Week 6...

July 25th, 2011

From now on, I'm going to just write one big email and send it to everyone. You can still email me individually, because I print out all the emails and write down what I'm going to say and my answers to your questions so it doesn't take too long. We only get 30 minutes, and if were not done it shuts off and doesn't let us send it.

Sounds like everything is going well back home though! Thanks Darrell for that postcard! You guys are so thoughtful. Also, that scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-5. I don't know if that is too long though. Mom, 16 inch collar on that short sleeved shirt would be perfect. I only need one though I think. Thank you so much! That's funny that Zach and Colby still come over. Tell them to use dearelder to write me. It's way better. And Jake says thanks for the package!

Jenna/Jeff, Thanks for the Package! It really was such a good idea! I tried writing my journal in the candle light. It was so hard! those Pioneers were studs. And it was so great to see that family tree! Bern, Switzerland is in my mission! But I probably won't serve there because Switzerland is being dumb with their visas. And Jeff, I fly out August 15th!

Kellie, Thanks for the note! but lit's not use that little trick to send notes back and forth. Obedience with exactness! Amla 57:21!

Everything is going really great here. 3 more weeks and I'll be in Deutschland! Isn't that crazy? I'm learning so much here though, it's amazing. And guess what? I've already finished the Book of Mormon! It's so amazing. I love it! So last week they made me and my companion Zone Leaders. Well Today we had 27 Missionaries leave, more than half of our branch! So they made us AP's! But! we are still the Zone Leasders too! Yay responsiblilities! So basically my Sundays are gone now because of meetings. But it's great! So the other night, around 11:30, I was still awake and my companion, who is on the top bunk all of a sudden hanged over the edge and was like halfway in my bed. (Keep in mind he is still asleep at this point) and said "Hey! are you awake?!" repeatedly. I said yes, and asked what was wrong and he responded with "I don't know" And rolled back over and went to sleep. The MTC does crazy things to you... Haha!

I told Jeff last week, but I've gained 7 pounds :( So you don't need to send me food anymore haha. And dad sent me enough Mountain Dew to last me to Germany! My photo's weren't ready today, but I'll send them off in the morning, along with a copy of my schedule so you can see how packed our days are.

I love you all! And the Church is so true! For reals.

Mit Liebe,

Elder Heinrich

Week 5...

July 18th, 2011

Hallo!
Email is so stressful here. What with a red count down timer ticking every second, and I usually just reply to my new emails. Sorry!

The MTC is rockin'. I really do love it. But I can't wait to get out in the field. Can you believe that Wednesday will be my 5 week mark?? I'm already passed my MTC Halfway point! Yeah!

Guess what? Me and my companion were made Zone Leaders yesterday! So basically we are in charge of the whole German Branch... about 51 missionaries! It's crazy but it's a ton of fun. I've learned that I need to be a good example to my zone. It's a challenge, but its so rewarding! I've just been trying to lead by serving everyone in our zone. I love it !

Everything else is going awesome though. My German is getting way better too. The total immersion in the classroom really helps! And Tuesdays and thursdays, our district can only speak German for the whole day. It helps a bunch! And we got new German Missionaries two weeks ago! It's fun to coach them on the ways of the Jedi. And on the 27th we get some new ones again! Except now that we are ZL's, we get to give them the welcome and the tour and everything. Sweet!

I've learned that I struggle with patience. In fact, that's the Christ-like attributej that I've been working on since I got here. And the first day I preayed for patience? my rommates, 3 of them, and I got locked out of our room during shower time in just our towels. and we had to wait for some other elders to get dressed and go get us a spare key! But it was a good trial of patience. I've really been working on myself to come closer to Christ here. It's tough though. He's so perfect!

I'm getting a little fat... haha. It's tough when they give you tons of food and then you just sit there for hours. But I play soccer like everyday and have been working out too. Guess what else? My dad sent me dew! Yay Babylon! That's pretty much it for this week. Oh, I'll be sending you pics on like Wednesday. Sorry! I couldn't get around to ordering them until today.

Love you so much!

Herzlich,

Elder Heinrich

Week 4...

July 11th, 2011

Hey!

Everything is going well here! Not much has changed from last week haha. We got new German missionaries in, so I'm no longer the new guy! It's great. One of them is British! And he has a sweet accent. Anyway! German is going awesome. I can understand so much now. And speak with almost correct grammar.

Welp! Nothing too new here... Still craving that Dr. Pepper ;) haha

Herzlich,

Elder Heinrich!

Week 3...

July 4th, 2011

Servus!
Happy Fourth of July! At the MTC, we had a big celebration and this guy came who has been the Adviser to the President for like a billion years. They had a big thing about how the Restoration through Joseph Smith could only happen in America because of the religious freedom we have. It was pretty cool! You totally should have sent me sparklers! I made a catapult out of our rubber work out band. I could have launched them! Actually. It's a good thing you didn't send me them...
Everything is pretty much the same here. Our day to day routine doesn't change very much. But German is going great! And lessons are becoming a ton easier now that I can already say what I want to. But yeah, everything else is good! I really am excited that my mission president is going to be pretty strict. Obedience brings blessings! I've already seen that here in the MTC. Das Buch Mormon ist wunderbar! I'm really enjoying it so much. I just read all of 2nd Nephi in one day like last week. That was crazy. I'm already in like Alma 35ish and I started when I got here. Which is a lot for me... haha... I can't stop! And I actually stay awake during personal study now... Most days...!

Woot! Three weeks on Wednesday! The days feel like weeks, and the weeks feel like days.. We get new missionaries here every Wednesday, but we only get new Deutschers every three weeks. So starting on Wednesday I won't be one of the new kids anymore! Yay! I'm doing pretty good with the sleeping schedule. It's not too bad.. But yeah, if you ever want to send me Dew don't hesitate... We CAN have it! But we just can't buy it haha.
Dad has emailed me a couple times. It's good to hear from him!

So yeah! The MTC is great! But I can't wait to get to the Mission Field. Six weeks!
The Church is true! Til next week then...

Herzlich,
Elder Heinrich

Week 2...

June 27th, 2011

Man! These days are long, but this week flew by! German is going good! We've taught like 7 lessons completely auf Deautsch now, and I'm really getting the hang of it! I am trying to help people out. It is kind of hard here, but I've just been trying to include some of the quieter elders and get to know them and stuff. It's pretty fun.

So guess who was here last week. Pretty much all the General Authorities! The First Presidency, The quorum of the twelve, and a whole bunch of the seventy. ! No... I did not personally see them :( They were training all the new Mission Presidents that are shipping out in a month. And I got to meet my new President!! His name is President Miles. he seems really loving and really cool. I can't wait to serve with him! He said he's going to be a "White Bible President"... So he'll be a stickler on the rules. But that's good for me!! Haha...

Not much has changed. Me and my companion are still getting along, and we are working together really well now. He's learning German really fast, but I still have to translate sometimes during lessons. The schedule here is hard, but fulfilling. I'm never actually read and studied the Book of Mormon as much as I do here. We have like 3 hours of personal study every day and I am just tearing through it. I'm already in Alma and I started when I got here.

But yeah! Everything is going awesome! Keep the mail coming! You guys can use dearelder.com to write a letter and they'll print it out and five it to me the next day for free! It's awesome! And you can send me cookies (wink,wink...) I am surely missing my Dew... :( So if you ever feel like sending me some of that as well, don't hesitate- haha

More to come next week! The church is so true!

Herzlich,
Elder Heinrich

Week 1

June 20th, 2011

So the MTC is amazing!! The days are really long and we study forever, but it's good because I have a lot to learn. I see my friends all the time. Elder Rasmussen studies in the floor below mine in the same building so it's sweet. And I walked to the temple with Elder Wilde and Elder Fausett yesterday. (High school friends)

Getting up at 6:30 is hard, but I'm so tired by 10:30 that I get a good 8 hours of sleep every night. Well. At least 7. Elder Hyatt, the one from my chemistry class, is in my same zone so I see him all the time. It's awesome! And my companion is freakin' tight. We get along really well and work really well together. And we have kind of the same sense of humor, I'm just weirder. His name is Elder Parker and he's super chill. But he's a hard worker when it comes to the gospel. He's from Kaysville and went to Utah State as well! What are the chances? Ha. But I'm lucky to have him. Oh! And I'm senior companion. Das wassup.

The MTC is waaaay better than I expected. And HUGE! There are so many elders and sisters here. I see some new that I know from High School or Utah State like every day. And the buildings themselves are pretty old, but they are pretty high tech with the computers and stuff. More than I thought it would be. We use headphones and mics to pratice vocab, and we have an ID card that we swipe to pay for stuff (6 bucks a week) and to do our laundry and stuff. It's pretty sweet. Speaking of tech- I'm missing my phone though... haha. Zach was the one that met me up here, and he hasn't got his mission call yet. Unfortunately, they took me in right away so I could only give him a hug and say goodbye. And I was planning on getting lunch with him so I was starving the whole day. The food here tastes good, but once it hits my bowels it wreaks havoc. For real.

They've started a new Pilot program here at the MTC and our district is in it. It's where you start teaching right away and learn most of the language along the way. We've already taught two full lessons to our untersucher (investigator) Thomas completely auf Deutsch! It was pretty stressful, but our second lesson was way powerful and really cool. We teach him again tomorrow morning.

The spirit really is so strong here. Yesterday we had a devotional and all 2,500 missionaries sang called to serve. Me and Elder Rasmussen (Jake) sat together and we were both balling like the whole time. I don't think I've ever felt the spirit so strong as it is here. It's amazing!

My German in high school has really payed off. My companion had a year of German, and can usually understand what's going on. Ha but I have to translate when we meet with investigators. Other than that, most of our district has no German experience. Remember how I said I wanted to test out early? Well I met with my teacher, but he said he want's me to stay in this class so we don't have to break up our companionship and so I can help the other missionaries. I can understand everything the Teacher and Investigators are saying(classes are usually 95% auf Deutsch) and I can read and understand the Book of Mormon. I can pray and bear my testimony as well. I was actually called upon during sacrament out of the blue to say it and some of the missionaries who have been here a few weeks were really impressed. Boo yah! Haha. But I still have a lot to learn.

I can't believe how long these days are... I guess that happens when you are used to waking up in the late afternoon... But! Besides my mini powernaps during personal study, I'm doing good! I'm just missing my mountain dew..

My estimated departure date is August 15th, and I'll get my travel plans and everything in a couple weeks.
The computers here won't let me upload my pics, but I'll print them off and send them to you. Will you post on my facebook my address again and ask people to write me?? I can't write anyone because I don't have any of their home addresses!!! It stinks.

Der Kirche Jesu Christ Der Heiligen der Letzen Tage wahr ist! Und ich wieß dass das Buch Mormon wahr ist!

I can say a lot more, but I gotta go. I love you so much!

Herzlich,

Elder Heinrich

P.S. There's no cool German word for Elder :(