UPS & DOWNS - STRUGGLES & TRIUMPHS

This week had its ups and downs. We had our struggles and our triumphs. The first half of the week went well. We had some good appointments and found some new people to teach. Man from Friday until Sunday was a struggle. Our plans we had fell through, while tracting, no one would listen, a lot of people not answering the door when we can clearly tell they were home. But what can you do? Elder Nielsen and I talked during lunch on Saturday and we both agreed that Satan is definitely working on us hard core. And we wouldn’t let that keep us down. We kept working and doing whatever the spirit led us to do. We kept on keeping on.

This morning I read the talk “Two Principles for Any Economy” by president Dieter F. Uchtdorf and a quote stood out to me..."Let us not devote our God-given talents and energies solely to setting earthly anchors, but rather let us spend our days growing spiritual wings. For, as sons of the Most High God, we were created to soar unto new horizons." This quote is amazing, and it really gave me more dedication for this work and work on growing my spiritual wings and soar!! Its sick.

Thanksgiving...haha.. wow it was GOOD! Thanks to the Beckwith’s, Boston’s, Mulstay’s and now Cathy (the investigator) her turkey was LEGIT, it was my first deep fried turkey!!! Wow it’s my favorite thing ever now! It was marinated in some Cajun sauce..yummy!!! She said she is going to do another one for Christmas!! We were both miserable the next day ha-ha. I’ve been doing sit-ups hard core this week.THANKSGIVING DINNER WITH THE BECKWITH'S
THE BECKWITH'S YUMMY FRIED TURKEY
Investigators...Mike is still doing well. We had a good lesson with him on Tuesday. We talked about our stand on government issues and such. I referred him to Doctrine and Covenants 134. It answered his questions and he liked the answers :) Things are going great… slowly but surely with him right now. Harry, same boat...going through the lessons and he is liking them. We extended a soft Baptismal date and he accepted. Now we’ll just wait till the spirit tells us when to set a firm with him. He likes our church though. The weekend he and his wife went, pretty much everyone introduced themselves to them, so it started out great! We had a lesson with Cathy and taught a 2nd lesson. She liked it, sketchy on the 3 Kingdoms of Glory, but I think we taught in a way where she will accept it. She is a cool lady. She is out of town for the next 2 weeks so...it’s a bummer but we'll get up with her then. This week is going to be busy for sure. We are teaching one of our members husbands right now. We have 3 new investigators we're going to be teaching this week. I’ll let you know which ones will stay interested. Oh yeah, and another gator Mike, not the preacher, came to church yesterday! We dropped him because he wasn’t progressing, but he came and we have an appointment with him on Thursday! Jeff , less active one, we have been teaching him the lessons and getting his testimony back and its going great! He came to church for the first time in a long time!! We are just being very bold with him and telling him he needs to do something in order to receive blessings and such, so it’s been fun to teach him! Brother and Sister Bass are amazing!! I love them. We ate dinner with them last night. That is way cool the Bass’s called you, they loved talking to you.

My bike broke! The derailer kind of broke off...but I took into a bike shop today and hopefully will get it back Wednesday or next Monday. HE said he is going to call the bike company and make sure the replaceable piece is correct.

I miss and love each of you!!! Hope all is going well! PEACE OUT

-Elder Henricksen

THANKFUL FOR THANKSGIVING DINNERS!

So yes as you have heard I am officially a DADDY! Aka..I am trainer a missionary fresh out of the MTC! It has been a fun week! Taking my boy (Elder Nielsen) on his first tracting experience and lessons. Elder Nielsen’s first door approach was pretty funny ha-ha. He started out great and then he paused, so I had to take over. He is learning very well actually. He loves to work and wants to become a master teacher, so we're going to be having some fun! I can’t remember if I told you in my last email, but the Tarboro Branch, due to the lack of members, will be combining with the Rocky Mount Ward. So the Tarboro branch will be no more... :( President King said we are still waiting on the word from Salt Lake on the final decision and when. The good news from President Cotterell, he said even if the branch closes down, he will keep the missionaries in Tarboro, as long as there is work to be done. So we are working our buns off to so we can stay here in T-boro! It’s sad, but it’s just a challenge to the people here to test their faith.TABORO BRANCH BUILDING
Investigator wise...Mike we had a lesson with him, and not really anything to say, the lesson was kind of reviewing what we have taught him, so Elder Nielsen can catch up and know where we're at. He is still interested and wants to learn more! Harry, we has a lesson with him and followed up on the first lesson, and he understands it and so we are going to move on to the 2nd lesson. He didn’t make it to church...because of a bad hip problem, but when I called him he said he read the intro to the Book of Mormon and what we gave him. Harry said he read more and is on like 1 Nephi 4! So we’re stoked! Those were our main lessons we had. I took Elder Nielsen around to a lot of members to introduce him to the branch and we actually got up with a lot of investigators and made appointments for this week. So we're going to be busy this week! We have started to teach the Bass' inactive son, Jeff...and if we get him back into church, it’s really going to feel like a baptism. He is the sweetest guy ever and really nice, but just has made some bad decisions in life. He really wants to be happy and gain a testimony about this Gospel and get back into it. We have a lesson with him tonight and we’re going to get him back onto the right path :)

Just to make mom feel happy, here is our schedule for Thanksgiving Day. 1130-1 Thanksgiving lunch with the Beckwith’s...2-430 dinner with the Boston’s...5-616 dinner with Cathy (investigator)...7-9 dinner with the Mulstay’s. It’s going to be a miserable day haha. I’ll see how much I gained ha-ha.

Ever since I have been In Tarboro we have golfed every Monday, well not today, it is going to be the first time we aren’t...it’s raining and the Holloman’s (who own the course) said they’re not opening it, so it’s a bummer :( because Jeff (investigator) is really good at golf, he was going to help me out with my game and make my game better. he usually shoots about 2 under par for dads info ha-ha.

SOME P-DAY FUN WITH THE ANIMALS IN ROCKY MOUNT, NC

The package was AMAZING!!! I loved it! I was really thinking about what I was going to do for a tree and then BOOM a tree! The bread made me so happy!!!!! CD..Sissel with the Mo-Tab Choir (We went to a performance in 2006 Christmas Concert with Sissel Kyrkjebo and Mormon Tabernacle Choir), only dad can testify how stoked I am for that SISSEL. ROCK ON!! (Actually not rock more like Classical and Opera)

I miss you and love you sooo much! I hope everything is going well for each of you.

-Elder Henricksen

PRESIDENT COTTERELL'S LETTER ANNOUNCING BLAKE'S NEW ASSIGNMENT

"DADDY" TO A FRESH-OUT-OF-THE-MTC "GREENIE"

Yeah sorry it took me awhile. We pulled up to the library on Monday and it was closed... :( So we just went about our day. We had an appointment that night and I have been in Raleigh all day, so tonight was my next available night! I’m at the King's. I was in Raleigh because I am a DADDY! aka..I am trainer to a missionary FRESH out of the MTC! His name is Elder Nielsen; he is from Provo, UT, like 3 mins away from the MTC ha-ha. He is cool and I’m stoked! Elder Nielsen is ready to work and that is what I am wanting :) We had to be at the mission home in Raleigh at 8:45 this morning. We had a Trainer meeting, talk, all that. Then the "Greenies" came down, got to know them and had lunch at the mission home. We then went to the Transfer meeting and then made the hour and half drive back to Tarboro! It's been a fun day!
PRESIDENT COTTERELL & ELDER NIELSEN
BLAKE (DADDY) & ELDER NIELSEN
ELDER NIELSEN'S "GREENIE" DINNER

WAY sick story about Mike our investigator; we went to his church on Sunday night, Grace Baptist Church. Turns out he is the Pastor of that church...but in the middle of his preaching (this is over the pulpit to the whole congregation...40 people) he held up the bible and said..."If this book right here, what I know to be true with all my heart, leads me to the Mormon Faith being true, I WILL follow it and join the Mormon church!" It was so AMAZING. Elder Nelson and I were freakin' out. ha-ha. He told his church he is a truth seeker and he wants to find the truth. He said "We are NOT Baptist, we are truth Seekers!" it was legit ha-ha. Pastor/investigator Mike’s wife made us blankets. They are black with our initials on them! I’ll take a picture of it, she loves us ha-ha. OUR BLANKETS FROM PASTOR MIKE'S WIFE
We have dinner with them like every time we go over there.

Ok now here is the miracle of the last week...this guy named Harry , he called President King and wanted to meet with us because he wants to come to our church!!! We called him up and taught him a first lesson and two days later he came to church with his wife!! How sick is that! ha-ha. He is a great investigator. I’m stoked for him.

Well that is it! I love you guys and hope everything is going well and I miss you guys so much!

-Elder Henricksen

BUSY WEEK!!!! TEMPLE THIS WEDNESDAY..STOKED!

This week has been BUSY! We have been running around like crazy getting ready for the Branch Missionary Fireside. On top of that I gave a talk on Sunday, and on top of that, Elder Nelson gave the lesson in Elders Quorum. Our fireside was SWEET! We had a good turnout. We had like 35 people there and the participation was great. We had some funny skits we did and they all loved it. Mom you will be proud, I baked homemade Oreos and they were a HIT!. I have to make like 20 copies of the recipe for the moms ha-ha. My talk was great as well. I talked on the Restoration and I compared it to the movie "Remember the Titans." I got a lot of comments afterwards. This is Elder Nelson's last week on the mission! He is pretty sad that he is leaving and nervous, because his family moved on him to Nebraska when he was still in the MTC. He has been a great example to me. Oh ya we had a Zone conference on Thursday. That went very well. We were taught a lot about teaching Doctrine and Principles and then the application..you know learning how to teach them in order to better help investigators. It was great! One of the best Zone Conferences I have been to!3 ANGEL MORONIS? ELDER ANDERSON AND ME (BIG raindrops in the foreground) I talked to Elder Harmon, at our Zone Conference, about Marcella. She is doing well. I miss her too, I’ll write her soon! This today is a well needed P-Day for sure. The weather has been great! We have golfed every Monday (Preparation day) and today is beautiful! Like 65°-ish and sunny. Dad, last Monday was by best round of golf I think. I ended up after 9 holes only 5 over par! I was stoked! (VIDEO) FORE!!!!!

The Anderson family is doing great! Yesterday we had a lesson with Dillon, the dad (the wife was at home studying) at the Willis' home. We taught the Plan of Salvation; my favorite and it went well. Brother Willis is a way good teacher so he made some very good comments that helped him for sure. He understood what we were teaching and you can tell he was just trying to take it all in. Of course the P.O.S. is very different from what he believes so we think he is kind of sketchy on it, but we always express to investigators that we don’t expect them to believe us at ALL, but to pray about the things we have taught and the Holy Ghost will give you the answer. Now Mike, wow! Things are starting to improve! We gave him the talk “Seek Learning by Faith”. He is starting to realize that he can’t prove all things by himself, but that it’s VITAL to have the Spirit with you so you can know for yourself. Mike said "I’m pretty down to between my church (Baptist) or your church." and said "if I just find out Joseph Smith was a Prophet, and the Book of Mormon is true then I will be set." LEGIT! We are giving him the talk "The Profile of a Prophet" by Hugh B Brown tonight for our lesson and teach the Plan of Salvation. I am stoked. He is so close :) We are attending the Temple on Wednesday. I’m so STOKED!
SCRIPTURE IN A EGG CARTON!!!
For Thanksgiving we have 2 dinner invitations. We will have lunch with the Beckwith's and dinner with the Mulstays. TY ON A MISH SICK! HOLY COW. That is THE most legit story I have ever HEARD! Wow. I want to yell so loud right now, but I’m in a library!
I love you and I miss you guys so much!
Much love,
Elder Henricksen

POSSIBLY THE LONGEST EXCHANGE IN MISSION HISTORY! Ha-ha

What’s going on! Everything is going well here in Tarboro! It has been cloudy pretty much every day this week and rain off and on. We had the car this week so no biggy. It didn’t matter because I was in Rocky Mount for a 3 day exchange (it’s probably the longest exchange in the mission history ha-ha).
EXCHANGE W/ELDER ANDERSONI went to Rocky Mount with Elder Anderson. We planned on doing it from Monday night to Wednesday morning until our District Meeting. Something came up in Roanoke Rapids where they had a funeral on Wednesday so we had to change the District Meeting to Thursday, so we went from Monday night till Thursday morning! It was long but SOOOO fun! Like I said I came out with Elder Anderson from the MTC and we just had a LEGIT TIME! We did a lot of teaching and man we just taught. And there was like some instant connection in how we taught, so it was sick. I got a free tie from a friend of theirs that owns a tuxedo/suit place and this tie was like 50 bucks! and I got it for free! It was legit! We taught a sweet investigator named Sara, who works at the golf course that we go to on Mondays. We taught her there on Tuesday and it went great! We taught a recent converts dad on Wednesday night and that went SOOO LEGIT the Spirit was so strong and we pretty much literally called him to repentance, it was sweet. ha-ha. So that exchange was fun.DISTRICT MEETING

Investigator wise; we had a sick lesson with the Anderson family (investigators) last night. We went over and talked a little bit and asked if we could share a message and we ended up being there for like hour and half. The wife was crying as I bore my testimony about the restoration and prophets...wow I can’t even describe how I felt and the feeling of the house was beautiful. At the end of the lesson the husband asked what our view is on salvation and I answered, boy do we have a lesson to teach you next time. So we're going over next Sunday to teach them. In answer to DAD's question about that one lady...have you seen the Plan of Salvation pamphlets? If so, that would be something great to give to that lady! Teaching about the Plan of Salvation is my favorite! There is so much in it that people don’t realize and so many blessings from it! SICK WIT IT! While I was in Rocky Mount, Elder Nelson and Thompson found a lot of sweet people to teach, one that sticks out is Mike. We have taught him twice this week! To describe him in two words...actually 3 words...legit truth seeker! He knows the bible better than anyone and is so smart! All of our lessons have been just answering his questions and teaching about the restoration. It has been amazing to teach him. He is looking for a church, he is Baptist and has realized that he doesn’t believe everything that is going on in that church and is looking for the truth and BOOM we popped up ha-ha. We meet with him tomorrow and I am stoked for it.

Well my family I miss you guys so much and hope all is going well and I miss and love you guys so much!

Much love,
Elder Henricksen