(a letter from July 30)
I am now serving in the area Aquiles Serdan, zone Libertad, mission Mexico Puebla North. My comp is.......(drum role)...... Elder Hanson. He’s from the "factory" (Utah) but grew up in Montana. He has 6 months in the mish and is SUPER OBEDIENT!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! Each morning at 6:30 on the dot, we BOTH hit our knees. 8:00, all quiet but the turning of pages. 11:00, out of the house and moving (We have another hour of studies for Spanish). 9:00, planning. Lots of English though. That’s bad. We have to talk more Spanish. He’s not bad in the language. He served in Idaho for 3 months before getting to Mexico for visa problems, so now he has 3 months here and he is doing really well with it. Still has problems, but I understand. I was there a bit more than a year ago. He is really counting on me to helping with his Spanish. I do my best.
I was reading in Helaman in my personal study, and I passed for the part where the people once again return to their belief in Christ and they put all of the secret combinations (sp) into the ground to hide them from the world. I’m not sure if that’s just symbolic or literal, but why not destroy them? Later, bad people are going to come, find them and use them to cause havoc among the people of God, so why did they not destroy them? I started applying that to my life. How many times do I do something that I know is wrong, and then just put that mistake in another part where I will probably find it again and return to those problems? I then applied it to my investigators. How many of them just put the wine on a high shelf promising to never drink it again, and then on a bad day, they just need a chair to reach it again. We recently applied this with an inactive:
We found an inactive member of the church that has started drinking and smoking. He hates his life and he is staring to hate himself for falling into those addictions again. The old bishop here told us to visit him and when we passed by on Sunday, he wasn’t there. We talked to the nice lady at the door who quickly turned us away saying that Thomas was the only one that had interest in our message. Turning to walk away, we heard behind us, "Elders!" Thinking that it was just another person trying to make fun of us, we kept going until we heard again, "Elders!". I turned round reluctantly when we see a young man RUNNING towards us. He was still a ways off so I wasn’t worried. I said to Elder Hanson, "I think it´s Thomas." "I think so too." It was.
He invited us in and explained to us how he had lost his wife and his two kids to alcohol and cigarettes and that he wanted them back, but more than anything, he wanted to talk to God again. We taught him about the atonement and repentance and at the end of the lesson, he told us that for the first time in years, he felt hope that he could be better and be happy. I shared with him about the Lamanites that buried their weapons of war to show their repentance. Their greatest sin was killing so they left themselves no way to return to it. I asked him how he could bury his greatest sin. He didn’t have an answer. We left him chapter 4 of Heleman to think it over (Elder Hanson is also reading Heleman).
We have to get rid of our sins. Not just move them to the side. I´m kinda rambling. I still have to organize my thoughts about this and really live it, but I just wanted to share with you all a bit of what’s going through my head these days.
I love you all! Have a good week and I hope you enjoyed reading this!!!
Elder Heath
Friday, August 3, 2012
Doubt
The circus was GREAT!!! I REALLY enjoyed it! There were some jokes that I still don’t understand because they are 100% Mexican, but I still laughed like crazy. Mostly for my comp. He has the weirdest laugh. All people around us were staring at him and probably wondering if he was high or drunk. That just made me laugh even more. It’s kind of a high pitched woody the woodpecker kind of sound.
As for the transfers, my comp and I are both leaving. And the whole district except for 1 which is a REALLY radical change since we are ALL pretty dern new. But what the Lord commands we do so here we go. I kinda wanted to finish my mission here, but I’m pretty excited to leave too. After the Elder Gonzalez Fiasco of this year, I think the Lord knows that this area needs a fresh start. I know I didn`t say that I was having problems with him, but that’s because I had faith that it would end about this time with the changes.
One of my best friends here in the mish is going home tomorrow and that just freaks me out. He served in New Mexico before coming here for visa problems so we actually got here to MX about the same time. We were almost always there in the same zone or something so it will be weird not being able to call him up and talk or something. On top of that, he has been my ZL for the past 2 changes so we got to hang out even more. We were talking about gaming one time and we found out that we had played many times together on the Warcraft Battle.net. We both hosted games a few times so we were on each other’s turf. That was just a cool little thing to find out. Haha.
(a letter from July 23)
In Sacrament Meeting yesterday, one of the YSA stood up and started talking about doubt. At least that’s what I got from it. It made me think about something that a member here said about the brain. The part of our brain that we can’t use is unlocked by the Priesthood and allows for man to do things beyond his normal capacity. Moses parted the sea for example. So what keeps us from being able to do things like? Doubt. I’m not saying that anyone can do what the Prophets can do. They are called to higher keys, but we can ALL do GREAT things. We just have to have perfect faith and confidence in the Lord. And that is shown in obedience.
I was thinking about it there in Sacrament Meeting, "Why do I disobey if I KNOW that it’s true?" There is a small bit of doubt somewhere in my heart and I don’t know what it is. What keeps us from seeing the hand of God like the brother of Jared? Doubt. We have to get rid of that doubt to be 100%. I don’t know what mine is, so I have to look for it. Prayer, study and fasting. Maybe one of those 3 holds my doubt, but by showing greater strength through my faith than my doubt can muster, I know that I will overcome that doubt.
I have seen miracles in my life and more in my mission. Neither is over. I DO want to finish strong because I know that if I finish strong then I will get home strong and it will just be easier to keep going. A lot of missionaries say, "Well I`m finishing up here so I can do what I want and it doesn’t matter because when I get home I’ll just kick it back up again." NO. That’s not how it works and everyone knows it. They just dis-illusion themselves for a time with doubt. I don’t want to be like that. It’s NOT an end, it’s just a check point. I plan on running in to that checkpoint, pick up some water, and just keep running the marathon. It’s a life marathon, not a 2 year sprint. I will get rid of my doubt.
I love you all sooo much! Thank you so much for the letters!!!
Elder Heath
As for the transfers, my comp and I are both leaving. And the whole district except for 1 which is a REALLY radical change since we are ALL pretty dern new. But what the Lord commands we do so here we go. I kinda wanted to finish my mission here, but I’m pretty excited to leave too. After the Elder Gonzalez Fiasco of this year, I think the Lord knows that this area needs a fresh start. I know I didn`t say that I was having problems with him, but that’s because I had faith that it would end about this time with the changes.
One of my best friends here in the mish is going home tomorrow and that just freaks me out. He served in New Mexico before coming here for visa problems so we actually got here to MX about the same time. We were almost always there in the same zone or something so it will be weird not being able to call him up and talk or something. On top of that, he has been my ZL for the past 2 changes so we got to hang out even more. We were talking about gaming one time and we found out that we had played many times together on the Warcraft Battle.net. We both hosted games a few times so we were on each other’s turf. That was just a cool little thing to find out. Haha.
(a letter from July 23)
In Sacrament Meeting yesterday, one of the YSA stood up and started talking about doubt. At least that’s what I got from it. It made me think about something that a member here said about the brain. The part of our brain that we can’t use is unlocked by the Priesthood and allows for man to do things beyond his normal capacity. Moses parted the sea for example. So what keeps us from being able to do things like? Doubt. I’m not saying that anyone can do what the Prophets can do. They are called to higher keys, but we can ALL do GREAT things. We just have to have perfect faith and confidence in the Lord. And that is shown in obedience.
I was thinking about it there in Sacrament Meeting, "Why do I disobey if I KNOW that it’s true?" There is a small bit of doubt somewhere in my heart and I don’t know what it is. What keeps us from seeing the hand of God like the brother of Jared? Doubt. We have to get rid of that doubt to be 100%. I don’t know what mine is, so I have to look for it. Prayer, study and fasting. Maybe one of those 3 holds my doubt, but by showing greater strength through my faith than my doubt can muster, I know that I will overcome that doubt.
I have seen miracles in my life and more in my mission. Neither is over. I DO want to finish strong because I know that if I finish strong then I will get home strong and it will just be easier to keep going. A lot of missionaries say, "Well I`m finishing up here so I can do what I want and it doesn’t matter because when I get home I’ll just kick it back up again." NO. That’s not how it works and everyone knows it. They just dis-illusion themselves for a time with doubt. I don’t want to be like that. It’s NOT an end, it’s just a check point. I plan on running in to that checkpoint, pick up some water, and just keep running the marathon. It’s a life marathon, not a 2 year sprint. I will get rid of my doubt.
I love you all sooo much! Thank you so much for the letters!!!
Elder Heath
CIRCUS!!!
(a letter from July 16)
HEY EVERYBODY!!! Quick note! Jose and Angelica invited us to the circus with them!
This was a decent week. We taught. We found. We had success. Nothing extraordinary to blow your mind. I am enjoying the work. Changes are coming up on the 24th and I am REALLY hoping to train. The only thing with that is that we don’t really get what we WANT until we don’t want it anymore. Haha. We´ll just see what happens.
My companion has been asking some crazy questions about Revelations and the angels that will come in the last days. Wondering who they are and when they will come. I said, "If you don’t know that right now, will you still be able to have salvation? Then it doesn’t matter. Focus on what will save people." I’m not saying that he is in the wrong, I just live by a different philosophy. If I don’t understand it, but I know that it is in the hands of God, then let it be until He sees fit to tell His children. We will know all things when it is time. Now is not that time. I guess what I’m saying is that when someone is so preoccupied with a problem that does nothing to solve the rest of the problems that they have in life, then they are only adding to the confusion that we all have. We must focus ourselves "with an eye single to the glory of God."
I love you all!!! I´d love to hear from you!!! Till next week!!
Elder Heath
HEY EVERYBODY!!! Quick note! Jose and Angelica invited us to the circus with them!
This was a decent week. We taught. We found. We had success. Nothing extraordinary to blow your mind. I am enjoying the work. Changes are coming up on the 24th and I am REALLY hoping to train. The only thing with that is that we don’t really get what we WANT until we don’t want it anymore. Haha. We´ll just see what happens.
My companion has been asking some crazy questions about Revelations and the angels that will come in the last days. Wondering who they are and when they will come. I said, "If you don’t know that right now, will you still be able to have salvation? Then it doesn’t matter. Focus on what will save people." I’m not saying that he is in the wrong, I just live by a different philosophy. If I don’t understand it, but I know that it is in the hands of God, then let it be until He sees fit to tell His children. We will know all things when it is time. Now is not that time. I guess what I’m saying is that when someone is so preoccupied with a problem that does nothing to solve the rest of the problems that they have in life, then they are only adding to the confusion that we all have. We must focus ourselves "with an eye single to the glory of God."
I love you all!!! I´d love to hear from you!!! Till next week!!
Elder Heath
New Comp!
(a letter from June 18)
So I have a new comp! His name is Elder Gonzalez and he is SHORT! He doesn’t even get to my shoulder. He is really cool though. We joke and have fun but we are working and he likes that since he just finished training with his dad and they hardly did anything. He is going for 4 months in the mish and he is already trunky. I’ll break him of that.
In the morning today, we were with a member to wash our clothes when we got a phone call. "Elders! I have a reference for you but you have to head out NOW!" "Umm.... Ok." I t turns out that a sister in our ward didn’t have our number and ended up calling the assistants about her sister who was at her house at THAT moment, We got there and the questions began about the Priesthood and the organization of the church and why we don’t use veils to pray and why the woman can dress so casually and just.... Huh.
Well we started with a prayer and we started at the beginning. God. And that was a HUGE subject. She knew that Jehovah was Christ and that’s what I didn’t understand about her questions. The problem was that she didn’t know that God the Father existed. She kept saying that we were like the Catholics because we believed in the Trinity and I was like, ".... Meh?" Then we talked about the fact that Christ is the Son of SOMEONE and she said, "Wait.... so IS a third person there?" And the heavens opened and light shown down from heaven to grace her with understanding!
To end the lesson, she said she couldn’t pray because she didn`t have her veil. Well... she started to... then she just said, "Is it really ok to pray without a veil?" "Yes it really is. How else can you pray at all times like the Lord has commanded?" She got it. We put a return appointment Wed and Fri and a commitment to read the B.o.M. and attend church on Sun. Dolores. She will be a baptism.... Just not in our ward because she lives JUST out of the area. She is really great though and I will be keeping tabs on her.
The division of the mission has finally come... almost. Haha. I am going to miss Pres. Reeves a TON! But I know that I will love Pres. Christenson as well. We will be meeting him on the 29th of this month. One more week. EXCITING!!!!
I love you Mom!!! I hope that all is well there. Tell Elder Orr that I said "HI" and also to the Ralphs! Till next week.
Elder Heath
So I have a new comp! His name is Elder Gonzalez and he is SHORT! He doesn’t even get to my shoulder. He is really cool though. We joke and have fun but we are working and he likes that since he just finished training with his dad and they hardly did anything. He is going for 4 months in the mish and he is already trunky. I’ll break him of that.
In the morning today, we were with a member to wash our clothes when we got a phone call. "Elders! I have a reference for you but you have to head out NOW!" "Umm.... Ok." I t turns out that a sister in our ward didn’t have our number and ended up calling the assistants about her sister who was at her house at THAT moment, We got there and the questions began about the Priesthood and the organization of the church and why we don’t use veils to pray and why the woman can dress so casually and just.... Huh.
Well we started with a prayer and we started at the beginning. God. And that was a HUGE subject. She knew that Jehovah was Christ and that’s what I didn’t understand about her questions. The problem was that she didn’t know that God the Father existed. She kept saying that we were like the Catholics because we believed in the Trinity and I was like, ".... Meh?" Then we talked about the fact that Christ is the Son of SOMEONE and she said, "Wait.... so IS a third person there?" And the heavens opened and light shown down from heaven to grace her with understanding!
To end the lesson, she said she couldn’t pray because she didn`t have her veil. Well... she started to... then she just said, "Is it really ok to pray without a veil?" "Yes it really is. How else can you pray at all times like the Lord has commanded?" She got it. We put a return appointment Wed and Fri and a commitment to read the B.o.M. and attend church on Sun. Dolores. She will be a baptism.... Just not in our ward because she lives JUST out of the area. She is really great though and I will be keeping tabs on her.
The division of the mission has finally come... almost. Haha. I am going to miss Pres. Reeves a TON! But I know that I will love Pres. Christenson as well. We will be meeting him on the 29th of this month. One more week. EXCITING!!!!
I love you Mom!!! I hope that all is well there. Tell Elder Orr that I said "HI" and also to the Ralphs! Till next week.
Elder Heath
We are splitting!
(a letter from June 11)
Ok, so here’s the news on what’s been going on. We have been REALLY busy. The mission is splitting and we have to prep for it. We got the changes yesterday and I will be staying in the Mexico Puebla North Mission. President Christiansen (sp) will be here on the 28th of June. The ward is a lot better in helping us out. We have a lot of references, but a lot of appointments fall through. That is the biggest trial here is actually finding people at home.
We are still working with Angelica and Jose. They are planning their baptismal date for July because this month is going to be a bit hectic for them they say. Jose is an officer and he has to work every other day with no defined cut off time so sometimes he basically works 2 days straight. Angelica also has her own problems with time in that she has children from an earlier marriage and they are catholic and always have what ever thing going on with the kids.
Vania is moving a long bit by bit as well. She came to church on Sunday and that was a nice surprise. Her cousin Diana (less active) brought her. She is still trying to figure out for herself who God is because to her it has always just been a word, but she is starting to realize that there is more to it than that. She seems pretty excited about the gospel and the great changes that it can bring in bettering her life.
Rosa is still not going to church and we haven’t been able to see her for 2 weeks, but she still wants us to talk to her kids.
Javier is a less active that works on computers for a living, but he just had eye surgery. He is less active but coming more frequently. He says he just misses the good feeling of coming to church and knowing that he is the right.
I love this area and I love this zone. I am very glad to be here and to be able to serve the Lord each day.
Jerky, Brownie mix, ties and socks. That’s what I would like. Socks here are really expensive and I don’t know why. The cheap ones are just that. Cheap.
We are still celebrating my birthday today with some members. Hahaha. I love this place!
Missionary work is simple. If you are obedient, you will enjoy it. If you are not obedient, it becomes a drudgery. It really is a preparation for life in that we learn to talk to people comfortably. What do most jobs look for? People skills. Besides that, you can’t help but feel good about it afterward. On the flipside, when a chance passes and you know you should have said something, you just feel bad. So really it’s a simple choice: Always feel good because the spirit is with you to testify not only to friends and family about the gospel, but to yourself as well as the Spirit teaches through our own hearts and minds. Or.... Feel down and useless, always looking to understand how the gospel applies to your life better, but never finding the way to get the answer. The answer is simple, Missionary Work.
I hope that little message helped you! If not.... I LOVE YOU ANYWAY!!! HAHAHA!!! Till next week.
Elder Heath
Ok, so here’s the news on what’s been going on. We have been REALLY busy. The mission is splitting and we have to prep for it. We got the changes yesterday and I will be staying in the Mexico Puebla North Mission. President Christiansen (sp) will be here on the 28th of June. The ward is a lot better in helping us out. We have a lot of references, but a lot of appointments fall through. That is the biggest trial here is actually finding people at home.
We are still working with Angelica and Jose. They are planning their baptismal date for July because this month is going to be a bit hectic for them they say. Jose is an officer and he has to work every other day with no defined cut off time so sometimes he basically works 2 days straight. Angelica also has her own problems with time in that she has children from an earlier marriage and they are catholic and always have what ever thing going on with the kids.
Vania is moving a long bit by bit as well. She came to church on Sunday and that was a nice surprise. Her cousin Diana (less active) brought her. She is still trying to figure out for herself who God is because to her it has always just been a word, but she is starting to realize that there is more to it than that. She seems pretty excited about the gospel and the great changes that it can bring in bettering her life.
Rosa is still not going to church and we haven’t been able to see her for 2 weeks, but she still wants us to talk to her kids.
Javier is a less active that works on computers for a living, but he just had eye surgery. He is less active but coming more frequently. He says he just misses the good feeling of coming to church and knowing that he is the right.
I love this area and I love this zone. I am very glad to be here and to be able to serve the Lord each day.
Jerky, Brownie mix, ties and socks. That’s what I would like. Socks here are really expensive and I don’t know why. The cheap ones are just that. Cheap.
We are still celebrating my birthday today with some members. Hahaha. I love this place!
Missionary work is simple. If you are obedient, you will enjoy it. If you are not obedient, it becomes a drudgery. It really is a preparation for life in that we learn to talk to people comfortably. What do most jobs look for? People skills. Besides that, you can’t help but feel good about it afterward. On the flipside, when a chance passes and you know you should have said something, you just feel bad. So really it’s a simple choice: Always feel good because the spirit is with you to testify not only to friends and family about the gospel, but to yourself as well as the Spirit teaches through our own hearts and minds. Or.... Feel down and useless, always looking to understand how the gospel applies to your life better, but never finding the way to get the answer. The answer is simple, Missionary Work.
I hope that little message helped you! If not.... I LOVE YOU ANYWAY!!! HAHAHA!!! Till next week.
Elder Heath
A Wonderful Surprise!
(a letter from May 28)
It was a CRAZY busy 2 weeks. We had TWO baptisms that we were NOT expecting. Maria Graciela (Maricheli) and her grandson Rodrigo Emiliano. We also found a family that were attending church for about 3 years and never got baptized because he needed to divorce and marry her and his ex was making things EXTREMELY difficult. They moved JUST out of ward boundaries as the issue was being settled and have been there for a year. Due to problems with the landlord, they have now moved back into ward boundaries and are PSYCHED to get baptized. They have already married in preparation for the ordinance. They have a daughter named Yoshira but she already got baptized 3 years ago.
There is also Rosa who doesn’t feel like the atonement is enough for her to be forgiven. Better explained, she didn’t understand the atonement. She was unsure of the details of the Lord’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. We explained it in terms that she could understand. Here is how the conversation went:
"Why would he suffer so much for us? There is no way that anyone would actually bleed from every pore for someone much less someone He doesn’t even know..."
"Sister, you have 3 children. Let’s say that they are playing in the street, and you see a car speeding towards them with no signs of slowing down. Will you watch them die, or will you push them out of the way and take the hit for them?"
"Well of course I wouldn’t do that."
"I know you wouldn´t. The Lord feels the same way. He DOES know you AND your children. He blessed you with them and He wants to keep blessing all of you. One of the greatest ways that he is offering you His love is through His suffering and death. He saw that car of pain, suffering and ultimately, condemnation coming and He took the hit for us. He did that for YOU and your children."
She got it. She just needs a bit of time to get comfortable. She isn’t very trusting and has never spoken to her children about God, but she wants us to talk to them and teach them about Him. She sees the difference in the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and members of other congregations. She is really great and has no fear of asking questions. That’s the best thing about her as an investigator.
We have quite a few less actives or in-actives that we are helping and working with, but I don’t have the time to say EVERYthing that I want to. There is a lot of work here and I´m loving it! I hope you were able to get those pictures up and everything. Especially since I’m sending more.
21 this Saturday!!! (June 2) Haha. Till next week!
Elder Heath
It was a CRAZY busy 2 weeks. We had TWO baptisms that we were NOT expecting. Maria Graciela (Maricheli) and her grandson Rodrigo Emiliano. We also found a family that were attending church for about 3 years and never got baptized because he needed to divorce and marry her and his ex was making things EXTREMELY difficult. They moved JUST out of ward boundaries as the issue was being settled and have been there for a year. Due to problems with the landlord, they have now moved back into ward boundaries and are PSYCHED to get baptized. They have already married in preparation for the ordinance. They have a daughter named Yoshira but she already got baptized 3 years ago.
There is also Rosa who doesn’t feel like the atonement is enough for her to be forgiven. Better explained, she didn’t understand the atonement. She was unsure of the details of the Lord’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. We explained it in terms that she could understand. Here is how the conversation went:
"Why would he suffer so much for us? There is no way that anyone would actually bleed from every pore for someone much less someone He doesn’t even know..."
"Sister, you have 3 children. Let’s say that they are playing in the street, and you see a car speeding towards them with no signs of slowing down. Will you watch them die, or will you push them out of the way and take the hit for them?"
"Well of course I wouldn’t do that."
"I know you wouldn´t. The Lord feels the same way. He DOES know you AND your children. He blessed you with them and He wants to keep blessing all of you. One of the greatest ways that he is offering you His love is through His suffering and death. He saw that car of pain, suffering and ultimately, condemnation coming and He took the hit for us. He did that for YOU and your children."
She got it. She just needs a bit of time to get comfortable. She isn’t very trusting and has never spoken to her children about God, but she wants us to talk to them and teach them about Him. She sees the difference in the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and members of other congregations. She is really great and has no fear of asking questions. That’s the best thing about her as an investigator.
We have quite a few less actives or in-actives that we are helping and working with, but I don’t have the time to say EVERYthing that I want to. There is a lot of work here and I´m loving it! I hope you were able to get those pictures up and everything. Especially since I’m sending more.
21 this Saturday!!! (June 2) Haha. Till next week!
Elder Heath
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