Elder Hatch Returns With Honor and celebrates birthday!

August 7, 2014

WAITING!!!!

Here He Comes!

 At Home with close friends and family!

More photos and video to follow

Letter #94- Gratitude

August 4, 2014

I have been sitting here thinking for some time, what am I going to write? In the last few days I have pondered, reflected, prayed, laughed, as I passed the memories that I have from my mission. As I reflected, I can't think of a single negative thing that had happened on my mission. Even the times where I might have felt sad or upset, I look at them now and I thank my Heavenly Father for them. The final stages of my mission have been the sweetest thing that I have ever tasted. The Lord has changed almost everything about me....And thanks be to Him that it has happened. I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me in the next walk of life.

Yesterday, a sister told me, "What a blessing that you are going home now!"

I said, "I don't know if I would call it a blessing." She then asked me what I had meant... I paused, I didn't know why I would be upset to go home. My future wife and kids were honestly the entire reason that I went on my mission to start with, now the Lord was giving me the opportunity and I was somewhat stepping on His offer and saying no thanks. She then looked at me and said, "You have served the Lord extremely well here in our area, and I imagine through your whole mission. Now the Lord will support you and bless you with your future goals that you have. An extreme calmness fell over my whole body and I knew that Heavenly Father was, is, and will always support me, so long as I live worth of it.

She then offered to put me in contact with her 22 year old Colombian niece who was recently baptized, and we laughed. I know that the Lord supports us. There is a pain that comes with coming home, but even though I may miss the people here, the way of life, and people always looking at us, I feel at peace with everything I have done and will do. President Holm always said, "Peace is a gift from God, after a job well done."

I love being able to help people find peace in there lives, in their moments of chaos, in the times of instability, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. This is the only peace that we can carry with us in this life. I have seen people using drugs, alcohol, sex, partying, a new relationship, and more to find peace. But all of those things eventually wear out, the effects of drugs leave after minutes, alcohol goes stale, sex seems to be in the worlds eyes a fun recreational activity on the weekend that helps you tally points, partying lasts until you get tired and fall asleep, and a new relationship becomes an old one after weeks. But the atonement is infinite and everlasting (2 Nephi 9:6-7). Just like the infinite and eternal covenants, that we have the opportunity to make, are sealed up and bound on earth and in heaven, by the priesthood (Matt. 16:15-19).

I know that for the last two years of my life I have been lifted up and even carried by the grace of Jesus Christ. I know that I have taught the very same gospel that Jesus Christ taught when he very first ministered to us here on the earth, and that he taught even further back through his prophets. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I love the pages of that book every single one. I know that Jesus Christ made it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins. I know that this life is going to pass by us as if it were a dream (Jacob 7:26) and we will be able to stand before God to receive our judgment and I am honestly excited for it. This life is not reality, our reality is with our Heavenly Father and our eternal families, and we choose to live that or we choose the opposite. I pray that we all can return and live together. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love ya,

Elder Hatch

Letter #93- Miracle Week!

July 28, 2014

Hey Everybody!

This week has been amazing! Elder Rangel and I had set an appointment right in the middle of weekly planning, woops, but it was just right next to our house. So we went and there was no one there....sad....but we started walking back to the house and we passed a lady that was a little distance off and she was outside smoking. I waved to her and smiled and keep on walking so that we could finish weekly planning and get to our appointment that we had right after. I got the impression that we needed to talk to her, but I keep walking... "we have to be on time!" I was thinking. So I ignored it 2 more times after that, we got a good 200 yards away and I stopped. Elder Rangel looked at me and said, "Come on let's go back." We went back and she was getting ready to walk in. She initially tried to brush us off and I just smiled and started asking her questions about her life. All the sudden, all the walls just fell. She started telling us about her children and grandchildren that she was looking for a church and then she expressed some concern about her family. I offered to pray with her and she said absolutely. The spirit was so strong in this prayer! I loved the feeling that was there! I didn't want to stop praying. Eventually the prayer came to an end and I looked at her, and with tears in her eyes she asked if we could come back and visit her. She expressed gratitude for us coming back and visiting her and wants to know more about what we do and teach! A super great lady.

 

That was miracle number one, miracle two. We taught a young mother named Rubi who when she had prayed about Joseph Smith finished looking up and saying I know that this is true! I love the way I feel right now! It was just so great to see so much light in her eyes! Like she discovered some hidden civilization!

 

Another is that we had a young lady that we have been teaching, named Karely, for quite some time. We stopped seeing them super frequently but would stop by about every other week to say hello and see if they had taken any initiative to read. This last week she said she found her book of Mormon again and started to read it. We read a little bit with her and invited her to pray! She prayed for the first time, and she loved the way it felt! She is going to be baptized eventually! We just don't know when.

 

Lastly, Miriam was baptized! She is so funny! 12 year old Guatemalan girl who is almost done with the book of mormon! She is going to be a great example to her family!

I've gotta run! But I'm glad that I serve a God of Miracles and I know that he loves and serves us daily. I am striving to do the best I can to serve him and he just keeps giving me blessings! Even my trials are to biggest blesssings of my life! I love being a missionary!

 

Love ya!

Elder Hatch

Letter #92- The Lord is still working miracles among his people!

July 21, 2014

Dear Everyone,

The Lord has really been blessing me lately! I know that he is guiding his work. Just this last week we met with the Relief society President and she asked us to make a list of the less actives in our branch and pray for them morning and night for 21 days. We started to do so on Thursday this last week. Come Sunday, there were 4 less active families that came to church and they loved every second of it! The Lord is still working miracles among his people!

Temo is doing super great he is going strong and he is making lots of improvements, he blessed the sacrament this week and he is still going strong!

Miriam should be getting baptized this Saturday! I need to tell you all about her! She's amazing! And we had another family that is working on getting married or separating, they are struggling a lot, we committed them to praying every day together. I know it'll be super great for them, and they'll make the necessary changes!

Gotta run,

Love ya,

Elder Hatch

Letter #92- I've never felt so blessed in my life

July 14, 2014

Dear Everyone,

I don't have anytime, but this week was amazing! Elder Rangel are getting things lined up for a baptism, we got a new lovely family we are working with and a new mission president. The Lord has blessed us with a new Branch mission leader and I've never felt more blessed in my life! I love being a missionary! Love you all,

Elder Hatch

Letter #91- I love being a part of Christ's Church

July 7, 2014

Dear Everyone,

This week has been great! The Lord is really showing us some amazing miracles! This week we had a baptism for Artemio Gutierrez. He had been living with his girlfriend, he knelt down to say a prayer. Finished it, all in Spanish (His girlfriend only understands and speaks English), and then his girlfriend came marching in and grabbed all her stuff and left! We asked if he was ok with it all and he said, "Absolutely! When can I get baptized now!?" He is amazing! Going to be a great rendition to the branch. After that we found out that a young man that has been coming to church for a while now is not a member so we are looking to baptize him shortly as well as another young lady named Miriam and we found an elect family that wants to get married and baptized on August 2nd! The Lord is setting the people in line to be baptized! It's amazing to see!

I love being part of Christ's church! I cannot tell you how much I love being a missionary! I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I can barely talk about him without getting emotional because of how much my life has changed because of him. The atonement is applicable for EVERY individual, and we have the knowledge and capability to bring it to them.

As I was pondering during sacrament meeting this last week I was looking at a picture of Jesus Christ showing the apostles the pile of fish that they had dragged in after he called them back in off the water. For a split second, my mind flipped a switch and I started to think about how I was doing in my "fishing" (missionary efforts). And a scripture flowed through my head about the apostacy,

Amos 8:11-12

11 ¶Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God,that I will send a famine in the land, not afamine‍ of bread, nor a thirst‍ for water, but ofhearing the words‍ of the Lord:

 12 And they shall wander from sea to sea, andfrom the north even to the east, they shall run‍ toand fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shallnot find it.

These people that you and I see everyday, they have this hunger, they want to partake of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will be 100% honest with you, I would rather go days without enough any fish to eat or catch, than to not give the people I love an opportunity to share the gospel! I love my brother. I am forever grateful for the grace that I receive from him EVERYDAY. My life would be impossible with out him. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Love you,

Elder Hatch

This is a picture of me, Elder Rangel (The Hispanic), Elder Holley (The small blonde one), and Elder Wery, who is from Poway and knows Chance and Tad.

Letter # 90- I Love Being A Missionary

June 30, 2014

Dear friends,

I have had a blast this week! Temo is a man that we have been teaching recently he has already recieved all the lessons and wants to be baptized way bad. His girlfriend is living with him and that is what is keeping him from being baptized. He is an extremely humble man. We also have another girl who is 12 years old that has been reading in the book of mormon. She started reading about 2 weeks ago and as of Saturday she was in 2 Nephi 20! She loves the book of mormon! She tells us all the stories and comes to church and is really excited to get baptized! There are tons of other investigators that are progressing a little bit slower, but they are really enjoying the lessons and truly seeking to know if it's true! I love being a missionary! The Lord blesses me non stop, the worst my mission has ever been is wonderful! Just like life! It might not seem that way, but I promise that it is! We just have to make the decision! Love ya!

Elder Hatch

Letter #89- The Family is Ordained of God

June 23, 2014

Hey everybody,

This has been a super good week. We have had quite a few people come to church and along with that, we have a few people lined up to be baptized, there is a lot of excitement happening right now in the branch where we are serving. There hasn't been a whole lot that has changed, I am positive that it is nothing that we have done, but that it is just shere divine help. There were more non members in Elders quorum than there were members. It was great to see!

But what I have loved most of all is seeing the unit of the family grow stronger and become more and more important. As I have looked at these families, there are few times where I don't think of my own family and how blessed we have been. Not just my family that I currently have, but that I also will have. The family is ordained of God. We are his greatest creation! He has created us to bring him joy and happiness (Moses 1:39). I love my family, I love my Savior, I love the fact that it is possible to be with them both for the eternities. I pray that there are no empty seats, I know that this is Christs' restored gospel given to us for our blessing and benefit. I love God's plan of salvation, I know that it is true and is a map for us, to guide us in this life. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I love you,

Elder Hatch

Letter #88- "I'm trying to be like Jesus"

June 16, 2014

Dear everyone,

I'm sorry I don't have much to say today! I have felt super duper blessed this last week! I started to read a lot about virtue this week and really study up on it! As I have done so, I have noticed my desires to share the gospel just amplify amazingly! It was one of the best feelings I've had. I know that as we focus on living the gospel the best that we can, and we strive to be like the Savior, the Lord will provide for us a means by which our temporal as well as our spiritual desires will be increased. I know that this is Christ church and he directs it today! And from the words of a primary hymn, "I'm trying to be like Jesus...." I say that if I were to rewrite that song, I would put the word "striving" in the place fo the word trying. The mission has ruined me of that word. But striving is more of an exerted effort on ones part to accomplish something, so to you all I say "I'm [striving] to be like Jesus." I am grateful for my Savior I love him and I love my Heavenly Father.

Love ya,

Elder Hatch

Letter #87- Priesthood

June 9, 2014

Dear everyone,

 

I have had a fantastic week! There are more then enough people here in Greenville to be able to teach. And the Lord is just hitting us with tender mercies every day! I prayed this week for the ability to see some things that I could improve on and be better at. Caution, do not do this light heartedly, he will certainly answer your prayers. The Lord has blessed me immensely with an ability to work hard, regardless of how I feel. This last week towards the end of the week as my prayers got more sincere in searching for things to better and to change, all the sudden my desires to work hard were dwindling! I didn't know what to do! I felt so ashamed, I kept going about the Lords work doing the best I could do, teaching, serving, but I couldn't feel any power in the work that I was doing....I was so frustrated!!!!

 

On Saturday, I sat down for Language study, I opened the Liahona to study and read the talk from President Utchdorf on, "The Why of Priesthood Service". I finished reading it and looking over the talk again thought, "That was a great conference talk!" and I went along with the rest of my day. As I got back home that night, I knelt down and then began to pray to finish my night. The spirit nailed me, "I am a priesthood holder!" As I have meditated this thought, my whole soul swells with extreme gratitude to my Heavenly Father that He trusts me enough to give me this authority. "[The] power of priesthood leadership that awakens thespirit and inspires action." President Utchdorf.

 

I love the fact that I hold the Priesthood Authority of God! I love that my Father is a worthy priesthood and we have priesthood leaders who sacrifice so much to magnify and fulfill their callings. I can account to you all countless and endless stories where priesthood leaders have reached out to me. And even though I did not always except their help and support, I remember them and respect them today for their ability to act as Christ would, for taking the time to act as Christ would. I am grateful for the atonement, and the priesthood authority that allows us to access it. I testify of my Savior Jesus Christ, that he lives, He REALLY LIVES! I know it! I will ALWAYS testify of Him. I love Him and know he guides his church and his chosen servants today! THIS VERY DAY! He lifts those of us who are weak and helps us to be strong! His power is real! And I will WASTE AND WEAR OUT MY LIFE IN HIS SERVICE! In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Letter #86- "He is a master planner!"

June 2, 2014

We have had an amazing week! Full of more miracles! I am really loving seeing everything that is going on here. We had a special fast for the Spanish branch and that was exactly what we needed. The Lord pulled another miracle out! I don't think that I have ever born my testimony as powerfully before in my life, the spirit hit me so hard this sacrament meeting and the members were feeling the same thing! IT WAS AMAZING!

After that we went and were visiting a less active member that has been offended by a specific member a few times and this is part of the reason why she is less active. The sister who had offended her, showed up while we were there at the house! We left immediately and let them repair the things that they needed to! It was fantastic! The Lord has his hand in all of this! My desires to share the gospel have never been stronger in my mission! I love being a missionary!

 I feel super strong in my testimony right now. I've been super blessed to be able to see peoples lives change and more than anything I've just been amazed at how perfectly Heavenly Father coordinates everything! He is a master planner! I love being able to see him carry out miracles on a daily basis!

Love ya,

Elder Hatch

Letter #85- "I have felt the spirit literally carry me..."

May 27, 2014

Dear Everyone,

It has been an amazing week here in South Carolina! Some outstanding miracles have been happening here in Greenville. I have felt the spirit literally carry me as we went throughout the week, from door to door. And this Sunday the Lord blessed us with an inexplicable miracle. There is a family that we have been seeing and we have been teaching them on a semi regular basis. The wife, Mayra, is just a very bubbly and fun person to talk to and the husband, is super shy doesn't hardly talk. Elder Rangel and I had some very powerful lessons with them the last 3 weeks that we have known them. When we went by on Friday evening we read with her in the Book of Mormon because she hadn't been reading. As we finished up, her husband, Francisco, and two policeman turned the corner. We went up and started to translate for them; turned out he had been driving drunk and had nearly hit someone. Francisco tried to close the door on us, but she yelled at him and said, "I AM TALKING WITH THEM! GO TO YOUR BED!" (She sounds abusive, but she loves this man a ton and they make a fantastic couple) After Francisco left we said a prayer with Mayra and left. We came back two days later and she throws the door open and asks, "Did you talk to the police at all before my husband came with them?" I hadn't, and told her so, she then said, "The Lord sent an angel then." She related us a story about how, when he had arrived at the apartment complex, Francisco, had said that I had walked up, dressed in missionary attire, and told the police that I knew him, and where he lived, and asked them not to take him to jail. They said ok and then took him to his house instead (I know I'm super persuasive like that[Just a reminder that wasn't me]). While this was happening Elder Rangel and I were with Mayra, reading the Book of Mormon. He was drunk, but he promises that he wasn't drunk enough to not remember a face, he promised us that it was me...... But that means I would have been by myself, which didn't happen, and in two spots at the same time, which also didn't happen. Why the police didn't take him to jail? It really is a miracle and a witness of the true gospel. They then said a prayer with us and asked for understanding of the Book of Mormon and if they needed to be baptized! (We had already invited them twice in our visits with them). It was just amazing to see that the Lord knows how to help each of his children and give them the promptings to help them act.

We are also seeing another man named Temo! Who is amazing! He has come to church and he has been asking us to come over and visit him whenever we have spare time, he's been reading in the scriptures and he is way excited about being baptized here pretty soon!

Gotta run!

Love ya,

Elder Hatch

Letter #84- Barriers being broken down!

May 19,2014

Hey Everyone,

This has been an amazing week! We had some investigators come to church. Members calling us like crazy trying to help us find new people to teach. Talking with everyone, investigators starting to act on their own! I'm just overly excited right now with the missionary work!

 

We are being outstandingly blessed right now! There are families that are breaking down there own barriers and calling us to come and talk to them and acting on their own. Just yesterday Elder Rangel and I knocked on the door of a family that we have been teaching off and on. They didn't answer after we knocked three times, so we moved on to see the rest of the people we had planned in the area. We got towards the back of the trailer park, and we hadn't knocked any other doors at this point, and our minds blanked and we couldn't think of anyone else to go see except a sister that was up in the front of the trailer park. So we started back to the front. As we walked by the families trailer, that we had knocked on previously, the young man that lives there ran out and said, "Hey, come back my dad wants to talk to you!" We went back and had a very powerful lesson with them about our personal testimonies and the restoration! The spirit was so strong! We had invited them to be baptized twice already and so we asked them this time to pray about it as a family. They still are feeling unsure, but they are so much closer to being baptized! I am loving every second of my mission! It's the best!

 

Love you all,

Elder Hatch

Letter #83- "Miracles are everywhere!"

May 12, 2014

Dear Everyone,

Miracles are everywhere! I was sent into a little Spanish Branch not to long ago! WOW! There has been some amazing changes lately! We had our first coordination meeting this last week and members are starting to request us to come and teach people in their area. The only problem is where the majority of our members live is about 30 minutes to an hour away, and with the limited amount of miles we have it's tough to get out there! But I have noticed in my time on the mission that the greater the sacrifice you make, the bigger the reward, so long as you are doing it under the direction of the spirit that is. But we have been calling members and asking them to come out with us. Talking about our investigators to them, even if they don't have any calling that has to deal with missionary work. Every member a missionary right!? The results have been amazing!

The most memorable miracle that we saw this week was when we were on the way to visit a less active sister. As we were trying to find their house, we got lost, it was the first time in my mission that I had ever been lost! I was praying and hoping the whole time that this was going to lead to a miracle so we just started knocking doors and contacting people that were in the area. Ended up teaching 3 lessons before we started to feel like we should find our car. As we started looking for it we saw a woman and I walked up to hand her a pass along card and talk to her for just a second and she said, "I am a member!" We talked for a moment, and it was the woman that we had come to look for in the area. And that small time frame of about 20 minutes was the only time she was going to be home in between the two jobs that she works. As soon as we turned around from talking to her we were looking right at our car. Just 30ish feet away from where she was at. The Lord loves his people! And I'm grateful for the daily miracles that I have been blessed to witness every day of my mission! Being a missionary is the best!

 Love ya!

Letter #82- "This is Christ Church!"

May 5, 2014

Hey everyone,

I don't have much time right now! I'm going to talk to my family on Sunday, which is awesome, but I mostly just want to testify to you all that this is Christ church! Elder Rangel and I have been seeing so many miracles! This last week, we got to teach more lessons in one week than I ever have at any other time in my mission! I have seen peoples hearts melt. I have watched as we testified of the restored gospel peoples hearts soften! I love being a missionary! It's the best thing ever! It by no means is easy! I still have my own challenges and short moments where I don't want to go out and work because the temperature is getting up there and the last 20 people we talked to told us to get lost! But as I push myself beyond what I thought were my limits and the Lord strengthens me with his grace, miracles literally roll forward by his hand. I know that to be enthrolled in such a work is what EVERY single person needs! "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul‍ unto me, how greatshall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy‍ if you should bringmany souls‍ unto me!" (D&C 18:15-16). Go out and prepare yourselves to have eternal joy! I love you all!

Elder Hatch

Letter #81- The Lord is blessing us immensely!

April 28, 2014

Dear Everyone,

I have been immensely blessed this last week. I'm sorry I haven't been sending much home. I'll start sending an email to someone and start tangenting to them. Last week it was because I was inviting one of my friends from high school to meet with the missionaries. She is a great person and all through high school I had always wanted to share the gospel with her. She didn't accept, but I know that that is my responsibility to invite. How can I not when I've been blessed so much!

This last Saturday (4/19/2014) I was able to attend the temple, because Jorge Luis Castro Arzola who was baptized in my first area went through the temple. I showed up and the temple workers stuck an escort tag on my shirt. I had no idea. Funny how those things happen. As I sat in the Celestial room talking to Jorge, he thanked me for all that I had done, I instantly realized that I didn't even do anything. The Lord led us (Elder Grayson and I) there and then the spirit literally did the rest! It was great to talk to him there, telling me that he had lost tons of weight was planning on getting married in the future and that I was invited to his sealing, and he is doing everything he can still to be faithful and strong in the church. He is amazing and the gospel has changed who he is entirely!

On Tuesday of this last week, we had just gotten out of a lesson with a very sweet lady named Irene. As we were walking away there were a few kids tossing a football so I started tossing it to them for just about 35 seconds while we were on the way to our car. As I threw the last pass I could see a woman walking up to Elder Rangel. She grabbed him by the arm and in tears started saying I need you to pray with me right now. She began to explain the situation. Her daughter had been using Meth, so she called the police on her to protect her, her daughter was using her car to go pick up drugs and the dealers stole it from her daughter, her two grandsons now have a mother in jail and a father who travels state to state on a daily basis working, she had just lost her job because she had left to pick up her two grandsons from her daughters home after she got arrested, and her father had just died in December and the only reason they were doing ok was because of the inheritance money from her fathers death, but that they had spent the last of it for the next months rent. We started to testify of the gospel, and how it could bless her family, she has now accepted a visit from the missionaries and is currently being taught by them. Wow! The Lord puts us where we need to be.

Another experience, Elder Rangel and I, had 7 appointments lined up for after church yesterday! One, for 7 o'clock, texted and canceled and asked us not to come by anymore. The first one 4:15, didn't answer (a very excellent family that we are good friends with, don't know why that happened...) Then the 4:40 appointment, we arrived and the wife told us that her husband was playing soccer. And asked us to come another time. We asked where he was playing and she told us where, so we started to walk that way. On our way there we ran into the appartment complex borrachos (Drunks), but a man named Jerardo had always really like us and wanted to talk to us. We had caught him right as he had started his 1st beer (so he was sober, YES!). As we talked to him, the spirit took over. We talked about his addiction and he said he new it was bad. So we testified of how the gospel could help him. We began teaching the plan of salvation and he went to take a drink. I grabbed his arm to stop him, and said, "You don't want that, you have more power than that." He looked at me sighed with frustration and threw his hands down. As we continued to talk he didn't once try to drink again. We taught him how to pray and he refused and we then told him that he needed to take action for the Lord to help him. He then set down his half drunken bottle of beer and said possibly the most sincere prayer I have ever heard. He finished and we sat there in silence for about 15 seconds. He then started to talke about how he felt we said we would leave him to think about things. As we walked away and turned the corner I wanted to go back and see if he was still there as I peaked my head around the corner I saw the bottle still sitting in the same place he had left it, he had walked away from it a few yards and was looking up at the sky with his hands down low in a, "what do I do now?" position. The Lord is blessing us immensely!

As for my area, it is the highest populated hispanic area in South Carolina, there are thousands from Hunduras and the area is very nice! A lot cooler than Columbia! Woo hoo! Elder Rangel is great he is 23 years old, from Mexico originally, but came out here from Georgia. He doesn't hardly speak English. His parents aren't members. They live in a little tiny city in San Luis Portusi. His aunt and uncle are both members, they all three joined the church 3 years ago and he has a rock solid testimony of the gospel! It's great serving with him. I am learning so much and he has relit a fire in me that has felt outstanding!

Gotta go! Love you all!

Elder Hatch

Letter #80- "I love having his name on my chest..."

April 14th, 2014

Dear everyone,

I love being a missionary! I have shouted this every morning for a little over a year now! And I do! It has given me the greatest joy and happiness ever! Oh, great news! Jorge Luis Castro, the man that I was blessed to help baptize is going through the temple this Saturday! And President has given me permission to go with him! I love that man! He has done so much to help out so many people. But today as I came in to send you all an email, I had a very great and powerful experience. Mormon.org/becauseofhim has a video on there that will blow you away with the spirit so powerfully! As I sat there watching this video, I realized how blessed I am, and we are as children of our Heavenly Father. He did send Jesus Christ here specifically for us, and our brother died for us! I know that this is true!

I feel closer to my Savior than I ever have before in my life.. I know that Christ has established this church here on the earth for the benefit of all his children. And we have responsibility to invite all the take part in it. They won't know unless they are invited. I promise you this. I can't be happier as a member of the church and I know others deserve the same chance! Once again I am out of time. But I know this is where I need to be. I know my divine purpose to bring forth the work of the Lord in this time, with his help. I love the feelings of the spirit that overcome me when I think about my Savior. And I love having his name on my chest. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love ya!

Elder Hatch

Letter #79- New Companion, Elder Rangel

April 7th, 2014

Dear Everyone,

I am now companions with Elder Rangel. He doesn't speak much English which I love! He is from Georgia, he is 23 years old. A convert to the church of 3 years, has an aunt and uncle who are members. He is doing wonders out here. He just arrived in the field this last week, but might as well have been out here for a year! He's amazing! Our area we are serving is Greenville 4th Branch, a Spanish branch and we cover the entire lower half of the stake! I'll tell you some more detailed stuff next week, I promise!

Love ya!

Elder Hatch

Elder Gonzalez, Elder Adams, Me, and Elder Muir (my companion) outside of the temple for us hitting our baptismal goal for the month!

The whole Fort Jackson crew!  Sister Dougherety, Sister Anderson, Sister Creager, Sister McHaley, Elder Gonzalez, Elder Adams, Elder Me, and Elder Muir. We just didn't have the Senior couples with us, Elder and Sister Brenchl

The previous picture they said that we were always on our phones! So we did it for the picture!

Letter #78- Getting Transferred

March 29th, 2014

It's a new transfer and the Lord has been blessing us soooooo much! I am getting transfered this transfer. I'll be blessed to go back to a Spanish assignment I am very excited about that. I don't have much time to email this week! But know that I love each of you and that I'm thinking about.... missionary work...... I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon I have made a promise to the Lord that I say every morning and night that I will read from the Book of Mormon. I know that it is God's tool to gather His children. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is Christ church on the earth today, and is here for the salvation of all men and women! I hope we can all find someone to bring this message to this week! This day even!

I love you,

Elder Hatch

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