I want to be baptized in a river.

Dear Mom,

My health is doing pretty good. Not perfect, but better than before. My appetite has been sporadic, but for the most part good! As far as energy goes I have been doing fine. I hope not to have to take IV Iron. It sucks. I think my Iron is good enough to just be doing the pills. I have been eating fine mom. Don't worry. I know you will, but don't. I had a feeling as I was preparing to come back out, that my health would falter at times. So I am not too shocked about it, although for it to happen so sudden, that was interesting. So yep I am doing good overall. We will see how my test Wednesday goes.

I have been able to get out and do work for the most part. When it is really bad, we stay in the residence, but I am kind of stubborn, so that hasn't been very often. 

 Did you get our package? I did get the package and I did really like what was in it. The HoHo's are awesome. I love those things. Although, I have not eaten a ton of the stuff that is in there. I am rationing it. I haven't really shared with my comp... Oh well he will live... tehehe. I have shared a few things.

How is the mission and the work going?  The mission is going good. Sometimes slow, but that is okay. Also we have had some really good lessons, so I can't complain one bit. We will always look for new people to teach, but we just won't focus on that. We are going to focus more on the LARCS and part members. Both President Cleveland, and myself, have felt impressed to really work with those people in this area. I feel as though the President likes this plan of attack, so we will see how it goes.

How is the branch? The branch. I have attended once. Once was stake conference and another we cancelled because of weather. So this last Sunday was my first time. I really liked it; it seems like a great little branch. It is a small branch. We are getting fed by the members, probably about 3 to 4 times a week. It is also increasing which is nice. So that is going well, and they make really good food!

How large is your area?  You mentioned a place called Frankfort?  Where is that? How often will you go there?  The area pretty much covers the stake so it is huge. Frankfort is kind of our area; they have put a Spanish Elder there to stripe it. So we don't really go there, unless he needs help. It is about 30 min from Lafayette.

How is your investigator from the Dominican Republic doing? He is hard to understand, but I can do it, if there is not a ton going on. We taught him today. Also and interesting thing with him, we stopped by Saturday night quite late. While there we got talking about baptism. He said, I wish to be baptized as soon as possible. We were like... okay we can do that. He then said he also wants to be baptized in a river! So that was cool and we got permission from Pres. for that. Now we just have to talk to the Branch President to make sure he is okay with that. I talked with President last night about him, and because he is the husband of a member and has been coming to church for a while, we have moved up his date. He has only had 3 lessons with us. He read's everything we give him and understands well. So while talking to Pres. I said when is the soonest we can baptize him. President then said. You can baptize him this week if you feel he is ready!!!! WHAT!!!!!???!?!? So yea we talked with him today and as of right now he will be getting baptized the 28th. Mainly because we still have to teach him a few things and get him his interview. So that was really exciting. So hopefully all continues well there and we can keep going forward and baptize him then or sooner! Also an 8 year old we are teaching is probably going to be baptized here in about 2 weeks as well. So things are going well. Hopefully we can find more people to teach and keep helping this area grow. We will see how it all goes. We are very thankful for the blessings the Lord has given us in this area though. There is another woman named Margarita whom we taught for the first time this week. She is the wife of a member in the branch. She is very sweet and reminds me a lot of you. She has been taught a lot before, but never really wanted much to do with the church. Although this last lesson, some stuff came up and we ended up talking about Joseph Smith. It was probably one of the more powerful lessons I have been a part of that was discussing Joseph Smith, it was amazing. There was such an amazing spirit there, so hopefully things will go well with her. We have another lesson with her here on Saturday.

Do you like the apartment you are living in?  I do like the place where we live, it is nice. I also feel that I am getting to know my comp better and better.

Has spring finally arrived in Indiana? It sounds like it has been really nice weather in SLC. That is really nice.  It is spring time here finally. It is usually around 50 degrees or more each day.

Daddy is riding his motorcycle to the fire academy in May and has decided as he passes through Indiana he wants to take you and your comp to lunch.  Is that against the rules?  Yea he hasn't mentioned anything about the ride to the fire academy. I am not sure if that would be against the rules. I have heard of things like that happening before, but I am not too sure. I would be excited to do that, that wouldn't bother me one bit.

MOM:  Don’t say, "say what!" Not that cool. Sorry mom, plus that kind of died a while ago ;) 

Have you had a chance to see the Diaz family while in Indy for the Doc?  Do you think you will get to see them again before you come home? I haven’t seen them in a long time. I have talked with them on the phone recently. I will hopefully see them again once or twice before I come home.

I shared with him that our Stake Conference was themed around strengthening family and building family relationships. I expressed my gratitude and love for our family and our family relationships.  I feel the same way about our family. Even though we bicker sometimes and stuff I have found we have had a really good relationship as far as a family goes overall.

You mentioned that your emails might get shorter, is this because your time has been decreased? The reason the time is going to get shorter is because my companion doesn't email for very much time, and I don't want emailing to be a burden on him. I am still trying to develop a good friendship with him. So that is one, also the library here is a little different so just expect that.

Well I have to wrap up with the spiritual thought because I have like no time left. This week a lot has come to my mind as I have been thinking of health and everything else. So one thing that I have found is that this "sickness" will probably last my entire life. Although to some this sounds kind of sucky, and in some ways it definitely isn't that great. To me it is no problem really. I have been blessed with a life full of many happy moments and great people. Sometimes we have to feel the most sorrow and pain to be able to feel the most joy. Like child birth! ;) hahaha So you know yea it is at times hard, and there may be times in the future where it will be worse or better. Whatever comes, I want to say what I have heard Apostles and Prophets of our dispensation say. "Come what may, and love it!" Sometimes in our lives this is much easier to say than do. Although, if we are founded on our sure foundation of Jesus Christ and his Atonement, we will never fail. We may falter yes, but we will never fail. I have seen it in my life. We at times may not be able to see why we are going through things, but there is always a purpose. For me one of the greatest purposes of my trials; has been to make me a better man, and one day father. I have seen that when we learn from our trials and use them to help us go forward, the world changes and everything is a little better than it was before. Maybe nothing changed except the way we see ourselves and the world. I am grateful for my trials, for they are my greatest blessings; sometimes they just need a little bit of a spit shine to see it. The greatest treasures are those that we work for I believe. Well I am out of time, so I love you so much and hope that this week is great. Maybe you will get more free stuff, maybe not ;) We will see. Although I hope it is filled with what all of you need, I hope we can see people as God does, with the divine potential of becoming. Also that I and others can keep using their trials to better their lives and the lives of those around them. I love you and pray for you often. Have a great week!!

Love, Elder Paxman