Questions from home

Hello all,

First, Mom, the bishop's wife would like some recipes from you.  Her name is Sister Sherill Javier. She is from Hawaii.  She would like your recipe for, Banana Cake, if you have a German Chocolate Cake, and Spice Cake.

Did the mission president give a reason for not being able to post pictures?

He said that it was like Facebook and he does not want to have to monitor it, and if he allowed me, it would open doors for all the other missionaries.

Have you received any packages from us yet? 

I received the package that had the battery charger, last Tuesday.

What was your most favorite activity or lesson this week?

 We have a part member family whose mother just went through the temple.  So we showed a video about the history of temples and explained why they are so important.  The daughter asked some good questions.  The family's progression is slow but I see that they are changing. 

Have you eaten or prepared any strange foods?

I don't know what is strange any more.  I did eat curie-curie last Saturday.  It is meat that has a peanut butter sauce and you eat it with bagaong (fish paste) I really don't know what is in it.  All I know is it is salty.

When are the next transfers? 

Transfers are next week.  August 9.  So next Wednesday I will email you guys if I am transferring, but I won't be able to tell you who my new companion is until next next Monday.

Do you like long letters from home or short letters from home?

I like to know what is going on at home so whatever length.  President said only family now, so I will only be reading you letters.

I am really happy to hear that the Mckees are getting sealed.  It will be a really great experience for them.

I have had a really good week. It has rained almost everyday; almost all day.  Some parts of our zone are flooded pretty bad.  Ours is not.  Oh, I am almost done with Jesus The Christ.  I have been reading it on and off from the start of my mission.  Most of our pday is spent picking apart the old church movies and noticing the same actors over and over.

Thanks for all of you support.  Love you all.

Elder Hatch 

Bagyo

All is well.  We are in the tail end of a bagyo (hurricane).  We are getting lots of rain. Some areas are getting flooded but our area is fine.  We are having fun in the rain.  Everyone is always worried that we are wet and cold and that we will get sick, because we don't use umbrellas.  It is kind of funny, but we always get in the door when it rains.  Oh, we had zone interviews with President Sperry, and he said that I can't post pictures on the Blogs, so I will send a few here and there but you will just have to wait till I get home before you can see all of them.  I am taking pictures still, so don't worry.  I have not received your package yet, but it could come tomorrow.  Teaching is going really well.  I am having a really good time here, teaching and spreading the gospel.  Time is zipping by I am almost done training.  It seem just like 3 weeks ago I had just started training.  

The main event of this week was helping the Zone Leaders move.  On Friday, they called us and asked us to help them.  So we showed up and helped move some of their stuff outside until the AP's got there with the van.  Elder Bahian and I were basically the movers.  It was a lot of fun hanging our with the Zone Leaders and the AP's for a day.

In my personal study I have been reading about sacrifice still and forsaking evil.  My favorite scriptures are D&C 98:11, 58:43, and Alma 5:14

Sorry not much happened this week.  Hopfuly I will have more to say next week.  Love you all.

Elder Hatch 

Blessings

Hello everyone,

This week was a week of blessings, both of received and given.  This week I have had the opportunity to give five (5) Healing Blessings.  It was a great experience that really tried my faith.  The funny part is for the Healing Blessing there is two parts: the anointing and the sealing.  The anointing is the prep and the sealing is the where the blessing is given.  Every time we were asked if we could give a blessing either I or Elder Bahian would ask, Who would you like to give you the blessing?, They would point at me and say, you.  It was very humbling that they thought of me that highly to ask for a blessing from the Lord and ask me to give it.  Oh side note I gave the blessings in Tagalog, a lot harder to say, but easier to follow the spirit.

On the receiving end of blessings I have been very fortunate.  We found some new investigators, from referrals and through our own finding efforts.  We picked some Less active families that we wanted to focus on that we feel that they are ready to come back we just have to show them how and that they can.  The work is challenging but very rewarding.  I can't explain how happy I feel when an investigator or less active comes to church or how devastated I feel when they don't come or don't read.  I am really trying to lose myself in the work.

This week in my study, I have been studying our covenants, from Baptism and Confirmation to the Endowment. In the June or July issue of the Liahona, there is an article about our covenants.  It is worth the read.  My main study has been the covenants we make in the Endowment.  I learn why all missionaries are endowed, it is because of the nature of our work are exactly the covenants that we make.  So as missionaries we can more fully receive the blessings from on high.  What I have really been studying is the Law of Sacrifice.  I have a talk that I will send.  I learned that we need to give up the things of the world that aren't necessarily bad, but that can very easily become time wasting or distracting.  I'll send you the talk so you can understand better, but a scripture in D&C 98:11-15, is a good summary of the Law on Sacrifice.

Love you all.  Stay safe and always remember to pray.

Love,

Elder Hatch 

The Law of Sacrifice - Ensign Oct. 1998 - ensign

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1998/10/the-law-of-sacrifice?lang=eng

Baptisms

The pictures were great.  What did you think of my pictures?

I am really glad that Shaw is going on a mission.  I think out of all my friends, he is the one that needs this experience the most.  It is true that going on a mission helps us become the men we is meant to be.  Already I feel that I am becoming the man I am meant to be.  I still have a ways to go but I am working on it every day.  Thank you for going to Shaw's Farewell, I am sure that it meant a lot to him.

Levi is coming home that is crazy.  For some reason is seems like he has been out a lot longer than two years.  Maybe it’s because that I graduated and went on my mission.  It’s too bad that Derek wont be able to see him.  I know that Derek is going to have a blast on his mission just like I am.  Question, how is Shayla doing?

This week has been good we had a baptism on Saturday. We baptized two potential Priesthood holders.  It was a great feeling.  One was ordained a Deacon and the other a Priest, but as soon as he can, he will receive the Melchizidec.  The Deacon said that he wants to serve a mission and he is going to seminary.  It is awesome to see the changes in people.  The other he is funny.  He is a grandpa.  As we have been teaching him, he just accepted everything and said, this is right and it will let my children and grandchildren see my example and make them better.  He also wants his children to learn about the church. It has been a wonderful experience and it is not over.

I am learning so much in the scriptures and from the living prophets.  This week I found some really good scriptures about "Fear Not".  So when you have time you can read them and see what you can learn.

D&C 6:33-34,36; 68:6; Isaiah 41:10; and my favorite Deuteronomy 31:6,8

Love you all

Elder Hatch 

All good things come from work

I'm glad that you are having fun in California.  I had a good half a week.  Not much has happened.  We did find a new investigator and are going to have two baptisms on Saturday.  It has been really fun to watch our investigators change and want to come to church and want to be baptized.  Sunday, Brother Benny came to church and he has only be coming to Sacrament Meeting, but this week he went to all three hours and the Elders Quorum really welcomed him into the Quorum.  Seeing all these changes it has really made me want to change. By the way, there is a really good article by Elder David A. Bednar, in the April Liahona, which means that it should be in the Ensign, about the Atonement, any way that is what I read.  It gave me a lot of good ideas about how to change and become a better missionary and a better person.  I love the scriptures there is so many good things in them, but you have to search for them.  All good things come from work, and the best things are not easy to do.  I love you all and will have more to talk about next week.  Pray always.

Love

Elder Hatch