MTC #12

10.25.10

Querido mi familia, Hola como estan? Estoy muy bien aqui (?). Elder Russell M Nelson vina aqui la semara pasada. Fue muy interesante pero muy carto.
Ayer, tuvimos Stephen B. Allen por nuestro fuegolado (fireside). El fue muy comico y divertido. Despues de su leccion, Elder Larsen y yo miramos la pelicula de Jose Smith. El espiritu Santo fue muy fuerte duraute la pelicula.

(My dear family, hello, how are you all?  I am very good here.  Elder Russell M. Nelson came here last week.  His talk was really interesting, but very short.  Yesterday we had Stephen B. Allen come speak to us at a fireside.  He was really comical and funny.  After the lesson, Elder Larsen and watched a movie about Joseph Smith and the Holy Spirit was really strong during the movie.)

I will do this part in English. Our fireside from Stephen B. Allen was really good. He talked about how Satan tries to push our buttons by telling us we can't do it or we aren't worthy.
Elder Larsen is definitely a blessing for me. He has strengthened me so much here and he is the one that keeps me going strong.
It's crazy that I leave 2 weeks from today. I heard that we leave Nov. 7th but we get our travel plans probably this week. As much as I love the MTC I just want to leave. I want to teach real people who don't know about the gospel. It's hard teaching other missionaries because they know it all already and it feels like we are teaching a wall. We actually did practice teaching the wall last week in Spanish and it was pretty cool.
Since I will be in Chile soon, tell people to start emailing me. At least while I'm there. Letters will probably take weeks to get there. Make sure everybody knows my email too (see sidebar).
Last week has been tough, we are the oldest district and the newest district has been annoying. I started getting a little frustrated and that drove the Spirit away. I decided that I needed to learn to love them because I was probably the same way.
Well I will email more in about an hour! Iraz lo Justo!

(Do what is right!)

Love,
Elder Ty Peck

NO SE RINDA

MTC #11

10.25.10

We leave two weeks from today!!!!  It's insane how fast its been so far but i heard it gets even faster out in the field.  As much as I love the MTC I just want to get out of here.  I feel so restricted and I want to teach people that arent missionaries or people hired to listen to us.  So this last week we learned a little more spanish, mostly just did review.  We started teaching the Plan of Salvation in spanish too and it is pretty tough.  We dont know all the vocab or verbs yet but we will get it down soon.  I got a few more letters last week than usual.  I got one from Tim Ryan Summer Frobergs and some other people but I dont remember.  Elder Larsen and I have been doing a lot of reading in the Book of Mormon together and everyday we find a new chapter that is awesome.  We read Ether 12 yesterday and Ether 3 another day.  They are both way good.  Alma 26 is also really good and that's what you should all read for FHE tonight. 

We got an apostle last week.  It was Russell M. Nelson.  It was pretty awesome but he didnt speak for very long.  He talked a lot about first impressions with people we meet and to be happy missionaries.  The firesides and devotionals we have are really good.  We had one last week and one of the ladies that spoke sang the whole time.  It was kinda weird but entertaining. 

I just got handed a package slip so I think its the one you guys were talking about.  I also got a dear elder but I dont know who its from yet.  Ill open it in a little bit.

So last week Elder Larsen sprained his knee.  We got to go out into Babylonia!  It was crazy just walking out of the MTC to take him to the Medical center down the street.  It was really cool because we had lots of cars honking at us and kids yelling at us through windows.  They were yelling at us in a good way though. 

When we first got here they gave us spanish scriptures so I got them engraved today with Peck family so I'll send that home with all my other stuff. 

Entonces, El CCM es muy imponente!  Me encanto el CCM mucho.  Mi companero es el mejor y estoy muy agradecido por mis bendiciones.  Yo se que Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial.  Se que Jesucristo es nuestro Salvador y Redentor.  El murio por nuestros pecados.  Pecados means sins but I accidently said pescados the other day which is fish.  It was pretty embarassing.  Well, time for me to go get my package.  Hasta la vista!

love Elder Peck

MTC Photos

we got a SD card in the mail yesterday full of photos and videos of Ty on his mission. Here are a few photos:

He also said M. Russel Ballard gave them a devotional the other day. Might figure out a way to upload a video or two later.

MTC #10

10.18.10
Dear mi familia,
I sent you an email earlier today, but we never get enough time to type everything out. So I'll try to asnwer your questions here by looking through past dear elders/emails.
I'll send my card with this letter and I think I'll send al my mail home in my package soon. It takes up too much space but I want to keep it all.
So this last week we taught our progressing investigator George. We taught him twice before, nce about the Restoration and the other time was just a 15 minute follow-up. We had lots of appointments with him but in real life, he had a baby. He finally came back and we had another 15 minute appt. with him. We talked to him about Eternal Families and we shared about our families. He was suprised when I said Amanda is older than me. Anyways, we really felt the spirit and we were able to commit him to read more in the BOM. I can't wait to teach real investigators though.
It's also really weird that it's really hard for me to spell certain words now like prophets because it's profetas in Spanish. My Spanish is coming along really well. We taught the first lesson today to some new elders in Spanish and I hardly had to think about words I needed to say. It's also weird that sometimes I think in Spanish before English. I get really confused sometimes too. We have had a few "english fasts" and by the end of the day we all have pounding headaches.
So is there anything new at home? Sounds like the Seahawks are doing decent. I bet once they get a better QB they will dominate again.
To answer Amanda's question about being people's guides I don't get to be. The district leader signs the district up for that stuff but he signed us up for a workshop that day. I'm excited to see Haley here, I'll probably see her during mealtimes. Some friends have written me requestion pictures, so you should put the ones I sent home on Facebook.
It sounds like Haley's farewell talk was awesome! She will be a great missionary. I am excited for her, I know she will love it. Stephanie asked if she should bring warm clothes and she should. It will start getting pretty cold soon. She will probably be here in the snow too.
Tell Amanda that she will get a written letter when she writes me one. Sam earned his by writing me first.
So I have a pounding headache and need to sleep.
Well, Buenos Noches! Hasta Ver
Love,
Elder Ty Peck

Here are a few photos he sent a few days ago:

MTC #9

(Ty sent a written letter last week but it was like half a page of random "house keeping" items so I won't bore ya'll with that)

10.18.10

Hello everybody.  How's it going?  It's been good here.  Lately its been way hard becasue we are getting into more advanced spanish sutff but I feel like I have picked it up pretty well.  I know my mom said she wants me to include more spiritual stuff but its super hard to when I only have 20 minutes to type.  Ill try the best I can though.

A couple things first....WRITE ME LETTERS!  It's really boring at night here when i dont get letters.  I decided to write some people again today that I havent heard from in a while because I had nobody else to write.  I get dear elders everynight from Amanda which is good and I look forward to those but I also want others to write me. 

Entonces, estoy agradecido por esta opurtunidad que tengo compartir mi mensaje con ustedes.  yo voy hablar sobre la restauracion.  Habia una apostisia despues de la vide de Jesucristo.  Habia muchas iglesias en el mundo de hombros, no de Dios o Jesucristo.  Habia mucho confuscion tambien.  Durante este tiempo, hay un joven se llama Jose Smith.  El tenia una pregunta sobre las iglesias en el mundo.  El fue leyendo en La Santa Biblia en Santiago 1:5.  Esta escritura dice, si tiene una , pidala a Dios.  Jose Smith fue una arboleda y dio una oracion.  Dios y Jesucristo vinieron a Jose Smith y dicieron a el que ninguna de las iglesias en el mundo son verdaderas. 

(Translation from reliable source: Entonces is like a filler word, literally translated it’s “Then, I am grateful for this opportunity that I have to share this message with all of you.  I am going to speak about the restoration.  There once was a great apostasy after the life of Jesus Christ.  There were many churches in the world that were manmade, but none of God or Jesus Christ.  There was also much confusion.  During this time, a young boy by the name of Joseph Smith who had questions about the churches in the world.  Joseph was reading in the Bible en James chapter 1 verse 5.  This scripture says if you have a question, ask God.  Joseph went to a grove of tree and offered a prayer.  God and Jesus Christ came to Joseph Smith and told them that none of the churches of the world were true.)

I know through Joseph Smith, the church of Jesus Christ was restored.  The MTC is so much fun and I have more fun everyday.  It gets way hard but Elder Larsen keeps it way fun for me.  We are pretty much planning on being roommates someday with Elder Clark too. 

Thank you all for your packages and support.  I hope to hear from all you soon.

Love Elder Peck.

(When we are able to we reply real quick so we can email back and forth so here are a few shorter emails we got after this main one)

Some things ive been thinking i want this week are....LETTERS, pics from billy talent and muse concerts and any other concerts, the pics with me and reagan, and i wanted to assign you to read in alma 7 tonight for FHE.  Elder Larsen and I read it a few days ago and its wayyy good.  We talked about it for like an hour afterwards and we would have kept going but we had to go to our room and sleep.  P day went by wayy too fast and i never have enough time to email or write letters. 

well i have some emails so ill read those real quick and reply. bye

next email:

Can you tell the Wilsons i said thank you for their dear elder.  I forgot to bring it with me to the computer so i could answer their questions and i probably forgot a bunch others too but it was really cool to hear from them and Steve.

another:

Hey sam!  I miss going to those football games back when meridian dominated.  too bad you couldnt play this year cause your knee.  The MTC is awesome!  I cant wait for you all to meet my companions they are so much fun too.  Ill send you a letter later today cause i only have 3 minutes left on the computer.

(then Sam asked if he would meet his companions ever)

ya hopefully someday, ill try to bring them to washington sometime they said they want to come.  We are planning on doing district reuinions at least once a year or more while we are all in utah or idaho for college.  clark larsen and i already have a few tri dates planned too for when we get back.

We also got 3 envelopes full of pictures today. I'm too tired to scan them all right now but I will maybe tomorrow and update with some pictures.

MTC #8

10.11.10

Wow P day is already here and its almost over already.  We all just got haircuts and my hair is pretty short again, I didnt need one though.  Im not sure what emails worked and which ones didnt but it had a few that said they didnt send.  So this week was pretty much just another typical week here, lots of spanish, teaching, and contacting.  Yesterday during our temple walk, Elder Larsen and I contacted people out of the MTC which was nice to talk to non missionaries for once. 

This week we acquired Elder Rouse who broke his leg a few weeks ago.  He has been here for 11 weeks and will be here for about another month.  He is companions with Elder Clark now so we don't have the tri-pan anymore. 

I didnt get very many letters last week, just a couple dear elders and one written letter.  It was kinda depressing because nobody is really communicating with me that much anymore.  I have sent tons of letters that never got replied to but I guess that is part of the mission.  One thing I will announce here and now is, I appreciate all your support and packages but.... we have soooo much junk food and candy we cant even keep up.  So I love the boxes but they will probably just go to waste soon so dont worry about sending too much stuff.  How about instead of boxes, you send letters?  I think I have gotten more boxes than written letters.  Kind of sad. 

So, we have one elder in our zone, his name is Elder Ricker.  He is from the Buchanans ward!  We were talking about Zach and Jacob the other night and comparing pictures that we have of them.  We were also talking about when Eli and I went down there on the train and he was saying he probably talked to us at church when we went with them. 

Therer was also a sister I met here who said she is going to St. Petersburgh and got an email from the Lunas a couple weeks before she came in. 

What day does Haley come in again?  I want to look for her when she comes in. Ill tell you all my meal times so maybe we will have the same time and we can find each other.  Desayuno at 8:15, Almuerzo at 1:00, and Cena at 6:00.  Sundays are different though but everybody goes at the same time so its usually crazy.  In gym we have just been playing basketball everyday and when Im not in a game, I jog around the track above the gym.  It's pretty nice here with all the stuff we are spoiled with.  Basketball has been a lot of fun but I had to break up a fight that was about to happen the other day.  I was playing in a game where nobody knew how to play very well and one guy fouled another one pretty badly and they started arguing about the foul.  I grabbed the ball and said hey this is the MTC stop wasting my gym time and lets play some basketball.  One of the guys said to me you need to teach your teammate how to play.  This made me mad but I didnt say anything back...I just drove it to the hoop on him and threw down.  He was on the ground afterwards and he realized he needs to calm down.

I was released from being district leader yesterday!  It's very exciting to be free now haha.  Elder Durrant is our new DL and he is doing very good.  The zone leaders district is leaving a week early though and people are saying Elder Larsen and I are the next ones.  I wouldnt mind that but at the same time I kind of like this freedom.

Well time to go check my laundry and read some dear elders....if i got any that is....i dont think i did and its weird not being the one who collects the mail now. 

Para siempre Dios este con vos! (We got the translation from a reliable source, For always, God is with you!)

Elder Peck

He also sent another email a few minutes later that said they are overwhelmed with junk food ;). I TOLD you mom ! Everyone should write to him too he said he's disappointed because he doesn't get much mail even though I write him 4+ times a week! I guess he wants to hear from others besides his sister.

MTC #7

10.04.10

Well today is P day which means I get to write letters and emails and stuff.  I just got done running through the rain outside because it is DUMPING!  Im soaked it's crazy.  So today we went to the temple again and it's always awesome.  I love being able to go once a week. 

So this last week has been pretty much another normal week.  Lots of basketball, class, food, sleep, and spanish.  We are learning so much spanish everyday I dont know how we remember it all.  We have been speaking in spanish as much as we can and we had two days where we only spoke spanish.  Mom, you should still send those pictures even if I wont be able to fit them into my bags to Chile.  I want to show everybody all my friends and stuff.  I was thinking some band pictures and graduation pictures would be cool and maybe old sports ones.  Amanda said she found some good ties so she should just buy any good looking ones cause I am sick of some of mine haha. 

Conference was pretty awesome.  Dieter F. Uchtdorf dominated the whole conference with his awesome talks.  My favorite was his on the saturday morning one.  He also talked about pride in the Priesthood session which was good.  It was hard to concentrate sometimes because it was so hot in our suits and the bleachers in the gym were not soft! 

I finally got some letters from outside my family this week which was awesome.  I got some letters from the Pratt's which I got after P day last week so I just replied to them today.  It was awesome to hear from Eli, Joe , Stephen, Braden, and Jessica.  I love getting letters, it keeps me going everyday so keep sending them.  Whenever I go to check the mail with my companions and I see that I didnt get any, I get pretty depressed haha not really but I love seeing my name on the letters. 

It sounds like the band is doing really good.  They played at three trees and have written a ton of songs.  They even recorded a few.  I cant wait to be able to play some shows with them again someday.  One of the things I miss the most is my drumset.  Im always drumming on things and I have those egg shakers that I play with in my room sometimes.  The basketball hoop in our room is awesome too thanks so much for it!  We play around every night before bed and let's just say I made a basket that enabled me to write a letter to Elder Larsen's girlfriend today.  Actually I missed but he let me write anyways.  So, mom asked which one was which and Elder Larsen is the shorter tanner one and he is from Utah while Elder Clark is the one with the Tyler Spahr smile as she called it.  He is from Alaska if you cant already tell from his pale skin.  They are both musicians in their past lives as well and we are thinking about making a tri-pan tri-band someday while we are going to BYU.  Elder Clark's first name is Ky actually which is crazy cause I though I was the only one in the world with two letters in my name. 

So, I gotta go collect mail and I have 10 minutes left so I'll get back on later while my clothes are in the dryer.

Les Amo!  LA IGLESIA ES VERDADERA!

Love Elder Peck

Another email a few minutes later had this written:

Just before my last thirty seconds are up i want to say any young man related to me in any way should prepare to serve a mission now!!!!