May 4, 2015

So told mom i will be calling at about 3 my time and about 4 your time. I think so. So thats the plan. Its been a very real battle this week. We got the people to church though. we set a record a believe for amount of people at church. 42 It was a very animated and busy day at church making sure classes are being taught. correct doctrine is being taught. All those things. ITs been a great blessing to have the shumways here. The other senior couple is amazing. When i first moved into the area i thought they were going to be like parents always wanting to know where we are at and things like that but I know that without them here in zapata we wouldnt be able to do the work. THey give us guidance and structure. ITs alot like the parable of the young crow and the old one given in conference a few years back about how the young one can fly ahead and do circles around the old crow but he doesnt know the path to travel. And so he can never get too far. We can work as hard as we want but the give us structure and are capable of doing missionary work in manners that are simply impossible for us. I had a few questions about ways that Nestle makes goals and plans to see if i would be able to implement any of that out here in the field. Thanks for continually being a source of wisdom and strength. Thanks for being my "old crow" or old man. Haha Keep Kilee and Mckade out of trouble. Im keeping this front and I know your keeping the home front. Lots of love, Elder Hatfield So its been alot of fun in zapata. We broke the record with 42 people at church this week. We are really getting the work done here. its been great to see. How our hard work is making a difference. Lots of fun and changes are happening. it just seems like hearts are softening. so we will see what happenes this next little bit. Looks like mckade had fun at the prom! He is looking good! Kilee looks really pretty there. Looks like things are going good. So i just herd that spencer Staheli is about to leave on his mission soon. so Jordan wont see him for 4 years! That is a bit crazy! Things are good here Ill probably skype you on sunday at 3 my time so i think 4 your time. after church. If that works for you guys. So thats what the big plans are. ANd no not anything i can really think about in a package. So nothing too crazy happening here. We are hoping to help those kids get baptized on the 17th so we will see what happens. Lots of love! Elder Hatfield

April 27, 2015

Thanks for the answer and also for all you guys do. I couldn't imagine serving without the support of my family. It would be pretty difficult. I know a few missionaries who are in that situation and its impressive to me. Once being a missionary and seeing the church through the eyes of a missionary its hard to comprehend being less active or not keeping your covenants. We live at such a high standard its hard to relate sometimes. So this week was really good. We have seen alot of great miracles here this past little while. Sunday we had a full house and a great service. A few people that were pretty closed or not wanting to do anything with us had their hearts opened. which was a huge blessing. We have been working hard and we are hoping to baptize may 17th. We will see what happens. Ive been thinking about a few terms in spanish in the scriptures that have helped my understanding of the scriptures. THe first one being llevar a cabo- this means to literally carry or bring it to completion. So its by our efforts that we take the task to an end. the next is llegar a ser- to arrive at to be is the direct translation but it means to become. meaning arriving at a point or achieving a change. to become clean or arrive at cleanliness. Just a few little things that have opened my eyes in the study of the scriptures in spanish. Con mucho amor, Elder Hatfield haha as long as i get to practice spanish on the cruise. Thats exciting about the kitchen. Hope it looks the way you wanted it to look! And that blows my mind with Caleb. It seems like you get to a certain age when everyone starts to get married. Its weird. A few missionaries i served with got married. That is super fast. So we had all those kids we have been playing soccer with finally come to church. And a less active family. It was pretty cool. The building was looking pretty full. Thats about 37 people to church. Our goal is 40 so we are close. Glad that grandma and grandpa got the letter. i wrote it and then i took forever to send it. So im glad they got it. Not too much else going on out here. Just working hard. Lots of love!

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