January 7

  Well what exciting news.. Saren's getting married, Elder Stephens can start putting the title on soon, and Sister Hancock is getting suited  up for the big mission.  It's also very exciting to hear that you've been making goals for the new years (especially related to missionary work). I've had such a testimony builder on how goals can effect us in our lives. For example....... In the fourth missionary that president has been having us read before all of our interviews coming up it talks a bit on making goals and i'll probably not quote it straight on so i'll have to send you guys a homework assignment to look it up online or somehow. But it's titled the Fourth Missionary.

     But anyways it talks of setting goals throughout it and it says something along the lines of "If you don't have goals you don't have a vision of who you want to become and therefore we subject ourselves to what our environment makes of us." For example we our not progressing to become what the lord wants us to be and we are not treating our future as important as it should be. Because when you come to read the talk (Which i would love to commit you to read and find somehow...... And read it with the intention of "The fourth Person/LDS) you will find out that our biggest work on this earth or project is US!!! What habits we decide to get, the knowledge we attain, and the people we become. Everything we do, the decisions we make are shaping us into who we are, who we will be, and how we're going to effect those around us. And if we don't set goals and have that vision we are basically saying I'll take what the world has to offer i'll become what the world says i should become. There is no foundation.

     There's also a difference between setting goals and being connected to our goals for example we can set a goal to have 5 investigators at church...... All this is is a number on a piece of paper. It's a number until you put forth the faith to arrive at your desired destination. And that faith requieres works as you all very well know and when we don't put forth the works, show the faith, and do all we can to arrive at our destination we may as well not even set that goal. And grant it there's going to be times throughout life we don't exactly hit the goals we're seeking or do the things we had had planned but at least we're giving ourselves a vision of what we want to do and who we want to become. I'd like to invite the family to find some time to make some goals this next week and connect yourselves to them. And make them to stretch yourselves. the lord's vision for us as we know  in Moses 1;39. Is to inherit what he has for us. But as a coach has a vision for his players, or a father has a vision for his son...... The son's or player's cannot become the people that they have in mind if they don't follow the council or teachings of the coach or son. So i'd like to invite everyone to make goals in accordance to the vision that our father in heaven has for us as his sons and daughters and please report to me on them next week.

 

        But this week was ok. It's hard to feel really successful as a missionary when people aren't there on Sunday..... Sunday's are very very stressful and basically determine your success of the week (Or at least that's how it seems). But as I mentioned before there are a ton of members in our area. We have been trying to get to know the ward real well and make plans with them and I can't tell you how many times we've dropped in on people and they say oh we thought the missionary's forgot about us. haha so it's a lot to manage but we got it. But it was a great week just really really cold. haha but hope you have a great week set some goals and don't get to many white hairs from being potential grandparents. 

Love you all.

 

Elder Hobbs

 

January 3

Dear Family,

     Well sounds like a lot of crazy news!!! I'm excited for Jacee to get to go to Oregon I hear it's really beautiful up there we just helped a member move a while back that was from Oregon. But it's also exciting to hear about everyone else putting in their mission papers or what not. It's such an exciting time to be missionaries the lord is truly increasing his work among us. I'm excited at how many people have been answering the call of the prophet we are about to get 10 new sisters to the mission on the next transfer and then our numbers are going to be increasing from there. We're looking at adding a few new areas or what not.

     But I hope you'll all enjoy the pictures sorry about not being able to send them earlier. And i also realized I haven't been too much of a picture taker. Maybe I'll have to do a little repenting or what not. But hope you all enjoyed the new years and will be enjoying the oppurtunity to make new goals and what not keep in mind your missionary work goals also.

     But just some quick new news about what's been going on in the area..... We knocked into a super less active that hadn't been to church since see was 13 and we got them to church this last week and are working with her 2 daughters and they're super excited about coming back to church next week they all had a great experience. We're also working on a part member family with her daughter and cousin and they're doing pretty good also theyt couldn't come to church due to a wedding last week. But the lord has been blessing us. We just need to continue to live up to the blessings we've been receiving. We've had a lot of plans we've made with members too. We've been trying to get members rolling on missionary work and they're all responding real well. Our two wards are very missionary minded and it's been really exciting to work with them. Hope you have a great week and enjoyed the pictures.

-Elder Hobbs.

p.s. ask the Hobbs in Idaho if they know Moaky McIsaac he's a member in our area.