Monday, February 8, 2016
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Monday, February 1, 2016
Catch up
Dear Family,
This week was great, as was the last one. I will try and do some catch up as I didnt write last week... Sorry father.
Last week we were doing splits in Antsirabe. I was able to work with many elders in the zone. The work of the Lord is really progressing in the area of Antsirabe as I was introduced to many people who are ready for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so cool to be apart of a lesson or six where the investigator asks about the lesson or scripture that we share and then they apply what they have just learned to their lives. One cool/sad story that happened while I was on splits.
I was working with Elder Koplin (The zone leader who is in Pres. Hathaway's stake) in his area of Ambohimena. We had tracted most of the day and had got into a couple houses, but nothing that looked too promising. It was getting late, like eight o'clock, but he said that he had someone in mind that we could visit. We walked down the smallest alley way that was full of mud and small children. The small path led to wooden stairs that were not suitable for a couple of american twenty year olds. Elder Koplin "odio-ed" and a woman came to the door. Elder Koplin asked if her husband was home. He was and we walked in. I didnt know who these people were, but I soon came to know of their story.
This family (Mother and Father with 4 children) had been taught a couple months back and had received a baptismal date. They were very excited. For some reason, the stars did not align and the missionaries were forced to move the baptism back, and then again, and then for a third time. These people had gotten discouraged. They had stopped coming to church and the husband had vanished. He claimed that he had been gone to Toliara working... he claimed that he had gotten home that day and he also claimed to be leaving again the next day to go back. Elder Koplin was shocked. He didnt know the family that well since he was relatively new to the area. The one thing that he did know was that this family needed the restored gospel in their lives. He pleaded and read scriptures and begged this family to re consider. He asked them questions that made them think about the feelings they felt when they were coming to church and when they were reading the Book of Mormon. He promised them blessings and comfort if they would just come back. The only thing that he didnt do was get down on his hands and knees... so I did it. I was feeling the anguish that Elder Koplin had. So, I invited the family to get down on their knees and I asked the mother to offer a blessing to know if what they had already learned was true. It was a beautiful prayer. But it didnt help. We continued to preach and did our very best to create an environment where the spirit could testify. Before the lesson ended, the father said, "ok, we still want this. We want to learn, but when my work is done, that is when we can do this." Elder Koplin and I lifted our heads up. Then he started to count his with his fingers. "In June I will be done".
A couple of things that I learned that night. The missionaries really do want the best for people. They want to help. They want to give. They want to bring people to Christ. I also learned that people have their own agency. Elder Koplin did everything in his will power to help these people, but he respected their wishes and with a smile said that we would be waiting for them at church. I desire to be more like Elder Koplin. He has such a large heart. I know that the gospel that we spread is true. It makes me so happy.
In other news... not much happened. We had a world wide missionary broadcast. Way awesome. We brought the zone leaders from reunion over to watch it with us so we have had them with us this week. We had some good splits here in Tana and we are still going. President Foote's daughter also had her first child. Yayy!
Thank you for all that you do. I love you with all my heart. I love being a missionary!
All My Love
Elder Herrin
This week was great, as was the last one. I will try and do some catch up as I didnt write last week... Sorry father.
Last week we were doing splits in Antsirabe. I was able to work with many elders in the zone. The work of the Lord is really progressing in the area of Antsirabe as I was introduced to many people who are ready for the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was so cool to be apart of a lesson or six where the investigator asks about the lesson or scripture that we share and then they apply what they have just learned to their lives. One cool/sad story that happened while I was on splits.
I was working with Elder Koplin (The zone leader who is in Pres. Hathaway's stake) in his area of Ambohimena. We had tracted most of the day and had got into a couple houses, but nothing that looked too promising. It was getting late, like eight o'clock, but he said that he had someone in mind that we could visit. We walked down the smallest alley way that was full of mud and small children. The small path led to wooden stairs that were not suitable for a couple of american twenty year olds. Elder Koplin "odio-ed" and a woman came to the door. Elder Koplin asked if her husband was home. He was and we walked in. I didnt know who these people were, but I soon came to know of their story.
This family (Mother and Father with 4 children) had been taught a couple months back and had received a baptismal date. They were very excited. For some reason, the stars did not align and the missionaries were forced to move the baptism back, and then again, and then for a third time. These people had gotten discouraged. They had stopped coming to church and the husband had vanished. He claimed that he had been gone to Toliara working... he claimed that he had gotten home that day and he also claimed to be leaving again the next day to go back. Elder Koplin was shocked. He didnt know the family that well since he was relatively new to the area. The one thing that he did know was that this family needed the restored gospel in their lives. He pleaded and read scriptures and begged this family to re consider. He asked them questions that made them think about the feelings they felt when they were coming to church and when they were reading the Book of Mormon. He promised them blessings and comfort if they would just come back. The only thing that he didnt do was get down on his hands and knees... so I did it. I was feeling the anguish that Elder Koplin had. So, I invited the family to get down on their knees and I asked the mother to offer a blessing to know if what they had already learned was true. It was a beautiful prayer. But it didnt help. We continued to preach and did our very best to create an environment where the spirit could testify. Before the lesson ended, the father said, "ok, we still want this. We want to learn, but when my work is done, that is when we can do this." Elder Koplin and I lifted our heads up. Then he started to count his with his fingers. "In June I will be done".
A couple of things that I learned that night. The missionaries really do want the best for people. They want to help. They want to give. They want to bring people to Christ. I also learned that people have their own agency. Elder Koplin did everything in his will power to help these people, but he respected their wishes and with a smile said that we would be waiting for them at church. I desire to be more like Elder Koplin. He has such a large heart. I know that the gospel that we spread is true. It makes me so happy.
In other news... not much happened. We had a world wide missionary broadcast. Way awesome. We brought the zone leaders from reunion over to watch it with us so we have had them with us this week. We had some good splits here in Tana and we are still going. President Foote's daughter also had her first child. Yayy!
Thank you for all that you do. I love you with all my heart. I love being a missionary!
All My Love
Elder Herrin
New Year (last weeks letter)
Dear Family,
What a week it has been here on my side of the world. Last week I was emailing from the Indian Ocean and tonight I am writing from the office. Both great places, but one just had a really good view. We really enjoyed that trip and getting to visit with the missionaries and members. But we had to get back at it in Tana this week. Big things are happinen'!
We got back to the office to find a number of patients that were being treated by our mission nurse. We brought one back from Tamatave with us just to be treated. We went straight to her house to get the sicklies some soup. Because I happened to be there, we were able to partake of the great tasting chicken soup. The next day was a big day. We had a new missionary coming in! Just one.
We got to the airport that day. We got caught in some really bad traffic and showed up about 10 minutes after the plane landed. That wasnt too bad because he still had to go through customs and what not before we were able to get our hands on him. We saw him standing tall in the customs like, about six and a half feet of white body tall. Straight from Idaho! He got through and we saw him looking for his luggage. And then he looked some more. And just a little bit more. By this time, I sent my comp in to go and help him. Yes, the airports security let us in to go help him. Turns out, that his luggage did not come. SHOCKER! ohh Air Madagascar. Elder Thompson is gonna be a great Elder. He was so happy to be here and he just could not comprehend all that went on in this insane country as we drove him to the office. It was a special circumstance this day too, because... President Foote was not there. He was on another island saying goodbye to one of the senior couples and welcoming their replacements. Soo, Elder Covey and I played the role of President and Sister Foote. I think we did a superb job. We got to the office and got a really cool picture to send to his parents telling them that their son made it safe and sound (and without his bags) to Madagsikara.
I had a couple of days this week to sit and contemplate about the rest of my mission. What I want to do, accomplish, see... things like that. I realized that because I am in the calling that I am serving in, I dont get to see and feel the Holy Ghost as much as I used to. I also noticed that there were some things that I was doing that were "poking" at the whisperings of the Spirit. The only reason that I noticed these things was because I was reading a talk (you can call it that). It was given by a mission president in Florida some time ago and its called "Project Purification". My companion had it sent to him and I happened to stumble upon it this week. I loved what it had to say. As I put myself in the story and tried to apply what the President taught, I noticed that there was great room for improvement. I took the advice and teachings and have already started to notice the change in myself. Small things like slang and sarcastic comments can really drive the spirit away. I will attach the talk if you would like to read it. I suggest trying it, it would be worth your while.
The next couple of days were spent being tried and tested. I was at the airport everyday either taking or picking someone up for transfers. Every time we tried to get Elder Thompson's baggage. We got one piece without any trouble. The next times that we went, we were there for a long time waiting for someone who wasnt even coming. They wouldnt let us take the bag until a man checked to make sure that we didnt have a gun in the bag. There is only ONE man that can do that they said. And he was busy... so we used up all the patience that we had in that one day. Hahaha. It is something that I will look back and laugh at. I just feel bad for Elder Thompson cause he is still missing an entire suit case. Trooper he is.
Church was great today. I have been translating for Jules every week. He is the recent convert that is deaf. I am slowly but surely getting better at sign language. The talks today were on obedience and how important it is to be exactly obedient. Jules liked to tell me how true the teachings were that he was seeing so I only had to translate half of the talk cause he talked the other half.
Life is great. I could not be any happier. Things are going well. I am happy, healthy, and feel like nothing could be better than this... well it cant. Thank you so much for all the prayers and love that were sent my way. They are felt. Have a great week. I love being a missionary!
All my love,
Elder Herrin
What a week it has been here on my side of the world. Last week I was emailing from the Indian Ocean and tonight I am writing from the office. Both great places, but one just had a really good view. We really enjoyed that trip and getting to visit with the missionaries and members. But we had to get back at it in Tana this week. Big things are happinen'!
We got back to the office to find a number of patients that were being treated by our mission nurse. We brought one back from Tamatave with us just to be treated. We went straight to her house to get the sicklies some soup. Because I happened to be there, we were able to partake of the great tasting chicken soup. The next day was a big day. We had a new missionary coming in! Just one.
We got to the airport that day. We got caught in some really bad traffic and showed up about 10 minutes after the plane landed. That wasnt too bad because he still had to go through customs and what not before we were able to get our hands on him. We saw him standing tall in the customs like, about six and a half feet of white body tall. Straight from Idaho! He got through and we saw him looking for his luggage. And then he looked some more. And just a little bit more. By this time, I sent my comp in to go and help him. Yes, the airports security let us in to go help him. Turns out, that his luggage did not come. SHOCKER! ohh Air Madagascar. Elder Thompson is gonna be a great Elder. He was so happy to be here and he just could not comprehend all that went on in this insane country as we drove him to the office. It was a special circumstance this day too, because... President Foote was not there. He was on another island saying goodbye to one of the senior couples and welcoming their replacements. Soo, Elder Covey and I played the role of President and Sister Foote. I think we did a superb job. We got to the office and got a really cool picture to send to his parents telling them that their son made it safe and sound (and without his bags) to Madagsikara.
I had a couple of days this week to sit and contemplate about the rest of my mission. What I want to do, accomplish, see... things like that. I realized that because I am in the calling that I am serving in, I dont get to see and feel the Holy Ghost as much as I used to. I also noticed that there were some things that I was doing that were "poking" at the whisperings of the Spirit. The only reason that I noticed these things was because I was reading a talk (you can call it that). It was given by a mission president in Florida some time ago and its called "Project Purification". My companion had it sent to him and I happened to stumble upon it this week. I loved what it had to say. As I put myself in the story and tried to apply what the President taught, I noticed that there was great room for improvement. I took the advice and teachings and have already started to notice the change in myself. Small things like slang and sarcastic comments can really drive the spirit away. I will attach the talk if you would like to read it. I suggest trying it, it would be worth your while.
The next couple of days were spent being tried and tested. I was at the airport everyday either taking or picking someone up for transfers. Every time we tried to get Elder Thompson's baggage. We got one piece without any trouble. The next times that we went, we were there for a long time waiting for someone who wasnt even coming. They wouldnt let us take the bag until a man checked to make sure that we didnt have a gun in the bag. There is only ONE man that can do that they said. And he was busy... so we used up all the patience that we had in that one day. Hahaha. It is something that I will look back and laugh at. I just feel bad for Elder Thompson cause he is still missing an entire suit case. Trooper he is.
Church was great today. I have been translating for Jules every week. He is the recent convert that is deaf. I am slowly but surely getting better at sign language. The talks today were on obedience and how important it is to be exactly obedient. Jules liked to tell me how true the teachings were that he was seeing so I only had to translate half of the talk cause he talked the other half.
Life is great. I could not be any happier. Things are going well. I am happy, healthy, and feel like nothing could be better than this... well it cant. Thank you so much for all the prayers and love that were sent my way. They are felt. Have a great week. I love being a missionary!
All my love,
Elder Herrin
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| Elder Thompson and the crew |
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