hey whats going on?!?!
well its nice to hear about highland and byu and my niners!!! I'm glad they all had a good week! lol i knew something good had to come from this week lol! well this week was alright.. we had a lot of people wanting to bash with us.. and telling us we were deceived and flipping us off and well the whole nine yards... which is expected but.. it was like almost every day lol! its so funny to listen to people and then say something that makes them think... like for instance one guy was telling me that the BoM is an addition to the bible and what not and it says in revelations not to add to the book and so forth (talking about the book of revelations...) but anyways and so i said well what about all of these different translations of the bible? and he goes well translating it into more modern terms isn't adding or taking away.. and i explained that it is from the real meaning and then i said oh so when its convenient then its not adding or taking away lol! and he was like well uhh well... blah blah blah... nothing to say.. :D but i know i shouldn't even bash at all and that's what i told him.. is we don't want to argue that if he wants to know if what we teach is true he needs to read and pray.. and then another day this lady tried to start belittling me and it kind of pissed me off... (oops) lol but then when she told me that i was deceived and that how do i know it wasn't Satan putting those thoughts and feelings into my mind when i prayed about the BoM... i told her well I'm sorry that you cant tell the difference between God and Satan... but i can.. people are so funny! but after a while you are just like hrrrrrrp... but on Tuesday we have an appointment to start teaching a new family! there is like 6 of them or more i dunno but they would make the coolest members in the world!! and the dad (Larry) coaches pop Warner football and what not! me and him get along really well! its going to be fun for me to relate the whole gospel to football!!! :D i am really excited to teach them! well i don't know if we will be having a baptism this Saturday or not.. Richard called us Saturday morning and said he got in a fight with his roommate and was up smoking all night... that was after he was like 4 days clean.. soo anyways we are seeing him tonight so we will see.. I'm not too worried cause even if he doesn't get baptized Saturday or even when I'm here i know he will get baptized... cause he has a testimony! he just cant stop the smoking... but what do ya do right... oh just to give you a heads up... its crazy to think but transfers are coming right up... we will get our transfer calls on the 4th of October and then we will actually transfer the following Tuesday.. the 7th... so the 6th i will be able to let you know what i am doing... but ya its crazy to think that the time has gone by so quickly... but ya interviews are this Thursday... holy cow.. its gone by fast! but elder Clyde has been up here the last couple days... its been fun to see him and church and what not and today we are going golfing... so that should be a lot of fun! hopefully you guys get to meet him tho and if so then (dad... cause i know mom wont) you have to ask him why he dresses so preppy... and if he brings the girl he is dating (her name is randy and she is 4' 10" ) you have to tell him that you thought i was bad with dating short girls but at least I'm not dating a midget lol!!! don't make her feel bad but give him some crap!!! lol and if you have to punch him in the kidneys!! not that i ever used to do that... lol well our other good gators right now are doing well (Jacob & Tessa).. we finally got them to talk about getting married and they told us ya we were looking at like JANUARY 25th!!! i was like what the heck lol!! but oh well... they want to really see what the church is all about cause they don't want to feel like they are using us just to get married which is good.. but the funny thing was that Jacob told us last time we talked that he was thinking about it and he thinks he remembers getting baptized into the LDS church as a kid... like around 14 or 15 and we laughed and then we got his info and the clerk requested his record and it takes like a week to get it or to see if he is a member... lol!! if it turns out that way then we will prolly get them married and have Jacob baptize Tessa.... and he gets the priesthood and what not.. but that is just funny... we have met with them a dozen times and h e just all of a sudden brings that up lol... but things are going great! me and elder Ashton are getting along great.. he gave a talk in sacrament yesterday and it was good.. i sat by elder Clyde... so it was kinda funny.. sitting next to my old comp and listening to my current comp... or in missionary terms sitting next to my "dad" and listening to my "mom" lol but anyways! i love you guys!! i hope that dad that smacked the coach gets thrown in jail for a long time!! that's terrible! its crazy to think that people would do that kind of crap!! but anyways.. tell my hoser siblings that they are both very lame and they need to write me and that i show off their kids to everyone lol! mom i am glad you are reading but not glad about the not every day part!! don't read cause its something you have to do... read because that amazing book tells us how to be happy! what an amazing thing! happiness :D its not easy but its worth it! just remember that! love ya mom! love ya dad! thanks for everything! hey both of you read Mosiah 2:41 and then think about us being commanded to read everyday! its pretty much telling us that if we do we will be happy! what better blessing could you get than that? well i love you guys! tell everyone i love them and sorry that i am too lazy to write all of them! lol! anyways take care! i still don't know what i want for Christmas! maybe boots... hmmm elder Clyde got his at like an army outlet type deal they were the black boots that the army guys wear and he just polished them up.. but anyways if you see any that might work just email me the pick of them and i will let ya know.. :D but that's my thought so far... but hey take care of yourselves! and i hope everything is going alright! i hope you are both feeling better! if not then well... go to the byu game or something :D or maybe eat a pound of sausage i dunno... after that I'm out of ideas... lol! love you guys!
Elder Penman

Hey whats going on?!?! Well I know you are all excited to hear about the baptism! So I will just tell you now that it got pushed back to the 27th... :D It was really kind of a cool thing though because Richard wasn't really seeing the importance of quitting smoking to be baptized and he was just gonna tuck it under the rug. Well we weren't getting too good of a feeling about it and then we talked to his nurse (who introduced him to us) and he said that he is still smoking and we weren't too surprised. I guess Thursday night the nurse went and talked to him and told him that he wasn't going to be able to make it and Richard said why not and he said cause you haven't quit smoking and you are just going to get wet not to take upon you what baptism is all about... and so Richard called us himself and said he was sorry that he wasn't truthful with us and that he would like to move it back. So we went and saw him the next day and he is doing so much better! It feels right now and you know he isn't smoking cause he snaps at everyone :D and he is more cranky! But its awesome to see that when we start reading the scriptures and the spirit is there he is just happy and its awesome. He has been good for 2 days straight and tonight we will see if it is 3 or not... but he is so much fun to teach! So with Tessa and Jacob we went over there today and taught them cause it was the only time early this week that we could get together with them cause we have zone conference on Tuesday. They were busy Wednesday so we were like what the heck and just set up a time today. It was fun we taught them the law of chastity and we left them with a proclamation and told them to consider getting married and what not and that it was required for baptism because its a commandment from god. But anyways it was my first lesson that i have taught that was a well you need to get married... stop having sex and tie the knot... but anyways.. lol They were very open minded and so it wasn't that bad. Tessa kept giggling the whole time cause we used words like sex and pornography and things like that. She just couldn't hold back lol. Sooo what do ya do. she is in her 20's too.. but hrrrp anyways they are so cool and they want to be baptized too! Its just a matter of time... so I better not get moved out of here! I love it here! My area is so cool! You know me and elder Ashton get along great now.. seriously I have just excepted the fact that he is a goon. But he is cool and we are getting along just fine. He really has humbled himself though and its cool to see. He says all sorts of goofy things at dinner w/members and such but I just have to laugh and smile... I figure that the lord makes up for our weaknesses. So things are fine now and I think he just came into this area in panic mode cause it was his first time being senior comp. A lot of his other comps sucked the big one and didn't work and he has been out 16 months. He feels like a lot of his mission has been wasted and so he just wanted to get right to work and I guess he just assumed that I was going to be another comp that didn't want to work. But since he was senior he was going to make me work or something I dunno... anyways once he has realized that all I want to do is work then he has relaxed A LOT! Its nice... its funny though cause he doesn't know the area at all yet and we will be walking down the street at the same pace but he is like 3 steps in front of me :D but we are going the same pace... and so I will turn and he will be like oops and have to turn back and follow me :D Its funny. BUT!!! OH MY GOODNESS! He wrecked so hard on his bike the other night!!!! Holy crap we are flying down this hill and they are repaving the road at the bottom of the hill and so there is like a 5 inch lip cause they only had half of it done... well anyways he is behind me and I go up the lip and I look back and he is laying on the ground and I'm like what the heck. He jumps up and is doing the I'm embarrassed dance.. lol you know what I'm talking about where he is like oh ya I'm fine... no I'm alright lets go.. ya I'm good.. LOL!! So I'm like dude chill a little are you alright.. what happened? He goes ya I'm fine I just squeezed the front brake a little too hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!! It was hilarious! I couldn't help but laugh!! There was a pizza delivery guy that saw the whole thing too. But anyways we are riding back to the car and he is like you know I wish it was a little better story!! I was like ya that one is kinda stupid and he agreed and then we get in the car and we are driving home and I said I bet next time we go down that hill your gonna use your back brake... and he was like yep... LOL!!! Nothing like learning the hard way! Oh man... I think that is all that really happened that was too exciting this week! We were so busy! We taught 17 lessons last week! That was between lessons with a member.. other lessons.. and recent-convert/less-active lessons. We taught lessons every day and it was way fun! I know you're probably thinking well that's how its supposed to be.. and its true but unfortunately its not like that every week .:D But anyways mom I did get that bank deal sent in the day after I got it.. it should be there by now so thanks for taking care of that driving record for me! You're the best!! Go BYU holy crap! Oh and even better go NINERS!! They never win!! woohoo!! that was good news!! lol It was funny cause we are in elders quorum and they ask who saw the BYU game yesterday and I raised my hand and they all looked at me like what the heck?!?! I just smiled and was like I'm kidding but how did it go?! Its so funny how serious people take you as a missionary! I love it :D Granted it would be worse if they didn't but you know what I mean :D I make comments in district meeting like that all the time.. like we went to the temple on Wednesday and when we were planning it I was like what time to we need to be there... and they were like 6:45 and its like a half hour drive.. so I was like dang that means ima have to get up almost on time! They all got quiet and looked at me then I just smiled and started laughing... the sisters believe anything! Its great and well the ZL's are in our district.. so people just don't joke around about things like that cause then they might tell pres LOL! Oh well. I base my work off of virtue! If I know I'm working hard and heavenly father does too then who cares right? lol Well anyways ya I still like to laugh a little! Our ZL's are way cool now since the bald one got transferred out :D But I love you guys! Good luck with football dad you guys should smash Granger! Oh and DON'T take it easy on those kids at practice! Losing with those kinds of numbers is just simply out of line... and will not be dealt with here in the Highland High organization!!!!! :D LOVE YA!!! Take care of yourselves! Hey the year is almost over!!! READ YOUR SCRIPTURES!!! Oh and I have no idea what I want for scrips... maybe some nice boots that will shine up and keep my feet warm who knows but I will think about it and get back to ya! Thanks for everything! Take care! Love ya!
Elder Penman

We mean business!

I had to stop and get a picture of this

Don't worry I am safe at night



The fencing agent!


LOL. Thats all I can say

Me testing out the camera and getting ready

Hello there! How are you? I hope you are great! I hope your face has lit up again and is glowing! :) I'm glad you like getting my letters! I LOVE getting yours! And do you know what else I love? Getting your tapes! Which I did get and it was the coolest thing in the whole world! Except! That part where you were like,"oh guess what" and then "oh Nevermind!" I will definitely get you for that one! Grrr! I can't believe you would do that to me just cause I am in WA and I can't do anything about it...:( But I figured you were going to finish that with something like "guess what I went on a date with this really cute guy and he held my hand and now I have goose bumps even thinking about it..."etc so if that's how you were going to finish that then I am glad that you didn't finish it! :) So it was the funniest thing I was thinking the day before I got your letter about the "what do ya do? you don't.." and I started laughing and I thought I'm going to put that in my next letter cause she will laugh and then you put it in your letter :) It was funny. Oh and you probably could have beat me at guitar hero before I left, I never was good at that game! But it sounds to me like you might want to start blinking a few times while you are playing LOL. You are so funny. Well I haven't spoken in church yet...my Sunday kinda goes like this- I get up (6:30), get ready and study for a little bit, have a meeting at 9:30-10:30 and then after that we do what we call "round up" where we call or go see everyone that we invited to church and either wake them up or remind them about church. Then we have lunch and go to church at 1:00 and then we are usually there until about 4:30 and then we have dinner at about 5-5:30 depending on the member. Then after dinner we do what we would do on a normal day. Elder Ashton has been in 2 accidents so no driving for him! I love driving that Malibu! I haven't been crocheting much at all...to tell you the truth I just try to stay
asleep...When we get in at night and plan after that we have a half hour before we go to bed but I just go to bed anyway. Thank you for writing me every week! Most missionaries say by now the letters slow down, but I tell them we are practically already married! LOL I have a baptism this Saturday the 13th! Its Richard Powell's and he is so cool! He got up and bore his testimony on Sunday and hes not even a member yet! He is in a wheelchair so we are going to have to carry him in and out of the font. I'm way excited. Well I finally sent some pictures and I hope you like them. :) The "fencing agent" Elder Ashton is completely serious in those pictures by the way. I gave him that nickname too. I hope you have a great week!
Love, Elder Ryan John

A Better Week

well hello parents!!
Hows it going?! well things have surely gotten better here and I thank you for all of your prayers! after many comp studies on charity and on well charity and even on charity I think elder Ashton has softened his heart a little and he seems not to be so pushy with people.. which is a wonderful thing! Cause other than that he is just goofy and I can deal with goofy :D it is hilarious tho cause even though in the mission he is known as my "mom" cause when you get trained for 3 months by your "dad" then your next comp is your "mom" anyways.. he really takes that to heart lol! he tries his best to be my mom.. like the night I got your package I was listening to Shannon's tape she sent me and lol 10:30 came around and he was like hey its bed time ... and I was just like goodnight... and then like 10:40 came around and he came out again and I told him to go to bed and then 10:50 came around and he came out again and I was like dude do I need to cuddle you or what?!?!? lol so he finally went to bed and then I went to bed at like 11:00 what a hoser lol and then the other night I was talking to elder Clyde on the phone :D and 10:30 came around and he was like elder... its bed time... LOL! I just laugh which I probably shouldn't but well... you guys know me :D ok so mom I sent you the paper work back for the driving history and I got the bank deal notarized but I looked and she had stamped it but not signed it and so I have to go back... but they are sending me ANOTHER card?!? hmmm this is way too confusing but oh well.. thanks for the awesome package tho and I'm sorry that you have to do all this running around for me! grr.. well this week we were able to get 4 investigators to church and one was Richard who got up and bore his testimony FIRST!!! before anyone else it was the best testimony I have ever heard! I was a little nervous when he said he wanted to cause I didn't know if he would start tellin stories or what but nope he got up and said how he had been searching for 60 years and through prayer he has come to know the the truth the light and the way reside in the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints!!! it was so cool! and we got a young couple to church also! it was their first time and all of the testimonies were just fabulous! it was amazing! AND! Richard is on date to be baptised on Saturday! the 13th! so happy birthday James! :D lol but we are excited we will have to carry him in the font and what not but its going to be so sweet! i am excited! he is so solid and he has been getting a bunch of crap thrown at him too from all the vets that he lives with they tell him a bunch of stupid things and he just tells em to mind their own business and its pretty funny... but we are excited for him! and hopefully this week we will put Jacob and Tessa on date and get them married! its gonna be sweet! but ya things are going A LOT! better I think what it was was when he came in he thought (with it being his first experience as senior comp) that he was going to have to do everything... and so he had his mind made up about how he was going to do everything before he even got here... and then when he realized that I'm not green even though I have been out only a short amount of time (and I'm not boasting cause I didn't get where I am at on my own...) then he humbled himself and now all he tells me is that I'm going to be a zone leader LOL!! and I tell him that I don't like him for wishing that upon me! cause I don't want to baby sit I just want to serve and so I tell him to wish training on me cause I think that would be way fun to train! but anyways... I have a funny story for ya that will kinda let you in on how goofy elder Ashton really is.. ok so we are tracting and we go up to this door and there is a picture of Jesus on the door and in the window and a couple others so we are like sweet at least they are christian right... well we knock on the door and this lady answers and before I can say anything Elder Ashton goes "well it looks like you are a Jesus lover!" LOLOLOL!!! after that I couldn't say anything cause I was trying not to laugh!!! it was so hilarious!! and she goes yep and i don't want to talk to you guys and I was like why is that... and she started telling us how we don't believe in Christ and what not... and Elder Ashton goes "OH YA... what about this?" and starts circling his name tag with his finger and he is like "it says right here" LOL!! once again I wanted to smack him... but I just figure that you know the lord makes up for our weaknesses and so if he is a spaz there is nothing I can do about it... lol! so now I call him a Jesus lover all the time :D lol well thanks for everything you guys are awesome! I love you guys! take care of yourselves! and keep reading your scriptures you slackers!!!! LOVE YA!!!
Elder Penman

Don't Take the Gospel for Granted!

Hello my wonderful parents! how are you guys doing?!?! It sounds like you are having a great time with football and stabbing yourselves with wooden spoons and such!! lol! Man things are getting hard right now!! We are teaching the most amazing people at the moment but my companion is a hoser! I still get along with him and all but he just doesn't understand charity... he is out here to force baptism on the world instead of loving them and helping them change... hrrrrp. So things have been way different for me. Ever since elder Clyde left things kind of took a 180. I think just to see if I could handle it... and I can no worries, but just pray for Elder Ashton's heart to soften and for him to have a little more charity. We are teaching a guy right now that came to church on Sunday and loved it. He asked us if he can bear his testimony next Sunday and if he can give a talk in church some time. :D He is so freaking golden! He was raised a Christian.. practicing Muslim.. and found out he was a Jew by birth.. LOL!!! He has practiced all those and more! But he told us that no one have ever been able to answer his questions in a way that makes sense except for us.. and he was telling us on Sunday how grateful he is to have found the true church after searching for 60 years!!! So DON'T TAKE THE GOSPEL FOR GRANTED!!! Eh you hosers!!! No but he has built up my testimony so much! His name is Richard Powell and he is just awesome!! We are teaching a very cool young couple as well.. so we might get 3 baptisms this month!!! woohoo!!! That would be way cool! But you know I thought teaching people the word of wisdom and the law of chastity would be hard but really when you teach them the restoration and you love them then the spirit teaches them those things on the side and by the time you get to them they pretty much have already accepted it.. and its so fun to see!! But those investigators are what keep me sane!! :D!! I love you guys so much! I didn't get the package yet but there was no mail on Monday and so that's why I am emailing today... so I will probably get it today.. so no worries!! But hey I hope you guys are having a really good time! I love you guys so much! Thanks for all that you do for me! I love ya! Take care!
Love, Elder Penman

Along Came Elder Ashton

Hey!! How are you!? Yep so elder Clyde is gone and I went and picked up Elder Ashton yesterday. So sorry this is a little late! I know how you get when my letters are late! :) But ya he is pretty interesting to say the least! He lives in Provo and there are 19 kids in his family!!!!Ya holy cow! There are no twins and his parents had 13 of them and adopted the other 6, which are all special needs. His parents must be pretty amazing! But he falls at number 13. He has been out 16 months but this is his first chance at being senior companion. Last night we went to basketball with the ward like we always do on Tuesday nights, and he was trying to argue with me cause he doesn't think we should be going to basketball but I just kept saying okay well call pres and talk to him about it...or talk to the ward mission leader about it...the reason we go is because there are always non-members there and our ward mission leader got really mad at some missionaries a while ago for not going. So he called pres and it was approved by the pres because its a non-threatening way for people to get to know us and to feel comfortable around us. But anyway if he gets that taken away from us then it will be lame. But oh well, I can play ball in a couple years lol. :) So I am pretty much not green anymore!! Woohoo!! So I'm sure you heard but on Sunday when we took Elder Clyde to the mission home I stopped by Dave and Jane's! I got to see Piper!!!:) She is so darn cute its not even funny! :) I gave them my number and they gave me theirs so when you guys come up your parents and I can hopefully go to dinner unless my new comp is a hoser. But Elder Ashton seems very dedicated to working and so that is a huge plus! We have so much work to do here and I am glad he isn't a lazy bugger! I am going to try and work him so hard he falls asleep while we are planning at the end of the day! That is my goal! LoL! Oh! So yesterday he was unpacking and he pulls out this plastic sword and starts swinging it around like he knows what he is doing with it...lol and then he was like pretending to stab me and even himself! I was laughing so hard. It was freaking hilarious! But ya he was even doing a little yoga this morning for exercise! I pretty much think he's a samurai. :) Well I hope you've started a tape! I really want to hear from you! I hope your studies are going well! Good luck with school and work! I love you!
Love, Elder Ryan John Penman
p.s. Sorry no pics again...:(

Short and Sweet

Hey hows it going?!? Well lol dad don't worry the spiders are just fine... and I mean we catch a few a week anyways and so whether or not I was putting them into a tank it wouldn't matter as far as me getting bit... :D So don't worry lol! Well that sucks that you guys ended up losing but... that's what happens when you don't hold onto the ball... So ya practice ought to be really fun this week! Oh well its good for em.. I'm glad you guys got to spend some time with Shel and Tyler! I wish I could have been there too but oh well I have plenty of work to do! I do know who my new comp is his name is Elder Ashton... and all I know about him is that he is tall and a little odd.. but pres told me that its his first time being senior comp.. and he has been out 17 months and so I dunno quite what that means but I have been told that he is a hard worker and so that's all that matters to me! :D I took a trip down to the valley and dropped off elder Clyde at the mission home and he flew out this morning so he is home now.. I told him that he should meet you guys and so he might be calling in a little bit... who knows.. he is coming back up here September 18th and so we are going to go on splits :D but ya I don't pick up my new comp until tomorrow(Tuesday) and so I am just way excited to get back to work! This last p-week sucked! It was driving me nuts!!! But its ok cause I mean its not really elder Clyde's fault cause the last week you basically pack and say goodbye to people... and round all your crap up... so anyways I'm
ready to get the ball rolling again! Cause right now we don't have any on-dates and so we are going to fix that this week hopefully! Ya my area is so beautiful! You guys would love it! But
anyways I love you guys! Have a wonderful week! Good luck this week in football! Mom I hope
you are feeling ok! I love you guys! take care of yourselves!
Love Elder Penman