June 9, 2014

The weeks seem to go by faster an faster. Super overused Statement, but it is true. I don`t even remember what happens during the days now. Luckily I have been writing in my Journal a little better so I will be able to remember more. 

This week we had the priveledge of having our Stake Conference. A member of the 70 came from Chile to talk to us. He spoke a lot about the importance of the Sabbath Day, Punctuality, The sacrament and the sacrament meeting, and how the Gospel is the most important thing that we have! IT was a very powerful meeting and we were blessed to have 12 investigators in the meeting with us. There are 5 families that we are working with that are progressing towrds their baptisms and they are all super excited! WE have been so blessed to see the changes as they have taken place in their lives.

I learned a lesson this week that I would like to share. First about Faith and the power that faith really has, and second about Agency, and the importance of EACH decision that we make.

Sunday night at about 630, we had recently gotten back from another area because we were doing interviews for a baptism. We had set goals to find 1 more family before we ended the day. We had been thinking about a couple of people that we could have visited, but no one was super solid. As we left the apartment, we said a prayer to be able to find that family. We passed by a couple of houses but didn`t feel good about going to visit them. We thought of a referal that a member had given us a few days earlier. Her name was Rosa and we had no idea what her stroy was but we had the FAITH that we would be able to help her family. We went to her door and a little kid named Alan opened it. He said that rosa was busy. We could have easily walked away in that moment and left to look for someone else, but we had the FAITH that they were going to accept us and let us in. Rosa came to the door after insisting and she allowed us to enter into her Patio. In that moment, her 3 kids came down the stares and joined us. We got to know them and had a lesson about Faith, Rpentance, and Baptism. We were able to help them set a goal to be baptized and to start repenting as of now!

I know that it sounds like a typical mission story. Or a typical misison miracle...but the miracles are as big as the faith that is takes to find them. We have a slogan in our Zone that says "We are missionaries that Fight for Miracles"

In order to fight for a miracle, you must first have the Faith and second make the choices necesary. IF we would have chosen to just stop by one of the other houses thinking that we just need to find 1 person, then we would have never found that family. IF we would have chosen to just end the day and go back to the apartment because we were tired...we wouldn`t have found that family. There are so many choices that we make that make a big difference. 

The hardest thing about making choices is that sometimes that choice doesn`t seem like the most "Fun" thing to do. You ask any teenage kid if he would rather come home at 11 PM or stay out all night with his friends and they will without fail say that All Night is the better choice. But the consequences of the choices we make almost always come late and when there is nothing that we can do about it. We have to have the FAITH that our Parents, Leaders, Bishops, and Teachers are trying to help us when they give us advice. I encourage anyone and everyone to study more carefully the teachings of the modern day prophets (For the Strength of Youth, The Family: a proclamtion to the world, etc...) Everyone of those teachings have an importance and Every Single One has its blessings. IF anyone is having problems with living by the standards that the church has placed, I would encourage them to study and apply the teachings, and then later SEE the results. Your life will change.

Elder Valentin Nuñez the 70 that spoke to us talked about that and it was very powerful. I was able to recognize a lot of things that I could have been better at and that would have helped me. I have also seen in my mission that Every Decision that I make is important. There is always someone watching us and we really are examples of Christ. Also, everyone that has been baptized has made a covenant with Christ that they are going to be an example. So, if you are struggling to feel the spirit or follow the commandments. Go back to the basics and remember what promise you made with God when you were baptized. 

I love my misison and I know that It has helped me to recognize my weaknesses and to be able to become stronger! 

I lvoe you and hope you have a great week!!

Elder Hazlett 

This morning I had an interview with president and I got a ittle bit of a lecture....I spent a little while at the beginning of my mission just kind of floating and waiting until I was called as a leader. Now, I am a leader...and a few dumb little things that were "mistakes" that I commited without really knowing the consequences have come out and he wanted it to be clear how important it is to fix those things.

"This letter is gonna be a little different. Mostly because you helped me to open my eyes about a few things. First, that it is true...I really won`t get anywhere, and noone gets anywhere in life by sucking up. IT was just hard because that is basically how I got through a lot of things in my life up until now. Ever since the beggining of the mission, I knew that it was gonna be harder to just "Float my way" through the mission. In fact, I knew that it wasn`t possible, but accepting that was the hard part. I feel very greatful to have had experiences in my mission that have helped me make the changes that I need in my life and in my mission. I know that I still have a long way to go, but I have a clearer vision of what I need to do to achieve that.
Today, my mom sent me a letter that talked a little bit about Repentance and how important it is to use repentance EVERY DAY. She said that she was reading a talk by Elder Oaks that talked about the difference of a "Sin" and a "Mistake". I feel as if I am not a sinner, because I did not have the intention of disobeying or hurting others, but I am a man that makes mistakes... Now, from what I know about the Doctrine of Repentance is that it doesn`t matter whether it was a Sin or a Mistake, it needs to be changed and it needs the repentance process. I have passed through the first couple steps and I am in the last couple right now and I am looking forward to receiving the promise that is given at the end of repentance. I know it isn`t easy and I need to make things right, but I know that if I expect my investigators or the misisonaries in this zone to make changes, I have to be the FIRST to change. 

My companion has been a very great help to me. He is a great Elder and has a good understanding of what he is doing here. Also he has a good application. I know that we are seeing success because of our unity and our mutual desire to help. We spent this week doing divisions and trainings and it was a very succesful week. I went with Elder Jarvis and was able to help him regain the desire. It is hard because I am not perfect and I myself need to get better in a lot of things, but I know that the spirit was with us to help us be succesful.

We had a fairly succesfull weekend with the stake conference, but we had a few companionships that struggled. I am trying hard to be faithful and rely in the lord to help me know how to help them but it is very hard. I have comitted myself and am making a list of the things that I want to do in my last 7 months of my mission. My Vision of what I need to learnd and change and what I want to become. I know that there are a lot of things that I have yet to learn and I know that I need to have more faith so that I can achieve that. We are doing divisions this week with the companionships that are struggling and we are going to help them. I DO have faith that they can do it and that God will help us.

I wanted to apologize for not being as humble as I could have been in my interview this morning. I was afraid of loosing your respect and trust. I hope that you accept my apology and forgive me for my shortcomings and errors. Thank you so much for opening my eyes and helping me realize what I need to change. I won`t ever forget what you taught me this morning."
Love you President,
Elder Hazlett