Letter #48- "To each their own"

July 29th, 2013

Dear Everyone,

This has been a fun start to a transfer. I am now companions with Elder Clayton Noyes. He is a really good guy. A bit excentric, but a really good guy who wants the best for everyone that we work with. He is my new companion for Traveling Spanish. And he thankfully can play the piano extremely well. He is also a ballroom dancer from Boise, Idaho. He is 20 years old. The baby of two kids by about 2 years. And he knows the gospel is true! Woo hoo! We have spent  this last week doing a lot of finding and service. Sergio Carreto and his family are about to finish their house that we've been working on with them, the final inspection is today and we're going out there to translate for him.

 

We have had a lot more rolling out of the branch! Things were kind of still in the organization realm within the branch, but since they have called a relief society presidency, as well as set up when we will have PEC and Ward Council! STOKED! Things are sliding together quite nicely. Lately I've really been focusing on making sure that I'm teaching with the spirit.

 

The other day we met a lady named Anai. And she was very very hesitant to listen to us, we had to dig very hard to get a return appointment set when we contacted her. But a sweet tender mercy is that she was willing to, grudgingly, listen when we went to her place for the return appointment. We started talking to her about her and her family trying to break down some barriers that she seemed to have. Then came that moment when you are talking to somebody and you have nothing else to say and they still haven't opened up. And I knew that we needed to ask or say something profound. So I waited for about 9 seconds of silence and finally said, "How has God helped you to love others?" She then started to talk a little about her family, but not much, we were still pretty well shut out. I then went on to share how God had helped me love others. How I was very self centered looking for a way out of it, kept changing places to see if that would work. Changing groups of friends and how that had some effect, but then it wasn't until I realized that what I really was lacking was a good relationship with the very members of my family, who had raised me and loved me, regardless of how I had felt about myself.

 

She then turns towards us and said something that completely caught me off guard. She said, "I've been through more than you...You didn't even have it that bad." She then went in to describe why she has grown strong and how she didn't need other people. I shrugged off the upset feelings that were trying to surface from her slightly rude comment, because I was extatic that she was starting to talk! We then got to teach her about how the family is central to God's plan for each of us and that we have responsibilities to safe guard our families and bring them up in righteousness (She has two kids). She then waited for a second, had a puzzled look and said, "where is your church?" We smiled at her and gave her the run down and the address of the church. And we'll see what happens.

 

But I loved seeing the spirit melt away at her heart as we sat there. "To each their own," as the phrase goes. And I know that to be true. Each person has need of what our Heavenly Father can give us. And I testify that if you wait upon the Lord, you will be given the very things that you should say and do. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

 

Love you,

Elder Hatch