Larissa - End of week 1

Dear Familia,

I can't believe how fast time goes by! literally it is crazy!! But anyways! 

So this week was transfers and we got to go down to the office to help. In our transfer meeting we have all of the missionaries that will be leaving at the end of the transfer bare their testimonies. It was the weirdest thing to be up there, I had seen so many go through and it was the weirdest experience. 

Sister Calton got called as the new Senior sister training leader to replace sister Turner, I was so sad to see her go. but Sister Calton is wonderful and is so excited to work with the sisters.

This week we received 14 referrals!! on average we receive about 2. It was a huge miracle and we are so excited to go try all these people. It was an even bigger miracles because we got them from a member whose husband has been in the hospital for the past week!! You never know so always open you mouth!!! 

We also started teaching a women and he husband (Ana and Oscar) they have been taught by missionaries for the last like.... many years. they live half in our area and half in the elders so we are teaming up and teaching them. We teach them at their tire shop most of the time because they work a lot but they have time for lessons when they are at work. They are literally so funny. I died laughing the whole time we were there (did I mention they have a pet pig named Juicy Lumps, they call her juicy for short... she bit my toe... really hard, but now we are buds so its okay). They also have really strong testimonies. I can't wait to help them some more. It was crazy because Ana expressed to us some of her doubts and what was holding her back and literally all the of doubts got answered in la conferencia general de las mujeres! ALL OF THEM.... to bad she did not come. but repentance is real and we can go and read it with her or have her listen to it! It was amazing to see how revelation can come.

This week we also were able to go to the Pulga!! it was so much fun! literally we love that place. I feel like I am in mexico and I love talking to people there. We had a really cool experience after talking to a women for a while she grabbed one of every pamphlet and said send the missionaries me and my mom are thinking about changing religions and I like what I see:D how cool!!! Another is every time we come there is a little girl about 10 years old that comes up to the booth and grabs one pamphlet. since we have been there she has read every pamphlet and this last week grabbed a Bood of Mormon and we saw her walking around reading it!!! WHAT!!!! Its amazing how much these kids can feel and follow the spirit. They also sell coconuts there:) I love them. sooooo gooood!! I love in the picture how you can see the guy in the back looking at our table. Yep double take!! 

Women General conference was amazing. I went to the Spanish session and it was so good!! I couldn't believe that I actually understood everything (miracle) but I loved the focus on the proclamation! seriously so amazing!! Our leaders are absolutely wonderful. I loved president Iring's talk, We need to always remember our baptismal covenant and what it means to truly take the Lords name upon us and what we are supposed to do in that covenant.  So powerful, Our leaders are amazing and are definitely inspired by God. I can't wait for General conference this week!! what a week of miracles!! I love this work so much! I love this church.

I can't wait for this week. We have a lot of fun plans and things to do! The work never stops and never slows down:) love it! Hope you all have a wonderful week wherever you may be. Love you all.

Hermana Heckel.

1. Coconut at the pulga:)

2. Juicy Lumps and my beautiful comp

3. cool sign we found in our area!! Spread the LOVE!!!

4. Elders playing with the Pig haha 

Travis - Bet you didn't think I could do it?

Well, this week has been by far one of the greater weeks of my mission. We have spent a ton of time biking around from each lesson and trying to meet as many member as we can. This ward is crazy cool and super nice, they take care of their missions and work really hard with us to make sure we see sucess. Also this week the new Easter movie has come out, please check it out and share it on Facebook! And share the old one too! Their both fantastic! 

I am still alive eating well and guess what?? I built that bike! It's not a million dollar bike but all the parts I need function so ha. Now it is working great! Enjoying the sun! I'm cutting it short so I can hear how your weeks have gone! Love you! 

Elder Heckel 

P.S all the pieces are from scrap bikes and or donations by people. 

The Photos below are all from a member who was so kind to send them to us!! We love our Elder Heckel...Others apparently do too! Tehe! :-) 

Larissa - My last transfer will be in ALVIN!!!! with Hna. Anderson! :-)

Dear Loved ones:)

I am so happy to say that I did not get transfered this transfer and I will end my mission in Alvin:) So excited!! I love this area so much! and Hna. Anderson will also be staying with me and now she holds the record of the longest I have ever had a companion! We are so excited to see all the miracles this transfer!!

This week was a super busy week! I had a wonderful Exchange with Hna. Huntsman over in Kemah and it was super fun:) we biked for a couple hours and just like Galveston, Kemah is a tropical paradise so I was loving it. The people are also so nice and alot of people were outside because of spring break and such! After riding bikes for only a couple hours we got back in the car and drove to a recent converts home to give him a lesson. He was the cutest old man I have ever seen. His testimony was so strong and I loved teaching him:) then we went passed a couple more people that day and also a taco truck.... SO GOOD;) I loved serving with Hna. Huntsman and learning so much from her. I also left there with an intense sunburn:) just getting ready for summer I guess!!

I also got to go on a suprise exchange with another sister. Sister Jones. She is in an english area in a town called Rosenburg. haha it is interesting to see the difference between an english area and a spanish area. It was super fun to meet some of the members down there and get to know sister Jones better!! she is such a great example for everyone!! and also in there apartment is our missionary seal and it is HUGE! I signed it:) in the H of course!! now I am officially part of the legend! that things has been around since 2009!! super cool!!

both of those exchanges were back to back and let me tell you after words I missed hna. Anderson like crazy, my area and sleep haha but it was super fun!! 

We met this super awesome family this week;) we are so excited to start passing by then and teaching them!! 

We were also able to have a wonderful lesson with Elvia, Part member family. We were able to have a pretty bold lesson and we found out a lot of what is holding her back! it was amazing! the spirit was so strong and she really wants to know what church is true!! I love her so much:) her kids are my favorite!! ahhh I just love them!! 

We are so excited to see all the miracles God has in store for us this beautiful transfer:) so happy that I get to spend my last transfer in this wonderful place. 

Heavenly Father is blessings us so much! I have really never felt his love so close. This area has grown so much since we first opened it back in November and we know that it is only through the merits and grace of Heavenly Father that we are able to do this! I love my Heavenly Father and I know he loves each and every one of us! I know this church is true with all my heart and I love it so much! 

Have a wonderful week ya'll:) Talk to ya lata!! 

Hermana Heckel! 

1. sometimes we have to study in the car... comfortable!! 

2. I am a legend! coool!! 

3. SUper COOL!!!

4.Me and my cute comp:) together for another transfer:) 

Travis - NEW Ipad and NEW Area!

Hey Everybody! 

I'm finally back, gosh I had no way to message until now. It's great to be able to once again message you all.  Well this past month has been crazy! We just had our first mission wide conference in almost 5 years, all the missionaries met in Gridley's stake center. It was so awesome to see so many missionaries. I can't believe I know so many actually, yet their are quite a few that I had no idea where here and I am excited to serve with them. So during this new conference they told us the testing for iPads is officially done. We are to turn in all our iPads. There where a total of 22 missions chosen to test out iPads. After successful testing they decided to put out new iPads with better software and more tools to help missionaries. And 88 missions where chosen to get these new iPads, ours did so well they happen to re-choose it again to have them. And these iPads now are owned by each missionary to be able to take home(as long as you go home after August 3rd, or live in North America). But we are being given extensive training on how to use iPads and the different tools given to us, so over the next couple weeks we will not have Facebook until training is completely done. This is cool to be able to integrate these into missionary life, although for me it never beats using a solid copy of the scriptures. They talked a lot about this becoming the digital age in which people are more curious and willing to explore now through the Internet than by knocking on their door, especially with people and their friends, more people are willing to ask a friend over Facebook than even talk with us. I would invite all of you especially this Easter time to share the new Easter video(starting the 28th) and leave room for people to ask you questions about it. I promise you will be amazed at how little people know about the LDS Church, I extend this with the hope that all of you can be a helping hand in one of the greatest ways possible. 

       Well also big news, although I haven't had much success in getting baptisms in Gridley, I planted the seeds of curiosity in many and managed to get bunch of new investigators. It's been so exciting to be able to meet all the new people, to work in the orchards and to be a part of the community. But Sadly that day has come to an end... I have been called to be transferred to Loomis 1st ward. I'm moving even more south now and have been transferred from a car to walking and biking. This is my first biking area and I'm excited to be able to serve here with a new missionary( he has been out only 3 months) Elder Burnhisel! He's a big ball of fun and I am excited to work in this area with him. It is a serious change for me, this week has been crazy transferring, helping with iPads and getting to know the new people. I don't know who chose to set up these street, but their crazy!! How people find their way around beats me. But the spirit here is strong and the whole ward is very missionary minded, they all are always helpful asking for ways that they can help us or do something themselves. I can't wait to see what the future holds.

But I am enjoying my time out here, meeting so many different people kinda opens your mind and heart to people and their situations. I seriously couldn't believe that this part of California even existed and I know I talk way to much in these letters. I want to shorten them down a little so that you may be able to answer or even finish reading it all. I hope all of you are having fun, I pray for you all ways. See you all next week, keep outta this crazy hot sun and had fun!! 

-Elder Heckel

Larissa - WONDERFUL WEEK! ;)

Hello Wonderful People!!

What a wonderful Week!! 

This week I was able to go on Exchanges with Hna. Ries in Galveston. It was so much fun! Galveston is a Bike area and the Spanish sisters actually live with the English sisters. So there was four of us which was super fun! It was also a bike area, I loved being back in a bike area for a day!  It happened to be on the day that it poured rain! haha we had to go home and change cause we were soaking wet! But boy did I love it! Galveston is a tropical paradise! it was beautiful. She is very luck to serve there and such an amazing missionary. I learned so much from her and her example. We have some outstanding missionaries in this mission and I am so blessed to be serving with them. 

We had another weekend at the Pulga! It was again a huge success. Normally we would not do it every weekend but the other sisters had a super busy week so we went for them:) which we didn't mind at all. I had a meeting with the Stake President that day as well so we did mini exchanges because sister Sanchez also had to go. I love her so much. Her companion Sister Robinson stayed at the Pulga with hna. Anderson. We saw again so many miracles. We had alot of people come up and ask us questions and we were able to share messages with alot of people. Whenever I am at the Pulga I feel like I am in Mexico. It is the coolest thing ever! haha and people are still really shocked when these two which girls start speaking to them in Spanish. This week we also had a member bring his TV and we were playing some Mormon messages to be more eye catching... and it worked:) 

Thank you family and friends for the birthday wishes and gifts and such. We had a wonderful birthday. The members here were so much fun and we had a couple mini birthday parties here. it was wonderful! we had so much fun! 

We saw so many miracles this week in our area. We are starting to get working with the two less actives that we found and there families:) and we are starting to find more in our area now that it is warmer and people are outside.

We have our investigator Misael, who is sooooo funny. haha teaching him is teaching me pacience and just how to laugh. He will ask us a question and we will answer it and then we will say to us "but my question is...." then just rephrase the question. haha Oh goodness, but he loves what we teach and he is really receptive to the spirit and we are so blessed to be teaching him. 

This week something that has been on my mind and I have strengthened my testimony on is family History work and temple attendance. I don't thing I truly ever comprehended how truly important these things are for us. How much it does bless our lives and how much power there is in Temple attendance and Family History work. We are blessed so much when we strive to do these things CONSISTENTLY and we are blessed in ways that we can't imagine. What a blessing we have to help our ancestors receive the ordinances of baptism and of the temple. Also to have the opportunity to learn from on High and be the closest with God in the Temple. We are truly so blessed and once we realize how truly important these things are, we would do them often. We have the opportunity in this area to do family history for two hours every week. and that is not enough time. We wish we had more:) and I can't wait for the opportunity to go to the temple more often and learn and grow and help those who are on the other side receive the same light and knowledge that I have. 

We are so blessed!! 

Can't believe its week 6 gahh! but can't focus on that to much, We have way to much work to do. Double exchange this week and end of transfers! woooo super fun and busy! Can't wait:) 

Love you all!! Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts, truly makes a difference and means alot! 

con Amor,

La hermana Heckel 

1. Hna.Ries and me on Exchanges

2. Pulga

3. Pulga

4. At stake pres house for the meeting.

5. twins

6. Birthday party.

7.sometimes.... I use my comps real name when we go out to eat:) hahaha 

8. This is our snack:) mango and Chili... soooo goood!!! 

Larissa - Zone Meeting and the Flee Market

Dear wonderful beautiful people:)

How is everyone? I hope yall are all doing good. This week was super amazing week:) We had so much fun and did so much work.

This week I went on exchanges with sister. Tauasa! I went on exchanges with her before my first transfer in this area and it was so much fun to go on exchanges with her again! I love her so much! We had so much fun and we saw so many miracles in her area. She is a wonderful missionary:) Its so weird to have gone on exchanges with her at the beggining and at the end of my mission. haha its so crazy!

We also had zone conference. I usually love zone conference but at studies this past week President asked me and the other senior sister training leader to give a rollplay to all the missionaries in every zone conference. I was so nervous. I had given training in Zone meetings and district meetings but not to every missionary in the mission AHHH it was crazy! Major stress right there! haha we also only had a day to prepare. but we get to our zone conference and President walks up to us with a smile and says. "We had some things come up and we don't think you will have time for the Rollplay, Maybe next time." Can I tell you a huge weight just fell off my shoulders! Then I was able to more enjoy the conference:) haha

This week was indeed our birthday and it turns out it will be more of our birthday two weeks haha. The members here are so cute. We went over to the Muniz family's house and had cake and ate with them:) then we went to a couple other member homes on our birthday and our investigator Elvias house! she decorated the house and everything for us it was wonderful! 

On our birthday we also found 2 less actives in our area! MIRACLE!!! One of the Less actives Maria was baptized about 20 years ago and hasnt been to church in about 15 years. She wants us to come back every day to see her:) and the rest of her family is not members:) we are excited to get to know them and start teaching them.

I am not sure if I talked about it last week but we have a HUGE flee Market in our area!  so we as missionaries decided to buy a booth there and give our free pamphlets and books of mormon and videos. We did it this weekend and it went SUPER well. It was so fun to just talk to people about the church. I was suprised how many people really were interested. Its alot less threatening because they can take something and walk away. Alot of people asked questions and especially when they saw that these four white people can speak spanish! haha it was awesome. It was really cool when we would talk to some people who came up and grabbed a book of mormon and said missionaries came to visit me like 3 years ago and I think I will try and read in the book of mormon again.... :D super cool. This has been my mission dream to do this. Just get the name out there and talk to a large group of people! We have big plans for next weeks Polga. We will take a picture so you all can see it. It is going to be awesome:)

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and love:) We had a wonderful birthday and we feel so loved!!

We are so happy we could be together for our bithdays:)

Hope you all have a wonderful week and thank our Heavenly Father for the many blessings that he has given us!

con Amor
la hermana Heckel:)

1. La familia Muniz

2. Mexican Chocolate for our B-day

3. Sheri's Berries (thanks Lori)

4. Birthday Girls:) 

Travis - Coming out of hibernation

Hello people,

I still won't have an iPad for a while now, so I'll still be hopping on other missionaries iPads.

Another week another nickel. Ha! So everything out here is going fantastic! I'm loving the spring weather and all the things blossoming! It seems that everyone here has come out of hibernation! So we have spent most (officially) time on our bikes! Catching people all over the place. I didn't realize how nice a car is! I'm glad to have it! I feel like the guy of sponge bob who yells "my leg! My leg!" But it did however open my eyes to some mini miracles. While knocking a door, we where waiting and had a quick open....gasp.....and then slam! So we walked away disappointed to have a guy(the Gardner) walk up and ask us who we are! We explained it to him and he asked for a Book of Mormon, this happened not just once, but twice! Same kinda people! It is super cool and they seem really sincere.

This week we have also gone nuts doing service, we have been cutting down trees, putting in TONS of fence posts and cleaning up orchards. Walking through those I feel like they could be the sacred grove with how beautiful it looks. And it's amazing how long these trees stretch. (Almond blossoms look the coolest) but doing this service has built serious member trust and now we are fed most every night! I love this warm weather and it leaves me excited for this spring. I hope all is going well with you and Utah weather is good. Not quite warm right?

-elder Heckel

Larissa - CRAZY!

Dear Family 

So this week has been crazy! we had zone meeting and MLC so it feels like the weeks are literally flying by! I can't believe it will be my birthday this week, Well I guess OUR birthday this week;D That is super crazy! I have been so busy it is crazy! 

MLC was wonderful! I am enjoying being edified so much every month! It has always helped me personally and in my area every time. God is so wonderful. haha It is amazing me how much more comfortable I am at roll plays now as well! haha now that is a miracle!! 

I also went on exchanges with Hna. Smith and I learned SOOOOOOOO much! she is so amazing I was so blessed to get to know her better and learn from her! she is amazing! and her spanish is incredible! 

I have seen so many miracles and so many answers to prayer in the last couple weeks though. God is really blessing us so much! We are starting a English class this next week and I am so excited! The work we feel is finally moving here in Alvin and we can not wait to really get it rolling.

This next weekend we are going to have a booth at the flee market in Pearland! I am so excited! It has been one of my dreams since I got here to preach to a large group of people:) I can't wait! I'll let you know how it goes. The missionaries did it a couple years ago and had a lot of success! 

so many exciting things happening!! sorry this is the shortest email in the whole world!! haha but gotta run:)

Love you all Hope to hear from you all soon!! Not much time left to write!! 

Hermana Heckel 

Travis - Got a challeng for ya...

Hey sorry I have a short message here because things got crazy where we have been out and about doing stuff, preparing for a funeral and getting ready. Transfers are in two weeks!!! Holy cow I hope I stay one more. This area has been such a blessing! We see miracles almost everyday and some aren't exactly the ones I expected.
Like we got a random call to go help a old lady move. When we arrived she was surprised and so was her son and his wife. We immediately jumped in to help them move stuff before the rain started to come down. As we finished moving most of her stuff into it, lunch break came up in which we where able to go talk with them while they ate. We come to found out she use to be best friends with a member (old lady) but ever since she passed away she has been alone. So the son wants her to move in with him for care. And randomly during the conversation the lady started a side conversation asking exactly what we are. (Why we have the same first name) and what we do. We explained about being missionary's and being o here and curiously she asked about our message :D we shared the restoration with her and before we even finished bearing out testimonies she asked how she could learn more! We where so happy, we gave her a Book of Mormon and showed her how to use it and how to pray. She told us she has had over 9 different near death experiences that she has been flown to a hospital. She says she now believes God has something for her and that our message felt right. You could imagine our disbelief that someone would ever say that. But.....it turns out they live clear in Southern California, sadly we got their information and handed it over to missionaries there. But it's still amazing to see the seed planted in her.
    And right after that while TRACTING we came across a Hispanic family who was enjoying a birthday party, we gladly knocked and was quickly invited to talk with the parents and kids who listened to us share our message of the restoration. They accepted copies of the Book of Mormons and even promised to read the book and pray as a family. This is the first time I've ran into a family that actually was curious and spoke fluent real ENGLISH! So we are super excited to go back this next week and teach again. They invited for us to make another stop and get the mother (who wasn't there at the time) caught up. We hope to see this grow as this area is a tough bugger.
  I only have another minute before I have to get back again, so I may send pictures during the week. I hope all is well and I got a challenge for you....we just learned that more than 80 percent of baptisms come from member referrals and only 5 percent come from tracting. We are working really hard with the keeners but I encourage you to try sharing the message of the gospel, whether it be in person or on facebook and try to give the missionaries a referral to help them.  

Love you all and hope to hear from you

-elder heckel