From Dallin:
dhatch@myldsmail.org
Wow this week and last have been some of the busiest weeks of my
mission. We have spent the majority of our time just teaching all the
people that we meet and have had many adventures. I can't write them
all because there are so many, so I will just talk about some of the
more exciting parts of this week.
Tuesday was an all around awesome day. I felt like every one we
talked to we were able to teach and we ran into almost no rejection.
We got to go visit Kay Booker again as well. She was the woman that
we gave a blessing to last week that was so thankful and comforted
because of it. We went to her house and shared with her the message
of the restoration and she accepted it whole heartedly. It was pretty
cool she asked some of the best questions and really understood some
things that almost no one understands. She is pretty old so we will
certainly have to go over a lot again but at the end she told us she
wanted to be baptized by someone who really does hold the authority of
God to do it. She committed to a date on the 22nd of July to be
baptized. She also, of course, said she was going to come to church
this weekend as well!
Wednesday night was pretty chaotic but we had one of our
investigators, Kaitlin, who is Kay's granddaughter, come to mutual.
Things got a little complicated and we ended up having to go pick her
up with a member because Kaitlin's mom was uncomfortable with things
and then Kaitlin wanted to bring her boyfriend. So we brought them
all and put the boyfriend with the deacons Quorum, I hope he likes
Indian Lore, and Kaytlin went with the young women who are preparing
for girls camp. We were about to leave but then the young men's
leaders told us we needed to stay in building with the young women
because all of the other priesthood holders were actually leaving with
the young men, and of course he Bishop got there late, so then we were
at young women for the next hour and a half! Yay! Haha it was funny
and we made sure Kaitlin was doing well and making friends and
things.(honestly I think I know how my mom felt dropping off each of
her kids at primary for the first time). And we also have two other
teenage girls that we have been teaching that ended up coming to young
women's as well so it ended up being a pretty successful night and all
went well. But then we had to drive pretty late because we had an
exchange/power up with the Zone Leaders in Chattanooga and we were
supposed to drive there that night and actually we ended up getting
lost because we don't have a GPS. But it is OK because we made it in
the end.
We were in Chattanooga all day on Thursday with the Zone Leaders. It
was good because I got to talk to them about being a District Leader
and get some tips and stuff. We didn't really have any success in
Chattanooga though, which was a bit disappointing, but it was good and
we met some members there.
At District Meeting on Friday we had a good time and had a senior
couple come and visit us. It was good and I think I am starting to
get the hang of being District Leader and all that. After the meeting
we met up with Alex and Erica at the courthouse. It was pretty great
because we helped them get their marriage license! We signed a paper
that we had been teaching them in preparation for them getting married
and it worked out great. Then they wanted to know if WE could marry
them right there. I wasn't so sure about how that all worked. We are
duly ordained Ministers of the Gospel but I didn't know if that meant
we could marry them or not. So we called President but now we have a
Mission President so I actually got to meet him for the first time and
talk to him. He went and found out and called us back and told us
that we weren't supposed to do that as Missionaries. He said that all
officers of the church can do it though, but that the Bishop is
usually the one. So then we had to find a way to get in contact with
Bishop to set up a time when he could come and marry them.
Over the next day or so we tried and tried to contact the Bishop but
he was out of town. Finally we had a lesson with Alex and Erica in
Saturday night. Honestly this lesson was one of the most Spirit
filled lessons I have ever been in. Alex still had some doubts and
fears baptism and didn't feel that he was ready. We taught him about
the power of the Gift of the Holy Ghost and how having the Holy Ghost
for companion is not something to take lightly. It truly is a
strength and a blessing to have with us. He finally began to realize
that the next step to take was baptism and that that truly is the gate
to path that leads to immortality. So we called the Stake President
and asked if HE could marry them and he said he would on Sunday after
church. Alex then told us he wanted to set a baptismal date for next
Saturday.
On Sunday Alex and Erica both came to church. Kay Booker was not
feeling very well so she didn't come. I spent all Sacrament Meeting
translating for a Hispanic guy named Robbin, and I also translated for
him for Priesthood. That ended up keeping me pretty busy for most of
the meetings, but Alex and Erica did come and after church we went
into the Stake President's office and they were married. They were
super happy.
As my mission goes on I truly have seen my testimony increase
exponentially. It gets stronger and stronger faster and faster. I
also see how important the small and simple things are. Consistently
praying and studying the scriptures is something that can never be
overlooked. We must continue to do those things always and to
reaffirm our faith. If we do not it will leave and eventually we will
falter. The iron rod really is the work of good. We just need to
hold tight and keeping going even when the mist of darkness gets
thicker and thicker. I know the power of prayer is real. This is my
testimony in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Hatch
From Landon:
hatch.landon@myldsmail.net
Happy Fourth of July!!!
If any of you remember for Mexican Independence Day I was in Mexico
and it was a pretty cool experience. Now I get to make the comparison
between Americas and and Mexicos. ;). I don't think I will be
disappointed, out here people take their fireworks very seriously and
there is no lack of national Pride. We actually got invited by one of
our investigators to go to their house and eat and have a bonfire
while we watch fireworks so we are pretty excited for that.
There is also a big ward breakfast tomorrow that we have to miss, but
we are missing it because we are going to go meet President Petersen
for the first time. Needless to say we are pretty exited, he got here
last week but I am sure he has been moving in and trying to get a feel
for our mission these past few days. I still don't know very much
about him.
The Sealy Branch is doing pretty good out here, and I actually think
they will make it a ward before too long. The Branch President,
President Bingham, is a great guy and with a big family of six kids
that all served missions. They invite us over every Sunday to eat and
it always reminds me a lot of home. Right now we are working with
some good families out here. We just set a baptismal date with a man
named Alvaro. He is super cool. His mother and wife are both actually
pretty recent converts and he just got here from Mexico. He and his
wife are both engineers he teaches at a college in Mexico and she
worked at a nuclear power plant and they are trying to come here to
America. It is really hard for them and their previous education
probably won't mean anything here but they know that the future in
Mexico doesn't look very good. Especially around this time of
Independence Day I feel very fortunate to have grown up in this
wonderful country.
We had another mini missionary this weekend a guy from the branch
named Raymond he has 9 sisters and is preparing to serve a mission
next year. He is also like 6'5". I think I have a picture. We do a
lot of service out here every Saturday we spend several hours with an
organization, Habitat for Humanity, building a house. The people out
here have an awesome accent.
Con Amor,
Elder Hatch
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