I got a short amount of time! I expect this to be pretty short. June 3, 2013

Hello hello! How is everyone? Well we got a surprise phone call today and I`ve got a mini cambio with one of the assistants today... So. I gotta get home pretty fast so we can clean the house a little. haha. BUT! Ive got some things to update you all on!

Stories:

The only stories this week come from Sunday. There is a recent convert family that we`re good friends with. They recently got sealed in the temple! So thats awesome. But it turns out this past Sunday, they presented their son and gave him a blessing in sacrament meeting. And they asked me to participate in the blessing! It was awesome! It was funny though because their son is like 6? I believe. haha So he just sat in a chair. But I felt so happy to be able to participate in that and that they had asked me to do that! So that was awesome and it made me super happy. And it surprised me cuz it was only the hermano, me, and another good family friend in the blessing. He hadnt asked anyone else! So i considered it a great honor :)

The other thing is that same family also invited us to pass by their house that night because it was the Hermana`s birthday that day. So we also felt honored to get invited to that, and so we passed by and gifted them one of those "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" cards in a little frame, with a note atras! haha. So that was awesome. Those are my stories. haha.

Investigator Updates:

Mauricio: We`re sì o sì going to have a baptism next week! Its a SUPER long story that ill have to share another day when I have more time. But Mauricio is going to get baptized next sunday! Woo hoo!! So we`re super excited about that! 

Rodrigo: We`re hoping and praying ALOT to have TWO baptisms this next week! We`re working with Rodrigo and he has a baptismal date for this next sunday, but he is less seguro. So we`re going to be working hard with him this week to grow his faith in God so that he gets an answer that the things were sharing really are true, so that he`ll also be baptized on sunday!! Keep him in your prayers!

Varinia: Shes a really awesome investigator. Ive never had an investigator that feels the spirit so much! She feels the spirit really really strongly and is commited to baptism. She just has problems with time management so we gotta help her prioritize spiritual things and temporal things haha. If taht makes sense...

So were doing super good here in Lautaro! We`ve got some good people lined up and were super excited. Alma 26:27 has held to its promise, and after trudging through all the difficulties we`ve had recently, we`re starting to see the HUGE amount of blessings we`re receiving for our faith! We´re extremely happy and grateful for it. TRUST in the Lord! His word is true and faithful. I love how in Alma 42 it talks about how God would cease to be God if something he said didn´t come to pass. Because then he wouldnt be perfect. He would make a mistake. But its not like that! God IS God. He IS perfect. And his word is true and faithful. And he WILL bless us for our patience, faith, and faithfulness, because that`s what He has said! So he`ll keep to His word.

anyway. Thats all ive got time for. I love you and miss you all LOTS! Keep our investigators in your prayers! And me please :) haha. I love you and miss you all! Have an awesome week! Chau!

-Elder Heyman

Its raining... its pouring... May 27, 2013

HERES SO MUCH RAIN. And my umbrella is my new best friend haha.

 

It just started raining today and theres ALOT of it! But luckily Ive got a good umbrella to keep me dry! haha. So heres a little update from the week!

 

I dont realy have any good stories from the past week... Sorry :/ haha. But it was a good week! haha. Erica was confirmed this sunday! So her baptism was finally completed. Hurrayyyyy! And its awesome to see the change in her and the dedication she has to living this gospel. Im super excited for her. Now we just gotta work with her two kids so they get baptized as well! Theyre just so addicted to playing futbol.... that they never come to church. Gah. Working on it.

 

The other good thing is we have 2 other people who came to church and are progressing towards baptism! One is Mauricio. He`s 18 and has a weird situation. His family has shared with missinaries before. His parents didnt (and arent going to) get baptized because they`re not married. But the dad is married and has to go through the whole divorce process to be able to get baptized, which takes months... Mauricio is the oldest of 3. We`re working with him and he has a lot of interest in our message. His little sister is like 3 so obviusly cant be baptized... But his other younger brother, Carlos, is 12 and he was baptized 2 years ago.... He randomly got baptized with some cousin he has that also got baptized?... but never went to church again... ugh. ANYWAYS. but its awesome for us! Cuz its a good, awesome motivation for mauricio because his brother has already gone through this, and we`re all helping Mauricio get baptized and Carlos come back to church... So its just awesome haha. I feel like that wasnt a great explanation but oh well. Its just good all of it. Know that. haha.

 

They other person is a guy named Rodrigo who is really cool. He`s super smart, pretty nerdy, but really has alot of desire to grow his faith in God and realy learn for himself that God is someone real and really there. So it`ll be awesome to work with him.

 

I guess the only other thing i feel like sharing is that this past week I really grew an understanding and knowledge of the role of the Holy Ghost in our lives, and in our conversions. I could probably talk forever about it haha. But basicaly I just came to realize how important it is that we have the companionship of the Holy Ghost with us in our lives. He`s our friend, our companion, our comforter, teacher, and he who brings the peace and assurance that everything`s going to be okay that we need to be able to keep on moving forward. That`s why its so important that we keep the commandments. Because the only way we qualify ourselves for that companionship is through repenting and keeping the commandments. So repent! And keep the commandments! Pray, read the scriptures, go to church, serve! I could go on forever haha. But the Holy Ghost is SUPER important in our lives, and we need to be living worthy of his companionship always!

 

but so yeah im just super thankful that this week i was able to realize how great the importance is of all that. Something that I will have to apply en la vida ahora. haha.

 

Anyway. But so Ill send some pictures. I honestly dont have much else to say...  haha. I guess the only other thing is... less than a month and ive been gone a year! Weeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiirrrrrrddddd! Wow haha. We`ll talk about that later... haha.

 

But I love you and miss you all! I hope all is well. Keep me in your prayers! Youre in mine! I send my love haha. Chauito!

 

-Elder Heyman

And the winner is.... (May 20, 2013)

RANCAGUA!!!!!

So we had cambios today. The deciding cambios of which mission ill be in! And Im staying in Lautaro! Which means Ill be a part of the Rancagua mission!!! hahaha crazy.

buttt.... it sounds like there might still be a chance that we have one more cambio before the ACTUAL change... So, im not sure. but ill be sure to keep you updated haha. But as far as I know it looks like ill be a part of Rancagua! 

So this should probably be a short letter today. but Ive got a few things to share. 

Something funny is on tuesday night we were in the chapel for an activity with some jovenes, and while we were there some super random sketchy man came up to the door and asked for "the two gringos" because he wanted to talk to us... Turns out he was just a weird curious man that wanted to talk to us to discuss and learn why the USA uses the death penalty, what type of people receive that punishment, and what the church`s stance on it was.... hahaha. So I just told him "uhhh I dont really want to talk about this. And Im just a missionary, not the Church`s representative so I cant and im not going to speak for the church" hahaha. So I told him to ask the prophet because he`s the church`s representative, and bore my testimony how every man and woman will be judged by God after this life, and that will be the final judgement hahaha. anyways it was a really weird funny experience hahaha.

Something cool was that on Friday Elder Adamson and I were the answers to someones prayer! haha. At the very end of the night we were walking in the direction of our house trying to figure out what to do because some appointments had fallen through at the end of the night... But so we passed by the chapel and noticed it was open and so went to go check what was going on, and turns out 3 of the 4 assigned families to clean the church for that night had fallen through, and the responsibility was left to two little hermanas haha. So we walked in and they told us they needed help and were praying for some sort of help and we said "hey we dont really have anything to do!" So we helped them! haha. And she told us we were the answers to her prayers! Haha it was awesome to serve and awesome to be the answer to a sweet little hermanas prayer :D Go fight win.

and lastly, on Sunday we had the baptism of Erica!!! :D woohoo!! Everything came through and Erica was baptized! So we`re super happy about that. And it was awesome to talk to her afterwards and hear her share her thoughts and feelings and to see how awesome she felt and how happy she was and how motivated she was to continue forward and completely change her life!!! :D Elder Adamson did the baptism so it was awesome he got to baptize and do his first baptism!! :) 

Elder Adamson and I also had a fun time basically babysitting her kids during sacrament to try and keep the peace.... haha. We were actually pretty successful! We ended up lending our agendas with our pens to them so they would sit reverently and draw during sacrament hahaha. It was really funny. Go us. 

Buttt thats basically all the updates I have for this week! haha sorry to keep it short. Oh other random note... we found a didgeridoo in our house... and ive learned to play the didgeridoo a bit! :D haha. Hope the neighbors dont mind...  But thats all for now! I love you all and miss you lots! Im so glad to be converted to the true restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and for the joy it brings into my life. And its so awesome to see the changes and joy it brings into the lives of others! Its a true real thing. Ive learned so much about it and the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us. Ive made the commitment that Im going to be a missionary for life. The only difference is that during these two years Ive got a plaque! haha jk there are a lot of differences... haha. 

I love you all and miss you! ¡Que les vaya bien!

-Elder Heyman

Pictures! Emailed May 20, 2013

1. Baptism of Erica! Her and 2 of her 4 kids. I didnt realize until after the fact I didnt have a plaque on my jacket... sorry. haha

2. Elder Adamson. A reminder just to show what he`s like. haha

3. So this is something cool im doing (f i do say so myself...) as a mission we`re reading the book of mormon together so that we all finish before our Mission President leaves on the 1 of July. So what Im doing while I read through is with a pen, outlining the name of God everytime it shows up in the book of mormon. Its been awesome to do it. It really helps me focus while I read, and its been a huge testimony builder just to think on the Lord so much. I love it! Its amazing to see that the Libro de Mormon truly is Another Testament of Christ. Flip through a few pages and see for yourself how often His name shows up! So heres a little of what it looks like!

4. A more artistic view of the highlighting! :D 

5. One more of the baptism, just cuz theres room in the email. Basically closed my eyes. Oh well.

May 13, 2013 Happy Late Mother's Day!!!

Happy late Mother`s Day to C-bug, Jenny, Jennypoper, and Bub!!!

Weird that all of my siblings are all parents now. We have an old family haha. 

But I hope you had an awesome day!!! Of course I`m bummed I didn´t get to talk with everyone in the family yesterday :/ But Im sure Mom and Dad passed along my love and greetings! I love you and miss you all lots! 

So I had an awesome mothers day because I got to talk to Mom and Dad! haha it was awesome. So awesome to see them and talk to them. But Im sure they can update you on all that. Anddd because I just talked to them yesterday, I`ll have a short letter today since I dont have alot of ganas to write alot now haha...

But im doing good! Its the final week of the cambio this week... So next week I should figure out whether Im staying in the Chile Concepciòn Misiòn, or getting switched to the Rancagua Misiòn... (I mentioned that was a possibility before.. right?) But so I should have the answer in my next week`s email!!

Uhhh the other update would be that Erica should be getting baptized this next Sunday!! woo hoo! She`s a huge blessing and miracle. We just need to make sure she keeps up with the Word of Wisdom this week, and that she understands 100% what she`s doing by being baptized! haha. So pray for her por favor.  

Uhhh I cant really think of anything else great or grand... If you want more, ask mom and dad! They can update you :) haha. I love you all and miss you lots and lots!!! Happy late Mother`s Day to ALL the mothers! But its too bad because I was blessed with the best Mother of them all :) Sorry folks... haha.

anyway, I know this church is true with all my heart! Its amazing the things I`ve learned and the inspiration ive received during my time here on the mission. The Lord is blessing me with knowledge and all these experiences so that I can reach my full potential in this life!! And He`s doing the same thing for all you. He loves you!! And I love you too. And miss you. Que les vaya bien! hasta la proxima!

-Elder Heyman

May 6, 2013 Hello World

Hello everyone! Hows it going? I hope all is well. Im super excited to talk with.... someone from the family... haha still not completely sure how it works, but for sure ill be speaking with my parents next sunday!!! Im super pumped!! :D haha. I am also very happy to report I received 2 packages this week! 1 from my parents and 1 from my Grandma and Grandpa Curtis!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! The gifts were fantastic, and the food SO GOOD. haha thats always basically my favorite thing to receive in a package... food. GRACIAS!!! haha

So anyway heres a little bit from the past week!

On Tuesday we had a mission conference and so it was way fun getting to see a bunch of the missionaries I know and such... Its weird to see how many missionaries I know now! haha but so we did that, it was fun, learned alot and everything... haha. Idk I liked it. At these conferences they always do testimonies of the Elder and Sisters that are leaving in the next cambio... and there were a TON this time. And it was awesome to hear their testimonies and see the growth theyve gone through on their mission. Inspiring. haha. Also I realized that President and Sister Humphrey are leaving in the next 2 months :( Which made me really sad. Because its actually way funny how much they both remind me of Mom and Dad. President and Humphrey are basically my temporary parents for now haha. Theyre awesome and remind me so much of my own Mom and Dad! Funny thought: So whenever I give President Humphrey a hug at the conferences or just whenever I see him I always imagine I`m giving Dad a hug hahaha. And Sister Humphrey doesnt give hugs to Elders so I just always feel like Im talking to Mom when I talk with her! hahaha. Miss you Mom and Dad! They only say FANTASTIC things about you two!!

We had a few service projects this past week! haha First off, we painted this like... City Building? I dont know what its called or how to describe it... But point is... we painted it. haha. The only way I can think to describe it is that it would be the HOA headquarters building thing?... haha ya i have no idea. So anyways, one morning we painted that. Go us. And then another day Elder Adamson and I did a service project with our bishop! and we helped him organize his garage a bit haha. It was fun! and it was awesome to talk to him and get to know him a bit better and stuff haha. Because he`s really young! He`s only 28. So he always gets along great with the Eldersbecause he`s got alot of animo and is super funny haha. But anyways, so that was fun to do those service projects.

And the LAST thing from the week is that on Sunday, it was Fast and Testimony meeting. BUT before they did all the testimonies, I did a special musical number! :) And so I played I`ll See You There! and it seemed to have an awesome effect for the ward! :) So YES they have a piano good enough to play here in this ward haha. Its a keyboard still but its a nice keyboard. So anyways, (Mom you`ll understand this part) the ward usually has alot of problems with reverence in sacrament meetings... So before I played I gave a super short testimony, and then made the invitation that while I was playing to have a SUPER silent and reverent time, with phones off and children the mas tranquilo posible... hahaha. And anyway, it turned out great! and people really liked it and really felt the spirit from it. So i am VERY happy I got to do that :) 

And so that was the week! Investigator update: Erica.

Right now were working with a woman named Erica. Shes a single mom and has 5 kids. 4 live with her. she lives with twins that are 16, and has a 6 yr old and a 3  yr old. And theyre suuuuuper poor :/ Whenever we teach them the house is just FULL ha. But so she LOVES church and is super excited to get baptized! She has alot of animo about changing her life and is always super dispuesta to do the things we teach her! So were hoping all goes well there. But the difficulty is including her two 16 yr old sons :/ because they just dont want to do it. Theyre super cool and nice but their lives are dedicated to playing futbol... So anyways thats the challenge. Getting them included. We try, but Erica isnt much help with it... haha. We always invite them to do things and teach them and so on... but they dont want to do it. So were working with that... haha. I hope all goes well there.

And as to address the super anti animo from last week, things are slowly getting better. haha. So its just... if things arent going right and youre not having success and arent happy... you just gotta take a deep breath, back up, and go at things in a different way. So were working on that. But poco por poco things will be better haha. :D

Anyway. I dont know why the font changed midway through. Oops. Oh well. BUT! Im excited to talk with family members on Sunday! woo hoo! haha. But yeah. Im gonna go now. Thats all folks. I love you and miss you. CTR. fo sho. Nos vemos!

-Elder Heyman

April 29, 2013

Helloooo family and friends and such. How are ya`ll? Im doing well. Hangin` in there haha... Here`s the update from the week.

This was a pretty rough week in all senses of the word... It was pretty interesting. First off Elder Adamson attended a conference for all the nuevos misioneros. So he left tuesday afternoon and got back thursday night... So tuesday and wednesday I was with a member from the ward out to work, and most of the day thursday I was in the good ol`trio once again with Elder Arèvalo and Elder Arancibia haha... So that was interesting. I had alot of fun being with the member. His name is Tano, and he`s a little special. He`s normal and is about 30 something years old, except for his mental capacity is a lot lower. So he still helps a lot and gives good testimony and shares experiences in the lesson, but he`s just a little slow haha. But heeeee`s like my best friend hahaha. I love the guy to death and I`ve actually worked with him a few times, and he`s the coolest guy in the world and so funny. haha I will miss him when I leave from here. Anyway. So that happened. 

So while Elder Adamson was gone though, Fransisco had his baptismal interview! And passed it with flying colors! (haha kind of) anyway. So we were very happy and excited about that. So we got EVERYTHING ready and had everything ready. Elder Adamson came back, and so on Friday we called them up to let them know we were coming over visit, and during that phonecall,  Ketty (the mom) told us that he wasnt going to be getting baptized the next day, and that they werent sure he was going to get baptized at all. Awesome. So we went over to their house, and spent hours over there talking to them and figuring things out and sacando dudas and everything so that he would be baptized the next day.... With little success. So this family is a little crazy, so we thought maybe it was just a phase and everything would be fine the next day. We did ALOT of praying. ALOT. for the next day, hoping that everything would turn out okay. The next day (saturday. Day of the baptism) we went over to their house, and spent another long while at their house figuring things out. This time was alot better. We had a good long talk with Ketty and were figuring things out and clearing things up. The spirit was SUPER strong and Elder Adamson and I both felt that we were winning and progressing and that everything was going to turn out okay... But in the end, nothing. Ketty didnt want him to be baptized, Fransisco doesnt want to get baptized, and it looks like its not something where they just want to wait a week or two more or anything. So the baptism fell through. No baptism this week. We`ll be passing by their house another time or 2 this week to see if anything changes... but were thinking that not. It was a pretty firm no... But EVERYTHING was ready. All signs pointed to yes, but the day before/day of.... it all fell through. 

and I am extremely, extremely frustrated. There`s obviously lots of other things that are going on that are really frustrating me in this time, more than just the baptism falling through. But I am just beat, and lost, and have no idea what to do... I`m admitting it. 

A scripture that I`m really focusing on in this moment is Alma 26:27, that says:  27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine  afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

Obviously with everything that I`m having to deal with right now, I get discouraged, its hard, and sometimes I feel so lost that I just want to give up! (dont worry Im not ever going to give up haha) But its hard! But I have faith. I know the Lord. I know Him enough to know that He lives and He knows me and loves me, and he doesn´t want me to be discouraged and lost and beat up. He wants me to be happy and successful! Men are that they might have joy. It doesn´t mean life is going to be perfect, but we can be happy. So, Im pushing forward, bearing my afflictions with patience, and waiting for the breakthrough moment. The Lord wants me to be happy and successful, so I know He will do that. I just gotta wait for it in His time. Being completely honest, Im having a real rough time right now, but Im just waiting. haha. Obviously Im working hard and doing all I can, but its just not turning out in my favor. So if I keep doing all I can and patiently wait, the success will come. When, I have no idea. But it will come. I know it. 

But the sooner the better :P hahaha. 

So anyway. There`s my rant. And the update of Fransisco. BUT. On a happier note I had alot of super cool spiritual experiences this week! and some milagritos and cosas asì haha. but for time purposes, I wont go into detail with them. But I really did have some super cool answers to prayers, and experiences with the spirit and everything. Just know it was awesome and the Holy Ghost is a real thing haha. Other happy note, I`ve improved alot this past week with the use of "Po" in my day to day conversations haha. Im pumped about that. Its fun.

And the last super happy note is that we kiiiiiiiind of did have a baptism this week? Long story short, like 3 or 4 weeks ago, we ended up passing by a menos activo family, and invited them back to church and such. (its a suuuuper long story haha) He has an 8 yr old son, and this saturday his son got baptized as well! And the family is getting super active again! So THAT is a super huge awesome blessing/success we`ve had that I dont deny at all was a huge blessing from the Lord. So we attended that baptism  and it was awesome to be there to support them and everything :) So we ARE really happy about that!!

Andddd the last thing... There`s 2 members here (an older, married couple) that have a cookie shop here... They make their own cookies and sell them. Theyre super good! (Not quite like mom`s cookies though ;) ) anyway... The Hermana asked me to send an email home, and whenever the next time is that someone sends me a package, included in that package, would you mind sending some Peanut Butter Chocolate chips??? hahaha. Thats what theyre called right? Chocolate chips... but peanut butter? Just a big bag of them? She wants some for some cookies haha. And just always tells me how she just cantttt quite get them right here. So she has requested some from the good ol` US of A. That would be greatly appreciated. Gracias. But no rush. Just the next time a package ends up coming my way haha. 

But so yeah. Thats all folks. I love you all and miss you lots. Hope all is well. The church is true! I love the work! Yes, its super hard and Im passing a hard time, but its alllll for the better. Ill be learning something HUGE from this, I know it haha. I love you all! Que les vaya super bien. Chau!!

-Elder Heyman

p.s. Camara still broken, but Im having Elder Adamson send me a picture or two to forward. THANKSBYE.