April 20, 2015--Hello Mommy

Hello, my laundry-doing, dinner-cooking, love-giving, hard-working mother!

Elder Marianus was from a member family :) I think it's really cool how I'm with him again!

President Donald did many things. He both called us to repent, inspired us, challenged us, and even dared us. He dared us to break records in this mission for the most baptisms ever in the whole history of the Indonesian mission. He also called us to be more obedient. "Obedience is the price" and if we're not willing to pay that price, we won't get what we want--namely, people converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He encouraged us to work hard and to continue to change the mission culture. The culture right now is rising towards a mission of more obedient missionaries. But, the leaders who took this mission out of the slump it was in before are all going home. So now it's our choice whether we will continue to raise it up or just allow it to fall back down again. And we have to keep going up! In interviews, it's like he is staring straight into your soul. It's kinda scary but really cool at the same time. :)

This week the stake president had a referral for us so we went with him one day and met Mas W. Mas W is super cool, has a wife and one kid, and has been going to church but hasn't permanently aligned himself with any one church yet. He's from the island of Sumatera. I have hopes for him! Our other investigators are doing alright, we're just trying to get them to read and pray which is so hard to do for whatever reason. I still remember how much Brother Holbrook and our other leaders in Teachers' Quorum had to coax us and coach us and reprimand and plead with us to all read from the book of mormon. We did, but it took a lot of committing and failing and recommitting and catching up and repenting. If it took that long for me, I can't expect others to just commit and succeed right away, without any difficulties. That's what I always think of when our investigators struggle. 

We don't have any specific guidelines for when to drop an investigator, but we've just been going by feel and when it seems like they aren't taking any actions for too long we drop 'em and save them for the next set of missionaries who will come along. 

One thing President talked to me about in my interview was that in every teaching opportunity I have, I should always remember to tie things back to the atonement of Jesus Christ. His atonement is what it's all about. The whole purpose we have in becoming missionaries or moms or going to church or trying to become good people or being baptized would be meaningless without His sacrifice. I know that because of what He did for us, in taking upon Himself our sins and hardships, we can be free of all feelings of guilt, sorrow, and pain. We can be forgiven of our sins and become clean. We can be with our families forever. But it's all because of Him. I know that He loves me and that He knows me and died for me. I love Him because of that. Hopefully I can help others' to know that too! Keep up the good work momma and always look for opportunities to share the unique things that you know about Jesus Christ with everyone okay? :)

Love you so so so much!!!!

My lovin-dovin's across the miles,

XOXOXOXOXOOXOXOXOXOXOXXXOOO

Elder Paskett