Letter #46- DOG WEEK!

July 22nd, 2013

Dear Everyone,

DOG WEEK! It's happened. Two attacks in one week and one completely unscathed servant of God. The first one, firstly my companion is deathly afraid of dogs. There was a really nice dog that was wagging it's tail and it really excited to see us. I even put my hand down to it inside the fence to see if it was nice and it didn't try to lunge at me or bite me or nothing. So I figured I was fine to head inside the gate. My companion opted out and said I'll wait by the gate while you knock. I get inside the gate, close it behind me take the steps and the dog circles down around me and goes straight for my ankle, wraps it's mouth around my ankle, but by the protection of the Lord was not able to latch on. So natural wrestling instinct I sprawl and shove it's face in the ground, it yelps and jumps back and comes at me again. I fist up and plant my fist on the top of it's head and ram it into the cement sidewalk. Once again it yelps and jumps back, but then comes at me again and I place the Book of Mormon and the restoration movie case to keep it from biting me and it chomps down on that, and puts a good size whole that of course stopped in 2nd Nephi in the Book of Mormon. Needless to say the persistance of the dog to try to bite me drove me back to the fence and out of the yard. I looked over to a nearby house and the whole time 4 men were watching me as this battle went on. It was pretty funny. And I was blessed to get away without a single scratch, just some sore knuckles. But my business isn't finished there...There are Hispanics in that house and I plan on going back and out witting this dog and knocking on that door.

Next dog experience was yesterday (Sunday) I was walking away from having talked to a door when me and my companion spot a fairly good sized dog coming down the street to us. My companion instantly says, "unlock the car please!" and starts running for the car. The dog then starts running towards me, so I start yelling at the dog and stomping towards it and it stops barks at me and runs a big circle around. Needless to say I have been blessed to be safe this week.

This last week I wasn't able to spend much time in my own area. I went on three exchanges, Myrtle Beach, Sumter, and Goose Creek. I got to see the Aguilar family, who I taught and who ended up getting baptized, and are preparing for the temple in May of next year, YES! I also got to see the Johnsons and Larry Fitzgerald, wierd combination....But it was great there. I also got to go through the same trailor park that Myrtle Manor is shot at (Hit MTV TV show) The elders there have a few recent converts and formers that live right next to the set.

Luis is a guy we have been working with for a while now. He loves the church, he loves the scriptures and he knows that it's all true. The only thing is that he has an alcohol and smoking addiction. When I first met Luis, he was drinking about 8-10 bottles of beer a day...A lot over the weeks we have working on dropping it down last week he only drank about 2-3 a day and he has now commited to only drink 1 a day, so if you all could pray for him that would be great! He is a fantastic person, just has some wounds.

The thing I learned and loved this last week was my personal studies. I am finally to the point in Spanish where I can read a whole chapter without looking anything up and it has been amazing the difference of the spirit that there has been. I have been more in tune and more capable of speaking Spanish to people. There are so many more spiritual gifts than I think we realize at times. I know that if we each go to the Lord and ask Him to show us our strengths He will do so. (See President Eyrings talk from October Priesthood conference for more detailed inspiration.) You may recieve a few trials because of this but, I promise you that you will come out the victor. I love you all I don't have much more to say this week. Oh....Elder Taylor is getting transfered, so I'm getting a new companion, that means I'll have a new companion every transfer in this area. Love you all.

Love,

Elder Hatch

Letter #45- We MUST change NOW

July 8th, 2013

Dear Everyone,                                                                                                                                                 I have been thinking about my relationship with my Heavenly Father lately. How it is going? How could I improve it? What does he expect me to do each day? I have come to the solid and sure conclusion that he expects us to be happy (2 Nephi 5:27) He wants us to talk with him constantly, (Alma 26:22) He wants us to prosper (Mosiah 2:22) That we are free from sin (Alma 41:10) and we bring others with us (D&C 84:106). To be sure that we complete these things, He has asked us to do one thing.....Keep His commandments. Some people have told me that that is a hard thing to do. I am here to tell you that IT IS NOT. The HARD THING to do for us or the "Natural Man" is to reject the temporal pleasures that seem to bring us the happiness we seek. Living the gospel of Jesus Christ is not hard at all, in fact it is beyond enjoyable. But when temporary happiness gets traded for eternal blessings is when we find things to be hard. I have a cure all for this....go see the bishop. Go seek counsel from a parent or a close friend. I am going to tell you a story quickly. This is not a real story, but it is powerful.

       A bus full of sinners travel on there way to heaven from hell to see if they might be able to enter into the Kingdom of God. On this bus was a man named Hoal, and Hoal had always carried with him a red lizard. He was the last to present himself at the gates, and everyone else had already gone and was back on the bus. As he approached the angel said to him, "You must give up your most prized possession " Sheepishly Hoal looked to the angel and said, "My most prized possession is my lizard. I have cared for this lizard since it was a little tiny lizardlette. Fed it. Loved it, and I don't know what I would do without it." And Hoal humbly offers forward his lizard the angel peels it up from Hoals hands and breaks the lizard in half throwing it on the ground. Hoal pains inside with seeing his beloved lizard on the ground, when it starts to change. It transforms itself into a beautiful white stallion. And the angel says, "Hoal you may ride your stallion into the gates, you have truly given up your most prized possession, you have given up your sins."

    Though powerful, when I heard this story I thought to myself that there is only one problem with it, and that is that, WE DO NOT GIVE UP OUR SINS AT THE GATE. We MUST change NOW. Saying I will sin now and repent later or justifying any action is exactly what Satan wants us to do. We must apply the atonement of Christ today in our lives to be happy. This I know to be true.

Now I will step down from my soap box and tell you another cool story.

     This was possibly one of the most spiritually overwhelming/powerful/fantastic Sundays of my life. As you know we have been waiting for a long while for the Spanish Branch to begin here. Well, this past Sunday, it began. As we sat there in sacrament meeting hearing the closing hymn, The Spirit of God, be sung by 60ish Hispanics in Spanish at one time, my heart was beyond filled with joy. I could name almost every single person in there by name and I could tell you how my Father in Heaven has blessed me to be involved in each of their lives. As I watched a man bear his testimony as the new 2nd counselor of the branch presidency. I pictured him when I first saw him in his house, exhausted from work, weighed down by the world. But he had been brought back into activity no more than 2 months ago, and that was by no effort on any missionaries part. THIS IS NOT MY WORK, THIS IS THE WORK OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO BE PART OF IT. The Savior is our only opportunity to shake of the things that weigh us down and, like this counselor I saw, fill our eyes and our lives with the light only made possible through the Savior Jesus Christ. I only have 2 minutes left on my computer time at the library. But I know my Savior is Jesus Christ and that we each have a significant role to play in His gospel. That He was sent here by our Heavenly Father to save each and every one of us from our own selfish sinful ways.

 In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Love you,

Elder Hatch 

Letter #44- ONE TRUE GOSPEL

July 1st, 2013

Dear Everyone,

I've been way busy trying to do exchanges with all the Spanish missionaries, but it has been a blast! So far I've been able to go to 4 different areas and talk to people that are way cool! One exchange this lady we were teaching was talking away, not really staying on task but repassing things she had said. So in the middle of the lesson I looked at her stood up and put my hand up, asked her if she would read the Book of Mormon saying "It's either true or it's not true. You can decide. So will you read the Book of Mormon?" She started speaking a million miles an hour and not giving an direct answer. I laughed, put my hand up and said with a huge smile, "Sister, we are here bringing you a message that will change your life for forever...Will you read the Book of Mormon, Yes or No?" She looked at me stunned at what I had just said and then with a smile said "Yes, Brother, I will read it." Then I turned to the missionary that had only been out for about 3 weeks and said, "Elder, invite her to be baptized when she knows that the Book of Mormon is true." And sat down. It was way cool! I had never done anything like that before, but I felt inspired to do it. And blessings always come when you follow the Spirit.

What has been amazing to see is how much the Lord is quickening the work and the majority of it through the Book of Mormon. There were three different times this week where Elder Taylor and I were out of town on exchanges and we received calls from missionaries saying, "Hey we have a Hispanic family who has been reading the Book of Mormon and they want to know more. Will you come teach them in Spanish." This is our unique message. The Book of Mormon, brought forth by the direction of God. It is the word of God, and it does bring forth the fullness of the gospel in these days. As you read in the Book of Mormon I testify you will feel a closeness with our Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ that you have never felt before. The Book of Mormon is the sword I yield in this day proclaiming the gospel to those who want to know the truth. I have been born of goodly parents, as they say, to bring this ONE TRUE GOSPEL to all the world. I will no matter the circumstance stand by it's truths that it teaches and the standards that it sets. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the same church Christ established when He was here on the Earth, and contains that same authority that Christ used to baptize many as it is stated in the fourth chapter and first verse of John. The same authority that He used to ordain His twelve Apostles. And this church will stay here until Christ comes again. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love,

Elder Hatch