Tulancingo, Mexico- July 25
(This is the letter part...pictures are in the post below...)
 
Hey Mom!

Mom, thank you. Thanks for always praying and looking out for me! I can really see the many blessings that I have received for all your counsel that you have given me throughout my mission. I'm so grateful for all that you do for me! This week has been a good one! We have been working a lot with an investigator named Suzana, I don't remember if Ive told you much about her. She has had a lot of trials with one of her sons that for many years has had problems with alcohol and drugs. We have been trying hard to help her to stay happy and to strive to follow Christ. We have seen a lot of progress, she really has seen a change in her life. I'm grateful because the Lord has made me an instrument in His hands. I know I'm not always obedient, but I know that when I try, the Lord gives me strength to do what I alone could never do. I love this work!

I was just watching a video on lds.org that I really loved. https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-01-006-staying-spiritually-fit?category=youth-media&lang=eng Its true that in this life we need to be spiritually prepared. We cant expect to perform in the precise moment when we have not prepared and trained to perform. We cant expect that we will have all the answers to our trials in life if we don't study to know what may come. Im grateful and I give testimony of the power of the scriptures. They are a guide to each and every one of us. I know that God has given them to us to strengthen us and prepare us to be able to perform obediently in our daily trials. We should all learn to put in practice what the scriptures teach us and not just treat them as a temporal item of temporal value, but rather an spiritual item of eternal and temporal value. They have the power to change our lives and guide us through the struggles and difficulties we may face. My invitation is that we may all learn to choose the right now in our lives. We may be passing through easier times, but we should prepare ourselves for when the storms come. Like the Lord taught in Luke 16:10  "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much." and as it states in the Hymn, Choose the Right, "Choose the right! There is peace in righteous doing. Choose the right! There's safety for the soul. Choose the right in all labors you're pursuing; Let God and heaven be your goal." I know this church is true and testify that now is the time that we must prepare to return to our fathers presence. I love this work!

Thanks Mom for everything, I love you tons!

Elder Paynter

p.s. I know I've gotten a little behind in my essay homework, I need to get it done, but honestly the hardest part has been responding the first question. Ive done a lot of thinking, and I hope I can come up with a good response.

Tulancingo, Mexico- July 25

Tulancingo with Elder Merino

(No letter...yet... but some good pictures!)

Trainer-Elder Gomez

 

 Tulancingo, Mexico- July 18

Hey Mom!
How are you? I'm doing great here!! we have had a pretty great week! I know its a little bit strange having a return date, Time really does fly!! I'm so grateful that I have had this opportunity to serve in the Lord´s work. I hope to finish strong and to keep seeing miracles throughout the rest of the time that I still have left. I can´t believe that Sky is finishing so soon, It doesn't feel like 2 years have already passed by! I am sure that he has had a great mission, I'm so grateful for his example. Things here in the mission are going great! President Kimball is awesome! We have been able to meet him and talk with him on quite a few occasions. He is from Idaho I think, but has lived in Provo for many years. When I first met him he asked me where I was from and I told him Springville, and he said, "Ah, right around the corner!" He has been teaching a lot about "The Culture of Christ" Basically he is helping us to think more in Christ and not so much in the rules and all that. Rather, we need to ask more, "What would Jesus do?" It has helped us to make a lot of better decisions, and we have been able to feel more the spirit of Christ in our mission!
I like what you were commenting about Testimonies. I know it is hard to get the youth to really love the Savior and His church, with so many distractions in the world right now. Its true that one has to desire a testimony to receive one. If one hardens his heart, the spirit has no room to testify of truth. A testimony is good, actually great, and I am sure that at many time we all receive a "testimony" of some gospel principle. I'm sure that all those girls at girls camp have received testimonies. The hard part is helping them to become converted to Christ. That is the intention that President Kimball has in establishing a Culture of Christ. He has mentioned to us that we need to become converted unto Christ. I really like the story of Peter, from the New Testament. When he was called to follow Christ, he straightway left his nets and followed him. He knew that Jesus was the Messiah. He saw miracles, received revelations, and bore testimony that Jesus was the Christ. But, all those testimonies that he received weren't sufficient. When Christ was tried before Caiaphas, few people asked Peter if he was one of Christ´s apostles and he denied three times. In the "made famous by Elder Holland" scripture story of when Christ appeared again after his resurrection to the apostles on the shores of Galilee, Christ asked Peter three times if he loved Him. And I feel like that was the turning point for Peter. That was when he truly became converted to Christ and His Gospel. He then went on to change the world and to establish the kingdom of God on the Earth. In Matthew 18:3 Christ said, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Conversion is the key to true discipleship. Conversion is the key to entering into the kingdom of God. Our Father in Heaven loves us all and wants all to become converted, but we cannot be converted against our will. We need to choose today whom we will serve. Christ lives. There is no doubt in my heart. But I know that unless I allow this testimony that I have received influence my decisions everyday, I will not become converted. Conversion is a process, it requires righteous desires and actions. Conversion allows us to "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" (Moroni 10:32) My invitation is that we may all come unto him, and let his Holy Spirit guide us unto true conversion.
I love you bunches Mom!! I love the Talk that you sent me! President Egbert shared it many times with us, I will be sure to review and ponder about it this week!! I hope you have an amazing week and I hope everything is going great!! Love you tons!!
Elder Paynter

 Tulancingo, Mexico- July 15

 

Hey!

I hope everyone is doing alright! I'm doing excellent here! I just want you all to know how much I love you!! I don't have much time again, I have decided to send more letters through mail so I can tell more things about how things are going here!! My leaving date will be the 27th of September, I couldn't extend it, even though I wanted to! Love you all tons!!

Elder Paynter

 Tulancingo, Mexico- July 4

 

Hey Mom!!
Things have been going great!! Today we didn't have to go to Pachuca, so we have a little more time to write! This week we got to know President and Hermana Kimball!! They are awesome!! They are very excited to serve, and very ready to help our mission. President Kimball has had many callings as YSA bishop, stake young mens president, and others, so he really loves working with you youth!! We all got to personally introduce ourselves with him and talk a little about us. When I told him that I was from Springville, he told me, "that's right around the corner!" They're great and I'm really excited to work with them! Hermana Kimball says that she is going to make a blog and an Instagram and maybe a Facebook page... haha!
Time really does go by fast!! I cant believe it! Today I finished reading the Book of Mormon and I want to start again!! Its the best book!! I really love Moroni´s last words, verse 32 in chapter 10 has always been a favorite of mine!!
"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God"
It helps us understand the only way that we may reach eternal perfection, by coming unto Christ and being perfected in Him. "There is no other way" He is the way. If we want his grace to save, perfect, and cleanse us, we must come unto him. I love what Moroni also explains in the book of Ether.
"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27) (also one of my favorites!)

If we humble ourselves before him we will become obedient. If we are obedient, the spirit will always be with us. I believe there is no greater help in this life than the Holy Ghost. If he is always with us, he will guide us to perfection and we will become more like our Savior. And if that is how our life will become, we will in nowise be able to deny the power of God. I know that the Savior loves me and has healed my weaknesses through his grace. I am grateful for his love and mercy, and I know with all my heart that He lives. He is a resurrected and glorified being who loves each one of us and longs that we come unto him and strive to be mor holy and humble. I love the Lord and thank him for all that I have and for all that I am!

Im so grateful for the Book of Mormon, and whenever I have trials or struggle of any kind in my life, I know exactly where I need to look to find peace and tranquility. Its in the Book of Mormon. Everything we need to know in order to find eternal life is in the Book of Mormon. I wish, like Alma, that I were like an angel, that I could invite all to read the Book of Mormon and to share the great message of happiness and eternal life that it contains!

Well Mom, things are great as always. I love this work!! Today was transfers day, but because President Kimball is new, there weren't many transfers, so I will be with Elder Merino for at least one more cycle. We are ready to keep on working hard! This month we should have a lot of success!! Hurrah for Israel!

I love you tons Mom!! Stay safe!!

Elder Paynter