Osage Beach

Well hey howdy hey what is up everybody? Okay so a pretty big change. The library up here is closed on Monday's so I will be writing either Tuesdays or Wednesdays, most likely Wednesdays, Tuesdays are kind of busy. I am only writing today on Thursday because we ran into some trouble yesterday. One of the lady's they just baptized up here; her and her husband have been having car trouble the registration is three years expired, it has a leaking brake line, and the road to their house is so rough that a tire gets flat about once a month. So we helped them almost all day yesterday. Sorry I wish I could have come and said I'll email you tomorrow or something I know how you freak out about these things. Well Leaving Lebanon was a bummer things were going good and me and elder Babb were just having a blast. But all things must come to an end. I'll send you pictures of our departure they were pretty good. Well so transfers I met up with Horlacher he is a very nice kid. He loves yu-gi-oh and vanguard and stuff like that. He wants to be a video game designer. He has flaming orange hair. And he is awesome he is easy going and you can work with because he is fun to talk to. So I like him a lot and we will have fun. So about the area it is pronounced exactly like it is spelled O, Sage people in Missouri aren't the smartest so everything is pronounced exactly how it is spelled, one town near by is Versailles and they pronounce it Ver Sales silly right? Well we live in Laurie so not in Osage we have one big ward and we have four elders that share it. The Camdenton Elders, and the Laurie Elders, Us or Laurie is the more beaten down redneck side of the lake. We have 4 active members on this side of the lake and a lot of work to do. That is why they split it up is because the Osage elders wouldn't venture up into our neck of the woods unless they had too. We live about 30-40 miles away from the church building so that kind of stinks, but oh well I love it up here and Yes! it stinks looking at the lake every single day but awesome. By the way, look at Lake of the Ozarks Shootout its like the biggest boat race in North America and it is happening Saturday everything is getting pretty crazy all these rich guys are coming in from out of town with these huge speed boats all ready to race in the shootout. So crazy story I am at church meeting everybody and then some guy comes up and says I heard one of you is from AZ. Every ward I have been in there has been people from AZ but no one that I ever knew or knew someone they knew. He comes up tells me he lives in Mesa and then I start to talk to him a bit about AZ then he looks at my tag and says Heywood. HuH? Are you related to a Parker and I said Yep! that man is as mean as a snake! not really I said he is my brother then he said that Parker was in Montana and he had Filibertos with him a few weeks previous. I guess he originally comes from Missouri but he lives in AZ currently. So that was pretty cool and then he got a pic with me and that is where that comes from. I really like it up here it is beautiful our ward mission leader, Brother Howell is a cool guy, and he has like my dream house I'll show you a pic. It is up on a hill overlooking the lake and you walk down like 50 yards and you are on his dock on the lake. That lucky dog. Well it awesome. So we got a lot of work to do getting members active working with the investigators. The one lady that we helped with her car her and her husband live in a shack, probably the size of our family room, they have goats that live in a beat up mobile home behind their shack and they have twelve dogs that bark every time you drive up, and one that as you walk nips at your heels I hate that thing. Well she has a hurt leg because one of her Male goats rammed her and broke it a while back so it is kind of messed up. it is interesting on this side of the lake. But I love it here, I love Horlacher, and everything is good except for the fact that I am not with the Babb. Well I'll send pictures now and don't call Pres. I will email most likely Wednesday of next week. Your Son

Lebanon

Well today was a pretty good week a lot happened and I'll try and remember all of it because right now for some reason I am really tired. Well first of all Sharron was baptized, I am sorry I forgot my camera with pictures but I'll try my hardest to remember next week to share those with you guys. It was a very good baptism, Bro G who is Sharron's boyfriend baptized her and pretty soon I'll think they'll get married but we'll see I guess. We had a few investigators at the baptism a lady named J who we just met a couple Sundays ago she is a nice lady going through a tough divorce so we are helping her out as much as we can. And no other than R and R, R is the jolly old man that looks similar to Santa Claus.

 

So everyone we worked with got baptized and now we have a whole lot of new people that just appeared this week to be taught besides our usual investigators. Lebanon is a truly blessed place. There are a few less active people decided they wanted to come back so that is good one is named R I think I mentioned him last time but maybe I didn't well he is a younger guy in his 20's and he wants to come back and he is pretty cool. Then this other guy who we are meeting this week he had a huge battle with cancer I guess so he is now starting to get back on his feet. Some other people we have J who I mentioned above once she gets over the divorce and gets all that stressful junk off her mind she'll be ready. J who is 18 or 19 and is a non member son to a guy in our ward. He is kind of like he is smart and communicates though has some kind of aspergers or something, but he is reading the BOM and Gospel Principles manual like a savage. We haven't spoke to J lately, the guy with CP we saw him a couple weeks back and he still was having physical problems. R and R are as Jolly as ever just being R and R. So that is all that is going on around here.

 

The weather isn't bad really nice actually. It is not very hot and I don't really feel the humidity is so bad; everybody exaggerates it and says its the worse but it is nothing like working in 115-120 heat nothing. Actually we have had a lot of rain lately;I think we have had 5-6 days of straight rain and there has been some flooding especially people who are kind of outside of town. They can't get somewhere because of flooding or their basement is full of water so that has been crazy. So far everybody in the ward is not affected by the mass amounts of rain.

 

The bad news about this week is that I am getting transferred it feels like I just got here which sucks. But I am heading up to Osage Beach which is on Lake of the Ozarks and everybody is telling me it is a cool area and I am excited the only problem is I leave Elder Babb who is the man and my new companion to be is Elder Horlacher who I know kind of. Whatever it is all good because I am still in the same zone and I will see Babb at least once a month. Well I think that is all I got for you guys.

 

Everything sounds great at home school starting everybody getting back to the normal thing I bet Katie is excited that she is not going back to Kino and she gets normal kids. Well tell Seth to keep getting more chubby and in case I don't see you again good afternoon, good evening and goodnight.

Lebanon

Man sure got your hands full. School, Norwegian Kid, Dana in Norway; if anything got more crazy I would have to say that you were living in Missouri. It was awesome to see Logan I enjoyed that so much. Sorry about the phone I couldn't hear a word you guys were saying on Statton's phone, but I could hear crystal clear on Megan's phone so I talked to Parker. Again I'm sorry but you understand right? It was quite fun. Yeah Colton has his papers in and I think he will be going to Japan. That is my guess. So it will be interesting to see exactly where that old boy goes. That is cool that Thomas knows the politics and economics about his country. I think that our youth should know that stuff instead of who Justin Bieber is dating or when his next haricut is. You know learn something that matters.

Well our week went by pretty fast; the entire thing is going by pretty fast. On the thirteenth it will be my six month mark, crazy right? S the lady who smoked and had to be postponed is scheduled back for this Saturday. It will be good she will be able to officially quit this time she has got that kind of desire to do what is right. This week we have been working with some less actives we have been running into them in random places like Wal-Mart or on the street. Which is a sign that we should help them out. One guy named R is a pretty cool guy he is about 23 and works at a local country radio station even though he hates country music, but he is funny and a normal person. In Missouri you don't meet to many normal people.

As far as other investigators they are doing good. Slowly yet surely it will happen. The best that we visit is still R the jolly old man that looks like Santa Clause. We usually go over and he is watching Ellen or Jerry Springer so it is pretty funny because he has bad things to say about both of those people. "She is Queer" and "What a Smuck." So we enjoy that for a little bit and then we start to teach and usually get about half way into the lesson or a principle and then he interrupts and he spends the rest of the time about a recent problem in his life. That is usually how it goes but surely he will be in the water I don't know if I will be the one but maybe down the road.

Another cool thing is that A's 9 year old son now wants to be baptized. After seeing his Mom be baptized and the change and blessings that come with it, it was only a matter of time. So we went over there and taught J. He is a very nice kid, a little quiet but he is pretty funny. He likes the Wii Michael Jackson dance game. So he all about Michael Jackson. Elder Babb found the Michael Jackson greatest hits CD in Wal-Mart and bought it for him.

One more thing we went into Springfield Tuesday and guess what I got to eat HuHoT!!! Oh and it tasted so very very good. The end results were also very extroadinary as always but well worth it for the meal. Another interesting fact the Bass Pro HQ are in Springfield so we had some extra time and we checked that out. It is like 5 Bass Pros put together it is sweet.

Well keep on going on. Remember to also stay classy.

Your Son

Lebanon

Elder Babb took out my stitches we didn't have time to go to the Hospital.

Sounds Like everything is awesome and crazy but I guess once school starts it will settle down or speed up who knows? Dana should have an easy year if she lets it be easy only she can stress herself out senior year. How is Chris and football Jared is telling me that he is getting pretty big and he was already almost taller than us when I left so good for him can't wait to hear what happens.

This week went by pretty quick the bad news is that S who was supposed to get baptized this last week slipped up and had a couple drags of a cigarette she then called us and told us she was sorry and felt really bad so the baptism will be postponed for a couple of weeks. Good news is we have a few more people we are seeing they are all old people. So hopefully we can bump up our ward age average to 80 instead of 75. I am just joking we do have a ton of older people in our ward and older people and youth are the best ward missionaries because they are not afraid and they care about their friends and stuff so we get a lot of referrals for other older people. It is swell we hear a lot of interesting stories and they are just so nice so I am not complaining. A is doing good she seems to be getting along very well and yeah we still go and see her and answer questions and such so that is nice. I am trying to think of anything else happened. Well I guess that is all I have. Love you guys see ya next week

Peace.

Lebanon

What? A kid from Norway? And I don't even get to meet him, come on? Of course this would happen. First Arizona starts snowing once I'm gone and then all of the sudden a kid from Norway is living in our house probably going to be sleeping in my bed, and I don't even get to meet him. What's next Hell freezes over? Whatever that is really cool just unexpected and really fast.

I heard about Savana's baby I do hope everything goes well I know I will be praying for the little guy. I'm sure it will be fine.

Well this week was good as always I am glad to be in Lebanon, Transfers are not for another three weeks or so and If I had to guess they are keeping both of us here again, but then again I do not know anything can happen.

The Highlight of the Week is that A was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  She was excited and ready to get dunked this time. Elder Babb performed the ordinance in an old 70's style baptism suit, (looked kind of like Elvis). It was very good and we were both very happy.

Also Saturday we had a pretty good rain storm it flooded the streets and blew over a tree that took out our power whoo hoo. Its all good now but that was a little bit of excitement.

As for the rest of the week just going around trying to see people mainly nobody is home or answers the door, but that is just part of the job especially in Missouri. We did happen to catch R who is the guy with a few toes that sued his daughter and we went and watched. We mowed his lawn in the trailer park. Well anyway; their housekeeper/ Nurse lady we talked to and she seemed a little interested in the church. We went back to R's a few days later and they said that she was asking about us. So who knows at this point maybe we'll have something out of it. Every time we go to R's its in the afternoon and he and his wife are always watching Ellen and he doesn't like Homosexuals so he'll always say something like, "She is as queer as a 4 dollar bill" it makes me laugh and think of Dana (who also loves watching Ellen). So R doesn't like that she is a lesbian but he thinks that she should be a Christian because she gives away free things to the audience and he thinks that is awesome. So going over to his trailer is always fun. He believes in everything we say but I don't know how committed he is, but we will find out. Oh he also told us that because of the Alien crash in Area 51 that is how we have all of our technology now. Of course good ol' Missouri nothing like it in the rest of the world.

Well I think that was everything interesting for this week. You'll have the Norwegian kid and Jared at home and Seth every other day and now that he is 1 he'll be a rascallian. Sounds like you will be pretty busy. Promise me that you'll give the exchange student a nice time take him to the lake and give him cinnamon toast crunch, and take him shooting. You know all the good stuff that AZ has to offer. "Well in case I don't see you again, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight."

Lebanon

Wow I read about twenty emails all about Jackson Hole I am going to be honest it was pretty hard to get through all of them and the pictures I miss that place so much. But Oh well I only have to endure that torture one more time.

Well everything was pretty good this week I felt like we were pretty busy with all the baptism stuff and getting stuff set up. K the girl who just got baptized is not the one who hates me; that girl is already baptized and she says I'm okay now. K's baptism was good I'll send you pictures I brought my camera stuff today.

Elder Babb, K and Elder Heywood

The next two weeks will also be baptisms both girls no guys. So far S is doing really good with the smoking she is holding strong. She gets cravings and goes through withdrawls but she handles them like a champ and we just keep telling her like 14 more days and stuff like that. She reall has a strong desire to be baptized it is pretty amazing to see.

A is the one who backed out last time and she is this Saturday; she came to Katilyn's baptism and we talked to her afterwards. She was really excited and really comforted because I think she understood better the covenants she was making and how it was going to bless her life.

I also found out something kind of amusing we have a very old guy in our ward he is like 80; everyone calls him Norman the Mormon well we were at his house for dinner and he has some family somewhere in either Safford or Thatcher. Well he told us his mom passed away this last year. She was 101 and she was like a big deal when AZ had it centennial she was like one of two people in Arizona that were there from literally the beginning.

Other than working with the three people now two being baptized not much has happened. Oh we had a Zone Meeting and we were already on exchanges with the our District Leader Elder Buck Nasty A.K.A. Buckley and we drove down to Houston which is where they are stationed and they live with members on a farm, so because we missed fireworks we had our own little show that was a pretty good time. We threw firecrackers at each other and I have like three burn marks now.

Other than that I am doing good I'll send the pictures now Elder Babb is still awesome and yeah. Peace

Lebanon

Well I didn't know sis Shumway called you I thought that was only for big stuff. I guess you already know but I have three stitches in my nose and I couldn't be happier. That was part of my Fourth of July, we went with some other elders to the Fort Leonard Wood Base Bash. Which is the local army base nearby and we were having a gay old time every single one of us went to Wal Mart earlier that day and bought some America Gear. Well basically on the base it was a big carnival with inflatables kind of like the Houston Carnival and they were having an Army man talent show. Where people would go up there and perform there were some that rapped, played the guitar, and one sang the Hunchback of Notre Dame song he must have been the weird one of the group. Well anyways we were having a good time and we were in line for the obstacle course when I went I was going through pretty fast trying to beat the course record. I then slipped and came down on my fist and then I got up and started running again when I looked down I saw blood and I was like "wow been a long time since I've had a bloody nose" when I came out of the course the others were waiting and they were laughing and we took some pictures. We went over to the food stands to get some napkins and I cleaned it up a little. Babb asked to see it to get another picture and when I took off the napkins he just kind of went "ooohhhoohhffffff" and he was like you split your nose. The other elders looked and all had the same reaction. They showed me a pic and it was pretty gross not like running over your foot with the lawn mower though. Well we went to first aid but since I was not in the service they said they couldn't do anything so Babb drove me back to Lebanon to the civilian hospital and they stitched it up and we missed fireworks. Stupid. Although it was still kind of fun but its all good now it didn't really hurt the only part that hurt is when the doc gave me a shot to numb my nose that hurt but everything else was mild. Well that was my Fourth it was alright.

Ow!

Can the Heywood boys escape the emergency room on their missions?  NO

We have a baptism this weekend for the 9 year old girl we have been teaching. That will be fun she is one of those crazy out of control funny 9 year olds that just entertains you by whatever comes out of her mouth. Kind of like Dana.

Also more good news another investigator has now officially given up smoking and has been clean for 8 days so keep your fingers crossed on that one. Other than that everything is good as grapes. I am just havin a dandy time out her with Babb. All is good and well and gravy. Well Peace Muchachos




Babb has all the pictures I will have him send them to me