Goodbyes Always Make My Throat Hurt

 

Dec. 28, 2020

Hello everyone! 

This has been a mixed week. Miracles have happened and some struggles. Our miracles are the following:

Miracles 

• We found a lady named Carly on Facebook, and she seems really open to the gospel and has been researching the church and likes it a lot. And we had a lesson with her!!!
• Found another guy on Facebook whose name is Tanner who seems like he has some potential. 
• Got a referral for a guy named Kaden, and he really wants to be baptized. 
• Dan is committing to 3 cups of coffee.
• We met with this lady named Lea who we met over Facebook on our prayer page. (We’ll have to pass her at some point.)

Struggles 

• We (the whole district) had a miscommunication with Mike and his wife about Christmas dinner. They were mad at us. Mike is ok now, but Roxanna is still mad at us. 
• Emanuel hasn't responded to us. 
• Zelda said we could call, so we called, and she was like, "Please don't call."
• Toilet paper and dish/laundry soap is no longer reimbursable! 
• 30-minutes of calls home have officially been stopped by the mission department (we can still call on P-Day though). 
• No, "temporary" COVID mission restrictions have NOT changed.

So yeah there have been some highs and lows this past week. Christmas was nice. We woke up super early and went on a hike. It was 9 degrees Fahrenheit outside but felt like 0 degrees because of the humidity. Gotta love the Kansas weather. Apparently, lots of snow this next week. So yeah exciting *nervous laughing*. 

Things are good in Manhattan though; transfers are on January 6th. Now that Christmas is done, it's something on my mind. Hey, maybe I'll stay in Manhattan for a fifth transfer. Who knows - 6 months in my baby area? I love it here. It's sad to see my original district leave one by one. Elder Clark, Sister Nydegger, and myself are the last 3 standing from the original district here. Basically, missions are full of goodbyes and hellos. But all goodbye still makes my throat choke up.

It's hard to turn the page on a chapter when you know a certain character won't be in the story anymore. But then I think to myself the words of Winnie the Pooh, "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." Oh boy is it hard to say goodbyes especially when you make friends with people and places. Regardless, Heavenly Father and His Angels are constantly with me. It's just sometimes hard to remember that. 

Here is my spiritual thought: 

John 15: 

13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

Friends are amazing people to lean on when we don't feel strong. Family is with you through it all - good and bad; they are your rock. Friends are our ministering angels sent from heaven to help us throughout a certain time in our lives. 

Christ is not only our older brother, He is also our friend. Our families can be our friends. People that lift you up and encourage you to be better are your friends. Keep them close and pick them wisely.

No one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls

 

December 21, 2020

Well well well,  

 

Let's start this email off right… JOKES!  

Q: How much did Santa's sleigh cost? 

A: Nothing, it was on the house!  

 

Q: What subject did Rudolph's grade go down in?  

A: History!  

 

I know! I know! Cheesy! We're knocking grey dots (people previously interested) and finding new people.  We're expecting miracles. So we found a new person named Emanuel from knocking grey dots! And I also found this lady named Carly over Facebook that is so elect.  She has been researching the church and has been watching saints unscripted on YouTube!  Also, Dan is praying for a new baptismal date! So pretty good week with all of that. However, our friend Mike's mom died. He is sad so keep him in your prayers.  

But things here have been good. We had exchanges with our Zone leaders! Only two hours outside. I was with Elder West. I absolutely love that Elder! He is like this wise Master Jedi. We had a fun time. He just praised me and bought me a lemonade. I felt like a little kid, but hey, sometimes it's nice to just feel loved and appreciated.  

 

Also, on Christmas we can gather as a district, and we're supposed to do service. Um… president everything is closed on that day lol. But okay, I don't ask questions, I just work here. Also, my district is doing a secret Santa, and I picked sister O'Dell, So I'm on top of picking out dolphin stuff and Nutella for her! Lol.  

 

Well, it's that time, spiritual thought! Yay!  

 

Spiritual thought: 

Have you ever felt something so powerfully or something so spiritually strong that words can't even articulate the feelings? In 3 Nephi chapter 17 is says "16 And after this manner do they bear record: The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father; 

17 And no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father."  

 

I often wonder what Angelic words Christ used with the Father at that moment. We know he blesses the little one and angel's come to minister to them, the Heavens literally being opened. What a powerful thing they experienced that day.  

 

I invite you to think of things in your life you can pray about and listen to the feelings from the Holy Ghost. I know that feelings come and that sometimes, oftentimes we can't use the tongue to describe our feelings. May this Christmas season burn in our hearts and let us feel united through the Holy Spirit.  

Merry Christmas!  

Love Elder Hedrick

penguins aren't meant to fly

Dec. 14, 2020

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!  

 

I hope you are all feeling the Christmas season even with Covid. Kansas is freezing, and it's only gonna get colder. I miss Fall; we had a nice 2 days between hot oatmeal air and now freezing ice air!  

 

The work is good. Mike is going through some family stuff, and Dan is good. We are working on a lot of contacting. With grey dot doors (people previously interested) and through Facebook finding. Also, Light the World is fun doing Christ-like things every day. We should light the world every month!  

 

Spiritual note:  

 

"The point is that faith means trusting God in good times and bad, even if that includes some suffering until we see His arm revealed in our behalf." Jeffery R. Holland 

 

Sometimes we need to remember struggles help us learn and grow. And sometimes we need to remember that penguins aren't meant to fly. Sometimes we want things that God hasn't planned for us. Accepting His will.  

 

Love you all - merry Christmas,  

 

Elder Hedrick  

What a week!

 

Dec. 7, 2020

Hello everyone!

Another week down! Zone Conference is coming up on the 8th so it is the special Christmas Zone Conference. This week has been good, we’ve helped Mike out a lot at his house. Elder Newman, my companion is obsessed with chopping wood at Mikes. Mike has put me in charge of Christmas decorations, probably because he was impressed by my Halloween decorating abilities. It is almost like I have been training for decorating at Mikes my whole life… ya know the crazy Hedrick Halloween decorations. But yeah so Mike is great, Dan is Dan we’re trying to get him back on date this transfer, that is the goal. He is struggling with coffee and giving it up. If anyone has any ideas how to help him please private email me! 

Also we saw a wooden plate next to a dumpster, I felt inspired by it to do something with it at Mikes for Christmas decorating. I forced Elder Newman to turn around, he may have judged me/laughed at me for grabbing an old blue wooden plate.Crazy memory now lol!  Also made a Christmas district video. It was like herding cats. When you have 5 alphas in a group of 12 it’s gonna be terrible lol! But we got it done so ya! Tis the season to be jolly *sarcastic voice*. But I love my district and Manhattan. I am blessed to be here for the holidays and I have now officially been out 5 months! Times fly by fast. Speaking of time that takes me to my spiritual thought. 

Here is a quote from Elder Richard L. Evans, President Thomas S. Monson referenced it in two different talks of his. This quote made me cry, 

 “It is difficult for those who are young to understand the loneliness that comes when life changes from a time of preparation and performance to a time of putting things away. … To be so long the center of a home, so much sought after, and then, almost suddenly to be on the sidelines watching the procession pass by—this is living into loneliness. … We have to live a long time to learn how empty a room can be that is filled only with furniture. It takes someone … beyond mere hired service, beyond institutional care or professional duty, to thaw out the memories of the past and keep them warmly living in the present. … We cannot bring them back the morning hours of youth. But we can help them live in the warm glow of a sunset made more beautiful by our thoughtfulness … and unfeigned love.” ~ Elder Richard L. Evans

So beautiful! I have been listening to a lot of President Monson recently, he has so many wonderful talks! My challenge is to read one of the following talks and then share what you liked about it with a friend or family member. 

Talk list 

> Compassion - Thomas S. Monson

>What have I done for someone today? - Thomas S. Monson

>The way of the Master - Thomas S. Monson 

2 for 1 - Turkey Day and Insecurities

Note: Last week P-day was on Thursday because of Thanksgiving. I wrote an email that day but didn't have time to send it so today you are getting two letters. Yay you! 

 

11/26/2020 - Thanksgiving Day:  

 

Happy Thanksgiving!   

 

Hope you are planning on having a happy Thanksgiving! I'm excited we are doing a socially distanced dinner with the district so that should be fun. Also, no, I'm not breaking rules; our P-day was moved to today.   

 

But yeah, this week has been good, transfers were yesterday! I'm staying in the Little Apple yet again so I'm happy.  I had a lot of friends leave, but I also have a few that are staying so everything works out. We have 4 new missionaries in our district and one trainee.   

 

We are also going to Mike's today and doing a Christmas lighting ceremony. Today, it’s gonna be fun and stressful.  The sisters here are on top of the game with all the holiday stuff!   

 

Spiritual thought: President Nelson’s message is amazing! You can find it on churchofjesuschristoflatterdaysaints.org.  It is truly amazing - all of his words of wisdom. I am so grateful that he put an emphasis on gratitude during this season of giving and Covid. We are so blessed to be alive in this wonderful world God has made. To quote Louis Armstrong, "I say to myself, what a wonderful world."   

 

Love you all, and happy Turkey day!   

 

Elder Hedrick  

 

 

 

11/30  

 

Hello everyone! 

 

I hope and pray you are all having a wonderful recovery from Thanksgiving. I know all the missionaries here in Manhattan survived. We had a really nice dinner on Thursday as missionaries. Missionary work and activities move forward just with masks and Zoom. I'm grateful that we still can work.  

 

Dan and Mike are good.  We have been setting up Christmas blow-ups and decorations at Mike's.  I am in charge of layout and creativity for his yard. (I wonder if years of Halloween decorations have prepared me for this….). Dan likes to write and is gonna teach us about poetry, so if there's a poem next week you'll know why. Dan is off date for baptism, but the goal is to get him back on soon!  

The Little Apple is good! Four transfers now – wow! I'm grateful for my time here and love this place and the wonderful people.  So many friends, miracles, and growing opportunities!  

Spiritual thought: 

Exodus 4:10 – And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 

11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? 

12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 

 

So basically Moses is worried about his insecurities, even through the Lord had just shown him miracles in previous verses. Moses is saying, "Lord, I can't do this, I am not good at public speaking." The Lord essentially says back, "Did I ask?" He tells Moses that He made man's mouth and He is going to be with Moses every step of the way. The Lord is telling Moses to have faith in the abilities of God and not his own mortal abilities.  

 

Sometimes we may feel like Moses, asked to do something that stretches us. When we doubt, we are doubting ourselves, and we're doubting God. When in reality, through Him we can accomplish anything. So stay true to the faith, keep pushing and trusting in the Lord’s powers.  

Love you all,  

Elder Hedrick