February 25

Dear Family,

 

     58 new missions huh? What news!!! Well it's exciting to hear all the great news.... 

     But this week has been great. We've finally gotten a hold on most of the members in the area and have gotten people to coming to lessons with us. We've came across a lot of anti mormon people in the last week it feels like and they've waisted a bit of our time so me and my comp decided if we sense no real intent from people were getting out of there and on to finding prepared people. But like i've said we've been doing a lot better on finding solid investigators. We have been working with a 10 year old in one of the part member families and getting them back to church. They're a great family the father just suffers a little from depression so they go in and out of activity. But we've done a great job at showing him love and getting in the door with them.  And it seems like we just have so many people that are just on the fence on joining the church and progressing. We've been cutting the fat from our teaching pool in order to be blessed with those investigators that our prepared and willing to progress it's been a zone focus this last little while to just discern whether our investigators are going anywhere and even in contacts.

But that's all for the week sorry I was running a bit late. Have a great week love you all and i'm grateful for the support.

 

Elder Hobbs

February 19

Dear Family,

     Well it's insane it's been over 6 months.... Thanks for the reminder, but it sounds like everything is going great back home. Puedo desfrutar leyendo que mi hermana ha escritido. Si solo Madre puede entender tambien. That's great you guys made it to Elder Parkin's homecoming,he was a bit quiet but he knew his scriptures real well. It's been a great transition with the new companion. His name is Elder Stewart from Orem Utah.  I was just noticing last week that I don't have any pictures of me and my previous companions.......... Que Padre. But me and Elder Stewart are doing great together were just working on getting our teaching down together oftern times we've been going two directions in lessons but we're getting it figured out real quick. It's been crazy to think how much I've learned up to this point in the scriptures, in missionary work, and en espanol. Estoy todavia trabajando en mi idioma misional pero casi alla.

     This week has been a great one like I said we had a less active family at church that we're working with. We also had the big stake conference so I got to meet up with my old companion elder Carling. And I finally got the scoop on what happened with the people we were working in my last area. The O family dropped on their baptismal day which was a little sad but they're still doing great the mom just needs a better spiritual confirmation. I'm going to write them a letter this next week.  And Brother R Got BAPTIZED!!!!! I'm super super excited. He's gone out to lessons with the missionaries and has bore some great testimony and helped destroy some doubts of other investigators..... That news made my mission!!!! Also N the older Lady that was in the family picture I sent you got baptized also so that was super exciting too. It's great to hear what the spark you started has become.

     But it's been a great week and I'm loving the work. We are onto finding some great people that I'll be looking forward to letting you know how everything's going with them. Keep counting your blessings back home. It truely is a blessing to have grown up with that foundation that we have. Hold to it and continue to build to it everyday through diligent scripture studies and church attendance. And wherever you are in life BE THERE! I hope you know I love you all and hope all is well. Never stray from that narrow path and help others to make their way  back or find it.

February 11th

Dear Family,

     Well you always have so many questions I never know if i can answer all of them each e-mail. Haha But I cannot tell you how excited I am for Jacee to go to the MTC it's one of those things that you get what you put into it. The spirit there is so strong and it's a place where a lot of revelation can be received. I'm excited for her desire to serve the lord. There's not a better blessing then giving.

And for the transition we got a new Elder in the new apartment. His name is Elder Stewart and he's from Orem Utah. He's a great elder and I know we're going to accomplish some great milagros juntos. And I feel a lot better knowing this area then the last time I had to take over and show the new elder in the area around. But elder Stewart is the District Leader like I said and we'll be getting to do some exchanges with the ZL's so that'll be great oppurtunities ahead of learning from them. But let me tell you about the week......

 

     So we've still have been working on getting a few people to church but the clientel for potentials is definintly there. This last week we had the oppurtunity to get a refferal from one of our members and we went to it and she turned out to be an older lady that had had her house broken in a month or so back and she didn't feel comfortable about the area so never really took care of her lawn or was around the house too much so we offered to cut her lawn and ended up doing that this last Saturday for her. And we went back taught the 1st half of the Restoration to her and will be following up with her onTuesday. But we would have never really gotten into that door (or backyard) if we didn't mow the lawn so my testimony on service has definitly been strenghthened. 

Also on Saturday en route to one of our appointments we came accross a guy in his car on the side of the road and we started talking to him and he was being a bit macho on him and then we offered to give him a push (he was out of gas) So he agreed. So we pushed the car to the nearest gas station and he filled. He went from telling us to leave to giving us a hug. The only sad thing is he didn't live in our area. So we got his directions and sent them over to some other elders. It's a bit sad to not see the results of your efforts right away. But how great is going to be the day to review all of our works and desires and see what the effect we've really been on people lin there lives. It's a blessing to be a missionary, but it's even a bigger blessing to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day SAINTS. And to be that change for others. I'd just encourage everyone to not worry about seeing the immediate results of your efforts but slow down and serve others. One of the best gifts we have to offer others is our Time. Seek to serve with your time and I know you may not see them all the time but miracles will follow.

 

      But there's my weekly rant. I hope everyone knows I love them and know that there's no better thing to do then to give our time for 2 years to serve a mission. I'm excited for all who have responded to a prophets advice and have embarked in this great service amongst our brehthren there's going to be miracles worked around the world. And as a lady asked me this week "How can a 19 year old fix my problems" my answer was I cannot but whom I represent can. Represent our lord and our saviour and love those around you. I love you all and Saren I cannot tell you how proud I am of you to have made it to the temple with whom you truely love. Have a great week everyone.

Elder Hobbs

February 4

Dear Family,

     Well sounds like I didn't miss much for the superbowl.  I didn't know Jacee was leaving so soon that'll be so exciting for her hope you guys are helping her live it up till she leaves. But things have been interesting this week and my statistic for a killed missionary is close to going up.  He (my comp will be leaving shortly.) Haha And i found out who my new companion is going to be. His name is Elder Stuart and he's from Orem I've heard a lot of great things about him and he'll take over as a district leader. So that means EXCHANGES with the ZL's that's always the best being a junior comp of the distirct leader. But so far I've only had the white boys from utah or Idaho (the factory) for my companions.

      Well this week has been one of the fastest weeks of my mission it feels like. We've still had a few bike problems with my comp's bike and we ended up walking almost all Saturday on foot but we managed to be on time for most of our lessons we had planned. This week we've managed to find a few more people that are receiving lessons and interested in learning more. We swung by a neighborhood that we've never visited since i've been in the area and knocked a few doors at the beginning of the week and we ended up setting a return appointment with this really cool family. We went for the return appointment and C was working on leveling his yard and dumping a bunch of dirt around in his wheelbarrow so me and my companion offered some help to the man and he said he was fine so we picked up the shovels anyway and started helping him out. We had a bit of small talk here and there and he invited us in for a lesson we taught a great lesson on how the gospel can bless families and how having their young children raised in the gospel will help them so very much. So we set another return appointment and found out that P (the wife) is a cousin to a member so we'll have instant fellowship! We're feeling really good about them and I'll be excited for me and Elder Stuart to start teaching them a bit more and hopefully get them rolling to church. 

     Brownsville is getting hit pretty hard with this transfer with the changes. Haha it'll be really exciting. Our 4 comp district(2 elders and 2 sisters) is losing every single Sr. comp so it'll be interesting for a bit. But I'm feeling very comfortible with taking over the area and showing Elder Stuart around. We've basically built a relationship or know all the members in our area and we should be able to hit the ground running. It's an exciting time in the mission and I'm very excited to be a misisonary. Keep working on your goals to share the gospel with our neighbors and invite the missionaries over for an FHE with neighbors that's my committment for the week. Buenos suertes y que tengan una buena semana.

Con amor,

Elder Hobbs