Monday, April 16, 2012

25 Lessons

First of all. P-day will be on Tuesday next week so don't freak out when I don't send an email on Monday.

I don't know what to say... I never do.

Being District Leader is fun. I get to go to meetings and do exchanges and numbers and call people and leadership plan. It's not a whole lot of leadership but it's some! I like it. I was stressed at first but its not bad at all.

We had a really good week this past week. we taught 25 lessons! That is 3 more than I ever taught in Yakima and 7 more than I've ever taught here. It was a very good week. we worked hard. Elder Mellies and I work well together. I'm always trying to find the best way to do things. The way that our mission president and The Lord would want us to. Especially planning and teaching. I want to know how to teach better. Because we taught 25 lessons but we don't have anyone on date! we need to have someone on date... Francis is close. Elder Boothe and I were on exchanges on Tuesday and we taught Francis. Then we went back on Thursday and she had read the first 11 chapters of the Book of Mormon. She cried when we recited the first vision to her which was the first time I had ever seen that and also the first time Elder Boothe had either (and he has been out 22 months). It was a really good lesson both days. I think it was one of the best lessons Elder Boothe has been it. I'm glad we were on exchanges that day. Its kinda tough to continually switch who is teaching but the purpose of exchanges far outweighs the deficits. I would like to think that experience will stick with Elder Boothe as a memory of his mission, but maybe that's too much to ask. I know it will stick with me. She told us the story back about what she read too! the first 11 chapters of 1 Nephi. When it came to Laban she said "God commanded Nephi to kill him, I dunno why. I guess because he was a son of a b---- or something" I couldn't have explained it better hahahaha. It was amazing to see how well she picked everything up. She told us about the tree of life and everything. it was great. We invited her to be baptized but she isn't quite ready yet. She will get there though. I'm confident.

Everyone loves Ron Paul here in Cathlamet... Its different. I hear Santorum dropped out and thats good for Romney. We get a lot of politics here. and not enough sports... everyone is too old. I have no idea whats going on with sports. its killing me.

We officially had the rainiest march ever in the history of Washington this past march. wet

We got two new investigators this week. Sharon and Iris. Both have told us point blank that they will never be Mormons. Promising... Sharon is a strong Catholic. She is related to a lot of members of our branch though. which is to be expected because she has lived in Cathlamet for almost 50 years. She knows a lot of members as well. Iris has met with missionaries before. She is a foster parent so we have some common ground there. She is very very nice. She has a handicap with her legs so she is in a wheelchair. She is an ordained pastor and she preaches at the Episcopal church once a month.

Kyle got kicked out of the McClains because he is a little doof boy sometimes. They got sick of it and kicked him out. I'm not sure how Sam McClain (his girlfriend) is dealing with that. We aren't teaching him anymore though... He is living in Longview, so we will refer the elders there to him if at all possible. Its just as well I guess. He wasn't getting anywhere with the McClains. and he wasn't keeping ANY commitments really. Maybe a change of scenery and missionaries will be good for him.

Chuck went to a Republican's Delegates meeting and he ran into a brother from our ward who is a mitt Romney supporter (chuck supports Ron Paul) and this brother didn't have kind things to say. The Ron Paul supporters kinda got bullied around at the meeting and people were rude to them. So now Chuck has confirmed how he feels about Mormons and is planning on giving us back the Book of Mormon we gave him and he doesn't want anything to do with us... I'm kinda bummed to hear that. We have been giving him time though. We haven't seen him in about a week. We're going back tomorrow. I'm nervous. I hope it goes well.

I don't have much time to write about anyone else. I guess I did know what to say after all

I know the church is true. Leadership is fun. I love the relationships I am forming out here with other missionaries as well as with my Heavenly Father. This is the very best way I could be spending my time right now and I know that. I will be eternally grateful for the time spent on my mission.

Love you all

Elder Paxman

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