NEWS!

Well we have some good news!  We have a baptismal date set with Leovi Hilda.  She is a new investigator that is living with a member for a while some problems calm down in her pueblito.  She is really good and expressed a great desire to follow Christ and be baptized only in the true church.  She has never been baptized despite attending multiple churches and religions because something just told her that it wasn’t right.  She has accepted the goal for October 2.  She is really great and I enjoy teaching her.

Ramiro and Jose Francisco are really great and I love just talking to them and teaching them cool things about the Gospel and outside of the gospel.  They are obsessed with the fact that I can all but break my neck.  Haha.  I don’t do it very often, but when I do they go off in their Chinatecan.

So here is an idea that I want to throw out there to you all.  When was the last time you renewed your testimony?  When was the last time you asked God if what you believe and live is true?  Are you scared to do it because you don’t want to betray the feelings that the Spirit has already given you? Maybe you don’t want to show any form of doubt so you keep with the same testimony that you have had for years?  I say that it is better to ask and receive the answer anew.  How much stronger could your faith be if you received an answer every morning that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored on the Earth again.  That is what the Spirit testifies of.

If you aren’t getting that renewal, is that not a more likely time for doubt to enter?  I know that this Church is true.  I know that Christ lives and that it is only through Him and His eternal atonement that we will one day enter into the Kingdom of God.  I know that Joseph Smith was the prophet of the restoration and that through him, Christ re-established His church in it’s perfect form here on the Earth for me, my family and each one of you.  This is a small part of my testimony that I would like to share with you.  It is new and strong.  It will not die because it receives new life each day.  I would like to invite you all to bring new life to your testimonies as well.

I love you all and I am very grateful for your prayers.  I can feel them and they push me along.  Thank you so much.

Elder Heath

Bummer

Well this week was interesting. Our baptism fell through because Zuleyma moved to Puebla.  She said that life would be easier there.  She didn’t want to go and she was crying when she told us, but her mom said that it was time and that she didn’t have a choice so they went Saturday night.  She said that she lives in front of a chapel in Puebla and so she will talk with the missionaries there and be baptized ASAP.  I think she means it.  She is great.

Not all ended badly. After church, we went over to a member’s house where two boys are staying while their mothers are in Mexico City.  We are now teaching them.  Here’s the best part - THEY DON`T SPEAK SPANISH!!!!  Well... they don’t speak much.  I speak more than them. They speak a native dialect called Chinatecan.  So how are we teaching them?  We are teaching them Spanish as we teach the lessons.  It actually went really well.  

They don’t know about Christ or about God really.  They don’t understand much about heaven or the purpose of church and religion, but they want to know because they say that they feel good when they hear about Jesus and about the Holy Spirit.  They are really great and really smart.  The member that is watching them was basically telling us that it would be almost impossible for now because they are really slow, but I strongly disagree.  They picked up on everything we said and we hardly had to repeat ourselves.  They are having to learn an entirely different life and I say they are doing pretty dern good at it.  They have friends and communicate with them so I can’t for the life of me say why she thinks they are slow.  Oh well.  We will just teach.

We also have a few references that we are going to pick up this week and quite a few promises for success.  I am really excited for this change.  We are starting a lot of things in this area to include the members in the missionary work to get things moving along.  It is really hard out here to do a lot because everything is so far away and everyone works all day all week in the fields.  We are trying to get all the help we can get.  Everyone knows everyone just about so it shouldn’t be too hard.  

We have an activity this week with the ward to get things going.  It’s called, "La Arca Misional".  It’s as if the world were going to end and the only way to be saved is to be in the Arc that the missionaries have for people.  OH WAIT!! THAT`S REAL!!  What a coincidence......

I hope you all can do some missionary work this week.  It really is the best work that there is in this world.  I love it.  I want you to love it.  But first you gotta do it. ;)  I love you all!!  Till next week!

Elder Heath

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