Why hello!
So last Monday I don't think I told you all but we got the chance to
go to the coast with Kathy, Gina, bro bivens and sis bivens! We got
permission to go outside of our mission to Newport! It was fun and
nice to get away from the pollen...Kathy and the bivens paid for all
of us to go to the Oregon coast aquarium! It was super fun! It was my
fourth time going to the beach on my mission yay! It was quite
entertaining cause the people we were with..crack me up!
We were able to meet with Charles twice this week and he came to
church! He slowly but surely is gaining that testimony of Jesus Christ
and his gospel! A key role in his conversion has been bro and sis
Evans!
We had our mission tour in Salem on Friday and we got the privilege of
hearing from a general authority...Elder Martino and his wife! Wow wow
wow. So much revelation and training that was much needed and it was
just so exciting because elder martino is so exciting they are from
Texas and had some pretty sweet accents! It's hard to explain the
sprit that was there and how amazing it was! We learned about how
every person we work with needs to have the perfect Amulek! We read
from Alma 8-10 and how alma who was the missionary taught the people
but that when alma found Amulek the "less active membre" and Amulek
came out with alma to teach the people and the people were astonished
when Amulek spake more so than alma! So as members of the church help
the missionaries teach the people are more astonished by the friend
who can relate to them more and have experienced more of life...then
maybe an 18 or 22 yr old missionary! I invite you all to work more
with the full time missionaries serving in your area and being that
Amulek for helping teach someone the gospel! Also to think about the
sister or elders you know right now and what they have sacrificed to
be on a mission and what it means to them to be there!
So one night the whole branch got together and did a huge cleanup
outside...because apparently someone had asked bro hoyer if we are
moving from our building? And he said no why? And the man said well it
looks like you guys have neglected your building.....WHAT. Not
okay...so basically everyone was there pulling weeds and let me tell
you I love to pull weeds super weird right? They are so much easier to
pull here than Mesa az! The rain loosens them up. It was SO MUCH
FUN...i felt so unified with the members of the branch much like I do
on Sundays when I get to see all of them together:) I want to relive
that night 50 times over! Pulled weeds, spread bark mulch, cut down
weeds taller than me, trimmed trees and bushes that were covering the
"visitors welcome" sign...ahh. It was so sweet at the fast and
testimony meeting Sunday president Glenn bore the sweetest testimony
and said that we buoy him up as we were all together cleaning up and
how he couldn't do what he does without the branch and all that they
do.
That night one of the young women, Kayla hovey came up to me and said
guess what?! And I couldn't think of what...,so she told me! She has
decided to go on a mission! Even though she was planning on going to
the college she was accepted to! (She graduated this week from hs) her
dad is the one that  served with my uncle in Honduras. I was so so
happy and she said the thing that helped her solidify her decision was
when president Samuelian came to speak at the branch and all the
classes that day. She said she had been praying about it for awhile
and that I influenced her life by being on a mission in Brownsville.
Her mom also told me that I influenced her daughters life. It really
means a lot to me.
We were able to find a la named Sandra by following the spirit which
is always cool. Apparently she had asked missionaries to come by
before and they never came. So we really wouldn't have found her if we
weren't out searching. She is super sweet and has a strong testimony
and conversion story and is wanting to come back. Yay.
Charles is doing so wonderfully especially because his Amuleks are
back in town. This week we walked in and he was outback smoking and
reading the Book of Mormon. He seems different and like his
countenance has been changing. We had a lesson on the 10 commandments
and an emphasis on the sabbath day. It went really welll and his
prayers and answers are getting more wordy. In the past he has really
just said very few words or none at all.  We love chuck he is super
great! He has a good sense of humor and is trying his best to
understand. We also explained to him that he doesn't need to
understand everything in order to be baptized which needed to be said.
He is really honest which we love!
One of my very favorite services this week and maybe in my whole
mission was cutting sister Louise smiths hair she has lymphedema and
has been in a wheelchair most of her life and doesn't do anything for
herself besides feed herself. The whole branch loves them. She has the
best attitude about her situation. When you know she is in so much
pain. I got to cut her hair and it had gotten pretty long and we cut
it pretty short and gave her a new style and she LOVED it. And it was
so cute to watch her be so happy about a haircut.
Anyways that is all for now! I hope you all have a great week and are
doing most of what makes you happy!
Love sister heywood.