Joy to the World! 12/17/2012

Things are going really well. I enjoy the mission. I love being with a new missionary as well, it make me feel young haha. This week we had a Christmas Devotional with about half of the mission and each zone presented a slide show and a musical number. President Castaneda and his family shared a few musical numbers as well which well all enjoyed. The President selected several missionaries to bear their testimonies about the Atonement of Christ and what they are doing to strengthen their area. I had the opportunity to be one of those who he selected to bear their testimony. I cant help but just feel overwhelmingly grateful for all that I have learning here in my mission and more than anything how I have felt my testimony grow. I love this time of year and am so happy that we can commemorate the birth of our Savior.

This week we had 10 investigators in Sacrament Meeting, which for a branch of 40 active members was great! We were of course thrilled. A large part of it had to do with the primary presentation which was performed and everyone wanted to be there for the occasion.

We are very busy and I wish we had extra hours in each day. I know just one thing at a time and we will manage. But we are happy and working as best we can. This week we read about Ammon and how when he was working in the fields and all the flocks were dispersed, he reacted not with frustration, angst, or stress, but with joy. He seized the opportunity to make a missionary moment and helps others know of the greatness and goodness of God. I know that the Lord can bring me peace as I strive to do His will. I love the scripture in John 14:27 about the peace and comfort. I hope each of you have a wonderful joyous week enjoying the Spirit of Christmas.

Love you all,

Elder Peine

Elder Rojas and I (a former companion)

Elder Jepson and I (my companion for the MTC)

Mission President Castaneda and his family singing for the missionaries

12/10/2012

This week was a wonderful week as we had the opportunity to work with several of the members. At one point we were with three of the members visiting their friends and neighbors. Between these three members I think they know every person who lives in the area. We talked with just about everyone we saw in the street and we had someone to visit on every street. I loved it. I felt happy to be there. It’s just so great to see the members animated and looking to share the gospel with others. It’s just a little branch, but some hearts of the members are huge and sometimes they don’t have very much but they give more than I could imagine with their time, testimonies, and love for others. I have seen that it truly is better to give than to receive.

Sometimes I have a lot of things on the front of my mind like, lesson at such and such a time, remember to call so and so, send copy of the rent to the mission office ect. And sometimes it’s a lot to think about and do. But as I grasp hold of the thought of the life of the Savior my stress seams to slip away and I feel happy. I think behind all of the things to do and places to be, my testimony of the Savior is what helps me have peace and a calmness. He lifts me when I am tired and He gives me drive and purpose when my heart isn't fully connected the work. It is easy to just do, but to do with purpose, full intent, with full love for the work and for the people, takes something more and I believe that something more is a testimony of Jesus Christ. When I know he is behind everything that the missionary work stands for and is it helps me understand the urgency, love, and focus, needed to stay the course and work with joy.

Thank you for your support, love, and prayers. May you all enjoy this special season.

Love,

Elder Peine

Miguel, Manuel, and Elder Morales

View from the Tortuguero hill (district activity)

Me

New Companion 12/03/2012

 I have a new companion! His name is Elder Morales and I very excited to be working with him. He is from Guatemala and he is just starting his mission! He arrived super excited and has a great heart and loves to share the Gospel. He came very well prepared and I am enjoying learning together with him.  He has a wonderful testimony and it brings a smile to my face to be able to work with someone so happy.


We held a baptism Saturday for Daniela (who's family are members) and it went very well. The other ward actually had a baptism as well and we held them both together. It makes me remember mine when about 5 or 6 of us were baptized all the same day, its something Whit Morgan and I have in common.

We enjoyed the Devotional. During President Eyrings talk I thought about how different this Christmas will be from all the rest and how I might not have many material things to give. Then an image of the missionaries came up and reminded me of the gift that I am to be sharing with others, the gift of Salvation and the Restored Gospel. I am thrilled to be here, it has been really beautiful; we are excited for this Christmas Season and are looking forward to the joy of sharing the Gospel with others.

Thank you for all of your love and support, may your smiles be grand, your spirits uplifted, and your lives enriched. Hasta Luego!

Love you,

Elder Peine

 Baptism of Daniela with the branch

Daniela, Soraida, Ballam

The branch Sunday Morning

Special Baptism- November 26, 2012

Hola!


I will be staying in the area I am currently in. My companion will be heading off tomorrow this new area and a new missionary will be arriving in my area. I will be training again and I’m very excited, yes I little feverous but I know if  I’d what I’m supposed t and if I love the people with all my heart things will work out and the work will progress. Many people have been receiving new callings in the branch and it’s very exciting right now!


This week we held a very special baptism of Patricia whose sister is a member. Everything was going according to plan until the Elders called us and told us that the water had been shut off at the church and there wasn’t any water for the baptism. But after many prayers during the day, 2 long hoses, a very friendly neighbor and an hour and a half of waiting we finally held the baptism. It was very special. The sister who was baptized started to cry as she bore her testimony, just knowing that what has happened in her past is in her past and now she can press forward. It was one of these moments surreal. It was night, the crickets were chirping, everything was still, and she was standing in front, bearing her testimony. I will always remember it. I felt so happy and know what a great step this will be in her life.


Thank you for the photos and the letters, I love you all and wish you my best!


Elder Peine

Baptism of Patricia

Baptism of Patricia

Wonderful day!- November 19, 2012

Hey family!


What a wonderful day we had! Today we went with the district to hike a hill (mountain) and enjoyed a wonderful day out and about! At this site, the stones that predict the end of the Mayan era were found.


The week has gone fairly well though. We have been enjoying really getting to know the members and have been seeing progress in the branch. There is an enthusiasm and it always makes me happy to see when other members are helping others. When we arrived to at a members house they always ask how the other members are or let us know if someone could use some help. The enthusiasm has been picking up and we are really enjoying attending a filled sacrament meeting.

This Friday we will be holding a baptism which we are excited for. The sister who will be baptized has a member sister who she looks up to. It’s exciting to see their excitement and love for the gospel. We have been using Mormon.org a lot, I think Parry had quite a bit to do with that, so please make sure to thank him for me.

We are loving it in the missionary work. All is well, but there will be changes next week and we are unsure what will happen, if one of us is to head to another area or not, but we know its in the hands of the Lord. I do miss the snow, I feel like I'm in a forever summer, but hey I am enjoying it. Thanks for the letters, the prayers, and for all of your love. Keep it up, I love you all!

-Elder Peine

The District

Supposedly the exact location where the engraven stones were found

me

Replica of the stones that predict the end of the Mayan era in December

Christmas is coming- Novmeber 12, 2012

This week was a great week! We had more members attend sacrament meeting which was fabulous! We almost don’t find in our little branch any more which is a good thing. We are enjoying working with the members. We have found the through the members there is a lot more real growth in the church. The actives get more actives and the less actives become active. The new members find new investigators as well as the less actives who seems to have more contacts with nonmembers.

The work is progressing and the mission overall has seemed to be progressing as well. I have seen how true it is that by small and simple things great things are brought to pass. A visit to sing a hymn, a note of enthusiasm, or a smile and a wave all have a rather important part of helping one another feel loved and I think that  is what the gospel is all about. Helping one another feel the pure love of Christ.

We are preparing for the Christmas holidays and remembered that Thomas S. Monson said that the spirit of Christmas is the spirit of Christ. Today we read Alma 18 15 (I think) which talks about bringing a soul unto Christ (and then later bringing many souls unto Christ) how great shall be our joy in the kingdom of Heaven when we rejoice with them. What greater gift can one give to another than the gift of the gospel, and invitation to a Christmas activity, the Devotional, a nativity. It really is the gift that keeps on giving. We are so excited about the Holidays and about being able to invite others to participate in the celebrations.

Thank you all for being so great. I love you and hope you all have a fantastic week. I hope that we can all find those small and simple ways to participate in the spirit of Christmas and invite others to do the same. I know its still only November, but the Christmas spirit is drawing closer day by day (even though I will be lacking the snow).

Love,

Elder Peine

Brother Manuel, just after having been ordained Elder

Seek and Ye Shall Find- November 5, 2012

Right now the missionary work has been changing a little bit and we have been focusing on teaching all the members the message of the Restoration and working to find all the less actives and invite them back to church.

We have had several good experiences of searching, asking, finding, and talking with some of these members. It brings joy to my soul when we find these members and are able to converse with them about the Savior and that happiness that we receive as we faithfully attend church and make Him a priority in our life. I know that he lives and loves us so much. I can’t believe how lucky I am to be here in Mexico.


I know that the Gospel is true and that it has been restored again in its fullness and am so thankful to have been born into such a wonderful family.

Sorry for the shortness of my letters, but Im doing well and things are progressing. We are going to be using mormon.org a lot now and I would love to see your profiles up!

Thanks so much love you all!

Elder Peine

Elder Flores and I

Balaam, Sister Soraida, Elder Flores and I

Peace- October 30, 2012

This past Saturday my companion Elder Flores and I went with one of the members from the branch to visit one of her neighbors who had an ill husband. We began talking with the wife who and she let us know how her husband had gotten into such a state. Six months ago he began drinking heavily and could seem to stop. His body finally couldn’t take it anymore and he was confined to bed rest. For the past 15 days his family has been feeding, bathing, and changing him. She asked if we, the missionaries she had never met before could offer a prayer for her husband. We said that if she would like we could give him a priesthood blessing. Accepting, we proceeded to his room where we found him laying in his bed. He looked frail and certainly was ill. He waved his right arm in the air as recognition that he knew we were there but the rest of his body was completely still. My companion anointed him with olive oil and then I offered the blessing. I remember blessing him with peace, calmness, eased burdens, and that his family would be okay in this difficult time. His wife and two children were with and thanked us for our visit. After having left the house, the member told us that she felt like either he would make a recovery or that he would pass away more quickly. We continued on with our day and as we arrived to our house at night the member called to inform us that the person to whom we had given a blessing to had passed away just a few hours after our visit. I felt calm. I felt as if the Lord knew what was right and what was going to happen. I know that this life is not the end, but only a part of our eternal progression.

I am doing well, I am thankful for the Gospel and for the wonderful people I have met here in Mexico. I love you all dearly. Have a wonderful week and a Happy Halloween!

Love,

Elder Peine

Miguel! (A future member)

Love the nature!

Maria, Isabel, David!

October 22, 2012- LOVE

Hello family!

This week I learned a Little something about sacrifice. We met with a member who has been having many difficulties with her husband, raising her son, finding means of supplying for the family etc. Despite all that has been going on her life at the moment she invited us to visit a nearby less active teen and her nonmember mother. Together we made a visit to see how they are doing, if we could be of any help, and to invite them to Church. Our visit was brief but I felt the Spirit. The family came to church the following Sunday and I learned a valuable lesson. The member who is in the midst of hardship and could have easily found excuses not to make a visit to her neighbor, reached out in love and did what she could to help this family in the Gospel. Her faith and determination to do what is right is an inspiration to me and a great motivator.

Another investigator attended church and although hesitant as first, began to open up and communicate during the classes. In my eyes his participation is a step closer to Christ, to gaining faith and moving forward towards a more Gospel centered life. His desire to learn and follow Christ has inspired me.
I am so grateful for this wonderful day, my wonderful family, and the wonderful people that I am getting to know here in Mexico.

I love you all,

Elder Peine

The church in Macuspana (an hour from the branch here)

Patricia and Maria Ugenia

 Manuel

October 15, 2012- Be Strong and of Good Courage

Thanks for sending me letters! I love hearing about Hawaii and how you are all doing! Keep up the good work!

There were changes yesterday but it turns out the my companion and I are both staying, which I'm fine with.


This week we went to a members house to teach her sister and when we asked her sister why she wanted to learn more about the Gospel she said because I want to be like my sister who is calm and happy. I am grateful for the good influence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the power to change and the power of forgiveness.

 I am so grateful to me a missionary and do be able to see the Gospel taking part in the lives of so many people. The members are strong and have to support a lot considering not many of their neighbors or family members are members. My heart has been touched as I have heard the testimonies of these loving people. They are pioneers in there families, the first to accept the Restored Gospel. I have been thinking about the early pioneers and how they had to be so firm and so sure of what it was they were doing, to be able to leave everything behind and head out to an unknown territory to start a new life. What courage! What strength!

 I pray for you all and love you very much. I hope we can have the strength, hope, faith such as that of our ancestors had. Thank you for the support, have a fantastic week!

Love.

Elder Peine

Villahermosa

District

David (future missionary)

October 8, 2012- Joy

I hope that everyone had a wonderful conference weekend!

On Friday afternoon we held a baptismal service for Rodolfo. It was a special service and I feel very grateful that I could have been a part of it. Many members of the branch came to support him and his family just got bigger. He came to General conference and it was a great joy to be seated next to him as we listened to the words of the apostles and prophets.

So much has been happening I really don’t know where to start or how to begin and now I don’t have much time. But I just want to say how grateful I am to have been born in a time where we have a living prophet and where we can be guided. I think it is such a blessing, one that I have certainly taken for granted. I am grateful for the missionaries and for the mission work. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I am grateful for my parents who have raised me and helped me grow in the path. I think of my ancestors (whom now more than ever I want to learn about) and the lives they lived to provide me the opportunity to be here. I like what Ann M Dibb said, I’m a Mormon, I know it, I live it, and I love it! I feel the same way and am happy to share it. I have to go but I hope you all have a fabulous week, I love each and every one of you and hope you know that I care about your well being, even if I’m not the best letter writer or birthday remember.


Thank you for all of your love and support.


Love,
Elder Peine

Baptism of Rodolfo!

Baptism of Rodolfo!

Baptism of Rodolfo!

Sunrise

October 1, 2012- Temple Blessings

Hey family!

How have you all been doing? I hope that things have been going well and that your all have a terrible amount of success in all that you do. Things have been going well down here in Mexico and to start I would like to share about our trip to the temple.


Saturday we left bright and early at 4am for Villahermosa and the branch enjoyed a wonder day in the Temple. It was a wonderful experience, especially as we had the opportunity to accompany a future missionary we went through for his first endowment session.


Sunday morning was testimony meeting and everyone bore their testimony of the temple and how wonderful their experience had been. An investigator, a 70 year old, also stood up to bear his testimony, he commented how he has felt very alone in his life but also how grateful he feels that the members have been helping him. He also shared his desire to be baptized! A 15 year old girl then stood up and spoke directly to him testifying the he is never alone, that God is with him and that everyone has a purpose in life and no one is useless in His eyes.


Also, the Saturday night as we were walking in the streets, exhausted, we saw a shooting star, something that my companion had never seen before. This small blessing of God gave us the desire to press on and keep working. I know the Lord loves me very much and has granted me this grand opportunity to teach his Gospel. I know that the Church is true and that this is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love you all so very much and am grateful for your love and support.


Love,
Elder Peine

Temple

The branch!

Brother Luna

Temple

September 24, 2012- Great day in the nieghborho​od

Hey family!


What a great day in the neighborhood! (as mom always says). It truly is a great day. I just feel happy and good to be alive. Thank you all for helping me through your prayers, letters, and photos.
I am doing well doing here in city of Pemex. The branch is progressing. We will be headed to the temple this Saturday and we have 30 scheduled to go, which is a pretty good number considering only about 40 show up on Sunday. I thrilled to be able to go with these members and visit the House of the Lord. We have had several interesting lessons this week and have enjoyed teaching the gospel to as many people the Lord puts in our path. I have been teaching Sunday School and have enjoyed preparing for the Sunday lessons each week. I have now been in an area with a ward, an area with two wards, and now a branch. I think of the Cyprus branch and the Karen tribe branch (basically ward) and am happy to be in yet another small but precious area of the world where the Saints are gathering.


Dad, may the Lord be with you as always as you assume your new calling. I love you so much. Mom, I love you much more than 50 planets. You are all wonderful and I pray for you always (Moroni 8:3).


Love,
Elder Peine

Mexican tradition, cake in the face if its your birhday!

Elder Flores and I

When the camera moved as we tried to do self timer. haha

Be of Good Faith 09/17/2012

I am learning how important it is to have faith. It is essential to everything we do as missionaries, as members of the Church, and as sons and daughters of God. I pray that was can all be filled with the gift of faith to say and act as the Savior would have us act. I am loving this small town of Ciudad Pemex, its just a little branch, but I know that with faith in Christ, this branch will grow and the members will radiate their happiness to all those around. Be of good faith!

I love you all take care,

Elder Peine!

Sorry no time this week!

 Baptism de Jesus Balaam!

baptism

Mexican night!

The Branch 09/10/2012

Hey everyone!

I’m at my new area! City of Pemex, its basically a small town for petroleum workers. We attend a small branch in a Casa de Oracion (Prayer house) and at average about 40 people attend. My companion, Elder Flores, another wonderful Elder has been leading me around to visit the investigators and members. He has only 6 weeks in the mission field and is rather mature and quite humble. I quite enjoy working with him. We are excited to be hear and that branch is progressing. The branch president is 24 years old and hardly looks like a president but is doing a fine job.

We have already had some special experiences and are looking forward to helping this branch progress in the faith of Jesus Christ and unity. My heart has been touched as I have gotten to know such special people who such solid testimonies. For example a future missionary who will head to Colombia shared his testimony and despite the fact that none of his family are members, they accepted his decision and willingness to serve a full time mission.

I love you all, life to the fullest and enjoy the gifts of the spirit, the sweetest of all!

Love, Elder Peine


Things for school, I think Jordan should know, if not you could contact Utah State. My spot should be fine without anything but you could verify. 

Audios to my district

Audios to Bishop Carrasco

New area!

Coconuts anyone?

Making the best of preparation day

Called to a new area! 09/01/2012

The time has arrived, the Lord has called me to a new area! I head out tomorrow morning to Ciudad de Pemex (Pemex City). Pemex, the big oil company is the base of the economy in these areas and apparently I'm about to find out what a city of oil workers is like. Who knows really, I heard its not too big a city and I should be using a lot of the small Volkswagen like buses to get around. Its closer to Villahermosa, thus hotter, but that’s okay. This will be my third area and I will be with an Elder who has 6 weeks in his mission and I will be finishing his training. It’s sad to leave this area but at the same time I know there are people prepared by the Lord in this next area as well. Like mom told me once, the purpose of life is movement and growth, and I’d have to agree.

      This week we met with a less active family who we are trying to help activate. The father had not agreed to pray previously but at the end of the lesson we asked him if he would offer the prayer. He responded: ooohh Elders why do you chastise me? We quickly responded: because we love you J He smiled and offered the closing prayer.

I come to find out more and more that the mission is about Charity, about the pure love of Christ and doing everything we know we should do to help people come unto Him. It is about putting off the natural man and submitting to His will, whatever it may be. I have learned from other Elders the impact of a sincere testimony and have felt great joy to hear their testimonies and as I have had the opportunity to share mine. I am so happy to be here. I know that this work is true and that peoples lives change, their families change, and their connection with God magnifies as they grasp hold to the goodness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Love,

Elder Peine

Richard, Brother Cardenas, Roberto, Ruben, Brother Martinez, Daniel, Brother Rosado, and....me

Elder Rojas and I (Peruvian gear)

Chui Wawa (Note to Kim, please send this image to Kinsey Crabb and title it CHUAHUA! She will understand, thanks!)

 Elder Rojas, Elder Garcia, and Elder Mundez