11-27-2017

Hey people!!! 

So, this week was good!!! I mean my family went to Las Vegas so I guess there’s was pretty dang good too! But I’m saving souls so I’m not mad about that! 

But this week we did just about the same stuff! 

Hahaha but something funny! Elder Matamoros is like allwayyysss having bike problems! And so last Monday we took his bike to a bike shop and we just left it there for little under a week. And so he was using a bike that our grandparents (people we live with) had. It was tiny and funny looking and he was like, “THIS CHICK MAGNET THOOOO!!” (Totally kidding and joking and I laughed my head off).  And then we were riding down the road and we came across some other elders and they said they had a bike that they weren’t using. So went to their house to grab that bike cause it was bigger! Well, yeah it was A LOT bigger! It was even funnier looking!!! It was super tall and he had to like jump onto it to even get on and ride and then he just looked sooo funny on it. I laughed for that whole time. And every time we would get to a stop he would try to find a post to balance himself on cause he didn’t want to have to CLIMB DOWN off his bike  

And then another experience with Elder Matamoros. He’s a super funny guy! So, we were leaving our house to go to church yesterday. And we always say a prayer when we leave the house. And he had a piece of pie in his hand. And he was saying the prayer. And before he started praying I told him to pray for his pie too and he was like yeah you right. And so he prays and he starts to pray for his pie and he legit almost started crying because he loved the food so much. He just loves food so much in general and he was so grateful for that pie and he legit almost shed a tear  it’s not like he starves or anything, so it was suuuuper funny!!! 

Oh and yes we did have a thanksgiving dinner! And it was like a real American thanksgiving! So I was happy and there were mashed potatoes. And I love potatoes. HA people always joke around that I’m from “potato land”. And so I joke around too! I tell them that we just eat potatoes like apples  we just take them out of the ground and eat them! Hahahah it’s so funny. A great conversation starter

Well that’s all I got! I hope you’re all doing well. I pray for you. Love you! 

Élder Hepworth 

11-20-2017

Hey everyone!!! 

This week was a lot nicer to me! I didn’t fall!!! Everybody can cheer. Yup. Thanks. 

So lately we’ve had a lot of lessons planned with people, and I’d say about half of them go through. And whenever we have a lesson, it’s a good lesson! Like oh yeah. But we don’t have anybody that’s progressing. Sad. But like I always say, I keep working! Working hard! On my bike!! Life is good and I literally laugh all of the time. 

My companion is the funniest person. He is always cracking jokes and laughing, and well... laughing is contagious! I have a video of us just talking about our week (the last week when I fell, not this week) and it is soooo funny. And we didn’t realize it was funny until we watched it after! So I’ll send that. 

You really see some funny and fun stuff on a bike! People flip us off, scream at us, honk at us (almost always scares me), etc. It’s awesome! I imagine that most of the people we get honked from are members. There’s quite a few members here!!! Hahahahaha. 

I don’t know if I told you last week but last week (not this recent one) we bought tamales from a random kid on the street  was that dangerous? May have been. But he just comes riding up to us on his bike and asks if we want tamales, and i said that i don’t think I have any money, but my companion (likes food) was like yeah what kind you got  and so we just got some tamales and I had the idea of giving the kid a Book of Mormon with the money (cause why not? $7 and eternal salvation right?). So I took a Book of Mormon and we gave him his money and the BOM, and we got our tamales! I ate some. It wasn’t poisoned or anything. But they tasted SOOOO GOOOOOOD! 

Oh and our grandparents (people we live with) left for over a week! We got a whole house to ourselves. Soooo... basically we aren’t going to do anything differently. But hey. Whole house to ourselves. That’s legit! 

We didn’t do much other fun stuff. But we did work hard! Love you all. Have a FANTASTIC week. Don’t get mad, don’t get sad. Cause that’s how Satan gets ya! 

Élder Hepworth 

 

 

11-13-2017- Bike accident

Hey what’s up

So this week was.... a week! Very interesting, very interesting. 

So we had district meeting! My first one as a district leader. It went well! I think. It’s pretty fun being a district leader. Oh and being a trainer is fun too! Honestly, I don’t even feel like a trainer. Like nothing is different. I don’t have to teach my companion Spanish, and he’s already an awesome missionary! So he’s just like a regular companion (I mean, a companion who’s been out for longer than three weeks). 

So on Thursday, everything went downhill. First, somebody stole the lights off our bikes. And my lights were EXPENSIVE! They were the rechargeable kind and I was honestly super ticked. Because earlier that day, or the day before or whatever I don’t remember when, I FELL OFF MY BIKE! Well, better said, MY COMPANION WIPED ME OUT! So I’m not saying he’s fat, that’s rude, but I am saying that he is almost double my weight and well what happened was that I was riding in front of him (we had just turned out of a parking lot) and he was riding behind me and he was going super fast and passed beside me and he hit my shoulder (super hard, just gotta point that out) and also the wheel on my bike and so I was flipped off my bike and twirled around lookin like a gosh dang ballerina twirling through air. So my hand got a scrape on it and that hurt, and then also my arm got some scrapes and that burns too. But it wasn’t that bad! What got the most of the fall was my hip (not showing you a picture of that). Got a bruise on my hip and my belt got messed up too. My hip hurts.

Oh yeah and also earlier that day my companion got a flat tire and we were SUPER FAR AWAY from our house and we went to a members home (cause it was close) and that didn’t work out. We got it all fixed though. 

And then yesterday a person who was trying to argue with us about false doctrine the person heard about and trying to twist our beliefs. So that was cool. It happens and I don’t want to talk badly about anyone! 

But here’s the happy part guys! Elder Matamoros and I laughed throughout all of these bad things. we were ticked and tired and just wanted to take a 3 day nap, BUT WE KEPT GOING! And we laughed and we still had fun on our bikes. 

When people say that if you want to be happy, just lose yourself in the work, it’s completely true! Just think about others and you’ll be happy. Focus on yourself and you’ll hate life. 

Love you all! 

Élder Hepworth 

 

The price you pay for riding a bike

Food city (Grocery Store) 

 

 

11-06-2017- A new companion- Elder Matamoros

Hola 

What’s good 

So this week was suuuuuper tiring!!! But super awesome. My companion and I get along so well! I think the first week was just a little rough because he’s new and has only had one other companion and the first week is always just super awkward. Can’t ever change that! But after the first week he opened up and I realized that he is HILARIOUS and such a good missionary!! 

I’ve literally laughed my head off so many times this week cause he just says the funniest things or does the funniest stuff! 

Like for example, we were riding our bikes and we were pulling up to an intersection on Stapley and Broadway. Well on the corner of Stapley and broadway there’s a QT gas station (they’re everywhere here. I didn’t know they existed until I came out here). And when I was pulling up to the intersection my companion starts singing, “there’s a cutie on Broadwaaayyy” and I turn around and I’m like, “what in the world are you singing??” And he was like, “what? There’s a QT... on Broadway!” And I literally laughed so hard  i thought he was singing a song he had heard back home. And I was about to tell him that that wasn’t the most appropriate thing. But nope! He just made it up while on the street when he saw a QT gas station! 

Also, we literally get honked at like crazy. Every five seconds. Jk I don’t know how often, but it’s pretty often! And one time this car honked at us and the horn sounded really weird, and then my companion imitated it and started to make a beat out of it and you really just had to be there it was hilarious  i almost fell off of my bike it was so funny

Oh and more information about people honking... yes. There are plenty of Mormons. They honk at us and it scares me more often than not  and we actually had a little grandma flip us off  it was HILARIOUS!!! I mean shame on you grandma for doing that, but I personally thought it was funny. We’ve people yell at us from the other side of the street too. Just fun things happen on bike!

Like for example, on Saturday we were on exchanges. And we literally talked to almost everyone we saw!! And we came up to a Hispanic (and I was with a companion who didn’t speak Spanish) and I started talking to him (cause my companion couldn’t) and then this white guy walks up, speaks perfect Spanish, and starts telling the guy stuff to make him not want to listen to us, and then he turns to us and speaks in English and just cchhhheeewwwwsss us out!!! And I got mad on the inside cause um rude. But on the outside I was as happy as can be and we just testified, told him to have a good day, and left! And then we came across him on the street again and just happily and nicely told him to have a good day! That’s the way she should act to people who do that. Don’t get mad! Just shove a bunch of love and kindness in their face. It’s so much better than getting angry anyways. Nobody likes being mad. 

But on that exchange we handed out 7 Books of Mormon, found like 3 new investigators and 4 potential investigators and we talked with like 25 people on the street I wanna say. It was a good exchange! 

Well... that was my week! I hope you enjoy this email like I enjoyed writing it  

Les quiero a todos. 

Élder Hepworth 

 

Elder Hepworth and Elder Matamoros

 

10/30/2017- Elder Hepworth has a son- He's a trainer, district leader, and is on a bike

Hey everyone!!!

How are you? Good? Good.

So as you heard from last week... I’m a trainer and district leader. Truly honored, and truly stressed. Nah jk. I’m not that stressed, but life isn’t a breeze like it used to be! 

So this week was a whole lot of running around!! Before I picked up my child on Tuesday, I spent literally the whole day going back and forth from the apartment I was moving out of, into the members home that I was moving into. And then I also had to go buy a bike! I got a pretty good deal I’d say. We have a “bike shop” that is part of the mission and I called Elder Brown who is in charge of that and he set me uuuuuuuuup. Blessings. 

And then when I went to pick up Elder Matamoros (hijo) from the mission office, we got back to the house all good. But I most definitely did NOT buy him a bike cause that’s dumb. So he just used a members bike that night and it was a piece of junk  but it worked for a night! And then the next day we went to a meeting for new missionaries and trainers and after we went to buy him a bike and go shopping. Well, he bought a cheaper bike because who likes to spend money?? Nobody. So he bought one and well yeah THAT DIDNT WORK OUT! So on Friday I was like alright Elder we have to get you a new bike (cause the one he had the chain kept falling off). And so we went to Walmart to get him a better bike on Friday! Was that bad? Should we have waited until Monday? Idk. It was a necessity. So now the bike he has is great! But it was HILARIOUS that Friday night. We were heading home and we were crossing the street (not in a crosswalk, shame on us) and my companions bike has a water bottle holder and when he started crossing the street and the water bottle started falling out and so he went to grab it and his wheel turned and he straight ATE IT!  right in the middle of the street  and i turn around (surprisingly all calm) and all I thought was, GET OUT OF THE ROAD THERES CARS COMING!! But luckily there weren’t any cars and we all got home safely. But now that I think about it... THAT WAS FUNNY!!!!!

This week has been a struggle cause we have to ask people for rides. And there aren’t enough Elders with cars that could take us places, so we have to ask members to help us out. Hermano Gaytán is a lifesaver. He has helped us literally every time because nobody else will  but hey we’re doing good and time is still moving forward. I honestly feel like this week went by really slow. It was a loooooong week. 

Last night we had dinner that was 2 miles away from where we were at. That’s far!! Doesn’t seem far when you’re in a car but on bike it’s like what the heck 

But hey we do feel kind of famous! Cause we always get honked at and people wave at us and I’m like yeah, yeah I know 🏽‍♂️But there was also this group of guys (I believe. I didn’t really pay much attention) that was screaming at us from across the street as we were passing by. They said something about Mormons (obviously in a bad way) and I was like, yup that’s me!!! 

I have a lot more responsibilities now! And I hate responsibility. Nah jk. There’s just a lot more I have to do and it’s just a little bit of a change. It’s good though! I feel pretty accomplished. 

My companion, Elder Matamoros, is awesome! He already speaks Spanish (hence the name) so that’s already done and covered! And he’s super good. I look back to when I was being trained and I WAS THE WORST! So I’m glad I don’t have to deal with somebody like me. He’s super positive and definitely has a lot more energy than I do! 14 months take a lot of energy out of you. 

Well that was my week! I’ll come to you guys next week with some more stressful, hilarious, or scary stories! 

Les quiero a todos  

Élder Hepworth 

 

Elder Hepworth's son, Elder Matamoros

Only 8 months left and on a bike now.  Isn't it pretty?!!!!

 

 

 

10/23/2017 - ELDER JAKE JOHNSON HEADED HOME

Well everyone... It’s sure been a week!! It went by fast, but it was a stressful one.

So my companion (Elder Johnson) is going home and being the companion who isn’t going home is honestly the worst. Like I hated it. I am not saying he’s a bad missionary or anything! Cause honestly he was the best and he taught me so much and he never got trunky! But everrrryyy conversation is centered around them and the fact that they’re going home. And it’s just all about HOME HOME HOME and it’s awful because I’m not the one going home and I don’t want to talk about it!!!!! But I’m happy and I love the mission and time goes by so fast. I can’t believe it’s already been 14 months! I’m still working hard and will keep doing it until the day I die.

So I have so INFORRMATIIOONNN FOR YAAALLLL!

So this week, on a wonderful Tuesday afternoon, I received a call from our mission president. AND GUESS WHAT HE DID?! He asked me to be a TRAINER and a DISTRICT LEADER! I’m super excited, but stressed out of my mind. I literally have no idea what I’m doing. And then we got transfer news on Saturday (like usual) and I found out that IM GOING TO BE ON BIKE! (Sorry Mom) They are moving us into a members home and taking away our car. I’m not complaining at at! I’m just stressed and it’s a big change. I’m super excited to be on bike though. It’s so fun!! But now I have so many responsibilities. And I’m excited. I repeat, I’m excited. And we went to the members home that we’re going to be moving into and it’ll be fun, but a little different. We literally live inside of the home, with only our bedroom and a bathroom. They’ll be like my grandparents! 

The only problem I have is trying to get to dinner appointments! Because we have a huuuuge ward boundary and idk how I’m going to get to dinners on time. But hey! I’m going to be losing weight! (Not that I have any to lose) 

So now I...

-am a district leader

-a trainer

-on bike

-live in a members home (it’s going to be legit) 

But other than that, we just did regular missionary work all week and it was pretty awesome! One thing that is super important, is love. Learn to love!!! That’s what makes it all worthwhile. 

Love people! Love yourself! Love love love 

Love you 

Élder Hepworth 

 

Killed Elder Jake Johnson and sent him home

No pumpkin?  No problem!  Write it on an orange!

 

 

 

10/16/17

Hey everyone!!! 

this week went by so fast!! .... oh wait I just realized it was because P Day was on Tuesday last week well... yeah went by super fast!!! Hahahahaha

We had a district meeting on Wednesday (district meetings happen every week for those of you who don’t know) and it was like a slap on the face  we talked about stuff about improving our ward council meetings and well.. the ward! And one of our assistants to the president was there and he threw out so many good ideas!!! We all felt like idiots for not thinking about it  but it helped a lot! So we’re working more closely with members and just taking things slowly and being smarter with things and we’re working more smartly with the ward council. It’s going to get somewhere!! 

Oh yeah and we also went to Barro’s pizza for lunch after that. If you don’t know what that is, yeah don’t worry cause I didn’t either before the mission. But it’s a super good pizza place and it’s amazing and I just had to tell you. Anyways...

One of the things our mission president told us was to always be working on a Christlike attribute. So, I decided to work on diligence! Let me tell you guys. Diligence is hard! Laziness is so easy to give in to  but as a missionary that’s not okay!!! And honestly if you get lazy, you definitely feel bad because the time is precious and time is short on a mission. But you always get so tired and so mentally exhausted and wow ya it’s hard guys. BUT! I’ve been studying it as well. And diligence always brings feelings of satisfaction and happiness. And I’ve noticed that that is so true! I know I always feel so accomplished if I know that I did all that I could and was diligent. There are so many nights when nothing happens and we get rejected so much and all that fun mission stuff, but if I do all I can and keep trying, I always feel SO GOOD! I don’t judge my happiness on how many lessons we had and all that. I mean yeah! That stuff makes me super happy when all is going well! But if it’s not, there’s no need to get discouraged!! Just keep working! And if you did all you can, that’s when you know that God is satisfied with your works and just keep plugging along!!! (Help the missionaries  people). 

Oh also! A super funny story!! Yesterday we were in ward council and we were talking about the Halloween party and all that fun stuff. And they told us that we can wear costumes but no masks! And one brother said “masks no but brooms are ok” (mind you this was all in Spanish) and then the same guy said “like we say in Mexico ‘brujeres jóvenes’” (so the joke is funny because Bruja means witch and so they play a joke on words and called them young witches). And also we were talking about how the Mesa Temple is going to be closing down in May, and how we are going to have to go to the Gilbert temple. And we were talking about the Spanish sessions and they asked if they were going to change the times so that we had more Spanish sessions, since a lot more people will be going to that temple. And they were like “no, no we don’t think so.” And the same member who made the joke about the young witches looks over and says “THATS DISCRIMINATION! THATS RACISM!” (He just said it jokingly). I literally laughed so hard  

Well, that’s all I got for this week!! Love you all and hope you find my stories funny