HELLO HOME!
It's a wonderful rainy day up here in Scarsdale, New York!
HOORAY Elder Fotu and I got our Chevy Malibu back from the shop!! Turns out NOT ONLY was the heating broken (which now is not as important given that the temp is FINALLY starting to HEAT UP) but the ceramic brake pads were GONE. Worn down to NOTHIN. Explains the rather constant singing from the left side of the car. :) It's nice to have back our bigger, faster, newer car... BUT I AM going to miss the 6-disc changer in the Corolla!
We had a really cool experience the other day. Elder Fotu and I were walking down Cortland St in Sleepy Hollow, and I was writing something in my planner- when Elder Fotu walked up to this little Ecuadorian man and started to talk to him. He introduced himself as "Angel" and told us he comes from the coast of Ecuador. I asked him if there would be a time we could come by and visit with him and share with him a message- and he said "Well... right here, right NOW!" We smiled and talked with him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon for about 20 minutes right there on the side of the road. He gave us his number and told us to come back the coming Monday (2 days ago). On Monday we went over and had SUCH a great discussion with him. We told him about Joseph Smith and watched the DVD "The Restoration" and ended with Angel and us kneeling in his humble apartment in a powerful and sincere prayer to Heavenly Father. It was such a sweet experience. He committed to read, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon - and we have an appointment with him NEXT Monday - and hope to see him at church the Sunday before!!
Funny things that happened this week...
ELDER FOTU AND I SAW 3 TEENAGE KIDS STEAL A FIRE ENGINE. BAHAHAH! They awkwardly and uncoordinated-ly pulled up to the stoplight next to us and frantically laughing flipped a bunch of switches and buttons and finally after about 20 seconds activated the sirens and flashing lights. They all cheered and stuck their heads out the windows like maniacs and screamed as they sped up and roared down the street. About 15 seconds later, two police cars zoomed by us, lights and sirens on, after the hijacked firetruck.
One of the things that I think Spanish people DON'T understand is the whole "Doorbell-ditching-while-leaving-things-on-the-porch" scenario. For the past few couple weeks, a family of investigators we are teaching has promised us that they would read in the Book of Mormon. Fail. As a friendly joke, last time we visited I said "Well what on earth do you WANT? A COOKIE!?" We all laughed and they once again promised us they would read. Last night, we made some warm chocolate chip cookies and put them on a plate and put a Pass-Along-Card on the top and left it on their porch and doorbell ditched. I ran back to the car and we sped away laughing! We drove around the block, came back a few minutes later... and the plate of cookies was still on the porch. SO, I scooted it closer to the door, and knocked- waited until I heard the father coming- then jumped the railing and ran like a madman. I saw from a distance him walk OUTSIDE and around his house. Then go back inside. I thought "he had to have either stepped OVER or ON the cookies, so either way he KNOWS they are there. I went back a few minutes later- STILL the cookies were sitting on the porch. I finally called and said "Hermano! Open the door and LOOK BELOW." He went outside and cracked up upon FINALLY finding the cookies. Hahaha! By that point I'm pretty sure the "fresh and warm" cookies were already VERY cold in the misty 40 degree weather!!! haha!!
Sister Almanzar and I are going to sing a song in Sacrament Meeting while my dear Elder Zwahlen accompanies us on the piano this coming Sunday!! HOORAY! Yeah Elder Zwahlen and I take turns every week as ward music director/ organ/piano player!
We have interviews with the Mission President on Friday and shock calls this coming Monday and then NEXT Wednesday are transfers!
Did you get Carlie's last E-mail? She's A CRACKUP! haha! I love her.
Have you been able to talk to Jill about housing and stuff for me and Jonny in BYU? I still have to write Dad an official "I'm- sorry- I'm- a- turn-coat- high-treason- son- but- I'm- going- to- BYU" letter! :S Not so sure how that is going to blow over! Haha I suspect he knows and accepts it... STILL I should let him know first hand!
I LOVE YOU ALL- please be safe and happy and well! The Church is True! - even in CHINA - just ask Carlie and Emily!
All my Love,
Elder Hellberg
March 23, 2010
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
March 9, 2011!
HELLO!!!
ANOTHER week from the DEATHLY HALLOWS!!
Today for p-day we went to MANHATTAN again- a Member took us down from Westchester and we went to the Manhattan Temple!! It was wonderful! There, I saw dear Hermano Cerda from the Olmstead Ward where I first served in the Bronx- he works there at the Temple! He was ACTUALLY my proxy companion for a day when I was companionless for those LONG 2 weeks. He asked me how I was doing- and told me he though for SURE I was already home, married, with 2 kids!! We laughed and I said "NO! I still have 9 months left!!" He told me I'd better come finish my Mission in Olmstead so we can be companions again. :) After the Temple, we went to CRUMBS (best CUPCAKE house in Manhattan, if you'll remember...) and I bought a bunch of WONDERFUL FATTY FOOD!! After that, we drove to a little mini-restaurant-style place thing called "Crepes on Colombia." OH MY WORD it was so GOOD!! I got a "Turkey Breast with White Peach Creame Sauce!" THEN we ate nutella crepes that gave me CRAZY flashbacks of FRANCE! Gabrielli Machiavelli who lives in a DELI!! Bahaha last P-Day we went to a PARK and swung on a donut swing and ate fruit sorbet until we were sick. Success.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I BOUGHT SOME GIRL SCOUT COOKIES FROM A GIRL IN OUR WARD AND THEY ARE COMING ON THE 27th OF MARCH! HOORAY!
This past week Elder Fotu and I taught an INCREDIBLE man from the Dominican Republic. He lives in Elmsford, the part of our area that is closer to White Plains- and has lived here for almost 20 years. Turns out he know one of the Members from the Branch back in the DR- they lived in the same neighborhood in Santo Domingo and knew each other pretty well. His name is Rudy- and the Spirit around him is SO strong. Yesterday we went to visit him at his house- and turns out he lives with 2 other small Mexican Families (WHO, btw, he has invited to church with him and say they are coming) and already had a copy of the Book of Mormon; a member in Manhattan gave it to him years ago when he was having some family struggles. He told us that he used to read the Book of Mormon before and it brought him peace during those hard times- he just didn't know we were an actual organized religion. We taught him the Restoration. He cried and told us how special it felt to hear what we were talking about and how it felt familiar. When I extended a commitment to read the Book of Mormon and pray to Heavenly Father to know if it is true or not, he looked at me hard in the eyes and said quietly "Elder, te prometo que yo lo hare." Which means directly translated "Elder, I promise you that I will do it." It was such a powerful moment for me to see his new-found dedication to truly study and pray about the Book of Mormon!
We had a GREAT stake-conference down in Kingsbridge on Sunday! It was so good. We attended the Spanish session at noon (along with the other 30 Spanish missionaries in the stake) and President Rasband of the Presidency of the 70 came! It was such a touching experience. Right before the second hymn, President Bench (stake president) stood up and asked the Missionaries to come sit on the stand behind him and the other speakers becuase the chapel was SO full that there were many people without seats! We set a new record of attendance in the stake too! :) So all us Missionaries sat behind President Rasband and President Bench and their wives and the other speakers and the congregation stood and sang together- and tears welled up in my eyes at the intense feeling of Love that filled the Chapel. President Rasband stood and tearfully told the Missionaries how much he loved us (He said was a little biased towards US specifically, because he served here in NY NY North as Mission President a few years back..) and spoke powerfully about Jesus Christ's Atonement.
~~This coming week we are having an ePic zone confERence to discuss with ours and the StaMford and Yorktown Zones about what we as mISSionarIes learned frOm and what we are Now goinG to tRy to do About the thiNgs thaT Elder Bednar camE and discusseD with us. aH yEs, a veRy wisE friend of mIne reCently underscOred Mostly how I fEel about Elder Bednar- speaking Basically for the Young adults my friend said "he just gets Us." ~~ Sister Dunagan and I are going to sing a rather "Gospelesque" style version of the song All Creatures of Our God and King! We are excited!
I love you all very much. Wishing you a WARM week full of SUN and SPRING!
All My Love!
Elder Hellberg
ANOTHER week from the DEATHLY HALLOWS!!
Today for p-day we went to MANHATTAN again- a Member took us down from Westchester and we went to the Manhattan Temple!! It was wonderful! There, I saw dear Hermano Cerda from the Olmstead Ward where I first served in the Bronx- he works there at the Temple! He was ACTUALLY my proxy companion for a day when I was companionless for those LONG 2 weeks. He asked me how I was doing- and told me he though for SURE I was already home, married, with 2 kids!! We laughed and I said "NO! I still have 9 months left!!" He told me I'd better come finish my Mission in Olmstead so we can be companions again. :) After the Temple, we went to CRUMBS (best CUPCAKE house in Manhattan, if you'll remember...) and I bought a bunch of WONDERFUL FATTY FOOD!! After that, we drove to a little mini-restaurant-style place thing called "Crepes on Colombia." OH MY WORD it was so GOOD!! I got a "Turkey Breast with White Peach Creame Sauce!" THEN we ate nutella crepes that gave me CRAZY flashbacks of FRANCE! Gabrielli Machiavelli who lives in a DELI!! Bahaha last P-Day we went to a PARK and swung on a donut swing and ate fruit sorbet until we were sick. Success.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I BOUGHT SOME GIRL SCOUT COOKIES FROM A GIRL IN OUR WARD AND THEY ARE COMING ON THE 27th OF MARCH! HOORAY!
This past week Elder Fotu and I taught an INCREDIBLE man from the Dominican Republic. He lives in Elmsford, the part of our area that is closer to White Plains- and has lived here for almost 20 years. Turns out he know one of the Members from the Branch back in the DR- they lived in the same neighborhood in Santo Domingo and knew each other pretty well. His name is Rudy- and the Spirit around him is SO strong. Yesterday we went to visit him at his house- and turns out he lives with 2 other small Mexican Families (WHO, btw, he has invited to church with him and say they are coming) and already had a copy of the Book of Mormon; a member in Manhattan gave it to him years ago when he was having some family struggles. He told us that he used to read the Book of Mormon before and it brought him peace during those hard times- he just didn't know we were an actual organized religion. We taught him the Restoration. He cried and told us how special it felt to hear what we were talking about and how it felt familiar. When I extended a commitment to read the Book of Mormon and pray to Heavenly Father to know if it is true or not, he looked at me hard in the eyes and said quietly "Elder, te prometo que yo lo hare." Which means directly translated "Elder, I promise you that I will do it." It was such a powerful moment for me to see his new-found dedication to truly study and pray about the Book of Mormon!
We had a GREAT stake-conference down in Kingsbridge on Sunday! It was so good. We attended the Spanish session at noon (along with the other 30 Spanish missionaries in the stake) and President Rasband of the Presidency of the 70 came! It was such a touching experience. Right before the second hymn, President Bench (stake president) stood up and asked the Missionaries to come sit on the stand behind him and the other speakers becuase the chapel was SO full that there were many people without seats! We set a new record of attendance in the stake too! :) So all us Missionaries sat behind President Rasband and President Bench and their wives and the other speakers and the congregation stood and sang together- and tears welled up in my eyes at the intense feeling of Love that filled the Chapel. President Rasband stood and tearfully told the Missionaries how much he loved us (He said was a little biased towards US specifically, because he served here in NY NY North as Mission President a few years back..) and spoke powerfully about Jesus Christ's Atonement.
~~This coming week we are having an ePic zone confERence to discuss with ours and the StaMford and Yorktown Zones about what we as mISSionarIes learned frOm and what we are Now goinG to tRy to do About the thiNgs thaT Elder Bednar camE and discusseD with us. aH yEs, a veRy wisE friend of mIne reCently underscOred Mostly how I fEel about Elder Bednar- speaking Basically for the Young adults my friend said "he just gets Us." ~~ Sister Dunagan and I are going to sing a rather "Gospelesque" style version of the song All Creatures of Our God and King! We are excited!
I love you all very much. Wishing you a WARM week full of SUN and SPRING!
All My Love!
Elder Hellberg
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
March 2!
AS OF TODAY I have been a Missionary for 15 months! CCCCRAZY!!!
THIS week has been AWESOME.
Quick highlites and points..
ELDER BEDNAR of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came and spoke to us- just the Missionaries. It was such a special experience for everyone. The Spirit was SO strong and we all learned SO much. Also, with him came Elder Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy and he spoke too, along with President Smith, President of our Mission. It was the most Spiritually motivating and encouraging meeting I have ever attended. Hands down. We all left that meeting inspired and encouraged- and having a new perspective on many of the aspects of Missionary Work.
The Weather is OFFICIALLY picking up (for real this time) and it's WONDERFUL! Windows down, breeze in your hair, EFY music blasting in the background... (okay not blasting... more like playing lightly... but that sounds lame haha) and the Sun is finally SHINING!! Hooray! We have plans today for P-day to go to Costco (YAY BARGAIN CEREAL!) and then go to a park near our apartment and spin on one of those tire-swings until we get SICK! Then we are all (us and our district) going to have a wonderful picnic. :)
I'm not going to tell the story... but I WILL tell you two lessons learned BECAUSE of the story...
1) As it is in Utah, using freeway OFF-ramps to ENTER the freeway (even by accident) is highly frowned upon in New York.
2) Even more frowned upon, is, upon realizing that you have incorrectly entered the freeway, performing a wide U-turn ON the freeway in order to go back DOWN the exit you just entered.
Lessons Learned. :)
Elder Fotu and I continue to work hard and do good here in the Deathly Hallows! We have plans to start a small English class in a community center here to help those who don't speak English. We also have started going to the rest home where Jose is weekly and just spend some time talking with the seniors there and playing on the piano in the dining hall. We are finding many new people to teach and people are being receptive. Also, although we only have 3 member families in our area, they are proving to be our biggest source of help here. They are all fulfilling their responsibilities as Member-Missionaries and loving it!
Little shorter time this week.. next week's letter will be longer, PROMISE! :)
La Iglesia es verdadera!
All my Love!
Elder Hellberg
THIS week has been AWESOME.
Quick highlites and points..
ELDER BEDNAR of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles came and spoke to us- just the Missionaries. It was such a special experience for everyone. The Spirit was SO strong and we all learned SO much. Also, with him came Elder Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy and he spoke too, along with President Smith, President of our Mission. It was the most Spiritually motivating and encouraging meeting I have ever attended. Hands down. We all left that meeting inspired and encouraged- and having a new perspective on many of the aspects of Missionary Work.
The Weather is OFFICIALLY picking up (for real this time) and it's WONDERFUL! Windows down, breeze in your hair, EFY music blasting in the background... (okay not blasting... more like playing lightly... but that sounds lame haha) and the Sun is finally SHINING!! Hooray! We have plans today for P-day to go to Costco (YAY BARGAIN CEREAL!) and then go to a park near our apartment and spin on one of those tire-swings until we get SICK! Then we are all (us and our district) going to have a wonderful picnic. :)
I'm not going to tell the story... but I WILL tell you two lessons learned BECAUSE of the story...
1) As it is in Utah, using freeway OFF-ramps to ENTER the freeway (even by accident) is highly frowned upon in New York.
2) Even more frowned upon, is, upon realizing that you have incorrectly entered the freeway, performing a wide U-turn ON the freeway in order to go back DOWN the exit you just entered.
Lessons Learned. :)
Elder Fotu and I continue to work hard and do good here in the Deathly Hallows! We have plans to start a small English class in a community center here to help those who don't speak English. We also have started going to the rest home where Jose is weekly and just spend some time talking with the seniors there and playing on the piano in the dining hall. We are finding many new people to teach and people are being receptive. Also, although we only have 3 member families in our area, they are proving to be our biggest source of help here. They are all fulfilling their responsibilities as Member-Missionaries and loving it!
Little shorter time this week.. next week's letter will be longer, PROMISE! :)
La Iglesia es verdadera!
All my Love!
Elder Hellberg
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
