WEEK #41- KYLE'S BIRTHDAY!

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a great Christmas!!! Mine was awesome, I got to Skype my family. That was definitely the highlight of my week. But it was definitely the craziest Christmas of my life! So after dinner, we were walking to a members house, and we saw a dog get hit by a motorcycle. It was really gross. Then when we were walking home a couple hours later, my companion got hit by a car!!!! It was so crazy! The guy was drunk and he wasn't even watching where he was going. We were walking the side of the road, and all of the sudden I heard a car that sounded like it was really close, and I looked back and BOOM! Elder Vecchio got hit from behind. He is okay and isn't hurt too bad, he just has a bruised hip and a few scratches. It all happened really fast. Elder Vecchio is a champ though, he was in the hospital last week, and got hit by a car on Christmas, haha it's crazy. 

Anyways, it has been a great week. Our investigator didn't end up getting baptized but we are working on it. We worked hard this week and made tons of contacts, so we have like 15 new investigators to teach this week. We set a date with one of our investigators Sonaira, she is 14. She will get baptized for sure! She really really wants to join the church and she has a lot of friends in the church, but we just have to get her mom to let her. We will be praying and fasting for it to all work out. But Sonaira is such a great girl we are very excited for her! Her date is January 12 so we will work with her this week! :) 

Brazil is really crazy, I love it. It has been really hot this week and it has rained a lot. I don't care for the rain too much but its all good! I ate Capivara (capybara) the other day. If you don't know what Capivara is, it is pretty much a really big rodent that tastes like pork. I thought it was pork when they fed it to us, but I found out afterwards what I was actually eating. haha. What you don't know doesn't hurt you, right?!

Anyways, things are going really well here, Brazil is awesome, the people here are awesome, the food is awesome, I love it haha. The language is coming along  but it is still really frustrating at times. I'll get it down eventually!

Well all, I hope you have a wonderful new year!!! I love and miss you!

Falou,

Elder Kyle Payne

Pictures!

Kyle and Elder Kennington just kicking it at the mission home!

Ready for the 18 hour bus ride!

Ponta Pora

These mounds are ANT HILLS!  The ants here are huge!

Family Home Evening

Ponta Pora

WEEK #40

Tranquilo Gente! 

First off, FELIZ NATAL EVERYONE!!!!

Haha so I can pretty much describe Brazil in one word.... LOCO!!!!! haha i love it though. This week has been really really crazy! So I was supposed to go to Campo Grande, but it got changed so right now I'm in Ponta Porã! It is sweet here. But we kept having problems with our bus tickets, so it was just really hectic and stressful. Things are not very organized here haha. But anyways, after 18 long hours on the bus, I finally made it here. When I got here, nobody was here to pick me up. I couldn't use anybodies cell phone, because everybody buys there phones from Paraguay because it is cheap, so to call out of state to the mission office is really expensive. So there I was by myself with all my bags without a phone and nobody to help me! haha It was alright though. On the bus, I sat next to a guy who played professional soccer in Sao Paulo, and he called his brother to come pick me up to take me to the church in Ponta Porã! Way sweet. I used a payphone to call the mission office and then a couple hours later some elders came and picked me up. It was pretty stressful but it all worked out and everything is good. Tudo Bem!

My companions name is Elder Vecchio, he is from Argentina! He is way cool. We are like exactly the same size, so its pretty funny because we are both pretty tall compared to the people here. He helps me out with the language a lot. He got super super sick at the beginning of the week before I got there and he was in the hospital! But he is better now. Right now we live with two other missionaries, one is from Brazil and the other is from Chile. But they all speak Portuguese well, so I am starting to learn a lot faster! I had to speak in Sacrament on Sunday, that was pretty cool. The ward is great here, the stake is strong in missionary work. Elder Vecchio just had a baptism and we hope to have a baptism this weekend. We taught a lot of lessons this week so it has been good. 

So Ponta Porã... is crazy! It is right by Paraguay, so it is pretty hectic. Apparently it is the most dangerous city in the mission. So we have to be really smart about what we do. But for the most part we are ok. 

My Portuguese is coming along, I have learned a TON this week. It is still hard to understand people though haha. But I just have to be patient with myself! It was kind of funny though, we had a Churrasco yesterday, and one of the members spoke a little bit of English. So he was talking to me in English, and he asked if I was thirsty and I said yes. He asked if I wanted water or orange juice and I said I wanted orange juice. Then he said, Do you like poop in your orange juice? I said no, that's gross. Then he said ok then here is some water. So I said well can I have some orange juice without poop? haha I thought he was joking with me but he was like you can have orange juice, but it has poop in it! It was really weird but I finally figured it out.... He was trying to say PULP instead of poop! haha I busted up laughing once it clicked! Then I explained it to him and everybody thought it was really funny. Then I got my orange juice with PULP :)

Anyways, everything is good here! I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!!!! It is such a wonderful time of year, to remember the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I love him and I'm so grateful for his sacrifice! I hope you all have a great Christmas week! I love and miss you all!!!

Atê mais,

Elder Kyle Payne

Picture!

Our Zone at Mission Tour

WEEK #39

Tranquilo família e amigos!

Well this week has been pretty crazy, we have gone on exchanges a ton. So I have been going with Elder Groff and Elder Moraes lately. My Portuguese has improved though so that's good. Its fun with Elder Groff, because he is trying to learn English and so we teach each other while we are walking and stuff. Anyways, so on Thursday Elder Moraes found out he is getting transferred to be an AP in the south, so we got a new roommate Elder John. He's from Idaho Falls and he's way cool! Then yesterday at church, President Reber came and spoke at our sacrament meeting and he came up to me afterwards and was like Elder Payne remind me where you´re going again? I was like uuuhhhhh what do you mean? And he was like oh that's right I haven't told you yet... Well, you're being transferred! Haha so me and Elder Kennington are going to the south! We are both going to Campo Grande. It is the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul and its a big city. Elder Watchman is there so I'm excited. I have heard lots of good things about Campo, they even have a Walmart so that is good news! I am kinda bummed though, I was looking forward to being with Elder John here and I will really miss the area. The ward here is awesome. The reason they're transferring us is because there is a group of missionaries going home this week and the mission isn't receiving any more, so they are taking some Elders out of areas that have more than one companionship to fill in. 

Anyways, tomorrow we have Conferencia Natal (Christmas Conference) in the Center, then after that I have to take a 12 hour bus ride to Campo Grande. I'm not looking forward to that at all. But Elder Mayolo and Kennington will be on the bus with me so that will be good. My new companion is a Brazilian, and I will live with the Zone Leaders there who are also both Brazilian! So I will be the only American in the house. I'm nervous but I am hoping I will learn Portuguse a lot faster that way. Presidente Reber told me he thinks I'm ready to have a Brazilian companion so I guess we will see how it goes!

Our baptism fell through this week, it is really frustrating. Her name is Dalila and she just isn't keeping commitments or anything. That's the hard part about Brazil. Tracting works here and the people are really open and friendly and you can talk to them about God and Jesus all day. But the hard part is getting them to read the book of Mormon and actually attend church. Everybody here is really relaxed and flies by the seat of their pants haha so it is tough. I like it though the culture is awesome.

Oh also, time here is just kind of whatever, nobody really cares about the time. It is taking some getting used to, because in Montana we planned out everything and were on time. But here people will be like oh yeah come tomorrow night for dinner! Which means dinner could be anywhere from 6-9 o clock. So sometimes we wait around forever but its way cool. Church doesn't always start or end on time either haha. 

I have lost some weight already, they use the Kilograms instead of pounds so I'm not sure how many pounds I am but I weighed 97 Kilograms the other day. I think its around 215 pounds. There just isn't a lot of food to eat its hard to explain! Like in Montana I just ate cereal and sandwiches and eggs and potatoes and stuff, but Cereal here is super expensive and they don't have normal milk in the gallons, they just have like evaporated milk and when you buy it its warm. so for breakfast i just have fruit or granola, and then for Almoço (lunch) we have a really big meal of rice and beans and meat at members houses. Its the biggest meal of the day. Then sometimes we have Jantar (dinner) or we just eat some bread. Also i drink tons of water and juice and coke. So here there is an herbal drink called Tereré, you put the herbs in a cup with water or juice and drink it through a filtered metal straw thing. Everybody drinks it here and just passes it around like peace pipe haha. It is an acquired taste but its really good!  

Oh man I love Brazil I just cant wait until i can speak the language fluently! I pray every day that it will improve and I am excited to keep learning Portuguese. The people here are amazing I am excited to be able to work down in Campo Grande. I hope you have a great week and stay warm!!! Love you all!!!

Atê mais,

Elder Kyle Payne

Hey everyone, 

So I just got a call from the Assistants, and I am actually not getting transferred to Campo Grande! Now I'm going to a place called Ponta Porã. It is literally right on the boarder of Paraguay, so tomorrow I have an 18 hour bus ride! Are you kidding me? 18 hours?! haha I'm not looking forward to that but I'm excited for the new area. I guess I will get to hang out with the Elders serving in Paraguay so that's pretty cool. My best friend Parker is in Paraguay maybe I will get to see him! Anyways, just letting you know where I will be next week! Ponta Porã!

Atê mais

Elder Payne

Pictures!

WEEK #38

Beleza!

I hope everyone had a great week! It has been a good week down here in Brazil. It has been super super hot and humid. It is rainy season right now, so usually it rains during the afternoon for a little bit then it stops! It helps it cool down a bit when it rains but then it makes it way more humid so that sucks. But God shows us mercy by giving us a few clouds during the day! haha

We have an investigator on date for next week her name is Dalila, we are stoked for her. We will be praying for everything to work out.

Things are crazy down here though it is a totally different world! We take the bus when we have to go to the Center and the bus is crazy! I got my butt grabbed by a girl on Friday, the girls here are crazy. We call them Snakes because they're deadly! They are really into Americans. 

We had a Churrasco (pronounced shoohasco) the other day. It is basically a brazilian barbecue. They definitely give Tucanos a run for the money! Brazilians know how to cook some meat!!! We eat rice and beans for every meal but i haven't gotten sick of it yet, i love it actually. Rice and beans and Meat! And pimenta, Brazilian hot sauce. It is just oil and chilis but its really good and hot.

My companion is way cool he helps me a lot with the language. I'm way grateful for him otherwise i would be totally lost! haha. The language is coming along better but it is still way hard. People speak so fast down here! oh my gosh haha. But I had to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting yesterday so hopefully people understood me! Elder Kennington and Groff said it made sense so that's good!

There are bugs everywhere, I saw a huuuuge spider outside a members house on Saturday! I didn't get my camera in time before they killed it but it was seriously as big as my hand! And it was grey and hairy. haha i wish i had gotten a picture.

But I've lost a little bit of weight already, i am eating healthier down here. junk food is expensive so nobody really eats it much, but i eat a lot of fruit too. I love the people and the culture here!!!! It is eye opening and humbling. I absolutely love it. 

Well all, i love you all very much and I am praying for you!!! i hope you have a great week! Fica Forte!!!

Elder Kyle Payne

Pictures!

WEEK #37 BRAZIL

Beleza!!!

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving! :)

I don´t even know where to begin! haha. Things are so crazy in Brazil! I love it already. We had a super long flight here I was way tired when I got here. But I´m just so happy to finally be in Brazil I don't even care haha

Well, the first thing I can say about Cuiabá is that it is suuuuuper hot!!! Like unbelievably hot. When we got off the plane it was like 105 degrees F. It was quite an adjustment coming from 2 degrees when we left Montana! And it is super humid here too. it seriously feels like a sauna. hopefully I´ll get used to it though :)

The food here is really really good, so far I have had rice and beans for every meal but we usually have some sort of meat as well. On Saturday I ate Coracão de Vaca (Cow heart) it was actually really good I liked it. but other than that the food is normal, just rice and beans all the time

The language is really hard!!! People speak so fast and its hard to understand but its all good. I am serving in Industríario which is part of Cuibá. My companion is Elder Kennington, he is way cool we get along great.  He helps me with my Portuguese a lot. he has a mission blog too, so I read it and I already knew who he was before he was my companion! Kinda funny.  We live with two other missionaries, Elder Moraes and Elder Groff, they are both from Brazil near Curitiba. They are so funny we are teaching them English. Elder Groff always says funny things like Hey be quiet you horse! or Elder Payne I am going to ticklish you on beneath your arms! haha 

We have a few progressing investigators right now so that is good, we have taught a few lessons but i don't know what anyone is saying most of the time, i just bear my testimony. i bore my testimony yesterday in sacrament meeting so hopefully the people could understand what I was saying haha. I had a few people come up and thank me for my testimony so I guess it made sense haha

We had a really cool experience this week. So on Friday we had to take the bus to Cuiabá to take care of some paperwork and stuff at the office, but on our way back our bus got a flat tire. it was hot and crowded and we had to wait for another bus. the bad thing is is that we didn't have money left on our card things to pay for another bus trip, so we needed to go get another card. we started walking and a guy stopped us on the street and asked about us, and we taught him the entire first lesson and gave him two pamphlets. he was way cool and he said he would go to church on Sunday.Then awhile after that we got on another bus and a stranger paid for me to get on which was awesome. the people are so nice here. But the Lord put us in the right place at the right time. He knew we needed to teach that guy on the street, even if it meant us having a flat tire and no money! He even took care of us to get back on another bus to get home. 

I love this work so much.

Anyways, I love you all so much and I´m grateful for you! have a great week

Love,

Elder Payne

Pictures!

WEEK #36 Pictures in Brazil!!!

Elder Kyle Payne with Brazil, Cuiaba Mission President (Reber)and Wife

New Arrivals in Cuiaba Brazil  November 26, 2013

Pictures!

WEEK #35

MY VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FINALLY GOT MY VISA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!!

Oh man I got a call from the mission office saying I got my Visa and I will fly out next Monday on the 25th! I'm so freaking excited I can't wait!!!! It's going to be really tough though to leave Montana. This place has become a second home for me and I absolutely love the people here. Everything works out though I know I'm supposed to go to Brazil! It's pretty sweet though, Elder Rasmussen from my MTC district got his visa too so we will both be flying out together! It is going to be a reeealllly long flight I will be traveling for over 24 hours by plane and bus and stuff but it will be worth it. I will just take some zzzQuil on the plane so I can sleep! haha.

Well as for this past week in Helena, we have had some incredible experiences! As Zone leaders we've been on a lot of exchanges and stuff with other missionaries in the zone, so Elder Schramm from Helena 3rd ward came to Helena 5 with me for a few days. But anyways, it was crazy we met a man that already wants to be baptized! We were knocking on doors and we went to his house and introduced ourselves. His name is Tom, he's in his 60's. He said he knows who we are and invited us in, which doesn't happen very often. Turns out, his wife is a member and he is not, but he said he wanted to be baptized before Christmas! We didn't even ask him to be baptized he just told us! We were so excited. I called Elder Payne and told him right afterwards and we were both so excited. Anyways, we are teaching him tomorrow and we will set a baptismal date with him. He said he has been wanting to be baptized for a while now but he just wasn't sure, but now he is! Go figure, all of this happens the week before I leave to Brazil! haha

We have another investigator who is getting baptized on the 30th, but I'll be gone by then too :( Oh, but remember Doc who I taught in Lincoln? He's getting baptized this Saturday! It will be so great to finally see him be baptized. Also everyone from Lincoln will be coming down to Helena so it will be good to see everyone again. I'm so glad he's getting baptized, after all the hard work we put into teaching him and helping him! It's definitely rewarding to see the fruits of your labors every once in a while.

So I have a new companion, his name is Elder Burrows he's from Ogden Utah. He is so awesome! He was my zone leader in Bozeman. I am still with Elder Payne, we are in a threesome companionship for the week because I'm going to be leaving mid-transfer. So he is going to take my spot once I'm gone. But he's awesome we are going to tear it up this next week! I'm excited. I want to work really hard this week I don't want to have any regrets when I leave!

Montana has been an incredible experience and I am forever grateful for the people I've met here and for everything I've learned. I know I'm supposed to go to Brazil now, and I couldn't be more excited!!!!! I never thought things would work out this way that I would be in Montana this long, but I will always have a big soft spot in my heart for this place!!! I am definitely coming back after my mission.

The zone right now is on fire. We now have 25 investigators on date for baptism! That is incredible!!!! we are so excited things have picked up so much in the past few weeks and the missionaries here are doing so awesome.

Anyways, I love you all so much! thanks for all the love and support. The next time I email, I'll be in the promised land of Brazil!!!!! :) Have a great week!

Love you much,

Elder Kyle Payne

Pictures!

The Payne Trayne!

The Elder Paynes!

WEEK #34

Hello everyone!

Man this week has been crazy. It has probably been the busiest week on my mission so far! As Zone leaders we have had so much going on and I'm super tired. It kinda stinks though because since we have so much to do for the zone we don't get to work in our own area as much. But there are still some great things going on and we're excited. We have 2 investigators on date and I can't wait for them! It will be awesome. But in the past two weeks as a zone, we have gone from 5 investigators on date to 22!!! It's amazing!!! We have really worked with the elders and sisters here to commit their investigators to baptism and things are going great. The Stake and wards are helping so much too. But 22 investigators on date is a record high for the Helena Stake! I am totally bragging about it haha but I don't care I'm just so excited for the missionary work here!!!!

Me and Elder Payne had to speak at Stake Conference this weekend. That went really well! We talked about missionary work of course ;) and at the Adult Session we did a training model to demonstrate how we teach and how the members can be more effective and open to their friends about the gospel. It was awesome.

But we spent a lot of time preparing for that, as well as for the other things we had to do this week. Today we had to give discussions at both of the district meetings, tomorrow we have a New Missionary Training Conference, and next week me and Elder Payne are training the zone at Zone Training and then we have Leadership Council, so we are really busy preparing for all of that plus we are working with all of our investigators here so between everything we've been pretty busy. I'm sleeping really well at night though haha ;)

Me and Elder Payne get a lot of crap for our last names though! Everybody thinks they're suuuuper clever for coming up with nicknames haha. Like whenever we walk in somewhere people are like oh watch out here comes the Payne, or double the Payne, Payne squared, Paynes in the butt, it never ends. But it's all good. But the Temple President calls us Elder Payne the Great and Elder Payne the Wonderful. I guess that's better than being big and little payne.

Anyways, we're really working with our investigators read the book of Mormon and gain their own testimony. It's very important that they do it for themselves and not for us or for another person. We're also helping one of our investigators stop smoking and chewing tobacco! Man it's super hard for them to give it up but the Lord really is providing a way for them! We've seen many miracles so far.

Well, now I have actually heard something about my Visa! At this point we are just waiting for it to be mailed to the Mission Home, then at the next Brazilian transfer I will leave (if everything goes according to plan). I am going to have a hard time leaving Montana though. I love it here so much.

Anyways, I hope you have a wonderful week! I love you all so much.

Love,

Elder Payne

Pictures!

Elder Payne and Elder Sumner

Pictures!

WEEK #33

Hello everyone!

Man this week has been crazy. I'm just getting settled into Helena and getting to know the ward better. Right now we have two investigators on date for our area so that's great! But last week the zone had I think 6 investigators on date for baptisms and now this week we have 14 investigators on date for the month of November! I'm so excited. We have some great missionaries in our zone who are doing great work. 

I'm really excited to be back in Helena again! Lincoln is in this zone, so I was hoping Elder Manufekai would be in Lincoln still but he got transferred :( H is District Leader though which is awesome! I will always be grateful to him for being my trainer and for everything I learned from him. He's a brother to me!

I am really short on time today we have a lot to do. But we've taught some solid lessons and our investigators are coming right along. We are doing the stop smoking program with one of our investigators to help them stop smoking. The program works without fail if the people follow each step! I've seen it work before so I know it can happen again.

Still haven't heard anything about my visa but I don't even know what to think about it anymore. I've spent almost a third of my mission here in Montana but I'm still really anxious to get to Brazil. Hopefully it comes soon. But I understand it's all where the Lord wants me to go.

My companion and I get along great, it is pretty confusing that his name is Elder Payne too. And we never hear the end of it from members and stuff! They always tease us about our names like double the pain, or which one of you is the bigger pain, two pains in the butt, everything haha. But it makes for a good conversation with new people. Our mission president just calls me Big Payne and him Little Payne. I'm not sure how I feel about being called big payne but I guess it works! haha

Anyways, I'm so glad to be a missionary for the Lord right now! I absolutely love the people I serve with and serve around. I meet so many amazing people and learn so much. I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and I know it's true. I can't imagine my life without it. I love you all and I'm so grateful for each of you! Have a great week!

Love you much,

Elder Payne

Pictures!

WEEK #32

Hello everyone!

Wow this has been a crazy week! We have been teaching a lot of solid lessons and our investigators are progressing great. We had two come to church so that was really good. We are working with setting new baptismal dates with them, and setting dates for our other investigators. Today it is like a blizzard outside! It's so cold and there is snow everywhere. I hate it!

So we got iPads last week! They are sooooo helpful! They have are planners and area books on there, and all the gospel library and teaching pamphlets. It will help missionary work so much. They're so useful. The lord really is hastening his work by letting us have the opportunity to use technology like this! It really is amazing.

Well, I got a call from the Mission President on Saturday and he informed me that he is changing my calling. I'm getting transferred to Helena and I'm going to be Zone Leader there! I'm really excited to go back to Helena though, I know a lot of the members there and it will be great to see them again. I'll also be in the same stake as the Lincoln branch, so hopefully I'll get to see the people from Lincoln again. I'm a little nervous to be Zone Leader, there are a lot more responsibilities but I think it will be a great learning experience! Oh and get this... my new companion's name is Elder Payne! He's from Cali I think. So that will be really confusing when we answer the phone and stuff, everyone is going to think we are related haha. We'll see how it goes.

I'm so sad to leave Whitehall! I feel like just when you  get in a groove in an area and the work starts picking up, you get transferred! It's a little frustrating but oh well it's part of the mission experience. I will definitely miss the people here in Whitehall. Well, me and Elder Sumner haven't boxed this week at all so I don't have any more bruises. But I think my finger might be broken, I jammed it playing Volleyball like 4 weeks ago but my finger is still bruised and swollen so the medical director wants me to go get it checked out today. Hopefully it's just jammed.

The weather was nice all week until today! It was in the 60's earlier and bright and sunny. now it's cold and windy and snowy! Hopefully Helena is a little warmer haha. But i doubt it. I have also been trying a lot of different hot sauces, I even made a rating chart and have like 10 different sauces rated and organized haha. Yesterday we ate at a members house, and I tried Dave's Insanity sauce. It's basically pure habanero paste. My face caught on fire! My eyes and nose were running and it burned my lips for like 2 hours. I think I put too much on. That's about the craziest experience of the week.

There have been many good experiences as far as teaching goes. My own testimony has grown and I'm so grateful for the gospel and for all the blessings we receive from Heavenly Father! I know without a doubt this church is true and I'm so grateful to be a missionary. I am seriously so sad to leave Whitehall. I hate leaving areas. I have grown to love the people in each area and they have taught me so much and have seriously changed my life. I am so grateful for everyone I've met and for the experiences I've had thus far!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe week! You are all in my thoughts and prayers. Love you!

Love,

Elder Payne

Pictures!



The Lord's Kitchen

I rike dis fo chun kookie!