After Seeing What It Takes To Be A True Man...

  My mind is totally blown right now. I swear Tanner if this is a joke I will take tomorrow as my P-Day and cry for 17 hours straight. But if this is real then CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I held that down for as long as I could hold my breath. I can't believe that you are going to be a father. Literally, I can't believe it. I remember those days of when you shot bottle rockets at me while I was going to the bathroom and that time of when we were jumping on our beds and yours shattered into a million pieces, or the time that we "Modified" some Piccalo Pete fireworks to make them more exciting. Wow, I hope if it's a boy he turns out better than the both of us.

      Honestly though, I'm sure Misa will be a wonderful mother for him. It is crazy to think that you were born in Louisiana while dad was in medschool and now you will have a kid at a similar stage in life. The apple really didn't fall to far from the tree on that one. His theme song for life should totally be "Born on the Bayou" by Credence Clearwater Revival. That would be so legendary. 

     Also, to my father. Happy Birthday. I could not ask for a better dad than you. The reason I know that you are a great dad, is because if I ever need to know how I should act, I know I can ask myself, what would my dad do? and then I just try my best to follow your example. It freaks me out a bit sometimes because I have started to see how much I act like you sometimes. (Not that that's a bad thing,) but I say something and I realize, "Wow, my dad would say something exactly like that." But I'm truly proud to call myself your son. I have seen on my mission so many poor examples of what a father should be and it has helped me to be much more grateful for the wonderful opportunity and life that you have given me and our family. If you ever question what kind of job you have done, just look at Tan, J Dub and Lib. They all turned out wonderful. You'll have to wait and see about me, still not sure yet.

      Before I came out, I had a pretty fake idea of what life was all about and I just thought that being successful would fall into my lap. However, after seeing what it really takes to be a true man in the world, I realize I have a long way to go before I can count myself half the man you are today. So thanks for your amazing example and all the love and patience you have shown me throughout your life and Happy Birthday.

      Things are going great though and we have some baptisms coming up in our area so I am excited. Love y'all, and happy birthmus to Murica

Shoutout to My BOY Tan!!!!!

 Happy Birthday Tanner. I'm sure it will be a great one. Sounds like everyone is just partying like crazy down in Mexico, over in Japan, Cali, or at grandma's. We will be throwing a party for you Tanner out in Minnesota on the 28th but sadly mission rules says your not invited. I'll send pics though. 

     Because of the occasion, I think a tribute speech is in order.

  It's been 19 years of fun that's for sure Tan-Man. Here are a few of my favorite memories. 

1. When we started jumping on our beds and yours broke.

2. Making homemade fireworks out of Piccalo Petes. To bad they put a stop to those.

3. When you sang hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano like 30 million times when we went golfing.

4. The word run on game introduce by Jimmy Ferrel.

5. When you teed my golf ball up on the green and then hit it with your driver so I stuck a tee under your golfcart tire and popped it. Probably the funniest thing I have ever seen.

6. The Ute games. 

7. Getting my wisdom teeth out and having you talk to me about America. That ones a little fuzzy but the video is hilarious. Only a true bro would do that.

8. Going boating.

9. Swapping stories.

10. That one time we went to church with the Foggs. Truly unforgettable. 

     Well love ya tons and hope you have a super awesome week this week. Happy birthday Libby and James. I will write an e'mail for y'all next week. 

                              Love,

                                  Elder Henrie

The Flat Tire

Want to know the biggest joke of the year, this week someone told me that the average life expectancy of a snowman in Minnesota is 6 months. Crazy right? Yes the snow is here and yes it is cold but honestly it isn't even bad. You just have to wear like thirty coats and everything is fine.

     Last night I learned a great lesson on making lemons out of lemonade. We were driving down to Bloomington for a fireside that they have at the mission home where recent converts share their experiences and how they came into the church. While we were driving down there (in one of the members cars) our tire blewout on the freeway and we had to pullover. We just changed it so it was fine but since we were late to the meeting we decided to have our own fireside in the car and have everyone in the car share their conversion experience. It was amazing. All of them were recent converts except for our investigator and so their stories were so powerful. At the end of it we asked our investigator (whose name is K) to share her experience with meeting with us and also the first time that she felt the Spirit. At first she was a little hesitant but as she told her story the Spirit was so strong and everyone in the car knew that K could feel it. It was super sweet. She is P's daughter and has a lot of doubts about if this is the right path for her but when she bore her testimony she answered a lot of her own questions and it really helped out. So it turns out the flat tire was really a pretty huge blessing in disguise.

     The family of 6 that we are teaching is doing great. We taught the Law of Chastity on Saturday and it went way well. They are culturally married (of course) and the wife K has been divorced in the past. When we committed them to be married legally and live the Law of Chastity she brought up a fake excuse and my companion and I just sat there and stared at her. After a little bit she admitted that it was actually just her fear since she has been divorced once before that she would have to go through that again. We fasted with her on Sunday and are going back tomorrow night to see what's up. Pray for her.

      But yeah everything is A+ up here in the land of the frozen chozen and I absolutely love. Elder Hardy and I have been focusing a lot on The Book of Mormon lately in our studies and with our investigators and it is amazing to see the power that it has to change people's lives. So if you haven't read it... you should. Love you all and have a great week.

Also forgot one other thing. Shoutout to my older smaller brother Tanner who is one of 3 coolest older brother you could have for getting hitched. I wish you and Misa the best and have just one piece advice , happy wife= happy life. Goodluck you crazy cats and I can't wait to see pics of the wedding. I really hope you put a cardboard cutout of me there.

To Misa: Welcome to the fam. There are only two requirements and if you pass these you should be good. #1. Love the Utes #2. You have to know a bunch of quotes from Heavyweights and Rocketman. If you don't fulfill one of those requirements it's totally cool, there is still time.

So mom I don't know if you can help me with this but I lost my retainer last week and I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to get a new one. Also my trainer A.K.A. my father Elder Xiong is standing right next to me and he says hi to the fam.