5.28.12

Well hello there family!
Great week, nothing out of the norm really. Monday we went to Capps area and chilled all pday haha I love talking with that kid. Tuesday we didn’t have district meeting because of transfers on Wednesday.
Capps left for lima to be a zone leader. I was bummed cause he left but I was happy for him, he deserved it. Wednesday we went to a little town called Chacrampa. It's what we call in the mission a mine. When we showed up and everyone's eyes lit up, some of us even asked how they could become members of the church. I am way excited, there's a ton of people there to teach and I feel like my last month in Jauja is gonna be a good one. On Saturday we went and did a service there so they could finish picking potatoes early so they could go to a baptism in Huancayo with us. We helped out and ended up taking 5 investigators to the baptism with us. It was awesome. The families there are the nicest and most humble people I have ever met. We have about 8 people we've met so far there that could baptized in June. Pray for them because they really deserve it. So ya I am kinda having trouble thinking of what to talk about. It is crazy thinking that I have less than 2 months left. I try not to think about it usually. A lot of missed feelings and I am not a big fan of that stuff. But finding people like these makes me forget about it 100 percent. I can't believe Johns is home now too. Haha I love that kid. He was an amazing missionary, and a huge example for me. Makes me feel a little more comfortable that he forgot how to say a few words in english too.
Well tell Logan to hang in there, Coleton I will rock you in bowling when I get home, Karleigh get ready for a Cali trip when I get home, Morgan I was looking at the pics of Malorie today haha she is so cute, Marissa we have to do the trips we planned when I called, dad you are the man and congrats on your calling, mom…..best mom ever
Love you all Elder Paolacci

5.21.12

Oh family,
Awesome week. So Monday we had a zone pday and went to that place called Ingenio (where they have those cool ruins). It was fun to be with the zone and only have to worry about my comp and I, and not the whole zone. We had fun, ate trout. Tuesday was district meeting, it is fun teaching the new kids in district meetings. They are learning a ton. Elder Janco is learning a bunch and is getting a lot better at teaching. This week we found a bunch of new investigators that are gonna get baptized in June! Looks like I am gonna have a good birthday month.

But the highlight of the week was the big baptism! Jonathan was baptized Saturday night around 6pm. It was so awesome. Not many members showed up but the spirit was insanely strong. On Friday Elder Capps did his baptismal interview because the zone leaders didn’t want to take the hour and a half bus ride to Jauja, and Capps is only a half hour away. They ended the interview and Jonathan asked me to baptize him, can't say I wasn’t insanely happy at that moment. Well, the next day he showed up about 10 minutes early for his baptism and when we showed up he was sitting there waiting. I was so pumped. We went in got changed to start the baptism right away.

We had an awesome experience in the bathroom after we had changed. I shared with him my experience with grandpa and how much I knew that he was put in my path as a missionary for a reason. I have learned so much from him. He bore a super strong testimony to me thanking me for the help we had given him. So ya all this was before the baptism. The baptismal service started with the hymn the "Spirit of God", not gonna lie I totally chose it. After, Elder Janco shared a really cool little message on baptism and afterwards we passed to the font. The baptism itself went great and after he left the water he gave me the biggest hug. It was amazing. Such an amazing guy. Yesterday he showed up to church, early haha. Came with a dress shirt and I gave him a tie, he is such a stud. The bishop said that next Sunday he is going to get the aaronic priesthood and if he can prepare himself he is gonna receive the melchezidek during stake conference in June. The ward Is super excited for him and I know he is gonna progress super fast. Well this week we gotta look hard for someone to baptize, a couple of the people we had fell away because they haven’t come to church. Well fam that’s all the time I have got, have a great week!

p.s. I haven’t read about Logan's arm yet, hope its not too bad.

Love you all

Elder Paolacci

5.14.12

Well hello there family!
It was awesome being able to talk to you guys Saturday, not gonna lie my head was not in the game for most of Sunday. But now I am good. It was awesome hearing all of your voices, you all sound so great. I am so pumped about dads new calling he's gonna be amazing. (I know gotta keep it hush hush until Sunday) I truly felt like he was gonna get the call  but I was trying not to guess. I am way excited, its gonna be a great experience and such great blessings for our family.


So ya this week was awesome. Monday we spent pday with Capps and Parade in their area, it was fun. Tuesday we had district meeting as usual, it was cool. Our district meetings are a little different here because half of the missionaries are in their first transfer. We are focusing a lot on practices and learning all the tactics from PMG (Preach my Gospel)
Wednesday we had divisions, I went to go check on the other missionary in the district that’s going through training right now too. He is from Mexico, really cool kid and a great missionary. Friday we had interviews with President Ardila, such an awesome guy, it was a great experience. 


Saturday as I said was quite interesting, the bishop disappeared with the key so we had to go do the baptism in the river. It was an awesome experience, the truth is that I was hoping to be able to do the baptism in the river but Elder Janco ended up doing it. It was really cool, it was his first baptism in the field and in the river.

But ya who knows, maybe I can convince president to let us do it again. After the baptism I shared the story of Jesus´ baptism. It was pretty awesome because everyone was involved and shared their testimonies.
Afterwards we passed by the chapel to see if any investigators arrived to the mothers day party. There s was only one but it was totally worth stopping by because all the older lady's were dancing and stuff, got a kick out of it. Sunday was awesome and depressing at the same time. We had the confirmations of Anthony and ,the kid that got baptized Saturday, Robinson. The depressing part is that no investigators went.
But we had to understand it was mothers day. But the good news is that this Saturday Jonathan and Ricardo are gonna have their baptisms. Everyone continue to pray for them please! 

Also a super cool experience I had yesterday, I had the opportunity to dedicate two graves. The prayer was 100 percent lead by the spirit, I actually learned a few things during the prayer I gave.


So that was a really cool moment for me. The wife of the man that passed away chose to finish with the hymn “God be with you till we meet again” I remembered you had told me that’s the hymn you guys sang in grandpas service. Not gonna lie, brought tears to my eyes. Great way to end the week.


Well tell the Jenks theres no elder teemsa in the mission, must be another mission here in Peru.
Yes let's sing the "Spirit of God" best hymn ever at my homecoming. Are you going to tell all my friends we are singing ? Congrats again to dad, you are gonna be awesome!
Well, love you all. They sent me my flight plans today! Super nerve wracking! Can't be thinking about that stuff right now.
I Love You all so much, 
Elder Paolacci

5.7.12

Elder Paolacci's Grandfather John Paolacci passed away on Thursday May 3, 2012

Well my dear family, I am not gonna lie, last night was a pretty rough night for me. After me and my companion had finished planning I was in the process of changing when I received a call from President Ardila. I was actually super nervous because I thought I had an emergency transfer. He started talking to me in a way I have never heard him and I instantly knew why he was calling. I don’t know why or how, but I knew. We talked for about a minute or two when he broke me the news. I love my mission president so much. As he was about to tell me he started to cry. He told me about how his father had passed away and it really helped me out.

After the phone conversation I immediately got on my knees and prayed. It was hard. I haven’t cried like that for a while, but I had the strongest impression that Grandpa Paolacci and Grandpa Harper were right there next to me. I hadn’t had that feeling since the time Grandpa Harper had passed away and in one of my baseball games when I was walking to the mound I felt like he was right there with me.

Last night was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. I asked Elder Janco for a blessing and as he put his hands on my head I felt as though there were two more pairs of hands upon my head. It was an amazing blessing and afterwards I felt so much better. Before I went to bed I read the chapter in Jesus the Christ on the Atonement and also his Resurrection. I didn’t go to bed till very late but it helped me a ton.

When I woke up this morning I looked through the pictures I had of Grandpa Paolacci. I cried again, but felt the impression to read a scripture that I had read when I started the misión. When I read it at the start of my mission I put my name in the place of Joseph and sidney. I was having alot of troubles with homesickness and this scripture changed everything:

D&C 100:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friend Dylan, your family is well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.

This time as I read it I thought of this in a way that I have never thought. I was thinking of my grandpas looking down on us and that they could also be feeling the same things we are feeling in these moments. This time I replaced Joseph and Sidney, for John and Kent.

D&C 100:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my friends John and Kent, your families are well; they are in mine hands, and I will do with them as seemeth me good; for in me there is all power.

I know as a fact that Grandpa is in a good place,

as it says in verse 4 of section 100 Therefore, I, the Lord, have suffered you to come unto this place; for thus it was expedient in me for the salvation of souls.

Our father does everything in this life with a wise purpose. We may not know what it is but his plan is perfect. If we live according to the gospel in these times we may come to know the reason of the things he does in his life. But we cannot expect to know exactly why he does all the things he does other than the fact that its for the salvation of souls.

There is another passage of scriptures that I read this morning that helped me alot in 2 Corinthians 5: 

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight

8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Grandpa was a great and literal example that we walk by faith and not sight. And as it says in verse 7, even though we are here to have joy in our lives, being in the presence of the Lord is uncomparable. And as you all know, he is much happier now, as you say mom, I know he is looking down upon all of us. On Logan playing baseball, on Coleton doing his plays and turning into an incredible young man, on Karleigh being the most enduring person I know, on Morgan being the best young mother and wife that exists, on Marissa with her creativity and always amazing attitude and love for others, and I know he is looking upon me as a missionary.

Last night as I was laying in my bed I started thinking about how close I was to being able to see him, and I started reflecting and thinking on maybe why our Heavenly Father chose now to bring him home. And I feel like I know why now.

One John may have left my life at this brief moment we call earth life, but God has put another in my path as a missionary that is having a serious impact on my life. Yesterday Johnathan showed up to church (like 15 minutes early) with a completely different look on his face. Your prayers are working family. He is changing so much and is extremely excited for his baptism on the 19th. Every time I see him I have the strongest impression that I was put here in Jauja to help the Lord change his life. If possible my desire to help him now is even more than it was before, and I know grandpa is going to support him in this change he is making in his life.

I know this is and will be a very hard time for the family. And I am sure it will be very difficult for me too. But we “are in good hands”. We need to search for what the Lord wants us to do now, and do it.

I love all of you so much and I will be praying for all of you. If there is a Preach My Góspel or a pamphlet of lesson 2 in the house, I ask that you all study the plan of salvation as a family tonight for Family Home Evening, I will be doing it as well.

Gods plan is perfect, don't forget it. And because Christ lives, we will all live again.

I Love You all so very much,

Elder Dylan Thomas Paolacci