January 27, 2014

This week has been rather interesting. It's a little different adjusting to another area and companion. It's a little easier when it's just a new companion. I don't like walking around a town without knowing anything. Not to mention it's just weird. I feel like the people are more closed and don't like to listen. I've met 2 atheists that were trying to prove God isn't real and countless who say the Book of Mormon is fake. And I've never met so many people that just want to fight with us about doctrine. I'll be honest, that put me in a little bit of a slump and I feel like all the investigators we have aren't listening when we speak. I would say that's probably my fault because I'm not verifying if they understand. 

But, despite all the difficulties of this week all the things that people have said has only helped my testimony grow. Because the people say all these things, then it makes you have even that much more of a desire to study and find the things that the people are missing and don't understand and then guess what?.... you find the truth. That everything in this world testifies that there is a God. That Joseph Smith was a prophet chosen to restore the church through the guidance of God and his angels. That the Book of Mormon was prophesied long ago. The church is true.  If you want to know,  ask God in the name of his son Jesus Christ and he will answer! Obviously, he isn't going to descend from the heavens to tell you, but he will make it known through your feelings (love, peace,calmness, etc not sure of the words in English). The Lord loves us and for that reason he will respond and guide us so that we may know the truth. But first, we must be worthy of his spirit by keeping the commandments. I testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. You will not find a book that is more correct. I also testify of the bible to be the word of God in the correct translation. Joseph Smith was called of God to restore the church over the basis of Prophets, Apostles, Revelation, and the Holy Priesthood. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. 

Love

Elder Hakes 

January 20, 2014

Dear Family,

 

This week has been weird. I received news that I am being transferred. I am going to a place called Anton Lizardo. It's supposedly on the beach and is very beautiful. I guess I'll find out pretty soon. It's weird saying good bye to everyone. I don't really  like it at all haha. But all part of the mission and it's weirder cause I've been hear 6 months. SO next week I'm thinking you'll get some pictures of the ocean if it's what I've heard. 

I don't really have a lot of time I have a bunch to do. But this week we had 2 of the 3 baptisms we had planned. The other has some problems and I would really like to help her but I'm leaving so I'm leaving to some other missionaries. But, everything went amazing. 

Love you guys.  

I'll see you next week forgive me for the short letter!

Love Elder Hakes

 PS...

Some things I forgot to mention .....

I don't have a lot of time sorry! But we actually killed 3 rats this last week and a snake:) That was cool haha. We had 2 baptisms. There should be 1 more next week and 2 the week after. But I am changing areas.... so I wont see it:( but its all good. I also see tors(bulls) pretty much everyday or horses. Haven't seen any tree houses. Lots of clothes. You would ask me about that:P haha. I make my breakfast and dinner everyday. The lunch is provided. But that's just our mission. It's different in everyone. It's been cool in this area and really cool I'm gonna miss it. But now I'm gonna go see the ocean or so I've been told and also that there are lots of iguanas there too. We'll see what happens

January 13, 2014

Dear Family,

This week went rather swell! haha. We got to baptize this week. It was a guy named Luis. He had listened to missionaries a bunch and knew everything was true but I don't think he wanted to leave the life he had behind. He then got his wife pregnant and had a baby like 3 months ago. And that's what opened the way for him. He realized what he wanted for his son and that he needed to change a little bit. Along with his wife who was a less active member. He is a very good guy. He's like 23 but he's a good man and will have a good future within the church. I had the privilege of confirming him a member. That was a first! It went alright I think haha.

But this week we will baptize 3 more. One is a grandma that loves us haha. She gives us food all the time! We show up to give a lesson and she has food waiting for us. Its pretty funny! Then there is one young man and young woman. The girl is 15 years old and her brother is 13. They are both pretty good kids but they still have some problems. We working hard to help the sister change mostly. She hangs out with some pretty sketchy people that don't like the word of wisdom. So that concerns me a little bit but I believe that all will be good for this Saturday. We also had an experience this week that was pretty cool. I actually didn't get to participate in it but my companion told me. I went with a different elder to give a blessing. They went to give one with one of our investigators in the church. She was having problems with her back. SO she asked for a blessing. My companions gave her a blessing and they just kinda sat there for a second. The investigator right after said she felt something hot come over her and she started to feel a little bit better. She then began to tell my companions that the church is true and that she knows it. I wish I could've been there but regardless it was awesome to hear.

We are working hard and its going alright right now. We lack a little bit of people to teach but with the people we are teaching they are progressing very well. My mission is an area that is well prepared for the work. "The field is white and already to harvest" Now's the time to thrust in my sickle. Just a little bit more each day. The Lord prepares people in every city of the world to receive the gospel. We just have to search and find the courage to speak up. I've been privileged to see many blessing in my short 6 months of my mission, and I'd like to remind you all of what it means to be a member of this church. It means we have to be the "candles that can't be hidden" or "the light of the world". We have a "light" that no one else in this world has. It's the Fully restored gospel of Jesus Christ. That brings us joy in our lives and helps us overcome the things of the world. We have a solemn duty, DUTY, to share this gospel. When we were baptized we made this covenant to share it with all others. Remember what it means to be a member of this church! We have a great responsibility to help all others come unto Christ in the waters of baptism.

I love you guys. Look for the way to serve others and help them find the gospel. When you do it I promise you that you will have more joy in your life, more importantly you will help someone else find that comfort, joy, love, etc.And you will be happy. Serve the Lord and He will bless you physically and spiritually.

Love,
Elder Hakes

January 6, 2014

Dear Family,

This week has been good! Some tough things happened that we learned about our investigators but I also was strengthened in my testimony that God knows every single one of us. 

The other day we were teaching an investigator named Flor. She has a testimony and knows the church is true. But, she has problems with the law of chastity and we will leave it at that. She wants to repent but I don't think she has courage to stop breaking the law of chastity. Also her daughter named Jorbelin. Also very very good investigator. She knows everything is true but wants to wait until she is 15 to get baptized. She is 13 but acts like shes 20 and looks like it too. I really have never seen a 12 year old that was so prepared. But anyways, this was all one day and I was just dying. It was like what the heck is going? Why don't they want to get baptized or live the commandments when they know they are true? This was how we finished the night. We went home and it was tough. I was dying on the inside. I couldn't help but think why not?  Whats going on, etc... So I went and grabbed my scriptures and said whatever, I'll just read out of Doctrine and Covenants. I went to Chapter 6 and read the scriptures. To be honest right now in these moments I don't remember exactly what it said. But what I do know is it told me everything I needed to hear. It had everything I need to lift myself back up and get  to work. I testify that God knows you he knows me and he wants the best for us. He is with us when we are suffering and when we are happy. Just search and you will find. Be obedient to the commandments and the Lord will bless you spiritually and worldly. That's what I was reminded of this week. 

Something else was today we married a couple and the husband is going to be baptized this Saturday. His name is Luis and truly is a miracle. The Lord touched his heart so that he could finally accept the truth. We are working hard also with a woman named Erlinda. She is an amazing old grandma haha. I've never seen someone so prepared for the gospel. She just reads her bible and was going to whatever church. Then she stopped and just read her bible. Then we found her. She came to church and said, "finally a church that uses their tithing how they should" haha. It's amazing to see someone prepared by the hands of the Lord. 

We are working so that we can Baptize 4 people for the 18th. I think that is going to be my last Saturday here in Carlos a Carrillo  and then I'm leaving. I still don't know, but its very likely that I leave then. But, the work is going very well. We have lots of investigators progressing and preparing to be baptized. 

I love you guys and am always very grateful for all of your support. Always be obedient to the Lord and he will bless you more than you deserve. I have seen that first hand. Take care.

Love,

Elder Hakes

I shared with Brent a part of my lesson on goals in Relief Society on Sunday.  We used recent general conference talks to see what suggestions for us were there.  Number 5 was on missionary work....

Being a missionary, I like the 5th one haha. But really. The responsibility of us as members is to find the people for the missionaries to teach. The responsibility of the members is to teach the people with the holy spirit so that they strengthen their faith, repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the holy ghost and endure until the end. The thing that I'm seeing now more than I ever did before is how little we really do as members to help the missionaries. I felt like ya we helped them, but now as a missionary I see that we are alone. For that reason the prophet has declared that now is the time to work as a team. This is a battle against Satan and we are battling for the souls of mankind. When we put it in that perspective it changes our views a little bit. We aren't only in the church for ourselves, but for all others. To be missionaries and invite others to come taste the fruit of the tree of life. Whip that relief society into gear mom;) If you could put up with me for 18 years I think you can deal with them. But also remind them that missionary work literally is Baptism(finding people), Retention of members(visiting teaching), And activation of inactive members. That's the work. Work hard and the Lord will bless us. That's something I heard this week with the stake president. He told us, "The church is work. It's not baptism and coast till the end, its WORK"