Semana 50 - Cardigans, Football & Thanksgiving

Hey Mom!

Prince and I are both doing good! It's starting to get a little chilly again, but I got your "warm" package the other day so I can handle it haha! We both now have matching cardigans that we busted out the other day at a branch activity!


Matching cardigans!

Errbody's jealous! Haha but thank you so much Mom!

This week went by really fast! Time just keeps picking up the longer I'm out here!

Anyways, for the beginning of the week we tried to work really hard cuz we knew at the end of the week we wouldn't have a whole lot of time due to Thanksgiving and other activities. So, we found a few people who were willing to listen to us. We had to sort of start over with our investigator pool, but it's ok. Hopefully these people we found are more solid.

For Thanksgiving morning we played football with an English ward and some English missionaries. The games were really fun. We got kicked off the field, though, by a city soccer team that was having a tournament that morning. So, we headed over to another field to play soccer with our branch.


Us missionaries, after playing sports with Bro. Madsen, the 2nd counselor in our branch (he's from B-town!)

On the way, I saw a bunch of these huge black guys playing football, so me and one other missionary went and played with them. They weren't that good, though. I'm trying to be humble, but I just ran all over them. Disappointing. After an hour of that, we finished and we joined our branch's soccer game in the next field over. By that time I was so tired! I am so out of shape I'm kinda scared to come back and play football ha. So that game lasted another hour and a half.

It was 3 when we finished and we headed over to the S family's house for Turkey Day linner (lunch+dinner). It was really good and we had a lot of fun there. Such a great family! Then we took the MARTA all the way down south to East Point city where we ate dinner at another members house! We were really full but the members are so cool here they just wanna feed us all the time!


Eating "patas de pollo" (yes, that is a chicken foot going into Elder H's mouth)...really gross, not gonna lie...

We took the sketchy MARTA train back home at 930 at night, but no one messes with us cuz were pretty big compared to most people here...unless they have a gun or something...

The Flores family didn't come to church this past sunday, so that was really sad. We went over afterwards though, with the branch president and that was really a good lesson. I guess Nicolas just woke up late cuz he was up all night with his back pain. They still really wanna get sealed in the temple so it'll just be a process but we'll be there every step of the way.

Everything is just moving along here. Thanks for all you do mom! Tell Houston hey and that he's the best! Those football pictures you sent me were so cool, he looks like a beast and bet he plays like one too! Aight, well I'll talk to you next week!

--Love Elder Heimuli

Semana 49 - Praise Jesus & Thanksgiving

Dear Mom,

First off, I'm glad to hear updates on everyone! Everything here in Atlanta is going good!

This past week Atlanta had the priviledge of hosting the Saints Unified Voices choir directed by Gladys Knight and Charlesworth and I were one of the lucky few missionaries who got to help with the shows. There were only 14 missionaries who were picked to proselyte during the shows and talk to the non-members who were attending.

The choir performed a total of 6 shows--Fri, Sat, and Sun with 2 each day. So, we worked ALL day for those 3 days at the show, so we didn't get much work done in our own area haha. It's ok cuz the experience was SO AMAZING!!!! The music was very up beat and soulful and very very spiritual. You could tell who was Mormon during the show cuz they felt a little uncomfortable when someone would stand up, start clapping and yell, "Praise Jesus!" I loved it. All of us missionaries were super excited cuz this was our chance to stand up and start dancing hahaha!


Elder Charlesworth & Heimuli dancing in the parking lot

Really though, Gladys Knight has such an amazing testimony and it could be felt through her music. Whenever she would belt out a solo, I would get chills. Even though I watched the show 6 times, it never got old and the spirit was super strong throughout. I got to shake her hand!!!! Oh man, pretty sure I almost fainted hahaha! It was cool though, cuz even though the show had her name on it and a lot of people went because of her, Gladys refused to sign autographs and take pictures because she wanted the focus to be on Jesus Christ and His restored church.


Missionaries sharing "Gladys Knight and the Saints Unified Voices Choir" music & message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ

It was just really cool and we had a lot of success. 1020 referrals (but not really any for Spanish...boo!)! We worked really hard and usually didn't go to bed til 12 or even 1.


Elder Charlesworth & Heimuli pose for a picture while everybody else cleans up after an SUV concert

So, we're super tired but happy from the experience. And we are excited to get back to working in our area!


NOTHING can detract from a missionary's enthusiasm...okay, maybe Wheat Thins...but nothing else!

I'm doing great! A little tired, but nothing I can't handle:) The weather here was really cold, and then the past couple days it's been really humid and hot...so I don't know what's going on with all that.

The Flores family is doing good. The dad's back is still messed up but they were at church again on Sunday! We'll be going over there tonight to have family home evening with them.

I don't get to see the Huckaby's anymore...sad.

For Thanksgiving we're gonna be playing sports in the morning and then we have 3 dinner appointments I think...IDK, I just know that we're gonna be busy ha! You're Thanksgiving sounds great!

Well, I hope all is well and I'll talk to you next week!

--Love Elder Heimuli

Semana 48 - Super Great Here

Hey Mom!

Everything is going super great here! It's getting a little cold but it's not snowing thank goodness! No one would know what to do here haha it'd just be a huge panic like it was last year haha!

Thank you so much for the b-day gift! Charlesworth was really happy about the spam and corned beef ha. Besides that, one of the best things that happened to me last week was that yesterday we had 4 less actives to church yesterday!!! We were so excited! We've been working with this family since I got here. Family of 9 who is less active. Anyways, Charlesworth has actually been working with them to get them active since he got here. A while back the dad got in a accident at work that messed up his back and now he can't drive because his legs go numb if he drives too long. Since most of the people in the branch don't have a license or even a car, no one could give him a ride. So, slowly he lost interest in coming. Well we taught them a lesson about how in order to recieve blessings we need to be willing to do our part first, like go to church. Well, a member came with us and kinda threw down, but it was good cuz the next day we went by and they were totally changed. The whole family wanted to go to church, even if it meant driving themselves. We were blessed though, cuz we found someone who could give them a ride! So they were at church and that was awsome. Tonight we are going over to teach a FHE about temples. They want to get sealed together as a family.

This whole week we have just been working hard and trying to really work with the branch. It's something that is super important. We think it'll really help the area and the spanish mission in general.

Yeah, Charlesworth told me about Coach Mac last week, which he heard from his mom. That's a bummer. It's just sounds like football news is just all crazy in Utah haha.

(Note from Mom: Here's a timely article about Coach Mac's missionary zeal and Elder Heimuli's dad...waaaay back in the day!)

I'm super happy you guys got to meet Elder Jones! I hope he's doing good. It's weird that he's not a missionary anymore. And I'm glad he said I'm a good missionary, even though that's what all "dads" are supposed to say about their "kids" hahaha.

Sorry if this email is lame and short, but this week has kinda been a haze haha. I can't really name any specifics, but I just know that I've been really happy so far and have been trying my best to work hard and be good! I love you mom and tell everyone in the family I say hi and love them too!

Love, Elder Heimuli

Semana 47 - Seven Minutes Away

Dear family,

Well, I did get transferred and I was really sad. I was holding on to a bit of hope that something crazy would happen and I'd stay, but we got the calls and Stockman is training. Monday and Tuesday were spent taking pictures, saying goodbye and packing.











So, when we finally got to transfers and I got the news that I was getting moved! The funny part is that the area is in the same branch and I was only moved about seven minutes away. I was really excited cuz I still get to work with all of the members! I'm with Elder Charlesworth, whom you know already.

Charlesworth got sick so we were inside for a few days, but we visited some investigators and one already has a date. The problem with her is that we can't find her at the moment...she is single with three kids under the age of 5 and jobless cuz her last job started checking for papers. She has no phone and was evicted from her apartment, so she was living with these gross people but last time we went over they told us she moved out. That was last Thursday. We have been praying hard that we can find her and that everything is ok.

Other than that, we have been cleaning up the area book and mapping. This area is a little disorganized but we are getting it together. Our main focus is working with the members in our area so we are trying our best to set up FHE and other member lessons. We are super excited about the transfer cuz we can see a lot of potential from the area.

That's about it really, just a lot of planning and organizing the area--my new home for 6 weeks.

I can't think of anything I really need right now...not gonna lie, it's getting kinda cold and a sweater would be nice!

Oh, and for Halloween we only got two trick or treaters (one is from a part member family in our complex, and the other was just a random kid. We named him chancho). I assumed that would happen anyways because we have that picture of Jesus on the front of the door and I was guessing that it would repel most if not all trick or treaters. But my hypothesis was confirmed. I was sitting in the living room and I heard these kids outside the door. One kid was talking, and he was leading the other kids in their trick or treating. I heard him say "Ok, you go knock that door. You, knock that one. and you, knock that one." There is a pause, then kid goes, "but we're not gonna knock that one. They're Christian so they don't believe in Halloween." I just started busting out laughing right there! I didn't really ever think people thought like that, but whatever. We had candy waiting for 'em.

That's about it. I love you all so very much and I appreciate all the prayers and support that you guys give me. The whole extended family, the people in the ward, and everyone who I don't even know about. Thank you and mom will be getting pictures from me so you can all see my beautiful face:)

Love, Elder Heimuli