Blog for Jordan Heaton while out on his mission to New York New York South
Flushing New York
Friday, November 20, 2015
Week #7 Letter
11-9-15
"Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet emooooooooooooooooootion" mini preparation day
today! We did normal morning routine until 11 and did laundry, got my
winter boots from Macy's, had bible tea for the first time(milk based,
not tea based), went shopping at target, and came back and ate lunch.
Went knocking at Whitestone is a rich area so lots of big homes but
not a lot of answers during the day. Went back to the apartment and
ate dinner, went contacting, and went back to the church to learn how
to use the AreaBook app since I can now start using it. It is
basically every tool missionaries have piled into an app on the iPad.
Key indicators, plans, area book, anything and it is in the app.
11-10-15
"It's my life! My heart is like an open highway" today was awesome. To
start off, elder Reese went to the temple for his 6 month anniversary.
I went on exchanges. So I was with elder law and we were going to go
to his area, Jamaica, until he took someone's keys and we had to go
back. We stayed there and emailed till we got hungry and went to the
local mall. I had chipotle for lunch!!! My favorite. We walked around
and we went into the Lego store, Disney store, and the Apple Store.
Went back to the mission office, emailed some more, wrote my letter
until 2 elders came in. The were in a crash earlier today and were
reporting it to a senior elder who is in charge of the vehicles. They
had to take it to the shop so in order to get back, they had to take
two cars and needed two more elders. So we tagged along. I went with
an elder who trained elder Reese a few months ago. They didn't get
along as well so the elder never gave elder Reese his posterity tie.
After the drive, he will give me the posterity toe though as I am
being trained by elder Reese. He also said I would be a great leader
from him knowing me for 20 min. I would be in a leadership position in
3 transfers he thinks and the spirit was so strong right then that I
knew he wasn't kidding. He said other things that were uplifting and
stated what my purpose is and why I am in Flushing. It is a little
more personal so I won't tell it here but I know it is true. He is an
awesome elder and I hope to have him as a companion some day. Then
elder Reese came back, we went back to flushing, got dinner at the
apartment, then went contacting. Finally, we went to see a less active
that we have been working with and he is really making progress
finally and we taught him about the Holy Ghost. Today was awesome and
I know the Lord had me right where I needed to be to hear those words
from the elder today.
11-11-15
"It's celebration that'll last throughout the year. So bring your good
times and your laughter too. We gonna celebrate your party with you.
Come on now celebration!" No real reason to celebrate but it is what
popped into my head. Today was fairly boring. We had district meeting
and went contacting afterwards with no luck in teaching anyone. Had
dinner and went to visit a less active. Taught him about the spirit
world as he has had a relative pass away in 2012. Then our other two
appointments we had tonight, the person didn't show up at their house.
So lots of walking and bus rides for nothing really but it was fun.
Always love riding the bus.
11-12-15
"I bought my first real six string. Bought at the five and dime.
Played it till my fingers bled. Was the summer of 69' " Today was a
good day. We first got a referral today in the morning of a less
active that is in our area. So we contacted him and set up an
appointment tonight. We also had 2 lessons on the street while street
contacting to reach our goal for the day. And we achieved our goal of
a referral received and contacted today. We made all our goals for the
first time ever that I have been here. Then we had that appoint,went
tonight. When we got there, we found out the parents are converts to
the church and they were baptized in 2010. They were baptized in Utah
and then moved out here to New York 3 years ago. But they didn't go to
church here. The kids know nothing of the church. So the family has
been meaning to get missionaries over there because they said they are
struggling as a family and needed to get back to church again. So they
made it happen. Elder Reese and I basically taught the kids though as
the parents already know all of this and they say they know it is
true. So that was interesting as that was the first time I taught 2
kids the Restoration. We gave them a pamphlet and just explained
pictures. Next time we are giving them the kids Book of Mormon full of
pictures. But it was really fun and they want to come to church on
Sunday. So excited!
11-13-15
Friday the 13th. Today was a crazy day cause none of our plans
happened really. We had zone training today and we gave a workshop in
it. We talked about the importance of planning and I felt like it was
a good lesson. I loved it and teaching it:) then we were planning to
go contacting but then we got a call to help a member move. So we went
over there and helped them move and they fed us pizza:) we had an
appointment at 8 with a less active we have been working with. By the
way, we are working with 2 less actives before yesterday and now
working with a third one as of yesterday. But then he cancelled on us
and so we went to the church to plan some lessons and found out that
our AreaBook app doesn't work. We weren't allowed to even open the app
and it says it is made by a nontrusted developer. So we can't plan,
look up members or investigators, or see our goals. So frustrating and
it has slowly been getting worse this week as it started monday with a
couple small problems. Now it is useless. But then a member called
during daily planning tonight and said he had groceries for us. It is
the same one that gave us groceries my first week here. He gave us 2
gallons of milk, 2 loafs of bread, a dozen eggs, cheese, 4 boxes of
cereal, yogurt, and 2 jars of peanut butter. We don't have to go
shopping for much on Monday now:)
11-14-15
"S.E.I.Z.E S as in seize, E as in eggs, I as in I don't know, Z as in
zebra, E as in..." Pretty o.k. day today. Studies and lunch then went
to take food from last night to the Spanish elders. They were at the
church though, locked in a room. They were there for a couple hours
but only realized they were locked in for the last 20 min when they
tried to leave to go get lunch. They made a blog of their survival in
there which was funny to see as they had ties around their foreheads,
belts around their necks, jackets around their heads. They were ready
for survival of the fittest it looked like. AreaBook app works when
not on church wifi so we went to the library to fix it. Went knocking
in Whitestone and Auburndale with no luck. Had dinner and then went to
visit the family whom we taught the kids basically tonight and
continued with talking about Jesus. Had to leave to go to another
appointment with the less active that canceled on us last night only
to get there and he called and canceled on us again. So not the best
day but a fun day none the less.
11-15-15
"What are we doing down here?" "We are waiting, I am smoking." Today
was a good day. We had that family we taught last night come to church
today and also a couple from somewhere. We didn't know who they were
or how they knew to come to church at that time and they spoke Chinese
and English a little. But we had a lot of people attend sacrament
meeting!! More than usual anyways. Then we had correlation after
church and we actually stayed the entire time since we didn't have an
appointment to go to. Then we met a high schooler on the street while
contacting who said he wanted to repent and come closer to Jesus
Christ. So we said we can help and he was supper excited for it and
grateful for us being there. So cool to see how the Lord works and
when we plan specifically, He provides His children fro us to teach.
That was what we taught on Friday at zone training. Then the Halal
street vendor gave us free soda again like he does every Sunday. I
love him:)
Hi y'all. So the AreaBook is a good tool that the Lord has placed in
our hands and it is awesome... When it works. It crashed on Friday as
you all read and it took a while to get it back. But now we have it
and can know what we are doing this week.
Some funny things. 1. When we go knocking, about 3/4 of the people
either yell through the door or through a near by window. They almost
never answer the door. Also, the homes here aren't homes for 1 family.
They all have 2 separate homes for 2 different families and 1 is on
top floor, the other is on the bottom floor. Never just one big home.
Starting March 1, 2016. All missionaries speaking their native
language will be going to the MTC for 3 weeks. Not like me and for 12
days!!!
Something I don't like about being a missionary is dropping people. I
feel like we abandon a child of our Heavenly Father and that we will
be responsible for their eternal salvation at the day of judgement. I
know that sounds a little extreme but that is what I feel! These are
children of our loving Heavenly Father, not a baptismal statistic as
Elder Holland puts it.
I wanted to reflect on my ponderize scripture this week. It was Moroni
10-32 for those of you that forgot. I encourage you to read it now
before you read on.
Here is what I got from it this week. Grace means help and strength.
With the help and strength of the Lord as we strive to be perfect as
Christ was perfect, we will have spiritual experiences and have the
spirit with us to where we can in no wise deny the power of God.
Meaning we will have amazingly spiritual experiences in this life. If
we deny ourselves of all ungodliness and strive to be perfect in
Christ though.
This was a great week and had some great days and some boring days as
well, but that is the mission. You are there to always be available to
those that need you and are worthy enough to have the spirit guide you
on where you need to be, what you need to say, and what invitations
are needed for them to progress. I feel like I am starting to really
adjust and I found the true meaning of how missionaries are in the
world but not of it. I found it out this last weekend when we found
out that there had been an attack on Paris.
Love you all and I will see you in the next email. Bu-bye!
-Elder Heaton
Sent from my iPad
"Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet emooooooooooooooooootion" mini preparation day
today! We did normal morning routine until 11 and did laundry, got my
winter boots from Macy's, had bible tea for the first time(milk based,
not tea based), went shopping at target, and came back and ate lunch.
Went knocking at Whitestone is a rich area so lots of big homes but
not a lot of answers during the day. Went back to the apartment and
ate dinner, went contacting, and went back to the church to learn how
to use the AreaBook app since I can now start using it. It is
basically every tool missionaries have piled into an app on the iPad.
Key indicators, plans, area book, anything and it is in the app.
11-10-15
"It's my life! My heart is like an open highway" today was awesome. To
start off, elder Reese went to the temple for his 6 month anniversary.
I went on exchanges. So I was with elder law and we were going to go
to his area, Jamaica, until he took someone's keys and we had to go
back. We stayed there and emailed till we got hungry and went to the
local mall. I had chipotle for lunch!!! My favorite. We walked around
and we went into the Lego store, Disney store, and the Apple Store.
Went back to the mission office, emailed some more, wrote my letter
until 2 elders came in. The were in a crash earlier today and were
reporting it to a senior elder who is in charge of the vehicles. They
had to take it to the shop so in order to get back, they had to take
two cars and needed two more elders. So we tagged along. I went with
an elder who trained elder Reese a few months ago. They didn't get
along as well so the elder never gave elder Reese his posterity tie.
After the drive, he will give me the posterity toe though as I am
being trained by elder Reese. He also said I would be a great leader
from him knowing me for 20 min. I would be in a leadership position in
3 transfers he thinks and the spirit was so strong right then that I
knew he wasn't kidding. He said other things that were uplifting and
stated what my purpose is and why I am in Flushing. It is a little
more personal so I won't tell it here but I know it is true. He is an
awesome elder and I hope to have him as a companion some day. Then
elder Reese came back, we went back to flushing, got dinner at the
apartment, then went contacting. Finally, we went to see a less active
that we have been working with and he is really making progress
finally and we taught him about the Holy Ghost. Today was awesome and
I know the Lord had me right where I needed to be to hear those words
from the elder today.
11-11-15
"It's celebration that'll last throughout the year. So bring your good
times and your laughter too. We gonna celebrate your party with you.
Come on now celebration!" No real reason to celebrate but it is what
popped into my head. Today was fairly boring. We had district meeting
and went contacting afterwards with no luck in teaching anyone. Had
dinner and went to visit a less active. Taught him about the spirit
world as he has had a relative pass away in 2012. Then our other two
appointments we had tonight, the person didn't show up at their house.
So lots of walking and bus rides for nothing really but it was fun.
Always love riding the bus.
11-12-15
"I bought my first real six string. Bought at the five and dime.
Played it till my fingers bled. Was the summer of 69' " Today was a
good day. We first got a referral today in the morning of a less
active that is in our area. So we contacted him and set up an
appointment tonight. We also had 2 lessons on the street while street
contacting to reach our goal for the day. And we achieved our goal of
a referral received and contacted today. We made all our goals for the
first time ever that I have been here. Then we had that appoint,went
tonight. When we got there, we found out the parents are converts to
the church and they were baptized in 2010. They were baptized in Utah
and then moved out here to New York 3 years ago. But they didn't go to
church here. The kids know nothing of the church. So the family has
been meaning to get missionaries over there because they said they are
struggling as a family and needed to get back to church again. So they
made it happen. Elder Reese and I basically taught the kids though as
the parents already know all of this and they say they know it is
true. So that was interesting as that was the first time I taught 2
kids the Restoration. We gave them a pamphlet and just explained
pictures. Next time we are giving them the kids Book of Mormon full of
pictures. But it was really fun and they want to come to church on
Sunday. So excited!
11-13-15
Friday the 13th. Today was a crazy day cause none of our plans
happened really. We had zone training today and we gave a workshop in
it. We talked about the importance of planning and I felt like it was
a good lesson. I loved it and teaching it:) then we were planning to
go contacting but then we got a call to help a member move. So we went
over there and helped them move and they fed us pizza:) we had an
appointment at 8 with a less active we have been working with. By the
way, we are working with 2 less actives before yesterday and now
working with a third one as of yesterday. But then he cancelled on us
and so we went to the church to plan some lessons and found out that
our AreaBook app doesn't work. We weren't allowed to even open the app
and it says it is made by a nontrusted developer. So we can't plan,
look up members or investigators, or see our goals. So frustrating and
it has slowly been getting worse this week as it started monday with a
couple small problems. Now it is useless. But then a member called
during daily planning tonight and said he had groceries for us. It is
the same one that gave us groceries my first week here. He gave us 2
gallons of milk, 2 loafs of bread, a dozen eggs, cheese, 4 boxes of
cereal, yogurt, and 2 jars of peanut butter. We don't have to go
shopping for much on Monday now:)
11-14-15
"S.E.I.Z.E S as in seize, E as in eggs, I as in I don't know, Z as in
zebra, E as in..." Pretty o.k. day today. Studies and lunch then went
to take food from last night to the Spanish elders. They were at the
church though, locked in a room. They were there for a couple hours
but only realized they were locked in for the last 20 min when they
tried to leave to go get lunch. They made a blog of their survival in
there which was funny to see as they had ties around their foreheads,
belts around their necks, jackets around their heads. They were ready
for survival of the fittest it looked like. AreaBook app works when
not on church wifi so we went to the library to fix it. Went knocking
in Whitestone and Auburndale with no luck. Had dinner and then went to
visit the family whom we taught the kids basically tonight and
continued with talking about Jesus. Had to leave to go to another
appointment with the less active that canceled on us last night only
to get there and he called and canceled on us again. So not the best
day but a fun day none the less.
11-15-15
"What are we doing down here?" "We are waiting, I am smoking." Today
was a good day. We had that family we taught last night come to church
today and also a couple from somewhere. We didn't know who they were
or how they knew to come to church at that time and they spoke Chinese
and English a little. But we had a lot of people attend sacrament
meeting!! More than usual anyways. Then we had correlation after
church and we actually stayed the entire time since we didn't have an
appointment to go to. Then we met a high schooler on the street while
contacting who said he wanted to repent and come closer to Jesus
Christ. So we said we can help and he was supper excited for it and
grateful for us being there. So cool to see how the Lord works and
when we plan specifically, He provides His children fro us to teach.
That was what we taught on Friday at zone training. Then the Halal
street vendor gave us free soda again like he does every Sunday. I
love him:)
Hi y'all. So the AreaBook is a good tool that the Lord has placed in
our hands and it is awesome... When it works. It crashed on Friday as
you all read and it took a while to get it back. But now we have it
and can know what we are doing this week.
Some funny things. 1. When we go knocking, about 3/4 of the people
either yell through the door or through a near by window. They almost
never answer the door. Also, the homes here aren't homes for 1 family.
They all have 2 separate homes for 2 different families and 1 is on
top floor, the other is on the bottom floor. Never just one big home.
Starting March 1, 2016. All missionaries speaking their native
language will be going to the MTC for 3 weeks. Not like me and for 12
days!!!
Something I don't like about being a missionary is dropping people. I
feel like we abandon a child of our Heavenly Father and that we will
be responsible for their eternal salvation at the day of judgement. I
know that sounds a little extreme but that is what I feel! These are
children of our loving Heavenly Father, not a baptismal statistic as
Elder Holland puts it.
I wanted to reflect on my ponderize scripture this week. It was Moroni
10-32 for those of you that forgot. I encourage you to read it now
before you read on.
Here is what I got from it this week. Grace means help and strength.
With the help and strength of the Lord as we strive to be perfect as
Christ was perfect, we will have spiritual experiences and have the
spirit with us to where we can in no wise deny the power of God.
Meaning we will have amazingly spiritual experiences in this life. If
we deny ourselves of all ungodliness and strive to be perfect in
Christ though.
This was a great week and had some great days and some boring days as
well, but that is the mission. You are there to always be available to
those that need you and are worthy enough to have the spirit guide you
on where you need to be, what you need to say, and what invitations
are needed for them to progress. I feel like I am starting to really
adjust and I found the true meaning of how missionaries are in the
world but not of it. I found it out this last weekend when we found
out that there had been an attack on Paris.
Love you all and I will see you in the next email. Bu-bye!
-Elder Heaton
Sent from my iPad
Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Week # 6
Ponderize scripture of the week is Moroni 10:32.
11-2-15
"I'm going to be just like you, yeah. I'm going to be just like you,
dad" preparation day was fun today. We got everything we needed to
like laundry and shopping early so we could get haircuts from Jay. He
does it for free for the missionaries and took us on a tour of Corona
park. He knows so much history and all about it with the world fairs
being there and just cool facts about it. He says he will take any
missionary on a tour of Manhattan too after their mission and they
come back. We are doing that family when we come back. He is an
excellent tour guide and had images to show what it used to look like.
Famous movies from this park are Men in Black and Iron Man 2. So after
our preparation day, we went to visit a less active and arrived to
yelling. We get the less active and his girlfriend to come outside to
talk about it and find out they had an argument. We try to help any
way we could but we aren't relationship counselors. So we thought it
went decent for what we had to work with. They said they would try to
work it out and work on their relationship. That was my day and now I
am super tired. I don't even know why.
11-3-15
"We've come a long way, from where we began. Oh, I'll tell you all
about it when I see you again." It was a long day today. We fasted as
a district to help us find people to teach through the members and
came up with a plan during district meeting today. Then we got called
to go give a priesthood blessing to a nonmember. That was my first
blessing in the mission field. Then Jay got us Chick-fil-a for dinner
all the way from Manhattan. He biked it over here for us and he says
he is converted to it faster than he is converted the being a Mormon:)
he's so funny. Then we went contacting on the street for 3 hours. It
was so long but I gave out all my hand out cards and fliers for free
English classes. Finally, last night I had a dream. It started with me
being at home, got sent home from the mission early, but I wanted to
go back. But I couldn't because I was engaged...
11-4-15
"We got to sink the Bismark cause it's making such a fuss. We got to
sink the Bismark cause the world depends on us." Not much happened
today. We had trainer/trainee meeting at the mission office so I got
to see some missionaries from the MTC I knew and I got to Elder Hunt
again (my MTC companion). He is serving in Riverside which is the end
tip of Long Island. So that went from 12-5 and we came home and ate
dinner then went to drop off the packages at the church that we
brought with us for the other elders and sisters in our zone. We
didn't have time to go street contacting before out appointment so we
made some phone calls to members to set up appointments to stop by and
share a quick message. Then we went to our appointment with a less
active at 8 but right as soon as we got there, he texted us and said
he was still at school. So we walked back and made more calls as it
takes 30 min to walk back. Yeah, not a really exciting day but I made
cases holders for a Book of Mormon and the pamphlets we hand out. The
Book of Mormon one is a goldfish theme and the pamphlets is fruit
loops themed.
11-5-15
"When the lights go down in the city. And the sun shines on the bay.
Oh, I want to be there in my city. Oh-oh." Exciting day today and
scary as well. So we did companion study today and I thought is was
the best one we have done because we applied the principle we learned
yesterday. We actually put forth the effort and set goals and
expectations for the day and created different ways to accomplish
them. Goal setting and planning are some of the most important parts
of missionary work. Then we went to weekly planning at the church and
we continued with it. We planned what we wanted to teach our
investigators and what to say to our referrals. We set our weekly
goals and understood what it will take to reach those goals. That took
3 hours. Afterwards we visited a referral and took him a Book of
Mormon. He is atheist but said he wanted to meet tomorrow. He first
offered to buy us a beer and then realized we are Mormons and that we
are still underage. For dinner today, we made sweet and sour chicken
and rice. Pretty good considering how China is outside our apartment
with real sweet and sour chicken. Then we went to visit another
referral in Whitestone and he answered the door but he is busy so he
said to call anytime tomorrow to schedule an appointment. Sweet. Then
we went knocking around his house and knocked on a door and the
gentleman invited us in. The funny part was that he invited us in not
because he wanted to hear from us, but to give us practice on people
who can prove the church is wrong. He knows everything about our
church, he's read the Book of Mormon. But he bases his beliefs on
proof, which is knowledge. He proves how the Book of Mormon is wrong
with DNA testing, no animals can come to the Americas after the flood,
etc. so he was a downer but super friendly to let us practice on him
as well. Then when we went back and got off the bus on Main Street,
there was a crime scene, 5 feet from where we were going to contact
today. There was a tarp covering something, probably a body, and
police everywhere. We didn't stop to see it, we kept walking on past
everyone but that is scary how close it was to the library. Always
follow the prompting of the spirit, they may save you in the end.
11-6-15
"It's Friday, Friday. Got to get down on Friday. Sitting in the front
seat. Kicking in the back seat." Such an annoying song but it is
Friday! So to start off, I found out the details from last night's
crazy scene by the library. Some lady got hit by a bus and split her
skull. So glad I wasn't there to see it. Anyways, today we had a full
day planned but that plan got thrown away basically. So morning
studies and lunch, but then we got asked to give a blessing to a girl
attending queens college. We met at the church and found out she is on
a national exchange from UVU to queens college. I actually gave the
blessing this time. Afterwards we went contacting and then to visit an
investigator we have been trying to meet with for 2 weeks. But she
wasn't home and didn't answer her phone so no lesson. We then went to
visit a member at Pizza Hut because she always asks when we will come
visit. But she wasn't working. We go back to the apartment for dinner
then go to the church to meet with the Korean sisters who have an
investigator to hand off to us. But he cancelled too. Cool story is
that one of the sisters knows a friend of mine living in California.
Then we went to visit the guy we gave the Book of Mormon to last
night. He had a friend with him and just had a QnA session really. He
isn't interested I. The church except for educational purposes. So
that made us really late to correlation and then came home. So we had
a full day which went nothing according to our plan last night.
11-7-15
"There's an old man sittin next to me, making love to his tonic and
gin." Fun field day today. We went to the church at 9 am to open it
for a piano class. The member that teaches it bought us breakfast, so
nice. So we did companion study and 12 week there and went to Hunan
Kitchen for lunch. Favorite restaurant her for lunch because it is $5
for a lot of food and is good quality. I'm taking you, family, there
when we come back. Then we went to visit a Russian potential
investigator with Russian pamphlets and a Book of Mormon but he didn't
answer so we left them on the door step. Then we went knocking up in
Whitestone, at the very top next to a bridge. There are big houses up
there and people answer their doors and speak English. So much better.
Came back and visited a potential investigator who has been gone for a
bit, traveling to India. Nice guy but all he wants to do is learn more
about all religions. Then we visited the member again at Pizza Hut and
she was there this time. She is doing well and bought us dinner. Then
we went to visit a less active we have been working with and is doing
better. He has been having fights with his girlfriend but are working
it out little by little. Tried to visit our one investigator but she
is still out of town for the next 2 days. Then we visited another less
active who came to church last week but he canceled on us because he
was still in New Jersey. Fun day which we had a lot going on with not
a lot of success but still a pretty solid day.
11-8-15
"The good guys come dressed in black, remember that. Just in case we
ever come face to face and make contact." Today was nice and busy. We
had ward council for the first time ever since I've been here. We were
able to discuss our investigators and less actives to plan out ways to
help them more. No investigators right now so only less actives and
potentials. Then we went to all 3 hours of church today but no one
showed up for gospel principles class, which the missionaries teach.
Our turn was today but no one came so we are saving it for next week.
Then we had 2 dinner appointments tonight. I'm so stuffed. But a
pretty good day today getting to know the members and gain their trust
as they are the key to missionary work. Also, I finished the Book of
Mormon today. I started the night I got set apart as a missionary and
finished November 8, 2015. I don't know what I'll study tomorrow for
my scripture study.
Pretty cool week over all. I'm pretty sure you want to read the dream
so I took the liberty of typing it up for you. Background, I typed it
up the day I had the dream. Here it is:
This dream is insane. I thought about it all day today. It starts off
I was at home. Standing, and my family was on the couch but they
wouldn't make eye contact with me. I asked what was wrong but they
ignored me. I kept asking to the point where I was yelling at them and
kept asking why they were doing this to me. They they showed me an
invitation. A wedding invitation. My wedding invitation. They asked
what it was and that is the same question I asked them. I looked
closely at it and saw the girl but did not recognize her. My family
kept asking all these questions about the girl in it, whom I have
never met or seen, and was frustrated with me. I thought about it for
a while but realized I couldn't remember the last 6 days. Total
amnesia of it and no idea how I even got home. So my family tells me
what happened. I was on my mission when I met this girl. Things
weren't appropriate with us and she kept following the missionaries.
So I got transferred and she followed. I got caught up in all this and
started to see her more and more, totally ignoring the fact I was a
missionary. Then things got bad and we got engaged. That's when I got
sent home and here we are. And it all happened in 6 days cause I
didn't recognize her. So then the scene changes to a dinner setting
with the extended family. All of us eating dinner and someone asked
why I was home early. Mom told the story, but I got mad and frustrated
at her for telling it in such a way it was my fault. I got mad real
fast and I was shouting again. Scene changes again. This time I was
asking for all my stuff back to seek out answers to why this was
happening to me. The photo of me in the wedding invitation looked so
fake and photoshopped I was mad they didn't think it was photoshopped.
So I got my car, phone, iPad, and computer back and set out to find
answers. All I wanted in the dream was to go back to the mission
field. I wanted to go back to the way it was before. Not this madness.
I didn't want to marry anyone and I wanted to go back and serve. The
final scene I can remember is sitting in a room. Filled with paintings
of equations and letters and they somehow made sense to me why this
was happening. I finally felt at peace and woke up then. This felt
like such a real dream to me. I couldn't stop thinking about it all
day today and distracted me a ton during my studies trying to figure
out what it means.
I debated even sending it so have fun with it. I've had other crazy
dreams here, and they have started to be missionary dreams more and
more. Anyways, we had a sister in our district go home due to medical
reasons. She is fine but just needs to be regulated with medicine. Has
to do that at home. She has served for 10.5 months so she has served
an honorable mission and doesn't have to return to the field if she
doesn't want to. I made a holding case for the Book of Mormons we had
out and a case for the pamphlets made out of Goldfish and FruitLoops
boxes. Next project is to make a holder for our pass along cards. Ooh,
and I got to start using the AreaBook app yesterday since it is now
week 5 in the transfer. I had to learn the hard way before I could use
the iPad. The app is basically every tool a missionary has in an app.
Planning, goals, members info, calendar, etc. Super helpful now that I
can use it:)
Love you all and miss you but I am home now. I pray for all of you.
Have a fantastic week and I'll see you in the next email. Bu-bye!!!!!
-Elder Heaton
11-2-15
"I'm going to be just like you, yeah. I'm going to be just like you,
dad" preparation day was fun today. We got everything we needed to
like laundry and shopping early so we could get haircuts from Jay. He
does it for free for the missionaries and took us on a tour of Corona
park. He knows so much history and all about it with the world fairs
being there and just cool facts about it. He says he will take any
missionary on a tour of Manhattan too after their mission and they
come back. We are doing that family when we come back. He is an
excellent tour guide and had images to show what it used to look like.
Famous movies from this park are Men in Black and Iron Man 2. So after
our preparation day, we went to visit a less active and arrived to
yelling. We get the less active and his girlfriend to come outside to
talk about it and find out they had an argument. We try to help any
way we could but we aren't relationship counselors. So we thought it
went decent for what we had to work with. They said they would try to
work it out and work on their relationship. That was my day and now I
am super tired. I don't even know why.
11-3-15
"We've come a long way, from where we began. Oh, I'll tell you all
about it when I see you again." It was a long day today. We fasted as
a district to help us find people to teach through the members and
came up with a plan during district meeting today. Then we got called
to go give a priesthood blessing to a nonmember. That was my first
blessing in the mission field. Then Jay got us Chick-fil-a for dinner
all the way from Manhattan. He biked it over here for us and he says
he is converted to it faster than he is converted the being a Mormon:)
he's so funny. Then we went contacting on the street for 3 hours. It
was so long but I gave out all my hand out cards and fliers for free
English classes. Finally, last night I had a dream. It started with me
being at home, got sent home from the mission early, but I wanted to
go back. But I couldn't because I was engaged...
11-4-15
"We got to sink the Bismark cause it's making such a fuss. We got to
sink the Bismark cause the world depends on us." Not much happened
today. We had trainer/trainee meeting at the mission office so I got
to see some missionaries from the MTC I knew and I got to Elder Hunt
again (my MTC companion). He is serving in Riverside which is the end
tip of Long Island. So that went from 12-5 and we came home and ate
dinner then went to drop off the packages at the church that we
brought with us for the other elders and sisters in our zone. We
didn't have time to go street contacting before out appointment so we
made some phone calls to members to set up appointments to stop by and
share a quick message. Then we went to our appointment with a less
active at 8 but right as soon as we got there, he texted us and said
he was still at school. So we walked back and made more calls as it
takes 30 min to walk back. Yeah, not a really exciting day but I made
cases holders for a Book of Mormon and the pamphlets we hand out. The
Book of Mormon one is a goldfish theme and the pamphlets is fruit
loops themed.
11-5-15
"When the lights go down in the city. And the sun shines on the bay.
Oh, I want to be there in my city. Oh-oh." Exciting day today and
scary as well. So we did companion study today and I thought is was
the best one we have done because we applied the principle we learned
yesterday. We actually put forth the effort and set goals and
expectations for the day and created different ways to accomplish
them. Goal setting and planning are some of the most important parts
of missionary work. Then we went to weekly planning at the church and
we continued with it. We planned what we wanted to teach our
investigators and what to say to our referrals. We set our weekly
goals and understood what it will take to reach those goals. That took
3 hours. Afterwards we visited a referral and took him a Book of
Mormon. He is atheist but said he wanted to meet tomorrow. He first
offered to buy us a beer and then realized we are Mormons and that we
are still underage. For dinner today, we made sweet and sour chicken
and rice. Pretty good considering how China is outside our apartment
with real sweet and sour chicken. Then we went to visit another
referral in Whitestone and he answered the door but he is busy so he
said to call anytime tomorrow to schedule an appointment. Sweet. Then
we went knocking around his house and knocked on a door and the
gentleman invited us in. The funny part was that he invited us in not
because he wanted to hear from us, but to give us practice on people
who can prove the church is wrong. He knows everything about our
church, he's read the Book of Mormon. But he bases his beliefs on
proof, which is knowledge. He proves how the Book of Mormon is wrong
with DNA testing, no animals can come to the Americas after the flood,
etc. so he was a downer but super friendly to let us practice on him
as well. Then when we went back and got off the bus on Main Street,
there was a crime scene, 5 feet from where we were going to contact
today. There was a tarp covering something, probably a body, and
police everywhere. We didn't stop to see it, we kept walking on past
everyone but that is scary how close it was to the library. Always
follow the prompting of the spirit, they may save you in the end.
11-6-15
"It's Friday, Friday. Got to get down on Friday. Sitting in the front
seat. Kicking in the back seat." Such an annoying song but it is
Friday! So to start off, I found out the details from last night's
crazy scene by the library. Some lady got hit by a bus and split her
skull. So glad I wasn't there to see it. Anyways, today we had a full
day planned but that plan got thrown away basically. So morning
studies and lunch, but then we got asked to give a blessing to a girl
attending queens college. We met at the church and found out she is on
a national exchange from UVU to queens college. I actually gave the
blessing this time. Afterwards we went contacting and then to visit an
investigator we have been trying to meet with for 2 weeks. But she
wasn't home and didn't answer her phone so no lesson. We then went to
visit a member at Pizza Hut because she always asks when we will come
visit. But she wasn't working. We go back to the apartment for dinner
then go to the church to meet with the Korean sisters who have an
investigator to hand off to us. But he cancelled too. Cool story is
that one of the sisters knows a friend of mine living in California.
Then we went to visit the guy we gave the Book of Mormon to last
night. He had a friend with him and just had a QnA session really. He
isn't interested I. The church except for educational purposes. So
that made us really late to correlation and then came home. So we had
a full day which went nothing according to our plan last night.
11-7-15
"There's an old man sittin next to me, making love to his tonic and
gin." Fun field day today. We went to the church at 9 am to open it
for a piano class. The member that teaches it bought us breakfast, so
nice. So we did companion study and 12 week there and went to Hunan
Kitchen for lunch. Favorite restaurant her for lunch because it is $5
for a lot of food and is good quality. I'm taking you, family, there
when we come back. Then we went to visit a Russian potential
investigator with Russian pamphlets and a Book of Mormon but he didn't
answer so we left them on the door step. Then we went knocking up in
Whitestone, at the very top next to a bridge. There are big houses up
there and people answer their doors and speak English. So much better.
Came back and visited a potential investigator who has been gone for a
bit, traveling to India. Nice guy but all he wants to do is learn more
about all religions. Then we visited the member again at Pizza Hut and
she was there this time. She is doing well and bought us dinner. Then
we went to visit a less active we have been working with and is doing
better. He has been having fights with his girlfriend but are working
it out little by little. Tried to visit our one investigator but she
is still out of town for the next 2 days. Then we visited another less
active who came to church last week but he canceled on us because he
was still in New Jersey. Fun day which we had a lot going on with not
a lot of success but still a pretty solid day.
11-8-15
"The good guys come dressed in black, remember that. Just in case we
ever come face to face and make contact." Today was nice and busy. We
had ward council for the first time ever since I've been here. We were
able to discuss our investigators and less actives to plan out ways to
help them more. No investigators right now so only less actives and
potentials. Then we went to all 3 hours of church today but no one
showed up for gospel principles class, which the missionaries teach.
Our turn was today but no one came so we are saving it for next week.
Then we had 2 dinner appointments tonight. I'm so stuffed. But a
pretty good day today getting to know the members and gain their trust
as they are the key to missionary work. Also, I finished the Book of
Mormon today. I started the night I got set apart as a missionary and
finished November 8, 2015. I don't know what I'll study tomorrow for
my scripture study.
Pretty cool week over all. I'm pretty sure you want to read the dream
so I took the liberty of typing it up for you. Background, I typed it
up the day I had the dream. Here it is:
This dream is insane. I thought about it all day today. It starts off
I was at home. Standing, and my family was on the couch but they
wouldn't make eye contact with me. I asked what was wrong but they
ignored me. I kept asking to the point where I was yelling at them and
kept asking why they were doing this to me. They they showed me an
invitation. A wedding invitation. My wedding invitation. They asked
what it was and that is the same question I asked them. I looked
closely at it and saw the girl but did not recognize her. My family
kept asking all these questions about the girl in it, whom I have
never met or seen, and was frustrated with me. I thought about it for
a while but realized I couldn't remember the last 6 days. Total
amnesia of it and no idea how I even got home. So my family tells me
what happened. I was on my mission when I met this girl. Things
weren't appropriate with us and she kept following the missionaries.
So I got transferred and she followed. I got caught up in all this and
started to see her more and more, totally ignoring the fact I was a
missionary. Then things got bad and we got engaged. That's when I got
sent home and here we are. And it all happened in 6 days cause I
didn't recognize her. So then the scene changes to a dinner setting
with the extended family. All of us eating dinner and someone asked
why I was home early. Mom told the story, but I got mad and frustrated
at her for telling it in such a way it was my fault. I got mad real
fast and I was shouting again. Scene changes again. This time I was
asking for all my stuff back to seek out answers to why this was
happening to me. The photo of me in the wedding invitation looked so
fake and photoshopped I was mad they didn't think it was photoshopped.
So I got my car, phone, iPad, and computer back and set out to find
answers. All I wanted in the dream was to go back to the mission
field. I wanted to go back to the way it was before. Not this madness.
I didn't want to marry anyone and I wanted to go back and serve. The
final scene I can remember is sitting in a room. Filled with paintings
of equations and letters and they somehow made sense to me why this
was happening. I finally felt at peace and woke up then. This felt
like such a real dream to me. I couldn't stop thinking about it all
day today and distracted me a ton during my studies trying to figure
out what it means.
I debated even sending it so have fun with it. I've had other crazy
dreams here, and they have started to be missionary dreams more and
more. Anyways, we had a sister in our district go home due to medical
reasons. She is fine but just needs to be regulated with medicine. Has
to do that at home. She has served for 10.5 months so she has served
an honorable mission and doesn't have to return to the field if she
doesn't want to. I made a holding case for the Book of Mormons we had
out and a case for the pamphlets made out of Goldfish and FruitLoops
boxes. Next project is to make a holder for our pass along cards. Ooh,
and I got to start using the AreaBook app yesterday since it is now
week 5 in the transfer. I had to learn the hard way before I could use
the iPad. The app is basically every tool a missionary has in an app.
Planning, goals, members info, calendar, etc. Super helpful now that I
can use it:)
Love you all and miss you but I am home now. I pray for all of you.
Have a fantastic week and I'll see you in the next email. Bu-bye!!!!!
-Elder Heaton
Monday, November 2, 2015
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