Elder Houston Heimuli: Week 6

It's great to hear that some of the Pohahaus are there! I've been doing family history work but the problem is I can't find all our names haha!! But I've realized how great it is to keep in contact with family and to know where we came from and where we are all at. So keep it up and tell our Pohahau family that Elder Heimuli says hi.

What a blessing to have President Nelson there at church yesterday! Since I've been out here I've looked at apostles and prophets a lot differently. They're heroes to me. They are modern-day Captain Moroni's! I hope you enjoy your calling mom and just know that I love ya:)

Tell Evan congrats from me! Even though he makes a horrible dancer, he'll make a terrific husband! It was funny that you mentioned Brad entering the MTC because I've been thinking about him and I've been hoping that he gets sent here to my area first!

Btw I think I might be getting a bike from Elder Moli. I'll let you know. Church was good. The makeup of my ward is mostly palangis and they still struggle saying my last name. I've been called Elder Heimuley, Himili, Hem and Jabooty (no joke someone actually called me that)...but whatcha gonna do?

I hope Dad doesn't go overboard, make sure to tell him I said remember he's not as young as he used to be! Speaking of Dad a man named Tim Guenther met me in church and saw my name and asked me if I was related to Dad. I think I mentioned him before, but he literally bear hugged me right there. When he was young he was way into BYU and he told me that he had some troubles as a kid. He went to BYU games when he could and one time he said he snuck into the locker room and saw Dad in there. He told me that Dad -- the super cool and the #1 player there -- autographed one of his hand pads just for him and gave it to him. Dad probably didn't even think twice about it but Tim cherished that pad. He told me he never washed it from that day and he kept it in a case.

When he heard I was Dad's son he decided to give it to me because he said his kids didn't appreciate it as much he knew I would. So last night around 8 pm there he was, running up the steps to our apartment to give me the pad and talk about Dad and Uncle Hema (again). He told me he went to Provo HS and admired Uncle Hema, and because of the autographed arm pad he also admired Dad. Those 2 OG's are legendary let me tell ya.

But let me tell you why that's so significant to this week for me. So me and Freeman (my freakin' awesome trainer) went to the temple a lot with investigators who weren't really investigators we found but really just part-member families or friends of members. It was exciting to see so much interest in the temple. However, during the week, when we tried to follow up, most of the investigators were pretty much too busy to talk to us. It was way discouraging because we thought they were interested, but then they couldn't even find the time to talk with us anymore. Then on Sunday lots of things went wrong and me and Freeman were just super frustrated and annoyed.

So when Tim came and talked to me about Dad and Uncle, I felt happier because I knew he wasn't just there by chance. I needed to know that someone cared about how I was feeling at that moment, and that someone sent Tim. He told me how cool Dad and Uncle Hema were, and yet how nice and how hard working they were, too. It really did pick me up. I could just imagine Dad or Uncle Hema sitting in my situation. They wouldn't mope around or feel sorry for themselves like I was feeling sorry for myself. They would get up and go and work.

Dad and Uncle Hema were examples to Tim and they're examples to me, too. It may sound kinda dumb but the example Dad and Uncle Hema were to Tim and the way they treated him 30 years ago came around full circle and helped me out yesterday. No one on earth could've guessed that Dad and Uncle Hema's interactions with Tim would've impacted him so much. No one on earth could've predicted Tim would end up in Indiana and that I would be serving in his ward 30 years later. And no one on earth would've known that yesterday was kind of a low point for me.

Notice I said "no one on earth"...but God knows. That's the message I want you to share with the family at the next meeting: that being an example really does have an astronomical effect. That being examples to others on how to be loving, hard working, humble etc., are so crucial. That God loves us and knows our situations exactly.

You never know the lives you will bless or the people you are going to reach through your example. Look at Jesus' example He set for us. He continues to touch the lives of every single person who ever lived, lives or will live. Look at Dad and Uncle Hema. Two examples who reached Tim 30 years ago and who yesterday reached me. Crazy how God works. What a blessing it is to serve Him and to witness miracles. I'm loving the work and I love you guys!

Ofa Lahi Atu,

Elder Heimuli

Pics!