we'll get real pictures next week!]

Al Que Cree, Todo le es Posible

Hey everyone!

Sorry for the the cheesy title line in Spanish.  It means: to him that believes, everything is possible.  I really like that and it touched me, so I've decided that is going to be my mantra and try to remember it when I get down.  

I'll be honest, it is tough living in the box that is the MTC and doing the same thing every single day of my life with the same people.  We only get to leave on Pday [Personal Day, once a week] to go to the temple and back which is like 100 yards away.  I love my district though and they are all just solid elders.  I found out there are 20, give or take, missionaries headed to Xela ( the real name of my mission here ) that are all from the same transfer [meaning they all arrived at the same time].  My district has about half of those missionaries, and it's amazing.  I know I was blessed with them for sure because they are all smart, funny and obedient missionaries and they are a great influence and a great group to be around. They all joke asking for each others sisters' emails and marrying them when we come back, it's really funny being around them.  But it really is true that we live in kind of a box.  We get yard time and have everything planned out for us ahead of time.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I am so happy to be here, but after teaching now our third fake investigator I just want to teach some real people.  

I can only speak the Spanish that is in the lessons and a little bit besides that, but I can't wait to get out there.  Spanish is coming along really well.   My companion Elder Stewart and I kill the lessons and our teachers tell us we have a lot of potential and that we really work together well.  The other companionships did not get such compliments apparently haha.  One even had to restart their lessons with the investigator because they accidentally said, "We milk and eat people in the church," hahaha.  The investigators are our teachers and they really play their parts well.  They really make it feel real and stressful especially because with only two weeks of Spanish, we can't say that much and forget a lot so sometimes there are some very long pauses.  

The wife of the MTC President is super nice.  She gives all the pep talks.  Also, we had the health talk on Sunday and we have pretty much accepted death because they showed pictures of some things we could get down here and it looks quite bad.  Good thing dad packed me the pharmacy.  Love ya, dad. [Jeff is known for his preparedness.]

The latino missionaries are some of the funniest and coolest people.  There are two elders here I know from Lima and one is the weirdest person I have ever met.  He keeps asking when they will give us some nice horse to eat because that is his favorite.  The other is just a funny guy and he and his companion were a match made in heaven because they always walk around with their arms around each other and are kinda like the two stooges. (yes, I know there are three but that is what they are like.)  

There is this fruit called rambutan here and its the best fruit I have ever had.

Ummm, other than that, we sit in class all day and learn Spanish.  I am happy, healthy and where I should be.  I love you all and I pray for you every day.

Elder Peacock

Cousins

The night before our oldest son entered the MTC in Provo almost exactly six years ago, we gathered the Peacock family together.  Justin was the first grandchild to leave on a mission.  In all, there are ten Peacock  (including Madsen and McGill) grandsons.  The only one missing that night was our middle son, Tyler, who was at EFY (Especially for Youth, a summer program for teenagers) at BYU. We lined all the boys up, youngest to oldest:

They are a bit rowdy. Here's a more civilized pose:

My favorite part was when we joined in family prayer at the end of the night.  I can only speak for myself, but I was sobbing.

Just missing Tyler (EFY) and Lexie
(Lexie is taking the picture...and incidentally wearing a bathing suit
although there was no water nearby, as was her habit that year)

Anyway.  Since that night, four more cousins (#2-5) have gone and returned from missions in Puerto Rico, Alabama, Peru and Baltimore.  Another cousin (#6), Elder Spencer Madsen, is currently serving in the Dominican Republic and will be returning later this year.  There has always been at least one Peacock grandson out in the mission field since July, 2010.  And then there is this trio (#7, 8 & 9 grandsons):

Zack, Will and Jason each graduated high school in 2015 and decided to go to a year of college. They each received their mission calls within weeks of each other. Jason was the first to leave at the end of May to the Texas McAllen (Spanish speaking) via the MTC in Mexico City.  

Will and Zack left the same day:  July 12th.  Zack is going to Oklahoma City (Spanish speaking) via the MTC in Mexico City.  He missed Jason by hours in Mexico City as Jason left for Texas.  

So now, each of the four Peacock siblings have a missionary out.  It's been a crazy summer, but also awesome because we've gotten together three times in six weeks to love on these boys.  We look forward to getting together again in Idaho to welcome Spencer home in a few months.

And us moms, we're pretty much superheroes.  Sisters are the best, whether you get them through marriage or biology, it matters not.

Missing Susan!

Rewind: The Temple

[May 10, 2016]

One of the most important steps a missionary takes in his preparation for his mission is to attend the temple for the first time.  A temple is different than a chapel for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  A chapel is where we attend church on a weekly basis--to worship, partake of the sacrament and receive instruction.  All are welcome to visit our chapels.  

A temple is quite literally the house of the Lord.  We go there to receive instructions, make covenants and complete sacred ordinances for ourselves and on behalf of those that have died without receiving saving ordinances.

And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19)

Due to the sacred nature, we must qualify for the privilege to attend by faithfully living the commandments and receiving a recommendation from our local leaders.  Attending the temple is not something we do lightly as increased responsibility and accountability comes from taking this next step in our progression.

 For more on temples, see HERE.

We attended the St. George Temple in May with Will.  The clouds provided a lovely backdrop, right?

It is a pioneer temple, dedicated in 1877.  There are currently 150 operating temples, including two in Guatemala:  Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango.   I love the beauty of the St. George Temple--gleaming white in the midst of red rock--but every temple is beautiful, with its own character and history.  I love that it's only 15 minutes from our house and that I can see it almost every day as I do daily errands.  But mostly, I love that I can feel the Spirit more strongly there than anywhere else.  It brings the peace to my soul as described by President Thomas S. Monson:

As we attend the temple, there can come to us a dimension of spirituality and a feeling of peace which will transcend any other feeling which could come into the human heart. We will grasp the true meaning of the words of the Savior when He said: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. … Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)