Good morning everybody!
This past week has been really great! Not so much with finding investigators but with finding prepared less actives from the less active lists our bishops has finally been giving us. Lots of people who accepted the challenge to start working towards the Melchizedek prieshtood or towards being sealed in the temple. I am so excited!!! The weather us here has been phenomenal with a very, very warm Fall. The leaves are starting to all change colors and that just fascinates me to no end. I have decided Fall might be my favorite season because of all the beauty that it brings. Plus all the food we are getting out of people's gardens. Utah is garden crazy and everyone has tons of tomoatoes, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, green beans, potatoes, etc. We have gotten bags and bags full of the most delicious fresh produce and I have to say we have been very blessed by it. They totally beat anything that you could buy at the store. Actually picking pumpkins from a pumpkin patch is a ton better as well and we really enjoyed it! Everyone is getting their Halloween/Fall decorations out as well and they all look amazing. Tons of fun. The moutain tops are randomly covered in snow though and so the winter season isn't too far off. Hopefully you got the letter and the tile that I sent. Hopefully the tile didn't break, but the shipping options were limited. In other news, I have had EVERYONE (and I mean everyone) comment about how long I have been here and how impossible that should be, every member at church on Sunday walked up to me and let me know that. They call me the forgotten missionary, but are grateful that I have been "forgotten", haha. So now I have a working camera, I am going to start taking a lot more pictures - like of the house, the car, the people we teach, etc. But for now I don't have anything new going that direction. The people that I have taught these past few months have now all made me promise to never forget them and to keep in touch with them for the rest of forever. They all want me to come visit and do fun things with them when I am back at BYU. I could probably even get free housing from some of the people, but it is just too far away from Provo up here in Riverton/Draper.
Let's see what all has happened to the people we teach. We started to visit with the Davis family in the 5th ward. They just don't know how to be active, both grew up in less active families and so are currently less active. Both have strong testimonies though and want to go to the temple. They are only in their early 20's, so they are about our age and they are so much fun to teach because they are willing to change and to learn. They have a love and an enthusiasm for the gospel, that is rarely seen and are excited to start living actively.
The McGee family had a miracle occur. We have been teaching them on and off since March at least. But they keep going in the "pride cycle" in their lives. Live the commandments, get blessed, forget God, stop living the commandments, lose the blessings, come back. They didn't seem to get the fact that they were caught in this vicious cycle until a few weeks ago, so we challenged the dad to work towards the Mechezidek priesthood, then the next day the bishop visited (unbeknownest to us) and challenged them to be worthy for the temple in March. Both were very shocked and shaken, but felt that the timing is now or never to get their family sealed. So when we had an appointment with them, the Spirit was finally there and it made all the difference! We had a lesson about tithing which was just what the bishop had talked to them about, again we had no idea. They were both feeling the Spirit so much that they bore their testimony and agreed to pay titihing to start turning over a new leaf. We also finally got her issue addressed with a modern prophet and she accepted what we taught! I am so excited for them and for the progress that they are finally making. They thanked us too for our dedication on trying to keep working and the difference it has made in their lives.
The Nay family is still going strong and has their sights set on the temple as well. They are so happy and excited, the Spirit is truly radiated from them! The Knudsons are doing well too, the bishop challenged Tony to 3 months until the Melchizedek priesthood and he accepted. The countdown starts on tomorrow and then 3 months later, he should be good to go. He has promised to give up all cigarrettes and alchohol and we will see what happens.
Raymond is ready for his baptism this weekend and so is Candy. Both are very excited and are loving the gospel. Their countenances have changed a lot as well. Both are also counting down the days to enter into the temple and to make that next step in their lives. The baptism should be very interesting this weekend, all of his very Catholic family will be in attendance. And although they have promised to be cordial, they are very set against Raymond joining the church. I know the Spirit will be there though and it will touch their hearts if they are open to it.
Tina Reese is not committed enough to live the Word of Wisdom and doesn't feel like she can get that way. She knows the church is true and that she needs to change and do those things, but it hasn't happened yet. We keep trying to build her faith and testimony. We keep praying for her to have a change of heart, a complete change. She is only halfway there right now. But the ward is not giving up on her and is holding on to her with all their might. Her kids are ready to go and are just waiting for her.
Well, time is out for today. Sorry I didn't get to write as much but I love you all! Keep up living righteously and doing the right thing!
Elder Hughes
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Happy Fall!
Good morning everybody!
This past week has been pretty great and although we haven't been having too much success, we are still finding joy in the work. I am still in my first area, survived another transfer for now. That will make 8 transfers in one area, basically just about 2ish weeks short of a year. Kind of crazy, but I have really enjoyed it. Before I ever (if I ever) leave this area though, I want it to end on a high note and not on a downhill. Both stakes are trying to do great missionary work, but all the easy people who were extremely open to the gospel seemed to have been found and baptized. Now, there is just really stubborn people left. Love them all as I do, stubborn investigators are a lot more frustrating than golden investigators. But it is all good and we are working to solidify our investigators, less actives, and recent converts. They are all still progressing, some only at a very, very slow rate, but still progressing. Oh, I learned how to fix something new! My key broke in the doorknob this past week as we were coming home for the night. I was able to get the door unlocked and to get inside, but half the key was still stuck in the lock. Not the best option to leave you door stuck between locked and unlocked. So I took apart the door knob and was able to get the key out using a screwdriver and patience. Then I had to reassemble the door knob back on the door. That turned out to be much harder than taking it apart trying to get all the screws and pins to line up exactly so that it would fit perfectly back on the door. But I managed and I learned how to put a doorknob back together. I guess that is one good thing about being the only missionary companionship to have their own apartment in the whole mission - we get to learn how to be handymen and how to fix everything you can imagine. It was fun though and I enjoyed doing it.
In other news, I fasted this past Sunday to be reconverted and re-exhilirated for missionary work, because my fire for it has kind of been dying out with no change and a lot of the time feeling like I am alone instead of with a companion. I got my answer by the third Sacrament meeting we attended. It was all about people who have been struggling with financial issues or recent deaths or other life changing tragedies and trials. Their message and testimony was all the same though - although the gospel might not make life easier or perfect, it is the only way we can receive the strength to carry on and usually with a smile. So I was given the inspiration to carry on and work hard, even if we aren't doing nearly as well as we did. Heavenly Father is aware of our struggles and everything will work out for our good if we keep trying. Life and the mission will not always be perfect and just peachy, but it will be the best that it can be as we put our whole heart and soul into what we do. So I found a new spark to go out and do missionary work and renewed faith that everything that we are trying to do is not in vain and that it will all work out for the best someday. It was a huge miracle and blessing to me though to receive an answer to my fast, even before I had finished fasting though. Heavenly Father truly does love and take care of His missionaries and do everything He can to help to feel loved and to work hard. How cool is that!
The people we are working with are in various stages of progression and regression. They seem to take two steps forward and 1.999 steps back. But they are slowly changing for the better and helping their lives to gradually improve. No one will rise to the challenge of immediate progression though, they are all content with where they are at. I found out one reason why missionary work in Draper has slowed down - the bishops have all had their attention devoted on other matters. About 20% of each ward is probably in some process of foreclosure and so instead of having all the correlation and ward leadership missions be focused on missionary work, they are focusing on the 5 or 7 new families who are about to lose their house this week. The economy has opened up many people's hearts to receive the gospel, true, but it is also distracting the faithful members from reaching out to those who aren't members or who are less active because the active members have enough crisis issues to keep every organization busy. We are trying to get the bishops to refocus back on missionary work, because it brings great blessings and I think the wards would be blessed in this matter for doing so. But for now, the focus has shifted elsewhere and missionary work gets a ton harder when you don't have the membership backing. Especially in Salt Lake City South Mission.
Raymond Martinez is still excited for baptism though and is pushing ahead for it, despite the numerous tricks and traps the Adversary is putting on his path. So are the Reese family. We are so excited for them and love them.
Oh, something else that happened this week. One of my recent converts found himself being offended and upset for trying to do the right. He was going hometeaching with the elder's quorum president and the ward mission leader. Turned out not one single visit they made had a lesson attached, the were all social visits. Jose had prepared spiritual thoughts and everything and was so excited to bear testimony and do those things, but to no avail. Then one family they visited said that they were doing fine, and then Jose got the impression they were facing really big trials and problems. His companion didn't believe him, but now the family has not been attending church for 2 and a half months, when they attended faithfully every week before. Jose feels it is all his fault for having received the prompting and not acting on it because the more "seasoned" member of the church didn't seem to care. He was really down about it this past week and the amazing thing was that all our appointments cancelled that evening and we were searching for people to visit to get more referrals, but instead of that we ended having a lesson that was the most spiritual one we have had all week with Jose about what his calling and responsibility is and how he has to follow the Spirit's promptings courageously despite the examples of others. I don't think Jose was going to leave the church per se, but Heavenly Father loved him enough to watch him struggling and to have everything else fall through so that we could help Jose that night. That is how much Heavenly Father truly cares. It amazes me and I am so grateful for it. Also, we are working on reteaching the ward on how hometeaching = teaching, not just social visiting. There should be prayers and a lesson and seeking for the Spirit's guidance. So please if you read this letter and you are a home or visiting teacher - be a fantastic example in everything that you do! You never know who is watching or how much you are influencing others!
Well, I love and pray for you all every day! Time is running out though and I must leave and go do other things! I hope you are all loving Fall!
Elder Hughes
This past week has been pretty great and although we haven't been having too much success, we are still finding joy in the work. I am still in my first area, survived another transfer for now. That will make 8 transfers in one area, basically just about 2ish weeks short of a year. Kind of crazy, but I have really enjoyed it. Before I ever (if I ever) leave this area though, I want it to end on a high note and not on a downhill. Both stakes are trying to do great missionary work, but all the easy people who were extremely open to the gospel seemed to have been found and baptized. Now, there is just really stubborn people left. Love them all as I do, stubborn investigators are a lot more frustrating than golden investigators. But it is all good and we are working to solidify our investigators, less actives, and recent converts. They are all still progressing, some only at a very, very slow rate, but still progressing. Oh, I learned how to fix something new! My key broke in the doorknob this past week as we were coming home for the night. I was able to get the door unlocked and to get inside, but half the key was still stuck in the lock. Not the best option to leave you door stuck between locked and unlocked. So I took apart the door knob and was able to get the key out using a screwdriver and patience. Then I had to reassemble the door knob back on the door. That turned out to be much harder than taking it apart trying to get all the screws and pins to line up exactly so that it would fit perfectly back on the door. But I managed and I learned how to put a doorknob back together. I guess that is one good thing about being the only missionary companionship to have their own apartment in the whole mission - we get to learn how to be handymen and how to fix everything you can imagine. It was fun though and I enjoyed doing it.
In other news, I fasted this past Sunday to be reconverted and re-exhilirated for missionary work, because my fire for it has kind of been dying out with no change and a lot of the time feeling like I am alone instead of with a companion. I got my answer by the third Sacrament meeting we attended. It was all about people who have been struggling with financial issues or recent deaths or other life changing tragedies and trials. Their message and testimony was all the same though - although the gospel might not make life easier or perfect, it is the only way we can receive the strength to carry on and usually with a smile. So I was given the inspiration to carry on and work hard, even if we aren't doing nearly as well as we did. Heavenly Father is aware of our struggles and everything will work out for our good if we keep trying. Life and the mission will not always be perfect and just peachy, but it will be the best that it can be as we put our whole heart and soul into what we do. So I found a new spark to go out and do missionary work and renewed faith that everything that we are trying to do is not in vain and that it will all work out for the best someday. It was a huge miracle and blessing to me though to receive an answer to my fast, even before I had finished fasting though. Heavenly Father truly does love and take care of His missionaries and do everything He can to help to feel loved and to work hard. How cool is that!
The people we are working with are in various stages of progression and regression. They seem to take two steps forward and 1.999 steps back. But they are slowly changing for the better and helping their lives to gradually improve. No one will rise to the challenge of immediate progression though, they are all content with where they are at. I found out one reason why missionary work in Draper has slowed down - the bishops have all had their attention devoted on other matters. About 20% of each ward is probably in some process of foreclosure and so instead of having all the correlation and ward leadership missions be focused on missionary work, they are focusing on the 5 or 7 new families who are about to lose their house this week. The economy has opened up many people's hearts to receive the gospel, true, but it is also distracting the faithful members from reaching out to those who aren't members or who are less active because the active members have enough crisis issues to keep every organization busy. We are trying to get the bishops to refocus back on missionary work, because it brings great blessings and I think the wards would be blessed in this matter for doing so. But for now, the focus has shifted elsewhere and missionary work gets a ton harder when you don't have the membership backing. Especially in Salt Lake City South Mission.
Raymond Martinez is still excited for baptism though and is pushing ahead for it, despite the numerous tricks and traps the Adversary is putting on his path. So are the Reese family. We are so excited for them and love them.
Oh, something else that happened this week. One of my recent converts found himself being offended and upset for trying to do the right. He was going hometeaching with the elder's quorum president and the ward mission leader. Turned out not one single visit they made had a lesson attached, the were all social visits. Jose had prepared spiritual thoughts and everything and was so excited to bear testimony and do those things, but to no avail. Then one family they visited said that they were doing fine, and then Jose got the impression they were facing really big trials and problems. His companion didn't believe him, but now the family has not been attending church for 2 and a half months, when they attended faithfully every week before. Jose feels it is all his fault for having received the prompting and not acting on it because the more "seasoned" member of the church didn't seem to care. He was really down about it this past week and the amazing thing was that all our appointments cancelled that evening and we were searching for people to visit to get more referrals, but instead of that we ended having a lesson that was the most spiritual one we have had all week with Jose about what his calling and responsibility is and how he has to follow the Spirit's promptings courageously despite the examples of others. I don't think Jose was going to leave the church per se, but Heavenly Father loved him enough to watch him struggling and to have everything else fall through so that we could help Jose that night. That is how much Heavenly Father truly cares. It amazes me and I am so grateful for it. Also, we are working on reteaching the ward on how hometeaching = teaching, not just social visiting. There should be prayers and a lesson and seeking for the Spirit's guidance. So please if you read this letter and you are a home or visiting teacher - be a fantastic example in everything that you do! You never know who is watching or how much you are influencing others!
Well, I love and pray for you all every day! Time is running out though and I must leave and go do other things! I hope you are all loving Fall!
Elder Hughes
Monday, October 4, 2010
General Conference was Amazing!
Good morning everybody!
It is finally Fall in Utah! Temperatures today are only supposed to get to the low 70's and stay that way for the rest of the week with lots of rain and thunderstorms. All the leaves on the mountains have started to change colors, the mountainsides are now pretty colors of orange, red, and yellow. The communities that live up the mountain are expected to get snow starting this week too. I bet it snows sometime before Halloween, it always seems too. I simply loved General Conference this time around. It was full of inspiring messages and things that got me thinking as always. Probably the talk that stuck out to me the most was President Monson's talk about gratitude. I am really trying to shift my views from focusing on what I lack to focusing on giving thanks for all the great and wonderful things that God has given to me. Having an attitude of gratitue. Time to stop taking things for granted and giving sincere thanks for each and every thing that we have. Plus what he said about having regrets when we lose track or people or they pass away and we were not able to give them our proper thanks hit me hard too, always giving thanks to our families, friends, and strangers for all that they do for me is my goal. That way there will be no regrets. I think that sounds like a much better life to live than continually thinking of what else we need or want from life or how everything is turning out. The rest of the talks were superb as well and each hit the people that I am teaching or working with as appropriate for their time and cirumstance. All the talking about Holy Ghost and baptism hit Raymond Martinez really hard and helped him to prepare for that this upcoming month. He also had been thinking about pride earlier on Saturday and had been listing out in his head all the things that Elder Uchtdorf mentioned in his talk, every single point that he had. He considered it a miracle and it reconfirmed his testimony. Also the talk on addiction was by Elder Ballard was perfect! It was just what almost all the people that I teach needed to hear!!! From pornography to smoking to pain pills to everything else, most the people that we are working with have some problem with addiction and it helped them so much. Plus it helped all the spouses and family members that have felt betrayed by the addiction of their spouse to find some healing and peace and to want to move toward forgiveness. It was very powerful. Heavenly Father truly inspired all those who spoke to meet the needs of each and every member of the church and for each and every person that was willing to watch and listen with an open heart. Ok, so new announcements just came in! P-day is now going to be on Wednesdays from now on starting next week. So my next email will not be until October 13 so don't freak out when it doesn't show up on Monday. Also, all of our days have now moved around, Tuesday is now service day, Thursday is now district meeting, Monday is a regular proselyting day, Wednesday is now temple day (in the morning, we have to attend the 5:30 AM session). Kind of crazy but it will be interesting to see how everything works out. I don't think the changes have stopped yet either, I think changes are going to keep coming down the line as fast as President Miller prays about them. I am fine with all the changes though, they are helping to make the mission better.
So something that really touched my heart yesterday and really got my faith going again was said by Sister Gonzalez. We stopped by last night to let them know the good news that Bishop Boshard wants Erik to get the Melchezedik priesthood soon and was good to interview both Sister and Brother Gonzalez for patriarchal blessings. Plus Claudia if she feels ready for one. The whole family was so excited, then Sister Gonzalez asked how the work was going for us. The answer was not very well, we only have 3 lessons the past week and everyone was kind of way up and way down depeding on the day. Sister Gonzalez then said that their whole family needed to start praying really hard for us and to find people for us to teach because everyone deserves that chance to belong to this fantastic church. Her face was so happy and she was so confident that everyone would want to join the church as her family has just done that it really built my faith and gave me the confidence to get out there this week and talk to everybody! That there are people truly prepared to receive the gospel and that they are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it. It was a huge boost for me after two really slow weeks and it really helped me out a lot. Plus with the Gonzalez family praying now for us too, we have to succeed. Their faith is too strong not to. It was a very awesome experience!
Not too much went on this week other than those things. Tina Reese has been getting hit really hard by the adversary lately and it has really been pulling her down. But there isn't much we can do to help because she isn't letting anyone help. We all keep praying for her though and we ran over a whole thing of pumpkin cookies and a card to let her know that we were thinking about her. I hope it helped. Raymond Martinez is excited for baptism and is handing out invitations right and left for people to attend, he is so excited and despite the fact that his entire family is angry about it, he is going to move forward. Deylon Falkner has kind of fallen by the wayside, sadly. His dad got home from Alaksa and has turned out to be very anti and against the church. So that is not working out like we planned. There is still hope though if things will work out and we can get the right people to visit with the dad and to calm him down. We are picking up quite a few new investigators this week and we are excited for that. Way excited. We are hoping that everything will work out. Praying for it too!
Well I love you all and really do pray for you all!
Elder Hughes
It is finally Fall in Utah! Temperatures today are only supposed to get to the low 70's and stay that way for the rest of the week with lots of rain and thunderstorms. All the leaves on the mountains have started to change colors, the mountainsides are now pretty colors of orange, red, and yellow. The communities that live up the mountain are expected to get snow starting this week too. I bet it snows sometime before Halloween, it always seems too. I simply loved General Conference this time around. It was full of inspiring messages and things that got me thinking as always. Probably the talk that stuck out to me the most was President Monson's talk about gratitude. I am really trying to shift my views from focusing on what I lack to focusing on giving thanks for all the great and wonderful things that God has given to me. Having an attitude of gratitue. Time to stop taking things for granted and giving sincere thanks for each and every thing that we have. Plus what he said about having regrets when we lose track or people or they pass away and we were not able to give them our proper thanks hit me hard too, always giving thanks to our families, friends, and strangers for all that they do for me is my goal. That way there will be no regrets. I think that sounds like a much better life to live than continually thinking of what else we need or want from life or how everything is turning out. The rest of the talks were superb as well and each hit the people that I am teaching or working with as appropriate for their time and cirumstance. All the talking about Holy Ghost and baptism hit Raymond Martinez really hard and helped him to prepare for that this upcoming month. He also had been thinking about pride earlier on Saturday and had been listing out in his head all the things that Elder Uchtdorf mentioned in his talk, every single point that he had. He considered it a miracle and it reconfirmed his testimony. Also the talk on addiction was by Elder Ballard was perfect! It was just what almost all the people that I teach needed to hear!!! From pornography to smoking to pain pills to everything else, most the people that we are working with have some problem with addiction and it helped them so much. Plus it helped all the spouses and family members that have felt betrayed by the addiction of their spouse to find some healing and peace and to want to move toward forgiveness. It was very powerful. Heavenly Father truly inspired all those who spoke to meet the needs of each and every member of the church and for each and every person that was willing to watch and listen with an open heart. Ok, so new announcements just came in! P-day is now going to be on Wednesdays from now on starting next week. So my next email will not be until October 13 so don't freak out when it doesn't show up on Monday. Also, all of our days have now moved around, Tuesday is now service day, Thursday is now district meeting, Monday is a regular proselyting day, Wednesday is now temple day (in the morning, we have to attend the 5:30 AM session). Kind of crazy but it will be interesting to see how everything works out. I don't think the changes have stopped yet either, I think changes are going to keep coming down the line as fast as President Miller prays about them. I am fine with all the changes though, they are helping to make the mission better.
So something that really touched my heart yesterday and really got my faith going again was said by Sister Gonzalez. We stopped by last night to let them know the good news that Bishop Boshard wants Erik to get the Melchezedik priesthood soon and was good to interview both Sister and Brother Gonzalez for patriarchal blessings. Plus Claudia if she feels ready for one. The whole family was so excited, then Sister Gonzalez asked how the work was going for us. The answer was not very well, we only have 3 lessons the past week and everyone was kind of way up and way down depeding on the day. Sister Gonzalez then said that their whole family needed to start praying really hard for us and to find people for us to teach because everyone deserves that chance to belong to this fantastic church. Her face was so happy and she was so confident that everyone would want to join the church as her family has just done that it really built my faith and gave me the confidence to get out there this week and talk to everybody! That there are people truly prepared to receive the gospel and that they are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it. It was a huge boost for me after two really slow weeks and it really helped me out a lot. Plus with the Gonzalez family praying now for us too, we have to succeed. Their faith is too strong not to. It was a very awesome experience!
Not too much went on this week other than those things. Tina Reese has been getting hit really hard by the adversary lately and it has really been pulling her down. But there isn't much we can do to help because she isn't letting anyone help. We all keep praying for her though and we ran over a whole thing of pumpkin cookies and a card to let her know that we were thinking about her. I hope it helped. Raymond Martinez is excited for baptism and is handing out invitations right and left for people to attend, he is so excited and despite the fact that his entire family is angry about it, he is going to move forward. Deylon Falkner has kind of fallen by the wayside, sadly. His dad got home from Alaksa and has turned out to be very anti and against the church. So that is not working out like we planned. There is still hope though if things will work out and we can get the right people to visit with the dad and to calm him down. We are picking up quite a few new investigators this week and we are excited for that. Way excited. We are hoping that everything will work out. Praying for it too!
Well I love you all and really do pray for you all!
Elder Hughes
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