1/27/2011

GOOD AFTERNOON FROM SCARSDALE NEW YORK!

If you'll notice, it's actually Thursday! Yesterday, we were GROUNDED due to extreme blizzard weather! We were SNOWED in! So I had to just send you my love and hugs telepathically!! Did you get them!?

Elder Fotu and I deep cleaned the ENITRE apartment (trust me, it needed it... Missionaries have been there for quite some time..) and it looks Mah-velous! I also got some good reading done!

I have already come to love so much the little Branch up here in this area. Such wonderful people. Although our area has VERY few members, they are some of the strongest members I have seen. Completely solid! Many wonderful things are happening in this area- I can feel it!

And we got invited to go to dinner with President Smith at his house tonight! I'm very excited!

Kind of exciting thing happened the other day driving home during the beginning of one of the blizzards:... SO we received the call to return to the apartment, the weather had started to get bad so all the Mission cars were to return promptly home! We were heading off the exit (RT-10 Port Chester) when we saw this taxi in front of us lose control and barrel off into the strip of land in between the highway and the exit. He NARROWLY missed the exit sign and took out about 5 of those little reflective posts, missed a big oak tree by about a foot and a half and came to a stop about 150 feet into the strip of land,- about 6 feet away from the road. We hurried and pulled over (safely- breathe, momma!) and turned on the emergency lights and ran over to him to see if he was okay. He stumbled out all confused- and there was a bunch of smoke coming out of the car. He put mats under the back tires and us 2 (Elder Fotu and I) and the guy the taxi cab was driving somewhere all pushed and pushed... but we just burned holes in the mats and couldn't move the car. Ultimately, he had to call a tow service to come get him out! We were all muddy and cold afterward! But he thanked us for stopping! Nobody else stopped!

This week has been slow! Elder Fotu and I have spent over 20 hours of knocking doors and running around talking to people! Cold bruised knuckles, man!

All be safe, okay?

Love you!!

B wise! B warm! B smart drivers!

Always,

Elder Hellberg

1-19-2011

DEAR HOME!

Hello!!! What a LONG and DREARY week! (Weather speaking...!)

We have this thing in New York called FREEZING RAIN. It's obnoxious- but looks super cool on your car the next morning, when it's been perfectly frosted with a half-inch layer of clear ICE. Chipping it off the car and trying to open your doors however, is not as cool. Plus, recently we have been having a NONSTOP rainstorm- so all the roads are soaked. At about 6:30, the temp drops below freezing- so the freeways get coated with black ice, so all the Missionaries have to be home early!!

Elder Fotu and I are excited and ready to give a wake-up call to Sleepy Hollow (hehe so clever...)!! Things are slow right now- we're back to the basics! Knock* Knock* "Hi, we're the Missionaries..."..*SLAM*...... But we're already seeing things begin to pick up! Bright Spirits! :)

I have definitely seen the Lord's hand in preparing the people here in this little village. It's a very newly opened area, so most people don't know who the Missionaries are (big contrast to the City, everybody and their grandma knows who we are...). Sometimes I will get discouraged- but always the Lord reminds me that I'm working for Him, and He's on MY side. Several times in the last two weeks, we will have spent hours knocking doors with no results- when JUST as we are on the last house on the block or are about to call it quits for the night, a family warmly welcomes us into their house and we excitedly share our message with them. Usually when we knock houses or buildings, we start at the TOP, because tradition holds that in order to find those who will listen, we have to climb a LOT of stairs. I second that. :)

All is well here! Hoping all is well there, too.

All my Love,

Elder Hellberg

January 13, 2011

January 13, 2011

HELLO and GOOD MORNING!

This is the FIRST E-MAIL coming from me that is NOT from NYC! I'm OFFICIALLY in the county of Westchester!

My new area is a little DREAM VILLAGE. Seriously. I'm going to seriously break man-code here by saying this... but it's the cutest little town in all of New York!! Hahah! I'm not sure how else to describe it. My area name is "Sleepy Hollow" but that also geographically includes Tarrytown and Elmsford. I. Love. It. There are trees and hills and little shoppes and everything is peaceful and quaint and everybody is nice and friendly!!! NOT to mention that I'm the official "designated driver" for the companionship- it feels SO strange to be driving again. I got re-accustomed to it about 20 minutes into driving... but it was almost scary for those 20!! Although our area is Sleepy Hollow- A.K.A Holloweentown- we live in Port Chester, about 15 -20 minutes away by freeway. We drive a little Silver Chevy Malibu 2008! It's SUCH a different atmosphere upstate than in the crazy city. We go out of the house, get into our car, wait a few minutes for the heater to start working, and take a peaceful, scenic drive through the snow capped Westchester hills into our picturesque little village. A CRAZY change from the high speed run-around-catching-buses-and-trains velocity of the city! Our area is relatively new- it opened up about 5 months ago, so we only have about 3 member families in the whole thing! So mostly we knock doors and "Make Friends"!

Right now, we are serving in the Westchester 3rd Branch! It's so awesome- it’s only a small Spanish branch of about 70-80 Members, but they are some of the most solid people I have met. The Branch President is named President Jefferies- he's Caucasian, but lived in Spain for 11 years so he speaks perfect Spanish! With the Z too! "Grathias?" Anyway. He's a great man and we look forward to working closely with him.

We've had some CRAZY storms here lately- already in the 1 week I've been up here, 3 days have been SNOW DAYS- cars; GROUNDED! Good days to catch up on reading or cleaning the apt... ew.

Hey sorry time is so short- we'll try a different Library next time!

The Church is True, even in Halloweentown!

B happy! B strong! B WARNED OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN!!

All my Love,

Elder Hellberg

1/5/11

Breathe.

OKAY.

THE NEWS!

After 11 short months, mounds of spiritual growth, many haircuts, 5 companions, one blistering-hot summer, and a long series of hilarious and life-changing adventures I am OFFICIALLY leaving the BRONX.

My next Destination-

Zone: Westchester

Area: Sleepy Hollow (Yes, the Headless Horseman.)

My Emotions are SO out of control right now! It's a little ridiculous. I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the many incredible people that I have had the chance to meet and know here in the Bronx. I have left part of my heart behind here in this crazy city- and I truly feel like it's been a home-away-from-home for the past year. I have been so blessed here in the Bronx; I have been in 2 incredible areas, with several great companions- and we've seen SO many miracles. I was saddened and surprised to find out that my time here in Kingsbridge is up- tomorrow morning I'll climb in a van and have to fall in love all over again with a new area- which, no doubt, I will do. I trust the Lord's decisions- and I know that wherever he needs me to serve, I'll be serving there for His purpose and His reasons. It was hard to say goodbye to all my great friends I've made here in KB- but it's an honor and blessing to call them 'friends'. I will miss them. A wise friend of mine from back home told me of the prints I'd leave on other people's lives, and the powerful impressions they would leave on my own. How grateful I am for my time here.

PLUS, I'll have a car. WATCH OUT WORLD, HELLBERG IS BACK ON THE ROADS!!! MUAHAHAHAHAH!!

Ahem. Wish me luck.

Today, we went to the Temple again- for my last time in Manhattan for a while! Such a powerful Spirit prevails in the little Manhattan Temple- it always amazes me how no matter where you are inside the Temple, you can try with everything you've got to hear even the tiniest noise from the busy city around it, but it's just silent- and perfectly peaceful.

I wish you all the best! I hope a lot of excellent new year's resolutions were made and all are happy and safe!

The Church is True!

B happy, B healthy, B riding on Carriages with Headless Horsemen?

All my love,

Elder Hellberg