June 24th

Dear Family,

   Well I hope you enjoy some of these pictures that i sent I'm still working on sending more pictures but hey it's better to be focused n missionary work rather then missionary things as sister Trayner would say.  

   Here is a picture of the Brownsville Zone in the month of May when we baptized 22 people!!! So we took the picture because that was something that hadn't been done for a long time (or maybe even ever). And for the month of June we are at 16 of 20 and will be praying mightily for 6 people scheduled to be baptized throughout the zone so keep them in your prayers also. But right now the Brownsville zone is the place to be in the mission we're seeing miracles right and left and leading the mission as of now. As old Devil hands hatfield would say(Levi) put your team on your back.

   Something else that is really interesting that I failed to tell you all is our entire zone covers the English ward....haha that's 26 missionaries in one unit. haha could you imagine 26 missionaries in the West Weber 3rd Ward. And our Spanish ward just received another set making us up to 12. So sometimes we overwhelm the members. haha but the biggest reasons that we have so many in these wards is the stake president is working really hard with the mission president to work on splitting Brownsville and Harlingen into 2 seperate stakes rather then just the one and when we succeed we will be that much closer to getting a temple down here and then opening the door to so many people to do there temple work that cannot cross the checkpoint borders farther north. As i've explained before South Texas is it's own little country because half the people here can't go south to Mexico and they can't go north to pass the checkpoints but I'll leave you to figure out what is keeping them from doing so.

   We had an OK week we found quite a few of new investigators and are still struggling with the same struggle we are working on getting people to church. Our investigator J couldn't come because he was in Mexico for something and the 2 older ladies were busy with their families ultra vec so we will be making some plans with them to be there on Sunday and keep the SABBATH DAY holy. Never forget to do that anyone who reads this letter the sabbath is one of the most important commandments that we so often treat very lightly. Go to church!!!! Not Mexico. haha

But President gave us his last training and it was super sad to see him go. I'll always remember my interviews with him and the love that he showed to me and the missionary that he's helped me to start becoming. We had a video of where we watched the atonement and missionary work with Elder Holland talking and it reminded me of the moment where president helped me out the most. At the moment of my mission where I was at my lowest all it took was pure love from president to lift up my spirits. Continue to strive to be that example to those around you whether your in a calling to serve many or whether you are presented with opportunities to serve. Seve and love those around you and help impact the lives of others. I love you all family and keep working hard on study
ing the scriptures and doing the little things.

The baptismal picture is L McKinnon from Tampico that is super super awesome. He was baptized by Brother Avalos the guy on the right he's the one who did the baptismal ordinance for L and those two are best friends now.

June 17

Dear Family,

 

 That's good news about another wedding and i'm excited to hear of the health of Grandma Hobbs I hope things will continue to be well with her. But lets talk about the week shall we...

 

   L GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!! on father's day. It was awesome he's been such a miracle. This last week we had plans to have dropped him for the entire week to not go by at all. (We dropped him pretty hard last Sunday night) So the zoneleaders were harrassing us to get things going with him because we need those #'s (numbers represent people being saved((or the road to being saved)). But we didn't have plans going by at all and after talking with zoneleaders and praying about it as a companionship we decided to go by on Wednesday. So we went over with a member and we sat down and talked with him he looked happy to talk with us and he explained to us how horrible his past 2 days were and we told him why those days were horrible. So long story short we resolved his doubt by sharing the parable of the rich young ruler and then tying it into carrying your own cross like Christ or we won't be able to inherit the kingdom of heaven and he just got baptized.....!!! We also brought over anther member for the next lesson we had had on Friday and brought a guy his age that was from Tampico. They both got along real well and he helped us resolve all his doubts and make the choice to be baptized. It was awesome miracles are down here in Brownsville that's for certain. Now the next attack plan is to help him help his family the son dropped us and has been being abit lazy but his biggest problem is the mom she's holding him back quite a bit but we'll see if we can get her to soften her heart a bit to teach her and get her to be supportive of her husband.

 

   But other than that the abuelas didn't come to church they had to be in Corpus and Matamoros on Sunday. I swear this is the only mission where you have to deal with your investigators going to Mexico to visit family every weekend. We also had our other investigator that was supposed to be being baptized this next Sunday miss. He got a little scared when we started filling out his baptismal record and asking information from him. (He has schirtzophrenia and also was worried we were going to get him deported) but we'll help him make it to church next week. But things have been really great in the district I got to go on my first exchange with Elder Mulitalo future starting Guard for BYU. haha we set 8 baptismal dates on one day with 4 different households. It was such a fun experience cuz we came out of the MTC together as 2 little whimpering pups. And fast forward a year and we were giving the 1- 2 punch to everyone we saw. haha but it was a ton of fun and God has continued to pour out miracles. We've recently in our area figured out how to find families!!!!!! It's through kids of member families you just got to get them excited about baptism and then ask them who there best friends are and where they live and when you can go with them to contact them. WE took a member out with us. 12 year old A that was riding his bike with us and we asked him where do your friends live. So we ride up to this house and the parents are in the garage smoking and drinking and they see us walk up and give us a look like what do you want and then they see A and get their son from in the house and he  comes out and we introduce ourselves and talk with them for a bit and invite them to A's house for a F.H.E. And I loved the words the father said "If A will be there then our family will be there" It was super super awesome miracle without our main man A.  There would have beeen no way they would have even talked with us so now we have an F.H.E. with 6 other families invited to come to see the pepper trick so we'll be very excited to see the results of working through this member family and their kids.

 

  But in closing I just want to throw a shout out to my father and all that he's done for me and for his example as the patriach of the home to serve a mission and to help all of us have an easy choice to serve a mission. AS I was talking with E. Mulitalo as the day was ending on our exchange we both discussed how there is no other thing better than being a missionary. I wouldn't trade anything in the world for the experiences that i've had up to this point. So Elder David Bruce Hobbs thank you for being the example for me, Sam and Saren (Maisie and Heston) as you've served your mission and continued to serve your mission as our father. I love you and hope you know i'm proud of you. I love you familia OBBS (No hay H en espanol jaja) Love you have a great week.

Elder Hobbs

June 10

Dear Family,

 

   Did you just mention heat in Utah.....? You can't  be complaining till you jump on a bike in Brownsville humidity in the summer. Haha But I actually have met Hna Ninatype she's in my Zone down here in Brownsville. Also Cooper let me know that Carson just got his call to go to a liitle island off the coast of Australia. But what a week it was huh?

 

   We prepared everything for the baptism of L and he was interviewed and everything but he didn't show up at church for his baptism. We have plans to get him going back but it's been a heartbreaker up to this point we just gotta get him to follow what he's been feeling the spirit has let him know he needs to do it he just needs to put off some family opposition. But we had a great week at church we had a guy come that has been super fun to teach so far because he just makes us laugh so hard but he's been retaining everything really well and we should be baptizing him the 23. We also have been teaching  2 older ladies that are sisters that have just been awesome. I feel like I am their little grandkid every time we come by they have food for us. They've fed us everytime we pass by. We've eaten Cow tail (it was delish) and Sea Bass (best seafood i've ever had). And we had a miracle with them at church too!!!! We we're running late to church because we tried to go resolve the doubts of L before church started and so we were stressing big time with that and we had these 2 ladies coming to but we were 5 min. late to church and other missionaries had texted us about them and next thing you know we show up and they're sitting down next to another older lady and her husband. She came through in the clutch for us. She showed them the hymns explained everything took them to the classes and hugged them (did the mexican lady kiss on the cheek with them). And just loved those 2 ladies to death and we went by that night to follow up with them and btw( one is catholic and the other is 7th day adventist). We talked to them and all they could say is how much they enjoyed church and how they were already wanting to come back and how everyone is like a family there and how the sister is their new best friend. haha L had to leave while we were talking cuz she was going to some church event but we stayed and talked with M for a bit and we asked if she still had plans to be baptized after she went to church and she said Yes!!!!!! and she said she wanted to go next week really bad we shared msh 18:8-10 and she is now super super committed. And all she could say was how much she loved church and how much more she liked it then her sisters church. It was super super awesome. All because a member saw 2 people she didn't recognize and then loved them.

 

Now the inspired question I have for the family....... How many times have we even talked to strangers  that have  showed up to church????

 

But anyways things have been great with the new chances I've received to serve I got to do 2 interviews with a 10 and 13 year old and they passed. It was awesome i'm very excited the distirct is doing really really well and the zone is doing really well. OUr zone last month baptized the 22 which was a new Brownsville record and we're leading the mission. The lord's work is hastening bastante down here. We are looking like a potential of 26 for June. So keep praying for us and help out the sister missionaries back up. Les amo bastante.

 

Elder Hobbs

Training in McAllen

June 3rd

Dear Family,

   Yeah I will be staying in Country Club for my 5th transfer. I'm so excited to stay and I will get to finish training Elder Livingston. And they'll be splitting our old district into 2 new ones because they will be opening a new area that some other Elders will be whitewashing so we will have us, a companionship of sisters, and the new elders that will be whitewashing an area. And I will be leading the district we will be called the Boca Chica District or in other words. La tierra Prometida aka Zion. But it's a bit scarry but I know I'll be able to do it. And no I didn't get the chance to go out to eat with Glen.

   But what a hot date Heston must have been for the Tailor Swift Concert with Maisie, I'm sure they both loved that one a ton. 

   But as for news in the area we pushed back the M family date and we will have to be working with them to commit a lot more they are basically in Limbo right now they know everything for there interview but they are just falting a bit of ganas de hacerlo. But we've also found a guy named J that is the funniest craziest guy you'll ever meet. He's been homeless before and right now his mother is paying for his place, but teaching him is crazy he always has something hilarious to say. He used to be really into drugs and it messed with his head quite a bit. We also have been working with this sweet old lady that accepted to learn from us and come to church and is sitting on the fence with a baptismal date but I know she'll get her answer when we explained the apostasy to her and about personal apostasy she said that's what she's been in her entire life.

Man you gotta love speaking in spanish. Basically everyone we are finding that is interested all speak spanish. haha I love it!! But that's about it for our teaching pool we found a couple secret part member families that haven't been worked really hard so we'll see what we can do about getting them to come to church and being baptzed. but other than that that's it not to crazy of a week. I've also got the chance to eat at Rudy's this last week and  I got a pound of Briskett it was amazing i'll have to go again for sure. But I'm excited to stay in Brownsville for another transfer or two and it's like this place is home now I don't think I'll ever want to be transfered now. But hope you all have a great week remember to study in the scriptures and to pray each day. Hel 5:12 and 3 Ne 18 25

Les Amo,

Elder Hobbs

May 27th

Dear Family!,

   Sorry about not having the chance to e-mail this past Monday and also we had to put it off a couple more days due to some meetings in McAllen. But what a week it was!!!!!! And the theme I got from the e-mail you left me this week was a very important song I don't want to spell it out and be trunky but I'll have Heston look up You and Me and play it to Maisie for me. haha But what a summer you are about to embark on eh? I'm glad I have one soul purpose to preach the gospel and invite and help others come unto christ there cannot be a better purpose in the world!!!!

   So I got quite the story to recount..... So We had been working with m and her 2 grandkids this last week she told us she'd be in Mexico and wouldn't be able to meet with us so obviously we were a bit bummed but our district  all prayed for the miracle to work out the situation so one day my companion Elder Livingston had suggested we go visit the member that she previously worked for so we headed up there and as we were approaching I said to him that what would you do if she was here???? Come to find out she was!!!! And she had lied to us that she didn't want to meet with us for the week... As we approached her she started to cry and told us she didn't believe in god, christ, baptism or going to church she was throwing all kinds of doubts at us (btw missionaries reading... That's what happens when you don't keep daily contact ((Satan does)) and we couldn't get one good reason out of her why so much changed we just discerned that she was mad about the situation with her and her boyfriend that was about to be moving to Florida so now she'd be out of her work she had and wouldn't be able to provide for her family nor have support of A. So we tried opening the scrip's she wouldn't listen. Tried praying she refused. And I just promised her that she wouldn't be happy and that god spoke to her during her prayer when she asked if she needed to be baptized and when she asked about the restoration. And we told her straight up that she wouldn't be happy and as the member insisted to pray she left us while we prayed we said bye told her we loved her and hoped all to go well.................................. As we walked away i didn't say a word to my companion for a good half an hour. The feeling was worst then losing both state champ games, last baseball game ever, and basically anything bad to happen in my life. I was straight mad,frustrated, and let down! And after about an hour of thinking that I decided that we needed to just move on and not let her decisions decide how our day was to go......

   The next morning we get a call from our zoneleaders and they ask if it would be beneficial for them to come give us a ride and give her another chance so I said sure. We called up the member, found out she was downtown and ZL's picked us up and we went on a mission. As we got there we waited outside for a good 15 min waiting for her to get off the phone with someone and she invites us in and we sit down and asked about 15 questions in a row. I don't even remember them. It was all by the spirit. She then apologized for saying bad things about god and us and asked for forgiveness from us. Then another elder gave her an analogy of her and her son and how she wanted the best for him and related it to god. After that we asked a few more questions and invited her to pray this time she accepted and as we knelt down she said elder Hobbs you say it. and I said well I'll say the first one and then you..... So I prayed and then when I finished we paused for about 1 min. And then she  began and offered up the strongest prayer I've ever heard in my life she apologized to god she told him she'd be baptized and that she'd be the example for her family. It was incredible. Before we could say a thing after the prayer she said elders I'll be there on the 26th and i'll be baptized. The spirit was just radiating like the sun in that little trailor. The next day we brought our district leader he interviewed them and the next day they all got baptized!!!!!!!!!! And as we sang haz me andar en la luz I just felt like bawling the spirit was so strong in the baptism and it was a moment I'll always remember. I'll never trade a mission for anything!!!! My testimony on the power of prayer and the holy ghost has been strengthened bastante and I am so blessed to be with such prepared people in the mission it's incredible to see the changes that everyone can make as they feel the spirit working in there lives.

   And news for the M family is that they missed church this week so we bumped their date back to the 9th of June and need to talk to his wife from England to get her a little bit more acuerdo with them going to church and being baptized. It's crazy to think that two 20 year old kids have to get so many things sorted out for one purpose. But the thing to realize is that two 20 year old kids cannot do it it's impossible!!!! but as the lord blesses them with the spirit miracles are wrought and people enter into covenants with god and our father in heaven brings to pass his purpose. Well I love you all and hope everything goes well in the week to come don't forget to help out those sister missionaries and find them people to teach. After all that is said and done, missionary work is always the number one priority. Help them out!!! 

Les Amo!

Elder Hobbs

  

May 20

Dear Family,

 

   Well this week has been one super super crazy!!!! And quite the adventure. I'll just dive straight into it. Well first off we've been getting M T prepared for Baptism.

  

 The news on the Mc family is that J the 16 year old son already refers to himself as a mormon and really has some great friends in the church and we'll be super excited to help him get baptized on the 2nd of June he's on the swim team at a rival high school to a lot of the youth in our ward but he's good friends with them and really is excited to be baptized. But we've fellowshipped them pretty well so far and we have a family home evening lesson tonight with them that's one fo my favorite lessons to teach. WE're teaching the sabbath day Sundae lesson. Where we explain things they can and shouldn't do on the sabbath and for the stuff to add to their ice cream we have BBQ sauce, Soy Sauce, Mustard, ketchup or the normal stuff for a sundae and you label what the things are Bad, like working, buy stuff, mall, swimming Good-read scrip. famtime, church, nap/rest. And you put all of it in a bowl of ice cream and you explain even though ketchup or BBQ sauce are good things to do on other days they're not what we should do on The lord's day. And then at the end of the lesson we can have them customize their own Sundaes and everyone gets icecream it's a fun little lesson that most people really enjoy. But they 're doing really well and looking goood to become 2 great priesthood holders in the ward and we're praying for the miracle for M to get baptized I mean the lord has answered our prayers just in a way to make us stress out and frett about it but I don't doubt that his hand was apart of what has come and will come.

  

 But thank you so much for being such great examples. the last story I want to share is one that was a painful moment for me this last week. We stopped by a member that has grown up in an area that the church is very strong and is run the way it should be. She had not made it to church for over a month or two due to being offended by the bishop and we thought that that was the only reason. As we discussed with her her problems and tried to understand her. She had said she was attending another church trying to find whichever one would be ok for her as my blood boiled and I tried not to start yelling at this lady I said how can you abandon the truth that you grew up knowing your entire life. She came up with a doubt that anymember could use as a cop-out and tried telling us that and tried telling us that all church's were fine and that she had never received an answer to her prayers before whether it was true. It made me feel bad and we left her committed to brush off the dust of her B.O.M and read it and pray about it. But it made me think of 3 things. First, I will never abandon the truth that our parents have cherished (hymnbook true to the faith) Second the talk that Elder Holland just barely gave to us (that we later left in her mailbox highlighted) And third that as a priesthood holder I will not take a job that keeps me from keeping the sabbath day that in turn keeps me from being an example of my family and presiding over them to guide them spirutally. This conversation has left me feeling really bad about her situation and I invite anyone who hasn't found out for themselves whether the church is true or not to "Believe and excercise your Faith" to come to know it is. And to work towards receving that answer. It's not a night and day thing. Joseph Smith didn't get an answer to his question when he first thought about it or asked. Neither did Enos. Neither did anyone who receives revelation it's something that is worked for and sought for. And as your faith is put to the test and trials come stay firm to the foundation in which you have ( How firm a foundation last line). 

Thank you mom and dad for both being examples and both doing your part to help us grow up in the faith that we do have and continue to feed those spirutally that our dependant on you I love you all so very much and continue to excercise your beliefs and your faith.

 

Love Elder Hobbs