21 Enero 2013

Hey family!!!

How`s everything going? I`m sorry that I have to write today and not tomorrow. It`s because tomorrow we are going to have a zone conference from 9 in the morning until 3 so we have our preparation day today. I`m glad to here that Lucy Mae is doing well and I pray for her every day. I am so excited to see pictures when she is born. 

I had a solid week here in Xalpa. The bad part is I am having a hard time remembering it. I normally bring my journal with me to help me remember what went down but today all I got is my daily missionary planner to help me out.

So I`ll just give you the highlights. This week we started teaching a less active family named la familia Lopez. The dad hadn`t gone in a couple of years because he was baptized in the US and didn`t feel the love here in Xalpa. His wife, Antonia, isn`t a member of the church but she already knows a lot of what we teach. She is awesome. They also have some kids. So I was sitting in sacrament meeting yesterday and I see the door open up. As a missionary, when the door opens up you just start creeping automatically because you want anybody to come and join the fun.  I saw that the Lopez family was coming in with huge smiles on their faces. It was seriously the happiest moment of my entire week to see them walk in once again. That`s why I love the Obra de la Salvaciòn.

Things were looking up and we thought that we were going to have two baptisms this Saturday but it doesn`t really look like we will be having them. But I`m still out there fighting to reach my goals.  A lady told me this week that a church had invited her to go swimming and she went. She was just doing her thing in the pool when all of the sudden the leader of the church came in out of nowhere and dunked her into the water. When she came out coughing, she was informed that she had been baptized. Haha. I know that baptisms take more work than that.  We had a movie night in our ward this week and we gave a lot couple of church tours that helped us out quite a bit.

One thing that I learned this week is that blessings don`t just randomly pour down out of heaven in a salt shaker. We recieve blessings because we earned them. As I try to obey God`s will, I can`t do it perfectly but there are some things that I can do perfectly. As a missionary I can obey a ton of rules perfectly and it all depends on me. As members of the church we can control that too. We can be perfect for example in paying our tithing, or having our Family Home Evenings every Monday night. If we do things perfectly more and more we can develop a personal relation with Jesus Christ because we will live like him and understand him. That is the true blessing of obedience.

Thanks for the emails! I am so happy that I have such a good family and friends. Keep up the good work. I love you all.

Elder Hubbard

15 Enero 2013

Hello my friends! (I hear that everyday but with a thick Mexican accent)

¿Que tranza? 

Thanks for all of your letters. It sounds likes it’s cold at

home. I kind of forgot that it`s winter. Here it feels like spring all year

long, except for a few months when it is pretty hot.

This week was a lot of fun. We found 12 new investigators and some of them

are already on a roll. That is good because I feel like we’ve been

struggling in this area a little bit with bautismos.

So last week I told you that I had bed bugs. False. I never found them but

I had bug bites all over my body. I was itching more than that mangy dog

that I sent you a picture of. Haha. I had it all over my hands, arms,

stomach, legs, and thunder thighs. Not a pretty picture. On Wednesday night

I tapped out and called la Hermana Valadez. She told me to go to the doctor

the next day. He said that I probably had a flea or a tick land on me from

a dog or a dirty house. He gave me some pills and some lotion. The bug

bites last for a while too! I still have them. But their getting better.

Who gets fleas? I promise that I take a shower every day.

So what else? Oh last week we found somebody named Gloria and her son

Arturo. My companion just sneezed on me. Anyways, Gloria went to church

this week. She loved every minute of it and is already applying what she

learned there. Yesterday she told us that she normally works on Sundays,

but if her boss doesn`t let her rest, she`s just going to quit. Haha. I

love that attitude. Out of nowhere she told us that she smoked a ton, but

on Friday and Saturday she only smoked once, on Sunday she smoked half of a

cigarette, and yesterday she didn`t smoke at all. We didn`t even teach her

the Word of Wisdom! It`s so cool to see the Spirit start to do work in

somebody and help them get better in every aspect of their lives.  We are

going to try to meet her husband this week.

We had 41 members in church on Sunday. That might be just a little less

that go to a WNBA basketball game. The members here need a lot of help, but

there are some really strong ones too. It would be a tough place to grow up

I think.

On Friday I had a Zone Leader Meeting with President Valadez. It was so

sweet. One of the things that he told us that we should focus on is having

church tours during the week so that people feel the Spirit, and have the

desire to go on Sunday. So we were looking for somebody on Friday night,

when my comp contacted a lady outside of her house. We explained a little

bit of our message and she asked if we wanted to come in. Claro que si! Her

son and daughter were also there. We sat down and then out of nowhere, the

mom, Mariana, asked us why there are so many churches, and which one is

right. Money. We watched the Restoration with her and they all loved it.

Then we invited them to come to the church on Saturday for a tour. The

whole family came, including her husband, and really felt the Spirit. They

just kept saying how pretty it was. It is definitely the Lord`s Kindgom on

earth. I love going to church, and I know that it is there that we can

learn how to be an eternal family.

It was a good week. Time is just hauling by. I am just trying to accomplish

my baptismal goal and learn what I need to. Thanks for your good letters

and I am glad that all is well at home.

I love you! Keep the faith.

Elder Hubbard

7 Enero 2013

Hey family!!!

So the transfer has ended, and Elder Herrera and I aren`t going anywhere. We have one different district leader that will be in our zone, and a lot of other transfers happened in the zone too. It will be nice to see some new faces in the zone and get some new help. I am officially the missionary with the most time as a zone leader. That makes me feel old.  I am really excited to be staying with Elder Herrera this transfer because things are really picking up in our area. It`s all about La Obra de la Salvaciòn.

We really started looking for the families on our list of less-actives this week and as usual, we saw some miracles.  We found two families that only have one member in them and have a ton of potential. We also got the bishop`s sister to go back to church after a ton of years being inactive.

On Saturday, we placed 4 baptismal dates. This week we are going to have Raciel`s baptism. He is a 19 year old married spiritual stud. He studies every little thing that we give him. He came to church on Sunday after working a 24 hour shift. He was tired but the elder quorum`s president gave him a testimony so powerful that it made his anscestors dizzy. Seriously. I love it when members give their testimonies to our friends. We are also teaching Raciel`s brother who will be baptized in the near future. Xalpa is starting to explode! Our agenda is fuller than the Mexico City subway. We don`t have time for anything. Even today on p-day we have way to much to do. I miss those days that I did things like go to pyramids and turibus and p-days. Oh well.

I went to Coyoacàn this week on exchanges with Elder Mata, one of the AP`s. It was a ton of fun.  It was like the 4th time that I have been to his area and I really like it a lot.  I learned a lot from him and enjoyed getting out of my zone for a little bit. 

The major problem of the week is bed bugs!!! They`re horrible! I thought that the phrase "Don`t let the bed bugs bite!" was just a cute thing to say before you go to sleep, but is has taken on a whole meaning. You really don`t want the bed bugs to bite. It is itchy, gross, and I am desperate. Haha. I have little bites all over my body.  We have been washing all of our bedding, clothes, and sheets. I hope that we can kick them out. 

On a good note, I am the proud owner of some new shoes! They are very comfortable and will get me through to the end of the mission.

I am very happy to be serving my mission right now. There are always ups and downs, but I always love trying to be better. I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that He is the same today, tomorrow, and forever and that He has placed His church on the earth today. He payed the price for each of our sins and helps us overcome them. I love Him.

I feel like my emails get shorter and shorter. The weeks go faster and faster.  I love hearing how you are doing. I`m glad that you had a good vacation. Have a good week! I love you.

Elder Hubbard

1 Enero 2013

Happy 2013!!!

I can not believe it, but that was the end of the year. Blows my mind. It is already the sixth week of the transfer also, so there will be some changes next week in the zone. My companion is about 100 percent sure that we will have transfers, but I really doubt it. I`ll be writing on Monday.

It felt so good to go back to work on Wednesday. I feel like sometimes I am doing everything but focusing on working in our own area.  But I love it when we have a whole day just to find, teach, and work.  On Thursday, a new American worked with me in my area. He is completely lost in regards to spanish. I taught every lesson by myself. We also found a less active family and gave them blessings. The dad, who`s not a member can`t work because of his knees, can`t hear, and can`t read. That`s why I offered him a priesthood blessing, because I figured that it would be the only thing that could touch his heart.  I love the priesthood.

On Friday in our weekly planning session, I got sick of not carrying out very well La Obra de Salvaciòn. So I decided to buy a binder, and make something just for our ward to track it`s progress. We put a ward directory there, we finally got a list of less actives to visit and put them there, and there will be much more. I am so pumped to do things right and break all of the false traditions of members not doing missionary work. It`s gametime.

I have been meeting a lot more members and less actives. There are some really cool people here and I feel a lot of love for them. We found out this week that Cristina isn`t going to move, so we can teach Lupita and she will be baptized soon.  Raciel, a twenty year old made the top ten plays of the week also. He`s just an athlete when it comes to studying his pamphlets and filling them out. He explained the Restoration to us better than some missionaries can. We`re pulling for this saturday for his baptism.

New Years in Mexico is nuts. Laying in my bed last night, I felt like I was inside of a popcorn maker in Fallon theaters with all of the explosions going of outside. The amount of fireworks they use here puts Gandalf to shame. Seriously, if you are old enough to hold your own binky, then you are old enough to light fireworks in Mexico. I even saw a dad give his cigarette to his daughter so that she could light one. Que onda!! There are also other traditions like eating 12 grapes in 12 seconds at midnight. I was sound asleep so we`ll have to try that next year. We ate dinner with a sick family, named Jorge and Noemi. They gave us some kind of stuffed chicken that was really good.

So I feel like I haven`t written much of what I wanted to but time`s up. I am really happy now and I am glad that I still have 6 months left to be a missionary. There are a lot of things I still need to learn and improve.

As for your new years resolutions, just decide to repent every day and they become a joke. The Gospel is of constant change, not only once a year. I love you all! I hope you had a great new years and watched a ton of football.

Elder Hubbard

25 Diciembre 2012-Happy Christmas!

Hello once again Hubbard family!

It was really good to talk to you all on Saturday.  I miss you all a tonnn. It was good to meet Jeff and almost to say hi to Oliver. I was glad to hear that everybody was together having fun. I have a great family and I am so grateful to be able to know that it can be a forever family. I love every one of you. I hope that Christmas goes well for you in Fallon, Reno, Boise, and Washington.  Christmas is definitely the best when you are with your family.

We had a few Christmas activities this week. One of them was a ward dinner and a ton of investigators went. They set up about 5 piñatas and I thought that some little kid was going to loose an eye. It was so nuts but really fun to watch. It might be a good Christmas tradition to add in when I get back. Some of them even put fruit into the piñatas instead of candy, but so dad doesn`t freak out, we can just put some gobstoppers in there. Haha. 

Yesterday, we ate two huge meals. One of the was La Comida. La hermana made us tacos al pastor, and tacos de longaniza. It was straight cash. Each taco had like a pound of meat on it. With our ward mission leader we ate pierna and pasta, with an apple salad and tamales. I didn`t really enjoy it as much I could of due to the full stomach. We ended up getting to the house early and we just watched some Christmas movies.

Today we didn`t do much. We have p-day the entire day. I ate some Subway for the first time since the Land Before Time. It reminded me of high school basketball gams. Glory days. I put it on the tab.  My companion talked to his family and I read a lot in the Book of Mormon.

We lost Cristina this week. She is going to move to another state along with her daughter, Lupita who asked the million dollar question this week, "Què tengo que hacer para bautizarme?" It is always a bummer when they just escape to another area.

I opened up my presents that you sent me today and I really like all of it! Thanks a ton. Thanks for the sweatshirts, the usb, the twistables, the dry fits, and the good candy. I was thinking of all of the things that I have to be thankful for and there are a ton. I am greatful for my mission, my family, and my Savior.

Okay, I want to ask a favor to mom, or Bree, or Shayla, or the three of them. I want a calender for 2013 with pictures of the family on it. Could anyone hook a Hubbs up? Gracias.

Merry Christmas! Be safe traveling and Prospèro Año! I love you!

Elder Hubbard

http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormonmessages?v=911129090001

18 Diciembre 2012- Feliz Navidad

Dear family,

I got the little package you sent me and the Christmas cards. I can totally tell that Bree made the card since she was always a stud in that area. I love to get things from you and all of the pictures are really good too. Thanks a ton. I still haven`t opened the big package that you sent. Tell Kristi gracias for the jerkey.

This week we had a Zone Training with a Christmas Activity.  It was actually combined with two other zones here in Iztapalapa. Elder Herrera and I trained them for two hours about asking inspired questions. We had the idea that the people we teach should mark the most important things as we read with them during the lessons. I really like doing it because they can recieve their own revelations that way. You have to watch out though, because if you aren`t looking, they`ll steal your twistable! Haha. After the training was the Christmas Program. President and Hermana Valadez spoke a little bit about Christmas and then there was a talent show combined with the three zones. There were some really funny sketches. Even los Valadez danced in costumes around the stage. They are really fun.  We then ate (half of the zone woke up with diarea the next day. Haha.) and President Valadez let us play futbol for a couple of hours! It was the first time that we were allowed to play in about a year. My team lost a bunch but I did get one goal in. I`m not going to be catching Messi any time soon.

Numbers wise, we had a pretty rough week. It felt like it went by so fast that we didn`t have time for everything. There was one lesson that I liked thought. On exchanges we read Alma 36 with Raymundo and his mom, Luz. We gave a twistable to Raymundo and as we read, he marked every time that it mentioned Christ`s name. Luz marked something else that I can`t remember. But as we finished the lesson, I gave them a pen and paper and told them to write down all of the things in their life that they want to change as we sang a hymn. We could feel a lot of peace in the room and I hope that they really do make those changes in their lives.

Christmas time is my favorite time of the year. I love all of the traditions we have at home of reading the Christmas story and eating clam chowder. I love being with my family. But the most important part to remember is that without Christ there is no Christmas. Without the Atonement and an empty tomb, we would have nothing to be happy about. I am glad that I can be a representative of Him. I invite you all to come unto Him and believe. I know that He is my Savior.  He is yours too. Merry Christmas!!!! I love you.

Elder Hubbard

11 Diciembre 2012

Buenas tardes!
How is everybody?! I am doing good down here. I am glad that everything is well at home and that you are getting ready for Christmas.  It doesn`t feel like it`s Christmas time here but a few people have put some lights up.
This week we had the baptism of Cristina. It was impressive because she had only been an investigator for about a month and a half. My companion and I saw that she has repented a ton, and had a testimony of the Book of Mormon, so that she was ready for her baptism. We had to teach her almost all of the commandments and the Plan of Salvation, and the Restoration this week so we went on splits quite a few times. I went every time to go teach her with our ward mission leader, Marcario. They weren`t the greatest lessons I have ever had but she learned what she needed too. On Sunday after church Marcario baptized her. You gotta love that trademark green Iztapalapa water. The Xalpa ward isn`t quite as sharp as Contreras in their missionary work, but they do give us a ton of referrals.
We actually taught a ton of lessons this week, including twelve with a member there with us. Elder Herrera got a lot better in our lessons and set like 9 baptismal dates with our investigators. One of them was a nine year old kid who`s mom is less active. His name his Raymundo. He actually was just baptized by immersion in another church. We wanted to help him see that he would need to be baptized by somebody who has the authority to do so. We taught him all about the priesthood, how it was given to the apostles and how it was lost when they died. Then we explained how Joseph Smith recieved the same authority from the same apostles. We used some good examples and then at the end invited him to ask Heavenly Father in that moment if the church is true. He did it and when he said Amen, my comp and I didn`t say anything. He told us that he felt something in his heart, and then said it feels like "Dios esta en mi corazòn." It was amazing to see a 9 year old boy feel an answer to his prayers and now he has a stronger testimony than anyone in his family.   We had a lot of experiences like that as we taught this week. We should all have a testimony from the Spirit that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth. If you don`t know, ask Him. If you do know, keep asking Him. If there is an answer that we haven`t recieved, we just have to want it more.
Right now I feel like I am in a weird stage in my mission. I really want to keep getting better and not stop progressing. I am trying to stay focused on my purpose of inviting others to come unto Christ and to become more like him. I love to read how my friends our doing in the other missions. Elder Stockard is running the streets in Tampico as an assistant. I got a letter from Elder Christiansen this week and he is a great example to me. I am glad I have such great friends and family as examples because I need it.
Thanks for your letters and I can`t wait to talk to you! I don`t know if you`ll me in Boise or Fallon, or walmart, but we`ll talk!  I`ll practice my english so that you can understand me well.
Love,
Elder Hubbard