May 30, 2011

Dear Family,
Hey how are yall? just so yall know if yall get this and are on the computer still yall can chat with me and ask me questions cause i didnt get too many emails and still have 40 something minutes so i will probably send this in two parts so yall can respond if anybody is by a computer and has times.. so we got a reference last week of a lady whose husband died about 3 weeks ago.. we went and talked to her and she cried a lot.. we tried to help her though and taught her about the plan of salvation.. it was good and she has a lot of family members who are members of the church.. she liked our visit but the qeqchis have a rule that when a mom gives birth she cant leave her house for 40 days and its the same if a spouse dies.. so she cant come to church or leave her house for 40 days.. thats soooo crappy. thats the worst thing ever.. she needs to be able to leave and get her mind off of it.. i just dont get these people many times.. haha i try to laugh instead of get frustrated cause they are just really different.. we also found another new last week.. nobody that was in the house had time so we just taught the mom but she asked us about matthew 16:19 when Christ says and to you i will give you the keys to the kingdom of God.. all that you bond-tie in the earth shall be bound in the heavens.. etc.. but we answered the question and talked about the priesthood and temples.. she understood it well and she reads and prays with her kids everynight and right now is not going to a church.. that was exciting and now we just need to talk to the whole family.. also she is smart so we can teach her in a normal way without using so many examples and having to explain everything so simply.. also last week we spent a lot of time inviting people to the movie night we had on saturday.. we printed off and gave out more then 100 invitations and we also put up signs by the church.. so we had it sat night and had about 65 people there.. we had SEVENTEEN invstigators there and they liked the movie a lot.. we taught a lot of people about the BOM and how Christ came to the americas.. everyone loved it and some even cried.. it was super cool and i wish i could have got a good pic but i didnt.. we almos filled up the chapel.. it also helped out the free strawberry drink we gave out and popcorn.. it was legit though and we had to run to the grocery store to buy more popcorn because so many people came.. in all with the other two areas in the ward and district we had 30 something investigators!! ok ill send this then continue....
soooo... also in our area we have realized there is such a difference in the people in every part.. one part is rich, the other is middle class, and the other areas poor (especially in the villages).. we have to change our teaching style up a lot though with every lesson and investigator.. the education level is sometimes really high and then sometimes really low.. like we have a lot of investigators that cant read at all.. its sad but we try and help them out and we teach in a really simple way.. but it definately pushes us to become better teachers so that even the kids understand our message.. there is a quote in preach my gospel that i like that says.. it takes a good teacher to take something some beautiful and complexed as the gospel and all its principles and parts and teach it in such a manner so that even a child can understand it..
ive learned so much out here about the gospel and the church and thinking back before the mission i really didnt know anything! and i really regret not taking advantage of seminary like i could of.. so all of you youngins take advantage of seminary and learn the scriptures.. cause they will help you all throughout your life! and if your going to be a missionary you need to know them.. also something that i am really trying to focus on is asking questions.. being in a mission where you dont speak your native language is hard.. but everybody can feel the spirit.. i spent a lot of time worrying about spanish but i am really trying to focus on the people and the spirit cause that will lead me to the ?s i need to ask so that they open up and share there needs and concerns with us.. also its really good to hear their testimonies and what theyve learned from us through the spirit.. also from that park activity we were able to find 10 new investigators.. all of them came to the movie on sat night so i have hopes that next sunday we can have alot in church for the first time.. last sunday we had 2 but they are what we call eternal investigators.. also last week we went and did service.. after we saw a wasp nest.. so being smart young men we decided to throw rocks at it and knock it down.. so after taking pics we threw rocks.. we ended up knocking it down but then a swarm of wasps left.. haha i ran fast and was the smartest and farthest away so none bite me.. but the new kid got 9 bites and they stung bad.. haha and then elder lemus got one and elder bishop didnt have any like me.. it wasnt the smartest thing weve done but atleast i ran fast and was far away from it when they swarmed :) ok and last of all one of the new families i told yall about last week is doing good.. we taught them twice last week and they are reading the pamphelets and learning a lot.. we watched the 20 min. Joseph Smith movie with them and they liked it a lot and understood it well and asked us about the BOM and we told them that this next time we will explain it.. it was exciting and i know they could feel the spirit last night.. i love teaching about Joseph Smith because many churches say they have the truth and we do too.. but we ask people to pray and ask God cause He will never lie and will always tell the truth cause He loves us and wants us to have peace in our lives and be happy.. anyway i love yall a ton and here are some more pics.. hope yall enjoy them.. next week ill know changes if he have some.. haha love yall and ill hear from yall next week!
amor y paz,
elder hatch