Hello mom,

I will try to write you a decent sized email. I am not the fastest typer which also creates a problem. The city is very hilly (not sure if that is a word). I am in Red Hill it is this small little city, lots of old people:) funny fact about old people here, they are not like the ones at home. I know I know i shouldn't say it, but they are pretty bitter. They are the hardest ones for me to talk to. We live in a pretty small flat. It is so humid! Everything is damp, it takes my towel two days to dry unless i put it on this heater thing in the bathroom.

The food is good! Never enough of it though. My stomach is going back to the way it was in college. haha. Some people are so nice though. The second day I was here we had dinner with this Phillopeano family. They are not members, but they treated us like family. They were having this big party and they invited me and my companion in and fed us a feast. It was great. There is this family in the ward, the Leppard family. I already love them. The father is the ward mission leader so we work pretty closely with him. We had corelation at his hous on Satutday where his family sat us down and fed us lasagna for lunch.(wasn't as good as yours). Me and my companion usually make sandwiches for lunch. If we make dinner it is always pasta. He has this thing where he likes to put sweet and sour sauce on it with some cheese. It is acually pretty good.

My companion has to be the best missionary. He talks to literally everyone! Not only that but he is so good at it. I feel so overwhelmed with the task of trying to become like him, but he is patient and tries to teach me. He is smaller than me which is a little surprising. He is really into photography so eventually you with get a lot of pictures.

The ankle is doing a lot better. It was huge and swollen for most of the week, but yesterday it came down and now i am able to put a little wieght on it. I have to be in the boot for another three weeks at least. Not to happy about that. They told me i can get rid of the crutches in a week.

Welll i hope this was long enough for you. I'm doing good, but it is really hard. It will take time to get used to. I love you very much. Since being out here i have come to appreciate the way you raised me. Thank you for implementing the gospel so well. It makes all the difference I can see it so easily out here. I extetened a baptismal date! It was so spiritual! and she accepted. Her name is Pauline she is preparing to be baptised on June 16. I really hope it happens. I know it will bless her and her families life so much!

love you

Elder Hegerhorst

Mom,

Ok, so much is happening all at once i don't know what to even do. Basically we had to hurry and pack up and leave the mtc. I didnt have time to write because we were so packed for time. sorry. I have my trainer! hahah. heres the story:

So we left the mtc wednesday at like 6:45, it was like a 5 hour drive on a coach (bus). I sat by some of my favorite people from the mtc. We got to our mission home which is on the London temple grounds. We had some time with Pres. Shamo and his wife who are just amazing. You can tell they love us all so much. Everyone there was asking all of these questions about my ankle. Anyway, then they did this orientation with all of the new elders. It was boring. After that they brought the trainers in and assigned us. My trainers name is Elder Freeman, he's english. :) President Shamo told me that he is the work horse of the mission and in the top three best missionaries in his mission. Basically he is like dad on steroids. We went to the temple this morning, then they shipped us off to our areas. It's weird. I went in my first flat today. On the way here we talked to this couple. They are so prepared! When Elder Freeman recounted the first vision the sister started crying. It was... amazing, crazy, unbelievable. We are in this town called Red Hill. It is in an area that has not been open for 15 years and they just reopened it. Elder Freeman says it is golden. I feel bad that he has to put up with a cripple.  He is very nice and patient though.

Tell everyone else hi and sorry that I cannot write them.There really is just no time! It is making me stronger.  Let the family read this. I love you guys! Remember that this really is Heavenly Fathers church and that Christ is still at the head of it.

Elder Hegerhorst

Leaving the MTC

Cole with his new boot

Elder Hegerhorst on Crutches!

Weird Crutches!

Elder Hegerhorst had a small accident on Saturday night while playing basketball.  He came down from a rebound, landed on another elder's foot, and completely dislocated his ankle.  He said, "I knew something was wrong when I looked down and could see the bottom of my foot."   It was completely turned around and facing up.  Gross!  They had to call the ambulance.  The medics gave him gas just so they could take off his shoe and examine the ankle, he was in that much pain!  They transported him, by ambulance, to the local hospital where they completely sedated him to reset his ankle.  Luckily the X-rays didn't show any fractures.  Looks like he'll be in a boot, and on crutches, for the first 6 weeks of his "official" mission.  We'll see if that affects his first area assignment.  He leaves the MTC on schedule tomorrow (Wednesday).  Hope he's less clumsy on crutches!

May 8, 2012

These are some pictures most of them are on the church history tour.  I am calling on sunday at 9:00 am your time. The pictures of Wadham road is where Pres. Hinkley stayed on his mission.  The really big river is the Ribble River, it is where the first baptism happened in England.  The cool Japanese looking garden is where trees were dedicated to remember members of the church who died going to america.  The cool little town is where Heber Kimball had a bunch of baptisms.  I hope you are all well.  The elders are awesome. This elder mafubelu is from South Sfrica. he is so funny. He's going to my mission, hope he's my companion. 

Love you guys

May 1, 2012

Family,

k, I have some more time now. We just got back from Chorley. It was cool. all of the towns here are so old.  I took some pictures, but I just figured out there computers don't have a card reader. The weather is rainy and cold basically all of the time. our schedule here is packed full every minute of everyday. I'll have to find an elder with a cord. I ended up flying out of salt Lake with like 9 elders, then like 20 in atlanta. I can't type well on these computers because the keyboards are different. I guess crap is like a more offensive word in England, so I am having my companion punch me everytime I say it. I say it a lot. It is hard getting used to being inside basically all day everyday. An elder came here late because he didnt get his visa on time, so he had to stay in the prove mtc. He didn't like it at all. He said it is like a university feeling and this MTC is much better. I like it. I am becoming friends with basically everyone here. There is 46 missionaries in our whole group and the presidents says it's one of the bigger groups, so that kind of gives you and idea of how small things are. I can only write on p days which are on tuesdays. I love you guys. The classes are so cool. I am learning so much about teaching. It's not so much that you learn a lot about the gospel, but more about how to teach it effectivley. I love it. It will make me a much better missionary. tell every one hello. like Laura, Jake, and Shelb. tell the punks to wirte me. They can send it to my mission home when i leave the mtc. well good luck. love you.

Elder Hegerhorst

MTC letter

Things are so weird here. its weird to finally be a missionary, its weird to be in the mtc. the food is weird. My companion is awesome he is a 25 year old enlglish man and these englishmen have a ton of pride. There are people here from all of the world England,USA, South africa, New Zealand, Malasia, France, Scotland, the country of Georgia, Germany. It's cool. it really opens your eyes up to things. I am being very humbled. A german teacher made fun of me for the way i pronounced our last name. Wel i have to go, sorry. love you guys. I know the church is true. Rely on God. He will be there.

Elder Hegerhorst

Arriving at the England MTC 

Elder Hegerhorst with President & Sister Walker