The atonement isn't just for sinners

hello all! im excited to tell you about my week:)

LAST WEEK! so this is the last full week in this transfer! it has flown by so fast! im sad because my awesome companion will be finishing her mission and goinghome! but im excited to meet my new companion! 

ive learned alot in this transfer but here are a few things....

1.) the atonement. there is so much more to the atonement than we really understand. its not just for sinners. its our key to overcome the natural man to qualify to live with Heavenly Father again. the natural man is so strong! our natural desires our against God's will. but the atonement and grace (or the enabling power) is the key to overcome that natural man. not just with sins but with any sorts of pains,trials,sickness,or sadness. when there are tirals, the natual man is weak, but with the help of the Savior we can be made strong. we just have to ASK. thats another thing iv'e been thinking about latley. i was reading in the book of mormon and i read a verse (sorry i forgot where) but it was saying to ask Hevaenly Father for the things we need. He already knows what we need, but we need to assk. oh i remember its in 3 nephi! anyways sometimes my prayers can get lazy then i remember how important prayer is! all of this, the enabling power of the atonement, any blssings you want have to start with prayer. i know the Lord hears every sincere prayer. i know becasue i have received several answers. and here on my mission my investigators have received things i have asked for them in my prayers. the key to our prayers tho is alligning them with the will of God. what does He want us to pray for? i never thought of that. but in preach my gospel there is somewhere that says to listen what the spirit would have you pray for! anyways its just interesting to me! 

SUMMER! so its close to summer here in the beautiful land of the philippines! basically it feels like an arizona summer but more humid! but the great thing is that in the morning and night its perfect weather! the people here call it "cold"but i love it! 

being summer that means more fruit! my companion and the othersisters i live wth make fun of me cuz im kind of obsessed with the fruit here! thats like all i eat! 

in every neighborhood there are these little stores called 'tindahans' and now thats its close to summer they all sell "halo-halo" its a cold treat but kind of weird! its like an cy but has beens and potatos in it. it sdounds weird but is actually good! oh! i tried that icecream they eat inside the bun or bread here! it ws actually really tasty! dont judge! ;)

well my time is up! love you all! 

Sister Peavler

Sharing my love through service

I'm sorry I don't have much time to write a big email!

but things are going great here! The highlight of my week was zone conference! A bunch of us missionaries got together and heard from our president and his wife, and other mission leaders! I got to see missionaries that were friends from the mtc! We traveled through really beautiful scenery to get there! After a flat tire we made it! Our mission has a big goal for this year of 2015. My mission president is a go getter! He reminds me so much of dad! He's funny and has a kind heart, but when it's business time, it's business time! He doesn't mess around! I'm excited to see the progress our mission will have from his leadership! 

     One thing my mission is really focusing on is real growth. Being truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is a theme for us and the people we teach. We have been studying the atonement and repentance alot lately to fufill this theme of real growth. I've been reading jesus the Christ. It is amazing! Also the best source for understanding the Savior's atonement is through reading the Book of Mormon! I know the book of mormon is from a loving heavenly father who wants us to have guidance in our lives and be happy! I love sharing this with people everyday! My mission is becoming even more fun because I can speak better tagalog! Before I wanted to share so many things but I couldn't communicate! Now it is so much better and I feel so blessed! One quote I heard at zone conference was "it's not an event of learning a language, it's a journey of loving the people" and when I heard that I said a big amen in my head haha! Because that's exactly what the language taught me to do, is to love others and have charity. I couldn't share my love through words, I tried to show the people I love them through service. I want these people to know I really love them because I do! My favorite part of the mission is feeling Heavenly Father's love for them. It's such a blessing. and when i feel His love for them, i realize how much He loves me. anyways we also had a baptism this week, so that was awesome! his name is Brother Godfrey,he is 24. Hopefully he will serve a mission! He was so prepared to hear the gospel! After he was baptized he bore a sweet testimony. Theres nothing like hearing your investigators bare there testimony! It feels so fufilling! not because i did it, but got to go through the journey with them to get to this point! It's so awesomeeeeeee! I love being a missionary!!!!!!!

love sister peavler <3

Got to see some friends that I was in the MTC with!

Birthday Celebration!

Out for a celebratory dinner 

Brother Godfrey's baptism!

One of my favorite desserts here!

20 Years Old!!!

well this week was awesome! full of wonderful experiences!!!

highlights....

1.) teaching experience...yesterday we went on splits with the branch missionaries. i was nervous because my tagalog isnt as good as i want it to be and i would be without my companion. well i shouldnt have been nervous because i had a great teaching experience! we oymed someone which means just offering to teach or extending an invitation to someone. they could just be a random person you meet, or someone youve met before. this time it was a random person. we met her then offered to teach her. when i got out of that lesson i was so happy! i was thinking about how when i used to teach the first lesson. that my words would all be jumbled and id only be able to share a little. but this time it just flowed and it just felt so good! i think its a lesson from Heavenly Father to appreicate my testimony. because when the language comes in the way of teaching its so frustrating! but when  i can express myself the spirit is much stronger and i get so happy that my tagalog is understood that i teach better and i appreciate more that u=i have the opportunity to share my testimony! its also made me more charitable. being in a place where you are the minority is a humbling experience. ive learned to rely on the Lord more. i love my time here in the mission! i wouldnt trade it for anything in the world!

2.) im 20!! its weird saying that...but then again its weird thinking that 4 of my friends have gotten married since i left....(CONGRATS ASHLEY,HALLIE,RAFA,JORDAN:) 20 years is a long time...sheesh...im halfway to 40! yikes! anyways i had an awesome birthday thanks to my super great fellow missionaries! i cant wait to send pictures! but we started that day off with a communinty service project then the branch president fed all the missionaries and his family surprised me with a cake! and their neighbor gave me my favorite...coconut! so it was a great start to my day! then it was back to normal missionary life! but for dinner my district mate and i had cake and ice cream and i even got some presents from them! it was a fun day!

3.) today is pday and earlier we went to this AWESOME restaurant!!! i cant wait to send pictures! thank goodness my companion is super nice and lets me use her camera! by the way....(i need a new camera...mine broke;/)

well anyways this is a little of my awesome week! stay classy arizona!

love sister peavler 

My new companion Sister Acosta! 

This is Bevs she is a branch missionary

Chicken intestines

                                                          Coconuts are My Favorite!!

They smeared frosting on my face while I was making a wish! 

My district

Pday on my 20th birthday!

My new area is awesome!

 

Zone lunch at a really cute restaraunt!

A little taste of america!!

New Area!!!

hello all!:)

highlights....

1.) transferred! so i was transferred to moncada,paniqui! its about 1 hour and 45 min from my last area. even tho ive only been here for a few days its truly been really great! first of all because i have a really awesome companion! her name is sister acosta! we have the best times together! we have many spiritual experiences but also many experiences where i cant stop laughing! this area is a little more established than my old area. the neighborhood i live in is almost like a neighborhood in america. i miss the litte kids in my last area! there arnt that many little kids here! but its okay cuz this area has its perks too ;) 

2.) one of those perks is nanay norma! she is 71! she works with us alot! we go to her house and say hi nanay we need a member to come with us and she hurrys and changes clothes and comes with us! she even walks far with us! and she shows us where all the less actives live! 

3.) another perk is the buko here! buko is coconut! unfortunately im still near the city. i say unfortuanley because the closer to the city the more expensive buko is. but a member in my new area has a buko tree! she is so nice. i told her buko is my favorite then she went to her trees and started knocking a bunch down from the tree! i had sooo much buko juice that day! 

 philippines just has the best fruit in general! if you are a fruit addict like me, come here! the have the most uniquie fruits! i tried this new one last last week called star apple! and of course the best mangos are here too! 

4.) im excited to work in this area for many reasons! ive been able to meet a few people these past few days. one person i met was tatay alex. he is a recent convert. he really wants his wife to join the church. he shared his conversion story with us and to his wife. it was a really sweet experience. he told us he had been baptized before but felt like there was something missing. even tho his life isnt perfect now he really knows this is the Lord's true church. i love hearing stories like this! 

5.) i love the gospel and i love being a missionary! and i love life! when you truly understand the gospel and the atonement, everything changes and you see everythinhg differently. so my advice to you is to pray to understand the atonement. we as a mission have been studying the atonement lately. there are tow parts. for sins and for strength. weve been focusing n the strength part and its enabling power. i know that i wouldnt be here in the mission if it wasnt for the atonement. missionarey work is tough work and i could not do it alone! i know the Lords carries me every single day! 

well this is a little about my first few days in my new area! next week ill be 20 when i email! ;)

This is Mariolus family she was baptized in december and her two sons will be baptized on feb 7!

Little kids in one of my areas. The little boys nickname is obama haha...

 this weeks baptism!

Isn't this little girl gorgeous?

Just about to email!

The best birthday present I could ask for

Magandang Buhay! Here are my highlights/thoughts this week

1.) We will be having a baptism this Friday! Usually our baptisms are on Saturday but Saturday is fiesta. All week is fiesta but Saturday is the big fiesta. It's basically a big party every night! In one of the areas where we proselyte they put up some rides. I wish i could have taken a picture. The rides are so sketchy! There was this man putting together the roller coaster in his boxers and little kids swinging from the rails! it was crazy! but really funny! anyways..back to the baptism...Arvie jay will be baptized! he is 19 years old! we found him thru his girlfriend,Casylin. she works with us sometimes. Anyways we've been teaching him, and now he is ready to be baptized! I'm so excited!!!!! 

2.) February 7! So yes February seventh is my birthday....but what makes it even better is that we have 3 baptisms planned for that day! It will be the best present ever!!! 2 of the 3 people are the sons of a recent convert,Marilou. She was baptized in December  At first, her sons did not want to be taught. But their mom really loves this gospel. She has prayed long and hard for her sons to be willing to listen and now we teach them every other night and they are actively and excitedly listening! The 3rd baptism will be sister Hewlitt, she is 21. I can't explain my joy about her being baptized. Imagine going to disneyland then eating the best ice cream in the world and then multiply that by 100 that's my joy! I am so happy because she has truly been changed through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I love her story and I love her! and one day she will be a missionary! She told us! 

3.) Prayer and fasting! Before my mission when I heard the word "fast sunday" I thought "yikes! I'm already hungry!" but now I look for days that I can fast. Fasting brings miracles! There are some great articles in the liahona of fasting, read them! 

4.) Transfers.....so transfers are next week! I don't think I will leave this area. But me and my district leader have a bet, he and other missionaries tell me I'll leave! So we will see who gets the ice cream next Wednesday! :) I really want to be here for February 7 but I am excited for new areas and new experiences! 

5.) We are so blessed. Sometimes its easy to overlook miracles and blessings. but they are everywhere. and you are happier when you see them, you realize how much Heavenly Father is in your life. 

6.) Cold! It's been cold here at night! I never thought I'd be cold in the Philippines! 

well until next week! :)

love, Sister Peavler

Prayers answered

Hello! I'm so excited to share my experiences this week!

1.) Earthquake! I woke up to an earthquake the other night! It was a scary, but cool experience!

2.) Baptism! Saturday was so great because a really sweet elderly man Brother Crispon was baptized! He really wants his family to join the church, but he always just comes by himself. His wife agreed to come to his baptism though and he was so excited she came! It was such a sweet day!

3.) Many answered prayers! I had a really great experience the other day. We hadn't found a new investigator all week but all week we had been praying! We had specifically been praying for a family! This area really needs families! So we went out saturday morning and we were led to a great family! I was so happy and excited! They were very receptive and we will be going back to visit them. I knew it was an answer to my prayer.
Another experience I had was with our other new investigator from saturday. His heart is a little hard. He refused to pray. After about five minutes of explaining to him why its important for him to pray he still refused. So I told him that if he prayed now, that he would receive his answer. He told me that would not happen! That he would not receive an answer right away! i told him that he wouldnt if he didn't believe! anyways he still refused so i prayed. but before I prayed and while I prayed I pleaded with Heavenly Father for him to feel something. to have a witness through the holy ghost. Right after the prayer he asked us about this feeling he had. He didnt know what it was. I was smiling from ear to ear because I knew my prayer was answered!

till next week! (it will be longer...promise:)

sister peavler

 Brother Crispon's baptism!

Brother Crispon and his wife and granddaughter

Being silly with friends!

Me and my companion sister Salde from Bacolod, Philippines

This picture is during another lunch break that is a squid! It actually tastes good!

Happy New Year!

hello! Yesterday was my 6 month mark in the mission! crazy how time flies...I really can't believe it! 

Highlights...

1.) Christmas of course! I got to skype the good ole familyy!:) that was definitely the best part! the rest of the day was everyday missionary life! but everyone gave us food! my favorite here is fruit salad! but most of the people here make the fruit salad with the fruit out of a can....i don't understand it! because they have like the best fresh fruit in the world! but its till good! but when i make fruit salad i use fresh fruit! like coconut,mango,watermelon,banana, and other delicious stuff! i think the fruit here is definitely one of my favorite things! anyways that's my fruit salad story...haha. 

2.) Christmas conference! So the mission got together and we had a conference! it was really fun! I got to see friends from the MTC that I haven't seen since then! I'll send some pictures! 

3.) New years! So we had a curfew on new years eve at 6 pm. We watched some church movies,and caught up on some stuff! but we woke up to fireworks in the middle of the night surrounding our house! they were so loud! they weren't the little fireworks we're used to! they were the huge ones! anyways we sat on our porch for a little bit and watched them. It was a new years ill definitely never forget! 

4.) Tatay Crispin! So I'm really excited to tell you about him! he is a 75 year old man that lives really close to the church here. anyways he will be baptized on saturday so ill make sure to send pictures! I'm kind of worried how he will get under the water cuz his body is so fragile!! but there's a way! haha.

5.) We had zone interviews with our mission president this past week! We obviously get interviewed, but then we are taught by some of our leaders. these first few months of the year we are focusing on the atonement and its enabling power! Everyone who reads this needs to watch the Mormon message " reclaimed" here's the link! the atonement is not just for sinners though! It's shown in our everyday lives! Through the atonement we can do things that we can't do on our own! and I definitely feel it here in the mission! I've grown in ways I couldn't have on my own! 

https://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#reclaimed

6.) "Ponder the path of thy feet" this is a talk by the prophet. read it! its about becoming more like the Savior. i really love my Savior! Ive gotten to know Him better through reading, the book of Mormon, the bible,preach my gospel,Jesus the Christ. and through finding people and teaching people. I don't understand how someone could love us so much. I was reading the account of His atonement in the book "Jesus the Christ: (read that too! ..you have a lot of homework!) anyways it made me so sad reading about His pain.but I'm so grateful for his sacrifice. just imagine that, giving your whole life for other people. All your time, efforts,and even you literal life. yet sometimes we are selfish and want things for ourselves, now. but the Savior never thought about Himself. I just really love learning about Him.

7.) I really love this gospel! I don't have a perfect knowledge of all the things of the gospel! i sometimes have questions! but that's okay cuz there are some things I do know that make everything else not matter. and those things are : Jesus Christ lives. He knows us individually. We have a loving Heavenly Father. He wants us to go to Him through SINCERE prayer. The Book of Mormon is the words of God. If you want to have a better relationship with Him and our Savior..read it! Joesph smith is a prophet that was called of God. i don't have all the facts about the apostasy and restoration, but i know it really happened. He sacrificed His life for this gospel, along with many other saints. but more importantly, i have my own testimony of the restoration. i know it in my heart and it just makes sense that Heavenly Father still speaks to us because we are His children , and we need guidance and He loves us! so of course he can call a prophet in these days and reveal to us His will! i also know the atonement can change you. it can truly change your desires,your heart, and your weaknesses. its truly amazing! I'm not a super good missionary, i have many weaknesses. but i always try to make sure everyone knows they have a loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves and has a plan for them. that, to me, is the message of the restoration and the gospel of Jesus Christ! i know family is the most important unit of the gospel. the home is the most sacred next to the temple. I heard that in a quote that week. That's pretty amazing! I know that when we have trials we are being blessed. ether 12:27. If we are having trials its a good thing. Hard, but we are growing closer to the Savior.

anyways hope all is well back in the good old AZ! :)

love Sister Peavler