October 14, 2014

With President Perotti and other missionaries that are going home.

HE'S HOME!   ARRIVED AT 10:30 THIS MORNING!! We Are So Happy!

 

We stopped at Grandpa and Grandma Paynter's grave on the way home.

What a great 2 years it has been!

October 7, 2014

Hey mom,

I personally cannot remember a better conference in my life. I was so thrilled by the speakers and it seemed like almost everything was screaming my name. We had been challenging investigators to go to conference, but to first write down questions that they had about life and about help they needed. And of course we had decided to do it also. I had four big questions for me and it seemed like it was a treasure hunt, just waiting for the apostles to answer those questions and they were all answered. It was just wonderful. We watched them all in English. Except for priesthood, they only showed that one in Portuguese. There was a point where one speaker from São Paulo spoke, so we went to the Portuguese room to watch it. It was my favorite talk of all of conference, it was by Carlos A. Godoy. 

Anyways, it was a great time. We had lunch with a great family that Sunday. Their only son is on a mission. The father got us early to take us to watch the retransmission of the priesthood session on Sunday morning at 7:15. When we got there they weren’t showing it for some reason. He took us to their home and they threw a bbq for me because I am going home. They are so loving and so kind, I love them tons. After we took off to watch the first session which was at 1:00-3:00 and then the second was 5:00-7:00. After the last session, they took us to their house again, gave us dinner and dessert. We spent basically the entire day with them, and it was just a blast. We didn’t stop laughing.

Last Friday, I had my leaving interview with president. It was really weird to hear him ask "how was your mission?" instead of "how is your mission?" This Thursday we have our multizone conference, and then Friday I will be going to the temple again with the other missionaries leaving the same day I do and then we will have lunch with president and hear his counsels on life and everything else. 

It was so good to go to the temple today mom. I just felt like I was getting away from the world. And wow, the videos are so good now. I cannot wait to go with you and dad for stake temple night. It brought tears to my eyes to think about having you and dad in the same room. What a sacred place and what incredible promises that we have taken part of. Well, I love you so much, I hope that this is enough email for you. :) I love you and hope you are doing so well. I cannot wait to see you next week! Have the best week, I know I will!!!

Elder Paynter

 

September 29, 2014

Hey mom,

     This week was yet another blur. We have some great investigators and they are all weeping that I am going home soon. I hope we can get them baptized and on the Lord's path. 

     Well the young man wasn't baptized yet, but we are still working with him. The young mother went again to church and she is loving it. We brought a recent convert newlywed couple to her house to give her some friends. 

We really feel such great love from all the members here and I couldn't think of a better place to end the mission. On friday at about three in the afternoon, it got really dark because of the big rain clouds and it seemed like nighttime. It rained really hard and didn't stop. We had to go home to iron our clothes to dry them and we decided we were going to make cookies to give to our investigators to show our love for them. So we made six plates of cookies, and took two to some members who are so great to us and help us out a lot and four to our investigators. We wrote each one a letter to let them know how great the gospel is and how excited we are for them to receive the blessings of the Lord. 

     Sunday came around and President Perrotti came to the ward with his wife to speak. Later on at night we went to a fireside in the stake and yes, president spoke again. It was really cool though. Its really too bad that this wonderful time is coming to an end. I am excited to start working towards school and my own family some day, but I will really really miss the people here in Brazil. 

     It was a great week, and I am sorry I didn't have too much time to write. I also found out yesterday that we won’t go the temple anymore because we have our multi-zone conference. We are all pretty bummed, but I will still go with the other missionaries who will be leaving home with me. So at least I will get my last visit in. I cant wait to go with you and dad at our ward temple night the week I get back. 

     I hope you are having a wonderful week. I sure love you and miss you and will write you and talk to you next week. Next week is the last one!!!!!!! I love you so much!

Elder Paynter

September 22, 2014

Hey Mumsy,

I really liked your letter this week. Sounds like you all had such a wonderful time and that you guys sure are making good use of the cabin now. I am glad. 

I still remember that temple dedication when I was younger. I think it was the Nauvoo re dedication or something. But it was marvelous. I really miss the temple and can’t wait to go soon! Our zone is assigned for a temple session on october 7th. So excited, it will be the second time I have been to the temple after leaving the MTC. 

Saturday was wonderful time. I could not believe anything it was just so wonderful. He had always dreamt of going to England, and when I was teaching him he talked about he had thought about doing an exchanged student thing to work there. Little did he know we he had a different work coming up for him there. It was pretty cool. Its pretty crazy to hear a Brazillian getting his call out of South America. So we were all shocked, and even more surprised when we saw that it was London. He is a really valiant person, and he will work really hard, I am sure. I am just so excited for him. 

Well this week was just weird for a lot of the time. For some reason it was a little rough in the sense of numbers and such. The other companionship in the house said the same thing and we had no clue why. 

It finally rained a little bit here which was good. But we still need a whole lot more. We have been spending tons of time in the sun, and I will come back looking like a thanksgiving turkey with a fried red face. But we have been praying a lot lately to have lots of investigators who will understand the gospel and who will be able to partake of all of its blessings. And we have found some great people, even though it was a little rough this week. Hopefully we will have a baptism of a young man who has been going to church for 8 weeks now. We have tried so hard to get the permission of his mother to start teaching him, yesterday we grabbed a high councilman and showed up at her house unexpected and we got her permission. Everything is set, tomorrow we will start giving him the lessons. 

Yesterday, some other friends from another ward came and visited and it was so good to see them. We weren’t expecting too many investigators to show up either but we were really blessed and a single mother of two actually came. She packed up her young ones and walked to church. It was so cool to see people that are committed and wanting to receive the Lords blessings. 
     This week was literally a blur, and cant believe that one more passed already. It still feels like I have a few more months here on the mission and I think it will be kinda sad when it hits me. What a great place, with wonderful people. I will miss them all so much.  This work is wonderful, I am so glad and blessed by my mission.

I love you Mumsy!

August 11, 2014

            This week was pretty good. We worked really hard, like always, and then on Thursday we had interviews with presidente. We had a former missionary visit with us and he spoke a lot of great things that I was really needing to hear. It was a really good time and I had a lot of things to ponder and reflect on.

            We had a baptism on Saturday and it went really well. We are excited for the kid, and we have some great people coming up. Unfortunately I think we might stop teaching Adrianna and Leandro if they don’t go to church this next week. They still need to get married in the future also, and we just don’t want to waste our time on people that aren’t going to progress.

            Anyway yesterday was father’s day here in Brazil and it was a tearjerker. It was really great to see Kaique and his mother, I sure have missed them but unfortunately I never ever have time to just relax and talk with them. I am just always running around during church.

            But I have felt so close to the Savior recently and it has been a marvelous time at the end of the mission.  I never thought it would be like how it is. So much yet so little has happened. I can’t believe that soon enough I will step back into the world and worry about those things. I would much rather just focus on others lives for a while longer. I love the gospel so much, I am so grateful for the opportunity to hold the priesthood and to be able to act in the name of the Lord. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for my family and for Him.

            Love you all have a great week.

Elder Paynter

Kaique wrote:

I just want to thank you for everything you've done, I'm so proud for have an eternal friend like you bro! Brazil, me and my family will miss you tons when you go away to your home. Love you bro, don't you ever forget that.