Week 26 - Downtown

Hola Everyone:)

I have been transferred to downtown Indianapolis :) There’s a lot of ghetto and lots of city life around. Being in Columbus for 6 months combined with my distaste for large cities made this transfer really difficult haha! 

I’m currently training Elder Ellsworth who’s a pretty cool guy, quiet but chill (like me lol). 

Tracting with my boy Ellsworth. It was so cold out there we had to duck into a grocery store to get warm.

Then I’m DL over a whole new district so that’s crazy, plus the missionaries here before us didn’t leave an area book....they told me they lost it!! So we are area bookless, DT'd, no current progressing investigators, training, and in a city that I’m not accustomed to....haha so I’ve been pretty stressed out lately. But I know things will be ok. They may not come in the way or in the time time I want it to but I know the Lord will help and guide me somehow.

Funny story. After transfers we started to head back to the new apartment which neither of us had seen. Plus I hadn’t bought a GPS yet so I was driving on my limited knowledge of the area. What was supposed to be a 30 mile trip ended up taking me over 98 miles!! haha We were driving for 4 hrs trying to find our way back! I felt so embarrassed by the time we finally made it home!

So the story so far is me and Ellsworth have been tracting hardcore haha!! That’s about all we've been doing.  But my district is awesome!! 

One of the elders in my new district, Elder Huntington.

We have (yet again) almost everyone in my district is a greenie (but I’m not anymore HOORAY). The area is fun! The city is pretty cool to see but I would never live here. The ward has great support! They are good at helping each other and they have effective meetings. 

Elder Cruz and me at dinner with the bishops in my new area.

So it’s cool here! I have not gotten the package yet. I’ll probably get it at our Christmas conference. I hope.

Ooooh I miss those family dinners haha. The good food, and the fun times! It sounds like Harry thinks he is becoming funnier and funnier with those nativity signs you told me about lol. I hope everyone in the family is doing good :) I pray for you guys always. It’s so crazy to think now that on Christmas Day it’s going to be just you and Dad and Harry after the married ones leave to go to their inlaws! I remember when we'd all just chill and watch Christmas movies haha!

Anyways Christmas here will be fun. We have a lot of families here willing to have us over and they are all awesome. People really try to make us feel at home and it helps ALOT.

I did want to talk about Christmas :) Because the magical day is only 4 days away we should remember why we celebrate Christmas. We grow up with people telling us what the true meaning is, but we need to read for ourselves. So read 3Nephi 1:13-15, then read Luke 2. Reading these two testaments of Christ's birth really make it more powerful and meaningful to me!

Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given. And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David: To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Sorry this is so short. Because it’s a new area and I’m talking to you soon there’s not much to report on haha! Can’t wait to see and talk to you all on Christmas day. Oh and yeah I’ll just let Hema take care of all the small details haha! I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays :) Love you guys.

Ofa Lahi Atu

Elder Heimuli