Wow

So, this was a GREAT week! We walked and walked and walked .... and walked. I feel like I'm singing the pioneer song..... aaaaaaand waaaaaalked! Yup. I'm singing as I write.

Anyway, things are really spread out here so the work is gunna be tough. We have a few goals going for this change and I know that they can be realized. An elder in our district mocked us for making the numbers so high for my companionship goals. He told us that he would give us his comp's watch if we did it.

I wanted to yell at him, "How dare you mock the goals that we make together under the guidance of the spirit. It isn't a matter of how difficult the area is or whatever you might think. This is the work of the Lord and He will decide, according to our diligence and our obedience, how He will bless us. Besides that, it doesn't matter what happens with us. The Lord will realize His plans. Maybe the numbers are high because we need to keep motivated to work that hard every day. You think that by excusing your lack of hope for your area because things are hard will make a difference? I say, yes, be cause you won't work to do your best but only to realize your goal. We put our goal WITH our best so that we have no choice but to realize them both every day. How dare you mock us and laugh at us, to take away our excitement and willingness. We will realize our goals or not but that is not of your concern to judge or to deny us any worldly joy. We are on the Lord's errand and He will keep His promises."

But of course, I didn't say it out loud. I just looked at the District Leader and motioned for him to continue. By the way, the goals aren't all that high: in 6 weeks, 5 baptisms and 8 dates. I won't share the numbers for the other elders.

I love it out here! I can see the stars at night. There are mountains and everything is GREEN! Also, everything has spikes. Haha. The trees too. There are so many opportunities to work and to grow and to teach and do all that I was sent here to do.

We already had the planned baptismal date with Martha fall through because her dad got mad when she said she wanted to be baptized. At least Suleyma is still going strong. I just realized that this is the first week that I will be introducing these investigators so I'll go ahead and give some background.

Martha is 13 and living with her Aunt and Uncle. That's nice because it is easier to visit with her. Sadly, after the first lesson and putting her baptismal goal for Sept.4, she went home and told her parents and her dad flipped out. I know that she will be able tofollow Christ in the waters of baptism later on in her life and that we just had the job of planting the seed. So, I'm ok.

Suleyma 22 and has a boy and a girl. She loves asking questions and learning more whether it's a part of the lesson or not. It's all about knowing more about the right church for her and she ROCKS!!! She will be baptized this next Sunday if she attends church.

I want to leave you all with some scriptures. These are only a few of the blessings that we have been promised in this lfe if we live and keep the commandments.

D&C 84: 88
1Cor 10: 13
Mosiah 5: 2

I love you all !!! Be good and be good for something.

Elder Heath

Next Chapter Begins!

I have been serving in Puebla.

My Puebla District.

BIG NEWS!!!! I`m..... OUT!!!!!! I have just been moved to Cuicatlan in Tehuacan!!! It is in the middle of NOWHERE so I have a phone. Haha. Oh and... I`m Senior Companion. My companion`s name is Elder Hernandez and he has a total of 3 months in his mission. This is his first area. He seems really great and still has that energy for the mission that comes standard with new elders.

My new area is 5 hours away form the offices so we pretty much just have to take care of ourselves. We actually won`t get to our area tonight. We have to take a taxi in the morning. We are at the house of our District Leader tonight. They say that there are a TON of bugs including but not limited to: Scorpions, turantulas (sp), giant mosquitos and cows. I say cows because they are as numerous as the bugs. Hahaha!!! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO GREAT!!!!

I am actually not in Puebla right now or any part there of. I am in Oaxaca (sp) which is part of the Veracruz mission except this part right here. There is a temple in Oaxaca but we can`t go. Very sad. But hey, my work is for the living.

Speaking of work for the living.... We had baptisms on Wednesday and on Sunday. Wednesday was Liliana. She has been going to church for the past 3 years and just now got baptized. That includes paying tithing for those 3 years.

Then on Sunday we baptized two kids named Jaquelin and Antonio. I went into the water with Jacky and Elder Sanchez went in with Tony. Presidente Reeves took the photo that I sent. It was right after our Stake Conference so he was there to speak and to be with the area 70, Elder Johnson, that came to speak. He was really good. The kids really enjoyed the meeting too. Liliana gave the closing prayer. Fantastic.

I am super buzzed about this change!!! I didn’t sleep much from packing and it has been a long day of travel and meeting my zone. Well... part of it. I hope I will have my mind together well enough to write more detailed things next week.

I love you all so much!! Thanks for reading and for the prayers. They really help me out. Especially with this dern language.

Elder Heath

The Search Within

This has been an interesting week. We have an investigator that lost her baby and was supposed to be baptized yesterday.  Instead, she will be baptized on Wednesday. She is a great example of faith and moving forward despite the trials that she is faced with.  She has the ability to be a great leader with that attitude. I´m looking forward to the day that she can be the Relief Society President.  

I learned a lot this week about repentance and faith in Christ. We have been teaching a family who´s mother is a member but her kids aren´t.  Their father isn´t with them but will allow them to be baptized.  They are fantastic and they just absorbed the lessons and ask in depth questions about scriptures and how the doctrine applies to their lives.  

I have had some questionable encounters with people wanting me to teach them or help them with their English.  I don´t mind doing it, but they want us to come by after hours to do it.  The wife is a return missionary but she justifies the late night visit with the fact that they live just down the street from us.  I am not quite so eager to go along with that justification.  Neither is my companion.  

I am really looking forward to these upcoming changes.  I can´t wait to know what the Lord has in store for me. I know that I will be receiving a new companion because Elder Sanchez is going home.  I wonder what he will be like.  I wonder what we will do for each other. Until then we will keeping working and I will try to keep Elder Sanchez focused.  It´s hard after 3 companions that have had plenty of time in their missions and have talked constantly about home and other non-gospel related things.

I´m not sure if you can tell just from reading it, but I was coming to a few conclusions while I was writing this.   If I can´t go home knowing that I did ALL that I could,  I won´t be able to look my parents in the eye because I know that they expect me to give my all.  I think my president also expects me to give my all, so I will.  That last day in his office, I want to say,  "President Reeves, I did my best. I don´t want to go home but it´s that time."  I can imagine my brothers having done the same thing with their Presidents. I have a lot of examples for me to go off.  I just need to act.  I know I can do it with the prayers of my family and with the Holy Ghost.  So I will.

I want to thank you all so much for your love and your support.  I love you and will keep you in my prayers!!

Elder Heath

MIND BOMB!!!

This is late because my knee was dislocated for 3 hours yesterday and I went to the hospital and didn´t have time to write.  I´m fine now and nothing is out of place nor permanent.  I just have to wear a knee brace for the rest of my mission but its thin and under my clothes and can´t see it for anything.  I actually never made it into the hospital cuz it reset itself right in front of the hospital.  Haha.  Fun times.

So we just got out of a lesson with a member that has a LOT of questions.  We covered a lot of material but something stuck with me that I said and didn’t know before.  There are 3 levels in the gospel.

1. Knowledge of the commandments of God.

2. Understanding the commandments and doctrine and knowing how to apply it to your life.

3. Living what you know and understand.

Sadly, some people have only the first.  Even more sad, is that some people only have the first two.  Number three is the goal for any true follower of Christ and they do all they can to get there.  First they read and pray. Then they attend church. Then they ask questions of leaders and teachers.  And then they mold their lives on ALL that they have gained in the course of their search.  

The third level is the hardest to get too and  I´m not even sure if it’s the last.  I´ll have to follow these steps to know.  I will be sure to keep my life on the third level until I know more so that I CAN know more.  There is a limit with the other two.  Wow...... I just realized..... I just explained the 3 degrees of glory...... I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!!!!! And now my head is buzzing with a ton of ideas that I couldn’t possibly put in this letter because of time constraint.  So I will leave you to ponder on the marvels that I have come across.

I love you all

Elder Heath

Speaking

This was a great week!!! We have 2 nuevos!!!  One is a reference and he is really great.  He is sick and viejito so we gave him a blessing.  He is retired and lives alone.  His name is Philipe. Our other nuevo is a 19 year old girl that is actually Israelitish.  That is not her origin but her religion.  Very interesting.  She is really smart and loves learning.  I am very excited about these two!!!

 

So here is a quick story I have to share with yall

 

I had a great experience on Sunday. I was asked to give a talk and the call came around 9:00 Saturday night. After praying and searching for what I should talk about, I came across the outline to a talk that I gave in the MTC. The talk was about the Gospel of Christ and the outline was really just a lot of scriptures in an order to use in the talk for each principle. I looked over it and thought about it Sunday morning and so when I was called to speak, I pulled out the outline and started speaking.

 

I used two scriptures in the first part and I just felt a little awkward about it.  The ward was falling asleep and I knew that something needed to change.  So, instead of just talking, I testified.  I felt the Spirit fill my mind and my heart and I didn´t stop talking.  I hardly looked down at my paper but to see the scriptures that I had written and their subjects but none made me feel confident to use at that time.  I saw the ward paying attention so I kept teaching and baring testimony as if I were teaching investigators.  I finished with my testimony in general about the Gospel of Christ and invited all to share those principles with their friends, family and parents every chance they get.  I walked down feeling very good and powerfull. 

 

After my talk followed the councelor. He began by telling the ward that I did not know the theme for the talks that day but that I taught according to what was needed.  He then emphasized on baptism and the blessings of that covenant.  I felt my purpose to speak.  I felt a little bad because I took some of his talk but he use those scriptures that I felt would not be right.  He went into more depth than I would have and I knew that the Spirit was there to guide us both.

 

I love this gospel! I love this life!  I want every to live this.  I know that it is not possible at this time, but the day will come. Christ will come.  How beautiful this life is.

 

Elder Heath