July 27, 2014

We had our ward activity yesterday,  and I literally ate a lot of
food. I was constantly eating. The food was so good. Mostly the
desert. There was banana pudding, homemade chocolate chip cookies with
some salt on top. Fruit salad with mangoes. I took all the mangoes
out. (Not all really)
There were a bunch of different activities stations that went on. Pie
eating contest, watermelon seed spittin' contest, pillowcase race,
stick pull....
It was a good turnout. A lot of members came as well as investigators
and nonmembers. I didn't participate in much activities because I was
either eating or my back hurt.
But we have some awesome members in our ward. The colliers for one,
brother Collier is our ward correlator, and Sister Collier is the ward
family historian. They are the best family ever. A lot of elders in
this district want to grow up to be exactly like bro collier. Elder
Izatt said he wants to major in success. Elder Dance said he wants to
be just like Bro Collier. - he's that cool.
We went to Elwood park, and there was some family reunion who had a
permit for the whole park all day, but the sisters asked them if we
could use a little bit of the area. And we were able to use a nice
area where there were trees and a good amount of open space. It was
like the real pioneers. Because we actually wanted to go to this other
park, but the parking was really expensive, and then we come here and
that other family didn't mind, but some didn't like us being there. So
we kept moving and getting kicked out of where we were. Also the
wooded area we were in was quite a trek away from the parking lot. It
was fun, we got things done, and had a good time.
 Elder Hart and I got some straw hats to wear, and in the store, he
put it on and I bust up laughing because he looks just like Sam, from
the movie Holes. And he's like "I can fix that".
Hahaha funniest thing ever.
  We had a best dressed contest as well, and some people dressed up
really well, with the bonnet and the apron and things. One little kid,
ryker, he dressed up like a super hero, haha it was funny. I guess he
didn't have any pioneer clothes, but still wanted to dress up.
  There was a younger girl who had the bonnet and apron and dress
thing from trek, and I thought she'd win, but this old Spanish lady
all that and a shawl over her shoulders, which won the judge's vote.

Its so hot a humid at night that I haven't used my blanket as a
covering in over two weeks, we have all the windows upstairs open, so
there's a nice breeze, but it's still super hot. I use my blanket as a
pillow and my pillow as a blanket. I wrap the blanket around my neck
for support, and use the pillow on my tummy to block a light that
shines right into the room onto my face.
The humidity makes the bed sheet feel like someone "peed on it and
left" - that's what elder Hart explains it as. It's warm and sticky
and I don't like to touch it.

I talked to another member who works for vivint and he said the whole
thing is pretty much a leap of faith. That's what it feels like. He's
from Utah as well and he said that coming out here to do work that is
100% commission, is pretty tough, but as long as you can manage time,
you can do it.
I asked about staying determined and focused, you can make bank?
Because he's only like 26 and is married and they have no kids yet,
and he drives a stinking BMW! Like... If I'm around the same age as he
is, and I'm determined and have that drive... Then I too can have a
nice car!
  I keep thinking of that job, and sometimes I get a negative thought,
like the humidity is horrible, or that I won't be able to commit
enough to do it. But I have to want it bad enough, I have to like it
more than I hate the weather or how much my old  man body hurts. I
want to be able to support me and my family, and this job is a pretty
good opportunity to help me fulfill my dreams.  If not, I'll make a
new dream.
 I keep talking to different employees and they say that they get so
much free stuff, well... You have to sell a certain amount and you get
watches, shoes, shirts, folding chairs, hats, shorts, pretty much all
clothes. Like you don't have to buy a lot. Also they give you Nike
gift cards. And Stu Watson (ward member and employee) was showing me
his custom shoes he's getting with the gift cards.  So it seems that
vivint really takes care of the workers. Like the housing they supply
is pretty nice, it's furnished so I don't need to buy a bed, even.
 Everything sounds nice. Just the few hitches, being weather and
getting a car. And maybe working alone is different.
 The families here that work there are pretty well off. I don't think
I could be poor and homeless here, as long as I work hard
for what I want or need.
Working where I serve is a good idea too. I already know everyone.
  Anyways....

I am excited to live out here, too. I can chill with all my member
friends. Go places I can't now.. like concerts, chocolate lounges,
prime- haha jk I don't like steak, swimming in the ocean. It seems
cool. And I've seen that a lot of RM's from here are missing NY. Then
I'll be like... Haha! I'm back!
   Every once in a while this is all I think about. So now it's hard
for me to think of something else to say that would be more appealing
to read about my week.

  As always, not much happens. It's crazy how fast this month went by,
like we got one week left. Then it's my two year mark! 8/22! Then
somehow it'll be December again and I'll be home.... Uhuuuuhhhh...
  It feels like the whole year goes by slow, and then the last three
months has three holidays and they go by fast, then it's a new year
and time slows down again. I think the middle months of the year are
slowest. Like the middle hours of the day. 12-5 goes by slow.

Zone activity tomorrow! Volleyball tournament! District against
district! I love volleyball! I'm not good, but i love it. I'm not good
at one sport. I'm okay at most, or bad at all. Hehe


[{( I'm just excited to have money )}]

It's funny how I might ask for questions so I know what to write, but
then I forget what those questions are! Hehe!

([{ it's funny how all vivint clothes are neon colors }])

This is a good ward- I'm kinda writing this in ward council.

{[( I can wear nice clothes. Socks, shoes, French cuff shirts/cuff
links, nice ties, glasses- bamboo frames, suits..actually.. I don't
like suits too much. )]}


In order to have the time to write a lot, I usually write throughout
the day. So I started this morning, while eating breakfast, then in
church a bit, not too much. And now elder Hart is going to teach a
lesson in Spanish, and I usually just chill and mess around on my ipad
(without wifi) or write stuff.

 This lady has been a member of this church for a long time, started
in her country, and she was married, then they went less active and
her husband joined another church and was the priest there. Then
something happened and he ended up getting killed by the gangs down
there. And she thinks that happened because they left the Mormon
church. She moved up here and didn't know where the church was, so she
was unknown until a member friend met her and found out she was a
member too, now we have been teaching her, and we got her records
moved. She's interesting, elder hart thinks she has a tumor because
she can't remember her own info, like record info. She doesn't
remember exactly when she was born. So he thinks there must be
something wrong, if she can't remember something that everyone should
know.
      So while elder hart teaches them (her and her "husband"-who's
just her boyfriend) I will write more about this week and other things
I feel like writing.

      The way people - mostly poor Spanish people - live here is kinda
weird. Because they'll live in one normal sized house, but there will
be three or so different families living there. They made me realize
that I don't need a huge house to live with. Just enough room to have
a bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom.
  She has been given one room to live in, so there's a tv, a
microwave, all her stuff crammed in one small room with a closet. But
she can use the bathroom and kitchen when needed, and the living room
is controlled by the main owner.
I think I'll live in a small house until I really need to go bigger.
     It's more so in the city, in the projects. But it still happens out here.

 Oh dear! I just about flattened the plastic lawn chair I was sitting
in! Haha the legs were no longer upright but at a low angle.
   I've busted two chairs so far. I don't know how the first one
happened, I think it was already a little broken, and I finished it.
And then we got these new black ones, and I totally bent the legs so
the seat was no longer sitting horizontal, but at a slight tilt
forwards. I'm so fat and heavy.
   But I've been weighing myself lately, I'm not over 280 still! It's
been about a month!

     Trying to buy good foods is hard, like I'm used to fast and easy
stuff. I don't have a lot of time to make big tasty things. So when I
go to the store, I don't know what to get, other than pbj stuff. And
when I grow up, I'll need to eat right. So starting now is a good
idea. I just like getting subway or bagels for food. Going out for
food rather than making it myself. I need help knowing what I can get
that will last a week or more. I seem to run out of food before the
end of the week.

I hope I'm not writing too much all at once, but I guess it's a good
way to make up those times I forgot the write, or when I didn't write
a lot.

Oh man there's a cockroach crawling on her bed. That's nice. That's
one thing that is hard to make sure of when you live in a shared
apartment- to make sure the whole house is clean. You can have your
room clean, but that won't stop them if the other rooms are dirty. I
wonder why roaches are here. How they got here? Why they like it? Why
they stay?
    I don't blame Adam an Eve for eating the fruit and giving us that
"original sin" but I do blame them for all the annoying pests and
plants and everything unpleasant that happened when they were cast out
of the perfect garden. The whole "noxious weeds" thing.
Btw-I haven't seen the newest temple movie, but I can't wait now that
I've heard it's different. Same words, just said differently. Two
other people out here say it's good and that Eve is the hero.

My left foot has been acting up quicker and worse than my right foot.
Like when standing or walking, it hurts first and stays hurt longer.
Stupid flat feet.

I've seen lots of Hispanic houses here that have hammocks set up in
their yards. I miss my hammock. I can't wait to hang out in it again.
Or even get a bigger stronger one and install it in my house. That
would be great. I like to recline, and that's the perfect way to do
it.

I've been getting tired a lot lately too. It must be cuz I'm getting
old (in the mission). Like I just want to rest a lot. As well as just
get to sleep at night. And then lately I've had some good nights
asleep. Like they were deep, solid sleeps.

We did some service where we pulled weeds and one plant called "tree
of heaven" has a small hint of marijuana smell. It was interesting. If
you're wondering how I know what that smells like.. I've been exposed
to it since my first transfer in the mission. It's all over here.
Especially Huntington station. This place is a dirty ghetto slum. Lots
of bad stuff goes on here. But I've never seen it, just heard of it.
Marijuana has an interesting smell. Also called the sweet leaf.
  I smell a little bit of it at least once a day. Depending where we go.

Hispanic- especially Mexican -food is my favorite. I know we have lots
of Mexicans in Utah, I but I never had their food until I came here. I
love all the Spanish food I've had here. I pretty much love all the
food I've been given here.  I've not had something I don't like...yet.


Ok I've written a lot. I think I'm done.

-Elder Peck

TL;DR