Hope is NEVER lost!!

Dear Mom,

I am going to answer the list of questions and then go from there.

1.  So with your companion just finishing his training period does this mean you are the Senior Companion? What are the different responsibilities of being a Senior Comp?  I am indeed senior companion, there are not a whole lot of added responsibilities. Just the normal stuff. He is super green, I would like to teach him some of the good things I have learned as far as being missionary.

2.  How many miles is your area?  Is it in a stake with wards or branches?  Do you attend the same branch/ward each Sunday or will you rotate?   I do not know how many miles my area is, I just know that it is a big area and that is about it. It covers several cities. We do attend the same branch; there is only one in this area.

3.  You said you will have a car in this area, are you the driver now?  If so, how does it feel to be behind the wheel of a car after so long?  What kind of car are you guys driving? Does driving make you nervous at all?  I am the driver now, driving a car is a little different after such a long time, but overall it is not too bad. The snow is sometimes a pain for our little Chevy Cruze.

4.  Is your apartment in a house or in an apartment complex?  Our apartment is in a house it is divided top and bottom, so other people live upstairs from us.

5.  How did you survive the cold weather?  What did you think of the weather?  Was it a crazy experience?  Was it like anything you have experienced before?  I would love to hear all the details about the week of bad weather. The cold weather survival was rough, but overall not too bad. Lots of layers, and freezing anyway.  They also kept us in for the most part of it.

 6.  What did you guys do during all this bad weather?  Were you able to get out at all or did they want to you stay indoors? We got out during the weather a little, but not that much overall.

7.  If you stayed indoors what did you do with all of your time? While we were indoors we got to know each other, and cleaned the house a little.  This place is an absolute pig sty and it drives me insane because it isn't even my mess!!

8.  Are you and your new companion still getting along?  What are your thoughts about your new comp?  We get along really well.  I like him.

9.  Have you had a chance to get out and interact with the people?  Are you teaching anyone?  Are there many members who speak Spanish?  I have had a chance to get out an interact with people, so that has been good. There are only 3 members who speak Spanish and they are really nice.  One is a recent convert and is kind of going less active.

10.  What do you think of the area?  Is it nice, etc.? I really like the area, it will be great!

11.  Will you be working with both English and Spanish speaking investigators?  If so how will that work?  I assume you will get out and try to find Spanish investigators.  What are your feelings about the members in the area?  Are they nice?  I did teach my first Spanish lesson alone yesterday and we have another tomorrow so that will be really good. We will be working with both English and Spanish investigators and as of right now we only have English because of the weather and our limited time being able to get and search for investigators.  But now the weather is improving, so hopefully we will get some here soon. Also, all of the investigators are English, because I opened this area to Spanish people. I really like the members there are a lot of older folks out here so that is nice. There are only a few younger families so we are hoping to find more of those with time. There are also over 200 less actives with this branch.  It used to be a ward a little over a year ago so we are hoping to see if we can't boost those numbers at all.

12.  What types of food have been being cooked for you?  Are you eating more English food?

Food wise we have only been fed by the Spanish people.  Pretty much we have been given goodies by the other people, but as far as food goes still Hispanic so far haha. (We were hoping being in a split area he would get fed more English food, and giving his stomach a chance to improve)

13.  How is your health?  Make sure to continue to avoid foods that give you issues.  Make good health choices. :)  My health is good and I will continue to watch my health mom don't worry.

14.  Do you interact with other missionaries at all in this area, or are you guys on your own there in Logansport?  We do interact with the other Elders a little bit, but not a whole lot.

15.  What instruction have you received from the local priesthood authorities on what they want from you as far as Spanish goes?  The local authorities say go for it with the Spanish, but they have no idea, so it will be interesting. We do interact with the other elders a little bit, but not a whole lot. I am not a big fan of them. This is not to offend anyone or anything but it just seems that the Spanish Elders are a little more on top of the game and not as lazy... That is just my observation.  So I am trying to break my companion into a different work ethic that I was trained with, so we will see.

(Last week we received a letter late in the week and I haven’t put it on the blog, but he talked about meeting with Pat and her adult son Donald and having an experience where the spirit was really strong and he felt prompted to challenging Pat to pray.)We did meet with them again and had another really good lesson, about baptism and families. So that was really good, she did pray but she doesn't think that it will work, but I really feel as if it will. I know it will if she truly does it with an open heart.

(We attended a Music Theatre program at the high school that all the alumni from that program were invited to attend and sing.  A lot of people asked about Ben.) That is really good that the MDT thing was great it would have been super cool to be able to participate, but I wouldn't trade this for anything. haha They still remember me!?!? Well that is good.  If you see any of them again tell them I say hi too.

So today marks my double digits sadly... 10 months. "Double digits the big One O!!”  I know some people have told you it seems I have been gone for a long time, but for me the time has been so fast.  Too short.

So far my health has improved and I have had less sick days but we will see.  I already love and enjoy my mission so much I wish I could jump back and start again with the knowledge I have now, but that is not my place in life.

(Our ward starts each year with a theme.  I told him what our new theme was for the year, it is from D&C 4 about serving with all your heart, might, mind and strength.) I like the new theme it is a really good theme.

(We are getting a foreign exchange student from China this Thursday, and we told him all about it.) THURSDAY!?!?!?! WHAT DA HECK!!! I AM ALREADY GETTING REPLACED BY SOMEONE AND I HAVENT EVEN HIT A YEAR YET!!!!!!!!!!!! hahahahaha I’m just kidding, It doesn't really bother me I just like to complain about it. |:D That is crazy you are going to have to prepare really fast and then learn whatever you can in Chinese in less than a week!!! That is super crazy, and that there is going to be a new kid in the home, that will probably be nice for Brooklyn and hopefully it will be an amazing experience, make sure you council the lord in all of it. That is sad to hear about Shauna Dumont tell her she is in my prayers as well.

Well my experience story for the week before I wrap us will be this. So yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, because of them canceling church the week before. So we had that in our small branch. I have taken up the tradition that on my first Fast and Testmony meeting in every branch I bare my testimony and share a little bit about me. So I got up about 45 past and went up there. While up there I told the story of how I found out I was going to Logansport and told the members about everyone’s input on being in a stripe.  I even shared my own thoughts on the subject, one of which being I am getting banished and am not going to be able to speak Spanish and my mission just went to hell in a hand basket.  I said that over the pulpit, so maybe not the best choice of words for a missionary. (mom sighs here, naughty boy)  I continued to tell a quick story to show people who I am, a lot of people were laughing and stuff. Then I got more into the spiritual part and my actual testimony.  In all the other testimonies before there were always babies crying and things of that nature going on, you know like a ruckus. My companion told me something, that I had never heard before, he was like your testimony is one of the greatest I have ever heard and it brought the spirit so strongly it is unbelievable. So I start getting into some of the more spiritual things I feel,  one of the things that my testimony has grown in so much is the love of God for each and every one of us no matter our circumstances.  I talked about how I believe so much of this church is based off the Love of God and our love for him. So I start talking on how none of us are less loved than the other in the eyes of  god, Using a good scripture from D&C 18 I believe it is very popular and I quoted it. I said "Every soul is great in the eyes of God" I continued to emphasis this over and over, as I was talking I paused for a moment and saw a few people crying and it was dead silent, there was no noise... In that moment I REALIZED just how much I have grown since I came out. Coming out here I had been a very blessed child with many blessings and challenges. But I always tell people that my life has been an easy one, they usually scoff and say yea right shortly after, but to me it is true in some ways. Yes I have been through a lot, but there is one thing I know for sure and I will use some of the words from Elder Holland and others to express my point, but I shall use them as my own so I will not quote them. And those thoughts are these. Hope is NEVER lost! Ever in all my experiences I have always seen that, even in the darkest night there is still hope for the glorious break of dawn just beyond the horizon and that is what moves us forward, that brightness and hope for a new day. Because to every dark night the Dawn will always break, that is a Promised blessing of God.  I know it and have lived it and no one can say or do anything to convince me otherwise. As long as we strive to be better every day and we continue on the long path ahead, the winding road the treacherous climb whatever it may be, even if you only get 10 yards down the trail... Isn't that farther than you were before? And don't you already have that much more perspective and Gratitude for those 10 yards because you had to give it your all to have them! Overall this gospel is a promise of Hope, not for those who are perfect because that does not exist in this life, but for those who are broken and scarred and fighting with all they have just to be a little better today than they were yesterday! And when we get to the end or that tomorrow or that judgment seat of God we can or at least I hope to say with tears rolling down my cheeks, I know I failed in many ways, but I have given it all I have and I hope you forgive me and that that is enough. He then will crouch down beside us as we feel his loving arm on our shoulder and says you have done amazing, and I could not wish for a better son. We all have the bright promise of a better future, today is the day to start and to make what you want to happen come to pass. I know that God, Our Loving Heavenly Father loves us, each of us the same, and even though we may go through the darkness of adversity if we keep going with hope for a brighter future we will be one day enjoying the sunrise as it splits the darkness around us.

Anyway that is it for this week I love you all so much and hope you have an amazing week, you are all in my prayers, and I hope that you may feel the Love of the Godhead in your lives. Love you.

Love, Tu hijo Elder Paxman