Hola...Happy Thanksgiving...It's A Boy!

Hola! It's a boy :) Mom I am so excited for you and Alan and that you're having a boy! I knew it haha Well anyways I'm super excited for you and can't wait to see him! So this week was really exhausting. Last Monday was pretty sweet, I had to go to Ross and get some warmer clothes because for some reason Cali gets a little cold in the winter. Who knew? That night we had this lady drop us but we ended up finding two awesome people to teach so it all worked out. Tuesday we taught Belen the second half of the Plan of Salvation and she really enjoyed it, plus we brought an awesome member, hermano Ralegino, he is so awesome! Belen says she realized why she needs to be baptized again but this time actually confirmed. She really wants to learn more though before she sets a date on her baptism. Then we taught Derick the Plan of Salvation up to the Atonement and he although he didn't accept a date for baptism he said he would read and pray and really think about it. We also had a sweet lesson with Zaira and taught the Restoration with her and shared some of our favorite Book of Mormon stories and miracles that Christ performed. It was sweet to see how much her testimony has grown and how much the Restoration has helped her in her life already. Wednesday was amazing! We taught this less-active member and she told us how she really missed church and wanted to come back, and Sunday she did :) awesome! oh yeah, a MIRACLE happened on Wednesday too. This guy with tons of tattoos who was smoking sees us and yells "Hey! Are you guys Mormons?" We told him that we were and then he asks us "Do you have a pamphlet or something I can have?" It was soooo cool. This guy named Victor started telling us how he has made a ton of mistakes in his life but he really wants to change. He told us how he just felt like there was something more to life. He said he has seen missionaries around there a lot before and always had an urge to talk to us but it wasn't until then that he finally did. It reminded me how we need to stop and talk to everyone! He didn't have much time to talk to us but the small part we did share he really liked and he really wants to learn more. Way cool dude! We also taught this dude Armando, he loves anyone that talks about God and like to hear others beliefs, he said that Mormon missionaries are always welcome in his home. He is super nice, but it's really interesting that he doesn't like JW missionaries because they came into his house once and just went off on his how much of a sinner he is but he really likes us so that's good :) We also taught Efren and got him to pray at the end of the lesson. I think his first prayer ever. It was a cool experience! That night was awesome because we also got a referral from a Quorum of the 70 but we weren't able to find it :/ We were almost home that night when it was raining pretty good, and on the last turn to our apartment my companion slid and crashed on his bike into the middle of the intersection. It was a way crazy slide and he was lucky no cars were coming. He was fine except he said he left his dignity on that corner haha. Thursday we taught an awesome lesson to this lady named Martha. She said she had met with missionaries for a long time but they never really shared what they believed and she had never heard the name Joseph Smith before or the word Restoration. Weird situation but super awesome lesson. She told us about her childhood and wow she had a really rough life growing up and she also has had some bad experiences with other churches and the leaders so she is scared to come to church but she is really awesome. We also met this guy Efrain who really liked what we had to say and was just so awesome and prepared to hear us. That day I got letters from my awesome Mama, Cherrie and Del, and Grandma and Grandpa Grayson. Grandma sent me a lot of awesome poems and quotes that were awesome, Thanks :) The rest of the weekend was really awesome we met this really shy guy named Heiro and he had never prayed before but we taught him how and by the end of the lesson he said an amazing heart felt prayer it was so cool. We also found this guy named Oscar, he has 8 kids and that family is awesome. They are super Catholic but they love our message so we will see what happens. Elder Hawkins came back on Sunday with his dad, sister and girlfriend and a beard. That was super weird to see him and think that he was our companion 4 weeks ago. For Thanksgiving we already have breakfast, lunch, and at least 2 dinners set up so I think I might die with how much food I am going to eat that day. This week I weighed in 16 pounds heavier than when I got to Cali so I think it is time for a diet, but with the Holiday's coming up I don't know how it is possible. If I keep this up I will be 360 pounds when I get home. Fun stuff! I love Cali, I love serving a mission, and I love all of you! Thanks for everything and have an amazing Thanksgiving this week :) Love, Elder Hyde

Exciting and disappointing...but lots of good things

Howdy Y'all This week was pretty exciting and also pretty disappointing. I will start with the good stuff and work to the disappoint stuff because that's the order that it happened. So last Wednesday we had a sweet district meeting and I was asked to talk for about 5minutes about how the Book of Mormon has helped me make sacred covenants and how it has helped me in my personal conversion. Wow, I'm not sure if what I said helped anyone but I know it helped me a ton. Just pondering and thinking about the Book of Mormon and everything it means to me was a wonderful experience and I know sharing experience makes your own testimony grow. Just like speaking, teaching a class, sharing your testimony with someone, or going out or your way to give service or be more Christ-like. When we stretch ourselves or do something that is hard for us we become better and grow the fastest. I love the many opportunities that we have to grow and stretch ourselves to really progress in this life how our Heavenly Father wants us to. So back to Wednesday, I got my frosty from the push-up challenge :) Then the rest of the night all of the people we went to see fell through until we had our weekly set appointment with the Paniagua family. We brought hermano Salgado, our mission ward leader who is a boss, with us and it really showed me how important member present lessons are. So we went in to teach them about faith and acting on their faith since they still have had the same doubts about being baptized for 6 months and we felt like they needed that. Well, God had other plans because when we followed up with them about how taking a question to church went, they told us they felt really good but they felt like they haven't received their answer yet and still had the same doubts. As hermano Salgado tried to answer her questions about the temple and other things the Spirit was really strong and we asked Carolina Paniagua to offer a prayer and ask right then. We all got on our knees and she offered the most sincere pray I have ever heard her give and she asked a lot of amazing questions. After that she opened up a ton and talked about how she has felt alone in her life and hasn't really felt God's love and we basically just testified and shared experiences and wow it was amazing. We invited them to be baptized on Nov. 24th and they accepted as long as they had received an answer to her prayer by then. I felt like that lesson was her answer. Thursday was a little discouraging but we found this sweet guy named Derick who seems pretty interested. He is in his 20's and just seems like he is searching for more in life. Boy do we have what he needs :) I'm pumped to teach him more. Friday we fasted for Max and Carolina Paniagua to help them see their answer and be ready for baptism. Fasting helped us to be really spiritually in tune and all of the people we went to see weren't home but we found two people by some of the houses we went to and this one guy Ralio was working with his son on his bike and they seemed really interested and just their eyes were so bright when we left they seemed really happy about what we shared. Saturday was awesome! We found a jackpot of hispanics and we only covered like a fourth of the area we wanted to but it was awesome because we were teaching so many lessons and we found two whole families that just seemed kind of lost and want to know more. We also learned that night that Elder Maughan and I are together for another transfer which is sweet, we get to have Thanksgiving and Christmas together in this amazing area I'm excited! It was an amazing week and then we get to Sunday. Sunday was fine until we got to priesthood meeting and when some guy asked Max about his baptismal date, he said he didn't have one and so we talked to him and his wife after church and they said they just aren't ready to make that commitment yet. It was really hard to hear. They have come to church almost every week for about 4 months and they believe in the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and they are just so ready, it is really confusing why they are so hesitant. Well I'm out of time but this week was pretty great, just a little discouraging. This week we also met this girl in her late 20's that just loves us haha Her name is Martha and when we knocked on her door she told us how she had met with other missionaries before but then she started inviting us over for Thanksgiving and Christmas and wants us to sing for her family haha When we invited her to church she said she would rather go to English because she hates Spanish but when we told her we were Spanish speaking elders she changed her mind all of the sudden and wants to come to our ward haha She is funny and really made us feel right at home. Well I love you all and hope you have a great week!! Love, Elder Hyde

P-day after Veteran's Day....

Hola! Sorry that I'm a day late, but all of the libraries were closed yesterday because it was Veterans Day. This week has been pretty great. Last Tuesday we started the week off amazing and even though most of our plans fell through, we ending up getting 3 new investigators and some really great lessons. Elder Maughan and I are getting a lot better at teaching together and our lessons have really improved. The Lord has really prepared a lot of people in this area for us, we just need to have the faith that things are going to work out with all of them. I got a letter from the Kimball family and that was a sweet pick-me-up so thank you for that :) Wednesday we had a sweet district meeting on the Spirit and Prayer. It was exactly what I needed. The rest of the day...wasn't as good. Nobody really wanted to listen to us that day and we weren't feeling too good from some of the Mexican food we ate Tuesday night and so it was a rough day but at night we got to teach the Paniagua family. We had a sweet lesson planned on faith and baptism and were hoping to set a baptismal date with them for Dec. 15th but when we invited them they kind of exploded with tons of doubts and confusion they have about the church. It was a really difficult lesson because they had so many weird questions and it was really hard. We really feel like they are ready, they have been going to church for over 4 months or so and they believe in Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. They quit drinking coffee and are trying to live all of the commandments, but they are letting their doubts take over what they believe. It reminds me of this last conference where someone, maybe Uchtdorf, said "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." So we are trying to help them to act on their faith, but so far we haven't had any luck. Thursday we had a sweet lesson with Zaira, we are teaching her about scripture study, missionary work and enduring to the end. It is amazing to see the changes she has made and the influence the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost has been in her life already. She told us about this experience where she was at school and her friend was struggling with some bullies and the first thing she thought of was how Nephi was being bullied by his brothers in the wilderness and so she shared and read a whole chapter in 1Nephi about what he did when it happened and it just made me so happy to see her using the scriptures in her life. She really tries to liken the scriptures to herself and those around her and it's awesome. Not a ton happened on Friday because we had weekly planning and our appointments fell through but we had a sweet lesson with a family in the ward and they ended up giving us two referrals so it worked out well. Tons of people showed up for volleyball that night and we were able to talk a lot with Zaira's brother, who we are hoping to start teaching soon. Saturday the Vasquez family made us a huge breakfast and then we helped them out with some service it was a really good day. Sunday was pretty normal. We invited the Paniagua family to come to church with a question in mind, preferably why do I need to be baptized or something but we told them they could choose whatever they wanted and see if it would be answered during church. They said they would and so I hope it was answered and we will see when we meet with them tomorrow. I think it's a great idea to go to church with a question. So if you think church hasn't been as spiritual of an experience and you would like it to be I invite you all to try going to church with a question. It is an awesome experience and can made church more exciting, especially when you are trying to help other people go to church even when they might not enjoy it as much. Yesterday was probably the best P-day I have ever had! We were able to go to Red Robin for lunch, which was wayyy yummy :) After that we had our push-up contest follow up and I got second so now my companion and get a frosty soon! I just realized how much I talk about food. I love food. Now I know why I gained 10 pounds in my first week in the field haha Then once I got to our zone activity, which was 3 hours of basketball :), I got a huge package from my family, I love you guys! :) Amazing letters from Marta and Jessica! And even a wedding invitation ahah I can't believe Holly is getting married this month! Crazyness! Then to the best part of my day, teaching! That night we went to visit this lady who wanted us to teach her sons but said she wasn't very interested. We got to the house and started talking to one of hers sons but he said he was busy. We decided to share a little bit and once he heard more he invited us in and said what we had to say was more important that the homework he had to do. His name is Gonzalo and he is so prepared to hear the gospel. He had so many questions about God, different religions, and life. The Spirit was electrifying and it was by far one of the best lessons I have been a part of out here. It was a really emotional lesson. He was really confused with how leaders in other churches got money for what they did and was confused with why people were trying to change the bible so much. It was amazing because when we were teaching him he just kept saying, wow that makes so much sense. He felt more comfortable with us speaking English, which was interesting because it was only the second or third time I have done the first lesson in English.When I shared the first vision we were both almost in tears and it was amazing how strong the Spirit was. God really does answer our prayers and I am out of time so I need to go but I love you all and pray for you every day. Love, Elder Hyde

Super Awesome Week! Super Awesome Son!!!

Hola! This week was super awesome! Last Monday we got together as a zone and played ultimate frisbee which was awesome. We also started a push-up competition and bet a frosty to the one who improves the most. That night we spent going around letting Elder Hawkins say goodbye to everyone in the ward and then Tuesday morning he was gone. Things are a lot more quiet at our apartment now but it's really good because we had been able to have some really good studies and been able to focus a lot more without Elder Hawkins there to distract us haha. I also got a sweet Halloween card from the Marchant family and it was really awesome. Monday night we were talking to this limo driver lady and she was really nice and starting telling us about her beliefs and told us that her son is a Christian rapper named cross eyes and it was funny. So Tuesday we were able to teach Zaira about temples and her confirmation that she was going to have on Sunday. We also had dinner with the Vasquez family again. Wednesday we got to go running in the morning and we had a zone meeting about going back to the basics. Our missions numbers have gone super down the past few months and we are all trying to get everyone pumped up and ready to get things going again. We had dinner with the Luna family that night and when elder Maughan shared a spiritual thought and then asked if he knew anyone we could teach, the member went off at him telling him that he has done his part and he doesn't need to do anymore. It was really sad to see that, because we are NEVER done until The Lord says we are done and He defiantly hasn't said we are done yet. Halloween!! On Halloween we went exploring a part of our area we had never been to trying to find people who speak Spanish. We were able to teach a lot of sweet lessons and got two new investigators that I am excited to teach. One guy named Efren, loves to read the Book of Mormon because a friend gave it to him but he has never met with missionaries before. He said that he doesn't understand it very much but that he just feels great when he reads it. I was able to lead a lot of then door contacts that day and it was pretty hard but I am working on coming out of my shell more and just making sure I talk to everyone I see. The Hermanas got an apple pie that they shared with us and then we just ate at home that night. Then we got permission from our district leader to go to the Vasquez's and help them pass out candy. Not one person came trick or treating to their house...haha so they few us some home made nachos and we just sent the whole night playing games with their whole family and it made me fell almost like I was at home. That day when we were knocking there was this guy who wasn't very interested and needed to get back to baking so we left and then a few seconds later he came running out to give us some warm pan dulce and it was so yummy and helped us get through tons of knocking. People are awesome. Friday we had wayyy too much sugar. We had tons of candy from the Vasquez's and they also gave us cake to take home and we make pancakes for weekly planning with candy them. That day we had a way good lesson with this lady named Vicky and she said she believes what we teach but because her dad is Catholic she wants to stay Catholic. Ugg some people are frustrating but we love them anyways. Saturday we had exchanges and our district leader came to my area so I was senior companion for a day and it was crazy hard but it was a great day. We taught some amazing people and found some new investigators. That day we had lunch with this member who we all think is gay because he always invites missionaries over for service and lunch and then tries to feel their muscles and weird stuff so we tried to get out of there are fast as we could hahaha I love the Hispanic community but one thing that drives me crazy is that none of them know how to discipline their children and it is super frustrating. Zaira was confirmed on Sunday and it was awesome, we also had a casa abierta (open house) and my companion and I taught about the Book of Mormon. Some other things I forgot to say, a few weeks ago we stopped by a Jehovah witness service and they let us borrow a copy of their "Holy scripture" which is the bible but they changed it so much that the bible association or something won't let them call it a bible anymore. It was super weird, they changed the words to be more in modern language but it was weird. We should be getting iPhones and iPads soon which will be sweet! Well I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week, especially my momma who is going to get better this week and my home boy lil Nate who enters the field this week!! Love, Elder Hyde