December 19, 2011
Dear Family and Friends,
Wow, life is great and I get to talk to you guys this Sunday. Time has been flying by and it’s ridiculous. I just got back from the mission Christmas party and I got to see all my long lost boys. I saw my main man Elder W and he dropped a bomb on me, he’s only got one transfer left on his mission, not only him but Elder A has only got 2 transfers left. It is ridiculous how fast time is flying and all the companions I once had are heading home. Elder S goes home the day after Christmas, this transfer day! It’s pretty crazy and I’m most likely getting another companion next week since Elder B has been here for a six months now. Well like I said, things are great and I love being a missionary. The Christmas party was awesome and we had a talent show. Our Spanish Zone, Los Soldados del Sur, sang a pretty cool song called Campana Sobre Campana. It went pretty good and some guys in our district danced around in sombreros. We also combined with all the Spanish missionaries in the mission to sing Feliz Navidad and then danced to the Mexican hat dance which was pretty funny. My boy Elder W directed the music as he wore a Mexican flag on his back like a cape. We also had an ugly tie exchange after the party where all the Elders took the ugliest tie they owned and brought it to the party to exchange with others in the district. It was pretty fun and I love President and Sister M, they are the best. They are like my parents away from home and I guess that’s how it should be.
Well about the ADD medicine, I went to go see a doctor and he wanted to get the medical records from my pediatrician when I last took the medicine so I can just go back on it. I guess that’s cool and I’ll probably go back on Stratera but we will see what happens. I’m expecting a call from him this week so I guess I’ll just have to wait. I know it will help me out. Thanks for the support and thanks for the Christmas presents. I am saving them until Christmas morning and I will keep the tradition of waiting until Christmas day as that’s what I did last year with Elder R, W and W. What we are doing this year is we are having all the Elders in the Branch, Elder S, G, P, B, and G over at our apartment on Christmas morning and we are going to open up our presents. Everyone is anxiously waiting and it will be pretty fun. We will drink hot pero and record it so we can remember it for years to come ha-ha.
Oh yeah, about Christmas day and the call. I am planning on calling you after church here so around 2:30 3ish, por ahi. We will be calling from the Morales home so that will be pretty cool. Well I think that’s about it for what’s going on next week; I have some pretty cool stuff to tell you that happened this week. O yeah, that’s cool that you gave that yearly report to the Ward. Yeah, looking back I do feel like I’ve changed a lot and am further finding out who I really am. I have found true meaning to the scripture that says los que pierden sus vidas a causa de mi, la hallaran (he who loses his life in my cause will find it.) I think that’s what it says but don’t quote me. That’s awesome about the baptism at the Cherokee Branch too, that’s what it’s all about, making and keeping Covenants!
Well this week was awesome. It was full of amazing experiences. The Christmas Branch party was awesome and the play went great. I actually had a part and a line to memorize in this one and I was the inn keeper that led Joseph and Mary to the stable. It was an awesome party and a ton of members and non members showed up. Not to mention that the following day the church was packed and we had a great sacrament program full of music and singing. I also had the awesome opportunity to go through the temple again in Spanish on Saturday. We have been teaching one of the members from the branch since I got here and he went to the temple yesterday to take out his endowments. It was an amazing experience and really spiritual as we got to go through it with him. As we were in the Celestial room, the spirit was so strong as I put my arm around my boy R and knew that we were truly brothers. Man it just feels so good and hard to explain the feelings you receive as you see one of your brothers decide to make covenants with the lord and to be there with them. I guess the feeling would be absolute happiness and it comes from the spirit. Well there are so many miracles and amazing things going on here and I am so grateful. I am almost done with my 4th journal and it is pure bullet points on testimony, feelings, funny things, and dreams. I’ll send it home soon and you will have to tell me what you think of it. Well, I love you guys and I have got to go but I’ll be talking to you more this Sunday!!!!
Love,
Elder Payne
