What happened this week...??? The question really should be What didn't happen this week??? This last week was a week full of a lot of things! Everything from Eating Pigs Feet, to Skyping with my Momma! 

Turns out, I did not get transferred. Normally the Missionaries who are awaiting their Visa's never stay more than one transfer in the same area? But this time, we did. Which is nice because we won't have to learn another new area and then have to leave that one too! Entonces...Estoy aqui :) My new Companion is Elder Maldonado. He replaced (no one could ever replace you in my heart) Elder Brown. He is from Pachuca Mexico and is awesome! There is something about being from mexico that makes it so much easier for him to talk to the people we teach? It is weird...it is like he has grown up speaking spanish his whole life? haha but really it is very nice having him! He helps my spanish out a ton. 

After we went to transfers on wednesday, we came back and got started with some planning! We decided to split up the Are we are in so that we could be more successful in finding! Thursday was a Great day for us! We had a district meeting so we didn't actually start teaching until about 4, but from 4 until 9 we were able to teach 4 lessons and we got 5 New investigators! It was amazing and so much fun teaching. My spanish still isn't super great so I struggle with it sometimes, but I am definitely blessed to have a companion like Elder Maldonado because he just clicks with the people! 

Thursday night, one of the New Investigators that we found and taught was a Kid named Alex. He is 16 years old and has had a pretty hard life...I had actually met him a few weeks earlier when he was with a bunch of his friends. We walked passed and they were all calling us names and saying that we worship the Devil and all sorts of stuff. We just kind of ignored it and kept walking. As we got far enough away that they wouldn't be able to hear us talk, I looked to elder Brown and said, "Man, those kids don't know what they are missing out on. I wish they could see into the future and see where those choices are taking them. And they won't listen because they are all together. When they are in groups like that, they just feed off of each other and just keep bashing. Especially that one kid with the red hat (Alex). He seemed super smart (and was kind of the leader of the group). I wish we could talk to him without all of his friends there." Little did I know that a few weeks later I would run into him again and he would not only be alone, but eventually willing to listen. So we continued to talk to him. At first he was a little bit hesitant, but it didn't take long for him to realize that we are still normal people, and not just normal, but actually cool. He had said that he thought all missionaries were just weird kids who loved going to church...Which we do love going to church, and everyone is a little bit weird! But when we told him that we love to play sports and that we went to college before this, he seemed to open up. It is crazy how much people think they know about missionary work, and then how much they realize they are misunderstanding once they actually meet with them! Throughout our conversation with Alex, 2 different groups of friends came over to hangout with him, but both times he said,"Not now guys, I'm in my session with my Homies." (Referring to us as his homies) I really was amazed because that took a lot of courage to say that to the same guys who he was with just a few weeks before bashing on the Missionaries. It was very humbling to know that the Lord was working inside of him to prepare him for that conversation. We left him with a Book of Mormon and we signed inside of it, "To our Favorite Homie Alex" 

There are so many things that happen on the mission that are so similar to that experience. Not necessarily huge miracles but miracles to say the least. 

Another Family that we had a lesson with was the "Cordoba" family. They are AWESOME! Elder Maldonado and I went to visit them saturday morning and we spent an hour there just learning about how they got to Utah. Francisco and his sister have been here for a while now and they live there with their mom. Their Uncle Oscar just barely got there from mexico and speaks no english! And Carla is there as well, she is just a friend but speaks very little english and is expecting a baby in june! They are very new and we have only had one lesson with them but we look forward to teaching them more! They are gonna be Baptized in the near future. Be expecting it :) haha 

So now to the Pigs Feet....

We are lucky to be in SLC because we get fed almost every single night. Our bodies are not so lucky because sometimes we eat enough food to feel like 5 dinners...but it is pretty great not having to worry about dinner. Anyway, last night we had dinner with sister Maldonado from our little Liberty branch. We had some very delicious Pork Soup, but we also were given the Feet of the Pork. I was curious and wanted to try it, but I was a little scared at first. Finally, about halfway through dinner I asked if I could try some....It was probably the strangest thing I have ever eaten....but that is the only thing I have eaten so far that I haven't really enjoyed. It was ok, just not my favorite! The soup however was DELICIOUS!

I also was able to skype with my Mom and Family this week! Which was great! It is a little strange only being a few hours away, especially as the summer and river season is starting, but I am glad I am on a mission and am excited to keep working! 

Now for the Million dollar Question. When is My Visa Coming?

Hopefully I will be able to make it to Argentina in the next month or so...our Visa's don't have an exact Time of Arrival but we have been told  that by the end of this transfer (5 weeks) we should get them! So I am looking forward to that for sure :) 

Anyway, I am all out of time but I love this work! And I love the people that I am meeting and inviting to Come unto Christ! There isn't really a better feeling than seeing someone be baptized and seeing the smile on their face as they know and realize that in that Moment they are perfect. And from that moment on, they are able to continue to grow and better their lives and most importantly, work towards their goal of Eternal Life :) I love this Gospel and the Blessings it has given me! I know this Church is TRUE and that Jesus Christ Lives! And I say that in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen! 

Con Amor,

~Elder Hazlett