Happy St. Patty's Day | week 76

Hello there family!!!

Happy St. Patricks day first of all. To be completely honest I had no idea it was st patricks day until we went to walmart today haha (sorry irish people). I love to hear about all of your adventures and life at home. It sounds like fun! There is so much joy in every day life. I have thought back alot on my mission as I have been away from each of you about how some of my most cherished memories are just being together with each of you. We were talking about kitchens for some reason at a dinner appt this week and I told the family we were eating with that the kitchen was where my family gathered alot. Food tends to do that. I have thought alot about the amazing little conversations and every day moments that we get to spend together as a family. I have come to learn they are the most important. 

Sorry we are emailing late today. We went to the Kartchner Caverns today. It is a REALLY cool cave system right here in Benson, that was really cool. We went with our zone. Unfortunately we can't take pictures there, so I didn't get any. :(

That is awesome that you talked to sister vansickle. She is awesome!! She fed us the other night, and her and her family are so wonderful. I LOVE the members here in Benson. They are so great. Like I said before they treat us like their own family.

As for our week. It was SUPER busy, which is really good in missionary work. We had an amazing week. One of the best I have had in a long time. The work is rolling forward here in Benson. Our mission has standards of excellence, and they are very challenging to achieve, and this week we hit them. The Lord has blessed us ALOT. It has been amazing to see.

Our investigators are all doing really well. Darlene is doing great. She is working through some last minute word of wisdom issues, but she is soooo close. She is such a good person, and her faith is so great. She is one of the most unique people I have taught on my mission, and that is sayin something because I have taught some fascinating people haha. Darlene said something this week that I love. I wrote it down because I loved it so much. "Coincidences are when God performs a miracle and chooses to stay anonymous." -Darlene Houtala. How awesome is that! 

Alfred is doing really well. We had a bit of a set back because his big toe nail had to get removed this week, and so he couldn't come to church. What has been amazing with Alfred is there has been a huge change in him as he has been taking the lessons and coming closer to the savior. I didn't know pre gospel alfred, but Elder Fairbanks says he is so completely different. The gospel is truly all about change (the good kind.)

One of the biggest blessings of the week was getting to meet and work with a guy named Dan. Dan is the brother of one of the best members ever here in Benson Sister Heaton. He has been addicted to Heroine for many many years. Sis Heaton has been praying and fasting for decades for him and also that they could even find him. Through a succession of miracles Dan ended up coming here to Benson to enter rehab and be close to his sister. He is a baptized member of the church, but doesn't know/remember hardly anything about the church. When he first got here he was in really bad shape.. REALLY BAD. It was pretty intense. But we have spent this entire week visiting him and teaching him every single day at the rehab center here. I don't know if it has been more amazing for him to see the miracle of the change in himself or for us to witness it. We had some very powerful lessons with him. One lesson I will never forget we talked to him about hope. What a simple and beautiful principle that is. As we learned about it together with him, the spirit witnessed to all of us about the hope that the Savior can give. I am so grateful for that hope. It is especially tangible and miraculous to talk about hope with someone that needs it so much. There is nothing quite like that. I am so grateful to have been able to work with him this week. It has been a true miracle in every way.

Another cool experience I had this week was at ward council. The ward here is awesome. I LOVE the bishop here. He reminds me alot of Elder Eyering. No joke. And in Ward Council it was amazing to watch the love and care that the bishop and all the members of the ward council had for so many people. We spent 2 hours talking about how we can help some of God's children here in Benson. It was really cool to see, and be a part of.

Some sad news in the week was that one of the councilor's in our mission presidency's wife passed away from cancer this week. It saddened me as I always loved her testimony and her spirit. She was an amazing woman. She always loved a poem that she shared with us missionaries alot. I really like it too. It is about raising a child with disabilites, but it applies to all people that enter a path in life that they hadn't really planned on. That is really all of us in the end. In her honor I want to share that poem with you.

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.

I am so grateful for all of my many blessings. Life is not always exactly like we imagined it would be, missions can be the same, but it sure is great! I am so glad every day to be able to be a missionary. Thank you for that opportunity. It has changed my life, and I hope done some good for some other people's too! 
I have been thinking alot about small and simple things this week. They are what make all the difference in life. It is the small and simple things that really can mean the most, and make the most difference. Look around this week to see if there are any small and simple things you can do for someone else. I know the Lord will give you that opportunity.

I love you all so much!!

LOVE
Elder Hughes

first week in Benson | week 75

Hello there familia!

As usual it sounds like all is well on the homefront. That is always so good to hear. I love to hear how well all of you are doing. It makes me so happy. The Lord has been so good to our family. I hope we all remember that. I have witnessed alot of really sad families here as a missionary and it makes me so grateful for all that each of you have given to me. Riley I think you would love Utah State. Some of my companions have gone there and they all really like it. I 100% agree about Dad. He is the best dad in the world.

As for the new area here in Benson, I really like it!! The ward here is really awesome. They treat Elder F and I like we are members of their own families. I am still getting to know people. It was really weird to be at church yesterday with so many people. I have gotten used to being in branches where we talk to everyone at church, because there is only 30 or 40 haha. I felt like there was so many people :) The field is white already to harvest here. There are lots and lots of reactivation work, lots of part member families etc. We have our work cut out for us.

Yes we do live in a 5th wheel trailer. I actually really like it. It is super small, REALLY small, but really nice. It has everything we need. It is out back behind a members house, and we are literally just part of their family. We even helped them do their family garden project on Sat. morning. They are the Garner's and they are really awesome.

On a more mundane note. We have a gym here that lets us in for free, and so we have been really good this week about working out, which is really good, because I NEED IT.

There is lots of things going on in the work here. We are teaching an awesome lady named D. She is one heck of an old lady. She has lost a large portion of her brain to cancer, and other things. She has had an insane life, and now she has found the gospel. She has gone through a complete change and conversion as she has been being taught. The first time they met with her she got really angry and they almost dropped her, but since then a huge miracle has taken place. We felt the spirit alot this week as we have taught her and prepared her for her baptism. She was scheduled to get baptized this coming week, but some word of wisdom problems came up last minute, but she will get there. She is hilarious  and kind of stubborn, but the Lord has softened her heart so much.

We are also teaching this guy named A, who's wife was an inactive member, and now he is preparing to get baptized. He is doing awesome. We are helping him quit smoking, but he is doing great. He came to church for the first time ever on Sunday and loved it. I loved it too!!! He has a pure heart, and I really feel he is going to progress really well. I am always grateful for the love the savior has for each of these people. I believe that he gives us just a taste of that love when we serve them, and minister to them.

We are teaching lots of other inactive members. There are TONS here in Benson. One of my favorites is this lady named M from Alabama. She cracks me up, and she came to church on Sunday too!!

One miracle from the week. We were walking down a road on our way to visit in an apartment complex, and I had the really distinct feeling to knock on a specific house. I don't get those feelings all the time, but this one was strong. We knocked it, and sure enough, it was an inactive family that we were able to have a really good visit with. I don't know all the reasons of why we needed to be there that day, but I know the Lord wanted it.

It is life as normal here in the mission field. Kind of like your life as normal at home. I LOVE being a missionary so much. I am starting to feel the pressure to accomplish all that the Lord needs me to do while there is still time. Time always seems to be slipping from our fingers, so we must make the best of it.

Here are some inspired words from President Killpack:

I have been recently reminded of two scenarios in life in which we can wisely use our agency. One is when we can control the outcome of a situation by the correct use of our agency. When we make the right decision, we are blessed for doing so. When we make the wrong choice, we suffer consequences accordingly.I have also found that it is easier to make the big important, life-changing choices when we consistently make the small choices correctly. The other scenario is to use our agency by wisely reacting to circumstances over which we have no control. Sometimes we are left to deal with situations of which we had no control, but need to learn to use our agency to react to the situation in a positive way.  

I have learned alot about the power of our agency, and power to act and choose as a missionary. So many people let their 'circumstances' take control of their lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ is all about taking initiative, and using the atonement to become something so much greater than we could be on our own. I have learned that lesson the hard way and the easy way out here. It is reflected in every single life of all that are around us. I love our mission's motto 'choose to become.' becoming is a choice, and only we can make it. 

I love you all so very much. I cannot even begin to describe it. I pray for each of you. Every day. Have an awesome week!!!!

until next monday,

Elder Hughes

Happy Tuesday from...............….. | week 74

Benson, Arizona!!!!

Hey there family! I am coming to you from a new location! I am here in Benson Arizona, a little town between Tucson and New Mexico! We got the transfer calls in, and I had to leave my precious "ramita" in Deming. I am sad to leave Deming, because I loved it there so much, but I am excited for a new opportunity to learn grow and serve. That is how almost all change really comes out to be in our lives. As missionaries it happens pretty often, and I never really get fully used to it haha. I am in an english ward here. My year long streak of serving in a spanish branch is coming to a close. I am really excited though, and hope to help the work of the Lord continue forward here as well. From what I have heard of the ward, it is doing really well, and there have been lots of success here for the missionaries. My new companion is Elder F, he is from Mesa AZ, and he is awesome! We have been on exchanges before, and we have always gotten along really well. So it should be awesome.

THANK YOU for the package!!! It was perfect. I love everything that you put in. They were very much needed, thank you. I love the book you put in. You know how I am with reading. I have already read half of it, and I feel like you were inspired to buy it for me because it has already helped me alot. Thank you!

What an exciting week for you guys! Z man got some braces. I remember those days like they were yesterday. The good ol' rubber bands haha. Tell Zach if he wears them he will thank himself later, it pays off :) Riley going to prom, how exciting. All of those days also seem like yesterday. Mom and Dad, thank you for your loving support always. I always love to hear your words dad. I love you more than I can say. You are my hero, and I trust you so so so much. Mom sounds like she is preparing for the storm haha. Please Dad make sure she eats, sleeps, and takes a moment to rest. Maybe sneak in a little bit of scriptures in there too. Don't forget those. 10 minutes a day will save your life :)

As for the week. It was a CRAZY week. I can honestly say that it was THE number one fastest week of my mission. It flew by. I am having a hard time remembering all that has happened. One of the days I went on exchanges in Duncan. It was a blast to go back to my 'home' area. It was great to teach people there again. I taught some of the same people I taught there a year ago, small towns don't change much. The missionaries there have been baptizing a TON. It was great to spend time with some of my favorite members and investigators there. Going back there as a missionary a year later helped me realize how much I have changed as a missionary and a person in this last year. I have sure learned a whole lot. Sometimes the hard way haha.

We also went down to Tucson this week for Mission Leadership Conference. It was awesome as always. The spirit was strong, and I learned alot. President Killpack gave an amazing training on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What a miracle that atonement is. It is the miracle of all miracles. We are like little children in our understanding of it. He can help us and succor us in whatever we face, if we allow him. If we live his gospel. That 'if' should spur us all to action.

Our investigators in Deming are doing great. I feel that we have been guided by the Lord to find them. I love each of them, and feel that they will continue to progress. I am so grateful for the chance I had to serve in Deming. Every area I always come away a different missionary than when I entered. And Deming was no exception for me. I spent yesterday going around to say goodbye to some of the people I have come to love so very much. I will talk about them more in the pictures, I love the members and recent converts there so much. 

So it is onward to a new adventure! I just arrived here in Benson 20 minutes ago, so I don't know much about it yet. It will be great. The Lord always helps me to do what he needs me to do. I have felt that. It should be a whole new experience here. I have heard that we live in a fifth wheel trailer, so that should be fun haha.

I love you all so much. Never forget it!!! Have an awesome week!

 con mucho amor,

Elder Hughes

It's a sunny day in Nuevo Mexico! | week 73

Hello Familia!!!

Happy Monday to you as well. I like you mom like the new starts that monday brings. For us it is even more literally a new start every week, because our key indicators drop down to 0 and we start over. It sounds like you are all doing great. I love all the pictures. I am getting better at taking pictures. I need to get ALOT better, but I am working on it. Thank you for the package update. Mom, you sound trunky in your letter haha. I miss you all too, and am excited for the day I get to see you, but meanwhile the field is white and ready to harvest. Just think Mothers day will be here before you know it!

We had a great week. It went soooo fast. Oh my goodness I can hardly believe it. After 3 months of diligent effort, we are starting to see the fruit and much of it has come in the last week. I am so grateful for that. I have learned that the Lord blesses us when we don't give up, and we keep going. Sometimes I think he reserves the blessings until we have proven to him that we are willing to do what it takes.

Some of the highlights of the week:

The # 1 highlight of the week was the S's got baptized!!! Their baptism was amazing, spirit filled, and wonderful. It was great. Those are truly our Pay Days as missionaries. They came to the waters of baptism through the efforts of many missionaries over a year and a half. I am so grateful that I got to see it. The water heater was broken in the church, so their baptism was icy cold.... we felt bad for them, but it all worked out. They were filled with so much faith. Just before M got baptized, I felt the spirit so strongly. I love that feeling. It witnessed to me again of the sanctity of that ordinance, and how important it is to our salvation. Their faith strengthens mine.

Our investigators are doing awesome. C and her family are soaking up the book of mormon, and they are so awesome to teach. I love teaching them. They are so excited to learn and to grow. They ask really good questions, and the spirit is always strong. She has read into 2 nephi already in the Book of Mormon. 

Another investigator we got this week, named B is really special as well. Her mom and daughter have gotten baptized recently, and she has seen the difference the gospel has made in their lives. She lives a really hard life, in a lot of poverty, and many other really hard circumstances. The member we took out with us pointed out to us that she has the "hungry for happiness" look in her eyes. That is so true. I have seen as we teach her that she truly is a starving spirit, in desperate need for nourishment. I am so grateful that we have the "living water" and the "bread of life" to offer her. I am excited to teach her more this week.

Elder W, our AP and my good friend came out with us for a day this week, and we had a blast. He is a huge example to me, and is such a good friend. We also got to go down to Columbus and teach a family that he baptized when he started his mission here. They are inactive, so it was really special that he got to do that for them.

We helped a member roof a house this week. It was a first for me. It is a really really old house. It was pretty fun, and as usual for me I got sunburnt :)

One miracle from Sunday. It was 8 pm and we didn't have anything to do, so Elder P had the idea to go see a recent convert family that didn't come to church that day. So we went, and we sat down without a real plan of what to teach them. I opened up my scriptures, and I had the idea to teach them about the parable of the prodigal son, and the beautiful story of repentance, forgiveness and redemption that it teaches. We were amazed as we finished teaching them to hear from the father, that he needed to hear that exact lesson, at that exact time. It became an emotional evening for all of us. I think it is my favorite thing in the world to know that the Lord has used me in some small way to care for one of his children.

We have our work cut out for us this week. It is going to be a doozy. To my dismay, it is the last week of the transfer. So next week I might be coming to you from a new place. Either Elder P or I are leaving, but we have no idea who. I ADORE our branch here, so I would be really sad to leave, but I have learned that every transfer is inspired so we will see what happens!

I want to leave you with my testimony of the Savior. I truly know that he lives. HE LIVES. He loves us. He atoned for each of us. On Sunday in our little Columbus group of just a few people, we had sacrament meeting, and then for Sunday school we watched a movie. We watched The Testaments. There in that little rented school, watching a movie about our Savior on a dinky little tv, my testimony of my savior was re-witnessed to me. I say re-witnessed, because It is something I already knew, but I love to be reminded of what I know. I never tire of it. I love all of you, and I love this gospel. Take some moments this week to think about the Savior. Much of our problems come from not remembering, and forgetting. The word remember is so important. Read the sacrament prayers again and you will see why. All that the gospel and the temple teaches is about remembering. So I challenge you to remember the Savior this week. I try to every day here on my mission, and that has made all the difference.

I love you all so much. Adios until next tuesday, from hopefull here in Deming, but maybe from a new adventure!!

LOVE

your son/brother/grandson/friend/cousin/nephew

Elder Hughes

May Weather in February!!! Welcome to the ATM! | week 72

Hello there family!!!

It is wonderful to hear from you. It sounds like all is well in Rock town!

Thank you for all the pictures and information about Heidi's memorial run! I had no idea that was going on! I cannot even begin to express my thanks for running in my behalf. I wish with all my heart that I could have been there with so many people I love honoring someone I love so much. You made me cry in your letter, congratulations haha. It is a different kind of memorial for me, I hope that I can honor Heidi by pressing forward in the Lord's work. I love each of you, and I love so much the friends and family that I know where all there at the race. Give each of them my love. What a wonderful way to remember her. I have cherished memories growing up with that awesome girl. I love the picture that you wore. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I am so grateful that you ran for me, I wish I could have been there, but I am so happy to be a missionary and honoring her in this way.

That's exciting about your callings!!! I am sure you will love to be back in young men's dad. Mom is in the charge of the bulletin!!!! Awesome! Seriously it is though, we need someone to make a program for us here in our branch haha. One thing I have learned alot about here in the mission is how important every single act of service we do is. Also remember that there are so many ways to get involved and get creative in serving others. Sometimes the normal callings leave us the most time to search for new and unexpected ways to serve others.

As for our week here in good ol Deming! It was a really good one. I felt like we finally made some real progress in the work here. First of all, there has been AMAZING weather. Sunny and 75-80 every single day. SO GOOD. We have been biking and walking alot, which has been great. Good weather always makes me happy :) Some highlights of the week:

We found an AWESOME new investigator named C this week. She has been so prepared to hear the gospel. We just 'happened' to be passing by their house and we contacted her. It turns out she has been searching for a church, and had some contact with the church many years ago. She has been super open and excited to learn more, which makes us really happy. We have struggled so much here to find progressing investigators, so we are excited for the future. She has a baptismal date, and we are excited to see where it goes.

The S family that the Sisters and us have been teaching are getting baptized this saturday!!! We are really excited. They have investigated the church for over a year, so it is a long time coming!! I have loved teaching them, they are really special.

We had interviews with President this week. It was great. I always come away from them feeling encouraged and inspired. He is really happy with our zone. Our zone is doing better now than it has ever done since he got here almost 3 yrs ago, so he is a happy man. I am so proud of the missionaries in our zone. We have 8 baptisms this coming sat. in the zone!

One change that is exciting is that our area is getting bigger this week. The sisters had previously been the ones going down to columbus the tiny little border town. Now we are going to be going down there, it changed for a bunch of reasons, but we are excited to start working down there. It is a crazy little border town, where Pancho Villa has a bunch of history.

This week I had to translate for the high council speakers in Sacrament meeting, which was my first time translating in public. It went well. I was really nervous, but the spirit thankfully helps us missionaries out alot.

As usual the week was full of many opportunities to serve, teach, and testify to the many people that we come in contact with. We taught alot of inactive members this week, and many are still returning. The Rescue is something that is vitally important. Just as important as baptizing. I have come to love the challenge and spirit filled experiences of teaching those who have stayed away. One miracle I saw this week was when we went on splits with the members, and I went with our amazing branch president to visit some families. We had no luck finding anyone home until we came to our last house of the night. Her name was H. We had a wonderful visit with her, and we invited her back to church. She was amazed that whenever she is having a really hard time, and doubting what she should do, someone from the church always shows up. It's funny how that works. I appreciate every opportunity that I am given to be a part of that miracle of a process. We gave her a blessing, and went on our way. 

I have a deep deep love for our spanish branch here. This branch has truly captured my heart. I love being a part of this little part of the Lord's vineyard. I am so glad that the Lord has guided me here.

Thank you for your support, love and prayers. I feel them and appreciate them. I finished the Book of Mormon this week. What a wonderful book it is. I love it. Keep reading it! The spirit always witnesses to me of it's truthfulness.

I am so grateful for all I have been blessed with. Today I contemplated in the shower (where lots of deep thinking happens) for a while how exceedingly blessed I have been. I sometimes can't believe it. I am so grateful to my father in heaven for all he has given me. Don't forget to take a moment in life to remember what you are grateful for. One of my biggest blessings is each of you. I love you all so much. Have a wonderful week!

Love

Elder Hughes

Yay for Rain!!! The desert is still dry as dirt here :) | week 71

Hey there family!!!!!

What amazing news to get from home, one of my best friends receiving her mission call, a modern day rain miracle in the great state of California, and a happy family at home! All amazing news. I have been keeping Cali in my prayers for a while. What power prayer and fasting can and does bring! I love all of your pictures. It is funny to hear your perspective on mission time. I as well feel the same. I am excited for a new start to a new week. I think that is what your quote is all about. We must not give up ever. Many times it is after the trial of our faith that the miracles come.

I don't even want to think about Riley and Zach getting old. It is freaking me out a bit. For some reason I just think they never will grow up haha. They both look great. I love each of you so much. 

This week was a bit all over the place. It went so fast. Sometimes I get to the end of the week and wonder when I was supposed to have time to accomplish all that I need to do. The week was full of lots of small miracles and tender mercies of the Lord. Elder P and I are still pressing forward. For some reason, we have not been able to find investigators who are TRULY willing to progress. We are working on that. No matter what I always take comfort in knowing that I am doing all that I can. But the Lord always finds little ways to remind me that I am doing HIS work and he is at the helm. 

One of those was this week when we had a frustrating evening, all of our appointments fell through and our back up plans as well. We were left wondering what to do with the 30 minutes we had before dinner. We decided to try and see a member that we had been trying to see for a long time. We had tried many times and no one was ever home. That night she was home, and so we taught her a quick lesson teaching her how to invite her friends to hear the gospel. She stopped us and looked kind of amazed. She then explained that, she had been talking to her friend that very morning about the gospel. Something she had never done before, and that she had been left wondering how she should invite her friend to hear the gospel. Then we happened to show up on that night. We all were amazed to see the wonder of the timing of it all. Not a coincidence. There are no such things in this work. 

Another small highlight to the week was when M and R (who we passed off to the english elders) wanted to take the 4 of us missionaries out to eat. We ate at denny's and then had a great lesson. My favorite part being when we all talked about the Holy Ghost. One of the Elders described the feelings that the Holy Ghost brings us, and asked them if they have ever felt that. R than said "Yes, every time we are with each of you." What a joy it is to witness moments like that.

I went on exchanges to Silver City this week, and had a great time. I love being able to talk to younger missionaries and help them in their starts to their missions. At that time, I was kind of having a tough day. I was feeling down about the work in our area and why it wasn't working. Then on exchanges we went to teach a man who similarly was struggling with his own set of very different challenges. My companion and I and the member all taught and testified about the challenges our Heavenly Father gives them, and how to overcome them. The spirit through teaching him, taught me alot more. He taught me and helped me through helping someone else. That has truly been the essence of being a missionary. I have seen it over and over again. It really is the essence of being a disciple of Christ. And oh how it blesses us and all around us.

Towards the end of the week, we have seen some more success and we have found some more really awesome people to teach. People that I feel we were led to.

Like Tanner, we as well have seen lots of success in helping the less active members return to church. We had 4 of them at church this week.

One lady I just met in our branch made me think alot about you mom. She just returned to Deming from El Paso because she had been in the hospital with her 2 premature twins for the last couple months. I was only able to meet her briefly at church, but I assured her that my own mother could definitely relate to her. 

I have been reading in the Book of Mormon (my favorite book in the world) and this week I was blessed to read the powerful sacred chapters of Christ's visit to the America's. There is so much power in the book of mormon. I LOVE the Book of Mormon. Whenever I am having a hard time, I pick up that miracle of a book. It truly has power. I am so grateful for the opportunity to invite all to read it. My favorite way of contacting in public places is asking people " Hey, Do you like to read?" That one question has opened for me many conversations about my favorite book that we always carry as missionaries! 

I love you all so much. I love your words, and support and faith.

I have one last invitation for you this week. And this comes from President Killpack himself: I quote:

 I would like to present an opportunity to you. Here is an idea I want each of you to try. It comes from a conversation Sister Killpack had with two of our missionaries. She says, "So, the other day, I was talking to the missionaries while President Killpack was doing interviews. We were talking about finding and the importance of talking with everyone. I asked them who everyone was. I got the usual answers of people on the street, members, inactive members etc. I asked who else? Elder Landon said, "Well, my cousin told me of a friend she has here that we should teach." His companion Elder Obray said, "Maybe we should ask our family." 

With that we decided even though we can't use Facebook yet, our families can. So as missionaries we want you to ask through your weekly email to all your friends and family members:
Who do you know who lives in the Arizona Tucson Mission, who would be willing to have the missionaries come and share a message about the Gospel? If a name came to your mind, please send me an email back and I will have two amazing missionaries go visit them. We are excited to invite you to help us find people to teach and we love the idea of having family and friends more involved with our mission.

They could even post the invitation on their own facebook, twitter, etc... and invite others to send names our way. Sister Killpack posted the 'Who do you know...invitation' on her facebook just last night and has already received 3 referrals for missionaries in our mission and 5 others who shared the invitation with others. If each missionary received just 5 referrals back, that would be almost 1500 referrals for us to teach. Keep track of how many referrals you receive back and please forward them to the Office promptly. The Lord will bless us as we do ALL in our power to find those who are prepared to hear the restored gospel.

I have learned by experience that when I follow the counsel of this great man, I am blessed, and so will you!!!

I love you so much

Elder Hughes

Chicken Murders and more mexican food :) | week 70

Hola Familia!!!

Lots of big news from the homefront! I am sure the changes are big to the ward, I can't wait to hear more about everything that is happening. I will always have a very special love for both of those wards. As for the superbowl, we were pretty sure that the bronco's lost when our rowdy neighbors who are mega bronco's fans looked pretty depressed last night.

It sounds like you are all doing well. Riley and Z man it is great to hear from you guys! I can't wait to see you too in a couple short months. The time is flying by. 

As for our week here in Deming, it was another good one. I feel like sometimes I must sound like a broken record. Things are going really well here. We are slowly but surely seeing the first fruits of our labors here. Many times it takes time for those to come forth. We had alot of dropped appointments this week with the families we are teaching, but we are continuing forward in teaching them. We found another new family to teach that I am really excited about. Sometimes I just get a really good feeling about someone when we start teaching them. Her name is M and we are going back to see her and her family today.

Some highlights from the week:

I had my first experience ever in Chicken slaughtering this week. It was bloody, and fun. Our ward mission leader Brother Q needed to get rid of some roosters, so the sisters and us went over and had a slaughter house morning. The way mexicans kill chickens is by grabbing them by the neck and whipping them around until their head flies off. Then you have to run and catch the body that keeps running around. We got a good lesson in how to skin, gut, and prepare them. It was fun, Hno Q says that we need to learn one day so we can be prepared for the second coming haha.

We went down to leadership conference on Friday. It was great. I have lots of dear friends who serve with me in these positions and it is always so fun to be with them. I learned ALOT. That is always a sure bet that we are never done learning. President Killpack trained us on how to become master teachers. Teaching is so important, and I still have a long way to go in being a better teacher. I loved it and learned so much. Now we get to take it back to our zone's and train them. I found out one of the other missionaries there is a twin too! We had a conversation that only twins on missions can fully understand. It was awesome.

Like the other Elder Hughes, I too have seen the Lord's hand in my life so often as a missionary. Leading us to those that need help. I am so grateful for that. There really is nothing better. We met a lady named S this week. I really feel like we were led to her. She is struggling immensely. We happened to knock on her door a couple hours after her daughter was life flighted to the hospital in El Paso. We were able to pray with her, and began to teach her. As is usual, it was her faith that inspired me. We left her house feeling uplifted ourselves by her amazing faith.

We passed off M and R to the english elders this week. In that lesson we taught the Plan of Salvation. It went so well. The spirit was strong. M blew me away. She said, "I have truly felt like something has been missing in my life. I have never been able to pin point it. I have worried about it, and tried many different things, but I just cannot figure out what it has been. I feel like you missionaries finding us has been the start of that missing part of my life being found." How amazing is that!!! It really shouldn't surprise me, but it still always does about how the Lord lines everything up.

Lastly the S family who all 4 of us missionaries here have been teaching is doing wonderful. We just had a lesson with them last night, and it was amazing. They are so ready. It has been a long road for them, they have been investigating for more than a year! But on the 22nd they are getting baptized! We are all really excited.

I, like Tanner said, feel like I am in the prime of my mission as well. The Lord has blessed me so much. I stand in awe sometimes. Last night we taught mission prep for the youth here in Deming, and we talked about some of the things that I have learned so far as a mission. The full version of that questions is very long, but one thing that I have reflected alot about this week is about diligence, patience, obedience, and hope. I haven't seen hundreds of people flock to the font on my mission, but I have seen miracles. I have seen the Lord's hand guiding my life and mission. I have felt the enormous blessings that come from patience, diligence, obedience, and hope. The goal of my whole mission has been that when I walk onto the plane to go home at the end of my time here that I will be able to say honestly that I gave it my very best. 

In so many ways that is what our entire lives are. That is what we need to be able to say on our return home to our heavenly father. So it applies to all of us. Thankfully we have a perfect example, we have a Savior. That knowledge has changed my life.

Have a wonderful week! You are always in my thoughts and prayers. I love you all so much!

love

Elder Hughes