Monday, November 15, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Email 8 Nov 2010
Well the Birthday was pretty good! I opened the socks early, cause I ran out.... and I opened the tootsies early....cause I could smell the root-beer! I made a cake of the twinkies and lit the candles the day before my actual B-day..... cause we were fasting the next day, then I opened the rest of the gifts on my B-day! And had a cake yesterday that Andres made for me! As for teaching and finding, we´ve applied a lot of what we learned in the training and even though we had only half the week to work, we worked hard and we had as many lessons and found as many people if not more, than we have had in a full week! We´ve felt the Spirit more and we had a few investigators in the church. Sadly the Moreira Family wasn´t in church yesterday. We had an interesting experience with them, after their first visit to the church we couldn´t have a lesson with them until Friday night becuase of the training and P-day and everything, we found out from Andres beforehand that they said they didn´t like it! Those words sunk like a rock......a very heavy rock..... in my stomache.... that has some very sharp edges so it cuts you when it goes down and even more when it comes out later...... and has a bad flavor!..... we were so nervous to go have our next lesson with them and we prayed so much and planned so much... we got over there and talked with them, and sure enough they explained how they didn´t like it and what was wrong with it and what not, but we were so prepped and listening so carefully to the Spirit that we were able to clear up their doubts and help them feel the Spirit, and in the end of the lesson (making a long story short) they told us that their feelings had all changed, they understood and it was a really nice lesson..... unfortunately they weren´t there yesterday and we have a lesson with them again tonight...... so we´ll see what´s up. Anyhow, It´s so important to be Spiritually intune,..... we don´t teach anyone, the Spirit does.... we just have to be worthy to hear it. I´m so grateful I´m not alone in this work.
Thanks abunch, again for the B-day stuff and for all that you do! Keep praying for the investigators! Specifically Sueli, Wilmar, Familia Moreira, and Familia Gonsales!
Luv ya tons! Chau por ahora!
Thanks abunch, again for the B-day stuff and for all that you do! Keep praying for the investigators! Specifically Sueli, Wilmar, Familia Moreira, and Familia Gonsales!
Luv ya tons! Chau por ahora!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
3 Nov 2010 Email
Well....I did celebrate what little I can for Halloween! I don´t have my cord with me today, because this week´s been a little different, but I´ll send you some photos next week! I loved all the costumes though, it made me proud! It´s one of my favorite hollidays! At first I thought Daniel was the scarecrow, then I saw Beatlejuice! (originally my idea) but he pulls it off real good! :) I loved all the other ones too, Coraline, Pocahontas, Brawny.......HA, and the Elf couple! and of course the blue princess! Where´s your costume Mom?! (nice job on the rats by the way).
I´m still trying to get through that old testament, I´m on 1 Samuel 11 right now, and D&C 89 I just read today! I wish the girls sitting next to me right now had read D&C 89, becuase they stink really badly with the smell of cigarettes! Congrats to Daniel on the Eagle!!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Was it brother Dangerfield? I really liked haveing them for the trek parents too, awesome! There´s an Elder in our zone that is from Pleasant Grove and was friends with a lot of my theater buddies from there, it is a small little world!
Well, my P-day was moved to today because the last 2 days we were in Montevideo again, but for a special training! It was really great, we did so much practicing though it was crazy for 12 hours strait the first day and a little less the next we had the training with our Pres. I really did enjoy it, it´s a series of new lessons to help missionaries become better teachers that they´re doing with all the missions right now! It focussed a lot on the compromises and how we need to be doing them more often and getting these people baptised. It was a great lesson! Oh, and we got the Moreira family in church this last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Their story is pretty fun, we actually found them looking for someone named Ramiro, a reference, turned out a Ramiro lived in there house, but not the one we were looking for! But they let us in anyway and they just so happened to have found a copy of Legacy in the garbage earlier before, and they had been praying to find the right camino (path) in life and we showed up! Coincidence?....... I think NOT! God´s hand is in this work all the way, right there with us and if we are doing our best he puts those blessings in our way there is no doubt of that in my mind! This last week was really good, lots of lessons and new people, we are excited for this change!
Thanks for the update and the prayers, and the B-day package! I actually had to open one present because I needed the socks! But the rest are still wrapped till saturday!
Love ya all tons!!!! Chau!
I´m still trying to get through that old testament, I´m on 1 Samuel 11 right now, and D&C 89 I just read today! I wish the girls sitting next to me right now had read D&C 89, becuase they stink really badly with the smell of cigarettes! Congrats to Daniel on the Eagle!!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Was it brother Dangerfield? I really liked haveing them for the trek parents too, awesome! There´s an Elder in our zone that is from Pleasant Grove and was friends with a lot of my theater buddies from there, it is a small little world!
Well, my P-day was moved to today because the last 2 days we were in Montevideo again, but for a special training! It was really great, we did so much practicing though it was crazy for 12 hours strait the first day and a little less the next we had the training with our Pres. I really did enjoy it, it´s a series of new lessons to help missionaries become better teachers that they´re doing with all the missions right now! It focussed a lot on the compromises and how we need to be doing them more often and getting these people baptised. It was a great lesson! Oh, and we got the Moreira family in church this last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Their story is pretty fun, we actually found them looking for someone named Ramiro, a reference, turned out a Ramiro lived in there house, but not the one we were looking for! But they let us in anyway and they just so happened to have found a copy of Legacy in the garbage earlier before, and they had been praying to find the right camino (path) in life and we showed up! Coincidence?....... I think NOT! God´s hand is in this work all the way, right there with us and if we are doing our best he puts those blessings in our way there is no doubt of that in my mind! This last week was really good, lots of lessons and new people, we are excited for this change!
Thanks for the update and the prayers, and the B-day package! I actually had to open one present because I needed the socks! But the rest are still wrapped till saturday!
Love ya all tons!!!! Chau!
Monday, October 11, 2010
11 Oct 2010 email
Well I´m so happy the wedding was a success and beautiful and all those lovely things :) I´m glad I could make it too, ha ha! I love the photos and it´s just amazing! The whold dancing thing sounded like it would have been really fun and special to watch.... sweet!
I did get the package! And i wrote a letter the past week about it all! Thanks so much, it felt so good to put on new socks! It really makes you appreciate the small things, the mission..... ya! If it´s too late then some ideas for a future package down the road: Baby powder (or some sort of powder for my shoes), and recipes (easy simple ones I can make out here... some of the stuff from home)
Well this last week was quite the week.... one of the harder weeks, and one of the more spiritual. I think I had my first full on argument with my comp, and the other companionship in our house too. I don´t want to sound racist, but the two latin comps are just closer to the end of the mission and a little trunky, loosing their drive and respect for the rules.... I´m still trying to work on that charity..... it´s difficult sometimes, but with a lot of praying and spiritual help I´m learning to control myself more and my emotions and correct the problems as fast as I can, it´s definitely a challenge.
The other fun thing about this week: We started teaching an Evangelical couple, Ricardo and Diani, they´ve been asisting the pentacostal church, not sure what the name is exactly, there´s so many different churches. Anyhow, we basically got into a nice bible bash.... a lot about the trinity, they just believe in one God, all three as one person, and you know.... I don´t think they´re gonna change their mind about anything, they´re so set in their way, we hit them pretty hard using their own bible with scriptures about the baptism how there was Jesus, the dove, and a voice, and we used the one where Stephen sees Jesus standing on the right hand of God.... and many many others, but they would just change to another scripture and never could answer our questions... but that´s ok... It strengthened my testimony and taught me how to control myself and not argue.... and also that night as we returned home, I went into the bathroom and prayed, thanking God for the knowledge I have and asking him to confirm it.....the greatest feeling came over me, a warmth surrounded me pretty much like someone placed a blanket on me and I cried..... and I knew before and know even more now that we have a Heavenly Father, a Savior, and The Holy Ghost and they are three different God´s all one in purpose to help us. Anyhow, with this same family we sort of set up a deal.... they went to our chruch sunday, and (with permission of course) we went to their church afterward.................................uhhhhhh...............I would like to bare my testimony now that I know that I am in the right church, the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true church in the world! It was kind of fun to walk into that church in our suits and tags, they greeted us nicely... then we sang for the first hour with an electric piano and a drum-set and speakers on full blast, I could not hear myself think! Everyone was clapping and moving around and shouting Glory Halleluja! and all that stuff. Then a man got up to give us the word! We read a whold 2 versus from the bible, one of which wasn´t even the right verse and we learned nothing! absolutely nothing, it was like watching theater the man shouting and waving his hands all over the place.... not teaching any principles..... just talking. Then we sang even more and some people looked like they were having heart-attacks..... just to sum it up because I could probably go on and on...... It was actually a good experience to see the difference... the organization and order we have in our church, the reverence and the spirit, the ordenaces and the priesthood... all of it. I am so grateful to be in the correct church and know what I need to do, have this clarity and goal and purpose.... I did feel the spirit, I looked back at one point and there was a girl sitting on one of the benches looking at me, she was a girl with down syndrome and she was just staring at me intently and I thought to myself..... that´s a celestial being... in the midst of all that noise I still had that experience....
anyhow, that´s the gist of the excitement, there´s so much more, but time won´t allow it! Thanks so much for the package again, the pictures, and all the love and support, I love you too! And God does too! Chau!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Scott Hancock to Michael
show details Sep 26 (1 day ago)
How is your week, any good prospects? it's got to be tuff, what is the average baptisms for a missionary? Anyway, the continuing saga gose on... Tomorrow I'm going to climb aboard a boom trailer (see image) scary, so I can cut down the tree at the studio, I have trimmed it alot but can't get to the higher ones so we will see what happens. I shot picture of pets with there people at a pet fair, Andra's was one of the main announcers and I shot pets... it was for fun like stretchy pants. I'm praying for you, keep plugging on!! Love Dad
Michael to Scott Hancock
show details 10:37 AM (22 hours ago)
We´re still working with the 2 families and we´ve been having a hard time finding new people, a lot of door knocking and rejection. We´ve actually started focussing a little more on the less active members, we have a list of all the members, hundreds, even though only about 40 actually go, and we´ve been visiting them all. So far it all comes down to 3 reasons why they´re inactive: 1- they moved, 2- they´re dead, 3- they were ofended! I hate with a passion the last one even more and more. All too often people forget that this church is perfect, sometimes the members aren´t, sadly. They loose that eternal perspective and just feel anger. I really just want to drop the cane on them sometimes, but we don´t do that as missionaries, or at least we´re not supposed to. Average baptisms..... I really don´t know... depends on a lot of things. Anywhere from 4-100, I´m really not sure what the average is. I hit my 1/3 mark this week (crazy!) and I have 2..... so.... ya...
Be careful cutting down those branches! The pet show sounded pretty fun, how did Andra score announcing? Anyways, thanks for the update and the prayers. Luv ya tons!
show details Sep 26 (1 day ago)
How is your week, any good prospects? it's got to be tuff, what is the average baptisms for a missionary? Anyway, the continuing saga gose on... Tomorrow I'm going to climb aboard a boom trailer (see image) scary, so I can cut down the tree at the studio, I have trimmed it alot but can't get to the higher ones so we will see what happens. I shot picture of pets with there people at a pet fair, Andra's was one of the main announcers and I shot pets... it was for fun like stretchy pants. I'm praying for you, keep plugging on!! Love Dad
Michael to Scott Hancock
show details 10:37 AM (22 hours ago)
We´re still working with the 2 families and we´ve been having a hard time finding new people, a lot of door knocking and rejection. We´ve actually started focussing a little more on the less active members, we have a list of all the members, hundreds, even though only about 40 actually go, and we´ve been visiting them all. So far it all comes down to 3 reasons why they´re inactive: 1- they moved, 2- they´re dead, 3- they were ofended! I hate with a passion the last one even more and more. All too often people forget that this church is perfect, sometimes the members aren´t, sadly. They loose that eternal perspective and just feel anger. I really just want to drop the cane on them sometimes, but we don´t do that as missionaries, or at least we´re not supposed to. Average baptisms..... I really don´t know... depends on a lot of things. Anywhere from 4-100, I´m really not sure what the average is. I hit my 1/3 mark this week (crazy!) and I have 2..... so.... ya...
Be careful cutting down those branches! The pet show sounded pretty fun, how did Andra score announcing? Anyways, thanks for the update and the prayers. Luv ya tons!
Monday, September 27, 2010
September 27, 2010 Email
I am actually really really really excited for conference! I don´t think they have it in our church cause it´s tiny, but one of the other ones a little more in town ya, I just hope they can get an english broadcast in too. I think I get more and more excited for conference everytime. Just learning about the Gospel and the church in general has been so much fun! I´m now reading D&C and the Old Testament! Good stuff!!! That´s actually a pretty funny story about the dirty windows... the one thing I don´t like about the conference is that we don´t get the priesthood session till the ensign comes out because it comes on past our bed time :( But that´s ok.... we learn patience in the mission :)
We actually cleaned the church this last week, remember Andres Vasques? The less active member we helped get back, he´s the new branch Librarian, and he wanted to clean the church and the other two elders in our branch had a baptism, so we all went over, the 5 of us and cleaned the whole church before the baptism! It was actually really fun! And the baptism was really nice too! So that was pretty fun! I got to bless the Sacrament again, I love being able to do that, I´ve almost got the sacrament prayers down in Spanish :) The weather has been a lot warmer, except for today it´s been sprinkling a little bit, but it´s nice. We actually cleaned our house real good this morning... well as well as we could without water because a pipe broke and we don´t have water right now. But we cleaned it good becuase the president is going to come do interviews in every missionary´s house! While the Hermana and AP´s check out the houses to see what changes need to be made... FUN! We´re still working with the families and more with less active members, but it´s moving a long. Anyhow, haven´t gotten the package or announcement yet, but it should come maybe tomorrow! Anyhow, thanks for all you´re doing! Keep reading and praying! Luv you tons!!!
We actually cleaned the church this last week, remember Andres Vasques? The less active member we helped get back, he´s the new branch Librarian, and he wanted to clean the church and the other two elders in our branch had a baptism, so we all went over, the 5 of us and cleaned the whole church before the baptism! It was actually really fun! And the baptism was really nice too! So that was pretty fun! I got to bless the Sacrament again, I love being able to do that, I´ve almost got the sacrament prayers down in Spanish :) The weather has been a lot warmer, except for today it´s been sprinkling a little bit, but it´s nice. We actually cleaned our house real good this morning... well as well as we could without water because a pipe broke and we don´t have water right now. But we cleaned it good becuase the president is going to come do interviews in every missionary´s house! While the Hermana and AP´s check out the houses to see what changes need to be made... FUN! We´re still working with the families and more with less active members, but it´s moving a long. Anyhow, haven´t gotten the package or announcement yet, but it should come maybe tomorrow! Anyhow, thanks for all you´re doing! Keep reading and praying! Luv you tons!!!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Mon, Sep 20, 2010 at 10:42 AM
Scott Hancock to Michael
Sep 19 (1 day ago)
So another week, it seems to fly by fast, U? Hows the country side? quite? let me know. Brother Goudy reads your blog every week and has ask if its updated. Remember Diaz he will be home in 7 month and you been out just over? Crazy. Finished the front of the studio, Looks good and now I've started cutting down the tree just on the north side of the studio, I put as much of it as I can in the garbage can each week, then I got to wait a week. Daniel and I have to go in to be fitted for tuxes, crazy again! I'm making josh and Andra's slide show hope we get it done, I'm adding short clips inside the show as well, will see how it goes. I'm tired from all the work but my blood pressure is going down, I've been drinking some crazy stuff (Pro-argine-9) that has been reversing the hardening of arteries, anyway we will continue monitor and see what happens. Love ya tons! Dad :D
Michael Hancock to Scott Hancock
10:42 AM (12 hours ago)
It does fly by fast!!! in 8 more days, I´ll be 1/3 of the way done with the mission!!!! That´s insane!!!! I still feel like the new guy! It´s so weird.... I´m in that mixed feeling stage, I only have two baptisms and a third of my mission, I know you´re not supposed to judge mission success on numbers of baptisms... but some times I wonder if I´m just not doing something right.... It´s been a challenge recently... deeling with finding a new house, my comp seems to be getting more and more trunky, he talks about girls a lot, and just dealing with a 4 elder house, there´s more comparison than there needs to be and lots of fooling around, I´ve been saying a lot of prayers lately, asking for more caridad... charity.... the ability to love my fellowman.. or elders... I´ve been trying to watch myself lately, how I act and react to things and it´s been interesting to see... it´s really hard to not have pride and only charity and love... just some of those feelings that creep in here and there... anyhow, it´s just been interesting. I can´t believe he´s going home in just 7 months... it does pass by really fast. Tuxes again! What color this time? you don´t have to wear pink right? :) Good for you and your blood pressure, I try to eat healthy here, but sometimes it´s hard.... I definitely put on some pounds, but I think I´m flat lining it right now :) Anyhow, good luck with everything that´s going on, I love ya tons! Chau!
Sep 19 (1 day ago)
So another week, it seems to fly by fast, U? Hows the country side? quite? let me know. Brother Goudy reads your blog every week and has ask if its updated. Remember Diaz he will be home in 7 month and you been out just over? Crazy. Finished the front of the studio, Looks good and now I've started cutting down the tree just on the north side of the studio, I put as much of it as I can in the garbage can each week, then I got to wait a week. Daniel and I have to go in to be fitted for tuxes, crazy again! I'm making josh and Andra's slide show hope we get it done, I'm adding short clips inside the show as well, will see how it goes. I'm tired from all the work but my blood pressure is going down, I've been drinking some crazy stuff (Pro-argine-9) that has been reversing the hardening of arteries, anyway we will continue monitor and see what happens. Love ya tons! Dad :D
Michael Hancock to Scott Hancock
10:42 AM (12 hours ago)
It does fly by fast!!! in 8 more days, I´ll be 1/3 of the way done with the mission!!!! That´s insane!!!! I still feel like the new guy! It´s so weird.... I´m in that mixed feeling stage, I only have two baptisms and a third of my mission, I know you´re not supposed to judge mission success on numbers of baptisms... but some times I wonder if I´m just not doing something right.... It´s been a challenge recently... deeling with finding a new house, my comp seems to be getting more and more trunky, he talks about girls a lot, and just dealing with a 4 elder house, there´s more comparison than there needs to be and lots of fooling around, I´ve been saying a lot of prayers lately, asking for more caridad... charity.... the ability to love my fellowman.. or elders... I´ve been trying to watch myself lately, how I act and react to things and it´s been interesting to see... it´s really hard to not have pride and only charity and love... just some of those feelings that creep in here and there... anyhow, it´s just been interesting. I can´t believe he´s going home in just 7 months... it does pass by really fast. Tuxes again! What color this time? you don´t have to wear pink right? :) Good for you and your blood pressure, I try to eat healthy here, but sometimes it´s hard.... I definitely put on some pounds, but I think I´m flat lining it right now :) Anyhow, good luck with everything that´s going on, I love ya tons! Chau!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
15 Sep 2010
Well we got our changes yesterday and....... I´m staying! And Elder Cespedes is still my comp! We´ve got a couple really good families to work with, but need to find more people, we´re pumped and ready to go for another change! I´m actually the first comp that Elder Cespedes has had for more than one change! he´s had 12 comps so far in the mission!
You´re reading fast! Andra is actually in that same part! I just finished and am reading in Ether, but chapter 9 in Mormon is one of my favorites, it´s blunt and strait to the point! And I´m starting 1 Timothy in the New Testament, I really like Paul... he was a good missionary! Lots of stuff about not buttering up the Gospel but telling people how it is, we are not here to gain favor of men, but of God. I love it all!
This last week we did more service, we sanded and painted a room of a member, it was actually pretty fun, and we finished pretty fast! We also had another youth activity, we did a treasure hunt and played kick ball, it was cool because two of our investigators came and actually participated! YAY!!! And we had a branch activity.... sadly not many people showed up to that, but the missionaries made a jeapordy game and it was really fun! We have had to drop a few investigators lately and it´s really sad, I hate doing it... but sometimes there´s just nothing more a missionary can do, they have to make the decision.... not really fun... but it´s life, everyone has to make the decision!
We actually cooked some yummy hashbrown creation stuff today! it was pretty tastey! Anyhow, That´s about it from the field for now! Te amo múcho! Chau!
You´re reading fast! Andra is actually in that same part! I just finished and am reading in Ether, but chapter 9 in Mormon is one of my favorites, it´s blunt and strait to the point! And I´m starting 1 Timothy in the New Testament, I really like Paul... he was a good missionary! Lots of stuff about not buttering up the Gospel but telling people how it is, we are not here to gain favor of men, but of God. I love it all!
This last week we did more service, we sanded and painted a room of a member, it was actually pretty fun, and we finished pretty fast! We also had another youth activity, we did a treasure hunt and played kick ball, it was cool because two of our investigators came and actually participated! YAY!!! And we had a branch activity.... sadly not many people showed up to that, but the missionaries made a jeapordy game and it was really fun! We have had to drop a few investigators lately and it´s really sad, I hate doing it... but sometimes there´s just nothing more a missionary can do, they have to make the decision.... not really fun... but it´s life, everyone has to make the decision!
We actually cooked some yummy hashbrown creation stuff today! it was pretty tastey! Anyhow, That´s about it from the field for now! Te amo múcho! Chau!
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