12/2/13

1. Me and a man named Brian at the old/disabled people place we performed at today.  He was my lunch buddy.

Dear Family,

This week has flown by so fast for me.  Holy cow.  It feels like I was just emailing you yesterday.  Choir performances are starting to spring up everywhere, so that takes a good amount of our time.  We had one on Friday, one earlier today, and we have two more in the next 5 days.  It takes up a lot of time, but its fun.  And I think it serves a good purpose.  We're spreading the message of Jesus Christ, and a couple of new investigators have come from it.  So I checked in the office today and the Christmas package has arrived, but the second Halloween one with the Christmas music still hasn't.  Hopefully it will turn up soon.

I've got a couple of stories this week.  Last week, on the same night that we met those two super golden sisters that we had to refer to the other missionaries, we met a man named Tom.  Both of us had completely forgotten about him until we were planning on Tuesday night and realized that we had set an appointment with him on Wednesday.  We went to see him and he welcomed us right in to his home.  He was amazing.  Within the last year he's been making some big changes in his life.  He realized that most, if not all, of the problems in his life have come from misusing drugs.  He prayed for help to stop using and had an amazing experience.  He said he felt this overwhelming peace come over him.  He hasn't used drugs since.  He also has cut out alcohol because he doesn't like the affect it has on him either.  We taught him lesson one and the Word of Wisdom.  He loved it.  He committed to keeping the Word of Wisdom, and asked for a blessing to help.  He also committed to come to church with us this week.  It was an amazing experience to see someone who has been so prepared to accept the gospel.  He's so ready to make all the changes he needs to make to be happier and strengthen his relationship with his family.  Unfortunately this story doesn't have a happy ending . . . yet.  We went to pick him up for church, and he wasn't home.  We haven't been able to get a hold of him since.  I'm confident that we'll get in touch soon though.

The next story is about Margarita;  the old Greek lady who poked her head out of the window and asked to be taught.  She is such an amazing woman who has incredible faith in Jesus Christ.  Her life story is amazing. After finding out that her husband of 15 years had been cheating on her she walked out with only the clothes on her back and her purse with some extra underwear.  She trusted in God that she would be ok.  She lived in a tiny, one room flat for the first few months while she tried to get a child care business up and running.  In under a years’ time she had over 40 employees and was caring for many many children.  She put her trust in God and reaped the rewards.  Over time, all of her children permanently moved in with her.  She has made the best of her life even when times seemed too difficult to manage.  She has a beautiful house in Greece looking out over the sea and is only still working because she loves children so much.  And my favorite part about her is that she WAY loves me.  She made me promise that I will come and visit her in Greece after my mission.  She said she'll come and pick me up from the airport and let me stay with her in her home.  All I need to bring is clothes and she'll provide the rest.  She even said that she'll invite over a bunch of her friends for dinner one night and will have a big gospel discussion to see who's interested in becoming a Mormon.  She's amazing.  Now I just need to get her baptized.  We're working on that.  She just really wants to take her time and make sure it's really what she wants to do.  I think when we get her to start coming to church regularly she'll be ready to jump in the font.  I'll attach a photo of me and her on our bench in La Meil cafe.

I think I have time for one more story.  Do you remember Herbert?  The old man on a wheel chair who has millions of pounds worth of old film reels in his back yard?  The other day he sent us to go pick some groceries up for him at a local green grocer.  When we told the owner of the shop who sent us he was floored.  He asked us how we knew Herbert.  We told him that we're his missionaries, and that he's a member of our church.  Again he was floored.  He said, "Herbert West is a member of your church?  There is a God."  I asked him how he knew Herbert and apparently Herbert West, the crazy old Caribbean man I go and visit at least twice a week who gives me smoked salmon and fresh ginger tea used to be the biggest gangster around.  The owner said that the head drug dealers and mobsters in Archway soil themselves in the face of Herbert West.  So, no need to worry about my safety!  If I ever get in trouble with the mob, all I have to say is "Hey look, mate.  You're messing with the wrong man.  I'm Herbert West's missionary" and I'll be fine.

Thanksgiving this year wasn't quite the same outside of America and without the family, but we still managed to eat some turkey and potatoes with some members.  It looks like you guys had an awesome time in New York.  I've grown to appreciate American cities more now that I've been experiencing London.  Everything there is so much more organized.  Everything here is like a maze.  It's a lot harder to navigate and a lot slower to travel.

Well I'm all out of time for the week.  At some point this week I'm going to be sending you guys a package with a few odds and ends that I think you'll enjoy from London, along with that flash drive full of pictures and videos and stuff.

I hope you have a great week!  I'm sure I will.

Love,

Elder Hein

More Pictures

2. Me and Margarita.  I promise there is no inappropriate missionary contact in this picture.  My coat makes it look like she's leaning on me.  This was not the case.

3. A picture from the Highgate Station bus stop right by the flat.  I thought I'd give you a glimpse into what I see every day when I go out to work.