Tristan's Testimony 4/2014

Well I could tell you a huge testimony and just tell you how much the lord has blessed me on this mission, but something I have learned is that sometimes the most powerful testimonys are the simplest! So I will quickly share that I know without a doubt this is the true church, that there is a God and he loves each and everyone of us! I know that because of the lord I am able to have a strong family in the church and because of his son Jesus Christ I can be forgiven of my sins and make it back to him! One of my favorite quotes that I heard from the conference is from President Dieter F. Uchtdorf its in 1 nephi and it simply states that it is AFTER all we do, that by gods grace we will be saved!

He's Home!!!

Tristan-aka Captain America- arrived home safely. He had traveled for 24 hours and was very jet lagged, but still was as handsome as ever. He loved his mission and had a hard time leaving it. He is missing it but adjusting. We are glad to have him home safely.

Last Two Months in the Jungle

August 14th..I would love to go to the temple when I get back.  I haven't been in two years. I AM GETTING MY LAST BAPTISM THIS SATURDAY. I will take lots of pics I am super excited. I don't know what I will want. I will probably be hungry but what ever you guys feel like i don't mind. I am not picky hahah. but love you guys doing good its almost weird I am not ready to be home. A sister missionary in my batch going home asked if any girl was waiting for me when I get back.. I said I don't know hahaha. But I don't want to date a girl from the mish haha. But love you guys... I don't know if I will be able to email you guys next monday so hopefully you guys get this before. Love you guys see you soon. :)
August 8th...
Mom decide now what you want Filipina or Americana for my wife? hahhah jokes...  I am excited to come home but I think a little more sad that I am leaving so soon. Its the weirdest feeling to know that I am leaving soon. I have two weeks left today then I am pretty much traveling to San Pablo then to Manila and I am gone. Its crazy I am not ready.. .  I have one more baptized planned the day before I leave so hopefully this works out because that would be amazing if it does. Her name is Daby Maglente and is a super awesome lady and has a strong testimony of this gospel already. But love you guys I will try to send pics soon. Love Elder Herrin aka Cousin Eddy
August 1st... Its crazy I have 22 days left had my final interview with president yesterday and asked his some cool questions that he had really good answers too. but its crazy I am going to see you in less than a month. I am excited to get home but everytime I think about home I feel like I don't want to leave here yet haha. But I am excited to see everyone and just start with my life and hopefully do what I need to when i get home. I think I have been almost afraid to come home and work at another job and then go to collage. I just don't know if I am ready but I just always think of this quote by Ezra Taft Benson "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives for the better." So I just keep doing what I have been doing here. Trust the Lord. But man I don't know what else to share with you guys I come home so soon and I feel like I can describe everything better to you in person. But I am doing good I will see if I can send pics but I doubt it haha i will try. Love you guys tons love Elder Herrin aka Bradley Cooper
July 24th...Great week lots of hard work and lots of members worked with us this last week, This week we should have a great week with lots of lessons and hopefully lots of investigators attending church. :) But I am loving it here. I am honestly going to have the hardest time leaving. I am excited to come home but I just love these people with all my heart. But thats awesome with the Cabin I might have to take some girls up there hahaha. joke maybe. ;)...But anyways doing good have a few baptisms coming up but sadly I won't be here for them. :( its heartbreaking but I am happy my comp gets to have them. :) But love you guys to the moon and back not much else to tell I want to send pics but I think someone in my last apartment stole my card reader so  you will just have to wait until I get home to see me haha. :P But love you guys tons enjoy the Cabin and have a great week Love Elder Herrin aka Ferris Bueller or how ever you spell his name haha. :)
July 18th...Wow mom this area is great for like the first time my entire mission the branch president worked with us for the WHOLE DAY!!! we got like 7 people we can teach now and everyone here is so nice. Its a way pretty place and they are famous for there wood carvings here. Our area is huge and it used to be the sisters area and we are in there old apartment but there old apartment is so nice. They cleaned it well and took care of it. :) So work has been good tons of miracles. They also have tons of sick clothes and jerseys so I will probably find lots of stuff for the boys... I have a member here that does a nativity out of wood that comes with 17 pieces its super nice. And He does carvings of temples and writes the names on them... If you all want a carving of the temples you guys were married at let me know asap and then I will tell him to make some for you guys it says on it Families are forever. its way cool the carving and looks just like the temples. But theres also a fiesta coming up this july 24 and they should be selling a lot of things for cheap so I came to this area at the right time haha. But about my new comp his name is Elder Farish he is from Seattle and a super nice kid.. He doesn't have fingers or toes but its because he was still borne or something like that. But that doesn't slow him down in the work. Super nice kid and its been fun to see him work and follow up train him...I love you all tons. I had a really bitter sweet leave at Lopez I will miss it a lot there but I already love the people here and the area. And this is the area with the most church attendance I have seen my whole mission I think its at 100. So tons compared to other areas that only had 40 or so on haha. But doing well seeing lots of miracles and blessings everywhere and I am learning to cook so thats a bonus haha. :) But love you guys tons Love Elder Herrin aka KOBE BRYANT haha "If you doubt everythings possible, you doubt your saviour."
July 4th... love you guys and am doing good we are planning some baptisms coming up here pretty shortly and they want me to baptize i feel special but I really want there dad to baptize them. it would be a cool experience for there dad. . The only problem is that he is shy and is still less active, but he wants to get his kids baptized. :) Hopefully he changes his mind here pretty quickly, we will pray for him. But we are still looking for an apartment. Its harder than i thought trying to find one haha. I want a new one though. It is harder with 4 and it is getting on my nerves haha. I messed up my leg this week I got cut I thought I could see the bone on my shin but I don't know I just cleaned it with Alcohol and have kept it covered and I hurt my foot again. I decided I will stop playing basketball now and look where I am walking more haha. :) But I am still alive and laughing. Good to hear Mitchell is doing good glad to hear he has some fun stories. But I am doing good sorry not much to tell this week. .  I got my tooth fixed here but I want a dentist in America to look at my teeth hahah and xray me hahah. :P joke no it will be good to get home and take a warm shower. It has rained a lot here lately and I am always cold and wet now haha. :) But Loving the work and happy where I am at. :)

June 2016


 June 5th...I have a new comp now his name is Elder Avelino filipino again so no Americans yet all brown people hahaha. :) my wife is meant to be brown I guess haha. ;) joke but ya tell me what everyone wants I will send some pics today but I don't know if any of my comps have a card reader. I love the work here its hard here in lopez for sure.We have a meeting this coming sunday so hopefully it works out and everything starts rolling with this ward. .  I am scared its going to become a district here not a stake. And that would be bad for members. But other than that doing good we have a new investigator she is really interested in the church and wants us to teach her so hopefully we get lots of baptisms this july. :) If not july august. But sounds like you guys are having a good week and glad too hear you guys are enjoying everything...Love you all doing well I will try to send pics. Love Elder Herrin aka Kevin Love





I totally forgot to tell u that we had a baptism last tuesday the tatay in the wheel chair it went great we had to have two people help him stand then one baptized. :P super cool experience. :) love you all
June 19th...
So I am doing good this week, I wore flip flops earlier to basketball and now my feet feel awful and got cut up haha I have band aids tho so I will be alright haha. I heard today is the big game. Go Cavaliers. So something cool is I talked to the mom of the less active family and three of her children want to get baptized and she wants them to get baptized also so we are planning of July hopefully like the middle of July for there baptism. :) But I got the dental work started here. .  The guy didn't really ask me if I wanted him to start, I told him that I just needed a check up and then I would be fine but he started right away haha. But its okay now I am going back July 1st to finish it. .. Anyways other than that I gave a talk last sunday and it went really well. I felt like I got my point across and members after seemed a little bit more happy and a little bit more motivated. So it was awesome. Me and my comp have been doing a good job here we have at least 5 that are probably going to get baptized this July so we are excited for that. At our apartment we are trying to look for a new one because are apartment right now isnt that great and me and my comp clean it everyday but the other two Elders in the apartment don't clean at all and its kind of annoying but I just keep telling myself 2 more months hahaha. But I have really come to love the people here. I was thinking last night when I am in America I can no longer buy a birthday cake for these people when its there bday, I can't help them like I could when I was here. It was a sad thought and made me sad but I know the Lord has a plan here and that the members and everyone here that I have come to love will be looked after and that the lord has a plan for them. I hope you guys had a great week hopefully I will come back later and check email because we have to be quick I am going to a baptimal interview so that should be fun. :) We have to travel by bus to get to there area so its about 30 minutes away. :) But love you guys ton let everyone know how much I love them. Love Elder Herrin aka Kyrie
 
 

May 2016

May 2nd -... But lots of miracles this week, so we decided to go to this house that was pretty far off that we thought was a past investigator that got dropped so we went there and as we started teaching it came to me to start asking inspired questions and then I found out she is a member who has been inactive or less active for a couple of years. But she accepted our invitation to come to church this last Sunday and it was awesome to actually see members sit with them and help us out. So that was probably two miracles some other ones would be that our investigator attended church finally and she wants to invite her friends this next Sunday so we will see how that goes. :) Lots of other miracles also like we had an investigator who told us they didn't want to come to church but that morning we stopped by their house and they were dressed and ready to go for church so that was another huge blessing. But this last Monday we went to a cave or just earlier I mean and I have the coolest pics ever to show you. It is so beautiful. Hahaha we also have to clean our apartment its hard with 4 guys that don't like cleaning haha but we have to get it nice and clean this Thursday. :) What else. . . nothing too much feeling better..Love you guys sending pics in just one sec. Love Elder Herrin aka Russell Westbrooke












May 15th-So pretty good week. I will start with some miracles. . . the first one is that we have had a few less actives and inactives for a few years come back to church last sunday so that was huge. We finally got a new referral from a member and we ended up finding out that one of her kids thats in another country is a member of our church. :) So lots of miracles everywhere. :)  But I gave a talk about missionary work last sunday and talked about families and just said that missionary work starts in the home and I realized since I have been on the mission that I wouldn't be here without you guys so I thank you for the missionary work you did with us boys. Love you mom and dad haha. :) ...but here in Lopez its been sad lately there have just been lots of people trying to get other members to go against the leaders in the church and like at first it makes me mad but then just sad because it reminds me of the story of alma the younger and the four sons of mosiah and just how they went around trying to destroy the church, The only reason they are doing it is because they want to have leadership in the church and its not going to happen. they are Rms to which is the saddest part. But its okay the lord will bless the work here and will continue to stop those that try and destroy his church. :) But anyways glad everyone is doing well it was great skyping you guys. I will try and send some pics soon. Love ;you guys love Elder Herrin





 the bamboo house is Graces house the girl I was telling you about.



 
May 22nd-So even bigger miracle we had 7 people attend church this last sunday with like 4 less active families we should have had 2 other investigators that should have attended but they where busy. But its been tons of miracles this week. So we have started asking referrals from less active members and just asked them who else do you know that would be interested in our message and they gave us a few and we still have to tract some others that people have gave us. Since I have been here this last sunday has been the best for church attendance in Lopez. Its been really cool. I am loving the work I am getting nervous to go home and a bit excited its so hard to think about it kinda brings emotions that are sad haha just all I have missed and all I am going to miss here. But anyways I am just trying to focus on the work.. .  Its been raining a lot here and I have holes in both of my shoes now that mud and water get into so I am using my last pair of fancy shoes I bought a while ago haha they are fragile little things. I am going to try to buy a pair of rubber shoes soon. :) ..We have been playing chess alot at the apartment sometimes I am good then other times I mess up a ton but its fun and helps just relax and clear you mind.  But we played basketball earlier also and i cut my finger I have no feeling in it and it sucks to type with haha. :) But doing good trying to stay healthy buy doing push ups sit ups and using the little bar bells hahah. :) Its hard but I am glad I haven't gotten fat haha. :) Anyways love you guys I will hopefully send pics of our investigators next week and less actives that we have grown to love tons. But for now I will send what I have haha. :) Love you guys love Elder Herrin aka The Cat In The Hat. P.S. I love drinking Coconut juice and eating the inside when its soft or hard its sweet. I eat a ton and ate it almost everyday this week. :) But Love you guys tons sending pics in a minute. :)
May 29th-So let me tell you this week. . .  we will start on wednsday- LBM. . we worked taught good lessons then I got a fever, next day Thursday- not feeling too well still have lbm but my fever went down a bit so I went to work came home early because I couldn't do it anymore right when I got home I fell asleep. Friday took my temperature 101.3 degree temperature I was dying I felt so sick, Sister Mangum just told me to continue to take ibuprofuen and drink plenty and rest plenty. A member told me to buy bioflu so when saturday came around I bought bioflu myfever went away but my stomach still hurt but the thing is I havent eaten anything what soever from wednsday until saturday I just drank lots of gatorade. I lost 4 kilos this week. Which is about 8 pounds I feel pretty weak but I am slowly trying to recover right now eating and snacking when ever I can. I am already skinny I didn't need to lost 8 pounds. But my stomach is still upset but I am trying to eat and hopefully this week my stomach will get better but at least my fever is gone. So I am sorry not to many miracles this week we had lots of investigators again which was a blessing and now have a new investigator who wants to be baptized but she needs the permission of her father. :) So even tho I have been sick and havent been able to work lots this week I am still seeing the miracles everywhere in this work. :) I am glad to hear you guys had a great week and hope you are having a great memorial day. :) ....Love you guys love Elder Herrin aka Tiny Tim with my sickness haha :) I don't think I have food poisoning haha or dengue so thats good. :) count your blessings right hahaha

April 2016

April 25th 2016- I am eating a little better now and can't wait for this new month so I can just start pounding food haha. But I get to skype also this may so that will be cool. :) Its been a tough area so far not very much help at all from the members and the bishop I feel like we have done all the work. But I have been trying to talk to bishop more and he just is always busy. Its okay tho I told him we can't do any good work here if we have no help from the members or him. It sounded nicer when I said it.... Its okay I still love this area but I just need to Re focus.  . . So this weeks miracle would have to be an Elder from my first area Elder Fonua is in my zone again and I haven't seen him for almost 2 years. Its so great too see him and when I saw him he came up and gave me a huge hug. i love that kid he is Tongan and just an awesome kid super nice kid. Its crazy to think that my mission is almost over its crazy I feel like just yesterday i was in my first area and how far I have come and just what I have been able to experience its been fun. But love you guys doing good and hope you guys stay healthy. Love Elder Herrin aka Drake haha


April 18th 2016-So doing great this week super tired right now but glad to hear the good news haha.... But lots of miracles this week. I think the first would be that we got to hear Elder Bowen from the seventy speak on sunday and its such a strong spirit when he speaks. He let everyone in on a 2 secrets which are 1.- He is not perfect and 2.- Neither are you haha. it was awesome he talked about a lot of things and his love for the savior was amazing it almost brought me to tears when he talked about Jesus Christ the way he did. But I also got to hear from President Mangum and his wife and they also are so powerful when they speak. I love hearing from them and what they have to say.... If I have another Miracle to share it would be that. . . I didn't die this week haha I was sick and bought a lot of Gatorade because thats what they said to drink and my stomach wasn't sitting well and I didn't feel like eating. But know I feel great and love food haha. I have been reading a lot in the bible and its been way cool just studying it and it amazes me that everyone in the world that reads the bible isn't mormon...But love you all and hope you continue doing well. Love Elder Herrin aka Kobe Bryant
April 11th 2016- It is really hard looking at the poverty and has really made me realize things about myself and check myself. I have taken everything for granted. The people here go to the temple maybe 2 a year if they have the budget for it, they travel on bus jeepneys and other different rides, just to go to the temple. I have learned a lot from these people and love them and wish the best for them. :)  But the Conference was amazing. I loved it, We need to apply the atonement in out lives. ...But I am doing good had interviews with president again and as always amazing I love that man. He is the president I was supposed to have and this is the area I am supposed to be in. But I have lots of pics I need to send. I am doing good and am sad time is winding down so quick. But love you guys tons I have some great stories to tell when I get home. I have learned tons here and grown tons. But with this growth I know I need to continue in what I am doing, because if I don't continue satan will get a stronger grip on me and on all of us. Stick to the path of righteousness and trust in the lord. Don't just be faithful but be faithful and content in everything you do.... But the girl is doing good I baptized her last saturday and she looks better but her dad is always drunk when he comes home and her mom left her in january and she hasn't heard anything from her....I just want to punch her dad, he's lucky I am so Christ like haha.... Elder Herrin aka Leonard "Spurs"







April 4th 2016-I am doing good here my ankle is still pretty crappy but its probably because it doesn't get a break. it cramps up sometimes we literally work non stop which is great but my ankle is sore and swollen at the end of the day....I have read a lot in the bible lately and its awesome. I love the bible but we have to read the bible here because there is some many bible bashers haha. But something that is a miracle is that we have a baptism hopefully this saturday and I think I get to baptize her. It is the girl I told you about hopefully she passes her baptismal interview, but i am sure she will no doubt. There has been a lot of people here that have no idea what mormons really are and just go off what they hear. They have lots of questions when we talk to them which is great and glad they do but you can tell Satan just has his way with some of these people. We have an investigator who is a bible basher and he used to go bible to bible with us but no that we have taught him and asked him some inspired questions he no longer debates with us and just listens, I don't know if its because he just can't think of anything else or if he just gave up because we stumped him on everyone of his questions or anything like that and he has even doubted his religion sometimes hahah. But hes a great guy and really nice, when we come over he stops whatever he is doing and just lets us teach him I hope he accepts our invitation to him to come to church. . He would be a great member I can already tell. But works been good, really hot right now and we played basketball earlier. I have talked to a guy that is half German half Filipino big guy maybe like 6'5, But I have found that sometimes being friends with them first is more effective then teaching them straight away. We have talked on the streets twice now and of course he asks questions about the gospel and what not but I am just feeling to give him time before we start teaching him. I know his friends make fun of him if he takes our lessons but they like talking to us too so it has been good. :) anyways i will send some more pics later. Love you guys tons doing well.  Love Elder Herrin aka Gordon Hayward