12/29/2014

Well everyone this is the last email of the year. I have had a very good year as well. I have grown and learned so much about myself and the gospel. This week wasn't the best week as far as the work goes because everyone was so busy with holiday things. It was a great Christmas though. On Christmas eve we got to spend time with the zone and President and his wife. We saw meet the Mormons which is an awesome movie. On Christmas morning we had a brunch with the senior missionaries and it was great. Then we just chilled and talked to our families. It was so hot though on Christmas and the days before that it didn't really feel like Christmas haha. Since the day after Christmas though we have had rain everyday. It has rained pretty hard too so I had to buy an umbrella. It is a lot cooler and better than the rain though.


Have a good week everyone. I will talk to you next year.

Elder Hepworth

12/25/2014

 

Here a some pictures from our Christmas morning event of your son. Thought you might enjoy them.

Elder Heyen

Elder Hepworth sporting the tie and "Return with Honor" pen we sent in his Christmas package from home.  He approves!

 

 

The ward members in the mission boundaries put together 200 individual presents/packages for all the elders in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission since the mail had been on strike for months and no packages from home were arriving. 

Bless the Angels in South Africa!

 

 

12/22/2014

Merry Christmas everyone! Well in a few days. I don't know if there is snow there because I had heard that it all melted awhile ago. I hope you guys enjoy a white Christmas though.  It is so hot here. Yesterday it was so hot and humid I was sweating bad and refused to say it was Christmas time. This week was pretty good. On Tuesday we went to another area and did a mega booth. It is where the whole district is there and we contact people. We have a bunch of supplies to hand out and a big picture of Jesus for people to see and draw attention. After the booth we helped a return missionary move and then after we moved his stuff he wanted us to get water for him. In some of the villages they have to go fetch their water. So I did it but I wasn't happy about it because I felt like he was using us and wasting our time. Then I remember the scripture Mosiah 2:17. It made me feel bad especially because this time of year we should be serving more than ever. The day we celebrate Jesus Christ birthday is this week and what a great opportunity it is to serve as his disciple during this time. I miss everyone but I'm so glad I'm here.  This week we had zone meeting and the thing that was talked about the most was unity. It was like it was prepared for me. I have an African companion right now from Malawi and we are completely different. I have only had American companions before too. We took the advice and we are getting along a lot better now. We must have unity to bring the spirit to the people. At church on Sunday we had sacrament meeting then after we watched the Christmas devotional. It was awesome and make me miss home because everything was decorated. After that we had the Christmas party and ate pizza and soda. It was pretty awesome. Missionary work is great. It is an experience that will make you stretch and grow so much. Heavenly Father molds us into who he needs us to me out there. I love you all. Have a blessed week.

Elder Hepworth

Eating Pizza At the Church

Mission Tour 2014

 

12/15/2014

This week we had much success plus some difficulties. We had 26 lessons so we are teaching a lot of people and finding cool people. The problems are getting them to church because it keeps raining on Sunday and they keep going places for the holidays. It is like their summer here in South Africa because that is how the schooling works. We are working hard though and the Lord will bless us as we do. This week I had an exchange with a brand new missionary. He has been out for 3 weeks now and he is from South Africa down in Port Elizabeth. He is a good teacher for barely coming out. I know that I was really bad and hardly knew my stuff ha. It is great to see how much progress I have made. My companion said that I need to train and that I'm powerful ha. We also had an exchange with the zone leaders this week and I got to go with my old companion Elder Olson. It was pretty cool because he drove and knew where to go and all I had to do was teach. On Saturday we had the mission tour and Carl B. Cook from the seventy was here. He is the area president and a very good teacher. The zone where I'm at is very small so it was very personal. I learned that I need to work smarter and be a progressing missionary so I can have progressing investigators. On Sunday we had a lesson on living in the world but not of the world and I thought how true that is. I got a letter from my mom and she said the world is getting worse everyday and it is so important that we make sure we are not of the world. We must strive to live like Jesus Christ. Have a good week everyone.

 

Elder Hepworth

12/08/2014

So this week was interesting. On Wednesday and Thursday we couldn't go to the area because they were blocking the road for a strike to have water piped into their homes. They try to solve things with mob justice and it never works as we can tell with the post office strike we had that is now over. So my companion and I went to different areas with different missionaries. I spent the day with the only other two Americans in the district so that was pretty fun. The rest of the week we were husting all over trying to see everyone that we had missed. It gets difficult here in South Africa because everyone is on break and leaving to different places. We had one who was so awesome and was on date already but he left to Joburg and won't be back until Janurary. During church on Sunday I realized that it really is a perfect church run by imperfect people. There are always things that I see that aren't done right but I can't do anything about it. It is hard when I come from a place where the church is so strong ha. In our Sunday school class they were being very disrespectful and it was frustrating. I'm grateful to be on mission. It is awesome to be an eye wittnesse of the gospel frontier in South Africa. All the other missions that have ipads can keep them. Thank you for all the prayers and I love you all!

 

Elder Hepworth

 

12/08/2014

 

The one next to me has been to Pocatello, Idaho for a debate tournament so I thought that was pretty cool!

 

Elder Hepworth

12/01/2014

 

 

HAPPY 20TH BIRTHDAY ELDER HEPWORTH!  LOVE MOM AND DAD!

 

 

 

This week was good. I can't believe it is December now. It doesn't feel like Christmas time because it is so hot. I hear about all the snow at home and it makes me jealous haha. We had transfers this week and I got a new companion. He is from Malawe so he is African. It is a little different because I have only had American companions so far but he is great. We will continue to do the great work we do up here in Lenyenye, Limpopo, South Africa. We had Thanksgiving this week with the senior couples and it was great. We ate so much food that I thought I was going to blow up. It was my birthday this week on Friday and I worked right though it. It had to be the hottest birthday I have ever had. We have been doing a lot of finding this week. We have found a lot of potential people which makes me happy. One person we met named Phetole was so awesome. We gave him a date right then and  there so we will see if he lives up to it. I have a quote to share this week that I found in my studies. Ezra Taft Benson says it is easier to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent. So remember everyone to stay close to the gospel in these last days. I love you all and am so grateful for all the support.

 

Elder Hepworth