Family and Friends!! I hope you all had a wonderful week! I can't believe how fast the weeks are going by these days. This week has been a really great week! We have been tested and tried, but have kept working hard and have seen wonderful little miracles come from it!
The Oxendine family is doing well! Again.....they missed sacrament meeting.....so now they are getting baptized May 13. Last night, we made all them make up their own contracts and sign them promising that they will be at church by 8:45 next Sunday.
They are seriously such an amazing family. The mother hasn't chewed
tobacco in over a week now and the father is going on week 3 of not
smoking! This family has changed so much since the first time I met
them!! Every time we teach them, they soak it all up and just fall more
and more in love with what we are teaching them. They also love the Book
of Mormon. They have all been reading it and really enjoy it! We are
even finding more wonderful people to teach through the Oxendine's!! We
are now teaching almost all of their children and even some of their
grandchildren!! It's been amazing!!
On Saturday,
we had the opportunity to go see my two favorite hooligans in Lumberton
get baptized.....Tracy and Tony!!!!! Seeing them enter the waters of
baptism has been one of the greatest blessings I have been able to
witness on my mission. They both just seemed so happy and glowing!!
After they were baptized, they both bore their testimonies. Tony talked
about how the Church has changed him. He talked about how he is happier
and a better person because of the things that he has learned and is now
living. Tracy also talked about the change this message has brought to
her. She suffers from a lot of anxiety and since she has been reading
the Book of Mormon and going to church, she has had more confidence in
herself and feels so much more at peace!!! Through out the entire
program, I couldn't help but get emotional about how much I love being
missionary! I sat there thinking about all the amazing people I have met
and watched change and I just cried. I am not ready for all of this to
end. Seeing people change on my mission has been the most rewarding
experience of my life!!! I have learned so much about the Atonement of
Jesus Christ. I know that Christ's Atonement is the single greatest
blessing to have been given to each and every one of God's children.
Without Christ's Atonement, I would be nowhere. There would be no
purpose to life. Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I would not be
where I am at today. Learning about and applying the Atonement of Jesus
Christ on my mission has changed me into something I could never repay
my Heavenly Father!! I love this work so much!!! I am excited to see
what the next 2 months brings. I just hope that I can continue to give
the Lord all that I have and continue to be change through His
Atonement!!
I love you all so much!!! Thank you
to everyone who has supported me in my decision to serve. Thank you to
everyone who has helped me get to where I am today!! I don't think I
could ever repay you for the amazing experience I have been able to have
out here!!! I love and miss you all!!! Have a wonderful week!!
Love,
Sister Paynter
Tracy and Tony's Baptism!!!!!
Hi Sister Paynter, your letter and how you feel about the people you helped learn about the gospel is so typical of some one who is really having her and his mission go through their heart. Good for you Meghan. I look forward to see you in July and see your face and eyes as you tell me about your mission in person! It is going to be 80 degrees tomorrow, hot dog, I will sit on the back steps and just enjoy it. You get to call home on Sunday, good for you and your parents. Love you Honey. Grandma Paynter.
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