Hello everyone,
It's so good to be back here and to telll you all about what's goign on this past week. We had such a good week this last week and i'm excited for you all to hear about it. Well i'm staying in glen burnie! Elder Caballero is leaving and i'll get a new comp on wednesday. I'm glad that i'm staying and to see the new adventure with whomever it may be. Thanks for the letters and packages this week i really appreciate them. Thanks grandma hafen and aunt jodie for the letters i loved hearing from you guys!
Well probably the biggest news is that our investigators from Fort Smallwood Rick and Loraine are doing so well! We went to the temple with them on saturday and had one of the msot amazing experiences of the mission there! We had a great lesson with them on thursday and invited them to go and they said they would love to and that they would drive and everything. It really worked out great. We went down to the temple and they were amazed and rick is just a character, haha that guy can talk, we listened to him for 45 minutes the whole way down and i really don't think he stopped haha he's such a good guy though and he is really progressing. When we first met him he was really struggling and he didn't know if there was a god or what and he is taking huge leaps of faith and it's so cool to see. Oh ya and little reba their 3 year old came with us too haha she's the cutest i love that girl. But we got there and went through a tour of the visitor center by a sister missionary and we have been really trying to get rick to pray and read and that's what they focused on at the temple with them so it worked out so good. Then we went and walked around and took some pictures and talked more about what the temple is, it was a little difficult to explain to them about the temple because we ahven't even got to teach them the plan of salvation yet but i know that they felt the spirit and they wanted to know more. And then we went to watch Joseph Smith the prophet of the restoration movie. Dang that movie is so good and couldn't have been mroe perfect for them. Reba starting crying and yelling half way through the movie so rick took her out and didn't come back haha she's a little snappy for a 3 year old but loraine was able to see the whole thing. Well long story short at the end elder caballero was in tears, i was in tears and loraine was in tears. That movie is so powerful and after it was over she was like i need to go to the bathroom and clean up, she was like balling and then the best part of the whole experience. Elder Caballero started to talk to a sister missionary from st george and loraine walked out of the bathroomand we sat down in front of the Jesus Christ statue and she started crying again and said "I know it's true, I know its true" it was such a spiritual experience and for her to say that she was just tingling because she was so happy and knew that it was true was so cool. She asked us if she could get baptized earlier because she wants to get baptized but we really want them to do this together, rick and loraine. What an amazing experience it was to see the both of them there at the temple and it was packed and there was so many families there and just for them to see that this is happiness this is where the families are this is where it is at. I was a little frustrated that we didn't plan better and have a member with us to take care of reba if she acted up cause i wanted rick to feel that same spirit in the movie of joseph smith, but i know that he felt soemthing on saturday and that he could feel the importance of the temple.so we drove home and challenged them to set up a time when they would read and pray together and see them at church tomorrow. Well sunday morning came around and they weren't there so we gave them a call and i guess rick and reba ate the same food and got food poisoning. and they had fevers and loraine started crying on the phone because she said she wanted to come to church so bad. She said that they went home that night and read until 12 at night and they are praying as a family at 9pm and that her adn rick would pray at 6 in the morning everyday! She also said that rick prayed for the first time since they have been married and she said it was just amazing. Man it was so cool to hear that i wanted them at church so bad but i knew that it wasn't an investigator excuse. It's amazing what the Lord is blessing this family with and they are just amazing to see progress in the gospel. This gospel is so sweet haha
We had a 14 year old investigator at church yesterady though who had ordered a Book OF Mormon and we have been teaching him the past few weeks. He's 14 and a little lost in life and doesnt' really knwo what he wants but he came to church yesterday and he is progressing as well, his name is richard johnson. We are doign so well and the work here is going so so good!
> We have a couple investigators named Reuben and his son manuel who we taught this week the plan of salvation to. They came to preach my gospel night at the church and it was so sweet. They came with their scriptures and were answering all the questions and reuben was like "usually in my family when we dont' have anything to do we just drink beer, but i think that we should start reading this book more" haha looks like the word of wisdom will be coming tomorrow in our lesson but it's so cool to see people change little by little and see the influence of the spirit in their lives. We have a lot of work to do with them as well but they are coming around and i'll have more updates next week. We want to set up a date with them this week so i'll let you all know.
This past week we found a less active family in Brooklyn park. There names are the Hernandez family and they are from Guatamala. Sister gonzalez is a gem and she loves the missionaries. Haha she fed us chicken chow mein sandwhiches haha bet you didn't think that was possible huh well in baltimore anything can happen haha we have so much work to do with less actives who are struggling and this past week we have really tried to get over to all the less actives and share something with them that might change their mind. Elder Caballero and i love to sing hymns with the members when we leave. How great thou art (Gran eres tu) en espanol is so good! we have the most success with that one haha It's amazing the role the hymns can make in our lessons and in our days.
Well everyone that's about it for this past week i'm so grateful that i'm hear experiencing all this good stuff and also the tuff stuff as well. This should be a new fun experience with a new comp on wednesday but i know that it's just another step in the road. Thanks for all your love and support i really appreciate it! tHANKS to my pen pals! Just thanks to everyone. I hope all is well and i'm so happy for this gospel in my life! Have a great week. Les Amo
Elder Hammer
Monday, November 16, 2009
fam
Hey fam and friends! How are all of you? I know that you are all doing great so i don't even need to ask that but it's always akward trying to start off my letters haha so i guess i'll just doing it in an akward way by saying its akward haha alright enough of that. Man we had such a great week this last week, our numbers didn't give justice to the week we had but sometimes thats how it goes. Thank you all for the letters and love this week! Thanks grandma hafen for the box WOW you should have seen the other elders eyes when i opened that box ha and they have been snacking on that for the past week and it seems like it's still full haha thank you so much for the letter as well. Thanks rodgers fam for the card. I really appreciate all you do for me guys like really you guys are amazing.
Alright well first and foremost Luis and alejandra. So last week we taught them about the priesthood and about relief society. It went really well and luis is getting more and more understandign of the importance of this stuff. We had planned to just confirm luis yesterday because alejandra had to wrk so we were gonna do her on next sunday. But she asked if she could have work off which never works for her and they let her off. So yesterday one after the other luis and alejandra were confirmed by Elder Caballero. It was so sweet! Luis was all smiles and of course alejandra was in tears haha she's a little emotional roller coaster but thats good the tears are always good when their tears of happiness. And it was so sweet we had 6 spanish members at church yesterday! when i first got here i'm not gonna lie the spanish was pretty low and the work was slow but elder caballero and i with all the credit going to the lord have got this spanish ball rolling. We have never had more than 2 or 3 members there and we are starting to really get things going here. I hope i don't get transfered and i dont' think i will cause elder caballero has been here 6 months but i just have so much more i wanna do in this area before i leave and to get a branch started. We really gotta work on the preisthood holders and aget them here, but little by little things are getting so much better and this area is startign to grow. Before alan the last baptism here was in january of 08 almost 2 years and we've had 3 in the last 3 months. It really is so amazing that if you wanna work the lord will bless you with these sweet opportunities. But we have so much more to do.
This past week we went over to Alans house and lately he has been on such a kick to join the marines and go serve his country and all this which is great but we have been trying to get him on a mission first! We haven't forced it too much but this week we were over there at his house with his mom and his best friend and he was like "i think i wanna go on a mission" It was so sweet to hear because he is the type of person that says something and he'll do it so to hear him say that was so sweet. We went over there the other night and he wasn't there but we got to talk to his mom for like an hour and a half. We have been trying to get to teach her but it just wasn't going anywhere but we had the best discussion about life and the loss of her husband and she said that she would want to go to the temple with us! And then to make it even better, Alan has a best firend named jose who is in a world of trouble and has been in and out of rehab and drugs but is a nice person. Well he started askign me about the church and about the mission and said that he would want to listen to us because he hasnt' found himself yet in his life. Man is the lord looking at over us or what, we have people coming in from everywhere that need this happiness so bad and it's just so sweet to see it all coming together.
So elder caballero and i are the spanish missionaries over 6 different wards but the spanish meets in glen burnie, but we are also the english elders in fort smallwood branch, so we go on teamups a couple nights a week with them but dont' do much work over there. This past week though this couple came into the church and need financial help and most of the time when that happens you kinda get that feeling when you talk to them that there just there for the money. But our branch pres. said that they committed to letting us teach them so we went over there this week and taught the lady and her husband. Rick and evalyn. rick is from baltimore and is a little ruff around the edges and evalyn is from honduras and is just a sweet sweet lady. She's was religious and her mom is a missionary for another church. When she was 8 years old she and her mom and some kids from her church walked from NICARAGUA to Honduras in 14 days non-stop! This lady knows what faith is and her english is really good too. So we went over there this week and taught them with the Branch Pres. During the lesson i asked her how she felt about everything and she said, when i walked into your church i felt the greatest peace come over me and i knew that there was something different. We walked out of that lesson and they are both on date to be baptized december 5th! ShE was in tears during the lesson and it was one of those great experiences that i'll never forget. Yesterday there they were 15 minutes early to church in the best clothes they could find with little REBA. Reba is the niece of rick but they have had her since she was 9mnths and she is 3 now. THe mom is a drug addict and the dad is in jail and they took her in. She is the cutest little thing in the world and has a question for everything, hey you what are you looking at, why are you smiling, whats this green book? (the hymn book) haha she is so cute and i can't wait to see where this family goes. Usually i'm not too excited about english work because i just wanna do spanish, but she speaks spanish a little with us and mostly just english but it doesnt' matter. They were put in our laps and i am so happy to be the one that gets to teach them and see them progress. THey had a way good experience at church yesterday and they were answering questions in gospel essentials, reba cried when she had to leave nursery haha its amazing people this is the most amazing work in the world!
This past week we ran into a guy knocking that was like hey i served a mission he's 26 years old from el salvador and served in honduras. hE'S not active for some reason but we'll figure it out and get him back to church no worries there, but i can see him as the branch president of our branch that we need haha can you see what i mean when i say that the lord is watching over us, it's amazing!
> Well thats it for this week guys, i love it in the dirty i love this work and i am happy! Thanks for all your prayers and love. Thanks for the letters and packages and my pen pals, Thank you! I love you all and hope the best week for you all. Les amo
Elder Hammer
Alright well first and foremost Luis and alejandra. So last week we taught them about the priesthood and about relief society. It went really well and luis is getting more and more understandign of the importance of this stuff. We had planned to just confirm luis yesterday because alejandra had to wrk so we were gonna do her on next sunday. But she asked if she could have work off which never works for her and they let her off. So yesterday one after the other luis and alejandra were confirmed by Elder Caballero. It was so sweet! Luis was all smiles and of course alejandra was in tears haha she's a little emotional roller coaster but thats good the tears are always good when their tears of happiness. And it was so sweet we had 6 spanish members at church yesterday! when i first got here i'm not gonna lie the spanish was pretty low and the work was slow but elder caballero and i with all the credit going to the lord have got this spanish ball rolling. We have never had more than 2 or 3 members there and we are starting to really get things going here. I hope i don't get transfered and i dont' think i will cause elder caballero has been here 6 months but i just have so much more i wanna do in this area before i leave and to get a branch started. We really gotta work on the preisthood holders and aget them here, but little by little things are getting so much better and this area is startign to grow. Before alan the last baptism here was in january of 08 almost 2 years and we've had 3 in the last 3 months. It really is so amazing that if you wanna work the lord will bless you with these sweet opportunities. But we have so much more to do.
This past week we went over to Alans house and lately he has been on such a kick to join the marines and go serve his country and all this which is great but we have been trying to get him on a mission first! We haven't forced it too much but this week we were over there at his house with his mom and his best friend and he was like "i think i wanna go on a mission" It was so sweet to hear because he is the type of person that says something and he'll do it so to hear him say that was so sweet. We went over there the other night and he wasn't there but we got to talk to his mom for like an hour and a half. We have been trying to get to teach her but it just wasn't going anywhere but we had the best discussion about life and the loss of her husband and she said that she would want to go to the temple with us! And then to make it even better, Alan has a best firend named jose who is in a world of trouble and has been in and out of rehab and drugs but is a nice person. Well he started askign me about the church and about the mission and said that he would want to listen to us because he hasnt' found himself yet in his life. Man is the lord looking at over us or what, we have people coming in from everywhere that need this happiness so bad and it's just so sweet to see it all coming together.
So elder caballero and i are the spanish missionaries over 6 different wards but the spanish meets in glen burnie, but we are also the english elders in fort smallwood branch, so we go on teamups a couple nights a week with them but dont' do much work over there. This past week though this couple came into the church and need financial help and most of the time when that happens you kinda get that feeling when you talk to them that there just there for the money. But our branch pres. said that they committed to letting us teach them so we went over there this week and taught the lady and her husband. Rick and evalyn. rick is from baltimore and is a little ruff around the edges and evalyn is from honduras and is just a sweet sweet lady. She's was religious and her mom is a missionary for another church. When she was 8 years old she and her mom and some kids from her church walked from NICARAGUA to Honduras in 14 days non-stop! This lady knows what faith is and her english is really good too. So we went over there this week and taught them with the Branch Pres. During the lesson i asked her how she felt about everything and she said, when i walked into your church i felt the greatest peace come over me and i knew that there was something different. We walked out of that lesson and they are both on date to be baptized december 5th! ShE was in tears during the lesson and it was one of those great experiences that i'll never forget. Yesterday there they were 15 minutes early to church in the best clothes they could find with little REBA. Reba is the niece of rick but they have had her since she was 9mnths and she is 3 now. THe mom is a drug addict and the dad is in jail and they took her in. She is the cutest little thing in the world and has a question for everything, hey you what are you looking at, why are you smiling, whats this green book? (the hymn book) haha she is so cute and i can't wait to see where this family goes. Usually i'm not too excited about english work because i just wanna do spanish, but she speaks spanish a little with us and mostly just english but it doesnt' matter. They were put in our laps and i am so happy to be the one that gets to teach them and see them progress. THey had a way good experience at church yesterday and they were answering questions in gospel essentials, reba cried when she had to leave nursery haha its amazing people this is the most amazing work in the world!
This past week we ran into a guy knocking that was like hey i served a mission he's 26 years old from el salvador and served in honduras. hE'S not active for some reason but we'll figure it out and get him back to church no worries there, but i can see him as the branch president of our branch that we need haha can you see what i mean when i say that the lord is watching over us, it's amazing!
> Well thats it for this week guys, i love it in the dirty i love this work and i am happy! Thanks for all your prayers and love. Thanks for the letters and packages and my pen pals, Thank you! I love you all and hope the best week for you all. Les amo
Elder Hammer
Monday, November 9, 2009
{family}
Hey family and friends!
Jordo here from the Dirty and what an amazing week this week has been. I have learned so much this week and man we are just thriving in the MD right now. Things are going really well for me and my companion and most of all were happy. The mission is a roller coaster ride but were have such a blast and getting to work. Thank you all this week for your letters and love. It really meant a lot to me and i know that there were prayers out there in my behalf and i just want to say thanks to you all so much. I can feel them in my life and i just am grateful for the support always! Thank Hermana dean for your letter its so great to hear from you guys. Thanks fam for all your letters this week they were the best! Halloween was crazy here people are a little whacky on the east coast haha we had to be in at 6 and we did our weekly planning and then we just ended up getting all the stuff ready for the baptism haha but no one knocked on our door, maybe the big picture of christ scared them away ahah but a member took us to dinner before so that was alright, i guess holidays just turn into another day when your a missionary haha Well to get right into things....
Luis and Alejandra were baptized yesterday! and yours truly did the baptizing! Wow where do i begin with yesterday and how alejandra got to be baptized ha well friday night we had a ward halloween party and they came and after they had their baptismal interview from one of the members of the mission presidency who speaks spanish. Going into the interview alejandra said she needed more time but she came out of the interview and she said she was going to be baptized! man i dont' know what president mcginn said to them but they came out of there with a glow on their faces, and i knew that they were ready. Then we asked who they wanted to baptise them and they said me so i was happy about that. But one thing now that i've done both is that it doesn't matter who does what because it's not us doing it were just their for the lord and their for the people. But it was fun to be the one doign it though i'm not gonna lie. Ha and to do it in spanish was so sweet. THe whole baptismal service was in spanish and i just was so happy about that because we are in an english ward but everythign was geared towards luis and alejandra and it couldn't have gone any better. Ha they were both scared of the water and didn't exactly know what to do but we got them down in there and i just kept saying to myself please don't mess this up haha and i didn't so it went well and they were both baptized! What a miracle it is to see them baptized. they have been investigating the church for about 10 months now and a few months ago when i first got here they were about ready to be dropped. But we kept on them and didn't lose the hope and here they are members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. When me and luis were in changiing out of our wet clothes we got dressed and we had a suit for him because he usually just wears jeans and a button up shirt with no tie, but we brought him all the stuff and i was helping him tie his tie and he looked at himself in the mirror after we were finished and he said "hay un diferente luis" that means in english "there's a different luis" man when i heard him say that i was so happy. He knew what he had just done and it was so sweet to be able to know that it meant that much to him. We gave them the chance to bear their testimonies to everyone and Alejandra just cried through hers and i love when people cry cause it means they are sincere and are feeling it. The night could not have been any better and these two the best. I can't beleive a few months ago we went from almost dropping them to them both being baptized it was so sweet!
On to other good news and a cool experience yesterday as well was with alan. yesterday was fast sunday and i got up and bore my testimony and then after i did alan went up. Last fast sunday we said to each other that we were gonna go up next month together but i totally forgot. But i did ok (very little tearage i might add). And then alan got up and started talking and man the tears came. He got up there and just bore his testimony about being spoiled, not with cars, money, mcdonalds haha yes he did say mcdonalds from the pulpit and then he said the classic line "who needs mcdonalds, i had rice and beans" haha he got quite a few laughs from that. But as i was sitting there watching my 1st baptism stnad up after blessing the bread and get up and bare his testimony, it was the greatest feelign in the world because i knew that he knew that this was everything. To have a recent convert and then soon to be baptized sitting there right next to me was everything. THis is why i am here and to see these people just get so happy it's the best!
I can't describe how hard some of these days out here are, but its days like yesterday where you see people take the first step, or a recent convert share a powerful testimony and then to look at yourself and see the growth individually, man it makes those terrible wet cold crappy days all worth it! There is nothing that i could ask for more in my life than what i have. I have the gospel at the forefront of everything i do and i get to be around people who have nothing, who can't see past terrible days, and can't see past the world. We are so blessed people, SO BLESSED! I know that this letter has been a little shorter but were running out of time but i just wnat you to all know that i know this gospel is happiness! there is nothing more than i could ask for out here or in my life. I am so grateful for all or you for your love and for your support. Thanks to me pen pals your the best! I love to hear from all of you and i hope all is well with all that you are doing. I love you all and i love this work. I am so happy and loving it here in the dirty! Les amo mucho
con mucho amor elder hammer
Jordo here from the Dirty and what an amazing week this week has been. I have learned so much this week and man we are just thriving in the MD right now. Things are going really well for me and my companion and most of all were happy. The mission is a roller coaster ride but were have such a blast and getting to work. Thank you all this week for your letters and love. It really meant a lot to me and i know that there were prayers out there in my behalf and i just want to say thanks to you all so much. I can feel them in my life and i just am grateful for the support always! Thank Hermana dean for your letter its so great to hear from you guys. Thanks fam for all your letters this week they were the best! Halloween was crazy here people are a little whacky on the east coast haha we had to be in at 6 and we did our weekly planning and then we just ended up getting all the stuff ready for the baptism haha but no one knocked on our door, maybe the big picture of christ scared them away ahah but a member took us to dinner before so that was alright, i guess holidays just turn into another day when your a missionary haha Well to get right into things....
Luis and Alejandra were baptized yesterday! and yours truly did the baptizing! Wow where do i begin with yesterday and how alejandra got to be baptized ha well friday night we had a ward halloween party and they came and after they had their baptismal interview from one of the members of the mission presidency who speaks spanish. Going into the interview alejandra said she needed more time but she came out of the interview and she said she was going to be baptized! man i dont' know what president mcginn said to them but they came out of there with a glow on their faces, and i knew that they were ready. Then we asked who they wanted to baptise them and they said me so i was happy about that. But one thing now that i've done both is that it doesn't matter who does what because it's not us doing it were just their for the lord and their for the people. But it was fun to be the one doign it though i'm not gonna lie. Ha and to do it in spanish was so sweet. THe whole baptismal service was in spanish and i just was so happy about that because we are in an english ward but everythign was geared towards luis and alejandra and it couldn't have gone any better. Ha they were both scared of the water and didn't exactly know what to do but we got them down in there and i just kept saying to myself please don't mess this up haha and i didn't so it went well and they were both baptized! What a miracle it is to see them baptized. they have been investigating the church for about 10 months now and a few months ago when i first got here they were about ready to be dropped. But we kept on them and didn't lose the hope and here they are members of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. When me and luis were in changiing out of our wet clothes we got dressed and we had a suit for him because he usually just wears jeans and a button up shirt with no tie, but we brought him all the stuff and i was helping him tie his tie and he looked at himself in the mirror after we were finished and he said "hay un diferente luis" that means in english "there's a different luis" man when i heard him say that i was so happy. He knew what he had just done and it was so sweet to be able to know that it meant that much to him. We gave them the chance to bear their testimonies to everyone and Alejandra just cried through hers and i love when people cry cause it means they are sincere and are feeling it. The night could not have been any better and these two the best. I can't beleive a few months ago we went from almost dropping them to them both being baptized it was so sweet!
On to other good news and a cool experience yesterday as well was with alan. yesterday was fast sunday and i got up and bore my testimony and then after i did alan went up. Last fast sunday we said to each other that we were gonna go up next month together but i totally forgot. But i did ok (very little tearage i might add). And then alan got up and started talking and man the tears came. He got up there and just bore his testimony about being spoiled, not with cars, money, mcdonalds haha yes he did say mcdonalds from the pulpit and then he said the classic line "who needs mcdonalds, i had rice and beans" haha he got quite a few laughs from that. But as i was sitting there watching my 1st baptism stnad up after blessing the bread and get up and bare his testimony, it was the greatest feelign in the world because i knew that he knew that this was everything. To have a recent convert and then soon to be baptized sitting there right next to me was everything. THis is why i am here and to see these people just get so happy it's the best!
I can't describe how hard some of these days out here are, but its days like yesterday where you see people take the first step, or a recent convert share a powerful testimony and then to look at yourself and see the growth individually, man it makes those terrible wet cold crappy days all worth it! There is nothing that i could ask for more in my life than what i have. I have the gospel at the forefront of everything i do and i get to be around people who have nothing, who can't see past terrible days, and can't see past the world. We are so blessed people, SO BLESSED! I know that this letter has been a little shorter but were running out of time but i just wnat you to all know that i know this gospel is happiness! there is nothing more than i could ask for out here or in my life. I am so grateful for all or you for your love and for your support. Thanks to me pen pals your the best! I love to hear from all of you and i hope all is well with all that you are doing. I love you all and i love this work. I am so happy and loving it here in the dirty! Les amo mucho
con mucho amor elder hammer
{hola}
Hello fam and friends!
It's so great to be back here writing you about the amazing week we had this past week. I dunno what it is but the weeks just seem to be getting better adn better and they are going faster and faster ha that part is kinda scary. But man did fall come in a hurry the leaves are changing colors here and its really beautifull here right now. There aer so many trees and so many colors that i hope fall can last all the way to spring and we wont even have to go through the winter haha i'm a bit nervous for the winter here cause i'm so weak when it comes to the cold stuff but that's alirght it's nice right now and thats all that matters! Thank you all for your letters this week adn for the packages as well i appreciate them so much and they just are great to hear a little piece of everyone elses lives going on right now. But i can't say enough how thankful i am for them.
Well the big news for this week is that Luis is getting baptized next sunday! after church. Him and his wife came to church again together yesterday and it was so great to see both of them there. We met with them quite a few times this past week and it has been great to read with them and see them grow. We put his wife on date and then last week she said she wasn't ready and so we tried to talk to her about what was holding her back, so we finally figured it out that she sings in the choir at the catholic church and she is affraid that if she joins the church that they wont let her sing in it anymore. Oh the struggles of not having a spanish branch with a spanish choir. Ha but that is our struggle with her right now because she has such a strong testimony and when we erad the scriptures together she is always the first one to point out a scripture that she liked the most or how we can apply it in our lives. It is really cool to see them change. They have been kinda ify this whole time until we started implying the book of mormon in their lives. I know now that the book of mormon is the key to conversion, without reading that book these people will never feel the need to change and can never know that the gospel is true. I am really starting to realize that need and the amazing power the Book of mormon has to change people's lives.We want them so badly to be baptized together because that would be so good for them but we just are gonna have to see what happens this week but luis is on and next time i email you all we will have another new member in the church! i am so excited! Yesterday was the primary program in the church and the little kids were singing and saying there talks and all that and it was so great, and i looked over at Alejandra and she was just balling her eyes out. They have 3 kids a 8 5 3 year old and they live in chicago with their grandma. i dont' know why i haven't really asked but she was hurting yesterday watching all those little kids, i felt so bad for her because i know that must be so so tuff, but at the same time i know that gospel is exactly what she needs and that can be her so called refuge from missing her kids. We have a lot of work to do with both of them this week but i will hopefully have the best news for you guys next monday that they were both baptized together.
Alan is doign great! he blessed the bread and water in sacrament yesterday and said his prayer perfectly! I was so happy for him cause he was so nervous before he went up there to do it. I know that the lord answers our prayers cause i was praying the whole time that he would be able to get through it and he did. And i know that it was a good experience for him so that he will want to do it again and again.He really is such a stud and i know that i'll be in contact with him for a long long time. His mom just found out that she might have thyroid cancer and i think that is throwing alan for a whirl, but elder caballero and i haven't been able to invite her to talk with us, but i think after hearing the bad news that might be a hint fromt he man upstairs saying get in there and teach her. I know that she's worried and alan is too and we are excited this week to try and talk with her and try to get to her heart. She's a catholic and they are tuff! haha
Well i wanted to share an experience that we had this week that i will probably never ever forget and might just be one of the best experiences that i have had on the mission. So the other night we went up to Brooklyn park to visit some people that have been taught but alot of them aren't progressing and our spirits were a little down. We went to a house of a man named edwin who has been taught for quite some time and isn't progressing. The last time we were over there was when i was on exchanges with our distirict leader and we had left him with a chapter to read and we got there and he hadn't read and i was really frustrated and just wanted to leave. But the last tiem we were there we asked him to pray and he said no but he promised me that the next time he would pray, so we were frustrated and wanted to leave so we said alright well your gonna at least say the prayer, and the excuses started flowing that he couldnt' and didn't know how and that the other people in his house might here him and all this, and we just kinda threw that aside adn said can we kneel so we knelt down and said alright will you say that prayer and he wouldn't, and just keep saying no you do it. We sat there on our knees and argued back and forth with him for about 30 minutes no joke and then i said alirght well i will right it down for you on a piece of paper and so we got back on the couch and i wrote how to start and end on a piece of paper and we gave it to him and got back down on our knees and he was still in his chair and something just keep saying to me don't give in and say it. And so he was sitting in the chair with his hat on and elder caballero said will you take off your hat and kneel and he did and he was just staring at the paper. We said alright you say it, and we folded our arms and closed our eyes. And we waited.......and waited....and waited about 2 or 3 minutes no joke! The whole time i was just praying with everything i had that he would feel the spirit and pray and just do it i've never prayed so hard for somethign in my life. And i opened my eyes a few tiems to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep but he was just staring at the paper. and i closed my eyes and kept praying and then i heard the 3 best words of the missions thus far "nuestro padre celestial" thats our father in heaven in english! He did it! He prayed and i jsut wnated to scream for joy. It was so cool to see him feel the spirit and just do it! I couldn't believe it and now there is a whole new attitude about him and he took that huge leap of faith and we are excited about him. Ha yesterday in my talk i told that story and i just cried through it. hA You would think that i could quit being a softy and not cry but no i think my emotions are on high out here! But it was such an amazing experiece and one that i will never forget. The lord works miracles and sometime it takes patience 30 minutes of going back and forth and 2 or 3 minutes of silence but the spirit came and it worked! I know the lord answers our prayers no doubt in my mind because he does it daily!
Fam and friends it's been great to write you and tell you whats going on oh yeah we had zone conference this weeka nd that was so sweet our mission pres is just a man of god i can't say much more than that. And oh yeah saturday we were on our bikes and i'm not kidding a TERRENTAIL DOWNPOOR came upon us i thought we were gonna get flooded like noah. You could dump the water out of my shoes it was rediculous and we were so soaked! Ha just another day in paradise right? haha i love it here everyday is an adventure and a learning experience and i can't beleive that 4 months have come and gone. crazy stuff. But i love you all thanks to all of you who wrote and write me and my pen pal. I love you so much for your love and support out here. Things are great in the dirty and i hope you all have a great Halloween! I will talk to you all real soon. The church is true and i am convinced that without a doubt this is not me doign anything out here, this is the lords work. The church is true and waht a blessign it is for all of us in our lives. I love you guys. Singing off from the Dirty! Les amo
Elder Hammer
It's so great to be back here writing you about the amazing week we had this past week. I dunno what it is but the weeks just seem to be getting better adn better and they are going faster and faster ha that part is kinda scary. But man did fall come in a hurry the leaves are changing colors here and its really beautifull here right now. There aer so many trees and so many colors that i hope fall can last all the way to spring and we wont even have to go through the winter haha i'm a bit nervous for the winter here cause i'm so weak when it comes to the cold stuff but that's alirght it's nice right now and thats all that matters! Thank you all for your letters this week adn for the packages as well i appreciate them so much and they just are great to hear a little piece of everyone elses lives going on right now. But i can't say enough how thankful i am for them.
Well the big news for this week is that Luis is getting baptized next sunday! after church. Him and his wife came to church again together yesterday and it was so great to see both of them there. We met with them quite a few times this past week and it has been great to read with them and see them grow. We put his wife on date and then last week she said she wasn't ready and so we tried to talk to her about what was holding her back, so we finally figured it out that she sings in the choir at the catholic church and she is affraid that if she joins the church that they wont let her sing in it anymore. Oh the struggles of not having a spanish branch with a spanish choir. Ha but that is our struggle with her right now because she has such a strong testimony and when we erad the scriptures together she is always the first one to point out a scripture that she liked the most or how we can apply it in our lives. It is really cool to see them change. They have been kinda ify this whole time until we started implying the book of mormon in their lives. I know now that the book of mormon is the key to conversion, without reading that book these people will never feel the need to change and can never know that the gospel is true. I am really starting to realize that need and the amazing power the Book of mormon has to change people's lives.We want them so badly to be baptized together because that would be so good for them but we just are gonna have to see what happens this week but luis is on and next time i email you all we will have another new member in the church! i am so excited! Yesterday was the primary program in the church and the little kids were singing and saying there talks and all that and it was so great, and i looked over at Alejandra and she was just balling her eyes out. They have 3 kids a 8 5 3 year old and they live in chicago with their grandma. i dont' know why i haven't really asked but she was hurting yesterday watching all those little kids, i felt so bad for her because i know that must be so so tuff, but at the same time i know that gospel is exactly what she needs and that can be her so called refuge from missing her kids. We have a lot of work to do with both of them this week but i will hopefully have the best news for you guys next monday that they were both baptized together.
Alan is doign great! he blessed the bread and water in sacrament yesterday and said his prayer perfectly! I was so happy for him cause he was so nervous before he went up there to do it. I know that the lord answers our prayers cause i was praying the whole time that he would be able to get through it and he did. And i know that it was a good experience for him so that he will want to do it again and again.He really is such a stud and i know that i'll be in contact with him for a long long time. His mom just found out that she might have thyroid cancer and i think that is throwing alan for a whirl, but elder caballero and i haven't been able to invite her to talk with us, but i think after hearing the bad news that might be a hint fromt he man upstairs saying get in there and teach her. I know that she's worried and alan is too and we are excited this week to try and talk with her and try to get to her heart. She's a catholic and they are tuff! haha
Well i wanted to share an experience that we had this week that i will probably never ever forget and might just be one of the best experiences that i have had on the mission. So the other night we went up to Brooklyn park to visit some people that have been taught but alot of them aren't progressing and our spirits were a little down. We went to a house of a man named edwin who has been taught for quite some time and isn't progressing. The last time we were over there was when i was on exchanges with our distirict leader and we had left him with a chapter to read and we got there and he hadn't read and i was really frustrated and just wanted to leave. But the last tiem we were there we asked him to pray and he said no but he promised me that the next time he would pray, so we were frustrated and wanted to leave so we said alright well your gonna at least say the prayer, and the excuses started flowing that he couldnt' and didn't know how and that the other people in his house might here him and all this, and we just kinda threw that aside adn said can we kneel so we knelt down and said alright will you say that prayer and he wouldn't, and just keep saying no you do it. We sat there on our knees and argued back and forth with him for about 30 minutes no joke and then i said alirght well i will right it down for you on a piece of paper and so we got back on the couch and i wrote how to start and end on a piece of paper and we gave it to him and got back down on our knees and he was still in his chair and something just keep saying to me don't give in and say it. And so he was sitting in the chair with his hat on and elder caballero said will you take off your hat and kneel and he did and he was just staring at the paper. We said alright you say it, and we folded our arms and closed our eyes. And we waited.......and waited....and waited about 2 or 3 minutes no joke! The whole time i was just praying with everything i had that he would feel the spirit and pray and just do it i've never prayed so hard for somethign in my life. And i opened my eyes a few tiems to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep but he was just staring at the paper. and i closed my eyes and kept praying and then i heard the 3 best words of the missions thus far "nuestro padre celestial" thats our father in heaven in english! He did it! He prayed and i jsut wnated to scream for joy. It was so cool to see him feel the spirit and just do it! I couldn't believe it and now there is a whole new attitude about him and he took that huge leap of faith and we are excited about him. Ha yesterday in my talk i told that story and i just cried through it. hA You would think that i could quit being a softy and not cry but no i think my emotions are on high out here! But it was such an amazing experiece and one that i will never forget. The lord works miracles and sometime it takes patience 30 minutes of going back and forth and 2 or 3 minutes of silence but the spirit came and it worked! I know the lord answers our prayers no doubt in my mind because he does it daily!
Fam and friends it's been great to write you and tell you whats going on oh yeah we had zone conference this weeka nd that was so sweet our mission pres is just a man of god i can't say much more than that. And oh yeah saturday we were on our bikes and i'm not kidding a TERRENTAIL DOWNPOOR came upon us i thought we were gonna get flooded like noah. You could dump the water out of my shoes it was rediculous and we were so soaked! Ha just another day in paradise right? haha i love it here everyday is an adventure and a learning experience and i can't beleive that 4 months have come and gone. crazy stuff. But i love you all thanks to all of you who wrote and write me and my pen pal. I love you so much for your love and support out here. Things are great in the dirty and i hope you all have a great Halloween! I will talk to you all real soon. The church is true and i am convinced that without a doubt this is not me doign anything out here, this is the lords work. The church is true and waht a blessign it is for all of us in our lives. I love you guys. Singing off from the Dirty! Les amo
Elder Hammer
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