30 April 2012

Shayla got engaged?!!?!?!? What the heck?!! I am so happy for her and will be glad to have Jeff in the family.
Speaking of weddings, I love weddings, this week we almost had a wedding! Almost. Fabiola and Rodrigo were all ready and on Saturday we went down to Reyes La Paz in the state of Mexico to marry them. To marry them we have to pay 500 pesos, and they have to have ID and their original birth certificates. Really easy. But when we got there we found out that Rodrigo brought some other thing called is Recognition Act. Sadly, we weren´t able to marry them. I was sooooo bummed. But they still want too and we are planning to be able to do it this Saturday if everything goes perfectly. We spent a lot of time with them this week, teaching the word of wisdom and watching the Restoration video with them. They are such a good family.
I was also able to do two baptismal interviews for the the Paseos Elders this week. The mom was born and raised in El Salvador. It is weird to think that I can talk to almost any person in the Americas now. I love doing the interviews. All went well and they were baptized. It is really cool to see how each person recieves their own testimony.
Elder Ferrin and I had interchanges this week too. We had some really cool experiences in my area.  First of all, we studied Elder Bednars article in the April Ensign which was way sick. It talks about the Atonement and how we can use it to become better. Elder Ferrin and I saw a miracle happen. We were walking down the street to visit who knows who when an other elder from my district who is having a hard time called me to ask for help. For some reason I decided to stop on the corner and talk with him. I was there for like ten minutes and then we started walking again. It just happened that we walked by the house of a recent convert and her mom who isn´t a member. Right as we were walking by, the recent convert Guadalupe walked out. We started talking and she told us how her mom, Carmen, was in bed, unable to walk, because he back hurt so bad. We offered to give her a blessing and she said yes. We went inside and Carmen starting crying, telling us how she never expected or imagined that we would show up. She was really happy to see us. Carmen goes to church with us every Sunday, she just hadn´t felt the desire to get baptized yet. After the blessing we talked to her. Through all of her pain she said, If I get better, I´ll get baptized. And I know that she meant it. It was so powerful to see how Heavenly Father guides us by His Spirit and puts us in the right place at the right time.  She hadn´t been progressing, but He knows what she needs to keep progressing. I´ll let you know how the story ends.
Yesterday we were in church and found out that this huge, Muscle Man guy named Arturo that always goes to church with his wife, wants to get baptized next sunday. Sweet! We have never taught him and he has only talked with missionaries like three times but we are going to try to get him ready by then. It was a nice suprise and a tender mercy of the Lord.  We had a new record of 11 people at church. All progressing investigators.
On a side note, the famous Juana Romero was baptized in Topilejo this Saturdy.  I remember the first time she went to church and left angrily because she thought we were Catholics and found out otherwise. Joke was on her. Hehe. I love that lady like my gramma.  And we don´t have transfers, so another 6 in the Agricola Oriental. Leandro Valle.
Happy Birthday this week dad! Good luck in the MTC, Elder Magill. I love you all and thank you for all of your prayers. The mission is the place to be, even if my family is growing in numbers rapidly. Over and out.
Elder Hubbard

 These are all of the district leaders and their companions in the Ermita zone.

Writing a letter

Breaking News at the Hubbard House......

Shayla is ENGAGED!! His name is Jeff Hayes. He is from Boise, ID. She met him at school. Mom and Dad whole heartily approve!!

23 Abril 2012

Buenas Tardes!!!
This was another good week in Leandro Valle. We are now starting week 6 of the change so next Tuesday I or my companion could be going to a new area. But I don´t really think we´ll have changes. I have really liked this area and I hope I don´t get changed for awhile. I like knowing the area, the members and the investigators and it makes me mad to have changes. Haha.
So this Tuesday we were able to talk to a family about the Restoration. They have already gone to church with us and are progressing really quickly. The mom´s name is Marcela and her two kids are Alejandro and Carlos. At the end of the lesson we invited them to be baptized on May 12 and they all accepted. They seem really excited and comitted to doing it. We tried something different this week. We didn´t teach as much, we just testified and tried to ask them inspired questions. It makes it harder but invites the Spirit more.
I had interchanges this week with Elder Bentley in an area called Paseos de Churubusco. He is a really good missionary and really nice. We were able to bring an investigator to give him a tour of the chapel. We started with a prayer and then showed him all of the rooms. I felt the Spirit really strongly two times. The first was when we showed him the big framed picture of the First Vision and the other was when we walked into the sacrament room. We opened the doors and all of us we just hit with a wall of peace and tranquility. I loved it and i didn´t want to leave. The investigator felt it two and said that we would definitely come to church on sunday. I know that I walked into the true church that is on the earth, the only true and living church.
Another day we had a cool experience with an inactive sister that we found a few weeks ago. It was our first time teaching her. She told us about the death of her father in law, how she is mad with God, how she hasn´t prayed, and the regret that she feels. We were able to explain to her the Plan of Salvation and talk about the trials that we have. At the end we sang her the hymn Mas Cerca Dios de Tí. It was one they wanted to sing at the funeral of her father in law but they couldn´t remember it. She cried during the whole lesson. The good thing was that as we were leaving, her visiting teachers were coming up. It is a miracle because nobody does their visiting teaching here. Haha. She came to church yesterday and loved it.
We recieved a referral this week from a taxi driver that said that he had been praying for some missionaries. He sent us to a school teacher´s house named Susana. It was a golden referral. She is so good. We explained a little bit about what we do as missionaries. She really wants her son to be able to have good friends and programs. She told us that she would wait for us to go to church yesterday. The miracle was that when we had been looking for her house, I contacted a lady that was outside. We explained some stuff about the church, invited her to talk to us, and to go to church. She was really nice but said no to everything. So sunday morning we went to bring Susana to church. Outside was the first lady that we contacted and we said hi to her. She just kind of smiled so we went upstairs. Susana told us that she had a friend waiting outside with her two daughters that were going to come with us. It was the lady that rejected us! Haha. But she came and they all enjoyed church.
So that was my week. We went to the Centro today and looked for some cameras. I am going to buy one next week or the week after. When we were there I found Elder Sorenson from my district in the MTC. It was good to see him and he says that all of the other missionaries from my generation are doing good.
I saw many tender mercies of the Lord this week. Every week I try to be a better missionary but it is so hard. Fabiola and Rodrigo should be getting married and baptized this weekend! Pray for me and them! I love you all so much and I miss you too.
Love,
Elder Hubbard

16 April 2012

What´s up!!!!!!

We dominated this week, finally. I told you we would. Haha. But I actually do feel a lot better now.  We got a ton done and I feel like the area progessed a lot. Elder Rosales and I started going running every morning outside. We run to a little park that has some random stuff to do excercise. It feels really good because it is still dark in the morning when we go and it isn´t hot outside. Most of the city smells like rotten eggs but it´s because of the sewage under the streets. They call them black rivers. Ghetto. But I like it.

One of the days this week I went to the Granjas area with Elder Herpel. We talked a bunch. President Chávez told me that I can help the elders in my district most by doing interchanges. So I tried to see where I could help him and I also stole some ideas from him to keep learning spanish. I learned a ton of new words this week. We went to an old investigators house there in Granjas and I wanted to knock the door next to it so we did. A 20 year old kid came out and loved our message. I told him he could be a missionary like us in a year. Haha. We also taught one more lady that accepted a baptismal date. It was a good day. There was also a tiny earthquake there but it was almost nothing.

Friday was also a really cool date. We taught Fabiola and her family with a member present. We taught the family the doctrine of Christ.  They all want to be baptized so bad on April 28th. Diego who has 25 years will for sure but the others have to get married. We told them we can go marry them in one day, they just have to decide to do it. I hope they do.  Fabiola wants to change her whole life but knows that it is going to be hard.  We also taught the sister of a young man who just got his mission call. Her name is Fernanda and has listened to a lot of missionaries but hasn´t ever done her commitments. She felt the Spirit a ton in the lesson we taught her and was crying. Afterwards she read what we left her and also went to church on sunday.   We had nine investigators in church on Sunday. All of Fabiola´s family for three hours and they loved it. It´s nice having a chapel instead of a casa de oracion.

Today we went to a rich members house and played fusbol and air hockey as a district. It was way fun but I´ll probably be sore tomorrow. Haha. Just kidding. But seriously. Elder Rosales and I get along really well. He gets along with other people pretty well and talks a ton so I don´t have too. He helped me fixed my posture this week. I have been a hunch back my whole life. Haha.

So that was my week. It was a good comeback but I hope this week I will be able to serve even better. One of the things that I have liked in my personal study is studying all the different names of Jesus Christ. He has a bunch. I realized that every one of them is a different form of the vision that He wants us to become. Creator. That´s a cool one to study. How can we follow the example of Jesus Christ and be creators?

Bueno. I hope you had a good birthday mom! I´m glad that I can be a missionary to bring the gospel to the people that need it most. There are a lot of good, lost people in the world. I love you all! I know that my Redeemer lives.

Love,

Elder Hubbard

 Elder Herpel and I

 me in Agricola Oriental

 that´s a big city

Teotihuacan!

9 Abril 2012

This was another weird week for me. I don´t even know what to write about. It feels like I am doing something wrong because nothing has been working out right. I just have to figure out what it is. We just haven´t been having any experience and not a lot of progress in the area. I know it´s just something that I am going to learn from and it´s nothing that you should worry about. The baptismal dates that we had fell this week. They said that they want to be more sure and don´t want to be married until July. I really think they will get their answer faster and still be baptized before then. The worst part of the mission is definitely when you feel like you aren´t making a difference. But the one thing that get´s me over any problem is that I believe in Christ.  And His work will go on.
We had an instruction from President Chávez this week for the leaders of the mission. He talked to us about following the Spirit and never going to extremes. He also taught us about the organization of the church a lot and how we should never want to be leaders in the church. I agree. Haha. I always feel pumped after the instructions but the trick is applying it to the area and to my life.  After the instruction, a missionary named Elder Stringham came to my area with my companion too. Trio. Tons of swag. We taught to lessons. One to Clara, Karen, and Regina. They are the ones who went to church the last two weeks. They are progressing and Clara said that she will be baptized when she knows the Book of Mormon is true.
This whole week in Mexico was the "semana santa" or holy week. They celebrate and have parties that focus on the death of Christ. I never saw anything that had to do with the resurrected Christ. They also walk around in suits and they look like death eaters. The streets were pretty empty and there aren´t a lot of people in town. It was pretty weird. I never want to see an image of Christ on a cross again.
We also found another family this church. The single mom contacted us and brought her two boys to church on sunday. Her boy of 15 years old is a little depressed. They loved church though. We are going to start teaching them this week.
Today we did a lot of cleaning, washed the clothes, and Clara gave us La Comida. Right now we are getting ready for our district meeting. I am getting a lot better at doing them.
So I promise you all in my next letter I am going to have some experience for you and I will sound a lot happier. I am going to dominate this week and win every day.   I hope you enjoy the pictures! I love you all and have no doubt in my mind that I am where I am supposed to be. And because Christ lives, I can be a better person every single day. Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Hubbard

2 Abril 2012

This week was pretty uneventful.  We watched conference this weekend in the Oriental stake which is pretty close to my house. A ton of investigators came which is always good to see. A lady named Clara and her two daughters came. She is a single mom and divourced. Elder Baxter talked to the single moms and Clara ended up crying, she felt so good. On Sunday we had a little family of four come to the morning session. Fabiola, Rodrigo, Osneli, and Ana. They really enjoyed it and are still preparing for their baptism on April 24th. They were even able to see a baptismal service after conference. General Conference is so good for the investigators. The general authorities teach about a million times better than I ever will. Always nice to have Elder Holland just hitting your investigators with the Spirit. I watched the Conference in English in the high council room with like 5 other Elders. One of them was Elder Call for the second time in a row. 

Besides that for this week, I got nothing. We went to the pyramids this morning in Teotihaucan! That was sweet. They are probably the biggest pyramids on this continent but I am not sure. Ever time I see them I just have a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon. We went with my district and with Elder Call. A couple of members took us in their car.  I am so sunburned and worn out. Next week I will send pictures. Right now, my camera stopped working. Actually it hasn`t work for  a week. That`s a little depressing. 

So, sorry this letter was so boring. I know that there are prophets and apostles on the earth today. That Jesus Christ directs His Church. I know that His Church is living and I know that He speaks today. What the apostles and prophets said this weekend was true. We have to study their words and live them if we ever want to be truly happy. 

I love you all a ton. You should especially listen to the advice about hand written letters;) 

Love from gangster`s paradise,

Elder Hubbard