Look I´m actually writing a legit letter this week! It´s about dang time... I´ve been traveling allll over this stinkin country the last couple weeks. But it´s been really good! I´m happy to be back in Santa Rita with our investigators and members, now it´s time to get the work rollin again!
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO excited to see him! It sounds like everything went well with the delivery process and everything. I dig the name too! All week I was telling Elder Nielsen, "I'm going to get my email this week and it's gonna say that my sister had her baby.." And she did! I knew it! :) Hopefully little Damon doesn't get too jealous.. if so, you can just send him down here to me! ;) I'm glad everyone had a good Christmas, it was really good to talk to everyone. Mine was really good too, our Recent Convert family invited us over for lunch on Christmas and we had a big ol' steak! It was good, not as good as Uncle Mike's, but it was good.. It was the same for New Year's too. So my holidays were nice!
So yeah.. I'm district leader now! And here in Santa Rita that means I'm also the Branch President and councelors, Relief Society President, Young Men's and Women's President, etc.. And I'm training. Let's just say Elder Heiner has been a little stressed lately! I'm still trying to juggle everything, so if anyone has been in a similar situation, PLEASE give me advice! It's been a humbling experience..
Dad- Thanks for your letter from this week! It's going to help me a lot! I'm going to print it out. I really agree with what you said, there's no point in baptizing someone if they're not ready. You might as well do it right the first time! This is Eternal Salvation we're talking about here. At times it is hard because the leaders above me want numbers because that's how success is measured.. I think I just need to be better organized with everything, I don't know. I've never done this before!
We've been teaching some really great families lately.. I don't want their goal to just be baptism, I want to see them in the Temple! I want to see endowed members here in Santa Rita! I want to see the men here have the Priesthood, and everyone to have a Patriarchal Blessing! Jorge has been really excited to get the Melchizedek Priesthood! I need to call the Stake President to come out and interview him and give him this power! I think we'll make it work this coming Sunday.
We're still just finding people to teach.. Like solid people that want to do something with the faith they have. If everyone would just do their part and just ASK GOD, they would know! Its that easy. It blows my mind to talk to people and hear about their churches- even they don't believe in their churches- and they're just letting their pastors deceive them.. But it's been kind of hard getting back into the groove of things with all the meetings I've had and with the divisions with the zone leaders. We're trying to work more with the few members we have. We did a reference activity with Jorge and Mabel yesterday.. Mabel is back by the way!! Anyways, we had them write down a list of the names of their friends, then they prayed to see which friends are ready to hear the Gospel, then they put a star by the names of their friends that they felt were ready. So we got 4 people from that! Just make sure when the missionaries there ask for references, that they work for them! Instead of the old, "Do you know anyone we can visit?.." Make sure they share something spiritual or do an activity or something! They gotta earn it!
I still need to send the letter I wrote for Christmas.. Sorry I haven't sent it, I've been kinda busy! I think I'll be able to send it tomorrow morning! :) Finally.. By the way, I complete 9 months in the mission this week, no big deal! :D
Welp, I gotta go write President Callan now! I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week! I know I will! I'll be praying for you!!
Elder Colby Dane Heiner
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO excited to see him! It sounds like everything went well with the delivery process and everything. I dig the name too! All week I was telling Elder Nielsen, "I'm going to get my email this week and it's gonna say that my sister had her baby.." And she did! I knew it! :) Hopefully little Damon doesn't get too jealous.. if so, you can just send him down here to me! ;) I'm glad everyone had a good Christmas, it was really good to talk to everyone. Mine was really good too, our Recent Convert family invited us over for lunch on Christmas and we had a big ol' steak! It was good, not as good as Uncle Mike's, but it was good.. It was the same for New Year's too. So my holidays were nice!
So yeah.. I'm district leader now! And here in Santa Rita that means I'm also the Branch President and councelors, Relief Society President, Young Men's and Women's President, etc.. And I'm training. Let's just say Elder Heiner has been a little stressed lately! I'm still trying to juggle everything, so if anyone has been in a similar situation, PLEASE give me advice! It's been a humbling experience..
Dad- Thanks for your letter from this week! It's going to help me a lot! I'm going to print it out. I really agree with what you said, there's no point in baptizing someone if they're not ready. You might as well do it right the first time! This is Eternal Salvation we're talking about here. At times it is hard because the leaders above me want numbers because that's how success is measured.. I think I just need to be better organized with everything, I don't know. I've never done this before!
We've been teaching some really great families lately.. I don't want their goal to just be baptism, I want to see them in the Temple! I want to see endowed members here in Santa Rita! I want to see the men here have the Priesthood, and everyone to have a Patriarchal Blessing! Jorge has been really excited to get the Melchizedek Priesthood! I need to call the Stake President to come out and interview him and give him this power! I think we'll make it work this coming Sunday.
We're still just finding people to teach.. Like solid people that want to do something with the faith they have. If everyone would just do their part and just ASK GOD, they would know! Its that easy. It blows my mind to talk to people and hear about their churches- even they don't believe in their churches- and they're just letting their pastors deceive them.. But it's been kind of hard getting back into the groove of things with all the meetings I've had and with the divisions with the zone leaders. We're trying to work more with the few members we have. We did a reference activity with Jorge and Mabel yesterday.. Mabel is back by the way!! Anyways, we had them write down a list of the names of their friends, then they prayed to see which friends are ready to hear the Gospel, then they put a star by the names of their friends that they felt were ready. So we got 4 people from that! Just make sure when the missionaries there ask for references, that they work for them! Instead of the old, "Do you know anyone we can visit?.." Make sure they share something spiritual or do an activity or something! They gotta earn it!
I still need to send the letter I wrote for Christmas.. Sorry I haven't sent it, I've been kinda busy! I think I'll be able to send it tomorrow morning! :) Finally.. By the way, I complete 9 months in the mission this week, no big deal! :D
Welp, I gotta go write President Callan now! I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week! I know I will! I'll be praying for you!!
Elder Colby Dane Heiner
Oh yeah, last week when I did divisions with Elder Richards (one of my zone leaders), we taught a famous soccer player. His name is Eder- he plays for Cerro. It was pretty cool! Enjoy the pictures!
