02/04/2013 Chau Longaví, ¡¡¡Hola Lontué!!!

Hey hey heyyyy!!! 

Well.... Im OUT of here!!!!!! Transfers are today! And after my wonderful 5 or 6ish months in Longaví (I honestly dont even know haha) Im being transferred!!!

We all expected it... Because Ive been here so long and just... We just knew. So we got the call and Im leaving Longaví and heading up more north!!! And Im going to a sector called Lontué, right on the edge of Curico Sur!!!! Woo hooo!!! I honestly dont even know much about it... I THINK its another branch? And its supposedly really small again (Like Longaví haha) But apparently (from what I heard) Its REALLY pretty and somewhere kind of close (in the zone at least) There is a national park there of some sort. Reportedly "one of the most beautiful parts of Chile!"  soooo Im SUPER excited!!! ANDDDD....... My comp is going to be Elder Vasquez!!!! And with a last name like that... That means he´s gonna be a LATINO!!!! Ahhhhh my first companion A: Not from Utah. haha  B: LATINO COMP!!!! Im actually really nervous but still super excited!!! Im gonna  make sure he helps me with my spanish! haha. So Im super super excited!!! And were going to be "Co-senior Comps". So we´ll see how that works out haha. But heyyyy.... IM SUPER EXCITED!!! Ive had so much fun here in Longaví. Its been QUITE the experience and Ive learned SOOO much. Ive met AMAZING people that I just love love love with all my heart and hope the best for them. I will definitely be remembering Longaví for the rest of my life. And Im telling everyone here that even though im leaving, I will proudly call myself a "Longaniviano" for forever hahaha. (Thats what they call residents of Longaví haha)  But so im so excited to take everything I learned and everything to a different area and start tearing it up there too :) Woo hoo! Im really excited haha. Sad to leave Longaví? Yes. Absolutely. But super excited too haha.

So we (the missionaries) saw that coming, that I was going to leave... But what we DIDNT see coming... Is Elder Cowden is leaving too. hahaha. THAT was quite the shocker for us this morning. Haha. So both missionaries from my sector are leaving... and two new guys are coming in. So that will be quite the change. Its a long explanation but I really think that will be a good thing for Longavi. Or for our sector at least haha. But so Elder Cowden is leaving to the south. Hes going to a sector called Quillon, Chillan. And hes going to be comps with a latin as well haha. So he´s excited! Nervous, because he didnt see it coming at all, but excited! haha. We´ve had a LOT of fun together, and we´ve both learned ALOT. haha. 

So my bags are packed nice and neat already! (Organizing. Priorities. Wow Im a changed man.) and Im excited to go! Time to start learning some more and progressing even more in life/the mission :) Im super excited! Did I mention that yet?

BUT, more than that. Since I have to go say my goodbyes still, Im going to keep the rest of this letter short with just a story or two.

So first off, on Saturday we had an activity in the church and we played.... Baby Futbol!!! Woo hoo!! And we actually had a group of 11 to play this time! That is great progress haha. So anyway we played 4 vs 4 and 5 vs 5... And remember how I said my soccer skills were improving? Welllll I was playing really good! And I was even impressing the Chileans :) haha so like halfway through I did this move-thing and blah blah blah... Basically it was cool and they were all really impressed and so they starting calling me "Messi" for the rest of the night during the game and joking with me and calling me Messi. Thatttt made me happy hahaha. Because if any of you know who Messi is, you know thats a compliment haha. Anyways. I was just proud of that and wanted to share. Yay for futbol!

And secondly. Technically we have no idea whether a person is going to leave on cambio day or not. But like i said, we all just assumed I was leaving... So in church yesterday, just in case it was my last Sunday there, I bore my testimony during the testimony time, AND I had talked with Presidente Cárcamo earlier in the week and arranged to do a musical number! :) So for the closing song I just did a musical number, and I actually just went up front and sang a solo. hahaha. My singing has improved ALOT since I left too! At least I think. I hope. Anyway so I sang "I Need Thee Every Hour". And I sang 2 verses in Spanish, and the final verse in English. And I feel like it came out really well! At least I felt the spirit while I was singing :P So I hope los demás did as well haha. And after the meeting O got a few compliments so I hope it turned out well! 

And so I decided I need to start using my musical abilities more to bless the people here of Chile! I decided Ive been slacking in that department, and that I can really use that blessing to help people even more... So Im gonna be finding ways to do that. And Im excited for it :) I really think it´ll help.

andddd.... Those are the two stories that I wanted to share haha. I loveeee this church! Each day my testimony is strengthed, and I just continue learning about how true this church is. I feel so blessed to have this knowledge in my life, and the ability to apply the things I know and learn in my life to receive these blessings. Because thats another thing. Each day I just realize more and more and more how extremely blessed I am. I love the plan of salvation, I love the gospel, and I love everything about this church haha. Anyway... I gotta go say bye to people :P Lontué here I come! Wish me luck!!!! I miss you and love you all! Que les vaya bien! Chau!!

Con mucho amor y abrazos y todo la cuestion,

Elder Heyman

02/04/2013 Fotos

1. We made the cookies you sent me!!! They turned out GREAT. We just had nothing to shape the dough with... So they ended up a little close :) 

2. Me teaching some of the primary kids!!! :) hahaha.

3. These two kids wanted to sing on their own :P hahaha So we all sang a trio!

01/28/2013 Well... This could be an interesting week!

Well helloooooo people of the USA. And Argentina. And wherever you might be haha. I had another interesting week full of different stuff! Soooo I shall begin,

So here in Longavi we´ve had a big focus change in our work. I dont even know if that make sense. But basically what it means is that instead of working with investigators investigators investigators and a little bit of recent converts and menos activos, Were now working with alotttt of recent converts and menos activos and less investigators... haha. So its been interesting! But to start off, we had a noche de hogar (family night) In libeny´s house with some more recent converts... and we were going to teach a short lesson about the restauration of the gospel, then play Uno and eat some food after... Well. The food was suuuuper good, and the lesson on the restoration turned out to be realllyyyyy long... hahaha. Because Chilenos just loooooove to talk. So basically the lesson just turned out soooo long because they got into this HUGE discussion/argument about the Word of Wisdom and WHY we have the word of wisdom and HOW we have the word of wisdom and blah blah blah... haha it was VERY difficult to get them to focus... BUT. It all turned out good. So that was fun. 

On Wednesday we have a Mission Conference with President and sister Humphrey! So that was fun to see other missionaries and talk to them, to hear from president Humphrey and Sister humphrey and the assistents and other things. We learned alot and got super motivated! So thats always super good. Buttttt the conference ended up taking forever too. And by the time we got home our WHOLE day was gone haha... Super lame. We seriously got home at like 830... So we didnt get much work done on Wednesday.... Butttt

Happy Early Birthday to me!!!! Thank you so much to my parents! Because I got your packages that day! and since I knew a watch was inside.... I didnt wait this time! I just opened it all that night :) And immmm loving it. it was all fantastic!!!! woo hoooo im so excited haha. I loved all of my gifts and snacks and everything! Ive been putting them all to use and theyre fantatsic :) Thank you so much!!

So I have a funny story (with pictures) to share from Thursday. So we have this Suuuuuper long bike ride to Los Cristales everyday? Well its gotten pretty hot now! (except its been raining today... dang bipolar Chile weather) anyways so its always a killer bike ride. But so on thursday about ALMOST halfway through our bike ride.... all of a sudden this tractor that was carrying two loads of logs behind it pulled up next to us... and it was going pretty slow. But... It was going faster than us. So I just grabbed onto one of the sides of the tractor... and hitched a ride from the tractor alllll the way to Los Cristales :) hahaha. It was the best bike ride ive had in all my 5 months here in Longaví :) It was really funny and Elder Cowden and I were SO happy about it hahaha. And I was holding on to the tractor and at one point I had to switch the spot of where I was holding on, and so then there was a guy standing up next to me (you´ll see what I mean in the picture) and so I tried talking to him a bit... but he wasnt to interested in talking hahaha. But so that was a successful day just because of that haha.

And on Saturday we played a partido de baby (mini soccer game) as a branch activity at night... but not many showed up haha. But we still played and it was alot of fun! I loveeee soccer now. Im sure ive mentioned that. But Im mentioning it again haha. I cant wait to get together with all the friends and other chilean or latino missionaries after the mission and play together. Thats going to be funny hahah. 

And the last day... Sunday!! Sunday was a really fun day! First off, I forgot to mention that two weeks ago I spoke again in church. This time my talk was based off of Elder Nelson´s talk "Ask the missionaries, they can help you!". And now you know that I spoke two weeks ago... Butttt....

So how small is this world?? There is a girl here in the branch of Longaví whose girl cousin got called to Resistencia, Argentina! Mom and Dad´s mission! So this girl in the branch (Hermo is her name) told me a few weeks ago. So i knew that... but her cousin going to mom and dads mission (Laura is her name) leaves this wednesday into the MTC... But is in town this week to say bye before she goes! And she was in church yesterday and everything... So i met her and we talked a little and whatnot, and tonight were having a Noche de hogar with them and their family!!! hahaha (and some more other recent converts... Hopefully this one isnt so long haha) But how small of a world is that?? How does that even happen? hahah. So ill be sharing some photos of the family and some stories and such with them tonight. But so im really excited about that! how funny haha. We took some pictures on sunday, so Ill send one of those too. 

So that happened sunday, and also recently Ive started helping out in the primary here in the branch... Because the District Primary Leader (o como se llama?) came to help them out... but nobody had any experience with music, and had no idea what the songs they were to be singing sounded like or anything... So my "ask the missionaries, they can help!" talk has been put into use! (We´ve actually gotten alot more questions and requests for help now haha) but so they asked me for help, and now for the past 2 weeks ive been teaching Sharing and Singing time in the primary hahahaha. And its sooooo fun!! hahaha. Especially yesterday. It just felt so good to help these little primary kids out and teach them to sing and teach them these songs! hahaha Especially after i teach them the words over and over and over, and then finally we´re like "okay, were gonna sing the whole thing now!" and then we sing it... and the kids all actually sing! And it doesnt sound half bad! hahaha. I mean it sounds like any other group of primary kids singing... haha a few on key, a few off key, one or two kids just lip-syncing with everyone else, pretending to sing, all the kids decide to yell the last word of the song really loud or some other random word in the song... hahaha. It all came together! And it just made me feel really good! It felt so good to help these kids out and help out the primary here in longavi :) It was awesome. Next week Ill be doing it agian, so ill grab a picture for everyone to see haha. 

But anyway... mas que nada, that was my week! a good one! :) This potentially (and im thinking probably...) is my last week here in longavi... Cambios are next week. So itll be interesting to see what happens... Weird! Alli vemos. 

uhhhmmm but yeah! Thats all i can really think of for now... Ill send some pictures for you all to see! Im still loving everything about the mission. And I just continue to learn learn learn learn learn. haha. Thats the most amazing thing to me. How much Ive learned, how much Im still learning, and how much ill learn for foreverrrr. haha. Always progressing in life :) I love you all and miss you! Thanks for all the prayers, support, and love. Que les vaya bien! La iglesia es la iglesia verdadera de Jesucristo. Siempre tenemos la oportunidad de hablar con nuestro padre celestial por medio de la oracion. El quiere escucharnos, solo necesitamos tomar la iniciativa de hacer una oracion. Y las escrituras son las palabras de Dios, y son guias para nosotros.Que bendecidos somos para tener estas cosas en nuestras vidas. Aprovechemos de ellas!!! Les quiero mucho!!!

Con amor,
Elder Heyman

01/28/2013 Pictures!

1. My tractor ride :) hahahah best bike ride ever!!!

2. So happy haha. And that was my friend who didnt talk much haha.

3. Bienvenidos al Campo. This is a picture from on top of a bridge that crosses the freeway we took. Super cool view!

1. Theres so many presents I cant even hold them all! haha Thank you!

2. Thanks Mom and dad!

3. We always laugh about the difference in organization styles on our different sides of the rooms... hahaha

 

4. This is the hermana going to your mission mom and dad!! Hermana Laura Saalvedra or algo así?

 

5. All her family and friends that came to say bye... Super akward picture haha...

01/21/2013 Estoy sobreviviendo... No se precupen.

Welllll hello everyone! So first off, I apologize because this letter will probably be pretty dang short... But I apologize! Its a long story! But Im alive, Im loving the mission, Im learning ALOT, the work is really tough, but I´ve still got my head up and Im looking forward and continue to learn :) 

But! I at least had a few updates for you.

Right now were (trying) to teach an unmarried, co-living (why does that always happen?!) couple that seem to be really good! Well, the girl, Estefani, is really good, and Pablo, the male, is less interested in the gospel but more interested in his work and making money haha. But so theyre slowing progressing because theyre not married and still havent come to church, but it was pretty cool because the other day we showed up and estefani said "I have good news to tell you!" so we were excited and thought maybe they decided to get married hahaha. But she told us how she had had a dream and that in her dream Christ came to her and told her that she needed to go to our church and that he was happy with what she was doing! So we definitely were happy about that too :) haha and so we told her "YES. That is 110% a sign. Go to church this Sunday!" haha.... but she still failed to come :( and we dont know why. haha. BUT were working with them! 

I put my new soccer cleats to work this week and theyre awesome! I love them!! haha. I have photos. Ill make sure to send some this time! haha. 

Another super funny story from this week about Elder Cowden and bikes... hahaha

So something that I love doing on the bikes is that whenever we pass an animal, I love scaring them by swerving at them a little so they freak out haha. So the other day we were riding next to eachother, me on the left, Elder Cowden on the right, and there was a chicken on the road. Checking to see that there were no cars coming so it didnt get run over........ I swerved  at the chicken to scare it, thinking it would run even more into the road... Instead it freaks out, jumps IN FRONT OF ME so I swerve again to dodge it, but it continues running to the right... and there was innocent little Elder Cowden, happily riding his bike with no hands (which he mastered doing that the other week :) haha) and so this chicken ran at him, but he had no hands on his bike, so there was NOTHING he could do... and he just dominated the chicken and ran over it hahaha. Twice. Once with each tire hahahaha. And so we yelled and freaked out and didnt know what to do... but so we stopped and looked back and just sadly watched this chicken die. it was flopping around helpless everywhere and finally it just sadly stopped moving hahahaha. We didnt know what to do. And we felt bad. But so we went back to look at it and we think Elder Cowden must have just ran over it and broken its neck because its neck looked really weird and there wasnt too much blood anywhere else.... hahaha. oh man Elder Cowden. hahaha. So technically it was all my fault, but Elder Cowden just happened to have done the deed. hahaha

But anyway... Yeah. Thats all I can really share with everyone right now haha. I have to go now! I hope all is well, and that you know that I love you and miss you lots!!! I continue to learn SO much, and really thats my favorite part about the mission. Just how much i LEARN. haha. The church is true, the book is blue! Read it! I love you all!!

-Elder heyman

01/21/2013 Some Pictures!

1. Funny face BUT. Me playing some Futbol! haha

2. With my new cleats! Pumped haha. And yes, we play on that cement. haha. Thast behind the church

3. Pardon the angle, but this literally was the best photo we had with ema. It was really sunny haha.

4. Ema with her nephew Yino! He got to baptize her :) It was awesome!!

01/21/2013 More Pictures

1. One day we visited Libeny and it was SO hot that I just stuck my head in the freezer for a little bit hahaha

2. A bunch of Chilenos at a wedding! hahaha

3. Welcome to Chile. Dogs in the plaza... haha

4. I feel like I look a lot older in this pictre. hahaha.