Hey Fam and Friends!!!
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>      Well after getting emails and pics of my moms blue hair, dancing videos
from paige and shae, labor day videos from my dad, pics of my moms new car
(finally), a little sneak peak of the house that i don't think i was supposed to
see and Hiking Tumalo falls right outside of Bend today with a whole bunch of
Elders and Sisters....i would say I'm pretty pumped right now and exhausted!!!
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>  So something that i love about my mission is that it has helped me to be in
the scriptures everyday and it has not always been that way before my mission
and even on the mission as much as i have wanted or should. It has been a
complete paradigm shift and i look forward to studying every morning and esp. in
the Book of Mormon! Its kinda like i get lost and just so into it that nothing
else around me matters and i love marking them up and its just me and my
scriptures and the spirit! Sis Alvey and i will get so much out of one chapter
and get so pumped about the truthfulness of the Gospel which in turn helps us
want to share it more! Preach my Gospel talks about just that. This has been
happening a lot :)
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>  A little update on Xena! We have decided together that we are going to take a
little more time teaching her which is so good and needed esp because she just
started school. She is living with the Davis Family and learning a lot there
which she has really needed, they are so good for her! She really has not had
much stability in her life...like at all!! So she is learning so much and came
to church on Sunday and came to mission prep that we taught Sunday night!
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>  Another thing i love about my mission is working with the youth and helping
them to see how fun being a missionary can be!! And that they are very capable!
Ah! I cant even explain it.
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>  So i mentioned Damian in my last email (but called him damon) and talked
about how he has been coming to church and he came yesterday for a third time
and stayed for all three hours! We got to sit by him cause we were sitting in
the very back and he walked in late and so he sat by us. He tried going to
different churches and didn't feel comfortable and so apparently his aunt
suggested he come to the LDS church and so he did. We asked how he feel and what
he like about it...he said he liked it and he wouldn't come back if he wasn't
comfortable and we asked him why he thinks he is so comfortable and his response
was because we are like minded people. And is cool to not only hear that but to
see it. Bro. Schofield has really been fellow shipping him and...seriously he is
such an awesome member missionary...invited him over for dinner and sends him
Mormon messages and invites him to stay for more hours at church...participates
like heck in gospel principles class. So we are hoping to teach him this week
because we know he has questions!
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> ps. in the gospel principles book in the chapt on the sacrament there is a pic
of a congregation, y'all should spot someone church famous and email me and let
me know if you found it! :)
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>  Bro. King a less active member also showed up to church and we were seriously
so pumped about that..we visited him and he was only baptized about 5 years ago
and a missionary that taught him is now married and living in this ward, named
Bro Mercker which is also cool cause they will see each other around and will
tease him about getting to church! So he came and it was funny cause after each
hr he was about leave and we would say no chuck you gotta stay and basically
bribe him and say no no so and so is teaching you don't want to miss out! But i
know if were not in the right place at the right time he would have snuck out
haha but we still gave him is agency! Otherwise we would be going against
heavenly fathers plan ;) but i know he felt blessed for staying. It was also
interesting he said the first time he ever came to church it was a fast Sunday
and yesterday was fast Sunday! I know there is power and blessings that come
from fasting and that goes for all of Gods Commandments :)
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> I love this Gospel and thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the opportunity i
get to be out here and be a missionary and meet so many amazing people that i
learn and grow from! Theirs nothing like it.
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> Love Sister Heywood!
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