Greetings from Arizona | week 95

Hey there family!

It sounds like the Hughes family summer adventures have continued unabated this week! Sounds like fun! Thank you Dad for your letter. I always love your enthusiasm and joy and questions. That is way cool about your go pro stuff Riley! That is so exciting. I am with you in not believing that Zach is old enough to start high school. How is that possible??!?! That is so true about what your lesson was about in Teachers quorum. There is not much gray area left in our world as for as standards and morality go. Sometimes we must stand alone for what is right. I wish I could have been there to hear the talk. There is nothing I love more to talk about than about missionary work. Good job Rilo!

Well as for us, it was another crazy week. I feel like every week I turn around and I am here at the computer emailing again. Our life is so busy. We were looking forward to a 'normal' proselyting week this week... and that didn't quite work out haha. We had lots of missionary issues to deal with this week with the missionaries in our zone. That took up much of our time, but thankfully everything got worked out. I am grateful for prayer and for the inspired direction and leadership of President Passey. Once all of that blew over, we got to focus back again on our work.

Here in our area we are really working to lay the foundation for a busy college semester that will start here. In about 2-3 weeks all of the ysa's will return and then the work really heats up here. I

I have really tried to focus on the small and simple ways that I have seen God's hand in my life this week. That exercise in my journal has opened up to my view many wonderful things throughout my mission. Try it sometime :)

Here are a few from this week:

-Attending a baptism of the Sisters here where the spirit was so powerful and wonderful

-Praying with someone for the first time

-Getting a card in the mail from a friend

-Hearing the testimony of someone who has just passed through the repentance process and feeling their joy

-Sharing the first vision

-Giving someone a blessing this week who really needed it, and feeling my words be guided by the Holy Ghost

-Eating homemade ice cream

-Teaching someone about their potential as a child of God.

-Driving past the Gila Valley temple all lit up at night

-Receiving a bunch of rain and a huge thunderstorm

-Being worn out int the work of the Lord

-Having a priest tell you that he has just decided to serve a mission

There are many many more.

We continue to teach and help our investigators. They are struggling to progress, but we are continuing onward. I have learned by experience that as we push onward everything tends to work out.

I am so grateful for everyday that I have been given to help in some small way in the work of the Lord. I have learned that there is always a need of help in this church, no matter where you are at. There is a great need for Christ like love. Elder Holland told us last conference that it is the greatest need that we have in this world. It truly is. I have learned that if we are willing God will use us to help him (to the extent that we are willing to help).

I love you all so very much. I know the work we are involved in is true. I know that without a doubt. Have a wonderful week!

all my love,

Elder Hughes