WEEK #16

Hello all!

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. What a blessing it is to live in this free country. I am so grateful for all those that sacrificed their lives so that we could enjoy the freedoms we have today. Don't take it for granted! :)

Things have been going really well! We have been working hard and....... we set another baptismal date! Her name is Dakota, we're super excited for her. She is part of the Jones family we have been teaching. We are sure that this will be a great example for her parents and brothers, and that they will want to be baptized as well. The date she chose isAugust 10, possibly sooner. I can't believe it! We're so excited.

The Lord truly has his hand in this work. Now I know what missionaries are talking about when they say that the spirit converts people. Because we sure as heck don't convert them! Haha. All we do is teach, help them feel and recognize the spirit, and invite them to keep commitments. It's amazing to watch somebody grow and make changes in their life that draw them nearer to the Savior. I wish everyone could serve a mission and experience what I'm experiencing. Some days are harder than others, that's for sure. But you can always learn something from those hard days and become a stronger individual.

Funny story, we had a bat in our cottage! Elder Wilson (another visa waiter) came up and stayed with us for a few days, but all of the sudden we see something fly above our heads, and we were like was that a big moth or what? but then it started screeching! so we took pictures of it and videos. We threw stuff at it to try to get it to move but it didn't. Then finally I climbed up in the loft and hit it with a flip flop and it started flapping above my head! I was so scared it was gonna bite me and I would get rabies! haha we were all screaming and running around the cabin with this demon bat flying above us and finally it flew out the window. crazy!!! We're sissies I know ;)

I got to go golfing last week! It was so nice. It was so great to be out golfing again and just relax. I played pretty well and the course was beautiful, it's called Double Arrow resort in Seeley Lakes, MT. I'm definitely going to come back after my mission and visit Lincoln and go play that course again!

So our baptism with Logan is this Saturday and we're super stoked. It looks like everything is going to work out and it should go great.

Well as usual there is still no word on my visa haha. A couple elders got their visa's last week but they were here in Montana for 11 weeks. So I'm due pretty soon I hope! My time will come I just know it! haha :) I will be so sad to leave though. I love these people and it will be hard to say goodbye to our investigators, the members, the missionaries, and other friends I've made here.

Well everyone, remember how much the Lord has blessed you and thank him every day. He has given us so much. I feel especially blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. The least I can do to repay my heavenly father and Savior is to serve a mission. I'm so glad I'm out here on my mission and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I love you all so much and hope to hear from you soon.

Tenha um bom semana!

Love,

Elder Kyle Payne