Cardiff Christmas

Over the last week had been really busy. We have been working hard. Inviting everyone we come in contact with to the Del Mar Christmas Concert. It is so great to invite people to. When we start talking to people we say "Hi How are you we are the missionaries." At that point they usually cut us off and say they are not interested and shut us down. Then our response is usually a friendly , "Have a nice day!" However over the last few weeks when they say that they aren't interested we have been able to say, "Oh we are just inviting everyone to a community Christmas Concert, it is going to be a great time. It really gets everyone in the Christmas spirit." Surprisingly their response suddenly changes and then they say "OK, I can do that." or "Sounds Great." If only that was their response to us inviting them to learn more about the gospel and help them achieve eternal life. If only right. That would make it to easy. But I would not mind.

Last Tuesday we found out that the C's are moving to Georgia. Apparently they already have a house there and they are moving in a week. We were shocked. They are trying to keep it on the down low. They don't want anyone to find out that they are moving. We had just barely got their records into our ward. Now they have to find a new spot where they don't have to worry about being tracked down by the missionaries. At least that is what it seems like.

Wednesday night we went with the young men and women in the ward caroling to people in the ward. We got on a huge trailer that Bishop T pulled behind his truck singing the great Christmas classics. Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, Away in a Manger, you name it we sang it. Unfortunately we were probably the only ones singing. They caroling was in the poor to fair range. I think everyone was too cold in the 55 degree weather here. So Cold! It has been Cold this entire week. It has dropped down into the low 50's so we all had to pull our sweaters out to stay warm. The cold is different here. It is a wet cold that I am not used to.

Sunday we had dinner with the F's, P's, and a bunch of other people in the ward, at our ward mission leader Brother J's house. We invited them to have dinner with us and then go to the stake Christmas Concert right after. Everyone had a great time. The Christmas Concert was absolutely incredible. They had an amazing choir, orchestra, and atmosphere. The spirit was amazing. I am sure everyone that was there was touched. Music is an incredible way to get into the Christmas spirit.

Another way we have been getting in the Christmas spirit is by decorating our room. We have put up lights, mini Christmas trees. We have even gone so far as to hooking up the lights to the one and only clapper. So when we clap our hands the lights come on. Two claps for the Christmas lights going around the ceiling of the room and three claps for the Christmas trees. It is awesome, we have way to much fun with it. 

Love Elder Paget

Cardiff Thankstuffing

We had a busy week this week. We had three Thanksgiving dinners. It was awesome because the holiday season and the plentiful supply of food. We decided to use this to our advantage and have a little fun. Elder S, Elder R, Elder A, and I all decided to have a competition to see who could gain the most weight in one week. The winner or gainer would get a customized surf board bench with a plaque.

 It all started off with the Weigh in after dinner at the P's home last Sunday night. Then during the week we stuffed our selves until we could not eat anymore every meal we had. We even got shakes in between the meals to try to pack on a few more pounds. We also did our best to get the least amount of exercise as possible. We did everything in our power to make sure we would win. Then we found ourselves once more at the P home for dinner yesterday. Since it was fast Sunday yesterday we had not eaten all day and were worried that it might be our downfall. Luckily the weight in wasn't until after dinner so we ate as much as we possibly could to make one last push. Then after the ice cream and the almond brownies it was time for the moment of truth. We all weighed in the same order we weighed in last Sunday. I weighed in first a nervously emptied my pockets and took off my shoes. Then I hopped on the scale. To my surprise I weighed exactly the same as I did the week before. I was shocked. I had worked so hard to add some weight but it was in vain. Elder S was next. He weighed in and he lost some weight. Then it was Elder A turn. He gained 1.6 pounds in a single week. Crazy. Last but not least was Elder R. He hopped on the scale and weighed in 1.2 pounds heavier than the week before. Elder A Won the contest and now is the victor of the First Annual Cardiff Thankstuffing. Now we decided to see how much weight we can loose by Christmas Eve when we have dinner once again at the P home. Luckily I don't have any extra baggage from the last week that is holding me down from me winning this next challenge. Missionaries just got to have fun!

Some other exciting news this week is that we set a baptismal date with J, our 93 year old investigator. She is working towards being baptized on December 13. It will definitely take some work considering she has dementia. However it is our job as missionaries to invite EVERYONE to come unto Christ. Even 93 year old ladies with dementia that thinks we are Jehovah's Witnesses. 

Thanksgiving was great! We started off the day with a exciting Turkey Bowl game. There was lot of people there, and lots of fun. Unfortunately my team didn't win. Maybe next year? Then we had to quickly run back to the Anderson's shower and run to a district meeting. After the district meeting we had lunch at Subway. Later it was the time we (all the Cardiff missionaries) had been waiting for ever since the turkey was invented. The meal above all meals. Thanksgiving dinner. We had a wonderful time at the C home. We had a traditional thanksgiving meal with a few Mexican additions. Such as rice and beans. After we had a game of real life angry birds and a spiritual message. It could not have been any better. 

On Friday we got a call from a former investigator that goes by the name Father K.  He told us that he wanted to come to church and be baptized. He said that he talked with a member on thanksgiving and felt the spirit and knew that he needed to be baptized, and that we could help him. We were shocked. We didn't know what to do. We told him that we would save him a seat at church and talk to him some more then. However when Sunday rolled around he didn't show up. Hopefully we will be able to come into contact with him soon.

Thanksgiving is always such a great time of the year. It is a time we have to reflect on all the blessings our Heavenly Father has given us. I am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ paying the price and suffering for us so that we would not have to. Because of his infinite sacrifice we are " And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever;therefore, of what have ye to boast?" Mosiah 2:24  Now we have the opportunity this Christmas season to reach out and to help those in need. To help slowly but surely repay a small portion of that debt we owe to him for everything he has given us. I would encourage you to do 

Elder Paget

Somethings just run in the Familly

 

 

Another week has come and gone. We have been keeping busy, trying to find new people to teach and teach our investigators. I wish that they were not so flaky. Everyone here is always busy and have something to do. They don't make learning about the gospel one of their priorities. So unfortunately we get a lot of cancellations. The only way to get lessons is to just stop by and not let them know we are coming before hand. Or else they will cancel and find something better to do. We have been trying to have a lesson with the C's for some time now. We have also been trying to get them to go to a baptism. We know if they go to a baptism and feel of the spirit there they will have a greater desire to get baptized for themselves. However we have invited them to come to 4-5 different baptisms now. They have said each and every time that they are going to go, but they have not gone to one yet. We are think that they don't want to make commitments. Hopefully this week we will get to the bottom of it and find out what the real reason is.

 

Elder Allan F. Packer came to our zone conference this last week. He told us that we are 1 of 2 missions in the world that will be doing a Family History Pilot program. I am so excited. He unfortunately didn't go into the details. But we know that we will be focusing on using Family History to find new investigators. It is really cool. Recently I have been reading about my ancestors, and it is really cool to see what they went through. They went through a lot of rough times and good times as well. It is cool to see the similarities between them and me.  For example my Great Grandmother Geneal Smith and My Great Grandfather Paul Limburg both put on a Radio show for a Radio Station. I had an internship at a sports radio station in Salt Lake City, 1320 Kfan. It is cool to see that we all had the same interest in broadcasting. I guess somethings just run in the family. I am continuing to read more about them and I can't wait to find out any other cool things. I can now say that I am hooked on family history and Cardiff better watch out because Elder Adams and I are going to get them hooked on Family History too!

 

Love Elder Paget

6 More Weeks of Summoning Aliens

Well I have good news. I am not being transferred. So I will be staying in Cardiff for at least 6 more weeks, up to my 6 month mark. I am so glad I don't have to pack up and move. I love it here in Cardiff and I could not think of any area that could be better than this. But than again I have not been in any other area other than while I was on exchanges. So this is all that I know. I am glad to still have Elder A as my companion. He is a great missionary and a great example to me. He has taught me how to have fun while doing missionary work.

 

Things have still be slow but we might have found another new investigator to teach. His name is A, he has been a potential investigator for some time. We have stopped by a few times before but it didn't go any where. He told us that he has been praying for a miraculous event. We told him that we don't need angels to come down to us or witness miracles for us to know something is true or to strengthen our testimony. We need faith. If we knew there would be not point in this life. There would be not agency. We told him that Joseph Smith and how he saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. That is what sparked his interest and he wants to know more. At the time we were unable to talk with him because we were late to dinner, but we plan on going back and sharing what we know to be true.

 

Another cool thing this week is that we talked with balloon guy. Friday night we were by his house and noticed that he was in his back yard working on his next balloon extravaganza. I said to Elder Adams that we have to go talk to him and see what the balloons in the sky were all about. I was not going to be transferred without talking with balloon guy. It wasn't going to happen. We walked closer and saw him attaching an assortment of bright flashing lights to 15 huge black balloons. We walked closer and were standing right by his fence when Elder Adams said, "Cool Balloons you got there guy's." He didn't respond and after a few awkward seconds balloon lady, balloon mans partner in crime answered. "Yea they are cool, but they are cooler in the sky. We will be putting them up in just a little while." That is when Elder A asked " What are they for?" Balloon Lady then responded, "It is to make people happy." Elder A and I both looked at each other with confusion and thought are they on drugs. Then Elder A said, " Don't mind us we are just going to watch it over here."  We stood there as they let the balloons float into the night sky.  We still think that they are trying to hide something. So we still stand at the same conclusion. They are summoning Aliens. Luckily I still have 6 more weeks to see if they can succeed. To be Continued...

 

 

Elder Paget

 

Ups and Downs

 

This last week has been really slow with little to no success. A large part of it had to do with the multiple doctors visits we have made this week. Both Elder A and I had to go to the doctor.  I have been having stomach issues. On Monday I had to go to the Scripps hospital right here in Encinitas. I got an xray of my abdomen, blood drawn, and a few other tests. The good news is that I am fine and am feeling better. Luckily there is no major issues. . To make a long story short both of us had to take it easy this week. That's not to say that we slacked off but it was hard to get everything done that we needed to. It was hard to schedule appointments because everything was up in the air. We stopped by a lot of peoples homes but however we had maybe 5 people answer them for the week. It was hard and challenging but we were able to make it through it. You have to go through struggles for you to really truly appreciate all the happiness and success that you have. That was the whole point of this life is to experience the ups and the downs, to be tested and tried. To see how loyal we truly are, when life is hard. It is when life is hard that we rise up to reach our ultimate potential and decide we want to be better.

So that is exactly what I will do. Learn from this week and move on, striving to be a better missionary.

 

Love Elder Paget

 

The coolest part about going to the hospital was getting a copy of my x-ray. It was definitely worth all the wait.

Cardiff Fire

Last week was great we made a lot of progress. Their are so many miracles that took place. Here are just a few that happened this week.

 

L is going to finally be baptized on Saturday, October 19. Last week we were thinking that she was going to have to move out in order for her to be baptized. However  President Kendrick said that she didn't have to move out because she is retired and has no other place she can go. We did run into some last minute problems with the baptismal interview. So she had to have an interview with President Kendrick and he was able to resolve them. L is so excited to finally become a member. She calls us up everyday and tell us just how she can not wait for her baptism. L said she has had many questions in her life. She would always ask her pastor about and he would not be able to answer. She said that we were the only ones that were able to answer all the questions that she had. It was so weird because at first she absolutely did not want anything to do with us. All she wanted to do was to bible bash with us. So after our first visit we decided we would not go back.  L then got a hold of the missionaries in the Del Mar ward and they told us that she wanted us to go back. We hesitated and finally decided to go back after two weeks of debating. We went back and again she started to bash with us at the beginning of the lesson. However at the end of the lesson her heart was softened and she accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon, and said that we could come back again. Now she is on fire! She has already read the entire Book of Mormon in 20 days and is in Helaman in her second time reading it. She watched all 10 hours of General Conference, comes to church, and a bible study class that the stake relief society puts on each week. She has done everything we have asked. Her baptismal program is going to be great we have the stake president, bishop, and the bible study class teacher all speaking. I can't wait either.

 

Then T and C finally came to church this last Sunday. It only took 2 months for them to finally be able to come. They had a baptismal date for Oct 5, and it has already past. We tried to set a new date this last week, but they would not let us. Their father told us that they need more faith. We have taught them all the lessons already and they could be baptized at any time. I feel like their parents don't want to come back to the church. They want us to come teach their kids all about it, but they are unwilling to change their ways. It is sad to see. But they are making an effort now and are finally keeping our commitments.

 

At church we also had a guy named J show up to church and surprise us. He is a less active member in the ward and has not been to church in 8 years. He is a golf instructor at Torrey Pines Golf Course here in Southern California. We had stopped by his house last Wednesday to see how he was doing. It was the first time I had been able to come in contact with him in the last 4 months. We talked with him about church a little bit but we never asked him to come with us. I don't know why but we didn't. That is why it was a surprise to see him at church, and we didn't even ask him to come. Yet he came and wants to become active again. It is so great.

 

Any way it has been great and I am looking forward to L's Baptism.

 

Thanks

 

Elder Jaden Paget

Cardiff Conference

Well another week has come and gone and it has had its ups and downs. Elder A and I are working as hard as we can to find people to teach. We have a few investigators that we are working with, but they are always busy. The only promising investigators that we have are L, and the C Boys.

 

This last week we were unable to have a lesson with T and C. We were however, able to stop by and talk to them for a few minutes. We figured out that they still are not keeping any commitments that we have given them and they are not making any effort to do so. T and C want to continue to learn more, but their parents are making it hard for them. Elder A and I have taught them almost all the lessons needed to be baptized. They should have been baptized this last Friday. We think that the parents have problems with the church. They want their kids to learn and be baptized, but they themselves don't want to come back. So to get T and C baptized we must renew their parents testimony in the gospel.

 

L has continued to do EVERYTHING we have asked. She has already read the entire Book of Mormon and is re-reading it, came to church, went to the bible study class multiple times, and watched all of General Conference this last weekend. She is doing great. She is so excited to have a clean slate and have her sins washed away through baptism. She has already planned out her baptismal program for October 19. However her date is now in the air. We talked to our district leader Elder A and he said that she is going to have to move out of the home she is living with her brother in law, in order to be baptized. L moved in to take care of her sister that was sick, since her husband had to work. Her sister died 5 years ago and she has stayed there ever since. She is in a bad situation with her brother in law. They don't get along and he has been abusive to her. So to make sure no future problems arise, she need to move out. We still have not told her yet. We will see her on tomorrow and tell her then. When we had our last lesson it came up and Lee said that she wants to move, but she has no place to go. So we will just have to wait and see what happens.

 

Every once in a while there are these weird balloons that we see in the sky. There are white and black balloons, with flashing lights and random things hanging from them at night. They are all connected together on some kind of line. Elder Moon and I tracked where they were coming from a few weeks ago. They came from a house that is not to far away from where we live. This house is completely surrounded by huge bushes that are 20 feet tall. So we can't see what is going on. We are curious what the balloons are for. We have knocked on the door to ask them what is going on? But no reply. So we have come to our own conclusion. I am convinced that this guy that is launching balloons with the bright lights is trying to summon aliens or UFOs. What else could it be? Anyway we have nicknamed this guy who is putting on quite a show, balloon guy. We have stopped by a few times this week to his house at night to try to talk to him. Usually we hear something going on in his back yard but are unable to see because of the bushes. On Friday we saw four bright lights in the sky, and we were in the area so we decided to investigate what balloon guy was up to. We walked by his house at the perfect time when he was launching a black balloon into the night sky. We stood their watching. As we did a lady walked out of the back yard with a tiny flashlight and out to the street to where we were. We said hi and she walked by and into the house across the street. Never did we ever think it could possibly be a balloon girl causing all this madness. However we stayed their and noises were still being made in the back yard. So we now know that there is two of them. So their just might be a Balloon guy after all and his girl friend, summoning aliens. Or maybe balloon girl is really in charge and balloon guy is her minion. Who knows? All we do know is that we still have not seen any UFOs so what ever they are doing is not working. Hopefully we will get to the bottom of this soon.

 

General Conference was great and is so inspiring. It seems that every talk that was given was perfect. I can not determine what my favorite talk is because they are all to good. However I love the challenge that Ballard left with all of us is that if we reach out to someone and introduce them to the gospel by Christmas millions will be touched. I challenge all of you to pray and find someone you can help to gain eternal happiness. As you do you will know who you should reach out to. They will be changed for the better. Let me know what happens.

 

Love

 

Elder Jaden Paget

New Transfer, New Companion

This week has be rough. It is hard running an area by yourself. I have to do all the planning because my new companion does not know the area or the investigators. I have had to take all the responsibilities on my self. It is hard but I am learning so much. The best way to learn is to experience. I am going through all lot of experiences right now.

 

L, one of our investigators, has made tons of progress this last week. She had came with us to the bible study last week. She loved it so she decided to go again this week. Elder M and I went to the bible study with her right before the transfer meeting on Tuesday. After the bible study we invited her to be baptized. She said YES! She is going to be baptized on October 19. But that is not all. She kept calling us with questions about being baptized. Like what she needed to wear and what time the baptism would be at. Lee was so excited. We invited her to a baptism that the Encinitas ward was having for two little girls. We told her the best way to know what a baptism is like, is to go to one. She came with us on Saturday to the baptism and she said that it was amazing and that the spirit was so strong. It sealed the deal for her own baptism. Then just when we thought it could not get any better. She came with us to church. At church we had our fast and testimony meeting one week early because of General Conference. During the  testimonies, L started to cry and cried through the rest of the meeting. She was deeply touched by the spirit, confirming to her that what she was doing was right. It is so great to see all of these small miracle's take place in someone's life just simply wanting to find the truth.

 

T and C  was supposed to be baptized this Friday however they are not progressing.  So it will be postponed. We have asked them to read the scriptures and come to church for the last couple of weeks. They still have not done so. We will have to keep encouraging them to come closer to the savior. Hopefully they will start making changes in their lives to bring them in harmony with the spirit.

 

Hopefully we will find some more people to teach soon. The investigators we have are simply not progressing. We will keep pressing on. The last week has been rough however, I still love being a missionary. There is nothing better.

 

Love,

 

Elder Jaden Paget

Cardiff Cake!

So this week has flown by. We have been very, very busy. We have gone on exchanges, had zone training, participated in a missionary musical fireside, constructed a San Diego Temple Cake. It has been incredible.

So I went on exchanges with Elder Sparks on Monday. He is from Pleasant Grove Utah. He is a great missionary who used to be in the riverside mission until, the Irvine Mission was created and everything was move around. Elder Sparks is one of the missionaries we split the Cardiff ward with. I was really cool to be in my old area. We got to go by all the great non progressing investigators that we used to have. It is always interesting to go on exchanges and see how the other missionary dose things. When we go on exchanges you got to learn how to improve and get a first hand glimpse of what make other missionaries so successful.

 

The Missionary Musical Fireside was absolutely amazing. It was called. " Christ the Life the Light and the Way." The Del Mar Stake pulled out all the stops for this one. They flew out the director from Idaho ,James Grant for two weekends to practice and with us. Crazy right? He wrote the the musical while he was on his mission. The purpose of it was to have members, and non members come and leave with the feeling and knowledge that they believed everything that was shared is true. All the missionaries in the stake were involved in some way. Some sang and some had speaking parts. I had a narration part. What would happen is that there would be a song then a narration part or testimony, then another song. We practiced a lot over the last 2 weeks that we have know about it. The spirit was so strong there. It is amazing the power that music has and how it invites the spirit. Everyone that went said that it was amazing. We didn't have any of our investigators show up despite the fact that we reminded them several times. However one of our old investigators on the other side of the ward, named Elsie showed up. We helped Travis Stevens make another cake for the event. He made the San Diego Temple. It is by far the coolest cake I have ever seen. It took a lot of work but it was worth it. The Musical turned out great thanks to all the hard work everyone put in.

 

Any way once again I have run out of time to complete my weekly letter. I am sorry they are so short.

 

Love Elder Jaden Paget

Encinitas home!

Elder Paget's room!  Love all the white shirts, ties, & suits!