CHEYENNE HS GRADUATE in DeKalb!

          "I don't understand English"   The Lord Provides

              1 Month under my belt!

So..... I JUST HAD MY ONE MONTHer!!!!!!!   Elder Engler & I decided we wanted to go through the Ward list and visit the people on the list we didn't know.  Most had moved, but when got to this one house looking for a member, the member had moved but the new Resident was super receptive to hearing the gospel.  HE GRADUATED FROM CHEYENNE HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!! This is the last town I would imagine a Cheyenne high school grad would end up! haha it was too funny.   I can't wait to see how he will receive the lessons.  Throughout the  week we made more visits on the list and meet Inactive members who frankly were just forgot about or lost & would love the gospel back in their lives, its been an awesome experience! 
           So we've been working with an Awesome Investigator this past couple of weeks, she's gone to 4 sacrament meetings in the Past 3 weeks. She knows the gospel is True and Is getting baptized Very soon!
 I cant believe it, she is on the list of Best Investigators EVER!! We also Have another person on Date named Rubin, He is the sweetest guy ever! He just went to Church for the First time & liked it a lot! He's been reading the Book of Mormon & ever time we see him He is looking better & happier. Both have had rough lives but I can see how the lord has been preparing them for them to receive this message now! 
           Elder Engler and I have seen a lot of miracles this week.  First was when we needed a member this week for a lesson and we picked him up and went to the lesson, well the person we were teaching  wasn't there so we were dropping by other investigators' houses and no one was home.  Elder Engler and I were feeling bad because we didn't want to waste his time. We then noticed this house we got a referral for 3 weeks ago and haven't been able to contact, both elder Engler and I felt like we should try. We knocked on the door and a little Hispanic lady came out. We asked if the referral was home but she said she didn't understand English, soon as she said that the member start rattling off in Spanish for like 3 seconds with her and she then turn around and walked away. Thinking she go upset our hearts dropped until the member with a smile on his face says come on in were going to teach her. OUR JAWS DROP, not understanding what was going on. We end up teaching he a lesson completely in Spanish! THE COOLEST THING THAT EVER COULD HAPPEN. As we sat in the living room, the member bore his testimony in Spanish with such conviction, on how much the gospel had blessed his life and his family's and what it did for him. I was about to cry... We left that home not exactly knowing what had happened but with new testimonies of This wonderful gospel and why we share it. 
            I know that this Gospel is true.   Everyday I receive another witness of it. It has blessed me already more than I can say.  I wish I knew where to start to thank the lord & I know that there are much more blessings to come. I love the quote that "A mission is the best 2 years of a mother's life", but I know that it will be the best two years FOR my life. I Strive everyday to be come a better Disciple of Jesus Christ and I know that I will never, every, cease to strive to become closer to my savior Jesus Christ.
 
"By their fruits ye Shall know them"
Elder Herdt

Buying Toilet Paper----A Spiritual Experience?

Elder Engler and I getting some studying in.

What a week! I finally felt like a week has flown by! It felt like forever ago when I left! Well this was a very hard and awesome week for me. For starters we have an investigator name J and she is awesome.  The first for a investigator to come to church the first week and to have her continue to come to church she is so solid! Yesterday she went two sacrament meetings! hahha We expect here to be baptized in August! 

             Well another solid investigate is a guy named D*** who is Mike Tyson's cousin! We met him because we needed to get toilet paper, and went to a gas station where he stopped us asking who we were because we looked like we were from some big company but so we told him we were missionaries, he was like "missionaries?... NO WAY, I'VE NEVER MET MISSIONARIES BEFORE!!!!!!!" he was super excited to talk to us then, we asked if he wanted a book of Mormon and if he wanted to meet with us and he said yes because he just got out of jail and wanted to turn his life around, then his mom came up and was asking about us and then she was like well I want a book of Mormon too because D*** will hog it all up for himself!! We laughed and said our goodbyes. Later when we came by D***'s mom wasn't home but his girlfriend was but they all wanted to take the lessons then and it went perfect and she want to know more, and in the lesson we found out that he was the nephew of a lady in our ward because when we invited D*** to church he said he went there when he was a kid with his Aunti so it was just awesome to see the path he has taken in life. He also told us his sister was getting out of jail soon and she wanted the lesson when she gets out, so all because of toilet paper we were guided by the Lord to 4 possible investigators!

             Last Sunday we went to dinner to a kinda less active sister's home, and that was where we met her boyfriend T*****, a British/Indian man who was very spiritual, over his life time he has experienced many things with many religions, like Buddhist, Hindus, Sheikh, Christianity and just about everything but he had been rubbed the wrong way by many religions but he had meet with missionaries once before but wanted to learn more but didn't have the opportunity to meet with them again, well as we ate dinner T***** didn't just get feed physically but spiritually, And he was excepting so much and agreed with so many things, he was intrigued with the atonement because he had experience so much and had also felt hate for people for the things he had seen people do but was amazed that through the atonement all of that could be solved and he wanted more. 2 later of discussion he had to leave not wanting to but having to because of time. We made an appointment with him for the following Saturday and left. Well, a sad thing happened T***** and the his girl friend broke up.  It would have been fine if he didn't live 40 minutes away out of our mission. So at this point all Elder Engler and I do is pray that the Lord will provide a way for him. 

              One more awesome Investigator with an awesome story! After a failed appointment Elder Engler and I felt an impression to go Track, well we drove as the spirit directed us, speak of "letting Jesus take the wheel" we drove by a couple of homes and he felt an impression to go there, but we drove on but we felt very prompted to go back to those houses we turned around and parked and went to the house. The first house we knocked on a Man opened the door and we saw he had recently lost a leg and as we talked he invited us to come back, he said he and his wife were just recently talking and praying about a church to go to and a place to get the kids baptized, so we came back and taught his family, they just loved it and were going back today to teach them the plan of salvation!

              Last little thing, I went on exchanges with my grandpa(the missionary who trained my trainer) Elder Gagakuma, He is one of the smartest and most spiritual men I have ever meet. I had an awesome experience with him that I cant not share due to lack of time. He answered all my Questions I've had on my mission. He taught me about faith, he taught me about humility and meekness-- that meekness is your willingness to learn and Humility is your willingness to apply what you've learned. But the most important thing he taught me was how to learn, that having an eye single to the glory of God is the key to obtaining all spiritual knowledge, that if I want to become the best missionary I can be I need to become a consecrated missionary and that peach my gospel is more of a fountain of wealth than you can imagine if you know where to dig. 

              I love you all and I want you to know How much the work out here means to mean. That how much building the Kingdom of God means. I invited all members to get into missionary work NOW!!! Help the missionaries, help your self and help God in his work! All I ask is to invite others to come unto Christ. You don't need to feel like you have to know how to teach them or know everything about missionaries. Invite them to take lessons and the missionaries will take it from there. One thing I've learned is there is power in the stranger. Don't be afraid share this message with someone in the grocery store or at work or at the park. The worst thing they can say is no, and if that you might have planted a seed in them. BUT REMEMBER the field is white already to harvest. Its time to reap and the lord has already prepared people for his word. Its time for you to ask him for help to guide you to those people. He will provide!

Obedience, Faith, Seeking the Spirt, work/love, and Scripture study combined with Pray will guide us to the people for baptism. 

keep the faith,

Elder Herdt

PS:Yes, I bought a  GPS and its awesome! It's a huge help for the work! Thanks

New Mission, New Companion, New Area

   I left the MTC at 3 am on the 8th of july and took off from the airport around 8. They crammed 38 elders and sisters on a plane that was just larger than a sardine can--plus 2 years of supplies for each missionary. Needless to say not everyone  got there stuff there that day..... I did though! x)

 I had cool experience; two sisters and I, placed a Book of Mormon and got a contact information, as we gave him the book he started to cry because it was what he has been looking for, for a while.

    Well, the first day there we stayed the night at Pres. Finn's home and had some devotionals. Then Pres. Finn started interviewing all of us.  I found out one of the reasons why I'm here because well, Pres. Finn is a barbershopper, likes bicycles, motorcycles and etc.  He is so cool and I love him already! The next day was transfer meeting day and the way they put comps together is they have the trainer up front, they talk about their area and then assign the junior comp. Well, when I saw Elder Engler walk up, I look over to the other Elders told them I was about to leave and Bing bong boom, He's to be my Trainer. Got to love the spirit!

    

  Now I'm finally In the field, and I've already put someone on date to be baptized and we have 4 others and one on the way. The days out here rarely get over 80 degrees and people complain -_- haha its funny, but it does get humid, blah. I'm serving in a little farmers town name Dekalb about 40 thousand people. The ward just got spit and we got the short end of the stick with 85 members, but with a promise of a huge growth in the area. I'm getting pretty excited. Plus the ward mission leader Brother Bound is awesome. He works at home as a graphic designer and He reminds me a little bit like Doug from king of queens. The lord is truly hastening the work and we see it every day with people who have been prepared to receive the gospel. It’s truly humbling. It’s been very hard work. My comp Elder Engler is a stud of a missionary and he’s teaching me a lot like right off the bat! It is amazing to see the Lord plans and how he works and to work along the side with him and with his angles. I'm really having a blast out here though and I just can’t wait to experience fall for the first time. 

      A few cool experience; first was that this lady who dropped us called back the day I came in and said she was having dreams about the church and she was reading the book of Mormon and had some questions and want us to come back, the Lord guides her because she's one who asks him a lot.   Another was a referral of a potential investigator for the Spanish sister missionaries and he actually called us, which never happens. We missed his call and didn't get a hold of him sadly. So we decided to knock of some potential doors and they weren't home, Elder Engler didn't wait to go back to the car and felt we should go the other way so I followed him. We see this park, and I saw two  guys there and I said we should talk to them so we went over and we get to the pavilion of the park about 50 feet from the guys and Engler gets a call and as he takes it 1 guy leaves but the other comes toward us. Engler gets off the phone and the guys ask “how much?”, thinking were salesmen and were like, “oh no were not selling anything, were missionaries” and he says, “oh Mormons right?” We say,”yes,” and he tells us he got a book of Mormon yesterday. We were confused because we’re the only ones giving out book of Mormons.  We find out he’s the referral the sisters gave us and we sat down and gave him the first lesson and it went amazing!

   The Chicago West Mission, is a 0 bike mission, all new cars, they just got 15 new apartments so there aren't any companionship's that share apartments.  I won’t be using the back pack I got anymore..... because there outlawing them saying there not professional so I need to get a messenger bag soon! And because it’s a no bike mission and the streets are confusing as heck I think I’ll pick up a GPS at Walmart.

Well, I have more stories but too  little time.

My mailing. address is:

Elder Travis Herdt

Illinois Chicago West Mission

 1319 Butterfield Rd. Suite 522

Downers grove, IL 60515.  

                                                 love you!

                                               -your spirt ninja missionary Elder Herdt

Chicago, Here I come!

07.08.2013


Elder Herdt called this morning from the airport in SLC on his way to the Chicago West Mission.  The Chicago Mission was split July 1st and he will be in the first group of missionaries to be added to the mission.  There were 38 missionaries flying to Chicago today which I assume will be split between the 2 missions.  He said that many of the missionaries were Spanish speaking.  He enjoyed his time in the MTC and had many spiritual experiences and revelation.  Kind of like EFY on mega steroids!  Everyday was jam-packed---no time to get home sick.  Looking forward to the 2 year journey.  Wish we could have chatted longer but he was sharing a phone card with 2 other elders.  Only 15 mins:(

Happy 4th of July

Q: Does everyone have P-day on the 4th?
   We're among the only ones to be blessed enough to have P-day on the 4th, woo woo!!!  Tonight we're going to the park by the mtc to see the stadium of fire fireworks.
Me: I miss your good-night kisses:(
    I'm so sorry about the kisses:/ i should have kissed your hand for you to remember me.
Me: Be sure to take some pictures before you leave the MTC to remember your group by.
   Well, I do need to take more pictures but they dont really want us to do much here because its destracting and what not.
Q: Have you had a chance to finish up the Book of Mormon again?
 I haven't been reading the book of mormon to finish it up really, because 1st I can't use my ipod here (to listen while I read along), second, I just have no time, 3rd, when I  have time, I need to study other things. I told my branch president I hadn't finished but he said my testimony of the book was more than people who have read it so I will finish it but not here.
Q:  Do you know what your flight plans are for Monday?
  I have to wake up at 4 or earlier on monday to fly out. Kinda stinks but glad to get to the field.
Q: Was the literacy program to help with reading?
 The literacy program stopped letting me come because they said I didnt need it so thats a good sign.
Q: Could you share some of you experiences you've been having in the MTC?
    I wish i could share with you the crazy awesome mtc experiences I've had but there is not enough time on the computers to do so but i am recording them to share later. My schedule is packed full everyday, no time to stop. but today was what I needed time to think and relax.
So, I love you all and cant wait to write you next!
Elder Herdt

June 26th Entering the Mission Training Center (MTC)

! I'm having a Blast in here right now, Its long but amazing!

Day 1:    As you know I was stressing out a little the days before my mission started.  The blessing helped and all but what helped it for me was Alma telling his sons of his repentance process.  The next was Dad's nature walk.  That helped out so much.  Lastly, the temple. (We went to the Provo temple to do family sealings just before we dropped him off) When I walked into my first class today I felt ready and worthy to be the Lord's missionary. 

Day 2:  So today was......long. Very , very long.  Devoting so much is new but I have the faith to do what they and the Lord ask.  I'm feeling the spirit and getting a huge grasp on the spirit.   I'm learning almost too much.  Also being pushed in areas that are new to me.  I got placed in a literacy program and I can't wait to see what I can get out of that. Gym is a blessing. I would die if i didnt have it! I'll write next week and I am good with everything.  You supplied me well. 
I love you,

Elder Herdt

*having super crazy spiritual experiences!!