Thursday, July 31, 2014

July 27th letter

Dear Family and Friends,

Well here I am sefan (again) writing another email home, haha.

Well to start, this week has been a long one. It started with a long P-day and ended with a long Sunday. I am just going to do the highlights of each day.

Tuesday- We went and met with a less-active member named KK, there we are teaching her neighbors and they all really like the gospel message even though the church they currently go to really doesn't like our church, haha the true church for the win! haha. Their names are Fifian, Nono, Viper (but in Chuukese it is pronounced more like Fiper), Fifani they are all really cool.

Wednesday- We had a baptismal interview, the iterviewee's name is Sia and she is late 20's I would guess, and has a little daughter named Sasa and they are in a part-member family where her sister is a member.Sia just hadn't been baptized yet. So she got interviewed and she is already to go to be baptized.

Thursday- We went up to see Jay, and had a super good talk with him and he said he wasn't quite ready for baptism and he isn't sure what he is missing but we have taught him everything that we can. All that is left is for him to "pull the trigger" for lack of better wording. He is ready. But wasn't baptized this past week.

Friday- We went around inviting people to the baptism. We told Sia and her family that we would meet them under a mango tree to head out to the Mwan chapel to the baptism. Everything was set for a good baptism.

Saturday- We wake up and get ready to have our first Baptism in Nantaku. We get all ready then the missionaries truck in Mechitiw  wouldn't start and so Elder Simpson and I had to call the Zone Leaders for help. So the ZL's agree to help us. We head out to the mango tree that we were going to meet Sia and her family at and... Sia wasnt there?!? We asked her sister Meinani where Sia was and Meinani says Sia's mom said she couldn't be baptized because she had already been baptized into the Catholic church!!! What the heck! Oh well we try for next week.

Sunday- We get all ready and head out to walk with Sia and Meinani and their family. So we usually walk up the mountain and walk with the members the half hour to church. When we get to the church and it is kind of quiet which is very unusual because the congregation consists of women and childern and are very loud. haha So we walk up the hill to the church and only one member is in the church and she is from NANTAKU!!!!!  haha But it is okay because we started church an hour late and only had half of our normal congregation. Even so, Sunday was super good. Then went out and taught in the rain it was a great day.

Well gotta go love you guys.

Love,
Elder Jeff Payne

Monday, July 21, 2014

Letter to Kristen and Young Women Values in Trukese

Dear Kristen, July, 15, 2014

How's Albuquerque! haha  Sorry, just had to poke a little fun at you every once in a while, haha.  Well you wanted to know a little about the people we are teaching so here you go...  But first a few things I have seen in Chuuk:
1.) Women and teenage girls understand the Gospel better so they are easier to teach.
2.) Most men don't think alot about religion. some work. Some drink, smoke and chew betel nut.
3.) Teenage boys are kind of the same as men and sometimes get in fights.
But that seems like it is the same way anywhere in the world. And that's kind of what I am working with.

On to some of the people who are investigating the church...

I will start with Mackido and Bananas.  Mackido is in her early 30's and live in this cool government building that the government built then left it there.  She and Bananas live there.  Bananas is an 8 year old boy and yes, his name really is Bananas, haha. I think it's awesome!  We are teaching them and if we can get them to church they can be baptized. Both of them like the message of the church.

Well I better let you go and get back to the X-Box, haha! Love you Kris, be good and don't grow up too fast.

Love,
Elder Jeff Payne

Jeff also sent a copy of the Young Women values in Trukese:





WE ARE DAUGHTERS of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him

WE WILL “STAND as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9) as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:

FAITH
DIVINE NATURE
INDIVIDUAL WORTH
KNOWLEDGE
CHOICE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
GOOD WORKS
INTEGRITY
AND VIRTUE

WE BELIEVE
as we come to accept and act upon these values,
WE WILL BE PREPARED
to strengthen home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, receive
the ordinances of the temple, and enjoy the blessings of exaltation

See https://www.lds.org/young-women/personal-progress?lang=eng

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Zone Conference Pictures

Dear Family,                                   July 9, 2014
Well I have been doing super good this week. first though yes I am emailing on a Thursday but it is because the new mission president is here for Zone Conference tomorrow. So p-day (preparation day is when the Elders do laundry, chores, and stuff) is today. So this week has been super good we have been talking to everybody all the time it is really surprising how not awkward it is most of the time haha.  But we have been good and we have been teaching up to 30 people a week and have 11 people on a baptismal date and we are hoping they all come to church so please help us in prayer haha.   Well we didn't do anything for 4th of july.
That state fair parade I marched in during high school was awful. It was cold, I stepped in horse poop the whole way, and my feet hurt aaand we didn't get anything for it, so the whole thing was sonapanap (or a complete waste) haha.
Awww man, Cochiti Lake sounds like it was good and I wish I could go swimming, but oh well I will survive for 18 more months haha.

Well I love you all and pray all the time for ami (or y'all is the closest thing in English).

Love
Elder Jeff Payne

P.S.
Hey dad how come no one told me Jay destroyed his longboard!!!!! hahahahaha I am so proud! haha Sorry I think it is super funny haha can you try and send me some pics?  I want to see the extent of his injuries, and I have some advice for him as well. When you have those, "Aw crap" moments, as we call them, to just bail from your longboard. It is better to bail and try and roll it out than to slide into ant hills haha. Tell jay that I am giving him permission to take the bearings from my longboard and use them haha but the wheels and trucks and deck are still off limit haha.
Love you guys!!

Elder Peck, Elder Payne and Elder Simpson learning from President Zarbock.

The Chuuk Zone - July 2014

President and Sister Zarbock





Tuesday, July 1, 2014

June letters from Chuuk


Combined a few e-mailed letters and one written letter from June.  Also snagged a few photos from Sister Obray's FB page.


Dear Family,                                                           June 30, 2014

Well sounds like it was a good couple of weeks.

It sounds like Jay got the most out of EFY this year and it sounds like he had a really soul searching experience as well (and how many numbers did he get this year! hahaha).

And sometimes it is really difficult to see the blessings of certain situations, haha, trust me I know. But ultimately it will be for our benefit all we can do is take it one step at a time and stop every little while and look and see if what we are doing is what the Lord wants us to be doing because  things happen for strange, unknown reasons that will present themselves in the future.

Thank you for the Harrison's address! I have needed some variety in stories ;) haha no offense

That is super cool about Sister Berger's sister haha. Luckily I am not crossing rivers all day, just sliding around in the mud haha.  While we are on the subject how are the Bergers doing? How is early morning seminary going this year? haha I remember those tired mornings well, haha. But I also remember the things I learned (most of them) and looking back I am glad I went all the time because I learned the stories and the spiritual backdrop to them as well.  It helped that I had the best teachers in the world! (Sister Harrison and Sister Berger!!!)

Love
Elder Jeff Payne



Dad,                                                                      June 30, 2014
Hahaha, sorry for no written letter last week.  I sent a letter just the other day. Oh and I just got the other SD card today.  I noticed it was sent a while ago *use sidie pwata* (I dont know why) it took so long to get to my hands.  I will send the one I have now as soon as possible.  I am doing fine and I don't know the new mission president yet.  We don't get to meet him till next week, haha, because he lives 600 miles away.  We only see him once every 3 months.  I will let him know to keep up the FaceBook page.  I am pretty sure he will but I will let him know anyway, haha.
Love you Dad!

Letter received via regular mail

Dear Family,                                                            June 26, 2014

I hope everything is going well for you guys!

Mom and Dad - How's work going?  How are Jay and Kris doing?  Are there any new crazy fun things you have done?  Is my car still in front of the house, ha ha.

Jay - How are things going? Have you gotten a job yet you old fart, ha ha.  How did EFY go?  I want details, not just "it was good".  Any fun new games come out?  If you get a job you can buy your own X-Box One, ha ha.  Do you have any cool longboard stuff now?  If you want, you can have the bearings out of my board, ha ha.

Kristen - How are things going with you?  How is soccer training going or was it volleyball... shoot Va menuki (I forget) ha ha, sorry. How is Cocoa doing?  You should e-mail me a video of Cocoa doing something, ha ha.  I kind of miss that dog, only a little!  Hey Kris I haven't gotten a letter from you in a while or any pictures either, What the heck!

Hey tell the Shingles to write me.  I miss hearing their adventures, ha ha.  And tell Dan and Rochell and the kids to write me.  Speaking of which, did they sell their house and have moved yet?  If so, send me their address so I can write them.  Do you guys know what Dalton's plans was?  When you guys see Carrie and Marlin, ask Kelly if she ever got my letter.  I sent it a long time ago.  Then tell them to email me.  How is Ian doing? Tell him to email me.

I know with out a doubt that the Ewe Mwichenfenin Jises Kraist ren Aramas mi Pin non Fansoun Soponon mi ennet me Wa Sinei pwan Joseph Smith i emon soufosun Kot me Va fakun sinei ewe Puken Mormen ni ennet me Ewe Puken Mormon mi pwan eu Kapasen Pwarata ugun Jises Kraist.  Va Sinei, apw Va fakun senei Kot me Jises Kraist, ra tongei Kich, va fakun tongei kich!  Va apasa ekkei motoch fan itan Jises Kraist, Amen.

I love you guys and always pray for you all the time.

Love,
Elder Jeff Payne


June 15, 2014

Hey, I did get the jacket and shoes you sent, but one of the instant breakfast packets opened and made a big mess in the box. I am super grateful for everything that has been sent.  Tell Jay to have a super good time at EFY and to meet tons of girls and get ALL THE NUMBERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also go for and look for the spiritual experiences as well because those are what you will remember and will influence you the most, haha, unless the girl lives in New Mexico then you might remember her but really remember the Spirit.
Love you guys,

Love,
Elder Jeff Payne

The Chuuk missionaries seeing Elder Obray off.

Jeff at the Chuuk airport.

Sister Obray posted this picture of the Spam aisle in the grocery store.
Jeff wasn't kidding that they use a lot of Spam!