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WEEK #36 Pictures in Brazil!!!

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

New Arrivals in Cuiaba Brazil  November 26, 2013

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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

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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

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Elder Payne and Elder Sumner

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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