This is from May 16

¿Cómo han estado por ésta semana¿ Yo espero que todos estén bien. Y que todos estén felices.

I love Spanish haha. I am at the point where it is difficult to write in English. However I am still studying in English. Well the bible I hope that I can finish the old testament by October. So far in my mission I have read the book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price and the New Testament. It was been really cool to immerse myself in the scriptures. I have loved the opportunity to study and really learn about the teaching of the church. To learn the doctrine that I have always said is true. I wish I would have had studied the scriptures better at home. It has helped me become a better person and it has helped me see blessings from my patriarchal blessing come to pass. (That sounds weird but I can’t make it better then that unless it is in Spanish.)

Anyway, we were able to have a baptism this last Sunday. It was so wonderful. I thought that I would leave my area and have to find people again. President has found confidence in me and the zone leaders expect me to be in the zone leader council really soon. I hope not I don’t want anything like that I just want to do my missionary job. It is more fun.

In the baptismal service the ward mission leader started to bear his testimony and what not. The normal. However, he gave a powerful testimony and invited the spirit into the room. After that he invited veronica and Cynthia to bear their testimony. They gave such wonderful testimony I cried. (Thanks mom and dad for the crying gene.) Well ok everyone cried too. It was incredible. They cried as well. Every investigator that had doubts about baptism changed their mind after their testimonies. It was absolutely incredible. We think that we will have 5 or so baptisms this week, and just as many for the next. We really have to work hard in this area but the weird thing is my companion wants to be emergency transferred. He is really really prideful. I hope that he learns while he is still young in the mission and has time to change.

One of our baptisms for this Sunday is named veronica. She only came to church once but the zone leaders told us that they were going to ask president for permission to baptize here this last Sunday. He gave it to us and told us that we had to get the support of the bishop. The bishop was a little nervous and started to pressure us and tell us that we were only baptizing for numbers. I told him that I didn’t feel that way. I told him that we were baptizing her so that the devil doesn’t interrupt or attack her for her decision. My companion was really upset and started to attack the bishop, and the ward mission leader. It was really difficult to fix what he did when he offended the bishop. I think that everything is ok between me and the bishopric. I hope that it stays that way. He is very prideful and keeps saying that he can’t work unless everything is perfect. I welcomed him to life and told him that this work neither life is perfect so deal with it. He got made and told me off. But I got him back and went to bed early well of on time. He doesn’t like it when I do that because he is scared of the dark and being alone. Yeah I think it is funny. We have to sleep with the light on because he panics. I am at the point where I can sleep with anything light dark noise silence fan no fan heat cold whatever.

Well this area is really good. I love the members and I love the investigators. We should have more than 10 baptisms. Yeah I am going to stop complaining about missionary work the lord has prepared people here for me. Even if I just plant seeds (I hope I don’t jynx myself) I will be happy. I love being a missionary. I am finally becoming the person that I should be and learning the lessons of life that i wish I would have learned 10 years back.

Quickly I am going to share what I can remember of the investigators that we have.

The Rodriguez Family: they are a family of 5 or so people laura is the daughter and has her husband she has doubts about baptism but I think that she should get baptized within the next six weeks. The husband came late to the baptism and told us that he felt something different. In the church and that he wants to come next week.

The Valdez Family: they are an incredible family. They have been to church 3 times and the only need to get married. We are going to put a wedding date with them this week and hope that they can be baptized the 29 of May.

Juana: she was a contact in the street. She told us to come by one day in the morning. She accepted a date for the 29 for her baptism. She came to church and the baptismal service. She cried like a baby and told us that if she could we would baptize her this Sunday. I am still thinking about moving her date for this Sunday but I don’t feel 100 percent good about it. I am going to talk with the zone leaders and pray a lot this week.

Cynthia’s mom: has come to church a lot 4 or 5 times. And after the baptism of her daughter she told us that the next Sunday she wants to get baptized. Her daughter is so wonderful. She bore her testimony about the feeling that she had in the water. She bawled and said that it was the most wonderful thing that she had ever felt.

The de la cruz family: they came to the baptism and felt the strong spirit and changed a lot of the doubts that they have had. They know that it is true that families really can be eternal and that they can receive forgiveness of their sins. We hope to have their baptism this week but we haven’t put a date yet.

The Martinez Family: They are a family that we found. They came to church Sunday but had to leave because their son wet his pants. I was a little upset with that but this happen. It is normal. They said yes to baptism but we don’t know if they are married and we don’t have a set date with them.

That is everyone that I can think of right now. I love you all ever so much and hope that you don’t find my letters to boring.

I hope that you all have fun celebrating my birthday tomorrow have a cake and some ice cream but then go and play soccer to work that off haha. I love you all ever so much and I hope that everyone is good. I love you all so much. And of course I pray for you always. I hope that everything is good and well. Take care.

Love Elder Paskett

And here are some pictures of the baptism I will send more next week. My camera doesn’t like me right now.

Ps what happened with the boat is realyl funny only beacause i KNOW that i dont HAve to clean it :) sorry pa have fun with the boys.

This is from May 9

Who would have guessed it? I got transferred. Yeah i was pretty shocked and didnt believe my companion at first. Then i slowly came to a relization that yeah i have to go back to torreon. It is 113 degress here. (i dont want to here complaints that it is hot in Utah ever). My companion is really cool. Guess where he is from? Mexico? Wrong he is from Peru. Im stoked for this transfer Ihear good things about this area and the Ward.

Anyway so do you guys remember gloria from my first area? Probably not. She was someone we found my first week with Elder Guardia. Well anyway she got baptized and her ehusband is getting baptized in a few weeks. It was really excting to hear that news.

My new comps name is elder rodriguez from peru. He has 3 months in the misión and is really stoked to work.

Elder can just about cried when i left. He told me i was the brother he never had. He has only sisters and has always wanted one. He told me that he felt like he was losing family more then he was losing a companion. I didnt realize that i touched his life as much as i did. I feel better about what happened in Durango he has turned around a Little bit and is going to go out with a bang his last six weeks in the misión.

It was really good to talk to you all. I cante ven tell you what a blessing you are in mylife. I have learned so much what my family means to me here in the misión. Before i didnt really love my family like i should and i hope more then anything that you guys can forgive me and let me have another chance to be a good brother and a son. You are all so wonderful. I cant imagine life without you. I hope that al lis well with you and i hope to hear from you all soon. (allí, jon tanner makenna) haha. Im soory that this letter is short i just dont have alot tos ay this Monday.

I will let you all know this new transfer goes i am super exctied. I love you all very much and wish the best for you all. Take care.

Love elder paskett

´

This is from April 18

Hello Family,

How is everyone doing? How is life back in the old world? I hope that all is well as always.

This week was a little bit better. We found and taught a lot of people. However my companion is getting tired and doesn’t like knocking doors like we need to do. So this week we didn’t complete with the contacts that we should do every week. We did however complete with our lesson which isn’t normal.

Fransisca came to church yesterday with her daughter and her niece. They really really liked it especially the girls. They said that they will be back next week. We are hoping that the dad with soften his heart and want to come too. We talk with him each lesson and answer his questions that he has. Fransisca reads everything in the book of Mormon that we leave for her. It is really incredible to finally teach someone like that. She has talked with her mom and her mom wants to get baptized too. We will see what happens come may first.

David and angelica, A young couple that we are teaching. They like the music I do, the movies I do, and motorcycles. Ha-ha. David the other day on Saturday handed me the keys to his motorcycle and told me to go for it………no mom I didn’t do it. David wants to quit smoking and do what is right for his future family. Angelica is pregnant and they aren’t married. We are working with them slowly but surely.

Leli is accepting everything but kind of has a Christian attitude towards everything and keeps saying that all the churches are good we just need to live what is taught. We keep explaining the priesthood but she doesn’t really understand or isn’t listening.

Claudia, let us come by and we have taught her a couple of times. Elder can feels good about her and that she is progressing and I don’t feel that way so much. We will know if she attends church this week usually it is the thing that can make a difference in whether they get baptized or not.

That is about all I can remember right now we have interviews with president tomorrow I am really excited to talk to him about the problems that I am having with missionaries. Hopefully he can give me more advice then be humble because I am trying to do that one and it is hard. Haha. I love you all so much and pray for you often. Take care. And ill write you next week. Love elder paskett

This is from April 11

Hey family,

How is everyone doing this week? I hope all is well and that everyone is healthy and happy.

This week was really interesting. We helped members with service painting houses, cleaning out their storage (which reminded me of home a little bit with how much they had) haha and moving beds and dressers. It was really nice serving. I felt relaxed working and doing something different.

This week we did exchanges with the district leader. I went with his companion who was in fresno with me. I was not happy about this exchange. I did get along very well with him but I knew that I had to grin and bear it. It was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. We found a few new people and worked alright together. I thought that I was lacking in my Spanish skills but when I went with him I realized that I am not the only one who struggles with the language.

Later that day we started knocking doors because we didn’t have anything else to do. We found a man who said his name was jose luis. We started asking questions when he told he was baptized in the church. Ok that’s normal that we find less active members. Then he started to tell us about his life story. He told us he was schizophrenic. He seemed normal. Then he started to tell us that he was really 77 and German, a German prince actually. He told us that when he was 33 his body changed to a baby again and that he was taken here to Durango. He gave us a book he said he wrote about his life story. I have never laughed so hard in my life. I have been reading bits and pieces of the book and laugh. I now know what a how schizophrenic people are. Haha

Lots of members have confidence in us. They are starting to share their problems with us in marriage, or in work. I feel really uncomfortable but I don’t know how to tell them I don’t want to hear their problems. I keep telling them that they should talk with the bishop because really he is the one that can help them.

Slowly but surely we are finding people to teach. One man we found his name is Oswaldo. He has accepted everything and said yes to his baptismal date. Sadly come Sunday he couldn’t come to church. A member asked him to go to “groupo” or Alcoholics Anonymous during church. Boy was I mad. This member is one of the people having troubles in the family and goes to groupo to relax. Oswaldo said he would be in church next Sunday.

Sunday after church we found Francisca. We taught her everything in the restoration and she said yes to baptism. We invited her to church and she told us that she went to a funeral in the church one day and felt peace. She said it is better than the Catholic Church haha. She said she would be in church the next week and that we could come by today to teach a little bit more.

My companion is getting a little tired. I think that he has forgotten how to work. It seems to be a disease for missionaries. When they reach 22 months 23 months they forget that they still have to work. I am trying to push him but I can tell he is living in his home in a sense. People always talk about him going home soon and that he is going to see his family and after talking about them he doesn’t really want to work very hard.

Anyway, that is my situation here things are getting better slowly but surely. I love you all. You are in my prayers.

Jonny I hope that you had a happy birthday. You are getting older and wiser, and hopefully taller. Haha. I love you lots little bro.

Take care everyone. Love

Elder Paskett

This is from April 4

Hey family,

How are you doing? I hope that all is well.

This week I got transferred. I was so distraught. We had so many people who were ready to accept the gospel in torroen and I had to leave. Elder Guardia hopefully sends me pictures of their baptisms.

I got transferred to Durango del Valle, In the ward Jardines. It is not as hot here. It is actually quite nice in the evening, and quite chilly in the morning haha. Apparently it can snow here too. I doubt that it will snow now but it is cool that it gets cold enough for that. Anyway, I am basically opening up this area with my companion Elder Can. They didn’t have anyone in the teaching pool. He has 2 transfers left and is getting tired. I can tell. Also his last companion didn’t want to work at all so really they didn’t. I am really upset having to open the area again but we will see what happens.

Update on what has happened in torreon. Eric was not baptized on Sunday. He drank the Thursday before he is really upset that he made the mistake but he is going to do everything possible to avoid drinking to get baptized. My companion is going to drop Yolanda, Eric’s mom. She can’t find the faith enough to not sell on Sunday. We ask her if she is going to attend church but always says, If the lord helps me sell all my menudo. It is disappointing to hear that we will see what happens when they explain why they are not going to go by anymore.

Alejandro didn’t pass his interview either. He has a ton of doubts that just spilled out in his interview. Why the book of Mormon? Why do we need Prophets? Why Christ is called Jehovah in the Old Testament? So, I don’t know what my companion is going to do with him yet.

Well that is about all that I have to write. I was really sick yesterday. I could hardly work. I called sister clark because I got a little nervous. I didn’t have any energy and the thermometer said I had a temperature of 101.4. I felt miserable. However I got a blessing and a little bit of sleep and feel a lot better. I hope that all is well and I want you to know that I am doing fine. I love you all very much.

Love Elder Paskett

This is from March 28

Hey family,

How is everyone doing? Good I hope. This week was really long but sadly each day didn’t have enough light to do everything that we needed to do. Haha funny huh. This week was really really good. People are progressing rapidly and really seeing the changes they need to make in order to receive the blessings that they need.

Eric, we went over a stop smoking lesson with him. We told him the importance of quitting he asked if he smoked this week and then quit if he could get baptized. We told him that we would have to wait if he smoked. He was really sad when he heard that. He is really trying just can leave it behind as easy as he wants too. That is life. During that lesson we told him if he could do the quit smoking program we would go to Las Pampas. It is a restaurant like the one in Utah where they walk around with swords of meat. We told him the missionaries would pay if he could do it. He seems pretty motivated for this and if baptism also. I am excited for him. P.s. he came to church a week ago. Sadly he worked yesterday and couldn’t come. But he came the week before which is good.

Yolanda, she is making a great change. She is the one that had problems giving up her menudo Sundays. Last week she missed church because she had too much to sell to come to church. Or so she says. We talked about the blessing that come from being a member of the church. We brought a member with us this week and she told her story of her conversion and testified of the importance of the Sabbath day and going to church. Yolanda with this changed how much menudo she made for Sunday so that she could sell and go to church. Now, we want her to leave it all behind but hey progress is progress. J

Alejandro, he is amazing. He reads everything and researches everything in order to really understand everything that he possibly can. He wants to learn and grow. It is awesome. He has a lot of faith. He isn’t afraid to ask questions either. It makes it easy to know what we need to teach in order to help him. He came to church but came late. He was in gospel principles and priesthood and stayed for the baptism that the other missionaries had in the ward. It was really exciting.

We found a family this week. The Hernandez family, the mom is a member and so is her oldest son. Her 3 younger daughters aren’t members and neither is the dad. The girls came to church but the mom didn’t. She said she wasn’t feeling good and thought she shouldn’t go. The girls later told me that she just didn’t want to go. I was a little upset. Everyday I trust people less and less, even the ones that seem so sincere. She told us that she would come next week and that her husband was going to go too. We will see what happens on Sunday. They told us that they wanted us to come by everyday. I think it is because I am a gringo that speaks Spanish (quite well J and yes I am dreaming in Spanish) and I have blue eyes and I am rather dashing. With three girls yeah that is why they said we could come by everyday. Ha-ha. We have only taught them about baptism and part of the plan of salvation. So I will keep you updated on them next time.

I am excited to hear about the progress that you are having in music tanner Jon and Makenna. I regret not learning how to play the piano and practicing for band. I wish that I could be home and listen to your concerts and music and what not. I didn’t love it so much before but really you start missing things your hated when you are on your mission ha-ha. Keep up the good work. Dad, I don’t think it would be a problem if you sent me the video or music to listen to if you can. Not that I doubt you your abilities in being able to send it more like if you have time ha-ha.

Last week in district meeting we talked a lot about progressing as a zone and districts. President is really disappointed with our zone lately so we talked it out. The night before Elder Pedraza and I were talking about the difference between California and México and why we were able to have so much success in a matter of a few months. I got a letter in the mail from the mission in California and the yearly news letter and what not. It blew México out of the water. The assistant attacked me asking me questions and what was it like ha-ha. I translated a bunch of stuff in the letter into Spanish for elder Guti. He was really impressed. But anyway I was talking with Pedraza about a bunch of things and we are applying some of the things that Cali does here in México. And with that we have seen progress within our areas as well as our selves. We all have grown well my companion and I have ha-ha. We are doing exchanges 2 times a week with the zone leaders, mainly because they live with us ha-ha. Anyway in California we took turns teaching investigators. We shared the area so it was easy to do this. We can’t really trade areas here in México but we can do exchanges so that we have four people working with the people. We saw a lot of progress with Eric and Yolanda. The whole zone really likes it and is excited.

Well, there isn’t really anything else new. Exchanges are tomorrow and we find out what is going to happen with everything tomorrow. I think that I am going to stay. President called the zone leaders and they told him that my comp and I are doing work and leading that zone in everything but baptisms but however he told him in April we will probably lead in that too. Ha-ha. We will see what happens. Well that is the update for this week.

I love you all so much. I know that this church is true and that it is a blessing that everyone should look for and one that everyone needs. I love you all so so very much take care.

Love Elder Paskett

This is from March 19

Hey family,

Surprise, it is Saturday. Ha-ha. Well we moved preparation day this week. One of the assistants is finishing his mission the secretary is getting transferred and 3 people had birthdays this month, so Sister Clark, the mission president wife, wanted to have a big party. The offices have their prep day on Saturday because they do a lot of stuff with the church office building which is closed Saturday so they invited the whole zone to come and have a BBQ at the mission home.

Anyway, this week has been really slow. We have only found one knew investigator this week. He is pretty incredible however. The lesson lasted for 20 minutes; he accepted his baptismal date with quickly and asked questions. He was willing to come to church without hesitation and the best part about it was his prayer at the end of the lesson. First off he prayed. That e\never happens that people never want to pray the first lesson. Second he prayed to receive an answer about the book of Mormon about his baptismal date and up Joseph smith. He took notes during the lesson the scriptures we used and everything. It was incredible. We have an appointment with him today so I will give you an update on him next time I write. Transfers are coming up and I expect that I will be transferred out of Torreon. I really don’t want to go but we will see what happens.

We helped a member with her roof this week too. Wow that was the hardest thing I have ever done. They had the flat roof covered with only boards kind of like a deck. Then we hauled buckets of cement up a ladder and dumped it on the roof. I would have never guessed that that is how it is done. Ha-ha. My shoulder back and arms still hurt from hauling 50 60 pound buckets up a ladder. However it was really really fun, a lot easier then missionary work, Ha-ha, Less stressful.

Other than that nothing really exciting happened. I got sun burned. I am getting sick and it is really really really hot, and it is only march we will have to see what June and July are like.

Well I love you all lots. I am sorry that this is short I just don’t have a lot to write about. Yolanda and Eric are progressing hopefully Yolanda is willing to give up selling menudo on Sunday so that she doesn’t miss church. We will see. I don’t know if I told you but we were finally able to get in contact with one of our investigators, Gloria. She is progressing and reading everything we leave her. We should be having a baptism in on the 27 I will send you pictures.

I love you all

Take care

Elder Paskett