Keep Presing Forward...

Dear Mom & Dad, 

My health is still good, so I agree with the cancelling thing. (We are going to cancel the appointment with the Dr. for August 19^th and just keep the appointment with the GI from the University of Indiana on Sept. 19^th) 

My new companion is from Rexburg, Idaho. Biking is a beast and we share the car, one week with the car, one week off, but we got jipped and have like no miles till Thursday sooo... we are still biking. My legs feel like Jelly but man do I look studly on the bike with my shiny silver nerd helmet hahaha.

I can get the video done hopefully tonight or tomorrow.  It will be tomorrow actually because we have exchanges so I will be way busy tonight. I hope that is enough time so it would be in the mail by Wednesday. Oh my companion wants you to send me my baseball mitt as well, so we can play catch for exercise. Which by the way I am now ripped!! Not really but I like to think so. 

That is great with ******, (name  starred out for privacy) keep working with her and have dad go over too one of these days and talk, he can be very social and friendly when he wants to be hahaha :P  

Tell Brooklyn HAPPY B-DAY!!  I still can’t sing that in Spanish because it is oober difficult but tell her I love her and that boys still have the plague!! She worries me with that stuff sometimes..... So a spiritual experience... there are a lot but I am bad at telling them,  one time we were going by this lady named Goven that we had found and only taught once.  She lives with her daughter, so we go to the house and actually the Grand-daughter answers the door her name is Celeste.  I actually have talked to her once before, the first time we came.  She is very energetic, she reminds me of an 18 year old Brooklyn.  Well Goven wasn’t there and if she was, she’s just not that interested. But Celeste made the soul saving "mistake" of asking us "So what do you teach exactly anyway?" So we explained kind of the restoration with a little of the Plan of Salvation in it and she was very interested.  She wants us to come back, but before we got there, (I think he means earlier in the conversation, before they made arrangements to come back) she said what happens if I make it to the highest glory but my family doesn’t  it truly would not be happy for me if that happened. And then a moment came where I actually had to really search myself and the spirit for the answer and it came somewhat like this. I told her that God would never cut anyone short, and we are all given ample opportunities to get to the Celestial kingdom.  I then said, you know one of the things that I have realized as time goes on is that I wouldn’t be happy if I was around during the Second coming and had to watch and see all of those people die, even if they were all strangers just to have to watch them die and be able to do nothing for them would just tear me apart... She than got quiet and said so... I guess that is why you are out here huh...?? I paused and said yea, I guess so, because I couldn’t stand watching someone die and suffer because I didn’t do my best to share what I know, or because I came short or even if they were just "evil"... So that was a very cool experience for me. Well that is about it of that story for now.  We meet with her tomorrow.  Other than that our area took a hit because of the bikes and how it takes about an hour and fifteen to get to some investigators, but we will keep pressing forward. 

Well that is about it for new stuff, oh so I think I already told you , but they are going to start incorporating technology in the mission within the next 6 months so that is going to be weird...  I also had to replace a pedal on the bike and a tire.  We have ridden more than 85 miles in the last week!! Our bikes are getting thrashed, and we are even very careful.  I need you to contact Joy on Facebook and ask if she is at that same address or if I should mail it somewhere else. Also some letters are going to be coming for other people to you, and I need you to contact them on Facebook when you get the letters and tell them to come get them. Oh one last thing so I got called Cuban today because of how I look and my Spanish!!! I was stoked!! hahaha. Well I love you all tell Brooklyn happy birthday and she is now the age of Joseph Smith when he had the first vision... And I love you all very much and I hope things will keep going great. D&C 6: 32-the end. My favorite scriptures now I think. Well I love you all and have a wonderful week!  Also let dad read this. 

Love, Your son/stud muffin, Elder Paxman 

Here is the scripture reference he gave:

D&C 6:32-37

32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, as I said unto my disciples, where two or three are gathered together in my name, as ^atouching ^bone thing, behold, there will I be in the ^cmidst of them—even so am I in the ^dmidst of you.

 33 ^aFear not to do ^bgood, my sons, for whatsoever ye ^csow, that shall ye also reap; therefore, if ye sow ^dgood ye shall also reap good for your ^ereward. 

34 Therefore, fear not, little ^aflock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are ^bbuilt upon my rock, they cannot prevail.

 35 Behold, I do not condemn you; go your ways and ^asin no more; perform with soberness the work which I have commanded you.

 36 ^aLook unto me in every ^bthought; ^cdoubt not, fear not.

 37 ^aBehold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the ^bnails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall ^cinherit the ^dkingdom of heaven. Amen.

The mission and biking

Dear Family, 

It sounds like you had a lot of fun over the last little bit! It has been pretty amazing here. My new companion is Elder Hjelm.  He is awesome and we get along great, except since they jacked our car it hasn’t been as sick, (remember sick means awesome) However, I will be freakin ripped when I get done with the mission. The first day I had my bike, we biked over 25 miles and in under 2 and a half hours.  It was ridiculous, and I hadn’t even really ridden a bike hardcore for like 8 years, so I was dying.  It was brutal!!  I looked like I just got out of the pool because of the stinking humidity. 

(We asked him to do a video message for his sister for the wedding) I can do the video thing either today or next p-day and send it. Or maybe some time in the week. I am not going to address this letter to any of you in particular so you are all welcome to read it. My health has been very good, and I did start the pills both of them, they really help.  I am hoping that is all the doctor here is going to say, in fact did you want me to still go to the one on the 19th of August??  

My companion and I speak almost the same amount of Spanish, his is a little better than mine.  We speak it a lot and it is funny because it is going to make us learn a lot faster, and I feel like we ask people to repeat stuff a lot but it will be well worth it.  

I loved the package the HI-CHEWS are almost gone because everyone loves them and if they swing by they always thief massive handfuls.  I hid the cookies just for me and my companion.  OH!! So today I saw Andrew Luck!!!!! It was awesome, tell dad to tell the Fire guys if you don’t know who that is.  (I don’t know who that is, apparently he thinks the fire guys will tell us)  He was in the library doing an appearance thingy, but he was way busy so I didn’t get a picture, not to mention now that we are on bikes I can't carry my camera as often because we are in the danger zone haha. So that was awesome to get to see him and shake some other Colts guy named Allen’s hand in a passing moment. Other than that things are going pretty normal.  Yes I got a bike and it works pretty good, but we have already had to replace a tube.  We are going to get some of that green goop stuff to help. Although I do need you to send me a backpack this side back thing on a bike isn’t really working, it makes it a lot harder, if you can you can send me the one dad uses for practicing the pack test it is like grey and green it would be perfect. I would only really use it when I am biking but that would help a lot. Not to mention my companion bikes like a mad man, he averages 20 miles an hour, half the time he is a white dot in the distance as I am dying biking at like 16 miles an hour, which is still fastish hahaha.  My cardio is bad, but not for long... 

I will do the message thing for Bailee... no guarantee how long it will be, I will try to keep it nice and short and not cry.  I have noticed being more in touch with the spirit that sometimes I cry more and other times not even at all..... It is weird.  But it is more often that I do not thankfully hahaha.  

(Last week he mentioned receiving 10 emails.  I asked whim who had written him) The people that write me are (Friends also serving around the world) Joel, Cameron, Trenton, and people from my district in the MTC. 

Well I need to wrap up so I can write some other people. But the changes in my daily schedule is now we only have one hour comp study and I talk a ton more which is awesome. So things here are awesome. I have some good stories I will have to share maybe in the next emails or so but I changed and started writing you first so I could have a little more time. Oh interesting fact to bike from our apartment to the church is 16 miles, all the way across town, and to our better areas and most of our investigators about 7+ miles!!!! Well I love the letters dad sends me I have been keeping them all, to remember and hopefully write back too. Well I love you all so much and don't be having too much fun without me!!! Geeze all the cool stuff you do after I leave. That’s it, love you all and I will hear from you next week. 

Love, your son, Elder Paxman

6 New Investigators

Dear Mom and Dad, 

D&C 20 is really good on covenants. (I had told him I was teaching a lesson on the importance of keeping covenants). 

Anyway, I actually won’t be able to answer your questions today mom, it is transfer p-day and we had to deep clean, and do a bunch of other stuff. So this will be short, sadly, I will try to get through what I can. Yes there are other Spanish areas outside the city.  There are seven Spanish areas total and three are in the city.  

The shoe picture was way funny, if I remember right the biggest donut collapsed about 1 year ago. (this is in response to a story I told him about hiking to donut falls at girls camp.  And a trip into the river that made my shoes black)

Anyway my health has been good, one night I felt a little weird and since then things have been better.  Sorry I only have 20 min for e-mail today total. It was a hectic p-day. Elder McDaniel left for Brazil today, the APs picked him up at one, his flight takes off in about one minute 5:37. I am staying here for this next transfer as well, but Elder Cozzens is moving and he is going to be a district leader. The bad news, we are going to have to share a car for a little while so we are going to have to get me 2 things, a bike and a GPS, so that is going to be fun.  I don’t know how we are going to work that out, if I were you I would put money into my account for both.  

We found 6 investigators yesterday!!  2 families of 3 and both families had members missing and they are both very solid. Tonight in about 20 min we are teaching a woman named Ivonne and her husband Jesus, they are awesome, we have only taught her 2 times and him once. They are great. Elder McDaniel commanded me to baptize them and some others in my next six weeks here. So haahaha we will see.  

I was excited and sad when I got on e-mails today!!  Excited because 10 people had emailed me, and sad because with just 20 min I am just emailing back to you. Well I have to go because I am about out of time, let everyone read this email because I didn’t get a chance to send others out. Love you all so much and you are all in my prayers.

Love, Elder Paxman

Note from Mom:  Some good news on the health front.  Benjamin's GI here in SLC has agreed to call in two months worth of prescriptions to hold him over until he see's the GI in Indiana. WE are thrilled about that. Also I spoke with the mission presidents wife today and she said he is doing really well. 

My Spanish is Improving

Dear Mom and Dad,

Yes, I got the information about Dr. Rex in the mail.  In fact I wasn’t sure what to do about that stuff because I got a call today reminding me about the doctor’s visit with the other doctor on the 19th of August, so I wasn’t sure what was going on. I am glad you clarified that, sadly health has been less than good.  I was sick Saturday night and all of Sunday, and I am just feeling so-so today.  I hate being stuck in the apartment.  It seems that I get sick about every week and a half or two. Which really stinks, sometimes it only lasts a day other times longer, it stinks.  Me and my companions were not sure about the Doc appointments, about going to both, if I go a while without being sick we would just like to wait till September, and not see the other doctor in August.   I might be changing companions in a week anyway because it is a transfer, I will be done with training then too, thank pete. With the food I have been doing really good, my stomach now just goes off whenever it feels like it. My companions were joking about me getting into one of the really good doctors, they were like, "hey maybe you were sent here on your mission so you could just meet this specialist and become healthy!!" We laughed about that for a while.  

The couch looks way nice. The work is going good.  We have found several solid contacts where we have follow up appointments with them over the next few days, so we will see if they are going to be good investigators.  They just announced that over the next 6 to 9 months they are going to incorporate technology into our mission, giving us Ipads and such!!!  I don’t know the exact details but they are trying to reduce if not get rid of tracting all together!!! I did get to meet the new President, he was very nice and his wife as well, she is a crier so it makes me feel a little better. I have had several chats with her about my being sick and all, so I really like both of them.  

We always attend the same Branch because there is only one Spanish branch in the Indianapolis area. It is nice, pretty much like church at home just in all Spanish. Which, my Spanish is improving, with being sick I have gotten into the habit of watching all of our movies and what not in Spanish, to at least do something while sick. Yes, the movie I suggested is my favorite restoration dvd out there, even though it is a little over an hour. It might be the one they show at the visitor’s center on Temple Square, I do not know. Other than that things are going great here we are really trying to focus down our pool of Investigators, to sift the wheat from the tares, which is hard because I hate dropping people but some of them I have only met once or twice since I have been out here.  I don’t know if Sister Cleveland wants to talk to you or not, I would suppose so, especially about all the Doctor stuff, so If you can email or call her so you can give her the rundown, I have already explained a little. 

The 4th was normal except we had to be in at 6 because of drunkards and fun stuff like that. Let me know of any of the medical things that I need to fill out and such.  I love you all very much and keep you in my prayers. 

Love, Elder Paxman 

Dear Bailee, 

I liked the quotes, those two are really good. Things here have been much the same, we tracted into some solid investigators so I am hoping we can keep teaching them. One is a man named Luis, he speaks English and Spanish and he is a HEAVY smoker and drinker.  He wants to stop. I am willing to give him a run for his money on this stuff. So we have our first lesson with him tonight, which will be very interesting.

That sounds fun with the wedding plans, I wish I could have some of those deserts they sound really good. You are going to have a nice apartment, if not a home, by the time I get home.   39 days eh!! (Till the wedding) Man I feel old and the fact that the mission is cruising and will go even faster when I can be darn healthy. I turn 4 months in a few days and it is really weird because I still feel oober green and in one week I will find out what new is going to happen.  Whether they make me train (which I hope not) or be senior companion or what not, but I am no longer a trainee. One missionary I have grown close too is my Zone Leader Elder Cannon.  He leaves in 6 weeks back home to South Jordan. It is weird when I got here he still had like 3 transfers now he barely has one. It feels strange.

I am glad things are going well at home, mom said I will be getting the tie here soon to wear on the 16th and 23rd or something like that. You will have to remind me, I have too much stuff going on in my head.  Well I hope everything continues to go good at home. Yellowstone sounds way fun, I miss nature seeing as I am stuck in the city and in the ghettos of the city too.  

I did get to see the World Wide training and it was awesome!! In fact in the next 6 to 9 months they are going to start incorporating techno stuff here our mission.  The President the announcement in fact we have an area seventy coming sometime in August to talk about it and some other stuff, so it is going to be very interesting. Well you are all in my prayers and I can’t wait to see pictures of everything, I still have to write some people, so sorry this is a little short. Love you all a ton, and it definitely is "all good!!"  

Love, Your bro, Elder Paxman 

The quotes Bailee included in her letter that he liked: 

"A life spent making mistakes is so much better than a life spent doing nothing"

-Unknown 

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the small voice at the end of the day saying: I will try again tomorrow."

-Unknown

I WOULD RATHER BE DOING THIS THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD!!

A Note from Mom:  After some discussion with the Mission President it was decided that they would put me in charged of finding a GI in Indiana for Elder Paxman to see.  This felt like a daunting task.  But Heavenly Father was watching out for us again, and through prayer, love, family and friends we received the recommendation we needed.  Elder Paxman has been accepted as a patient by one of the best Adult GI's in the states.  He just happens to practice at the University of Indiana. However, as you know these kinds of Doctors are not easy to get into.  So, Elder Paxman wont be consulting with him until September 19th.  Keep him in your prayers that he will remain healthy enough to serve the lord fully while waiting for this opportunity to meet with an amazing Doctor. As of today, as you will read, he is feeling much better and doing well. Thanks to everyone for their love, support and prayers in Elder Paxman's behalf.

Dear Mom,

I would rather be doing this than anything else in the world.  Find a Preach my Gospel, go to the chapter on Christ like attributes and look under humility, faith, and hope. These are the three that my companions told me I have what they call a "plentitude" of. They are also some of my favorites Christ like attributes along with all the others this is just one of my favorite sections in PMG.

With the change of the mission President, it has actually been pretty much close to the same, although this week we get to meet him, he came this last Friday. I think it won't be a big change till the Transfers on the 17^th, then some more of his things will swing in, and if he trains some more then too. But as for right now that isn’t the case because the AP's are doing a lot of it, I think.

My health has been a lot better, I'm really just watching what I eat.  The big thing I did was just become more outspoken, because before they would feed us like 3 portion sizes and I could barely eat 1. Something interesting though, I came out on my mission weighing about 178.  In the MTC I got up to 185 and now from working out more and eating very little if nothing because of my health I have dropped to 173 oh yea!! I am now lookin good hahaha.

I know those CD's are sooooo goood. One question though... Where are mine!!!! You were supposed to send that stuff to me!!!!! I wanted those things and your kiffen them hahaha. (he is referring to us telling him we had listened to some CD’s by Nashville Revival and that we loved them.  We have sent him one called “The Work” which he requested.  He wants the others.) I am so glad to be done with the training period, I only have 2 more weeks and I can't wait. Although, I will miss my companions.

The temperature there seems crazy, here it has been in the high 90's with a butt ton load of humidity.  I don't sweat very much at home, even after an intense hike or something, but here we get about down one street and all of us are swimming in our own sweat.... It bites, but I am getting more used to it. Although, since yesterday it has been raining like a fizz, it is awesome, I love the rain.  It cools things off and it is when a lot of the people don’t have work because the construction stops.

Well things have been pretty normal here, our companionship finally resolved some issues and the spirit has been so strong with us!!! We have had some awesome lessons. But I won’t really include those in this letter, because I have already taken almost 20 minutes to read and respond.   So far I don't know of all the celebrations or what not that are going on around me on the night of the fourth.   I know  they are having us do weekly planning at  5-9 that day to keep us inside instead of doing it in the mornings. Other than that it is just a normal day. Your  plans sound fun though. I bet Bai is excited to live in her new place. The trip to Yellowstone sounded way fun, and you didn’t see many animals because I wasn’t there hahaha animals love me, except Pit bulls, here those... not so much. Elder Cozzens is deathly afraid of Dogs, but he likes the nice ones. Why didn’t you get in the water at firehole, I would have been in, in like 5 seconds, but that is also because I can't right now haha. Tell Brooklyn the braces aren’t bad just to eat something really chewy as soon as she can, like hi-chews or laffy taffy, and lots of it. It will help a lot with the pain. Girl’s camp sounds way fun though, are you doing anything real different this year or not so much?? And I will be anxiously waiting for the snail mail...

Have dad read this email and tell him I am getting ready to send some snail mail to him, probably Wednesday, or sometime.

I really like the Second quote you sent me. You and dad should get a PMG (Preach my Gospel) and read through it TOGEHTER and discuss it. Anyway, that is about it from the mission, not too much exciting or funny stories, except our apartment has no water pressure!!  It takes like 5 min in the shower to get wet and then if someone turns on the sink or flushes the toilet it doesn’t even really come out. :/.  Something neat,  all the missionaries sang “Come Come Ye Saints”  in Spanish this last Sunday, all the members loved it and we only practiced it once like 4 min before, it was awesome.

Well I have to wrap up so I have time to write some other people too, I love you so much Mom and thanks for all that you do and have done for me, I feel like I haven’t said that enough. I hope you have a great week and I will wait to hear from you next Monday. Love you all so much.

Your Dearest Son, Elder Paxman