Visit to the doctor

Letter sent by regular mail - dated March 9, 2014

Dear family,

Well first I want to say sorry for not e-mailing last week, the Internet was down all day Monday so hopefully it will be up tomorrow.  If it is you will hear from me, if not, I'm not dead Mom so don't worry.

And in other news.  Not much has been happening out here in Chuuk.  Wichap is a very difficult area because everyone who want's to hear the Gospel has and now no one really wants to hear the message we have except for Mr. A.  So I don't know what we will do once he gets baptized if we can't find any new investigators.  But best not to worry about it right now.

Oh another interesting thing is Friday (the 7th) I woke up with this super weird rash that just itches like crazy.  I first noticed it that morning when I went to take a shower.  I took off my shirt and noticed some red bumps on my chest and I was like, "What the heck?".  So I turn to look on my back and it is all over my back and butt.  So after my cold shower I go in and tell Elder Peck.  Ha ha.  He looks and says, "You're becoming a Chuuk Elder!", because this is my first strange rash, ha ha.  No then he says let let it go for today then we can call the Zone Leaders and see what they want us to do.  Well, we call them and they say that they are going to take Elder Simpson to the hospital anyway and they will come pick us up.  Well, they pick us up and we head over to the hospital and I am scared out of my mind because I have seen the rest of poor Chuuk and am wondering what the hospital will be like.  What I am imagining is an old, rusty, 1800's hospital where all the equipment is archaic and barely working like you would see in some horror film. Then we get there and the place is empty, completely devoid of human life and we have to yell to get someone to the front desk. The lady tells us to go to the Emergency Room, so we walk down this hallway and turn left (and this is all about 8:30pm and that's when a lot of the hospital closes) and we are walking toward this large door and through the window on the door it is just completely dark except for the... wait for it... flickering fluorescent light!  I nearly wet myself.  Luckily Elder Obray turns and opens another door to our left and we walk in and there is a doctor sitting in the ER.  He looks and asks in English, "What's wrong?".  So we tell him and he looks for a second at my back and says it looks like the beginning of a skin infection and prescribes me some antibiotics ans some anti-itch cream.  He leaves the room for a little bit and comes back to tell me that I have to come back on Monday to get my medicine.  Now here I am Sunday night trying not to itch my brains out and just all together being driven insane by it.  But unfortunately it has gotten worse and spread to my thighs.  So tomorrow morning we are going to drive straight to the hospital and tell them that it has gotten worse and we will see from there.  But all in all if I am dying I will call you guys and talk to you one last time...  But it probably wont come to that because if it gets worse from there they will fly me to Guam where they have a really good hospital. Plus I am assured that I won't die because in my Patriarchal Blessing it says I will get married, ha ha.  Also because Alma and the Sons of Mosiah were promised that even though they would be afflicted with all manner of afflictions but that they would not die.  So both you and it can take comfort in.

Well I will wrap it up with a testimony of prayer.  Our only true is trying to quit smoking and we told him that every time he has the urge to smoke that he should pray and ask if Christ would take that urge away from him, and it is, it truly is because he is asking in full faith that Christ, our savior and redeemer, will take that urge from him. So to all that are struggling  whether it be addiction or pain or you just want to talk to someone who truly knows what we are going through, get on you knees and pray with your whole soul, in faith, Christ will help you.  I know these things to be true, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Remember Christ is always there and his angels are on your right hand and your left.  Never forget that!

Love,
Elder Jeff Payne

More about Chuuk and Wichap

Letter sent by regular mail, dated February 28, 2014

Dear Mom, Dad, Kris + Jay

Well its raining again here in Chuuk, but it has rained pretty much everyday for 2 weeks now + its harder to go out proselyting when its raining because people here just sleep when it rains and  when they aren't sleeping they don't want to let us into their houses because our feet are all muddy, so Elder Peck + I try to wait until it stops raining. But oh well, it always stops eventually.  Anywho, my week has been good, nothing interesting going on here in good ol' Wichap.  We are teaching some people (it's hard because pretty much everyone who has wanted to hear the Gospel has, so we only have a few investigators + the rest are less active members.  One of our investigators is super cool and is liking the Gospel but is having a hard time coming to church because it is a long walk to get to the mwichefen (church in Chuukese, pronounced mwee-chee-fen).

So let me tell you about more about this hot, humid, tropical paradise that I am in.  So to start the State of Chuuk is super, super poor. Basically the only income is tourism and there isn't a lot of that either. The only attraction there is that there was a WWII battle that happened here so there are a bunch of ship wrecks and airplane wrecks out in the lagoon that people can dive to but other than there is absolutely nothing interesting in the Chuuk Lagoon.

So with tourism being the only income and the only thing people have to pay for is electricity (so a lot of people don't have that) not very many people have jobs.  But they also don't need a job because if they are smart they will grow their own food.  Ha ha, even our branch president doesn't have a job.

Now to Elder Payne with the weather...   Well it stays a balmy 80 degrees year round with about 80 percent humidity and it looks like we have a 300% chance of rain today.  But the good news is that number is lower than it has been in the last couple of weeks, ha ha ha.  Other than that not much change in the weather this week.

Back to you Elder Payne...

Well just want you guys to know that I love you all and hope that you all learn to love the Church and understand its teachings.  I have an assignment (Yay, homework!!).  I want each of you, on your own, then  as a family, read and discuss the first paragraph and the last 2 of the introduction to the Book of Mormon.  Then read Moroni 10:3-5 and try it, really try it.  Even when we grow up in the church we still need our own testimony of the truth, otherwise people can dispute everything we say.  On page 199 of Preach My Gospel it states, "People may sometimes intellectually question what you teach, but it is difficult  (but I wrote in, impossible, instead of difficult) to question a sincere, heartfelt testimony."  Now I want a full report from each one of you on how this went.  Now I can't grade you on this because it is a very personal thing to do, but this will help you stay 'petchik coon' (ha ha that's 'strong') in the Gospel anytime you feel like your testimony is questioned. Go and do this activity again and re-strengthen your testimony.  And I want a good 5 sentence paragraph or more when you report. (Yes Jay, I'm looking at you!  ha ha).  But in all seriousness this will help you personally make decisions that others, without a testimony, struggle greatly with.  A testimony, even a simple one, is one of the greatest gifts God has given us.  Ok, I will really actually wrap this up this time.

I love you Jay, I love you Kristen, I love you Dad and I love you Mom.  Stay strong and loyal to one another and never give up on one another, EVER!!!!

Well, love you guys bunches,

Elder Jeff Payne

P.S. The mosquitoes are bug-spray resistant!

Pictures of Elder Payne with his zone.

President Mecham posted some great pictures of Jeff on the Mission FaceBook page.  I copied them to Jeff's blog so the friends and family could see them too.

Great looking group of Elders enjoying a meal with Jeff.

Elder and Sister Crisp. They are taking great care of our Elders in Chuuk Zone.

Elder Peck and Elder Payne.  Elder Peck is Jeff's trainer in Chuuk.

That's an awfully small boat... look how far the other islands are!

Thank you President Mecham for keeping FaceBook up to date.

Request for testimonies

Hey well I don't have much time.

So sorry for not emailing last week. The internet in the Mwan was down so no one got to email. So no one freak out I am not dead, I am still alive and well.  Just have a funky rash that I explained in a letter that I am sending today.

I received the valentines day package and am thoroughly enjoying the wonderful cookies that you sent.

Super, sad to hear about Snowball. I can't load the picture that dad sent but I will look forward to seeing her grave when I go home in 2 years.

Well I went to my first Chuukese funeral the other day. One of my Elder Peck's recent converts died. So these funerals go on for like 2 weeks and the family and friends cry really loud. You go and pay a dollar to the family for the viewing.  Sometimes the body stays in the warm, humid, house for like 2 weeks or more.  They then bury the body and fill the hole with concrete.

In other news our one and only progressing investigator A. is going to be baptized on the 22nd (can I get a hip hip hurray). 

Well have to wrap it up and want to encourage you guys to go and read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and then Moroni 10:3-5. Pray about the Book of Mormon even when you have grown up in the church.  You need to go and do this for yourselves because it will encourage and inspire the people here to go and share the gospel with all those that they know!

So now, I want a paragraph report and testimony that I will try and read to them next week. I would also like a handwritten letter as well that I can share with my investigators. I know that a testimony is a very personal thing and if you don't want me sharing it just tell me in your letter and I promise I won't share it!!!! Haha but seriously I want at least a paragraph from each one of you guys. Then go and do this every time you feel that your testimony is questioned or shaken.

Hey well love you guys and want the very best for each and every one of you,

Love Elder Jeff Payne

February 23, 2014 Letter

Hey Everyone,

Well its good to hear from you guys, and I can definetly send pictures this time, last week the computer didn't have enough memory for the pictures so I got on a different computer and can send pictures, so I will get those sent after this email.

Well This week and last as well were quite eventful. Our house here in Wichap got broken into while we were gone to zone conference and we lost a bunch of stuff. But the good news is that some of the local guys went a caught the guy who is always breaking into houses and he is (at the moment) in jail. I am praying that it stays that way because Chuukese justice system is super weird and sometimes they only spend 2 days in jail then say they are sorry and go back to doing what they were before.  So we will see what happens.  But so basically Elder Peck and I had to buy a lot of food on not a lot of money because the kid stole a lot of it. 

Ohh and it has been raining all week I am very wet and soggy haha.

We are doing good. We are doing a lot of work with the less-active members here in Wichap because everyone that wants to hear the Gospel and be baptized pretty much has been, so Elder Peck and I are working on bringing old members back into the church and they are helping us to find new people to teach as well.

Well I will wrap it up now by saying to everyone; HELP THE MISSIONARIES!!!!!! There are only 2 of them to cover a lot of area, they can not do it without the members help.  There is a great section on it in Preach My Gospel page 160 (there is a reason why it is available to everyone not just missionaries ;) ). My favorite part is the quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley:

"So many of us look upon missionary work as simply tracting.  Everyone who is familiar with this work knows there is a better way.  That way is through the members of the Church.  Whenever there is a member who introduces an investigator, there is an immediate support system.  The member bears testimony of the truth of the work.  He is anxious for the happiness of his or her investigator friend.  He or she becomes excited as that friend makes progress in learning the gospel." 

You guys can read the rest in Preach My Gospel. I gotta wrap it up.  Just know that I love you all and I want the very best for all of you guys!

With soggy love,
Elder Jeff Payne

(sorry to report - but no pictures were sent with this letter from Jeff).

All about food in Chuuk - Feb 16, 2014

Dear Everyone,

Well this is going to be the 'answer questions I have received from you guys back home' email, haha.

Hopefully I can get the general ones answered.

1st - The plane flight. I flew from Salt Lake to LA, then from LA to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Guam.
What did i think of flying?  It certainly wasn't a bad experience, it felt like a long car ride with a whole bunch of people.  I was flying for my first time and I was all by my self!! No other missionaries on that plane!!

2nd - What island am I on?  I AM ON CHUUK NOT GUAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I am on the island of Weno.

3rd - What food have I tried? I don't guarantee that all are spelled correctly!!!!!  Most food they just boil
and/or mash up and usually doesn't have much of a flavor. I have had Puda, which is a large root or potato.
Tapioke, which is another root that they boil and mash. Dog (yes I have had dog) it is kind of tough and stringy here in Chuuk but other than that it doesn't taste like anything really.   Mai or bread fruit, is a fruit that grows every where and again they just boil and mash it. Nu or coconut (this is my favorite).

  Now for the Chuuk Zone Classic (Jace and Moms everywhare, this is for your recipe books). You make rice for however many people you are feeding, then make enough Raman for however many people, then add some sort of meat (or we call it Sedi here - SPAM is the referred sedi) and you just fry it, then you put it all on a big platter and then - the best part - you eat it with your fingers! haha No utensils required hahahaqhaha.  And there it is folks the Chuuk Zone Classic, the best meal a poor college kid or any other person could want!

So i think that Answers the general questions people would have, if there are others just send them over and I will try and answer them!

Well better end this email so my dad isn't up to late putting this on my blog, haha.

Love for everyone,
Elder Jeff Payne

Pictures of Jeff at Chuuk Zone Conference

Here is the whole zone:

Jeff is right in the middle.

Elder Jeff Payne, Elder Peck and the Crisps celebrated birthdays!

Elder Jeff Payne studying the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks to President Mecham for posting these.

Letter from February 10, 2014

Dear Everyone,
Well It has been a good week and no Mom I have not received the box yet. So to answer some questions, our little chapel does not have a font it is just big enough.

So the guy that we were going to baptize pushed the date back to this coming Saturday, so... Well a little about him, we call him Papa G, he is about 73 years old, and that is super old for a Chuukese person, but thats only because their lifestyle is super hard on their bodies and lives.  He is super solid in the church he has been living the Word of Wisdom since he was young because "he could see the difference" in his life and his other friends lives. So now he is old but he really wants to be baptized so we are excited.


Hey all of you that might end up reading this, I want all of you guys to go and read and study the Book of Mormon in line with the Bible and it will bless your lives so greatly because they give us the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This will bless you and all of those around you. Keep reading and living the Gospel.  I testify of the Truth of the Gospel and the dangerous power of the Adversary (this sounds awful but i am going somewhere with this), because he does have real power in this awful world that he controls. But when we believe and stand firm upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ we can withstand all that Satan throws at us, and when we are wounded it can be healed through the Atonement of Jesus the Christ who is our Lord and Savior and the Redeemer of the whole world.

With Love and Respect,
Elder Jeff Payne

First Zone Conference and Chocolate Cake

Hey so my week is doing a lot better my stomach isn't bothering me a whole lot as long as I try to avoid eating this Chuukese food. It is basically anything boiled or mashed then served, oh and it is always super bland. 

We have all of the "outer island" missionaries here on Weno for a zone meeting and there are only 3 computers that we can use so it is super hard to get a computer haha the only way I am on now is that a bunch of the other guys went to go play basket ball.  hey its okay about the package as long as it gets here I will be fine. 

Yeah that first chapter of PMG is great its super important to have good relationships with everyone
because the first time you meet that is how they will perceive you and if you gave a good impression you need to keep holding that so they know that that was the real you.

I love you guys too and let everyone know that as well!

Make sure that Kris and jay keep emailing and writing its nice to get letters cause I don't have to wait for people to get off them to read them haha. Tell Kris that I loved her letter and that it almost made me cry (her picture that she drew is super legit tell her to keep improving)

With all the love one can muster,
Elder Jeff Payne


Jeff's first zone conference.  All the missionaries in his zone were brought to Moen.  Jeff and his companion Elder Peck are bottom left. Sister Crisp made them chocolate cake (Jeff is loving her, I'm sure!) The Crisp's update

Wichap

Hey all the everyone,
Well it was another week here on the island of Weno in Chuuk lagoon! 

It was altogether an alright week, me and my companion haven't gotten very far with our investigators but that because here in Chuuk the people think that as long as you worship god it doesn't matter what church you are part of or how you worship so it makes it very difficult to teach them about the true church.  We are definitely going to have a baptism on the 8th (haha that's my birthday but the investigator wont pick me to baptize him because I haven't been able to say anything to him). 

Well church in Wichap is super depressing because like 20 people ever show up, none of them investigators, and rarely will the people who are set up to give talks show up!  So we went and had a super long talk with the branch president, because he is super bummed out about the branch and came up with that Elder Peck and I will start doing a ton of service in the hopes that it will get people to come to church. but we will see what happens. 

I have the runs something fierce right now its awful. I have to get up out of bed about every hour to let everything out then try to get back to bed.  Apparently that is what Chuukese food does to your stomach and it just never gets used to it so we will see what happens.

Well I hope everything is going well at home and email me some pictures of the family and stuff like that.  And let me know how everything is going and how everyone is doing because I miss everyone so much.  Well better wrap it up others are waiting for the computers now.
With all love
Elder Jeff Payne

Mail, Apartment, and Sick...

I have everything I need so far.  The letters you sent haven’t come yet.  The zone leaders have it so we just need to go over to their house and get it all.  I’m super excited to get my birthday package.  Oh and one other thing is don’t send fragile things because Chuuk mail is super rough on boxes. 

 
Oh and that’s another thing right now I am in the state of Chuuk on the island of Weno and my house is in the town of Wichap (so you guys can show everyone where I am on the globe haha).

I met the Crisps the other day.  They were like ahhh you know about Ramah.  We had a good time talking about it.

My house is a little place right next to the Wichap church building.  It has a kitchen, bathroom, and one air conditioned room about the size of the TV room back home that has no windows.  This is where we sleep, eat, study and occasionally play chess.  Elder Peck is super cool.  He know Chuukese super well and is doing almost all of the talking.  I can only say hi my name is Elder Payne, I am from New Mexico.

How we get mail is it gets sent to the Chuuk post office and our zone leaders go and pick it up and hold it till Monday when we come in for pday.  I get to check emails every Monday in the Mwan chapel (haha me and my companion live a good hour walk from Wichap to Mwan). So it takes letters and packages about 2 weeksish to get to us.  I very much look forward to getting letters and packages though.

It hasn’t rained a lot because they have been having this dry spell.  But it is still super humid and rains more than has in a New Mexico year.  I’ve been sick from the food and worrying about filtered water all the time is hard but oh well.

Love you all and I look forward to the letters and packages.  Here’s a fun picture of where I am.

Elder Jeff Payne

Elder and Sister Crisp

As we looked for other Micronesia Guam missionary blogs, we came across the site below. The missionary couple posted a picture of Elder Payne, fresh from Guam (on the left). He looks great!

Elder and Sister Crisp's Site. The Crisps are CES Missionaries.  They give critical help to the local schools and aid the young missionaries.