"Salvation is not a cheap experience" (Jeffrey R. Holland) - October 24, 2022

Spiritual Thought 

As you and I fully engage in serving our Savior we realize very quickly that such an endeavor requires all of our mental, physical, and emotional faculties.  The nature of this work is that it requires all who wish to participate to invest all that they have and are in the building up of Zion.  Why is it that often those times when we feel the most exhausted, the most despised, and the most disdained are when we are fully engaged in our Savior's work?  Why is it that the path to true discipleship is marked with rejection, struggle, and trial?  How is it that all the forces of the adversary can seemingly converge on one individual the moment they begin to serve our Savior in any capacity?  The answer to these questions is that such experiences are precisely what the Savior himself experienced.  The Savior Jesus Christ beckons to all people inviting them to come unto him and be saved.  Yet such a joyful invitation is largely ignored by all who hear it.  The Savior faced the ultimate rejection when he was betrayed by one of his special witnesses, publicly humiliated, and condemned to die by those who were supposed to view him as the long awaited Messiah that he was.  Why is the path of discipleship often so difficult?  To quote Elder Jeffrey R. Holland it is because "salvation is not a cheap experience".  None of us may hope to return to our heavenly home and receive the triumphant welcome we desire if the path of our life did not demonstrate some small token of what our Savior experienced.  When we face such challenging and difficult circumstances let us remember the company we keep along our difficult road.  As we are rejected, as we are spit upon, as we are despised and cast out we are standing with the Savior of the world himself and are tasting some small portion of what he has already experienced. 

"Be not weary in well doing for ye are laying the foundation of a great work" (D&C 64:32)

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Weekly Update

Hello everyone,

What a week to start the transfer with.  I hope you brought your shock absorbers because you're going to need them for this one.

We started out the week by going to Antananarivo for some beginning of transfer things.  I said goodbye to Elder Razafimanantsoa on Tuesday which was sad.  It's always fun to be able to see the other American missionaries and honorary American (one of the Réunion Elders is from Canada so we initiated him into the Uncle Sam club this week).  Elder Fergus was transferred to Toamasina and hadn't been able to say goodbye to several people in his area so Elder Razafimanantsoa and I offered to go with him to do that.  To get to his area we had to climb straight up the biggest hill in Antananarivo.  It was fun to have a good view of the city and feel like we were hiking.  We were also looking for Chameleons along the way but didn't find any (keep reading to hear more about this).  Thankfully the people he wanted to visit live in the nicest Malagasy house I've been in yet.  There's a story behind why I'm saying that but I'd rather not put it in writing for the world to read.  I can already hear my future kids making fun of me if they got their hands on it.  Talk to me in private though and I'd be happy to tell you.  All in all it was a nice little trip into Tana.

Later that night Elder Fergus and I were brainstorming about the future.  We started out with normal things like school, roommates, families, careers, etc.  Then the real inspiration hit.  Close your eyes, have a friend continue reading this email to you and imagine this scene with me.  It's eleven o'clock at night.  You're standing on the streets of Provo. You're waiting for a bus ride home after a long night of studying.  After a few minutes you hear chugging, the screeching of faulty brakes and can smell exhaust fumes.  Suddenly, through the darkness, you see a forty or fifty year old Volkswagen van with dented sides and burnt out headlights driving towards you.  As it comes closer you realize Elder Fergus is driving this beautiful bus.  You think it's going to drive past you but at the last possible second Elder Fergus slams on the brakes and twists the wheel violently towards you.  Before it even stops moving the side door opens and you see me sitting inside, barefoot, wearing the most random shirt you can imagine and a small straw hat.  In a complete monotone, I start yelling "Provo, Provo, Provo City Center" while staring straight at you.  For some strange reason you decide to get in.  The bus should seat 12 people but there are already at least 25 crammed inside so I hand you a board to put in between the two aisle seats and you sit there.  After a few minutes I start whistling at you until you pay the fare (which is only a nickel, by the way).  A few seconds later Elder Fergus slams on the breaks again, pulls aggressively into a gas station and buys three dollars of gas.  That's right folks, I'm happy to announce we will be starting our own bus system serving the Provo/Orem area and modeled entirely after the Malagasy system.  We've enlisted the help of the other Americans and the Réunion Elders.  Everything on the bus, including everyone's unique role, is based on real events and people we have personally seen on the buses.  Here's a sneak peak of what's soon to come:

Elder Fergus - Driver

Elder Payne - Greeter/Money Collector

Elder Kunkle - Man with chickens.

Elder Peterson - Random guy on the street who gets in and starts driving.

Elder Flake - Man standing at the side of the road with a gas can while serving drinks out of a repurposed backpack sprayer (like what you use to get rid of bugs or weeds).

Elder Lewis - Preacher on the bus who starts yelling about grace and damnation.

Elder Evans - Man of another faith who gets mad and tries to punch Elder Lewis.

Elder Bertrand - Man who starts playing the drums mid-drive just because he feels like it.

Elder Davies - He's Canadian so he'll probably be playing hockey somewhere.

Elder Sagastegui - HR and Social Media director.

I'm excited to see all of you on the bosy be and if you get to your destination safely!

The miracles didn't waste any time coming our way this transfer.  We have already been able to find three new families to teach who seem like they will progress well.  Fingers crossed they are married.  There are quite a few people who we are optimistic can be baptized this transfer and I'm excited to watch it all play out.  It has been neat to me to see how the Lord has been so involved in what we have done this week.  There have been many times when someone has stood us up for an appointment and I feel frustrated but then we are able to find someone new or have a great lesson we hadn't planned on with a different investigator.  It really has shown me this isn't our work, we just have the privilege of being the Savior's hands.

I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Payne 

Last picture with Elder Razafimanantsoa.

With Elder Fergus and Elder Razafimanantsoa at a restaurant during our adventure through town.  The food we have is called "American Tacos."  They're good but don't shout "American" to me.

The queen's palace.

Elder Fergus looking dramatically into the sunset.

With the Réunion Elders, Elder Evans, Elder Fergus and his companion.

First day back with Elder Damy.

A spider.

I finally saw my first Chameleon!  We were having a lesson outside on Friday.  At one point I glanced at this tree and there was not one but two Chameleons sitting in the branches.  They were so fun to see and are my new favorite animal.

We're getting into the rainy season and it's going to be an adventure.  It will last basically until I finish my mission so I need to remember to bring my rain jacket from now on.

Weird bite that happened sometime this week.  I'm not sure when it happened or what it's from but it's not a flea, bedbug or mosquito so I'm going to tell myself it's a snake and I'mlucky to be alive.

There are Hamburgers then there are Humbergers.