"I'm not a member I need to get baptized first."

Monday, April 6, 2015

Hello Family!!!!

I hope everyone is doing well today... I literally have so much about this week that I want to talk to you about! It has probably been the best week of my whole entire mission, it has just been a huge, huge blessing! We have been blessed so much in the work! We found some awesome people this week, we have some solid investigators! I hope that you all had a Happy Easter, and General Conference, it was so so so so so good!! We really have been blessed so much in the work, so we are just trying to give our all, and do some work!  Anyway I am going to get to it, I will probably forget literally so many details, but this week was awesome!

Saturday - I told you about Saturday last week, we taught Ian Gourley in the evening, he is a new one, we were not able to see him this week, but then we didn't get to do much for the rest of P-Day!

Sunday - We had our Ward council and our ward coordination meeting in the morning! And then church, sadly we did not have anyone at church, so that is getting to be kind of a bummer! But it was all good! We went home and we changed and then Bishop saw us on the side of the road and he picked us up and had us go with him to give his son Julian a blessing who was sick, so did that! And then we contacted for the rest of the evening, and then mad some phone calls! While we were out, Elder Carlile contacted this girl named Therese.. and set a return appointment with her... she will be a focus in the rest of the week, so cool!!

Monday - We had a lesson with Michael Melindez in the morning with Taylor Wilhelm, first time appointment we taught him the Restoration and it went so well... he loved the Book of Mormon, he is a super cool guy. I contacted him and after I did, he said he was inspired to go to church, so he went that Sunday, but he loved the Book of Mormon! Then we had a lesson with Thomas in the evening as Nick Franks as the member present, we ended up answering a lot of his questions about his Book of Mormon reading he had read all of 1 and 2 Nephi, so it was awesome, he had lots of questions and commments, they were really good! And we ended up sharing the end of the Plan of Salvation! Then we had FHE, and it was paint twister, so that was cool, and Ryan Carter, remember him the 1st ward to 5th ward investigator, he came! It was so cool to see him, we are going to start meeting with him again.

Tuesday - We had our District Meeting, it was a good one! And then some 12 week study! And then we went to FAMU with the other Elders and we did some work there, and we had some good success! Then alright... we taught Therese with Caroline as the member, and we taught the Restoration and it was just a beautiful lesson, such a good spirit, and right off the bat we kicked it off and she was very open and it was just fantastic, so she was pumped! And just received tons of answers and then we gave her the Book of Mormon, and that is going to be key as well, she loves the Book of Mormon. Then we had a Family History appointment with Bianca doing some family history work. 

Wednesday - We had a lesson with Arianna in the morning, interesting case her! But we taught her the Plan of salvation and she really enjoyed it and agreed with everything! Then some contacting. Then we taught another new girl named Jasmine, member present with Aymee and we taught her the Restoration it went so well... she seemed genuinely interested.. so we will see what comes of it! 

Thursday - We had a lesson with Cameron Locke in the morning, he's the recent convert of last year! He is doing well, we talked to him about the temple, we are trying to prepare him to get there! Then we taught Thomas again with Carson, we taught him the rest of the Plan of Salvation, and it went well... He likes our views, the plan of salvation, modern prophets, but he just says... I don't know if that is the right way! Then we had a lot of lessons fall through, so we finished up our weekly planning session. Then had a family history appointment with a guy named EJ.

Friday - We had a lesson with Dusty in the morning. Then we had a member lesson with Lauren Herzog. Then we taught Arianna with Carson again, and we watched the video How Rare a Possession video, about gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon... Then oh boy this was another good one, so there is this member named Ashley Keoppel, and she is awesome, she has been coming with this boy to church and long since we have been coming he has been there, even in Priesthood... so we see them on campus, and we are talking to them, Ashley is going on a mission, and so we were asking Alex if he had been on a mission, and he says to us "I'm not a member I need to get baptized first." WHAT!!!! So I said, and I quote, "Uh oh, I am about to go all missionary mode on you right now!" Boom set up a time with him and then talked to him about the Book of Mormon he is already in 2 Nephi. So we had a lesson with him and Ashley at the institute, and it was fantastic as well.. really good spirit, we taught the restoration! And it was powerful, so he is super solid!! 

Saturday - GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!! So I won't talk too much about it, because I literally have zero time... but it was basically awesome! In between sessions we taught this girl named Scarlett, who is a new one, we taught with Celine B, and we taught the Restoration (love the Restoration).. and it was good as well, she has 2 friends from Virginia that are members, so she is pretty solid too! Then Priesthood session and it was awesome!

Sunday - Thank you so so so so so so so much, for the Easter Baskets, they we're awesome!!! It really meant a lot, Elder Carlile and Otu we're very thankful.. When Elder Otu opened his up he started crying! It was pretty neat. So thank you so so so so much!!! We and I really appreciate it! HAPPY EASTER! So in the morning... bring it back to Therese. We texted her in the middle of the week, and she said she was just about to text us, so that was cool... we got talking about her Book of Mormon reading, and she can't put it down, she loves it, and it is answering all of her questions, she sent so many scriptures to us that she loved, and things that she really needed to hear! So we taught her with Angy in the morning.. and we talked about the Book of Mormon and then we read Alma 32 with her, she said that she knows the Book of Mormon is true! It was such a good lesson! So she then came to conference in the morning, which the session in the morning was killer! And Thomas was there, and they both loved it... like it was both so good for them! Alex also watched it ! So we had a lesson with Andrew Florial in between the sessions, he is a member. Then Therese came back and watched the evening session! And she loved it! And then we had a little easter dinner at the institute, all of the missionaries pot lucked! And she came to that as well, so we have a super good relationship with her! And then we did some family history with Dusty!

So this is probably the worst email ever.. but I am so crunched, I will AlphaSmart this next week, but life has been so crazy, and we barely have time to think, because there is so much work that needs to be done!!! We are staying very humble, but at the same time we have a lot of faith that we will be having some baptisms soon. It really was a great week. But I love you all and miss you all like crazy! 

Love Elder Hintze!!!

"I know that He does live, I know that He suffered for all of us! I have come to know Him, and to feel His love personally"

Saturday, March 28, 2015

HELLO FAMILY!!

Good afternoon, hope that everyone is doing well today! I love you all like crazy! This week has been so good, and we have been very busy! I can honestly say that I have never worked harder for anything in my whole entire life, everyday I have been given everything that I've got! And the Lord has really been blessing us! Alright, lets get to it:

Saturday - Today was awesome! I honestly am so grateful for Elder Otu, I love him so much, it has been the best thing ever serving with him! It will be sad to leave him. We went out on campus and did some contacting! Campus was alive today, there was all kinds of events going on, and music playing all over the place, sometimes I just want to boogie ya know!? :) But it is also good during the weekend, because it isn't insanely packed, and people aren't in too big of a hurry, so they can stop and talk. So we had some successes. I had a super awesome contact with these two girls, I had talked to one of them before and I knew that, but I played dumb and then got them both on a return appointment! So it was good, I literally love, love, love contacting on campus! It was very warm today as well. So then we ate with the Assistants some lunch, emailed ya'll folks, did our shopping! And then there is a bonfire behind the Institute, and so we had a fire for our P-Day. It was the bomb! It was actually pouring rain when we started the fire, but we got it going and then just kept it going, we made a little make shift shelter over it, and all of the other missionaries came, and so we just made smores, hotdogs, and then we made a little stove and we cooked some bacon!

Sunday - In the morning we were out on campus contacting some folks in our suits for a bit, and then we went to our coordination meeting and then on to church. We had a cool sacrament meeting, we had the institute choir perform.. so had a few musical numbers and they are always awesome, then  2 speakers, it was a good meeting. Unfortunately again we did not have any investigators who were in attendance there. :( After church though we taught Dusty, in his new member lessons, so we taught him tithing and fast offerings. Then spur of the moment Bishop Havlicak invited us over for dinner, so they had thanksgiving dinner. So we put down some serious food. But it was very delicious, and the Havlicak's are awesome! Okay so then in the evening we taught a girl named Arianna. First time appointment we contacted her on campus, and since then have ran into her multiple times. We taught her the Restoration with Carson! She loved it all, and was just thanking us for sharing our testimonies and these things with her. Carson the member played a big role as well. So we are so excited to be able to teach her further, she seems to be very, very prepared! There was a terrific spirit in the lesson as well! So we received some serious blessings today, thanksgiving dinner and Arianna! And at church.. I came out into the foyer and boom there was Elder McPherson, it was dang good to see him, got to meet all of his family!

Monday -  Starting out our day, we had some good contacting time! We have been trying to put together a missionary fireside in our ward, so we were contacting the FSU Gospel Choir to sing, after contacting them it turns out that they can't do it! But anyway we were all over campus OYMing people! And then we taught this girl named Dora, she was someone I contacted and set an appointment with, so we taught her with Alex Hauter, kind if an interesting lesson, we taught her the Restoration, but she believes in energy, and oneness... as she puts it! But the lesson went well and she wasn't interested in church at all, but we got her to pray, which was way sick!!!! And then we taught Thomas with Claudia Rivero, we did a little bit of review of the Restoration and then watched the 20 min resto DVD, then read Alma 32 (love that chapter!), and then just answered some of his questions, he had some good questions, and Claudia provided some awesome testimony! 

Tuesday - District Meeting in the morning, it was another good one! And then afterwards, we had our district activity, we played Ultimate Frisbee in the field behind the church! After getting all cleaned up we did some contacting out on campus! And then we had an appointment with this guy named Nick "Niko" Rule, so kind of a cool story! He is a convert of about 2 years, but he got into a lot of anti, namely he just looked it up all day... we received some pretty direct spiritual promptings as to what we were to share with him, again from Alma 32. So we talked about that, I hope he will let us help him! Then we had a family history appointment with a girl named Bianca. And then we taught Dusty a lesson, we did family history with him! 

Wednesday - We taught Arianna in the morning with Carson again, we did some review of the restoration and we watched the 20 min restoration DVD with her, and then watched the 3 mormon messages with her called Patterns of Light, it was such an awesome lesson it honestly was an answer to her prayers... in regards to how the Holy Ghost communicates with us. And it just felt so good the whole entire time in the lesson! We committed her to be baptized at the end of the lesson, and she was a little skeptical but she agreed when she came to know that it was true! Then we taught a member named Steffin Golden, he goes to FSU, he is from Marianna, Florida, he served a 2 year mission in Lisbon, Portugal. Then we had a lesson with Dusty and we taught him obedience, pray, and study the scriptures, and watched the John Tanner Story with him. Then we had a pow wow with Taylor Wilhelm, or a coordination meeting with him. Then we contacted all over campus, and then we made some phone calls!

Thursday - We had to give up our little Ford Fusion that we had, it is being sold, so now we are carless again, but no worries, unlimited miles on my feet! But it took up all of our morning getting it there and getting it washed out, we also had to wait for the ZLs, to give us a ride back. Then we taught a lesson on FAMU with Ryan Snyder, we taught this dude named Cyrus in the library there, we taught him the Plan of Salvation, and it was a hectic, but at the same time... it was a strangely good lesson. The Spirit was strong at times. He is an agnostic, so he basically believes there is something out there, but doesn't know what it is... But he was right on the Plan of Salvation, he loved it! Then we did a little weekly planning and then we taught Dusty again, we watched 2 talks with him on family history that bishop had given to him to watch/read! Then we had Breakfast with the Bishopric in the evening.. and we had the less active kid there, so we're getting him back baby! And then the TCC Sisters invited a dude who goes to FSU, so Sister Crandall came up and told me that he is ours to take on a church tour and have! So he came in and immediately I recognized him.. don't know from where though, but his name is Ronderias. So I go talk to him and he recognizes me and says ya you came by my house and taught me a lesson! Boom! And then it clicked, it was in 3rd ward when I was on an exchanged with Elder Welch and we taught him. So it progressed to a church tour, and my comps we're busy, so I went with Alex Hauter and Taylor Wilhelm, gave him a church tour and talked about the church service/sacrament in the chapel, and then baptismal font, which we talked about baptism and then the Book of Mormon. Alex and Taylor bore some killer testimony! And he was so pumped, so we should be teaching him tomorrow and he is coming to church, super cool!

Friday - We had a family history appointment with this girl named Christa, which she was an hour late, so that stunk, but we had Angy Vasquez there a member, and we did some family history with her, had some success, so we set up a return! Then we had a member lesson with Lauren Herzog, we are starting to work more with members, so it went really well! And then we taught Arianna with Carson again.. Then we ate dinner and then for sports night we played soccer in the gym! It was actually the bomb, Will Lasley came, he had dropped us! :) But we got him for soccer!

Saturday - This morning.. well this whole day, we had 5 lessons.. haha! And all of them fell through this morning, so we finished our weekly planning! And then we just had a lesson with this new kid named Ian, he is actually super cool! We gave him a church tour and he had tons of good questions, he grew up in a baptist school and he said they categorize us as "herotic", haha so funny, and so sad! But it went really well, we got him interested, he lives right next to the Orlando Temple. So we ate with the McPhersons today, and we are going to be playing ball with him and his brothers tonight!

I love you all like crazy!!!! I hope that you have all had the chance to watch the new #BecauseHeLives video, it is amazing... Time is really flying by, and I miss you all like crazy! But I must say it is going to be hard to leave this mission, I have found no greater joy in my life than when I have given everything that I've got each day to the Lord... I have really, really grown in my appreciation for the Savior in these last few months, I know that He does live, I know that He suffered for all of us! I have come to know Him, and to feel His love personally, I hope that all of us can do the same this Easter Season! Love you all! :)

Love,

Elder Hintze

PS- My P-Day I think will be on Monday this next week!!! Because of General Conference! So talk to you on Monday!!!