March 24, 2015

Dear family,

So, I went to a baptism on Saturday. :) It was for Gary and Debbie. I don't remember if you remember me telling you about them but it was when I was with Elder Petersen and we found them knocking and it was a miracle crazy finding situation thing. So I didn't know until like Wednesday but their baptism was for the Saturday. So we went and it was so cool. :) Elder Petersen and I are still their favorite missionaries even though we hardly taught them. We only found them. I guess I can recap a bit on that. So we were knocking and we knocked on their house and Gary was there and he invited us right in and asked for a blessing because Debbie went into the hospital the night before for heart surgery. her second one. So we gave him a blessing and said we would come back by the end of the week to check up on everything. One thing lead to another and they started taking lessons from the English missionaries but we were always their favorites. :) So Elder Petersen and I both said a prayer during the service and we were the witnesses as well. I traded a tie with Gary too. :) New favorite tie!

Speaking of ties, I made a tie out of yarn for St Patricks day last week. Elder Nanto knits so I knitted one. I'll send a picture sometime. I realized that I didn't have a green tie so I made one. It was pretty fun. :) Not getting into that stuff though, don't worry.

Oh yeah the LA temple today.  It was really nice!  We rode home in one van (7 seats) with 11 people in it.  I had someone laying on me the whole way home.  He weighs 120 pounds so he wasn't too heavy just really bony!  It hurt!  He's new though so he's still got time to fatten up. :) 

They took out the last pin in my finger the other day.  Now it's physical therapy and I still go to the doctor's office on Wednesday.  Insurance has been a mess still naturally but I have kept the receipts if you want me to send them all to you.  I don't know if you can get the money back but maybe we can try.  Sorry it's such a mess.  They haven't really done anything too painful in physical therapy yet.  Mostly just relaxing out the muscles in my finger.  I think the painful stuff will start this week but hopefully if all goes well, I will be done with everything by the end of the week.  My finger is just going to be different for the rest of my life. :)  That's just what you get ya know when you play dodge ball.  Or Satan hates you.  One of those.

Anyway love you!  have a great week!  You're awesome and good luck with everything!

Love,

Elder Passey

March 16, 2015

Hey,

Oh man it sure has warmed up.  So we have entered spring time here.  Weather is at mid to high 90's and I swear we got over 100 degrees a couple days.  Ridiculous.  So did you guys really get any moisture at all?  Man that's not good...

That's really cool that you've have that realization about your burdens being lifted and everything.  I've actually felt that a couple times, the first time I noticed it was when I was in the ER and the doctors were pulling on my finger trying to set it and it was really painful.  And that was after I had gotten the 12 shots in my finger to try to numb it up.  That didn't work.  But while they were pulling on my finger it really hurt but then after a bit I got to the point where it like lessened even though they were pulling harder and trying to move it around and everything.  No doubt that it was the Lord strengthening me and taking the pain so I could bear it.  Really neat to have experiences like that. :)

Wow that's so cool that everyone is getting calls and stuff. :)  That's insane about Jacob getting called sign language. :) That's really cool that Wyatt gets to do his mission and baseball and not have to choose. That's super neat and lucky too!  He's a good example.  

So news from here, our closest investigator to progressing and getting baptized is Maria.  She's 17 and we set a baptismal date for April 11th but we don't think it will be on that date necessarily.  It may be a bit.  She's super catholic and goes to two different catholic churches.  So that may be a bit difficult but she prays to get an answer about the book of Mormon and everything every time she says a prayer so yeah! She's open to it.  We've got a couple other investigators who are super close to progressing or just going super lame.  A couple kids names are Alex and Martin, same problem with super catholic family but their main problem is their mom.  She uber cathloc.  Anytime we come over and she is there we can't talk about our message or she will bash.  But they are willing.  Then Kim has a baptismal date for June which I think can be moved to earlier.  She just has little problems she's figuring out and we're figuring out too.  I think General Conference will be a turning point for her.  Then we have la familia Santiago who might progress really quickly really soon if they just are home for the sets we have!  We've had members with us and everything when we go over and they're not there...  Trying again to get a member out with us for tonight.  Aaaand that's it.  So yeah!  I had like a bloody nose every day for 4 days last week so that was fun.  And I got one of them right before  I extended the baptismal date for Maria.  Satan is just like punching me in the face I guess. :)

I don't really need anything. Don't worry. :)  I did get your package!  It made me really happy. :)  Love you guys!  You're the best!  Have a great week!

Elder Passey

March 9, 2015

Hi!  

Well this week has been good.  We found some pretty prepared people so that's good.  We actually haven't started physical therapy yet...  Oh and there were 5 pins and he took out 4.  So yeah I still have one on top sticking out.  Kinda annoying in part because it keeps me from straightening my finger so yeah.  He said it should come out easy enough.  The other one on top came out fairly easy too so yeah.  

I've been working really hard this week with the work.  It's been a good week.  Its been a lot of work.  Sometimes fairly frustrating but it's coming along.  

I didn't get your package.  I probably will this week.  

That sounds really painful with the enchilada sauce...  Is your eye OK?  How did that even happen?  Why would you put enchilada sauce in your eye?  That's not where it's supposed to go.

Woo!  That's going to be way cool to do the seminary sub thing.  Let me know how it goes!

Guess what I've almost been on my mission longer than I've lived in Grantsville.  Funny right?   When is St Patricks day?

Good luck with your embark thing!  Have fun with it!  Not really that much has happened this week.  It's just been average.  I fixed someone's piano.  That was pretty fun.  Except I cut my pinkie doing it.  Don't worry my other one.  Happy 2 year anniversary!

Love you!  Have a good week!

Elder Passey

March 2, 2015

Hey,

Sounds like an interesting week.  Sorry I just don't feel like emailing this week.  It's been a hard week.  I read all the letter though thanks for keeping me up on things. 

So this week a lot happened.  I got all but one of the pins out on Wednesday and I'll probably start physical therapy this week so that's what's up there.  Woo!  The work is really not going good right now.  I don't know what it is...  I keep trying harder and harder but I can't seem to improve the work.  We haven't found anyone really that good for the entire time I've been here and everything I try doesn't work.  I'm just down right now. 

We moved to a member's house.  Still haven't met the members. 

I go to the temple on the 24th of this month.

We did a bunch of service this week which was pretty fun and I worked on a piano this week which was pretty cool.  So a lot happened this week so pretty cool!  I gotta go though.  Love you!  Have a good week!

Elder Passey

March 2, 2015 PART TWO

Hey sorry I just got back on for a sec to say that I'm sorry for the negative email I sent to you guys.  Satan's just been working hard on me to recently and it's hard to keep it in.  Especially when I was about to email you he was just making things really bad so yeah...  Sorry about that. 

They didn't put me to sleep to take the pins out.  They numbed it a little and then took 4 of them out.  There's still one in there.  It bled a lot...  It hurt a good amount too but I'm sure not as much as physical therapy is gonna hurt.

I really don't know what's wrong.  I'm trying so hard to do better in the area.  I've prayed a ton more, I've studied for my investigators and done everything I feel like I can to be worthy of the blessings of finding anyone...  But no matter what I do I just can't.  I'm just frustrated.  I know that even though I can't see it my work is paying off but it's just hard to trust that thought right now. 

Thanks again for the email.  I really do appreciate you keeping me up with everything going on.  I love you.  Have a good week.

Elder Passey

February 23, 2015

Hey!

Yeah the finger is fun. :)  The doctor took out the stitches but he said to leave it unwrapped so everyone can see, :)  I don't really play the piano much though.  I did in my last area but here no. That's way cool that Jim did a sweet fireside.  Sounds fun. :) 

Yay fruit!  You should plant an orange tree. :)  Kidding.  But one of the members in our area has a huge orange tree and she gave us some and they are SO GOOD.  Really you should plant an orange tree.  :)

Ha it's true about not forcing people.  I've kinda learned that too with teaching people.  You can't force them to accept the gospel and have eternal happiness.  People generally do what they want!

Nothing changed with transfers!  I'm with Elder Nanto for another 6 weeks or so.  I'm fine with it.  We get along good and have fun so that's good.  We do a lot of Nerf gun wars and stuff. :)  

That's so true with your scripture and thought. :)  I think that's how after this life will be.  Pretty good motivation to hang out with good people eh?  Since you hang out with the people you are comfortable to be around with and most likely will be around with for a loooong time.  

Sorry not much to update from this week either.  We're going to a Buddhist temple today so that's going to be fun. :)  I'm pretty excited. :)  It's really crazy how fast time goes huh?  

I'm just saying when it comes to my finger, if I received a dollar every time I've had my finger fracture complimented by a surgeon - doctor guy, I would be rich enough to pay all of these medical debts.  And I've also made pretty good friends with my X ray guy.  We've had some good quality time together with the x ray machine.  His name's Lawrence.  :)  Gotta try to look on the bright side of things right?  It's hard to remember that you're in charge of if you're happy or not sometimes but we really choose how to see situations.  I've gotten better at looking at things positively for sure from this.  It's good. :)  Go trials!  Woo!

Anyway, love you!  Have a good week!  Remember who you are and what you stand for! :) (remember when we would do that when you dropped us off for school in elementary school?)

Love,

Elder Passey

February 16, 2015

Hey!

Well my finger is NASTY!  I imagined it looking a lot better than it does.  It's pretty gross.  I figured out how to get the pictures into emails I think.  I'm gonna try.  But they are not for the weak of heart or constitution or whatever.  My finger looks like it's been zombiefied.  It doesn't even feel like it's real.

The work is alright right now.  We hit a peak last week so now it's kinda a slump.  Transfer calls are this week though so we will see what happens!

Sounds like a fun Valentines day. :)  I got to go to a dance by the ward.  Latinos love to dance. :)  They get into it hard core. 

That's nice that Skyler is super cool.  Athletic people really have a different influence.  Awesome that he's still going back on his mission though. :)  I really respect people who go back to the mission after leaving it for whatever reason.  It's so true about talking to and taking care of things with your bishop before you go on a mission though.  For sure way more worth it than having to go home!

Nothing interesting really happened this week other than seeing what my finger looks like.  Oh I played the piano yesterday in priesthood with 9 fingers.  It was so hard!  I was fighting against the muscle memory and still trying to do it with 4 fingers on my right hand.  I hope I will get my stuff out of the finger soon.

Anyway love you!  Have a great week!

Elder Passey

February 9, 2015

Hi!

Well the surgery went good as far as I know.  The day after the surgery was awful.. Super painful and I just had Advil.  They gave me a prescription for the drugs but they didn't get the medicine in until two days ago...  I was pretty annoyed.  But I went out to work 24 hours after the surgery and then have been working ever since.  Hasn't been near as painful.  After the day after Advil was just fine for me.  So that's what's up with that!  

The way my finger broke - I was holding a ball and and another came and just hit my finger just right.  That's it.  Meh.  I've sworn it off.

Spanish is going good!  My comp is good.  Everything is ok.  I've been kinda out of things for the past couple days and can't focus very well.  It's all good though...  All part of the experience right?

Do you speak a lot in sacrament meetings?  I haven't done it yet.  I wouldn't mind it though.

I can't run or anything...  It hurts a lot because all the blood pumps a lot more.  Ohhh....  That would explain why I haven't been feeling very good or happy.  Dang that makes sense.  I really hope I can run soon.  I've just been stretching instead.  It's really interesting to see the change going from exercising to not exercising. 

Wow that sounds way cool about the Rootstech thingy!  I've actually read about it a bit.  Even though I don't really like family history stuff very much it still is cool for other people who are in love with it!

I'm glad you have been able to get blessings from all this mess.  That helps me feel better about it and I'm way glad everything ended up working out good.  I love you!  Honestly though nothing very interesting happened this week...  The work is going better so that's really good and the area is improving.  We are getting blessed so that's good.  Something I've learned is that the days you want to go work the least are the days you really have to work.  Those days or times are when you get the most blessings for working.  Anyway have a good week!  Love you!  The return appt is on Wednesday so hopefully things will be alright.  Anyway I'll email you next week.  Bye!  Good luck with everything!

Elder Passey