I must be doing something good

A week full of trials. To be honest this week was really difficult
for me. As I have learned on the mission, a lot of the time we have
trials because we are ready to grow and progress and so I take it as a
good sign. Although I have learned this on the mission trials are
still really hard. The difference has really been just relying on the
Atonement and not trying to overcome things on my own.
So this week were dropped by a lot of investigators and many just
have lost interest. Some recent converts are really struggling with
addictions and yesterday we had to plead,sing, and read with one of
them for an hour to give us his drugs. We ended up smashing an apple
and he gave us some of his drugs but in the end fell into the
temptation. It is really hard to see those you love go through hard
trials because of disobedience to the commandments. If we follow the
commandments we have Gods promise but when we willingly disobey we
forfeit those blessings.
Not the whole week was as disappointing! During the week we
received a text from a random number that we had in the phone and he
told us that he had told missionaries that he would call them when he
was ready to make time to accept the message. Well I guess he is ready
because he text us and we invited him to church and he came! He is
dating a member and he is really excited to learn about the church. He
grew up catholic but when we talked about making and keeping covenants
to help us progress he told us it just made sense that he will need to
be baptized again. His name is Adolfo and we are going to see him
again tomorrow to set a specific date for him to be baptized.
Leo is still working towards baptism but still wasn't able to come
to church this week. We actually aren't sure what happened. We went in
the morning to wake him up and he got ready to go and wanted to ride
with us to church but we told him we had to send a member to pick him
up. When the member got there he was no where to be found. So we hope
he is doing good.
Sergio and Alfredo came to church and are doing great. The bishop
talked with us about them both receiving the Melchizedek priesthood in
September and I'm really excited for them.
This work is amazing. I am humbled and honored every day for having
is opportunity to be a representative of Jesus Christ and share his
gospel. Sometimes I don't know why I am so blessed to be here. But I
know God has a work for me to do and I'm here to do it. I love you all
and I know God has called all of you to His work as well. He has so
many people for us to bless and so many lives to change. Pray and ask
who He needs you to help and I promise that the spirit will guide you
to those whom are in need of Gods help through you.
Love,
Elder Hyde

Just doing work....

One of the most amazing blessings of being a missionary is that you are able to work. Work all day every day in the service of our Heavenly Fathers children, our brothers and sisters. When we work and do all we can to find, teach, and baptism on the mission we will find true happiness and time just flies by. The past few weeks have been really spiritually rewarding for me and a lot of people that I care about and I know it has all happened because I have just been lost in the work. When we truly focus all of our thoughts and actions on our purpose we find that there really isn't enough time in the day to do all that we need to do.

Even thought this week was slightly slower than the past few, Elder Cottle and I have been working the most diligently and effectively that we know how and we have seen great happiness. Alfredo received the Aaronic priesthood yesterday and him and Sergio are doing great. The bishop says he has a goal with them to be able to receive the Melchizedek priesthood in September and both are starting mission funds so that they can be ready to go when that time comes. I love them so much. :) Brandon also made some really great steps this week and the members are really bumping up the support to help him overcome everything.

A ward member named Christian Ortega is driving to his mission tonight. He was set apart yesterday and we got to get pictures with him with his tags because they had previously sent him his tags because he isn't going to the MTC. He is going to be a stud missionary. Just a few weeks ago he used to have super long shaggy hair and rarely came to church with a tie on but yesterday he looked way awesome. All clean cut, tie on, and excitement flowing from his face. He has been coming out with us and is going to be such a good missionary and I'm really excited for him. Plus his non member dad is planning on getting baptized soon and I know he is having a huge impact on the whole family.

I would like to end with an experience that I had yesterday. During the sacrament hymn I saw a scripture at the bottom of the hymn that I felt impressed to read D&C 45:3-5 which says "Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him-- Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life." It filled me with the spirit and as I partook of the sacrament it was a really beautiful experience. Sometimes it can be discouraging to realize just how short of the glory of God we fall. But this scripture gave me a lot of comfort and hope. I am so grateful to have the sacrament in my life and have access to the amazing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I invite all of you to take some time this week to ponder what the Atonement really means to you. Pray about it. Study the scriptures about it. Then act relying that it will help you go places and do things that you never thought were possible. Jesus Christ loves you. I love you. But most importantly Jesus Christ loves. Have a great week. :)




Love,

Elder Hyde

Afredo's Baptism, Teaching, The Spirit, Middle of June?

Elder Cottle, Alfredo's Baptism, Elder Hyde

Alfredo's Baptism

Alfredo, Mom & Sergio

When did June get here? Yesterday I had a realization that we were in
June. Not only June but we are in the middle of June. For some reason
I thought it was still May. Haha oh well.
Happy Birthday Mom! I love you! Also happy Father's Day to the
wonderful Fathers in my life. :)

This week Alfredo got Baptized! It was really great to see him really
happy and it was a really spiritual baptism. Sergio, his brother that
got baptized two weeks ago, gave one of the talks and did an amazing
job! He was also one of the witnesses because he received the
priesthood last week. It was so awesome and his mom came and is really
excited to start taking lessons from the sisters. President and sister
Taggart also came and it was fun to see them using the Spanish they
know to talk with the members and Alfredo's mom.

President and Sister Taggart also chose to come to our zone training
this week. It was my first one being senior zone leader the first one
for Elder Cottle and it went really well. We prepared really well for
it and then let the spirit guide us and it was a really powerful one
about finding. The whole zone participated a lot and it was very
instructive. President Taggart told us it was one of he most uplifting
and spiritual zone meetings he has ever been in and it really humbled
me because we didn't do anything special. We just did our best to
invite the spirit and that's what made the difference. The Spirit is
everything. Just like that conference talk that says if you can't feel
the spirit, you are lost. So we need to do everything in our power to
invite the spirit into our lives. Whether that is through music,
prayer, scripture study, temple worship, or just keeping our baptismal
covenant of always remembering the Savior. Something that president
Taggart always says is "the Spirit is eager to come when we invite
it."

This week we had some huge miracles, especially at church. Rosi
Loemli, who hasn't come to church in a long time finally came after we
taught her this week and she didn't come alone. She brought a friend
that really liked church and is interested in meeting with us. Also
That morning we went to wake up one of our investigators named Leo
because he has committed to come to church for 3 weeks in a row but
hadn't come. Anyways we got to his house and he had a thousand excuses
why he couldn't come and why he should stay home. We told him that if
he didn't come then he wouldn't be able to be baptized in 2 weeks and
that hit him pretty hard. He sat there and thought about it for a
second and then said okay I'll make it work. He made some arrangements
and came to church for all three hours! It was awesome! Alex, is doing
well and could be baptized any week but is just worried about the
commitment of baptism. She is coming to church and reading and praying
so it is just a matter of time.

Although time may go by fast I am really enjoying every moment of
missionary work right now. It's difficult to see people reject the
gospel but it is by far worth it when you find those few elect that
are. Have a wonderful week and don't forget to review your general
conference notes and watch the talks online. It's super easy and it's
something that has really helped me a lot he past few weeks.
Love you all!

Elder Hyde

First week of transfers with Elder Cottle, Alfredo prepares for baptism and Awesome Experience with the Spirit

This week was an amazing first week of the transfer! So much
happened this week it feels like I haven't emailed in a really long
time. My new companion Elder Cottle is an amazing missionary and I
have already learned a ton from him. He hasn't quite hit his year mark
but he came out into the mission way more prepared than I did and it's
very joyful being companions. He is about 6ft 4 and from Idaho. We
already teach really well together and I believe it's because we are
both really focused on our purpose and following the spirit to know
what to do.

Alfredo, Sergio's brother, is really excited about his baptism this
Saturday. At the beginning of the week he was nervous that he didn't
know enough but we helped him see on his baptismal calendar that he
almost knew everything already and he agreed and after some great
friend present lessons and coming to the activities he is really
excited for his baptism! :)

As for teaching Brandon this
week we had a couple of really
interesting lessons with him and helping him overcome his addictions.
As we read with him in the Book of Mormon it was a big testimony
builder of how true that book is and how inspired and guided by God
were the prophets that wrote it. After everything I have gone through
in the mission there is no way I could ever deny the Book of Mormon
without seriously mocking God. I know that what it teaches is true and
that it has brought me closer to Jesus Christ than any other book.
We had a really cool experience this week following the promptings
of the spirit.

On Friday we had a really packed day and ended up
having to spend two hours helping some elders in the zone take their
bike to get fixed and so we didn't get to eat dinner because we had
appointments right when we finished helping them. So anyways we taught
two awesome lessons with this member named Milton and when we finished
the second one at 8:30 he told us he wants to take us out to eat
because we hadn't eaten yet. We were starving and wanted to go but we
felt a strong impression that we had one more person to visit. We
graciously declined and got in the car not knowing who needed our
help. The first person that came to my mind was an assignment from the
bishop to go visit a girl that came home early from her mission and
was struggling. We went looking for her and when we got to her house
she wasn't there but something didn't seem right with her parents. Her
dad had a stoke the day before and looked really bad. They said that
we were the Angels that God had sent to them to give him a blessing.
It was a really sweet moment as we gave him a blessing and then left
them by singing a hymn. I know we were guided to the house for a
reason we didn't fully understand but because we followed the spirit
we were able to bless one of our brothers that was in need. God really
does know us and He wants to bless each one of us. Most times He will
use others to be the means of bringing that assistance. As we live
worthy to receiving the promptings of the spirit and then have the
faith to act on those promptings, I promise that we will be
instruments in the hands of the Lord.
Love,

Elder Hyde

Hey family! So I don't have time to write today because but it was an
amazing week! Sergio got baptized and confirmed and at his baptism
even shared his testimony of how the gospel has changed his life.
Sorry for the lack of words but i am alive and well and loving the
mission! Elder Pace goes home tomorrow and my new companion is Elder
Cottle. He is from Idaho and I'm really excited to be his companion.

Sergio's baptism! (PICTURES SAW IT ALL!)

New Companion Elder Cottle - Lunch courtesy of member

Elder Hyde holding Elder Pace before he goes home

Group Picture @ Sergio's baptism

Segio, Elder Hyde, Boy?

Elder Pace, Sergio, Elder Hyde

Elder Pace, Sergio, Elder Hyde

Sister missionaries, Elder Pace & Hyde