Week 9 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

I had a good week.  We were able to do more this week work wise than we did last week, despite the rain.  The cold has been setting in down here, so biking has been a little more difficult than before.  A lot of our work this week has been focused on less active members.  Some of them are coming along and reading the scriptures.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving on Thursday!  I am so thankful for a family like you all!  I thank you for all the love and support you have shown me through all the good times, and especially the hard.  I have had a lot of hard days out here on the mission, but on those days I would remember how thankful I was to have a loving family back home!  So just know that this Thanksgiving I will express to anyone that asks that I am thankful for my wonderful loving parents who mean the world to me, and I am thankful for my brother and my sisters for always being my friends!!  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Week 8 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

I had a good week, even though there was a lot of change.  My new companion is Elder Oldham.  He has been out 21 months so it is nice to have someone that pretty much knows what to do for missionary work and doesn't need too much instruction, so we can go right to work.  Well I am a real short timer now.  There is less than a month left on my mission time and the days are going by quickly.  I am making every moment count in this area and I am going to make it great by the time I leave!  With the help of the Lord of course!!

We had an awesome P-day last week!  Since it was Elder Buckland's last P-day we went bowling.  Of course I won, like that was ever a question!  We played 3 rounds and added up our points, I won by 50 points!  I told all the missionaries that my mother taught me well! 
I am glad to hear you all are doing great!  I love y'all so much!  And you enjoy my accent when I get back!  Everyone says I have a southern accent!!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 Dinner with Bro. & Sister Hotmer and Elder Buckland

Bowling Fun!

 

Week 7 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

Looks like I am going to finish my mission here in Warner Robins!  Elder Buckland is getting transferred, so I will have to teach the new guy the area is five weeks.  So I hope he is a quick learner because he is going to have to learn everything quicker than I learned it!  This week was a good week we are still having a hard time getting our investigators progressing.  
We did have a cool experience this week with a less active lady.  She had stopped coming to church years ago because of her sleep disorder.  We went by and we spoke to her and Elder Buckland just started talking about prayer.  Turns out the lady never knew that you could pray for yourself, she always thought prayer was for others.  She explained how she has tried everything with doctors and medicine, but she had never turned to God for help with her sleep disorder.  It was amazing to see the simple truths that we take for granted are spectacular findings to those who don't know them.  So hopefully she will come back to church and all goes well with her. 
The time is going by too fast!  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 Warner Robins

Week 6 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

I had a pretty good week with our trunk or treat and Halloween!  For our trunk or treat Elder Buckland and I were the judges of the chili cook off.  It was really interesting to see the concoctions that the members threw together.

Yesterday our investigator invited us over for a BBQ.  Oh my goodness those were the best pork steaks and dry rub ribs I have ever had in my entire life!  I don't know what seasonings he used, or how he cooked them, but they were amazing!  
We did a whole lot of biking this week, and the rain made it interesting. Transfers are next week and we are having our transfer call this Saturday.    I guess the best thing you can pray for is that Elder Buckland and I will have more success in this area.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 Halloween

Sis. Dietz, Sis. Burns, Elder Buckland, Elder Hinrichs

Week 5 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

I worked myself to my absolute physical limits this week.  We had a few days we did 16 miles on our bikes, 3 hours of splitting wood, and 5 hours of moving two families with some very heavy items that only we could lift.   We still haven't had much change in the area though despite our efforts.  Also while we were splitting wood I also seem to have split my pants!  I guess all this biking is making my leg muscles so big that they have gotten tighter. 

This week we are having our ward trunk or treat which should be tons of fun!  Right now we are trying to get more participation from the ward in this area.  We are working on starting up a Book of Mormon class so we can get some members to start working with the missionaries and fellowship our investigators.  But all is well in Warner Robins!  I hope your weeks are awesome!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

My Split Pants!

 

A Pet Squirrel

Week 4 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

We had a week of super hard work.  We have been putting like at least 6-7 miles on our bike every day.  There was one day this week we had to bike 17 miles for 2 appointments.  So I am very thankful I ran track because I have put my legs through a whole lot of work out here doing missionary work!  We have been able to get a lot of work done and meet a lot of new people.  We still struggle to get investigators to church in this area. 

On Saturday we did a service project in Macon with the American Red Cross installing fire detectors in people's homes.  The first home we went into was INFESTED with cockroaches and spiders.  The family had 3 little little kids.  I couldn't understand how anyone could live like that, let alone let their kids live like that.

Yesterday we had missionaries from a different church come knock on our door right after we got home.  They showed us a video from their church that had clips from OUR church bible videos.  I realized that the Biblical prophecies about false Christs arising in the last days are coming true. Which gave me some fire to go and teach the people of Warner Robins the true gospel so they won’t be deceived.

Unfortunately, yesterday while riding bikes I biffed it and ate road in my suit pants.  Thankfully I have another pair, but the other ones are shredded.  I decided I'm not biking in suit pants anymore.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 Bro. Solum, Elder Hinrichs & Elder Carter

Elder Carter, Elder Hiatt & Elder Packard playing chess

Week 3 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

I had a good week this week!  The work in this area is slowly, but surely improving.  Yesterday I got to meet the ward here and they are a good ward!  I also was selected to sing in the ward choir since not too many males can sing in this ward.  I guess I am going to learn how to sing real fast, or be really good at making myself look like I'm singing!  It should be interesting!

My ward mission leader is from Isles of White in England.  He takes great care of us missionaries, and tries his best to help us out in every way.  I found out yesterday from a member who used to live in Vidalia, that my old ward mission leader, is now the bishop down there. Other than that not too much is new.  I love you all so much!  Have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

The District and Bro. & Sis. Morris

 

Bro. Curtis, Elder Hinrichs & the Bishop

Week 2 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

Conference was amazing this year!  It is like Christmas to a missionary to be spiritually fed by our modern day prophets and apostles!  We watched all five session at our ward mission leader’s house.  He and his wife fed us super well. While I was watching conference some of the speakers would say something that I know how all of would have reacted had we been there as a family.  A lot of them were family jokes that we have, and I felt like I was back home watching conference a couple of time throughout some of the sessions.  I have gained a great new appreciation for being able to watch General Conference, and for our modern day prophets and apostles. 

Right now we are working with a few people, but no one that is too close to baptism.  It is kind of weird going into an area not being able to meet the ward for two weeks.  With conference, I will finally be able to go to church this upcoming weekend.  But I am loving all of what I have seen of Warner Robins so far!  As of today I only have 70 days left on my mission.  Time is flying by, so I have been working hard, which is only making it go faster.  I love you all so much!  Hope you enjoyed conference as much as I did!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Week 1 - Warner Robins, GA

Dear Family,

I got transferred to Warner Robins!  My new companion is Elder Buckland, he just finished training, and we get along really well!  Our apartment is really nice.  Our ward mission leader here is a hilarious guy from England, so he has some funny sayings and says it how it is!  This will most likely be my last area before I come home, and biking here shouldn't be too bad, there isn't too many hills.  The ward here is super enthusiastic about missionary work and they have had a lot of baptisms recently, so hopefully I can help the fire spread! 

Everyone in Augusta was surprised to hear that I was leaving so quickly because I was only there for a short amount of time.  On Saturday we got to teach this guy who has been going to Bible school for the past ten years.  It was an amazing lesson because by the end of it, he couldn't think of anything to argue against our doctrine, because it all made sense, and his wife agreed with everything we taught!  We then went next door and across the street and both people asked us to please come back because they really wanted to learn about what we taught.  So I am sad that I had to leave that success.

I don't know if you all have ever heard of disc golfing, but it is super fun.  It is basically golfing with unique Frisbees and trying to make it in these chain baskets.  We played it almost every P-Day in Augusta with the Bishop of the ward, and it was free.  I am excited for General Conference, it is almost as awesome as Christmas to me!  It has been interesting to see how much my perspective of what boring church meetings used to be to now being excited and preparing for church meetings.  Well I only have two transfers left, and I am going to work my hardest to help the Warner Robins area the best I can.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Week 5 - Augusta, GA

Dear Family,

I had a better week this week.  We found some pretty cool investigators that are really promising.  One thing I learned this week is that the field is white already to harvest... where the field is white.  We turned to where we felt we were needed.  We were able to find a young women who is truly prepared.  When we taught her the first lesson she picked it up quickly and it all made sense to her, because she was ready to receive it.  Then, at Stake Conference we had a member come up and introduce us to his girlfriend, that wasn't a member, and invited us to teach her after the meeting.  We had a wonderful lesson where the spirit was present and it was nice to see the gospel actually clicking with people.  It is like I always say to my companions “it isn't our work, it is the Lord's, and we are tools in his hands, and if we choose to be sharp he will use us for great things.  So stay sharp.”

These two years have changed my life forever, and I have seen the light of the gospel and all of its glorious truths.  I have come to know some of my purposes here on the earth.  I am so grateful to be serving a mission!  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs  

Week 4 - Augusta, GA

Dear Family,

I am just getting over from a sudden cold.  So work wise it wasn't the best week.  We had zone conference this week and I realized I only have one more.  I got to see Elder Godwin and talk with him for a bit.  He is doing well.  He is in North Augusta right now.  I can't believe he has been out for more than a year, it doesn't seem like I trained him all that long ago.  But hopefully next week will go better. Thank you for the packages and the letters!  I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Week 3 - Augusta, GA

Dear Family,

Our district includes Elder Packard and I, the zone leaders Elder Carter and Elder Hiat, and Military Relations couple Elders and Sister Morris.  So we go on base at least twice a week to attend the military branch and FHE.  Right now we are teaching a few people.  This week went pretty well, we were able to get a lot of work done and we almost doubled our numbers from last week. Yesterday for Labor Day, we went to a nature preserve in the swamp with Elder and Sister Morris.  Then we played disc golf with Bishop Marshman. That is actually a surprisingly fun game, and a whole lot easier than real golfing.  Then we went on Fort Gordon to FHE with a few of the soldiers down there.  I think it is a huge help to them to be able to go to church and many of them have very cool conversion stories.  Well the transfer is halfway over and time just keeps flying by.  Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 Nature Preserve in Augusta

Gator

Week 2 - Augusta, GA

Dear Family,

I had a better week this week.  We were able to meet lots of new people that might be good investigators in the coming weeks.  I am not the biggest fan of bigger cities, but there are many opportunities for teaching here that are not found in smaller towns.  People here have their own opinions and are not totally obligated to go to their family church.  I guess what is big here is playing disc golf, so I might be trying that some p-day.  The Augusta Ward is unique from all of the wards I have served in though.  There is more diversity in the congregation being that there is more black people.  It provides the ward with a different culture that is very friendly and not intimidating.  I got to teach Gospel Principles this Sunday, and it was an interesting experience.

I started teaching simply with scripture references and the response I got was a lack of interest.  So I had to get the class really involved in the discussion and say amen after they shared a good experience (kind of like Baptists do).  Sure enough the mood in the room changed entirely.  Everyone was engaged, I would teach something and I would get some “mmhmms”, some “amens”, and some “halleluiahs”.  They weren't loud and it was only every once in a while, but I enjoyed the feedback.  Then I finally got them to start sharing experiences and they started a good discussion.  I also met a couple that was visiting from Utah that knows Grandma and Grandpa Hinrichs.  Small little world we live in. 

Well I hope you all have a great week!  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Week 1 - Augusta, GA

Dear Family,

I have been transferred to Augusta!  I actually knew a few members here through other missionaries and from when I served in Thomson.  Since we white washed the area I wasn't too sure what to expect.  We were left with a messy apartment and a car with no miles.  It looks like we will be biking until the end of the month.  We have been figuring out our area with the help of the zone leader.  So this week was a struggle, but hopefully this next week will be better since we have a feel for the area.  We have done a whole lot of organizing.  I believe that if you start something out the right way and organized, then it is easier to have things go right, than just trying to wing it and expect things to work themselves out.  But I'm alive and doing alright.  I love y'all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Elder Hinrichs & Elder Hunsaker in Nashville, GA

 

My new companion Elder Packard in Augusta, GA

The Kitchen Sink Burger at The Huddle House in Nashville, GA

Bro. & Sis. Griffin & Elder Hinrichs

Friends at The Huddle House

Week 28 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

I am getting transferred this week!  So yesterday I said all my farewells to all of the members.  Almost everyone told me about one time or another that I helped them or they told me their thanks for the service.  The Stake President was there and he even complimented me for my service.  I never realized how much I had actually done until yesterday when I said goodbye to them all. Then I realized how many people's lives I had been a part of for the last 7 months here.  I have made so many friends, but I know the Lord needs me elsewhere.  I have done my part of what I could.  I found that my role to play in this area was not to baptize, but my role was to repair.  I was to repair the trust of the ward, I was to repair the view of missionary work, I was to repair relationships between missionaries and members, and I was to repair testimonies that had been shattered.  I know that I have done my part and I have done all that I could do. 

I am looking forward to my new area and my new companion with confidence that I will be able to greatly influence my next area for good.  I have had a lot of good memories here in Nashville along with some refining ones.  The Lord has shaped me more in this area than any of my other areas. I look back and see the vast amount of change that has come in the time that I have been here.  It is also odd to think that this next area may very well be my last one for the rest of my mission.  And if the weather cools off, then I know it will be awesome! Thank you all so much for all that you do for me!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Bro. Miles & Elder Hinrichs

Elder Hinrichs & Bishop Spikes

Bass Fishing in Nashville

A Giant Cockroach!

Week 27 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

Last week of the transfer is this week.  The only thing for sure about transfers is that nothing is for sure.  This week went pretty well.  We had Stake Conference this week and Elder Bluth of the Quorum of the Seventy came and spoke to us. He gave some really good instruction to the members that now is the time to strengthen their faith.  He said we need to give the Sacrament back to the Savior and not to our cell phones.  Which reminded me of an article in the Ensign about how we can observe the Savior for one hour.  In the article it goes over how when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane he came out and found his apostles sleeping, and He asked them "could ye not watch me for one hour." And that is exactly what the Savior is asking now that we give one hour of one day out of the week completely to Him, and try our best to turn every thought to Him, and leave behind everything else till the end of the Sacrament

Well I hope you all have a great week!  Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs 

Week 26 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

I had a better week this week.  We got the car back and it was a nice break for my legs and from this blazing heat.  We were able to go work in the other towns we have been working in, and we were able to contact many of the referrals that we had.  Many of the referrals turned out to be some promising potential investigators that we will be visiting this week.  

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Elder Hinrichs & Elder Hunsaker

Week 25 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

We had a fun Pioneer Day at the church.  They cooked lots of homemade ribs that had a nice southern touch to it.  I think they were the best ribs I have ever had.  They said they cooked them for 6 hours.  Other than that we just did a lot of biking this week with not too much success with any of the people we are working with. 

Now you might ask why I was biking all week in this heat when we have a car. Well, truth is we got into a car accident.  We finally got everything worked out and we are probably getting our car back.  So hopefully this next week goes better since we should have our car back.

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Week 24 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

I had an alright week.  After talking to Pres. Cottle and our Bishop, we might need to drop one of our investigators soon because he won’t let go of his old beliefs even though he can recognize and feel the Spirit in his life.  I have a pretty hard time understanding why people have a difficult time accepting the truth.   Maybe it is too simple just like when Moses said to be healed all you had to do was to look at the staff.   Some people just need to learn how to use their agency better, but it is hard to convince people they are missing something.  We will see how next week goes.

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Bass Fishing

Snapping Turtle

Week 23 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

Thank you for the package!   Things down here haven't changed too much from last week.   This week I also spoke at a funeral service for a 16 year old boy who committed suicide.  His mother is less active and his father is agnostic.  I guess they, or someone in the family, wanted the missionaries to share a short spiritual thought that would give his family and friends some hope.  It made me ponder what the boy must be thinking from the other side as he watched this go on.  No one even knew why he did it, but there were people from all over at the service.  Maybe he just never knew how his friends really felt about him, or never recognized how much he was loved, but it was interesting to think about what he was feeling.  I'm not sure if we did any good from us being there, but I hope something came from it.

Other than that we didn't have much success at all this week.  Well I hope you all are doing alright!  Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

Our Nashville District
Elder Herzog, Elder Peterson, Elder Batholomew, Elder Hansen, me, and Elder Hunsaker

Week 22 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

This week was definitely more of a struggle than last week.  I am staying in Nashville with Elder Hunsaker for another transfer though.  There was a lot of people that didn't keep any of their commitments this week.  So it was pretty difficult to go every day to these people's homes and have one let down after another.  I'm glad I get to stay here in Nashville for another transfer though.  Maybe I will get to see a little bit of success from all of the effort I have put into it. 

So we will see how this next week turns out.  Hope you all are doing well. I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

We visited a watermelon plant this week.

Week 21 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

It looks like you all had tons of fun in Alaska!  I am glad to see you caught some big fish!  I have been doing well and I have been catching some fish myself.  I wish I could catch investigators like I do fish down here.  Work wise this was a tougher week.  It started off pretty well when we got to go fishing with a cook from Huddle House.  We taught him on the car ride there and back and he accepted a Book of Mormon by the end of it.  Plus, we caught some good fish.  But then for the rest of the week all the people we have been working with have just been struggling and a few more of them dropped us this week.  So our area is kind of at a stand still at the moment.

This next week is transfer calls on Saturday.  The transfer has come and gone pretty fast.  I attended my first Pentecostal church on Sunday.  After our church we had the pastor invited us to come to his house and attend the church he is just starting.  It just confirmed to me that our church is the only true one.  Hopefully we can finish strong this last week of the transfer and we will find out if I am staying or going!  Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 

Missionary Gear

 

Week 20 - Nashville, GA

Dear Family,

Thank you all so much for all the birthday gifts!  I really appreciate them!  I had a pretty good week.  The fishing down here is slower because it is HOT outside. Everyday has been at least 102 with a whole lot of humidity.  So I am very thankful that I am in a car.  Elder Hunsaker and I have been working really hard lately and have been seeing some success by getting referrals from investigators and less active members.  On Sunday, the Gospel Doctrine teacher had a family emergency come up, so he asked us to cover for him. Elder Hunsaker and I did a really good job talking about the Sacrament and the many symbolisms behind it.  Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

We had fun with the glow stuff you sent!

 

Nashville, GA - Week 19

Dear Family,

I am glad to hear you all had fun in Hawaii!  I had a good week.  We got the family from Ray City to come to church!  They actually came on Sunday!!  I am so proud of them for making the decision to come back to church!  They said that we need to teach and baptize their youngest son, because he hasn't been baptized yet.

Our investigator, Ray, is on date for July 18th and hopefully, with enough prayers and faith, it will happen by then.  He has been doing great this week and reading his Book of Mormon every day.  He actually fed us dinner this week and expressed his thanks for being patient with him and bring the gospel back into his life.  He has come a long way and still has some to go, but I know he can do it!

Other than that we went around helping out the ward.  I got Elder Hunsaker hooked on fishing!  He bought a fishing pole now, and we are for sure going fishing today to try it out.  Yes, fishing fever is a real thing and I get it around this time every year where I am itching to go fishing.  This week we actually has a few non- members invite us to go fishing with them.  I love Nashville!  Love you all so much!  Happy Father's Day!!

Love,

 

Elder Hinrichs

 This is the Rapala I have been catching all my bass on

 More bass fishing!

The tree is a sort of cactus that only blooms once every 70 years

Nashville, GA - Week 18

Dear Family,

Sounds like you all are enjoying one of my favorite vacation spots!  This week was alright.  We had a few investigators drop us.  We did have a cool experience on Friday though!  So we went to this less active family in Ray City.  We didn't have a dinner appointment that evening and when we stopped by they invited us to have dinner with them.  Well it wasn't going to be ready for a while and they have a pond by their house, and I just happened to leave my fishing pole in the car from Monday, so we went fishing for a little while.  While we were fishing their daughter came up and started asking me some questions about prayer and shared some experiences that she has been having lately.  We had a good talk.  I hope her family will realize how important it is for them to be in church.
On your question about driving, we get 1200 miles a month, which is good for our large area.  Hope you all have fun!  Love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 Great Bass fishing!

Elder Hunsaker caught a turtle

Nashville, GA - Week 17

Dear Family,

My new companion is Elder Hunsaker.  He is from Payson, Utah.  Elder Hunsaker and I are getting along great!  He has been out 20 months and goes home in September.  Our investigators are still struggling.  Ray was the only one that came to church.  Hopefully this next week will go better since we will be able to go around and see some people in the other towns.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Hinrichs

 Piglets in Nashville

Sunset on the Pond