Monday, July 23, 2018

The work continues in Blois for Elders Nilsson and Payne

Bonjour à tous,

This week was pretty awesome! We met some new people and felt the spirit often!

We helped a family move on Friday, I was sad to see then leaving, because they are really awesome. They moved to Dijon. Also, the new transfers came! I am staying in Blois with Elder Nilsson for another six weeks! Which is good, I like Blois and I really like where the work is going here. 

I'm gonna be honest, I don't really remember much about this week. We met with a new ami and she introduced us to her friend! Who is super awesome and was a lot more prepared for the gospel than she was. So we met with her, and her friend. The rendez-vous was awesome and they both committed to pray and read the book of mormon (we later found out that the girl hadn't read or prayed, but the guy did.) The girl then told us that she's not the one who needs our message, but that the guy needs a lot of help and she gave us his address and told us to go find him because he needs us. So we did. He wasn't home, but no big deal, I'm a missionary, I'll go back several times if I have to!

After that we ate at the home of an American family named Rowley. Eric Rowley is the guy that is here for work for a year and his family is here to visit him. Classic American meal. I felt right at home. I have never felt more comfortable in a members home during my mission. It was awesome. And I got a free haircut! Woo-hoo!

I made sopapillas a few days ago and BOOOOOY they were soooooo good. Shout out to my mom for sending me the recipe!

I am also apparently the cat whisperer. Because almost every cat I come across on my mission comes when I call it. So yeah, cats aren't evil people, sorry to break the news.

Well I need to clean the apartment. Have a great week everyone! I love you all!

Sincerely
Elder Payne 
France, Paris Mission


Elder Payne - the cat whisperer


Beautiful View

Sopapillas!!

Elders Payne and Nilsson with the Rowleys?

Zone Conference



Monday, July 16, 2018

Staying in Blois

Bonjour à tous,

Well this past week was pretty great! And I am still seeing miracles every day! I am learning a lot of lessons (many of which I learned the hard way).

I am so grateful for this wonderful district and the ability and opportunity I had to serve them on a meaningful level. Thankfully, I am still the District leader here in Blois. And I am very happy about that. 

One of our amis is coming to the temple with us on Saturday! I am incredibly excited for that because the temple has always been a wonderful place for me, and one of the only places on earth where I can feel genuine peace and refuge from the world. So I am very excited to be able to share a little bit of my passion for the temple with one of our amis. We also had to change his baptismal date, some family issues.

Also, this past week I have again seen the hand of God in my life. He answers every single one of my prayers.

I have been learning how to make crepes and I must say, I've gotten decent at it. I've made crepes for dinner about once a week now. I'm starting to really figure it out.

I have begun to look into my family history as well. I figure that during the Mission, I don't have a way to really do work to find these ancestors, but I can learn about them. So I have been using the family tree app to learn about my ancestors. And I must say that I feel like I have more of a real relationship with these people now. I know some of there stories and have taken a real interest in it. It really is interesting to learn about who they were and to understand what kind of people I came from.

I learned an especially large amount about the man I was named after, Jay Payne. Who was my great uncle. It is amazing to read about the legacy that was left behind for me.

Anyway, so this is a little bit on what's going on in my life. Also, France just won the world cup for soccer. And man, France went crazy that day. We actually were told that we needed to be home by 5 because that's when the game started. And people in France tend to be a little crazier when things like this happen. France likes to get really loud and crazy when the world cup comes around.

But we were safe so no worries there. 

Well I love you all! I will see you in about 8 months! Have a good week!

Sincerely
Elder Payne 
France, Paris Mission



Monday, July 9, 2018

Learning to Use the Spirit More Effectively

Bonjour à tous!

Well this past week was interesting. We went to Paris for exchanges with the Zone Leaders. And that was good, nothing much to report there.

Something that is really cool that has been happening is our efforts in Blois. I had the idea while I was still with Elder Sebryk that I could try a new way of finding the people who are ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The idea is centered on using the spirit to the maximum. Every missionary knows that tracting door-to-door and contacting on the streets is incredibly inefficient. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack. We go out and walk around and talk to everyone in hopes that we will find that one person who is searching.

So what we do now is every morning, we try our best to feel the spirit during personal study. And then before we do any proselyting, we pray personally to make sure that we do indeed have the spirit with us. After that, we get together and pray as a companionship to know what to do. Then we go out and follow the spirit to the best of our ability. The idea is that we follow literally the challenge given in the scriptures.

Doctrine and Covenants 42:13-14
And they shall observe the covenants and church articles to do them, and these shall be their teachings, as they shall be directed by the Spirit. 
And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach.

And that is what we have decided to do as a companionship. And let me tell you, the fruit is good. I have seen miracle after miracle, day after day. And I feel like I have been the doing my best to improve. It's amazing and I see God's hand in my life every day. I am so blessed right now that it's not even funny. 

I feel that I have found the key to effective missionary work. And I wouldn't have found it if I had not gone through the trials that I did. 

So that has been amazing to watch. And that was the highlight of my week.

I love you all!

Sincerely
Elder Payne 
France, Paris Mission

Elder Payne - Home!

Elder Payne arrived home at 11:10pm March 28, 2019. Thanks everyone for your support and prayers!