Picking up the Pace 1-27-14

Another week has passed.....again. This week was a little trying for me. I think it was just one of those weeks we all get. I am sure this next week will be better! 

    Well this week was a little crazy! We gave way more Recent Convert lessons than we normally do. I believe it is because we just added three to the list, from the baptisms (soon to be four). I can not explain how important home teaching is! As missionaries our purpose it to find, teach, and baptize others. Yes, we are supposed to help out with recent converts and less actives but the whole job should not be on us. We simply don't have enough time to nourish them with the good word of God that they need. Do your home teaching! There is a reason that the Lord has asked us to do it! Once we can establish home teaching out here the work will pick up far faster than it is already going. Until then we will just trust the Lord and do our best. 

    This Sunday we had another good turn out for Less Actives. We had 6 less actives and 3 investigators. One of our investigators is named Simone. Elder Norman and I struggle to teach her, mostly because I find it hard to teach a lesson in 5 words or less (that is all we get to say.) She likes to talk. Any suggestions besides taping her to a pole and duck taping her mouth shut? Just kidding... But she really is a nice lady. Plus she brought her friend and two of her cousins kids with her this week and she says she will bring them all plus her mother and brother next week. She also said yesterday that she "isn't a member yet but will be soon." So we will just have to work through this, not sure if it is a weakness, but "talking talent." Something else with her is that she is referring us like crazy to everyone in Inswood - the very place that Elder Norman and I have spent the last 2 transfers breaking in to. (Meaning getting appointments, members, etc.) We have great success there! The area is about as big as the houses down across the street from Siri's school. So we are very excited. 

    Once church finished we had our ward mission leader come up to us and tell us that we are going to have a baptism this Saturday at 1. Our little man Nathan Barnett decided to get baptized then. I'd say that was some awesome news for us. We are very excited for that.

    Well there is not much more to tell than the work is slowly picking up pace. I sure hope I can keep in step. Please please please keep you covenants. It is the only safety in the world! I love you all and you are all in my prayers.

Elder Henderson

We got a good idea to get on the roof and watch the sunrise. And this is what turned out. Yeah it's the crew.....just chilling.

Great Week 1-20-14

Garbage, days slip away into weeks now.........Time surely does fly by as you get lost. But I am grateful for the short moments that I have here in Jamaica. I feel like I have been here for maybe a day or two not really over 5 months.......weird. 

    But this was a great week!!! We had District conference yesterday. Elder Gammiette was there (quorm of the seventy). A couple of interesting things were said. First was that this would be the last District meeting........that means that the next would be a Stake conference. But it isn't official yet so keep praying! Elder Gammiette gave a very powerful talk. It was funny on how he couldn't speak English very well but the Spirit was very strong. That just goes to show just how much we all need the Spirit. We don't even need to speak the same language, if the spirit talks to someone then that is what does the converting. Remember that a perfect lesson is one that brings the Spirit (Elder Holland). President Brown also addressed us. But what would a District meeting in Jamaica be with out a power outage??? Yeah..:/ So I didn't get to really hear everything he had to say. Once again though the Spirit was there and it was very strong! On top of an awesome meeting we had 2 investigators and 6 less actives that came back. 2 of those less actives are now active!!!! YES! Killer week.

     After coming home for lunch, I looked in the freezer. I noticed a pie crust box that Mom sent......I thought it was simply pie crust so I threw it in the freezer........Well I opened it yesterday and too my surprise I found two brand new ties! haha Thanks MOM!!!! That was a good one I am sure you will get a laugh out of that one. 

     So basically it was a fun week. A lot of work gets done between Elder Norman and I. But, even when we work hard we have whole heaps of fun. Probably more fun than anyone else. That's how it goes, isn't it? When you work hard you have that much more fun. Always work hard because if you don't give anything for God to work with how can he multiply your talents or money or anything? He can't. No matter if you times 1000000000000 by 0 it is still 0. So work hard in everything you do and the Lord will truly bless you.

    I love you all. You are all in my prayers every single day.

Elder Henderson

Whappen Everyone?? 1/13/14

Whappen everyone?? (What's up in patois). This week was a miracle in it's self. We had four baptisms this week. They are as follows: Nekietha, Brother and Sister Campbell, and Dimitri Douglas. I cannot explain the sheer joy I had in my heart as I watched each one of them walk into the waters of baptism on three separate days. The best way to describe it is to say my heart is truly full. Funny story though. Brother Campbell is like 6'5" 300+lbs. The person who baptized him is President Ulett, he is like maybe 5'9" 180lbs? I'll send a picture and you can see yourselves. Anyway, as Pres. held his arm to the square we could hardly see him, I just thought to myself as this was going on, "Well garbage, if I can't see him now how is he going to pull him out of the water in about 30 seconds?" Well he finished the prayer and down Brother Campbell went leaving Pres. standing there still with his arm to the square. He was in shock for about 2 seconds, and then scrambled to help Brother Campbell up. Quickly, without help, Brother Campbell jumped back up. (Yes he was completely submerged) So basically he baptized him self, like Alma. HAHA Oh boy i laughed for a good while after that one.

This week was full of ups and downs. I hold myself to such a high standard and when I don't achieve that goal or standard I am pretty hard on myself. But right before Dimitri's baptism we were listening to a Mormon message in which Elder Russel M. Nelson said something that made me think differently. He said "Don't be so hard on yourself. This life is not about perfection, perfection comes in the next life." That struck home for me. It caused a great deal of wonder inside me. I thought over and over on that and I came to the conclusion that I need to work on that. So for the next week I am still going to be doing the best I can but I will give myself a little slack and learn to forgive myself. That is something that everyone can work on. I have seen how easy it is to forgive someone else but often times people miss one of the most important people in forgiveness, themselves. If we can't forgive our selves we can no longer progress until we learn how to. Just a thought for you all for the week. Tell me what you think.

This is a shout out to my aunts and uncles in Kentucky! Thanks for all you do and your support! I love you!

Grandma, I heard your mouth is pretty sore. Sorry to hear that but at least your teeth will look nice and pearly white right?? I hope you get feeling better soon. By the way how is Duke doing???

Again I am so grateful for all of you and all you all do. You give me a reason to drag myself out of bed each morning. You give me the drive I need to fight the extreme temptation and urges to sleep during lessons. For that I will for always be grateful. Keep fighting a good fight. We are winning and this work must go on.

Your Elder,
Elder Henderson



Elder Henderson, President Ulett, Campbells, Elder Norman




Scott, SIster and Brother Campbell, Elder Norman




Nekietha

Dimitri Douglas - 10 years old




This is how I heat up vegetables!

Happy New Year in Jamaica 1/6/14

Well, another week down. I sure hope all of you had an excellent week. I hope that this with this new year you all remember that this life is a preparatory one to meet God. So set you goals this year so you improve and you are prepared to meet your maker.

   New years in Jamaica is a very dangerous time of year. People party and party and party some more. We had to come in an hour early, but I think that it is like that throughout the whole world in the mission field. But other than that it was just a normal day  for me. Something weird that I have been thinking about is that I can now say I go home next year.......Now that is a scary thought. I don't think I want to. Days here seem to fly by. I swear it is always night time here. Maybe I just loose track of time. Oh well, whatever it is, it is going quickly.

   So I have some very exciting news!!!! The Campbell family is being baptized this Saturday, just the parents, but kids are soon to follow. Also we have another one this Sunday. So this week we should be having not 1 or 2 but 3 baptisms!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHH I am so excited for this weekend. It will be a blast. Yesterday at church we had a whole heap of people in the branch. We alone had 11 less actives back at church with 5 investigators and 4 progressing investigators. :D I couldn't stop smiling. I also found out that we just need one more priesthood to establish the stake. Guess who is baptizing that priesthood.......RIGHT! US!!!!! So sick!!!!! Garbage I am so excited for that stake. I sure hope that the people here understand that that is just a step. That the ultimate goal in a temple, if not 2 or 3. But as you know "just keep swimming" and God will do the rest. 

   Scarlett, I got your package the other day. Thank you so much for all the talks and junk food and all the love. I really appreciate it, it brightened my day. I am almost through all of your talks. I like them - really good choices especially the one by Ezra Taft Benson. Did you know that I am related to him?? Any way thanks again.

   Thank you all for your sweet letters, packages and everything else. I love them and I can't tell you how much it means to me to know that I have such a great support at home. Please please remember that I love you all. I know this email was short but yeah, that's how it goes sometimes, sorry. I do want you to remember one thing this week about me. That I know that Book of Mormon is true with all of my heart. I love that book. If you have a problem it has the answer. Just take a moment to sit and read. You will find the answer if you look. Remember "ask and ye shall receive." My prayers go out to you all every day. keep the faith till next week.

Elder Henderson