July 20, 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
Man things have been pretty hectic this week but I’ve loved every minute of it. Sorry I didn't write you yesterday but I got tied up. My new companion ran away but it's all good now because the Police found him and he is back! Chyeah! Things are going great and my comp is back and ready to roll, remember no unhallowed hand G!!! Anyway, a lot has happened this week and you probably want to know why my companion ran away so I’ll tell you a little more about that later in the letter. First, I have to tell you about the awesome things that are happening out here in Seaside.
First I wanted to thank you for the package with the awesome ties you sent me in the mail. I realized last week that I had been rocking the nastiest looking ties in the mission and it was time for me to step it up (Ponte Trucha). I know it's cool to buy things for really cheap at the Goodwill but you have got to draw the line when your ties look like they were made out of orange couch material from the 1970’s. Thanks for the shoes too, I’m wearing them as we speak and they are really comfy. I’m keeping a high shine on my shoes just like I promised too. Sure, if you want to send me out a hat that say s “Jesus is my Boss” that would be sweet and I can wear it on P-day and maybe someone will ask about it? I told you about the new OPM tee shirts I designed and now the whole district out here on the coast are wearing the OPM tee shirts and they are spreading around the mission. They are pretty cool and I think I might give one to our new President to wear too. Thanks for dropping me some cash and I hope I’m not spending too much money out here. Let me know if I need to hold off on the expenditures, it’s just that I want to try to help everyone that I see that is in need. Just some cool news is that the Apostle Richard G. Scott is speaking at our Stake conference coming up and so is President Morby, I am so excited as it will no doubt be pretty sweet.
I’ll tell you about our investigators and how they are doing. Well, we have 4 baptismal dates set for August and it is awesome. 5 investigators came to church Sunday and that was way awesome too. Richard came to church and has a baptismal date at the end of August. He is progressing well and trying to quit smoking. He showed up to church looking really good with his new pants and tie. Eric the 14 year old is doing great and has a date in August too. We talked to his mom and she is cool with it if he wants to come to church. We are going to try to teach her as well. Eric’s little brother Luis also came to church and even though he is only 9, he learned a lot. Maggie and Charlie came to church and that was an awesome experience. Maggie is Charlie's mom and now we are starting to teach her as well. Juliana has a date but she is progressing slowly as quitting smoking is getting more and more difficult. I hate to see her not progress just because of cigarettes but she has been smoking for 50 years straight. I know we will try our best to help her. Rigoberto is another investigator with a date and he is amazing. He is truly one of the Elect and we just need him to get Sundays off. All in all the work is going great and I can see that the Lord is blessing us and our area, what a stark difference from when I got here a few weeks ago.
We have had some really spiritual experiences this week that have made an impact on me in my life. I told you last week that we met this less active sister from Mexico named Gloria and had been teaching her friend Rigoberto. Well we took him on a church tour last Saturday and showed him around the church. The spirit was there and it was a great tour. We showed him the baptismal font at the end and my main man Rigoberto was speechless. He said he felt really good and we asked him to be baptized in August and he accepted. Rigoberto is ready, the only challenge we have is my main man Rigo works on Sundays like all the Hispanics out here. We will have to find a way for him to get to church. I told you about my buddy Richard and how he rules. Well one day we were teaching him and talking about church and he pointed to my pants and said he felt bad because he didn’t own any pants other than his blue jeans. Well we went out and got my boy Richard some 34x34 nice slacks. We got him a pretty sweet tie and dropped it off at his house the day before Sunday. Man my boy Richard showed up to church looking like a new man. It was good to see how happy he was and he looked fresh with his new gear. I told you about Eric and he was able to come to church with his 9 year old brother Luis and they really liked it. The Lord is really blessing the people out here and I’m so glad to be a part of it. I have loved every single bit of my mission and sad to say the time is going by so fast.
Well you probably want to know about my companion. Well, after our first day together last week, we were able to have a heart to heart talk and he let me know that he has been suffering with some problems with depression on his mission. I have done everything in my power to help him out and have tried to make every day an enjoyable time but he can’t seem to cheer up. So he talked to Sister Morby and they set up a time for him to see the Doctor. Well this past Monday he saw the Doctor and we thought all was well. I woke up Tuesday morning at 6:15am as usual and my boy was gone. I was pretty shocked but I kept my cool and did what the white handbook told me to do in the situation. Call the mission president. I later hit the road in search of my companion and the police got involved. They later found him just chillen on the beach. When we reunited, I gave him a hug and he said he was feeling better. We then had to have the AP's come get us and we spent the day at the Doctor's and with the President. It was a pretty crazy day but I’m just glad that my companion and I are back in Seaside and he is feeling a lot better. I love this kid and I have only known him for a week, keep him in your prayers okay?
Anything funny happen this week? I have to tell you a pretty sweet Mormon inside joke we had with the Elders in Astoria the other day. The Elders serving next to us in Astoria were invited to a bible study at another church by an investigator. They were texting him while we were driving to district meeting and the guy was trying to tell the missionaries where the church was located. Elder P asked what street it was on and the guy said it was the church on 15th street. I told Elder P to ask the guy if it was the “Great and Spacious building” on 15th? ha-ha. So Elder P asked the guy if it was the Great and Spacious building on 15th street. The guy texted back," Yeah, it's not to be mistaken with the small one on the corner." We thought it was pretty funny but maybe that might just be missionary humor ha-ha.
I had a really awesome spiritual experience this week. At Sacrament meeting the Bishop had all the young men in the Ward stand up and bare their testimonies on why they want to go on missions and how they are preparing. The Bishop’s son got up and said that I had been a major example to him and that brought tears to my eyes. Not in a weak way but in a way of happiness. Sometimes when you’re out here you think you’re not really affecting anyone or getting anything done. It was a good feeling.
Peace out!
Elder Payne
