Mom's b-day

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you had a great birthday.  I hope you enjoyed some cake and ice cream.  My birthday present to you is I am coming home.  Love you Mom.

"TALK" to you soon

I had a great week.  Yesterday our district was made into a stake.  It was really cool to see how it happens.  I also learned a lot about being released.  It was a perfect time for me to hear that talk.

I am game with whatever for Youth Conference.  I am not going to be doing anything.  And camping and swimming would be a wonderful first activity.  Swimming is one of the activities that I miss the most, aside from shooting and watching movies.

My only request is Chicken Enchiladas.  That would be wonderful at the same time roast and potatoes sounds wonderful.  I am going to love any food you make.  I can't wait to go to the Old Grist Mill.

Sorry the email is not long but not much is happening here.  And with how close I am to coming home that I just want to talk to you instead of write.  I can't write like I can speak.  I feel like Moroni, in Ether 12, when he talks about how the Nephites were mighty in speaking but weak in writing.  I love you all.  See you soon.

Elder Hatch

Banana Katchup & Magic Sarap

That is awesome that Grandma and Grandpa got their call!  I am not surprised one bit that they are on a leadership mission.  Alabama is way cool.  They just look like a senior couple.  As soon as I got on the mission my plan was when I got home to convince Grandma and Grandpa to go on a mission.  But they felt the spirit of missionary work them selves.  I am so happy to see them go on a mission.  I am even happier that I will be able to see them before the go.

That is way cool that Dad baptized you and Nicole.  We did baptisms for the dead once instead of a session.  It was a blast.  They didn't tell me or the elder that was baptizing me how many we had done, so I was baptized 35 times.  I can't wait to come home and do temple work all the time.

I would have loved to help chop corn.  I was really kind of sad to hear that they started chopping but that is way cool that Dad asked to get paid vicariously for me.  I miss working on the farm.

OK the fruit here is really good and fresh, but there are no peaches.  That is the one fruit that I miss most.  I have eaten some crazy fruits but nothing beats a peach.

I will have everything bought by next week.  I hope you all like what I got you.  I haven't told you mainly because I want to see the look on your face.  I am pretty sure you will like the thing I got.  There is one thing I need you to remind me to get, every week, I need to bring home Banana Katchup and Magic Sarap.  Just remind me please.  I am going to try and bring most of my clothes home which isn't a whole lot, 3 shirts, 3 pants, and all the t-shirts that I have had made.  The main thing I am going to leave is my sheets and most of my garments.  I do want to show you all the mission worn things, I also have a plan for some of it.  I have taken pictures of the things that did not make it.  For clothes I should be ok until Saturday, which will be plenty of time to buy some new clothes.

The baptism went great.  We started late because the branch went to do baptisms for the dead and Iglesia had their thing, I will explain what Iglesia is when I get home there is not enough time to describe them.  It was a nice simple baptism.  I was just happy that our investigator family made it to the baptism.  The main goal this week is prepare for the district to become a stake.  We also have a lot of people with a baptismal date on my last Saturday, Oct 5, we will be working hard this week.  This will actually be our hardest week, mainly because it is in the middle of the transfer.

My studies are going great. That is my favorite part of the day.  I love the Book of Mormon.  Nothing explains doctrine better.

Thanks for every thing

Love

Elder Hatch

I speak English

Alright about my room, really I don't care where it is.  Except my first few nights I want to sleep in Whitnee's old room with the dark brown curtains so I can sleep as long as my body needs without being woken up by the sun.  That is all I really want.  I just want to sleep.

That sounds just fine to me talking on the 20th.  About my homecoming talk, are they going to give me a topic or do I need to start thinking of one?  Either way I am fine.  I am very sad that I am going to miss Conference, but that is what the internet is for.  It is going to be weird to have to Fast Sundays right in a row.  If you are thinking of camping, how far is Monte Cristo?  I have never been there and I don't think that most of the youth have either.  I think the best Youth Conference is doing something that is spiritual but that they have never done before.  Other than that I know you will do a great job.

How many days was Whitnee down for her wisdom teeth?  I think I was only down for a few days.  I am getting very excited to come home as well.  I love the mission and I love teaching people the gospel, but there are some things that I am just tired of and like I said earlier is I am just tired.  I am sure we are going to have a blast hunting and working on the farm.  Also at the first, Trevor will be the "big" boss on the farm until I get used to all the equipment again.  We have a lot of planning to do when I get home, it is a very good thing that I have 3 months before I am suppose to be at Snow.

As of right now we have a baptism every week until I come home, except for Stake Conference.  It is going we don't really have a Ward Mission Leader which makes it very hard to coordinate.  I have just been praying that all will go well.  We are still teaching all the recent converts and we are still walking around the streets.  The name of the city I am in is San Jose del Monte, but it is a huge city and I don't know if you will be able to see my area or find it.  I speak English all the time.  The only time that I speak Tagalog is in lessons and at church.  Other than that it is English.  My companion really wants to learn English so we speak English a lot.  I actually think that my English has gotten better as I have been on the mission.  The problem is, is there are a few words and phrases that are easier to say in Tagalog and I have lived with people, who for the last two years understand English and Tagalog.  So when I get home for probably the first week I will mess up a lot with Tagalog words.

I am game going to the Cabin.  Then everyone will already be up for the Homecoming, we can just knock out two birds with one stone.  Then the next week Marshall we get home, then I will have a fresh RM to hang out with.

Not much happened this week, but a lot should be happening in the coming weeks.  At the same time I am going to apologize right now that my emails might get shorter and shorter just because I will be talking to you in a few weeks.

Love,

Elder Hatch

Is my room ready?

I have had a long week this week.  Mainly because our pday was not on Monday, it was moved to Wednesday so we could go to the temple.  Hey how come you didn't tell me there was a new temple video?  Any way, it was awesome, I learned a ton this time through the temple.  I haven't learned that much in a long time.  I am really excited to be able to go to the temple whenever I want and as much as I want.  The temple is such a great place, it is as if the world does not exist.  Also along those lines I don't know if I have told you but being a missionary being in a church building just makes me feel safe.  I am pretty sure that it will be the same when I get home.  I just love going to church or to an activity at the the church.

I don't care when I talk, whenever works for me.  I also would be fine with helping with the Youth.  I really have no preference.  I would like it if you got my room ready for me.  All I am going to do that Thursday is sleep.  I would love to sleep in my own bed. Is Whitnee still sleeping in my room?  My plan for work was that Saturday that I get home to go down to the farm and talk to Larry on what I can do and what I would get paid and for how long.  Then hopefully start that Monday working on the farm.  That was as far as I had planned.  I am sure that Dad is also going to have a lot of stuff for me to do around the house.  Which is fine by me I will have nothing going on for that first month.

I am still with the same companion, he is very excited to be my last companion.  Where he gets all the stuff I don't want to take home.  We have a baptism coming up on September 14 and hopefully September 28.  All of us missionaries have a goal to get a total of 20 people baptized before I go home.  We are always busy trying to get people ready.  We did not move.  The house was too nice, they were afraid that with missionaries in that house for a long time stuff would get broken and the mission didn't want to deal with it.  I personally think it was my fault... I have not had housemates my whole mission.  The Lord does not want me to have housemates.  We had a lot of good lessons this week, and we taught a lot of people that I can't really remember what I taught.  That is the hardest part about teaching so many people is you forget what you taught especially when you teach the same lesson all day, but different parts of the lesson.  I know everyone in the branch and where they live, at least in my area.  The goals for this week are to give out lots of baptismal dates and to prepare for the baptisms.  Not a whole bunch happening here.  Sounds like a lot up where you are all at.  Hope you had a great Labor day.

Love,

Elder Hatch

I'm Coming Home!!

I fly to Tokyo and then to Seattle and then to Salt Lake.  I will arrive October 9, at 1:10 pm 

It is really weird I leave October 9 at 7:55 am and arrive October 9 at 1:10 pm.  I am going to fly back in time... ha ha

Crazy Week

This has been a crazy week.  Last Tuesday and Wednesday we could not work because a typhoon came through and it was raining super hard and flooded in a lot of places.  It did not flood were were are at due to the fact that we are in the mountains.  However, even though we did not work for two days we still had great numbers this week.  We had 10 investigators at church and about seven of them are going to be baptized in September.  September is going to go way fast, with all the baptisms and all the stuff going on in September it is going to fly by.  One of our recent converts, the family, lives in an area where there are tons of members, and we are working on making more members there.  Their friends were the ones that referred them.  My are is kind of weird, it is nothing but subdivisions.  We have like 10 subdivisions that we work in.  So really the only way for our work to continue is for referrals, which keep coming.  We are very busy.  The branch has welcomed our recent convert very well.  They are always going to the activities, especially the grandma.

I am not transferring.  This is my last area.  I am very happy about staying.  I have seen a lot of improvement in this area and I am glad to be here for some of the baptisms.  My companion is staying as well.  We are going to have a blast this last transfer.  Our transfers are not nearly as far as Aaron Briggs', our farthest is maybe three hours.  My mission is tiny.

I have not heard any thing from Tory, granted he is probably still in the MTC.  Not much happens in the MTC.  I will appreciate the dearelders for another six weeks.

That is kind of the report on the week.  Not much because of the typhoon.

Love

Elder Hatch

One of the Best Weeks I've had

It has been a great week.  During the week I didn't really feel like we were doing much.  I felt like almost all of our appointment fell through this week.  A lot of our workers were sick this week.  Also we had a lot to do with our investigators to prepare them for the baptism.  Also we have a lot of referrals that we are trying to contact.  Most of the referrals are really good referrals, most of them will probably be baptized in September and October.  We also have been looking for a new house, because our house now is kind of dirty and  the other elders don't live in there area and it make it really hard to coordinate with them.  We found this huge house.  We will probably move in about three weeks, if all goes well.

The Baptism was great.  We baptized eight people. Five were from one family. One was one we found. One was a re-baptism. And one was from the other elders area.  It was a great day.  The branch was really happy.  I was too.

I can't believe you all got new phones, but I guess it has been like two years.  I have heard of the Samsung Galaxy 4.  Elder Anderson, on of my really good buddies wants to get that when we get home.  I think my mind will be blown when I see the changes in technology.  I don't know what I am going to do about getting a phone and I am not going to worry about it now.

The neighborhood party sounded like it was a lot of fun and helped the neighborhood bond.  Just from the picture that was a lot of cotton candy.  Hope no one got sick... ha ha.

Transfers are next week.  I have no idea if I am staying to transferring.  I hope that I stay.  Mainly because I don't want to pack up everything again.  Next transfer I really have to start thinking how I am going to get all the stuff back.  A lot of my stuff is wearing out.  Most things just can't handle the stress of missionary work.  I do have a lot of advice for Trevor when he goes on his mission, if he goes to a tropical climate.  If he goes to Russia I can't help him.

Well that is about it for this week.  I will email you next week on Tuesday because of Transfers.  I will let you know what is happening to me.

Love,

Elder Hatch

My Best Baptism

I baptized four, the Grandma, the Mom, and two of the 20 year old guys.  The short Filipino is my companion.  The balding American and the bigger Filipino are the other elders in the branch.

HaPpy BiRthDaY

Thanks for the Ecard. So far I don't feel any different.  Back when I turned 20 was when I felt the biggest difference.  Before I turned 20 I just felt like a high school kid in another country.  After I turned 20 I felt like I was a missionary and that is were I really started to care about the people and thats when it really hurt when people would reject the gospel.  Now that I am 21 I don't think I will feel the change until I am home and an RM. We aren't doing anything for my birthday today because one of my buddies is sick so we decide to reschedule the birthday celebration.  Also there is a bagiyo (typhoon) We are just emailing and buying food then heading home.  But tomorrow is District Meeting so we will probably celebrate it tomorrow, when it is actually my birthday.

I can't believe that school is starting already.  It just seems like you all just got out of school.  It sounds like everyone will have a good school year.  I will talk to Trevor about his schedule.  I can't believe that Whitnee is a senor and Trevor is a freshman and Nicole is in 7th grade.  It is going to be weird to see how much they have changed.

It has been a good week here.  We didn't teach a whole lot but the lessons week taught were good. We have a baptism planned for this Saturday.  We are baptizing a whole family.  It is my first time on the mission to baptize a whole family at once.  It feels really good.  They are an awesome family.  I will be sure to tell you all about it next week and hopefully send some pictures.

I haven't seen my travel plans, but I know they have them from what my friends in the office tell me.  They usually wait till the last three weeks to give the flight plans so we don't get super trunky.

I am really close to getting all of the souvenirs.  I just have to get a few more things.

The next transfer day is August 28.  I hope I don't transfer.  I don't want to move my stuff. But I have a feeling that I am going to transfer, for two reasons.  One I am moving next week and I am going to have house mates, which I have not had my entire mission. Second It is just the feeling I have that I am going to transfer.

I am not too worried about school either.  Just remember to schedule the dentist appointment and the eye doctor appointment.

That is all this week.

Love you all,

Elder Hatch

Crazy Week

This week was crazy.  We had Zone conference on Monday, then temple pday on Wednesday, and a branch activity on Saturday, and then a funeral on Sunday.  We hardly got in any time to teach.  The crazy thing was we had 10 investigators at church.  We have this one family, they are awesome, we have been teaching them since I got to this area.  Their baptism will be the week before transfers, which I am pretty sure that I am going to stay in this area.  But it is nice to know that I will be here for the baptism. 

 

I was thinking the other day, kind of reflecting on my mission (which I do a lot), about all the be people I have taught and baptized and how the quality of my baptisms have gotten better throughout my mission.  Granted now I can speak Tagalog and I know how to teach, but I was thinking the main thing is that I have become more and more converted to the Gospel.  It is really weird being on the tail end of my mission.  Just thinking of all that I have done, if it was enough or if there was more I could have done.  I am convinced that the mission is an exact pattern of the Plan of Salvation.  My life as missionary is almost over and yet it will only just begin.  Also how ever I lived here on the mission will affect everything after.  That is really the thing that is keeping me going, I need to endure to the end, if I want to be able to return with honor.  I am not going to lie I am very trunky.  I have been doing the same thing over and over for such a long time that it is just wearing me down.  It is kind of part of the reason of the short email last week.  The same thing happens every week.  The good thing is our focus is changing slightly, just enough to keep me on my toes.  The other hard part is to help my companion become a Senior companion, to actually lead and make decisions.  It is hard to let him go and make mistakes, especially when I know if I would just do it, it would get done quicker and faster and better.  That is going to be my goal this transfer is to help him be better.

 

I do need you to set up a eye doctors and a dentist appointment close to when I get home.  Thanks.

 

Love you,

Elder Hatch

Normal Week: trying not to be Trunky

Dear Dad,

My week has been good.  We didn't hit our goal of handing out Book of Mormons.  He did however get a lot of new investigators and meet some new people.  I am getting along great with my companion.  He really want to learn English so I talk a lot of English.  He is a good kid, we still have to work on our teaching unity but that will just come with time.  We are working with a great family, the Manio family.  They love the gospel and always read and they have a great support system.  I love teaching them.  There are some other progressing investigators that are really close to getting baptized as well.  I really like this area.  Now about trunky, if by trunky you mean I think about home all the time, then yes I am very trunky.  It by trunky you mean I don't work, then no.  I am still working hard from the time we go out out to the time we come home.  I am trying my best but it is really hard when I can see the end in sight.

Raton sounds like it was a lot of fun.  It is too bad that there wasn't any unity.  I think with my team and all those I shot with we had unity because we grew up together.

Did you find the muzzle loader?  Also for the scope I was looking at the Vortex Red Dot scope.  I am pretty sure that Sportsmans Warehouse has it.  Also when is the muzzle loader hunt?

Love,

Elder Hatch

It was really good to hear about YHEC.  It sounds like you all had a good time.  You really had a busy week.  My week was not that busy.  Just a normal week.  We did go to an elder's birthday.  That was a lot of fun, mainly because I was with my best friends.  Probably the coolest thing that happened this week is one of our investigators started working with us.  It is awesome.  He really wants to serve a mission.  It is fun working with him.  As we walk he asked us questions from the lesson we just taught.  And he is fellow shipping our investigators and less-actives.  We have a family that we are teaching that are really close to baptism.  The goal for them is August 17.  It will be a really big baptism.  I let you know how it goes.

Other than that not much else happened.  Sorry for the short email, but that is all that I can remember.

Love,

Elder Hatch

Good Week

It was a good week.  He is a great elder.  He really wants to learn English so I have been helping him as best I can.  It is really hard to teach English.  We are planning to keep passing out Book of Mormons.  This transfer we are going to try and pass out 500 as a district.  It is going to be a lot of fun. I am in a branch of about 300 members, but only 160 are active. There are four missionaries here as well.  My apartment is nice.  I like it.  I have been in worst and seen worst.  I have some one wash my cloths.  I washed my cloths once by hand and I will never do it again.  My favorite family is the Tan family.  They are a recent convert.  It is a lot of fun to teach them.  We hardly ever get feed in this area.  But that is alright it just means more time to work.

Sorry for the short email.  I had a survey to take and it is an elder's birthday today.  We are going to go and celebrate it.

Love you and thanks for the updates on YHEC

Elder Hatch

New Companion

Sorry Mom I don't have a lot of time.  I just got back from a waterfall.  It was really pretty.  I will send you a picture.  It is in my area, but way far away from where we work.

This week is Transfer Week.  I can't believe that it is here already. It feels like I just became companions with Elder Ehlert.  The two crazy things about it being Transfer Week is one how fast it flew and I know that the other remaining transfers are going to go by just as fast.  The other is that I only have two transfers left.  I am staying in my area and I am getting a Filipino companion.  He is a great elder.  I know him from my last zone.  He is fairly new, but I am not follow up training.

We had kind of a rough week, we didn't hand out that many copies of the Book of Mormon.  But we do have a sister with a baptismal date for July 27, and the rest of her family have a baptismal date for August 17.  So it is going to be a good next few weeks.

I want to hear all about YHEC next week and the week after that.  If you don't email me next week it will be fine.

Love you,

Elder Hatch

I could not deny it

I had a good week.  Life is good.  Teaching lots of people.  We are handing out lots and lots of Book of Mormons.  Last week we handed out 21 and this week we handed out 16.  We have had a lot of fun talking to people and giving them the Book of Mormon.  I have had some good experiences and some sad ones in following up with the Book of Mormons we handed out.  Both have strengthened my testimony.  The good ones make me happy when some one is accepting the gospel and receiving the blessing of the gospel.  The one that don't go so well still build my testimony just because even though they are rejecting the gospel and sometime tearing down our church, it doesn't phase me because I know that what I am teaching is true.  There is nothing that can change that.  This week I have really come to understand the saying by Joseph Smith "I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it"  I know at least in part how Joseph Smith felt.  I also gained a new perspective on the Plan of Salvation.

I am glad to hear about the 4th of July,  I celebrated it here.  The package you sent arrived just in time.  My 4th of July lunch was closer to a Thanksgiving Dinner that a 4th of July lunch but the important thing is I celebrated the 4th.  We sang A Star Spangled Banner in companionship study.  It was good minus the fireworks and family.

Next week is Transfer Week.  It will be less crazy and I will probably not be transferring.  I will let you all know what is going on.  I will email on Tuesday.

That is every thing that has happened this week.

Love you,

Elder Hatch

Books of Mormon

It was really good to read about your week, girls camp, high adventure, orienteering practice, Trevor getting his gun.  Sound like you were all busy.

I had a really good week.  I don't know if I told you but we had a mission training a few weeks ago to help us be better missionaries for the incoming flow of missionaries.  It was really good and exactly what we needed to hear.  We just went to work, before the training meeting I would hand out a Book of Mormon once or twice a week, but this week we handed out 21 copies of the Book of Mormon.  It was a lot of fun.  I talked to so many people.  That has been our focus this week along with teaching the less-actives.  My favorite lesson this week wasn't even a lesson.  It was when we went up to two guys to give them a Book of Mormon.  It was way fun and the two guys were way funny.  Making jokes the whole time while at the same time asking questions about our church.  We are going to them this week.  I will let you know how it goes.

I did get to watch the broadcast on missionary work.  It was really good, but it was more for the members and the changes they announced probably wont happen while I am on the mission.  I also realized that I will soon be a member and I will have to continue to help out in missionary work.

On thing that happened last week that I am very proud of was I had to fix our door knob.  It broke and we had to buy a new one and also replace the door hinge so that the door knob doesn't break again.  All I had to work with was a screw driver and a pair of pliers.

All that I know about me coming home is I will be leaving the mission on October 9.  I will get my fight plans in late August or early September that tells me exactly.  You may get my flight plans earlier but I don't know.

Love you,

Elder Hatch

A Great Week!

I had a great week.  It was very hard but it was a good week.  Last Friday we had a mission training.  Apparently we have been slacking off on finding.  Which is true a lot of us, especially the old guys (Me), have just been focusing on less-actives.  Which is good, but we could do better and the best is for us to be able to find and teach investigators and find and teach less-actives.  It was a really good training.  They also changed a few things about the mission.  Some styles of shoes and bags we can't use any more, like backpacks.  It is a good thing we listened to Jed and bought my shoulder bag, by the way it is still holding strong.

After the training meeting we went crazy with finding people and handing out copies of the Book of Mormon.  At the start of this week we had about 25 copies of the Book of Mormon; we now only have 3.  Almost every Book of Mormon we handed out we got a return appointment.  I have never talked to so many people in one week.  This week we had 17 new investigators.  That was the great part.  The hard part was handing out that many copies of the Book of Mormon.  We got rejected so many times.  Some of them hurt, but most of them were funny.  Some of the silliest excuses to not let us in.  "I'm Catholic" or "I'm Iglesia", I have a whole lot to say about those but I can't express it in an email.  They would also say "Next time" before I would even speak.  People are funny when they try to lie.

We only get to watch two broadcasts here, General Conference and our Area Broadcast.  I didn't even here that there was a world wide broadcast.

For the package I think that is a great idea to just put money in my account.  The package that you just sent has not gotten to me yet, but will probably come next week or the week after that.  That package will probably get me through the next 3 months.

I love my area.  It is beautiful here and the work is picking up.  We are climbing lots and lots of hills.  My legs are always sore, but it makes sitting and sleeping the happiest time.  I am taking lots of pictures and I took some pictures of my apartment.  I would send more pictures but it is hard through email and most pictures have a story behind them that I need to tell in person.

From what I remember our branch is about the same size as our ward, with attendance, but in size closer to the southern end of Cache Valley.  We have 300 members in the branch, but only 130 active.

I haven't really had any new food.  My favorite thing to cook is the only thing I know how to cook, spam and eggs.  Buying fresh fruit is always good.  I can't tell you my favorite because they are all good.

That is my week in a nut-shell.

Love you,

Elder Hatch

My New Area

The area is good.  It is a little harder than my last area, but that is just because I had my last area really established.   This one is not very established   That is the main thing we are working on.  Also in my last area we had so many people to teach.  Here not so many.  We are doing a lot of finding.  It is hard but fun.  I am in a branch, but the district just applied too become a stake.  I might be here for that in September.  We have two other missionaries in our branch.  My companion is really young and it is his first area.  I am his follow up trainer (his 2nd companion)  He has been out three transfers and I have three left.  We usually teach about 3 to 4 lessons a day.  In my last area we would usually teach about 6 to 8.  Other than that is just about the same, missionary work.

We did have father's day yesterday.  I don't know if the whole world does or not.  I think they have it here because the US was here for so long that they just adopted some of our holidays.

I get mail every two weeks, so that is how long it takes for a dearelder to get here.  I also did not get any pictures from Oregon.  Also you did not tell me that Grandma and Grandpa are putting in their papers to go on a mission.  Do you think that they will still be there by the time I get back?

Sorry for the short email this week, things were a little calmer this week.

Love,

Elder Hatch

Changes in Transfers

Last week was probably the craziest week of my mission.  We will with last, last Friday (May 31).  The AP's sent us a text saying that the transfer sheet was in our email and that we could go and look at it and print it off.  That was weird because they always send transfer announcements on Monday night.  We went to the computer shop to look at the transfer sheet, that is when we got the news.  We are no longer having a transfer meeting, where everyone gathers at a chapel and then finds out where they are going and who their companion is.  We are now doing transfer day like most other missions in the world and probably like Dad did transfers.  The way transfers are now is each zone sets up a transfer point. All those who are transferring and their companions go to the transfer point.  Once there the one transferring is sent on his way by himself to the other zones transfer point.  It was really different than anything we were use to.  So all of Saturday and Sunday we were coordinating with all the other zone leaders on how to get our transferring missionaries there simply and quickly.  That was Friday through Sunday, stress.

Monday (June 3), we were suppose to move because sister missionaries were coming in.  I woke up at 4:00 am to pack up my stuff to move and to transfer.  With the new way of transferring I had to make sure that every thing fit into two suitcases so it would be easy to transfer by myself.  We had District Meeting at 8:00 am, we had to explain the new way of transferring and let everyone know where they were going, who their companion was going to be and what their assignment was (zone leader, district leader, etc.).  That was done by 12:00 pm.  We went home and finish packing and cleaned a little bit.  Then the Apartment Elders called us and told us that we would not be moving today because they did not have the money for the apartment.  We went out to work, but mostly just said good-bye because I knew I was transferring and it was like 5:00 pm when then called and we had a dinner appointment at 7:00 pm.  That was Monday, stress.

Tuesday (June 4), we played basketball with some ward member at 6:00 am.  Just for a last hurrah.  Then we moved.  We started moving at 9:00 am.  Now moving new stuff into a new apartment super easy and kind of fun.  That took maybe an hour to an hour and a half.  Then we had the tough part, moving all the old stuff to the new apartment.  That is a beast and a half.  We had to take the bed apart, had to decide what was worth moving and what was not.  That took us until about 1:00 or 1:30 pm.  Then we had to go and get the other elders suitcases from their apartment because sisters were going to live in their apartment.  Now it usually takes about 20 minutes to get to there house, well there was traffic.  Philippines traffic is bad.  We got the other elders suitcases back to our new apartment at 5:00 pm.  We hadn't emailed.  The other elders hadn't showered yet.  And we had a Family Home Evening with our recent converts and investigators at 6:00 pm.  It also takes about a half an hour to get to our recent converts house.  We emailed for like 15 minutes.  The other elders showered and we flew up to our recent converts house.  We got to the house at 7:30 pm, but there was no male 18 years old or older so we couldn't go into the house.  Finally we got someone at around 8:00 pm, had a good FHE.  We got home  at 9:30 pm.  we spent the next couple of hours putting stuff away and repacking so that everything would be ready for transfers.  We went to bed at 11:00 pm.  That was Tuesday, stress.

Wednesday (June 5), transfer day.  We woke up at 5:00 am to make sure all was well.  We got to our transfer point at about 7:30 am and we started sending elders on their way.  My ride wasn't going to come until 9:00 am.  I just hung around and helped everyone else get on their way.  My ride showed up and we jumped in and whisked off to our new area.  I got to my new area with my new companion at 10:00 am.  We planned and ate then went out to work.  After that I just went back to normal missionary work, not as stressful.

My new companion is Elder Ehlert (Elert).  He is from Minnesota. He just go done with training.  He is really nice.  It is weird to look back and think that I was once like him.  Tagalog is still hard, leading the area for the first time.  Not really knowing all the rules or how do some missionary stuff.  But he is doing a lot better than I did when I was that young.

My area is beautiful.  It is in the mountains.  I am going to get skinny here.  We hike everyday.  I am in a Branch again, but the district is very close to becoming a stake.  I hope I am here to see it.  The members are great.

It is really nice not to be zone leader anymore.  I only have to worry about my companion and the area.

The pictures are of the my new area and me and Elder Ehlert.

Transferring

Sorry but I have no time to email you guys, I will explain every thing that happened today next week.  It has been crazy.  I am transferring.  I am not a zone leader any more.  I am follow up training.  I am going to a beautiful place where I will take lots and lots of pictures.  I am sorry again.  Thanks for the emails.

Love,

Elder Hatch

Short email=No Worries

I had a good week.  Again not much different has happened since the last week, hence another good week.  Transfers are next week... I am pretty sure that I am transferring and am going to be released as a Zone Leader, but I won't know until next week.  Also next week we will be moving apartments.  We are getting two sisters in this ward (I am pretty sure I told you that last week) so we have to move so the sisters can go into the old elders apartment.  I will probably only sleep in the new apartment for a night then transfer.  The crazy thing is my next area will probably be my last, which means in my whole mission I would end with five areas.

I can't believe that Shayla is already going home and that Derek is just leaving.  Where is he going again?  Derek does not seem old enough to go on a mission.  I just remember him as just barely being able to hunt elk.  It also sounds like you are going to have a crazy weekend with everyone coming and going.

The dental work on Trevor has me a little worried.  I have brushed my teeth twice a day everyday my entire mission, I am even starting to brush three times a day.  But I am still worried that when I get home and go to the dentist he is going to give me awful news about how many cavities I have.  That is the one thing that really worries me because the food here has so much sugar in it.  I am trying my best to keep up good hygiene I just hope it will be enough.

Sorry for the short email, but hey if the emails are short then it means nothing is bothering me.  Love you all.

Elder Hatch

Zone Activity

It was good to talk to you all last week.  It was good to see your faces even if they were a little blurry.  I don't have a lot of time today because we had a Zone Activity, we went bowling.  It was a lot of fun but we had to do it a little later in the day so everyone could get everything done in the morning.  We cleaned a lot this morning so we didn't get much done.  We are also preparing to move.  The ward we are in is getting an additional two missionaries to the four already here.  Wards here are huge but it is just funny to think that our stake just got two missionaries and this ward will have six.

I haven't really thought about why I am here.  However, I do know that I am here for a reason.  I also know that whatever area I am transferred to and how long I stay in an area is for a reason.  Do I know that reason, no, but I willingly go where ever the Lord sends me.  I try not to complain when it seems like the work comes to a halt.  I am here for someone even if that someone is just me.

We get the Liahona every month.  So I might have read what you read but we don't get the whole Ensign or New Era.

Yes we use the pamphlet, more so to help keep track of the principles we are teaching.  It would be interesting to see how the elders back in the states teach.  But even every mission has there own way of teaching.  I hope my teaching doesn't come off as a sales pitch.  I try to just explain the doctrine very simply and let the Holy Ghost do all the converting.

Sorry for the short email.  Love you all.

Elder Hatch

Fun with friends

First off, I am sorry I forgot to tell you that this week was Temple Pday.  That is why I am emailing now.

I had a pretty good week.  Our ward just started a dinner calendar, which means we have dinner every night.  It is always good food and a good time with the members.  Also the best day of the month happened last week, Mission Leadership Council (MLC).  MLC is Zone Leader Council with Sisters.  Because of all the sisters going on missions the Missionary Department created a new calling to help in the work and train sisters for future callings, but that is not why it was the best day of the month.  It was the best day because all of my friends are Zone Leaders.  We all just hung out at the Mission Home for a few hours and ate lunch.  Then since we are all close to going home, we all shared our plans for after the mission and how we were going to stay in touch.  It was a really good time.  Other than that it has just been a regular week.  I am just trying to keep my feet moving.  It is not that I want to be done it is just that I am so tired.  Thanks for your prayers they are lifting and carrying me.  As for my companion, he is a great guy and an excellent teacher.  The best part of getting a new companion is first, change, second, a new look on the area, and third  learn different ways to teach.  Down sides of getting a new companion, zero companionship unity, it takes time to figure out.  Different teaching styles, it is really hard at first and can be for the whole time if they are really different styles. Lastly you r last companion just became your best friend and now he is gone.  But all is well and I am working on trying to be the best companion I can be.

No one in the Philippines uses toilet paper.  The only time I use it is at the Mission Office or Mission Home.

Yes I will be skyping.  It will will be Monday at 10:00 am here and Sunday night there.  Have some questions ready and I will have some ready for you.  We are going to do it a little different this time, I will explain it when I call.

Love you so much,

Elder Hatch

New Companion

That is crazy to think that you guys are already almost done with school.  You guys are about to start summer and we are going to end summer.

It sounds like Nicole and Trevor are enjoying soccer and lacrosse.  I told Nicole that she should think about playing soccer on a competitive team because I think I would have stuck with soccer had I gotten onto a competitive team.  I know the only team I ever tried out for was the most competitive team in the Valley, but I think Nicole would enjoy it and if she starts young, she will be able to get on more competitive teams and play in high school.  I also told Trevor he needs to decide what he wants, lacrosse, YHEC, or both.  I know he can do both and do well in both because Marshall did it.

I am still a zone leader at least until June and maybe until July.  The hardest part about being a zone leader is I only see the member of the zone once a week.  For me it is very hard to help the other elders do better when I am not with them.  I don't know how to help them when I am not with them to see their problems.  But this transfer I am going to try and work with most of the elders in my zone to see what I can do to help them.  I did get a new companion, his name is Elder Tabiliran.  He is from the south part of the Philippines where no foreign missionaries are allowed.  He is just young enough in the mission and I haven't been in a zone with him before that I don't know him very well.  That is a really hard thing most of my companions I have known who they are.  He is also a new zone leader so I am training him on how to be a zone leader.  There are about 180 missionaries in our mission, 35 are sister missionaries. Thanks for the advice.

Oh here is some crazy news for the Philippines,  all foreign missionaries are going to start coming to the Philippines MTC instead of the Provo MTC.

That is really cool that you started running.  I can't run to save my life.  I think I will just stick with Mountain Biking.

Also it is almost the month of May, which means I get to call home!  I will be calling on May 13, at 10:00 am here.  I don't know what time it will be there, but just so you all know and so Whitnee can make sure she doesn't have work. 

I was really glad to hear about Tory's mission call.  I am pretty sure that Bret Cranney is in the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission.

This week was a little stressful because I had to lead the area.  It is calming down a little bit but it has been really rough for the last few days.  It is always hard to lead but as soon as Elder Tabiliran knows all of our investigators and less-actives it will be fine.  Last week we had a FHE just before Elder Carr left with our favorite family, it was a lot of fun.  We also got 3 new investigators from it, one of our recent converts daughters and the neighbors of our recent convert. Also this week we started a dinner calendar with the ward.  We have a dinner appointment every night this week.  So don't worry Mom I am getting fed well.  The big thing for this week is Missionary Leadership Council (MLC) this Friday.  MLC is the same thing as Zone Leader Council except there will be some sister missionaries there.  Also at MLC all of my mission buddies will be there.

That is all that has happened this week,

love you all,

Elder Hatch

Multiple Baptisms

This week was great.  Elder Carr and I worked really hard and now we got to see the fruits of our labors before he (Elder Carr) transfers.  Elder Carr has been my longest companion.  The Baptism was great.  We baptized Sister Melanie and her daughter Minerva (Mini) and their friend Russell.  We also baptized Paul, his family are members but less-active.  He also just turned nine so he is under our jurisdiction.  The coolest part of the baptism was Sister Melanie's other daughter Mary Rose came to the baptism, then she came to church.  She is interested in listening to us.  I will let you know how she progresses.  Also Russell parents, who I had never see or talk to, came to the baptism.  We are trying to set up a time that we can teach them.  Then for Paul, his family has come back to church, all except his dad.  Guess who showed up to the Baptism.... Paul's dad and he went to church as well.  Lots of miracles happened.  The baptism gave me that little boost to keep going. Working with less-actives is great, but having a less-active come back to church doesn't have the same feeling as helping an investigator get baptized.  Another great thing that happened is after the baptism Sister Melanie wanted to set up a Family Home Evening and invite some of her friends.  That is going on tonight so next week I will report on how the FHE went.

My companion Elder Carr is transferring.  I am a little nervous about who my next companion is going to be.  Elder Carr and I both think that I am going to get a new Zone Leader and that this transfer is my last as a Zone Leader.  It is getting a little harder being a Zone Leader, just because every one else is so young.  Missionary work has just become my way of life.  It is all I do and all I know.  The young elders just don't quite know enough about missionary work for me not to worry about them.  I am really trying to think of ways to help them improve their missionary work, but I have found out that I can't do whole lot.  I can teach procedures and how we do things in the mission.  But I can't give them the desire to work, I can show them my desire.  I just don't know what to to with the Zone.  So if you have any advice on how to help inspire missionaries or me, it would be really helpful.

Next week I will tell you all about my new companion.

Thanks for the report on YHEC.  It made me miss home and YHEC a little bit but I know that I can volunteer when I get home. 

Love you all

Elder Hatch

Tracting Trouble

This was a good week.  We had interviews with President Sperry.  Interviews happen every three months.  They are just for President Sperry to see how the Zone is doing and see how each individual is doing.  I really like Interviews.  It just gives me a chance to talk to President Sperry with no distractions.  We also get to here awesome workshops by President and Sister Sperry and by the AP's.  I always learn a lot.

Interviews happened on Thursday, on Friday we went on splits with the AP's.  The AP's are really cool.  I went with Elder Smith and worked in half of our area.  I had a lot of fun and learned a lot.  Elder Smith is the oldest American missionary in our mission.  The cool thing is he hunts in Salina, over in Old Woman (Dad might know where that is).  We just swapped hunting stories, it was a good time.

Conference was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I loved it.  I can't tell you what my favorite talk was because they were all good and it took the whole Conference and bits of each talk to answer my questions.  The main theme that I saw was things in the world are going to get worst and the only safe place is going to be the home.  When I get married I am going to have to do everything I can to protect my home.  It was also reinforce how important the family is.  Also a lot of it was that God lives and loves us, it was said that we are from Heavenly Parents 3 times, and that Satan is real and trying his hardest.

We went tracting a few nights ago.  It was rough.  We knocked on this one door and the owner came out in nothing but a towel and asked us what we wanted in English (not a good sign).  We introduced ourselves as missionaries that had a message about Christ (we spoke Tagalog).  He said that he was busy (still in English).  We asked if we could leave a pamphlet for him to read (Tagalog).  He said that it would be ok (English).  As we were writing our names and number on the back, he asked us what religion we were (English).  We told him Mormons.  Then he says in English, "I don't want it, I really don't want it.  Don't waste my time, or your time."  I had not been rejected so harsh in my whole mission.  So we walk away with our heads down, but as we walked away a lady and her daughter were walking by, so we asked them where they were going (this is all in Tagalog).  She said she was just going up the street to buy something.  Then she asked us what religion we were.  We told her, "Mormons".  Then she said that she was a member, but hadn't been to church because they had moved and didn't know where the church was.  We gave them directions and everything, we got there address and some time this week we are going to go back to them.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Transfer are next week.  I will be emailing on Tuesday (here) and Monday (there).  I will probably not transfer.  I will probably get a new Zone Leader and next, next transfer I will step down.  I will let you know what all goes on with transfers.  Also next week I am expecting a good report on YHEC and lots of pictures.

Love you all,

Elder Hatch

Zone Leader Council

This week was good.  We had a lot of work planned and we had Zone Leader Council.  We had 4 investigators that are preparing for baptism, their date is on April 20.  Three of the four were a referral of the Belda famliy, the ones I told you about last week, they are doing really well.  I will keep you updated on their progress.

Zone Leader Council was a lot of fun.  Elder Anderson, Elder Green, Elder Smith, Elder Robinson and Elder Hawey were all there.  I know those names don't mean much but they are all my friends.  We had a good time catching up with what has happened in each others areas.  We have a good time and laugh a lot.  It is funny because Elder Anderson, Elder Smith, Elder Carr (my companion), and Elder Hicken are all going to BYU after the mission.  They are all trying to convince Elder Green to go to BYU as well.  Thet tried to get me to go to BYU but they stopped after I explained my plan to go to Snow then USU.  It is a lot of fun to watch every one trying to convince Elder Green.  Elder Green doesn't want to because he will lose all of his credits he had at Weber State, but he wants to go to be with friends.  So Elder Green has been fighting the dilemma for the last three months and a ZLC he explained his plan which is, He is going do transfer to UVU and live with all the guys going to BYU.  Now we are all just trying to figure out how I am going to hang out with them at BYU while I am at Snow.  That was the big news of the week.

This coming week is going to be really good.  We are going on exchanges with the AP's, we have Zone Interviews, and CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited for Conference.  I can't explain how excited I am for Conference.  This is what I look forward to.

I did get the package and the money was in there.  Thank you.  I have not yet eaten the Cadbery eggs, but I will.  One thing I notice is I am getting old.  I can't just eat lots of chocolate, one or two bite size and I am good.  I find myself craving nuts, fruit, or vegetables.  Oh I ate Sushi the other day, way good.  We bought some stuff to make sushi this week I am really excited.

That is what has happened this week.

Love you,

Elder Hatch

Easter 2013

First off, I almost don't even realize when holidays come.  Second, here in the Philippine they don't really celebrate Easter.  Because of the strong Catholic influence, the big celebration is on Friday.  It is crazy in some places. In some places they crucify someone, some places people whip themselves.  But there is none of that around here.  All we had were parades of Idols of Jesus and Mary (very weird and creepy).  The hard thing about the Philippines is the holidays here are not to get together with you family, it is to get together with all your buddies and drink and smoke (for the men) or get together and gossip and gamble (for the ladies).  Which makes it nearly impossible to find on holidays.  Also for not super strong or new investigators, they basically lose all their progress.  Same with less actives. Most of us here don't like holidays for two reasons the one stated above and we still have to work.  We did eat at a members house but it wasn't for Easter.  It was for a Family Home Evening.

I have not yet got the package.  I should get it in two weeks, that is when our next mail run is.

We have been super busy.  Teaching and Teaching.  I do have a family that I love to teach, the Belda family.  They are our Recent Converts.  We are reteaching the lessons over and teaching their friend Mini and her mom Melanie and Mini's cousin Russel.  They all use to be way shy and now we have a hard time keeping the lesson under control.  They are a great family.  I couldn't pick one family in the ward, I love the entire ward.  Everyone is awesome.  This is a great ward.  I would be happy to end my mission here, the problem is I have just a tad to long to stay here to the end.

Every thing is holding up fine.  I don't need socks I can get some really nice ones here for cheap.

Summer is here.  It is really hot.  Right after I get out of the shower, I sweat.  I have to have a fan on me all the time or I am just soaked with sweat.  This is the hardest part of the year.  I have to drink so much water yet I am still dehydrated.  But all is well.

Love,

Elder Hatch

6 months left

Who is your pick for March Madness?  I didn't think I would miss March Madness.  The weird thing is here in the Philippines they love basketball, they LOVE basketball.  But they only care about the NBA, and most people in the States enjoy College.

Yes Mom, I am at my last 6 months.  It is a weird feeling.  I never thought it would come.  I had just started to accept the fact that I am going to serve forever, but being this close to the end and a letter I got from Marshall really got to me that my mission will end.  I just need to stay focused and work hard these last 6 months.

It is ok about the stamps, I just take it as a blessing for my faith.  I was willing and ready to write letters to the end of my mission but now I can email.  Thanks for the email addresses.

We teach a lot of people; yesterday we counted our teaching pool.  Our teaching pool has 70 people.  That is 70 people that I teach on a regular basis.  That is why it is so hard for me to remember what happened during the week.  I am very thankful that the people of the Philippines are very friendly and receptive.  I have about 2 or 3 days a month where we don't teach any one and those days are hard.  I don't know how elders do it in the States or in Europe.  We stayed really busy this week we taught 32 lessons this week. 

I have not gotten a package yet, but tomorrow is mail run (happy day).  I might get it tomorrow.  I did get the money last year that was in the book.  I will let you know when I get the package and how much money is in it.

Love you,
Elder Hatch

Teaching A Lot of People

Ok sorry again but another short email, but this will be the last because the Missionary Department just changed their emailing rules.  We can now email, Family (immediate and extended), Friends, and Priesthood leaders.  So I am now allowed longer time to email.  Also could you send me Sue's, Alison's, and Grandma and Grandpa Hepworth's email.

How is every thing going with Snow?  Were you able to move my scholarship to winter semester? Also when you sign me up for classes, please only sign me up for the minimum number of credits.  For the classes I am pretty sure you will just have to go to USU and ask them what I need to take.  

I had a pretty normal week.  Taught a lot of people, a lot of people.  It is really hard to remember all that I have done in a week.  We get out to work at about 12:30 and our 1st appointment is at 1:00.  We teach a lesson every hour until 9:00.  We go home plan, eat, sleep, and  do it all over again.  For pday we went to the temple, great day.  I don't really have a favorite place here in the Philippines.  I have loved all of my areas, and really all I try and do on pday is to get together with friends wherever we can.

Love you,

Elder Hatch 

Duck Bowling

That is cool that Grandpa could just step in and give a talk.  I am working on being able to just give a talk if I am ever asked.

It would be really nice if you could send a video but it is not pressing.  You did send me some pictures of Trevor shooting.

Yeah, last week was our Zone Activity, the most looked forward to Pday of the transfer.  We went Duck Bowling.  Duck Bowling is kind of the same a regular bowling, but the difference is you bowl three times instead of twice.  Also the ball is really small, a little bigger than a grapefruit.  It was way fun.  I will try and send pictures and a video.  We had to email early to get there on time.

We usually have 190-200 people at church.  We think it was because we fasted, which goes to show you fasting is very effective.  We don't know why everyone was late, it is a Filipino thing to be late.

Transfers are good I am staying and so is my companion.  We are both happy.

Time is flying,  I think it is going by faster for me than for you.  We have an elder who is in my district he goes home tomorrow.  He gave me some good advice for my last 7 months.

The temple was great, like always.  Yeah we only get one session, but it is just enough to get us through the next transfer.  We try and take people to the tour, but some times they have something and it is a little expensive so we like to make it worth it.  We will be going next month.  Yeah we speak Tagalog at the temple tours.

Love you,

Elder Hatch

Fast Sunday

That is way cool that the Church is printing new scriptures.  I can't wait to buy a new set when I get home.  I have decided that when I get home I am going to get the big ones, like Dad's.  It will be really cool to see how they look.

That is too bad that the Garbanati's are moving.  I won't be able to see them.  Oh well, wish them luck for me.

The past few weeks I have been studying the Light of Christ.  It is amazing how something so simple as the Light of Christ or faith or repentance, can take weeks and weeks to study.  Yet I still don't fully understand it.  Some really good scriptures on the Light of Christ is D&C 88:6-13 also Moroni 7:16-18

We are just going in to summer.  Summer here is March to April.  It is way hot here.  It is going to start to hit about 90 degrees, with 90% humidity, basically death.  It is really hard to stay hydrated just because I will never stop sweating.  But a funny thing about summer is I will get a tan line where my collar is.

The story of the week happened yesterday.  To start off we had a rough week this week because we had a bunch of meetings and it really threw off our schedule.  We were really worried that no one was going to come to church.  We show up to the church at 8:20 am, two families were there (Recent Converts).  We just waited and shook members hands until 9:00 am.  Then we went into the chapel and there were only 20 members there.  We were a little disappointed.  We couldn't start because none of the Bishopric was there either.  Then at about 9:10, everybody start coming in.  By the time the sacrament started the whole chapel was full and they had to bring in extra chairs for people to sit.  Also they had to bless the sacrament twice.  There was about 280 people at church yesterday.  The cool part was we had 9 investigators and 14 less-actives at church.   Then because it is Fast Sunday, everyone got up and bore their testimony.  Sacrament meeting went for an hour and a half.  It was a great Sunday.

Thanks for all the new about the stuff that is going on back at home.

Love you,.

Elder Hatch

Great Week

Sorry for the late reply we had temple day this week.  I forgot to tell you because it switched on us last minute.  But, I had a really good week.  We had had some perfect days, which means that all the lessons we planned, we taught.  Just a really great week.  My companion and I are just going full blast, working very hard.  It is a lot of fun. 

When missionaries get sick it depends on the missionary and the sickness.  Almost all of us work when we are sick, unless we have diarrhea or are vomiting.  It is not too often that missionaries are down for too long.  I have only had one companion who got sick enough that we couldn't work, and that was my companion that I have now, Elder Carr.  He was really sick and had to go to the hospital.  But as long as we watch what we eat the Lord will watch over us.

Transfers are on March 13, but I don't think that my companion or I are transferring.  I also put in a word with the AP to have Elder Carr and I together for anther two transfers.  He told me no promises...hahaha.

Philippines Cavite mission is coming from the Manilla Mission (close to me)

Philippines Cebu East Cebu mission is coming from the Cebu Mission (far from me)

Philippines Legaspi Mission is coming from the Naga Mission (far from me)

Philippines Urdaneta Mission is coming from the Baguio Mission (kind of close to me)
That puts 21 Missions in the Philippines.

No the cash has not arrived yet.  Did you send the cash in a package or to the card?  If it is in a package I won't know until next week, because I only get mail every two weeks.  A package usually takes about 5 weeks to get here, but I won't get it for 6.

Last week when I sent the pictures of the baptism, we completed their family (Belda).   The one with the three kids.  Well, this week they told us that they had a referral for us.  We were like sweet, hoping that it was going to be at least an ok referral.  We show up and it was Love's birthday (our recent convert), so we bought some deep fried bananas coated in brown sugar, called Banana-Q for a celebration snack.  I love Banana-Q.  We taught the referral and she is not just ok she is awesome.  We asked her why she wanted to listen to our message.  She said that the Belda family gave her a pamphlet to read and she said that when she read, the reading was delicious.  She was so excited that we made sure that she understood before we moved on, and now she has a baptismal date for April 20.  That is my exciting and interesting person this week. 
Love you all,Elder Hatch