March 10

Dear Family,

 

Thanks for the e-mail this week sounds like some cool things are going on back home and that mom is still bringing home crazy stories everyday from school I'll always remember the lunch box left on the playground story. haha FYI my body is still suffering from gag reflex just like it did back home. haha.

 

But this week was a great one we had some good things going on and the zone is looking really good to hit our goals for the end of the month. All the cool new changes have been helping us out quite a bit. The ward has really rallied behind the missionary work in Robstown and the leadership is starting to step up the game. This next week I landed a talk in sacrament this will actually be the first time on my mission that I'll have spoke.... how crazy right. I'm pretty excited for it and i'll be thinking about what the ward needs to hear....

 

We've been teaching some kids right now that live out in Petronilla a tiny town in our area and lots of kids are into a card game called magic. Just so happens my companion is super into the card game and has some really good cards so we've been workin on setting up a big tournament on p-day to have  "Come beat the missionaries at magic day."  haha i've been having to learn a little bit every p-day so I can go for the title. haha It's quite the nerdy game but anything to find more investigators or have some small talk with all the kids that are friends with our investigators. haha

 

There's not really any crazy stories for the week other than we were on our way back from a meeting in McAllen and we decided to go out to eat and I pulled up on the GPS Rudy's bbq so I was talking it up the whole time and was very very excited to bring everyone to Rudys, we pullled up to where the GPS was guiding us and come to find out... it was some little po dunk, closed down building that said Rudy's BBQ nothing like the real deal. my comp and everyone with me burst into laughing and I've recently just got out of depression about the whole experience. haha but it was standing joke in our house for awhile.

 

Well the gospel is true and I know that those who accept our message are very blessed. Continue with your efforts with the sisters back in West Weber and make sure that you are sharing your testimonies without words.... I love you all

 

Elder Hobbs

March 3

Dear Family,

 

   We had quite the week lots of crazy stuff happening in the mission and in the area/zone. We had 2 guys from the mission department come check out the mission and made some changes in the way we teach and in the way we do things as missionaries so we have quite a few new things to be training on and basically everything I've learned since I've been a greeny has changed so it's kinda funny/humbling but I'm willing to follow the council of the lord even if it means changing everything I've done up to this point of my mission but the changes will be really really good and help out a lot of new missionaries and los viejos tambien.

 

   But Joyce got baptized this Sunday my 78 year old grandma I found here on the mission. haha she's a great lady and is really faithful and is a great example of doing the lord's will. I got to speak at her baptism so it was an honor. It's been a fun time teaching her where she already had so much faith and knoweldge of the gospel we went pretty into depth in a lot of different lessons. But when all was said and done it came to her acting on the answers that she received to her prayers and the love and support that members gave to her.

 

   So with the help of the lord and 3 companionships of missionaries at the Robstown ward it's only been 2 months but we are about half way in to the wards convert baptism goal.  The most exciting part of it all is that all of the members have been getting on the same page as us and the priesthood auxilaries have really been stepping it up which bishop has been very excited about that has been his focus for quite some time now.

 

   But the 2 guys that came into the mission had us change the way we've taught and the order in which we've taught. One of them was Greg Hill or something like that he grew up near Holley's car shop place and knew Blair and a few others from the West Weber area so it was exciting to tell someone I'm from West Weber and have someone finally tell me they knew where that was. haha But we will now be teaching the restoration on every first lesson which was something not done before(we we're free to teach whichever doctrine we felt was most fitting for connecting investigators needs to the invitation to be baptized) unless there is a great exception to someone whom the spirit guides us strongly to teach something else too. We will also be teaching in this order which may be subject to change at certain circumstancias: restoration,b.o.m., church tour, plan of salvation, gospel of christ, comm. etc.... We were also trained on how to teach restoration in 7 minutes using the pamphlet and teaching off of the pictures to involve investigators a lot more it's a simple fun yet hard to master in way of teaching. It requires great great questions me and my comp are at about 10 min. in English and 12 or so min. in Spanish but we've only practiced at it in 3 comp studies so far but we've taught the lesson about 4-5 times and it's been real successfull it brings the spirit and involves the investigatro and keeps the lessons focused.

 

But it's been a fun and interesting week I'm excited for all the great changes and I love the mission. Hope all is well back in the home stakes.

 

Love You

 

Elder Hobbs

Pictures from Robstown

Energy Sword, House they roofed, Deylah, Muddy Truck, Pena Family