{PanaMa CiTy iS ReaLLy CooL!}

FAM!

Ok before I forget...sorry about the credit card charges, but yes, they are correct. I had all my cash with me when I got to Panama city...and it got stolen. I left my bag in the church and someone managed to borrow my cash :) I almost feel like i´m sinning every time I use the credit card...it´s way too easy. But I won´t be getting money until the first of the month, so I hope you´ll be able to forgive some credit card usage. And what makes it slightly more difficult is that we don´t really eat with the members here because we´re in the office.

there was something else that I needed to tell you but I forgot so whatever. Sounds like Europe was awesome! This past week has been hectic. I have been trying to get a driver´s license and we´ve been getting ready for changes. Last night we were in the office until about 11 30 trying to get stuff ready and we´ve been running around today getting stuff ready. There is so much to do in the mission that I never really nocticed before being here in the office. Its really cool to see and it should be a great few changes. My companion is Elder Laider, from Cali. He´s an incredible missionary. He´s had lots of trials in his fam but he is one of the most solid missionaries I´ve met. I´m really excited to work with him.

This last week we´ve hardly had time to work in our area. But we did teach these two really cool columbian guys named David and Odenis. They accepted a baptismal date but they didn´t come to church on Sunday because of work. They seem really humble and Christlike. I´m excited to see them progress.

I love you all a ton and hope that this week is great!

Elder Henrie

Mom!

I´m really excited for this assignment...and probably more nervous than anything. But it should be a great time. That´s really sad about Megan. I remember it being a long fight and I hope that Scott is alright. Send them my love. I remember that about him helping our family when James past away. I remember sitting outside that night talking to him on the front porch...really consoling me about things.

Hey so this week part of that tooth that I have came off. I think because there is no root it just has been kind of not doing anything. But yeah I was brushing my teeth and the back half of it came off. Hmmm. I´ll try to get to a dentist this week but I don´t know how much I trust panama dentists.

Panama City is really cool! I love being in the city! And its my first time here. Really different from all the other areas that I´ve had on the mission. It´s actually much cleaner and the people are really cool. I LOVE the members here. We live pretty close to the coast so we have been running there in the mornings. It has been good. And being assistant takes up a lot more time than I would have imagined. I hope that we have lots of opportunities to do divisions with the missionaries this change.

I love you mom! Pray for me! I´m super tired haha :)

Mucho amor,

Elder Henrie

{I ProMise I'lL WorK HaRD}

Family!

Well chelita got baptized! It was really cool. Oderays Remice gave a message at the service, a VERY short message haha, but a message. things are good. Things are also changing. President called last night and it looks like i`m leaving Chorrera to go to the office of the mission. I`m pretty nervous but that`s ok...i think things will be alright. I`ll probably be in there until the end of my mission because i only have three changes left.

Sounds like London slash Paris has been really cool. I really liked my European History class, well not really, but it would be neat to see all those sites. So yesterday for church we got up at five thirty to get ready and go to an area to look for investigators. Ok about 10 people that committed to go, only Ivan Pinto went haha sweet. It was a little discouraging but i really think at least one of the families that said they would go will go next week. Too bad I won`t be there to see Ivan get baptized. I feel really good about this area. Sad that I wont really be able to say goodbye to anyone because I`m leaving suddenly but i feel like God has let me see miracles here in Barrio 1. One of the biggest miracles was seeing the familia Remice get married and baptized. That was super difficult but really rewarding. I pray that they will be able to get sealed one day as an eternal family.

I feel the need to promise you all as a family that I am going to give it my all these last changes. I am going to do everything possible, whatever it takes, to help God`s children come unto Christ. I won`t waste the Lord`s time. There are many things I could have done better in all of my areas but I feel like I`m doing my best. I am definitely nervous about being assitant to the president but just pray that I`ll be able to handle it. I was honestly thinking that this change they would just put me in an area and let me focus on that but i`m grateful for this opportunity to serve. I love you all. I PROMISE that i`ll work hard and LOVE IT!!!

Con mucho love,

Elder Henrie

{WhaTEvER iT TaKES}

Hard to believe that five years have passed already since James´ death. It seems like it´s gone by fast...and maybe slow as well haha hard to tell. I was thinking about him yesterday while we were teaching. It´s kind of hard to know what to say about. It´s a blessing to have the Gospel as you all said...but sometimes it just hurts. That´s how it needs to be though. We really should be willing to do whatever it takes to get back. That´s the only thing that matters.

The Gospel keeps changing lives in our area. We really did have a special experience yesterday. We were teaching the familia Gracia Almendra yesterday after lunch. We had taught them about the Church of Christ as he had established it in His time...so we were going to teach the Apostasy and the Restoration.

When we talked about Joseph Smith´s First Vision, the room was filled with the spirit. We asked the mom, Maira, how she was feeling. She said she could feel love...she said she felt something that she had never experienced before but really felt that what we were saying was the truth. William, the husband, felt the same and they both seemed so happy to hear the message. It is a really humble family and their young daughter, Liliana, is really intelligent and asks really good questions.

I felt in their home that Joseph Smith really was a prophet called of God. I know he was. It was one of those special experiences from the mission that I don´t think it would be possible to forget. I am excited for that family. They committed to go to church this coming Sunday and I would be so happy to see them there!

It is hard to see people that don´t have the Gospel after losing a loved one because they have nowhere to turn for comfort. But we do.

I love you all. Thanks :)

Elder Henrie

PS have fun in EUROPE!!!

Mom,

I love you. Thinking about what you said about James´ friends sharing spiritual experiences that they had had because of James´ influence on their missions...i was trying to think of experiences I had had. I wasn´t sure of many specific moments when I realized that I have relied on his example many times in the mission. Every time i open the scriptures to share with people...i have his picture there. I have felt that understanding death better has helped me teach and comfort those that are going through it.

I remember that dad told me after we left the mortuary that I had to do whatever it takes to get back, that I had to obey the Gospel. It´s hard. Life has been hard. But it´s been easy for me to see that when I do obey, I´m happy. I am doing my best on my mission. It is very hard at times. I know that I won´t have a sinless mission, but I know I can give my best. It´s usually right at the end of a tough day when God blesses us.

There are so many times when your body just wants to go home because you are sore and tired haha but you force yourself to keep moving. It´s fun. Today will be a good relax day...we´re going to have a barbecue and eat A LOT.

Have an awesome trip this week! I hope all is well with Jessie and that there are no problems with the baby.

Mucho amor,

Elder Henrie

{I lOVE ThiS AreA!}

Fam!

Just wanted to tell y`all about a rough experience sunday morning...kind of along the lines with what dad said about people falling because of the `precepts of men`. We were walking up to the chapel when we saw Valentina (recent convert) and her husband `talking` to a lady outside a store. We walked up to greet them and suddenly the lady looked really unhappy. She started going off about joseph smith and the book of mormon. `Voten ese libro!! Vòtenlo!!` haha throw away that book!! I testified to her and shook her hand and we were off to church. She followed us for a little bit telling us that the spirit had told her that we were corrupted and how she had left the mormon church. I felt bad because i didn`t want that to weaken Valentina`s testimony, but thinking about it...i guess we all need to face opposition to make our testimonies grow.

But it turned out to be a really great day at church! Aitza Pitty came with her granddaughter (her husband isn`t really interested anymore unfortunately, we`ll see if we can change that) and she loved the testimonies. I bore my testimony about the spirit. And how that really is how we learn in the church. In the Gospel principles class she said that she is looking for the true church. And she told my companion that she felt in sacrament meeting like she has to go to church every week.

Also Chelita came and another family, la familia Ruiz...the stake presidents uncle. Really a good week. Ivan Pinto didn`t come because of work but he said he wants to get baptized on the 25 of june! If he gets baptized, i think that will be the first bus contact that i`ve done that gets baptized! Haha that shows that it`s worth it.

I`m starting to think that sunday nights are really the most important nights in the mission. The night before p day, tired, kind of tired of rejection...but a couple more doors and there is usually a great family waiting. On Saturday night we knock a door in this neighborhood called Valle Dorado...a lady named Maira answered and seemed scared of us...she said she was busy and that we needed to come back another day. `Come back tomorrow!` she said. We kind of just set it as a back up plan because she didn`t seem that positive (my bad for judging) we saw her house last night and they were listening to music with a case of beer out so we figured we would go visit another investigator first (again, bad judgment). Walking by their house AGAIN we saw her husband outside and he waved...`alright let`s talk to him`. He said `hey guys!! We`ve been waiting for you since this morning! We saw you walking away and thought you weren`t gonna come!` They listened so atently when we talked about prophets! They asked lots of questions and they are a great family! Either they were really nice or they had had a little bit too much to drink but William, the husband, said that for our next appointment he would be in `good conditions` to talk to us haha. It really was a special experience.

Yesterday, José Remice payed tithing and they went to lunch with us at another convert`s house. Valentina enjoyed church. I feel like we are strengthening the ward and the members seem grateful. I love this area! Changes are this month...i think on the 28th so we`ll see where i`m headed to..

Thanks for your prayers i love you all!!!

Elder Henrie

Hey mom!

Sorry i don`t have time to finish the talk but i liked the example of the guy hitting his friend with a stick to get him moving. This morning i read Elder Christofferson`s talk about chastening. I really loved that message. When we look to be corrected...God will refine us and sanctify us, preparing us for the future. I loved this week! It`s going great. I feel like God knows why he sent me back to Chorrera and that there is a lot for me to do here. I`m trying to do it all :)

Love you mom!

Elder Henrie