10/31/2016 - I am a missionary for Halloween

Hola!

I meant to email a lot earlier but we went on a hike this morning that took a lot longer than intended! It was amazing though. I needed it cause I can feel myself gaining that fat. Honestly I cannot remember much about this week because all of the days just mash together and they go by so quickly too. But, I have a story. So, yesterday my companion and I were just knocking on doors trying to find a referral that we got (long story on why we didn't know exactly where his house was), and we knocked on this person's door (and keep in mind that literally everyone here has these weird screen door that are like cages and so when they open the door you can hardly see the person and it's like you're talking to yourself) and it was this woman and she was like "WHO IS THIS" and we told her that we were missionaries, and as soon as we said that she shut the door. Buuut, she didn't shut it because of us, she shut it because she needed to get her dog out of the doorway because it was barking and was really loud. And so for a few seconds my companion and I were like uuuhhh... and I just started laughing because it was honestly a hilarious moment!! But they she opened the door back up and finally opened her screen door so we could see each other. And basically the only cool thing about this story is that she was from the Ukraine and had this legit accent and she goes to a Ukrainian church in Phoenix. But yeah she wasn't interested. I don't really know where I was going with that honestly. Anyways, I hope everyone is doing well!! I'm doing awesome here in the AZ. Oh and happy Halloween everyone! This year I'm dressing up as a missionary. 

 

Elder Hepworth

  

Elder Hepworth Hiking Apache Junction

Elder Hepworth Hiking Apache Junction

Elder Familia (trainer) took pumpkin pie on hike!!!


 

Elder Hepworth sitting on a ledge!  "Dad would wring my neck if he could reach me!"

 

10/24/2016 - Every week is great as a missionary

Hola guys!

This week was a good one! (every week is great as a missionary). So of course it was the typical week as a missionary. We ended up doing a lot of service, and hey I'm not complaining! I thought that since I had been waking up every day at 6:30 in the MTC and had that busy schedule already going, that it wouldn't be hard to do it in the field. I WAS WRONG! I am tired 24/7. It's really hard to wake up in the mornings. Missionaries just never sleep. Sleep isn't a thing for missionaries. That is why you pray for strength!! But I'm still working hard!! SIEMPRE! This place is totally awesome. And totally hot. There are palm trees and cactuses everywhere, and the cactuses are HUGE. I honestly didn't know they could get so big and tall! The world is full of mysteries. The people here are awesome too. So far when I've gotten rejected, it's been a nice rejection. The members here are awesome too! Even though I don't understand what they're saying to me. You just got to look at your companion and hope he responds for you hahaha. Anyways, I hope you guys are doing awesome!! I love you all. Stay safe. 

 

Elder Hepworth

LOOK AT HOW TALL THIS CACTUS IS MOM!!!!!!!!!

 

10/17/2016 - "HONEY IT SHOULDN'T BE 95 DEGREES IN THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER"

HEY EVERYONE!!!

I am officially here in Arizona. Oh my goodness it is hot here. Everyone is like "no, it is not hot" and I'm like "honey, yes it is. It should not be 95 degrees in the middle of October." Oh well. It will only get cooler from here on out. I am loving it here! The people are awesome. Even though I don't understand them very well because they speak some ffaaaast Spanish! I can understand more than I can say. My companion is from the Dominican Republic so he is talking to me in Spanish a ton, so I am learning it really fast. Whenever we teach I just kind of sit there like what the heck did you just say. It's crazy how fast I am learning it though. We aren't having a ton of success because the people we go to are like "oh can you come back later" or they just don't answer the door. Like yesterday we had a family as if we could come back later, so we were like well heck yeah we can. So we did, and when we knocked on the door they turned off their TV and were really quiet so it seemed like they weren't home. But we straight up knew that they were there. It was honestly hilarious!! 

Yesterday we went to go visit some people that my companion taught before. Long story short we were talking to this girl named Brianna. She was Skype-ing her friend. Her friend had some questions for us. They were, "so, do you guys like never sin? Or what?" and she had another comment that was really funny. She has a bucket list, and one of the things on the bucket list is to "smoke weed with the missionaries" HAHAHAHA!! Brianna asked if we drink or smoke weed. Definitely not hahahaha. 

This whole week just flew by! It was crazy. My first Sunday was rough just because I was so tired I was falling asleep and the classes were obviously in Spanish, so I didn't understand a lot of it. but hey that's okay it's only the first week in the field. 

I am in a driving area, and I am the one driving! I obviously don't know the area. So my companion will be looking at the directions on his iPad and will tell me where to go. Often times he will get confused and have me turn the wrong way, or we will get mixed communication and I will go the wrong way or something like that. There is a machine in each car called a "Tiwi". It's just a thing that tells how well you are driving. If you are going too fast it will say "check your speed" or if you are a crappy driver it will say "agressive driving". I am a safe driver I promise! haha. 

Everything is legit here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else or doing anything else. You guys are awesome! Keep being awesome. I love you all

 

Elder Hepworth

 

We use those beach ball things to be our investigators during companionship study haha! 

Elder Hepworth and his trainer Elder Familia

 

1st Apartment in Arizona Living Room

 

10/11/2016 - ELDER HEPWORTH MADE IT TO THE ARIZONA MESA MISSION

NO LETTER!

JUST 2 PICTURES FROM THE MISSION PRESIDENT

10/10/2016- ARIZONA MESA MISSION BOUND



Talking to mom 10/10/2016 at Mexico City Airport- leaving Mexico MTC

 

Cool phone my mom got me!


 



Arizona Mesa Mission Bound

 

Phoenix Airport

 



10/05/2016 - SHOUT OUT TO MY SPANISH TEACHER HAILEY LUSK!

HEY EVERYONE!!!

It has come that time for me to leave the MTC and go preach to the world!! I leave on Monday, straight to Phoenix. I cannot believe how fast these weeks have gone by. It does not feel like it has been 5 solid weeks. It´s crazy but pretty awesome. My spanish has improved an insane amount! I can get the gist of what people are saying, but responding is still the challenge. Oh well, I´ll get there someday. This week has been weird because I have mixed feelings about leaving. I got my flight itinerary yesterday. I fly straight to Phoenix. Most of my friends have to leave at 2:30 in the morning or so, but I get to leave here at 10:30 in the morning. Lucky me I can actually stay and sleep! It´s awesome that I can say that I am graduating missionary school. lol. It has been a crazy adventure here, and I am excited to see what the field brings. I know that I am going to have to teach lessons in English as well as Spanish, which is going to be weird because I have done nothing but speaking Spanish for the past 5 weeks. I have never taught a lesson in English haha. 

Every week is just about the same here so I don´t have too many new things. 

It rains pretty often here, and when it rains, OH BOY DOES IT RAIN! Last week, we were in one of the computer labs and there was lightning that struck  a light pole right oustide. It was so sketchy hahah. 

Also, I am not sure if Hailey Lusk, Mrs. Lusk, reads these but I wanted to thank her for the spanish she taught me! It honestly helped. The way she taught was awesome. Sometimes I will sing the songs in my head or do the actions of the verbs that we made up, and etc. It´s a good way to memorize! hahah thank you!

 

Elder Hepworth

 

NOTE:  Oh, I got a haircut today! The ladies here are aggressive like goodness gracious. (See below)

 

"This is my "twin" ha ha.  We were born just about 24 hours apart."

"This is one of my teachers."

"Elder Baltich (the one with his arm around me), Elder Redford and Elder Hepworth