Letter #77- Member Missionaries!

March 24th, 2014

Dear Everyone,

I have had an outstanding week! Things in the mission are really picking up! The members are doing a lot more of the, finding people to teach, part. It's amazing to see how much more effective it is! We have 3 wards throughout the mission that are doing this consistantly, and it shows they have 2 to 3 people being baptized each week and their wards have just been split, a little more than a month ago. It is not the increase in missionaries that makes the biggest difference, but it is the fact that the members are making friends with their neighbors and inviting them to church, activities, mutual, etc.! These people truly understand the importance and the need of the ordinances of salvation for their brothers and sisters and all they are doing is inviting them to act and find out for themselves. Stepping outside of the "all my friends are Mormon" realm and pulling people in. I promise and testify that there is at least one to two families or individuals in our lives that are ready to listen to the gospel! The only thing that we have to do is look outside of our comfort zone and invite! I know this is Christ church here on the earth and that each of us need to take part in it!

Elder Muir and I had a fantastic miracle just yesterday! We had went to a home looking for a man named Akino and his wife Arlinda (A Pohnpein couple from Pohnpei, Micronesia). We had met them while checking up on a list of people that had formerly investigated the church. A different woman than Akino's wife had answered the door and we began talking to her. As the conversation continued, we showed her our Pohnpein proselyting materials and asked if we could teach her and her family. She said yes absolutely! Then Elder Muir asked if she had been baptized before and she said "I have, but I have 4 kids who have not, and I want them to be, do you baptize people?" It was so great! The Lord has sent these people all the way across the ocean so that they could receive the gospel! We briefly explained the restoration and asked if we could come back another time when the whole family was home and sober and we could teach them about the message (they were having a big family party, and weren't keeping the word of wisdom at the time). There is a large population of Pohnpeins here in Irmo, SC and there was actually just a baptism this last week of a Pohnpein woman named Rose. The Lord is bringing about miracles in his vineyard, and inviting all who are humble and willing to come follow him. And I am blessed enough to be able to be a fultime representative in his work! I love the gospel! I know it is the very gospel Christ taught when he was here on the earth and I know it is here for the salvation of God children. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Love you,

Elder Hatch

Pictures from Elder Hatch

Letter #76- Small Miracle

March 17th, 2014

Dear everyone,

It has been an amazing week! We had a great opportunity to meet with Elder W. Craig Zwick of the 70 and I learned sooooooo much from him! One of the things that I think I learned, I pray I learned, is avoiding complacency. There is a saying, Satan doesn't have to get you to do bad, he only has to get you to not do good! And that is exactly what I thought of this entire week! As a missionary, we do a lot of good things, but at times, it's easy to feel that I'm deserving of a reward or that I can go and relax. But that is not and should not be the case. I believe that I talked about this a little last week.

But with Elder Zwick coming into town it was a wound enlarging experience (Jacob 2:8-9). The spirit took the biggest fear that I had (falling away/not doing all that I can for the people I am serving) and ripped it open and poured alcohol on the wound underneath. I literally felt about II <== this big! I felt as though I had failed, that I wouldn't ever be able to do that, and the daunting reality that I would never be able to live to my full potential sank in. Right now your thinking, "Oh great! Elder Hatch has broke down and gave up right there at the end." Don't worry, I haven't. I realized that I could never reach my full potential alone, by myself. I CAN NOT accomplish anything with any lasting significance so long as I confide in my own abilities. So what do we need to do to keep pressing on.....

We have to stop worrying about the petty things that weigh us down. "I'm cold." "I'm tired." "I.....I....I...." There isn't a more selfish letter in the English alphabet! It is meant to be hard, we were born to have struggles, YOU AGREED TO HAVE STRUGGLES! This last week I had the opportunity to watch "On the Lord's Errand" (here's the URL for it https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2009-09-01-on-the-lords-errand-the-life-of-thomas-s-monson?lang=eng). As I watched this I thought, "what is the difference between President Monson and me?" It nailed me in the face! The difference is President Monson's consistent concern and worry for completing the Lord's work, and how he places that before all other desires. So I set out to do that this week, and I've only had a small miracle come from it. In my mind I'll be kicking and screaming, begging for some sort of relief from whatever anguish or distraction I may be meeting. But as I did, I had a pretty amazing experience.

Just last night Elder Muir and I were on the way to a members home to get to know them better, because we have felt that our relationship with the members hasn't really been established yet. As we turned down Royal tower rd. I had this urge to start praying. As I began praying to myself I had a thought pop into my head, "There is someone waiting to be baptized on this street." I at first thought it was just a thought, and began to justify, but then I remembered Jorge and my experience with him (He just received the Melchizedek Priesthood by the way) and I asked Elder Muir if we could change our plans and start knocking. Long story short we came across a young man who had just got out of jail on Monday of last week. The week before he was put in jail he had talked to Sister Koeven and Sister Davis and I know that the Lord wants that young man to be baptized. We got all his information. Taught him a little about the restoration, set a return appointment, and we are going to meet with both him and his mother next time.

Small I know, but the tender mercies of the Lord are sometimes small, and through small and simple means, great things are brought to pass. I love my mission! It's the best thing that has ever happened to me! I love my Savior! HE IS MY LORD! I cannot and could not make it through this life without him and his atonement! I know that He lives! I have no doubts of His mercy and grace that he gives us each day. I know the Book of Mormon is His evidence of His church on the earth, given to us to complete His purposes. I exhort everyone to go out and share this book. Let it help others as it has helped you, and if it hasn't helped you, let it help you as it has helped me! I love my Father in Heaven and I am eternally grateful to Him and His son. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Love you all,

Elder Hatch

Letter #75- " I testify of the atonement of Christ"

March 3rd, 2014

Dear Everyone,

I have had a great opportunity this week to be able to work in our assigned area more than usual. And let me tell you, the Lord has prepared sooooo many people! With all this time that we have had in our area it has also come with more time to reflect and dwell upon the needs of the people I am serving. Elder Muir and I have been listening to a really powerful short clip a lot lately. It has President Eyring and Elder Holland talking to mission presidents and it has some beautiful instrumental music going on in the background. In these talks, President Eyring said something that has driven me since I have heard it. He stated, "When I feel I have accomplished some great task and deserve to rest...I remember the Saviors unwearying diligence and his mission to establish missionary work in spirit world after his mortal life." I want to add to that! The Savior did not just stop at the spirit world. He administered to the apostles shortly after, to the Nephites and Lamanites, and I am positive to say to the many other people around the world that we do not know about. The development of the Christlike attribute of diligence is often times the determination between a good missionary and an excellent missionary. I know that he wants each of us to "...waste and wear out our lives..." that we can bring to light the many things that will lead our brothers and sisters to their salvation with our Heavenly Father!

Another thing that I read this last week was the talk was "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ" by Elder Scott, from the last conference. He talks about how the fathers of the strippling warriors had to go through the atonement to overcome their desires to help defend their people. To listen to their priesthood holders and humble themselves sufficiently to allow their sons to go and defend their families. On top of that he talked about how they were not willing to allow themselves to get close to those unclean things of the world. They were counciled by their priesthood leaders to stay away from the those things so they could keep their covenants with God. The covenants were much more important than defending their families?!?!?!

A covenant is the most precious thing that we have from our Heavenly Father. And we as his mortal children and followers would do well to keep every aspect of those covenants, tithing, sabbath day, law of sacrifice, law of chastity, to remember Christ, to be an Exampler of Christ, always, etc. There are such high expectations for us as representatives of Christ! How can we expect to go to an R or even most PG 13 rated movies, a party, speak with foul language, not stand up for the truth we have been given as "disciples" of Christ, then walk out of the venue and testify of the most perfect life that has ever walked this earth, and profess to be a follower of him! It is the highest form of hypocracy to do that! The covenants we make at baptism, in the temple, etc are here for the blessing and benefits of us, and people forfeit them on a daily basis. I weep with the thought that anyone I know and hold dear to me would do such a thing, that even one soul would be lost because they wanted to relax or have fun, and forfeit ETERNAL and GOD PROMISED blessings! He does not expect perfection, but he does command it of us (Matthew 5:48; 3 Nephi 12:48) I pray that we may all act as the fathers of the strippling warriors, keep ourselves aloof from these casual and destructive behaviors.

This rant was sparked by a brother that I love deeply, who is damaging himself by pushing away the very things that brought him so much happiness. The substance abuse has him wrapped up and he cannot see past the bottle to see what joys he has lying in front of him. I am out of time and have been listening to Elder Holland far too much. But I suppose that isn't a bad thing. I testify of the atonement of Christ. And that we may all be clean through him. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen!