December 26

Well I Forgot my camera so sorry about not getting those pictures I promised to send but next week i'll try my best. The library here in Brownsville will be able to send them with ease so be expecting them next week. But hmmm.... We already just talked yesterday so what do I have to say to you today??

 

Elder Carling just ended up getting the missionary that I replaced here in Brownsville we did a little switch-a-Rue. 

 What more can I say about Brownsville.... There are so many beautiful Rasacas (which are little Rivers) and there's a ton of ducks and turtles I have yet to see a Gator. And like I said the people in my area are pretty well off compared to San Benito there is one trailer park in my area here and it's actually pretty nice. There's no mounds of garbage or what not. And we have a lot of members in this area probably double of my last area and it was hard enough keeping track of them over there. I can onlly imagine how missionary's in Utah feel. 

But speaking of missionary's in Utah have they received a lot more cuz I remember hearing about the 40 day fast for new misssionary's to come to the area so i'm just a little curious about that. And yeah I'll be excited to maybe go hit up some stores and get some soccer jersey's on P-Day. We played a little bit of soccer last monday for the zone activity so you may have to send me some cleats. Jk. But I'm very very exictied about my area here I hope you didn't get a bad vibe from me because all I talked about was San Benito in the call. There's a ton of potential here we just gotta harness it. We have a lot of part members and a young family we found last week by helping them in there yard hauling around some dirt or what not so we'll have to get on them. But I have a feeling the lord we'll leave me here in Brownsville for a while I just hope I get to have a comp for longer than 1 transfer i've been flying through them.

 

I love you guys and it was great talking with you all it seemed to fly by at a milliona miles an hour. Have a great week and I love you all. 

Enjoy the Holidays.

 

Elder Hobbs

December 17, 2012

Dear Family,

     Well Christmas came early for me here in San Benito.... I found out on last Friday I will be being TRANSFERED!!! to the country club area in Brownsville and I'll be breaking in my bike I've only been riding on Saturday's. haha and honestly I've felt the last two weeks that I would be being transfered for some odd reason.  But it's been a great 2 transfers at Sanny B and I haven't made it two transfers with any of my companions yet and I am actually going to be put with an elder who's either on his last or second to last transfer so I may only get one with him too.

 

     This last week has been pretty sad to say so many goodbye's to so many people I love. Some day I hope to return to my birth place here in Texas and to see how far the branch has sky rocketed. I'll be leaving 3 part members and a family of 3 on track to be baptized in January..... So it's selfish of me to say I don't want to leave because I want to be there for the people I've found and started to teach. I know it's what the lord wants and I've done what I could for this area and it's time to start a new chapter in my mission over in Brownsville and maybe hit a few tie bodegas when the tie fast gets lifted up. Haha but let me tell you what has made my mission up to this point.

 

     When I first got here the branch president wanted me and Elder Smith to go over to one of the part member families and start teaching the father who is not baptized and the plan was for the gringo who can't speak spanish to ask him why he wasn't baptized and win over his heart for not being able to speak. haha I thought I did a pretty good job at giving him quite a bit to laugh at as I tried teaching and talking with him. haha but me and Elder Smith taught him quite a bit and me and Elder Carling have taught him here and there and he just would say "No siento listo" (I don't feel ready) and just kept saying that everytime we brought up baptism with him and the first approach me and Elder Smith took with him was to explain the book of Mormon simply through the Introduction so we did and he said thanks elders I'm glad you explained it to me or what not and we hadn't talked with him for about a week or two and next thing you know he's asking us questions about the vision in the book of Jacob. Haha but long story short we were at the branch cookout with all the families there and he was there with his family (this is on Saturday). I came over and told him I was leaving and that I was going to miss him a ton and I'll never forget the look in his eyes and what he said whether I understood every single word he said to me or not.... He said Hermano I did what you said I've prayed and I feel ready. He said "My wife's birthday is on the 20th of December and I'm going to tell her I want to be baptized" I about started crying and I hugged brother Rosas and Said Hermano no puedo explicar como yo siento ahorita en espanol y si usted puede entender ingles todavia no puedo explicar and gave him a hug. That made my mission to hear that and to see the look on his face and to imagine how happy his family is going to be to hear this news. They are all so active and just missing one thing a father who has the priesthood and that's going to be the best Christmas gift they'll ever receive.... He also thanked me for the love and patience we showed him and the things we taught. He is the first person I want to see when I come back to san Benito someday.... You may now know why I don't want to leave but I'm not the first missionary to suffer a heart breaking transfer and I won't be the last. it's time to move on and take what I learned here and take it to Brownsville. That's all life is when it comes down to it..... Leaving..... and going somewhere else whether it's physically or spiritually. As I've went around in the car the last couple of days it has felt the same as my last couple of rides around West Weber and I've come to realize I'm leaving home again.

 

But I love you guys hope all is well sounds like everyone's got so many things going on and tell Alli I said Congrats. And tell Levi he doesn't have his good luck mate on the boat with him. haha but love you guys and I'll be calling Christmas night from 7  Texas time or later so whatever time that is in Utah. And it could so happen to be on  Christmas Eve depending on what my new comp wants to do. and please answer your phone mama. haha love you guys a ton. estoy animado para comunicar con mi hermano y hermana y no make fun de mi tex mex. por favor. And I got my package.

Elder Hobbs

December 10

Dear Family,,

 

 

Sounds like the usual everyone has crazy stuff they're doing back home. haha But yeah so this week has been so great we have so many people who are very interested and very solid investigators we have a few part member families we're working with and we're looking at reactivating some families with kids that haven't been baptized (which is usually a pretty good driving factor for parents). But our golden investigators right now are S and her 3 kids F, V, and D also a few part member families and other refferals. But it's interesting how all of our solid people and progressing investigators are THROUGH MEMBERS!!!! I've really had such a testimony builder on member missionary work since I've been out on my mission and seen what works and what doesn't work. Some pretty interesting words from our Mission President "You Elders need to become the mission president's of your areas and assign different members different commitments and involve them and oversee the missonary work they do in your area" (Paraphrased) and as i've seen us involve the members and seen the work they've put in it has really been a blessing for our area for our district. We're looking at baptising 2 or 3 families and a few other investigators THROUGH members. It's really the most effective way and the way missionary work is intended to do. I would invite you to read the page's in PMG 12 and 13 (I think) on missionary work quotes from the prophets. Each one has members involved in some way so I'd just like to invite you to set goals with the missionaries of who you can share the gospel with and ask them how you can do it. If there's any questions "Ask the missionaries" But I've just seen the blessings of the fruits of members here in San Benito and I want to see that in my family when I get home. So I'd encourage you for a family home evening this week to make a list of all the people who are not members. Prayerfully seek for guidance on which people you should invite to learn about the restored gospel and then contact the missionaries.

 

So that's my family committment for the week. But I love you all it's been a blessing to be on the misisona I love every second y mi espanol es todavia mal per lo mejor es puedo communicar pero tengo mas trabajo hacer. Estoy muy animado para dar una llamado y hablar con mi nativos hermanos. Hijole!!! Nos Vemos

Vaya con dios.

Con amor, Elder Hobbs

December 3, 2012

Dear Family,

     Korny packages coming my way sounds like I got a treat. Haha and speaking of packages the Parslow's sent me some with a bunch of treats let them know they were edible and I loved them and soon became the most popular guy in the apartment. haha But I actually didn't get the chance to make it to the Christmas devotional this year.  Sounds like everyone's having a blast back at home.  i'm still not as fluent as i'd like I can say about anything i'd like but I just can't quite understand everything maybe Sam and Saren could throw me a few suggestions via e-mail for next week. 

But where do I start with this week....... just a quick thought I want to ask forgiveness to mi madre for asking why you wouldn't let us buy that book at Nauvoo.  I can see now how people can be affected when they accept non doctrinal things as doctrine. This last week we found a hidden less Active's house and it turned out she was a descendant of Joseph Smith and was the lady who in the conference of 2008 ran up and tried to give the prophet the sealed portion she had found on the internet. she was telling us all these crazy beliefs and we finally just said we gotta go it's sad to see what Satan can do to some people and when people depend on their own knowledge rather then God's knowledge.  So  madre it was a good lesson to monitor what we read and make sure we are preaching and teaching TRUE DOCTINE because in this area there's millions of churches and everyone just puts their own spin on the bible and what not and then "Bam" Satan's got his chains on you.

Ok.... minus that thought. haha this week was awesome me and Elder Carling are really starting to figure things out and we got quite a few investigators we had 5 investigators at church this last week so we were very very excited the only problem is nobody has dates yet. But we are really starting to get the people we need, we are getting the branch involved and we are working on setting goals for missionary work in the branch since we just got a new president who is super missionary minded. It's amazing what can be accomplished when everyone is on the same page and working together. Members are so crucial when it comes to missionary work so I'd just like to challenge the family to set a goal for the next year to baptize another Family or Friend or something. And when I say Baptize them that means fellowship someone, and point them to the missionaries and offer the home for a place to take them to teach. So that's my missionary committment for the family this week.

But man I can now say I really do love the people here in San Benito with my whole heart there's so many members and investigator's that are so awesmome and it's such a great oppurtunity we have as missionaries to not be strangers it's like the first time in my life where I feel like I have a badge to be able to just talk to people I've never seen before in my life and befriend them and love them. That has to do with my calling but also is a sense of mind But anyways..... We have thiese 2 super cool part member familys that I just love to death they we are working with both of their families and the kids are awesome the parents are awesome and they love the missionaries it's such a blessing to be with them. One of the families is A R's family she is divorced but we are working with her parents that are also divorced and A's kids are super super good kids and basically help us teach lessons R and D.  I need to get a picture of them and send them to you guys. Also the M family we are working on another one of her kids wtih the hopes of the father wanting to sit down with us sometime. And I just gotta finish by telling you about my favorite guy I've found so far. His name is Ch and he has one eye. haha he's about 75 and just has that old man attitude like Grandpa Val but just likes to talk a lot more and tell stories to us. He's explained how all churches have let him down through his whole life and how everyone teaches things but no one lives them and he refuses to call us elders. because he said we are not old enough. he loves to read the bible and we are working on him getting immersed in the BoM we just gave it to him and said we'll be back in a week and half. haha I'll have to tell you more about him when we follow up on it but I just feel like my heart goes out for the guy and I want to help him so much he just doesn't quite understand it yet. he just thinks I'm another wolf in sheeps clothing. But anyways I gotta go I hope you enjoyed the long e-mail i'm starting to get quicker at reading everything it seems like a race when I get to the library. 

haha Love you guys keep loving life and don't forget to read and study together have a great week! 

Take Care!]

Elder Hobbs