Turkey Week

Hello Family.

It was a wonderful turkey week here in Yakima. Very very cold. No snow this week but lots of frost in the mornings.

We taught a wonderful lesson on Tuesday with Hannah. She has softened her heart a lot. She enjoys us coming and she has learned a lot. She mentioned that she would always hide from missionaries in the past because she didn't know what they had to say but now that she has been introduced to it she is a lot more comfortable and actually likes the gospel! Of course she does!!!

We are still pluggin along with James Draven. He is getting more and more comfortable with his baptism on the 8th. His concerns are disappearing one by one. We had an exchanges with the AP's this week and Elder Lim was able to go over there and teach James with us. I think he helped a lot in making him feel like he has met all qualifications necessary to be baptized. He also wanted to know why he needed to be baptized again and we were able to answer that for him. I'm praying hard that he will follow through with this.

We taught Laura Larsen a couple times this week. We had a very interesting lesson with her... She has attended West Side Baptist church for years and no one in her church or her family knows that she is investigating the LDS church except for one of her cousins. She was telling us the other day about some questions that she emailed her Pastor and we read a copy of it. She mentioned that her Pastors name was Rick. I asked the last name and she said Harpel. It was interesting to hear some of the things that Rick had said haha. And it was really weird to make that connection again with Rick. It makes me feel like I'm supposed to be in Yakima or something. I was here last winter and got to know Rick and his wife a little bit and see things from their point of view spiritually speaking and now I am here on the other side. Laura is troubled by a lot of things she has heard from those in her church. Especially when they explicitly bash on the LDS church in their sermons. But a lot of their doctrine isn't very sound and she is troubled by that.

We read the email that was sent to her and it was hard to understand completely what the West Side Baptist church believes. I've studied the answers to her questions and it is very confusing. It makes me grateful for the Doctrine of Christ and its simplicity.

That was an interesting connection that I made this week. If you dont remember the rest of the story, Rick Harpel is Dave's cousin and he lives here in Yakima. I was able to hook up with him last year and we had dinner and lunch together a few times. It was really cool to see him and visit. And now we have sort of crossed paths again. Fun fun fun.

I hope I explained that well... I feel like I didn't. I am kinda in a hurry.

Thanksgiving was wonderful! The Finches fed us. They are the family we live with. They're the greatest. Sister Finch came home this morning with a 6 foot Christmas tree strapped on to the roof of her Denali. We assumed it was for them but she said it was for us! It is so cool to have a real Christmas tree haha I love it. We'll get to decorate it tonight.

The best part of Thanksgiving was when Elder Smith the younger opened his mission call over skype with his family. He is going to the New Jersey Morristown Mission, Spanish speaking, on February 6th. That was way exciting to hear, it made me excited for Mason. So I called President Greer and asked if I could call my family to hear where Mason was going. At first he said he would call for me but then we got to interviews and he hadn't called yet so he let me call Mom for a few minutes to ask. It should be another week before the call is here but it was still great to get to talk to Mom for a few minutes over the phone. That was the day after Thanksgiving.

The Smith brothers went home this morning. They are traveling right now back to Utah. It is super crazy... Being with missionaries right before they go home is hard haha. It is so hard not to think of home yourself. Oh well, it's a good kind of hard. I think it was worse that I was with 3 missionaries at once that were all going home right around the same time. But Elder Lyells and I have 2 more weeks together and then he goes home too. Which will be good for him. He misses girls haha.

I think that's all I have to say. I hope I explained everything well...

I love you

Elder Paxman

Elder Paul D. Pieper

Hey. I'm still here.

This week was cool.

 

Elder Paul D. Pieper came to town and we had a half mission conference. He had some wonderful things to say about finding the "elect" and then he gave us some pointers on how to teach. He wants us to help people help themselves. Often when investigators have questions we just answer them. But he wanted us to take their questions and teach them how to find the answer for themselves in the scriptures. He gave some examples and told some stories. It was a really great conference.

 

One of the best parts about it was the Zone Leader meeting beforehand. There were 14 Zone Leaders, the Assistants, President and Sister Greer and the Piepers. It was a great meeting. I think I got just as much out of that 30 minutes as I did in the rest of the 5 hour conference. He gave us some great council on leadership and how to emulate the leadership of the Savior. He is the perfect example after all.

 

Also at the conference I got to see Elders Dutson, Camba, Lee, Burgess, Mellies, and a few others that I'm good friends with but haven't been companions with. I love Elder Dutson so much. I really hope I get to serve in his zone again someday, he is so great. That was one of the best parts of the conference. I love seeing my old friends! It makes me excited for Christmas Zone conference which is also half the mission. And we get to watch a movie! My guess is that we'll watch Brave. Is that a good movie?

Here's something crazy that happened. So right now Elder Lee is serving in my first area, Yakima 3rd ward. So I get to see him on p-days. And his companion got Emergency Transferred (ET) to the west side. So Elder Lee has been without a companion for a week now awaiting a replacement for Elder Crandell. He told me today that Elder Burgess is coming to be his new companion hahahaha. It will be fun to be around him again. And they're both Samoan! Funny funny funny. I am thinking about Elder Burgess and him walking in the cold of Yakima during the winter. It's an interesting thought. I am not really sure how he is taking it haha. It is hard to leave Pasco 2nd and 4th wards. There is so so so much success to be had there. Speaking of that, Brother Votaw got baptized. I'll send pictures in another email. Mission life is crazy. It can change at any time. Recently a Zone Leader in the mission went home early and a ZL from the west side got ET'd over to Richland. You can move anywhere at anytime. Things happen. I just hope that I wont have to be involved in an ET any time soon.

The area that we are working in is doing wonderful. We put someone on date! Elder Joseph Smith and Elder Landon Smith went to an appointment with James Draven and Landon put him on date for December 8th! That was the first time he ever invited someone to be baptized! He was way excited haha. It was fun to see. I wish I could have been there but it's even better that his brother was there to see it. Afterwards Landon called President and Sister Greer and they said that he could call his Mom and Dad too so he and big Elder Smith called their parents and told them about it. I'm sure that was fun. While they were talking to their parents I was thinking "I wish that I could talk to my parents..." haha. Next transfer is coming soon! Then I can call you all.

 

James is a pretty cool cat. He was in the military and that kinda messed him up so he doesn't retain all the information we send his way. But he is accountable, and he is ready to be baptized. He has been taught for years now by Sister missionaries and now us in the YSA. He was interviewed by President Greer a few months ago and President cleared him for baptism. I'm really excited for him, he is such a good guy.

Speaking of President. I got to see him yesterday. I love that man so much. He is the greatest. ZL's in the past have said that the best thing about being a ZL is that you get to spend more time with President. I didn't realize how much more you see him though. It really is a lot more. I wish I could spend all day with him. Another thing that I've learned is that the church has a lot of meetings and reports and councils and correlations and coordinations. There are just a lot of meetings in the church. And one of those happened yesterday. Elder Lyells and I had our Stake Correlation Report. We met with the Stake Presidency, the High Councilors over missionary work, and President Greer. And we reported on the goings on in our zone. It was a fun meeting. I had always known they happened in the past because my Zone Leaders would always gather the information from us every month, but I don't think you really realize what the meeting is like until you attend one. It was fun to be there and see the efficiency with which those brethren can work. Meetings are fun. I think I'm the only one who thinks so.

I think I'm done now.... I don't have anymore time.

I love you all!!!!!!

Fun Week

This was a  fun week. Life is a little more stressful when you have a responsibility over more things, but the companions that I get to work with are the greatest. It is so much easier than training haha. Well, I guess it's just different. When you get to train then you have to make sure the work moves forward and that your companion is learning. That can be a fine line to walk sometimes. It's good to have companions that know what they are doing. It is so nice to be able to rely on them.  Between the four of us in our companionship we have about 62 months of missionary experience! It is so fun.

Another nice thing about all of this is that it would be very easy for them do exclude me in some ways because they all knew each other before the mission but they have done such a great job of making sure I'm up to date on what they're talking about. They catch me up on stories of pre-mission life. It really helps.

It is fun to talk every night at dinner with the members. At first we don't tell them that Elder Smith and Elder Smith are brothers and that Elder Lyells and Elders Smith were all best friends in High School. But it always comes up in conversation one way or another. It is fun to see everyone's reaction haha. I love it. I think it might be getting a little old for them but it's still fun for me.

Ken Kidd is pretty much ready to be baptized. So is James Draven. Ken is in his 60's and is married to a member. He has come to church twice and plans on continuing to come. Things are going really well for him, we just have to make sure he has friends that keep him coming to church.

James is in the YSA and he mentioned how he wants to get baptized. We weren't quite sure if he could be baptized because he is on medical marijuana. But we asked President and he said that he was good to go as long as he isn't abusing it. He came to church this week and is on a good pace for continued progress.

I love working in a YSA. It is so fun to work with people your age. We are starting to teach an apartment of girls that are all going to YVCC (Yakima Valley Community College). Jaimi is an active member and she has introduced all of her roommates to the church. We went to visit night on Tuesday and Jaimi and Hannah and Hannah came to dairy queen afterwards. We talked with both Hannahs about coming to church and they seemed way interested. There is also another couple of roommates that we haven't talked to yet. Jaimi was saying that Cat would be the most interested and that Sierra is a roommate of hers that is less active that we could work with. Apparently Sierra went to church yesterday. I didn't go to YSA though, I went to 6th ward with the older Elder Smith (Side note: his name is Joseph Smith. Pretty cool huh??). YSA and 6th ward meet at 1:00. 1st ward meets at 9:00. So we have to split up.

Laura Larsen is also still coming closer and closer to baptism in the 1st ward as well. We are working closely with her to resolve some of her concerns. Things are going well. I love working with my companions. I love working in Yakima.

Also, it snowed this week. A couple of different times. It stuck one time. but not very much. I hate it. I dont like the snow because that means it's cold. Life sucks then you die. but not really.

I'm so excited for mason to get his call. so so so so excited!

I'm still praying for all of my family just so you know. I pray that Dad is transitioning well to Jakarta and that Mom is settling in to Rolla. Life is good.

Love,

Elder Paxman

Companionship News

I am here again. Yakima is so choice. So, many of you asked about my companion and living arrangements. Well, let me tell you of the surprises that awaited me.

When I got to the transfer site on Wednesday I noticed that Elder Smith (Joseph Smith is his full name) was still there. He was supposed to go home the day prior. He had served an honorable 2 years, the last year as a Zone Leader. He was my Zone Leader while I was serving in Cathlamet. But he was still around. I asked around and it ended up that he extended for another month. That rarely is approved by the first presidency so it was cool to have him here. THEN, I found out he would be serving with Elder Lyells and I in Yakima! I was so pumped. But, it gets much more awesome. When we got to Yakima Elder Lyells and Elder Smith told me that they were best friends in High School. Which I did not know! But. Even more, Elder Smith let me know that his brother would be arriving the next day to serve with us on a mini mission for the month that he extended! So now it is the four of us serving in Yakima. Elder Joseph Smith and his Brother Landon Smith and their best friend Elder Trevor Lyells and myself.

It is all very fun. And we live in the coolest place ever. We live in a mansion and get the whole downstairs to our selves. We have our own full kitchen. A ping pong table. An air hockey table. a big couch where all four of us can sit and plan every night. Also, there is a basketball court in the backyard that we can use every morning for exercise. We live with the Finch family. They have two sons who are the most perfect people I have ever met.

Being a Zone Leader is hard... There is like no time to work. But it is nice having four of us because we can do almost twice the work in half the time. We just don't get out of our apartment until like noon or later every day because of all the paperwork and other coordination. It is way fun though. I love it. I get to see a whole new side of serving a mission. And it is great to have two Zone Leaders to work with. Technically Elder Smith isn't a Zone Leader anymore, it is me and Elder Lyells, but he still has 24 months experience to offer so he helps us out a lot.

The work her is going well. We have a few progressing investigators. I am still trying to learn it all in a short amount of time. Elder Lyells and Elders Smith will be going home by the end of the transfer and I will be left a lone man in Yakima. So I have to learn it all.

I feel like I have left information out... But I'm out of time. Email questions if you have any... And write them down on paper and send them to my address. The mission office...

Love you all,

Elder Paxman

 

also

We are teaching a family. The Kidds. The wife is a member and the husband is not. But she looks like a Lancaster. She has all the features. And most closely she looks like Cristi. It was throwing me off ha ha. She's a nice lady. We are going there RIGHT NOW.

Bye

 

Missionary Brunch Before Transfers

Pasco Missionaries

Pasco Missionaries

Michael Votaw--getting baptized November 17th

Sister Mathews took this picture above and sent it to Chantel (Chase's mom). Here is their conversation:

Sister Mathews: "Elder Paxman has been teaching my brother, sister, and nephew the last three weeks. The night before he transferred he stopped by to tell us where he was going and to say goodbye. When I learned he was going to Yakima I knew I needed to share my family history with him. My grandparents lived in Toppenish on the Yakima reservation and the chief lived across the street from them. The headdress was a gift to my grandfather. Your son is an awesome missionary and will be missed."

 

Chantel: "Thank you for sending this. I miss him so much and it brings me peace when I see his smile and hear about the lives he has touched. Thank you for being so kind to him."

 

Sister Mathews: "We had not really discussed much about home or family till the night he left because he is a very devoted and serious Elder, but the night he left he shared a bit of himself with my husband and I and he loves, misses, and cherishes his family. I know when my boys were serving missions it was special to hear from people they served. God bless."