"Done the Just"

Dear Mom,

I was sick on Monday, so I’m sorry you didn’t get email from me until today. (Wednesday)

Do any members know your birthday is next week?  Do you anticipate anyone celebrating with you and your companion? A few members know it is going to be my birthday, but not all of them. I would not be surprised if we celebrate it with a few people.

This is your last chance to make a birthday request. Anything specific you want/need? For the birthday package, I really am not sure mom. Maybe some music, or some ties or a sweater, or I have no idea mom hahaha. A book. Girls to write me, which would be nice. haha. I am really just happy with whatever surprise you get me. Or maybe just invest in a good looking helmet for when I come back or something. I have no idea surprise me mom!

I saw pictures on the missionary web site of some zone conferences.  Did you have zone conference? We had mini Zone Conferences at the end of January but not the big one, which should be here soon, probably in a week or so.

Where is Vernon?  Is it part of your area? I have seen charges to your debit card here and wondered where it is. Vernon is where we have district meetings.

Did you hear a lot about the football playoffs since the Colts were in it?  What about the Super Bowl?  Yes members keep us updated on the games and everything so I know the results and half the plays, so it was nice.

I noticed your debit card has been charged to pizza frequently in the last few days.  Have you been going out with members or just you and your companion? I love really good pizza and I have been craving it and if you remember I get on binges.  So, yes we had a little pizza binge.

How have you been feeling? Yea I have been feeling alright. I wasn't feeling very good yesterday, but worked through it as best I could.

That weather sounds really nice. I am really jealous of dad being able to take out the motorcycle and stuff. I am not going to lie I miss that a lot already...

How are your shirts, shoes, and pants?  Do you have holes or is everything holding up?  Everything is holding up decent. Of course, though everything is also getting quite a bit of wear and tear.

Any service projects this week?  No service this past week really. :/

How has the work been going? We had some good lessons. One was a referral from the English elders. It is a guy named Sergio who just had two surgeries and has had us over 3 times since Saturday. He is on a baptismal date and is doing really nicely. So we are really working with him to get him to progress towards baptism and conversion as quickly as possible before too much resistance comes and he has doubts. Another investigator is Judy, she is a funny old lady in Greenwood that we are teaching and she is awesome. So those are the big things that are going on in our area. We did go bowling yesterday with members for FHE, I did alright. A 127 on the first game and the second I was doing awesome but got cocky. I bowled strikes and spares till like the 6th frame and then stunk it up hahaha, it was really fun though. 

Do you get fed by the members there in Columbus?  If so how often?  Do you get fed Hispanic food or American? We get fed by members probably about 3 times a week sometimes less sometimes more. We eat a mix of things so it is interesting. I really like all the food we get; it is nice to get a variety. We have members from Brazil and Guatemala and Mexico so we get all sorts. I really like Guatemalan food as well as any other type of Hispanic food!!  

Do you think you will be in another bike area before the end of your mission? I have been riding a spin cycle and it’s killing my derriere.  I do not know if I will be in a bike area before the end of my mission or not. We will see I guess. Your butt kind of gets used to it after a while. I remember sometimes hitting a huge bump and it would hurt like a freaking beast! Mostly if it was a crotch shot or something then it would kill haha. Something that might help with the tush thing is to try riding it faster and with more resistance for shorter time periods. That might help. Or maybe doing intervals, that helps a lot.

Do you think you will transfer out of Columbus next transfer or stay? My guess is with this next transfer I will probably get transferred and depending on where and what I will be doing, possibly for the last area in my mission!! That would be crazy!! I wish I could stay companions with Elder Ryan for one more, but the likeliness of the happening is pretty much 0!

Mom I really liked hearing of your experience in the temple.  That is so cool that you were able to have the experience of that in the initiatory! I remember having some very amazing experiences in the temple. Has dad ever told you the conversation and story that goes along with when he and I were in the temple talking to the temple president? If he doesn't remember I would be surprised. It was an amazing experience for me. As I am sure it was for dad. Although I have never really told the story to anyone, I have kept it very sacred, but I am not sure if dad has shared it with you or not. I love going to the temple, I miss it a lot being out here on the mission. I am excited to go when I get back home. Also when we come back for the temple dedication... Right?? If you all don't come I might have to make a journey out here solo mio for that one.

Okay as far as other stories and experiences go for the week. Sergio is awesome and I am excited to keep teaching him. We always seem to have some fun stories tracting. One of which was we tracted a house and this man who had hair I swear everywhere except his eyeballs and he was shirtless. He comes out and the smell of weed smacks us like a ton of bricks and he starts talking with us a little and he is freaking baked. When we tell him who we are and he says "I think that is approaching the realm of Olmen"..... What the crap is Olmen is the first thing that comes to my mind? We asked and he said like a nothingness realm kind of thing or something like that. Pretty much this guy was so high I am pretty sure he couldn't distinguish reality from the video games he must have been playing. We got a good laugh out of that one. My companion and I have a fun time with each other and joke around and just have fun. Of course we do our best to get the work done as well.

(FYI this story is something I might usually edit out… but it is needed to understand his spiritual application.  I also thought it might be a lesson for all of us, to remember we are always being watched and should be examples) Spiritual thought time. Well actually another story to help illustrate it. It comes from something dad used to tell me throughout my life. He always used to say "I raised you differently..." After he told me this, he would always tie it with an example. Well this story links to that and comes from today. So we decided today to go get ice cream with some of the Sisters and a set of Elders. It was an open invitation to everyone, but only those two other sets could come. We went to this amazing place called Zaharakos. It is awesome and when we come back as a family, we will be eating here. Mainly, for the really good ice cream, but also because it looks like a really old fashioned parlor. It even has a museum there. Anyway it has this older feel that makes me feel like a kid in a candy store and honestly I love it. So we show up with the other Elders and sisters and we sit down and order. (by the way, really cute waitress... awesome!) Anyways, we get our drinks, homemade sodas which are amazing. After  about 5 minutes of being there the other elders and sisters start acting like freaking children! One was shooting spitballs the other was doodling on the paper mats they give you to cover the table. It had people on it and he was drawing beards on it and weird stuff. They were taking really dumb pictures and selfies and stuff. Pretty much acting like middle schoolers just older and dressed better. When the sandwiches we ordered came, it had the condiments in little containers on the side instead of on the sandwich and they whine about having to put it on themselves! Then they loudly complain about the music as well. (let’s just say at this point I was kind of ticked... Maybe I was in the wrong, but who knows) Well they are laughing really loud being annoying and we are in a restaurant, as missionaries! Now there are some restaurants where you can be a little more loud or whatever, but still this was not one of those occasions. So we are sitting there and I feel like I am babysitting a bunch of freaking whiny toddlers!! I was done; I could tell people were watching us, especially the staff. Both my companion and I felt that they were way out of line, as people and even more as missionaries!! Spit wads really!! So we get up to leave and my companion and I fake like we have to make a call and such so we can stay a little behind to clean up their mess the best we could. Spit wads everywhere, strange bearded children doodlings, and all sorts of junk. We were mad; we both know what it is like to have to clean up after someone, so we were not happy. We felt so ashamed to be there with them. So I left a bigger tip and we told the waitress upon leaving, we were sorry for how they acted. Not to be mean or degrading to them, but their conduct was NOT okay! She said it was fine, and thank you for apologizing. After leaving the restaurant, my companion and I said never again are we taking those two companionship's out to eat together. Maybe I am just old fashioned or just old and crabby in general, but acting like that is not okay, ESPECIALLY as missionaries. Having to apologize for other missionaries conduct in public is not okay at all. Maybe I was out of line, maybe I am the one who needs to loosen up or whatever. I do not believe so, but I should not judge. I felt like I wanted to walk away from the table. It saddens me how people act at times. I know it is fun to be with other missionaries and have fun, I love having fun, but there is a limit to all things. We are called to be servants of Christ. Yes we are still young and some are even teenagers, yes we still make mistakes, but I want someone to be able to watch me with any one of my friends on or off the mission, and be able to say. "There is a man who is good in character, not just popular in the people’s eye." I want to be known as a good man, not just a good missionary. Who I am and who I want to become are some of my greatest gifts to give to people. Yes we all make mistakes and need to improve, but sometimes we need to have been better 2 years ago! Uchtdorf quoted that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but since you didn't do it then at least you can do it now. I have never been a really "popular" person. I have never been a hermit either though. One reason I believe I have not been “popular” is because I chose not to be. Sometimes being popular and loved by the masses means bending your character to the point of permanent damage, or at least to the point at which great effort is required to fix it. Having true character and being a good man or women is far better than fitting in with the crowd, or being "popular" in my opinion. Think of the greatest life this world has ever known. Most of His life if not all of it, He was in no wise considered popular!! Yet He is the best man I have ever come to know! For us to follow His example we have to be willing to sacrifice what the masses think for what the one thinks, or sometimes not even anyone, but God. Greatness is not determined by the critic who stands on the sidelines, but by the man in the arena, with the bruised body and bloodied knuckles, who has fought for the right and "done the just". This is hard to do, because we all want to feel loved, but I can tell you now, it is far better to be loved by the few, who truly care, than the many who don't even care. I have been blessed to have some friends both on and off the mission in whom I hope to keep into the eternities. They are those few souls that have impacted my life, and I hope to have impacted theirs in some minute way.  I continually hope and pray for the greatest blessings to be upon their heads. They are those whom I call family, and close friends, they are those I want to stand next to unto the end. I have tried to do this in my life. I have failed at times, and the consequences were indeed grievous. I hope to be a friend to those who need me when they have nowhere else to turn. I hope to be one of the angels spoken of in D&C 84:88. We all can be, and we all should be for at least some "Poor Wayfaring man". For we would want someone to do the same for us!

Character is built by the forge of life, and we can either strengthen it or weaken it. The only determining factor is what you do with what you have been given. Well I guess one of the big factors anyway. I may not be able to stay friends with some of those I have met, maybe things in this life will prohibit that, but I will value those memories and experiences I had with them for many many years to come. So chin up and keep going, popularity is only what you take it for. I do not wish to be popular, even though at times I try to aspire to it, as we all do, I am trying to get better at this. I wish to be known as a man of character, a man of Integrity and a man of God, even after the mission is done. Even before it was something I wished. Those were my thoughts, and little rant of rage hahahaha.

Well I love you so much and I hope that everything goes great this week! I am very sorry to hear about Sister Dumont.  I will definitely keep her in my prayers.  I am excited to check the mail every day just waiting to see what shows up! Love you again and have a great week!

Love, Elder Paxman

[:{D  

P.S. D&C 84: 77,88.

Amazing scriptures that I hope to truly apply and feel. These are some of my favorites. As there are many more that go along with them. I fear the list would be over 100 scriptures long...