June 8th E-mail

Hey whats going on?!?! Its really good to hear from you guys! We had kind of a rough week. with a lot of opposition.. But that's ok its to be expected especially right before something great happens! But i will tell you one funny story.. As a missionary you become very bold with people and almost so much that it just catches them off guard.. anyways we were talking with this guy who was throwing out all this anti stuff that was just bogus.. and anyways he was trying to play the nice guy as well but i just wasn't buying into it.. So he says "you know i mean i really admire what you guys are doing but what if you guys are bringing all these people into something that is not true..?" and i had enough and i just told him "You know if we are bringing all these people to something that is false and you have the truth then why don't you get out and do what we do?" and then before he could say anything else I said "And I guarantee that you wouldn't last very long" and he said "Excuse me?" and i said " I said you wouldn't last very long!" and he just well blah blah blah what about this and that and just completely changed the subject lol! It was funny... I just don't know why things don't make sense to people... he started talking about how we think we will become equal to God one day blah blah blah... and so we answered his question.. 2 really cool scriptures for that is psalms 82:6 and John 10:34-35. I think those are the ones.. I don't have my scrips on me but i think those are the ones.. anyways he had nothing to say to that.. and then he said well I just cant believe that God was a man on this earth. and so i explained to him my opinion. which is that (well first i told him he was right it probably wasn't this earth :D) and then I said.. and now think about this.. If God has never experienced any of the things that i have and he is sending me down here for no other reason then to go through all this crap to try to get back to him all so that i can worship him for eternity then that would make God sound like a jerk.. and i said and why then if that was the case would i go to God for things before i would my earthly father because my earthly father has been through the things i have and according to you God has never experienced the things that i have.. (I know i was a complete jerk but i was sick of this guy and it makes sense to me) and he said well no God has seen how everything works from the beginning of the world and i said oh to when Adam went to him with a problem he was like well sorry Adam i don't know you will have to wait for a few generations before i can answer that.. and i also pointed out that we aren't the ones who gives God his knowledge.. lol I hope that some of that at least makes sense.. It sounds weird but if you try to argue their side of things then you will realize the truth.. lol God had to learn from somewhere/something.. anyways.. I hope that makes sense.. but something to ponder on anyways :D Not to sit here and tell you guys how well i have learned to bash.. cause i hate bashing! I really do but every once in a while you just get fed up with people and you have to make them realize.. or try anyways :D But anyways this week was fun! I love you guys so much! mom thanks for the cookies! they are so good! Take care of yourself! Thanks for getting Shannon's flowers! and thanks for having her over for dinner! she is so stinkin cute! I love her to death! I love you guys too tho no worries lol!

Take care!

Elder Penman

June 1st E-mail

Hey whats happenin?!?! well it sounds like you guys had fun! I could use some 4-wheelin right about now :D that sounds like a great time. So meat salad and oranges huh? what a unique diet :D lol well I think the key after the diet will be #1 don't sit around and #2 don't eat more than you need.. smaller portions.. if you do that I don't think you will gain it all back. But if you guys are feeling good than that's great. I wonder what crazy thing you guys are going to do next :D I guess that must be what you do when you have no kids at home is you sit there and think of crazy things to do :D lol! I'm just kidding! Well thank you so much for getting Shannon some big beautiful flowers! She needed those! She is so sweet! I mean seriously I know of no other missionaries girlfriend that hasn't missed 1 single week of writing since they have been out! Now that's awesome! So she deserved those flowers lol! Thank you again. We just got back from golfing this morning and it was wonderful! We just played a par 3 but it was so fun to get out and whack the ball around a little bit. I loved it. It was me and Elder Steinbeigle and Jeremy Turrell (a recent convert) and then a whole bunch of old ladies everywhere else.. lol! It was funny. I thought that Jeremy was going to kill one of the old ladies.. He hit from the tee box at like 160 with I think his 8 iron or something and these old ladies were on their box but that course crams them all together and anyways He hit it and yelled 4 and it landed literally right between 2 of the ladies.. and the way they moved we thought that he hit one of them.. but he didn't which was good. He was pretty worried. But overall it was way fun! We had an ok week this week. It could have been better but what do ya do? We are hanging in there though! Thanks for everything! I love you guys! Its good to hear from you! GO MAGIC! Oh and by the way I knew Lebron would choke.. that's just what he does.. :D but anyways I love you guys! Take care!

Elder Penman

May 26th E-mail

HELLO!!! Whats happening family! So you are probably wondering why I haven't written back yet but its because Memorial Day we decided to work so we could talk to more people.. and it was worth it I believe! So we took our p-day today. This week has been really good.. We found 3 more new investigators! I was watching conference today for personal study and you guys have to do something for me.. together (mom and dad) I want you to read (you could even throw James and Jen and Shel and Tyler in there too) but read Elder Bednar's talk and Elder Stevenson's talk and then set a date every week that you are going to go to the temple and go! We live 3 minutes away and there is no reason you shouldn't be going to the temple! If you already are going well then excuse my criticism (if that is how you spell it...) But seriously those talks blew me away this morning and the temple is where it is at! So those are the 2 things... I tell you what it is so crazy how fast time is flying, it seriously goes way too fast. So get this (funny story) Yesterday we are over at a recent converts house to give her baby a blessing and we are waiting for another guy from the church to get there and so I am outside playing with the kids and one of the neighbor kids was over as well and he was maybe like 5 or 6 I don't know somewhere in there and anyways he went and got this brand new skateboard that his mom just bought him and I was like hey let me see that and he handed it to me and I ollied (meaning jumped up and did a trick) on it and when I came down I broke it! and the kid was like... you just broke my skateboard... LOL! Don't worry though I felt really bad and I am going to buy him a new one today at Wal-Mart (that's where his mom got the first one...) but now its so funny! I mean I hate when I do things like that but I do them so often that now I just accept them and laugh :D lol! Oh and one more favor! Tell Shelly and James that neither of them had a good excuse not to write me! I gave them 1 more day and they still couldn't even write me... jeez.. I see what is going on here.. there is just no love.. :D lol! MOM DAD! I love you though! You are faithful and diligent in your writing! :D Tell everyone hello from me and that I love them (even if you think I don't love them) and no I'm not on drugs! Thank you for everything! Mom no rush on those cookies.. Ill just put them with my Easter package... LOL! I'm just kidding :D Well remember what it means to say that the church is true! There is a lot that happens with that sentence.. and not only do we say it but do we show it! I love you guys so much! Take care! and let me know if there is anything I can do for you!

Elder Penman

May 11th E-mail

Well whats happenin?!? This will probably be fairly short because well i just talked to you... lol But it was so wonderful to talk to you! Mom i hope you had a happy Mother's Day and i hope it carries out to every day! :D Oh so Mom when you take Shannon shopping you don't need to buy her anything from me unless you want to.. I have no idea right now what I'm going to get her but I'm sure i will figure it out :D But that is a great idea i think.. she needs someone to spend a little money on her ya know? :D and well if i could i would.. Well I'm trying to think of what i didn't already tell you... We had a pretty rough week this week when it comes to numbers.. but that's ok because we got a lot of appointments set up for next week.. so hopefully we get some new investigators! woot! well I'm glad to hear that you guys are doing good! I love you guys very much! keep your reading going! woot! take care and i cant wait to hear from you! Love ya!

Elder Penman

Some Fun Pictures!

May 4th E-mail

Well hello there fam! I got some exciting news for ya! I'm getting transferred! To Post Falls Idaho! And I have been called upon to be the District Leader there.. now I will be serving in 1 ward again (which i am very excited for) and that ward has had 20!!!! baptisms in the last 7!! months! wow! ya tell me about it! that is a ton! But i am so excited cause i will finally get to go to Coeur d'Alene! and i am now in the Coeur d'Alene zone.. my district is pretty small it is only us and one other companionship and the the zone leaders.. but that place is just on fire! So I can not wait to get there and hit the ground running! Oh and another good thing is that we only have a car every other week... that will work out very nicely because since I have been in a car for 6 straight months everything has turned to fat :D lol But what do ya do right? Yep tomorrow I heading out to there and so today we are crazy busy cause I have to pack everything and blah blah blah I hate packing and then we have a bunch of other stuff to do and people to say goodbye to and so forth! Anyways it will all get done... I have no worries! Hey I absolutely love you guys to death! Thanks so much for all you do for me! I know you pray for me but I will just add to please continue those prayers and even increase them because I will need them with going district leader and setting the tone for those other missionaries.. I have to tell you though that I am way excited! Jeez I get to talk to you guys in less than a week! How cool is that. But since I have no idea now where we are calling or what not I have no idea what time we will be calling.. so sorry about that but I will just have to call your cell phone and we can go from there! But hey things are great here! I hope all is well there I really appreciate you guys and all that you do for me! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to all the mothers! Especially you mom! You are the best! take care of yourselves! I love ya!

Elder Penman

April 27 E-mail

Well hello there parents! Whats happenin?!?! This week was pretty fun! We had some really good experiences finding new people to teach and such! I think things are really looking good right now! Transfers are in fact coming up though this Saturday we get calls but I would be surprised if either of us moved.. Its our first transfer together and usually you train for 2... but we will see.. Our district leader, Elder Jarman, is going home a week from today so we will get a new DL which hopefully they will be cool... Its absolutely crazy though to see people go home... It always sucks.. and I'm not looking forward to those days.. But I'm glad to hear that you guys are doing well.. i talked with Bro. McKinley and he really liked you guys.. I saw the book that you got him and i thought that was an interesting choice... lol! But I'm sure its good.. I'm very glad that you guys got to go to the baptism! We will be working on his wife! no worries! :D Well we are doing really good right now! We are getting ready to go play some basketball so I'm gonna let you go but I love you guys so much! and yep mom I will be calling you on the phone in less than 2 weeks.. I will just call your cell again and we will figure it out from there.. next week I will let you know when I will call and all that jazz... But I love you guys! Take care of yourselves! Talk to ya soon!

Elder Penman