Summer Time!

Well it's warming up over here! We finally hit triple digits yesterday. Everyone we meet says something like "Oh this is nothing yet! Just wait until next month!! haha!" Then I tell them I'm from Arizona and they just say "..oh well this is nothing to you then.." haha it's pretty funny. Don't worry though mom we're drinking plenty of water despite the fact that we'll be riding our bikes in 100 degree weather. No cars for us! Plus it's a good excuse to get inside someone's door.... "Oh my gosh what are you guys doing riding bikes when it's this hot?! Come in and get some water!!!"

 

Well we're going to be baptizing Stefani this next week! She's so awesome! She's extremely elect too...a few weeks ago she said to me "well Elder Payne, I knelt down in my room and asked Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and then I waited...just like you told me to! And eventually I got my answer!" Then she went on to say that she knows the church is true! She's only 13 years old! That's crazy...she's the youngest person I've taught to receive an answer of the truth. Needless to say, Elder Linville and I definitely don't underestimate the potential of this young woman. She's super out going and is very submissive. She's golden! She'll be baptized with her older sister this week on Friday! And at the end of this month she's going with the young women to do baptisms for the dead at the Manti temple! We're hoping to be able to go do baptisms in the St. George temple before transfers at the end of this month as well. We're allowed and encouraged to do that with our recent converts! We're sooo excited!

 

Speaking of recent converts, Nikki is doing really well! We've finished up lesson 5 in preach my gospel and we'll be re-teaching the first four lessons this week. She wants to go do baptisms as well, so we're in the process of getting bishop involved and make that goal an action! Our other recent convert, Carlos, is gone for a few weeks and when he gets back he should be getting the priesthood. Then we'll be able to go do baptisms with him as well! We're so pumped!

 

This week after a lesson with Stefani, we decided to go down the street to the Barrows to ask about some less-actives in the ward that they know. Well, we got there and all the kids (there was like 7 or 8 of them there) were super happy to see us because apparently some of them had accidentally put the wrong fuel into their dad's four wheeler and completely ruined the engine, and when sis Barrow called him about it, he just hung up on her and was super ticked. So they were glad to see us so that the Spirit would be at least a little present when the man himself showed up. Haha he burst through the door all ticked off and saw us and said to the kids "oh....you guys are lucky the missionaries are here!" Then he proceeded to chew them all out and yell at them haha the things we get ourselves into sometimes amazes me. After that episode of fatherhood 101, they all invited us to lunch on Friday. Blessings! So yeah I don't know if we were in the wrong place or the right place at the right time or the wrong time, but either way, we had a super good lunch on Friday haha.

 

Other than that, we got two new ward mission leaders yesterday. Our old ward mission leader for the Silverstone ward, Brother Minus, has really been an influential figure for me. He's a great man and has taught me much more than just missionary things. He's taught me how to deal with people and what to do in different situations...he's taught me skills that I will take beyond the mission field. He's been a good role model for me! Whoever comes to pick me up in one year, I'll have to take them to meet Bro Minus! He's awesome!

 

Well I can tell I've come a long way because during testimony meeting I had no fear whatsoever to share my testimony with wards that are like twice as big as thatcher 3rd ward. Ether 12:27 is real! Heavenly Father is helping me every step of the way, and all I have to do is trust in Him and work with Him to help those I've been called and placed in the path to teach. Plus I have a great companion who isn't afraid to share his testimony and will share something any chance he gets. He's a great example to me! Well I hope you guys have a great week!

 

Love,

Elder Payne!