Two Week Update

So I have no idea what happened to the weekly email last week - I can't find it in drafts, sent mail, or anything...  So, I'm just going to go over a few points that happened last week so you know what was going on!  (Note:  This is the week of January 5th to the 11th).

On Tuesday the 6th, we had a Zone Training Meeting that was super awesome!  We have a new Zone Leader who is a very strange guy, but he's still pretty cool and I enjoyed being able to talk about the Book of Mormon and everything.  And the weirdest part is that the day before, I was asked to sing a musical number and be accompanied by one of the Sisters - it was an arrangement of the song "I Know that My Redeemer Lives."  It was great!

On the River

Thursday, we had District Meeting because we also had Interviews with President Cutler.  Interviews were great though, I really love every time they happen.  Basically, during District Meeting we talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and what it means during our work, and then during Interviews I talked with President about stuff that's been going on here in Green Bay with other missionaries, so unfortunately I had to bring stuff up.  But President Cutler is such an inspired man and I love talking to him about our investigators, their situations, and other things, basically being able to seek his advice and ways that he thinks I could improve - I really am trying to be the best missionary I can be.  :)

Friday the 9th we had a huge party at the church.  When a hispanic girl turns 15, they throw this gigantic party for her!  But rather than turning 15, this party was for a lady turning 70 who never had a party when she was younger, and it was a surprise so when she came into the gym and saw all of us, she burst into tears.  It was so awesome to be a part of it!!  But we had to leave early to go and have a lesson with the Nieves family which is always good!  Hubert committed to be baptized on the 31st of this month, to kind of be the example for his whole family.  We're stoked for that!!

Saturday the 10th we had a great day, teaching 11 lessons as we went throughout the day and being able to find a whole bunch of new people, especially families, so we were very thankful for that!  :D  Families are the best!

But now, onto this week...  :)

Monday we were supposed to have 2 lessons with members present in the evening.  The member came to the first lesson, but the investigator wasn't home.  Then, we went to our second lesson and waited for our member, who never showed up, but we still taught a lesson!  Whatever...  :P  Everybody:  HELP THE MISSIONARIES!  IT IS A BIG DEAL!  WE NEEEEEED YOU!

Hungry Elder!

Tuesday we had District Meeting again - this time the Zone Leaders came to the meeting.  It was all about How to Set Goals, and for the beginning of it we talked about goals that we set during the mission, especially goals for our key indicators and numbers.  But then, I decided to take the training and apply it to life in general.  Goal setting is an eternal principle, and I was so thankful for the elders that we have in our district.  I asked Elder Norris - the newbie - to tell us goals that he set to prepare to serve a mission.  Then, I asked some other elders some examples of goals we set during our missions to help us grow.  And then, we have Elder Landaverry, who goes home in 3 weeks, and he told us some goals that he's setting for going home that will help him continue to progress.  It was a great training, and I know that setting goals is so important!  Because it is when we set goals in our lives, for example, to hold a Temple Recommend or to attain the Celestial Kingdom, that we pattern our lives to be worthy of those goals.  Isn't that great?  Okay, but after DTM, we had exchanges with the Zone Leaders!  I went with Elder Lee in the the GB Hmong area (interesting - I'll tell you later) and Elder Cutshaw went with Elder Norris into the Spanish area.  But yeah, we contacted a few people on Tuesday in between our meeting and dinner that night, and then after dinner we had a lesson with this man at a restaurant, and this guy was SO knowledgeable.  He knew so much about so many random things about religion, and it was interesting to call back all of my knowledge of the Old Testament and things I learned in Seminary and Sunday School - and we were eventually able to share the First Vision with him without having it turn into a bash.  I was happy with the way it turned out!

Wednesday, we finished exchanges by visiting 2 families that were less active Hmong people, and during one of them I turned on my camera so you guys could all hear what the Hmong language sounds like - it is pretty cool!  I have no idea what they are saying though!  But eventually we exchanged back and we had a dinner appointment at the Ayon's house, right after which we weren't able to do that much work because I was feeling not very good - light headed and sick to my stomach, so we came home and stayed there the rest of the night as I was sick.

Thursday, we weekly planned right after studies, and then went out to go work.  We tried to contact a new investigator named Brenda that we found on exchanges, but she wasn't home.  Instead, we found a lady named Aleida and taught her on the doorstep, and then another woman named Joleen.  She's an American, but she was very interested in what we had to say so that was good!  She wants us to come back and meet her husband.  :)  Later, we also met a Less Active member of the branch, named Brother Campos.  We're not sure much about him, but we're gonna ask the Branch President.  Eventually, we went to the church to have a lesson with the Nieves family, but they cancelled because Lisa wasn't feeling well, so we just played basketball instead.

Friday morning we had a breakfast appointment with the Ponce family from the branch, after which we did studies.  Later, we did our weekly service at St. Vincent's thrift store, which is always fun!  After that, we contacted near the store for a few minutes before catching a bus to go do some contacting on Abrams street, so that was good.  We taught 4 lessons, gaining 1 new investigator, and we were also able to teach Yaritza - a girl that we knew.  We taught her about the Restoration of the Gospel, and watched the movie with them.  They thought it was cool, but don't know if it's true yet.  But then after that, we got dinner!  We were gonna have some other lessons, but they all cancelled, so instead we went to Volleyball at the church.

Saturday we did MUCHO contacting!  We went over to a bunch of streets by the bus station and contacted a lot on them, receiving 6 referrals and teaching 4 lessons!  We did all that by about 3:00 because then we had to get a ride from where we were to the church to get some lunch at Fernando Ramirez's birthday party - so we did!  We stayed there for a little bit, talking and eating, and then we went on our way to go and do some more contacting and teaching.  We arrived at the Nieves family's place to check up on them right as Lisa was on the way to the hospital with a possible miscarriage - but luckily everything was fine.  But she thoguht it was crazy that we showed up right when she needed us again.  That always seems to happen.  But then, throughout the night, we stopped by a few people's houses, and were actually able to enter and teach Angelina and Michelle and Miguel - and we taught them using 2 Nefi 32:3 and 9.  It was a pretty good lesson and it was especially good for Elder Norris to be able to practice.  :D

Sunday we had church, and unfortunately none of our investigators were able to come.  :(  But we're going to keep on trying!!!  After church, we got to eat, do District Phone Calls with the other elders, and then go and teach some people.  We got 5 lessons, actually being able to teach the Ramirez family and just stopping by a couple other places, before we had to head home and do calls with the Zone Leaders.  :)  BUt yeah, that was our week!

It is just amazing to be able to branch out and significantly increase the amount of lessons that we're able to teach just by talking to everybody, by being out of the apartment and putting ourselves in places where we can talk to others.  I absolutely love being a missionary, being able to invite others to come unto Christ and to make the necessary changes to their lives to have Him be a part of their lives, and especially to help them understand exactly what He did for them.  Most people understand that He is important, they just have no idea why because they can't understand the complexity of the scriptures.  But with outside help, they can come to know their Savior.  :D  That's why we do what we do!  Well, one of the many reasons. :)

Thanks for everything everybody!  Love you all!!!

--Elder Nate Hubert