QUESTIONS:
1. Was it like Old Home Week at the meeting on Saturday? Did you get to see lots of missionaries that you were with at the MTC? Old Companions?
Yeah!! I saw everyone! It was so awesome! It was cool to be in there with all the missionaries that are in Paraguay right now!
Yeah!! I saw everyone! It was so awesome! It was cool to be in there with all the missionaries that are in Paraguay right now!
2. Tell us the top three things that stood out most to you that Elder Bednar talked about.
He told us that the meeting was going to be different than any other church meeting.. He said, "I know you´re all expecting to take notes.. And that I´m going to do all the talking.. (then everyone started putting all their stuff away!) Now I didn´t say for you to put your things away, you´re still going to take notes!" Then he explained the large plates and the small plates, and that he wanted us to take home a copy of "small plates" because we would never read the "large plates" even if we could find them! He showed us how to be agents and not objects, and to help others be agents and to not treat them like objects. And the whole time, we were involved and it was the COOLEST 3 hour meeting I´ve ever been in!! I sat about 8 rows in front of him, DEAD CENTER, and nobody´s head was in the way! He looked at me! It was so cool! By far my favorite apostle.
He told us that the meeting was going to be different than any other church meeting.. He said, "I know you´re all expecting to take notes.. And that I´m going to do all the talking.. (then everyone started putting all their stuff away!) Now I didn´t say for you to put your things away, you´re still going to take notes!" Then he explained the large plates and the small plates, and that he wanted us to take home a copy of "small plates" because we would never read the "large plates" even if we could find them! He showed us how to be agents and not objects, and to help others be agents and to not treat them like objects. And the whole time, we were involved and it was the COOLEST 3 hour meeting I´ve ever been in!! I sat about 8 rows in front of him, DEAD CENTER, and nobody´s head was in the way! He looked at me! It was so cool! By far my favorite apostle.
3. How did the work go in your area this past week before Elder Bednar got there? I'm sure you all were so excited to get to hear from and apostle!
The time went by really fast. We went to Asunción 2 times this week and we moved.. It was kind of hectic, but it was so nice to just sit and be taught by an apostle. We had to get up at 1 in the morning to grab a bus to get to Asunción by 7. We ended up waiting in the bus terminal for 2 hours and we got to Asunción at like 5:30 haha..
The time went by really fast. We went to Asunción 2 times this week and we moved.. It was kind of hectic, but it was so nice to just sit and be taught by an apostle. We had to get up at 1 in the morning to grab a bus to get to Asunción by 7. We ended up waiting in the bus terminal for 2 hours and we got to Asunción at like 5:30 haha..
4. How is Venancio doing?
I don´t know.. Roberto said he´s just kind of being a punk. We haven´t been able to find him for like 2 weeks :( But Roberto said he´s stopped drinking and that he feels like he doesn´t want to do bad things anymore. He´s taking into account what God thinks! So that´s good :D
I don´t know.. Roberto said he´s just kind of being a punk. We haven´t been able to find him for like 2 weeks :( But Roberto said he´s stopped drinking and that he feels like he doesn´t want to do bad things anymore. He´s taking into account what God thinks! So that´s good :D
5. Have you found a new apartment yet?
Yeah we found a sweet house! We heard about it, so we went and talked to the neighbors, but they told us to not even waste our time because the owners didn´t even wanna have anything to do with renting the house.. The house has been there for 20 years, and the owners only go there when they´re visiting.. Needless to say its in really nice condition! Its clean and it has a nice homey feel to it. So we got the number of the owners and they said they would only rent it out to the missionaries because they know we´ll take care of it! So we moved in!! And it´s been a great house! Now I´ll probably get changed out of here on Wednesday because I finally got into a nice place..
Yeah we found a sweet house! We heard about it, so we went and talked to the neighbors, but they told us to not even waste our time because the owners didn´t even wanna have anything to do with renting the house.. The house has been there for 20 years, and the owners only go there when they´re visiting.. Needless to say its in really nice condition! Its clean and it has a nice homey feel to it. So we got the number of the owners and they said they would only rent it out to the missionaries because they know we´ll take care of it! So we moved in!! And it´s been a great house! Now I´ll probably get changed out of here on Wednesday because I finally got into a nice place..
6. Can you tell us more about your doctor's appointment? Why are you having pain if everything is fine?
Well, I went in, he checked me standing up.. Then he had me lay down.. It was awkward, said it was fine and sent me on my way! He told me to not do any strenuous activities for like 6 months. No working out, no heavy lifting.. Nothing. Which is fine with me because I get tired really easily now. I think I´m gonna eat lunch at 10:30 when I get home and take a mid-morning nap.. Then eat dinner at 4 and be in bed at 8. Wait a minute, that sounds like the MTC all over again!
On the way back from my doctor´s appointment, I fell asleep on the bus.. Then I woke up to a guy sitting across the isle staring at me. I was like, what the.. Then I realized who it was! In Caaguazú, Elder Patterson and Elder Shaw and I visited an inactive member.. Ramón Ralón. His wife and 2 kids aren´t members, so we were working on reactivating him and help them have an eternal family. Well, I left and never saw them again. I hadn´t really heard anything about them since. He was the guy that was staring at me on the bus! So we started talking and he told me that he was going to visit his family for the few hours free that he had. He does construction in Asunción and can only go visit his family every few months.. Think about it, the one Monday I go to Asunción to get myself looked at, the short time I was there, and the bus I got on.. I just so happen to cross paths with him on a bus on the very day he has a few hours to go visit his family.. I told him that I´m glad I got to know him and his family and told him how great they are. Then he said, "Everyone is good, we´re all just missing a little glass of something.." So I bore my testimony to him and told him that the "glass" that everyone is missing is the Gospel. And its true! If you´re not happy, or you think you could be happier, talk to the missionaries and do what they say! If you´re having a tough go, talk to the missionaries and do what they say! They are literal servents of Jesus Christ, the man who died for us so that He could know how to help us. The missionaries have what He would give you to make you happy!!! It´s that easy! I know it is, I´m experiencing it, I´m living it. I´ve had a change of heart and I´m SO happy to be part of His work. It´s like Elder Bednar told us on Saturday, "It´s all true. This is all true."
I can´t deny what I´ve felt here. It´s not adrenaline, it´s not yelling, it´s not loudness, it´s not fear, confusion or any of that stuff. Its like Galations 5:20-21. Or 3 Nephi 11:3. I know God lives and loves us. He answers our prayers. He is VERY mindful of us and our needs. He loves us more than our brothers and sisters, our parents, grandparents, or anyone else. We literally cannot comprehend the love He has for us. And I´ve only felt a small portion of it.
Please read your scriptures and pray! If you have a Bible, read it. If you have a Book of Mormon, read it. If you don´t, get one. If you don´t like reading, get over it and read the scriptures. I used to hate reading.. And if you remember, I failed my English class in 7th grade! I´m just saying.. It´s that important. You have nothing to lose, and you will gain more happiness than you can even imagine. Start with a verse a day. I dare you. I promise you´ll be happy.
Other than that, I saw a 3 year old kid carrying a 40 oz bottle of booze to take to his daddy! Count your blessings folks.
I love you all! I keep you in my prayers daily!
Elder Colby Dane Heiner
Well, I went in, he checked me standing up.. Then he had me lay down.. It was awkward, said it was fine and sent me on my way! He told me to not do any strenuous activities for like 6 months. No working out, no heavy lifting.. Nothing. Which is fine with me because I get tired really easily now. I think I´m gonna eat lunch at 10:30 when I get home and take a mid-morning nap.. Then eat dinner at 4 and be in bed at 8. Wait a minute, that sounds like the MTC all over again!
On the way back from my doctor´s appointment, I fell asleep on the bus.. Then I woke up to a guy sitting across the isle staring at me. I was like, what the.. Then I realized who it was! In Caaguazú, Elder Patterson and Elder Shaw and I visited an inactive member.. Ramón Ralón. His wife and 2 kids aren´t members, so we were working on reactivating him and help them have an eternal family. Well, I left and never saw them again. I hadn´t really heard anything about them since. He was the guy that was staring at me on the bus! So we started talking and he told me that he was going to visit his family for the few hours free that he had. He does construction in Asunción and can only go visit his family every few months.. Think about it, the one Monday I go to Asunción to get myself looked at, the short time I was there, and the bus I got on.. I just so happen to cross paths with him on a bus on the very day he has a few hours to go visit his family.. I told him that I´m glad I got to know him and his family and told him how great they are. Then he said, "Everyone is good, we´re all just missing a little glass of something.." So I bore my testimony to him and told him that the "glass" that everyone is missing is the Gospel. And its true! If you´re not happy, or you think you could be happier, talk to the missionaries and do what they say! If you´re having a tough go, talk to the missionaries and do what they say! They are literal servents of Jesus Christ, the man who died for us so that He could know how to help us. The missionaries have what He would give you to make you happy!!! It´s that easy! I know it is, I´m experiencing it, I´m living it. I´ve had a change of heart and I´m SO happy to be part of His work. It´s like Elder Bednar told us on Saturday, "It´s all true. This is all true."
I can´t deny what I´ve felt here. It´s not adrenaline, it´s not yelling, it´s not loudness, it´s not fear, confusion or any of that stuff. Its like Galations 5:20-21. Or 3 Nephi 11:3. I know God lives and loves us. He answers our prayers. He is VERY mindful of us and our needs. He loves us more than our brothers and sisters, our parents, grandparents, or anyone else. We literally cannot comprehend the love He has for us. And I´ve only felt a small portion of it.
Please read your scriptures and pray! If you have a Bible, read it. If you have a Book of Mormon, read it. If you don´t, get one. If you don´t like reading, get over it and read the scriptures. I used to hate reading.. And if you remember, I failed my English class in 7th grade! I´m just saying.. It´s that important. You have nothing to lose, and you will gain more happiness than you can even imagine. Start with a verse a day. I dare you. I promise you´ll be happy.
Other than that, I saw a 3 year old kid carrying a 40 oz bottle of booze to take to his daddy! Count your blessings folks.
I love you all! I keep you in my prayers daily!
Elder Colby Dane Heiner
