The Spirit is Amazing!!

All of the following pictures are from his last SD card he sent home.  So they are pictures that are from his time serving in Cumberland.  I find it very funny to see some of the things these young men take pictures of. :)

Exploded bag of Sugar Smacks.

Boys love cars!  Even when they are missionaries.  Ben had about 5 pictures of this yellow car. Apparently they thought it was a sweet ride.

 Elder Paxman sporting his wedding tie with his P-day clothes.

Dear Mom,

Weren’t you supposed to speak in church today?  If so, how did it go?

Ok, so yea as far as the speaking in church goes, well I still haven't because out of the almost 5 weeks I have been here I have only been to church once!! All other times have been cancelled due to extreme weather. So overall that has been interesting.

How are you and your companion getting along?  Still good?  Do you feel as if you are becoming friends?  Speaking of my companion, we are getting along well; Oh so before I forget I don't think I mentioned that my companion lived in china for 3 years, although he doesn't really remember any of the language. So he was curious what part of china Regina is from and also who the sister is that is coming to speak to her? He thinks he might know who she is.

Are you still enjoying driving the car?  Be extra careful.  When you are transferred and you are using a car do you still have your bike with you? I am still loving driving the car because it is so cold here, and also our area is huge.  To arrive in a town called Monticello where a family that is less-active we are teaching, it takes about 30 min to drive there... So I am very grateful for the car. My bike is not with me, we were not able to get it with us to Logansport so it is in Elkhart still.... So I will be working on getting it back with time.

Here the missionaries said that bringing someone back into activity is just as important to them as finding nonmembers to teach.  Do you feel the same about teaching the less active members? We also feel the same about the Less-Actives here in Logansport, if you can bring one back it means just as much as finding a new one. So we are working on that a lot as well.

Have you had much opportunity to use your Spanish this past week?  IF so, how, teaching lessons or just talking with a few members?  Didn't you say there are a few Spanish members in your branch?  Do you study your Book of Mormon in Spanish much, I know the mission President suggested studying in your native language.  As far as Spanish goes I would say it is maintaining. I am still reading and studying, but it is not as effective in helping me as much compared to teaching and speaking full-time.  As far as using my Spanish goes it is usually with a Less-Active named Eliseo because he only speaks Spanish and when I speak to the few members in Spanish, other than that not much... So we will see I am holding it though, but I want to keep improving on it, not just maintaining. I still study the Book of Mormon in Spanish in the language study period. But I feel I will be here for a couple more transfers, I hope I am, I really like it here and it has a lot of potential.

I was wondering how far you are from Purdue University?   I was just curious.  Some of Regina’s classmates told me when they graduate this year they will be going to Purdue in the fall.  Apparently there are a lot of Chinese students there. We are about 45 min from Purdue so don't freak out over the shooting thing, also there are a ton of Asian people there, in fact we will be getting two Mandarin speaking missionaries for that area.

How has your health been this week as well?  I know I ask every week, but I always wonder how you are feeling?  Do you feel like you are sick less often than earlier in your mission or more often?  My health has been pretty good, I have gotten a feel for when things don't feel quite right and I usually just don't eat, even if we have a member meal. But I have been feeling pretty good. I think I am sick less often, but still too often if that makes sense at all.  Being sick at all is too often for me though haha.

I think we have tracked down an older GPS that will work for your needs. Sweet the GPS will be much needed, it just has to get us from point A to point B in a good time.

I am going to send you a package this week.  If there is anything special you want me to include in your package make sure to let me know. I would be happy to add some things. I still want a good photo of Christ for my desk.  It would be even better if it was a smaller version of the one that is hanging in our house where Christ is saving Peter from drowning. If not though you can always send me pictures of other good ones you like and can find. Other than that, feel free to surprise me with stuff haha.

I hope you are taking a lot of pictures.  You will wish you had them when your mission is over.  Also make sure to write in your journal often.  It will help you to remember many great things from your mission.  I am taking lots of pictures and writing in my journal.  I am trying to get better at the pics so we will see.

Daddy and I were just talking today about how you have been gone almost a year and it has flown by so fast. The time has indeed flown by, I just wish it wouldn't.  It is going too fast I am now almost a year old in the mission.   In a little less than two weeks I will be 20!!!! That is freaky...

It sounds like a fun week at home, lots of adventure and new things.  This new connection might be super nice, especially with the China because it is on my bucket list! I want to see the terra cotta warriors and a few other things in China. I am glad that you had an impact on the mother that will always be a good thing.  Make sure to keep in contact with her so you can continue to talk with her, but remember that in China I don't think it is allowed so be careful with that and make sure that Regina wants to learn and be a part of it.  That would be a cool experience to see her progress and such in the gospel. I am glad that Collins Farwell went really good, I hope you congratulated him for me. I am glad he is going out to serve and I know he will do great.

Well in the mission field this week not a whole lot is new... With the really bad cold weather a lot of people are hibernating I swear!!  We have worked a lot with less actives and such, and with members to really get them into the work and help them build a good relationship with the missionaries. One neat experience I had this week with a lesson and an investigator named Katy.  She is living with a member as his girlfriend and that makes the law of chastity an issue.  So we went in and taught a Law of Chastity lesson.  We took a member who offered her home to Katy because she has a big home and felt so inclined, it was really good. She also was a great help in the lesson and provided a lot of really spirit directed guidance overall.  We gave them the challenge to commit to live the Law of Chastity and Katy was in tears.  At first I thought she was in tears because of things I had said, because I had been very bold but loving in the things I taught.  But, she said the tears weren’t because I had hurt her feelings or offended her, but from what she was feeling.  It was one of the strongest law of chastity lessons I have had on my mission and it was a really great experience!!

Well Mom I hope everything continues to go well and that all will be well with the new changes. I am excited to hear of all the new things that happen over the next little while.  I did get invited to food and watch the super bowl so we told the investigator we would come, but for food and to teach..... Bummer, I would love to watch the game, but it is what needs to be done so yep. Well I love you all so much and I hope you have an amazing week.  I am off to go bowling with the zone. J I also really liked the quote you sent because it is so true. Anywho love you and have a great week.

Love, tu hijo Elder Paxman 

The Quote I included this week, not a spiritual one, but good nonetheless:

"America will never be destroyed from outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~Abraham Lincoln

Stand up for what you believe in because the best people know better!!

Excerpt from Elder Paxman’s letter to Bailee and Kyle this week:  We taught a really good lesson this week, my companion and I brought up some really good points that our investigators needed to hear.  The spirit is amazing in how it works in each of us. Even when its in ways that we may not be thinking about, we must simply obey and do what we know is right and as the spirit directs and we will see the blessings of heaven in our life and in the lives of those around us.