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December 29th E-mail

Well good news! I'm PREGNANT!!! With a baby boy!! lol! Yep I'm going to be training! I am so excited! Its going to be sweet! It was very fun to talk to you! You all sounded good and it was good to hear your voices! We got taken care of this week! The members were so good to us! it was fun but I have like a pile of candy! Seriously its insane! Its way too much! So I hope my greenie likes candy :D Well not too much happened the rest of this week. We did get one new investigator... but to tell ya the truth I can't even remember what we did cause I am just too excited to get my greenie lol! Oh after I talked to you guys we went and had a snowball fight at some members house and then we went sledding in our suits lol! I'm glad that you guys has Shannon over for a little bit though! She is so awesome! Well mom are ya getting nervous?! Just remember that everything will be fine and pretty soon it wont hurt anymore! woohoo!! Anyways I have to go to Spokane tomorrow morning to pick him up and I have no idea who it is yet.. but it will be fun! So anyways I will let you know how it all goes! Take care! Keep up the good work! Keep reading your scrips! Love ya! Oh and dad... don't wuss out on the hair now :D! lol! Take care!
Elder Penman

December 12th Letter

Hey whats happening!? So you are very welcome! But ya whats the deal with your mailman? You should punch him in the dome for me! I was getting a little worried there! I thought you were testing me or paying me back for making you wait LOL. But hey its good to hear your excitement and that you liked your Christmas present! I was hoping that you would!

I'm glad you didn't have time to go help with chocolates! You are way too busy for that and I hope that you aren't too stressed out! If so just know that it will be okay and that I love ya! And even though you are way busy don't forget the lord in your life. Still take a few minutes and read your scrips and say your prayers! I promise that things will go smoother.

Okay so I did know a few of your seven facts, I knew about the corndog/pickles and that you are a "homebody" and I definitely knew about the pajama pants! Lol you wore those all the time! But I did not know the other ones! That was pretty fun, lets see if I can come up with seven myself...

1. I generally have to have the volume of things on either a 5 or 0. I can't stand it when its on something in between! ( I hope that makes sense)
2. I was supposed to be a twin. They suspected the other one to be a girl! So I will have another sibling in heaven? :) I hope so!
3. I like to have a towel over my shoulder when I'm cooking. :)
4. I absolutely love walking outside on a brisk morning! I like cold weather.
5. I am the only missionary out here that is "practically sealed." LOL
6. That one really long blonde hair that I had on my belly is now gone! I have no idea what happened!
7. I really really really like butter. :)

Lol well those are kinda hrrrp and you probably knew most of them but I dunno you just know me too well! Thank you for the pictures I will send some soon! So don't get too impatient. :) So Elder Burrell wrote Cami :) Tell her that she has to send him a picture and if Ashley writes him she has to send him a picture too!

Happy holidays! Remember I love you! I look forward to hearing from you again! I hope all of your finals went well! Keep reading your scriptures! Tell everyone hi for me! Tell your mom that I look forward to eating her pies for years to come!

Love,
Elder Ryan John Penman

December 8th E-mail

Jeez what took you so long with chocolates?!?! we were in and out in no time! see that tells you only one thing... you guys are getting OLD!!!! lol! ha ha! it will be so worth it! think mom only 1 more dipping session without me! lol! I'm glad you got through it and you are sending me some!I cant wait! I don't care if they are all mixed together by the time they get to me I will just eat the one big chocolate!! It was good to see a pic of (mom,grandma,Janet,Shannon) Shannon sent it to me and I looked at it and showed my comp and I said "I used to bug the crap out of all 4 of them!" lol!!! It made me want to tickle all of ya lol! OK so something happens every week at church! I swear it is so interesting! OK so last week, in priesthood, they were talking about a guy who showed up at the ward party the day after thanksgiving and he came in with 2 families and so both families thought that he was with the other one.. so anyways the kids are all playing in an area of the cultural hall and the adults are talking and what not with each other in another part.. well anyways this guy was in there with the kids... (and btw we have 4 cops in 2nd ward) well anyways one of the cops goes over and starts interrogating him you know asking him who are you with? Where are you from? etc. etc. and anyways he finds out that the guy is living in his car and has slept in the parking lot of the church a few times. Well this week that guy shows up for church and stays during the first whole block and then is waiting to meet with the bishop and it was right after we got out of PEC with 2nd ward and our bishop said if anyone sees this man I need to know right away ASAP.. and we walk out of that meeting and the guy is standing right there... (oh I forgot to mention that at the party the guy somehow had a list of all the bishops names and phone numbers) and anyways it was really wierd but this guy went in and met with 1st ward bishop because 2nd ward was about to start. Well right during the meeting one of the cops got up and was bearing his testimony and the 3 others just out of instinct I guess got up and walked out of the room and so I don't know what the heck was going on but I later found out that they escorted the guy off the property and told him if he goes on any church property he will be arrested and found out the he has a warrant in 2 states and is a sex offender. So that was interesting! Now another story on the side is that there was this guy that got baptized a little while ago and his name is Vance. I didn't find out about Vance until he showed up at church on Sunday.. Vance got baptized and called himself on a mission for 5 years.. and just up and left his family and kids. OK well come to find out he didn't make it 5 years cause well he was back at church Sunday he just got back from his trip... well he went to 18 different states and went to as much church history stuff as he could in the US. He also along the way lived in a ton of different homeless shelters but he did have his jeep... He gets back and says you know there are just too many conflicts going on at home and Sunday told us he is moving to salt lake and breaking up with his wife. (Well there is conflict because you abandoned your family and called yourself on a mission!) Now his idea of missionary work is picketing. He has signs and a saying that goes "1 2 3 one true church" LOL! So he is picketing FOR the church! lol!!! He went to do that all over the country! now he is preparing to go to Israel and wont even shake anyones hand at church because they don't shake hands in Israel LOL!!! So this guy is insane! And he doesn't understand why there are problems at home! Well what is going to happen with him is if he leaves his family again he is going to get ex-ed.... you just cant do that! Well anyways so there is his background and remember this was his first Sunday back... well right when all the cops got up and left the room Vance stood up to go up there to bear his testimony (and Vance was sitting in the very back row with us) The bishop popped right up and pointed at him and pointed out in the hall and went out of the room too to meet with Vance! So we are going what the heck is going on?!?! Everyone just up and left lol!! It was interesting... and so anyways Vance came and sat back down (obviously didn't get to bear his testimony) and the meeting just kept on going lol! The meeting didn't stop or anything but it was just funny. But ya so I'm looking forward to a normal week! lol! I hope you guys are doing well!! I love you all!! Take care! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! oh and btw I did get the under armor and it rocks!! Love ya! Take care! Dad that blows you have to shave your goat! I would be pissed! Take care!
Elder Penman

December 1st E-mail

Hey mom whats happening?!?! I hope you had a good Thanksgiving! Mine was ok ... it was kinda boring... lol Well the pie wasn't grandmas... lol! but no it was good they actually smoked the turkey and it was very very tasty! I'm sorry your knee sucks the big one! Aren't you getting it replaced in January or something? I think I remember you saying something.. but I dunno... Well this week was a little slow but I have a funny story to tell ya! So we have a nine year old kid that was on-date for baptism and we had gone to his house and he is very difficult to teach cause well he is nine... but anyways I made a contract with him and made him sign it of things that he had to do before he could get baptized. He did and what not.. and I kinda feel bad for the kid because he lives with his great grandmother who is almost 80 (she is also like 6 feet tall and it is a little scary...) but his mom doesn't want him and his dad doesn't want him and his grandmother doesn't want him and by the looks of it his great grandmother doesn't want him either and I can't really blame her for not wanting to take care of a nine year old at that age. Anyways! I still feel bad for the kid.. its rough. But anyways his great grandmother's name is Joe and that's easier to type and the nine year old's name is Isaiah so anyways Joe got offended by a bishop who beat the crap out of her 12 year old son and she took him to court and everything in 1969! So Joe has never come back to church since but she still knows that its true. So she doesn't bash the church or anything she just doesn't go. But what she did when it came to bringing Isaiah is she would bring him and she would sit in the parking lot until church was over and then take him home and whatever. Well it just wasn't working out if you know what I mean. A nine year old running wild in the church with no one in there to legally supervise him... you could imagine. Anyways after the first church at 9:00 before 1:00 church he is hiding from his grandma and doesn't want to get in the car and says I'm just going to stay for church again well I'm like no freaking way is that happening so I go out and tell her that he doesn't want to come to the car with the intentions that she will come get him. Well she says well fine then he can walk home and she backs out and leaves. So when Isaiah sees this he freaks out and runs and sits in the middle of the road... and so we are like walking towards him at first and he keeps going and so I said I'm not playing this game and we went back inside. Well sure enough he comes back and our ward mission leader gets involved (this is who we live with his name is brother Purcell and he is a police officer for Clarkston PD) and he is dealing with it so I'm like sweet. So he is asking him what he wants and he doesn't want a ride and he doesn't want to stay and he wants to walk so bro Purcell tells him fine leave walk home and Isaiah says no and starts throwing things at the building (pine cones and such) meanwhile bro. Purcell is on the phone with Joe and says please just bring him his coat and if he doesn't want to get in the car fine but he needs his coat. She says ok well when he gets off the phone Isaiah throws one more thing at the building and bro Purcell goes off on him and tells him that he will have him arrested if he does it again! So Isaiah freaks out and goes and sits in the road again... (its a 2 lane road that is double yellow line and fairly busy) he is sitting in the middle well people are coming in for church and he is drawing attention like crazy...(his goal) and so we go back inside. Well sure enough he comes back in and by this time church is about to start and they asked me and elder Burrell to pass the sacrament. So we all go in to the meeting and sit down and bro. Purcell comes in and goes hey one of you needs to take care of Isaiah and I'll pass for you and so I said I will and I said to elder Burrell give me the phone (and at this time I was not very happy at all to say the least...) so he hands me the phone and I start walking and Isaiah is following me going what are you going to do? Are you going to call my grandma? Where are we going? lol and I just kept walking.. and I walked outside at perfect timing Joe was pulling up and I waved her down and I walked up to the car and opened his door and I said get in the car! She rolls down the window and says he isn't ready to be baptized and I said I know he isn't! When he heard that he freaked out and was like you can't break the contract blah blah blah and I went off!!! I was like you know what I didn't break anything and I'm the one that makes the contracts and you are never going to have another one unless you start acting better than this! Holy cow I was hot! Then I looked at him and I was like look at me! He looked up and then I said GET UP AND GET IN THE CAR NOW! He kinda wormed his way into the car and I shut the door and then I stuck my head in the car and said look at me! and he did and I said go home and read a chapter and think about what you did and we will see you at 8! Then I shook Joe's hand and said thanks for coming to get him! And I walked off! lol!!! But I had like a whole crowd too. The look on all their faces was like dang.... lol! So anyways cool part was that after all that we went over and held our ground with him (and trust me he tried everything) and i was still kinda hot and so I told Joe I said you know I'm going to be completely honest with you and until Isaiah has someone to come to church with him this is never going to work and she thought about it and she said... your right... and I said I hope this stuff is far enough in the past that we can forget it and you can come back to church (and then I baited her lol) cause you are very smart and you could really help strengthen others that are there. So we committed her to come to church and so we are excited about that! I will let you know how it goes! I have carpal tunnel now and so I hope it heals by next week lol!! But anyways... kind of a funny story but cool at the same time. I truly laid the smack down! :D Well mom thanks for sending Tessa and Jacob that plaque they are going to love it!! Thats awesome! I'm excited for that! I hope chocolate day goes well!! Just remember as bad as anything sucks its your attitude that makes the difference! So ya know just go and have fun like we did last year and it will get done in half the time...! (like last year :D) Chocolate day doesn't HAVE to be hell! You can't say that I didn't prove that :D! Love ya mom! Keep reading your scrips! Take care! I get to talk to ya soon!!! Holy cow!!! Exciting!!! well I love you very much and I hope everything is going well for you! Pray for the areas of the world that don't have missionaries!!! I did get my Christmas present and holy cow I love them to death!! Everything fits perfect and I love those socks!! Oh and mom I have no idea who is still on their mission lol! I'm out of the loop lol! But if you find out please let me know... you can call all of their parents... I know Steve is still out... anyways I love ya! Happy holidays! Tell everyone hi and I love them! Give Shannon a big hug for me and then tell her to give you and big hug for me! lol!! Take care!
Elder Penman

November 24th E-mail

Hey whats going on?!?! Well at least I didn't have to be home to see BYU get mashed.... 6 TO's?!?! Sounds like Highland!!! Oh well!

Well! Clarkston is sweet! I love it here! My companion's name is Elder Burrell and he has been out one transfer less than me. He is cool! He is so funny though! He is pretty shy and so when we are tracting sometimes he will just be like hey..... and then sit there for a minute and then look over at me lol! One time he said we are sharing a message about families and how they can be together forever... (well everyone else believes that too they just don't know how it works...) so the lady is like yep I already know that... and he just sits there and stares at her and she goes I stumped ya on that one didn't I? and he sits there for a second and goes... yep.. LOL!!! So then I was like well there is a little more too it than that and it started explaining authority lol! It was
funny! He is way cool and you know the joy of the work is back! It is great! Clarkston is full of wonderful people and most of them are humble enough that they will at least talk to you! It is great! The area is beautiful too we cover 2 states! :D We cover parts of Lewiston too... and so it's pretty cool you cross the Snake river and you are in Idaho. :D It's pretty cool cause we are
working both areas all the time. It does stink a little bit in the mornings.. smells like pot latch.. from the paper mills... now that's a weird smell lol! Well mom it's good to hear that you are reading your scriptures AND learning! :D!!! Its pretty cool how much you can learn!

So we had a couple come to church for the first time. They aren't married... but I'm pretty good with that now lol! Although these people aren't as humble as Tessa and Jacob. Oh my goodness I forgot their address again! Well mom if I remember to I will write it in Shannon's letter and you can just get it from her. :D Well my brain just isn't working much today lol! We got up at 4:30 to go play basketball with the guys in our ward. They play at 5... but I will get that address to you! Dad it sounds like you gave a pretty sweet talk! Its about time :D!!! Aren't you both glad that I spoke up in my talk lol! You wont ever be able to get me back because I love to talk in sacrament! :D Well I am excited to get my Christmas presents!!! Woohoo!!! I almost get to call home!!!! Woohoo!!! Mom!!! Yay!!! lol It will be so much fun!! I am so pumped for Thanksgiving though!! We get another p-day and all we do is go eat and then leave and go eat somewhere else and then leave and go eat again!!! Oh my goodness!!! I am excited!!!! :D So I'm hoping to some
p-day go fishing up here for steel heads... I hear good things about the fish! They are pretty good size I guess. Oh my goodness am I excited to get chocolates!!! Just remember my favs are mint, caramel, and cherry!!! lol :D I am just looking forward to gaining some pounds this holiday season!!! I am in the warmest part of the mission! So we won't be getting much snow if any so
we can go walk around and burn it off if Arizona boy doesn't freeze lol! Well I love you guys! If there was anything that you wanted to know that I didn't answer just ask :D Things are going well and I hope the same for you! Take care!

Elder Penman

Lots of Pictures!