Dad,
Thanks so much for the experiences. You had an
interview with an apostle after the mission?!! I really hope you know how
excited I am to share more with you after the mission but I am more excited to
hear your experiences. They get me really excited to get to work. Well Dad,
this week was absolutely miraculous and I sent a massive story to mom. It was
the best week I have had on the mission and I can’t tell you how happy I am. Yes,
we will be baptizing this Sunday and it will be the most memorable yet. This week at our leadership meeting, president showed us a little clip from YouTube called Missionary Work and the Atonement. It’s a part of what I had said in my talk and it has Elder Holland and President Eyring speaking. I think it would be good to watch it. I know it talks about missionary work dad, but I haven’t been able to hear the words they say without tearing up. I feel that I am going through a phase with greater love for our Savior and it feels so good dad.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6FKiNVbw3Y)
This week we had the
best testimony meeting ever. A recent convert who has a little daughter went up
to the pulpit and talked about how her 2 year old daughter had fallen down ten
steps on her head and that she was so stressed and wasn't able to sleep for
three nights and that she was a complete wreck. Then the bishop called and
asked if she was doing alright, she said yes I am doing fine. Then the bishop
shared that he hadn't been able to sleep for three nights and when he was
praying he saw the 2 year old girl and decided to call. He went there and gave
her a blessing and everything went fine after and her daughter had instantly
gotten better. After she had gotten up and shared her testimony the bishop got
up in the end and shared this sacred experience and then reminded everyone that
he didn't receive that revelation because he was bishop, but because he was a
priesthood holder and that all of us are entitled to help others if we seek
those opportunities by respecting and honoring the power in which we
hold.
There were so many cool
experiences this week Dad. We had been working pretty hard and nobody wanted
anything but we started receiving a bunch of texts on our cell phone. They were
references from the church and we were able to get into a lot of houses after
that. Dad, it has just been miracles. Yeah maybe we haven’t been baptizing
every day but more and more I feel like we are fulfilling our duties.
It has really heated up
so now when we walk to lunch I am already sweaty all over and I use the back of
my tie to wipe my forehead and then its soaked when we get there. It is funny
but it feels good to sweat also. We also started working out two times a day
and we are on day 7 now! I’m just getting ready for our adventures that we will
be having Dad. This week we are going to get everyone to go to church to see
Kaique's baptism so they can see the purity of it. We have some great things in
store here Dad and soon this place will be a piece of Zion. I am sorry it
snowed and I hope you have a great week Dad. I miss you so much and love you
even more. Just weeks now until I get to talk to you all again!! I love you
have a great week and be so safe ok! Love you!
Elder Paynter
Mom,
Thanks so much for the
email. You know, I was really able to feel your love this week. And this Sunday
was the best Sunday that I have had on the mission and one that I will never
forget for the rest of my life.
Kaique, the investigator
that we have been talking with a lot on Sunday and who I gave a blessing last
week showed up to church extremely happy. I had been praying so hard that
morning that the investigators that came could feel the spirit and that
especially Kaique would finally make the decision to be baptized. And Kaique
just came super smiley and we went to priesthood and started talking a little.
He said he went to the temple grounds this week.
Then the next class we didn't really have any opportunities to talk but in sacrament meeting we sat by one
another again and we chatted away. He first looked at me and thanked me for the
blessing that I had given him last week. That the big meeting he had with his
bosses from the United States went really well and that he had been able to
sleep a lot better recently. And then he talked about his experience at the
temple. He had finished his meeting early on Wednesday and was going to go to
his college early to study, but he asked the bus driver how many more stops it
was until the temple and it was only two stops away. So he just went for it.
When he got there the
security guard at the door showed him a kind lady who walked around the garden
with him and shared her own conversion story. Then she showed him the waiting
room and the temple sealer came and talked with him. The sealer decided to be
baptized when he was 19 and his family kicked him out of the house and had
shared so many things with Kaique and it really helped him. Then he stopped
telling the story and looked at me and teared up and said, now I am ready, the
time has come. We both had teared up and then he asked when I was baptized and I
told him when I was 8 but I was converted when I was 14. Then I went up to the
pulpit and shared my own conversion story and bore my testimony and a lot of
people were crying and Kaique had told his mom, who was recently baptized, that
he decided he would also be getting baptized. I went and sat down and she gave
me a hug and we all sat on our little benches with watery eyes for the rest of
the meeting. There were so many miracles that the Lord performed for us. I know
that he prepared and paved the way for Kaique and that Heavenly Father cares
for us in every little thing in our lives. I am just so grateful to be out here
and to be able to have such wonderful experiences like this. I know that Kaique
will be a true soldier here in the fight for righteousness and that he will
help build and strengthen the kingdom of God!
What he did to the shirt before burning it.
Before Sunday this week
we had decided to have a little Halloween party and carve watermelons and eat
pizza with some elders who live close by. So we made use of the last little bit
of our day and had a great time. I also burnt my shirt to celebrate one
year!
Watermelon Jack-O-Lanterns and Brazilian Pizza
(Such nice smiles of these two Elders)
Yesterday was our
leadership meeting with the zone leaders and I was asked to give a message
about our responsibilities as leaders in the Kingdom of God. It was really a
great learning experience for me. Afterwards Elder Vianna and I were called up to
give a 10 minute doctrine also and everyone really liked it. It was a great
experience yesterday. After the meeting it started raining like crazy and the
bus stop is 20 minutes from the chapel there so we punched a hole in a big
garbage bag and then I threw a smaller one on my head and we walked and still
got soaked but it was a really fun experience. One of the greatest weeks on the
mission and I am so excited for this Sunday and the baptism of Kaique.
I love you all so much
family, I am so grateful to be here helping these people and singing on the
streets about the wonderful and glorious love of our Savior and of God. I hope
you all have a week like I had! I love you!
Elder Paynter
Mom to Preston: "Hi are you there?"
Preston: "Hey mom!!!!!!! How are you?!!!!!"
Mom: "Good I'm so glad to hear from you. I've
been missing you so much. I love your e mail about Kaique. How
wonderful for him. How great is your joy."
Preston: "It’s indescribable! Mom, I love the Lord."
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