I didn't write yesterday because there was no internet the whole day. There wasnt cellphone signal or internet and so we didn't have time till now to get on and send a quikck letter out. Supposedly the military took out all communication yesterday, thats what the people said and they say they do it when there´s "something up¨" but whatever.
It was nice to talk, and I don't have a mexican accent, you all just have a heavier Hick accent than what I have now, but I still got it. It's the chili pepper, beans, and tortillas that make you that way, and I like it. I am going to go through withdrawls when I go home, to not eat everything with tortilla.
We had a two hour block at church on Sunday, our branch pres. is out of town for the holidays and the card from the first presidency never got into the hands of the counselers here and so they didn't know and after a few members convinced them between sacrament meeting and sunday school they accepted to end services earlier. Hilda is going to be the new gospel principles teacher, she read the BoM before her baptism and so far has read gospel principles book, and Doctrine and Coventants, Im so excited for her, she´ll do great, really what we need in the service is a willing heart and an open mind and thats what she´s got. Marcelino was confirmed with the aronic priesthood on Sunday as well, how neat, Heston and him are "priesthood blood brothers". Marcelino is doing great, he is really taking to heart the importance of being the father to his daughter and husband to his wife that God wants him to be, its inspiring , and his little wife Simona is just content with the change she has seen in him. Today they were with us in a lesson with other members and a guy thats having problems with drugs and his childeren and Marcelino bore a strong personal testimony about the gospel and parenthood and stuff like that and the guy loved it. and i loved it.
We got a new ward missionary leader thats excited and wants to work, were excited for him and the success were having in the ward and the help from it and the progress of these converts and some other things coming up. Awhile back the branch pres. thanked me for helping him out and told me I've had a lot of patience for him and he likes it and told me I have a "gift of asking" ( maybe its the gift of being a brown noser, but it works and hes helped us help out alot of people, so it works)
We just have to love everyone and be patient with them and look past their problems of errors and help them help theirselves and others, without love and charity, we are nothing.
love you all have a great week.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 23, 2011
December 21
Marcelino and Simona got baptized on Saturday, Pres. Call was going to come, but his mother in law came down to visit them and she got sick and they couldnt travel with her, but everything worked out, my comp got to have his first chance to baptize someone and our good brother Rosendo baptized Marcelino. I've been modifying my philosophy about how to work the mission over the course of my mission and in my last area I started thinking that we should have the priesthood holders of the ward baptize the investigators to help them excersise their priesthood as well and so that the investigators create more friendship with them, so I've been looking to give those opportunities to members and we have a brother in the ward that was baptized last February and is really excited with the work and he helps us alot with lessons and investigators so weve been asking him to be the one to baptize the investigators and he just loves it, and stays excited. we call him "brother Rosendo" cause he calls us "brothers" instead of hermanos or elders. He is actually going to be our new ward missionary leader. our Pres. Rosas is helping us out alot in the branch.
Marcelino was interviewed the same day as his confirmacion to recieve the priesthood on Christmas day and our hna. Hilda that was baptized in November that read the bom in 3 weeks already read the gospel principles book and is reading doctrine and covenants and is going to be called the gospel principles teacher in the branch. I'm excited for them, they seem like really great converts and have great potencial to be good members of the church.
We might be eating Christmas eve with a ward family that invited us to come over and Christmas day is going to be about the same. Our church is going to be the whole block, were not going to slack off like some people in the states. We already had the mission christmas party and the branch christmas party they were both great, we had quite a few investigators in the branch party and I got a letter from Heston, one that Alan Thurber sent through dear elder, and Doug and Susan Hancock, and Saren, I loved reading them in the morning and Alan's made me cry, because I know its true.
Well I can't wait to talk to you all, I suggest that you make a list because I its going to be a fast 40 minutes. and the weather out here is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, it has maintained a pretty cold 80 degrees outside, but it might chill down a little bit in January.
Love you all, I hope that with all the love you have in your heart that you can share it with others and serve our Father and help His children come unto him.
Elder Hobbs
Marcelino was interviewed the same day as his confirmacion to recieve the priesthood on Christmas day and our hna. Hilda that was baptized in November that read the bom in 3 weeks already read the gospel principles book and is reading doctrine and covenants and is going to be called the gospel principles teacher in the branch. I'm excited for them, they seem like really great converts and have great potencial to be good members of the church.
We might be eating Christmas eve with a ward family that invited us to come over and Christmas day is going to be about the same. Our church is going to be the whole block, were not going to slack off like some people in the states. We already had the mission christmas party and the branch christmas party they were both great, we had quite a few investigators in the branch party and I got a letter from Heston, one that Alan Thurber sent through dear elder, and Doug and Susan Hancock, and Saren, I loved reading them in the morning and Alan's made me cry, because I know its true.
Well I can't wait to talk to you all, I suggest that you make a list because I its going to be a fast 40 minutes. and the weather out here is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, it has maintained a pretty cold 80 degrees outside, but it might chill down a little bit in January.
Love you all, I hope that with all the love you have in your heart that you can share it with others and serve our Father and help His children come unto him.
Elder Hobbs
Thursday, December 15, 2011
December 14
Heston sounds like he is living the life, maybe even better than those that are in high school, so Heston did turn 12 this year, When i get home, he´ll already be in the young mens program and passing the sacrament, when I left he was still a little boy and now he´s towting around his new beneli and hunting, ijoles time goes by. !!!!!!HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SAREN AND HESTON!!!!!!!! one year older for the both of them.
Thats weird to think that Tyler and Hayden are home, if you run into them, you could say hi. Kylee will be ending in like 4 months I think, in a little more than 6. it seems as if its almost the final countdown but not really. I remember how everyone in church in elders quorum and priesthood talk about missions, and when they were on missions and then Levi came home and always talked about his mission and there were lots of times I got sick of hearing about missions, but now a understand really well why, because its the most important decision of your life that molds you to become what your going to be through the eternities. Ive reflected alot lately, and its great, there is nothing more important you could do, all the liners about missions are true, its the best thing that you can do. I was reading in Mosiah 4 about how after being forgived of your sins, you have to serve others and God if you want to keep the remission of your sins, and if not, you cannot keep it, its impossible. There's so many miracles and things that happen that I couldn't write it all and its how you develop a faith for the truth that cant be broken. I love it
I've thought alot about the deal with Jake, I personaly would like to be home for a month before he goes out so then he could be like my first ´´son´´ to train when I get home.
We're going to have the baptism of Marcelino and Simona this Saturday, and Pres. and Hna. Call are going to come down to watch it and on Friday is the ward christmas party and Monday our mision christmas party for the zone.
Its a wonderful time of year, and a great time to serve others and to give back to our Father for everything that He has given us.
Thats weird to think that Tyler and Hayden are home, if you run into them, you could say hi. Kylee will be ending in like 4 months I think, in a little more than 6. it seems as if its almost the final countdown but not really. I remember how everyone in church in elders quorum and priesthood talk about missions, and when they were on missions and then Levi came home and always talked about his mission and there were lots of times I got sick of hearing about missions, but now a understand really well why, because its the most important decision of your life that molds you to become what your going to be through the eternities. Ive reflected alot lately, and its great, there is nothing more important you could do, all the liners about missions are true, its the best thing that you can do. I was reading in Mosiah 4 about how after being forgived of your sins, you have to serve others and God if you want to keep the remission of your sins, and if not, you cannot keep it, its impossible. There's so many miracles and things that happen that I couldn't write it all and its how you develop a faith for the truth that cant be broken. I love it
I've thought alot about the deal with Jake, I personaly would like to be home for a month before he goes out so then he could be like my first ´´son´´ to train when I get home.
We're going to have the baptism of Marcelino and Simona this Saturday, and Pres. and Hna. Call are going to come down to watch it and on Friday is the ward christmas party and Monday our mision christmas party for the zone.
Its a wonderful time of year, and a great time to serve others and to give back to our Father for everything that He has given us.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Dec. 7
Well what do you know, its Wednesday and im writing a letter again. Im still here in Tantoyuca. I knew one of us was getting a change and the arrow landed on Elder Beltran we had a good time together, he´ll be a good missionary. I went into Tampico on Friday, there I was acompanied by Elder Cook, and Elder Willmore, we had a small special training meeting with Pres. Call about Training other missionaries. There were 14 new missionaries that came in on the change and Pres. wanted to inform us a little about the program he wants us to train the young blood in the mission. the three of us got new comps fresh out of the oven from la CCM. My new comps name is Elder Fernandez, hes 18 and hes from Mexico State. By the way one of the worst parts of the mission is going on the bus rides and getting road sick, Tampico is 3 hrs from here.
We commited Marcelino and Simona to be baptized on the 17th, they´re going to be married this weekend or the first part of next week so they´ll be ready. We've taught them all the lessons and have memorized 7 or 8 scriptures in the book of mormon and are reading in 1 nefi 17 ish and have gone to church 5 times, theyre super excited, Marcelino has changed alot. The power of the Gospel is incredible when we allow it in our lives.
When we went to Tampico on Monday, the bus stopped in Panuco and I saw that my trainer Elder Bante was there sending another missionary off to Tampico, so I got off and talked to him a bit while we were waiting to leave, he is endinng his mission. Actually he got permisison and called me today after he had his interview with President Call, he´ll be home for Christmas this year, he´ll be home tommorow. He actually commented to me that one of our converts in Victoria is going to be getting married in January ish, and sealed in the Temple, shes marrying a return missionary that came home from the mish while we were there and was dating her and they waited the year so that she could go through the temple. I´ll be so excited to be able to attend.
The Branch council chose who the less active families theyre going to work with so theyre getting pretty excited to get on the plan here and gettin er done. And we didnt know that the christmas devocional was this weekend so weve watched and listened to some songs today in the internetd ciber. The phone call will be one of the days 24th 25th or 26th id prefer 24th or 25, maybe 25 more than 24 to call on the sunday. were going to have our zone christmas celebration the 19th in Huejutla with Pres. and Hna. Call. I love christmas time its awesome.
I love you all, you should come up with a christmas gift that you could give to Christ, like repent of your sins or something, or read the BoM before christmas or activate someone, or give up an addiction of diet coke or mtn dew
Elder Hobbs
We commited Marcelino and Simona to be baptized on the 17th, they´re going to be married this weekend or the first part of next week so they´ll be ready. We've taught them all the lessons and have memorized 7 or 8 scriptures in the book of mormon and are reading in 1 nefi 17 ish and have gone to church 5 times, theyre super excited, Marcelino has changed alot. The power of the Gospel is incredible when we allow it in our lives.
When we went to Tampico on Monday, the bus stopped in Panuco and I saw that my trainer Elder Bante was there sending another missionary off to Tampico, so I got off and talked to him a bit while we were waiting to leave, he is endinng his mission. Actually he got permisison and called me today after he had his interview with President Call, he´ll be home for Christmas this year, he´ll be home tommorow. He actually commented to me that one of our converts in Victoria is going to be getting married in January ish, and sealed in the Temple, shes marrying a return missionary that came home from the mish while we were there and was dating her and they waited the year so that she could go through the temple. I´ll be so excited to be able to attend.
The Branch council chose who the less active families theyre going to work with so theyre getting pretty excited to get on the plan here and gettin er done. And we didnt know that the christmas devocional was this weekend so weve watched and listened to some songs today in the internetd ciber. The phone call will be one of the days 24th 25th or 26th id prefer 24th or 25, maybe 25 more than 24 to call on the sunday. were going to have our zone christmas celebration the 19th in Huejutla with Pres. and Hna. Call. I love christmas time its awesome.
I love you all, you should come up with a christmas gift that you could give to Christ, like repent of your sins or something, or read the BoM before christmas or activate someone, or give up an addiction of diet coke or mtn dew
Elder Hobbs
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Nov. 30th
We had a good week, Ive been reading in the Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Smith and Ive liked it alot, I{ve been really focused lately, I've loved it.
I complete 17 months today, which means I have 7 months left to be a full time missionary, thats weird, I imagine that when I go home it will be like I never did leave the house, but not being the same person I was speaking spanish. Its weird to think that even 50 year old madres change and have improvement in their lives, let alone 20 year old niños.
Marcelino and Simona are progressing well, they almost have all their paper work worked out for their wedding, I dont think that they're going to recieve the elaborated wedding as of the one in WW3, but they´ll be married and later make and the eternal covenant of baptism with God, thats what counts. They´re so excited, This will be the best thing they've ever done in their lives, its going to be completely changed spiritually and socially and economically. Hilda was talking with them in church, and being new convert doesnt understand everything but has a good idea about the Gospel and she´s telling them now that they need to be baptised and go to the temple in a year to get married by the church so she can see como se casan en la Iglesia. I feel as if they are my children, we tell them to do things, read things, and they do it and they look at us as if we were their lighthouse in the dark sea that theyve been sailing. Hilda is bringing her son to church and wants him to be baptised, and he does as well , its just a question of geting the lessons in and he reads and goes to church.
We have the first Branch Missionaries that Tantoyuca has ever seen, and a few are really excited to work and to get things done, we're gaining confidence with the Branch Pres., hes been supporting our planes and actions and says hes going to help us out with the plan that we made for the converts and menos activos.
Im just scared that changes might take me away on monday, and I´m not going to see all the fruits of my labors, but if not, its fine, I´ll trust in God that it will all be for good and that the work will go on here in Tantoyuca if Im here or not.
love you all, read your scriptures and have a great week.
Elder Hobbs
I complete 17 months today, which means I have 7 months left to be a full time missionary, thats weird, I imagine that when I go home it will be like I never did leave the house, but not being the same person I was speaking spanish. Its weird to think that even 50 year old madres change and have improvement in their lives, let alone 20 year old niños.
Marcelino and Simona are progressing well, they almost have all their paper work worked out for their wedding, I dont think that they're going to recieve the elaborated wedding as of the one in WW3, but they´ll be married and later make and the eternal covenant of baptism with God, thats what counts. They´re so excited, This will be the best thing they've ever done in their lives, its going to be completely changed spiritually and socially and economically. Hilda was talking with them in church, and being new convert doesnt understand everything but has a good idea about the Gospel and she´s telling them now that they need to be baptised and go to the temple in a year to get married by the church so she can see como se casan en la Iglesia. I feel as if they are my children, we tell them to do things, read things, and they do it and they look at us as if we were their lighthouse in the dark sea that theyve been sailing. Hilda is bringing her son to church and wants him to be baptised, and he does as well , its just a question of geting the lessons in and he reads and goes to church.
We have the first Branch Missionaries that Tantoyuca has ever seen, and a few are really excited to work and to get things done, we're gaining confidence with the Branch Pres., hes been supporting our planes and actions and says hes going to help us out with the plan that we made for the converts and menos activos.
Im just scared that changes might take me away on monday, and I´m not going to see all the fruits of my labors, but if not, its fine, I´ll trust in God that it will all be for good and that the work will go on here in Tantoyuca if Im here or not.
love you all, read your scriptures and have a great week.
Elder Hobbs
Monday, November 28, 2011
November 23
Hello family
We had an alright week, we are starting to see more activity from ward members, they're helping out more, were excited that a while back we made the ward missionary plan for the activation and retention and the ward missionary leader liked it and we presented to the Branch Pres. and he approved it and it will be coming into effect this next week, weve been preparing a few things for it and see how it goes.
We have another little couple were preparing for baptism, we need to marry them first and we are still on that. The guy is 23 and has had a really rough life with drugs and alcohol and gang activity but now has cleaned up alot, in the two or three weeks since we taught him the word of wisdom he drank a beer and said he felt really bad about it but thats a huge change in itself for him with how he was before, its amazing to see the power of the Book of Mormon in the lives of others when they read it, him and his wife read it well, and theyve gone to church 3 times and go to the rama activity were they put on videos of the talks from general conference in the church and they really like it all. The guys name is Marcelino and his pareja is Simona and they have a little cute 3 yr old thats named Lacy Areli, and she is so happy and they really want her to grow up in a better environment than what they've seen, and theyre fighting for it.
We're encouraged to teach 1 inactive family at a time in the mission because there are so many everywhere n the mission and there´s a little inactive guy ,Rosendo, thats about 55 ish thats been a member for 20 some odd years, his girls served missions and they and his wife are endowned but hes always been inactive. The wife feeds us every Tuesday and little over a month ago we just started teaching him, he´s gone to church and he started reading the book of mormon now and started from the begining and is now reading in Mosiah 15 ish and is activating and saying hes got to endure to the end because "he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints" Hes the only inactive that I've taught in the mission that seems to have a sincere desire with the actions to reactivate in the church, I'm excited for him he is a really nice guy.
The Gospel changes lives, the mission helps us gain a real testimony about it and the Book of Mormon, through real close up experience, thats what im grateful for, like in the "Teachings of the Prophets Joseph Smith" says that we should be happy and honored to have the privelage to be tried and suffer for the Cause of Christ, because thats how we gain our salvation.
Im not so sure if anything will be done for Thanksgiving day, I might buy a snack or eat an orange like Elder Cook and I did last year. We had a leadership training meeting with our zone and the President Call and assitantes and I talked a little with Elder Cook about the football boys.
love you all
Elder Hobbs
We had an alright week, we are starting to see more activity from ward members, they're helping out more, were excited that a while back we made the ward missionary plan for the activation and retention and the ward missionary leader liked it and we presented to the Branch Pres. and he approved it and it will be coming into effect this next week, weve been preparing a few things for it and see how it goes.
We have another little couple were preparing for baptism, we need to marry them first and we are still on that. The guy is 23 and has had a really rough life with drugs and alcohol and gang activity but now has cleaned up alot, in the two or three weeks since we taught him the word of wisdom he drank a beer and said he felt really bad about it but thats a huge change in itself for him with how he was before, its amazing to see the power of the Book of Mormon in the lives of others when they read it, him and his wife read it well, and theyve gone to church 3 times and go to the rama activity were they put on videos of the talks from general conference in the church and they really like it all. The guys name is Marcelino and his pareja is Simona and they have a little cute 3 yr old thats named Lacy Areli, and she is so happy and they really want her to grow up in a better environment than what they've seen, and theyre fighting for it.
We're encouraged to teach 1 inactive family at a time in the mission because there are so many everywhere n the mission and there´s a little inactive guy ,Rosendo, thats about 55 ish thats been a member for 20 some odd years, his girls served missions and they and his wife are endowned but hes always been inactive. The wife feeds us every Tuesday and little over a month ago we just started teaching him, he´s gone to church and he started reading the book of mormon now and started from the begining and is now reading in Mosiah 15 ish and is activating and saying hes got to endure to the end because "he is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints" Hes the only inactive that I've taught in the mission that seems to have a sincere desire with the actions to reactivate in the church, I'm excited for him he is a really nice guy.
The Gospel changes lives, the mission helps us gain a real testimony about it and the Book of Mormon, through real close up experience, thats what im grateful for, like in the "Teachings of the Prophets Joseph Smith" says that we should be happy and honored to have the privelage to be tried and suffer for the Cause of Christ, because thats how we gain our salvation.
Im not so sure if anything will be done for Thanksgiving day, I might buy a snack or eat an orange like Elder Cook and I did last year. We had a leadership training meeting with our zone and the President Call and assitantes and I talked a little with Elder Cook about the football boys.
love you all
Elder Hobbs
Friday, November 18, 2011
November 16th
Our baptism worked on Saturday it was great. There were quite a few members there some hnas gave some talks and we sang a special musical number and their is a young teenager in the ward that is really good at playing the guitar and he played the guitar and we sang nearer my God to thee. and Hilda shared her testimonio after and it was awesome to the point where she was quoting scriptures from memory in her testiomony. She has a son that is 19 his name is David and he went and really liked it and she has been asking us things about the mission cuz she wants to send him on one, and we were in the hallway and she asked us with him there present if he were to read the homework we gave him how long it would be until he could be baptized and i said the most soon would be 3rd of december and she said well, we´ll work on that and he shook his head yes. she also has other references that she wants us to teach. Im so grateful to have known her, everyone is asombrado over this experience, the misionaris in our zone, and even Pres. Call about how she read the book of mormon and guia de estudio de las escrituras in a 3 weeks. So thats a planch for you all being members, you all that have been members all your life and its hard to read the book of mormon in a year, she read it in three weeks and works full time is a teacher and has 3 kids.
We have another couple that were preparing for baptism, were going to marry them here in the next week or two and they'll be ready. They complete really well with their compromisos and go to church quite a bit.
and yes im recieving the missionary updates. shoes are holding out, and clothes as well.
i just seen Elder Cook on Monday at the zone conference, he's doing great and he talked alot about the football, I imagine he's going to try to convince me that it was a cheat that Fremont won, but good thing you told me no. Jake just needs to be humble and pray alot and read the scriptures to know how to win his game, thats awesome that hes doing so good and that Fremont is winning. Isn't it interesting that now that the old coach left and now Fremont football is starting to be better each year since. It's like the book of mormon, when there's crappy leaders, theres crappy results that is one of the many things I'm learning on the mission. There's so many things that you learn if you accept the will of God and study and work its like im not even the same anymore.
Well I love you all have a great week,
bye
Elder Hobbs
We have another couple that were preparing for baptism, were going to marry them here in the next week or two and they'll be ready. They complete really well with their compromisos and go to church quite a bit.
and yes im recieving the missionary updates. shoes are holding out, and clothes as well.
i just seen Elder Cook on Monday at the zone conference, he's doing great and he talked alot about the football, I imagine he's going to try to convince me that it was a cheat that Fremont won, but good thing you told me no. Jake just needs to be humble and pray alot and read the scriptures to know how to win his game, thats awesome that hes doing so good and that Fremont is winning. Isn't it interesting that now that the old coach left and now Fremont football is starting to be better each year since. It's like the book of mormon, when there's crappy leaders, theres crappy results that is one of the many things I'm learning on the mission. There's so many things that you learn if you accept the will of God and study and work its like im not even the same anymore.
Well I love you all have a great week,
bye
Elder Hobbs
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