February 6

We had a great week this week, quite a few miracles in our area with investigators. We have 3 baptisms planned for the 18th Roberto, Jose Isaac and Ana Karen. and we may be placing other fechas with Joses wife Areceli and the two sons of Roberto for the following week.
Roberto is a christian brother that is deciding to become a latter day saint, Im extremely excited for him. He´s about 38 and has 5 children from 19 to his two twin sons who are 14 and his wife died about 13 yrs ago, he´s single and is great. We found him the 11th or 12th of December in the nightime going home. I remember that that day we set a goal to do like 20 street contacts or something and all 9 that I had done were not looking promising at all, and that was if they accepted us. It was late, Sunday night, we needed to get home to pass the weekly numbers but I didnt want to go in the house until we got our goal, and with the suprising results, I contacted Roberto about 20 yds from arriving home and accepted to hear us even though he is/was a different religion and so we started working with him. He´s gone to church now 4 times, is reading in 1 Nephi 17 and has told us he believes the church is true and wants to be baptized by the priesthood because he understands that its necesary even though he was baptized yrs ago in his christian church. Last night we watched Joseph Smith: profet of the restorationg and he bore his testimony to us that he knows he was a profet of God and that the church is the only true church of God and it has been manifested unto him by the power of the Holy Ghost, it was awesome to hear him.

In these days, I've been changing the way I pray, being positive even through the strange trials that have happened here and recieving good impressions from our Father to help out these investigators and getting things going here in the rama, and our district. I love the work and dont want to leave this rama or the people here.
The mission is like a dream, my eyes have been opened to a world of power and miracles that I never knew existed before, even being born in the church. When we seek we find and if we apply and act when we find, God can make miracles and its more than astronaumical, its Godly. He is great.
I love you all I hope you all are doing well and repenting and reading the BOM and PMG so you know how to be instruments in our Makers hands and help Him help others out and you all can feel His love through His service.
My love and deepest desire of your well being be with you all
Elder Hobbs

Jan. 30th

Thats fun for all the lovebirds in utah, BIG DAVE , Jake Maisie and Jacee. I got the Christmas package and a few letters it seems like, I loved seeing the pictures you sent me and especially the pictures that are really blurry and you can only distinguish who the people are for their bodybuild, I being the buffest, Jake the tallest and the other shapes and forms of the rest of the family. I loved seeing Grandpas picture, and actually we just had interviews that were different than usual, we did them as a zone and we watched 17 miracles as a zone, it was cool, it was a little corny and cheesy but I really liked it. The miracles were amazing and there were a few times I got a bit emotional with a few scenes to think what they went through and what happened and how merciful God was with them , even throughout their problems. it has been part of the plan to watch the movie, that is the plan of Pres. Call and our 90 days of Consagration program that we are doing, looking for our own 17 miracles I felt like "Levi Savage" had a few mess ups but yet always kickin´ .
There has been quite a bit of unusual trials that have happened , a few every week for the past 2 weeks, it has been difficult but there also have been things to cheer for. I think the Lord really is going to put me to trial with this goal I have. and has.
Well love you all, keep serving the lord with all your heart might mind and strength and read the BoM. Jake should be reading everday and studying Preach my Gospel.
Love Elder Hobbs

January 23

Guess what? I got the letter from Grandpa Val, it reminded me of all the scriptures in the BOM that talk about how when the BOM was going to come out and be translated that it would be like as if the words came out speaking from the dust, cuz thats what it seemed like when I read it, I felt more like it was a reassurance like talking to me that he went on and its alright because there is more after this life, even though it was addressed to his aunt talking about his uncle that had died. It was neat I liked reading it, it was like a little reminder from him like "hey im still here, ya better do wut yer supose to do" . I also got a letter from my good friend Cole Q, miss him! A DearElder from uncle Brad Hobbs, and by the way all that is going on with Alex´s mission is crazy awesome, to think that he is going where the Word has never really been, it will seem to be a bit harder than normal but the truth is it will be a really huge blessing for Alex and the people there, imagine the miracles that could happen. I'm excited for him and also slightly jealous, ha ha, hes a good kid.
I got the Christmas letter for the Nielsons, its awesome Mythanne got married, she looks really content in the picture, I'm happy for her. But the truth it seems weird its like everyone is growing up and moving on in life when it seems not too long ago that we were all in high school and Jake and Maisie and Jacee were little childeren and I about gagged when someone asked me a while back if I had brothers and sisters and how old they were and I said one is going to turn 19 and other 17! I was just there paciando.
We went into Tampico on Thursday night, we left at 6 and got there at 10:30, it was really late, there were security blocks in the freeway so it took an extra 1 1/2 hr to get in there. We had a follow up training meeting to do with the new misisoneros that we are training , I saw some good friends there, Elder Cook, Willmore, Murga and few others. And I got a huge exciting notice. A convert from Victoria is going through the temple on the 28th to be sealed for all time and eternity with her new return missionary husband. and I think I am going to be able to go to see it, I just need to find out at what time and the travel plans and use my own money to go in, I am going to be so excited if I can go. Elder Bante even might come up from Oaxaca to be there.
I found out that a family I had taught in Mante got baptized, a family of 4 and the grandparents are preparing to be baptised, and that 2 other references that I had given to other missionaries got baptized as well and that one of them I gave a card of Jesus Christ that has my name and my comps name on the back and she has it hanging up in her house, supposedly she is a great convert as well, I contacted her in the street in front of my house one day. Its really amazing how simple things that seem like they wont ever work out can turn up being huge miracles in peoples lives, it seems like there has been quite a few of those in the past year, moments where I feel like nothing is working, but keep going on and even if there isn't alot of hope I still do it, and then there is a big milagro around the corner, thats why we just got to keep on keepin on until the end. endure to the end, and with all diligence, trying to do as many small and simple things with the hope that something will come out of it.
I love you all and wish that you could all do your part completing the small and simple things, like read the bom, and magnify your callings
Elder Hobbs

January 16

Today are changes, I'm staying here with my comp for a change more. Elder Merrill left, and his new companion is from Mexico, so I'm going to be the only white guy in the house. It is cool, it might help me forget my English. We had a good week for work, but as well lots of challenges have faced us and were trying to truck it through. As a mission we are doing a program of 90 days, it is called 90 days of consecration and were going to write down the 17 miracles that we´ll recieve if we are diligent and follow the plan and in a few weeks were going to watch the movie 17 miracles in interviews so that will be cool. We had a family of three and another guy in church on Sunday, that was a miracle, the family is progressing well and the guy, were excited for them. We are planning a few actions to take in the rama with the pres. de rama so that we can work better and things can happen.
It is amazing the scriptures say for small and simple things, great things come to pass, because its the truth, be it for good or for bad, and thats what should give us the drive to be diligent with the aspect of God and the gospel. it is necesary that every member reads the book of mormon and prays and reads. You cannot complete or magnify your calling without reading the scriptures and truly recieving direction from him. He is the only one that knows how to do His work, so we got to learn it from Him and be willing to do it. Its so sad to see members that have knowledge in the church, but yet dont want to serve, it means the knowledge they have, they dont comprehend it, because if it were that way, they would work, cuz they would know that they dont receive any reward after this life if they dont do anything productive for our Father in this life. Everything is based on the love we have for him and for others.
I love my mission and the opportunity to be here in Tantoyuca, I have never felt so meaningful in my life, I belong here, I have to do it and I really dont want to leave. I love you all alot and i just hope that you all understand the importance of being a doer of the word and not only a hearer or knower, there are so many blessings and miracles that can be recieved
Elder Hobbs

Happy New Year!

We had a great week, I just want to say how grateful I am to be here in Tantoyuca, I´ve loved it, we´ve had some success with baptisms, some coming up, and with really great converts as well, the branch likes us and the leaders here do almost whatever we ask, the hermana Hilda that we baptised nov. 12 is the gospel principles teacher, she´s the one that read the BoM in 3 weeks before her baptism, gospel principle book, and Doctrine and Covenants and pearl of great price so far. she prepared the class really well, it was her first time on sunday and everyone loved it, incluiding herself. Marcelino and Simona are chugging along as well, theyve been so blessed, Marcelino had an Alma conversion, from a world of drugs, beatings and problems, he is now a faithful church goer and providing what he can for his family type of guy studying from the Book of Mormon everyday.
Our new ward misionary leader is awesome, his name is "Brother" Rosendo, he´s about 60 ish but full of energy, he wants to save the world, he loves people and loves visiting them and wants to work alot , so we´re going to work him. He was baptised about 10 or 11 months ago and just wants to serve the Lord with all his heart might mind and strength. Im really excited to see him start to work this ward misionary plan, he´ll do great. he comes with us to visit people and does really well, he doesnt change the topic we are teaching and doesnt teach deep doctrine that investigators just dont understand. he is almost perfect. He understands really well the atonement and feels its effects.
We have two men investigators that are looking pretty good and the two of them we found by doing contacts on the street. one of them weve been teaching for about 3 weeks and is progressing well and the other we just found. I did divisions with Elder Fletcher, he´s from hyrum-logan area, he went to mtn, crest high. He´s been a zone leader here since i got into Tantoyuca and he´s actually the one that contacted this new guy that looks pretty prepared. Its just difficult sometimes when We as missionaries, who are "full-time teachers", have to spend alot of time finding new investigators because the "full-time finders", the members of the Church, dont find anyone for us. that could be a new years resolution for you all, find someone thats chosen and give the reference to the misionaries. Our Father in Heaven will be more than pleased for your service.
and thats good that there is a temple preparing class, i never went to that if it existed, they just gave me the pamphlet booklet and i read about 15 pages the same day in the car right before i took my endowment out and just to let you know, I had no idea what was going on, maybe the classes will help you out jake. and listen and study that stuff, its sacred and important and the more you understand before you go, the more spiritual and special will be the experience.
I have recieved letters from saren, maisie, jake and levi and the dearelder for the month of diciembre i imagine, i havent read it yet. Ive like reading from the four of you about your lives and the good advise you give.
the pictures are my black shoes that have been gradually decomposing, im going to send them to the soles replaced for less than 20 bucks, and the one of them is tthe day marcelino and simona were married with their little girl leysi areli and our beloved ward misionary leader BROTHER Rosendo, they look at him like their grandfather, and at me like their dad.

Marriage of Marcelino and Simona with brother Rosendo

WORN OUT SHOES!