4 weeks left to serve: Adam Cayo para que los hombres existiesen y los hombes existen para tener gozo.

Dear Mom,

I figured I would write you back in English so you don't have to use google translate, which sucks by the way. My Sunday was good and depressing at moments, overall really good though.

I told him that I had been to a missionary homecoming of an Indiana Elder and ran into one of his companions who is dating a girl he seems to really like. If he gets freaking engaged I am gonna freak the crap out!! That would be crazy!! I do know all three of those sisters, they are very nice as are most of them. That is good you went to support, I am glad you have made friends over my mission...? I think you have made more friends than I have goodness mom.

ANNNNNDDD Of course you go to Ruby River without me. What is up with you guys going out to the good places, but when I am home the girls choose like Leatherby's or freakin Sweet Tomatoes... I feel slightly jipped. hahaha. Nice, summer is nice, although it would be good for you to keep receiving rain. At least till I get home, so I can get back on the bike!! You are also going camping with the fireman... I swear you guys coordinate these things, like so... "Hey Ben comes home in like 29 days, let’s try and fit in everything awesome in that time, that way, we can do all this super cool stuff without him!!" What is up with that!!? Grrrr.....

Trenton will be home in 12 days.  Can you believe how fast time has flown while you are on the mission?  Time is indeed cruising by. 12 days and T-dawg is home... Dang that went by really really fast... I bet his family is super excited! I would be too, and I am sure in 20 days you will be just freaking out all over the place.

How are your investigators?  Did they come to church on Sunday?  How often are you teaching them each week? Lupita and Vicenta are doing well; they are well on their way to baptism. So we are hoping all goes well with that. Daniel is also doing really well. He is really hard to get a hold of, but is doing very well. I hope to see them baptized before I leave, if not, hopefully when I come back. We try and teach them at least 2 times a week. They didn't come to church this last week, but will hopefully be coming to all the rest.

In your English class do you teach mostly speaking or do you teach writing as well? We teach mostly speaking, but also how to write it as well.

I think your Spanish is going to be a blessing to you the rest of your life.  I hope so; I also wish to really improve my language abilities, maybe to become a translator in the future. I really need to work on writing and grammar, it is hard though.

Did you hear about Elder Perry passing away? I did hear, that was sad... I thought we would lose President Packer or Elder Hales before anyone else...

How has your week been? My week has been good, and at the same time, hard. I have really been struggling with being positive as I think about the end of my mission.  It reminds me of something Elder Perry stated... "One of the greatest weaknesses in most of us is our lack of faith in ourselves. One of our common failings is to depreciate our tremendous worth." I do not know if you have realized this, but I have struggled with that for a very long time... always wondering if I have done enough.

Any fun plans for P-Day? Plans for P-day today are well I am not so sure. We have a lesson with Lupita and Vicenta afterwards. We played volleyball with the members last week. That was really fun, I am not amazing at it, but I can hold my own I feel. We will have to get out and practice playing some volleyball when I get back. That would be a good way I can work out and have fun with mommy since you like volleyball! I hope your knees start getting better. I am trying to break the habit of popping my joints. It is one I developed on the mission, and one I hope to get rid of here shortly.

So our adventures of the week, we got dumped on by rain a few times. We also found a new investigator named Rodrigo he seems like a very nice man, and we have a lesson with him tomorrow, so I am really looking forward to that. Other than that, not a ton new on the mission front. I am trying to keep up the workout, but it has gotten hard again. I seem to hit waves of determination. Also I will probably start my anti-biotics here in the next few days, which always comes with its own set of surprises. So yep, last week was good, but a struggle.

So this will kind of be the spiritual thought. This past week my thoughts have been dictated a lot towards a whole shlew of different things. One of which being: "Have I done enough?" I have asked this question before, but sometimes it is hard to see if you have or haven't. Oh before I forget, today was the first day, where emailing was not something I was super stoked for! I think it is because I feel I will be home soon enough, that I can just tell you then. Don't worry though mom, I will keep emailing like I usually do. Anyway, back to where I was. The thoughts have been interesting. One of which was what is the difference between self-confidence, and pride? And how can we develop one and not the other? That has been one I still have not found the answer too. So those are some of the thoughts that are running through my mind lately. I think they are ones often thought about by missionaries. One thing I have realized lately is the power of the Book of Mormon, not only in the lives of investigators, but in the lives of us as missionaries and members. The Book of Mormon is an amazing book; I have read it through cover to cover less times than I can count on one hand, but each time I read, but one verse of its pages the spirit testifies to me of its truthfulness. It can indeed help us in whatever situation we need. It has been a light to me in this last week, when I have struggled to have a positive attitude. The non-positive attitude has not been directed at the work, but at myself and worry for the future. And if one is not happy with himself, than there are very few things in this life that bring him joy. At least so I have found. The Book of Mormon has indeed helped me in that aspect, and it is continuing to help me. I may know very little, along with many other weaknesses and struggles. But there are a few things that I have come to realize, maybe a scripture to help. 

13 Wherefore, I call upon the weak things of the world, those who are unlearned and despised, to thresh the nations by the power of my Spirit;

 14 And their arm shall be my arm, and I will be their shield and their buckler; and I will gird up their loins, and they shall fight manfully for me; and their enemies shall be under their feet; and I will let fall the sword in their behalf, and by the fire of mine indignation will I preserve them.   I used this in a talk I gave this last Sunday. It is in the D&C, but I feel it illustrates my point perfectly. Especially when coupled with this other scripture in the D&C. 3 Who so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God. Wherefore you are my son; these scriptures have really helped me in many different things throughout my mission. Sometimes I think we forget who we really are, I know I do, and that is when things seem to become the hardest. One of my all-time favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon says this Adam Cayo para que los hombres existiesen y los hombres existen para tener gozo. Or Adam fell that men might be and Men are that they might have Joy!! Something I have indeed been working on. The other I will not paste into the email, but if you are ever doubting your worth, or even just feel down, you can read one of my favorite all time verses of scripture... (L told me I say that about every scripture I bring up... Okay so maybe that is true). It is 3 Nephi 11: 3-14 and if you want through till 17. I am learning it seems every day that God and His Beloved Son Jesus Christ care more about the individual than the masses. You hear this said a lot, but I feel it does not mean something to you until you know of it, or at least believe in it yourself. So those are my thoughts. This has gotten a little long I feel. Well I love you so much, I hope you enjoy all the really cool stuff without me. That is okay I would rather be HERE anyway, and I love you and have a great week! I will hopefully hear from you soon!

Love, Elder Paxman