Staying in the Little Apple

August 24-31, 2020

 Hello everyone,  

 

This week was a week - all good things mostly! We are still teaching Mike; he is an amazing human being!  We are currently putting a lot of effort into Facebook finding.  Transfers are coming, and I found out today that I'm staying right here, same with my companion and the two wonderful sisters we share a ward with.  My entire mission has a mystery meeting tonight!  

 

The work is moving, but being a pioneer missionary isn't always easy.  We are really trying to learn how to spread the gospel through technology.  The Lord will provide a way; I need to remember there is opposition in all things.  

 

We do district volleyball on P-days so that is fun, but about half the district is being transferred so it will be a new volleyball group now!  

 

Spiritual thought time! In the April 2007 General Conference talk "The Tongue of Angels" Jeffrey R. Holland encourages us to speak kindly to one another and be careful about the words we choose.  He states, “The stroke of the whip maketh marks in the flesh: but the stroke of the tongue breaketh the bones.” Then he later states the following, "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ." Friends, we must speak kindly and minister unto another. When we are loving and angelic, we become more like Christ. And becoming like Christ is the goal. As we strive for purity and perfection, we will become more like Christ. It all starts with what we choose to say and what we choose not to say.  

 

Love you all!  

 

Elder Hedrick 

The Great Key Caper

August 17-24 

Hello hello!  

 

It's Elder Hedrick coming to you live from Manhattan, Kansas! Temperatures here are currently humid and hot! I hope you all had an amazing week. Praying for all my friends and family in California because of the fires!  

 

This week I have a funny story - so I jokingly hid the sister missionaries’ keys when we were all at the church. I forgot that I had hidden them, and then we left before them. Long story short - they were stuck at the church. All the other missionaries, including myself, were playing volleyball, and we were all curious why they were late. I heard one of the other sisters who was already at volleyball on the phone with the sisters still at the church.  She asked, "Does anyone know about the first sisters keys?" I had a gut-dropping feeling right then and there. I apologized and told the sisters over the phone where their keys were. Long story short again - I had 4 sister jokingly yell at me. They shared Proverbs 21:19 - "It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman." But all is well; they all laugh at the story now, and we’re all great friends. I did bake brownies for them.  

 

As General Conference is 50 days away, I will invite all of you to reread talks from the last conference and focus some study time on the restoration of the gospel. Try to remember ways we can hear Him!  

 

Love you all,  

 

Elder Hedrick 

The Atonement & Service

August 10-17, 2020 

Hello everyone, 

 

This was a busy and fun week. I'm not gonna lie; there were hard points in it, but there were also great parts that made me come a lot closer to Jesus Christ. One of those moments was a Mission devotional where the speaker talked about how Christ’s suffering on the cross and in the garden were equally important. He invited us to study Christ's crucifixion. So I read the talk The Lamb of God by Jeffery R Holland. It brought the Atonement into a new light for me, especially to think of when the Father left his son alone for a short while on the cross. When studying these things, I know you will feel the spirit and come closer to Christ. 

 

This week was good, and we did a lot of outside service for members. We taught our potential member Mike. This week my district had a baptism. A 12 year-old boy was baptized.  He is the only member of his family, and he wants to serve a mission someday. I watched him be baptized over Zoom; it was amazing, and his faith is so inspirational to me. 

 

Well, I love you all and Jesus loves you as well, 

 

Elder Hedrick

Cows!!! - and my first Zone Conference - masks on, off course

August 3-10, 2020

This week was good. We had a zone conference and I got to work with cows! lol 

Last week I went to the Oz Museum after I wrote on P-Day. That was a lot of fun. Today we'll play volleyball with other missionaries. 

God is good and the work is moving along great in Kansas! I love seeing the kind-hearted people of Manhattan everyday!

Love,

 Elder Hedrick 

Off to see the Wizard

Hello everyone, 

 

So this week was full of a lot of emotions - lol. Today we are going to the Wizard of Oz Museum so that will be fun. I miss home still but am starting to love Kansas. I am serving in Manhattan, Kansas - the Little Apple. People are friendly here and speed limits are slower than you could ever imagine. My district is awesome!

 

We have been teaching a lot of members which has been cool. I feel like I accomplish my purpose whenever I teach anyone. But what I truly love about the mission is getting to listen to people and their stories and what they have been through. And also listening to the Holy Spirit.  As humans I think we talk too much and don't listen enough. A potential member we have teaching is this awesome guy who is very set in his ways but is definitely changing, and it is a blessing to get to teach him. 

 

Everyone in Kansas has the light of Christ in them, and it helps me come closer to Jesus Christ when I get to talk with them. And it helps me help them come closer to Christ. That is my purpose as a missionary to help others come close to Jesus. 

 

Love you all, 

 

Elder Hedrick