New Companion: Heidelberg Week 19

August 22, 2016

Subject: die Woche

Hello Family!

Happy Monday! New dryer, yay! Also, is Frau Benjamin still teaching? or is the German program just getting big at tesoro? I know you're really excited to hear more about my new companion and our week together, so here we go. [DN: Frau Benjamin taught Hayden German at Tesoro, the German program has grown to needing more than 1 teacher, and Hayden’s brother Austin has Herr Hopf]

To start, I spelled his name wrong when I wrote last week. His name is Elder Mejía, not Mejilla. (Mejilla means cheek by the way). He is 25 and from Bogotá, Colombia. He got to know the church there and continued to investigate in Germany as he did an exchange program here. He lived in Karlsruhe and Freiburg, then went home and was baptized in Colombia as he finished his degree in Electrical Engineering. A bit more than a year later he put in his mission papers and received his call to The Frankfurt Germany Mission where he will spend approximately the next 18 months. Elder Mejía began his mission in Dortmund and is now serving in his second area, the Heidelberg Spanish area. He speaks German very well and we enjoy chatting primarily in German. Diligent and trusting in the Lord, Elder Mejía consistently cries repentance, inviting and helping the sons and daughters of God in this corner of the Lord's vineyard to reach their potential and come unto Christ through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance (Helaman 5:10-11), baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end (PmG 1, your Purpose).

Yep, Elder Mejía is great, we have a lot of fun and we work hard. Elder Clemente is in Krefeld and doing well too. In the past week we had lessons with our neighbor Mr W from Cuba, with Brother K, and with Ms E from the Dominican Republic (member). We didn't see Mr H at all last week nor did he come to church on Sunday and he forgot his bag last Sunday, so we're worried about him. Mr W, coming from Cuba, doesn't have a religious background. He believes that there is a higher power out there that hears and answers his prayers, but discussing the nature of God was totally new to him. We are made in His image Genesis 1:26-27. He is our Father, the Father of our spirits Hebrews 12:9, Romans 8:16, Acts 17:27-29. He loves us! 1 John 4:7-9. He answers our prayers James 1:5-6. Understanding who God is at some level and praying to Him is essential and building a relationship with Him.

Have a great week! I love you!

Hayden

Ask in Faith and Pray Always: Heidelberg Week 18

August 15, 2016

Hello!

Austin is a little cross country boy now, so proud. His face looks the same but his body and his writing skills have changed a lot during my time on my mission. Off to high school too! I received a package from mom and dad with ties, candy and spices as well as a package from grandma with popcorn and rice crispy treats. Everything was still in good condition and tasty, the Heidelberg zone says thank you to Grandma for the rice crispy treats, we shared :) Thank you so much for the packages and love!

As far as the coming transfer, I am staying and Elder Clemente is going up to Krefeld, a city near Düsseldorf. Elder Mejilla from Colombia will be my new companion, he was just in Dortmund for 4 transfers and Heidelberg will be his second area. I hear that he also spoke German before his mission, studied here or something like that, so that will be helpful.

This week I learned a lot about prayer. I studied Elder Bednar's talks: Ask in Faith and Pray Always. Sometimes I feel like I write to you about the importance of prayer and answered prayers every week, that really has been a theme of my mission, God answering my prayers and feeling the need to pray more or pray more sincerely. I realized why we haven't been finding new people to teach in the past few weeks, it is because we have not been asking, speaking for myself, I haven't at least as much as I usually do. So some main goals of this week were to pray more and ask more that we will be led to people with a desire to learn. After probably two weeks of not trading numbers with anyone an Elder and I found 3 people on a split, I found one on the way back and during the week Elder Clemente and I spoke with another 2 people who want to learn more. That was nice. 3 appointments set up and some more numbers traded.

As much as Faith without works is dead (James 2:17), works without faith are men relying on the arm of flesh rather than trusting in God (2 Nephi 4). I realized that even though we have been putting in the same amount of work to search for people, without the faithful prayers and petitions behind it are works were also dead.

Praying always does include often having a prayer in our hearts, in gratitude or in reaching out to our Father in Heaven on a more regular basis. Living according to our prayers is also part of it. Joyful repentance is an important part of praying always as well. Constantly seeking to improve, not in a self defeating way, but in a joyful, happily striving to grow sort of way. And filling our prayers with gratitude.

Anyways, I could talk for a long time about prayer and talking to God, it is wonderful. Overall it was a solid week, love Elder Clemente and looking forward to working hard with Elder Mejilla.

Love you!

Hayden

Keep Loving: Heidelberg Week 17

August 8, 2016

Hello!

No, I haven't received the package yet. We have zone training this week again and I should get packages and letters then. What should the topic of my homecoming talk be? or do I get to just pick, speak for 30 minutes and steal sacrament meeting? That's exciting for dad, and wow [DadNote: fixed car issues, installed a ceiling rack and a colonoscopy all in one week]! Everyone is getting married [DN several of Hayden’s older brother’s age group – 6 weddings since Dec]!

My week was so much fun. Having a trio just brought new excitement and fun, it was so good. Patrick is from the United States and has only lived in Germany for a month or two and goes in December on a Spanish speaking mission [DN: New Mexico]. He will be such a good missionary, he understands what really matters, has fun and works hard. We met with lots of members this week and ate a lot. Through that we were also able to teach a lot in Spanish- ideal for Patrick. At the end of the week we went to a short testimony meeting of these mini missionaries, 5 in total. Patrick bore a powerful testimony of the love that God has for each of his children and how his testimony of this truth grew during his week of missionary work, striving to love and serve the Spanish ward.

On Sunday the missionaries in the Heidelberg wards (my companionship, zone leaders, sisters) met with the stake president shortly. President Henkel is so good. He sends his love and gratitude to you, Mom and Dad, and thank you as well for raising me in the gospel, helping me to have a testimony and be converted.

He also talked about filling the measure of our creation. In Doctrine and Covenants 88 it talks about how the world will fill the measure of it's creation and be crowned with glory. With that topic, it is so important for us to know what God's will is for us and make the best choices we can to do it.

Mr H is doing well, going through some trials before his baptism but he knows what he wants and knows that it's right. He knows that God is there, supports and loves him.

God's love is so amazing and individual, he knows Mr H personally and loves him. He loves each of His children more than we can know. "Keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever." ElderJeffrey R. Holland

Love,

Hayden

 

His Soul Hungered : Heidelberg Week 16

August 1, 2016

 Mom and Dad,

Unfortunately I have not gotten the package yet. Daniel is the new Spanish man whom we're teaching. Check for pictures.

Hello! This was a solid week. Fun news, we have a mini missionary from the week. Brother Tr is about 18 and is serving with us in the Spanish area for a week. He is going on his mission in November to New Mexico so this is a cool opportunity to practice his Spanish and get a taste of missionary life. Seeing as he is also from America and doesn't speak German, this is Spanish week. We planned more member lessons since we are also working on supporting the ward in their missionary work (which is going well, the members are and have been excited to share, invite their friends and support us) and are having a fairly normal week. It's just extra fun to have another friend to talk to, Elder Clemente and I love each other, but after 16 weeks together adding a new perspective and voice is an enjoyable change.

In the past week we had a lesson with Mr H who is progressing really well, he hasn't missed a day of church since his first time about 6 weeks ago when he didn't know the train times and ran 5k to a different train station to make it to church.

We met with Mr L and talked about desire and Enos in the scriptures, Enos talks about how his soul Hungered and he began to pray and struggle before God for the whole day. The time really helps to show his desire, but the line that his soul hungered illustrates really well the type of desire that we need to have to receive answers to our prayers. In Preach my Gospel says about our Father in Heaven and the relationship to him: "He wants to communicate with us, and we can communicate with Him through sincere prayer". I really appreciate the use of the word sincere. If our prayers are words only then then don't reach the Heavens as they do when they come from our hearts. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened up to you." Matt7:7. These verbs require desire and real intent.

We were on a split for this, but Elder Clemente also had a lesson with a man from southern Spain which went really well. Brother K came to church and will be coming to the temple dedication activity as well, he's doing great.

Love you all!

Hayden