Christmas

I talked to family yesterday on the phone so I dunno what to say...

Christmas was great.

We went to the Lamphier's for Christmas Eve. They made a great dinner and we sang songs and stuff.
We woke up at our normal time of 630. and opened presents!

After presents was church and it was superb. A lot of music and a lot of good testimonies. It was a very good service. A lot of preparation from the ward.

After church was the Normans where I skyped st. george. I got to talk to the whole family there and I sorta met our new dog Cassie. I mostly saw Ciera Kristy and Mommy. It was really cool to talk to them. The time really flew by. I looked at my watch and a few seconds later it had been 30 minutes. It was really good to see kristen's face. and everyone else's I guess.

After the Norman's we went to the Englunds for dinner. We chilled there for about 3 hours ish. and ate! roast and smashed potatoes and such. the works. it was very good.

After dinner we went to the Gibbons. that was the best part of the night. The Gibbons are the best family ever. Every family we went to yesterday gave us presents but the Gibbons gave us the best presents. They got us each a nice tie and a couple pairs of socks. but the best part was 5 hard cover Book of Mormons with their testimonies written on the inside cover. they told us to give them out to people who need them. It was an awesome gift. they put some actual thought into it! Their whole family was there and it was just a very cool night. we sat around and told stories with them afterward.

Also at the Gibbons I took time out and skyped Texas family. It was great to see Mason Pamela Dad T and Lydia. I went over on time for both of my calls but it was worth "breaking the rules" for :). It was a very good christmas! And now I have so much candy and food that I dont know what to do with it.

Thats all.

It was great to see your faces!! you are all beautiful especially kristen.

Love,
Elder Paxman

I didn't leave myself enough time today

On Tuesday we ate with Rick and Chandra! that was way cool. We just talked for awhile and they invited us to come to the play that their church put on. We cleared time in our schedule on Saturday afternoon to go see it! It was awesome! they did an amazing job and Rick and Chandra were even in it! they danced. The play was called The Christmas Post and it was cool to see a play. Elder Dutson was loving it. He hadn't seen a play in months! He got his fix for awhile. They did a great job. It was fun to take a break and go to a baptist church.

We spent a lot of time with Baptists this week... I wanted to go back Sunday night too! But we didn't... I figured if we went back they would think we converted... so we didn't go back... Rick was going to dress up as john the baptist and tell the story of Christ from his perspective. It was going to be pretty sweet.

We also got six new investigators this week! Brandon & Erica, Bernadette & Tim, Don, and David. It was a good week for finding but not necessarily a good week for numbers. We got all those investigators but we didn't teach many lessons. We will teach more next week.

Mark and Dawn Hansen came to church! they brought Bradley. Its awesome! they had a good time but they only stayed for sacrament meeting. But Still! baby steps. I want to put them on date! they like what they are learning but they need to learn it better. and love it more!

Ummmm...Mike rapped for us the other day! it was hilarious. Elder Dutson started beat-boxing at his place. He does that. and Mike said "thats techno!!" he was a little confused... but hey. after that he rapped for us! he was making fun of it but it was pretty funny.

I dunno what else. Christmas is awesome. Its the best as a missionary. We get to watch a movie on Wednesday at our mission conference! Christmas is good stuff. keep it coming.

This is a very very short letter. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I wrote a bunch of letters recently and I'm all emailed/lettered out.

The church is true. as true as it gets. Don't go anywhere else. This is the right one.

Thank you thank you thank you for all the prayers and thoughts and letters!! it means a lot!!!

Love you all

Love,
Elder Paxman

Christmas Time

Its Christmas time. Its fun but it is also very very cold. Its crazy cold. its been in the 20's all week and its gets below 10 at night. I wear my beanie and scarf and coat and sweats under my pants. I stay warm. except my face. I cant cover that. but the scarf helps.

So I can Skype home on Christmas. I will split time with Lucas and St. George. One of our investigators, Kimberly, has offered to let us use her computer and iPhone to contact home on Christmas. I will probably call around.... I have no idea. just be ready. I will hopefully be able to be more specific next week. I'm looking forward to it.

I will have the same address at Christmas but transfers come on the 11th of January (happy b-day Ciera) so it may change then. But for now you can send stuff to Betty.

So. We lost three investigators this week. They picked up and moved to Oregon. out of no where. We went over to daniel/anna/denim's home and we walked by the landlord and he said "nobody lives there anymore".  they just left with no warning and left all their crap there for the landlord to clean up. they are just gone. That was disappointing.

Kimberly is back on track. She has a quit date to stop smoking on the 15th. we asked her "do you want to be baptized more than you want to smoke and drink coffee?" she said yes. so we're working on that. she was going to pick us up and take us to church on Sunday with Julia but she got called into work. so close. we haven't had an investigator at church in like 5 weeks! it sucks. but we are so close to getting Kimberly/Julia and mark/dawn to church. also Josiah is progressing very nicely. We taught an awesome lesson at the church building with him.

that's all.... we have a lot of potential investigators. we could be getting a lot of new investigators in the coming week or two. ummmmm that's all. I don't know what else to say.

I'm getting old. its almost been 4 months! I will turn 4 this week. I love you all. Jesus Christ is our savior. Its fun to be able to teach that. really really fun.

The Greers are the best and so is Betty. Thank you for your letters and support!!! keep them coming.

Love,
Elder Paxman

Elder Dutson

Elder Dutson is awesome! I had a great companion in Elder Boswell but Elder Dutson is amazing. We are getting so much done! We work so incredibly hard. I haven't had time to think. We are so tired by the end of the day. Elder Dutson is in musical theater. He performed a lot before he left. He has a great voice and he uses it often. He is always singing about something, whether it be an actual song or something he makes up. He sings a lot. He loves to talk too. He usually does most of the talking when we contact or tract. I am fine with that. He is better at it than me so I will let him. I heard I was getting Elder Dutson and I had only seen him once. I saw him at the mission conference and he was walking across the gym with a pea coat and a scarf on with very good posture. So I thought I was getting a fruitcake for a companion. Then I heard he was a dancer/singer and he did plays. So I knew I was getting a fruitcake for a companion. But I used poor judgement. He is NOT a fruitcake... I guess. He is very cool. I want to spend the rest of my mission with him. He has us working so hard. I love it.

Yesterday we made a goal of getting 11 OYM's. We had 9 and we were on our way home so I said "lets get two before we get home" we only got one... So we got home and we were bummed because all we had left in the day is dinner and study. But I said "If we pray we will get one last OYM" we prayed and we had faith and we went to dinner at the burger's. And it just so happens that sister burger had her parents come over. Her dad and step mom. Her step mom is not a member so OYM!!!! we taught our spiritual thought at the end and that qualifies for an OYM. prayer answered.

I don't know what else to say... Which is crazy because we did so much this week. Mike bore his testimony in church yesterday. It was pretty awesome he said "Elder Paxman is a very good young man" He told his conversion story. He talked about the day we met him. He talked about the Book of Mormon. Greatest testimony ever. Then we taught Gospel Essentials and it was a good lesson on the Final Judgment. After class there were a few people who came up to me and told me how much of a great elder I was.

That's all I got. I'm pumped to keep working. I miss you all so much. I love that CD that you sent me mother. Dave sings very goodly :). Thank you. Also, mom, could you send me my Mavs hat that says CHAMPIONS on the front of it with my Christmas package? Unless you have already sent that. Then never mind. THANK YOU. Loves

Love,
Elder Paxman