Jenessa, Week 18- Sick.....are you kidding me???

Hey Everyone-

I hope all is going well back in Utah, and wherever you may be reading
this. :-)
Hope ya'll had a wonderful Valentines Day!! We spent the day sick :( So sad!!!
Sister Carlson (one of the other Normandy Sisters) got this cold/flu
sickness at the same time that i did.... on VALENTINES...haha!!
Showing the love by sharing our sicknesses! haha! So we did a little
trade off and our companions got together and did some missionary work
and then the next day they decided that they were going to get the
stomach flu. We (Sister Carlson and I) were still sick, so we just all
were inside on Saturday. Then Sister Carlson and I woke up still
feeling crummy, but better so we thought we would try and go to
church....well that was a bad idea...we go up and got ready and then
everything was NOT feeling better...I was doing better then her, but
it was not good enough to go to church, but by the end of the day we
were feeling much better....unlike our companions who were still
feeling awful and throwing up. Sister Carlson and I felt great on
Monday and so we were able to go out and teach a few people, while our
companions were still in recovery... LOL :-)

It seems like the whole week was just full of sickness and nothing got
done....which is so sad.....cause Sister Orton has been battling these
headaches, so we have not been super productive, even when we could go
out this week. Then on Thursday Sister Martinez and I were together on
a trade off...haha! I got to be companions with each of the Sisters
here in Normandy this week!! HAHA!! So great!

Sister Carlson and Sister Orton were able to go to the temple on
Thursday, down to Orlando....and I will probably get to go next
transfer....sooooo excited!! We got permission in our mission to go to
the temple at our half way mark and then right before we go home. :-)
I LOVE THE TEMPLE!!  While Sister Carlson and Sister Orton were gone,
Sister Martinez and I got the opportunity to be companions for the
day. It was fun. We were able to go out and try many people and even
had appointments, but they fell through all day!! So frustrating, but
I am not discouraged....just determined to keep going and I know that
The Lord will place those people in our path that we are meant to
teach, EXACTLY when we are meant to teach them. Just have to be
patient and it will come. :-)

It has been nice to have an Ipad to entertain me while I have been
sick, although staring at it for a long period of time with a head
cold and stuff would give me a headache... :/ Its been an adjustment
with the ipads, but goodness we are going to be so much more effective
as missionaries with this wonderful tool! i am so blessed to be a part
of this!! :-)

I am being transferred!! AHH!! So excited! Adventures await!! I am
going to be going to Hendricks Avenues Ward and will be serving with
Sister McCleary!! Woot woot! :-)

This will be my new address:

6655 Corporate Center Parkway
Apt. 1630, Mailbox 5
Jacksonville, FL 32216


You should send me letters, so then I can write back :-)
For those who have sent me letters, thank you!!! :-) I have really
enjoyed the notes and cards. It just makes my day!

Have a wonderful day!

Much Love
Sister Heckel

BTW.....it is February 18th and it is 80 degrees outside!!!

Oh....Enjoy the pictures! From my area in Normandy!
Sent from my iPad

Larissa, I LOVE ZONE CONFERENCE!!

This week was super busy and yet it doesn't feel like we got anything done... but it was fantastic, we had zone conference and it was seriously so amazingly incredibly good! I had so many questions answered and received so much revelation and it was so amazing! I have the most amazing mission President in the entire world! We have been focusing a lot on the First lesson and OYMing and it has been so terribly awkward and hard and great. So we had our final lesson this last zone conference and we taught one of the senior sister training leaders..... NAILED IT (In English) but it was still awesome and the spirit was great and now I just need to learn it in Spanish. 

We have taught a lot in English lately so my Spanish is not really improving, go figure it you don’t really use it you don’t get better and it starts to go away right, so this week we are really getting moving on it cause I need to learn cause I have a feeling I am going to talk again in church and I really need to work on my Spanish for that, cause that’s embarrassing love talking in front of people just fine just not quite yet in Spanish!

This week we found a few new people and have two new investigators who are pumped and basically ready for baptism :) so great to find those people who are prepared! 

It is starting to heat up and look beautiful and we are starting to run outside and I LOVE IT!! Finally I get some good exercise and it makes all the difference for your day! Hna. Parra doesn't want to run as far as me but we make it work! I am starting to really figure out how I can eat healthy too and it is fantastic! So things are looking up with all that! 

We don’t have terribly many investigators but that will change this week!  We are determined to get at least two more and we confirmed it with the Lord so it is going to happen :) I am so excited! We get to go to the temple sometime soon but not quite sure when hopefully we will figure that out soon before transfers! 

I have been doing a lot of studying on Faith and have been receiving pools of revelation, I love studying faith and am realizing more and more at how much we need to work every day to have strong faith and what exactly faith is. We were taught how to study in Zone conference and it was so amazing and I have learned how to learn go figure that is really important! I have learned more ways that I can show my faith and have already seen the difference it has made with me and the work. 

I am so very grateful for the opportunity to be on a mission. At zone conference we talked about our vision for the future and we talked about after our mission. Ha-ha I know it is far away for me but it is amazing how much my vision of my future has changed and become so much better! I love looking to the future and I love what I now see because of my standards that I have for myself and my new goals for the future! It is so exciting to see. 

Anyways back to the present. I love the missionary poem that ya’ll sent me! ha ha it is amazing how true that poem is a mission is a roller coaster of emotion and good times and bad! It’s crazy how fast it changes! I hope that one day it will start to level out just a little bit!

Well I love you all so much and I will talk more next week! 

Adios! 

Hermana Heckel 

Jenessa Week 17: LOVE!

Hey Everyone-

Oh my goodness. This week has been full of discouragement in terms of
teaching and things, but it was definitely a week of learning.

Its been kind of a bumb week in terms of teaching with Sister Ortons
headaches and then being at Zone Conference, which was amazing, and
then some service opportunities that we had this week. Our teaching
pool has shrunk considerably, with many people dropping us or we
dropping them for lack of commitment to anything. It is really sad
when you have to do that, but we know that we are here to try and find
the "low hanging fruit" or those that are elect and ready to hear the
Gospel at this time. It just isn't their time right now.

Our focus here in the Normandy area right now is to fulfill our
Bishops challenge and see less actives through Visiting teaching
opportunities with the Sisters. He has challenged all of us
missionaries to go out with at least 2 sister (or brothers for the
elders) a week to help them with their LONG visiting/hometeaching
lists. Our ward is huge, ON PAPER, we have over 400 families and only
50 or less come to church activily. There is so much work that could
be done with less active and part member families to bring them back
into the fold and bring their family and friends into the waters of
baptism and feel the joy of the Gospel! I am excited for this new
focus that our Bishop has. Its really great! :-) We hope to raise that
number for hometeaching of 11% and the visiting teaching of 23% way
up, and by so doing bring many more wonderful elect people into the
waters of baptism here in the Normandy ward, as well as reactivate
many to have the Joy of the Gospel back in their lives.

I have actually had an emotionally rough week with discouragement
taking over. I was so frustrated and realized this morning that it is
because I was lacking in love. It was amzing to me this morning as I
was reading out of Power of Everday missionary about how "Every time
we take someone figuratively by the hand and introduce him or her to
Jesus Christ, you will feel how deeply our Savior loves you and loves
the person whose hand is in yours." That its all about LOVE! When we
bring others to Christ we feel of his love and this is how/why we find
such JOY in it, because LOVE BRINGS JOY! I realized that i wasn't as
joyful this week, because i wasn't able to do those things that brings
the Love of our Savior into my life. As I then found myself in the
topical guide under love and looking up all these scriptures, I was
overwhelmed by the Spirit and filled with love that I was almost to
tears. I know that my Savior lives and he loves us so very much. He
knows our trials and struggles and he is their to help us, as we turn
to Him. I am so grateful for his mercy and our ability to repent and
come unto him! I love The Lord with all of my heart and all my soul! I
am so grateful for his love!! It is this Love the brings the greatest
joy!! Think about the scripture 1 John 4:16 "God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." As we dwell on
love, we will have God with us. Then as we think of John 15:10-11 "If
ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as i have
kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things
have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your
oy might be full." This was so enlightening. As we keep the
commandments and abide in the Love of The Lord we will find a fullness
of JOY!!! :-) This is how true joy comes as we learn to LOVE and be
LOVED!! :-) (How fitting with it being Valentines day this week hu? It
just happened like that)

I dont have much more time to type today, but I did have a lot of fun
at the Zoo, as you will see by all the wonderful pictures that we
took. We got our Ipads....which are awesome and I will write more
about how they are working next week and last but not least....I got a
call from President Craig today and I have been called as a Sister
Training Leader and will be transferred next week on Feb 19th. Sister
Training leaders are like Zone Leaders for the Sisters. I feel
incredibly humbled by this call and hope that I can follow the Spirit
and magnify my calling The Lord has extended! I am so grateful to be
serving a mission. :-)

Talk to ya'll next week

Love ya
Sister Heckel


P.S I will let you know where I am going next week, so if you are
planning on sending something to me....you will have to send it by
wednesday (no later than thursday) in order for me to get it safely
before I leave.

Sent from my iPad

Larissa, Temple FUN!!

This week we were able to go to the temple for baptisms for the dead with 3 of our recent converts:) it was such an amazing expirience to see them feel of the spirit and help in the Lords work.

Our recent convert Araceli is the funniest lady ever, she is so anxious to share the gospel since she has been baptized and wants to come teaching with us and wants to knock on doors (which we cant really do) haha we told her that so she is stalking all the Hispanics in her apartment complex so we can visit them as a referal:) haha she is so funny and so great, we are so blessed to have her help us in the work, we definitely need more members like her to help us in the work becasue right now it is really hard to find people to teach. but we are praying to find some more people who God has prepared for his Gospel!

 

Ana is progressing incredibly the Lord has really prepared her so well and we are so blessed!!

Dont have alot of time so I will have to write more next week

Love you all:)

Hermana Heckel

Jenessa, Week 16: NO TIME!

Hey Everybody-

Dont really have time to type up a letter for ya'll because we are going tot he Zoo for P-Day today!! FUN FUN!

 It was a wonderful week though. Picked up some new investigators, the Sisters in our Ward had a baptism and I am just LOVING MY MISSION!

Wonderful things to come this week include: Zone Conference where we will be getting our Ipads and then this weekend is where we get calls from President if we are trainging!! Woot woot. We will see what happens! I am so excited! This will be an adventure. 

I will have so much to share next week. Just know that I am doing well and that the work here in the Normandy ward is moving forward! 

Tell ya'll about the Zoo and Zone Conference next week! 

WITH PICTURES!! 

Have a great week!

Write Me!

Love

Sister Heckel 

Larissa, So many Miracles.

Dearest People I love:)

This week was pretty awesome!! we had alot of fun with our members of the ward and are trying to help strengthen them and helping them learn to invite people to come to church and share the gospel.

We had transfers last week and I stayed in my area (yay:) I love it and I am so grateful I get to stay for at least another transfer, we are working on our branch real hard to help it become a ward and we are finding people everywhere and the people we are finding the Lord has prepared amazingly for this work. I know none of this would be possible without his hand in the work.

We had a really REALLY cool expirience this last week with a  investigator we actually lost contact with for a while and finally ran into her and started teaching her. She said that a couple days before she has a dream:

In the dream she was standing with a large group of people behind her she was on the bank of a large river. She looked on the other side of the river and there was a mountain and on the mountain was the true church of Christ, and Jesus Christ himself was there. She knew she needed to get to the other side but could not find away to cross over the river. She looked in the distance and saw two girls walking on the water with a book, they came to her and helped her to walk on the water and cross the river to the church on the mountain.

She told us that the only young girls she knew was us so it had to be us and we had the same book. She had also never had a dream like that before in her life, she said it was so real and clear and she remembered it perfectly when she woke up. That day she committed to be baptized and come to church with us the next day:) So CRAZY!! That was really an answer to our prayers! haha what more could we ask for

We are seeing so many amazing miracles in our area, Pray we find some new Investigators this up coming week we are ready to get to work and share the gospel with all those we come in contact with.

spanish is going haha I understand more every week which helps me talk more and it just goes up from there, I am hoping and praying for the gift of interpretation of tongues soon, that will make things alot easier to teach and work together as a companionship when i know what both of them are saying. but it really is getting better and I can kinda have conversations with people and when I dont know what they are saying, I just smile and nod:P haha its funny I am really learning to laugh at myself and my aweful spanish, haha I actually in one of my first prayers a while ago instead of praying for someone to have comfort (consuelo) I prayed for them to have confusion (confuso) hahahah so funny!! (please bless cecilia with confusion) hahaha so great definitely one to remember!

We are going to the temple for baptisms this week and I am so excited One of our recent converts LOVES family history so much, she didnt want to leave when we taught her how, so we will do it with her again once she recieves more information about her ancestors, She is so fantastic!!

I really cant believe how amazing our recent converts are! they are some of hte strongest members ever! they do have many trials but they know that they can make the right choices and be blessed for them.

I am so grateful for the amazing opportunity I have to be here and to meet these incredible people and be a tool in the Lords hands to help them learn abou the gospel. I am also grateful I have the chance to learn more about the gospel, I didnt know anything before I came out here and now I have learned how to learn and what to learn. It is incredible!! I love my mission and My area and the amazing members and investigators.

Thank you for all you love you prayers and letter (keep them coming:P)

Sinceremente,

Hermana Heckel

Jenessa Week 15- Homesick....what??!

Well...this week was amazing and amazingly hard. For the first time EVER since I have been out (for 3.5 month) I got a bit homesick! What is up with that?? Homesick, me? Thats not possible. It was on tuesday, and I just didn't want to do anything. It is not so much that I wanted to be home because i felt like I was missing out on something or whatever, but I just didn't want to do anything. I just wanted to curl up in my bed and go back to sleep, read a book, and just do nothing....so I wanted to be home....cause you certainly can't do that here. I was little too focused on myself and not quite sure how I got to that mind set....but it was NO FUN!! I hate thinking about myself, it just gets you all depressed....focusing on others is the way to go. So basically this went on for about a day and a half, when I finally kicked myself in the butt and just stopped thinking about myself and just went to work, although it wasn't with the same spirit as I have done the work previously, which made the work seem even more difficult. DUMB! The next morning during my personal studies I was "rebuked" by the Lord and then helped! I was studying for my investigators and lessons we were going to have that day, then somehow I had like 5-10 minutes left of studying. That NEVER happens. I am always wanting to go over studies. I felt like I should study for a few minutes out of the Doctrine and Covenants, so I opened up to Chapter 30, which is where I was in my reading, and it was perfect and EXACTLY what I needed. God is so good!! 

In verse 1-2 I felt like it said this "Behold I say unto you, [Sister Heckel], that you have feared men and have not relied on me for strength as you ought [and have in the past]. But your mind has been on the things of the earth more than on the things of me, your Maker, and the ministry whereunto you have been called; and you have not given heed unto my Spirit."
Yeah....basically a little kick in the butt, but i needed it. I've been daydreaming a bit too much about the future and becoming a little focused on the world and it has taken me further from the Spirit then I wanted to be and then made me homesick! 

Then the Lord lovingly gave me some direction afterwards. He helped me to see what I needed to be doing and be as a missionary.

1. A missionary who "gives heed unto the Spirit." 

2. A missionary who "opens her mouth to declare the gospel." 

3. A missionary who "doesnt fear men."

4. A missionary who is continually "lifting up [her] heart unto [the Father] in prayer and faith! 

It was perfect. I have been focusing on those things since and I feel amazing and rejuvenated by the Spirit of the Lord to go out and do this work like I have been!!! 

The area is progressing slowly. Our teaching pool has shrunk, once again, but we are teaching another family. A couple and their 15 year old son. We taught a very powerful Restoration Lesson and they all committed to be baptized in February! I love it! They are so excited! They all wanted different chapters in the Book of Mormon so they could read and then discuss/teach each other! I am so excited to be going back to teach them this week! 

I have been seeing a Chiropractor and my migraines (if you even new I was having them) are gone!!! YAY!! 

I love my mission! :-) 

Oh guess what....we get I-pads in a week and half! CRAZY! I will have to let you know how that goes when we get them. Its going to be so great to be able to use all the resources that come with the LDS library and such! I love it! :-) I also get the opportunity to go to the Orlando temple soon!! I am so excited! They just started this.....we get to go to the temple at our half way mark and then just before we go home! I am so happy....it is my half way point basically! Cause I am set to go home October 29th of this year....that is way wierd...so i have exactly 9 months from this wednesday! WOW! Time sure does fly! 

Love you all! 

You should write me slackers! 

Sister Heckel :-)