Elder Hatfield's email to Dad- April 20, 2015

Thats some really good counsel. This week i have talked to a few other missionaries especially after the email last week. Im really grateful for your prayerful guidance and counsel. A few missionaries out here have less active family members or their dad isnt a big influence in their life. It reminds me of how blessed i am to have been raised in a family that teaches and has patterned the gospel for me. Its not only blessed me but it has blessed the lives of many here in south texas. Im truly grateful for your efforts to help me in my work here. Your an amazing example for me. I have been focusing on trying to alter the why of my missionary work to love and charity. Im studying and working on applying the principle of love and charity in the work here. and yesterday I saw some fruits. In the lesson i really just tried to love the person as much as i could and everything i said and did was guided even more strongly by the spirit. I wanted them to overcome their challenges of being a young married couple and help them to use the redemptive powers of the atonement in their lives to become even better. Its been a good week. I read a little bit in the story of th sons of mosiah and when ammon serves the king and does everything out of just love and a desire to serve the lamanite king and the great affect he has on the lamanites. So here i am trying to have a similar affect on the lamanites. I did have a question for you that i couldnt find. Maybe with your church organization experience you can help. Why do we not partake of the sacrament in conferences? If its such an essential ordinance why do we not make sure its a requirement in every church service? Just a quick question. Be talking with you guys here pretty soon. Love, Elder Hatfield

Elder Hatfield's email to Mom- April 20, 2015

No i didnt hear about Jeancarlo. Thats exciting though! Good for him. And i recognized everything in that picture but tate! ya es grande! Its been pretty fun out here. we got alot going for us now in zapata. I think we just had to get through a rough patch and then we could start finding again. Its been good to starting seeing some more success. People are also starting to notice us a bit more and all that we are doing for the community. Congrats with the tile! we got new tires on our car today if that counts for anything! Work is going really good today so its been good so far. Estamos ayudando algunas personas aqui que han pasado por dificultades en la vida. que tenga una buena semana! Love ya Elder Hatfield

Email to Mom - April 13, 2015

We have our district conference this next sunday so that should be alot of fun. Also we are now working with a few people. we even had some people come to church. We found them and it was pretty cool by biking down the road with our plans all falling through and then i saw some older women cutting some grass with a knife. And i was thinking no way am i going to let them do that. So we walk up to them and they are like oh we dont speak english. so the classic gringo response oh esta bien hablamos espanol. Que quiere que hagamos? Thats always fun to see their expression. So they lady gives me the knife thing and asks if i know how to use it which as an outsider looking in guys in white shirts probably dont know how to work with yard tools but i was able to get all her work done in under 10 mins and then we had a lesson with her. I was pumped. I realized i missed yard work and working outside alot too. So we taught her and she was on of the people that came to church this sunday. We are also working with another family called the ninos family. They are all pretty cool. We went to a funeral type thing with them this last bit which was really cool to be able to help them out there. They are super poor and they treat us with alot of respect. THey have been catholics their whole lives but i think thats about too change. We play soccer with their kids satrudays. One of the kids names is Gustavo but his nickname is la chiva. He teaches us how to play soccer. Im getting to be a pretty good goalie. But we are working hard with them and making a big change here in zapata this transfer everything just seems to feel different this transfer with all the people that we are meeting and helping. we are just getting recieved a bit more warmly. We are invited to barbeques and quinceanaras and things like that. Love you mom your prayers are being answered. Love, Elder Hatfield

Email from Zapata- April 13, 2015

So whenever it seems like I "complain" my specific trials stick out. So usually by the time i get your long awaited email(which has always been the most uplifting and guiding) I have some ideas or thoughts on what i plan on doing. Then your E-mail usually takes it home by putting emphasis on truths and doctrines that ive learned because of that. One of the recent converts here learns very well by repetition and helps me know im being guided by the spirit. Because he is now learning bigger and deeper doctrines and when we pass by its hard to know what he needs until we ask him questions. so this is the third time now when ive had to make a lesson on the spot to teach him a principle that will help him. He is kind of an introvert as well so i have to listen carefully and pray on what he needs. So for the past two times i taught him a lesson and then that sunday the same principle was shared in the class at church. He finds me after and is like "How did you know! They just taught exactly what you told me when you came by!" Every once in a while Father opens the heavens. Briefly and at unexpected times but he does it to show us that we are on course. When i begin to feel inadequate or like my service hasnt blessed or aided very many the heavens open. This sunday we had a suprise visit from the bolanos and Josh. Josh was the one I baptized in Roma. His family likes the church but they werent ready for it yet. But he is still active and helping by doing his own missionary work. One of the Less active families i spent alot of time with in pleading and begging is now an active member and holds a calling in the relief society. I was reading this week in the talk by Jeffrey R. Holland in his talk which i cant remember. but talking about how trials seem to always come and then relief through god. With Joseph Smith and Moses. But it really hit me how our trials always line the path to something greater. Like the parable of the camel and they Eye of the needle. Symbolically the eye of the needle is the passage in the bridge where the rope is fed. a camel if unburdened and at the end of a journey with lack of water and food could fit. so it is only after our trials and a long stretch in the desert that we are able to make it through the narrow way. Im grateful for you prayers and the revelation that you seek in my behalf. Im slowly beginning to understand what it means to be a father and the love that god has for us but i still have a long ways to go. Love, Elder Hatfield

Another 6 weeks in Zapata, TX!! April 6, 2015

so im staying in zapata for another transfer with elder Perkins. We ran a 5K race on saturday berfore conference for autism to help people see us as active members in the community. We ran it in a pros clothes haha. And mckade sounded like he enjoyed it. it was in his email. Sounds like you guys are staying busy. thats great! As for conference it was really good. WE were able to get the equipment to make it work here in zapata. It was great. I was really struck by Eyering talking about fasting. We fast fairly often as missionaries but even then its not enough. That hit me pretty hard and so did the talk on focus on families.One of my goals is to find a good family this transfer to be a strong building block for the church here. The focus on families was huge. As for the area. we are battleing it out right now. I dont know why or what im not doing but we are really struggling out here. We havent had a single investigator to church this transfer. There are things we can improve but i dont know what is stopping us exactly. We have tried alot of different things. People just aren't acting. I hope that we can change that out here. Just nothing is happening. we are fighting to keep our members that are active active. Im excited to have another transfer here. but i dont know what im not doing. its hard. I hope you guys have a great week! Love, Elder Hatfield Not too much this week. And ill be staying here in zapata with elder perkins. It should be alot of fun! Conference was amazing and we got to start it by running a 5K here in zapata for autism. That was alot of fun. And to make sure people recognized us we ran it in our church clothes. we got some funny looks but it was worth it. Still a little sore. im not a huge running fan. but whatever works to stay in shape i guess haha. So not much else. We are working with a few people and an old lady and her family. they are super poor but she loves to feed us. its really cool. she is a great cook. Just goes to show that there are great people in even bad environments. its been fun to work with the people in zapata. there is so much need which makes it entirely different for us every day. Love you Guys! Elder Hatfield

Email for March 30, 2015 still in Zapata~~

THe picture should answer the weather question. Its been alot of fun. All of these kids are investigators and their grandma is a super sweet lady. She cried when we said a prayer with her. She also made us tacos. MMMM real tacos are great! So I have no idea with transfers coming up and what im going to do with that whole situation. We will be watching it in our funeral home out here. which will be alot of fun haha. Not too much else. it was just a really great week. We helped alot of people. some weeks at the end you just feel like you were a success. It has been really good. Im talking with Sister strong and she wants to take me to peru and machu pichu which should be alot of fun haha. Not too much else to write about. We are closing up the transfer. and my mission is at the halfway point. That makes me nervous. Well Lots of love and blessings your way. Love you guys! That is a great scripture. It will be a good help out here. To others and myself included. I dont think we realize how we are sometimes in bondage to things that affect us and deter us from reaching our potential. Ive been re reading the book of mormon in spanish and How it talks about how Jacob was born in the wilderness and in affliction. ANd how sometimes we are placed in situations and places that are rough. And we cant always choose the circumstances and problems that confront us but we can choose our attitude and how we are going to react. It reminds me a bit about the story of Joseph after fleeing from sin and then wrongly accused is cast into prison but the lord is still with him and uses him as an instrument to fulfill the will of the lord. The blessings from perserverance are amazing. Ive began to notice a certain area in our lifes when miracles begin to take place. Its not when its all nice and easy and its not when we ourselves are at rock bottom. ITs at the times when satan is working hard on us and we are in a rough situation but we ourselves remain steadfast and moving towards the edge of the cliff so to speak and god comes through for us. We have been working with a less active who has been struggling and sells himself short on alot of things. but we have been leading him and guiding him. Being a blessing in his life. and HE had a car that needed to be moved from his last house to his new one. THis car hadnt been driven for 10 years and is over 30 years old. He himself has no license and walks everywhere. We promised him he would be blessed in multiple aspects of his life if he puts god first. We began to do so and we got his car moved with some help and it was done for free. Also some co workers noticed he was walking everywhere and put some money in and got him a bike. Good things happen and miracles happen we just have to get to the point where the veil isnt so thick. Lots of love, Elder Hatfield

Email for March 23, 2015

Yeah its amazing what God can do when we ask. ive learned that for some blessings we have to ask. Well my problem is I don't like to ask for help haha. so its been a course in humility as well. But it has really helped in the mission. Trying to increase my christlike attributes and be a better person. A few times I have been really blessed and protected from the lord. he will provide a way. ive been reading the book of Mormon over again in my personal study and im where nephi has to build a boat and its not after the manner of men and during the process it sais that he goes often to the mountain to speak with the lord. Well to get out of our rut we had to stop doing it after the manner of men and more after the manner of God. Which means soccer every Saturday with some of the locals to find people and more activities. I was getting set in the missionary rut of just the basic things. I didn't remember that we have to do some other things to progress the work and here its something that the people love. soccer. so far it has worked really well in softening the hearts of the people. once they see that we are people too and we like to have a good time it seems to open them up. Where in a situation where they would be closed off and not interested in learning once they realize that you can play soccer and run around with them they are a lot more likely to listen too you afterwards. This isn't our work. and im remembering that I need to be the hammer that hits the nail not the hand that guides it. Lots of love from down south, Elder Hatfield