Most Important Work

[Note from Mom: Saturday P-Day is throwing me off. I didn't even realize I'd missed it until about 11pm. And he didn't write to me either although I know he's busy working. I hurriedly zipped off an email to Elder Heimuli. Nothing. I was sad. But I'll try again next Saturday. On Sunday, I got a text from my little sister Lani, who got a text from her son, who got a text from his good friend, who is currently working in Indianapolis. Looks like this friend met Houston at church, made the connection about my nephew, and let JamesThe Mormon know that Indy missionaries love the "church song" -- Motivation.]

Click here for Motivation

Mama

[Note from Mom:  The only mission day better than Mother's Day is the day a missionary returns home with honor.  Since that day is still over a year away, here's a quick peek at yesterday.  It began with church, Harrison's t-shirt art, a text, and a FaceTime call!  Lakei cooked dinner for the kids and grandbabies.  Last, but not least, I got this hilarious video from my kids and THAT was a heartful.]

Elder Heimuli and Mom FaceTime-ing!

When we got home from church, Harrison came downstairs with this cute handmade t-shirt.

"Anonymous" text from "your favorite elder!" haha, got him!

  

Go ahead...click here!

Another Letter from President Cleveland

[Note from Mom: I should check the mail more often than once every couple weeks.  Today, Harrison brought in a PILE of mail (including a state tax refund!) which included a nice letter from President Cleveland.]

Week 46 - Where Can I Find the Manager?

Hey mom!!!

Yeah I did get my "healthy" package, thank you so much!!! I loved it and especially the letters in it from the YM and YW in the ward and from Harry. My goal is to actually write some letters back to everyone at home :) it's been like 10 months since I last did so I think it's about time haha!!

The best thing that happened this week was MLC. It's weird being on the other end of it. But it was cool because I learned so much from the Zone Leaders who I was supposed to be "teaching" haha! One thing I really got out of it was leadership and what it really is.

Yes, that is Elder Heimuli lifting up the other elder at MLC

Elder Clark (my comp) told a great story. So his friend owned a theater for musicals and what not. His friend one night saw that the floor was dirty and even though he was the boss he decided to get into his overalls and start mopping. As he mopped a teenager came in and  said, "Where can I find the manager? I want to apply here as a lighting specialist."

His friend replied, "Well, come mop with me and we can talk."

The kid looked puzzled, he again inferred that he was looking for the manager and wanted to know where he was. Again, Clark's friend said to come mop and they could talk. The kid became frustrated and walked up onto the stage where Clark's friend was mopping. He asked the kid again, "Can you help me mop?"

This time the kid looked at the ground, looked back up at the man, and said, "You don't understand. I'm a lighting specialist.....I don't do this."

Finally, Clark's friend turned to the kid and said, "I am the manager here, and I'm mopping this floor."

The kid was stunned. After an awkward pause of silence, he left and never got the job.

So as leaders are we above the rest?  Are we above the "common" things? No. As leaders, we need to be the examples!!! That means if someone's mopping the floors, we mop, too. Sure, responsibilities will change and situations will arise in which we can't do it, but we must be humble enough to do everything. Christ was not above anything. He washed the feet of the apostles. He spent his time with social outcasts. Are we any different as members or leaders?

I'm learning so much Mom. As my comp Elder Clark trained I just kind of sat back and wondered when I ever did what that lighting specialist wannabe did in my mission? Because I know I have, and I know I need to change.

So how does this apply to each of us? How can we change? How can we be humble and be the right kind of leaders? What an awesome training he gave!

Anyways I'm excited to talk to you tomorrow Mom!! I wish I could email you pics but my camera is dead and I don't have the charger!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I will find a way to send pictures next week:)

Love you mom!!

Ofa Lahi Atu!

Elder Heimuli

Week 45 - Did Your Siblings Serve Missions?

Hello again!!!

Yup it's pretty busy here haha. It's weird because we are on a different schedule than the other missionaries. We study whenever we have the chance because we are usually in the office by 9am and doing all the work we can. 

My first day on the job with Elder Clark. What d'ya mean there's a rule that says I can't wear aloha shirt and shorts?

Dinner with the office missionaries before transfer day. 

Cleaning up after dinner with Elder Mortensen (Morty) and Elder Wimmer.

I must be good luck (that's why everyone's got a hand on me)?

Dinner before Morty left to go back to Utah

Then whenever President needs to change schedules or assignments or anything we immediately drop everything and do it right then and there because he receives revelation for the mission. We usually come back home around like 9 or 9:30pm at night. So it can be a pretty long day. We travel to different areas as well to help out, deliver stuff, go on exchanges, or conduct meetings. It's a lot of fun and just a little bit tiring. But probably not as tiring as having to write a son who never writes you back, huh mom? haha!! Seems like work never stops for you. And you are giving that stake talk too, huh? Your email kinda cut out so I kinda missed some things. 

Hema gradutated!!!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy for him! The first graduate too!! First missionary, first father, first in a lot of things. I'm proud to have an older brother like him and just all of my older siblings in general! Whenever I'm with other missionaries and we are with members they always ask all of us, "Did your siblings serve missions?" 

Most of the missionaries say that they're the oldest so not yet, or that their siblings didn't choose to go on missions. And I always am proud of the fact that all of my older siblings did. I love to tell people about Hema, Helam and Hevynn because I'm thankful for their examples and everything they did! I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be here if not for their examples.

I love the temple! As APs we get to go with the departing missionaries to the temple :) So I get to be in the temple more than I have ever been before!!! Which is great! There's alot to learn in the temple. I hope that your inspiration comes, mom :)

As for things I need, I don't need anything. So don't worry about sending a package or anything like that because you already have a lot on your plate. The investigator in Niles did get baptized last week :) i was soooooo happy!! No investigators to pray for so far, just pray for us to find opportunities to teach. Oh and as for Mothers Day I can call you:) What time would you like me to call? 

Tell Aunty Lani that I love her!! I pray for her and the family! Tell Hannah congrats from me :) I tried to write everyone handwritten letters but my handwriting was horrible so I'm going to have to just email everyone:) haha!! Sorry this letter is so short mom but you know I gotta run. Love you!

Ofa Lahi Atu

Elder Heimuli

Quick Pic

[Note from Mom: I was surprised to get this today. Wonder if I'm really going to have to get used to these short 40-word emails? Guess it's better than a 0-word email!]

Elder Wimmer, Elder Mortensen (he's home now) and Elder Clark. Wimmer is from Sweden, Mortensen is from Spanish Fork and Clark is from Colorado.  I had some time so I thought I'd send you a quick pic :) Love you mom!

Left to Right (I think):  Elder Wimmer, Elder Mortensen, Elder Heimuli & Elder Clark

Week 44 - Whenever I Have Available Time

[Note from Mom: I received this very short one-liner from Elder Heimuli while I was attending a stake missionary fireside tonight. I had replied to his Saturday email, asking for his new address and teasing him about being taken out of the field and put into the office. I asked him if he was in trouble or something, haha. Guess I'll have to get used to these short emails from now on.]

Haha, close. I'm AP now, so I will be emailing you whenever I have available time.  But count on Saturdays from now on.  Love you!  Just send the packages to the 777 Sunblest one :)

Elder Heimuli, Elder Mortenson, Elder Wimmer and Elder Clark with President Cleveland

Saturday? Quadpanionship

Hey mom!!!

So I will be emailing you on Saturdays from now on haha. Because I'm an office missionary now (yay :/ I think) but the office staff and everyone here are great! It was funny because President called me on Thursday during lunch and told me I was to leave immediately and go to Fishers Indiana... so that was a quick transfer in Niles Michigan! So now I'm here and now I am SUPER busy lol. I will just apologize in advance right now if I have shorter than usual letters mom. However funny thing is I am now in a Quadpanionship.... haha, only for this week because next week one goes home and then I'll just be in a trio. Which is probably best because funny things happen when you have 4 missionaries together!!

Quadpanionship: Heimuli, Mortenson, Wimmer & Clark

Thank you for sending the videos and photos of Hendrix and Kiegan! I am loving them haha. I constantly watch them now! They are just the cutest babies I've ever not seen haha. As for this week we were able to have one of our investigators get his baptismal interview done and he will be getting baptized tomorrow :) yayyyyyyy!!!!! 

Also I received some letters from Uncle Hema and his family. It made me super happy to hear from them. Tell them thanks for taking the time to write to me. The kids are all studs from what I hear! Congratulations also to Leah, she will kill it over at BYU Hawaii!! 

How are things going at home? How's work? How's the family? How your calling going?

Sorry for the short letter mom. I will make sure to send pictures and a longer letter this week! I promise!!

Ofa Lahi Atu!

Elder Heimuli

Week 43 - Before You Hated Their Guts

Hello :)

Elder McCloud is good!! In fact things here are great!!!!

What a clown

Things at home seem like they are doing a lot better! I hope Helam didn’t get injured at this year’s game haha! He probably didn’t because he was probably beating everyone else down. I hope Aunty Lani is doing well. I got to hear from her :) she is strong, stronger than me. And why would you say your challenge is to follow the promptings of the spirit?

This week was great! We went on exchanges with Plymouth and did service with them this week. I got to go with an Elder Morgan who actually came out with me on the same day.

With Elder Morgan

Doing service I got to be with Elder (Jared) Clark who played DE for Woods Cross. Heyyy, no one’s perfect :) It’s funny what good friends you become when you’re on a mission, when before you hated their guts because they went to a rival school.

With Elder Clark from Woods Cross High School

So him, Quick and I love to reminisce haha!!! However the service was great. We cut wood for a Brother Richarts who coached for BYU in 1980. He knows Vai and said to say hi from him. What a small world.

Then this weekend we had the opportunity to go to stake conference. Elder Randall K. Bennett and Elder Michael V. Beheshti spoke at the conference. It was amazing. During Saturday stake conference Elder Bennett loved having the audience involved. So there were only three 5-minute talks (awesome!) and the rest of the time he turned to the audience.

Here's what he did after each person spoke. He'd say "Ok, you know what you’re doing wrong. Now, how are you going to change?" I thought about that the whole time. How am I going to change? We all recognize our faults and recognize what we do wrong, but what are we doing to fix those issues? We get into a habit of thinking that since we recognize what we are doing wrong we can just wait for someone or something else to change us. No. We have to do it! In the Gospel of Jesus Christ true repentance is when, after recognize what we’re doing wrong, we IMMEDIATELY stop it! Then we do all we can to make up for it. So if we are not doing something right, STOP IT and move on. 

Needless to say I was inspired and I thought, "Yeah, I need to go tracting for 4 hrs now!!!! LETS GO!!!" Wouldn’t you know it, tracting that day did not go that well. In fact we pretty much got shut down at every door and I thought, "Well.....crap..." haha!!

However we saw a pretty cool miracle. We knocked on a door and a guy came out and said, "Oh you guys again. My mom’s a Mormon and she thinks she should send missionaries here to convert me. I’m not going to be converted, forget about it."

We paused and looked at him and said, "We just want to share a Christ-centered message with you if that’s ok." He looked at us and told us to go out the side door.

We talked for a bit and of course he was not interested, but then his sister-in-law came outside and said, "Oh thank goodness!!! I’ve been praying for you guys for weeks!!!"

Turns out this lady moved from Florida just a couple months ago and was homesick. She was converted there and knew that the missionaries could help her feel better and find the nearest church. So this week we will be visiting her and taking her to church. It’s just funny how miracles turn out, and it’s often not always the way you think. 

Anyways other than that this week has just been another great week of missionary work :) I love it out here!! I’m so blessed and so thankful for this gospel! I pray everything goes well at home and I love you all!!!

Proud uncle showing off his beautiful planner cover

Ofa Lahi Atu

Elder Heimuli

P.S.  Thank you for the packages :) I bought milk and we downed the cereal! haha Thank you!

Week 42 - Are We Slacking

Hello again!!!

Poor babies :( and Harry too, can't forget that kid haha! It's even worse because you're out of town haha, but it's okay because Dad's there. And the babies are looking so cute!! They are growing fast too! How's everyone doing at home? As for what's happening out here it's going well. This week it snowed a lot so tracting was interesting.

However things are going well. The man we have on date is doing well, in fact he said he wanted his father in law to baptize him on Sunday so now the new date is April 24th! That's the Sunday before transfers so it'll be a nice way to finish out if McCloud gets transferred. Oh yeah and since the MTC has now extended the missionary stay an extra week, all of our dates coming home and this transfer were extended by another week. This Sunday was fantastic because 3 of our investigators including one who dropped us came to church! We got to teach them and they came during fast and testimony meeting which is the best time to have people come to church!

Well for this week we have been studying a lot out of the New Testament. Hebrews chapter 11 is one that I've focused on because i have been working on increasing my faith. Hebrews 11:6 says that we cannot please God without faith. So think about our church duties and responsibilities. We do it out of duty, which is okay, but are we also exercising faith while doing it? During tracting I tend to get in a habit of thinking, "Well, it's time for 3 hrs of people shutting me out, calling me names, and bashing with me."

I'm too slow to remember that I should be more faithful, that I need to believe and trust that God is in charge of His work and that these minor things won't even matter once we find The One. I'm sure THAT is what pleases God more, not just doing things because we have to. We do it because we believe in Him, because we love Him and want to do His will. I know it sounds generic and I suck at explaining things but I hope you can get the gist of it all, haha!!

As for priesthood responsibilities, the word that comes to mind is worthiness. You know keeping covenants, going to the temple, magnifying their callings and stuff like that. I can't tell you just how sad it is to see priesthood holders who don't live up to their potential, don't take their family to church, don't lead their family in prayer. They settle for less, they don't progress so they keep their family from being blessed not just now but for eternity. Priesthood holders who understand God's plan and really do love their family would step up and take their place. It's a pattern I see a lot so if I had any insight or advice for your talk to the priesthood leadership Mom, it's just to stay worthy. It's a choice, if we are willing to do the little things and stay worthy everything else falls into place. It just does, it's miraculous!!

And I would also like you to share this with the family... I love everyone!!!!!!! If I could do something over at home I would spend more time with the family. We are always caught up in work, school, sports, friends but we seem to put our family on the back burner. We expect our family relationships to always be solid when the time comes and we need them the most. Unfortunately, it won't. If we fail to fortify our families, if we fail to support one another, if we fail to love one another and spend that time nurturing our relationships it is destined to fall apart. In Alma 55 the Nephites are trying to figure out how to get their brethren out of the Lamanite fortress. The Nephites decide to give the Lamanites wine to make them drunk. Slowly but surely they did it. When the drunk Lamanites fell asleep the Nephites threw weapons over to the prisoners and armed them. Then when the guards woke up they found a whole bunch of Nephites armed and ready inside their fortress and it was too late to stop them.

Are we slacking in our family relationships? If we are then we are like the guards who fell asleep. I’m not trying to say that the Nephites are bad at all but Satan will throw everything he can into our home to wreck it from the inside when we aren’t paying attention. He will use stuff as simple as fighting, jealousy, laziness, to things more serious like church inactivity, internet, pornography, you name it. By the time we realize it our home has been taken over and we can do nothing about it. So please do all you can to keep the family and the home a strong and fortified place where the spirit can be. Pray daily, read daily, take time out of our busy schedules to make family a priority. If we do, we are promised a family foundation that can't be moved! I know you're thinking how weird. Houston is single and he's preaching about family, it's funny how much I think about my family and my future family even way out here on the mission. I'm sure Hema and Helam and Hevynn all thought the same thing knowing they would have their own families some day. Anyways I love you all and I pray for you guys all the time!!!

Ofa Lahi Atu

Elder Heimuli