Goal of Eternal Life as a Family (Week #23)

Soooooo our week......yikes. SO yeah J came to church again. We're best buddies. He bore his testimony yesterday. We had a few investigators at church. M, J, V and K. She can't seem to grasp that everyone has a chance to talk in sacrament meeting and our "pastor" doesn't talk every week. She can't understand that we don't even really have a pastor. Finding was good. We had a big zone blitz of pretty much everyone's area. Found some pretty solid peeps. Ohhhhh G. ugh freakin heck. Kid texted us the other day and dropped us. Said he needed to focus on getting a job to support his grandma and wanted to put baptism to the side. Wayyyyyy frustrating. J would be able to pass the sacrament if he came to church.....

What has been your biggest challenge this week? 

Biggest challenge has been keeping my head up after G dropped us. I loved that guy. He was awesome. But it's all good.

What has been your biggest concern? 

Concern...maybe meeting all the new people from the blitz. We don't want anybody slipping through the cracks.

 

What has been your biggest success?

We sat down with M and J's whole family and had a huge talk about their goal of eternal life as a family and basically set life goals with them. It's hanging on their wall at home now!

Who has been your favorite person this week? Why? 

Sister S. She's a single mom with 6 mouths to feed and has the best attitude ever. She's a really good mom. When we had the planning session she shared a lot of really great feelings and hopes for her family. She wants them all together and she's only been a member for a few months. She works 2 jobs and maybe gets like a few hours of sleep every night. 

What has been your most significant tender mercy?

The day we got dropped by G was when we had the planning sesh. So I went in with kind of a bad attitude. But I really wanted to help them. At one point we got to talk about the temple and baptisms for the dead. And Sister S brought up that she had a son die when he was born. And I got to tell them that he was already saved. and the happiness that they showed was amazing. Then we asked them if they'll follow their goals so they can reach eternal life as a family. And M said they'd follow it if I'd be there with them...Super great feeling. Motivation for sure.

What are you looking forward to this coming week? 

This week we have a branch movie night...And there'll be ice cream...sooooo yeah. Just kidding. I'm excited for that but Only because we'll have investigators there to introduce to members and stuff.

Do you have a goal set for this coming week? Tell me about it. 

Our goal is to finish out the transfer strong. Keep finding and not fade at the finish.

Which scripture has had the biggest impact on you this week?

Stories about the family of Nephi and the lack of unity they had and how they sort of fell apart when Lehi died. Taught me the importance of unity in everything. 

Oh!! And I finished the Book of mormon in spanish!! No big deal! Really cool stuff.

Love you guys! Hope you have a great week!

Elder Hess

Texts from Your Mom After Curfew (Week #22)

I'm doing good! This week was a little frustrating just because people didn't show up to church. G's phone broke and M and J slept in and everyone else flaked too...But it's all good! We've had some really good lessons with people and are really trying hard to find less actives to come again. Speaking of which! That random number guy (J) showed up again! And he brought his girlfriend too! He has some good desires. 

What has been your biggest challenge this week? 

Just not having people at church. It really messes up their baptism plans and everything.

What has been your biggest concern? 

Finding new investigators again. We really have to find more. It's weird because you find for like 4 weeks or more into the future. So if you don't find for a week, you have a week in the future, maybe, that doesn't have anybody.

What has been your biggest success?

I finally got J's (kid i beat at basketball last week) earrings! And G is still our investigator! We had a lesson planned with the YSA Sisters to see if he wanted to go there and he cancelled that lesson and just said "We're having a family talk. I can't meet you guys today. I have bad news". THE WORST TEXT TO EVER RECEIVE IN YOUR LIFE!!!!! (besides texts from your mom after curfew....) But the news was that he was moving (still in our area) and that he really didn't want to go to YSA. So yeah!! He's still ours and doing good!

Who has been your favorite person this week? Why? 

Brother M 

What has been your most significant tender mercy?

I think I finally realized what I want to do with my life...I was sitting in Sacrament meeting and a thought just hit me! So I think I'm going to try to be a marriage counselor. No idea how but like that idea had to come from somewhere. I've really been praying for ideas and stuff so yeah.

What are you looking forward to this coming week? 

I'm interested to see more changes come about. Like all of our progressing investigators have had huge changes in their lives. Especially M and J. J's mom is a recent convert and when she was taking the lessons, M and J hid in their room. And Sister S (the mom) works 2 jobs just to support her kids. And M had been searching forever for a job. But now, after a month of the 2 taking lessons, they both have jobs. So now they'll have 4 paychecks coming in. The gospel blesses lives!

Do you have a goal set for this coming week? Tell me about it. 

Finding more people!!

Which scripture has had the biggest impact on you this week?

The story of the brother of Jared. The amount of prayer and obedience he had.

Hope you guys have a great week! Love you!

Elder Hess

Last week, Gannon mentioned how he plays basketball with various people. Because he's a white kid, people think he won't win. For one game, he made the deal that if he won, the kid would have to give up his earrings so that he could pass the sacrament. Well.....

That's Right. Mormons are People Too (Week #21)

Heyoooo! 

We had an exchange where I went with Elder M, and we just biked on this trail around a resaca (basically a river) and talked to like 8 people and they all accepted. People are progressing..just not as fast as we'd like I guess. Spanish is going good. Yeah we study when we can. 

We've had tons of service to do this week in the mornings. Helped like 3 people move.. 

The random unknown number guy didn't show up. We're going by him this week to see what's up. 

M is doing good on smoking. G is great. His friend is now really interested (more on that later). He did come to church and loved it. He has no problem stopping doing drugs but he gets super bad pains.

 

What has been your biggest challenge this week? 

Biggest challenge was having people committed to come to church and then not showing up. Really frustrating but stuff happens. 

What has been your biggest concern? 

We had a zone exchange and I was with Elder V. He lives in our apartment and we get along super well. But it's weird to go into a lesson without knowing their teaching style. It went great though. Loved it.

What has been your biggest success?

We had a lesson with G and his friend B in the church. And at the beginning of the lesson she didn't care at all. You could tell. But then she slowly got more and more into it and agreed to a baptism date. She said "you guys believe the same things we do mostly. I don't get why people avoid you guys". That's right. Mormons are people too. And then she came to a little bit of church!

Who has been your favorite person this week? Why? 

G. He's a big example to me of love. He cares about everybody. We had this lesson with him where the member we brought basically asked if he'd seen the church. He said "No, can we go right now?" (never Happens.) We go outside to the cars and heard this weird chittering sound. And we turn around and there's this huge rottweiler just destroying this tiny baby raccoon. Swinging it around all over the place. We sort of stood their stunned and We look and see G run and try to jump the fence to try to save this baby racoon! He almost got his leg ripped off! But he's amazing. He greets everybody with a hug and is awesome. 

What has been your most significant tender mercy?

Having the exchange. Elder G came in. He's the nicest guy. We were just sitting there talking and he looked at me and was like "Elder Hess. You're a good guy. You don't worry. You get frustrated but you don't worry. I like that" Made my day. 

What are you looking forward to this coming week? 

This week We're really trying to help V with baptism. He basically doesn't want to get baptized alone without M and J. So we're going to try to help him overcome his doubt. 

Do you have a goal set for this coming week? Tell me about it. 

Our goal is to help M get baptized. 

Which scripture has had the biggest impact on you this week

I actually read talks about the afterlife from the teachings of prophets. Gave me some really good ideas and such.

Love you guys!

Elder Hess

Iwo Jima memorial down the street

our group from the exchange

B (J's daughter) fell asleep on me during a lesson....

Working to Bring Joy (Week #20)

This weeks been pretty good. P came and visited. It was good to see him again. 

Language study is great. All the elders in my apartment keep saying my Spanish is amazing but whatever. Still workin on it. 

I've been taking pictures and I haven't missed a day in my journal yet! 

We had this guy call us from an unknown # and I answered and he said he was a member and he hadn't been to church in 4 years because he doesn't have friends and he wants to be our friends. Little weird but he likes me a lot haha.

I did get the new bike thank you! It is just like the old one but it didn't come with a lock or a helmet...so I'll have to get those eventually.

What has been your biggest challenge this week? 

Finding time for everything. Having basically 2 areas is tough because you have 2 sets of investigators, members and less actives you have to go by and only so much time. Planning is a super big challenge but we're working on it.

What has been your biggest concern? 

M and J. They're our most promising investigators and they really want to be baptized. Trick is they gotta get married. And they're only 18. They're really into it but they don't have a lot of money. And M has to stop smoking. Like now. But so far he's done pretty good with it.

What has been your biggest success?

Me and Elder H OYMed this kid outside his house who had just got out of the hospital. We talked to him again yesterday and it turns out he was in the hospital for withdrawal pains. He basically told us everything and that he wants to change. We said a prayer with him and after the prayer, I looked up and the dude is just sobbing. Like uncontrollably. So we had him pray and he said he just wants to be normal. He's really prepared and humble. Just a great guy.

Who has been your favorite person this week? Why? 

Elder M. Me and him get along really well. We had an exchange together and had a great time. He makes missionary work a lot of fun. One of my favorite missionaries I've met so far.

What has been your most significant tender mercy?

Having M and J and V show up to church. The baptismal date we set with them is coming up quick so if they miss a Sunday they can't get baptized this month. and yesterday they almost didn't show up. Their mom works super hard in 2 jobs and was just exhausted but they dragged her to church so they could go. They were a little late but they made it.

What are you looking forward to this coming week? 

We're going to go visit G ( the crying guy) again. And hopefully we can get his whole family interested. Apparently his family has been torn apart by drugs so we can help them out. 

Do you have a goal set for this coming week? Tell me about it. 

To plan well. We have to visit a lot of people so we're working on a system to set it all up.

Which scripture has had the biggest impact on you this week?

The 3rd Nephi chapters about when Jesus visits. The joy the people had and how we try to bring the same joy.

Love you guys!

Elder Hess

Too Many to Teach (Week #19)

Sorry about the bike thing...Really freakin dumb...

I got transferred! It's all in english. So I have to be really good with my studies. But my comp is Elder H! Of Grants Pass Oregon!!!! So great! And another elder in our zone is from Forest Grove! Elder M! Good to be around Oregon folks.

What has been your biggest challenge this week? 

Biggest challenge has been changing teaching styles and getting used to a new area. In Spanish, it's easy to teach simply cause you don't have the vocab to go over people's heads. But in English it's easy to blow people away. So I have to change how I teach. Also Leaving Los Fresnos. I made some great friends there. 

What has been your biggest concern? 

Not speaking Spanish. I'm worried I'm going to lose it. So our apartment is going to have a Spanish week where we only speak Spanish.

What has been your biggest success?

We got this kid, V, to church. He has no interest in it but he showed up and his sister's boyfriend went to classes with him. The boyfriend, M, after Sunday School thanked the whole class for helping him feel better about life. 

Who has been your favorite person this week? Why? 

My entire apartment. I live with elders H, M (Utah kid but a poly.) and V. They're really fun guys. We talk and laugh all the time. This 4th of July would've been really boring without them. 

What has been your most significant tender mercy?

Having a fun loving companion. 

What are you looking forward to this coming week? 

Teaching more people. Our area recently got mixed with another and so we have way too many people to teach at once.

Do you have a goal set for this coming week? Tell me about it. 

Our goal is to help our investigator, D, to quit smoking. He's really ready for baptism but he has to stop smoking for 2 weeks before baptism.

Which scripture has had the biggest impact on you this week?

D & C 123:17. It's my favorite and Saturday found a lot of great scriptures that can work along with it about trials.

I got to say goodbye to S for about 5 minutes. Said my goodbyes and thanks and everything, When we left he had a smile like I've never seen before. One of those moments where you see the difference you're making. 

 

I can't send pics this week. The computers being dumb...

Love you guys,

Elder Hess

Zion in Every Relationship (Week #18)

Ok so first off...My bike got stolen...from inside the church. We were running late on Tuesday and so we put our bikes inside the church and had a member take us home. We came back the next day and the bikes were gone. So we filled a report and talked to the guy about a replacement. The dude wants to talk to you guys. Just say you're my parents. His # is xxx-xxx-xxxx. Just leave your number and he'll call back. He wants to help out and stuff.

Anyways weekly email!

 

What has been your biggest challenge this week? 

Finding time to contact referrals. Things have been super busy this week for some reason.

What has been your biggest concern? 

D and K. They want to move their baptism back because the dad, F, isn't coming to church with them and they want to be baptized together. Which is great but he's really hard to meet with....

What has been your biggest success?

B family. They're one of my favorite families and they couldn't come to church because of work. But now the mom gets every other Sunday off! Prayers Answered!

Who has been your favorite person this week? Why? 

Brother L. He's a guy we're teaching the new convert lessons to. He's been a member since he was way young but he never got taught them. He's always willing to help. S needed to go to the doctors for a check on his foot and we couldn't find anyone to give him a ride. So we called Bro. L like 5 minutes before and he took him there and back with us! And this Sunday he got the Melchizedek Priesthood!

What has been your most significant tender mercy?

Stake conference. One of the best I've been to. They talked about Zion and how it should be our goal in every relationship and situation and the importance of callings and member work.

What are you looking forward to this coming week? 

This week is transfers. So i'm looking forward to see what changes.

Do you have a goal set for this coming week? Tell me about it. 

This week we're trying to contact more. We have some really good people we haven't had time to meet yet.

Which scripture has had the biggest impact on you this week?

I've been reading Jesus the Christ and the stories of how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees and scribes was really interesting. He told them straight up and called them to repentance.

Anyways that's my week!

Love you guys!

Elder Hess

Us in the library. Emailing. Right now...

A Whole Pack of Dr.Pepper (Week #17)

What has been your biggest challenge this week? 

It's a challenge but a blessing at the same time...We get these referrals for people who need help and we want some new investigators...but they always end up being super less active members who aren't in our records..Which is great! but also challenging. Yesterday we contacted a guy who came out wearing a shirt that had joints on it and said "Power Plant 420" on it who is a less active #PortlandMoment

What has been your biggest concern? 

Just finding some new people to teach. And setting our prepared people to progress. We have a lady who thought she was a member because she used to go to church so often but she hasn't been baptized so we thought she was going to be awesome...

What has been your biggest success?

Yesterday the Sisters in our ward brought a family of investigators and we got to show the son around the church and take him to class and everything. He learned about the priesthood and afterwards, we got asked to give a blessing to member. So the investigator came with us and watched. Him and his family don't understand Spanish (we translated Sacrament meeting for them), but he still came out saying it was amazing. And the Sisters texted us after church and said he wants to go on member splits with us after he's baptized!

Who has been your favorite person this week? Why? 

The R family. It's like literally half the ward. And they all live on the same street..they love the missionaries and always want to help. Plus they make really good tacos. Which is always a bonus.

What has been your most significant tender mercy?

We had a really rough weekend. On Fathers Day, everyone goes away to visit their dads. So this whole weekend everybody was gone. But at the end of Saturday (literally 8:45) We stopped by Sister T's house (one of my favorite members. Loves it when I call her Grandma) and she was like "You boys thirsty?" and just had her granddaughter go grab us a whole pack of Dr.Pepper to take home.

What are you looking forward to this coming week? 

Tomorrow, I get to exorcise a house. HECK FREAKIN YEAH!! This family has seen some dark spirit in their house and asked if we'd cleanse it...Like they said "We were going to call the bishop but he's so busy and we thought 'who better to help us than the missionaries'" They think we're superheroes here. It's awesome.

Do you have a goal set for this coming week? Tell me about it. 

This week I'm working on OYMing. Everytime we do it we get a really great person, but this last week has been really busy..

Which scripture has had the biggest impact on you this week?

The story of Elijah where the poor lady gives all she's got to him and has huge faith.

That's pretty much my week. 

A possum that the zone leaders caught and no one would release it (bunch of chickens) So I did it!

A cockroach we found in our kitchen (bugs from satan)

A snake we found on the exchange!

Love you guys!

Elder Hess

NOTE from the momma: When Gannon was really little, I trained him to be the "family spider killer." The opposum story cracks me up because he is pretty much intrepid.

Oh, and he is now doing this animal thing on purpose. I made the mistake of asking him if he was intentionally sending me pictures of animals every week. He replied that he wasn't, but now that I've asked, I think he's taken it on as a challenge.