5 weeks left to serve: A mission visit from Dad!

Elder Paxman got a visit from Dad this past week.  Lincoln was on his way home from a cross country trip to the National Fire Academy and stopped to spend a few hours with Elder Paxman and his companion.  Following are the pictures that he sent me to make me feel jealous.  :) 

Elder Paxman and his companion took his dad to one of his favorite little Taco places for lunch.

Elder Paxman and his companion Elder Labrum.

The study are in their apartment.

Elder Paxman's favorite choice of food this week. 

This dresser has been in the mission in one of the apartments since 1992, and every missionary that has used it has signed it!  I absolutely love this!  The history!!  That means this dresser has been in the Indianapolis Indiana mission and been used by missionaries for 23 Years!!  When the missionary is transferred out of this area/apartment they sign the dresser.  Elder Paxman will sign the dresser in 5 weeks! 

Linc with Elder Paxman and Elder Labrum inside of the Taco place.  It is also a little store. 

Dear Mom,

I knew you would be super Jelly when I found out that dad would be coming to visit on his way home from his trip. It was really fun to have dad come.

In the pictures there is a dresser that missionaries have signed; daddy said you told him there is also a table in one of the other apartments.  Did you sign it as well?  Where is it and did you get a picture?  I think these are the coolest things ever!! I did sign the table although I do not remember if I took a picture... It was in Logansport.. So hopefully I took a picture I think I did. I would have to look through all the photos I have taken. The dresser is super cool! I am excited to sign it and get a picture next to it!

It was really fun to take dad to the taco place! Not to mention yummy!! It has really good tacos. I am glad you enjoyed the pictures. Plus you can just look at the pictures and see if I have gotten a little more in shape! haha Or maybe you can't tell, maybe I puffed out my shirt just to make it look the same... Mwahahahaha evil laugh of awesomeness!!! Or… maybe daddy took pictures of him with things in the way.  I actually think I have gained weight... That's not good! Having Dad visit me in the mission was a fun memory and one we will not soon forget I am sure.

Did your companion mind spending a few hours with Daddy?  Did it bore him? Yes my companion was just as excited as I was, and I loved spending the day with dad. It was awesome! No he wasn't bored; he is just quiet all the time. He enjoyed it though.

I hear Elder Rowberry, Hayden changed his wedding date?!  Yep he did, and I am excited that now I will be able to be there!!!!

What did you do with the rest of your Saturday after Dad left? We went and taught a few lessons, and just did the work.

How has your week been?  How is the missionary work? My week was pretty good I would have to say. We tracted a little so it was all good. The work has been going good; we had a few good lessons. We also helped with the temple prep class which was kind of fun, especially since I never took it haha. We were able to teach Lupita, Vicenta, and Maria which was really good. Also we had a really good lesson with Daniel. I also made a bet with him, so I might need some money on my personal funds... hahaha Anyway....The bet was about going out to eat not actual money, so don’t worry about that mom. So they are doing well, we hope to help them get baptized at the latest the 27th of June. We are still working on finding new investigators and really helping that family progress to baptism within the next month. Church was good, we had a really amazing lesson with Daniel at church so that was awesome!

What percentage of Sacrament meeting do you think you understand?  I got this question from Griff… he was asking Trenton the same question this week. Spanish Sacrament meetings I say I understand about 99% Of what is being said, general conversation more like 90% sometimes there are still a few words I do not know. Actually there are a lot of words I do not know.

Here at home Brooklyn is gearing up for her 9^th grade Lagoon Day and we were remembering the last time we went what a big chicken Elder Paxman was on the scary rides.  In his defense it was quite a while ago.  I reminded him of how funny it was.   Yea I am sure you all got a good laugh out of that. Talk about humiliating... I am kind of a pansy mom, if you have not realized. I still am one too. Maybe if I watch some more Grimm and Supernatural when I get home I will do alright, who knows, my guess is no. I have not been to Lagoon after that event, man I was a freaking chicken... I still am, but not that bad thank goodness. Plus what is the purpose of scaring the crap out of yourself? I heard it is like drugs for some people. They need that adrenaline rush, and their body loves it so it wants more. Hence addictions to scary movies. I would like to stay free of that one if I could hahaha.

You mentioned you teach a weekly English class?  What day do you teach it?  Is it mostly members and how many people usually come? We usually have the class Fridays and it depends usually around 6 people. Not a ton, but enough. Most are members, but there are a few that are not. There is not much more to tell you about the class.

How was P-Day/Memorial Day?  Did you do anything with the members or investigators?  For Memorial Day we played sports with a bunch of members and Lupita and Daniel were there, which by the way, at 2 man volleyball Daniel and I being on a team destroyed everyone!! It was awesome!! We make a good team, it was really fun. After that we went and had a BBQ with most of the same members that came and played sports. It was really fun. We got Lupita to play wall ball with us. Which I realized is like a white kid’s street game. No one knows how to play it!! Which is sad because I love it! I have also reached one other goal that I will not tell you about, because it has to do with secret stuff hehehe. So this last week was really good, and the Memorial Day activities were really fun. Okay so yep we are really working with that family to come to a knowledge and be baptized, I want it to be before I go home, but if it must needs be till after as long as it happens. I learned a lesson similar to that one, with another family. It was a great lesson on Humility, but If the Lord will's it, I would love to be here for their baptism.

Okay so now on to the spiritual thought. This actually came up two weeks ago, and I wrote it down to write about this week, and it was a nice coincidence that it fell on the week dad would come visit. So I was reading and pondering one day and with the help of my Pat. Blessing and a few scriptures I realized a few things I thought were cool. One is the immense love that God has for each one of us. Which is pretty frankly stated so I won't elaborate. The next was of my own thinking. As missionaries we are always asked "Why can't you talk with your family over the phone? Why can't you see them more?" I came to this conclusion. One of the big reasons I think is so that we may have at least a sliver a mere speck of what it will feel like when and if we return to the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Imagine the sweet joy of going back into our Heavenly Parents presence. The joy we feel after being reunited with our families after two years must be similar, just not quite as glorious.  Also in an interview I had with the Stake Pres. He said, If we live to be like 75 I think it is approximately 2.2 years Heaven's time. So just about the amount of time we are on our missions!! I thought that was pretty cool! When we reunite with our families again after that period of time, we feel a piece of the Joy that we will feel with our Heavenly Father when we return home. I thought that was a pretty cool thought. The other is how much the mission resembles our own lives and the way we learn and grow. We come in not knowing hardly anything, but through the things we suffer and experience we learn. We continue to grow and progress throughout this life, we continue to fight for things we want, and make mistakes. In my eyes with the purpose that when we come back, we will be thoroughly converted, much like we do when we come to this earth. So in reality the mission is like a little life we have that plays with our entire life and journey along the pathway to eternity! I thought that was pretty cool. Mission is the preparation ground for life we have heard, but in all likeliness it is like a little model of our life in many aspects. We are called and serve with people we are supposed to meet, families, companions, friends, Investigators and members. Things we are in need of learning, and obstacles to make us grow. I think anyone who has been on a mission has felt this. As well as those who have seen an Elder or Sister come home a different person then when he or she left. As we left our Heavenly Fathers presence we were yet learning and young, and when we get here we are put to the test and grow substantially. Then we are called back home, and receive an “interview" of all we have done with our time. Then we receive all the blessings we have worked for and maybe not all at once. For there is "Eternal Progression in The Celestial Kingdom of God". Of course they are not exact mirror images, but a very close analogy. So when dad came to visit it was like my own little glimpse into heaven as the apostles and prophets have experienced. When we have Calls and Skypes home, and the fervent prayers that on occasion grant such miraculous experiences. Also the weekly emails or the daily prayers and conversations we have with our Father in Heaven.  There are many more that I have thought about, so I could go one forever, but I won't. This was kind of a cool thought I had for the week. Anyway I love you so much and hope you have a great week! I look forward to hearing from you next week!

Love, Elder Paxman

Would you like a Pamphletta?

Elder Paxman and Elder Ryan visiting the Diaz family in Indianapolis.

 Dinner with the Diaz family and the Indy Elders.

The 2 pictures below were sent to me via text tonight from someone in the Columbus area.  

These two picture came with the caption... 

"The four greatest Elders in the Indiana Indianapolis mission. 

 Thanks for sharing them with us."  Sent from the same person.   

Dear Mom,

How are you feeling?  How was your Doctor Appointment? Okay I am feeling pretty good actually. The doc appointment was good. Yes, they went ahead and scheduled my next appointment; It is like March 14 or somewhere in there... So Yea that was a bit weird to put that date down, time is flying. She did remember me so that was kind of interesting, and nice. Elder Ryan did go with me. We had a fun time overall at the doctors.

I received picture from the Diaz family of you visiting them, was this after the doctor visit, since you were in Indy anyway? Yes, we just stopped by to visit them. It ended up lasting a long time though haha, oh well the whole day was mostly taken by the doc anyway. It was awesome to see them again! I love that family so dearly! Elder Blood and Elder Hansen came because the Diaz family live in their area, so we went to a lesson with them. I did surprise the boys at school so that was really awesome to do that. They were very excited to see me as well.

I noticed you wearing a zip up argyle sweater where did that come from? The sweater was left in the Seymour apartment from I do not know where.  I think it might be a members that they either lent or gave to a missionary. I like it though and want other sweaters like it!!

Did you get the two packages I sent you?  Did you receive the small package with the Christmas tie? We did get the other two packages!! Thank you so much for those, we have so far really enjoyed all the stuff you have given to us. (The package contained the 12 days of Christmas for him and his companion) Thank you so much for that. Elder Ryan said to tell you thank you and that you are the best. I liked the little gift bags that you sent, so I will see who I can give them out to! I have a few ideas. I did get the really small package with the tie in it. Thank you for that by the way.

How is the training of your compa going? His training is going pretty good, he is very willing to learn, which is awesome. His Spanish is interesting, especially since he tried to give me a pamphletta when we were practicing the other night. (Just so you know the real word for pamphlet is folleto!). So I lost it and couldn't stop laughing after that happened haha!! We get along super well. I thought I was awkward around girls and then I hear some of his stories hahaha I feel like a player compared to this kid... And I haven't even kissed a girl!! hahaha so that always makes me laugh. Overall though we get along really really well, which is super nice.

I received a picture of you from Sister Kimberland with an Elder I didn’t recognize. Why were you with him and who is he?  So Elder Limb is a ZL and we were on exchanges, so that is what that was all about. He is also a really cool Elder. She did give us stockings it was really nice of her, mine had two ties in it!! It was really nice of her to do that for us. She is very nice. Yes the sisters were also there with us. They came after we had been there for about 20 min.

As a district leader do you mostly do exchanges with the two other Spanish Elders? How do you like being a District Leader are you adjusting? Yes I really only do exchanges with the Seymour Elders and I got permission from President to do them more often. So we will be doing those probably once a week or maybe once every other week. We will see. I am adjusting alright overall. It is stressful sometimes, but for the most part I actually quite like it!

In your area now, where do you email from? How often are you using your Spanish?  Is the Branch in Spanish? We go to the library to email here. I am using Spanish quite often; we are trying to teach the ones who speak mostly Spanish a lot of the time. Although I would say you do speak more English in this area then you do in some of the other Spanish areas I have been in, because most of the members speak fluent English as well.  It is sometimes easier for them to just talk to us in English. Although now I feel I can do both so that is awesome. Sunday's it depends, sacrament is always in Spanish and gospel principles is always in Spanish, but sometimes Priesthood switches back and forth. I actually do the translating for the branch here in Columbus.

Again I sent him a list of friend requests and asked for direction. I feel popular lately on Facebook. Although in reality it is mostly just returning missionaries. I will take it though haha. Yep I know all of those people. Ben Reeder is an Elder I was really good friends with, he went home back in April, so I haven't seen him in a long time. I also don't think he knew that I came home from my mission. So he must have thought I had just gotten home with all of the others.  I am sad you missed Andrews homecoming, I really like Andrew I hope everything went really well for him on his mission. He is a good friend.

We just attended the homecoming of one of his past companions and spent time with his parents and really enjoyed ourselves. That is cool that you got to go hang out with Colton’s parents, that was probably really fun. I would like it if you became good friends, they are a really nice family and I can just chill with Colton whenever you guys want to hang out.  I hope to see him at my homecoming as well.  It sounds like you had a really nice time overall.  I’m happy you got to meet Natalia she is a great girl and a good friend.  I love her family as well.  You will have to let me know how Elder Rowberrys homecoming goes as well. He still emails me every week. I also hold him as a dear friend that I hope to keep for many years. As I do with pretty much all of my companions, even some other missionaries that I was never companions with.

We harassed him jokingly about N being a very pretty girl and he should date her after the mission. If something were to happen after the mission with a girl that I met on the mission awesome, but there will be no intentionally flirting with a purpose from this guy!! At least if I can help it anyway

How is your weather?  Does it feel like winter?  Ours is warm.  Wow that is a really warm winter in Utah. Here is has been oddly warm as well. It is killing me; it doesn't even feel like Christmas without the snow and cold! I want some snow dangit and I don't even like the stuff that much hahaha. The last couple days have been high 40's low 50's so nice weather.

How do you like having a car full time?  Does it have a CD player? It is really nice and the car does have a CD player which is also really nice. It is a pain to manage miles, but I prefer it to biking that is for sure

How is the work?  Any new investigators?  The missionary work is going alright. We were able to find two new investigators over the last week, we are not sure how they will pan out because we have only taught them twice, but hey you never know the works of the Lord. We are still able to teach active members and some less actives which helps with all the other time as well. There are always opportunities especially with the He is the Gift cards. Those work well when we are PCing and stuff like that.

Have you been able to do any Service? We helped a guy move, and some other small things, jumped a car stuff like that. We have a branch Christmas FHE tonight so that will be really fun to go to. We have been pounding the pavement a ton looking for new investigators so we will see as we keep going if we can continue to find and teach and baptize.

Will it be FaceTime or Skype for Christmas, do you know about what time?  I do not know if we will be face-timing or if it will be Skype, we will work on that as we continue down the road. But we should be able to do something like unto it if not. I will shoot for afternoon, but we will see how things go. I will give you a call the night before so we can work out all the details. It might be the day after Christmas if we can't find anyone, but we will let you know when we know more.

So my more spiritual message for the week....  This week has been an interesting week for me spiritually, for many different reasons, of which I will not really get into. But there are a few things that I have learned over the week, well a lot of things, but I will only address a few. We were teaching a lesson to Sis. Kimberlan and it came out how I had gone home from my mission and was back out, which she did not know. I mentioned it briefly and talked about it very little. Although it made me ponder about those days, as often times I do. I remembered talking to the first girl when I got home, and not just talking, but actually flirting with her. I remembered how it feels to be alone, how it feels to be different (and not in the greatest way). I remember so many things, and each has shaped me and molded me. Often time’s people think of experiences in life like a clay sculpture that can be molded into anything. For me I always seem to see it more as the making of an arrowhead. Many trials in our lives do not come in a smooth touching motion, but a quick hard strike to our very being, even if it is just subtle. As you know, to make an arrowhead you have to Knapp it. Making strikes against it with another rock to break off large and small pieces. The force and angle determining how much breaks off.  Our lives to me are much the same, or at least my life has been. Arrowheads have a few different uses, but generally have one purpose, as do we. Our purpose and goal is to obtain eternal life and the highest celestial glory in the kingdom of our Father. We are "stricken" quite literally by the things and challenges of this world and the choices we need to make. Each one shaping us into the thing we are meant to become, but many times, if done improperly the arrowhead will break. If we don’t see our trials as a way to grow often times they will break us instead of chip off the extra bits. In which case because the Savior atoned for each of us the Master or in this case the Flint Master as I will call him, picks up a new piece of flint and goes back to trying to shape it. The broken pieces are not forgotten, they are not left for nothing, they are still there and forever will be. But they are no longer a problem; they are no longer something of great import, not as important as each one of us is to our Heavenly Father. We are given multiple opportunities in this life; it is up to us to make them work. You can either allow this life to sculpt you into whom you wish to be, and to whom you can become. Or you can let it break you, and the need to start over comes again. We are made to live with God again. Every single person on this planet is "destined" to return to his presence, but it is our choices that either hinder, or accelerate the process and in the sad few circumstances, stop us from being what we are destined to become. We are meant to be happy, meant to love, meant to grow, meant learn, and sadly at times meant to suffer, so ultimately we may be forever joyful in the presence of our God and King. So, those were my thoughts from the week a little. There is many more about the parable or analogy of the arrowhead, but I enjoyed it. Well Mom I love you so much and hope you have an amazing week this week, with the holiday fast approaching. I am excited to be able to skype you all in a week or so. I love you and have a great week!

Love, Elder Paxman

The mission and biking

Dear Family, 

It sounds like you had a lot of fun over the last little bit! It has been pretty amazing here. My new companion is Elder Hjelm.  He is awesome and we get along great, except since they jacked our car it hasn’t been as sick, (remember sick means awesome) However, I will be freakin ripped when I get done with the mission. The first day I had my bike, we biked over 25 miles and in under 2 and a half hours.  It was ridiculous, and I hadn’t even really ridden a bike hardcore for like 8 years, so I was dying.  It was brutal!!  I looked like I just got out of the pool because of the stinking humidity. 

(We asked him to do a video message for his sister for the wedding) I can do the video thing either today or next p-day and send it. Or maybe some time in the week. I am not going to address this letter to any of you in particular so you are all welcome to read it. My health has been very good, and I did start the pills both of them, they really help.  I am hoping that is all the doctor here is going to say, in fact did you want me to still go to the one on the 19th of August??  

My companion and I speak almost the same amount of Spanish, his is a little better than mine.  We speak it a lot and it is funny because it is going to make us learn a lot faster, and I feel like we ask people to repeat stuff a lot but it will be well worth it.  

I loved the package the HI-CHEWS are almost gone because everyone loves them and if they swing by they always thief massive handfuls.  I hid the cookies just for me and my companion.  OH!! So today I saw Andrew Luck!!!!! It was awesome, tell dad to tell the Fire guys if you don’t know who that is.  (I don’t know who that is, apparently he thinks the fire guys will tell us)  He was in the library doing an appearance thingy, but he was way busy so I didn’t get a picture, not to mention now that we are on bikes I can't carry my camera as often because we are in the danger zone haha. So that was awesome to get to see him and shake some other Colts guy named Allen’s hand in a passing moment. Other than that things are going pretty normal.  Yes I got a bike and it works pretty good, but we have already had to replace a tube.  We are going to get some of that green goop stuff to help. Although I do need you to send me a backpack this side back thing on a bike isn’t really working, it makes it a lot harder, if you can you can send me the one dad uses for practicing the pack test it is like grey and green it would be perfect. I would only really use it when I am biking but that would help a lot. Not to mention my companion bikes like a mad man, he averages 20 miles an hour, half the time he is a white dot in the distance as I am dying biking at like 16 miles an hour, which is still fastish hahaha.  My cardio is bad, but not for long... 

I will do the message thing for Bailee... no guarantee how long it will be, I will try to keep it nice and short and not cry.  I have noticed being more in touch with the spirit that sometimes I cry more and other times not even at all..... It is weird.  But it is more often that I do not thankfully hahaha.  

(Last week he mentioned receiving 10 emails.  I asked whim who had written him) The people that write me are (Friends also serving around the world) Joel, Cameron, Trenton, and people from my district in the MTC. 

Well I need to wrap up so I can write some other people. But the changes in my daily schedule is now we only have one hour comp study and I talk a ton more which is awesome. So things here are awesome. I have some good stories I will have to share maybe in the next emails or so but I changed and started writing you first so I could have a little more time. Oh interesting fact to bike from our apartment to the church is 16 miles, all the way across town, and to our better areas and most of our investigators about 7+ miles!!!! Well I love the letters dad sends me I have been keeping them all, to remember and hopefully write back too. Well I love you all so much and don't be having too much fun without me!!! Geeze all the cool stuff you do after I leave. That’s it, love you all and I will hear from you next week. 

Love, your son, Elder Paxman