October 28, 2013

Hello,

 

This week went pretty well! We have like 6 investigators that we put a date for baptism with. The bad news is I only know 2 of them.....I have met the other investigators but my companion has been the only one that taught and he went when we did splits with ward missionaries. But my companion is leaving! We got our exchanges or whatever its called in English. He's going to some part of Veracruz. I'm gonna be staying in my area right now and my new companion will be coming this Tuesday. His name is Elder Vasquez and is from Guatemala and that's all I know. 

We have quite a few people who are really good though with our investigators. There's Michel and Carlos. They are children of a recent convert. We are hoping that the dad can get the priesthood and then baptize his children but we aren't sure if that will happen? We are working on that. They accepted a date for the 10 of November. They weren't very firm with that though. It was more like ya if I'm ready. So we have to work hard with them. Then there is a woman named Claudia. She went to our activity viaje a Hawaii. She loved it and thought the activity was meant for here. But she accepted a date for the 1st of December. The problem is we don't think she is married to her husband so we will have to work that. But as long as she doesn't have to get divorced it wont be hard to get them married as long as they want to. Then we have an older couple named Juanita and Cerolio or something like that. I've only met them like  twice. But they seem really good. My comp tells me they are really awesome and are ready to receive the gospel. They accepted a date for the 1 of December also. And with that they have a daughter who is also listening and the son of their daughter. We have to work really hard with them cause I think they are ready. Then there's a woman named Rosalba. We are going to try to put a date for December. The problem with her is that she doesn't think her husband will accept this? So we don't know what to do. She hasn't told her husband either. But all of these people are really amazing. Rosalba when we first met we were clicking and getting along from the moment we started. 

We will see with this week what will happen. This week was raining every day. The weather felt so amazing! But I think the sun is coming tomorrow and we are going to feel like we are back in Vietnam. hahaha. 

Everything is great! Love you guys!

Love,

Elder Hakes

October 21, 2013

Buenos Dias familia y amigos!

The mission is going great. This week me and my companion have tried extremely hard to be obedient in everything we do and we have been blessed. We did a lot of knocking doors and just talking with people. Whenever an appointment would fall through we would contact a neighbor, just little things like that. But always remember Alma 37:6-7.... By small and simple means are great things brought to pass. We found like 11 investigators that we are going to see this week. Sadly I know that most of them will fall through, but if that happens they will be prepared for the next missionaries. During the week we will have to go check with all of them and we will see how they are. 

I want to share one experience that happened. The other day me and my companion had made a contact and set up an appointment with that lady for the next day. SO the day came around and it was 7:30PM and we went to look for the person. We got there and the lights were out and no one was home. We were waiting and just decided to knock. But no one came. The neighbors from the other side of the street said hey no one is home. My companion just said oh ok thanks. And we were about to leave the street. I don't know why, but thought came to me contact these people. SO I told my companion and he said no. Haha. Then I asked him again and he stopped and thought about it. Then we went and contacted them. We went and we had an awesome lesson with them. They are evangelists but they were asking us tons of questions and wanted to learn. Short story.... the lesson lasted until 9:15. We talked about all kinds of things and the woman told us she would read the Book of Mormon.  It was just a small little thing. I don't know if anything will happen, but that experience was one that I won't forget. 

The Lord has people prepared and they are ready to listen to this message. The message that the gospel is restored , we have prophets, families can be together forever, etc. 

If you read this I have a challenge for you. Probably all of you are members first off. So you have the responsibility to share the gospel with all people. Think and pray of one person that you could talk with about the gospel. I promise that there is at least one person you know ready to listen you just have to share. There's a quote I learned in the MTC that says... Where E'er thou art, act well thy part. This is my challenge and I know you can find people the Lord loves and blesses us every day. Just look for the Lord's hand. 

Love,

Elder Hakes 

HELP!!

Angry

mom

Report her

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October 14, 2013

Hello,

This week I learned the importance of asking the ward members and everyone we talk with for references. We did that a lot more this week. We only found 2 people more to teach but that's ok! That's 2 more people! One is the cousin of Luz. Named Yeraldinne. Shes 13 and has met with the missionaries before. Shes learned everything but forgot practically all of it. But the problem before was her mom wouldn't give permission. I've never met the mom though. My companion met her once when we did divisions for a family night. But I don't know, only time will tell!

Then we found a guy named Arturo. Its actually pretty funny because he looks like, talks like, and is practically the same as one of the missionaries in our district. Its a little but weird but its funny. But he's 20 years old and has lots of family problems. He doesn't know who is father is. He was raised with a man and then barely found out that he wasn't his father and things like that. The hardest part is he doesn't really have time to talk with us because he's always working. He gets up at like 5 to go to work and gets home 8 at night. Then, he eats showers and goes to bed. So he doesn't have hardly anytime. He told us he will go to church this Sunday and see how it goes. He is very humble and has a desire to learn. He never really had any religion before and didn't really believe in God. Or he did, but it was more like a respect thing like he's there but it wasn't important to him. Idk. Something like that. Those are the 2 we are working with right now and we are still searching.

My goal is to ask every person I talk to for a reference. Like in conference how he said if every member gave 1 reference before Christmas how would the church grow? But everything with that is going well. We had quite a few less actives come to church this last week but it was weird cause there weren't a whole lot of the normal members. This week is our ward conference so well see what happens. They are having a sports activity this Saturday to invite people for Sunday.

Everything is going great I feel like I understand most of what the people are saying.  There's always a couple vocab words I don't understand, but I'm learning! Ya pretty weird me learning...haha.

We are working gonna find more people this week. We hope to have a baptism for Yeraldinne in 2 weeks. We will have to see what happens though.

The mission's great.... loving everything except not playing sports.I didn't know it would be so hard..... I even want to play soccer! I have never in my life wanted to play soccer but now I some how have the urge to play it. haha.

Love you guys work hard always and please help the missionaries in your ward! I know that they need help and that you can help them. Just give them a couple names of people that the can go visit. Remember the Lord is always on your side and will always help you but only when you do your part first!!! 

Love,

Elder Hakes


PS -
 ---I asked Brent to tell me about the area he was serving.....and if he liked soccer yet.....

The area is small! I can walk it within 30 minutes. Probably like McKellips to Main from Stapley to Lindsey! Not sure something like that. Its just one city! Well, more like town! Not Americanized at all! Almost no one has air conditioning. Probably 70 percent have television. Everyone uses fans to cool down and open the windows but that's  it! So, it's super hot.  I would say its the same has AZ. 

I don't know... I don't hate soccer but I'm still not a fan. I don't know if i ever told you but we can't play soccer or basketball or practically any sports. We played ultimate Frisbee and softball for our activities of our zone. but that's it. Honestly, that's the only thing I don't like about the mission. no sports:(