A Message of Humility

The Monument of Santiago De Los Caballeros

The flowers in front of the house I will now be taking care of lol (hopefully he inherited his Abuelo Tonin green thumb) 

 Week of March 18th

So this week was very interesting. We finally organized our teaching wall and looked at all the people we are teaching...: We have over 16 investigators and 7 less active families.. most of which are part member and we will probably start teaching their spouses... The Lord is keeping us busy. We are working none stop and I love it. Let me tell you of the faith of one of our investigators.. He and his wife need to be divorced from there spouses then married in order to be baptized (that is the situation with EVERYONE here.) He is actually part of the family of our ward mission leader. It will cost 20000 Pesos to do that.. THAT'S A LOT here. So he asked our mission president for help. He has already saved up half of it and president is helping him with the other half. But to do that he has to clean the Chapel for 10 weeks... So he is. We have already been teaching him for 3 months and his only desire is to be baptized and finally take part in the Santa Cena... Cleaning the chapel here isn´t easy... IT´s ALLL tile flooring. So you have to sweep the whole chapel and then mop all of it after. TALK ABOUT DIFFICULT. We are helping him do it. I don´t care what anybody says. THAT is a sincere desire. I wish everyone we taught was like him. My Spanish is progressing rapidly and I feel more and more domincan Every day.. Apparently I am so dark now a lady asked me if I was from the Dominican Republic haha (We spend about 9 hours in the sun everyday.) The work is moving on very quickly here. I have been given the opportunity to sing in a Quartet tomorrow for a president of the 70. I also have a solo in the song. It´s a Poor way faring man of grief... I got the call last night at around 10. Just during the rehersal it was powerful. The one thing I think I learned the most this week is
¨To Seek the Spirit, The Best way to do that is to move your feet and open your mouth¨ - Presidente Douglas
Lots of love
Elder Hefner
A note from us: We could not do a blog on the week of March 18th for Elder Hefner's mom had to have emergency surgery. Imagine that on his P-Day! The extent of my e-mails were: "I am awake" and his reply was:
hahahaha GOOD! I have to get off now though. I love you a ton! I feel like this next week will be a great one. Love you mama. I sent you my first letter today ALL IN SPANISH!!! :) 

I hope the recovery is a fast one!!! LOVE YOU Talk to you next week!!!!!

Btw The Picture of the Ice Cream... I treated the district with my personal money... I figured it is what you and dad would want me to do.. Love you guys!!

Week Ending March 25th - My message of Humility

So this week I was taught Humility... THE HARD WAY. I had the opportunity to sing for half the missionaries in the mission (120) and Two members of the 70 .. AND I CHOKED. It was a song I had sung A TON.. one of my favorites. I knew the music and I just ate it. I have never performed that bad in the HISTORY of my singing career... Everyone knew it too. I walked off the stage with my head hung Lower than I thought possible. I knew it was the Lord humbling me but it was a Painful pill to swallow. My President knew it too. The seventy did his best to reassure me as I walked off the stand. I sat with my head between my knees for the next 7 hours during that meeting. Three days later I caught Influenza.. which here consists of your bones and muscles being on fire and it hurting to move even a muscle (Don´t worry mom I am Perfect now lol...still have a only a fever) But the Lord really wanted me humble and now I know why. The days following, The Spirit has been with me and to be honest I have finally been happy. I went through a little bit to get here and I was honestly searching for happiness. I found it through the Grace and pure love of our Heavenly Father. If you can read First Peter Chapters 4 and 5. Only through humility are we able to put of the natural man and become as a child. There is a reason Christ was always with Children. My companion and I Are working to the very end. We weren´t able to leave the house for a couple days but now we are back on fire. Why? BECAUSE THIS IS THE WORK OF THE LORD. PLAIN AND SIMPLE. If ANY doubt. If ANY want to know for yourself I BEG you. Go to your closest friend who is a member of the Church or go find some missionaries. Ask for a Book of Mormon and The lessons. I can Promise as an authorized servant of the Lord, having been called by a Prophet of God That If you read from it´s pages and ask with a sincere heart if these things are true you will receive an answer through the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that my Redeemer lives. HE IS and always will be the Savior of the World. Come unto him. He is calling. He does not ask much, only a willing heart and a sincere desire to know. I testify that he invites all to repent and be baptized. It does not matter what you have done or where you come from. It does not matter your nationality or your skin color. It does not matter if you are rich or poor. We are all children of God. He wants us all to return to live with him again. I testify that all may come and I invite you to do so now. In the sacred name of Jesus the Christ. Amen. 

Elder Hefner

Some inspiration sent to Elder Hefner...

Message from Elder Holland:

"So don’t worry about being homesick. Don’t worry about being new. Don’t worry about the language. None of that matters. It will not matter. God loves you and this is the truth and you can do it! Just reach down, pull up your socks, and go to work. This is a time for you to go out. I plead with you. I plead with you, in the case of the Elders, to have a 24-month mission! Not 23, not 22, not 19, not 16, not 14…to have a 24-month mission! Sisters, have an 18-month mission—not 15, not 11, not 6. Start fast. Run hard, and to the tape! You can rest later.
Plan right now! Plan right now for the stories you will tell your children about your mission. Live right now in every way to look them in the eye and put them on your knee and rock them on your lap and tell them as I am telling you, that you loved every day of your mission. That you worked your head off! That you've never worked so hard in your life. That you were tired and sweaty and dirty and hungry and you knew how Paul felt and you knew how Peter felt and you knew how Mormon felt and you knew how Moroni felt. And I promise you that your children will remember and never forget it, and they will cherish it and hold it dear for their mission and so the generations go. So life is lived and this dispensation is pursued, and the Kingdom comes and Christ does arrive, whenever that is."


 thank you so much!!!! I felt the Spirit supperrr strong! That is EXACTLY what I needed to hear.. YOU GO MAMMA!!!! Thanks for following the Spirit... I am so glad to have a mom and dad who Love me so much.. Really thank you for everything...  

Gosh I can not tell you how strongly I felt your love while I was sick. While I was on my bed sweating it out It really felt like you were there sitting with me putting your hand on my shoulder. Really you have no idea how much your work at home is blessing my life. PLEASE keep up the missionary work!! Elder Hefner