Semana 6 - Before & After

Note:  It is amazing what a difference a mission makes -- not just to the missionary himself (or herself), but to their friends, families, etc -- spiritual enhancement, emotional maturity, physical change, just to name a few.  You can tell some of these changes from reading Elder H's weekly letters.  It seems that once in a blue moon, not every After is better than Before, and I attached a Before & After picture to illustrate...

BEFORE Elder Heimuli entered the MTC. Pictured Left to Right at the Provo Temple are Hema, Norma, Elder H, Harrison, Hevynn & Houston...they all looked so normal.

Hola familia!

I'm hoping i can send a BIG letter today...but sorry if it's not really that big hahaha, i tried!

So, prettty sure i'm like the best DL ever cuz i got us to host last wednesday a week early! i'm not sure if we will host every wednesday now, but i'll try and see what i can do cuz that was a lot of fun! I'm glad you guys got the pics from Sala and the Johnson family! (If you couldn't tell, i've lost 18 pounds since i got here haha) It was really nice, and kinda surprising to see that many people i knew before. I only got to host 2 missionaries that day, but it was cool cuz i hosted Elders Mitch Johnson and Joe Leishman! Germany and the Phillipeans...i hope i spelled those right! Spanish has screwed up my spelling so bad--i spell prophet like 'profet' and i put the enyay over every 'n' that i write, it's just terrible! I didn't get to host Elder Ethan Young, but i did see him later that night at dinner. He has the same food times as me and i always seem to run in to him at the book store or the mail room so i see him at least once a day. Don't worry, i've got his back! I am jealous of him though cuz he came in after me and leaves before i do! Lame! hahaha!

I've been studying really hard in the scriptures and i have found so many things that i didn't know before! I've always sorta known that the Book of Mormon was true, but i have such a testimony now of how it will answer every question that we have. I have written down questions and then i use the Book of Mormon to answer them. It's really amazing what you can find if you're willing to look! The biggest thing that i have found is that every question that we have, no matter what it is, the answer has been in front of us the whole time! Jesus Christ and turning to him and his love for us can solve every problem we face! That's the way it's supposed to be and that's why the atonement is so powerful! Jesus has gone through every sorrow and every hardship so we can turn to him and he can give us that answer that we're looking for! It's pretty sweeet....

Our first lesson in all spanish was pretty crazy! we taught these four students and even though it was kinda hard to understand completely, i feel like i got the jist of it. I have a lot of work to do, but it's amazing to see how far i've come in such a short amount of time! When we were teaching, i totally left all of my notes that had questions and other info that i pre-wrote in spanish, so i had to just sit there and think and just pull all that from my head! it was amazingly simpler than i thought!

Thanks for that packages and things that you have sent me! I got the hi chews and the shoe polish and chocolate! I of course haven't eaten any chocolate, the other elders in my district and zone took care of those. Elder Aledo is a Filipino and he lived in Hawaii for a year, so he was one that REALLY appreciated the hi chews with me! My district is doin good! we only have 6 elders in our district now and 18 elders in my zone! By next monday we'll only have 12 cuz we don't get any new missionaries in our zone this wednesday....hopefully next week though!

Sorry to hear that you're not completely well, mom. I'm doin fine! Healthy! Especially after Houston sent me that apple....and tp (toilet paper) letters! those were great and really funny! i was disappointed to find a normal letter from Houston in my last package! Tell Sifa and Nei thanks for their letters too! it was so nice to hear from them! I'll be sure to write them, and Grandma and Grandpa murray when i get some time! All of letters are so wonderful....i didn't think i'd be so dependent on snail mail (sorry mom)....weird. I did get Pam's letter too and i'll write you something to help. My favorite letter though is the one from Harrison. He asked me 'How is farting?' now i wasn't sure if i read it correctly or what but i'm positive it says that now and everyone that i show it to just busts out laughing! (Note from Mom: I think Harrison wrote 'How is teaching?' but I could be wrong.) You're the bomb Harrison!

It sounds like everyone is just being themselves! Especially Hevynn hahaha....sorry that i can't be there to smack down any of those guys that she hangs out with....especially cuz their my age and they should be doin something productive with their lives....but oh well. i guess that's Houston's job now--along with helping around the house, getting good grades, and being good at sports....sorry bud! Tell Hema it sounds like he's doin a great job in that musical! i wish i could be there to support him and stuff but...i'm not. I'll make it up to him when i get back! Thanks Norma for the nice letter and being so loving to your husband--cuz no one else wants to do it hahaha jk jk! oh, and i did get that morbid misshapen card with everyone's...pretty....faces on it! So nice!

AFTER Elder Heimuli entered the MTC. Pictured from Left to Right at home, missing their brother (and possibly a few marbles), are Harrison, Norma, Hema, Houston & Hevynn...they sent this in a card to Elder H in the MTC.

(back to the letter) --

As DL i am trying to figure out a way to get my district to study harder and be excited to be here! it's a challenge but i need to step up in the duty i've been assigned and find a way to do it! We're all in the 'grin and bear it' phase....so good luck to me!

Sorry, but i need to go now! i love you all and i pray for you every day! Read Alma 11

love elder heimuli