July 16, 2012
Hey family,Well thanks for your letter and the good news and it sounds like you guys are busy out there too. Time is flying and you know that this is the last week of this transfer. I can’t believe that I only have one transfer left in the mission field but you know that’s not going to stop me. I’ve set some goals that will help me to work harder than I ever have as it’s my goal to leave the Rama stronger and at a point that it will continue to grow. I love this place and I love the people and we have got a lot of work to do. Yesterday in Branch Council, the branch leaders were feeling a little down due to the lack of commitment of some of the members and how many aren’t working to fulfill their callings. I shared with them about how to determine a successful missionary and told them that discouragement will only diminish their faith. Then we told them about our goal to baptize 10 people in the next transfer and everyone got pumped. It was cool to see and feel how the spirit in the room changed as we went from not focusing on the negative and putting our faith in the Lord that we would find 10 new souls to bring unto Christ. Everyone there was on board and they all committed to coming out with us this week. Like I have said before, without the members help, we as missionaries can’t really do anything. If the members here are a little down, we have got to help grow their faith and help them to have the faith to work and find. I know we will meet our goal to baptize 10 people or I’m not going home ha-ha. I love this work and it hurts me to see that some people just don’t understand the importance of the gospel. Maybe they do understand but they just don’t want to do it. Either way, I know my purpose as a missionary is to invite, teach and baptize and I will do everything I can to help members, non members and less actives come unto Christ.
Elder W and I have been working hard and we can see the blessings from the Lord as D and her 2 kids now have baptismal dates for the 11th of August. What holds her back from being baptized right now is that she still works half of Sunday so we fasted last Sunday with her so that she could get it off. I know the Lord will answer our prayers as he wants her to keep His commandments. We also set 2 dates with P and T and I know that they will receive answers to their prayers as they seek with real intent. Elder W is doing great and his Spanish is almost perfect. He could train right now if necessary! Things are going well and he is a really good missionary. I love him and I want to help him out in any way I can. I know that I’m not the perfect teacher but despite that I love training and Elder W is progressing so well.
After church we had a get together and we all ate carne asada. I was the man at the grill and it was pretty cool as I learned how to grill elote, carne asada, pollo asado, chiles and anything else you can throw on a grill. The little primary kids were surrounding me every 5 seconds asking for hotdogs ha-ha. It was pretty fun to get together after church y convivir. I’ll have to whip you guys up some carne asada in the future now that I learned the secret of how to prepare it. Well, our new Branch mission president B is on fire and he is coming out with us a lot and helping the missionary work go forward.
That’s funny that you went to a party where they had a piñata and fiesta because I went to one last Saturday as well. One of our investigators invited us to a birthday party and it was pretty cool. We rolled up and of course some people were standing outside drinking. While we were talking to some people near the grill, one of the guys who was a little drunk came up to me and said, "Toma Broda, esta bien!" I told him I was all good and I choose not to drink. He made a big scene and started asking me in a louder tone thinking that would help me change my mind ha-ha. I refused and told him I was waiting to drink of the sacrament on Sunday and invited him to come join me. He said in Spanish, "why are you waiting for tomorrow, God told us to eat drink and be merry today and not to wait!!!" I then said, “Yo creo que el diablo dijo eso, I believe the Devil said that." ha-ha. He then walked away and I had a good laugh with the guy I was talking with by the grill. I then was reading in my scriptures this morning in 2 Nephi 28 and what the guy said is exactly what the Book of Mormon prophesied would happen in the last days so I thought that was pretty interesting. I just thought you would like to hear that story as I thought it was pretty funny ha-ha.
Well family, I love you guys and everything is going great out here. Every day I’m trying to give it all I’ve got and I’m super tired, I fall asleep all the time while Elder W and I are planning at night but he’s cool with it. He just wakes me up and we get going again. I know this church is true and I’m so grateful for the time I have to serve the Master.
Love,
Elder Payne
