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 

Week 1 in the Field and Catching up with Virtual MTC

Hi Everyone -

Stealing the idea from other families we know, we are going to post Elder Hedrick's general letters on a blog.  That way, anybody who wants to can check in and see how his mission is going.  Also, after he's done, he'll have a good record of his mission.  I also may add a little commentary for some background from time to time.  Here is Zac's first letter from Kansas as well as two letters he wrote while he was doing the virtual Missionary Training Center online from home.  

A little background from this week:

Elder Hedrick left Sacramento on Tuesday June 21.  We got him to the airport at about 7 and said our tearful goodbyes.  Because of limited flights, he was scheduled to overshoot Wichita by flying to Atlanta and then catching a flight back to Wichita.  One other new missionary, Elder James from Placerville, was on the same flight.  However, due to thunderstorms in Atlanta, they circled the airport for an hour before detouring to Savannah, GA.  They were not allowed off the plane and waited for 2 hours on the tarmac while the plane refueled.  They then flew back to Atlanta but missed their connection to Wichita and met up with a new sister missionary also stuck in Atlanta.  

They had to get rooms at a nearby hotel and catch a shuttle and a few hours of sleep before heading back to the airport.  With no direct flight on Delta that day to Wichita, they then flew to Minneapolis before finally catching a flight back to Wichita.  So Elder Hedrick along with two other missionaries arrived safely just about a day late.  Here are his letter's so far:

 

7-27-2020

Hello everyone! 

 

My first week is almost over. A lot of fun stuff. So in my mission we can teach over Zoom and do service at members houses.  We have one non-member we are teaching. And it is great to be able to connect with the members and get to know them and teach them. Kansas humidity is so much fun; it feels like the air is oatmeal. My comp was supposed to go to Russia so he practices Russian.  He's a great guy. 

 

I am missing my friend and family. I am so grateful to know that families can be together forever. And we have Heavenly Father to thank for that. I hope you all have a good week coming up. 

 

Love,

 

Elder Hedrick 

7-11-2020

Hello family and friends! 

 

I hope everyone is having a great day! This week is a little less stressful. I am starting to get into the rhythm of things. I got my flight information so it just makes it a little more real. It is all happening so fast and slow at the same time if that makes sense? I love my district and teachers. We are cruising through "Preach my Gospel" just doing our 6-8 hour zoom classes a day like rock stars! 

 

My whole district is gonna get together sometime soon, with the exception of the three of us that don't live in Utah. My companion lives in Hawaii so there is a little bit of a time difference but we make do. We also do these things called TRC so we teach either non-members or actors online, and we're not supposed to ask if they are a member or an actor. I have done three so far and all of them have gone good.  My companion and I are learning together and improving each time! 

 

Well, I guess I will end by saying I love you all. And Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost love you as well. I invite all of you to think about the blessings you see in your life from Heavenly Father. Even with all the craziness in the world, Heavenly Father still loves you and is watching out for you! 

 

Love you more than tongue can tell, 

 

~ Elder Hedrick 

7-4-2020

 Hello friends and family! 

My first week of online MTC has gone interestingly. I have enjoyed it and have loved my teachers and all the people I’ve met. There are some wonderful Elders and Sisters earnestly waiting to enter the mission field! 

I’m not gonna lie - I have felt stressed a little, and the stress comes and goes.  I was reading in the book of Ether chapter 12, verse 27 - “And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” This scripture helped me understand that I am learning everyday and that it’s a process. Diamonds are made from coal, but before they become diamonds they have to go through intense heat and pressure. Right now I am feeling the heat and pressure. 

I want to conclude with my testimony. I know that what I am doing is exciting, scary, and true. I know that if I follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit I will become an adequate instrument for the lord. And I will be able to share the truthfulness of the restored gospel brought back to the earth by the prophet Joseph Smith given from Heavenly Father. This is an exciting work that needs to be done during these exciting times! 

Love you more than tongue can tell,

~ Elder Hedrick