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

Brandon's Baptism...Sergio Singing

Brandon's Baptism

Sergio Singing

Well the highlight of the week was definitely Brandon's baptism!
The first time I met him about 10 months ago I lacked a lot of faith
because I thought he might never get baptized. But God has been
preparing him for such a long time and I was so happy to see that he
was finally ready to make that huge decision in his life. He is a
great missionary and spent all week inviting his friends, family,
lawyers, and every person that he knew to come to the baptism. It
worked because almost 20 non members showed up and there was also a
good Ward assistance and so it was packed. These two older white
ladies (his lawyers) showed up and literally screamed in the parking
lot they were so excited for him and couldn't believe all of the
changes that he has made. The baptism went smoothly and then after we
spent an hour and a half talking to all of his friends and family and
gave them a church tour. Most of them don't have any interest in the
church right now but it was really impactful on his step mom, sister,
and two or three friends that either us or other missionaries will be
teaching this week. On Sunday he was confirmed and then later he
received the Aaronic priesthood and was given a temple recommend for
baptisms. He will be passing the sacrament next week! He was so full
of happiness and light and was practically swarmed with members for
those two days congratulating him. He is a great example to me and
really built my faith. If he can do it, anybody can.

Another great miracle that happened this week was the progress that
Sergio has made. Our former Ward mission leader is pretty much his
best friend now and when he picked him up he gave him a white shirt,
tie and slacks and so he came to church looking like a member and we
hardly recognized him. Haha Then later that night we sang in the stake
priesthood meeting as a Ward and Sergio and Brandon both sang in it
and said it made then feel part of a family. It was awesome! Sergio is
going on the Ward camp out this weekend so he decided that he would
feel better doing his baptism May 30th but he is so excited for it, it
makes me excited just thinking about it. It's amazing because as soon
as we started teaching him a week ago he has been tried a lot with
ridicule from his friends and family and being present for a really
deep institute class after only being taught twice. But none of that
has fazes him at all. He said it has made him stronger. He told us
that he already refers to himself as a member of the church and tells
them "we Mormons don't actually believe that" or "if the whole world
was a member of the church we would have world peace" or many of his
other great comments that always make me laugh. Miracles are happening
and I feel so happy and honored to be an instrument in the Lords hands
to find the elect and help them come closer to Christ.

Love,
Elder Hyde

Mother's Day 2015

Hi mom and family! I hope your Mother's Day was fantastic, it was
so great to see you all. :)
And mom I hope that the card comes really soon because it's pretty great.

Well you know most of the week but after I told you about our plans
yesterday I need to let you know how it went. So after the call we
went to a members house named Daisy and ate the hot dog pizza
thingys.They tasted delicious and so I ate 4 of them. During dinner we
got to talk to her grandma and she is probably the boldest grandma I
have ever met. She told us story after story of her sharing the gospel
with others and how she would do it so boldly. She has a ton of faith
and because of that she really speaks with power and it really
strengthened me. After dinner we went to our appointment with Sergio
and he was still really excited about the awesome day he had at
church. He was passed to us from the family Ward sisters that felt
that he would progress better in the YSA and they were right. He told
the sisters that he wasn't ready for baptism yet but after that
amazing church experience he said yes to being baptized five times
before I could even finish my sentence to invite him. Haha he said he
will be baptized May 23 and so we are going to meet with him almost
every day until then to make sure he is ready. He is so prepared to
receive the gospel and he has a huge family of 9 that he is having a
huge impact on because of his righteous decisions.

This week I got to go on exchanges with one of my old companions
Elder Arevalo! It was really good. He is really good at teaching to
the needs of the investigators and he was really happy to be back on
his old area. It was on the exchange that we got passed Sergio and we
had a church tour with a recent converts cousin and he also said he
wants to be baptized and came to the first hour of church and loved
it. The week was great and it made me really happy to be able to see
and talk to my wonderful family. I am so grateful for all of the moms
in my life and especially for my momma who is always the most
supportive and loving person ever. Love you mom!

-Elder Hyde

Filling my life with light and happiness...

To be honest this week was really long and full of some less
exciting experiences. But I know that we must have weeks like that to
be able to more fully enjoy the really great weeks. We still saw
miracles and I was happy for most of the week but I really learned the
power of filling my life with light and happiness.

We had an emergency with the Costa Mesa sisters and ended up
spending a good chunk of the day moving them to a new apartment and it
was one of the longest days of my mission because of the things we had
to do. They spent the next few days in the hospital but all should be
fine because they are in a new place now. :) It was also a really long
week because we had apartment checks and one of the elders grandma
passed away so we went by to make sure he was doing okay. I just love
the gospel because it helps us through everything we go through.
Especially on a mission because it will prepare us for how we face
trials and tribulations later on in life.

I got to go on exchanges with Elder Wagstaff this week. He is one
of the assistants to president Taggart right now and it was a lot of
fun being in their area for a day. They are part of an English Ward
but have a Spanish group in it so we were able to teach both and it
was a blast. I feel like English sometimes get a more wide variety of
people to teach. Because most people we teach in Spanish are catholic
and don't have much time to listen, but just in one day in English we
taught so many different people it was a lot of fun. Plus he is an
amazing missionaries and I learned a lot about studying techniques and
planning while we were together.

Brandon is doing really well and is pumped for his baptism. He
talks with everyone in his neighborhood and so took some time to walk
around with him and talk to all of his neighbors to share the gospel
with them and invite them to his baptism. Everyone is really happy for
him and we even taught some of his friends at his house this week and
it went awesome. Now that he has left drugs and is changing his life
his friends want to do the same. It's awesome! So back to filling your
life with light. As we invite the spirit into our lives we will fill
our lives with light. Something I have been doing this week is singing
and reciting scriptures a lot to take away any feelings that I don't
want in my life. It has helped me a ton and I know that as we live a
life worthy for the spirit to help and guide us will give us the light
that we look for. I am really excited to skype you in 6 days!!! :) :)
:)

Week full of MIRACLES!

This week was full of miracles, why? Because President Taggart has
been focusing his remarks to us on praying for miracles and then
expecting that they will happen. So that's exactly what we have been
doing and they are happening all over the place. One of the biggest
was finding a family of brothers that all want to be baptized. They
are all part of la familia Cruz and most of them will be coming to the
YSA with us. This week when we taught them about baptism they
responded "yeah that's something I feel really to do" and are really
excited to be baptized the 23 of May together. The most excited, Edgar
and Jessie, have both started reading and praying and love everything,
especially the word of wisdom.


Can I tell you how amazing it is to have recently returned
missionaries coming into your Ward almost every week for the past 5
weeks? Because this Ward is getting ready for something really big.
The Lord is preparing so many people right now. At church we had at
least 7 people come to church because of the members just inviting
friends to church and them saying yes. Everyone is really excited! One
of the returned missionaries named Jenny Acosta who just got back from
Mérida, Mexico where my friend Megan Manning is serving and they were
really good friends down there so it just shows how small this world
is when you're a member of the church. Haha


Brandon is doing really good but relapsed this week. He is really
hard on himself so we just have to give him a lot of praise and
realize that he can do it. He said one of the most heartfelt prayers
this week that I won't ever forget. I really felt like he was talking
to our Heavenly Father as if he was standing right in front of Him and
the spirit was really powerful. I know that as he realizes his
dependance on the Lord he will be able to overcome his addictions. And
he needs to quickly because he has to be completely clean from May 2
and on.


I found out today that I have a sinus infection and pink eye after
I was suffering this weekend with lots of congestion and a really sore
throat. But I got medicine today and should be fine soon. :) I want
you all to know that miracles are possible and because of Jesus Christ
we can reach new heights and see things that we never really thought
were possible. Gods ways are really higher than our ways and if we
have faith in Him and His Son Jesus Christ we can do all things.


Love,
Elder Hyde