Christmas Letter from Payden - Received Dec 22nd 2009e

Dear Family,
Merry Christmas!!! Thank you so much for all the support and all of the gifts. I appreciate everything. Its pretty weird being away for Christmas. But don't worry - I am surviving. I just want you guys to know that I am very happy here and I am glad I am serving a mission. I know that Christ lives and that this is His church. I know that anything is possible with Him. I have seen his influence in my life and in others lives. No matter what happens here, nothing can shake the testimony I have. Thank you so much for everything. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. I hope all is well with you guys. I love you and I am thinking of you. Merry Christmas! Love Elder Beus

Hey guys! Guess what? I have been transferred. I am now in the Graham zone in Puyallup. My address is 10324 137th St. E. Puyallup,Wa 98374. I live in a trailer park with this old guy. His Name is Gary Morton. I've only said hi to him once but he's a cool guy. We only have a bathroom and bedroom. It's pretty cramped. Oh and I"m on a bike! woot woot. It's okay though I am in the smallest area in the mission. It's like a few miles by a few miles so we don't bike too far. It's relatively flat too. My new comp is Elder Draper. He actually came out with me but in a different district. I like him a lot. He is a hard worker.I'll tell you more about him on Christmas. So on Christmas we are going to this families house in the morning to open presents. I am planing on calling 8:30 to 9:00 our time so it will be 9:30 to 10:00 your time. So be there! haha!I am so excited!!! It's crazy this week. I did get everything you sent me and I only opened the sweaters and the missionary tools book. So I still have quite a few to open. Kennedy was grateful for the package too. Okay my favorite president of the church is President Hinckley. He was amazing. An I'll think of some stories. Well I need to get going. I love you guys tons and I can't wait for friday!! Love YA!!!

Hi,

My name is Cindy Redd, I'm the activities committee chairperson in Silverdale 2nd Ward, and I thought you'd like these photos of your son. I always try to take pictures at our ward activities, and I realize these are mostly candid shots, but it's always so great to see pictures of them. Elder Beus is a great missionary, he's a hard worker and is willing to help, and is outgoing and friendly to the investigators. The ward loves him. Our youngest son just left on his mission at the end of October, and so far the only pictures I have of him are some that a senior sister missionary emailed me from the MTC in Brazil, so I hope I can pay it forward and share these with you. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and enjoy your phone call on Christmas day! This is from my husband's email, mine is cindy_redd@hotmail.com. If you want larger files of these, let me know and I'll send them.

Best wishes,

Cindy

I logged onto Paydens account at America first the other day. He had been shopping at Best Buy. Hmmm.... What did he buy there??? And then that night we had a very short e-mail. It said that he had his camera in his jacket pocket and when he got into the car he slammed the door shut and his camera was shattered. He wanted to get a new camera so he he would have it for the holidays. On Monday we got another e-mail. He said that he hopes to stay in Silverdale for Christmas because he loves it there so much and he really loves the members. They have really been good to him. Transfers are on Dec 21st and I think it would be hard to move just days before Christmas and be with a new companion and be in a new area for the holidays. BUT... if anyone can handle it it - it would be Payden. He is so easy going and easy to get along with and he would adjust just fine. The mission had a Christmas party on December 14th. We were told to have all of his Christmas sent to the mission home by the 7th. I kept finding things to send. I ended up sending two large boxes. The secretary at the mission home asked us to send something to Paydens companion Elder Kennedy. I am not sure of his situation but Payden also asked if we could send something to him too. He said that Elder Kennedy has only received about three letters since he's been with him. So we sent some of the same stuff to him too. I hope Christmas will be a good one for them both. The ward had a Christmas party and they had a lot of leftovers so the missionaries were blessed with extra food for the week. Payden said they are hoping for a white Christmas - meaning a baptism set for December 19th. well - six more days and we get to chat on the phone for one hour. I can't wait!!!!

Payden and his district played football in the mud on Thanksgiving. He said they had a blast! It looks a little muddy and cold. Boy's will be boy's!

Bishop Peterson from Silverdale Washington called me today. He is Payden's bishop. Bishop Peterson said he had talked to Elder Beus and he wanted the Bishop to let us know that he loves us, misses us, and wants us to know that he is thinking of us to day. The Bishop said that Elder Beus is an awesome missionary and young man. He said that Elder Beus has grown so much and and that he is doing really well - he acts more like the senior companion taking charge. The Bishop also said that Payden has two places to go today for Thanksgiving dinner and the members take really good care of the missionaries up there. He also said we can call him if we ever need to. I Love hearing that Payden is doing so well and that he is truly happy. I still miss him so bad that I can't stand it!!!

Payden and his companion taped dum-dum suckers to pass along cards and handed them out at their Trunk or Treat for Halloween. He is sitting on a torpedo but he didnt say where. And of coarse he is just cute in the other picture

We received an E-Mail from Payden on Nov 9th. He said he did not get transferred and that he will be staying in Silverdale. He said at least I will be in a car for the cold part of the year. His companion's name is Elder Phillips and he is from Arizona. Payden said that he is glad that he is from Utah because he does not think that the weather has been very cold yet. Elder Phillips is freezing! Payden said that Silverdale has not had much success but that he is diligent and working hard. He just finished the Book of Mormon again. The Next transfer will be Dec 21st. We love to receive his letters and E-mails - we look forward to Monday nights! His E-mails are not real long and not full of information but what did we expect from him? He did say that his mission and the Seattle Mission combined for a conference and that L. Tom Perry and Whitney Clayton who is the President of the 70's was there. He was able to shake their hands and meet them. On Sunday Elder Clayton came to the Stake Conference and Payden met him again and shook his and and was able to talk with him. Its Wednesday and the middle of the week right now so I am looking forward to a letter in the mail or Monday night so I can read about the his week.

Payden finally sent a few pictures home. The picture of him and the other Elders on the stairs are his district at the MTC. The one of him is on the plane - he is on his way to the Tacoma Washington Mission. July 2009 to July 2011 The picture of the four Elders and three sisters is his district. The one with several missionaries is his zone and that his Payden and his first companion Elder Beus and Elder Wadsworth. There are two pictures of Alex. She is a girl that the sister missionaries taught and they had asked Elder Beus and Elder Wadsworth to do the baptism and confirmation. I hope that in the future he will write more information about the pictures and the names of the other missionaries.

We received an E-mail from Payden on Monday Oct 5th. He said they had a very busy week and that it was the most successful one. During their tracting time they had found some inactive members to teach and also new investigators that they will be teaching. He said they talked to a guy that is scitso and he hears voices and was asking if God could be a girl. He said it was kinda funny and odd. He said that they were able to watch conference - all ten hours. He said he loved it! He said that his favorite speakers were Tad R. Callister and and Elder L. Tom Perry.He liked Elder Perry's because he was tearing anti Mormons apart and they were rooting for him quietly. Paydens new companion is Elder Kennedy and he likes him. We love to hear from him - cant wait for the next E-mail!!!

Letter written on 9/28/09
Payden wrote to tell us that he is staying in Silverdale and was not transferred. His companion Elder Wadsworth was transferred though and Payden got a new companion. His name is Elder Kennedy and he is from Pheonix Az. He is the new district leader and talks a lot more than Elder Wadsworth. Payden will have to introduce him around and help him learn the area. Payden said he was asked by the sister missionaries to baptize one of their investigators - a ten year old girl named Alex. He said that he will be sending pictures soon. Wouldn't that be great!

Was he transferred???

We didn't get an E-Mail from Payden this week. We don't know if he was transferred or not. I was hoping that today we would have heard if he was transferred. No E-Mails -YET!

Letter

Payden starts all letters with "Hey - how are you guys? I'm doing Great!" I really think he is too. He said they are so busy and and their weeks are crazy. He said he is excited because being so busy will mean that a lot of things will be happening. They are shooting for a baptism on Sunday the 27th of Sept. He also said that time is going by really fast. Payden said that they have been doing service - they helped put a roof on a house for a lady that does day care in her home and she has a prosthetic leg. He sounds good and he sounds very positive. He likes his companion and they are working very hard.
The Beus Family got together on Sept 20th and every one wrote their testimonies down and we bought about 15 Book of Mormons to put them in along with a picture of the families. We are going to send them to Payden but not until after Monday the 28th because that is transfer day and I want to wait and see if he will be staying in the same area.

What a handsome missionary.!!Last Sunday, Aug 23rd we got a phone call from the bishop from the ward that Payden is serving in. The bishop called to let us know not to worry. He said that Payden is doing really well and that he is happy. He said that they take really good care of the missionaries up there in Silverdale and they feed them. If they are not feeding them they are giving them gift cards to places that they can eat. He said that Payden - Elder Beus had spoke in church that day and he did a really good job. The subject was Baptism. He said that when elder Wadsworth sat down after giving his talk Elder Beus patted him on his leg.He said that Elder Wadsworth is a great missionary that will train him well and they have a real good mission correlater in the ward. The bishop gave us his phone number and said if we need anything at all - call him. He said his wife might be calling us too. She is the reason that he calls the parents - she wants us not to worry. He also said that they live in upper - middle class and he is in a good area. It is a very beautiful area too

Apparently some one made a mistake and typed Craig Dean Beus instead of Payden Craig Beus. Oh well - we know who the missionary is

We received this picture and letter from President Bowen Aug 28th 2009. He looks happy. We hope that he is.