This letter was address to Elder Paulson's father at the passing of his brother Reed Norton Paulson on June 16, 2010, he will be greatly missed in our lives!

June 21, 2010

Buenas Tardes mi Padre,

Say hello to another Monday, and a Monday I kinda wasn't looking forward to knowing the news that was waiting for me. First I hope your doing alright dad, this is not something that someone looks forward to hearing when he is so far from home. I have been thinking alot about you guys this week. I got a call from President Flores on Friday afternoon, I had no idea what he could be calling me for, but when he told me it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm going to miss my Uncle Reed, I don't have very many uncles.....I guess I'm down to one now. And I'm kinda bummed out that I didn't take those last few chances to go sailing with him... I'm going to miss that.

In this past few days I have found comfort in the words of Pres. Hinkley, he wrote a poem about death, you might have read it before but I would like to share it with you. It goes something like this....

"What is this thing that men call death,
This quiet passing in the night?
´Tis not end, but genesis

Of better worlds and greater light.

O God, touch thou my aching heart,

and calm my troubled, haunting fears.
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure,
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.

There is no death, but only change
With recompense for vict'ry won.
The gift of him who loved all men,
The Son of God, the Holy One".

I hope that this brings the same comfort it has brought to me.

Well other things from this week, that family has a baptismal date for next week and they are getting married this week. As for paying for stuff, we might get most of it for free, a member has connections so we are going to see what we can do, and it's not that we need a marriage license, it's other things, Honduras is weird!!! Also this week we found two new families to teach. So I was pretty stoked for that. We have been contacting a lot. We have interviews tomorrow with the Presidante, I'm looking forward to those.

I have been keeping it a goal to write in my journal every night. Before I hardly wrote in it at all!! But I'm getting better. Also I have been working on studying Spanish a lot more!!!!! You know how well I pick things up like that. I wanted to ask you when was the last time you saw your scriptures from your mission, or read your French scriptures. You should get those out and read them.

Don't worry I hear about the Honduran soccer team everyday, they lost today too! hahahaha! We get to play sometimes on p-days but I don't really like it that much!

Well dad, I'm out of time. I love you, thanks for everything dad!

Love your son,
Elder Paulson

June 14, 2010

Hey Mom-

Well, just for your sake I'll tell you I got my package, hahahaha! I'm not going to lie it didn't really feel like my birthday at all, I kinda forgot, hahahaha! We didn't really do anything, it's kinda hard when no one knows hahaha, But I'm glad you guys got to do something fun for you and that you didn't really have to worry about my birthday for a change. I hope you got that letter I sent a while ago, that was a Mother's Day/Birthday letter but I'll be sending another one off sooner or later.

I will send pictures of the house next week, the house itself isn't all that but the tree are awesome! and I'll try to get pictures of the town,I don't carry my camera around with me that much but I'll see what I can do. So we have found an awesome progressing family that has been progressing super fast. This week we are marrying them ( 90% of the population of Hondurans don't get married they just live together) and then they have a baptismal date for the next! So I have been super stoked for this. I have been praying to find awesome families to teach! So say some extra strong prayers for them! plz

I know that your teaching the girls things that they need to know. I wish we had someone to teach the girls here like you, they really need that. Honduras is not really the best place to find a good influence! So just keep doin what your doin with them and they will thank you for it! I noticed that Max was using my tie but I guess that's alright. Tell him to keep his chin up in middle school and to not let those stupid 9th graders push him around! Don't worry you will do fine singing in the funeral but I'll still say a prayer for you!

Well mom, I don't have much time today sorry ¡Te amo mucho y gracias para todos!

I love you!

Love your son, Elder Paulson

June 7, 2010

Bueno trades mi familia!

Well it has been a week just like you guys, first I am very sad to hear about Uncle Dan, that's one of the last things you want to hear when you are on your mission, but also like you guys I know that he is in a much better place! Give grandma my love and a big hug for me!

Well so this week we had to drop that baptismal date we had, the girl that we had it with is very hot and cold, one time she'll be all for it but then when we leave she doesn't want to do anything to prepare herself so the spirit leaves and then comes Satan. But we are not going to give up on her, my comp is a little fed up with her because he has had a baptismal date with her before and the same thing happened. So I'm going to see what I can do about that! We found an awesome family this week and they are progressing really fast! They read the Book of Mormon and I mean they really read it and obtained a witness of it so we are really focusing on them, the only problem is that the wife works on Sundays so it's going to be hard to get them to church. We also have another family that when we taught them the Book of Mormon they were all over it and excited to read it and learn more! So I have been pretty stoked about that this week.

Just a little bit more about my area, its full of die hard Catholics!!!! and they are all over the place. but I would much rather teach them than Evanglicals, those Holy Roller people.

So I love my new house, I have three mango trees in my backyard and a lime tree and an avacado tree and a noni tree! It's awesome! Well I don't have much more than that right now, I did get my shoes, 3 pairs for under 20 bucks and good pairs too. A pair of florshiems, a pair of Boston's and a pair of black cowboy boots they are awesome! and as of right now I have not gotten my package but they bring mail on Wednesday so I might get it then. Thanks for the money mom, I love you and thanks for all the things you do. I like the sound of hiking Angle's Landing when I get back! Well that's all I can think of, I love you all! Don't worry, I'm all good here, just working like always! Some days better then others! I love you all!!!!

Love Elder Paulson

letter for grandma.....

hola grandma, how are you i know thats kind for riddiculas question but i hope your are good just remember that uncle dan is just in a better place now doing a greater work theres a poem i would like to share with you its by pres. hinkley but i cant remeber it but mom can look it up its called "what is this thing that men call death" i hope that it brings a little more peace to you, remember that i love you i always will i send a big hug with this letter! i love you

love your grandson

elder paulson

June 1, 2010

Hola,

Okay so first I'll tell you where I'm at. I got transferred to an area called La Villa de San Antonio, its this little, little pueblo (village) in the middle of the Comyagua Valley. It's so small, smaller then my first area I was in. I'm here with Elder Lopez from Peru, and I'll be his last comp in the mission. So that makes a total of 3 comps that I have "killed" (that means that I'm their last comp) so far and that's a lot I guess, most people only kill one their whole mission. I don't know why I have been called to be the undertaker of the missionaries, but he's an awesome missionary, he works hard and I get along with him really well! So ya that's where I'm at right now.

So for the storm, where I'm at it's just raining a lot, a lot! It's been raining for almost 5 days straight! But in the city there's been flooding and all the rivers are overflowing, there are places where it has flooded up to the second levels of buildings. In my last area I had to cross a bridge to get back in the city and right now that bridge is closed so I don't know what the elders are doing in that area! and all the members. Last I heard is that it was close to breaking.... so ya I don't know what's going on there! But don't worry I'm fine, I actually like the rain because it means that there's no scorching hot sun! Which I keep hearing about here, is how hot it is here!

So my 3rd day here we put a baptismal date with an investigator, we hadn't even planned to put one but in the middle of the lesson I felt a really strong impression to put a date with her, and she accepted. It was an awesome experience. So let me tell you guys about the branch here, this Sunday we had a WHOPPING 35 in attendance and me and my comp had to pass the sacrament! hahahaha But we have had a lot of help from members and when teaching they go a lot with us to appointments. My comp said the attendance was so low because no one wanted to walk in the rain.... talk about a bunch of sissys!!! He said the attendance is normally like 90-95 so we will see this next week. I don't know if I told you guys but Elder Don Clark of the area presidency came and visited us, it was awesome and he talked on a lot of good points! He really helped me out alot!

So let me say something about changes, I like them and I don't like them, I like them because I get to know new places and new people and it's kind of a new start in the work with a fresh area that I have never been in. But I don't like them because they make me homesick for some reason.....I don't know why but for like the first 4 days of the change I'm really homesick and it's really hard and bums me out!!! But usually Monday i'ts gone!!! So now I'm good, but just wanted to tell you guys that I really thought about you guys a lot this week and missed you! I have yet to receive my package but that might be because I have been moved out of the city! So I hope I'll get it soon. I got an email from Jaxon today and he got his mission call and he's going to Thailand, Bangkok mission, you guys will have to go to his farewell. A little jealous but I'm here and I'm over it, hahahaha! Also got an email from Parker Miller who is on his mission in San Jose, California, and his comp is a poly from New Zealand, hahahaha again a little jealous.

Well that's all I got for you guys this week, thanks for everything, I love you all very much. Hope all is well, thanks mom for every thing! I love you.

Love your son, Elder Paulson

May 23, 2010

HOLA MI FAMILIA

Its has been a week, we will say that. Thanks mom for the help with the shoes, I'm going to buy them today! Last week I couldn't find any in my size! but we're going to a place today where I'm pretty sure they have my size! So not much has really happend this week pretty much the same thing I do every day and week and month of my mission, teaching people. Right now its been really hard to find people to teach, I don't know if it's because there is just not anyone really ready or if we are just not looking in the right places, but I'm praying everyday for the guidance of the Lord.

This last Wednesday Elder Don Clark, the area president came and talked with us, it was awesome. I felt like fighting lions after!!! He taught us so many good things about being missionaries. He's going to be a member of the 12 some day! His wife also talked to us, it was nice to hear a white motherly type person! I miss that alot here, moms just aren't the same here, they love their kids but I don't know it's just different! But I am really working on practicing what Elder Clark said, he talked about how a mission isn't something just about numbers but about changing lives, that it's a time to bring salvation to the children of God, it was awesome!!!

We are getting changes tonight, so the next time I write you I'll either be with a new comp in a new area or with a new comp in my same area, or with the same comp..... but I'm hopeing that dosen't happen!!! It's crazy how fast time goes by here! I was talking with one of the other elders of my group and he was saying the same thing! and before you know it I will be home. But i know what I'm supposed to be doing right now and that's my focus. I love you all, sorry this is so short but there is just not that much happening right now. The picture is of a milliped that i found at a service!

Well I love you all and you all are always in my prayers

Thanks mom for everything! I love you.

Love Elder Spencer F. Paulson

May 17, 2010

Hola mi familia,

Well we had an alright week this week in the work of the Lord, we have been working and focasing on finding people who are really ready to receive the gospel. We had a really low number at church on Sunday, and we don't really have any help from members right now for keeping our converts active so we have been really spread thin in all areas, working with our investigators, working with our converts, getting less actives to church, trying to find un-motivated members to go to lessons with us. Ya, its been a fun time, but I always feel the hand of the Lord holding us up and giving us that little boost we need.

Thanks mom for getting that package off, I'll be watching for it, and no I didn't say anything about a water filter, I haven't really used mine we have been good on water for right now, that was nice of Ronald. It will be hard not to cheat on my package, thanks for the garments. I will be going to buy my shoes today and good thing my Rockports were the last functional pair I had and I put a hole in them yesterday! We are also going to the office today so I can buy some more garmets there to.

Tell Max congrats on that game and to keep doing work. I wrote Austin a big letter this week and I'm putting it in the mail today, there's one coming for you mom and there will be one coming for dad this week too and also Amelia and Kel. I got a ton of emails this week alot from friends i was stoked!

Well there's nothing really new right now, just still doing the same thing I do ever day, I love you guys, thanks for everything and all your support! Thanks mom for everything.

The pictures are of the bus we go to church on!

Love Elder Paulson