Be a LIGHT unto those who need it!

I captured this image from the Indianapolis, Indiana mission

Touch All the Lines facebook page. 

It was taken the day Elder Paxman arrived, 

and all the other newly arrived missionaries from that day.

Dear Mom,

My week has been pretty good!  I will get to that probably throughout the letter.

Did you have the car this past week or were you on your bike?  By the way how did you get your bike back?  What about your helmet?  How does the sharing of the car work?  Which day do you trade on?  If you’re on your bike how do you go to the grocery store on P-day?  How are you holding up riding the bike?  Do you feel like you are getting stronger physically?  Okay so we actually share the car split week, because we are a 40 min. drive from church we have it usually Saturday to Tuesday, and they have it the other times. Elder Rowberry had found my bike and brought it to Columbus when he found out I was coming. Helmet no, I had to buy a new one. So we trade the car on Saturdays and Tuesdays usually, but that sometimes changes upon convenience. We always have the car on P-days which is super nice.

 Do you spend p-day with the missionaries from Columbus or is it just you and your companion?  It depends on the P-day and what is going on whether we drive up to Columbus for them or not. It is a lot of miles to be going back and forth several times a week, so last week we stayed down, and this week we will be going up to play sports and such.

 How are you holding up riding the bike?  Do you feel like you are getting stronger physically?  I am holding up alright on the bike, although it is a serious piece of very bad words!!!! I hate the thing!! If I knew that for sure at the end of my mission you guys were coming to pick me up I would buy a new one, and a nicer one. So kick that Idea around between you and dad. If not, to ship it back home isn't worth it. I will probably try and ride this bike into the ground which honestly has mostly already happened.  It makes terrible noises as I ride it and is bound to break any day now. Stronger physically... Probably a little, I am tired a lot still which stinks, and not like fatigue tired, but like low energy. I feel like I am getting stronger, but not very fast, so really about the same as far as that goes. My stomach has been a little off set lately I am not sure if it is because of the Iron pills or what, so I have had to be really careful with how much I eat, and what I eat.

So tell me about your new area.  How many square miles does it cover?  Square miles I have no freaking clue mom.... A lot, we cover several towns, it is just us and the other Spanish Elders for an entire stake, so we probably cover at least 80 square miles. Something about my new area is this, I have been using a lot of personal funds, because we don’t get fed by members, because we have no members here close to us, so if we are lucky we get fed on Sundays. So kind of how opening a new area works is you move in first. Then after that, you go by and visit all the members in the area (we have none) then after that, you go by any investigators that were recent, and then you just start pounding pavement. We have tracted a butt ton load lately. We usually do create a map and start gridding things out. So we are still working on that. We have found 4 new investigators over the last week and a half so an alright amount, but we still need to find a ton more. There are a lot of corn fields here and I would love to go sprinting through the corn, but we would probably get shot by the farmer or something. There is another plant they grow a ton of here, but I have no idea what it is...

Are there English Elders/Sisters in Seymour?  Or is it just you and your companion?   Have you eaten at any more members houses?  Were they English or Spanish? There are English sisters here in Seymour and that is it. I got to eat at the Nehrings, and we had snacks at the Hammonds. Both are English.  The Hammonds are interesting. They have 7 kids and are pretty much like a white picket fence Mormon family. We spent some time with them yesterday and they are really cool, they have their own pond, and a very nice house. SOOOO I am going to try and become really good friends with them so I can have a place to chill when we come back and visit ;) hahaha teasing.

How are things going with your companion?  Are you getting along well?  Things are going well with the companion we get along well.

I understand that you had specialized training for the Spanish Elders this past week.  Did you get to see Elder Hj. or any other Elders you know?  What did you think of the training, helpful?  Did you guys have to drive to Indy for that?

Specialized training got moved to October 1^st.  We do have a mission conference from an area 70 tomorrow, but it is just my zone and I think one other, they broke it up into different days for convenience. So I haven't seen anyone since transfers. Sorry if there are a lot of errors with this email I am trying to type fast because I do not have a lot of time

I do feel like I am getting back into the swing of things. Also I am quite a bit less homesick, so it just took a little adapting, and will probably get even better as the time goes on. Sounds like fun with all the weddings and everything. We did not get to see the Temple dedication; in fact I do not think it was even broadcast here. I know that feeling of missing the temple seeing as while I have been out here I was only able to go once.  Church was good we had an investigator come, which is a miracle in itself because of the distance we have to drive to get there. His name is Bertin he is new here from Guatemala about 6 months, he speaks 5 languages and the 5th is Spanish.  He is young, 21 years old, and I really like him a lot. I believe he will be baptized if all keeps going well, we will see here in the coming weeks. I hope to hear from Alex soon, I didn't this week, but maybe next.  Bai told me about the surprise party for Grandma, it seemed like it was a lot of fun. In my package with my coat could you include some snacks, and my other set of scriptures and those two little books I need that I told you about last week, and some mechanical pencils, good ones. Thanks for fixing my coat.

Ok so this will have to be quick, I am almost out of time. So a spiritual thought. So this week with getting sick for a day, I was quite terrified that I would get really sick again while out on the mission, and then they would send me home again, which I don't know if I could handle. Anyway throughout the week things had been normal, but in my quiet moments by myself I would often ponder various things. One was why am I back? Another was How have I changed through all of this? And many many more, but one thought that I will share a little bit on today, is that of patience in afflictions, which I feel I have been blessed with throughout my life. Well whilst being afraid and worrying of being sent home again and all of that stuff. I realized that once again, I have been blessed with an amazing amount of patience and aid when it has come to my sickness. While at a members they commented on how I have done a lot with my life in the short time frame I have had, and while being so sick. I paused for a second, and said: "I want to prove people wrong" He was curious by that so I continued. "People think just because one is sick frequently or has trials of their own whatever they may be, that they are broken or able to do less. I know this because I feel it and have felt it many times. But I have set out to prove that I can do everything the guy next to me can, and I can do it just as good. I wanted to be an example of those who aren't always healthy in whatever way, whether physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental. I wanted people to be able to hear my life story see some of the things I have done, and say there is someone with the heart and will to do hard things. With the ability to stand out, and do what needs to be done, someone who knows that yea, I am broken, but that doesn't mean hopeless. Life is meant to be hoped for and lived for. Even in those moments of darkness. I am terrible at expressing my words, but I feel if I could sit down with people who are just going through Hell right now, and tell them some stories and share some knowledge that I believe I have gained and am still gaining. I could help them be just a little happier or better off in some way. I honestly don't know why I am back, and I may never know, all that I do know is that I am, and I am going to do my best to be a light unto those who need it. I am truly no different than anyone else, experience has made me learn and grow as it does or should everyone. Yes I am broken, but weak or (broken) things are to become strong. I know that God lives and loves each and every one of us, yes even the broken ones. I actually think everyone is a little broken in some way. We all could use a little fixing, I myself could use a lot, but that is what this gospel is about right? Being better, improving, realizing our potential, becoming what we were meant to be. I wish I was better with words so I could tell people this in a more poetic or beautiful way, but my simple words are gonna have to work.  This Gospel is amazing, and I am honored to be a part of spreading it once again, even if that is only for another week, or however long, it is another week in the service of my God and King.

So overall a great week, as is every week, even if it takes hindsight to realize that. Well Mom I need to wrap up, I love you so much and I hope this didn't sound preachy... Was not intended to be that way. Anywho I love you so much, I hope everything is going well back home. Remember the Bike discussion because this piece I am riding is a pain hahaha. Anyway love you all and can't wait to hear from you soon.

Love, Elder Paxman