Hey everyone, it's so good to be back here writing you all again and it's been a good week for us for the most part. Many good experiences happened this week and we are really working hard. I am excited for this new transfer. As i'm writing to you all in a library it's dark and cloudy outside and it's cold ha man i can just feel the cold coming yikes! haha but maryland weather is crazy i asked for long sleeve shirts cause it was gettting cold and i haven't worn one yet cause it was like 80 degrees and sunny and hot this week. haha maryland to put it short is just....different. but i love it and we are having a good time in the DIrty. Thank you all for the letters and the packages this week i was fed this week with letters and that was so so sweet. Thanks mom and dad for your letters they were the best and the shirts momma! I got a package from the young's in the ward mom and dad our home teachers. they went me a bunch of halloween stuff that was really nice of them make sure to thank them for me. and thanks to my pen pals those letters were the best this week. People are going all out here for halloween it's crazy how big of a deal it is out here. Every house is decked out and decorated it's really crazy i'll take some pictures of some of these houses and get them to ya.
Well this week we worked a lot with alan and teaching him so that he could get the priesthood. He passed yesterday and will be confirmed next sunday! Man that kid is such a stud you guys have no idea. Ha we had a member from glen burnie feed us this big black family and they just stuffed us full of spaghetti and bread and then we went over to alans house and his mom had made us authentic mexican carne asada tacos! Man i must have gained ten pounds just that night. I wasn't hungry at all and she just kept bringing more and more and mroe food i could barely hold it down. ha new rule for me and elder caballero, when we have alan we can't eat dinner because we went last night and same exact thing happened how a member fed us and then went to his house and his mom had a huge meal. I guess i can't complain though right haha But i'm so happy when were with alan because he just has a testimony and we watched Mountain of the Lord with him and have been talking a lot about the temple. One of my favorite things to talk about! But he's a stud and i can't wiat till you get to meet him one day, because i know that he'll be around for a while.
Well this week was a bit of a struggle as far as teaching and getting investigators to church. This is two weeks in a row that we haven't gotten any to church and it's really tuff, because when we invite them they ask if it's in spanish and we have to say no but we translate and that turns a lot of them away, and we really need to start working with the members that are spanish. we have two big families that never come and they are turning into our number one priority because unitl they start coming we'll never be able to start a spanish branch and we need one badly! So that's our big goal this week is to get the members who are less active back and coming to church because without them the investigators don't any support system to see that other espanos are there are listening with their head phones too ha.
This week with Luis was tuff he got into some financial trouble with some people and couldn't meet with us and said that he was gonna come to church because we wanted to baptize him in 2 weeks if he came for the next 2 sundays and he didn't show up. It's getting tuff with him because when we are there he's great and happy and excited and then we leave and he forgets so we need to do better at seeing him more often. Elder Caballero and i have so much work to do and have so many people that we need to contact alot like alan and luis and the less active members but we can do it. We haven't found a lot of people in glen burnie because we usually go out in different areas but as of lately we have been finding more and more and it's been great. We have an appt tonight with a lady that we think were gonna commit her to be baptized tonight! And elder caballero when he was on exchanges on sat. found another lady that seems promising. We have lots of people that will listen to us it's just getting that return appt.but were gonna get these people to baptism no doubts it's just gonan take some time and paciencia, which the mission is teaching me haha.
This week i went on an exchange with elder bankhead the AP. He was the one that i got to talk to first thing wehn i got here and i love the guy! He's 24 years old lives in provo and is almost done with school and just decided later that the mission was for him and he's here. He's the most loving person i think that i have ever met, and we had a great exchange. Where the Ap's live is the same area as us up in brooklyn park and that area is just a really poor area.We had a few appts up there and there were a few members that we went and visited. I think i've seen some of the most poverty in my life up here and these people are the most humble people. They have nothign and ya they make choices that don't help them out but to see elder bankhead go into one of those houses and just love the people was a amazing to see. These little girls just came up to him and swarmed him haha it was a good lesson on loving the people that's for sure! His area also covers part of baltimore so i got to drive right by the city for the first time that i have been here and see camden yards and the bay and all that good stuff. That was pretty sweet to finally see what i had been looking at on the internet for the past 3 months. It's really cool though to go on exchanges with these guys because i've learned a lot on the type of missionary that i want to be and the things that i need to get there. Elder bankhead talked to me about what he would suggest for me to do for the rest of my mision and i lvoed what he told me. He was like don't let other people do it for ya, be a go getter and be the solution to a problem. Figure things out and always try to find a solution and i really liked that. we got told a quote by elder robbins who said "problem=gold mine" and it's that mentality that is key out here especially for elder caballero and i for the spanish and the ward.
Yesterday was a sweet fast sunday though we did a apartment fast and i really feel that the things that we fasted for were so good and the lord is gonna help us out. We live with two other great elders and we are trying to get the ward behind us and get their support. We are trying to do a night at the chruch where we will bring investigators to the church and members come too and we teach and so the members will get a hang of what we do and then when we ask them to come teach with us they wont be so affraid, and i think that we can get this going and that it will turn out good for us if we can be persistent with us, ha you gotta learn how to be persistent in the Dirty. But that's somethign else that we are workign on. The espanol is going ok we are doing our best to talk more while we are together and i am learning more and more it just takes time and i am figuring out that i am getting way better at understanding it so that's the best feeling. I just gotta open my dang mouth more haha.
Well fam this is it another letter and i'm out ha i love you all so much and i hope you have had a great week. I'm glad to hear your ok Bell and i know that your driving the truck for a reason:) i love you bell. And once again congrats nick and jess i lov eyou both and am so happy for you two. I'm gonna be a sweet uncle that's all i can say! I love you all this gospel is amazing and yesterday as i bore my testimony is church about conference and this happiness that we have, man we have it all and i am so happy that i'm apart of this. I love you all so much, thanks for the letters again everyone and pen pals. Have a great week and i'll be just fine in the Dirty no worries! Les amo
Elder Hammer
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
{family}
Hey family,
Wow what an amazing weekend this has been and what an amazing week this has been as well. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have the apostles and prophets speak wow that was absolutley amazing! Thank you all for your letters this week! I can't tell you enough how much they mean to me. Thanks mitzie, t bone and grandma hafen. Happy birthday today grandma hafen and linda and grandpa on sat and lindsey tomorrow wow my best wishes to all of you! Thank you thank you.
Well the good news is that i am staying in glen burnie with elder caballero! We got called last night and they let us know. We are one of the only missions that has an actual transfer meeting. and they call this time Transfermania! because they just call you and say your leaving or staying and that's it. and then you find out when you get to transfer meeting. They do that so all the gossip and stuff throughout the mission doesn't happen and stuff and so the next few days you can still work! But wow what a blessing it has been to have elder caballero and i am so happy i get another transfer with him! I wasn't exactly ready to get out and start going through this area all by myself haha but i know the lord knows that i needed at least one more with him. But pres belliston was telling us that the prophet instructed him that the average should be 6 months in an area so i think i'm gonna be in the DIRTY for a while ha we call it glen dirty.
What an amazing conference it was this weekend! Ican't believe the things that we were taught and how different conference is watching it from a church than up in pine valley haha i couldn't help but think of you all up in pine valley watching conference together but thats alright cause it'll all be there when i get back!I would have to say that this conference was one of my favorites i think it's just because my mind is a little different on this kind of stuff and i realize what a blessing it is to have conference and to listen to these great men. I can't even say enough about them all. But i think the two things that i picked out the most was LOVE and Personal Revelation and the spirit. It is so amazing that of all those things that love something so basic is what was portrayed. I know that love is all we can do. If people don't know we love them then why would they join this church so thats somethign i need to work on the most. But wow Jeffrey R. Holland wow is all i can say. He should be the prophet haha I couldn't wait to here from here and yes i had some tears as he talked about joseph and hyrum and going to the book of mormon in their final hours together. That was so deep and i loved that. And then i loved the priesthood session with henry b eyring and being prepared, this last week we gave a blessing to this man from ft smallwood branch the other ward we are over and it just made me really realize what was important and to always be prepared but i loved it. I could go on and on talking about conference but there is other stuff i want to talk about but wow we are so blessed i can't say that enough.
Well this week was a really tuff week for us, we didn't have a lot of lessons and we were doing a lot of knocking! We are started to see some investigators that are fallign off and just wont answer there doors, there will be some that will see us through the window and still now answer, crazy stuff ha but that's alright we just keep pushign on i guess right? But when appointments feell through this week is when we were able to have the most success! We went to an appointment one mornign the lady said she could only do it then during our study time so we went and she stiffed us, so we went over to these guys near by and started talkign with them. One of them's name was saul and he talked to us for about an hour! It was such a cool conversation. He has epilepsy and he just told us his whole story how he became a catholic and what jesus christ has been in his life, and then the fun part happened. We started to teach him. And he asked that question that you always love to hear "well then why are there so many churches out there, which one is true then" that's when you as dad would say "put the foot on the throttle" haha and then we just went on to say this is our message to the world that there is a true church and because of the apostacy there are so many that just ahve parts of the truth but not the whole truth. Man he could just see it in his eyes. I am so excited about him and we are gonna go back this week and teach him.
And then another cool experience we were walking and we saw this lady and her son about 15 years old and there daughter and we gave them a pass along card and didn't think much of it. two days later we were knocking and we knocked at there house. It was so cool we sat there and talked to them for an hour on there doorstep and they are just so poor and have nothing they have lived here for 6 months in america from mexico they don't know any english but they are just making it and the gospel is what they need! The Lord really jsut places people in our paths and i can't believe it that more and more we work the more he helps us out. There really is nothign better than work that's for sure! nothing is better!
As we start this new transfer i am so excited. This whole time i have been kinda walking in the shadow of elder caballero and i want to walk side by side with him this transfer. I want to speak more spanish do more teaching and just get immersed in it. I have 6 weeks experience and the only way to progress is to get more into it. I am so excited for this time and this new transfer.
I am so happy right now where we are at and the work we have ahead of us man i just am pumped for the road ahead. I love you all so much. Thank you all so much for your love and support i love you tons! Have the best week and know that elder hammer is doing great i love you all thanks for the letters from everyone and my pen pals. i love you!
Con mucho amor,
Elder hammer
Wow what an amazing weekend this has been and what an amazing week this has been as well. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have the apostles and prophets speak wow that was absolutley amazing! Thank you all for your letters this week! I can't tell you enough how much they mean to me. Thanks mitzie, t bone and grandma hafen. Happy birthday today grandma hafen and linda and grandpa on sat and lindsey tomorrow wow my best wishes to all of you! Thank you thank you.
Well the good news is that i am staying in glen burnie with elder caballero! We got called last night and they let us know. We are one of the only missions that has an actual transfer meeting. and they call this time Transfermania! because they just call you and say your leaving or staying and that's it. and then you find out when you get to transfer meeting. They do that so all the gossip and stuff throughout the mission doesn't happen and stuff and so the next few days you can still work! But wow what a blessing it has been to have elder caballero and i am so happy i get another transfer with him! I wasn't exactly ready to get out and start going through this area all by myself haha but i know the lord knows that i needed at least one more with him. But pres belliston was telling us that the prophet instructed him that the average should be 6 months in an area so i think i'm gonna be in the DIRTY for a while ha we call it glen dirty.
What an amazing conference it was this weekend! Ican't believe the things that we were taught and how different conference is watching it from a church than up in pine valley haha i couldn't help but think of you all up in pine valley watching conference together but thats alright cause it'll all be there when i get back!I would have to say that this conference was one of my favorites i think it's just because my mind is a little different on this kind of stuff and i realize what a blessing it is to have conference and to listen to these great men. I can't even say enough about them all. But i think the two things that i picked out the most was LOVE and Personal Revelation and the spirit. It is so amazing that of all those things that love something so basic is what was portrayed. I know that love is all we can do. If people don't know we love them then why would they join this church so thats somethign i need to work on the most. But wow Jeffrey R. Holland wow is all i can say. He should be the prophet haha I couldn't wait to here from here and yes i had some tears as he talked about joseph and hyrum and going to the book of mormon in their final hours together. That was so deep and i loved that. And then i loved the priesthood session with henry b eyring and being prepared, this last week we gave a blessing to this man from ft smallwood branch the other ward we are over and it just made me really realize what was important and to always be prepared but i loved it. I could go on and on talking about conference but there is other stuff i want to talk about but wow we are so blessed i can't say that enough.
Well this week was a really tuff week for us, we didn't have a lot of lessons and we were doing a lot of knocking! We are started to see some investigators that are fallign off and just wont answer there doors, there will be some that will see us through the window and still now answer, crazy stuff ha but that's alright we just keep pushign on i guess right? But when appointments feell through this week is when we were able to have the most success! We went to an appointment one mornign the lady said she could only do it then during our study time so we went and she stiffed us, so we went over to these guys near by and started talkign with them. One of them's name was saul and he talked to us for about an hour! It was such a cool conversation. He has epilepsy and he just told us his whole story how he became a catholic and what jesus christ has been in his life, and then the fun part happened. We started to teach him. And he asked that question that you always love to hear "well then why are there so many churches out there, which one is true then" that's when you as dad would say "put the foot on the throttle" haha and then we just went on to say this is our message to the world that there is a true church and because of the apostacy there are so many that just ahve parts of the truth but not the whole truth. Man he could just see it in his eyes. I am so excited about him and we are gonna go back this week and teach him.
And then another cool experience we were walking and we saw this lady and her son about 15 years old and there daughter and we gave them a pass along card and didn't think much of it. two days later we were knocking and we knocked at there house. It was so cool we sat there and talked to them for an hour on there doorstep and they are just so poor and have nothing they have lived here for 6 months in america from mexico they don't know any english but they are just making it and the gospel is what they need! The Lord really jsut places people in our paths and i can't believe it that more and more we work the more he helps us out. There really is nothign better than work that's for sure! nothing is better!
As we start this new transfer i am so excited. This whole time i have been kinda walking in the shadow of elder caballero and i want to walk side by side with him this transfer. I want to speak more spanish do more teaching and just get immersed in it. I have 6 weeks experience and the only way to progress is to get more into it. I am so excited for this time and this new transfer.
I am so happy right now where we are at and the work we have ahead of us man i just am pumped for the road ahead. I love you all so much. Thank you all so much for your love and support i love you tons! Have the best week and know that elder hammer is doing great i love you all thanks for the letters from everyone and my pen pals. i love you!
Con mucho amor,
Elder hammer
elder martillo
Hello family!
What an amazing week this has been! I can't believe it has come and gone and i have learned so much and am so excited to tell you all about it. Thank you all so much for your emails and for your love i can always feel the love from the family. Thank you mom for all the post cards from hawaii and jace thanks for the letter too! Thank you grandma and grandpa hammer for that wonderful card and the money and the stamps and gift card thank you so much! And thank you grandma hafen for writing me about the rodeo. Man i can't beleive it's already rodeo time and now it's come and gone haha but thank you all and thanks to my pen pals too!
Well this weekend was the baptism and that was such a sweet sweet experience i don't thin i am going to have enough email time ha to put down into words how i was feeling this weekend and of the things that happened. Man it went so well and i just am so happy and yes alan gonzalez is a confirmed member of the church! Well saturday was a crazy day we had a lot to do to prepare for the baptism and i just wanted it to be perfect. so most of saturday was all about calling and inviting people, making sure those that had assignments remembered and filling up the font, setting up chairs, we had a video presentation etc... But i just wanted it to be so perfect for him. He had his whole family coming who are all non members and i knew that if we could impress him and his parents and family with the spirtiual experience of the baptism that it would be just great. Well one of our speakers bailed on us for something and so we couldn't find anyone to speak on the Holy Ghost, so yours truly did the talk on the holy ghost at his baptism. I was more than happy to do it and i was actually really excited because i knew that i could say some things that others might not say or would say. So i had a little preparing to do for the talk so i did that, and saturday we actually went on exchanges with our district leader elder seegmiller who lives with us. So i went with him and his companion went with elder caballero, so on the day of the baptism elder caballero and i weren't together until about 4 in the afternoon haha that was kind of interesting but i guess that's the blessing of having a cell phone out here. The four of us were all working on this baptism together so it was really good. So the person too that was gonna bring refreshments also bailed on us so thats why there's a ten dollar charge at wal-mart mom. I couldn't stand not having something there for him and his family so we went out and got some cookies and drinks so that after there was a good treat for everybody. Sorry mom i hope that was ok, it was for a good cause though haha. So we got to the baptism pretty early to set everything up and get everythgin going and everything went really smoothe and it all worked out for the best. He showed up at about 5 45 when we had asked him to come at about 5 15 which was totally fine because it started at 6 so we had plenty of time. haha that was until his family didn't show up till about 6 30 haha so we had a lot of prelude music and plenty of time to take pictures, but we weren't gonna start this thing without his family there. But we had a great time. The baptism went so well and this lady from our ward named sister crites who is just a gem! recent convert and would do anythign spoke on baptism and just shared her testimony and was in tears and yeah it was a spiritual experience listening to her and i know that some of the things she said were exactly what alan needed to hear as well as his family too. He comes from a catholic family and they aren't active they just say they are catholic so we are really hoping to not only see alan progress but get his family on board as well! Then was the time for the baptism and that went great Alan is about 5'3'' just about the size of another small person i know haha so we didn't have to fill up the font very high to get him under, but elder caballero did really well and first time was a success. Ha alan was so nervous before the baptism because he only had on black briefs under and he was nervous everyone would see so man after he was up out of the water he jetted out of that font haha it was funny but no one noticed but he came out after changing and just had the biggest smile on and i could tell that he was just a happy happy person. And then it was my turn to speak. I held it together really really well only a few tears and i was pretty proud of myself ha i'm such a boob and i held it together really well so i was happy about that. But after experiencing this baptism and talking on the Holy Ghost it really made me look at myself in the mirror and remember those convenants that i made that day and it all is just becoming to be more and more and more important to me. Along this whole ride with alan we have been teaching him and teaching him but i think the person who is learning and growing the most is me! It's really wierd how that works like that but it does and i am so happy that that is happening! But the baptism was a success for sure, he got up and bore his testimony and cried up there about how tuff his life has been and how he had to learn on his own, and it ripped me up a little because i am so glad that i have never felt alone and no matter what happens from here on out he has his savior and he has this gospel and that is the best part of the whole thing this weekend is that he now is on the path for him, and his family and his families family. I remember talking with someone about seeing that first person baptized and seeing that smile and joy and seeing that happiness and seeing the joy, and it couldn't have been any better. I tried to imagine it that day and i didn't understand at all what this day would actually be like, it was amazing absolutely amazing. Then in sacrament the yesterday i got to confirm him a member of the church and give him the holy ghost. wow what a cool experience that was. I will never forget that day standing up there with alan and him asking me to do that amazing thing. I am so grateful that i got to do that. Words really can't describe it! It really is the coolest thing in the world to see that happen to someone and just know that change that's gonna come from it. And the part that makes me the most excited is that i wanna see that day when alan is serving and doing the same thing that i am doing right now.
And to top that off we had zone conference this week and elder robbins from the first quorum of the sventy was there this whole week with president belliston and wow i learned a lot. We had zone conference on friday and you come out of those things just fired up to get out to work and it was a really cool learning experience listen to him to talk to us for 4 hours and not loosign a breathe. And his wife talked to us as well about not being a casual missionary, and i think that was my favorite part because she said a quote that being sensual and casual is the same thing, because you've already lowered your guard. And i loved that quote so much because really satan works hard out here and he just wants to get you at every angle and little by little and it's sad to see because he gets a lot of missionaries but it's not gonna be that way for me! I can't tell you enough how easy it is to be obedient out here like i really struggle when people tlak about disobedient elders cause i just dont' get how you can be like that, and i am not sayign i'm perfect by all means i am far from that but the rules are seriously what make or break you as a missionary and i can already see that in just one short month of being here. But we have had such an amazing weekend, we have been so blessed to have a general authority in our midst and to have a person like that teach and instruct us was great. He told us one thing that has been stuck in my mind now for a while and that was "That black badge is your license to open up your mouth, not only should you do that, but you have to do that" and i loved that because sometimes i get a little affraid to tlak to some people but there is people all over we gotta talk to them all. President and sister belliston are so amazing and they can talk for two minutes and you can be spiritually overwhelmed! I love president belliston with all my heart, man that guy is a giant! I can't say it enough how blessed i am to be here at this time teaching and talking to this people. Everything happens for a reason and i know that this week was prepared long before i ever came to this earth as well as other weeks to come and i know that more baptisms are on the horizon. We have to get this message to these people because they are lost because they don't know where to find it.
Well i know that there wasn't much else besides that but that pretty much consumed my thoughts for the week haha i am so happy and so blessed to be here and i am so excited to see what else we can get done this week. I love you all so much and i am so grateful for your prayers and for all of your love! I know that you all are praying for me and i feel that love everyday and i am so thankful to you all. I am so excited for conference this weekend and i can't wait to talk about that next week with you all. Thanks for all your letters and me pen pals! Have an amazing week and know that i love you all so much and i love this work.
Tenga buena semana!
Les amo
Elder Martillo
What an amazing week this has been! I can't believe it has come and gone and i have learned so much and am so excited to tell you all about it. Thank you all so much for your emails and for your love i can always feel the love from the family. Thank you mom for all the post cards from hawaii and jace thanks for the letter too! Thank you grandma and grandpa hammer for that wonderful card and the money and the stamps and gift card thank you so much! And thank you grandma hafen for writing me about the rodeo. Man i can't beleive it's already rodeo time and now it's come and gone haha but thank you all and thanks to my pen pals too!
Well this weekend was the baptism and that was such a sweet sweet experience i don't thin i am going to have enough email time ha to put down into words how i was feeling this weekend and of the things that happened. Man it went so well and i just am so happy and yes alan gonzalez is a confirmed member of the church! Well saturday was a crazy day we had a lot to do to prepare for the baptism and i just wanted it to be perfect. so most of saturday was all about calling and inviting people, making sure those that had assignments remembered and filling up the font, setting up chairs, we had a video presentation etc... But i just wanted it to be so perfect for him. He had his whole family coming who are all non members and i knew that if we could impress him and his parents and family with the spirtiual experience of the baptism that it would be just great. Well one of our speakers bailed on us for something and so we couldn't find anyone to speak on the Holy Ghost, so yours truly did the talk on the holy ghost at his baptism. I was more than happy to do it and i was actually really excited because i knew that i could say some things that others might not say or would say. So i had a little preparing to do for the talk so i did that, and saturday we actually went on exchanges with our district leader elder seegmiller who lives with us. So i went with him and his companion went with elder caballero, so on the day of the baptism elder caballero and i weren't together until about 4 in the afternoon haha that was kind of interesting but i guess that's the blessing of having a cell phone out here. The four of us were all working on this baptism together so it was really good. So the person too that was gonna bring refreshments also bailed on us so thats why there's a ten dollar charge at wal-mart mom. I couldn't stand not having something there for him and his family so we went out and got some cookies and drinks so that after there was a good treat for everybody. Sorry mom i hope that was ok, it was for a good cause though haha. So we got to the baptism pretty early to set everything up and get everythgin going and everything went really smoothe and it all worked out for the best. He showed up at about 5 45 when we had asked him to come at about 5 15 which was totally fine because it started at 6 so we had plenty of time. haha that was until his family didn't show up till about 6 30 haha so we had a lot of prelude music and plenty of time to take pictures, but we weren't gonna start this thing without his family there. But we had a great time. The baptism went so well and this lady from our ward named sister crites who is just a gem! recent convert and would do anythign spoke on baptism and just shared her testimony and was in tears and yeah it was a spiritual experience listening to her and i know that some of the things she said were exactly what alan needed to hear as well as his family too. He comes from a catholic family and they aren't active they just say they are catholic so we are really hoping to not only see alan progress but get his family on board as well! Then was the time for the baptism and that went great Alan is about 5'3'' just about the size of another small person i know haha so we didn't have to fill up the font very high to get him under, but elder caballero did really well and first time was a success. Ha alan was so nervous before the baptism because he only had on black briefs under and he was nervous everyone would see so man after he was up out of the water he jetted out of that font haha it was funny but no one noticed but he came out after changing and just had the biggest smile on and i could tell that he was just a happy happy person. And then it was my turn to speak. I held it together really really well only a few tears and i was pretty proud of myself ha i'm such a boob and i held it together really well so i was happy about that. But after experiencing this baptism and talking on the Holy Ghost it really made me look at myself in the mirror and remember those convenants that i made that day and it all is just becoming to be more and more and more important to me. Along this whole ride with alan we have been teaching him and teaching him but i think the person who is learning and growing the most is me! It's really wierd how that works like that but it does and i am so happy that that is happening! But the baptism was a success for sure, he got up and bore his testimony and cried up there about how tuff his life has been and how he had to learn on his own, and it ripped me up a little because i am so glad that i have never felt alone and no matter what happens from here on out he has his savior and he has this gospel and that is the best part of the whole thing this weekend is that he now is on the path for him, and his family and his families family. I remember talking with someone about seeing that first person baptized and seeing that smile and joy and seeing that happiness and seeing the joy, and it couldn't have been any better. I tried to imagine it that day and i didn't understand at all what this day would actually be like, it was amazing absolutely amazing. Then in sacrament the yesterday i got to confirm him a member of the church and give him the holy ghost. wow what a cool experience that was. I will never forget that day standing up there with alan and him asking me to do that amazing thing. I am so grateful that i got to do that. Words really can't describe it! It really is the coolest thing in the world to see that happen to someone and just know that change that's gonna come from it. And the part that makes me the most excited is that i wanna see that day when alan is serving and doing the same thing that i am doing right now.
And to top that off we had zone conference this week and elder robbins from the first quorum of the sventy was there this whole week with president belliston and wow i learned a lot. We had zone conference on friday and you come out of those things just fired up to get out to work and it was a really cool learning experience listen to him to talk to us for 4 hours and not loosign a breathe. And his wife talked to us as well about not being a casual missionary, and i think that was my favorite part because she said a quote that being sensual and casual is the same thing, because you've already lowered your guard. And i loved that quote so much because really satan works hard out here and he just wants to get you at every angle and little by little and it's sad to see because he gets a lot of missionaries but it's not gonna be that way for me! I can't tell you enough how easy it is to be obedient out here like i really struggle when people tlak about disobedient elders cause i just dont' get how you can be like that, and i am not sayign i'm perfect by all means i am far from that but the rules are seriously what make or break you as a missionary and i can already see that in just one short month of being here. But we have had such an amazing weekend, we have been so blessed to have a general authority in our midst and to have a person like that teach and instruct us was great. He told us one thing that has been stuck in my mind now for a while and that was "That black badge is your license to open up your mouth, not only should you do that, but you have to do that" and i loved that because sometimes i get a little affraid to tlak to some people but there is people all over we gotta talk to them all. President and sister belliston are so amazing and they can talk for two minutes and you can be spiritually overwhelmed! I love president belliston with all my heart, man that guy is a giant! I can't say it enough how blessed i am to be here at this time teaching and talking to this people. Everything happens for a reason and i know that this week was prepared long before i ever came to this earth as well as other weeks to come and i know that more baptisms are on the horizon. We have to get this message to these people because they are lost because they don't know where to find it.
Well i know that there wasn't much else besides that but that pretty much consumed my thoughts for the week haha i am so happy and so blessed to be here and i am so excited to see what else we can get done this week. I love you all so much and i am so grateful for your prayers and for all of your love! I know that you all are praying for me and i feel that love everyday and i am so thankful to you all. I am so excited for conference this weekend and i can't wait to talk about that next week with you all. Thanks for all your letters and me pen pals! Have an amazing week and know that i love you all so much and i love this work.
Tenga buena semana!
Les amo
Elder Martillo
one month in maryland
Familia, familia, familia,
Wow what an amazing week it has been and what an enjoyable time it has been as well. I can't beleieve how amazing it is here and the people that we continually work with, i am started to really gain a testimony already of why we are called to certain areas at a certain time for a certain people. I can't beleive that i have already been here for a month! it's kinda scary but time flies out here and i dont' exactly like it haha but it's really wierd that i've been gone for 3 months and it seems like yesterday that i was getting dropped off at the mtc, wow i guess time flies when you having fun. Because that what this is out here FUN.
This week has been a great week and i just want to thank you all for writing me and my pen pals as well. I got letters this week that were a real booster and i just thank you all and can feel of your love so much. Nothing is better than coming home at night exhausted as can be and have a letter sitting in the mail box to read before going to bed, THANK YOU!
Well i'll start out with the best imformation first. Alan came to church this week and passed his interview so he is forsurely gonna be baptized on saturday! Oh man i can't even put into the words that describe this kid guys, he really is so different from 19 year old boys that are living in the hoods of maryland. He looks at life so different and he really has got a strong testimony already. This week we taught him about the commandments and i was a little worried because thats where the tuff stuff kinda comes in tithing, WoW, Chastity, sabbath day holy, all that stuff. But they all went so well! He is such a strong person when it comes to making committments. He always says to us YES SIR when we ask him to do something like we are his drill sargent or something but it's great to have someone so committed! We taught him the law of tithing and i usually wouldn't share something like this but i really loved it. We asked him to pray after the lesson was over and we talked abou the windows of heaven being opened and the challenge the lord gives us in malachi 3 to test and see if he will not pour a blessing out upon us. So he committed to pay his tithing and in his prayer at the end of the lesson he said "and thank you for openign up the windows of heaven for me when i pay my tithing, and something like i can't wait to see what those blessings are" Man this is too easy with him! He is a golden investigator and we teach him and testify and he just takes it all in! Yesterday he came to church and sat by me and the lady who spoke shared the quote "forget yourself and get to work" and he leaned over to me and was like "wow, i love that quote, i think i might get it tatooed on my back" haha and i had to kinda explain to him that thats not exactly what we wanna do haha but he really has so much faith and he reads all the chapters we leave him and i am so excited for his baptism on saturday. Elder Caballero will be doing the baptising and i'll confirm him on sunday. Words can't even express how happy i am that we are getting this opportunity to baptise adn confirm him. Together elder caballero and i have become so much closer through alan it's wierd but it's true! I'm so excited to confirm him in church, ha but he hasnt' decided if he wants to do it in english or spanish because he is fluent in both (haha hopefully english or it could be a short confirmation haha) no i know it's not me doing the confirming i know that it is the lord and i know whether it's in english or spanish it doesn't matter. If we are fluent in spirit, then that's all that matters. So yeah i will keep you all posted on that next week and try to upload some pictures next week on my email of the baptism!
> To update you on our other investigators, things have been pretty slow other than alan. There is a guy names luis who was supposed to be baptised in june but his wife couldn't be so he didn't and we have been meeting with him and we just decided that it would be better if he just got baptised but he hasn't come to church in like 3 months so we told him if he comes to church this week that he could then be interviewed and be baptised with alan. I had such high hopes that we were gonna have a DOUBLE baptism. But he didn't show up to church and i think that it's just gonna take more time with him. he has been taught for like 8 months and It's better that elder caballero and i not baptise him in inactivity because i think he still hasnt' connected the dots all the way that after baptism it's not over, it's just the beginnning. So we do have a baptism on the horizon with him and his wife but we have got to get them beack coming to church and learning more so i'm very hopeful of that! I was so excited to write you all this week and say ok i dunno what i'm doing but now were having two baptisms haha but that's alright we have some work to do with them before they can enter into that sacred convenant!----------Now Elso, man elso is struggling. We have been to his house like 5 times this week when his car has been there and he just wont answer the door and he never calls us back. I don't know if somehting happened to him but he was progressing so much and then all of the sudden he just went cold turkey and hasn't talked to us in like a week and a half! He speaks only spanish and his car was there one day and we knocked on his door and an african american lady opened the door speaking english said he wasn't there. so were a little suspicious that he might have a little girlfirend problem and maybe that's why he hasn't talked to us but man it's tuff with him because he was progressing but everytime we go there he wont answer. But we'll keep workign on him that's for sure we'll find him even if we have to sit on his car unitl he comes out, we'll do it haha We have many investigators and prospects up in an area that's a little tuffer and the only time that we are supposed to go up there is during the day and during the day EVERYONE works and it's a little ruff in that area at night so were not supposed to be there so getting a hold of them is tuff but we have a lot of people that we are continuing to get a hold of and continue to teach. Elder Caballero is amazing man the other he put a lady right in her place and i think she's gonna get batpised soon. he is so good at turning things around on people and makign them realize that there a little confused in their beliefs. I love it ha i really am getting better in understanding espanol but i struggle openign my mouth sometimes in lessons and that's my goal for this week is to open my mouth! I love the latin culture and the food wow!
So speaking of food i gotta share this experience with you all. Elder caballero and i went to a family who we actually played indoor soccer with last p day and they have had the missionaries before but are really traditional catholics, but they love the missionaries. So we went over there one night and yeah the night we went there we had the car, thank goodness, it was raining harder than i have EVER SEEN in my life! It's unbelievable here! We walked like 20 steps and we were drenched! But we go in there and the first thing they ask us is are you hungry, and we never turn that down. Ha i probably should so my figure doesn't change too much but they are mexican and the mexican food is the best! Next thing ya know we've got beef quesadillas with homemade cheese in front of our eyes, beans avocado and this red sauce. Man it was a feast they just kept bringing them out i think between elder caballero and i we had about ten haha. But i asked them what the red sauce was and the sweet mom just kept saying "cuidado,cuidado" that means careful in spanish so i put a little on there........OH BOY BAD DECISION it was habanero peppers mixed into a salsa! They are the worst peppers in the world if you don't know that but oh my goodness my mouth was on fire and then i started to sweat ha it was crazy just like boom and a fire had started in my mouth and the little mexicans just laugh at me, ha i think i act like a gringo, but i am started to like the spicy stuff though cause once i got used to it ikept puttting a little more and a little more but wow it was hot! haha we are getting fed so good, everywhere we go we eat i swear. The other branch that we are over feeds us a few times a week and thats always the best. This week we went to Golden Corral again, yep they lost money off of me and elder caballero, but don't worry i'm sure your all thinking that i'm getting fat don't worry elder caballero and i are workign out every morning, a lot of crunches is all i gotta say haha.
Winter is just around the corner i can start to feel it, it's getting a little more chillly in the mornings and it's just chillyer but it's nice cause when we are riding our bikes it's perfect were not drenched in sweat but the weather is getting so nice here it's the best time of year here!
Alright well i think thats about it for this week i hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful week. Grandma hafen thanks for your letters they sure are great to read and i'm excited to see pine valley with trees in the yard! Thank you all for the letters and packages. Thanks mom and grandma and my pen pals and for the emails as well i feel so blessed to ahve you all thank you thank you! This gospel is amazing i tell ya it really has so much power and has blessed me so much and i'm so grateful for all of you and for your examples in this gospel to bishops, stake presidents, counselors you all have done it all and had your callings and it just is great to know that my family is full for this gospel and that is the reason our family is so close because of the gospel, i know that without a doubt! I love you all and hope the best for all of you!Have a great week and know that i'm loving it out here.
Con mucho amor
Elder Hammer
Les amo!
Wow what an amazing week it has been and what an enjoyable time it has been as well. I can't beleieve how amazing it is here and the people that we continually work with, i am started to really gain a testimony already of why we are called to certain areas at a certain time for a certain people. I can't beleive that i have already been here for a month! it's kinda scary but time flies out here and i dont' exactly like it haha but it's really wierd that i've been gone for 3 months and it seems like yesterday that i was getting dropped off at the mtc, wow i guess time flies when you having fun. Because that what this is out here FUN.
This week has been a great week and i just want to thank you all for writing me and my pen pals as well. I got letters this week that were a real booster and i just thank you all and can feel of your love so much. Nothing is better than coming home at night exhausted as can be and have a letter sitting in the mail box to read before going to bed, THANK YOU!
Well i'll start out with the best imformation first. Alan came to church this week and passed his interview so he is forsurely gonna be baptized on saturday! Oh man i can't even put into the words that describe this kid guys, he really is so different from 19 year old boys that are living in the hoods of maryland. He looks at life so different and he really has got a strong testimony already. This week we taught him about the commandments and i was a little worried because thats where the tuff stuff kinda comes in tithing, WoW, Chastity, sabbath day holy, all that stuff. But they all went so well! He is such a strong person when it comes to making committments. He always says to us YES SIR when we ask him to do something like we are his drill sargent or something but it's great to have someone so committed! We taught him the law of tithing and i usually wouldn't share something like this but i really loved it. We asked him to pray after the lesson was over and we talked abou the windows of heaven being opened and the challenge the lord gives us in malachi 3 to test and see if he will not pour a blessing out upon us. So he committed to pay his tithing and in his prayer at the end of the lesson he said "and thank you for openign up the windows of heaven for me when i pay my tithing, and something like i can't wait to see what those blessings are" Man this is too easy with him! He is a golden investigator and we teach him and testify and he just takes it all in! Yesterday he came to church and sat by me and the lady who spoke shared the quote "forget yourself and get to work" and he leaned over to me and was like "wow, i love that quote, i think i might get it tatooed on my back" haha and i had to kinda explain to him that thats not exactly what we wanna do haha but he really has so much faith and he reads all the chapters we leave him and i am so excited for his baptism on saturday. Elder Caballero will be doing the baptising and i'll confirm him on sunday. Words can't even express how happy i am that we are getting this opportunity to baptise adn confirm him. Together elder caballero and i have become so much closer through alan it's wierd but it's true! I'm so excited to confirm him in church, ha but he hasnt' decided if he wants to do it in english or spanish because he is fluent in both (haha hopefully english or it could be a short confirmation haha) no i know it's not me doing the confirming i know that it is the lord and i know whether it's in english or spanish it doesn't matter. If we are fluent in spirit, then that's all that matters. So yeah i will keep you all posted on that next week and try to upload some pictures next week on my email of the baptism!
> To update you on our other investigators, things have been pretty slow other than alan. There is a guy names luis who was supposed to be baptised in june but his wife couldn't be so he didn't and we have been meeting with him and we just decided that it would be better if he just got baptised but he hasn't come to church in like 3 months so we told him if he comes to church this week that he could then be interviewed and be baptised with alan. I had such high hopes that we were gonna have a DOUBLE baptism. But he didn't show up to church and i think that it's just gonna take more time with him. he has been taught for like 8 months and It's better that elder caballero and i not baptise him in inactivity because i think he still hasnt' connected the dots all the way that after baptism it's not over, it's just the beginnning. So we do have a baptism on the horizon with him and his wife but we have got to get them beack coming to church and learning more so i'm very hopeful of that! I was so excited to write you all this week and say ok i dunno what i'm doing but now were having two baptisms haha but that's alright we have some work to do with them before they can enter into that sacred convenant!----------Now Elso, man elso is struggling. We have been to his house like 5 times this week when his car has been there and he just wont answer the door and he never calls us back. I don't know if somehting happened to him but he was progressing so much and then all of the sudden he just went cold turkey and hasn't talked to us in like a week and a half! He speaks only spanish and his car was there one day and we knocked on his door and an african american lady opened the door speaking english said he wasn't there. so were a little suspicious that he might have a little girlfirend problem and maybe that's why he hasn't talked to us but man it's tuff with him because he was progressing but everytime we go there he wont answer. But we'll keep workign on him that's for sure we'll find him even if we have to sit on his car unitl he comes out, we'll do it haha We have many investigators and prospects up in an area that's a little tuffer and the only time that we are supposed to go up there is during the day and during the day EVERYONE works and it's a little ruff in that area at night so were not supposed to be there so getting a hold of them is tuff but we have a lot of people that we are continuing to get a hold of and continue to teach. Elder Caballero is amazing man the other he put a lady right in her place and i think she's gonna get batpised soon. he is so good at turning things around on people and makign them realize that there a little confused in their beliefs. I love it ha i really am getting better in understanding espanol but i struggle openign my mouth sometimes in lessons and that's my goal for this week is to open my mouth! I love the latin culture and the food wow!
So speaking of food i gotta share this experience with you all. Elder caballero and i went to a family who we actually played indoor soccer with last p day and they have had the missionaries before but are really traditional catholics, but they love the missionaries. So we went over there one night and yeah the night we went there we had the car, thank goodness, it was raining harder than i have EVER SEEN in my life! It's unbelievable here! We walked like 20 steps and we were drenched! But we go in there and the first thing they ask us is are you hungry, and we never turn that down. Ha i probably should so my figure doesn't change too much but they are mexican and the mexican food is the best! Next thing ya know we've got beef quesadillas with homemade cheese in front of our eyes, beans avocado and this red sauce. Man it was a feast they just kept bringing them out i think between elder caballero and i we had about ten haha. But i asked them what the red sauce was and the sweet mom just kept saying "cuidado,cuidado" that means careful in spanish so i put a little on there........OH BOY BAD DECISION it was habanero peppers mixed into a salsa! They are the worst peppers in the world if you don't know that but oh my goodness my mouth was on fire and then i started to sweat ha it was crazy just like boom and a fire had started in my mouth and the little mexicans just laugh at me, ha i think i act like a gringo, but i am started to like the spicy stuff though cause once i got used to it ikept puttting a little more and a little more but wow it was hot! haha we are getting fed so good, everywhere we go we eat i swear. The other branch that we are over feeds us a few times a week and thats always the best. This week we went to Golden Corral again, yep they lost money off of me and elder caballero, but don't worry i'm sure your all thinking that i'm getting fat don't worry elder caballero and i are workign out every morning, a lot of crunches is all i gotta say haha.
Winter is just around the corner i can start to feel it, it's getting a little more chillly in the mornings and it's just chillyer but it's nice cause when we are riding our bikes it's perfect were not drenched in sweat but the weather is getting so nice here it's the best time of year here!
Alright well i think thats about it for this week i hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful week. Grandma hafen thanks for your letters they sure are great to read and i'm excited to see pine valley with trees in the yard! Thank you all for the letters and packages. Thanks mom and grandma and my pen pals and for the emails as well i feel so blessed to ahve you all thank you thank you! This gospel is amazing i tell ya it really has so much power and has blessed me so much and i'm so grateful for all of you and for your examples in this gospel to bishops, stake presidents, counselors you all have done it all and had your callings and it just is great to know that my family is full for this gospel and that is the reason our family is so close because of the gospel, i know that without a doubt! I love you all and hope the best for all of you!Have a great week and know that i'm loving it out here.
Con mucho amor
Elder Hammer
Les amo!
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