Love Thy Neighbor

Everyone has a favorite neighbor, right? You know, the neighbor you wish you could take with you everywhere you moved...for the rest of your life! Ask any Heimuli -- we will tell you that the absolute BEST neighbors in the entire universe are Berwyn and Virginia...seriously. We've missed them every day since we moved to Woods Cross, and that was 4 years ago. Why?

! We moved in next door to the Andruses when Houston was 3 days old (he is now 5,508 days old). Immediately, we were treated just like one of their grown children.

! Because we had only ever lived in apartments previously, Lakei and I attempted to learn to prune our roses by imitating Virginia's every move as she lovingly cared for her beautiful flowers.

! Countless times we came home, or emerged from our home, to find our driveway cleared of snow, trash cans neatly put away, lawn mowed, and roses pruned-the-right-way!

! The dark-haired Heimuli kids grew up playing basketball in the Andrus' driveway, swinging in their backyard, picking their vegetables (when their delicious home-grown produce wasn't already hanging on our backdoor knob!), and playing with the many ginger-haired Andrus grandkids.

! Berwyn was Hema's Primary teacher when we moved in. Berwyn also became Helam's and Hevynn's Primary teacher when they each turned 9, but I encouraged him to consider retiring from Primary before Houston got into his class...because I loved our dear neighbors, and wanted them to still love us! Haha, Houston's really not that bad...anymore.

So, two "Elder Heimuli letters" ago (yes, that is how I count the passage of time these days), Helam informed me that he was feeling sick, in a new area, and having very little success. I prayed something good would happen. Imagine my surprise to get a call from the lovely and gracious Virginia, telling me her granddaughter Emily had just let Grandma know she was driving down the road when she spotted two missionaries walking in the heat of the day. Emily stopped to give the elders some apples and noticed Elder Heimuli's nametag (read Helam's previous letter re: "Mmmm, apple juice").

I believe it was an answer to prayer. The last I knew of Emily was her family lived in another state -- our neighbors visited them at least once a year. Since then I guess she grew up, served a mission, married her wonderful husband who studies Robotics at Georgia Tech, had 3 beautiful children, and now lives in the area Helam serves.

Last night, Berwyn and Virginia's granddaughter went above-and-beyond by getting special permission for Helam and his companion to come over for dinner. It's exactly the neighborly type of thing her grandparents would do. And I am so grateful.


The adorable children with Elder Shumway and Elder Heimuli

See why we love our neighbors so much?