Soldiers for Christ

Well to start out and get it out of the way, the Spurs won!!! When all the cars started honking and fireworks and cars driving to down town started happening it got crazy!!!

Anyways this week we were able to talk to a lot of people and share the Restoration with them!!! There were a lot of open hearts this week and so we are really excited!! This upcoming Sunday is transfer calls and next Thursday is Transfers so we shall see what happens this upcoming week! Otherwise there has not been a whole lot this week besides working hard and trying to get people progressing. That has been one of the challenges for this week. 

I love you all and I hope y'all have a great week!!!

Meet our new friend, Rocky....

I have heard so much about all the Spiritual events going on at home. Camp, Mission calls and so on. It is truly incredible with what is happening in the world!!! Congrats to you all!!!

So this week we had a really good week!! We stopped by the man we have been teaching and his brother happened to be there as well! And so we taught both of them, and both of them were so sincere!! And it is crazy!! His brother was wearing a white tank top and he had tattoos and looked like some from Fast and Furious. But they had a true desire to listen and try to figure out for them selves!! It was so cool!! 

As well we were given an amazing referral this past week (and it was from Boerne!) This man has a heart of gold!!! He knows a few members who just moved up to Boerne and so he was curious about the church. We have not been able to meet with him all week till yesterday when he came to Stake Conference with this family!!!! He loved it and later that day we had a lesson with him and he really wants to know for himself! There were so many things that he noticed during the talks that he brought up during the lesson and it shocked me that he absorbed so much!

So bringing up Stake Conference, at the adult session we had a really cool experience! President Slaughter gave an awesome presentation about member missionaries and all they have to do is say a simple sentence. " Would you be WILLING to listen to a BRIEF message about(any topic)" The main words are the ones in all caps. He made it really exciting because then all 20 missionaries got up and went around the Chapel and helped them practice saying the sentence. Everyone really enjoyed it!!! What was funny is that he said if they say no, just say "okay well the invite is always there. So how about them Spurs?" haha it was really relaxed and so we are excited to see the members apply that!!!

P.S. we had another dog follow us. his name is Rocky :)

It's all about the Spurs...

Well this week has been interesting!!!! First off the excitement of the Spurs going to the Finals, All saturday night we could hear car horns, yelling and I think a few gunshots as well haha it is hard not to get caught up in the excitement while being in San Antonio. The only thing is that people do not want to talk to us as much because they are busy haha.

Anyways this week I got to go on exchanges with Elder Prince this past week. So I went to the South part of our ward (there are 2 sets of missionaries covering the ward) and I got to ride bikes around. We rode like 20 miles haha but we had a few really good lessons with some of their investigators. One is from Africa and speaks english and french and so we talked to him about baptism and its importance. But he did not understand the divinity of Christ and he does not want to change religions (Islamic).

In our area we met this really cool family and The Husband really wants to learn, but he is trying to stop smoking weed. But he has that desire to try and Him and his family came to church on Sunday and really enjoyed it!!

Moving Again....

Well this week as has been a interesting week! Most of what we did was move from our old apartment to our new one, which is fairly nicer than the old one. It felt like a hospital when you walk in. The new one actually feels like a home haha. I am serving in the same district as one of the Elder Christensen's that was in my MTC district. And Elder Campbell from Round Rock is my zone leader and one of my room mates. So my new area is amazing and I love it here!! being the driver is a lot different though haha but a really awesome spiritual experience that we had this week was we were stopping by a less active member whose husband is a non member. And so we were visiting with them and we were going to talk about repentance because the husband has smoking issues that are beyond normal cigarettes and has PTSD from Vietnam. He is so cool though!!! But we were talking and the less active told us she knows without a doubt that the church is true. After two months of having doubts. It started with her praying a few nights ago and she did not have her glasses on (does play a role) and she looked on her bed and she could see a outline of a young boys face and when she put her glasses on she could not see it. So she started drawing the face and it eventually went away. Well she has been doing so much studying in the Ensigns and Gospel principles book and Book of Mormon, she saw the picture of Joseph Smith in the garden in the Gospel principles book and recognized it instantly as the out line she saw on her bed. And she went on this whole study that led her to authority and prophets and the Priesthood and when she went to church she said everything had a different meaning. It was awesome!!!!!!

other things that happened: Elder Gonzalez hurt his hamstring. We now have a stray dog that follows us around in the apartment complex and waits outside our door named Tucker. we do know that the Spurs are 2-1!  Don't worry, I'll always be a loyal Warriors fan, lol!

San Antonio 10thA!!!

So my new area is in the south zone of the mission but in the San Antonio stake. I cover a really ghetto area!!! It is sweet!!!! This happens to be Elder Hatch's last area!!! My new companion is Elder Gonzales from Salt Lake, and he looks like the monster from Monsters Inc. when he gets the sock and get showered and shaved through out the movie!!  The new building is the only chapel in the mission to have " La Iglesia De Jesucristo De Los Santos De Los Ultimos Dias" on the front!! for those that use google maps, we cover north of the 90, which is north of Lackland air force base. We then go west towards the 410 and east to the 568 and our northern border is  Woodlawn. We have two major Universities in our area. St. Mary's and Our Lady of the Lake. and we are the most northern area of our zone!! My new address is 6060 W. Commerce #211 San Antonio, Tx 78237. You can tell you are in San Antonio with all the Spurs merchandise being sold. But right now I am in an english ward with LOTS of spanish people!! Starting tomorrow we are moving to a new apartment, which is the address in the letter. So the next few days will be very interesting doing that again... haha I love y'all and I hope you have a great week!

Transfer Time!

Well I have spent 5 months here in Boerne, Texas and I am being transferred this Thursday. So I will be leaving Elder Hatch to train a new Elder from Mexico who is English called! haha So this week was a exciting week!!! We met with Miguel and Angie and their family and set them with a firm date for the 24th of May and so we are really excited for them and to help them reach that date. As well this week we had a lesson with a 70 year old man from the UK and taught him The Restoration and set him with a date for the 31st of May. He is an awesome guy and we are looking forward to meeting with him. As well this week we were able to talk to a young man named Jared. He has a belief in God but was never really taught anything and he is super excited to learn about the Gospel. His aunt and cousin are converts up in Austin and so he is interested to learn about it all :) Another cool experience that we had was being able to help a couple find comfort this week. The man had to go through a lot and the woman had a really close friend pass away. and so we shared Alma 40:12 with them and it was super powerful! We then Shared The Restoration with them using a pamphlet and have a date set for them on the 7 of June :) the work is really progressing here and I am excited for the Elders :)

And of course I got to Skype home yesterday and it was super cool!!! :) I really could not see them due to internet problems but it is okay :) Next week I will let you know where in the Mighty TSAM I will be :) have a great week!!! :)

Sign on a door

With Bishop Swenson's family on Mother's Day

Blankets that Sister Swenson made for Elder Hatch and I!

Still working on Spanish while serving in an English ward

So transfers are on the 15th of May ( I have had my call for a year!!!) and I will find out if I stay or go, really late on Mother's day. BUT I will get to skype home on Sunday!! The mission is changing, and we might be getting IPads in like another 4 months. 

So this week we have been working a lot with Miguel and Angie and their kids. They were not baptized this past Saturday. They did not feel ready and we did not feel they were either. So we recommitted them and for 3 weeks they are doing all they can to be ready for the 24th. They came to church and they loved it!! The kids really had fun and so we are working with them.

This week was really exciting for Jessica because she got to do Baptisms for the Dead on Thursday and she really loved it!!! She has been doing so well and has been super involved with everything!! 

Being in an english ward with a few spanish speakers has been interesting. But i have memorized 3 scriptures in spanish so I am getting so much better (1 Nephi 3:7, Matthew 3:17 and Psalms 23:4(motivational scripture) and people tell me I have improved a lot (thank goodness I have been here for almost 5 months) haha We are looking forward to an amazing week and I love Y'all!!!

Stopped by a family that had met with missionaries before and they were about ready to cook 60 lbs of crawfish
 (I was ready to try one but then we had to go)

We found this huge thing of ground beef at HEB (only in Texas)