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 

Sad email, sorry it is like 5 words long

 

11-16-2020

Hey! 

Doing good! It's been another week here in Manhattan Kansas! Wonderful weather is getting a bit chilly for me. Our friend Dan is off date. He is still working on coffee but he still wants to learn. Mike is great and we're still doing service at his house. Transfers are next week so the guessing game has started in Manhattan.

Remember that God's timing is key and we need to wait on Him. Isaiah 41:30 

Mountains to Climb

 

November 9, 2020

Hi everyone!  

 

So this week was definitely a month! Went by like a snail stuck in tar that was shot in the face by a tranquilizer dart. Lol. But it was still a good one - not a high member lesson count so sad day. We taught Mike and Dan. Dan is still on track for the 28th of November to be baptized and confirmed! Yay!  

 

We had Zone conference this week, and it was amazing. My mission president said to us, "How can we fail? It's Impossible." He was referring to the prophet and 12 apostles constantly praying for our missionary efforts. The ZLs and STLs gave an amazing training.  

 

Also, God lives.  My companion, who I love - he's amazing, he snores a bit. Last night he was keeping me up with it. I said a prayer, and I asked the Lord to help me get the rest I need. When I finished my prayers, within a couple seconds he shifted to his back and stopped snoring. God is in the details of our lives; you just need to ask sometimes.  

 

Ok here’s my spiritual thought. "Mountains to Climb" by President Eyring is a conference talk that I highly recommend. I listened to it, and when I was done, I asked the Lord for mountains to climb, and surely enough He gave them to me. Lol. Our opposition and hard times make us into what the Lord wants us to become.  Isaiah 40: 31 – “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” I know that when we trust in the Lord’s time and endure the hard things of this life faithfully, we will be blessed and comforted by our Heavenly Father and his ministering angels.  

 

Love you all!  

 

Elder Hedrick

Spooky Time

 

Nov. 2, 2020

Hello everyone!  

 

I hope you all had a spooky Halloween!! Out of curiosity, how did you all celebrate it due to this Covid craziness? Did you guys all throw candy 6 feet apart?  

 

I had a wonderful Halloween! I went to Mike's house with the rest of my district and carved pumpkins! I was wearing my Bassett hound pants as my costume! It was so much fun! Then Halloween morning we were told we can't go into members homes anymore, but it was nice for the whole 6 days that we could - lol, I can a least say I've been in 3 homes now!  

 

Dan is still on track for baptism on November 28th! He's a champion giving up coffee slowly but surely! We love Dan - please pray for him!!! Mike is Mike - Catholic and stubborn, but we love him! Pray for him as well!  

 

Here’s my spiritual thought:  

 

Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin,  

 

1. God picks you from the patch and brings you in.  (John 15:16)  

2. Then washes all the dirt off of you.  

(2 Corinthians 5:17)  

3.He then opens you up and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. (Romans 6:6) 

4. Then He carves you a new smiling face. (Psalm 71:23)  

5. And then He puts his light inside you to shine for all the world to see! 

 (Matthew 5:16) 

 

Be a pumpkin on a hill with the light of Christ and let all that see you see your shining light!  

 

Love you all, hope your Halloween was  

fa-BOO-lous!  

 

Elder Hedrick 

Getting ready for Christmas carols

Hello ladies and gentlemen - 

This week was fantastic! So much happened! But let's talk about the most important and exciting things first. And then we can see how much time we have left and if I want to write more or not.

First, Elder Newman is great! He is a good elder and I enjoy working with him. In fact, he is starting to teach me some of the uke! I am upping my musical instrument skills! Eventually, we will be able to go get my own and we can go sing Christmas carols and play the uke at doorsteps together. 

Second, Dan is back on date! We have prayed so much for him, and we truly feel now is the time for Dan. We had a wonderful lesson with him and helped him get back on date! Pray pray pray for Dan. November 28th is the day! 

And last but not least, we have finally moved into phase two for missionaries here in the great KWM. We are allowed to go into all home for lessons! Sadly, we can’t eat in homes, because the mask can't come off. BUT STILL! I AM SO HAPPY WE CAN BE WITH THE MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS WHOM WE LOVE IN PERSON!! YAYAY! 

Read psalms 46:10 

Well friends I love you all, I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Elder Hedrick

Ps. Today was the first snowfall of winter!!