another day older and deeper in.... blessings ;)

Our zone is like a ward!  

Tell us about one of your investigators – how did you meet them.  Well this week a girl called T went to church! We found her because we received a reference from a member and when we went there the reference wasnt there so we decided to knock the neighbors door to not make the trip a whole waste. And she was super skeptical. on the second visit she said she didn't read the Book of Mormon because she didnt know who Nephi was but right when we walked in she said, "how do you baptisms for the dead?" So we explained about doubts and questions and the difference between them and then asked where she learned about Baptism for the dead (which to her dismay is my FAVORITE TOPIC AND TO ME THE MOST UNDERSTANDABLE DOCTRINE that you can really get just all out of the Bible). And she admitted a friend had told her about it so after explaining all of it she said "wow you really believe all of that? That is weird, thats the weirdest thing ive ever heard. im sorry but thats crazy." Thats when I said, "Well, T, we showed you all the evidence of this in the bible and we explained it to you in a way where you dont have any questions so now your problem isnt with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints its with the bible so tonight I think you should really pray to God and ask HIM if the Bible is the word of God because this is biblical not just with the Church of Jesus Christ. And thats when she felt really stupid and from then on didn't really doubt anything but had good questions and understood the doctrine of the chapters we marked really well. She said she loved the church and that she's going to come here every sunday and shes gonna bring her family (shes 24) becuase she loved it so much. It really was a miracle. God is so great.

What is your favorite part of “Preach My Gospel”?  Probably about our purpose as missionaries. How we can be sucessfull in the mission field. It says a lot of things that conforted me in the beginning of my mission knowing that I could be successful without baptising people like Alma. haha

What do most people wear to church? eh normal. just there is always a few who wear jeans and a white shirt and tie. Sunday J wore a suit with a t shirt and a tie I gave him as a present after he was baptised. hahahaha it was so funny. hes a crazy old guy. haha

This was by far the best fast sunday in a lonnnggg time. All of the recent converts got up there and bore their testamony about 2 angels going to their house and finding them when they most needed to be found. They were so grateful for the Gospel in their lives and all of them said they intend to be a member of this church untill they die. They talked about the troubles they had and the answers they got that I didnt even know about. I dont think I let a tear roll down my cheek but I was definitely chokin up in the back. God really does do a lot of wonders among the children of men. 

Me, the Big Man and his wife

We taught 2 women who were sitting outside of their house when we walked past. They were staring an awful lot, so I decided since they were so curious, I would stop to talk to them. We started off our lesson about God and families and prophets and the church Jesus Christ built. They were already telling me I was wrong. I explained to them the truth and showed a few verses in the Bible and continued. My companion taught that the authority was taken from the earth and lost and they were already tellin us we were wrong. That if it was lost there would be no purpose of us being here. I said EXACTLY! So i started with the first vision, they were laughing in my face when i said that this young boy's prayer was answered. It was a really neat expierence Just kinda taking the rejection nobely and teaching what I know to be true. I'm past the point where the laughter of others make me doubt what I'm saying. I have a message to share with everyone who will listen. Whether it be of God or not I would LOVE for them to be the judge, in fact we INVITE them to be the judge. To pray and ask god if all this is true. My comp taught about the proof we have the "fruits" of joseph smith being the Book of Mormon. and they didnt want the book. But they wanted us to come back another day where they would have a list of questions for us to answer. I said I would be happy to help them know anything they want about the Church of Jesus Christ and about God. Whether they accepted or not they had been taught the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they cannot be found blameless in the last day before God. Maybe that was our purpose in teaching them, just to plant a small seed. 

But yeah I love you guys!! miss you all lots and lots!! MAN i was pretty sad this week. We had 2 dates to be baptized this week but NO ONE TOLD THE MISSIONARIES that it was district confrence. I called the presidente begging him to let me baptize but he said the rule is that there has to be sacrament meeting to be confirmed... I was like NOOOOO But they will be baptised next next week. but yeah love you guys!!

--

Elder Hamm

P.S. I’ve had that experience (of wanting to help Nathan or Tyler prepare for a mission) too, only it was earlier on the mission in a really hard area. I thought about Nathan and about how am I gonna let him go on a mission when it’s so freakin hard!  It took me a while and the answer came months later. I can’t stop the world or Satan from tempting him. I can’t ask God to take away their trials and make their lives perfect. That would not make them any better than they are now. I want their missions to be as hard as they can take because the harder they are the stronger you leave, and the more prepared for the rest of your life you will be. You just have to hang in there and just take it. Not a take it like "bite the bullet" but take it like, "seja feito tua vontade e não a nossa." [Not my will Lord, but thine be done.]  The mission was good for me.