Elder Younger and Elder Hess

"Thank you for raising a great son and missionary."

Live Oak

Hey Everyone!

So my hopes for the beach was Crushed for the 6th time!! But its all good cause I'm in probably the best area in the mission ( Which is the Furthest from the beach) but it's almost like being in Tremonton and Utah in general! Half my area is one of the wealthiest in the mission in Dove Canyon and the other half which is the best part is pretty much a forest!! It's a huge canyon that goes for miles! We have saddleback mountain and silverado and it's just a huge canyon that takes an hour to get from one side to the other!! It's awesome!!! And... my companion is Elder Younger which makes it even better!! We have served pretty much our whole mission around each other so we're pretty good friends!!

So this week was pretty amazing!! We met with a less active down in the canyon who owns a bird sanctuary and is like one of the best!! He has some bald eagles that the government gave him to take care of so that's pretty sick.  He also owns the parrot off of Pirates of the Caribbean like the exact one in the movie haha!  There is also a house down there that is completely fire proof and looks like the houses on star wars that are in the deseret! haha it's pretty great here!! 

You know it's a good ward when a bunch of the old guys wants you to come ball with them at 6 in the morning haha and when a member speaks in sacrament and bases the majority of his talk off a country song!! It's a really good song to "I've been watching you" by Rodney Atkins! haha That's about it for the week!

Its gonna be a good 6 months!!! 

MORMON 9 19-21

 19 And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

 20 And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.

 21 Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

Love you guys!!

Elder Hess

We are so grateful for your sons' service!  He improved so much as a missionary while here in Las Flores Ward and you and your family should be extremely proud.  Thank you for sharing your son with us! ...Brother Ben Chamberlin

On to the next one!

Hey everyone!!

So my Mission Viejo days are over!! I'm on to the next area tonight!! It was awesome to be able to serve in the Las Flores ward!! I've never been in a ward that is already that mindful of missionary work! That's all they think about and in turn that makes the missionary effort on our part really smooth and nice! It was fun to work with each of the members and with my companions! I've learned a lot in the 3 months of being here!!

This week was pretty long but super good!! We ended up teaching about 25 lessons that was a new high for us so that was good to accomplish that! Our investigators kinda flaked again on us this week but that's nothing new haha!

We got the priviledge to go to a fireside with the missionary mom on meet the Mormons that was pretty cool!!

But on the good side! I learned how to do a rubiks cubes and can now do it in like 3 mins so that's pretty sick haha!

Elder Tanefski says hi he's chillin right behind me!! ha well that's about it haha!

D&C 19:17-18

17 But if they would not repent they must suffer even as I;

18 Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit—and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink

Love you all!!

Elder Hess

Still the same Elder Hess that left!

Hey!!

So to start off I wanna wish Sister Stratton a Happy Birthday!! Hope you have a good one!

So this week was pretty interesting.  I had an experience that will take up my letter today so as for investigators and what not things are going pretty good!

So as we all know I was not very patient or really loving and had a pretty hot head when I was home even I'll admit to that one.  So my whole mission I've been really trying to work on those things specifically and I've been doing very well... Untill Thursday.. then the hot headed Kyle came out!

So this week we taught Terri... she's the one that I met her son while I was in Irvine and kinda got him into the church!. So I was super excited to teach her.  I knew going in that she was from Calvary chapel and they don't like Mormons at all!! But I went in with a good attitude and I was super excited! It started out pretty good... then it took a huge nose dive and went down fast!!

As we were teaching Terri turned the table hard and started bashing and saying Revelations says no one can add to the bible and that's all the Book of Mormon is and just going off!!  I was sitting there keeping my mouth shut cause I didn't want contention! Then she went on by saying we follow the devil and that we should throw the Book of Mormon away and that we are immature 20 year old children who know nothing and we're just following our parents and just ripping into us and then on me calling me prideful and how God hates pride and all that stuff.

So I turned to my companions and mouthed to him saying look change the lesson or I'm gonna tear her apart.   I couldn't handle it and I was gonna go off on her! So Elder Stevens tried turning the lesson and it didn't work she just kept going off telling me what I believe and that I'm a devil.

So I prayed hard and said look God you better tell me what to do or I'm just gonna go off and just tear her apart I'm not gonna take this anymore.

As I got done praying she just turned it up a notch and I was done and the hot headed Elder Hess came out of me and I stood up and said look don't you ever tell me what I believe again and right before I was gonna go off I was comfounded and went dumb I couldn't speak. At that moment I heard the spirit loud and clear tell me to get out now and leave. So I walked out and looked at her and said the wicked take the truth to be hard!

So after I left I went out to the car breaking a pretty big rule not being with a companion and I was praying in the car just apologizing and I heard my Father in Heaven tell me he was proud of me for getting out of that situation and heeding to the spirit.  I started reading the Book of Mormon in the car and came across this scripture that brought a lot of comfort to me!

 
 Alma 34 40-41

 40 And now my beloved brethren, I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out because of your exceeding poverty, lest ye become sinners like unto them;

 41 But that ye have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions.

I love you all and hope you each have a good week!

Love,

         Elder Hess

Happy Birthday!

Snow in So. Ca.....AHHHH YA!

Hey everyone!!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! This week was pretty good!! I went Golfing today for my birthday with Elder Bufton,  Elder Hancock,  Elder Debrine, and Elder Stevens.  It was pretty good!  I gotta couple birdies not too bad! haha

Not a whole lot happend this week! New years was ok.  We had to be in early so we had a zone activity that was pretty good! We brought some non members so we were still doing missionary work and not just playing as missionaries.   I felt way better about that!

Our Investigator Lazzarre who apperently moved to Hollywood actually didn't move.  So he's still here but is just using us to find a job cause he has no papers.  So it's whateves we dont know what to do with him. haha Other than that our investigators have been pretty big flakes latley hopfully it's cause of the holidays!!

And the biggest news! IT SNOWED!! I really wish it snowed like this in Utah!! Like good weather in the valley but the mountains are just covered!  That would be nice!! haha

Well that's about my week haha love you guys!!

Elder Hess

Scripture!

1 John 4:18

·         18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

View from outside my apartment in Los Flores

Hey Everyone!

So this week was pretty good! It was nice to reconnect with family and be able to talk to them for a while! It's a huge blessing to be in a place that has the technology that alows us to do so!

The missionary part of the week was a little slow! Everyone decides to go to Utah for Christmas?? Why would you go to Utah when you have a beach 15 minutes down the road? Jeez!! But... it was good non-the-less! We saw a couple miracles and tender mercies from the Lord!

On Chirstmas Eve our zone had a breakfast and Elder Steven and I decided to not go and go play football with the members and their non member friends.  So that was pretty good! Our bishop is a stud!! Old men can play sports too!  Who would of thought!! haha

Christmas day we had another zone activity at 7 that night and our companionship decided to bail again and go to a random park and play basketball with all the non members there so that was pretty successfull!!

Other than that there wasn't much that happend this week!! haha have a Happy New Year!!

Love you guys!!

                            Elder Hess

Scripture!

·         Moroni 8:3

3 I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end.