February 24, 2014

I am struggling with the reading schedule because I realized that there is NO time to study in the mission, but I am reading what I can. I try to read the scriptures from what I am studying in PMG more because it helps me to focus on a specific topic. 

This week I have been studying a ton on the importance of the Gospel in peoples lives and how there really is no reason why a person wouldn´t want to live and receive the blessings of the gospel excpet for the hardness of their hearts and the worldy temptations. It is hard for me to see that there are so many people here in my branch that come to church every sunday, and they always say that the blessings aren´t coming like they should. They say, " I come to church every sunday and I pay my tithing...what more does the lord want from me?" The lord wants you to LIVE the Gospel not just DO the Gospel. Those that Live the gospel are entitled to the blessings because they do the things out of a desire to grow and become better. Those who only DO the gospel are doing it to get by and to show people that they are obedient. That is why God looks upon the Content of the Heart and not the Outward appearance. I have grown a testimony of Living the Gospel as I have even been able to feel the difference of when I am reading just to fill an hour of study time or to better my knowlede of the Gospel! 

We have been having a lot of success in helping people come to church, but their desires are still not on the level where they should be. That is why I am trying to study more about the blessings of living the Gospel. 

We had 6 investigators in church this sunday and 150 people in the branch which is really really good, but it doesn´t end there. We are trying so hard to help people not only "Catch the Wave" of missionary work, but also "Catch the Wave" of the Gospel. I know that when they can come to understand and have a testimony of it in this way, that is when they will receive the help and the blessings that they need!

This wednesday I am getting a new companion (again, I have had 5 comps here in General Rodriguez and my new one will be number 6) and we will once again have 4 elders working in this branch. We are getting bigger and bigger every sunday, but we are not yet satisfied! 

Out of time! Love ya, Gotta Run!

Elder Hazlett

President,
This week was another good week. We have been working hard, but having the 2 areas has kind of hurt us a little bit. We haven´t found a lot of good new investigators because we have been trying to visit and keep the ones that we have in our respective areas. We WILL baptize in this month of March. I have the Faith and finally the people that are ready. The hard part for me is not getting them to church anymore, it is helping them to understand what this gospel will do in their lives. I have such a strong testimony that by Living the Gospel a persons life will change for the better, but I have struggled to get that message through to our investigators? They understand the concept of being obedient to the commandments now, they just lack the Desire for that change...I see so much potential in the people here and it is so upsetting when that potential just rejects us or decides that it is easier just to not read. 
I have been trying to diagnose the problem and I have come to a conclusion that it is mostly our fault and a little bit of the investigators. We ourselves have to be 100% obedient in completing with OLA if we expect that our investigators do them. I was thinking about how the difference is that we are on a different level. We read, pray, and go to church every sunday because that is what we are used to and know it will help us, but we have to perfect our obedience to build our faith so that we can build the faith of others. 
Yesterday in our Branch Counsel, President Vergaras gave us the time to implement our ideas for a ward mission plan. I had been studying and thinking about what we need here because I know I was sent here to "Change Rodriguez" We decided as a branch Counsel that we as the leadership of the branch need to strengthen ourselves before we can be strong enough to strengthen others. I have seen that the majority of the members here that are solid, say prayers everyday, but mostly because they are used to it. The have reached the point where they must level up in order to help those that they want to help.
We gave them a challenge to pray for specifice things, study the basics (with an emphasis on the restoration) and arrive to church ON TIME. I know that the members here are super great and that there is so much potential and I know that it is through their own personal conversion that the people will be able to acheive their Goal of becomeing a Ward and Stake.
I have been a little bit frustrated lately because we are working really hard, and working with our people (not just numbers) and the majority have fallen. I am looking back at these last few months and I have basically 2 baptisms in all my time here. I know that I am better than that, but I am struggling in finding what is holding me back. I want so badly to make a difference in my mission but I haven´t felt like I have even been close to reaching my potential. I don´t know if you can help me, but I know that I can and should be doing more than I am.
Thanks for your example President. I really admire you and your desire to help Me as well as everyone else reach their potential. As a Leader I know how impo

--

~Elder Hazlett

February 17, 2014

This week was probably the most Fast-paced, jam-packed, excitement-filled, week of my mission. In my district, we lost two missionaries and their area became ours as well. WE are working in the biggest area in the entire mission and it is crazy! We take 2 buses (almost 1 and 1/2 hours) to get from one end to the other. But we can´t just work in one side because here in another week we are going to get 2 new Elders. My companion right now (Elder Escobar from Chile) will open the other area with a new comp and I will continue in mine. So we are working every other day in each area. IT has been a faith Testing and incredible experience. As we have relied more and more on the Lord, we have seen the miracles.

This week, we found 15 new people to teach. Of those fifteen, 12 accepted to be baptiazed. 2 families live in 1 area, and the other family lives in my area. Preparing those familes for baptism has been an incredible experience because we have seen changes just in these early stages.

Last wednesday, we went to have a lesson with a lasy named Rosa. We had her scheduled in our agenda and everything. We get to her house, and she is not there. So, we trust in the Lord knowing that someone is there waiting for us. We looked around for a second and felt like we should contact the house across the street. We talked to her for a second and asked her her name, she replied, "Rosa" We thought to ourselves, How amazing of a miracle. We scheduled Rosa and found a different Rosa.

Later on that week. On saturday, we went to talk to Rosa. We went to her house and asked for Rosa. A man went in and then out came a younger lady and asked us what we needed. We said that we came to talk to her and that we had something that was going to help her in her life! (we had no idea who she was, but the Gospel is for everyone). She let us in and we sat down and had a lesson. We were able to figure out exactly what she needed and how she was going to be able to acheive that. Her name just so happend to be Rosanna and everyone calls her rosa. God has a sense of humor that is for sure. Their family came to church yesterda and we had a great Gospel Principles class about prayer. 

Also, saturday night, we were walking down the street heading home and my companion said STOP. We need to go knock on this door. We stopped and went back to knock on the door and out came a younger lady and asked what we needed. We just told her that we felt that we needed to knock on her door and see if she needed anything. She is a young single mom that recently lost her job and has a mentally challenged son. We invited them to church the next day and told them that it would change their lives. The next morning, as we were waiting outside of the church for investigators, there they were on their bikes riding up to the church with smiles on their faces.

Later, we were still waiting for another family and I saw a lady walking down the sidewalk. I was helping my companion because he wanted to learn how to do a better contact. I told him that the best way to do a contact is with a Giant Smile, and a Promise that their day will be better. She was coming from the hospital where recently her daughter had had her baby. She was tired and just wanted to go home and sleep, but with a smile on my face and a promise from the heart, she accepted the invitation to come to church. After, I talked to her and it turns out that they are a family of 10!!! She said that she wants us to pass by and talk to her whole family and that they were going to come to church next sunday.

Those were only a few of the miracles that we had that helped this week be a great week. It was the first week of the second half of my mission and although there were difficult moments, the end result was a definite success!

I learned that success doesn´t always come in the exact moment that we are waiting for it, but with faith and diligence, matched by obedience..We WILL see the success that we are wanting.

I lvoe you guys and hope you are working hard with your goals for success, knowing that God will make it happen! :)

~Elder Hazlett

hey momma!

I was eating lunch with that family yesterday and she didn´t know how to send it from her phone so I just put in your email haha. I figured if it did get to you it would be a nice surprise :)

I was wondering if you could order me a rubix cube from amazon and send it to me. It is one of the Best teaching tools ever but the one I got here it about 1 more time away from breaking. 

Also there is this thing called "the Dazer" it is an electric dog whistle thing that keeps the dogs away. One elder lent me his because he was in an are without a lot of dogs and it saved my life. The dogs here try to eat us sometimes..

It is crazy to think about that. I don´t really get homesick because I love the people here, but I am excited to see everyone again. One of my best buddies here in the mission just went home last week and he wrote me today and said that his life is boring now...so I should live it up.

That story about Kamron is crazy! I was just thinking about that because there wasw an article in the Liahona about the church progress in russia. I then thought about that movie that just came out about the two elders that were kidnapped in russia a while back. The world is crazy. Here in argentina everyone just robs when they are drunk and you can just walk away, bt there I think the minds are a little bit more crazy because of the way the government has treated them. I am glad everything was alright.

Tell violet and holly that I love them so much!!! And that I want a picture of the two cutest little girlies in their pajamas. Everyone freaks out when they see pictures of them because they are super cute!!! And there is a disney star here named "violetta" or violet in english. So they all tlove her.

February 10, 2014

What a Week!!! IT literally rained buckets here in Argentina this week. IT had rained before in my misison and I thought that it was pretty hard, but nothing at all compared to what happened this week. 

It started out with a forecast saying that it was supposed to rain on and off all week, and ended with people living in the church because their houses were destroyed from the floods. Thursday at about noon it started to rain, and didn´t stop until about noon the next day. Luckily we live on the second floor of our 2 story apartment because everything got flooded. We woke up in the morning and did our studies and got ready to go without really looking outside. Then we walked out the door at 1030 and I was thinking to myself, "I wonder if I will be able to keep my feet dry today?" Not even CLOSE! We spent the whole morning pushing cars that were flooded to dryer ground so that they could wait out the flood. The people were all inside their stores with water up their legs and we were out in the streets with water past our waists. At one point I was walking in front of my companion and a walked into a ditch and the water went up to my neck. IT was pretty crazy. We spent the whole day just helping people out and visiting families that were struggling with the floods. We had a lot of lessons fall through, but we knew that we would get blessed for the service that we were doing. 

The next day wasn´t a lot better, there was still a ton of water, lots of people struggling so we wnt out and got to work.

Sunday came around and we were thinking that no one was going to come to church because of the rain, but as we waited outside the front door we kept seeing more and more people just walking to church. We had 6 of our investigators come which was a miracle because we weren´t even able to visit them over the last 2 days. And last sunday it only rained a little bit and we only had 1 person that came. There were more dogs on the church grounds than there were people just about.

IT was a great week for learning. I learned a lot about the power of service. The power of Prayer, and the sacred power and responsibility that we have as Christs Disciples. We have the authority and the rosponsibilty of helping those in need. The service that we do is much more than just preaching the word of God to all the world. It is Spreading the Love of God to all Mankind. I have seen miracles as I have been able to Love the people here and Serve them as best I can.

I love the misison. IT is so hard, and some days I just feel like I can´t do anything, but I know that those are the times when ther is someone that needs you. Someone that is waiting for you to change their life. That is what keeps me going. Knowing that I am the person that is going to find and help that person in their time of need.

I lvoe you all and hope you are all loving and enjoying your misisons! Work Hard and God will repay you with every blessing that you need!

With love from Argentina,

~Elder Hazlett

I did remember your birthday and I have it marked on my calender, I jsut spaced saying anything about it. That makes me so happy knowing that Tina Burgess is happy again. How is Colby doing? And Kory and Jake? Are they making any progress? I want to do missionary work back in moab too. I feel like I could help them so much knowing now what I know,  and seeing what I have seen. Tell them hi for me next time you see them and tell em to shoot me an e-mail. or get me their e-mails or something?

I hear the fanny pack hasn´t come in yet. Just send it when you can. I´ll still get it fairly fast. there was a problem in the mail system here and that is why it took so long to get my last package. I was thinking about it and EmergenC would be great in the next package because it will be fall here soon and then winter. What else? ummm....that baptism sounded pretty weird, I am surprised kim couldn´t change her mind? She must be a lot less stubborn now or something? How is she doing?

I miss wicked. The music rules here a SUPER Strict so we can´t listen to anything but MOTAB. Which is good except for a few things that are super inspiring and uplifting. Like defying gravity or I can go the Distance from Hercules.

Oh, my last mission president from salt lake called my president here the other day...President carter called me and said they had a nice chat....I was like oh no...what did I do?? I wasn´t that bad was I? haha but then he told me that he called because he was curious to see how I was doing and where I was at in my misison because he knew I was gonna do great things. I don´t think there is anything much more motivating than something like that :) 

I got a new comp though. And my district kind of was struggling so there were some huge changes and now I am the only one in my district that is the same. Anyway, I am out of time, but I love you and am excited to here from you next week! Keep on being the best mom ever! 

Elder Hazlett :)

P.S...this thursday is my 1 Year mark. Aren´t you proud that I made it this long? ;) haha love ya!

February 3, 2014

Thanks for writing. This week has been another faith tester...like every week in the mission. It rained basically the entire weekend and because of that, we had about 30 people in church and only one of our investigators. IT was a struggle but we are doing ok. I have been trying my best this week to just keep a smile on my face throughout the good and the bad times. I am glad that the Gospel is here for us to be happier because if it werent for the Gospel, I would probably be a boring miserable person.

Something funny that happened this week was that I contacted an aerobics class. It was super awkward because they were outside but far enough away that I just thought that it was a family or group of people...super awkward. haha Also, it rained really hard and there was a big pothole full of water and the bus turned and dropped in it and almost tipped over. IT was pretty intense.

As far as spiritual cool stuff, We had a lot of good lessons and good new people, but we didn´t get them to church...we are teaching a mom and daughter right now who are doing really well and are reading a lot. Lorena is 22 and is studying to be a Lawyer and she is taking the Book of Mormon really seriously. Her mom is doing Chemo Therapy right now and she is finding joy in the Help that we are giving. She is hoping that she can make it through all well. We have a lot of others that we are working with and I am learning everyday from each of them.

I have been learning a lot in the mission. Literally everyday is a new experience and every new experience has led to growth. Sometimes I don´t find joy in all the experiences (Growing Pains) but I do find strength in knowing that as I rely in the Lord, he will change me.

I lvoe all of you and hope you are having a great week! Enjoy the Coming spring weather! and here...Bring on the Winter! :)

Love,

Elder Hazlett

I walk a TON but eat a lot more haha. I am in General Rodriguez, Buenos Aires, Argentina. MY street is Guillermon. I am right across from this thing called "El Dia" it is a super market. But my area is not where I live. I work where it looks like wood shacks and green fields.

we take a bus like 2 or 3 times a day at least. it is pretty anoying and we walk a ton. probably like 10 miles a day on the longer days. IT is crazy to think that Lacie is already getting back. Ivy is almost married for 2 years, JEd and I have a year left, and this season is already in sight...did either of those two missionaries from here apply to be guides?