2 Octubre 2012

Hubbards,
This was a great week here in Magdalena Contreras. I`ve been having a pretty hard time thinking in English in these emails.  The only time I ever speak English is if I want to say something funny. English is about ten times funnier. Congratulations to Aaron and Lynze because I am going to have a sobrina!!! I can`t wait.
So this week I had some really good experiences. We weren`t able to spend much time working in our area, we are so busy helping the other missionaries and going to meetings. Today, we sacrificed a bunch of our preparation day to train two districts. So we still have a ton of things to do including washing our clothes by hand and getting to our first appointment at 5.  One of the coolest things that happened was with our friends Julian and his wife Eva. Julian has now read the entire spanish guide to reading the scriptures at the back of the Book of Mormon which is like the topical guide and bible dictionary combined. He read it all and highlighted what he liked. He also read until 1 Nefi 13 and saw the Restoration video, and took notes. I`m pretty sure this guy is going to be a bishop in about a year. Haha.   He`s got the swagger of an escogido. From the notes he took, he decided that he needed to repent and change is life more. Without change, we can`t progress. So he put his own goals of not saying any more swear words and to live the word of wisdom. Might I add that they gave us breakfast, and gifted us some ties. Pretty impressive.  It just shows how much power the Book of Mormon has in helping us repent, change, and make our life a little bit better.  In Mosiah 5:2, it says that we can stop even wanting to sin. I know that that is true and I love when our friends can see it too.
Yesterday, we went to visit one of our friends who we hadn`t seen in a while. She had been reading the Book of Mormon, and said that she prayed and received her answer. She said that she dreamed that two young men came to her house and told her that our message was false. That woke us up a little bit. Haha. I am used to hearing them saying that they received an answer that it is true. We knew that she messed up in the process somewhere and started asking her some questions.  It turns out that she never asked God, but she did ask a santo, San Judas. He is really popular down here.  So that explained everything. We found out that she doesn`t believe that God answers her prayers because she lost two kids. Now we know how to teach her and she committed herself to going to General Conference this weekend.
Speaking of General Conference, I can`t wait. It is when the prophet today and the 12 apostles speak to the whole world. It is the best to be able to let our friends go to see if really they are servants of God or if they are just crazy old men that know how to trick millions of people. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet today. Invite all of your friends to go listen to him. I know that the Lord will answers your doubts and your fears. He always has and he always will.
I`m not going to lie, I had a lot more to write this week than I had time for.  It feels good to be a missionary.
Love you all,
Elder Hubbs
p.s. If you want to pass me big game Elder Faught`s mail down there in Viña del Mar, I want to write him a little note.

You might think that all I do is eat. Not true.

25 septiembre 2012

Hey family,
¿Què hay?  I can`t believe that another week has already gone by. My life is disappearing before my eyes. I balding, getting fat, haven`t played basketball in about a year, or any other sport for that matter, and I have to stretch out every morning or I can`t walk. Haha. That was all sort of a half joke. But seriously.
This week it was time to have our interviews with President Valadez. He always helps me out a ton and always teaches me something too. Yesterday he asked me if I was ready to take over the zone and have a brand new zone leader as a companion. I told him that if that`s what the Lord wants, then I would be ready no matter what. So Elder Rios and I think that we will have transfers in three weeks. It would be a bummer because Elder Rios has all kinds of swagger and we get along really well. Today we went to the only IHOP that I have ever seen in DF. It was really good. We both bought unlimited pancakes but only at 6 each.  They`re not quite as good as Sam Hubbard`s pancakes, made with love. I have been writing down everything I eat every day in my daily planner and I realized that I eat a ton!! I am going to be making some ajustments in that area.
This week we found 14 new investigators. The area is getting along really well.  My favorite part this week was seeing how the Book of Mormon changed so many people. We have been trying to give them the Book of Mormon in the first appointment. Since it is another testament of Jesus Christ that no other religion uses, it is the thing that helps the most when people try to get closer to God. We gave a copy to a teacher named Julian who works in organic chemistry and has a ton of other talents. I will never forget that when we went back to the second appointment with him, he pulled out his copy of the Book of Mormon. He had taken off the soft cover and put on a hard cover. I opened the book and saw that with a highlighter, he had marked the important parts to him in 1 Nephi and also in the guide in the back. They we some of the same things that I have marked. When he prayed, he asked God to help him find the truth. I was really touched by the love that this man showed for the book that has changed my own life. I know that it contains the words of Christ and that it really can help a man come closer to God than any other book. I know it from experience. Every person should be able to read it.
We had Luz`s baptism this week too. Her family all came and were really happy. The Contreras ward is so strong and is already helping them get back in the groove of going to church. I have seen so many people go back to church in my mission. One inactive family that Elder Bunker and I taught spoke in church on sunday and the dad blessed the sacrament. I was so happy to see it.
The zone is improving a ton too.  In total we found 77 investigators which is good compared to the 25 that we normally find. I really love the missionaries that I work with. This week we had exchanges 2 times. I worked with my old friend from Ajusco Elder Garza and then with Elder Smith from Arizona. We can do exchanges with anybody that we want in the zone and afterwards we also put goals. I am supposed to help them learn but I think that I always learn more. They are really good missionaries.
So there`s just a little bit of my week. I hope you enjoy the pictures that I sent. I enjoy reading Elder Sotckard`s, Elder Christiansen`s, Elder Faught`s and Elder Adam`s email every week. It gives me something to do on the bus. I was wonder when Elder Johnston is going to get home? According to my calculation, he should be finishing in a couple of weeks. Aaron and Lynze went to Disneyland once again. I think that they should just buy the castle and live there. My new shoes fit like nike`s. Hey, if anybody that you know needs any of the mountain of clothes that I have at home, feel free to give them what they need. I am not using them much right now.
That`s all I have time for this week. I love you all. I got Travis`s letter this week and one from Dalene. Just to let them know.
Elder Hubbard

 

 Contreras

 Lucìa- 82 years old. Stud. She was baptized a few weeks ago.

 The one and only magnificent Distrito Federal.

Luz`s baptism

18 septiembre 2012

Hubbard-itas,
Que hubolé escuincles? It was a great week here in La Magdalena Contreras! Elder Rios and I are having a lot of fun together.  We have gotten used to getting drenched at least once a day. I think that is the reason that I have a little bit of a cold right now. At least I have some new shoes to show off!!! Thanks a ton for that package by the way. You don´t have to send any more now. Just save the money and retire early please. I don´t know which made me happier, the shoes or the twizzler.  One day this week, we got soaked liked three times. Once, we were waiting under an overhang to let the rain calm down a little bit but it just kept going. So I just starting playing some theme music from that John Tanner church video and we walked out into the rain. Haha. That music can make any trial sound cool. We walked to our appointment and the family-Julia and Eva- let us right in. Even though we drenched their couch, it was a really cool lesson. Julian is really looking for the truth and has found out for himself that not all of the churches lead us to God.
Elder Rios and I only have 4 days to work every week in our own area so it is really difficult to help a lot of people progress. What we have been doing is contacting a ton and spending the most time with the people that seem escogido.  Sorry, I really don´t know how we say that it english.  The rest of the days we go to the mission offices and give trainings to the other missionaries. Tonight we have to go to San Pedro where we are going to train two districts in planning for there lessons better. I feel like I am getting to be a little bit better as a leader but I still want to be able to help the other missionaries better.  We gave a training to the whole zone-34 missionaries not including us- on Thursday and it went really well. Elder Rios is a really good teacher and is good at being in front of big groups.
Another thing that happened that was really cool this week was with an inactive family. A few weeks ago, el hermano Bunker and I visited them and found that they worship the Santa Muerte. It could be one of the weirdest things that exist here in Mexico. They worship death. Who knows why. But hermana Bunker and I invited them to throw it into the garbage. They were afraid to do it because they thought something bad would happen to them. Well, we visited them this week and found that they actually did it! And their family has changed completely. They went to a church activity this week, no longer do they hear voices screaming in their house (which is always good), and finished winning another challenge that they had as a family.  It was awesome to see the difference.  Repentance is always a good move.
One night this week, we were in an area named Hidalgo and we waited for the bus for like an hour. It was already 9:30 so we just asked President Valadez if we could sleep there with the missionaries.  I feel like a vagabond sometimes. 
So that´s about it for the week. All that I can remember anyways. I really think that I will be in this area until Christmas so I am thinking about bying an acre of land to live on. Haha.  I learned a lot about repentence this week. I decided that the Atonement is for the bad, the good, and the mediocre.  It really is for everybody and we have to share it with everybody. If you want to get started being good missionaries, just study Preach My Gospel everyday as if it were the Book of Mormon, and go with the missionaries to appointments. Going with the missionaries helps you see how other people respond to the message and lets you share your testimony.
Les amo un buen y que les vaya bien bonita!
Elder Hubbard

11 septiembre 2012

Family,

First week with the new companion down!!! Elder Rios is such a stud. Too much swag. He is about 5 foot 2, fighting out of Jalapa, Veracruz and has been on the mission for like 21 months. This should be his last area too. We have had a lot of fun so far and I have learned a lot. In the first 4 days with him we contacted about 90 people and a ton of them accepted. We also invited a lot of people that we have been teaching to be baptized and many of them accepted baptismal dates.

Lucìa was baptized this week at the young age of 82. Almost the age of President Monson. I think her parents were born before the Restoration. The crazy this is that Lucìa had 18 children!! What?!! Sadly, Elder Rios and I could not go to her baptismal service. We had a zone leaders meeting, so we left the ward mission leader in charge along with the two other missionaries that are serving in Barrio Contreras. They said that they baptized her sitting down in a chair and that she was crying with emotion. I wish I could have been there.  She is such a sweet old lady and I am glad that she accepted the Gospel.

What I have loved about my mission is seeing how much I learn and grow. I was such a bum before my mission sometimes and still am but getting better. I want to be a better leader and help all of the other elders better. I have all sorts of opportunities to learn. Good companions, leadership meetings, exchanges with the assistants, and a ton of experiences.  In our meeting with President Valadez this week he talked to us about developing leaders in the mission. He wants everybody to be able to be a strong leader.  I really felt like I had a wake up call this week and that I need to do better.  I am going to focus as much as possible in trying to help the district leaders and their companions. Elder Black told me if they are good, their district will be fine.  Speaking of Elder Black, I have had so many good examples to me as I have been here. Mom and dad are temple workers, my mission presidents, companions.  The Lord has definitely put a lot of time and effort into me so I hope that I can make them worth it.  I am really excited for this transfer and I already know that it is going to fly by.

Today we went to Perisur to buy Elderazo Rios some new shoes and to got to Gwalmarrr. (That´s how they say Wally world). Hehe. No pop tarts. Sad day. I am in about a 6 month slump.  That´s about all that I can put into words for this week. I love you all! And not to be rude, but it would be nice if SHAYLA, MARK, BREE, and ZZZZ would write me!!!!! Over and out.  

Elder Hubbard

3 septiembre 2012

Hey güeros,

So my time with Elder Bunker has finished up. He will be flying home on Wednesday morning. I am going to miss him. The assistants called us with all of the transfers in the whole zone last night. I am staying here and will now have Elder Rios as my companion. I already know him a little bit because he has been a zone leader for a little while so we see each other every Monday. So we`ll go to the stake center in Taxqueña tomorrow to dump off Elder Bunker and pick up Elder Rios.  It`s about an hour and half or an hour forty five away and we  haven`t found a ride yet so somebody is going to have to come in clutch. There were a lot of transfers in our zone too and I am excited for this month. I love this area here but the only problem is that we never have any money because we have to pay for the buses so much. It`s like 5 dollars every day that we spend just in transportation.

We dominated this last week that Elder Bunker and I were together. We had Rosalìa`s baptismal service and she asked me to baptize her. She was really happy and was smiling a ton. She has made a lot of changes in her life this past month.  A lot of members attended the service too and even brought some tostadas and pastel.

We also had exchanges with the assistants this week. It is one of my favorite parts about being a zone leader because I learn so much from them. I went with Elder Bodine to his area in Coyoacàn. In one square mile, supposedly live 3 million people there in Santo Domingo. That`s nuts!!  Elder Bodine contacts a ton he is really loving. I have been able to work with him ever since I was in Leandro Valle. When I was there I did four baptismal interviews to see if the people they are teaching are ready for baptism. All of them went well and my favorite was with a young man that has cancer. He was really smart and sure of himself. While we were at the church, a lady came by trying to find out what church it was and what we believe in. I was able to give her a tour and we passed the referral along.

I also had exchanges this week with Elder Shirley from Lovelock, Nevada. Haha. I love him, he is really nice. We went to one appointment and nobody was there so we climbed a mountain to the next appointment. Elder Shirley realized that he forgot his backpack down below and we went back to get it. When we did, someday came outside that asked if we were looking for somebody and we contacted her. She accepted immediately and looks like she`s is one of the people that the Lord prepares. I have learned in my mission that things always happen for a reason.

So that`s about all that is happening right now. We are going to have to go to the airport today to figure out how Elder Bunker is going to get home since his visa expired. I am getting really good at washing my clothes by hand now. I already did it this morning.  You can just start calling me Kenmore if you want. I am really hungry too so we are going to go find some food before spending all day in the bus and airport.  Oh, I ate a fig this week. That could have been one of the best fruits that I have ever tried. Happy birthday this week Lynze!!!

Something that President Valadez said to me that I liked a lot was, that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the whole world, but it isn`t important if he isn`t my Saviour. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he lives. He has put his church on the earth once again and he will come again. I know that he suffered our pains and sins and through his stripes we are healed.

Thanks for all that you do for me!! I love you all and miss you a ton.  DF is gearing up for Independance Day on the 16th. Haha. Talk to you next week.

Elder Hubbard

p.s. I`ll send pictures next week because today I wasn`t smarter than the computer and couldn`t send them. Sorry.

28 agosto 2012

Hey familia,

First of all, when I was writing last week, I wanted to tell Bree and Shayla Happy Birthday, but I totally  spaced it.  So Happy Birthday, Shayla and Bree! I hope it was a good one. I´ll have to sing you the mañanitas when I get back. It´s what the Mexicans sing when it´s someone´s birthday.

So I had a pretty good week here in la Magdalena Contreras. Lot´s of rain and lightning. But the weather here is perfect. It is never hot or cold. I just wear the short sleeve gamer shirts every day.  I love it. But I do miss it being cold.

I am trying to remember what happened this week. On Thursday we had Ivan´s baptism. As you can tell from the pictures, he is tiny. The baptismal service didn´t go to great because the ward mission leader didn´t plan it and everything was unorganized. We also had Diego´s baptism on Saturday. I liked it a lot because his cousin came from Cuernavaca to baptize him.   Cooler than the other side of the pillow.

Before every baptism, the people have to have an interview to see if they are ready for it. I interviewed a 17 year old this week for another area in our zone. It is always cool to see how the people have changed their lives and their hearts, and have the desire to be a better person.  It still is weird that I am the one doing the interview and not the one being interviewed. Haha.

The people here are gearing up for Independence Day once again. It feels like I was just in Topilejo and had to endure that. There are going to be pachanga´s like it´s going out of style.  There will be fireworks, annoying music, and a lot of borrachos. But oh well. My new slogan is When In Rome.

Our hardest person to teach right now is Lucía. She is 82 years old and it is kind of hard to get the message of the Restored Gospel in her noggin. But she is really sweet and wants to be baptized. She goes to church even though she can´t hear a thing.    

The zone is doing pretty good. We always have problems with Elders not getting along with their companions or not wanting to follow all of the mission rules and we do what we can to help them.  This will be my last week  with my good friend Elder Bunker and then he´s going back to Chicago. I am going to miss him a lot.  So this Monday I will write to you and tell you who my new companion is.

Rosalía has her baptism this saturday!! I am really excited because she has changed a lot of things in her life. I have learned a lot about repentance while I have been a missionary. I have learned that it is really  a change in direction of our lives. Instead of always being focused on worldly problems, we turn to the Saviour and he helps us out. I know that we find peace and happiness in our lives when we follow him. One of the best ways to follow him is to pray every day. I have noticed that some people pray just because it is what we do. But we should really learn how to talk to Heavenly Father and spill our guts out to him. I am still learning how to use prayer better in my own life, and I know that he listens. I invite all of you to pay close attention to your prayers and try to get closer to God as you do. And if you don´t pray, then make it a habit.

Love you all and I am glad to hear that all is well in the motherland.

Vote for Pedro.

Elder Hubbard

 Diego´s baptism

 And his family

Ivan´s baptism

21 agosto 2012

Querida familia,
¿Cómo estaís vosotros? So just to remind you, I will be writing on the first monday of september instead of tuesday because of transfers. I don´t want to have to call an audible like I did the last time. I was Payton Manning back there.  This week was sweet. Especially right now because I am taking pills to flush all of the parasites out of me. I don´t want to go home with friends in my stomach like my friend Chavo. Haha. Probably still has those. But he deserves it because he didn´t right me today. Slacker.
When I said that this week was sweet, I meant it. Straight up miracles going on.  We taught a ton of lessons last week and they were all with people that are really interested and prepared to recieve the gospel. Rosalía has completely stopped smoking and should have her baptism this saturday. There is also another kid who is like 11 years old that is going to be baptized on sunday named Diego. He is not that same Diego that is the friend of Dora the Explorer known as Go Diego Go.  All of his family are members of the Church, but they hadn´t gone for a while. Meaning a few years. But they are now active again and Elder Bunker and his last companion taught him everything. So Elder Hubbard just has to smile and show up to the baptism enjoying the fruits of other people. Also, Ivan who we have been teaching is going to be baptized this thursday. It should be a pretty fun week.  Oh, and Tanía prayed about the Book of Mormon and the Church to know if they are everything that we say they are. She said that the first time she prayed and asked Heavenly Father if it was true, that she felt the coolest, most peaceful feeling that she has ever had in her life. She thought she was going crazy or something so she decided to ask again. The same thing happened. Heavenly Father answered her prayer and now she knows that the true church of Jesus Christ has  been restored once again to the earth and today we have a prophet and apostles.  It is something that nobody will ever be able to take away for her. I was so excited to hear that she recieved her answer. I wish everybody could do the same, including members of the church. Everybody as the right to know the truth through prayer.
Elder Bunker and I had to teach another Zone Conference this week. We talked about contacting and verifying with the members about the homework that we have given them.  President Valadez only came for a few minutes to talk but told us that he could feel the Spirit when he walked in the room. I thought it went really well too, but it could always be better. We spent most of the time doing practices. After the zone conference I went to Topilejo to work for the day. It reminded me a lot of when the hobbits all return to the Shire. It was nice but at the same time totally different. The best part was seeing Juana who is super strong in the church now. Some of her children and grandchildren are going to be baptized soon too. 
So that´s all I have time for this week!! I am feeling really good. I´m happy. I have a testimony. I am trying to be better. Life´s good.  Thanks for all of your letters. I think about you a lot, some more than others. Haha. Just kidding. Have a great week!! I love you.
Elder Hubbard
p.s. Chavo came in clutch and redeemed himself.

 la Hermana Juana that I found in Topilejo and taught. She is now a member and many of her family members are about to be baptized too.

 los dinamos with Elder Paxman y Elder Sanabria