Wednesday, October 31, 2012

October 30, 2012

Hey mom how are you!!  It sounds like ya'll had quite the weekend!! That is awesome!! I love hearing that!! I'm bummed that football is over. I'll miss hearing about it. I guess you'll just have to send me updates on college now and the NFL if anything good is happening;) So my new companion is from Syracuse, Idaho and he is a hard worker which is really good!! He is 24 years old and he has about a half a year left so it is really surprising that President has put me as the senior companion. That must mean that I just get to help more and that is fine with me. We don't speak as much Spanish as I did with my last companion who I tell ya what, I miss him sooooooooooooooo much! For one he is my son in the mission and 2 beacause he has helped me out a lot with Spanish and with other things that you get faced with in the day to day life as a missionary. I miss him. But my new companion is good and we have been working hard. For the first little while we were on foot and so we walked a ton every day.  Well  by the end of this week we racked up 108 contacts so that beats my record in a week so I am happy about that. We have been doing our best to get this area going. The Bishop has started to put in motion the idea that Elder Vasquez and I suggested to him which was to get family history going in our ward to help the less actives and investigators. So they have been working hard to get that going for us and I'm very excited about it!! So a miracle for the week!  As we were walking at the begining of the week, we went to visit this apartment complex and do some tracting so we tracted for a while and we got some good contacts but nothing solid.  Then it was drawing near to the end of our night as we decided to walk home which was about a mile and a half. Well as we were walking Elder Jorgensen and I were just talking about Joseph Smith and ya know, small talk. Well I see this black guy that is on the sidewalk but walking the other direction.  As we passed him I had this deep impression to talk to him, but I figured no, it's late we have to get home, and so we kept walking and the thought came to me again "turn around and talk to that man, he needs you!!." So I quickly turned around and hollered to the man and said excuse me sir. He then turned around and came walking back to talk to me,  I was suprised he didn't just take off running because of the area we were in, but we came up to each other and I asked him what's wrong? Then I said "I had this impression from God that I need to stop and talk to you." "We are representatives of Jesus Christ." He then put his hands on his face and looked up at the sky, he tried to speak but didn't know what to say at first, so he pulled out his phone and showed me a picture of his daughters. He began to explain that he is a single father and is being watched over by childrens services and they are going to take his kids if he can't pay a $26 bill for the lights in his house. We talked a little more and he told me it needed to be a money order and I asked him where do they do money orders at this time of night and he told us.  I said come on lets go get that money order. We walked the extra 1/2 mile to get to the gas station that does money orders and with the money I recived for my birthday I got the money order and gave it to the man. He then gave me his number and address, so I can keep in contact with him. His name is David. I don't think I've ever used my birthday money in a better way. He can now keep his daughters, which is a family. We are supposed to help families be eternal and I feel that this is a step for that family. This was an amazing experience and one very dear to my heart. God will use us when we are in the right place at the right time doing the right things. We all have a testimony to share and it will always have a cause and affect on those around you. Think ye not before hand what ye shall say but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that is metted unto every man.(not exact but pretty darn close) So this week has been a pretty good one and we are just doing our best to get the ball rolling here. Well  I love ya'll so much and I hope you have a great week and "SEE MIRACLES" ;) i love you mom take care and keep smiling;)
 
Love Elder Henze 

October 22, 2012

Hey mom!! I can't tell you how happy I am to hear from you! Today has been good and yes I got the package all right and everything. I intend to bake those cupcakes here some time today. So we got some interesting news the other day, it's transfers again already and my companion is now going to leave me. We have only been companions for 1 transfer and I have learned so much and I will miss him so much I wish we could have served our whole missions together! But, God needs him somewhere else so I can't argue with that. I can't believe last year at this time I was visiting my brother in Iowa!!  And getting ready for the adventure of my life!!  20 doesn't seem to different from the normal teens I just can't believe that it's been 20 years and how fast that went! Well mom I am so grateful to have you as my mom and to help me and rear me in the ways of righteousness. I'm so grateful for the opportunity you have to serve the young women of the Stake and to bless their lives. I'm really excited to hear that Carl did the family home evening! That is really something else I tell ya!  Let him know girls are girls and just be glad he didn't go with her you don't want that kinda girl it would have been a horrible night. So look at it as a blessing. As for the scripture case my friend in Guatemala just got transferred so he can't get me the case for now but I'll keep you updated and let ya know what happens, but I don't think it will happen for a while. Maybe after the mission I can go visit his mission with him or something.ha ha!  So this morning my companion and a couple other companionship's came with us, we all went to IHOP and had a good breakfast.  The waitress came and got me to stand in front of everyone and they all sang to me, everyone in the diner!!  Needless to say I turned way red,ha ha!! It was fun! Well mom thank you so much for all you do thank you for bringing me into this world just 20 short years ago. Please keep me in your prayers. I love you mom
 
Love Elder Henze
Hasta Ver
 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER HENZE!

MAKING CUPCAKES


UMMMMM...


HaPpY BiRtHdAy!

I LOVE YOU MORE THAN A PUNCH IN THE FACE! (THANKS DARCY!)

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

October 15, 2012

Hey  mom!!
I'm so glad that we beat Agassi prep! but that's crap what those kids did. Who got in the fight and just out of curiosity who won??ha ha!  Anyway I'm glad to hear that and that Carl did good. This week for me has been one of great blessings and growing moments. I had an interview with president that went well. I'm glad y'all had FHE and don't worry if this one wasn't the greatest remember the first step is the hardest. I love this quote that I just found the other day by Mohamed Ali. I shared it with dad but I feel it applies to this case as well ha! Take FHE as training for life or for the mission or for every week OR even every decision that will come your way in the passing moments of life. FHE=Training.
He said  "I hated Every minute of training, but I said DON'T QUIT!  Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion!"
 I love it because I hated practice but look at where it brought me. Now put that in a church aspect or  in this case FHE.  We might not like it, it might be hard to get everyone into the living room to do it, but it's always worth it. For when that moment comes that you make the right choice in the time that temptation comes because that is what you remember talking about in FHE. Lets have it now so we can live the rest of our lives in accordance with God. I know that it will bless the family and I know your testimony and Dads is what the boys need to hear to help them in their lives. Well mom I would love to share a story with you about a miracle we had this week. I'll have to forward it. For some reason I can't copy and paste! ha
 The news of the age change was taken very well.  I am so jealous but very excited for the younger generation to have that opportunity. By the way my companion is doing great!  He is just such a huge help to me and to this area. Well mom I love you a ton and will be looking forward to hearing from you next week. Love you mom!
Love Elder Henze
P.S. Please congratulate Erik For me! he's so stinking lucky to get to go to Brazil I want to go there so bad!!  Oh and let Jacob Bradshaw know I said hi and hope he's doing good.

The Miracle

Hope you enjoy mom.  Love you!! We are seeing miracles. One in particular was en martes. We started to clean the ward list that we got and find out if our less actives and active members live where it said they did.  Well we put this one address into the GPS and it was one of the last names we had, and the way it looked on the GPS it looked out of our area. So we skipped it and went to the other one. Well they weren't there so I just figured well lets make sure that that one is out of our area. So we did we got there at about 5:10pm.  We knocked the door and this lady and 2 kids came to the door the lady is a nanny and was babysitting the kids until the mom got home we asked when she would get back and she told us at 5:30pm.  We said okay we'll come back then. So we left, got a drink and went back.  But before we got out of the car we figured we'd do a little planning and if she gets home about 5:30 we'll give her a couple minutes to say hi to her kids.  So we planned in the car for a few min up until 5:37, then we started to walk across the parking lot to the apartment complex she lives in.  As we were walking I saw this lady get out of her car and as a missionary of course I say hi to everyone I can so I did, I said hi and she said hi back.  As I kept walking I felt the spirit tell me that is her! Then I heard a voice say " it's been a while since missionaries have knocked on my door." It was her!  We walked with her to her aptartment and then started to talk.  She said she has been having a very very hard time and was going to other churches and what not. She then told us she had been praying, for help and right before we met her she had been in the car crying and praying to God to help her. Right when she got out of the car there we were. We are her angels she said with tears in her eyes. I can't tell you the feeling of joy that gave me. it's amazing how the Lord hears all of our prayers. We don't have to be high class or rich to talk to God and receive an answer, but we must do it with faith. That was probably the greatest miracle we had this week.
   

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

October 8, 2012

Hey Mom!!!
Wow this General Conference was Amazing!! As for a favorite talk I think it would have to be either Elder Hollands or Elder Bednar they were both great!  Then again there was another that impacted me very much and it was Elder Eyering his talk about how he helped his kids reach their full potential and become the people that GOD would have them be. I have reflected on this a lot lately and I have been thinking about my brothers and how I can help them see their true potential and reach their full capacity. I have not only applied this to my brothers and to myself.  I have also applied it to my new companion. I have been pouring over the scriptures lately to find answers to questions I have and feel at jeopardy to find out.  At Conference I have received my answer that I must continue on with what I do know and expand my calling as it is and in GODS time I will receive my answer. It reminds me of a phrase that I got from George Durrant he said " Get in the Center of the Church, There are no blessings on the Perimeter." I have found that to be true as I have applied it the best I can by laying down my weapons of rebellion and becoming as a child submissive, humble, full of love and ready to do the will of the Father in all things. It sounds inspiring on paper until you step into the world of uncertainty and uneven ground where paper burns and is gone in a flash, but I see it is how we internalize it that makes it untouchable from the uneven, uncertain and fiery darts of the adversary that attack at every moment. Mom, I want you to know I know this Church is true and even though there might be hard times and testimony shaking moments, comments,and actions GOD will never let us fall we must remove the canopy that blocks the hand of the Lord, by getting in the center of the Church and Gospel. The Lord is hastening His work like the prophet said and we must be ready for that beautiful day when our loving Savior will come. And how great I am to have a mother who has taught to me walk in the ways of righteousness and trust in GOD. Thank you mom you are beautiful inside and out. I love you mom.
 My area is going great we are finding some great people and learning a lot together. My Spanish is coming along thanks to my companion. I am a lot further than I have ever been and it is continuing to increase. I think you can see that with how bad my spelling is!hahaha!!!  It has defiantly gotten a little worse!ha!!  This week I will have interviews with president. I am very excited and hope to gain even more guidance on how to become a better missionary. Mom please gather the family for family home evenings on a day that is convenient for y'all.  I know my brothers will benefit from your testimony as well as dads. Carl needs to prepare and be ready to bring progress to the work of the Lord. Use Preach My Gospel to hold these FHE's and the way to learn from it is Read, Discuss, Practice, Discuss the Practice and then, RE Practice. Chapter 10 is a great to chapter to learn how to teach.  Then help them apply that teaching structure to the lessons found in chapter 3. Really emphasize the 1st chapter and the purpose of a missionary.  A missionaries purpose is to "Invite others to come unto Christ through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End.".  Help them see and find ways they can apply this same purpose in every day life.  Sorry mom if this letter is a little weird and different from all of my other letters I just want my brothers and my family to reach their full potential and apply all the talents God has given us as a Family. I love you mom I love my family I love the lord and I love my mission.  te amo madre!! tu hijo para siempre!!
Love Elder Henze

October 1, 2012

Hey mom!!!
This week was weired we had so many meetings it was crazy!! So anyway I loved the talk that president Durant's dad gave I got his autograph and when he looked at me mom when I shook his hand it was as if we both couldn't say anything. He just smiled and asked me how the work is going/my mission and I told him it has it's highs and it's lows but it's going good. I could tell he was just receiving revelation right then about what he could tell me and of course we had a whole line of anxious missionaries behind me so I couldn't take too long but I did get to tell him that he helped my mom out a lot growing up and I thanked him for that. He's a great guy and defiantly a man of God. There were a lot of things he said in his talk that was just for me and I can remember 2 distinct times where he looked at me in his talk and held the gaze for 30 seconds or more each time and how I knew he saw something in me that I don't see in myself, just yet, but I think I'm getting there. It was a great experience mom and one that has impacted me quite a bit and I'm so grateful. Well mom I best get going but please tell Danny and the boys I love them and say hi.  Were you able to tell Lene' why I haven't been able to write her? Well mom take care and know I love ya tons!!
 
Love Elder Henze
 
PS could you get me some more "Zap It"
PSS this is the last one I hope. I have a friend in Guatemala and he wrote me last week and told me he could have a guy over there make me a scripture case for my Spanish scriptures, but it will cost 50$ so idk. I'd really like to get it for my scriptures so if you could help me with that that would be awesome and you could call that my birthday present;)ha
PSSS I lied, please give Paula Moore my best and let her know I'm so proud of her and I'm sorry for not writing back.

September 24, 2012

Dear Mom
  Hey hey!! This week was good not as stellar as last week but still good. So it's raining huh!! I love the rain!! Well mom it's good to hear you talk about football!! I love it my life long plan has been fulfilled my mom even thinks football!!!! I'm glad Carl is kicking butt that is way good! Oh can you please tell Lene to email me.  I don't have her email and I feel so bad I haven't talked to her like my whole mission and I really want to know how she's doing.  That would be a huge help! So guess what!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! president Durrant's father is coming to our mission on Thursday to speak to us and his girlfriend who is a religion major/ teacher and knows more about Jose Smith than anyone one earth!! I'm so stoked!! It's going to be Awesome!! Well mom I can't really think of anything in particular that I want for my birthday other than subtract the year! Ha! I need to think about it but I could use the insanity DVDs for the morning, besides that I'll have to think about it.  I will be going to the Temple in a couple of weeks and they have a distribution center there and I would love to have some money to get a couple things there.  I'm not sure what yet but I'm sure there will be something that will be appealing to me.  Mom I have to get going but  I hope you have a great week and know I love you so much!!! Please be safe and let the boys know I love them!! Thanks mom for everything!!!!
Love Elder Henze


Hey Paps!!!
 
 Hey dad, It's great to hear from you!! Sounds like you could have saved some people a lot of money at the Needles game if they just listened to ya huh!! Those ambulance rides are pricey!!! Well dad as you and I both know there is always advice we can give and take but some people just don't take it. For a  couple reasons but the main one is I think FEAR! Fear is an imbodiment of all types of things, and it originates from one person and it's Satan.  Our natural man doesn't want to put off the seed that has been planted. I think fear is part of the natural man and we need to learn to overcome that fear!  When we do we achieve greater understanding and our faith increases. It looks I went on a little tangent. I wonder who I get that from;) ha ha!!! Well dad sounds like you had one heck of a night!! I hope you get the right amount of sleep here today paps we can't fight the great fight as well as we can when we're tired. Well dad this week for us was pretty good, we learned a lot and we are progressing the work in this area. I best get going, I hope all is well and that you will have a wonderful week!! I love ya dad!! Stay safe!!
 
Love Elder Henze

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

September 10, 2012

Hey mom!!
 This week has defiantly been a Learning Experience, and a great time of reflection on life and on where do we really go after this. My mind has been called up to much searching and pondering as to is there really something there, to gain a deeper understanding and confirmation.  I have poured over the scriptures time and time again mainly in Alma 40,42,43 and I have marked those up so much! I have been growing a lot I feel.  This transfer has defiantly been the greatest Learning Experience of my mission as of yet and thinking about it I don't think I would want it any different. I have felt Nana so very close to me this week and what is even cooler is my Spanish has improved a lot since her passing.  I know that's because she is right next to me helping me out, and yes I did get the ties. Thank you sooooooo much!  I will send you a picture I had already bought a beautiful blue tie to wear so I asked my comps if they wouldn't mind wearing the ones you bought and so they did. They have supported me so much through the passing of my loved ones and I couldn't be more grateful! Well mom I am now a trainer, so I will be training this transfer here in Irving so my address will be:
Elder Henze
4005 N Belt Line rd #513
Irving,TX 75023
So, there is that. Well mom I have to get going.  I'll talk to you hopefully more next Monday but I want you to know I love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much and I pray for you and the family always!! Love You 
Love Elder Henze
PS how is dad and Papa doing??

Pictures

                                                     Just some fun!

September 3, 2012

Dear Mom
 I knew the news would come eventually but the emptiness I feel for her is still unavoidable. Even with the great knowledge I have, the passing of a loved one is still not an easy thing. I wish I could have told her myself how much I love her before she passed but I think she knows by me choosing to stay. If you could please call the mission office and tell them the day of her burial and have them tell me or get permission to tell me over the phone or something so I know for sure. Well mom it is really late here.  A member was kind enough to let us use her computer if I could caulk her trimming on her ceiling.ha ha! Well I best get going.  I love y'all so much!! Take care love y'all
Love Elder Henze
Until We Meet Again!!!!
PS please let papa know I love him!!!


 (I included our letter to Jacob so his readers would understand what was going on at this point.)
On Mon, Sep 3, 2012 at 12:16 AM, Janet Henze <henzejanet@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hey Sunshine,

We hope this letter finds you happy and well.
This week has been very difficult for us as a family.  We spent the week in the ICU with Nana as she struggled to breathe.
It was a great blessing when Sunday morning at 1:20 am Heavenly Father took her back in to His loving arms.  We are so sad for us and the void it leaves but again, we are so thankful for the plan of salvation and the very specific counsel in the Book of Mormon that teaches us about death and the resurrection.  We are so sorry to have to give you such sad news again.  There must be a lesson we all need here.  I want you to know that Nana wanted us to tell you that she loves you and that she is so very proud of YOU.
And that if you need a guardian angel, she will be watching over you.  As difficult as this week has been I must say it has been a very sacred week.  Nana had a vision where her parents and both sets of grandparents came to her room and visited her.  They didn't say anything to her, just smiled at her and sent her extreme amounts of love.  She said she felt so very much at peace.  Her grandparents she recognized them because of the hats they used to wear when she was a small girl.  She thought that was very kind of Heavenly Father to let them wear their hats so she would recognize them.  I thought it was a tender mercy too.
Nana took on a very matriarchal role and spoke to each of her grandchildren and gave them her last counsel for their lives.  Each breath was difficult, but it was that important to her. You were included in that and  she asked us to convey her great love for you and your service to our Father in Heaven.  Dad, Mike, Kendall, Tammy and Poppa were with her when she left.  There are no more worldly cares for her, or pain.  We felt very blessed to be with her and to feel the throngs of spirits waiting to receive her.
Her funeral services will most likely be on Saturday in the afternoon.
The boys send their love.  We are all so proud of you Jacob.  It is so important to keep your hands on the plow.  I wasn't with Nana when she passed away because it was more important for me to take care of the living.  There was nothing more I could do for her.  It is equally important for you to take care of the living and continue doing our Fathers work in the magnificent way that you have been.
Dad and I were so very impressed with the tribute you gave to Tyler.  Let your work be a tribute to Nana.

We love you son!!!!  Make it a great week.
All our love,
Jacob and his companions wore blue ties in memory of Nana on the day of her funeral.  Blue was her favorite color.

August 27, 2012

Dear mom!!
  This week has been a good but emotionally tough. I keep seeing my friends face in my head and the memories I have of us playing football on the playground as little kids not being able to wait to grow up and play football together. And to think that it feels like yesterday we were kids on the playground playing football and now he's gone. This has shifted me into a whole other gear beyond where I have been before, my testimony of the infinate atonement and the absolute love that our Father in Heaven has for each one of us that he so freely shows through his perfect plan. On Agosto 25-2012 for the burial of my friend I bought the previous day a new tie that I could wear for that day, and that I will wear when I go and visit his grave in less than a year and a half. On the 25th, I wore my suit and that tie in honor of my friend. I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have, and have received from the Holy Ghost. Please give Nana my best as well.  I guess I must have to gain an even stronger testimony of the plan of salvation so it can lift people higher. well mom i need to get going but i love you soooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!
Love Elder Henze
 P.S. tell Carl congrats and that i love him and Luke as well
  P.S.S let dad know i love him.
          (Comments are concerning the death of his schoolmate, Tyler Watts)

          Jacob on the day of Tyler's funeral & the tie he wore that day