Traveling in Style!

This is a picture from Elder Benesch's blog, that shows their driving arrangements.  "This one is just so you can see how cool we are when we drive in our car down the streets of Paisley with our Ammon action figure and our rubber ducky on the dash board!! haha"  --Elder Avery Benesch

Elder Andrews, Ammon (from the BOM), Elder Penman (in the back seat), Elder Benesch, and Rubber Duckie

Some Advice for Member Missionaries

I want you to tell the ward this. Missionaries go on missions to become better member missionaries to their ward and to learn skills that will help them invite their friends to come to Christ. We are here  to teach people not to waste our time and God's time finding people who don't want to learn these things. Yes, we do find when we don't have lessons, but we are supposed to be teaching people who are ready. The best way missionaries get investigators, and get the solid investigators is through the members. I didn't get this concept when i was home, but by studying the power of the every day missionary book, this is what I've learned. I get so frustrated knowing that I wasn't doing my part to God. I had so many opportunities to extend these commitments and I didn't because I was too afraid of what man thought instead of what God thought. I promise popularity for  you high school kids is nothing compared to the joy and eternal happiness you'll have from extending these invitations. Missionaries baptize more people into the church when the ward and the missionaries are working to the same goal. This isn't for numbers that I am asking you to look for opportunities to  spread the gospel. This is out of love for you and those who will feel true happiness. Why keep to yourself what could make everyone happy. We are part of a living church that needs every member a missionary. Other churches are converting more to their gospel than the true church of Jesus Christ, because all of their members are required a certain number of proselyting  hours. We are not required to do it because we have agency, but we were commanded to by God. I just want to challenge all of you to pray and seek for these opportunities. I want you to search everyday for  some way to extend an invitation to bring someone closer to Christ. I know its hard, and I know when you do hard things you are rewarded.  You also will have a great relationship with God and Jesus and just like it says in Mosiah 4:26-27  When you serve others, you will be avoiding your own sins. I love all of you so much and I know you can become amazing missionaries. 
Love, Elder Penman

Saving Lives (Literally)

Well, finally the vote is over. I can finally teach people without the vote… I thought.  But now a ton of people are so drunk they can’t even cross the street.  It’s so funny, but sad. They are so sad they aren’t going independent. I didn’t have a say on the vote which I’m glad because I don’t know what I would have voted.

My mom and dad are gonna hate me for this, but I’m going to write it anyway. So if you don’t want to feel worried don’t read this, but it’s really a cool story. Last week, we were walking down the street and we saw this guy we talked to a couple of days ago. We waved at him but it seemed like he was out of it like he was drunk or something. He took off his shirt and was covered in blood. I thought to myself, “this guy has killed someone...”, but as he walked by, I saw a stab wound in his neck and a few in his back. He was covered in blood on his back. We followed him to make sure he didn’t die. We called the police and found him laying down in his flat bleeding. So we helped him because the Spirit told me to. I normally would have been terrified but I knew this man needed our help. So we put pressure on his stabs till the police came and helped him. We saved a guy’s life... it was crazy. He had lost a lot of blood and probably would have died. That’s what happens when you are involved with drugs over here. But I’m safe... don’t worry.

We have a bunch of new investigators. God is so good. We have an older couple who are visiting with us and they are also feeding us. They are so nice and are doing the things that we invite them to do. We met them by getting a fake address, which was their house, and they felt bad so they invited us back. God works in crazy, crazy ways. We also met a guy named Jordan and have taught him. We also are teaching a lady named Lorie. She’s nice. We are also still teaching a man named Allan. I think I told you about last week.

Remember to serve others around you and when you serve others you will overcome your own sins. Mosiah 4:26-27  “And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants.  And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.”

I love all of you and pray for all of you all the time. I hope you feel it through the day.

Love,

Elder Penman

Surprise!!

A surprise picture on my Facebook page today from my former missionary companion (Canada Montreal Mission 87-88), Soeur Eliane Prat Carre.  She was dropping her daughter Rachel off to attend the University of Glasgow.  They attended the Paisley Ward, where Elder Penman is serving, because her oldest son, Alexis, had a companion from his mission who was living there.  They took this picture after the meeting.

Rachel Carre, Eliane Prat Carre, Elder Penman, Alexis Carre
From Eliane Carre: "We met him in the Paisley Ward. My son served his mission with one of the singles in this ward, so that was also the opportunity to visit his friend and his family ! Your son looks really great ! It was ward conference and he sang in the choir. I thought by looking at him singing that he was worthy of his mother  !"

Scotland's vote for Independence (Historical journal entry)

On Thursday, September 18, 2014 Scotland had a vote for independence from the UK.  The missionaries did not participate in the vote, in discussing the vote, or in any politics.  Here are some things that Elder Penman's mom found around on the internet talking about the vote, and they are included purely for historical reference like a journal entry:

First, a funny one...

From BBC:

Scotland decides: How referendum night unfolded

19 September 2014 Last updated at 09:52 BST

Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom after voters decisively rejected independence.

With the results in from all 32 council areas, the "No" side won with 2,001,926 votes over 1,617,989 for "Yes".

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-29276312

Scotland Independence Results: Full Breakdown of How Each Area Voted

• 

  By Ewan Palmer
  September 19, 2014 10:43 BST
• 1     

Supporters from the "No" Campaign react to a declaration in their favour(REUTERS/Dylan Martinez)

Scotland has voted to remain part of the UK by a 55% to 45% majority, as the Better Together campaign won the historic referendum.

The result became a mathematical certainty just after 6am, when local authority Fife announced the 'No' campaign had won with 55% of its votes.

The final area to declare its results was Aberdeen, who again awarded Alistair Darling's pro-Union campaign the victory with 53% of the votes.

The 'Yes campaign' did win in four areas; West Dunbartonshire, Dundee, North Lanarkshire and Glasgow –the largest city in Scotland and the highest percentage of electorates. 

Of these areas, Dundee gave the 'Yes' campaign the biggest majority with 57.35% of its 118,729 votes backing independence.

In the capital Edinburgh, 61.10% of its 378,012 elected against breaking up the 307-year Union.

Just over 3.6 million people voted in the referendum, - a turnout of 84.%, a record high of any election held in Britain since the introduction of universal suffrage in 1918. It dwarfs the percentage of people who voted in the last two general elections - 65.1% voted in 2010 and 61.4% in 2005.

Overall, 2,001,926 voted for Scotland to remain part if the UK, while 1,617,989 wanted to become independent.

Below are the full voting figures for each of the 32 local authorities.

Council               Voters                                        Yes                                                   No 

Aberdeen City 175,745                                    41.39%                                               58. 61%
Aberdeenshire 206,486                                   39.64%                                               60.36%
Angus               93,551                                      43.68%                                               56.32%
Argyll & Bute   72,002                                      41.48%                                               58.52%
Clackmannanshire 39,972                              46.20%                                               53.80%
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar  22,908                46.58%                                               53.42%
Dumfries & Galloway 122,036                       34.33%                                                65.67%
Dundee City 118,729                                       57.35%                                               42.65%
East Ayrshire 99,664                                      47.22%                                                52.78%
East Dunbartonshire 86,836                         38.80%                                                61.20%
East Lothian 81,945                                       38.28%                                                61.72%
East Renfrewshire 72,981                             36.81%                                                63.19%
Edinburgh 378,012                                        38.90%                                                 61.10%
Falkirk 122,457                                              46.53%                                                 53.47%
Fife 302,165                                                   44.95%                                                 55.05%
Glasgow 486,219                                          53.49%                                                  46.51%
Highland 190,778                                         47.08%                                                  52.92%
Inverclyde 62,481                                         49.92%                                                  50.08%
Midlothian 69,617                                        43.70%                                                  56.30%
Moray 75,170                                                42.44%                                                  57.56%
North Ayrshire 113,923                              48.99%                                                   51.01%
North Lanarkshire 268,704                        51.07%                                                   48.93%
Orkney Islands 17,806                                32.80%                                                   67.20%
Perth & Kinross 120,015                            39.81%                                                    60.19%
Renfrewshire 134,735                                 47.19%                                                   52.81%
Scottish Borders 95,533                             33.44%                                                   66.56%
Shetland Islands 18,516                             36.29%                                                    63.71%
South Ayrshire 94,881                                 42.13%                                                   57.87%
South Lanarkshire 261,157                        45.33%                                                    54.67%
Stirling 69,033                                               40.23%                                                   59.77%
West Dunbartonshire 71,109                      53.96%                                                   46.04%
West Lothian 138,226                                  44.82%                                                   55.18%

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/scotland-independence-results-full-breakdown-how-each-area-voted-1466235 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-jennings 

Of Castles and Queens

Elder Urbieta (must have been on travels), Elder Penman, Elder Andrews (one of his trainers)

So Paisley is crazy. The vote for independence is on Thursday and the streets are full of drunk people and people passing out cards that say "I" or "Naw".  It’s really cool to be here when they are voting but it’s also annoying because all they want to talk about is independence, and if I’m voting, and they don’t understand I’m from America and it is impossible for me to vote.

I got to see a castle in Crookston called Crookston Castle where Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded**, aka Bloody Mary. That was really cool. We ate a burger patty and chips in it. Castles are cool.

Crookston Castle

View from the top of Crookston Castle

Eating burger patty and chips in the castle.

We have a born again guy who can’t use his hands who is interested in learning the gospel.  He wants to know if Thomas S Monson is a prophet or not. He said he would watch General Conference with us in 2 weeks. I’m so excited. He is really nice and wants to learn about the plan of salvation too. I can’t wait to teach him again.

Well, I went golfing last Monday.  It was so fun.  We got clubs from a charity shop, some super old Scottish clubs. It was so fun though. We are going somewhere with a member today, I don’t know where. It’s a surprise I guess.

Elder Davis, Elder Penman, Elder Lesuma

Well,  that’s my week. I hope your week was good.

Love, Elder Penman

(**note from Mom—Mary Queen of Scots was betrothed to Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, her first cousin, at Crookston Castle (she wasn't happy with him). Darnley was later murdered and the castle had a mysterious explosion the same day. According to the History Channel website, after 19 years of imprisonment, Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle in England for her complicity in a plot to murder Queen Elizabeth I.)

Come Join With Us

Elder Penman "selfie" from the computer, just for Mom, so she could see her boy!

 It’s crazy it’s another Monday. Another week gone by. It really is true that days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days.

This week was one of those weeks that makes you question why you are out here. It makes you feel like maybe you are starting to feel the slightest of what Jesus felt. Nothing is going our way, we didn’t reach our goals, Investigators dropped us, and all the people we found gave us fake addresses and number or they weren’t in.  I love these weeks so much though. I just keep viewing myself as a warrior or a pioneer. They probably hated everything they had to do but they looked forward and saw the good that would come, the happy ending or the internal growth. I love this week because I know I am becoming stronger as a person and growing closer to my Heavenly Father who loves me so dearly. We have trials for a reason. We have trials to grow and to push us along in the path of conversion. If we don’t grow we are just wasting time. Our ultimate purpose is to grow as people every day. I'm also out here to be converted, that is no easy task. Prophets and apostles say they aren’t fully converted, that we are all on a path to become converted. We grow closer to God because we look for guidance and help. I find myself praying more personally with my Father and telling Him my issues and being honest to Him when I struggle. Having our Father closer in our life is so wonderful. But the reason this week is hard (is because salvation is not easy—it never was easy. Christ lived a hard life and He is the best to ever live on the earth... why should it be easy for me?)  I heard this in one of Jeffery R. Holland’s talk. (possibly this talk-- The Cost and Blessings of Discipleship-April 2014 )

We taught this LA (less active) by using Uchtdorf’s conference talk from last conference. It’s the one about “come and join us.” (Come Join With Us-October 2013)  This talk is fantastic because even if someone has hurt you. even if you feel like you don’t belong. even if you feel like nothing is going right. We all want you to come back to church. Even God wants you to come back to church. You could just see the change in this man as he watched this talk. I could see the Holy Ghost telling him it was true. If there is anyone reading this email that has even thought about going to church or coming back to church... Just go. You will be welcomed by wonderful members. If you are less active and don’t know if you want to, just try it. I promise that the change I saw in this man when he was at Sacrament Meeting was something amazing,. He looked so happy, even though he still has his struggles and even though he still smokes, you could see God’s love for him, these changes can happen for you even in the worst of times.

We had stake conference the other day. I got to sing in the choir. I knew about it last minute. So I had to learn it in a couple days. It was so fun to sing in a choir again. The main topic for the conference was member missionary work. This is the most important missionary work in the church. Members make it so much easier for people to join the church. Missionaries can’t get to everyone and can’t talk to people who are your friends because I don’t know any of the people I talk to. I feel as if out here, I am learning how to be a better member. I know as a member we need to share the gospel with everyone. It will take practice but it will be better for everyone if you do this. Just try to share the gospel with everyone because the more you bring to God the more happiness you’ll have in the life to come. <<<<This is a promised blessing from God.

Paisley Chapel

I love all of you so much. Thanks for all you’ve done for me. I need all of you in my life and you’ve all changed me so much.

awrabest

Love

Elder Penman

Paisley Bunny

Elder Penman during his training August or September 2014
(Thanks to Dameon Andrews, his trainer)

Q & A about mission life

I asked Elder Penman some questions about mission life.  Here are his answers:

Q:  What is your favorite food you've tried since being there, that is something you like?

A: I love King Doner meat kababs. 

Meat kebab spit (from internet)

Doner King meat kebab sandwich (from internet)

Q: What is the worst thing you've had to eat?

A: I haven’t eaten anything bad yet.

Q: Did you eat Haggis yet?

A: No haggis yet.

haggis (from internet)

Q: What do you and your companions eat?

A: I eat chicken rice, rice and mashed beans, stir fry, mince (beef), vegetables, and fruits. Also, we made lasagna the other day.  It’s cool. 

Q: If I could send you something, what would it be?

A: I want some porcupine meatballs.  ;)  (I think they would be pretty gross by the time they got there!)

Q: I want new pictures of you.  Have you taken any pictures?

A: Ya, but I left my camera at the Paisley Elders’ apartment when I was on exchanges.

Q: Are you sleeping okay, over your jet lag?

A: I’m sleeping great!  I was sick, but I’m getting better.

Q:  Did it ever warm up?

A: It is really warm right now.  Some rain, but mostly warm, but it can get way cold!

Q: Have you been doing any singing?

A:  I’m in the stake choir this coming Sunday.  J

What a turn around!

So the last 2 weeks had been really hard. Now it's looking so much better. We have 3 new investigators.

We were walking back on Tuesday after p-day down a "dodgy" street. We had never been on that street before and we talked to this lady about Jesus Christ. She started crying and saying, "This is crazy. I was gonna get drunk, but i decided to walk instead over here where I've never walked before." She wants to meet with us. Then I was standing there getting rejected by a man, and this lady said,
"YOU'RE DOING GOOD, BOYS!"  We asked if she was a member and she said no, so we asked if we could meet with her, and she accepted.  

We taught the lady from the street named Natalie. We said a prayer and she is so sensitive to the Spirit. She was crying, and said, "I want to stop smoking and drinking tea and coffee."  That was really cool. She wants to be baptized. This disabled lady who can't walk is a new investigator. She loves the message we teach and wants to learn more. A lady named Laura is interested too. We found her tracting and she is very smart and reads the things we give her. She thought there were no girl Mormons because she only has ever seen male missionaries. So we are having a new convert couple help to teach them.

God is so great. When we push through the hard times and keep working. It shows God you are faithful and that you are striving to do His will. He will bless you if you just get up and move forward.

Sincerely,

Elder Penman

If you are obedient you will win the prize. Mosiah 4:27