Christian on a Mishun

11/25/13

Dear Family,

This is the last email I will send in November. Time is flying so fast! At least for me it is. I hear it goes slower for you guys. I got the Thanksgiving package. Thank you so much! It's awesome. The pop tarts are well coveted throughout the flat. I think grandpa has become even better at making that jerky. It's so nice. Wow. The music is great too. Eclipse is a bit cheesy, but the piano guys CD is really good. I still haven't got the second Halloween package. I wonder what happened to it. The mail service probably ate it. One of my old Zone Leaders just barely got his Christmas package . . . from last year. Sometimes the mail does weird things.

I don't know if I ever told you about this, but apparently I've immersed myself in the work that I teach lessons in my sleep. Elder Nolan often wakes up to me resolving someone's concern, inviting them to come to church, or committing them to live the Word of Wisdom. He always takes the mic out of me for it the next day. (to "take the mic" basically means to tease). It is pretty funny. I would probably give him a hard time if he was teaching lessons in his sleep too. It's a little bit embarrassing, but hey, it sure helps with numbers ;)

We had some fun experiences this week. We met a homeless man who chose to be homeless because he's trying to be more like Jesus, and from what he takes from the bible, Jesus was homeless. We weren't able to straighten him out. Some people are just crazy. I also got to sit in on a lesson taught by Sister Diaz (one of the sisters in my district) that was taught completely in Spanish. It was really cool. She knows I speak a little bit of Spanish so she asked me to teach some of the lesson. It was terrifying. I was stumbling all over myself. I have so much respect for missionaries who go to foreign speaking missions. It must be so hard. It was a way posh lesson, though. The spirit was really strong.

The bishops wife here always likes to take the mic out of the way the missionaries speak. Apparently we all have this weird pitch pattern and say weird little phrases when we teach. I didn't believe her until I watched the video I sent you last week, and she's totally right! Oh my days, I'm going to be such a weirdo when I come home! I'll talk funny, I'll probably try to say a prayer with everyone I go and hang out with, and every conversation I have will turn into a gospel conversation. We still have about a year and 6 months before we need to start worrying about that though.

Elder Nolan has asked me to let you know that he did indeed send emails to his family last week. He just didn't send a general audience one to go on the blog. And he also sends/receives like 50 letters every week from home. Correspondence with his family is not suffering at all. If anything, you should feel jealous of how much he communicates with his family. Perks of being an England missionary I suppose.

Everyone is changing so much since I left! I can't believe that Dallin Buckley is going to be leaving on a mission next year. That's too much for my brain to handle. I'm super excited for Joel and Kenzie. Send them my regards. When are Cameron and Amy going to jump on the baby wagon? Haha, just kidding bro. No pressure. It's funny that David and Aubry named their daughter Oakley. Elder David was just saying the other day that he likes the name Oakley.

I'll finish the email off with a miracle. Yesterday Elder Nolan and I were going to meet a potential investigator at his home in Kentish Town. We got there and found that he wasn't home. We decided to just stay around his area and do some street contacting until our next appointment. We didn't have the best luck talking to people. Everyone was either in a hurry, drunk, or already very religious. We were just talking to everyone walking past when these two girls crossed the street from the bus stop and came up to us. One of them spake unto me, she didn't call me by name, but she said, pointing to the other "my sister wants to know if you guys are Mormons." We told her that we indeed are, and she said that she was very interested in the church. We asked her how much she knew about our beliefs and apparently she'd met with missionaries several years ago and was about to be baptized when she unexpectedly moved to London with her father and she lost contact with the missionaries. She's been trying to get in touch with the church ever since but hasn't been able to. She even went to mormon.org and tried to self-refer herself, but nobody ever gave her a call or sent her an email or anything. She spoke so highly of the church that her sister was now also very interested. When they saw two people who looked like Mormon missionaries they ran across a busy street to find out if they really were. We taught them a little lesson right then and there and set an appointment for later this week. Sometimes the Lord leads you to someone, just to find someone else. Before we plan each night we pray that we will know where the Lord needs us to be so we can find those who are ready to accept the gospel. Even though we didn't plan to be street contacting at that time, we had been led to the right location to find these two wonderful new investigators. Those are the moments that make being a missionary completely worth it. Unfortunately those two wonderful women live just barely outside of our area, but we gave them to the appropriate missionaries and I'll be following up on their progression. I'll probably end up being the one who interviews them for baptism :)

Editors note: We learned from Elder Nolan’s blog that President Jordan included this experience in his email to all the missionaries along with the following; “We plan and God prepares, but not always in the way we anticipate. That is one reason Preach My Gospel reminds us: “Perhaps you have been led to this person because someone else in the home or the neighborhood is ready for the gospel." Our part is to do our best and then trust the Lord of the harvest. As the Prophet Joseph put it, "let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." Don't be afraid to follow the promptings you receive. Don't be discouraged if things don't work out the way you planned. The Lord sees your sacrifices and in his time you will see his hand in your work.” see: http://elder-nolan.blogspot.co.uk/

Well, I'm all out of time today. I hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you all. I'll send some pictures in an email in a couple of minutes.

Love,

Elder Hein

p.s. the hi-chews are always a highlight in the packages ;)

1. One foot in the mission, one foot out. (This morning)