Week 52 - Enjoying the Journey

Hi Mom!!

Awww those babies are soooooo cute! It's crazy how big and how smiley they are both getting. Just too cute! Hendrix is turning 1 already? :(  Just makes me think how much bigger he and Kiegan will be when I get home. Speaking of that, everyone was looking good in those photos you sent, especially in that Lagoon Day photo. I forgot to mention it last time, haha! 

Everything here is going great! This week was President and Sister Cleveland's Farewell Conferences. 

L to R: With Sister Kip Cleveland, President Steve Cleveland and Elder Wimmer. I've learned so much from these people.

Even though I always have to speak or teach, I really love these conferences. It's always great to see everyone.

I think I told you already we are sending another great group of missionaries home in just a few weeks. 

The CREW!!!

President gave great training on "Enjoying the Journey." I think everyday we go through missionary work, or life in general, with a grim attitude. But when we enjoy the task at hand, make it fun, or do it gratefully with a different attitude, we can feel joy in our heart. It's not goofing off, that's not what I'm saying, but it's just finding joy amidst the work and trials we experience. 

Oh, this week we went on exchanges with the IU ZL's Elder Holle and Elder Larson! They are awesome. Me and Elder Larson hit our year together on our exchange:) I love these guys!

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 is a scripture that came into my mind when President gave his training:

"Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.  Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God.  For he shall not much remember the days of his life; because God answereth him in the joy of his heart."

Just doing me at the conference

It kinda made me think about it, too. Am I truly enjoying my work as a missionary? And in turn, am I working the hardest I can? It was such an inspired training. 

Wimmer and I gave training on Endings and New Beginnings. Because the Clevelands are leaving, President wanted us to concentrate on helping the missionaries make the transition from him to President Carlson. I know it's an important time for all of us. I can't begin to say how grateful I am for President and Sister Cleveland. They have been so good to, and for, this mission. 

Me, Elder Tafuna and Elder Taka just jammin and singing for President and Sister Cleveland!

While preparing our training Elder Wimmer and I enjoyed thinking of and talking about a bunch of memories of how President and Sister Cleveland have helped us personally. 

I'm gonna miss the Clevelands

Even though our time with them is ending we are excited for another new chapter to begin with President and SIster Carlson.

So that's been the highlight of my week! 

I can also tell you what hasn't been the highlight! Elder Wimmer decided to buy the 2nd hottest kind of hot sauce in Indiana...here they literally call it Da Bomb. After seeing what happened to a few people who tried this hot sauce we decided we'd just throw it away. And maybe one of these days I will be better at learning to go with my decisions. However, I thought I'd just get one little taste in before we tossed it out.

Mom, I thought my face was about to explode! I threw open the fridge and started shoveling whatever I could find into my mouth (as you probably remember, I do that anyways!) just trying to calm down the fire in my head. In the fridge all we had this week-old chicken and rice thingy. Gross huh. And I wiped it out. After eating it all I wondered why my mouth felt hotter. Later that night after the fire had calmed down I realized it was spicy Oman chicken rice. I was literally just making it worse haha. However, I learned a valuable lesson...I will never ever ever ever ever eat anything spicy ever again. So that's my down this week. But other than that it's been a fun and exciting week! 

Well, as you can see we had muffins for zone conference. I ate a lot of them.

It feels so weird that I've hit my one year point, and now I feel even more urgent in this work. I feel like I need to get going even more. This coming year will go by even faster than the last one!!

Anyways tell the family I love them, Ofa Lahi Atu!!!

Elder Heimuli

P.S. About your letter mom, I just have to say it again. I will never date a Poly. [Note from Mom: Hmm, famous last words.]

Week 51 - Keep the Mission Together

Hi MOM!!!!:)

How was Washington DC? Did Dad and Harry survive without ya? haha jokes, all jokes! Wow Hevynn and Bo bought a house!? Where? I wish I could help fix it up. 

Thanks for the Lagoon pictures! I hope everyone enjoyed Lagoon day! Family Lagoon days were the BEST! And Kiegan and Hendrix look so cute!! Their pictures made me smile. In one picture Hendrix touches Kiegan, then the next photo she looks like she's bothered by it haha! I love those two babies! 

Thank you for the halfway package mom! I did not see any of that coming! Haha I was shocked to see both of my companions in the photos. They didn't even tell me. But thank you soooo much :) I loved Harry's little adjustments haha!

[Note from Mom: to commemorate Elder Heimuli's halfway mark coming up next week, we sent this sign to family and friends around the world and got back over 80 photos, including pics from his companions and mission president!]

Halfway photo from Sister Welling, who took this the day she entered the MTC!

Halfway package included half-sized bottles of cologne like Polo Sexy. Not a mission-appropriate label. Harry relabeled it Polo Saintly. 

Oh this past week we dropped off the last batch of missionaries. Elder Clark was on that flight :( Wimmer and I are trying to do our best, but it's kind of weird not having Clark's help. He was awesome. And the next bunch of missionaries leaving will be sad for me too [Note from Mom: the next group to leave will include Elder Freeman, Houston's trainer.] 

Just dropping off some missionaries from the airport

We are having a farewell conference for President Cleveland next week, so again more goodbyes that are gonna be rough. When I get the address to their homecoming I will give it to ya so you all can hopefully attend for me! President Carlson will be coming in June 28th. So time is ticking away VERY quickly. Pray that we find the strength to keep the mission together lol!

We finally got to work an area. Ohh, we are so excited!

Anyways our area is great! Right now campus is dead, because school is out so me and Elder Wimmer have been visiting members and less actives around Indy to help strengthen them. The most effective missionary work is not always pounding on doors, but instead it's making connections with LA's, members, and just being friendly. So we are hoping that even though we can't always be in our area 24/7, the members can help us. I've never relied so heavily on members before. But that's one of the greatest lessons I've learned -- relying on members and relying on the Lord. Members are such a huge contribution to missionary work. True conversion comes through coming to church, feeling the spirit, being baptized, AND having people around you who share your same beliefs and who bear you up. There's no way we get through this life alone, and missionary work is exactly the same concept. 

But yeah, a year has just flown by! People have been telling me that now it's gonna really start picking up. And I'm feeling that already!!!!! I promise to just keep working hard until the Lord says my work is done. So please just pray that we can find someone to teach, and that we can have the strength to keep pushing through. Thanks mom :)

Till we meet again (next Saturday!) Love ya!!

Ofa Lahi Atu!

Elder Heimuli

Funny "only in Indiana" story. We pulled up to our apartment and it was late. With everything we have going on now, we get home late. Then we saw a possum sitting in front of our door..... so naturally Elder Wimmer (he's really athletic) went and caught the possum haha! 

Me with Elder Caulderwood, one of the other Fishers elders. I love this kid!

Week 50 - LARP

Hi Mom :)

I hope Aunty Lani recovers! That's scary, but she will comeback because she's Aunty Lani. She's always right back up! 

This week was interesting. 

Clark and me after a busy day

We had MLC so I got to see all of the Zone Leaders and STL's. It was great! We trained a lot on how we can help get members to come to lessons. It's funny to see that people think missionaries take care of all the work. Honestly there are just not that many missionaries around to do all of the work! Hema, Helam, Hevynn, Bo and anyone who served a mission, knows there's a better way to help people progress to baptism. Our training was centered on being effective. Elder Wimmer and I decided to do a fun training to get them excited about it. We had them make plans to get an investigator to church and to get a member to a lesson. So they planned it, and while they were planning we ran upstairs and changed into some "LARP" (Live Action Role Play) clothes. I had one of those stick horse thingy's and a cowboy hat with a couple of foam swords. When we came back everyone was looking at us like "What the?" Then we told them it was the MLC "LIVE ACTION ROLE PLAY". 

Wimmer up at the board planning MLC

 

Getting ready for LARP

 

LARP!

 

We then had them call up those members right there, and call up the investigators and go according to the plan they made. It made the MLC scramble and set up plans, but there were a BUNCH of miracles. It was a cool experience... and fun haha! 

 

See, our Indiana Indianapolis Mission Leadership isn't ALWAYS crazy

 

Ok, yes we are!

But other than that things have just been busy. As i said we have just been getting ready for transfers so there are a lot of things to do....

Clark's LAST transfer planning. I love this guy. We are going to miss him!

On another note, we are getting an Area!! We didn't have an area this transfer, so now we are going to go proselyte in our own area. Things are about to get crazy haha!! But I am sooooo excited! There are a lot of things that are changing here, but change is good. We just need to keep working hard to get things ready for President Carlson. Here is a great scripture that has been in my mind with all that's been going on:

Mosiah 7:33

33 But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.

Thanks for sending another package but you don't have to. I really can't think of anything I need. But I know that I don't need. Spam. Don't send Spam. I need to stop eating this... gotta eat healthy :)

Anyways I love you mom and I hope everything goes well for you this week! Love you!

Ofa Lahi Atu

Elder Heimuli

Week 49 - Training All Over Again

Hey Mom!!!

Well this week was fantastic! We had more zone conferences. We love these times when we get to meet with all the missionaries!

Elder Wimmer, Heimuli and Clark

I got to see Elder Freeman. In fact Elder Freeman and I got to go on splits together on campus :) 

Elder Heimuli, back with his trainer Elder Freeman again.

Great to be on splits with Freeman. Love this guy!

On campus at Indiana University

Interesting characters

Needless to say we had fun and worked hard! I think having a campus in your zone is pretty awesome and not your average zone. It's funny, I'm not used to talking to people my age as a missionary so I was pretty clueless about what was happening. I learned a lot being out there with my "dad"...I felt like I was in training all over again haha! 

Funny miracle though. So we finished talking to a lady and I decided to get all of her info on my phone. After we finished talking to her we went to a bus stop to talk to some more people. I put my phone on the bench for Freeman to copy down the info. He slid the phone back over to me, but I, being dumb, forgot to pick it up. 

About 30 minutes later, after walking all around and talking to a lot more people, I realized I didn't have my phone! Oh no. We called it and ran back to everywhere we could think of trying to find it. I said a little prayer but we decided to just keep working and we would take time to try and find it later. 

While Freeman was talking to another lady, his phone rang and it showed that the call was coming from my phone! He immediately stopped and yelled that my phone was found. I ran over, grabbed his phone, and asked who it was on the other end? The voice said, "You owe me fifty bucks!" 

Haha, it was my companion Elder Clark. When I left the phone at the bus stop one of the guys I had been talking to picked it up. He ran into Clark and Holle (Freeman's comp) and said, "Your friend dropped this, here ya go!"

What a miracle! Then I bought Clark a $50 lunch because he had found my phone haha!!! 

As for your lesson it's interesting because we just finished zone conference and the training I gave was on the importance of church attendance. But for the missionaries it was more geared towards ways to help get investigators to church.

At zone conference

Here is a great scripture you could use, D&C 59:9-10.

"And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day; For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;"

Also look in Preach My Gospel, Lesson 4, Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. It helps explain why it's important for us to go to church. 

Oh and speaking of going to church, we went to a ward called Plainfield and I saw a sister who was one of my teachers at Legacy Prep!!!!!

It really is a small world

She remembers Hevynn and Harry, haha what a small world! I'm meeting all kinds of familiar faces here in Indiana! 

Gotta go mom but will you please tell Aunty Mari thank you for the thoughtful letters and for the graduation invitation! I hope Leah had a great graduation! Tell Dallin congrats from me as well. I am lucky to have such amazing cousins! I look up to them more than they will probably ever know. 

Love you mom! Give my love to the family! Ofa Lahi Atu!

Elder Heimuli

Week 48 - I Just Made It Worse

Hi Mom!

I hope both sets of Grandparents are doing better and I will keep them in my prayers.  

Well, this week was fantastic. We had zone conferences in Fishers and in South Bend. 

Wimmer was full on snoring while we were driving to zone conferences. We thought it was hilarious so we took a pic. It doesn't take much to entertain missionaries!

Zone conference is just a meeting with the zones in a particular stake. We had some awesome training, and Elder Wimmer and I did one on church attendance. Funny story, we thought it would be interesting to use a football reference in our training. At one point, I actually say hike and one of the missionaries in the crowd throw the football to me and I catch it. Well it seems that I haven't played football in a while because the ball was thrown perfectly at me, and I just dropped it....I got so much crap for that after the training haha! But it was still a great training despite that. 

Aside from that we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders in Elkhart. 

Me in Elkhart with a statue of Poseidon

I went with a Brazilian guy named Elder Gonzaga, it was great. We have some phenomenal people in leadership there! 

Elder Gonzaga is the man

At one point during tracting, we got bashed by a guy pretty good. Unfortunately, I decided to pull out scriptures to prove him wrong (he was still wrong) but I just made it worse. Elder Gonzaga just bore his testimony to the man, the guy was still adamant about helping us "find the truth" but he realized that Elder Gonzaga wasn't going to be swayed or bashed with. So he just told us to leave and we did. It's humbling to know that I have a lot that I need to work on still. I admired that about Gonzaga on our exchange and I've been working to increase my testimony as well. A simple testimony can change a lot.

While we were in Niles, Michigan visiting for zone conference, we had dinner with one of my favorites, the Petras Family. I was so happy to see them and my former companion Elder McCloud

Oh, and today we went to play basketball with Hipa and his crew that he brought for selling. And it's just funny being poly what a small world it is, because one of the guys was Val's brother! He was even wearing one of Sifa's shirts!!! Haha I was happy to see him and I got to talk to all of those guys.It was so fun. Except that I suck at basketball, so naturally we lost but it was still fun:)

[Note from Mom: Got this pic in a text from Lakei's niece, Nei. Nei's oldest brother, Maveu, is married to the beautiful Val Siilata. Val's brother posted this pic. So cool that he and Houston met.]

Elder Clark will be leaving June 8th, and his homecoming will be that Sunday in Colorado. The Clevelands leave about 3 weeks after that. I will miss them a lot :( 

President and Sister Cleveland are so patient and loving. They truly care about all the missionaries out here. And I think that's one of the things that I've learned from being around the Clevelands. CHARITY, the godliest trait any of us can possess. I pray that I can love people, not because I have to, but because I choose to. I could preach about love and charity, or I can let you figure out what charity is to you :) So I invite everyone to study about, and pray for, charity. It changes people's lives, and it can change our own. 

Anyways, tell Harry I wish him luck in running for student council, and give everyone my love!!

Ofa Lahi Atu

Sincerely, Elder Heimuli

Here are some more pics:

Someone's missing a cute little puppy

Why does everyone climb on me?

Week 47 - Just Listen

Hey mom :)

Sorry, it's been a hectic week but finally I can write haha! But it gets hectic tomorrow again because of zone conferences now. However I'm sorry to say, I have no photos BUT i did get the package today so thank you mom :)

Well it's good to hear that Harry is loving camping, and dad too haha. Golden Moore is the BOMB! I wished I would've gone on more campouts. Hopefully Harry realizes how lucky he is to have such great leaders in the ward, and that he should go to all the activities.

Kiegan looks like she is having a blast in Disneyland, look how beautiful she is :) Is everything going well with everyone else?

Well this week was very busy, we went on exchanges with a lot of different zones. We went to Terre Haute and I got to go on exchanges with an Elder Johnson and an Elder Kretcshmer. It was weird tracting in a trio, however it was fun! But during this experience we had a little teaching by the spirit moment. So their service project dropped us so we decided to look around for another service project. As we walked around we decided to tract around for a service opportunity. As we knocked on a door a lady came out, apparently bothered by the fact that we knocked. Before she could shut us down I told her that all we were there for was to serve her. She paused, looked at us and decided to come out and talk to us. Now as missionaries we inherently want to just boldly spit out a lesson and invite people to be baptized. But we all had the feeling to JUST LISTEN. As we listened, she was able to express that she was confused about why there are so many churches. So then we taught her according to what she needed.

As we listen and teach according to the needs of the other person we gain insight and revelation from the spirit. Of course we have to be worthy of the spirit and willing to do everything we can to keep the spirit with us. So in a nutshell, studying, praying, and going to church increase our knowledge and worthiness to be guided by the spirit. Then when we listen and teach according to the other person's needs, we are able to teach with power and with the spirit. Anyways that's my little insight :)

I'll try to write you more tomorrow. Gotta go!!! Love you mom! Ofa Lahi Atu!!

Hi mom I'm back!! Thanks for the cute pics of Hendrix, that's awesome how he twists his tongue and wrinkles his nose.

Just a little cool thing we found out this past Sunday. So yeah I met Hipa and it was crazy that he was friends with Tolu! We then just sat together through sacrament and listened to the talks. We asked him if he knew about jamesthemormon and he didn't just know about him, he actually knows him! He even texted him during church. It was soooooo cool, so me and my companions freaked out because they like jamesthemormon too. Anyways just my fun little schpeel :) Haha well here are two pics I wanted to send to you finally!

Us pretending to rap just in case jamesthemormon comes to Indy and needs some backup. He will probably pick the good looking one on the right, haha :)

The trio of me, Elder Clark and Elder Wimmer. Love these guys.

Love,

Elder Heimuli

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