Lumberton, North Carolina - September 19

Hey! How has everyone's week been? I can't believe that in two weeks it will be October! Where is the time going?!?! This week has been pretty good. I officially finished my first full week of biking on the mission. Let's just say I am extremely tired and sore!

Even though we were on bikes this week, we were still able to do a lot of good. Now that I am fully adjusted to the area, I feel a lot better! This week, we have been able to find a lot of great people to teach!! Now, we just need to find people that are ready to progress!! We have started teaching a cute little family of 6. It is a single mom and her five kids and they are so cute!! They were supposed to come to church this week, but they didn't. So, we are going to figure out why tomorrow. We are still trying to work hard with the ward here and help change their views on missionary work. We did have a family come up to us on Sunday and invite us to dinner this week!! It was great especially since we have been feeling like we need to meet with them and get a referral from them.

This week, I re-read the Ricciardi Letter. Sister Flinders introduced me to this letter and it is a very powerful letter!! My favorite part of this letter is the last experience he shares called The Prayer Room. He shares a very powerful experience that he had as he was serving in a very difficult area. After having little success and struggling with understanding his purpose there, he prayed to Heavenly Father to help know what he was supposed to do. He prayed for almost 45 minutes!! In response to his prayer he heard the message: "Elder Humphrey, I am here. I know who you are. I sent you to those neighborhoods, the very ones where you experienced nothing but rejection. I prompted your changes in direction to even more difficult neighborhoods. I know where each of the elect in your area resides. I know their name. I could send you to those addresses only, and save you the time and sacrifice looking for them. BUT ELDER HUMPHREY, WHAT GOOD WOULD THAT SERVE YOU? The mission experience is to do what you are told, when you are told, to go where you are asked, and know that the blessing comes from enduring what I ask of you. This is not about you; it's about opening your mouth at all times in all places. Doing my will without thought to the end result or consequence...this is what serving a mission is." Just like missions, life isn't meant to be easy. If life didn't have it's struggles, it would do us no good. 

At the end of the Ricciardi letter, he shares this quote from CS Lewis, "We can say we believe in Christ as we believe in the sun at noon day, not that we can see it, but that by it, we can see everything else." He goes on to say "Even as I write this, I am looking out my kitchen window, I see the trees swaying, I see grass and flowers, but I don't see the sun. However, it is the light of the sun that allows me to see what I see, and that is how I know the sun exists. The existence of the Son of God has that same value to us, as CS Lewis put so well, it is because we can see at all that we know Christ lives." I know that Jesus Christ lives. He loves each and every one of us!! He paid the price for us so that although we have struggles in life, we can repent, and find joy in the journey!! I love this gospel more than anything else!! I have found no greater joy in my life than sharing that gospel here with the people of North Carolina!!

I love you all so much! Thank you for all of your love and support! Continue to rely on the Savior and find JOY IN THE JOURNEY!!!

Love,

Sister Paynter

PS: Sorry, I have been slacking in the taking pictures department :)