Happy Cinco de Mayo | week 83

These are all of the twins at MLC. I love all these missionaries, and they are all twins too!

Hey there family!!

I hope you each had a great week! You have been in my thoughts and prayers as always.

As for Elder T and I, this week has been another week of hard work. We are slowly seeing the fruits of that effort. It was a very busy week. Sometimes I look back on the week and I wonder how we were supposed to have time to do all that we want to do!  I know each of you share those feelings with us sometimes. Time is always slipping away!

We have been working alot with the A family that I have told you about before. We made alot of progress with them this week. They have started to open up more about their true feelings, and trials. We had a really good lesson this week with them about prayer. The principle of prayer is really so simple, yet sometimes we take it for granted. We are looking forward to a new week helping them come closer to Christ.

We have spent alot of time this week trying to find new investigators. We always meet some very interesting people in that process. It isn't boring, lets just say that. We met a descendant of Joseph Smith this week! Unfortunately, she did not inherit his kindness, she was quite rude to us, but it was still cool nonetheless.

I am grateful for small, and simple opportunities to serve others. We had quite a few of those this week. 

I don't think I have talked about D in a while. But he is the inactive member that we have been working with who is a recovering Heroin addict. He is doing so well. In the couple months I have been here, I have seen amazing changes in him and in his life. It has been a miracle to witness. I am grateful to have been able to see it. We celebrated his birthday with him this week.

Speaking of Birthdays! Happy early Birthday Dad!!!!! I love you, and wish I could be there to celebrate with you! Elder T has the same birthday as you! So we will do some celebrating.

Alfred and his family are doing well. We are going to start teaching A's son. I got to ordain A a priest last week, which was way cool.

We had many meetings this week. First we had zone trainings where we received instruction from President and Sister Killpack and the Assistants. It left us with much to ponder. President recently returned from a conference with Elder Bednar. He shared with us the things he was taught there. We learned alot about teaching by the spirit. I have a LONG way to go as a gospel teacher. It was a very inspiring training, and has helped me apply myself more as a teacher. There is so much yet to learn. Then later on in the week we had MLC in Tucson. It was another spiritual feast. I am so grateful for opportunities to learn.

Our week kind of had a bummer ending. I got really sick on saturday night with some bad bug. I spent the whole night laying on the bathroom floor giving back my last meals. It wasn't too much fun. I felt bad for Elder T that I kept him up all night! So Sunday I slept most of the day, and I feel alot better today. Apparently quite a few missionaries had the same thing I had. It had been a very long time since I had gotten sick like that. The last one I could remember was our infamous food poisoning drive from Utah back to Cali haha. I don't think any of us will ever forget that! I have a renewed gratitude for my health. I am so grateful for it.

I am looking forward to SEEING you on Sunday!!! I will give you a call on Saturday to get the time stuff set up! We are going to skype from the Garner's, so you will get to meet them! I can hardly believe that this is the last call til I get to give you each a big non virtual hug!!!!!

I love you all! and I will SEE you soon!

love

Elder Hughes

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

PS Keep Elder P, my dear friend, in your prayers. His Dad will die very soon, and he is flying home to see him.

I forgot about this, until I saw the picture again. Last week we were eating lunch on P day at a kfc, and this random guy came up and threw a 100 dollar bill on our table and ran off before we could give it back to him. We were in shock. So naturally we took pictures with it 

best doormat I have ever seen.

Hello there Family | week 82

snakes. I thought of you dad!

Hey family!

Thanks Dad for the email! I am glad you got to share my message with grandma Jeannette. My prayers have been with her. It sounds like life keeps pressing on! Mom, I hope that you remember to take time for yourself :) I am so excited to talk to you soon! It has come so quickly, I can't believe it.

We had a good week of lots of hard work. Elder T and I have been working our booties off here in Benson. We are still trying to get the work here moving at full speed. Sometimes it just takes time, and work. We are seeing miracles though. I have learned alot about diligence as a missionary. It is a vital principle in our lives as missionaries. We must never give up, and we never do. It is always worth every effort. I have learned that lesson over and over again out here in the mission field.

Elder T and I have become real good friends. We laugh alot, and work very hard.

We went to the temple this week! Oh, it was so wonderful. I cherish the time we get to spend there. I truly know that it is the Lord's house. I feel his presence there. It is tangible, and it always helps me so much. I always receive answers to my prayers, and so much strength there. There is power in the ordinances of the temple. I hope to make temple attendance a habit of my entire life.

We are teaching a family named the A's. They are actually 3 cousins that live together, and it has been really fun teaching them. They have really good, challenging questions, so they keep us on our toes. Last night we were able to teach them about the plan of salvation. I love teaching people about that great plan.

Elder T and I have been working out every morning very early at a cross fit gym. It has been kicking my butt!!! But it's great, because I need it. I actually have really enjoyed it. I am going to find a cross fit gym when I get home. I have already seen a huge difference in just 2 weeks.

I am so grateful for the blessing of being able to serve every single day here in the mission field. I have loved every moment. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have come to understand so many things. My perspective has changed greatly.

We had a really cool referral yesterday. We were just leaving church, and a member pulled us aside. This member named D, was a bit less active so we went by to visit him. We shared a message with him, and his fellow rock band members were there. We invited them to learn about the gospel, but they declined. Well that was a couple weeks ago, and D came up to us today, and said that his friend was so touched by our message, that he has been very preoccupied about it. Now his friend told Derek that he wants to start taking the missionary lessons. It is a very simple thing, but I was touched to know that sometimes we don't know how much of an effect we are making. Sometimes we tend to doubt our ability to help people, but it is by small and simple means that great things happen.

I know that my Redeemer lives! I truly do. I got to sing that song in sacrament meeting this week, and I thought about that phrase alot this week. I think I love that song so much because it is a testimony. It is my testimony. Don't be afraid to bear it!

I love you all so much!

love 

Elder Hughes

Happy Late Easter | week 81

Hello there family!

First of all I want to express my love for Grandpa Shirley. It is sad to hear of his passing. I always felt his love and support when I was with him. He was a good man, with a good heart. I wish I could be there to support all of our extended family. I am so grateful for the plan of salvation, it has empowered me to see life in the way that we should. It helps us know our place in this plan, and how death is just like walking into another room. It is just another step. Give all of our family my love.

You guys look like you had a great week in SoCal. It looks like a blast. I miss our wonderful Hughes family vacations. We always had so much fun just being together. Zach man is looking OLD!!!!! THAT CANT HAPPEN!!!!

Similar to you, I have lots of pictures to send. Those will tell much more of the story. We had a great week here. My new companion is great! We have become good friends already. He is from Wyoming, and grew up on a cattle ranch. He is a state champion wrestler, so I can't make him mad haha. He actually reminds me alot of you Tanner. That must be why we get along so well. We have alot of fun.

This week has been kind of a week of rebuilding and new beginnings here in Benson. Most of our investigators got baptized, so we have been starting from square one again. We spent much of the week trying to find new investigators, and help the ones we have to turn into 'real investigators'. I just love the work of the Lord. Our area has huge potential, so we are pressing forward to help even more people come unto Christ.

They put new sister missionaries in the area next to ours, and they got in a car wreck this week which gave us a real panic. We got a phone call to go to the hospital, so we rushed over there. Thankfully they were left with only some airbag burns and bruises, but it had us worried for a bit. We gave them blessings, and everythings worked out ok. It was quite a miracle that they made it out ok. Heavenly Father watches over his missionaries.

This weekend for Easter, the G's who we live with throw a huge easter party. They go all out. Lots of members and non members came, and it went really well. We also had another mini missionary from Tucson living with us for a couple days.

I am so grateful for Easter. I have reflected alot on it. What a hopeful and wonderful day it is to remember our living savior. We saw that video because he lives alot. We shared it with many people. I love it. Because he lives, we will be with our loved ones again. We can have a new starts. I love how the video says 'new beginnings' and 'clean slates' I am SO grateful for those. I truly know that he lives. I hope that each of us can remember that every day!

I love you all so much. I am loving the work here, and am doing well. Life is so very good.

I love you all so much. Never forget it!

Elder Hughes

PS Quote of the week goes to recent convert D as she walked into Sacrament: "He is Risen!!! So lets go kick some butt!!" haha. It was a classic D moment.

A week of rejoicing | week 80

Hello Family!!!!

I love to hear all about your exciting times at home in California!!! The Hughes family never seems to slow down haha. Your baseball games and birthday celebrations seem like they were awesome! I love to see all of your pictures! Have fun down in SoCal. My thoughts were with each of you this week on your birthdays, I love each of you and wish I could have been there to celebrate with you.

Transfers are in! I am staying here thankfully! Elder F is headed off to my old area in Deming which is exciting! I will miss him, we have become good friends. My new companion is T. He is great! I just met him today, I am excited for what our new transfer has in store.

Oh what a wonderful week we had. Probably one of the best weeks of my whole mission. It was truly a week of Rejoicing! I love this gospel and I love being a missionary. We were very very very busy this week with alot going on, but it was wonderful. A and K got married on Thursday! So we put together their wedding for them. It was great. The ward helped us out alot. It went very well. Everything worked out perfect. A and K were so happy and so excited. A bunch of their friends and family came to join with them. The Bishop married them, and then there was a little dinner afterward. Elder F and I got sent off to pick up the wedding cake for them, and Safeway accidentally didn't make their wedding cake... so we had to bargain to get their money back and three extra cakes. I thought of you grandma barb, and channeled my inner Gbarb to get their money back. :) Everything went off well in the end. They didn't even care that much they were so happy to be married, K was actually happy to at least get her money back! 

We spent alot of the week getting all the investigators ready, interviewed, and prepped for the baptisms. We found some really cool new investigators to teach. I am really excited because we are teaching alot of families right now! I love teaching families, and I have not had the chance to teach as many as I would have liked on my mission. So I am excited to be teaching families. We have seen alot of success in getting referrals from members, of their family members to teach. The gospel is truly about families, so what could be better than sharing the gospel with our families!

The culmination of the week and the transfer came to this weekend! It was so wonderful. Elder F and I had to come down off of a spiritual high after such an amazing weekend. Saturday's baptismal service was for D and A. It might have been one of the best days of my mission. Their service went great. The spirit was strong and tangible. Both A and D were so happy. We all rejoiced together. As I witnessed each of them enter the water, I felt the sweet, pure, witness of the Holy Ghost I always feel at baptisms. As we come to know the sacrifice and faith that it took for each of these people to make it to this covenant, it shows us an even greater miracle. It is all worth it. No sacrifice is too great for the reward of rejoicing of a new covenant made with our heavenly father. President Monson is correct in saying 

"Those who understand the eternal blessings which comefrom the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, nostruggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings." There truly is no sacrifice to great. Not for us, not for the members, not for the investigators. Some of the sweetest moments came as we all went to the dressing room. Alfred's best friend baptized him, and so him and alfred and Elder Fairbanks and I all went into the dressing room. Alfred was so incredibly happy. He made me cry. He felt the immense joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We all rejoiced together. It was a moment I will never forget. How incredibly grateful I am to be a missionary. I have been so blessed, and I would not trade it for anything. It is days like Saturday that make every sacrifice, every hour of work, every dropped lesson, and every exhausted drop into bed worth it.

We also got to participate in the Relay for Life this week! It was great! The member's we life with are awesome. They are truly like our parents away from home. I love them so so so much. That is who sent you the pictures. Their daughter beat breast cancer last year, so we were going out to support them. We had some fun too :) The family we live with are the Garner's. We have had some very powerful experiences with them this week. I love them so much.

The next stuff probably shouldn't be on the blog, Sis. Garner who is like our mom away from home is my hero. She is so awesome. She has a son who is struggling alot. Very much. He has immense anxiety and depression, he has been suicidal, and is a recovering heroin addict. Over 10 years of pain, it has been very hard for sister garner. Yesterday I went out to feed the chickens and found sister garner crying and very upset. I had to give her a big hug, and her and Elder Fairbanks and I talked for a while. We gave her a blessing. I truly have come to know how much god loves each of his children. He loves each of us so much. He knows how much we suffer. He knows how it feels. We all came away feeling uplifted, knowing how much god loves each of us.

It was a week I will not soon forget. I have been so incredibly blessed. I want to share one last thought today. In Ward Council this week we talked for a long time about people who need our help. There are many in our ward. It was eye opening. Our bishop is one of the best leaders, and most christlike people I have ever met. Our relief society president said something along the lines of "Bishop, we are losing him." Talking about a member who is falling away quickly. Our wise bishop said something that I won't forget. "No, we don't lose anyone. We only lose people, when we stop trying. The Savior never stops trying, he never gives up on us." The spirit was powerful, and he had most of the ward council in tears as we all were taught by our good bishop. I know that what he says is true. So if someone in our families, or wards, or communities is lost. Don't give up. Don't ever give up. There is always hope. With Christ there is always hope. 

I hope that this week we can focus on the Savior's life as we approach Easter. I love each of you so very much. I miss you and love you. God be with you til we meet again soon. (on skype) (in a couple weeks) (or in next week's email) :)

All my love

Elder Hughes

April Sun brings more May Sun | week 79

Hey there family!!!!

I hope that you are all doing well in Cali! I have been thinking about you mucho! I hope that all is well!

It has been a wonderful week of spiritual feasting!!!! We have been incredibly busy. There are just not enough hours in the day... It was a marvelous conference weekend!!! I loved every moment. My questions and prayers were answered and my testimony strengthened by the words of our prophet and apostles. What a privilege it is to be a part of this restored church!! I don't even think I can pin down my favorite part. Some of my take away's are that we have been asked to defend our faith with courage and love, the day's ahead may test that. Also that God loves his children so very much. He is aware of us, and he knows us. Obedience is key to all that we do. And also that we should have hearts filled with gratitude for our many blessings. I hope that each of you had the chance to feast! 

We also had MLC this week. It was wonderful. It is always great to be instructed by our leaders. I also love it, because I have many really good friends there with me. 

It has been a very busy week for us this week. Time is flying by. We are preparing for 4 baptisms this coming weekend! That makes me so very happy! A, D, A, and A are all going to enter the waters of baptism! I am so excited for each of them. I am so proud of them. It has not been any easy road for any of them. So we are going to be very busy getting all of that ready!

We had a mini missionary with us this week! It was really great! He was actually a not-so-mini-missionary, he has a football scholarship to the UofA so he wasn't real mini haha. It was an amazing experience for all of us! He is a convert of 3 years, and is in the final stages of his mission papers. He was very open about how before he came, he was doubting alot if he should come on a mission. He almost decided not to go. We had many amazing experiences with him as we taught all of our investigators and shared with him the joy of missionary service. It was great. He loved it, and it helped him commit to serving the Lord. It was a joyful time! He pointed out some wonderful things that sometimes we forget after many months. One was easy it is to love others, even people we don't know as missionaries. It is so true! I love all the people I am teaching so much! 

D is still going strong, and is set to get baptized on Saturday! It has been a very interesting road with her, and I am so excited for her! She is a very strong woman of faith. 

A has also faced many obstacles, but is doing so well! He is set to get married on Thur and get baptized on Saturday! It has been a miracle to really see all of it come together. He gets really anxious, so we are hoping to do all we can to help him calm his nerves.

I got april fooled this week haha. Elder P, my dear friend is in our zone, and he texted me to tell me their car got stolen, I got all concerned, and was about to call the mission office, when I found out it was all a big joke haha. It was pretty good. I am a big sucker sometimes for those things :)

I have a challenge for you! Actually it isn't my challenge at all, it is Elder Ballard's but I double challenge you! Elder Ballard has asked us all to study preach my gospel, the missionary manual. I can testify of the power of that manual. It is perhaps the most inspired manual in the church. It is wonderful!! He even specifically challenged the families of missionaries to learn about what we are doing by studying it. I promise you that if you do, you will see miracles in your lives and you will affect others for eternity! If you don't believe me, take it from an apostle (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2014/04?lang=eng&vid=3438207527001&cid=5)

The work is rolling forward here! I am so glad to have been even a small part of it. There are many other people we have met, are visiting, and doing all we can to help. I never have much time to talk about even the smallest part of our work. This is the last week of the transfer, and my companion will most likely be getting transferred. It has FLOWN by. I cannot believe it. The Lord has blessed us so much. I am so grateful for all that I have been blessed with. I marvel sometimes at it. Each of you are counted as some of my highest blessings. I love you all so much and miss you! I am so grateful for this church, and gospel. Without it, we would be lost. I am so very grateful for the Savior. His life and sacrifice have literally changed my entire life. I hope that our lives show how grateful we are for him.

I love you all so much! 

MUCHO AMOR

Elder Hughes

Another week has flown by | week 78

Happy Monday again familia!

I hope that your week was great. I love all the updates! Tell all of my old young men's leaders hi for me!!! I am doing great here in Benson. It has been another whirlwind crazy week here, but it has been amazing. We are being blessed ALOT right now. It has been amazing. That is sad to hear about Ronin, I love that dog :(

We have been running around teaching ALOT this week. Our investigators are all progressing and doing great. Like I said before we are being blessed alot.

D who we have been teaching for a while, is doing amazing. She has totally changed in this last week and a half. For a while we were really confused, and frustrated. We almost dropped her as an investigator, but we had one really powerful lesson with her, and since then she has pressed forward and hasn't looked back. She is doing wonderful. We got the word of wisdom issues worked out, and she has a strong testimony of the truthfulness of this work. It has been amazing to see. I am so excited for her. We have seen the spirit really come in and change her heart. She passed her baptismal interview this week, and will be entering the waters of baptism on the 12th of April. I am so excited for her!!

A and his family are also doing wonderful. I am so proud of him. He quit smoking a week ago, and it has been really hard for him. He has been fighting through cravings and anxiety, but he is doing amazing. It is awesome. Him and his family came to church this week again, and loved it. A as well has undergone a huge change. Before he found the gospel he was lost, without much hope. It has been a blessing to be a part of the process with him. We are going to commence the wedding planning this week! We had a really cool experience on Sunday. We went in with him and his wife to the bishop's office to talk about the logistics for a wedding. Alfred briefly explained his process of finding the missionaries etc. and he also talked about his testimony. It was the first time that I heard him talk to someone else about his testimony, and it really touched me to hear it.

A and A are also continuing to progress well. They should be baptized on the 12th as well.

One cool miracle this week. We were looking through our area book, and we were picking out former investigators to go and visit. I picked one, and when we arrived we got there and the lady we met was very emotional. She said that just hours before she had been diagnosed with cancer. She says that the Mormons always show up at her door when she needs help. We talked with her about trials and the purpose's of them. She was very emotional, and we gave her a priesthood blessing. It reminded me once again that god is truly aware of all of his children. He knows what we need, and he always sends help. 

We found another family to teach this week that are really interested, so we are also excited to keep teaching them.

We have a really busy week coming up. We are getting a mini missionary this week! Just like the mini mission that I did when I was 16. It should be fun. It is kind of weird to be in the opposite role as my mini mission. I learned alot from doing that, and I think they are awesome. So for 2 days this week we will have him with us. Should be awesome! We have mission leadership council this week as well, and general conference!!

OH HOW I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!! I hope that we can each come ready to receive the words of prophets and apostles of God. Think about how amazing it is that we get to sit at the feet of these master teachers and learn about God' will for us at this time!!!! IT IS AWESOME!!! I have been thinking alot about change this week, especially because I have seen it so much in our investigators. Becoming more like the Savior is our eternal goal. The Holy Ghost is a sanctifyer and a perfect teacher. Write down your questions, fears, and doubts before conference and the spirit will teach you exactly what you need. I plan to do it. I am so grateful for these opportunities to step back and learn what the Lord needs me to learn, so I can go forward and do what he needs me to do.

I love you all so much. I think about you often. I pray for you every day. I am happy and well here in AZ. Thank you for all of you support and love. I can never express that enough.

much love

Elder Hughes

PS we are going to get a taste of the wild wild west today! Our zone is going to visit Tombstone! It is a famous tourist attraction here by Benson. It is a super old and infamous western town. Should be fun!

It's Heating up in Arizona | week 77

Hello Family!

Thanks for the updates from the homefront. It sounds like all is well. I will keep grandpa Shirley in my prayers for sure. It is starting to heat up here in AZ as well. Although it never really felt like winter at all. I only wore a jacket for a few weeks this year. I completely understand why people have winter homes here because the winters are wonderful, now we just have to gear up for a roasting of a summer. :) Riley and his friends all looked very classy. You looked great Riley! They both looked wonderful. I am sure they had a blast. I remember those days well. They seem like yesterday. Your pictures look awesome mom. I definitely know the tired from a long week feeling. That has become a very normal feeling for me in the mission field. Lunchtime power naps have saved my life out here in the mission field.

As for our week, Elder F and I had a good week. Sometimes I feel like a broken record in these emails because our life doesn't change too much from week to week. Overall I feel really good here. I have felt and enjoyed alot of insights and peace this week. The work is progressing well. 

A is doing wonderfully! I love teaching him and his family. They were captivated by the bible videos we shared with them this week. I LOVE teaching people about the life and ministry of the Savior. I also love to learn more about it and ponder it myself. He is progressing well. We are in the final stages of getting him to stop smoking, and we are starting to plan a wedding for him and his girlfriend.

The twins we are teaching are also progressing well. They are set to get baptized here in a couple weeks.

Our investigator D has been stumping us big time. There are alot of complicated things with D that I don't really know how to explain well. Both Elder F and I and the members that we have brought with us have been having a 'stupor of thought' about it. We aren't really sure how to help her. That has brought us to our knees alot to seek help from the Lord.

We had zone conference this week, which was awesome. I love being taught and instructed by our leaders. I always come away with many goals and plans of how to be a better and more effective missionary. The spirit was strong. I talked to President Killpack while we were there about being able to extend for two weeks and go home when Tanner heads home. He said that can be arranged easily. He couldn't say 100% for sure, because he won't be the mission president in October, but he said he is 99.9% sure that it will work fine. He joked that if they could keep me another year they would, I told him I would love that, but that my mom probably wouldn't haha. 

We have big goals this week to find some progressing investigators to teach, we have been blessed with many opportunities to serve others here. I am grateful for that, and I feel the Lord has even more just waiting for us.

On Saturday Heidi was in my thoughts and prayers alot. In her honor Elder F and I went on a long run for our morning workout. I always feel close to her as we do that. I can hardly believe it has been a year already. She is such a special girl. I am so grateful for the Plan of Salvation. What a treasure it is in our lives to have knowledge about that plan.

I was reminded this week about something that you always told us Mom. You always said that God gave us a time to sleep and rest so that we could start over and begin a new day free of mistakes. That is so true. And the atonement and repentance help us do that over and over again. One of the most important words in the english language is the word remember. We forget so easily. Every single aspect of the gospel, (the sacrament, the temple, the scriptures, prayer...) is to help us remember. So we MUST go to church and we MUST go to the temple, and we MUST read the words of the prophets, and we MUST pray. That is because we MUST remember. Many times we are remembering things that we learned in our life before this life. I hope that you and I can always remember and never forget the Savior. He never forgets us.

I love you all so much. My heart is full today as I think about each of you and how much I love you. Never give up doing what you know is right.

all my love

Elder Hughes