Blessings, Finding, and Service

Hello

This week was pretty good. We super deep cleaned our flat because we have flat inspections soon. That was about it—sounds pretty fun huh?!

Tuesday, I had to lead out the zone leaders area because they were blitzing some elders' area. It was a really fun day.  We found, we taught a less active, and watched conference. It was awesome. We GQed for a long time and found a less active and handed out some pamphlets. 

I got a call from a less active we found that her appendix burst so she asked for a blessing so we went to the hospital.  We couldn’t find her, but we ran into a member’s family. They said their mom was in the hospital and was praying for a blessing so we gave her one and the words I said were not anything I would have ever said. She was so happy we came. We finally found the less active and gave her a blessing too…I expected to say the same thing [from the other blessing] I said before but everything I said was different. But again, it was the words God wanted her to hear and it was crazy the feeling I had while giving both blessings. The Spirit was so strong it felt like I was swimming in it. It was the most amazing feeling. Live worthy to bless those who are in need. I couldn’t have done it if I wasn’t being obedient, luckily I was!!

Well we got to rip a shed down that was full of spiders and was full of snails.  It was fun. Very similar to what I did on the roofs [last summer before I left]. We also cut some trees down and dug out a path in a member’s backyard. All of this was so fun! We also found this old cemetery that was hidden in an old church. It was really cool!

Well, have a wonderful week.

Elder Penman

Obedience and Accountability

This week we had zone conference and zone development. Zone D was fun. We met up with Glasgow Zone and played a whole bunch of games and sports. We had an amazing meal made by me and Elder Andrews and Elder de Vries. We also had an AMAZING testimony meeting. The spirit is so strong when 30 missionaries are in a very small room bearing their witness of the atonement and the gospel in general. It was so peaceful and happy in the room.

Combined zone development day in Glasgow

Elder Penman's Zone (Paisley Zone?) at combined zone development day

On Thursday, we had Zone conference and we talked about obedience and accountability. I learned that with obedience you gain greater knowledge, great blessings, greater faith, and great spirit. I also learned if you are struggling with your faith and spirituality, you need to make sure you are being obedient to God and his laws. I know for myself when I am more obedient, miracles happen and my faith is better. Also, when I teach, I teach with more force through the Holy Ghost. Being obedient has helped my teaching skills grow in leaps and bounds... so if you feel like you are struggling with faith or spirituality, check if you are being obedient and seek for things you can change to be more obedient.

At Sacrament Meeting yesterday, we were sitting there and a man came in and said he wanted to worship with us and gave us his number and address so we could teach him how. God is good to my companions. I would not be able to even be out here working as hard as we do every day without all His tender mercies and the strength He gives us.

I’ve been studying in Nephi, and have been picking each verse apart. Nephi is a spiritual giant.  He is a very good example of obedience. If I could become half as obedient as him, I would probably baptize all of Scotland.  Nephi is really cool though. He has some crazy adventures with his brothers. If you are looking for something to read, read the beginning of the Book of Mormon. Nephi’s life is so exciting and crazy, especially if you think the stuff that happens to me is crazy. He makes my stories look like very chill situations.

Well, not too much happened this week as you can tell, but I love all of you. Have an amazing week. Ask me any questions you have, and any comments because I would love to read your letters. 

How to deal with boring church meetings?  Paper football

Evidently, Elder Penman must have gone Indoor GoKarting

Typical Elder Penman picture--Goofball.

Love, Elder Penman

Conference Rocks!

Email dated 10/6/2014

Elder Penman, P-Day Picture from a few weeks ago

Well, my week was pretty slow. I went on exchanges to Greenock area. It is a beautiful area. We got to take a ferry across the River Clyde. It was really cool. The ocean here tastes just as salty as the ocean in California, Hawaii and Florida. Don’t ask me how I know.... I just do... The water is cold here. There are no waves, so for morning exercise we skipped rocks. They skip forever.

River Clyde on the way to Greenock

River Clyde, Return trip

When we were out teaching we taught a man that wants to be baptized but is having trouble giving up smoking. I asked him when he tries to stop his addiction does he look back and think about how smoking made him feel and how much he craved it. He answered by saying, “yes, I always focus on what I’m giving up.” As he said these words, a scripture story came into my mind. In 1 Nephi 7, Nephi and his brothers are going back to Jerusalem to get wives. After they find the family they are supposed to wed into, they convert them and start heading back to the wilderness to where their father and prophet is. On the way out there Laman and Lemuel are looking back and desire to go back.... I remind you that they have already started this hard journey they are pretty far along.... Then this desire turns into a want and they start putting the idea in their minds that it is better for them to return even though that city is going to be destroyed and it will hurt them... Just like smoking or any other addictions... They have themselves so convinced that it is what is right.  They start talking like they are going to go back , this does not only affect them it affects those around them and those people become desirous to return. Nephi stands up and says (these are my own words), I am younger than you and I know that we should not go back or even have the want to return or to even think about returning.  Nephi’s brothers tie him up and Nephi eventually breaks the band because he had strength, because he had not even thought about returning. Nephi was able to break the things that tied him down because he was strong and avoided all things that would make him weak to go back into old habits and be somewhere he knew he shouldn’t be.  Well, too bad that wasn’t in my area because I believe that man is going to be baptized and he is a good guy.

Brothers Try to Slay Nephi, Gary E. Smith

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Well, conference was awesome. A lot of warnings and a lot of things to improve on but I know it is all for the good. One of my favorite talks was Elder Oaks. He stressed on loving every one NO MATTER WHAT! That is something I have been trying to do for a long time and I love that it confirms that that is the right thing to do. Something else he said is to help those who are in need, loving them is not enough.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Jeffrey R Holland’s talk was beast. He talked about how we need to serve people not only in physical way like money and yard work and all that good stuff, but to help them spiritually also. This really hit me deep and made me think do I spiritually serve people? The answer I received is I did not serve people as spiritually enough as is required. 

I love how it points out that missionaries should look for their eternal companion when they get home also we should be praying for an amazing companion to come into our lives... I gave Elder Andrews a hard time with that because he goes home in 30 days. I keep telling him to start getting referrals and finding potential investigators. He thinks it’s funny... sometimes.

Well I have 30 days and then I’ll be out of Paisley most likely... Because I’ll be done being trained and also there is no way I’m becoming a zone leader.... That would BITE.

I love all of you so much. Thanks for everything.

Love Elder Penman

 Look forward to the things that will be, not at things that used to be.

Bearing Pains and Afflictions

Well, this week was pretty slow at first. We were teaching people and finding a lot. I am finally getting to that point where it feels natural to live by the Holy Ghost and to be a missionary. I love it out here. I feel true happiness and joy from helping everyone. I am so glad I learned how to love everyone when I was young. It is truly easier to get along with companions and to get along with investigators.

Well, my new companion is Elder DeVries along with Elder Andrews (Elder Benesch was transferred to Ireland). Elder DeVries looks like Hawk Eye from the Avengers movie, it’s awesome. He plays a banjo and is good at a lot of instruments. He is from the great white country of Canada. So it’s funny when people say, “oh, Mormons are from the states” and he says, “no, I’m from Canada.” I love the shock they have after that.

The end of last week and the beginning of this week have been the craziest couple of days of my life. I have talked a lady out of suicide long enough for my companion to call the police and for them to get to her house. It took over 2 hours. That’s something I did not expect to have to do. That takes a lot of emotional stress to be calm under situations like that. I know I couldn't have done that without Jesus’ and God’s help. I probably would have had a mental break down, but I didn't feel any stress until after. Then I was exhausted and ready for bed. Then the day after, my companion hurt his ankle and like 30 minutes after that, this lady on a park bench had a seizure and was falling off the park bench. Someone called for an ambulance while we put her on the park bench and held her head. All this stuff is crazy. I never imagined helping to save 3 people.  Then we finished the night off by waiting in a hospital to see if Elder DeVries' ankle was ok. It was only really badly pulled muscles, so I massaged his quad and calf to help and he was able to walk the next day. It was funny Elder DeVries told me I was the devil for giving a massage but an angel for helping. But I am lucky to have been there to help. I am glad to have gained knowledge of how to be calm in certain situations. Also to use the skills I have learned from doing cross country.

In Alma 7: 11 it says He will come forth bearing pains and afflictions and temptations. Not just pains and afflictions, temptations also. So just like this lady who felt she need to die and kill herself. He felt that and can help you through times when you feel tempted to something you know is wrong. He will help you if you ask.

 

Art: Healing of Blind Man by Brian Jekel

Well, I love all of you. I am so glad for the friends and family I have supporting me. I know you guys are one of the reasons I am able to be out here and keep working hard.

Love, Elder Penman

PS Help everyone around you, you will feel better and so will everyone you help.

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