Week 36 - I Know All About the Mormons

I’m doing great out here! It’s the last week of training Elder Ellsworth so it’s pretty crazy how fast time flies!!

Wow, another little Heimuli coming and around Hevynn's birthday!! That’s great!! Haha tell them congrats from me and that I love them. 

What great scriptures you shared. Keeping God’s commandments brings blessings, ESPECIALLY during tribulations. That’s where many people who leave the Church believe God has abandoned them. But I testify that God will never abandon us, usually we abandon Him. Scripture study and prayer will definitely get us through the different trials we are facing. It’s when we stop doing those things that we start to lose our faith and start to fall in the midst of our trials. It’s all like one giant circle, but to sum it up, prayer, reading, and keeping the commandments will ultimately bless us and keep us from straying from the path.

I was just thinking about Aunty Lani when I read Alma 26:27 where it talks about how when we bear with patience all of our afflictions, God will give us success. This means that even if we have all the diligence and obedience in the world, we will still have to bear the challenges we are facing. Again, God never abandons us. He provides ways for us to get through these trials through the love we receive from our family, good friends, leaders, His Gospel, repentance and the Plan of Salvation. 

When loved ones pass, it’s sad. I’m so sad for Uncle Tom and Aunty Ana and glad you and dad are going there to support them. We all know how they feel because we have all felt it. Nephi felt it in 2Nephi 4. But instead of letting it shake his faith, it increased his faith. Read this scripture, it will help. And I will keep everyone in my prayers!!

Tell Harrison, Congrats!! I’m proud of him, he is killing it right now haha, even if he doesn’t think so. That’s good that he didn’t lose on asparagus ;) And what’s a carafe? Did you feed that to him for dinner the next day like you did with me and asparagus haha.

Well this week we had a pretty cool experience. So we were biking to an area about 7-9 miles away from our house and halfway to that area my tire like blew up!!! So we stopped. No one could give us a ride for like 4 hours. So we looked at each other and half-jokingly I said, "Well God wanted us right here since he popped my tire so let’s work." We really did believe we needed to be there. So we tracted for 3 hrs. Finally on the last house a woman came out and answered the door. I told her we were missionaries and she said, "Oh you’re Mormons!! I know all about the Mormons!!"

We both thought in our head, “Oh crap, she knows ‘all about’ the Mormons.....then she surprised us when she said, ‘I love them.’

She then told us the story of how when she was about to die from a clot when her neighbors, who were Mormons, prayed and checked up on her constantly. She lived, much to the surprise of the doctors, and she was grateful to our Church. So we were able to teach her and we are going to see her again this week! Anyways just a reminder of how charity goes a long way. That’s pretty much the highlight of my week. I am still reeling from how fast this is going! Love you mom and tell everyone I love them as well!

Ofa Lahi Atu!

Elder Heimuli

P.S. haha GHS!!! What a lame high school [Elder Heimuli got this picture of Harrison at the District Spelling Competition held at Viewmont]

Week 35 - You Ees the Missionarees?

HIYA :)

Well this week has been very busy. I decided to push my district and shoot for 100 lessons and 20 new investigators. We only got 96 lessons, but we found 33 new people to teach!!! Haha it was a great week, and so we are going to be full of appointments for the next few days haha. But that was a result of us going out constantly and working. I can’t lie, it was tiring. But this week should be great!

Isn't this a great wall painting?

No I have not been able to reach the New Zealanders from Butler because I’ve been helping out the other missionaries in the area. But I’m hoping to contact them soon!

At Butler University

You’ve been running around a lot too! Glad you met Dook’s brother at the youth dance. I didn't know people actually went to those jk jk. His name is Simi. I remember him from LPA!! He's awesome. If you see him say Houston says hi. And tell the Munk family I said hi and tell them I asked how Harley is doing on her mish! Also I’m excited for Norris this season! With Coach J there it will be such a great offense. Makes me almost wish I could be there haha. But I am still grateful for Coach Wall and his work ethic he instilled in all the players at BHS. Greatest program ever and Norris will do great. Tell him hi from me and to keep trucking everyone that comes across him in football.

I Have a Testimony is such a beautiful song. Thanks for sending it to me Mom. And it’s even better when all of those beautiful voices come together. Hevynn and Harry killed it!! Hema, Helam, and Bo did also!! Bo would decide to start singing really good when I’m now on a mission haha! I already told you this but I’ll say it again for all the family to see. I showed the other elders and they were like, "Whoa your family is so talented! What happened to you?" I replied, "I got the good looks. They just got the good voices." ;) Haha. And yes I did give them all that winky face when I said it cuz you know I got both, lol!! I’m so blessed to be part of such a talented and spiritual family! 

So again it was a busy week. A lot of tracting. As all the siblings know, tracting is FUN (haha) but LONG. It’s even longer when people just talk for hours. However something funny happened. Elder Huntington and I were on a litte exchange when we knocked on a door. The guy looked at us and walked away. I said, "Well, he's not coming out. Let’s move on and keep knocking." Huntington told me to wait. He said he felt like he would answer. Suddenly, the door burst open and a little Spanish dude came out and yelled, "You es the missionarees?" We said yes! He shook our hands vigorously and said, "I’m Fabio!!! I love missionaries!! I live in Utah back in time!! My family members, but not me. I want to be baptized!"

We had a lengthy conversation then he invited us to come back for cake and kool aid. So I’m pretty pumped for that (the invite, not the cake and kool aid. Ok I’m pretty pumped about the cake and kool aid too). But it just goes to show that a little patience goes a long way. In this case, eternal salvation for Fabio.

Sunday was kind of frustrating because the people on baptismal date couldn’t make it to church. So now we have to push it back to March 22nd and I won’t be here most likely because that’s when I’ll be finished training Ellsworth. He’s doing good. He’s picking up the work well.

With Elder Ellsworth in the background

Oh and the district LOVED my Valentine’s bags for them haha!! I wish I would’ve snagged pictures of that but I forgot. Sorry!

I see Brad more often than you would think. He's in a different stake but I see him a lot at meetings. I will tell him you said hi. He is doing great too. Also Mana is leaving on April 6th so the farewell will probably be the Sunday before then. Thanks for wanting to go support him.

Whoa congrats to Maddie and Dallin on their mission calls!! Haha I’m excited for both of them!! They will come out and I will be just about a year out, that’s freaky!! Do you have dallins email? I would love to email him! Also with Dallin’s court of honor Aunty Lani will be busy! Tell their family I love them and I miss them. Not Lauryn as much, just the rest of them ;) haha jk jk

Oh btw I found some of Sifa's hats here at the Lids store! Haha I freaked out because I was like, "My cousin made those!!!!" I saw a kid walking out with one so I was pretty pumped. What happened to Faith? I hope she will be fine. I’ll keep her in my prayers. and if you see them again tell them hi from me. I love them more than Bo haha!! And I also hope Hevynn is ok. Seems like medical issues just plague our family :/ along with you guys being old! For real though, read Alma 26:27 :) it talks about afflictions and bearing with them and the promise God gives us. I reflect on this scripture a lot because I get a lot of doors slammed in my face. :/

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…and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

I love you all. I pray that God will always guide us and that we will be receptive and ready to act on that prompting. 

Love you Mom and Ofa Lahi Atu:)

Sincerely, Elder Heimuli

Week 34 - Fefe hake?

Hey mom!

Yup you already guessed it. Because of Presidents’ Day so we couldn’t email yesterday :( 

First off thank you for the package!! I got them all and I was able to make some nice little valentine gifts for everyone! You’re the best mom! And I’m glad the flowers made it to you. Even though I couldn’t be there I hope the flowers kinda felt like I was home.

So the best thing that happened this week was that one of the investigators decided to take a job where he has Sundays off!!!! So we are hoping he will then come to church more often (he has no excuse now haha). But other than that things have been going well. It’s been a bit chilly but the area is great and I am loving the people! 

This week we also went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders and there is a college in my area called Butler. Elder Shoeneman and I went there to personal contact and tract. 

We got cold and no one wanted to stop and listen to us, so we went inside the basketball stadium to warm up. Then we saw these two brown girls walk past and Elder Shoeneman said, "I think they’re poly." I looked at him skeptically and said, "We’re in Indiana. There are no polys." But I decided to muster all the Tongan I knew and yelled to them, "Fefe hake?"

One of them turned and said in a New Zealand accent, "I’m not Tongan. Sorry!!" haha!! So I ran up to talk to them. They are both from Auckland. One’s Cook Islander and the other is Maori. I was soooooo happy! We got their information and, hopefully, we will start teaching them this week :) So pray that they want to learn more!

So on Valentine’s Day I actually went on exchanges to Carmel area to go sing at a baptism. When I got there I met a lot of really nice members who, upon seeing my name tag, looked at me and asked, "Any relation to the Heimulis who played at BYU?" Then we had that conversation again (the one I’ve had over and over many time, haha) about Dad. Haha it’s always funny. As soon as the baptism ended, a family invited us over to their house. It was fun! We just got to know each other, played games and the family actually knows Uncle Vai. He was their stake president!  We talked and talked and then we had another jam session. Our cars were grounded so we couldn’t go anywhere. I was fortunate enough to have such a great family allow us to be in their home.

Haha wow my grandparents now have 8 baby chicks, huh? Happy anniversary to Grandpa and Grams! What a special bond to be married for that long, and even more special is the eternal bond that they share as well!! I love them so much and pray for them always. I really don’t have any clever or cool names to give to the chicks, so I’ll just let Harry take care of that. He is a lot more creative than I am haha!

Here’s my favorite scriptures from the chapter you guys are reading in John (chapter 15).

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

To put it simply, follow His counsel and commandments. Later in the chapter we read that the 2 great commandments are, Love God and love thy neighbor. It makes sense then that if we love God, we keep His commandments even as Christ did (because again, aren’t we disciples and followers of Christ?). And because Christ followed God’s commandments He abided in God’s love, and we can also if we but just follow His commandments, too. The Savior promised in verse 10 and 11 that we will abide in God’s love and our joy will be magnified and full. That is such a wonderful scripture and I hope you all keeping reading and keep studying!! 

I’m sorry mom, but I forgot my camera when I came emailing.... so I will get them to you a later time!! Love you mom and tell the family I love them!

Ofa Lahi Atu

Sincerely, Elder Heimuli

Week 33 - Crazy Awesome Day

Hey MOM:)

Yeah I actually was at a member’s house and they "accidentally" left the game on. We told them we couldn’t watch it and they refused to turn it off. So we decided to give up and watch the first half and have dinner haha!! 

Then after that we left before half time and went home and got things ready for P-day. Anyways that’s what we did yesterday.

The Hodson family used to live in Hilo. The asked me what I like to eat and I said I love Spam. They went all out with Spam musubi, poke, spam, rice, pineapples and li hing mui. Then they gave me all this Hawaiian food to take home with me so I probably gained 20 lbs at their house. Don't send me any more food please haha!!!! I was soooooo happy that night!

This week was very busy. Tuesday we did service pretty much all day so we were exhausted. 

Chopping wood. That's right, with my bare hands...

We decided to head to a Taco Bell and have lunch. While we were there, there was a girl who was just staring at us. Finally we turned, and her dad who was standing next to her said, "Oh Elders!!!" Haha the girl was wondering who we were because we were all dressed up and stuff! She didn’t see our tags. We found out she was looking for the YSA ward here. She lived in Italy and her dad was visiting to help move her stuff in. So we chatted and got her on her way to the YSA ward and the chapel. 

But the busiest part of this week was Caitlin’s baptism! 

At Caitlin's baptism (I can never get a serious pose!)

Ellsworth and I were so happy to see her baptized and confirmed the following day. It’s a funny story. She was baptized before but she was never confirmed because after the baptism the family actually fell away from the church for 3 years. 

With Caitlin's awesome family

We finally contacted her again and she was baptized! The other elders in our ward also had 3 baptisms so we had a total of 4 baptisms!!! We were at the church from about 10am to 4pm just getting thigs set up and taking things down. What a crazy awesome day. 

Other than that things have been pretty good. The weather isn’t freezing anymore and we are able to tract alot now that things are warmer. However please keep the other 2 investigators who are on date in your prayers please. They are struggling and we need all the help we can get! 

Things are still busy as usual back at home huh? But it looks like the family is still going strong!! Oh and by the way I got a package from Helam and Alyssa :)

Care package from Helam & Alyssa

Tell him thank you soooo much and I got the pics of baby Kiegan! Now they are hanging up on my wall! 

My wall's looking better!

Kincade emailed me and told me about Coach Wall. How blessed I was to be part of such a great football program and to be taught by such a great coach! I love him and the whole coaching staff! I wish the best for Coach Wall and I can’t wait to hear who the next coach will be. I’m guessing Coach J :) Tell everyone on the staff I said hi and thank you. Again, congratulations to them for overseeing such a great program and for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to play football there and at the next level.

Anyways the biggest thing I’ve learned this week was about Faith. Faith is a power, not just a passive belief. And if we want to use this power we must first strengthen our faith. This is all through diligent scripture study and prayer, obedience to god’s will and commandments, and praying sincerely and honestly. I promise you, this will bring miracles if we are willing to do these things. Where are you lacking? What lack ye yet in these areas? I challenge you all to find one of these areas, and work on it!!! 

Anyways I love and miss you all!! I pray for you guys and wish the best for everyone in everything!!

Ofa Lahi Atu

Elder Heimuli

Got 2 bloody noses during my studies, so I took care of that problem!

Week 32 - Go NOW

Hi Mom :)

I am doing great!! Things this week were pretty good. I think the best thing about this week was the beautiful weather we've been having! It went from negatives to 40's and 50's!! We were so blessed. There were also some pretty cool miracles that happened this week.

Out enjoying the "warm" weather today, I just had to snap this pic of black Jesus

So one of the investigators on date wouldn’t answer the phone or answer the door for the last couple of weeks so we decided to just ease off and see what happens. One day we were driving around her neighborhood going to another appointment when something said, "Visit her now." I thought it was just me being me and I thought, "I need to get to this appointment right now. I’ll do it after."

But it came to me again saying, "Go NOW" so I literally flipped a U-turn and went immediately to her house. As we pulled up she was just about to leave her house. We were able to talk to her and figure things out! Listening and heeding the promptings of the Spirit should always trump other things that we had planned at the time. And we still made it to the appointment on time as well!! BLESSINGS!!

At home

Your schedule sounds hectic! But when the Stake Presidency receives revelation then we must follow the revelation they receive as swiftly as possible, and Go NOW. I bet it was great to see all the youth! I know you love that. 

Haha and Helam is 24 daaaaaaaang!!!! Sad I missed his bday but from the pics it looks like you guys had enough good company around. So fun to have the whole fam there except Harry :) And that sneaky Aunty Nei, always paying for stuff, though I never complained haha. Tell her hi from me and that I love her!! How are the little families doing? I’m loving the pics of the babies :) 

This is my study area. I've gotta add the pics of the babies!

It is such a blessing to have chapels to meet in and worship in. Being in Utah we have the extraordinary blessing of having them almost on every street, and in Woods Cross, some of them are literally right next to each other! However, we must be careful not to take those blessings for granted. I love seeing members here because they drive from long distances and everywhere to come to church. And having the opportunity to clean that place is yet another way we can show our gratitude to God for the gift we have been given. I’m glad you and Dad had a chance to teach Harry about this blessing :)  I kinda miss those times. When I would do all the work and he would play with the toys in the nursery haha. 

Trying to practice uke and sing every once in a while...of course it was a church song!

Speaking of chapels, another cool miracle. We were practicing how to conduct a church tour. Elder Ellsworth and I were about halfway through when a member walked in and said, "Are you doing a church tour?"

"Well we are practicing for one."

Then he said, "Well me and my friends are going to take a walk around the city and they aren’t members. You think you could give them one real quick?"

We both were shocked because we had no plans of teaching anyone or giving a tour anytime soon. But of course we said yes. It was a really spiritual tour and the couple loved it. Another example of how to just go and do as the Spirit directs. This couple live in a different ward’s boundary but I know the Spirit they felt will help them. In the Lord’s house is where His Spirit can abide, and I’m sure that’s why we love church buildings, chapels and temples, so much!!!

Things have been going well. We have been able to teach alot and we have a baptism this Saturday!!! I’m so excited. Also Ellsworth is doing really well and he has come a long way!!! Things are starting to look really good in this area and I’m so grateful for the many tender mercies God shows us every single day!!

I hope things keep going great! Love you.

Ofa Lahi Atu

Elder Heimuli