6 weeks left to serve: "Average is the Enemy of Excellence!"

Dear Mom,

I will be staying in Lafayette to finish off my mission! So that is crazy!

With only 6 weeks left, do you think you are Trunky? Man mom you always ask me if I am trunky but I think you are much more trunky than I am. Although, with the arriving in the airport. Remember to invite EVERYONE!!!!!!!! Friends the whole 9 yards mom!! Come on! Please!! It would be awesome! Yea I don't know what time they will release me. They usually try to do it earlier than later I am sure.

How has the mission been this past week?  Teaching any investigators, LARCS or even members? Okay so the mission this past week. Not a ton new has really happened. We have taught Lupita and Vicenta more. They are both doing well and really trying to learn. Lupita is reading in about 1 Nephi 14, which is really good. So we are hoping all goes well with them. Members we taught a few of them, and LARCS we actually didn't really teach any this last week. Which was really strange, but we have a few we will be hoping to go by here in the next few days. We are also teaching a weekly English class for anyone who wants to come, which has been really fun actually. We have done a ton of service this week, almost all day Saturday, and then on and off throughout the entire week.  We feel like we have worn our service clothes more than our proselyting clothes, which is really funny. Service has been everything from moving people, to helping with yard sales, to a bit of gardening, so just about everything.

Have you had any Zone conferences or District meetings this week? I noticed on the Indy Facebook page that there have been some zone conferences. We had a Zone Conference this last week with President which was really good. There was a lot of good training and such given. One thought that I loved was continually trying to be better, because we all fall short on what seems to be a daily basis, but if we are trying and really put forth a good effort we will be blessed.

Do you have any exciting plans for P-Day today? Plans for P-day, we ended up doing mostly service which was different. We were busy all day. Sorry that is why I didn’t write you until today. (Tuesday)

Do you get along well with all the Elders and Sisters in your area? I feel that I get along alright with the Elders and Sisters in the area. They are really nice; some I am good friends with and others more like associates, but still fun either way. We actually went out with some sisters that work on Purdue Campus and ate some food. It was really fun. Sister Goodstein (probably spelled that wrong) was one of them, and I met her back in Columbus, she also goes home the same time I do. So she is really nice, it was fun to hang with her and some others this last week.

How are the investigators doing that were at our Skype? As far as the ones I skyped you with, they are doing alright. Lupita, Vicenta, and Daniel are doing really well, so that is awesome. Aurelio, Maria, and Perla are not doing as good, but we are hoping to get them investigating more here soon.

How about your health?  Staying steady? Your Iron is really low.  My health is hanging in there, I was pretty sick one night, but other than that, I think it is doing alright. I don't know why I have trouble sleeping every once in a while, I just do. I am not overly stressed, well not more than usual or anything, so who knows. Oh also before I forget I bought more Iron and Hair gel so there is going to be a 20 some odd dollar charge on my card. We are also going out to eat today, so that might be on there as well.

I am jealous that you and your compo get to go out to eat with Daddy this coming weekend.  Are you excited? I am so excited to meet with Dad!! It will be awesome to see him, so he will get a sneak peak haha. Although, I really haven't hardly changed at all, I just like to joke around and say that I have. Yes mom I got it cleared with Pres, don't worry haha!!

Six weeks left can you believe it? I really want the time left to count and make them memorable so I will be doing my best to do that.

Anyway, like I said this email will probably be a little shorter because of the fact I am emailing Tuesday because of the service.  Spiritual thought... Well this will probably be all over the place. This last week has had me thinking a lot how this will be my last transfer on the mission, and what will happen when I get home and everything... Well one thought was this. I was never a big fan of people saying your best two years are the two years on the mission. For a few reasons, one if they were my best years than that would make the rest of my life just average, and in a talk given in this last conference "average is the enemy of excellence." So that would be lame. So I narrowed it down, also because there are many days in these best two years where we don't do our best or could have done something differently or whatever you wish, but in the long run it is far more than worth it. So I narrowed it to days. If you can try and make every day your best day, you will live a good life, filled with hardships and mistakes, but you can say that you put it out there and at least tried. Many of us shoot ourselves down before we even try. I will relate this to a story with Calin. So we were on a hike when I was back home. It is a beautiful hike called Kanaraville Falls. Well I will make the story shorter and less interesting for time’s sake. We were going along and decided to go up a little slot canyon thing. First off bad idea, I was home to recover, not go adventuring, (but like that was gonna stop me..... it never has before). Anyway we get up there, and before we know it, (and this has happened on many different occasions with Calin and many other people), we didn't know how to get back down... So we sat contemplating... Finally since I was lower I needed to go first, also if someone was going to get hurt, better me than him. So thinking of ways I am going to get down, I eventually decide I am going to have to jump and use the opposite wall to bounce off to get to the lower bulging rock. So after many almost attempts I finally leaped. Now as anyone whom has ever had to make a jump where there might be unsavory results knows the feeling of everything goes into slow-motion as you go through the air. Well after the leap, I managed to actually do what I had planned, which kind of surprised me. We then continued on our merry way and were able to do many other awesome things that little outing. So One thing I learned from that. Never let fear get in the way of you doing something that could change your life and the lives of those around you. Perhaps another example. So me trying to be nice and an idiot at the same time decided to jump a chain-link fence to grab a ball some investigators hit over a fence. So I get to the top of the fence, you know the awkward position with one foot on and the other kind of dangling on the side you just came from. Well the fence started to shake, which made me a little nervous so I grabbed the fence through one of the diamonds that the links form. Well then like an idiot letting my fear get the better of me I just jumped, which caused my arm and hand to double back on themselves.  Let me just say that didn't feel too great, along with a few cuts. So again I learned that, fear will stop us from doing many things in this life. It is indeed a chain that can bind us down to the gulf of endless misery and woe. So let us shake off those chains and be better always improving and overcoming our fears. I jumped the fence again to make myself feel better.... hahaha, It’s a guy thing. Anyway, that is my spiritual lesson that I was taught this week. Sadly there is a lot more to it, but I do not have more time.

Well I love you so much and hope that you have a great week. Remember mom, don't be trunky, you still have 6 weeks. That is like forever... Okay maybe I just tell myself that to make myself feel better. Anyway I love you and hope you have a great week. Sorry again about the pictures. 

Love, Elder Paxman   

P.S. We can't be here in Indy the 6th or 7th of August that is now when Elder Rowberry (Hayden) will be getting married!!!! So I have to be there for that! 

Saving Private Ryan

Elder Paxman at transfer meeting, with his new companion who we cannot see. :/

Taken by a sweet member!!

Dear Mom,

First off the Christmas lights look Awesome!!! I definitely prefer the trees and balls to hanging them on the house. Mainly because next year I will probably have to hang them :\

How many people are in your district?  What does being a district leader entail? There are just 4 of us in the district so it is really small, but I like it. Okay, so as far as a DL goes. We are responsible for exchanges, the wellbeing of the people in the district, training, reporting, and a bunch of other stuff, but that is the gist of it anyway.

I received a picture of you at Transfers taken by a member.  You look really healthy and good. Okay so if the picture is of me in a car, then I remember getting that picture taken. If not... I am slightly scared. haha

Tell me about your new companion.  What is his name, where is he from etc. I find this to be a good story. (Dad will appreciate this). So at transfers a greenie gets up to the pulpit to introduce himself, and says “Hey my name is Elder Ryan, like saving private Ryan”. Instantly I thought in my head, he is so mine!! hahaha And he is! We had a good laugh about that one later. So his name is Elder Ryan he is from a town called Brookings, Oregon. He is super fun, he was a band geek, so he says. He is kind of funny and always quotes inconspicuous movies. I love it!  He is an awesome Elder with a great desire to do the work.

How was the first week of training? The first like half week of training I think has gone pretty good for the most part. Of course it is always stressful especially with all the other stuff I have to do to.

How do you like living in Columbus full time?   How is the apartment? Who are the Elders that took your place in Seymour? If you have a full time car, what about the new Seymour Elders? Okay I am living with the Nehrings, so it is more a house. We have a full time car which is nice and we will be living in Columbus full time. The Elders in Seymour are Elder Porter and Elder Wright. Both of whom are quite young in the mission. I think together they might have maybe a year’s time. I still have the bike with me for the future, so no worries there. The Seymour elders share a car with the sisters in Seymour.

What about the continued teaching of Bertin?  He is so close but since he is in Seymour what will happen with him? The other elders will take over his teaching... Which bums me out a little bit, but they will do an amazing job. I also hope to see him at church and so forth, since we attend the same branch. I have faith that if the elders do all they can, that he will continue to do well. I hope all goes well with him.

Thank you for the advice and support mom I am nervous and hope I can do well. I was able to do exchanges with Elder Hjelm, it was really nice to see him one last time before he left. I intend to stay friends with him. So hopefully all that will go really well. I will miss many of the elders who left and who will be going home shortly.

There were about 22 missionaries that left Indiana last week.  Due to that Elder Paxman had 15 friend requests on facebook.  I sent him a list and made sure who he knew and who I accepted etc. Okay as far as the list goes. One, it made me laugh, I feel a little more loved.  All of the girls are sisters from the mission.  There is one request... I honestly have no idea who that is, but I am bad with names and good with faces. So to find out, I am giving you permission to stalk her on Facebook for me hahahaha!! I can't believe I am letting you do this... Although I can always use cute female friends... six months is not too long of a time ;) bwahaha. Plus maybe she would write me.  Elder Aranda got ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What the crap!!!! No way!!!!! Well I guess it has almost been a year!! Still dang, that is freaking crazy!! I am blown away by that... Man mom I feel super old now... And lonely, haha. I haven't heard from Aaron yet, but hopefully soon. Mom!!!  You and trying to hook me up with a girl to write me…. I am sure you made me sound ridiculously handsome and smooth... You are killing me mom haha. I would gladly write her though if that worked out. I am okay with that. :D

Your sunbeam class sounds fun, the little monsters. I love kids though. But they can be little monsters. There is one out here named Matt he is barely a year old and he is awesome!! I might have to get a picture with him, he likes me too, so it’s all cool.

How is the camera? Dad and I will work on getting you another new one.  Hopefully yours will hold out a few weeks. My camera functions sometimes and other times I feel like it gives me the middle finger and freaks the crap out! So yea it might be able to get me through a little bit. I will continue to take pictures the best I can.

How is the work? Any people to teach? How big is your area in Columbus? As far as the work goes this week is going to be interesting... We have hardly any investigators, so we will be doing a ton of finding. Which I like, but sometimes it is a pain, especially when the success is terrible for that day, but we will go onward. Columbus is a big miles area because we cover all the northern half of the stake and it is a pretty big stake. It isn't the biggest area geographically or density wise I have served in, but it is still a doozy. We will be re-mapping the area a little, mainly in focused areas, so that will take a bit, but it will really just be a lot of thumping pavement and working with members. We have not found hardly anyone to teach. I think only one person besides members this last week, but we will fix that really quickly, if the Lord wills it as well. I really like the Branch!! It is awesome, small and a lot of white people, but they are great. I really like a lot of the families and I don't even know them really well yet. I like the Nehrings a lot, I feel like I have a substitute mother. President Nehring speaks Spanish and Portuguese, he is really cool. We do laundry in their home so that isn't too bad. We interact with them quite a bit, several times a day I would say.

Do you use the new video “He is the Gift”? Have you seen it? We proselyte with the He is the Gift quite a bit, I really really like it.

Well mom I have to wrap up because I am running behind. So I will share my thoughts really quickly. So this week, I have learned a ton of things. Although one thing that was brought back to my attention, was how much these two years will mean to me and us as missionaries. I love it so much out here!  I have grown a lot and also struggled a lot. I as you know have had many experiences with trials of sorts. Although mine have often been minor in my life, they are still impacting. Trials are there to make us grow. The Lord allows us to pass through such times for many different reasons. One, I believe is so that we may help others in the future. I know that through Jesus Christ and the experiences we have in this life, we can help others around us in unbelievable ways. Also, we are blessed through our service and through the hard times we went through. We are all sanctified through the experiences we have, and in the end it will all be worth every moment of pain, sorrow, and heartbreak. When we stand at the judgment seat of God and can say with tears of joy rolling down our face, I have done what you have asked, and I hope it was enough. To then hopefully hear his resounding voice of "Enter into my rest ye faithful and beloved servant".

I love you so much and hope that you have a great week! I hope to hear from you soon.

Love, tu hijo, Elder Paxman 

There is Happiness and Faith in the Future...

Me in my costume for our costume Zone activity.

Dear Mom,

Well I was hoping I stayed this transfer, but it shall not be, I am getting transferred... My guess is back to the city, but who knows... We will find out on Wednesday.  I love the Logansport area and my companion, but there is happiness and faith in the future, so onward we go.

I am sorry your B-day didn't turn out the way you wanted... But my present will be in the mail shortly.  I am going to tell you part of what it is, first it is a big blue binder that has a lot of memorabilia kind of stuff in it, that I want kept.  I thought you would like looking through it and the other part is a surprise.  In total you will get about 3 packages from me, I know I have a ton of stuff!! I am sorry again your B-day was cruddy and I do remember that med I thought it was an anti-nausea drug, but my medical stuff is getting a little shady, a full year has killed many things in my memory, haha. You got the movie Frozen for your birthday, Frozen I have heard so much about that movie and I want to see it!! Grrrr...... Anyway I hope you like my birthday present; it will get there in probably about a week.

That is unfair with the warmth you are having, here it is still like 32 degrees.   I am still in sweaters which is alright because I look adorable... Okay adorable was a bad choice of words, lets go with studly haha. I am glad to hear Nick Simms did a good on his farewell talk, my companion right now and Nick were friends back in High School.

I can’t believe how many people have had accidents long boarding. Long boarding is interesting, but lets just say me and a flimsy board that has four wheels and requires me to look cool and ride it BAHAHAHAHA yea I don't fill any of those qualifications.

Purdue and other campuses are their own area, but you have to be a ZL to work on them, and I don’t think that is going to happen for me in my mission, so I probably won’t serve in those areas.

(In his last letter Ben mentioned using Balogna in quesadillas, I asked what he was thinking and who he learned that from) Bologna is great, and mainly I used it because it was in the fridge, after I finished the Balogna I just put lunch meat that I liked inside it. You gave me Bologna as a kid, so it can't be that bad, and Vienna Sausages which are like Bologna so yea. I taught myself to make those; it was a creation out of my ingenious mind of awkwardness haha.

The Spin class thing sounds like a good idea, riding freaking destroys me, and my guess is I will be back on bikes again here in the not too distant future.  So I have to find a way to get my bike from Elkhart and then, if it dies, buy a new one for cheap

(I had two questions for him this week, just my random curiosity.)

How much money do you receive from the mission and is it per week or every other week?  Do you find it is sufficient for your needs? I get 70 bucks every 15 days or so, most the time it is fine for my needs, but other times it is a little shy.  The times I need money from my account are when I am sick and have to buy saltines, Advil or Tylenol or other stuff like that, or Healthier food that is better for me.

When you were living at home you would have delirious moments when we tried to wake you up, where you would talk in your sleep etc.  We always had a good laugh about it. Have any of your companions mentioned this is still something you do? I grew out of me being a crazy freak if you try and wake me up, unless I am on cold medicine, than it is a little different, but not as bad even with that. Actually sometimes I am a light sleeper out here, it just depends really.

The work is going good we found a really solid guy named Aaron who asked us if he could be baptized, also Donald came to church yesterday which was amazing because it was my last week there.  If he keeps it up he will be baptized shortly and also he wants me to come back and baptize him so we will see.  If the Elders here do good they should have 6 baptisms by summer time in this area alone and that is if they only maintain who we have been working with.  I do not speak a lot of Spanish for a few reasons, but I am getting transferred, so it doesn't really matter anymore.  I am going back to Spanish land for real, at least I think... Teaching is going good a lot of people are sad I am leaving, I will miss them, but I will hopefully come back and visit... if they even remember who I am by then.  haha.

(I asked him about the title given his tie in the last letter, and why his shirt looked big) Ok haha, it is probably a little big because I am skinny and muscly, but the comment of his about my tie refers to Oklahoma City Thunder (a Basketball team and Kevin Durant is a player there)  

(Through Facebook I have learned that the mission President has moved an Elder from English speaking to Spanish) President Cleveland has moved one to Spanish, but just because I am striped doesn't mean I am not Spanish it just means that I am not with a Spanish Companion. We have not found any Spanish people to teach in this area, that is probably why they are kicking me out hahaha, but oh well. The shirt was one I went out with and if it is a little wrinkly it is because I didn't want to Iron it... My clothes are hanging in there so we will see.  It is just me that uses the Juan faces, there isn't anything that I can think of that I need right now, but I will let you know. The new Spanish Scrips are awesome so thank you again for those. My companion noticed my new case, but they stay at home and I use them for personal study that way I don't get them messed up, but I need you to make a new case for some other red scrips I have that will be in one of the packages. I have gotten close to several families one is the Smiley's, another is the Tincher's, they want to set me up with their Granddaughter when I am done,  so I am down with that... Another is the Hernandez, but I do not know them too well they just came back from Texas not too long ago, so we will see how that goes.

My health is doing really good.  I have that follow-up Doc appointment here in about 10 days so we will see how that goes. Ok a short funny story because time is on the short side a little because of the transfers and I have to pack. So this morning I was backing up out of our little parking area behind the house and your companion has to stand out of the car behind you, and guide you while you back up.  So I put it in reverse and make sure he is out of the way a little, then I hit the gas and fly back and then hit the brakes and he turns and runs with his arms straight above his head flailing back and forth like noodles screaming. I could not stop laughing for the life of me! Another was while we were cleaning he comes out, and I tell him "you have got a little brown speck or spider or something on your shirt" At which point he looks down and freezes a horrified look on his face as he freaks the heck out, kind of like the news reporter with the lizard, but while screaming like a small child! He then wouldn't hit it off with his bare hand so he ran grabbed a paper towel and then smashed it and threw it in the garbage exclaiming that it was disgusting in a very female voice.  I died of laughter; he has been such a fun companion.  Anyway, that is it for this week, I love you all so much and hope you have a great week, and next week I will let you know what happens for transfers. Love you.

Love, Elder Paxman 

6 New Investigators

Dear Mom and Dad, 

D&C 20 is really good on covenants. (I had told him I was teaching a lesson on the importance of keeping covenants). 

Anyway, I actually won’t be able to answer your questions today mom, it is transfer p-day and we had to deep clean, and do a bunch of other stuff. So this will be short, sadly, I will try to get through what I can. Yes there are other Spanish areas outside the city.  There are seven Spanish areas total and three are in the city.  

The shoe picture was way funny, if I remember right the biggest donut collapsed about 1 year ago. (this is in response to a story I told him about hiking to donut falls at girls camp.  And a trip into the river that made my shoes black)

Anyway my health has been good, one night I felt a little weird and since then things have been better.  Sorry I only have 20 min for e-mail today total. It was a hectic p-day. Elder McDaniel left for Brazil today, the APs picked him up at one, his flight takes off in about one minute 5:37. I am staying here for this next transfer as well, but Elder Cozzens is moving and he is going to be a district leader. The bad news, we are going to have to share a car for a little while so we are going to have to get me 2 things, a bike and a GPS, so that is going to be fun.  I don’t know how we are going to work that out, if I were you I would put money into my account for both.  

We found 6 investigators yesterday!!  2 families of 3 and both families had members missing and they are both very solid. Tonight in about 20 min we are teaching a woman named Ivonne and her husband Jesus, they are awesome, we have only taught her 2 times and him once. They are great. Elder McDaniel commanded me to baptize them and some others in my next six weeks here. So haahaha we will see.  

I was excited and sad when I got on e-mails today!!  Excited because 10 people had emailed me, and sad because with just 20 min I am just emailing back to you. Well I have to go because I am about out of time, let everyone read this email because I didn’t get a chance to send others out. Love you all so much and you are all in my prayers.

Love, Elder Paxman

Note from Mom:  Some good news on the health front.  Benjamin's GI here in SLC has agreed to call in two months worth of prescriptions to hold him over until he see's the GI in Indiana. WE are thrilled about that. Also I spoke with the mission presidents wife today and she said he is doing really well.