Monday, October 26, 2015

My companion going home...one reason for trials

My Companion going home

Hey my comp is going home. He will be leaving at 8 tomorrow and really it is for the best. He has to go home. He isn't well and needs to recover, but tonight we are going to set goals as to how he can get better much faster and return and serve when he receives a clean bill of health. I am going to miss him tremendously to be honest. He is my best friend and I sincerely hope he desires to return. I told him I will be here waiting for him to return. 

Reminds me so much of Grandpa...

I don't know when I will be returning back to my area. I suspect in the next 2-3 days. I have been sleeping on the couch in the Apartment of the Granges for the last week and Elder Grange has been taking me out with him to repair houses and install smoke Detectors. HE has been a huge help for me and has really made this 10x easier. He reminds me so much of Grandpa it isn't even funny. He is really smart with his hands ( He designed computers for HP) loves listening to Johnny Cash and has a really quick and dry sense of humor. 



There is always a reason for trials...prayers answered 

I did have a couple prayers answered this week so I am happy about that. One of them was that our Ward could be humbled. I received revelation when our sicknesses first started, as I cried in fervent prayer, asking why we weren't allowed to preach. The answer came clear as day to my mind. Our ward wasn't ready and that the Lord was taking away the missionaries for a short while. We began praying that the ward would be humbled and it happened. I got a call from my Sisters last night saying that the Ward was really worried about us and had a Missionary correlation meeting to discuss how to help and divide assignments. Several members showed up to the meeting as well. I almost hit my knees crying in gratitude to the Lord. I can't lie and say that I am not exhausted because I am. The Lord says he will give us a Pattern in all things... Oh and I have had hot water to bathe with...

I am glad the family is doing good. Don't worry about Glorianne and Ben's apartment. It will all work out. It always does. If it makes them feel any better let them know I climb about 100 flights of stairs a day, it builds good calve muscles and to be grateful that these stairs don't have missing steps or you don't have to pray before you walk up them.

But hey my hour is up. I love you guys.. Hopefully I will write you guys next week from my area...I will see you guys Christmas...Love you guys... Have a great week!  Btw my favorite Scripture... Alma 26:12 ok BYEE

12 Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boastof my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever.



Tuesday, October 20, 2015

No news on P-Day and a very sick companion


So I am sure by now you have heard that my companion is sick.. I have been sleeping in the hospital with him for the last three days. I have a little experience with that thanks to my Older sister and Mama :) I was able to tell him everything that was going to happen before it happened....  I have many spiritual experiences that are incredibly personal but now I have to get off if you don't reply... I am borrowing a computer lol 

You will hear from me next week... The Mission President was just here.. His wife was the one who rescued us with the assistants lol he spent 20 mins with us even though he had a meeting and has a fever....I am fine don't worry about me... Just pray for my companion..

Hospital food is expensive! lol HIS MOM KNOWS BECAUSE YOU TOLD HER!!!!!!! WE DON'T TELL OUR MOMS WE ARE IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A REASON... lol We will figure it out PLEASE TELL HER NOT TO WORRY... HE IS DOING GOOD, STILL CRACKING JOKES!!! 
He is going to a doctors office...  he is being released tomorrow... I just want to sleep to be honest. The good thing is the hospital food and rooms are GREAT in the DR lol Well at least in Santiago... lol

Of coarse I don't tell you! lol I only tell you 100th of what actually happens HAHAHAHAHA But we are still living... I will be with him ALWAYS lol I told the mission President that I refuse to leave his side. I haven't left him yet and won't. Honestly I was best friends with Elder Ramos before this world was. He and I are super close...

But I love you guys a ton... I am sorry we haven't had too much time to write.. But I have to go now... I love you guys a ton..

HURRAH!!!! lol Love you mama. I will take some more time out to write you next week.. God be with you. I have prayed that you will have the Spirit to Comfort you... John Chapter 14. 
2nd Timothy Chapter 1
Gives you an insight into LA OBRA MISONAL (missionary work) lol

Elder Hefner

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

My spiritual experience was that...


Super healthy Lunch Potluck! We all just wanted healthy food...

A pretty rough week

I am fine! ... NOW.. i was a little sick but it´s all good... lol Just a little problem with my stomach nothing too big... lol Lol I was sick before the food... And my comp and I are recovering but we are able to go and teach... 
My companions first ¨Dominican Hotdog¨ Gross melted cheese, ketchup and mustard and mayo with corn and gross fried onions... LOL (Then you wonder why they get sick)

Elder Ramos is learning gradually but he SURE HAS THE GIFT OF TONGUES. I am helping him out! My week was spent in the house sick ... lol So It was ok... It was just a nasty Virus... Doctor Regan (Doctor of the Caribe) and I are really good friends.. if you can find his email you should email him saying thank you for taking such good care of your son.. HE IS AMAZING!!...but yea we have a family who just needs to get married and I believe they will get baptized... We could only really Listen to conference by radio... Our internet here sucked.. I am going to print out your notes and study them because I basically missed the first two sessions due to 3rd world country internet lol We will take time out and watch them another day... just a little problem with my stomach nothing too big... lol I am teaching my comp how to cook AND how to wash clothes, shine his shoes, mop, sweep, and Iron... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TEACHING ME YOUNG... lol
 

 Our Conference potluck ... MY PART.. lol So whole grain sandwiches with fresh Mexican guacamole with Tortilla chips... lol The last part wasn't too healthy but it´s the healthiest I have eaten in 10 months... BUT! I am officially down to 207 lbs!
 



No matter what there is always something good

My spiritual experience was that despite ALL the Problems we had with technology the only time the reception was CRYSTAL CLEAR and the screen went HD was when the ENTIRE first presidency spoke during the Priesthood session of conference! WOW WHAT A MIRACLE! We were jumping up and down in our seats like little kids! lol

I AM 100% FINE MOM STOP WORRYING lol There is nothing you can do but pray for my companion. I am growing up. I have to face challenges by myself. You can´t keep taking all my problems on you. You´ll just end up not sleeping at night. It is why I am here. To be tried and to be tested. It is the only possible way I will ever grow. Through it I have grown much closer to my Savior. Please stop worrying. Just say to yourself ¨It has to happen, he needs to grow¨ And all will be well!

Impromptu Birthday Celebration

Celebrating my Birthday... This is the house of hermana Charo.. I woke up at 2:30 (I was sick) to a phone call from Hermano Kelvin and Charo asking me what I was doing at 7.. I told them trying to contact.. THEY TOLD ME NO WAY... We made cake and they forced me to celebrate my birthday with a bunch of the members.... We had fun :)

It was a class!! and I made Hamburgers with Belkis to celebrate.. If I am spending too much money please let me know... And Definitely NOT THROWING UP!!!!!!!!!! WOOOO lol Belkis is the name of our investigator... They have REALLY weird names here lol... yea It is a key to baptisms actually.. Have a Barbeque and suddenly you have 10 new investigators!! HAHAHAHAHA
 

 

That´s what dominicans love... Food and Dominos... WHICH I AM A BEAST AT NOW! BE WARNED MOM. BE WARNED DAD. BE WARNED PUERTO RICO. I AM COMING. T minus 14 months LOL
Dominicans can finish a round of domino's 200 points in less than 10 minutes.... I AM COMING. BE AFRAID. HAHAHA 
Have a great week guys HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!! Remind Glorianne about the list of movies I have to watch!!!!!! My comp told me some amazing ones came out LOL Ok Talk to you next week! Tell grandpa he has an email waiting for him. I will keep Aunt Cindy in my prayers! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HURRAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) MAKING PANCAKES TOMORROW!! Love you all!!!!!!!!!

Elder Hefner

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

A 105 year old lady...an AMAZING Spiritual Experience

Service for one of our investigators!! Washing their dog who is just as hyper as Kenai... The neighborhood got a kick out of the two missionaries ... We are teaching the WHOLE BLOCK NOW!! We are doing a FHE next Monday of about 16 investigators!!!! :)

A 105 year old lady...

So this week we happened to have a spot in our agenda where their was NO Appointments for about 4 hours... That is a little uncommon... so we paused during our planning and my new companion just kind of waited for a response as to where I thought we should go. I closed my eyes and prayed that the Lord would reveal to me where to go. It then came clearly to my mind that we had to go FAR OUT. An area where we have to take a 15 minutes bus ride too then after a 16 min dirt bike ride. I followed the impression even though common sense said that the people who lived there would NEVER go to church because it is 45 mins away and it is a really poor town. We went with faith and first passed by a recent convert who hadn't had anyone visit her in almost 2 months... Then we contacted a reference and HE called US 4 times to confirm... He really wanted to hear our message... We got there and he immediately asked us to ¨Pray over¨ his Grandma.. This man has to be 60 years old... I asked him if I heard him right and he said yes. His grandma of 105 years old was sick and needed a ¨Prayer.¨ We obviously agreed and explained what a priesthood blessing was. We then followed him to a neighboring house. What happened next I will never be able to forget. We walked into a room where the oldest lady I had ever seen was laying on a old torn bed half dressed. She was Nothing but Skin and bones... Literally. She had broken her hip and was crying in pain. I felt my stomach drop and I honestly wondered if this is how The Savior or Pedro (Peter) or Joseph felt when they were called to heal the Sick. They moved her up to sitting position where I then read The Scripture in Santiago 5 (James 5) when it says to call the Elders if anyone is sick. It was the first time my companion anointed during a blessing AND in a language he didn't know. I placed my hands on her head and pronounced one of the most solemn blessings I have ever given. I promised her that she would see her Lord soon and that she should be full of Peace and feel no more pain. After the blessing all was VERY quiet in the house. By that point THE WHOLE FAMILY showed up and heard what was going on. We then sat down and taught the plan of Salvation to this family. By the time we all finished they all said the Doctrine was beautiful and wanted us to pass by again to share more. The second miracle was that buses didn't pass by at that time because it was so late and I knew it the minute we started the lesson, but we continued teaching literally putting all my faith that the Lord would provide the way home. We took the motorcycle and the guy actually decided to wait with us... he waved down an express bus WHICH DO NOT STOP FOR ANYONE and told them to take ¨2 Stranded youth¨ The bus driver agreed and then told us that is was free. I am sure it was because he noticed the scriptures in our hands and that we brought ¨The Word of God.¨ These are the days that make EVERY trial worth it... Out of this one experience we now have 3 brand new families AND the man showed up to church on Sunday...

The ¨Other part¨Of my experience with the Old lady...

Also I want to share the ¨Other part¨Of my experience with the Old lady... She fell incredibly quiet after the blessing... No more crying and no more moaning. We taught the family and after she called me into the room. She asked me to pass my hand over her stomach thinking that if she could have felt such peace I could help heal her stomach. I placed it there for a few minutes... But honestly afterwards I fell to one knee by her bedside and I felt the Spirit wash over me and I truly felt I was in the Saviors place and I told her. ¨You are a beloved daughter of God. He has no forgotten you and will NEVER forget you. Every prayer you have prayed is being answered. I literally saw this daughter of God through the eyes of the Savior. I felt such love for this women that I could not help but to cry. She whispered out God bless you. Thank you. And she fell asleep after that. It was something that only a former missionary can understand. Sometimes we think we are just young guys called to preach, but in reality we are ministers and representatives of Jesus Christ, We stand in his place and have to minister as He would minister. It was something amazing dad...



Birthday Gift and sending love...

But I bought my gift today.. I bought REAL Honey-nature sandwich bread JUST like the stuff we have at home and ham and cheese AND REAL ORANGE ORANGES!!! And Cilantro for my district. We are going to eat a good lunch the day of General Confrence.. To me it is better than cake or anything else. Just that we can have the time to eat REAL food together will be awesome! It is honestly the first time I have eaten like this in about 9 months. I bought Cilantro for Hermana Cordova and she´s going to make REAL Mexican Guacamole again!!! it is going to be a district picnic basically between Sessions!!

My time is almost up... PLEASE send my love to Patriarch Gasque and his wife and Brother and Sister Hoglund and Brother and Sister Pratt! AND THE WHOLE WARD! Hey Don't be surprised if I only go to the Spanish Sacrament meeting when I get back... I had to teach in English the other day AND IT DID NOT WORK...lol

Love you a ton! Write down what you learned during Conference.... I will share what I did too!!! YOU ALL ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!!!!!!!! :) Talk to you next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elder Hefner