Hola Familia!!!!!
Im feeling spring coming finally!!!!!!!!!!! Ha this past week in maryland has been nice were up in the 40's haha usually i'd be whining about that but after all this snow it's so nice to have some warmer weather to where we are just wearing suit jackets and no more huge coats, ha i like to give you all the weather update. But what a sweet week it has been here in Maryland. We have had some great success and i'm starting to see that this area is turning around alot. Thanks for the letters and package!
This past week we had a spanish zone conference. We have 24 missionaries who speak spanish and are spread throughout the whole mission and this was the 1st spanish zone conference they have ever had and it was all in spanish as well! It was really great and they touched on areas that really needed to be hit on and one is the SPANISH. We have a few elders who are a hop skip and a jump from going home and they are barely speaking spanish and it's because hardly anyone studies and even talks it outside of appointments and our 1st counselor in the mission presidency President McGinn can speak perfect and he got on everyone and we are starting a new thing in the mission called VIVA TU LENGUA (live your language) and in just 1 week and i can see the difference. Me and ELder Pauda are only speaking spanish all the time and it's helping him and it's also helping me because he asks for a lot of help so it's brushing me up on everything, but all in all the zone conference was really what the spanish elders needed. There is this big barrier between the spanish/english and we are on the same team so that's somehting that is going to change but ya it was way sweet to have all the missionaries there doing it in spanish.
This past week we were on a mission to find new areas and new investigators and we had good luck ha we went back to a lady who had only been taught once during the month of december but we went back with her this past week and wanted to start up again. Her name is maria from el salvador and her neice kenne lives with her and she has a 2 year old son. We went in there and we watched the restoration video with her and kenne. Her son was going crazy the whole video and was running around with the broom, but she never once lost her focus on the video. It was so amazing to see and when joseph smith was having the vision her son dropped a plate and ya just everything that could have bothered her or disrupted the spirit was happening. BUt maria didn't even flinch and i was watching here the whole time hoping and praying that she would feel something and after the movie she asked about baptism becuase it shows joseph smith's dad getting baptized and we led right into the bap. committment with her and she said yes!!!! She also told us that beofre we came over that she had so much stress and was fighting with her sister and that she just felt peace! It is so sweet to hear that stuff from people and especially to hear there stories of change and i love it. THey didn't come to church though which stunk, her sister got way sick and went to the hospital. I swear satan knows exactly what he is doign in thsi work, he'll do anything not to have people at church!!!
We did have one of our other new investigators at church though his name is Jesus vasquez. He came here from mexico about 13 years ago and got married and has a little family but he's been the only one that's been paying any attention to us. He's really sincere he doesn't know how to read very well and he really struggles because he says he wants to know what's right but he's heard so much that he doesn't even know who to listen to or what, but we got him to pray!!!! which is key with the people here and he came to church and he said that he loved it and that he would be back again. We are going to go back this next week to teach him and see what we can do to get him progressing to baptism.
One last experience, this past week we had dinner with the MORA'S they are a family who feed us all the time and sister mora and her daughter are active but hermano mora has been inactive for various reasons but mostly because him and his wife are always fighting and at each others throat and i don't things aren't going well in their marriage. BUt we had a great topic picked out about out savior and love and we read mosiah 14(it's my new favorite chapter in the book of mormon) it really hit me hard that morning of everything that the lord has done for us. ANd the worst part of all this is that hermano mora is endowed. He just knows so much and the inactivity is no excuse ha i think most of the missionaries have been scared to ask him to change or do anything but were supposed to be bold with investigators why now less actives so i was bold with him and just really started to bear my testimony of love to him and how love can overcome all things! I started to talk about mom and dad and how i have seen them love each other and how much that has impacted me. I started to cry in the lesson with him jsut thinking about the love you've shown me mom and dad and not only for each ohter but for the gospel and for us as your kids. I think something really clicked that night as elder pauda and i were teaching these people the basic principle of love in there home. I can't even begin to describe the love i feel out here from my heavenly father. What we do is because of love and i know that i know hwo to love only because of the amazing example you have been for me mom and dad!!!! I know without a shadow of a doubt that God loves us so so much and he wants us happy and demonstrated that everlasting love through the atonement of Jesus CHrist. I love this gospel, i love the power it has and the change that we can make and the love that we can feel!!! The gospel is true people i can't say much more than that! I love you all so much and hope you all have a great week!!!! Con amor
ELder Hammer
Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
feb. 16th
Hello everyone!!!!!
Well new area now, no more GLen Burnie now i'm in Gwynn Oak or woodlawn Md whichever you prefer. All i have to say is this is really such an amazing new area. It was so hard leaving GLen BUrnie but now i just can tell that the Lord really has prepared this place for me to be here and it's so great! I'm so happy to have this new challenge of new area, new comp which feels like i'm still kind of training, and DIstrict Leader so ya right now is a really humbling time for me to really rely on the lord in all that i do. We just got out of my first district meeting and all went well. We have some great ELders in our district who really have the desire to work hard and get out there. We are a pretty young district but we all have the first so that makes it so much more fun. THis area is really fun because it's really close to the mission office and so we are working really closely with President and the office missionaries and it's just a great place to be. Me and my new companion are doing great. He is really shy and his spanish struggles but i'm doing my best to help him get out of the shell and really get into the mission. HIs trainer was a really good elder but never let him do anything so i've been making sure that we are doing a lot of 50 50 work. He's great though, he is very loving and made me dinner the first two nights that i was here and i really do love the kid. He feels like my little brother sometimes but were having fun and doing well.
Well the first 2 days i was here it dumped snow like crazy again and we didn't get a whole lot done so it gave us a lot of time to get to knwo the area and bust out the map and go through the area book. That was much needed because we have a lot of work to do. The last baptism here was in october and the only one for 2009 and that's not good for how strong and amazing the branch is. We went to church on sunday all in spanish and it was so great! I finally felt like i'm a spanish missionary and we just have strong preisthood holders too. THe members feed us like crazy almost every night we are getting fed and they adore us missionaries! It's really cool, the latin people are so loving and i could feel that sunday more than ever. We have members who are so stoked on teaching with us and helping us with rides to church and just all the great things that you hope for on a mission i love it!
This past week we had an experience with a member. HIs name is Hermano MORA huge guy from mexico and he wanted us to give his boss a blessing, so we went over there and did. He told us about his boss and how he's a huge alchoholic and used to have all the money in the world and has lost everything. We went to his house and his house was a mess just trashed and it's the nicest house i've been in i think in my life. IT's probably 4 or 5 of our houses put together. But hermano mora and his boss are was close and a afew months ago hermano mora was telling him about us and about what we do and his boss kind of put it in the back of his mind. THEn last week his boss came to him and said i need help from your missionaries, i'm losing it. So we went over to his house and here is this guy who had everything, business cars, money everything heavy on the THINGS and still was miserable and just drank his life right away. HE has a daughter and is about to lose her too. This man seriously is on edge and we starting teaching him about the gospel! ANd it was such an amazing experience! We just told him that we can start over in life and be forgiven of what we have done. He literally is to the point where he thinks that he has gotten so low that he doesn't see that future ahead and he's only like 45. We were trying so hard just to get him to believe that he could start over and that's the thing that i love with the gospel is that we can start over and the people can have that hope to turn around and get on the path to righteousness. We gave him a blessing and invited him to listen to us more and as we were leaving he told us that he was lookign forward to seeing us again. We are going to go over there this week again and we are excited to help this man out.
We also found 2 brother Enrique and ILREALIANO villalobo. They are both from mexico and the elders had talked with them before once but we were really bold after the first lesson as they knew that it made more sense to them than anything else and we invited them to be baptized on march 20th. We are hoping the we can have them ready by then but they have been baptized before but they know that they also have to change their lives around. THat is the great thing about the gospel that i love so much is that we have that ability to change and to know that whatever we may have been doing that we can turn it around and repent of our sins, rely on the savior and become better. I see it in my own life that i've had the bumps and bruises of life and that the lord loves me and he loves us enough to where we can become better in life. I know that this area has been prepared for me to come here and i am so excited and pumped about the things that are already going on here. They had an investigator with a date but we went over to his house to teach him and he was on the phone with the person that lived there from JAIL! ha so that makes that date change up and we are teachign a lady named Karla who has the desire to be baptized but is living with her boyfriend who is the father of her child and he doesn't want to get married, so there is a lot of work to be done here and also a lot of less active work to be done too! THere is so much we need and have to do and i'm excited that i get to do it.
Thanks for all your support out here and for all you do for me. I really haven't been this happy and excited about the work like i am right now. It's such a challenge coming into a new area and starting over but it's so fun to figure all this out! I love it here and i couldn't ask for anything more. I love you all so much and i hope you have a wonderful week!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Hammer
Well new area now, no more GLen Burnie now i'm in Gwynn Oak or woodlawn Md whichever you prefer. All i have to say is this is really such an amazing new area. It was so hard leaving GLen BUrnie but now i just can tell that the Lord really has prepared this place for me to be here and it's so great! I'm so happy to have this new challenge of new area, new comp which feels like i'm still kind of training, and DIstrict Leader so ya right now is a really humbling time for me to really rely on the lord in all that i do. We just got out of my first district meeting and all went well. We have some great ELders in our district who really have the desire to work hard and get out there. We are a pretty young district but we all have the first so that makes it so much more fun. THis area is really fun because it's really close to the mission office and so we are working really closely with President and the office missionaries and it's just a great place to be. Me and my new companion are doing great. He is really shy and his spanish struggles but i'm doing my best to help him get out of the shell and really get into the mission. HIs trainer was a really good elder but never let him do anything so i've been making sure that we are doing a lot of 50 50 work. He's great though, he is very loving and made me dinner the first two nights that i was here and i really do love the kid. He feels like my little brother sometimes but were having fun and doing well.
Well the first 2 days i was here it dumped snow like crazy again and we didn't get a whole lot done so it gave us a lot of time to get to knwo the area and bust out the map and go through the area book. That was much needed because we have a lot of work to do. The last baptism here was in october and the only one for 2009 and that's not good for how strong and amazing the branch is. We went to church on sunday all in spanish and it was so great! I finally felt like i'm a spanish missionary and we just have strong preisthood holders too. THe members feed us like crazy almost every night we are getting fed and they adore us missionaries! It's really cool, the latin people are so loving and i could feel that sunday more than ever. We have members who are so stoked on teaching with us and helping us with rides to church and just all the great things that you hope for on a mission i love it!
This past week we had an experience with a member. HIs name is Hermano MORA huge guy from mexico and he wanted us to give his boss a blessing, so we went over there and did. He told us about his boss and how he's a huge alchoholic and used to have all the money in the world and has lost everything. We went to his house and his house was a mess just trashed and it's the nicest house i've been in i think in my life. IT's probably 4 or 5 of our houses put together. But hermano mora and his boss are was close and a afew months ago hermano mora was telling him about us and about what we do and his boss kind of put it in the back of his mind. THEn last week his boss came to him and said i need help from your missionaries, i'm losing it. So we went over to his house and here is this guy who had everything, business cars, money everything heavy on the THINGS and still was miserable and just drank his life right away. HE has a daughter and is about to lose her too. This man seriously is on edge and we starting teaching him about the gospel! ANd it was such an amazing experience! We just told him that we can start over in life and be forgiven of what we have done. He literally is to the point where he thinks that he has gotten so low that he doesn't see that future ahead and he's only like 45. We were trying so hard just to get him to believe that he could start over and that's the thing that i love with the gospel is that we can start over and the people can have that hope to turn around and get on the path to righteousness. We gave him a blessing and invited him to listen to us more and as we were leaving he told us that he was lookign forward to seeing us again. We are going to go over there this week again and we are excited to help this man out.
We also found 2 brother Enrique and ILREALIANO villalobo. They are both from mexico and the elders had talked with them before once but we were really bold after the first lesson as they knew that it made more sense to them than anything else and we invited them to be baptized on march 20th. We are hoping the we can have them ready by then but they have been baptized before but they know that they also have to change their lives around. THat is the great thing about the gospel that i love so much is that we have that ability to change and to know that whatever we may have been doing that we can turn it around and repent of our sins, rely on the savior and become better. I see it in my own life that i've had the bumps and bruises of life and that the lord loves me and he loves us enough to where we can become better in life. I know that this area has been prepared for me to come here and i am so excited and pumped about the things that are already going on here. They had an investigator with a date but we went over to his house to teach him and he was on the phone with the person that lived there from JAIL! ha so that makes that date change up and we are teachign a lady named Karla who has the desire to be baptized but is living with her boyfriend who is the father of her child and he doesn't want to get married, so there is a lot of work to be done here and also a lot of less active work to be done too! THere is so much we need and have to do and i'm excited that i get to do it.
Thanks for all your support out here and for all you do for me. I really haven't been this happy and excited about the work like i am right now. It's such a challenge coming into a new area and starting over but it's so fun to figure all this out! I love it here and i couldn't ask for anything more. I love you all so much and i hope you have a wonderful week!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Hammer
feb. 8th
Well i got transfered guys!!!!!haha my comp didn't get to email so i thought i would write you and tell you where i am at now. I am in Woodlawn maryland!!!! I am in a zone just above Columbia md. Actually the area that i am in is called Colombia north spanish. My companion's name is Elder Pauda from Mesa, AZ. He only has one transfer in the mission and he doesn't know the area all that well ha we got lost for about an hour after transfers because they were today because there is supposed to be another huge storm so i didn't even get to say goodbye to anyone. They called us at 6 last night and said pack up your leaving tomorrow morning. It was so hard leaving Glen Burnie and it still hasn't sunk in, but walking down crain highway last night for the last time was tuff. It kind of stunk but i did get to say by to Alan at least. But it's weird though we live in just a 2 man apartment just me and him ha it's a little strange but i think it'll be fine. Elder Pauda is way quiet his parents are from mexico but he doesn't know a lick of the espanol.So it's pretty much like i'm training again ha but i'm excited about it. And to make things a little more interesting...............
Elder Hammer
p.s. Just write to the mission office address i'll get all the letters still, LES AMO MUCHO!!!!
p.p.s. I love you momma
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
feb. 8
Hello everyone!
Well i'm alive i made it through the storm haha man you guys should have seen the people here in Maryland! They were calling this storm the snow apocalypse and it was just hilarious haha Walmart was cleared, snow shovels sold out it was so hilarious to see the pre storm preperations ha i think they might have thought it was the end of the world...but we made it. We got abotu 36 inches and for MD that's alot and they don't have the plows like they do in utah so ya full fledged panic mode. We spent the last 3 days just out walking in it and shoveling!!!! haha you'd be suprised what four misssionaries can do walking around and clearing cars, houses, driveways it was pretty fun! We got to talk to alot of great people and strangers just inviting us in there house for hot chocolate and even a dinner. It's been a fun weekend for us to be here.
We had Luis confirmed this week in his home and it was such an amazing experience. Ha because of the snow we had church canceled and we couldn't wait longer than a week but we really had such a cool experience there with our ward mission leader and us elders confirming him to be a member! It was such a great day and i was so happy that i got to be able to do that for him! I dunno we don't know if we are being transfered because we haven't been told yet about all that because of the storm and stuff so we wont know until tonight but as for right now i am so grateful that i have been able to be in glen burnie. The experiences here have been so amazing and i wouldn't trade them for the world. Seeing Luis yesterday after the confirmation say "finally" haha really made me realize what this gospel is all about.
We started teachign this young guy Junior and his wife evanya and his brother abraham a couple weeks ago. Junior and ABRAHAM are just straight up thugs haha i think thats why we talked to them just cause they just looked like cool people to talk to haha Lets just say if i wasnt' a crazy missionary i would have never talked to these guys but they really are such great guys. We watched the restoration video with them and left them Books of Mormon and went back there yesterday to see if they had read and to teach them the plan of salvation. We go in there yesterday and ask them if they read and they just started going off on what they had learned play by play 3nephi 11 and it was absolutely amazing! They had truly read and taken that step it was so amazing. Then we started in on the plan of salvation and it was like everything we said they were saying oh ya that's why this happens, oh ya thats why they were tempted so we could be here and just everything was clicking. Then we started to talk to them about the Atonement and we read 2 nephi 9 21-23 and verse 23 says repent and be baptized and when i was reading it my heart was just pounding because the spirit was just so strong and we got done reading and Elder WAITE just went right in and committed them to be baptized and they said well we've been batpized when we were babies how does that all work? So we addressed their concerns and really just went right back into committing them and March 13th! It was one of the most powerful lessons that i have had on my mission. I will never forget that overpowering feelign of the spirit that i felt to share that message with them! We seriously just are so blessed there is nothign better than this work and the Lord is with us. The lord blesses us so much and he's right beside us to lift us up when we are down. He'll do all the lifting if we'll let him! I gained such a testimony of that thus far on the mish.
Well who knows where i might be next week ha west virginia or still in the dirty! but i know the lord loves us and i just thank you all for your love and letters! your the best have a great week !
del sucio
Elder Hammer
Well i'm alive i made it through the storm haha man you guys should have seen the people here in Maryland! They were calling this storm the snow apocalypse and it was just hilarious haha Walmart was cleared, snow shovels sold out it was so hilarious to see the pre storm preperations ha i think they might have thought it was the end of the world...but we made it. We got abotu 36 inches and for MD that's alot and they don't have the plows like they do in utah so ya full fledged panic mode. We spent the last 3 days just out walking in it and shoveling!!!! haha you'd be suprised what four misssionaries can do walking around and clearing cars, houses, driveways it was pretty fun! We got to talk to alot of great people and strangers just inviting us in there house for hot chocolate and even a dinner. It's been a fun weekend for us to be here.
We had Luis confirmed this week in his home and it was such an amazing experience. Ha because of the snow we had church canceled and we couldn't wait longer than a week but we really had such a cool experience there with our ward mission leader and us elders confirming him to be a member! It was such a great day and i was so happy that i got to be able to do that for him! I dunno we don't know if we are being transfered because we haven't been told yet about all that because of the storm and stuff so we wont know until tonight but as for right now i am so grateful that i have been able to be in glen burnie. The experiences here have been so amazing and i wouldn't trade them for the world. Seeing Luis yesterday after the confirmation say "finally" haha really made me realize what this gospel is all about.
We started teachign this young guy Junior and his wife evanya and his brother abraham a couple weeks ago. Junior and ABRAHAM are just straight up thugs haha i think thats why we talked to them just cause they just looked like cool people to talk to haha Lets just say if i wasnt' a crazy missionary i would have never talked to these guys but they really are such great guys. We watched the restoration video with them and left them Books of Mormon and went back there yesterday to see if they had read and to teach them the plan of salvation. We go in there yesterday and ask them if they read and they just started going off on what they had learned play by play 3nephi 11 and it was absolutely amazing! They had truly read and taken that step it was so amazing. Then we started in on the plan of salvation and it was like everything we said they were saying oh ya that's why this happens, oh ya thats why they were tempted so we could be here and just everything was clicking. Then we started to talk to them about the Atonement and we read 2 nephi 9 21-23 and verse 23 says repent and be baptized and when i was reading it my heart was just pounding because the spirit was just so strong and we got done reading and Elder WAITE just went right in and committed them to be baptized and they said well we've been batpized when we were babies how does that all work? So we addressed their concerns and really just went right back into committing them and March 13th! It was one of the most powerful lessons that i have had on my mission. I will never forget that overpowering feelign of the spirit that i felt to share that message with them! We seriously just are so blessed there is nothign better than this work and the Lord is with us. The lord blesses us so much and he's right beside us to lift us up when we are down. He'll do all the lifting if we'll let him! I gained such a testimony of that thus far on the mish.
Well who knows where i might be next week ha west virginia or still in the dirty! but i know the lord loves us and i just thank you all for your love and letters! your the best have a great week !
del sucio
Elder Hammer
Sunday, February 7, 2010
elder hammer
I wanted to do a quick update on the best missionary in the world
he's been out for over seven months now!
its crazy how fast time goes by, but also how slow it can drag on
i know most people who read my blog probably get the weekly email from my mom but i thought it would be fun to let everyone see some pictures Jord has sent home over the last few months.
this picture is at Loraines baptism back in december when Jord was with Elder Morales
This is Richard Johnson the 14 year old boy that had ordered the Book of Mormon
these are the shirts that the members made for the Elders on Thanksgiving
i guess its a tradition in the family to make shirts each year and the cute family made sure to include the missionaries in their tradition
Elder Waite, Jord, Elder Caballero & Elder Campbell
i love this picture cause those of you who know jord really well know that he has quite the obsession with shoes. I think its so cute that now instead of obsessing over the new michael jordans or the newest golf shoes he obsesses over church shoes. He said these are only for "special occasions"
These last few pictures are of Luis the most recent baptism
Jordan has really loved Elder Waite. They get a long great and have had so much success.
Its been so amazing to watch Jordan grow spiritually. Our family has been so blessed because of his service to the Lord. I miss him so much and wish he was home, but something Jordan said in one of his emails really touched me. . .
"We left the temple last night and i just had the most overwhelming feeling of why i am here and what we are doing here. We leave our families for a short time so others can live with theirs for eternity!"
How neat is that. Jordan definitely understands his calling and why he is on a mission. I really look up to him so much. Hearing him say things like this makes me realize how selfish I am for wanting him home. He's definitely where he's supposed to be and I know so many people are going to be blessed because of His testimony. He's such a great example to me of just trusting in the Lord and putting your whole heart into whatever the Lord asks of you.
I seriously could go on and on about Jord. He's just the greatest
I really can't wait to have my best friend come home, but for now hearing about all these amazing experiences & watching him grow into such an amazing man is definitely good enough for me!
love ya bud!
Here's just a little artwork from Jord that I thought was pretty funny
Jordan has really loved Elder Waite. They get a long great and have had so much success.
Its been so amazing to watch Jordan grow spiritually. Our family has been so blessed because of his service to the Lord. I miss him so much and wish he was home, but something Jordan said in one of his emails really touched me. . .
"We left the temple last night and i just had the most overwhelming feeling of why i am here and what we are doing here. We leave our families for a short time so others can live with theirs for eternity!"
How neat is that. Jordan definitely understands his calling and why he is on a mission. I really look up to him so much. Hearing him say things like this makes me realize how selfish I am for wanting him home. He's definitely where he's supposed to be and I know so many people are going to be blessed because of His testimony. He's such a great example to me of just trusting in the Lord and putting your whole heart into whatever the Lord asks of you.
I seriously could go on and on about Jord. He's just the greatest
I really can't wait to have my best friend come home, but for now hearing about all these amazing experiences & watching him grow into such an amazing man is definitely good enough for me!
love ya bud!
Monday, February 1, 2010
feb 1
Hey fam and friends!
It's good to be back writing you all and thanks to some computer malfunctions at the wonderful Glen Burnie Library this might be a little short. It's been such a great week this past week and we have been so blessed to see the miracle of someone else coming into the waters of baptism. We had Luis' baptism on saturday and saturday morning it started to snow! The last baptism we had with Loraine it snowed too, ha satan is working on all cylinders in the Dirty. But we had our baptism with Luis. It was a bunch of Elders at his baptism which was kind of a downer but with the snow the people in maryland go almost close to fatal if they see any skiff of snow haha Church was even canceled yesterday because of the snow, so we are going to have to confirm Luis next week in Church but what can ya do sometimes. Luis though was so amazing to watch at his baptism, he was so affraid of the water but Hermano Wilcox who baptised him was great and helped him out. We had a polynesian elder sing at his baptism and he sung i am a child of god in spanish with his guitar and man it gives me chills just thinking about it right now. We had such a great spirit in that little room to see his baptism and i just am so thankful that we got to be apart of it. Luis was having problems with his job and we told him that he could pray to always have sundays off, and he did and before his baptism he told us that one of his friends needs more hours and just came up to him out of nowhere and told him he would work his sunday mornings for him. The lord answers prayers people! There is no doubt in my mind that the lord is listening to each and everyone of our cries and our needs and he'll help us! We have seen it time and time again with Luis and i know we will continue to see it as we continue to go along.
Oh by the way aunt mitzie thanks so much for your card and the subway card! AND JON ROG CONGRATS TO YOU AND KYLIE! dont' waste anytime baby i like that haha i'm happy for you guys!
We have a goal in the mission to teach 20 lessons a week and i have yet to do it on my mission and we always are at 17 18 19 and this week elder waite and i cracked the 20 mark! It was so sweet last night we were out till 9 30 gettting that 20th lesson but we got it and it was so great!
We had a lesson this past week with Lilian and sefredis the lady who was baptised 15 years back and has forgot everything. Well we gave her a lesson on the holy ghost and how we can feel it in our life. And we went back and asked her about her baptism and she was tellign us all kind of crazy things liek she got the holy ghost before she was baptized and she wasn't taught anything that the elders just said she needed an interview and all this crazy, crazy stuff. and we were tellign her about that there needs to be a certain way of doing things in the churcha nd that just isn't right. and then she said "well i'd return to be baptised to be able to feel the holy ghost in my mind" Ha it was almost like the angels were singing the background music! It was so sweet, so we are starting all the way over with her and her husband and she also has a daughter that's 10 years old so we want to do them all together. But we have a lot of work ahead of us before we get there. We really are seeing some sweet miracles here and especially with us and the less acitves, when i got here they wouldn't even talk to us and now we are having weekly lessons and dinners with them, one of the families told me last time we were over there that i'm the first white boy ahha that has cared about them this much and it was good to hear that ahha we have great things going on and we are excited about them. Now if we can just get the snow to stop and spring to come around that would be nice.
Transfers are coming up and next week i'll know if i'll be staying in Glen Burnie or heading out to some new ghetto adventure haha It''s been so wonderful though being in Glen Burnie. To see these people grow and progress is the greatest gift you can ever recieve as a missionary and it really is the best! I love you all and am so grateful for all you do for me, i lvoe your letters and i just am grateful for them all. Thanks a bunch, have a wonderful week and i'll be back next monday. les amo mucho
Elder Hammer
It's good to be back writing you all and thanks to some computer malfunctions at the wonderful Glen Burnie Library this might be a little short. It's been such a great week this past week and we have been so blessed to see the miracle of someone else coming into the waters of baptism. We had Luis' baptism on saturday and saturday morning it started to snow! The last baptism we had with Loraine it snowed too, ha satan is working on all cylinders in the Dirty. But we had our baptism with Luis. It was a bunch of Elders at his baptism which was kind of a downer but with the snow the people in maryland go almost close to fatal if they see any skiff of snow haha Church was even canceled yesterday because of the snow, so we are going to have to confirm Luis next week in Church but what can ya do sometimes. Luis though was so amazing to watch at his baptism, he was so affraid of the water but Hermano Wilcox who baptised him was great and helped him out. We had a polynesian elder sing at his baptism and he sung i am a child of god in spanish with his guitar and man it gives me chills just thinking about it right now. We had such a great spirit in that little room to see his baptism and i just am so thankful that we got to be apart of it. Luis was having problems with his job and we told him that he could pray to always have sundays off, and he did and before his baptism he told us that one of his friends needs more hours and just came up to him out of nowhere and told him he would work his sunday mornings for him. The lord answers prayers people! There is no doubt in my mind that the lord is listening to each and everyone of our cries and our needs and he'll help us! We have seen it time and time again with Luis and i know we will continue to see it as we continue to go along.
Oh by the way aunt mitzie thanks so much for your card and the subway card! AND JON ROG CONGRATS TO YOU AND KYLIE! dont' waste anytime baby i like that haha i'm happy for you guys!
We have a goal in the mission to teach 20 lessons a week and i have yet to do it on my mission and we always are at 17 18 19 and this week elder waite and i cracked the 20 mark! It was so sweet last night we were out till 9 30 gettting that 20th lesson but we got it and it was so great!
We had a lesson this past week with Lilian and sefredis the lady who was baptised 15 years back and has forgot everything. Well we gave her a lesson on the holy ghost and how we can feel it in our life. And we went back and asked her about her baptism and she was tellign us all kind of crazy things liek she got the holy ghost before she was baptized and she wasn't taught anything that the elders just said she needed an interview and all this crazy, crazy stuff. and we were tellign her about that there needs to be a certain way of doing things in the churcha nd that just isn't right. and then she said "well i'd return to be baptised to be able to feel the holy ghost in my mind" Ha it was almost like the angels were singing the background music! It was so sweet, so we are starting all the way over with her and her husband and she also has a daughter that's 10 years old so we want to do them all together. But we have a lot of work ahead of us before we get there. We really are seeing some sweet miracles here and especially with us and the less acitves, when i got here they wouldn't even talk to us and now we are having weekly lessons and dinners with them, one of the families told me last time we were over there that i'm the first white boy ahha that has cared about them this much and it was good to hear that ahha we have great things going on and we are excited about them. Now if we can just get the snow to stop and spring to come around that would be nice.
Transfers are coming up and next week i'll know if i'll be staying in Glen Burnie or heading out to some new ghetto adventure haha It''s been so wonderful though being in Glen Burnie. To see these people grow and progress is the greatest gift you can ever recieve as a missionary and it really is the best! I love you all and am so grateful for all you do for me, i lvoe your letters and i just am grateful for them all. Thanks a bunch, have a wonderful week and i'll be back next monday. les amo mucho
Elder Hammer
jan 25
Hey everyone!
Well i jinxed myself, the weather last week was so great and i talked way too much about it cause wednesday it snowed and it's been raining for the last 2 days....I LOVE MARYLAND! haha how is everyone? i hope everyone is doing well and i hear that there was quite the birthday bash for Marcia ha thanks everyone for taking care of her while i'm away. Well i hit 7 months yesterday and i have to say that the past month was the fastest month of my mission. It felt like yesterday that i was talking to you guys on Christmas, but it's because we are having a blast out here. Thanks for the letters and love everyone, i really appreciate it. Ha the elders i live with really appreciate your love too cause they get to eat lots of goodies.
Well where do i begin, first and foremost LUIS. Luis got interviewed to be baptized on saturday and he passed! He is getting baptized this saturday at noon! It really is such a miracle to see him get baptized. This past week we taught him the most amazing lessons that were just so spiritual and he just really understands what life is all about. I got one of those new spanish bibles and so i gave him my old one that has my name engraved on it, seriously i'd give that kid anything i owned if i could. We had such a good talk with him after his baptismal interview and he just really wants it and it's really good to see someone just truly converted. He can barely read and barely write so we read with him a lot from the Book of Mormon and he just has a good solid testimony thus far. We have had our ward mission with us a lot of the time teaching wiht him, brother wilcox. He served in Chile and is a linguist out here for the gov. We asked Luis who he wanted to baptize him and he wants Brother Wilcox to do it and i wouldn't have it any other way. It's so much better when a member does it because there is an instant connection with someone in the ward and he has his friend there. He chose me to confirm him and that's just fine with me. Ha its not important who does what it's not us doing anything. But ya Luis is going to be baptized and we are so excited! There is nothing better than a week with a baptism!
Other than Luis things are going a little bit slow, we have about 4 or 5 other people that we are teaching but the progression is going slow. But we are hopeful that they'll kick it in and also we ahve found some sweet new investigators. We are teaching a guy named AMILCA in BP and he is way religious and one question at a time we are getting him closer and closer, first it was about the book of mormon and we showed him the comparison in 2 nephi 3 and ezequiel and then it was infant baptism and showed him moroni 8 and just little by little he is learning more and more.
We had a way cool experience last night. We planned out a whole day and we had back up plans and everything and we were excited to just finish off our week right with a bunch of lessons.....and yep every single one we had fell through. By 7 00 we were out of ideas so we took the car home to drop it off (were low on miles) and we went to an apartment place close to our house. Before we left we just prayed that we would have the opportunity to teach and that we could have a good experience to finish off the week. 2 hours later we came home with 2 lessons taught and 3 new investigators! The lord seriously is blessing and watching out for us so much, even when it's goign a little slow. It was such a tender mercy to just see that right after we prayed the Lord put 3 people in our path and a lady who said she believes in the same things as we do and hates the catholic church and two other guys who are a little confused. I dunno what will come of these people, but i do know that the Lord answers our prayers people! Sometimes it takes almost down to that last moment when we don't think it can get worse, that's when we gotta just rely on the Lord! Prayer is sometimes the only thing we have out here and the Lord loves each of us to answer our prayers, but it's always on the Lords time not ours. I'm learnign how to be more patient out here I never realized what an impatient person i am before and what a attribute that is haha But i'm learning it and little by little it's getting better.
Everyone the lord loves us, Our father in heaven wants the very best for us and all we have to do is trust in him. I can't comprehend the love that i have felt thus far on my mission and the Love that our father in heaven has for us. He wants to help us and he will if we do what's right. I love this work, i love the rain, i love the cold because it always gets better! The lord is so mindful of us missionaries and we really are so blessed and watched over.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Thanks for all your love and letters and my pen pals, thanks a bunch! I love you all and i know this is the greatest thing that i could be doing. Con todo mi amor....les amo
Elder Hammer
Well i jinxed myself, the weather last week was so great and i talked way too much about it cause wednesday it snowed and it's been raining for the last 2 days....I LOVE MARYLAND! haha how is everyone? i hope everyone is doing well and i hear that there was quite the birthday bash for Marcia ha thanks everyone for taking care of her while i'm away. Well i hit 7 months yesterday and i have to say that the past month was the fastest month of my mission. It felt like yesterday that i was talking to you guys on Christmas, but it's because we are having a blast out here. Thanks for the letters and love everyone, i really appreciate it. Ha the elders i live with really appreciate your love too cause they get to eat lots of goodies.
Well where do i begin, first and foremost LUIS. Luis got interviewed to be baptized on saturday and he passed! He is getting baptized this saturday at noon! It really is such a miracle to see him get baptized. This past week we taught him the most amazing lessons that were just so spiritual and he just really understands what life is all about. I got one of those new spanish bibles and so i gave him my old one that has my name engraved on it, seriously i'd give that kid anything i owned if i could. We had such a good talk with him after his baptismal interview and he just really wants it and it's really good to see someone just truly converted. He can barely read and barely write so we read with him a lot from the Book of Mormon and he just has a good solid testimony thus far. We have had our ward mission with us a lot of the time teaching wiht him, brother wilcox. He served in Chile and is a linguist out here for the gov. We asked Luis who he wanted to baptize him and he wants Brother Wilcox to do it and i wouldn't have it any other way. It's so much better when a member does it because there is an instant connection with someone in the ward and he has his friend there. He chose me to confirm him and that's just fine with me. Ha its not important who does what it's not us doing anything. But ya Luis is going to be baptized and we are so excited! There is nothing better than a week with a baptism!
Other than Luis things are going a little bit slow, we have about 4 or 5 other people that we are teaching but the progression is going slow. But we are hopeful that they'll kick it in and also we ahve found some sweet new investigators. We are teaching a guy named AMILCA in BP and he is way religious and one question at a time we are getting him closer and closer, first it was about the book of mormon and we showed him the comparison in 2 nephi 3 and ezequiel and then it was infant baptism and showed him moroni 8 and just little by little he is learning more and more.
We had a way cool experience last night. We planned out a whole day and we had back up plans and everything and we were excited to just finish off our week right with a bunch of lessons.....and yep every single one we had fell through. By 7 00 we were out of ideas so we took the car home to drop it off (were low on miles) and we went to an apartment place close to our house. Before we left we just prayed that we would have the opportunity to teach and that we could have a good experience to finish off the week. 2 hours later we came home with 2 lessons taught and 3 new investigators! The lord seriously is blessing and watching out for us so much, even when it's goign a little slow. It was such a tender mercy to just see that right after we prayed the Lord put 3 people in our path and a lady who said she believes in the same things as we do and hates the catholic church and two other guys who are a little confused. I dunno what will come of these people, but i do know that the Lord answers our prayers people! Sometimes it takes almost down to that last moment when we don't think it can get worse, that's when we gotta just rely on the Lord! Prayer is sometimes the only thing we have out here and the Lord loves each of us to answer our prayers, but it's always on the Lords time not ours. I'm learnign how to be more patient out here I never realized what an impatient person i am before and what a attribute that is haha But i'm learning it and little by little it's getting better.
Everyone the lord loves us, Our father in heaven wants the very best for us and all we have to do is trust in him. I can't comprehend the love that i have felt thus far on my mission and the Love that our father in heaven has for us. He wants to help us and he will if we do what's right. I love this work, i love the rain, i love the cold because it always gets better! The lord is so mindful of us missionaries and we really are so blessed and watched over.
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Thanks for all your love and letters and my pen pals, thanks a bunch! I love you all and i know this is the greatest thing that i could be doing. Con todo mi amor....les amo
Elder Hammer
jan 19
Hello everyone!
Jord here a day late but still here ha. Yesterday was a big day in the east with so many african americans that they shut down everything haha but everything is great though.This past week has been quit the up and down roller coaster but it's been a lot of fun and we have learned alot. The weather this past week has been amazing! yesterday we didn't even wear our jackets it was 55 degrees ha i'm trying not to think that spring is coming cause it's way too early for that but that's just how it feels and i'm loving it. Thanks for all your love and letters this past week!
Well this past week was just up and down and up and down ha We taught Richard Johnson again and he really wants to be baptized and we had a graeat lesson with him on Thursday and we were excited to see him at church and then his mom called us the next day. She hasnt' been against us but she has asked that we just teach him at the church because he has some problems going on at home with her and her boyfriend, but she called us and asked us if we were gonna ask for her permission to baptize him and she was a little upset but each time we have finished with Richard we've told him to go talk to his mom about it so she was a little confused but she said she would be at church with Richard and sunday and we could talk then. He's supposed to be baptized this next saturday but he didn't show up for church and so we called his mom. She just answers and tells us that she had him sleep over at a friends house for the first time ever and it's just kinda wierd i think she's affraid of him coming to be baptized and come in to the gospel so she's pushing him away a little bit. But man we were pretty down in the dumps on sunday cause LUIS got called into work so it was tuff but were gonna go back there and do all we can so that he can be baptized. Let's just hope that his mom will ok it and all will go well with everything.
Ok so on to Luis, man Luis has been the all time best man teaching him is such an amazing experience and just to see what difference this is really making in his life is the best. He's agreed to live all the commandments and he's doing great. Sunday morning he calls us and says that he can't come to church because his work a restaurant wehre he works called him and told him to come work. He told them he couldn't and they said if he didn't they wouldn't pay him. The saddest thing in the world is to see these illegal immigrants just get thrown around by people because they know they can. He was running to work which was 5 miles away and we were just sad and so was he. He asked his boss if he could leave for just 1 hour and his boss said no. It's sad to see this kind of stuff happen and we were way down because now he can't get baptized on jan 30 but i talked to president Belliston and he said that if we felt that he was ready that we could still have it that day and that's what were going to do! Last night we went to the temple with him and it was just an amazing experience to be there with him. We talked to him about baptisms for the dead and i talked to him aboaut his brother who passed away and i know it hit him hard. Then we started talking to him about eternal families and man i lost it ha i just got so overwhelmed by the spirit talking about such a wonderful blessing that we have in our lives and to see how much he misses his family and to see the sacrifice for his family that he is doing, makes me feel guilty for ever thinking i have it rough. We watched the Joseph Smith movie and after he just expressed that he knows now that this is his path and what he should do in his life. He talked about the faith of Josph Smith and how he couldn't believe the sacrifice he made for all of us. It's amazing how many people think we worship Joseph Smith and once they figure out we don't it makes more sense. We left the temple last night and i jsut had the most overwhelming feeling of why i am here and what we are doing here. We leave our families for a short time so others can live with theirs for eternity! It really is such an amazing thing that we have this gospel. It is the ONLY thing that can bring us happiness like we have it and i see that day in and day out. We are so blessed to have the truth and to just know why we are here and where we are going. The Lord loves each and everyone of us and i can't say that enough. I 've learned so much that all God wants is for us to be happy and that the Gospel is the way. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity. Luis really is such a stud i'll send pictures but he just is the man! We are so excited for him and just everything that we have.
Thank you for all you do for me out here i can't say it enough for each and everyone of you that are apart of my life, Thanks! Thanks for the letters and my pen pals and just everyone, you all make such a wonderful difference in my life. The gospel is so true people, it is so true and there is nothign better than being a part of it! Especially speaking spanish! I love it so much and it's getting a lot better. Thanks Jon Rog for the Jersey i sport that all the time now! I love you all and i hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy life. Oh yeah HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 50 I lOVE YOU GUYS cards are on the way! Les amo mucho
Jordan
Jord here a day late but still here ha. Yesterday was a big day in the east with so many african americans that they shut down everything haha but everything is great though.This past week has been quit the up and down roller coaster but it's been a lot of fun and we have learned alot. The weather this past week has been amazing! yesterday we didn't even wear our jackets it was 55 degrees ha i'm trying not to think that spring is coming cause it's way too early for that but that's just how it feels and i'm loving it. Thanks for all your love and letters this past week!
Well this past week was just up and down and up and down ha We taught Richard Johnson again and he really wants to be baptized and we had a graeat lesson with him on Thursday and we were excited to see him at church and then his mom called us the next day. She hasnt' been against us but she has asked that we just teach him at the church because he has some problems going on at home with her and her boyfriend, but she called us and asked us if we were gonna ask for her permission to baptize him and she was a little upset but each time we have finished with Richard we've told him to go talk to his mom about it so she was a little confused but she said she would be at church with Richard and sunday and we could talk then. He's supposed to be baptized this next saturday but he didn't show up for church and so we called his mom. She just answers and tells us that she had him sleep over at a friends house for the first time ever and it's just kinda wierd i think she's affraid of him coming to be baptized and come in to the gospel so she's pushing him away a little bit. But man we were pretty down in the dumps on sunday cause LUIS got called into work so it was tuff but were gonna go back there and do all we can so that he can be baptized. Let's just hope that his mom will ok it and all will go well with everything.
Ok so on to Luis, man Luis has been the all time best man teaching him is such an amazing experience and just to see what difference this is really making in his life is the best. He's agreed to live all the commandments and he's doing great. Sunday morning he calls us and says that he can't come to church because his work a restaurant wehre he works called him and told him to come work. He told them he couldn't and they said if he didn't they wouldn't pay him. The saddest thing in the world is to see these illegal immigrants just get thrown around by people because they know they can. He was running to work which was 5 miles away and we were just sad and so was he. He asked his boss if he could leave for just 1 hour and his boss said no. It's sad to see this kind of stuff happen and we were way down because now he can't get baptized on jan 30 but i talked to president Belliston and he said that if we felt that he was ready that we could still have it that day and that's what were going to do! Last night we went to the temple with him and it was just an amazing experience to be there with him. We talked to him about baptisms for the dead and i talked to him aboaut his brother who passed away and i know it hit him hard. Then we started talking to him about eternal families and man i lost it ha i just got so overwhelmed by the spirit talking about such a wonderful blessing that we have in our lives and to see how much he misses his family and to see the sacrifice for his family that he is doing, makes me feel guilty for ever thinking i have it rough. We watched the Joseph Smith movie and after he just expressed that he knows now that this is his path and what he should do in his life. He talked about the faith of Josph Smith and how he couldn't believe the sacrifice he made for all of us. It's amazing how many people think we worship Joseph Smith and once they figure out we don't it makes more sense. We left the temple last night and i jsut had the most overwhelming feeling of why i am here and what we are doing here. We leave our families for a short time so others can live with theirs for eternity! It really is such an amazing thing that we have this gospel. It is the ONLY thing that can bring us happiness like we have it and i see that day in and day out. We are so blessed to have the truth and to just know why we are here and where we are going. The Lord loves each and everyone of us and i can't say that enough. I 've learned so much that all God wants is for us to be happy and that the Gospel is the way. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity. Luis really is such a stud i'll send pictures but he just is the man! We are so excited for him and just everything that we have.
Thank you for all you do for me out here i can't say it enough for each and everyone of you that are apart of my life, Thanks! Thanks for the letters and my pen pals and just everyone, you all make such a wonderful difference in my life. The gospel is so true people, it is so true and there is nothign better than being a part of it! Especially speaking spanish! I love it so much and it's getting a lot better. Thanks Jon Rog for the Jersey i sport that all the time now! I love you all and i hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy life. Oh yeah HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 50 I lOVE YOU GUYS cards are on the way! Les amo mucho
Jordan
jan 11
Hello Everyone!
Jordo here from the dirty reporting once again haha. We have had such a good week this past week! It's been one of the coldest weeks here but it's been fun. Ha the cold here doesn't come with the degrees it's all on the wind and it's blows every single day haha It's been a blast htough this past week once again with the elders in our apartment and elder waite as well. In our zone each week we have to call in our numbers and our district is us four in our apartment and the AP'S and yes we are the two week raining Champions, MOST VALUABLE DISTRICT for the annapolis zone haha (based on our numbers). It's been kind of fun because the zone leaders are doing that now this new year and it's getting us a little more motivation. so ya but we got a little prideful on tuesday in the apartment and wednesday was a humbler, that's just how the lord works huh.
Well first and foremost we have Luis on date for Jan. 30th and we taught him a lesson on monday night, but we were waiting to here what his boss said about him getting work off on sundays. We got there and he told us that his boss cut his hours to 30 hours instead of 40 and he has to work sundays still but doesn't have to start until 12 and our ward just switched to 930! Seriously the tender mercies from the Lord and so real and so amazing it was an answer to our prayers and it just set the tone for the lesson that we had with him. We went back on saturday to teach him the restoration again just to make sure that he's got the testimony and we watched the restoration video with him. After the movie was over i just asked him how he felt about everything that we had taught him and he just looked at me and said "ever since you guys have been coming over to my house i have felt the biggest change in my life, this is the path for me and i know it was an answer to my prayers" I don't think i've ever been hit more by the spirit to confirm to me that what we are doing out here is so real and so amazing. There is so much power in this gospel and to hear him say that was icing on the cake! We had our ward mission leader pick him up who served in CHILE and he walked in and man it was the best. we haven't had a spanish investigator at church for 5 weeks and it has been pretty tuff but we got him there and it was amazing. Ha usual we translate but the cord was broke so i just had to sit next to him and translate everything for him and it was so amazing. I know he felt the spirit and we just are way excited about him. The spanish work is a lot tuffer than i thought it would be especially since we dont' have a branch but we are just finding a way around that barrier and are gettting people and it's been such a blessign to see the faith of these people to come to a church in a different language where they stick out like a sore thumb and have to wear head phones but because they knwo it's true they do it. It's been such a testimony builder to me that it doesnt' matter what language it's in it's all true.
We taught Richard the 14 year old kid who ordered a book of mormon and we were gonna have him baptized this next saturday but he did'nt come to church so we are going to push it back one more week. This past week i gave him a white shirt of mine a tie a pair of pants and some old shoes because he doesnt' ahve any money and feels a little out of place i think so we went over to his house and gave him all that, ha he looked at me like i was santa, oh yeah and we gave him a scripture case too he wanted one of those so bad. I was so excited yesterday to see him role up looking like a teacher about ready to pass the sacrament but he no showed. He's really legit about everything so something must have come up but we are gonna have to push his back a week. When we first started teaching him he would pray and it would be about 2 lines in his prayers, but this past week we asked him to pray and he was talking about this learnign experience of his and all about baptism and all this long prayer, it was really cool to see his little testimony growing. We are really excited about him but we jsut have to get him to church.
So this last week we had zone conference up in Baltimore. So we drove up there and yep we got lost haha of all the places you don't want to get lost in is Baltimore but seriously that city is so sweet we saw so many sweet things and buildings and people haha gotta love the people, drove past Johns Hopkins Medical School, i could see myself there one day haha but seriously Baltimore is a way sweet city. We drove past this place called lexington Market. It's like this huge food place that is just run by the brothers haha just thought i'd let you all know that i got lost in Baltimore but we made it and had a wonderful Zone Conference. I can't say it enough how much i lvoe president Belliston. He really is such a great man and i'm lucky to be here. Now i'm just itching to serve in the city haha
The lady we talked to last week about tithing and the temples and all that, Yaneth. well she got el gripe de chancho ( flu of the pig) haha this past week and so that put a damper on our teaching her. We are going back though this week and i can't wait.
Well that's about all from the dirty for this week. THings are going great and i love it out here. The work is going really well and the spanish i getting so much better, i can actually talk to these people adn understand them too. I love this gospel we are all so lucky to have it in our lives. Thanks for all your letters and support out here it really makes such a difference everyone! THanks again and have a wonderful week! LES AMO MUCHO
Elder Hammer
Jordo here from the dirty reporting once again haha. We have had such a good week this past week! It's been one of the coldest weeks here but it's been fun. Ha the cold here doesn't come with the degrees it's all on the wind and it's blows every single day haha It's been a blast htough this past week once again with the elders in our apartment and elder waite as well. In our zone each week we have to call in our numbers and our district is us four in our apartment and the AP'S and yes we are the two week raining Champions, MOST VALUABLE DISTRICT for the annapolis zone haha (based on our numbers). It's been kind of fun because the zone leaders are doing that now this new year and it's getting us a little more motivation. so ya but we got a little prideful on tuesday in the apartment and wednesday was a humbler, that's just how the lord works huh.
Well first and foremost we have Luis on date for Jan. 30th and we taught him a lesson on monday night, but we were waiting to here what his boss said about him getting work off on sundays. We got there and he told us that his boss cut his hours to 30 hours instead of 40 and he has to work sundays still but doesn't have to start until 12 and our ward just switched to 930! Seriously the tender mercies from the Lord and so real and so amazing it was an answer to our prayers and it just set the tone for the lesson that we had with him. We went back on saturday to teach him the restoration again just to make sure that he's got the testimony and we watched the restoration video with him. After the movie was over i just asked him how he felt about everything that we had taught him and he just looked at me and said "ever since you guys have been coming over to my house i have felt the biggest change in my life, this is the path for me and i know it was an answer to my prayers" I don't think i've ever been hit more by the spirit to confirm to me that what we are doing out here is so real and so amazing. There is so much power in this gospel and to hear him say that was icing on the cake! We had our ward mission leader pick him up who served in CHILE and he walked in and man it was the best. we haven't had a spanish investigator at church for 5 weeks and it has been pretty tuff but we got him there and it was amazing. Ha usual we translate but the cord was broke so i just had to sit next to him and translate everything for him and it was so amazing. I know he felt the spirit and we just are way excited about him. The spanish work is a lot tuffer than i thought it would be especially since we dont' have a branch but we are just finding a way around that barrier and are gettting people and it's been such a blessign to see the faith of these people to come to a church in a different language where they stick out like a sore thumb and have to wear head phones but because they knwo it's true they do it. It's been such a testimony builder to me that it doesnt' matter what language it's in it's all true.
We taught Richard the 14 year old kid who ordered a book of mormon and we were gonna have him baptized this next saturday but he did'nt come to church so we are going to push it back one more week. This past week i gave him a white shirt of mine a tie a pair of pants and some old shoes because he doesnt' ahve any money and feels a little out of place i think so we went over to his house and gave him all that, ha he looked at me like i was santa, oh yeah and we gave him a scripture case too he wanted one of those so bad. I was so excited yesterday to see him role up looking like a teacher about ready to pass the sacrament but he no showed. He's really legit about everything so something must have come up but we are gonna have to push his back a week. When we first started teaching him he would pray and it would be about 2 lines in his prayers, but this past week we asked him to pray and he was talking about this learnign experience of his and all about baptism and all this long prayer, it was really cool to see his little testimony growing. We are really excited about him but we jsut have to get him to church.
So this last week we had zone conference up in Baltimore. So we drove up there and yep we got lost haha of all the places you don't want to get lost in is Baltimore but seriously that city is so sweet we saw so many sweet things and buildings and people haha gotta love the people, drove past Johns Hopkins Medical School, i could see myself there one day haha but seriously Baltimore is a way sweet city. We drove past this place called lexington Market. It's like this huge food place that is just run by the brothers haha just thought i'd let you all know that i got lost in Baltimore but we made it and had a wonderful Zone Conference. I can't say it enough how much i lvoe president Belliston. He really is such a great man and i'm lucky to be here. Now i'm just itching to serve in the city haha
The lady we talked to last week about tithing and the temples and all that, Yaneth. well she got el gripe de chancho ( flu of the pig) haha this past week and so that put a damper on our teaching her. We are going back though this week and i can't wait.
Well that's about all from the dirty for this week. THings are going great and i love it out here. The work is going really well and the spanish i getting so much better, i can actually talk to these people adn understand them too. I love this gospel we are all so lucky to have it in our lives. Thanks for all your letters and support out here it really makes such a difference everyone! THanks again and have a wonderful week! LES AMO MUCHO
Elder Hammer
jan. 4
Hey everyone,
Jordo here from the dirty, ha the cold dirty i might add. It's been windy this last week and wow the wind here makes things a little more interesting.But man what a sweet week we have had this past week i can't believe how much fun it's been to be training and to have this new experience. Ha just a funny note to add in there when i'm talking about the cold, the other night we were out walking and my new comp. Elder WAITE was just freezing haha and he yells out "Elder Hammer it's so cold i can't even form sentences" man this kid is the Best! He makes me laugh so much and we really are having a great time.
So ya here i go i guess ha Elder Waite is my new companion and he is from Bountiful Utah. He was at the mtc at the same time as me and he was going to rehab for his hip the same time i was goign to the doctor for my whole throat thing and we rode in the van together and talked to each other so weird! He got called to Vera cruz mexico in last march and a week before he was supposed to go into the mtc he broke his neck skiing and dislocated his hip. He's lucky to be alive. so that put him off till july when we were together but he had a ton of problems with his hip and the doctor wouldn't release him to go to mexico. So he went home for 6 months got released and got re called to baltimore a week beofre he came out. He really is the coolest kid and i've had the most fun with him than any of my other two companions. His spanish is way good and he's just a blast to be around. There is another new elder in our apartment named elder foltz haha he's a riot he's going home in 3 onths but is so hard working and he constantly keeps us laughing. We really are having so much fun out here and having a good time. New years eve we had to be in by 8 and it just kinda felt like any other day haha except the next day the whole latino population was "recovering" haha new years day was not the most profitable proselyting day ahah but it was fun and were having a good time together.
This past week has been such a learning experience for me, i don't even know where to begin ha i really was so nervous to get my new comp and to know that i'm gonan be training but i just am doing my best and relying on the lord. Man it's been so great for my spanish and it's really testing my spanish and my spanish is a lot better than i thought it was haha my comp says that he cant believe how much i understand but i don't really realize it hah but ya just relying on the lord is all i can do out here especially in this situation but my comp wants to work and that's the best he's been home and he hated it and he almost thought about giving up on the mission but he came out and he's killing it!
We had a lesson with Luis this past week and we went over there and asked him about how his prayer went about the plan of salvation. He had a dream! it was so crazy to hear this dream but basically he saw his whole family and even his brother that died and his daughter that died and he was trying to save them from this big wave of water or something and they got swept away and so did luis, but while he was under the water he said that he saw a light and he reached out to grab it and when he did he was ok. Man when i heard that man i felt like joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat sitting there trying to interpret his dream and appply it to the gospel and how he got his answer and the light is the gospel it was amazing. He said he never has dreams but when he asked god about the church he had this dream and he even said that he thought that was his answer. We put him on date to be baptized jan 30th but he's gotta get sundays off so he can come to church, but we told him to ask his boss and that his boss would if he had the faith and prayed for help so were going back tonight to see what happened. We also read Lehi's dream with him and tried to liken it to him and how the Book of Mormon seriously relates to everything that we do in our lives it was so sweet!
We got a new referall from a guy in a different branch for this lady named yaneth guardado. We went over there last night and talked to her forever about the church. She is catholic and doesn't believe in the saints and confession and all this and she was like im not willing to change but i want to listen to you guys. Before you know it we were talkign about tithing and the temples and how no one is paid in the church and tithing goes to making these temples and buildings and futhering the work. It was amazing we walked in there and she had her doubts and the spirit just came in there and started working on her. She couldn't beleive that we don't get paid and that we are paying to be here. I really got her when i showed her the family picutre and told her about my golfing and scholarship and everything back at home and i was like do you seriously think i would give two years of my life adn leave all of that for something that didn't mean everything to me? Ha we got her! We are going back to teach her this next week and i'm so excited the lord really is preparing people to be ready to receive the gospel here and me and elder waite are finding them. It's the best!
Well guys that's about it i hope all is well and you all know how much i love you! Everyone keep up the good work and happy new years. I hope 2010 is great for all of you! Have a wonderful week everyone. Les amo mucho
del sucio (from the dirty)
Elder hammer
Jordo here from the dirty, ha the cold dirty i might add. It's been windy this last week and wow the wind here makes things a little more interesting.But man what a sweet week we have had this past week i can't believe how much fun it's been to be training and to have this new experience. Ha just a funny note to add in there when i'm talking about the cold, the other night we were out walking and my new comp. Elder WAITE was just freezing haha and he yells out "Elder Hammer it's so cold i can't even form sentences" man this kid is the Best! He makes me laugh so much and we really are having a great time.
So ya here i go i guess ha Elder Waite is my new companion and he is from Bountiful Utah. He was at the mtc at the same time as me and he was going to rehab for his hip the same time i was goign to the doctor for my whole throat thing and we rode in the van together and talked to each other so weird! He got called to Vera cruz mexico in last march and a week before he was supposed to go into the mtc he broke his neck skiing and dislocated his hip. He's lucky to be alive. so that put him off till july when we were together but he had a ton of problems with his hip and the doctor wouldn't release him to go to mexico. So he went home for 6 months got released and got re called to baltimore a week beofre he came out. He really is the coolest kid and i've had the most fun with him than any of my other two companions. His spanish is way good and he's just a blast to be around. There is another new elder in our apartment named elder foltz haha he's a riot he's going home in 3 onths but is so hard working and he constantly keeps us laughing. We really are having so much fun out here and having a good time. New years eve we had to be in by 8 and it just kinda felt like any other day haha except the next day the whole latino population was "recovering" haha new years day was not the most profitable proselyting day ahah but it was fun and were having a good time together.
This past week has been such a learning experience for me, i don't even know where to begin ha i really was so nervous to get my new comp and to know that i'm gonan be training but i just am doing my best and relying on the lord. Man it's been so great for my spanish and it's really testing my spanish and my spanish is a lot better than i thought it was haha my comp says that he cant believe how much i understand but i don't really realize it hah but ya just relying on the lord is all i can do out here especially in this situation but my comp wants to work and that's the best he's been home and he hated it and he almost thought about giving up on the mission but he came out and he's killing it!
We had a lesson with Luis this past week and we went over there and asked him about how his prayer went about the plan of salvation. He had a dream! it was so crazy to hear this dream but basically he saw his whole family and even his brother that died and his daughter that died and he was trying to save them from this big wave of water or something and they got swept away and so did luis, but while he was under the water he said that he saw a light and he reached out to grab it and when he did he was ok. Man when i heard that man i felt like joseph and the technicolor dreamcoat sitting there trying to interpret his dream and appply it to the gospel and how he got his answer and the light is the gospel it was amazing. He said he never has dreams but when he asked god about the church he had this dream and he even said that he thought that was his answer. We put him on date to be baptized jan 30th but he's gotta get sundays off so he can come to church, but we told him to ask his boss and that his boss would if he had the faith and prayed for help so were going back tonight to see what happened. We also read Lehi's dream with him and tried to liken it to him and how the Book of Mormon seriously relates to everything that we do in our lives it was so sweet!
We got a new referall from a guy in a different branch for this lady named yaneth guardado. We went over there last night and talked to her forever about the church. She is catholic and doesn't believe in the saints and confession and all this and she was like im not willing to change but i want to listen to you guys. Before you know it we were talkign about tithing and the temples and how no one is paid in the church and tithing goes to making these temples and buildings and futhering the work. It was amazing we walked in there and she had her doubts and the spirit just came in there and started working on her. She couldn't beleive that we don't get paid and that we are paying to be here. I really got her when i showed her the family picutre and told her about my golfing and scholarship and everything back at home and i was like do you seriously think i would give two years of my life adn leave all of that for something that didn't mean everything to me? Ha we got her! We are going back to teach her this next week and i'm so excited the lord really is preparing people to be ready to receive the gospel here and me and elder waite are finding them. It's the best!
Well guys that's about it i hope all is well and you all know how much i love you! Everyone keep up the good work and happy new years. I hope 2010 is great for all of you! Have a wonderful week everyone. Les amo mucho
del sucio (from the dirty)
Elder hammer
dec 28
Hello fam and friends!
> Wow what a crazy week this has been but one that i will always remember ha Christmas on the mission is quite the experience and it really was a great day. We had a great day with the mckellar family and then we had dinner with our 1sr counselor in the Bishopric that night. Man it was great to call home and chat with you guys and it really was the best! Thank you all so much for your endless cards and gifts. I really appreciate them so much and everything you guys have done for me over the holiday season!
> Well this morning we got call outs about transfers and I'M STAYING IN GLEN BURNIE one more transfer.......ha to make things a little more interesting Elder Morales is leaving. So i get a call from President Belliston this morning and he says "Elder hammer i need you to train this transfer" i about dropped the phone! haha I'M TRAINING i can't believe it i really can't. I've only been out for 6 months and training now haha keep me in your prayers especially my sanity. No i really am so excited and so excited for this new challenge. Especially with Spanish because it is going to force me to be the one in Charge and i've had 2 natives for my first two comps so i guess that's a blessing in disguise right there! So yes i'm staying in glen burnie at least one more and i'm training haha i'll find out wednesday who it is and all that but i'm way excited.
> This past week we met a lady from Brazil and her name is lilian. I went up and talked to her because i thought she looked latin and so i just went up to her and started speaking spanish to her, ha she started laughing and was like i'm from Brazil in english and then she went off in spanish and was like but i know spanish. So we are now teaching a girl from Brazil in Spanish but she is reading the Book of Mormon in portugese to better understand and she knows a little bit of english ha that's a pretty crazy mixture of languages for sure. But we actually i'm excited for her and what we can maybe get going with her.
> We had such a sweet lesson this past week with Luis and Jorge and we are going back there tonight. But we taught them the Plan of Salvation and they both have lost brothers and Luis had a daughter that died so the Plan of Salvation really hit home with them. We are hopoing to put them on date tonight for baptism, but we really need to get them to church. The past little while we have been going to everyone of our investigators houses right before chruch to get them there and it hasn't been working ha these people are good at not being home i tell ya. But luis and jorge really are alone here. they are both 18 and living in america all by themselves so i hope that we can give them at least somethign to look forward to.
> Ruben and Manuel...man they are driving us bonkers ha ok so not really but they just have fallen off quite a bit and drank the whole christmas break and we had talked to them about the word of wisdom so we are going to have to go over there and lay the law down with them. I think that they are just stuck in their ways and we are going to find a way to get them out of theirs, but were just not quite sure yet what it is ha.
> Well guys sorry this is a short one but the computers at the library didn't let us on today and so we are borrowing someones computer but thanks for everything and everyone seriously i hope you all had a wonderful christmas and have a wonderful new year! THanks for all the letters and my pen pals adn just everything that you do for me. Hav ea wonderful week! Les amo
> Elder Hammer
> Wow what a crazy week this has been but one that i will always remember ha Christmas on the mission is quite the experience and it really was a great day. We had a great day with the mckellar family and then we had dinner with our 1sr counselor in the Bishopric that night. Man it was great to call home and chat with you guys and it really was the best! Thank you all so much for your endless cards and gifts. I really appreciate them so much and everything you guys have done for me over the holiday season!
> Well this morning we got call outs about transfers and I'M STAYING IN GLEN BURNIE one more transfer.......ha to make things a little more interesting Elder Morales is leaving. So i get a call from President Belliston this morning and he says "Elder hammer i need you to train this transfer" i about dropped the phone! haha I'M TRAINING i can't believe it i really can't. I've only been out for 6 months and training now haha keep me in your prayers especially my sanity. No i really am so excited and so excited for this new challenge. Especially with Spanish because it is going to force me to be the one in Charge and i've had 2 natives for my first two comps so i guess that's a blessing in disguise right there! So yes i'm staying in glen burnie at least one more and i'm training haha i'll find out wednesday who it is and all that but i'm way excited.
> This past week we met a lady from Brazil and her name is lilian. I went up and talked to her because i thought she looked latin and so i just went up to her and started speaking spanish to her, ha she started laughing and was like i'm from Brazil in english and then she went off in spanish and was like but i know spanish. So we are now teaching a girl from Brazil in Spanish but she is reading the Book of Mormon in portugese to better understand and she knows a little bit of english ha that's a pretty crazy mixture of languages for sure. But we actually i'm excited for her and what we can maybe get going with her.
> We had such a sweet lesson this past week with Luis and Jorge and we are going back there tonight. But we taught them the Plan of Salvation and they both have lost brothers and Luis had a daughter that died so the Plan of Salvation really hit home with them. We are hopoing to put them on date tonight for baptism, but we really need to get them to church. The past little while we have been going to everyone of our investigators houses right before chruch to get them there and it hasn't been working ha these people are good at not being home i tell ya. But luis and jorge really are alone here. they are both 18 and living in america all by themselves so i hope that we can give them at least somethign to look forward to.
> Ruben and Manuel...man they are driving us bonkers ha ok so not really but they just have fallen off quite a bit and drank the whole christmas break and we had talked to them about the word of wisdom so we are going to have to go over there and lay the law down with them. I think that they are just stuck in their ways and we are going to find a way to get them out of theirs, but were just not quite sure yet what it is ha.
> Well guys sorry this is a short one but the computers at the library didn't let us on today and so we are borrowing someones computer but thanks for everything and everyone seriously i hope you all had a wonderful christmas and have a wonderful new year! THanks for all the letters and my pen pals adn just everything that you do for me. Hav ea wonderful week! Les amo
> Elder Hammer
dec 21
Hey fam and friends!
> Jord here from the literally frozen tundra of maryland! It snowed like 2 feet on friday and it has just been a crazy time. haha i have pushed more cars out from being stuck and dug so many houses and cars out but it really has been some of the funnest times of the mission. Thanks for all your support and love this week. Grandma hammer thanks for the package, and grandma hafen too. Aunt shelly thanks for the cards and just thanks for everything i really appreciate it! Back to the snow though. We woke up saturday morning and our place was just covered in snow everything was just getting dumped on and when that happens in maryland, pretty much the whole city shuts down. And when that happens the missionary work gets a little interesting. So we basically said alright were gonna go walking and just try to help and serve and see members and carol to them and that's what we did. It was so fun and it was such a blast we would just walk down the road from place to place and carol and push cars out, shovel peoples driveway and people looked at us four missionaries like we were on crack it was kinda funny to see there reaction as we came along and asked if we could help. We got lots of Hot Chocolate though and some stranger invited us in for some homemade Chili that was so so so good. Ha i haven't been in the Christmas spirit much lately but man this storm and serving others and caroling has been so much fun and it really has helped out a lot. So it just getting back to where people are digging themselves out and the sun in shining but man it Dumped! but it was a fun weekend and a fun experience.
> We got to the temple this past week and do a session! It was such a blast and a much much needed temple trip! The washington dc temple is absolutely amazing outside but wow the inside is so sweet and we had such a good time there. And then later that night we were out in the parking lotas people came in and directing traffic. It really was such a blast and such a fun time to just be out and wishing everyone a merry christmas and talking to random people. Christmas time really is a blast to be serving the Lord.
> This past week we found some sweet new investigators and just have been so so blessed. The work is a lot tougher than i thought it would be serving espanol in the states because finding people ahs been the tuffest part for sure, but this week just being out and about we have talked ot people and they have let us come over and teach them it's been so so sweet. We have this lady named MARIEL and she is about 45 and she is catholic but is really strong, ha those catholics man they are tuff people haha no offense but they are just so set in their ways, but she said she has nothing to read in spanish and we gave her a BOOK OF MORMON in spanish and i know she will pick that thing up and get taken away by the power of that book. And then our two 18 year old kids who are way sweet luis and jorge, were going over there tongith to teach them but they didn't have any snow stuff or gear so thank you grandma hafen we gave them w whole load of scarfs and mittens and caps but they are progressing and the work is going really well. With the snow this week church was only from 1 to 2 and a ton of people didnt' come because of the snow but we walked up there and got to have a little sacrament meeting and that was really nice. It's cool to see some of these members just do all they can and shovel who ever needs and whenever.
> Ruben and Manuel and Jose are doing ok, i'm a little worried about them. they just aren't understanding it all and the importance of it and i know we have to be patient and just keep teaching them, but this past week we had a sweet lesson about quiting smoking. We got the cigarette out and put in our hand and just said can you believe that something so little has so much power over you and were just holding it there and they were feeling the guilt and we just broke it in front of them and said you can quit with the lords help! It was way sweet and i hope they took it to heart.
> Fam at this time i really just want to say how much i lov eeach and everyone of you in my life. You all have played such a big role in where i am today and i really am so greatful to be here. I know that our savior lives and that he is with us at our highest and lowest times as well, especially when we don't think we can go on. He's right there with us and i know that with all of my heart. I'm so grateful for this gospel and i hope you all have a merrry Christmas! I know that you all will but i just wnat to say thanks to you all and my pen pals. I really am so grateful for all of you! Thank you so so much Have a great week! Next week when i'm writing you i'll know if i'm getting transfered or staying. Hopefully i stay i'm not ready to leave this place yet. Merry Christmas everyone!
> Singing off from the WHITE DIRTY
> Elder Hammer
> Jord here from the literally frozen tundra of maryland! It snowed like 2 feet on friday and it has just been a crazy time. haha i have pushed more cars out from being stuck and dug so many houses and cars out but it really has been some of the funnest times of the mission. Thanks for all your support and love this week. Grandma hammer thanks for the package, and grandma hafen too. Aunt shelly thanks for the cards and just thanks for everything i really appreciate it! Back to the snow though. We woke up saturday morning and our place was just covered in snow everything was just getting dumped on and when that happens in maryland, pretty much the whole city shuts down. And when that happens the missionary work gets a little interesting. So we basically said alright were gonna go walking and just try to help and serve and see members and carol to them and that's what we did. It was so fun and it was such a blast we would just walk down the road from place to place and carol and push cars out, shovel peoples driveway and people looked at us four missionaries like we were on crack it was kinda funny to see there reaction as we came along and asked if we could help. We got lots of Hot Chocolate though and some stranger invited us in for some homemade Chili that was so so so good. Ha i haven't been in the Christmas spirit much lately but man this storm and serving others and caroling has been so much fun and it really has helped out a lot. So it just getting back to where people are digging themselves out and the sun in shining but man it Dumped! but it was a fun weekend and a fun experience.
> We got to the temple this past week and do a session! It was such a blast and a much much needed temple trip! The washington dc temple is absolutely amazing outside but wow the inside is so sweet and we had such a good time there. And then later that night we were out in the parking lotas people came in and directing traffic. It really was such a blast and such a fun time to just be out and wishing everyone a merry christmas and talking to random people. Christmas time really is a blast to be serving the Lord.
> This past week we found some sweet new investigators and just have been so so blessed. The work is a lot tougher than i thought it would be serving espanol in the states because finding people ahs been the tuffest part for sure, but this week just being out and about we have talked ot people and they have let us come over and teach them it's been so so sweet. We have this lady named MARIEL and she is about 45 and she is catholic but is really strong, ha those catholics man they are tuff people haha no offense but they are just so set in their ways, but she said she has nothing to read in spanish and we gave her a BOOK OF MORMON in spanish and i know she will pick that thing up and get taken away by the power of that book. And then our two 18 year old kids who are way sweet luis and jorge, were going over there tongith to teach them but they didn't have any snow stuff or gear so thank you grandma hafen we gave them w whole load of scarfs and mittens and caps but they are progressing and the work is going really well. With the snow this week church was only from 1 to 2 and a ton of people didnt' come because of the snow but we walked up there and got to have a little sacrament meeting and that was really nice. It's cool to see some of these members just do all they can and shovel who ever needs and whenever.
> Ruben and Manuel and Jose are doing ok, i'm a little worried about them. they just aren't understanding it all and the importance of it and i know we have to be patient and just keep teaching them, but this past week we had a sweet lesson about quiting smoking. We got the cigarette out and put in our hand and just said can you believe that something so little has so much power over you and were just holding it there and they were feeling the guilt and we just broke it in front of them and said you can quit with the lords help! It was way sweet and i hope they took it to heart.
> Fam at this time i really just want to say how much i lov eeach and everyone of you in my life. You all have played such a big role in where i am today and i really am so greatful to be here. I know that our savior lives and that he is with us at our highest and lowest times as well, especially when we don't think we can go on. He's right there with us and i know that with all of my heart. I'm so grateful for this gospel and i hope you all have a merrry Christmas! I know that you all will but i just wnat to say thanks to you all and my pen pals. I really am so grateful for all of you! Thank you so so much Have a great week! Next week when i'm writing you i'll know if i'm getting transfered or staying. Hopefully i stay i'm not ready to leave this place yet. Merry Christmas everyone!
> Singing off from the WHITE DIRTY
> Elder Hammer
dec 14
Hello everyone,
> Elder hammer here from maryland or should i say the frozen tundra. Haha man i'm so weak but this past week was so cold and man i just do not do as good as i really thought i'd be in this cold. But i'll be fine and the work must go on! Thats so sweet nick and jess i really am so happy for you guys a little girl! i lvoe the name morgan and i can't wait to be an uncle CONGRATS GUYS! But i really just wnated to thank you all for all that you have been doing for me and sending me and just everything. This has been a fun week for us and i just hope you all are doing really well. Thanks for all you do for me once again i really appreciate it.
> Ok well this past week we got ruben his son manuel and jose back on date! for Jan. 9th. They are all 3 going to do this trip together and it's going to be way cool to see. They stiffed us though this sunday and i really don't know what to think about them because i dunno if they really understand why we are here and what we are trying to help them with but i really am hopeful for them and just know that if we keep the faith that they will be there one day!
> We went to the temple this past week with lilian a lady who had been baptized 15 years ago and has forgot everything. And her husband has shown a little bit of interest. But we went over there and we have these cards that we give out and they have 4 kids and the one son DIEGO is the man i love that kid but we gave him a card of the temple with all the lights and i was like thats where we are going. He gets the card and just starts screaming with joy "VAMOS A VER LAS LUCES" (were going to see the lights) oh man it sesriously made my whole entire day and to see all the little kids start screaming was the best! They followed us down there and we went with our ward mission leader who served in Chile and he really is just a stud! I can't believe that we got them to the temple first off but it really was so so sweet. And we watched the Joseph smith movie and went to the concert there that night we just had it all and it really was so sweet! I know it started something beause the next day we went over there and they were telling us that they were talking about people from work about tithing and the word of wisdom and all that. THE WHEELS ARE TURNING that's for sure. Ha we went over there and there kid said the closing prayer and the little kid just starts going off on the Lord's prayer it was crazy and then he started his own prayer and started thanking god that "los pastores" came and taught them. hahah he called us pastors man it was hilarious and the mom just started cracking up it seriously was the best. This family seriously nothing woould make me more happy to see them come back to church and see it all! I really am so hopeful for them because she has had the truth and has had it all but jsut has forgotten everything and i know that if we can just ge tthem to church one time that it will make all the difference in the world for them. Those kids need to get to praimary and just all of that would be so sweet but not having a spanish branch is hurting that but one day they will be there and they will come back!
> Well that's about it for this week i know it was way short but the computers at the library are going crazy and i got kicked off twice haha long story. But i just wanted to say thanks for all the packages grandma hafen and dee and lida thanks so much i really appreciate it. I hope all is well and you all have a wonderful christmas time. I love you all and i love this work thanks again to everyone! les amo
> elder hammer
> Elder hammer here from maryland or should i say the frozen tundra. Haha man i'm so weak but this past week was so cold and man i just do not do as good as i really thought i'd be in this cold. But i'll be fine and the work must go on! Thats so sweet nick and jess i really am so happy for you guys a little girl! i lvoe the name morgan and i can't wait to be an uncle CONGRATS GUYS! But i really just wnated to thank you all for all that you have been doing for me and sending me and just everything. This has been a fun week for us and i just hope you all are doing really well. Thanks for all you do for me once again i really appreciate it.
> Ok well this past week we got ruben his son manuel and jose back on date! for Jan. 9th. They are all 3 going to do this trip together and it's going to be way cool to see. They stiffed us though this sunday and i really don't know what to think about them because i dunno if they really understand why we are here and what we are trying to help them with but i really am hopeful for them and just know that if we keep the faith that they will be there one day!
> We went to the temple this past week with lilian a lady who had been baptized 15 years ago and has forgot everything. And her husband has shown a little bit of interest. But we went over there and we have these cards that we give out and they have 4 kids and the one son DIEGO is the man i love that kid but we gave him a card of the temple with all the lights and i was like thats where we are going. He gets the card and just starts screaming with joy "VAMOS A VER LAS LUCES" (were going to see the lights) oh man it sesriously made my whole entire day and to see all the little kids start screaming was the best! They followed us down there and we went with our ward mission leader who served in Chile and he really is just a stud! I can't believe that we got them to the temple first off but it really was so so sweet. And we watched the Joseph smith movie and went to the concert there that night we just had it all and it really was so sweet! I know it started something beause the next day we went over there and they were telling us that they were talking about people from work about tithing and the word of wisdom and all that. THE WHEELS ARE TURNING that's for sure. Ha we went over there and there kid said the closing prayer and the little kid just starts going off on the Lord's prayer it was crazy and then he started his own prayer and started thanking god that "los pastores" came and taught them. hahah he called us pastors man it was hilarious and the mom just started cracking up it seriously was the best. This family seriously nothing woould make me more happy to see them come back to church and see it all! I really am so hopeful for them because she has had the truth and has had it all but jsut has forgotten everything and i know that if we can just ge tthem to church one time that it will make all the difference in the world for them. Those kids need to get to praimary and just all of that would be so sweet but not having a spanish branch is hurting that but one day they will be there and they will come back!
> Well that's about it for this week i know it was way short but the computers at the library are going crazy and i got kicked off twice haha long story. But i just wanted to say thanks for all the packages grandma hafen and dee and lida thanks so much i really appreciate it. I hope all is well and you all have a wonderful christmas time. I love you all and i love this work thanks again to everyone! les amo
> elder hammer
dec. 7
Hello fam and friends,
> Well to start off this weeks letter i dont' know exactly what i was thinking when i got called to serve in Baltimore, but for some reason it just didn't register in my mind that it was gonna be kind of cold over here....well i woke up on sat. morning to snow! haha it's about 35 outside but it's great ha it sure makes it feel alot more like christmas thats for sure but riding the bike in snow isn't all that fun haha. What a great week though we have had. Thank you all for your prayers and support and just everything you do for me. Letters,packages, notes, prayers whatever it may be i really am so grateful for it. Thank you!
> Well to start off and most importantly the baptism of Loraine was this weekend and it couldn't have gone any better! She was there all dressed in white wiht just smiles on her face and i will have her picture engraved in my mine forever of how happy she was. We were talking a little bit before the baptism and she said that she didn't sleep the night beofre because she is so excited to get baptized. We had a really good first talk about baptism for a member from the presidency of the brancha and then his wife sang a song right before the baptism, "where love is" from the primary book. This lady had some pipes on her and man she just brought the spirit in there and loraine was just in tears ha it really was the greatest feeling in the world i was so happy. And then right after that was the baptism and she chose me to do the baptizing. It really was such a sweet experience. She was still in tears and she came up out of the water from the song and the smile she had was PRICELESS! We let her share her testimony after and she literally blew the room away ha i dont' think there was a dry eye in the room. She talked about how she needed spiritual help more than anything in her life and said that she has never felt the way she does now in her life. She said the minute she walked into the church that she knew this church was different and then she started to talk about the temple and the movie of joseph smith. I have never seen conversion like she had and she just filled that little room with the spirit. Her husband is kind of a bum and just didn't come because he didnt' want to and he really missed out on such an amazing experience. Loraine told us that her husband wasn't going to stop her from progressing and boy was she right. And then the best part, fast sunday yesterday she was the first person up to bear her testimony and once again she just blew the congregation away and after her about 5 other people got up and talked about there baptisms it was just way sweet to see. We were sitting in gospel principles before the teacher came in and she just looked and elder morales and i and said "thank you" and i don't think i've ever felt a more heart felt thank you in my life. Man i get the chills just thinking about it and about this weekend. Yeah it snowed and it was freezing! haha but that didnt' matter and it was the best to see her have a wonderful experience.
> This last week we had a Christmas 3 zone conference with a talent show and all that good stuff. It was so sweet and especially to be with a bunch of missionaries there was way fun. I know that i have said this many times before but seriously President Belliston is the man! He is so powerful and whwen he starts talking, there is power there. I really am so grateful to be here at this time in the mission.
> This week we said goodbye to Luis and Alejandra and had our last lesson together which was a little tuff, i was just sharing them the scripture in moroni 8:25-26 where mormon is telling moroni to stay firm in christ and i look up and alejandra is balling and then i started crying haha it was bad but a really special experience that i wont forget. Saying goodbye to them was really tuff but i know that they are going to do great there and will stay strong.
> We watched the christmas devotional last night at a less actives house and it was great. We watched it in spanish so i don't get every last thing but i'm suprising myself at how much i am understanding and being able to comprehend. It was great though i loved Pres. Monson's talk about do we have room for christ because that is exactly what they needed to hear because they are great people they just need a little kick in the butt. THey are from peru and fed us soem good peruvian food i was thinking about jon rog the whole time i can't believe eh's coming home on the 23rd that's crazy! Thank you so much aunt mitzie for the card i really enjoyed it so so much thanks a bunch! But ya this week really was just a good week.
> Reuben and richard our two other people that were on date to be baptized this saturday and next aren't on date anymore they didn't come to church on sunday but were gonna get over to both of them and set som new dates and make sure that they are progressing, which they are they just missed church ayer and they need a little kick in the butt as well haha
> Well everyoen i just want to say thanks again for all you do for me and for all your love.thanks to my pen pals, thanks for everyone and everything that you all do for me! Have a wonderful week and i will talk to you next week! I lov eyou all!
> Elder Hammer
> Well to start off this weeks letter i dont' know exactly what i was thinking when i got called to serve in Baltimore, but for some reason it just didn't register in my mind that it was gonna be kind of cold over here....well i woke up on sat. morning to snow! haha it's about 35 outside but it's great ha it sure makes it feel alot more like christmas thats for sure but riding the bike in snow isn't all that fun haha. What a great week though we have had. Thank you all for your prayers and support and just everything you do for me. Letters,packages, notes, prayers whatever it may be i really am so grateful for it. Thank you!
> Well to start off and most importantly the baptism of Loraine was this weekend and it couldn't have gone any better! She was there all dressed in white wiht just smiles on her face and i will have her picture engraved in my mine forever of how happy she was. We were talking a little bit before the baptism and she said that she didn't sleep the night beofre because she is so excited to get baptized. We had a really good first talk about baptism for a member from the presidency of the brancha and then his wife sang a song right before the baptism, "where love is" from the primary book. This lady had some pipes on her and man she just brought the spirit in there and loraine was just in tears ha it really was the greatest feeling in the world i was so happy. And then right after that was the baptism and she chose me to do the baptizing. It really was such a sweet experience. She was still in tears and she came up out of the water from the song and the smile she had was PRICELESS! We let her share her testimony after and she literally blew the room away ha i dont' think there was a dry eye in the room. She talked about how she needed spiritual help more than anything in her life and said that she has never felt the way she does now in her life. She said the minute she walked into the church that she knew this church was different and then she started to talk about the temple and the movie of joseph smith. I have never seen conversion like she had and she just filled that little room with the spirit. Her husband is kind of a bum and just didn't come because he didnt' want to and he really missed out on such an amazing experience. Loraine told us that her husband wasn't going to stop her from progressing and boy was she right. And then the best part, fast sunday yesterday she was the first person up to bear her testimony and once again she just blew the congregation away and after her about 5 other people got up and talked about there baptisms it was just way sweet to see. We were sitting in gospel principles before the teacher came in and she just looked and elder morales and i and said "thank you" and i don't think i've ever felt a more heart felt thank you in my life. Man i get the chills just thinking about it and about this weekend. Yeah it snowed and it was freezing! haha but that didnt' matter and it was the best to see her have a wonderful experience.
> This last week we had a Christmas 3 zone conference with a talent show and all that good stuff. It was so sweet and especially to be with a bunch of missionaries there was way fun. I know that i have said this many times before but seriously President Belliston is the man! He is so powerful and whwen he starts talking, there is power there. I really am so grateful to be here at this time in the mission.
> This week we said goodbye to Luis and Alejandra and had our last lesson together which was a little tuff, i was just sharing them the scripture in moroni 8:25-26 where mormon is telling moroni to stay firm in christ and i look up and alejandra is balling and then i started crying haha it was bad but a really special experience that i wont forget. Saying goodbye to them was really tuff but i know that they are going to do great there and will stay strong.
> We watched the christmas devotional last night at a less actives house and it was great. We watched it in spanish so i don't get every last thing but i'm suprising myself at how much i am understanding and being able to comprehend. It was great though i loved Pres. Monson's talk about do we have room for christ because that is exactly what they needed to hear because they are great people they just need a little kick in the butt. THey are from peru and fed us soem good peruvian food i was thinking about jon rog the whole time i can't believe eh's coming home on the 23rd that's crazy! Thank you so much aunt mitzie for the card i really enjoyed it so so much thanks a bunch! But ya this week really was just a good week.
> Reuben and richard our two other people that were on date to be baptized this saturday and next aren't on date anymore they didn't come to church on sunday but were gonna get over to both of them and set som new dates and make sure that they are progressing, which they are they just missed church ayer and they need a little kick in the butt as well haha
> Well everyoen i just want to say thanks again for all you do for me and for all your love.thanks to my pen pals, thanks for everyone and everything that you all do for me! Have a wonderful week and i will talk to you next week! I lov eyou all!
> Elder Hammer
> Hello fam and friends,
> Well to start off this weeks letter i dont' know exactly what i was thinking when i got called to serve in Baltimore, but for some reason it just didn't register in my mind that it was gonna be kind of cold over here....well i woke up on sat. morning to snow! haha it's about 35 outside but it's great ha it sure makes it feel alot more like christmas thats for sure but riding the bike in snow isn't all that fun haha. What a great week though we have had. Thank you all for your prayers and support and just everything you do for me. Letters,packages, notes, prayers whatever it may be i really am so grateful for it. Thank you!
> Well to start off and most importantly the baptism of Loraine was this weekend and it couldn't have gone any better! She was there all dressed in white wiht just smiles on her face and i will have her picture engraved in my mine forever of how happy she was. We were talking a little bit before the baptism and she said that she didn't sleep the night beofre because she is so excited to get baptized. We had a really good first talk about baptism for a member from the presidency of the brancha and then his wife sang a song right before the baptism, "where love is" from the primary book. This lady had some pipes on her and man she just brought the spirit in there and loraine was just in tears ha it really was the greatest feeling in the world i was so happy. And then right after that was the baptism and she chose me to do the baptizing. It really was such a sweet experience. She was still in tears and she came up out of the water from the song and the smile she had was PRICELESS! We let her share her testimony after and she literally blew the room away ha i dont' think there was a dry eye in the room. She talked about how she needed spiritual help more than anything in her life and said that she has never felt the way she does now in her life. She said the minute she walked into the church that she knew this church was different and then she started to talk about the temple and the movie of joseph smith. I have never seen conversion like she had and she just filled that little room with the spirit. Her husband is kind of a bum and just didn't come because he didnt' want to and he really missed out on such an amazing experience. Loraine told us that her husband wasn't going to stop her from progressing and boy was she right. And then the best part, fast sunday yesterday she was the first person up to bear her testimony and once again she just blew the congregation away and after her about 5 other people got up and talked about there baptisms it was just way sweet to see. We were sitting in gospel principles before the teacher came in and she just looked and elder morales and i and said "thank you" and i don't think i've ever felt a more heart felt thank you in my life. Man i get the chills just thinking about it and about this weekend. Yeah it snowed and it was freezing! haha but that didnt' matter and it was the best to see her have a wonderful experience.
> This last week we had a Christmas 3 zone conference with a talent show and all that good stuff. It was so sweet and especially to be with a bunch of missionaries there was way fun. I know that i have said this many times before but seriously President Belliston is the man! He is so powerful and whwen he starts talking, there is power there. I really am so grateful to be here at this time in the mission.
> This week we said goodbye to Luis and Alejandra and had our last lesson together which was a little tuff, i was just sharing them the scripture in moroni 8:25-26 where mormon is telling moroni to stay firm in christ and i look up and alejandra is balling and then i started crying haha it was bad but a really special experience that i wont forget. Saying goodbye to them was really tuff but i know that they are going to do great there and will stay strong.
> We watched the christmas devotional last night at a less actives house and it was great. We watched it in spanish so i don't get every last thing but i'm suprising myself at how much i am understanding and being able to comprehend. It was great though i loved Pres. Monson's talk about do we have room for christ because that is exactly what they needed to hear because they are great people they just need a little kick in the butt. THey are from peru and fed us soem good peruvian food i was thinking about jon rog the whole time i can't believe eh's coming home on the 23rd that's crazy! Thank you so much aunt mitzie for the card i really enjoyed it so so much thanks a bunch! But ya this week really was just a good week.
> Reuben and richard our two other people that were on date to be baptized this saturday and next aren't on date anymore they didn't come to church on sunday but were gonna get over to both of them and set som new dates and make sure that they are progressing, which they are they just missed church ayer and they need a little kick in the butt as well haha
> Well everyoen i just want to say thanks again for all you do for me and for all your love.thanks to my pen pals, thanks for everyone and everything that you all do for me! Have a wonderful week and i will talk to you next week! I lov eyou all!
> Elder Hammer
> Well to start off this weeks letter i dont' know exactly what i was thinking when i got called to serve in Baltimore, but for some reason it just didn't register in my mind that it was gonna be kind of cold over here....well i woke up on sat. morning to snow! haha it's about 35 outside but it's great ha it sure makes it feel alot more like christmas thats for sure but riding the bike in snow isn't all that fun haha. What a great week though we have had. Thank you all for your prayers and support and just everything you do for me. Letters,packages, notes, prayers whatever it may be i really am so grateful for it. Thank you!
> Well to start off and most importantly the baptism of Loraine was this weekend and it couldn't have gone any better! She was there all dressed in white wiht just smiles on her face and i will have her picture engraved in my mine forever of how happy she was. We were talking a little bit before the baptism and she said that she didn't sleep the night beofre because she is so excited to get baptized. We had a really good first talk about baptism for a member from the presidency of the brancha and then his wife sang a song right before the baptism, "where love is" from the primary book. This lady had some pipes on her and man she just brought the spirit in there and loraine was just in tears ha it really was the greatest feeling in the world i was so happy. And then right after that was the baptism and she chose me to do the baptizing. It really was such a sweet experience. She was still in tears and she came up out of the water from the song and the smile she had was PRICELESS! We let her share her testimony after and she literally blew the room away ha i dont' think there was a dry eye in the room. She talked about how she needed spiritual help more than anything in her life and said that she has never felt the way she does now in her life. She said the minute she walked into the church that she knew this church was different and then she started to talk about the temple and the movie of joseph smith. I have never seen conversion like she had and she just filled that little room with the spirit. Her husband is kind of a bum and just didn't come because he didnt' want to and he really missed out on such an amazing experience. Loraine told us that her husband wasn't going to stop her from progressing and boy was she right. And then the best part, fast sunday yesterday she was the first person up to bear her testimony and once again she just blew the congregation away and after her about 5 other people got up and talked about there baptisms it was just way sweet to see. We were sitting in gospel principles before the teacher came in and she just looked and elder morales and i and said "thank you" and i don't think i've ever felt a more heart felt thank you in my life. Man i get the chills just thinking about it and about this weekend. Yeah it snowed and it was freezing! haha but that didnt' matter and it was the best to see her have a wonderful experience.
> This last week we had a Christmas 3 zone conference with a talent show and all that good stuff. It was so sweet and especially to be with a bunch of missionaries there was way fun. I know that i have said this many times before but seriously President Belliston is the man! He is so powerful and whwen he starts talking, there is power there. I really am so grateful to be here at this time in the mission.
> This week we said goodbye to Luis and Alejandra and had our last lesson together which was a little tuff, i was just sharing them the scripture in moroni 8:25-26 where mormon is telling moroni to stay firm in christ and i look up and alejandra is balling and then i started crying haha it was bad but a really special experience that i wont forget. Saying goodbye to them was really tuff but i know that they are going to do great there and will stay strong.
> We watched the christmas devotional last night at a less actives house and it was great. We watched it in spanish so i don't get every last thing but i'm suprising myself at how much i am understanding and being able to comprehend. It was great though i loved Pres. Monson's talk about do we have room for christ because that is exactly what they needed to hear because they are great people they just need a little kick in the butt. THey are from peru and fed us soem good peruvian food i was thinking about jon rog the whole time i can't believe eh's coming home on the 23rd that's crazy! Thank you so much aunt mitzie for the card i really enjoyed it so so much thanks a bunch! But ya this week really was just a good week.
> Reuben and richard our two other people that were on date to be baptized this saturday and next aren't on date anymore they didn't come to church on sunday but were gonna get over to both of them and set som new dates and make sure that they are progressing, which they are they just missed church ayer and they need a little kick in the butt as well haha
> Well everyoen i just want to say thanks again for all you do for me and for all your love.thanks to my pen pals, thanks for everyone and everything that you all do for me! Have a wonderful week and i will talk to you next week! I lov eyou all!
> Elder Hammer
> Hello everyone!
> Another week gone by and back again at the Good ol glen burnie library. It's been such a great week and a pretty good thanksgiving. I hope all is well with all of you and had a good holiday season. Thanks for all your love and letters and everything that you do for me i really appreciate it.Well it's winter here ha i put my short sleeve shirts away today and pulled out all my long sleeve ones, i was trying to hold on the short ones to convince myself that winter might not come this year but i think it's probably a good idea to put them away and make sure i'm warm haha biking in the cold has been a treat. Glooves scarf beenie 2 pairs of socks and shorts under my dress pants haha i'm so weak! no but it's great all in the experience i guess.
> Well Thanksgiving was pretty sweet. We had 2 dinner appointments, one with member in the ft. small wood branch and one with a member in the Glen Burnie ward. They were back to back so i wasn't feeling all that great when the night got over but it was a fun day. The members from ft. smallwood are the 1st counselor in the branch pres. and his fam with a daughter thats 16 and a 12 year old son so i thi nk they were happy to have the 4 of us elders over for thanksgiving. And then we went to a members house in Glen Burnie. They went all out! Kinda like at the cabin they had little turkeys with all of our names on them, haha they had made these tie-dye shirts for everyone in their family with their last names embroidered on the back and they had shirts for us too haha it was way funny and it had ELDER embroidered on the back with a happy thanksgiving 2009 on the front. It was way nice of them to include us in on all the fun and they did the go around the table and say why your thankful and of course many tears were shed, ha not from me though i held it together quite nicely, but it felt a little like the cabin. Ha holidays are weird on the mission but it was a good experience. Thanksgiving isnt' big with the hispanic culture so we werene't even with any of the members from the ward that were spanish but that's ok i guess i have cinco de mayo to look forward to haha It was a good thanksgiving though and i was fed way too much. And every meal we ahve ate since with members has had some kind of turkey in the plate it's been kinda funny but the members are so good to us and take good care of us. All in all it was a good holiday.
> We are set up for this saturday to have a baptism with LORAINE! I'm so excited, weeks with baptisms are always the best because no matter how tuff the week might have been always finishing up the week with a baptism is so sweet! We taught her the commandments this past week and she just kept saying "well if god said it, i'm going to do it" This lady is the best, she really has such a testimony already and everytime we are with her she just makes you wanna be happy. Her husband is really struggling with drinking and smoking and a lot of other things as well, but she seriously just is so strong and wants this so bad. There was a baptism this past saturday for some 8 years old girl and we invited her to it so that she would feel more comfortable and after we had a lesson with her at the church and she said " was it hot in there cause i felt like i was on fire in there" she's pretty exagerated about her feelings but she just keeps feeling the spirit. She talked to us about how she had attended other churches and never has she felt like she does right now, and i said yep that's why were here because it's the only true church on the earth today and she knows it too. It's gonna be so sweet this saturday to see that.
> We also had richard johnson at church this week and he brought his mom. His mom hasn't really talked to us at all except the first time we went over there and she's everywhere, smoking, has a boyfriend/fiance that moves in and out just on and on and she needs some help so it was way sweet to see her come to sacrament meeting. He's doing really well we have him on date for the 12th but we have a lot to teach him until then but i know that we can get him ready. He comes to church every sunday in his jeans and sweat shirt with his book of mormon and is really growing in the church. When we first saw him he was way shy and wouldn't say much to us but now he's a whole different person, talkign to people and being himself and that's my favorite part of this gospel and our work is to see that kind of change in people!
> We have been teaching a lady that was baptised like 15 years ago in honduras but has totally forgotten everything and goes to an evangelico iglesia now and her husband and her and just way confused. THis past week we went over there and taught her the plan of salvation and answered everyone of her questions with scriptures from the BOOK OF MORMON. I love to see that there is such a huge reason why we have the Book of mormon. People are so confused with just the BIBle and for us to go over there and show her that, is gonna make a change. we have been talking with her for about a month now and we ahven't gotten anywhere but now we have the bom in her hands and are way excited. Her husband wasn't baptised and she has a 10 8 7 4 kids. Nothing would be better than to see that family come back to the gospel and we might be going to the temple with them sometime soon.
> We found out that we are going to the temple of december 18th to help direct traffic in the afternoon but the AP'S told us that we were gonnna go down early and do a session! I'm so excited for that, i am having the temple withdrawls haha
> Well fam taht's about it for this week next week i'll have some good stuff for ya and have all the details about the baptism. Keep loraine in your prayers and that everything will go well with the bap. THnak you all so much for your love and i know you all had a agreat thanksgiving. Thanks for the letters and packages and my pen pals! I love you fam and friends and i hope that this christmas will be a great season for all of you! I can't believe it's december tomorrow crazy crazy. I love you guys have a great week! Les amo
> Elder Hammer
> Another week gone by and back again at the Good ol glen burnie library. It's been such a great week and a pretty good thanksgiving. I hope all is well with all of you and had a good holiday season. Thanks for all your love and letters and everything that you do for me i really appreciate it.Well it's winter here ha i put my short sleeve shirts away today and pulled out all my long sleeve ones, i was trying to hold on the short ones to convince myself that winter might not come this year but i think it's probably a good idea to put them away and make sure i'm warm haha biking in the cold has been a treat. Glooves scarf beenie 2 pairs of socks and shorts under my dress pants haha i'm so weak! no but it's great all in the experience i guess.
> Well Thanksgiving was pretty sweet. We had 2 dinner appointments, one with member in the ft. small wood branch and one with a member in the Glen Burnie ward. They were back to back so i wasn't feeling all that great when the night got over but it was a fun day. The members from ft. smallwood are the 1st counselor in the branch pres. and his fam with a daughter thats 16 and a 12 year old son so i thi nk they were happy to have the 4 of us elders over for thanksgiving. And then we went to a members house in Glen Burnie. They went all out! Kinda like at the cabin they had little turkeys with all of our names on them, haha they had made these tie-dye shirts for everyone in their family with their last names embroidered on the back and they had shirts for us too haha it was way funny and it had ELDER embroidered on the back with a happy thanksgiving 2009 on the front. It was way nice of them to include us in on all the fun and they did the go around the table and say why your thankful and of course many tears were shed, ha not from me though i held it together quite nicely, but it felt a little like the cabin. Ha holidays are weird on the mission but it was a good experience. Thanksgiving isnt' big with the hispanic culture so we werene't even with any of the members from the ward that were spanish but that's ok i guess i have cinco de mayo to look forward to haha It was a good thanksgiving though and i was fed way too much. And every meal we ahve ate since with members has had some kind of turkey in the plate it's been kinda funny but the members are so good to us and take good care of us. All in all it was a good holiday.
> We are set up for this saturday to have a baptism with LORAINE! I'm so excited, weeks with baptisms are always the best because no matter how tuff the week might have been always finishing up the week with a baptism is so sweet! We taught her the commandments this past week and she just kept saying "well if god said it, i'm going to do it" This lady is the best, she really has such a testimony already and everytime we are with her she just makes you wanna be happy. Her husband is really struggling with drinking and smoking and a lot of other things as well, but she seriously just is so strong and wants this so bad. There was a baptism this past saturday for some 8 years old girl and we invited her to it so that she would feel more comfortable and after we had a lesson with her at the church and she said " was it hot in there cause i felt like i was on fire in there" she's pretty exagerated about her feelings but she just keeps feeling the spirit. She talked to us about how she had attended other churches and never has she felt like she does right now, and i said yep that's why were here because it's the only true church on the earth today and she knows it too. It's gonna be so sweet this saturday to see that.
> We also had richard johnson at church this week and he brought his mom. His mom hasn't really talked to us at all except the first time we went over there and she's everywhere, smoking, has a boyfriend/fiance that moves in and out just on and on and she needs some help so it was way sweet to see her come to sacrament meeting. He's doing really well we have him on date for the 12th but we have a lot to teach him until then but i know that we can get him ready. He comes to church every sunday in his jeans and sweat shirt with his book of mormon and is really growing in the church. When we first saw him he was way shy and wouldn't say much to us but now he's a whole different person, talkign to people and being himself and that's my favorite part of this gospel and our work is to see that kind of change in people!
> We have been teaching a lady that was baptised like 15 years ago in honduras but has totally forgotten everything and goes to an evangelico iglesia now and her husband and her and just way confused. THis past week we went over there and taught her the plan of salvation and answered everyone of her questions with scriptures from the BOOK OF MORMON. I love to see that there is such a huge reason why we have the Book of mormon. People are so confused with just the BIBle and for us to go over there and show her that, is gonna make a change. we have been talking with her for about a month now and we ahven't gotten anywhere but now we have the bom in her hands and are way excited. Her husband wasn't baptised and she has a 10 8 7 4 kids. Nothing would be better than to see that family come back to the gospel and we might be going to the temple with them sometime soon.
> We found out that we are going to the temple of december 18th to help direct traffic in the afternoon but the AP'S told us that we were gonnna go down early and do a session! I'm so excited for that, i am having the temple withdrawls haha
> Well fam taht's about it for this week next week i'll have some good stuff for ya and have all the details about the baptism. Keep loraine in your prayers and that everything will go well with the bap. THnak you all so much for your love and i know you all had a agreat thanksgiving. Thanks for the letters and packages and my pen pals! I love you fam and friends and i hope that this christmas will be a great season for all of you! I can't believe it's december tomorrow crazy crazy. I love you guys have a great week! Les amo
> Elder Hammer
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)