Ixmiquilpan-August 31

Hey Mom!

Hows School?? Sorry for starting on such a touchy subject this time of year, but I want to know how its going in your new school! By the way, where did August go? Tomorrow September will begin! Woohoo! This month, Mexico celebrates its independence day, I will try to buy some flags or sombreros or something like that haha! 

Yes, we had Zone conference! It was pretty great! We learned a lot of new principles that we can apply, president taught us how to study more effectively and a lot more important things. The theme of the Conference was Ether 12:27 and how the Lord can make the weak things in our lives strong things. It really was a great topic. The Lord can completely change us, but it requires humility and a true desire. I know that this life is a "test". The Lord gives us weaknesses to help us to have mare challenges. When we have more challenges, it requires a lot more humility and he will help us overcome every obstacle in this life!

That's great to hear about Natalie's mom! I know that the Lord always prepares people to receive his restored gospel, sometimes it requires a little bit of time, but He always is at the head of this work and He knows EXACTLY what he is doing! This week we have contacted a lot, looking for new people to teach, and we haven't had much success, We were rejected quite a bit, hehe. But, yesterday my companion helped me understand a little bit more. When we were teaching Lesson 2 yesterday to some recent converts, My companion shared what The Lord said in the New testament and D&C, that Many are called, but Few are chosen. We are all called to repentance. The Lord extends his arms out to ALL. But few will receive this calling. James Talmage said in Jesus the Christ that those who will live in the Celestial Kingdom will be few. The true disciples of Christ have always been few. 

I'm glad you enjoyed the talk by President Benson. I loved it!! It strengthen my testimony a ton! The Book of Mormon truly is the Keystone of our religion! If we didn't have the Book of Mormon, we would still be lost in apostasy! haha my testimony strengthens every day as I read it! I hope that I can always have a love for reading the Book of Mormon so that I can get out from that condemnation that President Benson speaks of. I hope that all of you continue reading and Loving the Book of Mormon!

I love you tons,  Mom! I already have read that talk (Consecrated Missionary), but I have it printed out so I will make sure to read it again this week!

Love you !! Have a great week!!

Elder Paynter

Valle Del Mezquital Zone Conference

25 August 2015

 

Dedicated to all those young men and women who go where they are sent by the Lord...

Children Go Where I Send Thee...Mormon Style 

 Ixmiquilpan- August 24

Dear Mom,

How are you?? I'm doing great! Things are great here! I continue getting along really well with my companion Elder Condorí. He is really obedient and together we help each other out a lot! This week we fasted together, we promised the Lord that we would be diligent in looking for new investigators and fasted that he would lead us to his chosen and prepared sons and daughters. We are very excited to keep working hard and diligent. we didn't go to the fitness activity last week so Im not so sure what they did, hehe.

Well, today I was listening to a talk that you have probably heard before, but I just absolutely loved it! its Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon. It gave me a whole new desire to keep reading the Book of Mormon! I want you to read/listen/watch again!! 

I read that article that you sent me, and I thought a lot about it! I have actually been thinking about it a lot! most missionaries are being obedient/disobedient for all the wrong reasons, haha. In a talk that Elder Holland gave in the MTC titled Feed my Sheep, he talk a lot about how when the church released Preach My Gospel, the whole purpose was to change the missionary before changing the investigators. He talks about how the missionary work nowadays is completely centered on following the spirit. I know that if we can learn to always follow the spirit and be exactly obedient because we want to have a change, we will change. But we have to be willing to give all over to the Lord, we need to strongly trust in his atonement! I want to change so much, Everyday we have that opportunity to leave all our sins behind. If we don't try progress in this life, we will never get anywhere, spiritually speaking of course!

I love the Lord and love his work, because I know that he is working on me everyday so that one day I may be like him!! 

Love you tons Mom!! have a great week!!

Elder Paynter

 

 

Ixmiquilpan- August 16 (From the mission blog)

With many friends and cousins coming home from their missions, another year and a few months sounds like a long time. Missing him more than usual today! Nonetheless, wouldn't want him anywhere else right now.

 

 

Despite the fact that I miss my missionary, sending out another one brings more joy to me than words can express. I can honestly say that Meghan's decision to serve was completely her own decision and for this reason she will serve the Lord with all her heart, might, mind, and strength.

MTC bound December 2, 2015

Mission bound-North Carolina Raleigh Mission

Ixmiquilpan - August 10
 
Hola!

Things have been going pretty great this week! I'm now in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo and my new companions name is Elder Condorí. He is from Argentina and he is super great! We work really well together, I love the way that he teaches, its really easy for me to teach with him! I feel like the lessons that we have had here have been super spiritual. Its been pretty great! The investigators that we have are all pretty great as well, the hardest problem here is getting them to church. But they really are great people! I love them! I'm having a great time here! I have to buy a new SD card this week so that I can take pictures to show you how its going! I love being a missionary, its the greatest experience ever! I hope that you can look back at the memories that you had as a missionary because I know that you had many great ones! Tell me about the people you taught! The greatest struggle here in Mexico is that a lot of people don't believe in getting married. Most people think its just a waste of time and money, because they know its a lot easier to just separate when they have their relationship problems than pay for a divorce. Its really tough because a lot of people have desires to get baptized but don't have the desire to get married so that they can receive the blessings of living the law of chastity. It really is sad at times, but I know that those who really have desires to follow Jesus Christ will have desires as well to keep his commandments! I love this work and Love every minute of it!!

August 3, 2015

Happy Birthday Kyle!

Seventeen years ago, Kyle Benjamin Paynter joined our little family (at the time). Just like each of my children, he came with his own personality. He has teased us, entertained us, and made us laugh! He has turned into a handsome young man, struggling to figure out where his life is headed. Despite this, he continues to improve his grades in school, works hard around our house, and every now and then has a HUGE hug for his dear old mom!

Love you tons, Kyle!

Xicotepec-August 3

Hey mom!!

I'm doing pretty great! A lot better than last week, we were able to go out and keep working Monday night, we just went and did one visit. But it was a good visit, we visited Nefi, one of our investigators, and he is the son of Araceli, one of our converts, and we were able to place a baptismal date with him, and he is going to be baptized the 15th of august. It was a pretty good visit even though my head was pounding with headache the whole time! 

I am feeling a lot better than last week, almost 100 % healthy, just a little bit of stomach probs.Things are going great with my companion, but another cycle has ended and I will be having transfers tomorrow. Another cycle, another companion. Its part of the mission, haha!! I hope that I can adjust really quick to my new area and new companion so that we can enjoy our time working hard! 

Well last week while we were in the internet typing, I guess that I must have been feeling super sick because I left my USB and the memory card to my camera in the Internet... I feel super bad because I had all of my mission pictures... Its a little tought, but I'm sure it will all be better!! I know that the experiences that I have here in the mission aren't experiences that can be recorded in pictures anyways!! haha

I love that talk that you sent me. I have read it and i love it!! Everything that we do in this life should be governed by love for the Lord. It is the first commandment and we should live in a way that shows our love for him. We should be obedient, but not just because we don't want to suffer the consequences or for any other reason, but we should be obedient because we love the Lord. The Lord doesn't give us rules and commandments because he wants to punish us or because he wants to restrict us, but because he wants us to love him, and I feel like if we can learn to love him here in this life, we will be blessed a lot more in the following life! I love the Lord and pray that the love that I have for him can be strengthened every passing day!! 

Well, have fun at school and I hope you stay safe and keep being an example for the kids!! Love you tons Mom!!

Elder Paynter

ps. no pictures because no memory... :(