Well it has been one good week so good I can't remember anything from my week ha just kidding. We have a Baptism this Saturday for a lady who used to be a JW actually but she was inactive and a guy named Bro Price who is just one of those wonderful old guys who likes to share the gospel with everyone referred her to Babb and Houston and they taught her and she realized that this was the truth and the way she needed to go. So we are preparing for that it should be pretty good. Her family also has a ranch and horses I think a good service opportunity awaits us there.
Oh and Brostock yeah I knew that was coming we were contemplating whether to go or not, but it is out of our area and most of it occurs on the lake and it is more of a party than a wakeboarding competition so we didn't go I don't think the Osage Beach Elders went either that is the area that is right on the lake. They did tell me at Zone Conference that Saturday they were doing service at a Fishing tournament on the lake they called out boat numbers then helped with other stuff. I'll ask if that went well, but yeah it would be pretty cool to go to Brostock except I don't think a lot of missionary work would get done, just saying.
I got a story for you so our investigator who has cerebral palsy and a guy in the ward named Doc. Morter and he is hard of hearing so he talks really loud and that is just his normal voice. Bro. Morter is about 70-80 and is a convert and he is pretty intense. So J has been having a few problems with the church mainly because of the pastor that gave him anti stuff to read. So we go in there try to clear the air when Bro. Morter took over and he talks pretty loud normally, but when he wants to get a point across he practically yells so I am sitting there in the middle of this between a guy with who I can't even hear and old Doc Morter who is blowing out my ear drums it was kind of hard not to laugh, but I kept it together. Moral of the story is do not mess with Doc. Morter he'll rip you a new one and that is basically doctrine. It was great but we'll go over and see J again and see how well he survived.
As for the rest of the week not to much happened we taught our usual investigators, we had a zone meeting, and yeah that is most likely it. I don't know if you heard but on the 23rd of June there will be a world wide missionary meeting intended for everybody in the church. But we don't know exactly what it will say but the rumor is, is that the apostles want to get rid of missionaries finding people and they want to put that responsibility solely on the members, because that is the most effective way, and that the missionaries in the ward our mainly just the Bishop's tool to teach these people. So it is going to be a big deal Crazy Insane Dope.
Dad said a lot of Sisters are coming into the Gilbert Mission well that would be good for Dana she would love going on splits with them. Your girls camp idea seems good to me. Sisters always have trouble in the MTC we gave like all the sisters in our district blessings like 3 times to each one kind of ridiculous, but its cool that they are willing to serve. Well that is it Peace
Monday, June 10, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Lebanon
Well all sounds good.
I wasn't hit by any tornadoes this week, just heavy rain storms is all. I like the storms I think it is kind of cool especially coming from Arizona when you never see anything like it.
A little bit about my week I now visited all the investigators that we have and a lot of them are ready to go or really close. We had a baptismal interview for A the other day she is a single mom and she is really cool so it will be awesome once she is baptized which will be in two weeks I think the fifteenth. Some other people we have is RJ who is a sixty year old rough and tough man who has Ostrich skin boots and he is engaged to a 17 year old girl in the ward. It was super weird when I first found out, but now that we have been over there they are a pretty good match for each other. We are teaching an older guy who has cerebral palsy. Some pastor gave him anti stuff so last time we visited we had to clear up a lot of things. We don't bash on other churches stupid people just need to give it a rest those dumb nuts. Last serious guy we have is seventy and his wife; they live in a trailer of course because all normal people here do (that was a joke). But this man is just funny he is Pentecostal so he is loud and proud and yeah that explains and he ignores his preacher and lets us in because he thinks we are good Christians which we are so he is a pretty cool guy just a funny old jolly man kind of like Santa. Well all those people are our serious investigators and then we see a couple recent converts like a 13 year old girl who doesn't like me because she had a crush on Elder Houston who went home and I replaced and a couple less actives. One guy who I can't understand a word he says. For the most part you can understand some people but him I can't so I nod my head and agree with everything and look like an idiot. Its like on that one Seinfeld episode where they don't understand anything that girls says except Kramer so they nod and agree with everything then they find out they volunteered for something outrageous that is what I feel like. That is basically my week it is good and it is just so awesome because a good companion just take a whole lot of stress and everything that comes with it out of the picture; so I am happy.
I wasn't hit by any tornadoes this week, just heavy rain storms is all. I like the storms I think it is kind of cool especially coming from Arizona when you never see anything like it.
A little bit about my week I now visited all the investigators that we have and a lot of them are ready to go or really close. We had a baptismal interview for A the other day she is a single mom and she is really cool so it will be awesome once she is baptized which will be in two weeks I think the fifteenth. Some other people we have is RJ who is a sixty year old rough and tough man who has Ostrich skin boots and he is engaged to a 17 year old girl in the ward. It was super weird when I first found out, but now that we have been over there they are a pretty good match for each other. We are teaching an older guy who has cerebral palsy. Some pastor gave him anti stuff so last time we visited we had to clear up a lot of things. We don't bash on other churches stupid people just need to give it a rest those dumb nuts. Last serious guy we have is seventy and his wife; they live in a trailer of course because all normal people here do (that was a joke). But this man is just funny he is Pentecostal so he is loud and proud and yeah that explains and he ignores his preacher and lets us in because he thinks we are good Christians which we are so he is a pretty cool guy just a funny old jolly man kind of like Santa. Well all those people are our serious investigators and then we see a couple recent converts like a 13 year old girl who doesn't like me because she had a crush on Elder Houston who went home and I replaced and a couple less actives. One guy who I can't understand a word he says. For the most part you can understand some people but him I can't so I nod my head and agree with everything and look like an idiot. Its like on that one Seinfeld episode where they don't understand anything that girls says except Kramer so they nod and agree with everything then they find out they volunteered for something outrageous that is what I feel like. That is basically my week it is good and it is just so awesome because a good companion just take a whole lot of stress and everything that comes with it out of the picture; so I am happy.
Siloam Springs
Well Hello there everybody, Elder Heywood is doing okay. I'll start at the beginning of last week: Monday we drove down to Praire Grove for a zone dinner held at Brother Battles house that is when things got crazy and the big storm rolled in so I was not in Siloam Springs. When Tornadoes come the clouds are like a weird yellowish color super cool but I was bummed about the tornado though I missed. It touched down in West Siloam which is the Oklahoma side of the town and another one started to form over Wal Mart but never touched. When tornado storms hit it gets super windy and trees look like they are doing the limbo because they are bent sideways and a lot of trees were uprooted. One tree fell through a guy's house and we did some service to help clean up but the tree was still in his living room.
Well I am so sad to leave Siloam Springs I love that area and I am super bummed I had to leave and move on with my life. Transfers happens though.
Elder Babb who I met and I absolutely love he comes from Portland Oregon and he loves classic rock, is very good at the guitar and he is really funny, but normal. Lebanon is a lot like Siloam except because they don't have a college near it is a bunch of old old people. The average age in the ward has got to be like 65 or close to that. I am enjoying it here mainly because Elder Babb is entertaining. It has only been the first week so it will get better it always does. Sorry about not emailing Monday it was Memorial day and yesterday was Zone Conference so I am getting it done today.
So I talked to Brother Ellis who is my favorite guy in the ward so far who works at the barrel factory they only have 45 and 53 gallon barrels and they cost about $800 so I don't think that is happening. Sorry. Well, what we have been doing is just preparing a few people for baptism who Elder Babb and Elder Houston prepared. Elder Houston went home and he is from Mesa Stapley and Southern I talked to him for a little at transfer point I wish I knew him better. Elder Chriss who was in my last district is from Gilbert and I told him if he wanted to call and talk to you guys that would be cool. I think his family is on vacation right when he got home, but in a month or so if he calls I told him you would probably love to hear from him.
Well that is basically it so far. Love you guys and I'll catch you later.
Well I am so sad to leave Siloam Springs I love that area and I am super bummed I had to leave and move on with my life. Transfers happens though.
Elder Babb who I met and I absolutely love he comes from Portland Oregon and he loves classic rock, is very good at the guitar and he is really funny, but normal. Lebanon is a lot like Siloam except because they don't have a college near it is a bunch of old old people. The average age in the ward has got to be like 65 or close to that. I am enjoying it here mainly because Elder Babb is entertaining. It has only been the first week so it will get better it always does. Sorry about not emailing Monday it was Memorial day and yesterday was Zone Conference so I am getting it done today.
So I talked to Brother Ellis who is my favorite guy in the ward so far who works at the barrel factory they only have 45 and 53 gallon barrels and they cost about $800 so I don't think that is happening. Sorry. Well, what we have been doing is just preparing a few people for baptism who Elder Babb and Elder Houston prepared. Elder Houston went home and he is from Mesa Stapley and Southern I talked to him for a little at transfer point I wish I knew him better. Elder Chriss who was in my last district is from Gilbert and I told him if he wanted to call and talk to you guys that would be cool. I think his family is on vacation right when he got home, but in a month or so if he calls I told him you would probably love to hear from him.
Well that is basically it so far. Love you guys and I'll catch you later.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Tornado Update
Thank you to all the friends and family who have texted and called with concern. Elder Heywood is 194 miles from Moore, OK. He is fine but our prayers are for the people in Moore. He wrote early this morning before the tornado had hit. I am sure we will learn more next week.
Siloam Springs
"Well hello there" I am doing awesome. Some things have transpired this week that make me sad and excited. I am getting transferred and I am going to.... Drum roll please.... Lebanon Missouri. I haven't heard a whole lot from Lebanon except that there is a lot of dairy cows and they make good cheese. It is a lot like Siloam and that as service the missionaries shovel manure every Friday. The last one is a rumor. I also hear there is an old fashion barrel factory there, where they make wood barrels that you can ferment wine in. Bro. Migliori wanted one; do you guys? I'll see if I can get a hold of a couple. I am serving with Elder Babb I know nothing about the guy. I guess he is funny and kind of a goof, but I am not sure if he is like me that would be ideal because I am a goof I am just not an over the top goof I guess. Well I won't know; until I know and I am very excited about the news. However I am grieved because I do like this part of the country I do love the Siloam area and the families here like the Wheelers, Hublers, Palmers, Miglioris, and Fitzmaurices they are all the people that I have built good relationships with.
This week we were having some success we have three kids in part member families that were all really close to getting baptized it was just a matter of teaching the last lesson and getting an interview. Also we had two investigators that we finally committed to coming to church Gabriel and Morecio (and family) but now I am going to be leaving and I will miss it. Elder Bunch felt really inspired to work this week and guess what happens when we work hard. Shiz happens. Whatever I am just glad that I get a break. Wednesday, we were on Zone Leader exchanges and Elder Pope came down. Elder Pope is a huge fan of the great Jackson Hole Wyoming he has a friend who has a cabin up there and he goes up there frequently I was super excited and he is an awesome guy and wednesday was my most productive day even though it was in a downpour hooray. Well the week was good and the work increasingly got better then to end the week I got transferred. Bummer. But I am super excited for my new area and it will be a good experience. I am going to miss the Spanish Elders in Springdale I got to be good friends with those guys and it will really stink when I can't see them weekly. Well that is the big news I don't have to much more to say I should be sending home all of the Siloam pictures in the next couple of weeks.
To answer your questions...the wilderness safari is a pretty cool place. We have no Tornadoes in this part of the country if we do they are only weak like a 1 or 2. I guess in frontier times Indians were fond of this part of the country because it was blessed from natural disasters not saying that it is true just saying what I heard. Up in Lebanon they get some pretty crazy storms so I am excited, but Oklahoma and Kansas take the cake when it comes to tornadoes. Hey give this piece of info. to Bishop Lines the members in Siloam love going to the temple they drive about three hours to go to Oklahoma city temple. We have some old ladies that go once a week and have a hard time paying for anything else like groceries but they get to the temple. I know the temple people have a certain process but a temple in Rogers, Springdale, Fort Smith, or even Joplin would be a great place for a temple. And if you want to get a little crazy just build one in Siloam Springs it would be awesome. Well that is all I have to say I know I didn't talk a lot about stories or anything like that because my mind is kind of elsewhere.
I am excited for Lebanon and ready for a new start. I can't believe about the Peters kid that is just awful but I always get comfort from Alma 40:12 best scripture ever. Chad played on my volleyball team I wonder how he is holding up in Spain; that has got to be super stressful and hard on a mission to not get home for your brother's funeral.
Peace love all
This week we were having some success we have three kids in part member families that were all really close to getting baptized it was just a matter of teaching the last lesson and getting an interview. Also we had two investigators that we finally committed to coming to church Gabriel and Morecio (and family) but now I am going to be leaving and I will miss it. Elder Bunch felt really inspired to work this week and guess what happens when we work hard. Shiz happens. Whatever I am just glad that I get a break. Wednesday, we were on Zone Leader exchanges and Elder Pope came down. Elder Pope is a huge fan of the great Jackson Hole Wyoming he has a friend who has a cabin up there and he goes up there frequently I was super excited and he is an awesome guy and wednesday was my most productive day even though it was in a downpour hooray. Well the week was good and the work increasingly got better then to end the week I got transferred. Bummer. But I am super excited for my new area and it will be a good experience. I am going to miss the Spanish Elders in Springdale I got to be good friends with those guys and it will really stink when I can't see them weekly. Well that is the big news I don't have to much more to say I should be sending home all of the Siloam pictures in the next couple of weeks.
To answer your questions...the wilderness safari is a pretty cool place. We have no Tornadoes in this part of the country if we do they are only weak like a 1 or 2. I guess in frontier times Indians were fond of this part of the country because it was blessed from natural disasters not saying that it is true just saying what I heard. Up in Lebanon they get some pretty crazy storms so I am excited, but Oklahoma and Kansas take the cake when it comes to tornadoes. Hey give this piece of info. to Bishop Lines the members in Siloam love going to the temple they drive about three hours to go to Oklahoma city temple. We have some old ladies that go once a week and have a hard time paying for anything else like groceries but they get to the temple. I know the temple people have a certain process but a temple in Rogers, Springdale, Fort Smith, or even Joplin would be a great place for a temple. And if you want to get a little crazy just build one in Siloam Springs it would be awesome. Well that is all I have to say I know I didn't talk a lot about stories or anything like that because my mind is kind of elsewhere.
I am excited for Lebanon and ready for a new start. I can't believe about the Peters kid that is just awful but I always get comfort from Alma 40:12 best scripture ever. Chad played on my volleyball team I wonder how he is holding up in Spain; that has got to be super stressful and hard on a mission to not get home for your brother's funeral.
Peace love all
Monday, May 13, 2013
Siloam Springs
Well, I am going to try and clear something up about the question you asked. Everybody around here is very nice like I said it is like the Music Man town and it doesn't matter what religion you are as long as you are from God's country. When religion does come up between friends it gets a little heated and turns into a "your wrong" bash session, but they drink another beer and they are friends again. A lot of people will talk to us they just won't believe what we have to say because they are too hard hearted. That is the main reason why we don't have a lot of help from the ward because they are afraid of talking to neighbors and friends about their salvation. I understand but people are willing to listen you just need to give them a chance and having people from the ward invite their friends to take lessons their is an openness that talking on the street doesn't get you. A few families in the ward are really helpful Migliori's, Hublers, and Wheelers. The Wheelers have us over every Monday for dinner then we have family night and we try to get our investigators there and we read a chapter from the Book of Mormon and discuss and that is really helpful because having something like that inside a members home is just begging for the spirit. I think I want to do that when I come home have the missionaries and one of there investigators come over once a week for a lesson or something like that.
Well this week was really interesting and a lot happened so I will try to do my best to get everything. In Gentry seven miles north of Siloam a lady owns a wild wilderness safari. It is a mini safari where you drive around on there 400 acres and look at animals it was pretty cool. They also have a petting zoo, I'll get you some pictures, but Brother Migliori knows the people very well he actually raised a female lion, wolf, and an emu for them. Me and elder bunch had some fun.
We taught a lot of restoration lessons this week very short and to the point with a bunch of people at the door. It is a new thing we are trying and we have been given a little bit of feedback but not what we hoped for. Our usual investigators are the same as last week they love us to come over and they feel the spirit they are just not willing to make the commitment yet.
Saturday we ran the 5km our zone leader elder Pope came out really big and overweight he has really committed himself the last year to exercising and eating right and he has lost 80 lbs. The 5k was his idea and it was very fun we had the zone do it and we all wore Mormon Helping Hands shirts I wore a beanie so I could do Rocky at the end of the race.
Later Saturday is when we went to see one of our investigators, we sat down and he gave us the usual spiel about it is a shame and we are leading people astray and that we are doing the devil's work, but we had hope for him. I asked if Elder Bunch could give a prayer and he said "I guess if you want but what you are doing is not right you might as well pray to that stereo" Elder Bunch must have had it and he asked him to stop harassing us, and then Boom the Book of Mormon we gave him a few weeks earlier zoomed past Elder Bunch's head and flew into the wall. He yelled, "that thing is BS" except he said the word and then he flipped out and said really really bad things Elder Bunch got out of there in a hurry I picked up the Book of Mormon he threw and stood at the doorway and tried to say sorry, but he said, "get out of here before I throw something else at you" I was scared because the guy is crazy he told us story about how he has shot people. If he had a gun he would have pointed it at us and threatened us for sure I hope he wouldn't shoot but he is crazy so it could have been a possibility. So that was exciting and really scary the man sincerely wanted to kill us.
Yesterday was great though it was nice to see you guys and Seth and we were at the Taylor's for elder Bunch to skype then the Migliori's so I could skype and we could eat then we went to the Hurts and visited with them for a long time. We got permission to give them the sacrament so we did that with some tortilla that they had. That is the week it was fun.
I forgot to mention the 5k was in fayetteville "Hog country" well that is basically all I had to share.
Well this week was really interesting and a lot happened so I will try to do my best to get everything. In Gentry seven miles north of Siloam a lady owns a wild wilderness safari. It is a mini safari where you drive around on there 400 acres and look at animals it was pretty cool. They also have a petting zoo, I'll get you some pictures, but Brother Migliori knows the people very well he actually raised a female lion, wolf, and an emu for them. Me and elder bunch had some fun.
We taught a lot of restoration lessons this week very short and to the point with a bunch of people at the door. It is a new thing we are trying and we have been given a little bit of feedback but not what we hoped for. Our usual investigators are the same as last week they love us to come over and they feel the spirit they are just not willing to make the commitment yet.
Saturday we ran the 5km our zone leader elder Pope came out really big and overweight he has really committed himself the last year to exercising and eating right and he has lost 80 lbs. The 5k was his idea and it was very fun we had the zone do it and we all wore Mormon Helping Hands shirts I wore a beanie so I could do Rocky at the end of the race.
Later Saturday is when we went to see one of our investigators, we sat down and he gave us the usual spiel about it is a shame and we are leading people astray and that we are doing the devil's work, but we had hope for him. I asked if Elder Bunch could give a prayer and he said "I guess if you want but what you are doing is not right you might as well pray to that stereo" Elder Bunch must have had it and he asked him to stop harassing us, and then Boom the Book of Mormon we gave him a few weeks earlier zoomed past Elder Bunch's head and flew into the wall. He yelled, "that thing is BS" except he said the word and then he flipped out and said really really bad things Elder Bunch got out of there in a hurry I picked up the Book of Mormon he threw and stood at the doorway and tried to say sorry, but he said, "get out of here before I throw something else at you" I was scared because the guy is crazy he told us story about how he has shot people. If he had a gun he would have pointed it at us and threatened us for sure I hope he wouldn't shoot but he is crazy so it could have been a possibility. So that was exciting and really scary the man sincerely wanted to kill us.
Yesterday was great though it was nice to see you guys and Seth and we were at the Taylor's for elder Bunch to skype then the Migliori's so I could skype and we could eat then we went to the Hurts and visited with them for a long time. We got permission to give them the sacrament so we did that with some tortilla that they had. That is the week it was fun.
I forgot to mention the 5k was in fayetteville "Hog country" well that is basically all I had to share.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Siloam Springs
hahahaheyyyhey. Well where to start; a lot happened this week. First of all I got to be part of History. It snowed May 3rd and it has been the latest snowfall in Arkansas history. I took a couple pictures that I'll send next week. About the whole skype thing I am really not too sure, but what happens happens. Everything sounds great from home. I wish I could go to the lake.
Well this week was kind of a struggle of course all the investigators we had are just inching along at the slowest rate possible. We go over twice a week and just sit there and encourage them to read and pray, read and pray, read and pray and when we go back they didn't do it so we read and pray with them haha the Gospel will triumph. We also need to get all those hootin annies to church that is another chore in itself.
Everybody seemed to blow up about stake conference which sounds good, don't worry about sending the notes grandma and Dad already took care of that. Dad said that Roberts talked about the slow changes of the world and such. That has been discussed on and off with everybody we talk to here. Since everybody here is a bible scholar they all hate what the world is coming to these days, and we sit there and agree and talk a little about that. Even though they hate Mormons and think we are devil worshippers they do respect us for staying constant with are beliefs. We then tell them well it is what God wants us to do then they pull out their Bible and try to explain that Joseph Smith is false. Fun Stuff right? hohoho.
Well I got an interesting story we were at an investigator's house teaching a lesson and it is the guy that is going to like every church in town and he told us a story when he was a bible salesman. "I was selling bibles and I was going through the neighborhood on my way out of the neighborhood I saw one more house and I went and knocked. A man came out and offered me a drink of water I tried to sell him a book but he said, I already know what those are." He then told me about heaven and what it was going to look like and I could just see perfectly what he was talking about and how little boys were going to be riding lions and playing with them." He then looked at me and Elder Bunch and said "it had to be God! it just had too." Well I am not sure about Elder Bunch but I was just amazed and about to laugh. I came up with a couple possibilities of the true interpretation of this story. 1) It was a lie. 2) It was true. 3) The man was on Acid or Shrooms. So that was my story for the week and it was weird but somehow we were able to make it a half-way decent lesson.
Saturday the ward had a Star Wars Party; it was a decent turnout at the Migliori's we had Alligator Gumbo, Pizza the Hut, and when it got dark we played with light sabers and had a ceremonial burning of Darth Vader. It was a good time and probably the highlight of the week. I am so glad I am out here everyday is an adventure itself.
Well Peace.
Elder Heywood
Well this week was kind of a struggle of course all the investigators we had are just inching along at the slowest rate possible. We go over twice a week and just sit there and encourage them to read and pray, read and pray, read and pray and when we go back they didn't do it so we read and pray with them haha the Gospel will triumph. We also need to get all those hootin annies to church that is another chore in itself.
Everybody seemed to blow up about stake conference which sounds good, don't worry about sending the notes grandma and Dad already took care of that. Dad said that Roberts talked about the slow changes of the world and such. That has been discussed on and off with everybody we talk to here. Since everybody here is a bible scholar they all hate what the world is coming to these days, and we sit there and agree and talk a little about that. Even though they hate Mormons and think we are devil worshippers they do respect us for staying constant with are beliefs. We then tell them well it is what God wants us to do then they pull out their Bible and try to explain that Joseph Smith is false. Fun Stuff right? hohoho.
Well I got an interesting story we were at an investigator's house teaching a lesson and it is the guy that is going to like every church in town and he told us a story when he was a bible salesman. "I was selling bibles and I was going through the neighborhood on my way out of the neighborhood I saw one more house and I went and knocked. A man came out and offered me a drink of water I tried to sell him a book but he said, I already know what those are." He then told me about heaven and what it was going to look like and I could just see perfectly what he was talking about and how little boys were going to be riding lions and playing with them." He then looked at me and Elder Bunch and said "it had to be God! it just had too." Well I am not sure about Elder Bunch but I was just amazed and about to laugh. I came up with a couple possibilities of the true interpretation of this story. 1) It was a lie. 2) It was true. 3) The man was on Acid or Shrooms. So that was my story for the week and it was weird but somehow we were able to make it a half-way decent lesson.
Saturday the ward had a Star Wars Party; it was a decent turnout at the Migliori's we had Alligator Gumbo, Pizza the Hut, and when it got dark we played with light sabers and had a ceremonial burning of Darth Vader. It was a good time and probably the highlight of the week. I am so glad I am out here everyday is an adventure itself.
Well Peace.
Elder Heywood
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)