Saturday, June 27, 2015

A Child of God...what does it mean?

Me and abuelo...he is always with me


About my week

Everything is good! I have pictures but my camera broke... The Humidity down here caused my batteries to explode inside my camera and welllll........ YEA but life is good! Work is progressing and our investigators are good...How are things back home?? We had a training this week.The training was good... Sister Douglas gave a training on prayer for 2 HOURS... TALK ABOUT MIND BLOWN!!!!! Here are some pictures from the training.
Me with President and Sister Douglas!!! The love he showed was beyond me.
Me with Elder Mosquera, Hermana Bouyon and Hermana Tuj!
Me with my favorite Sister missionary ever Hermana Reyes!
and me with Hermana Gonzalez! They are both AWESOME!!!!!! 

Make Dad something good for Father´s day!!! I am sorry I can´t be there but right now my job is helping other dads try to be more like Our Father that is in Heaven... And if they can be anything like my earthly Father my time here will have been well spent. Love you both with all of my heart.

Elder Hefner

A Message to you

What do the words I am a Child of God mean? Do the mean that I am the son or daughter of a being that just exists or something deeper? As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we believe that every child is a child of God. That he loves us and we should love him. But what does that truly mean for each one of us. It means that we are The literal children of a all knowing, all loving and all powerful God. That Under his direction our Older Brother Jesus Christ created the Earth. That our ultimate goal is to return home and live with him. This life is a time for men to prepare to meet God, according to the Book of Mormon and The Bible. How will we meet him though after this life? On bended knee worshiping and saying thank you for your grace and mercy? Or in shame trying to hide ourselves from him who knows and sees all? I would ask that all of you reflect on this this week and email me if you would like with your thoughts! For any who are not members of the church please feel free to email me and ask questions if you have any! Pertaining to what our beliefs are or what The life of a missionary is like or anything in between! I would love to answer all and any of your questions! Lots of love,
Elder Hefner

My email is timothy.hefner@myldsmail.net

We are called to be fishers of men... I gave a training on that using Jesus the Christ and Other scriptures.. Pretty neat isn't it?? :) 
YO TAMBIEN !!! VAMOS A MARCHAR IREMOS AL MONTE DE PAZ A MORAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VAMANOS ELDERES DE ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU



Monday, June 15, 2015

Kill your Goliath and keep going...

Mom THIS IS YOU. AND MY REACTION EVERY TIME I GET A PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL The cartoon was from the brother of Sister Reynolds, Ryan!! That book of cartoons REALLY helps on the hard days! lol

Taught by one of our investigators

Ok so this week I learned a very powerful lesson from a person who I least expected to learn it from... I have been thrown temptation after temptation and honestly it is EXHAUSTING. If you thought Satan was a jerk before try serving a mission... It is no joke. I personally believe that We are all soldiers in God's Army and that is what I want to share about today. As I sat in a family home evening at The Cruz Home I listened to a message for an hour from ONE OF OUR INVESTIGATORS. He was teaching the story of David and Goliath. I sat there and learned as if I was back in Sister Groves CTR 8 Primary class all over again. It is amazing how quickly one can forget such an amazing and empowering story. He had the intent on teaching the children but in reality he taught me exactly what I needed to do. He even said ¨I don´t know why I chose this topic but I know someone here needs it tonight.¨  He continued ¨ The Goliaths of this world are all around us and they don´t attack with physical Spears but with Directness at our minds.¨ He then literally said the exact problem I was having and laid it flat out and clear that is was my Goliath. SO Everytime I see temptation I now have a sling in my hand and I just pretend to throw a stone at it. It isn't important if it´s ugly music, women or The Word of Wisdom. It works for all of it. Just sling a stone. Kill your Goliath and keep going. It´s funny this whole time it feels like I was more in the shoes of the Army of Israel than in the Shoes of David. My favorite scripture in the Bible is found in 2nd Timothy Chapter 2 verses 3 through 4. It says ¨3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.¨


I truly believe that the Missionaries are on the front line taking the battle to Satan head on. In the words of Elder Holland ¨If you want to Punch Satan in the Mouth, PREACH THE GOSPEL¨ We are doing exactly that and he IS NOT HAPPY. We can´t afford to entangle ourselves with the things of this world. WE MUST ¨STAND IN HOLY PLACES AND BE NOT MOVED. ¨ Even if that means running to find one or BEING the cause of that place being holy. We need not fear brothers and sisters. If we are earnestly seeking to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through his prophet Joseph Smith we are on the winning side. We have one who leads the charge. One who knows every sin ever felt and every temptation ever faced, even our Eternal Captain Jesus The Christ. He leads his Army and their will NEVER be a trumpet that sounds retreat. In the Sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Hefner
 

Some things never change

And I HAVE BEEN COOKING A LOT... I made fried burritos for 25 people ... ALL OUR INVESTIGATORS in a certain area and they all loved it!... And I made the Zone Fajitas today... Well I should say you did... Sorry I spent like 40 dollars on it all but it really is helping with our goal of Zone Unity and with our investigators!
And the pictures were great... MARY IS GETTING TOO PRETTY!!! DAD IS BUYING A GUN TOMORROW!!

BTW, I AM WRITING YOU THE WHOLE TIME!! THE ONLY WOMAN THAT MATTERS TO A MISSIONARY IS HIS MOMMA!!!!! hahaha :D

Now I am hungry for fried burritos.... lol LIKE REAL FIRED BURRITOS.... MAMA STYLE!!! With REAL SALSA AND SOUR CREAM.... OH I AM DROOLING lol 

I am just excited about the Title TIO TIM!!!! I have to go now... Some lady just asked me to help her translate something into English! AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT... lol and I WILL. The scripture is Jacob Chapter 2 ! Especially about money!! LOVE YOU!!!

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/jacob/2?lang=eng

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

HEY I AM HERE AND I HAD MY MIRACLE FOR THE WEEK!!!!!

Oh this is my area!!!! This is from the top of the new house we will be moving into!!

More promptings...

My E-mail to Elder Hefner last week started like this:
My dear Elder Hefner (Son),

OH MY GOSH 6 MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing how time flies when you are busy doing the work of the Lord!! I am so proud of you son. We are receiving so many blessings thanks to your hard work. So how are you feeling? What happened this week? Last Thursday I was in the office and I felt something was wrong with you and distinctly felt I had to put your name in the Temple. Your dad and I said a prayer after I texted him and we put your name in. I was not feeling peace and your dad gave me a blessing. So what happened?

Actually a week of miracles

Ok so the words ¨Trial of your faith¨ mean something completely different to me now. This week was a BRUTAL ONE. It started out with my thumb getting slammed in the door of the ruta (Taxi) It cut down pretty deep and i had blood pouring everywhere. Everybody in the street came to help though! The bandaged me up and sent me on my way. I bruised my bone really good too but I am incredibly blessed that it didn't break! After that I got food poisoning again... for the 210847104 time. Luckily the good old missionary remedy works... Pepto and Gatorade! Then it was just Satan attacking NONSTOP. I hadn't slept either for about 5 days out of the 7. Needless to say I was cracking a little... It is very tough living with sin around you 24 hours a day without being able to go to the temple... Although I had three experiences during the week that truly helped. The first was during a lesson. I just couldn't feel the Spirit and was SO out of it. I said just a really pathetic pleading prayer of help and half way through the lesson I got my answer. I felt a tug on my shirt at the bottom of my sleeve. I looked around to see which kid had pulled on it only to remember that These people had no children in the house. In that moment I knew IMMEDIATELY that Abuelo was there just trying to keep me going. The second experience was when I got the letters from the Bohman family. Hearing from Lane especially really moved me beyond what I could describe. It was such a blessing to hear from my brother again. After that Bishop wrote me that Steven Svedin´s bishop wrote him telling him he is starting his papers to serve a mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW What a blessing!! The last blessing happened last night. We held an activity for the zone... like a zone family home evening. We did a game night. It was a suggestion from Elder Cornish the Area president. I bought the Cake and drinks and we also helped supply the games. We shared a short mensaje (message) and went to work. WE HAD 14 OF OUR INVESTIGATORS SHOW UP. Hermano Cruz our ward mission leader (Who is a good friend of Brother Sterling) picked them up in his truck from the farthest boundaries of the ward in our area. The rest walked. We then rode back home with them after the activity in the back sitting on top of all the produce! HAHA TALK ABOUT A MIRACLE! I will be going up there again Friday but instead I am making fried Burritos for everyone!!! This should be fun! 

Our district!

Charity

Mom and Dad...I am really losing myself to this work... I can´t even explain how much I love the people here.. I have been praying every night and day for Charity ¨ The pure love of Christ¨ and the Lord has really shown me the first fruits of this attribute. I really would give anything to help these people come to know the truth. We walk in the pouring rain, in the mud, in the scorching sun, completely sick, and teaching in a language I don´t know; but in the end it really doesn't matter. When we sit down in a lesson and they say to us ¨I don´t know a lot about your message but I feel Really good every time you brothers come over¨ It makes EVERYTHING worth it.
One of the daughters of our investigators... She is honestly GLUED TO ME. It was her 6th birthday and they are SO beyond poor.. So We bought them ALL giant pieces of cake!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THEIR FACES!!!!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!! 
and I built the Monument here in Santiago to help one of our investigators with her homework... I don´t think it is cheating... She used the resources of the Lord so I think it is fair lol
Spray Painting the Monument!! I had to take my tie off to not ruin it... I feel like I look a lot like dad here!!

Oh your scripture is my favorite book in the bible!!! 1 Peter.... READ IT ALL AND STUDY HARD!!! IT IS AMAZING!!!!! Ok I will! I have to go though! I love you mama!!

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/nt/1-pet?lang=eng

The First Epistle General ofPeter

Chapters 

Chapter 1
The trial of our faith precedes salvation—Christ was foreordained to be the Redeemer.
Chapter 2
Converts are newborn babes in Christ—He is the chief cornerstone—Saints hold a royal priesthood and are a peculiar people—Saints are in subjection to the laws of man.
Chapter 3
Husbands and wives should honor each other—Saints should live by gospel standards—Christ preached to the spirits in prison.
Chapter 4
Peter explains why the gospel is preached to the dead—Saints should speak as the oracles of God—The righteous will be tried and tested in all things.
Chapter 5
The elders are to feed the flock of God—Humility and godly graces lead to perfection.