February 25, 2013

From: Jade Swayne <jade.swayne@myldsmail.net>
Subject: Re: BRRRR......
To: "Penny Paxman" <paxmanp@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, February 25, 2013, 12:07 PM

Hey there, snow bunny :)

Sounds cold over there! It has been pretty frigid over here too. The sun is shinning, but the wind is a killer. It's not windy everyday though and on those days it is absolutely perfect :) But on a funny side note, I have good tracting skirts and bad tracting skirts. Basically a good tracting skirt is defined by whether or not it will behave on those windy days. Because sometimes you slap on one of those flowy skirts and you're in a bad spot once that wind picks up! Haha, can you just imagine me trying to wrangle up my long maxi skirt in the wind?! Not going to lie, it's a funny sight!

Buuuuut about that laptop cord. Maybe you can use Jeff or Marie's the next time they come into town. Because mac chargers are NOT cheap. So hold of for a bit...it should be fine for another month.

OH OH! And guess what?! We had a baptism on Saturday :) His name is Brother Jones and what a gem this man and his family are. He has been taught on and off for the past 13 years. For the longest time he was just bashing on the doctrine with the missionaries, I guess. And then he moved into the "ok, this might be true phase". Then the "I'm going to kick you missionaries out if you say something I don't like phase", and just a bunch of different phases.  Until finally, about 2 weeks after being in the area Sister Real decided that we would give him another try. And thanks to the Holy Ghost working His magic I was prompted to extend a baptismal date to Brother Jones. And low and behold, the Spirit was so thick in that room, that he said yes. And now a month, almost two months later, he is now a full fellowshiped member in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints :):):) He always calls me his "soul sista" haha and I love his humor. He makes me laugh sooo hard!

Ah!! This computer timer goes way too fast. And I'm already out of time! But I want you to know that I am so grateful, Mom, for the sacrifices you make so that I can be out here. This truly is a life changing experience. An experience that will bless you, me and the entire family :) 

I think of all of you back home whenever I think that I can't do something. I remember all of the encouragement that has been flown my way through out the years and I am blessed to have the strength to do things that I never thought I could. Nearly all of my companions have commented on my confidence and they wonder where it comes from and I know without a shadow of a doubt that it comes from you and our wonderful Heavenly Father. He is real and we can do anything if he is in our lives :):)

PHOTOS

1- The picture is of Jade and her NEW companion
 
2- The picture came with this letter from the Mission President
 
3- This a letter that Jade's old companion SIS REAL..sent to penny

Monday, February 11, 2013

From: Jade Swayne <jade.swayne@myldsmail.net>
Subject: Re: Howdy
To: "Penny Paxman" <paxmanp@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, February 11, 2013, 1:56 PM

Hey Nihzoni! (that means beautiful in Navajo)

How is life mama? First I want to tell you that I don't think your snooping at all by looking in my bank account. You were actually answering a prompting from the Spirit because I was hoping that you would monitor it for me. I don't use that card very often but it would be nice to know what the status is. So please, any mail that comes from Bank of America feel free to read it. I don't mind. I actually want you to monitor it if you don't mind. Also will you charge my laptop for me. The battery needs a full charge every 6 months :)

Also I'm sorry that I didn't give you details about Sister Real. I don't know where my mind was. But she comes from Idaho and loves pink. She has been out for about 10 months now and goes home in late August. She was trained by Sister Miller and Sister Stewart. She has 2 brothers. One older and one younger. Her younger brother is the reason why she decided to serve, she wants to be a good example to him.

And now my new companion is Sister Hiembigner. what a name, huh? When they announced her I was expecting her to have German accent but in all reality she is from South Jordan Utah. She was an Oakcrest counselor and everybody asked her if she was Indie. AKA Mckenzie! haha! She kind of looks like her....but what do you think? Also, she is one of the younger missionaries. She is 20 years old. Crazy!!! You can tell a difference between the older sisters and the younger sisters. The younger ones....I don't know how to define them just yet. But there is definitely a difference.

That's really nice that President Batt sent you a picture. The mission is so considerate. Love them.

oh and before I forget! can you send me some more hair stuff and some of that facewash stuff in the orange bottles?....all this training and such is making me break out! haha! Also I did get the pictures of your little ones :) they ARE adorable!! Hope you aren't sick anymore....tis the season for everybody to get sick. Sister Hiembigner seems to be a victim of MTC illness still.

It kills me how fast my e-mail time goes by!!! In a nut shell we have a baptism this coming Saturday! We talked a women out of suicide three weeks ago and she came to church yesterday!! These past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. And the mission is going by way to fast.....

But mama....how are you? really? I miss being able to see you and know whether you're ok or not...but I love you and hope you know that your e-mail is one of the major high lights of my week.

February 4, 201

From: Jade Swayne <jade.swayne@myldsmail.net>
Subject: Re: Happy Spring!
To: "Penny Paxman" <paxmanp@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, February 4, 2013, 1:51 PM

Why Hellllllllloooo everybody :)

Hope this letter finds all of you happy and well. 2013 has been excellent thus far and I pray that it's the same for all of you.
Before I get into the details of Sister life I want to give a shout out to Patricia Vance and want to ask her if she'll go on a cafe rio date with me?..Yes, no, maybe so?

I received the most wonderful letter this past week from my BYU room mate, KT. I can't even begin to express how much that letter means to me. I think I have it...yep! I have it
right here in my bag. I carry it everywhere with me just for those times that I need a little pick me up. This letter was just perfect...it made me laugh, it made me think and it made me happy...so thank you so much, Lil Miss Almond Milk. You seriously made my week so much better :) and you can expect a worth while letter here in the next few weeks.

Next item of business. I received a phone call from President Batt this past Saturday. And guess what? I have been called to train a new missionary!....haha I was so surprised! I mean, in my eyes I still feel too new to be a trainer, but I guess the Lord, as always, thinks I can do a little more than I think I can. So please, I'm going to need a lot of prayers. I don't want to ruin this missionary..

Also this week has been banana's! I have never been so upset with an investigator as I was this past week. I basically shaved her head and walked out the door. Shaved their head is a term Sister Stewart and I came up with. It means to kick them in the pants and tell them that they need to shape up or Satan is going to snatch them up! Basically it means to be bold in declaring the Gospel. And wow was I pumped full of adrenaline after that episode. I was all shaky, cold and could not control my sweaty-pit-reaction. I was just....I was just done that night. And the funny part is that the women thanked me for being so blunt and bold with her. But also said that she never wants to see me like that again. I didn't reply to much all I told her is that she needs to stop saying that "she'll try to come to church. she needs to come or not."  I was just not in the mood for her endless list of excuses...

It was a side of myself that I'd never seen before. But it felt good. It felt like I was doing exactly what I was sent on this mission to do. I will be nice until I see that somebody wants to waster not my time but the Lords time with their endless list of excuses as to why they cannot come to church and read at least one section of the Book of Mormon. It just kills me that downloading games on the Iphone take priority over a persons salvation....it is absolutely killing me to see the way technology, media and other junk keeps people from realizing truth.

But ok, I've got 20 seconds. talk to you next week

Love all of you more than words can say


:): 

On Sun, Feb 3, 2013 at 10:08 PM, Penny Paxman <paxmanp@yahoo.com> wrote:

Can you believe they are already pulling out the ground hog for Spring?   Any way... I had a truly amazing thing happen this weekend... all because of that stupid car you talked me into buying for $700.00...   Maxie was not running and Ralph, Jacks bro, worked on her for 2 weeks straight... in the cold... i put $400.00 into her ... she ran ok... but then quit.... Ralph told me there there was nothing else he could do...   I was sad ... Gordy said come get this "piece of *(*(*()* " out of here...   I called Pull Apart Auto and they offered me $350.00 for Maxie.... so I was making arrangements for them to come pick her up for parts....     Well... Gordy decided to charge the battery in the meantime... and now.................     MAXIE IS RUNNING LIKE A CHAMP!!!    All of Ralph's hard work is showing..... just the battery .... Mitch just picked her back up so he can drive her to school....    So my point is .... just because someone is ugly on the outside and everyone else has given on them..... they have something inside that is not ready to give up.... Maxie is from 1992 and has 215,0000 + miles but she is not ready to go to the junk yard!    So while you are out teaching this week... of all things... remember Maxie... she is not willing to give up!  and you should not either!  Everyone has something valuable inside!        Last Tuesday, Grandma fell in the parking lot at the temple and broke her arm... and get this... they went to get a hamburger first and then went to the emergency room!   She has an apt tomorrow with a surgeon as they think surgery is needed... Grandpa has been getting her dressed... except for the bra... funny!!      LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU!!!!     MAXIE ROCKS!!     Mom !!!