Week 27 Farewell Stillaguamish and Darrington

I never thought this day would come this quick, but brothers and sisters, I am transferring from Stillaguamish Ward!!!! 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢💔💔💔💔😨😢😨😨😨😑 I am not happy, but I'm willing to leave if that's where the Lord wants me to go. Let me share what happened this week, and what I will be doing today in my departure from these two good areas.

Elder Hammond's District

Monday

It snowed so we were grounded from our cars. We had to walk everywhere. 😢  We couldn't email because the library was closed, so we walked to get lunch at a place like the Pizza Pie Cafe in Utah. It was pretty good, and we had fun there. Then we walked to Arlington's apartment, my old apartment, and we played games for the rest of the night. Then we went to dinner and had a good time. We came home and did some area book work because we couldn't do anything else... but that's ok.

Tuesday 

We visited some people. I emailed you all, and then we we visited some other people and had dinner. That is all I remember.

Wednesday

We had district meeting and talked about the broadcast and more about making commitments. Then we talked about some other things like having charity for the people we teach. After we had district meeting, we visited some people and had a lesson with Lydia. We helped her realize again that God does love her, and the way she can learn that for herself is if she looks to Him in prayer, reads the scriptures, and goes to church. She felt alone, and I knew exactly what she was feeling because I felt that not too long ago, but because the Savior has made an influence in my life, I know He is with me as I serve and look to Him. She can feel the same if she can just build her faith. She's not my investigator to influence any more, but I did what I had to to try to help here. Never have I felt more Christ-like love for any one except my investigators, my family, and my close friends, so I tried my hardest, and now it's someone else's turn. Later in the day, we had a really good lesson with Kelly, and she feels she can be ready for baptism on March 28th because she prayed about it. She feels that can be her day, and I agree, so we will see how that works out. Then we went home.

Thursday

We visited a lot of people in Darrington, taught seminary, and had all of our lessons fall through. We had 18 inches of snow to drive through with our jeep. 😃 That was fun. Man, I'm going to miss that car!!

Friday

We went to the food bank, did weekly planning, and had dinner with members. 

Saturday 

We went and helped with the old folks, visited some people, and found two potentials in a place where there was no work to do in our area!! It made me so happy. Then we went home and had dinner and had a good rest of the day.

Sunday

My last day of church was amazing! It was a normal day of church. We had Kelly come to church, and she is going to come to FHE tonight and have dinner with us. Then we had a steak dinner with the Baldarases, which is funny because we had dinner with them my first day here, and now they fed me one more time before I left. Interesting! I also got to jam on the guitar with their son before i left. It was so much fun!!. 

Today

I am playing ultimate Frisbee with my district one last time, and then I am saying goodbye to as many members as I can before tomorrow because I love this ward so much!!! I can't believe I'm leaving them. I don't know how badly this will affect me, but I know it's putting a big impact on my life. I will forever have a spot in my heart for this ward, and I will miss them dearly, like Bellingham is in my heart.

 

Farewell Stillaguamish and Darrington!!! Forever you will be in my heart!!!!

Elder Hammond

Elder Soelberg and Elder Hammond with the Mauldins from Darrington
Some of his favorite people in the area.

Week 26 Stripling Warriors

Hey everyone. I don't have a lot to say and not a lot of time, but I will try to do it as quickly as I can.  So here it goes.

Monday

We had a good p-day. We emailed, went shopping, and enjoyed some basketball time. I also wrote letters to people. I'm getting close to my six months, so I wanted to send out thank yous to everyone that has really inspired me in my life. I couldn't write a whole lot, but I do want to thank everyone that reads this because you all mean the world to me. You really do. Then after that, we had dinner and tried to visit some people, but no one would let us in.

Tuesday

We visited some people that got referred to us, had lunch, did progressing, and went and saw some more referrals. No one would open to us. Then we saw some members and did some tracting. We also did some area book work so that we could save miles, however, we got the whole thing wrong. We didn't need to save miles because we were under the whole time... Sad day. We had dinner with the Leglers, and then we took them with us to lessons with Kelly and Cameron, a recent convert, and they did a good job. They shared their testimonies and helped us to teach them, but what I really love is that we gave Kelly a commitment to pray and fast about Feb 11th to be her baptism date. She said she would do it, and that made me happy.

Wednesday 

We had district meetings and went up to the highest part of our area and tried to visit some people. We did some tracting and had dinner. Then we had a lesson with the Kurtzers, well, actually Barbara, the mom, and we taught about temples and what they are, what they look like, and how they help us and others. Then we talked about getting a temple recommend. The problem is they aren't coming to our church every week. They are going to the Granet Falls Ward in Marrysville as well as ours, and we told them they need to come to our ward more if they want a temple recommend and to have Mike get the priesthood. They understood it and are willing to come more, hopefully.

Thursday

We went to Darrington and had no success. Every lesson fell through, and no one really wanted to talk to us...

Friday

We did service at the food bank and did weekly planning.

Saturday

We had a lesson with Liam, a new investigator, and taught the plan of salvation. He is doing a really good job and is on date too. We did some service in the pouring rain... not fun, and then we visited a lot of people and went home.

Sunday 

We fasted for Kelly to receive her answer to her prayer. We also had church and visited some people but had to be in by 8 cause the Patriots won the Superbowl. Our dinner appointment had the game on, and it was so weird because you don't see people with the TV on a lot during dinner. So ya...

That's this week, and here is my spiritual message I sent to President Wilding:

Yesterday we taught a family the story of the Stripling Warriors, and I just really like this story because it helps not only kids understand the lesson because they can relate to it, but it also helps all of us see and understand a commandment that we are give. Let me give you the scriptures:

44 Therefore what say ye, my sons, will ye go against them to battle?

45 And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites.

46 For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus.

What I love is how much courage they had to go against the enemy and yet they didn't doubt anything. Their fathers could not fight because that would break their covenants with God, but because the sons had so much respect for their fathers, they went to war to help their fathers so that they didn't break their covenant with the Lord. But what I really like is this:

47 Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

Their mothers helped them. They taught them everything they needed to be the warriors that would not doubt their God and what he could do for them. Now it doesn't say they were taught by their fathers or by their school teachers, but their mothers. I love that because they were valiant and courageous, and they respected their parents, but most importantly, their moms. I would not be who I am today if it wasn't for my parents, but most importantly my mom.

I know this is true and that Helaman put that in there to help us in our day. I hope you can learn and adore more things like this everyday, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Hammond

My own little Stripling Warrior having some fun on Pday

Week 25 Conversion

Hello everyone! What a week! This has been a crazy week, so let's get to it.

Monday

We had a good p-day. We went shopping, played basketball, emailed, and had a lot of fun. Then we went and had FHE with ward members and had a good time. After that, we visited some people and tried to get some new investigators but no luck really...

Tuesday

We visited a lot of people and were able to pick up one new investigator. His name is Liam. He's 14, and we were going to a less active's house when we saw that a potential lived in the rental above the house. Liam is a cool kid, and he believes in a lot of things. I think he is going to be a solid investigator. We really want to get the rest of his family involved. Otherwise he may not be able to be baptized. Plus, he can be baptized with his whole family if they get involved! It would be great because the church is true!

Wednesday

We had the mission training broadcast, and we learned about the new schedule that has already started in this mission. Now we will only report on 4 key indicators instead of 9: baptism and confirmation, investigators on date, investigators in sacrament meeting, and new investigators. If you have questions about those other key indicators, ask Justin. Then we had a lesson with the Kurtzers, and our goal with them is to get them to the temple in about a month. That's what our lesson was about with them. We will be having another with them later this week. Hopefully it all works out.

Thursday

I went on an exchange with Elder Poulson, and we went to Darrington. We visited a lot of investigators and tried to have lessons with them, but we couldn't have any lessons with Lydia or Jayson. That was sad, but it's ok. We visited a lot of people down in Darrington and then had a lesson with a former investigator named Ann Blake. She was an investigator when the elders were in Darrington, and the sisters were in Arlington. The elders told her that the new elders would teach her more when they got there, but that info never got to us when they left...so we got to pick her up again as an investigator. She is an interesting one. She doesn't want to get baptized because she was already baptized into a different church so she doesn't see the need to be baptized again. It's funny how the situation worked with her because the other missionaries didn't work it out so she understood why she needed to be baptized into this church, but I'm glad that we were able to help her now. We gave her a reading assignment to read Mosiah 18 and to pray about it. That should help her understand why she needs it as well. That's all for that day.

Friday

We served at the food bank. Then we had a lot of service, and we had to do a lot of walking because we are over on miles for the jeep, but we survived this week so we will be good.

Saturday

We did a lot of service, moved lights, helped at the old folks place, and did some service for our members and barely had to drive so it all worked out. We also helped set up a reception for the bishop's daughter which was fun. That was that.

Sunday

We went on a car fast, went to church, and did a lot of weekly planning and preparing for the week. We got rides for everywhere we went, which was great! Then at the end of the day, Elder Soelberg got a call from President telling him that his grandma passed away. It was a sad moment for both of us, but he seems to be doing alright about it. I hope it's all ok with him. I would feel the same way if I lost one of my grandparents.

Here is my spiritual thought for the week:

In the past two days, I've been thinking about something that seemed really interesting to me. We had ward conference yesterday and President Williams gave a very good talk. He talked about each of our conversion points and how we can come to understand Christ even better. He talked about the woman at the well and how her conversion came really quickly. This is the story:

" 5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he."

This story is very interesting to me because she calls him many things before she realizes she is talking to the Savior. She calls him a Jew, then a sir, then a prophet, then the Messiah. As well, she seeks counsel from someone who she feels is a prophet, a holy one, about where to worship, and what I love is that she has faith that better things are to come when the Messiah comes. She just didn't know when that would be, but Jesus was able to tell her that time was now, and He was doing so at that time. He also teachers her a lot of things about how we can have the gospel with us and never need to look again, and this is if we look to Him. The part I really want to focus on is how she was converted really quickly. When she met the man, she didn't know what expect of him, but when she left, she went and told everyone else and their conversion came in a different way.

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

She left what she came for and went to tell others, "Look what I found. Is this not the truth?" In many ways, that is like us. We are sharing what we have found to be true. We know it's true, and we, like the woman, left everything behind to tell people of the things we saw and hear, and others are blessed because of it.

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

39 ¶And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.

41 And many more believed because of his own word;

42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. 

They told the woman, "when you told us of Him, we only believed a little bit, but once we saw it for ourselves, then we believed it fully." This principle is something we can all learn and have. Before, the Samaritans only were convinced of the gospel a little bit, but once they heard and saw the things the woman was talking about, they were converted to all of it. The best part about this story is that Jesus inspires all of us to be converted to him in this life. All we have to do is listen, and He will help us to do the rest. In the past two days, I've been wondering, is this a characteristic of Christ, and as I thought about it and studied it, the more I realize that yes, it is because of that very statement I just made. "Jesus inspires all of us to be converted to Him in this life." I love learning things like this, and I hope that you have the same chance to learn stuff like this at your homes. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Hammond

Week 24 All Moved In

Hey everyone. This week has been really crazy, but let's get right to it.

Monday

We settled into our new apartment. Then we went to Target and did some shopping and ate at Costco. Elder Soelberg has a card. Then we went and played basketball and had a fun time. It was a good p-day. Then after, we had dinner with the Hoovers, members in our ward. After dinner we tried to have a lesson with a new investigator named Cody, and he bailed on us... It made me sad. Then we visited some people and went home to unpack.

Tuesday

We had mormon.org time, did some service, emailed you guys, visited some people, and tried to get lessons, but no luck.....We'll see what happens with that.

Wednesday

We had a lesson with Kelly, and we taught her the 10 commandments. The sad part is Sunday we found out she has some problems, and I cant talk about them because it involves one of the commandments, and I'm not allowed to talk about these problems because of my rules and calling as a missionary. We are hoping we can help her in every way we can. We also got a return appointment with someone, and we are seeing this person tomorrow! Hopefully it all works out.

Thursday

We went to Darrington and had lessons with Jason Henry and the Powell's investigators we just picked up Thursday and the week before. They are great people, and we want to teach them more, but we only go to Darrington once a week... It's sad, but we had a good day and a lot of success. 

Friday

We went to the food bank, had lunch, weekly planned, and that's it.

Saturday 

I went on exchange with Elder Wake from Arlington Ward. We had a lesson with Lydia, and we showed her that God still loves her and is looking out for her. We also went and visited a lot of people and had dinner with the Dicksons, a family that remind me of Aunt Barbara and Uncle Klar. Then I exchanged Elder Wake back for the night.

Sunday

We had church and ward council, etc. We planned, studied, and then visited some people. It was a pretty good day. We had dinner with the elder's quorum president's family and had a good time. Then we visited people and had a good night accounting.

Well, that's my week. I'll send a spiritual thought next week. I don't have too much time. Love you all! Have a good week. Bye.

Elder Hammond

Week 23 A New Missionary Schedule

Hey everyone. This week has been really short and really crazy, so let's get to it.

Monday

It was a normal p-day. We had FHE. We went to the new ward mission leader's house to see how he was doing. His wife was in the hospital, and we were able to help her and visit her. It was good to see she was doing well.

Dinner and "Noches de Papas" FHE

Tuesday

We went and visited a lot of people, did some service, painting for someone in our ward, visited some more people, had dinner, got some referrals, stuff like that.

Wednesday

We had district meeting and Elder Soelberg instructed on baptism goals and committing people on date. It was a good meeting. I learned so much, and it helped me to understand why we ask an investigator if they want to be baptized after the first lesson. After, we did some more service and went and visited some people. Then we had dinner and had a new member lesson with the Kurtzers. They really liked it. We talked about following the prophet and the word of wisdom. Then we helped with the mini missions the youth did, and then the night was over, and we went home.

Thursday

We had zone conference, and it was a very spiritual meeting. We talked about having love for your investigators before you meet them just like Ammon did in the book of Mormon. We also talked about how we can have love for our companions and others, and how to teach people that are not interested. It blew me away from what I learned, and I can't wait to continue to apply it to my mission. Our schedule has changed, and you can read about it on my letter to my dad. I sent him the email for mission prep.

Dear Family, friends, and the mission prep classes

(please read this to the mission prep class leaders, and teach it to the youth.)

The church has now changed some things in the missionary's schedule. It is no longer this:

6:30 Am arise, pray,exercise, and prepare for the day

7:30 breakfest

8:00 personal study

9:00 companion study

10:00 proselyting 

9:00 pm plan

10:30 bed

Now it is this:

We now have more agency to do what we want at what time but from 6:30 to 10 and from 10 to 9 we do all our planning in the morning and do everything else as follows, this is all brand new and you can put all these thing in the order you want, but they have to fit in those time frames, missonarys will be getting new hand books new PMG, new alot of things, weekly planning will be changed but we dont know when or how, and there is more to change i just dont know what yet. so please infrom everyone about this. thank you

Elder Hammond

Friday

We did service at the food bank, had a lesson with a former and gave her a blessing to give up smoking, did some weekly planning, and had a lesson with a new investigator. It was great until that night we found out that we had to move from our apartment with the other elders....😢😢😢😢

Saturday

I went on an exchange with the zone leaders and was companions again with Elder Kirk for the day!!!!! It was so much fun. He's changed quite a bit. He's a lot more fun to be around, and I think his last companion helped him out with that, but it's way cool because he teaches me so much! There's something I always have to write down about his teaching that I could use or something he tells me that I have to write it down so I don't forget it. We went and visited a lot of ysa's and bowled with the old folks. Then I exchanged back. 

Sunday

We had church, and during church we had a lesson with Kelly. We taught the law of chastity... following the prophet, priesthood, and blessings........ ya, that was an interesting lesson. I don't want to talk about it, but we learned something about her that we didn't expect to come from her, and it was really crazy. She felt she couldn't follow it fully because of reasons, but we gave her a blessing. It was really spiritual experience for her and me because I gave it, and I have never spoken ever in my life so powerful words like I did in that blessing. It comes to show that my patriarchal blessing is coming true. "You will exercise your priesthood in behalf of many. As you lay your hands upon their heads, you will feel the spirit of revelation come to you regarding the things you should say."

After that, we studied, had dinner, and then weekly planned. It was a fun Sunday

I will tell you all about yesterday next Monday.

My spiritual thought this week comes from Elder Holland, and I can't say it better than him, so I'm going to let him say it. Look it up!

http://laytreasuresinheaven.com/feed-my-sheep-elder-holland/

Elder Hammond

Week 22 Kurtzer Family Baptism

Well, what a week this has been! People left. I got a new companion, and we had 3 baptisms this week. It was awesome!!! So let's get to it.

Monday

We did normal p-day stuff like email, shopping, basketball, and packing Elder Stoddard's bags... 😢😢

Tuesday

Elder Stoddard said goodbye to a lot of members, and we went off to transfers. I picked up my new companion, Elder Soelberg, who was with Elder Lindsey in Port Gardener. It's funny though because Elder Lindsey was Elder Poulsen's companion 2 transfers ago. Elder Soelburg is way fun and way cool. The Lord has blessed me with really cool companions, and guess what? Elder Kirk is my zone leader again!! He was one of my companions in Bellingham. It's so cool! After getting him, I took him to a burger joint in our area for his first dinner, and he loved it. Then we went and introduced him to members, and they really liked it.

Wednesday

We had district meeting, visited members, went to find people, tried to have lessons, but we only had one lesson that day with Kelly. We taught her the law of tithing and tried to get her back on date with the 21st. She said she will pray about it. We haven't heard from her since, so I don't know what's going on with her. We gave Lydia a blessing and taught her about it We had the Kurtzer's baptism interviews which went way longer then needed... We were late getting home that night. but that's ok.

Thursday 

We went on an exchange with Elder Jensen. It was a lot of fun to 3 pack again. We went and got a lot of member referrals, and we went to talk to a lot of people to try to have lessons. We had a fun day. Elder Jensen is a super fun elder.

Friday

We went and helped at the food bank. Then we dropped wood off for Lydia. We tried to have a lesson with someone, but when we got there, no one was home... it made us mad because she said she would be there, and the situation could have been handled better when we talked to her on Thursday, but oh well. We had a lesson with the Kurtzer's to finish all the lessons off with them, and then we sized them for their jumpers for their baptism!!!!

Saturday

We dunked the Kurtzer family, and I baptized them with Elder Stoddard. We helped at the old folks place, went to Darrington, and had a lesson with Alex Deval, an old former that we picked up again for an investigator. Then we went to visit some people, got referrals from the Mauldins, and went home so we could study and end the day.

Sunday

We confirmed the Kurtzers. I was able to do that. We went to church, did weekly planning, and that was it for the rest of the day. 

Sorry it's a little short, but I hope everyone is doing well at home. Tell Elder Stoddard's family that their son was an awesome missionary, and I miss him dearly. Love you all, and have a good day!

Elder Hammond

Week 21 Staying in Stillaguamish

Well everyone, I have some good news and bad news. The good news is that I'm staying in Stillaguamish. The bad news is Elder Stoddard is not.... I am losing a best friend. Am I happy about it? No, but the Lord wants him to do some work somewhere else now, and he wants me to help finish everything here. Since I am behind telling you about a last week, I'm going to tell you! 

Monday

So since we went to the temple Thursday, Monday was just a regular day of work. We visited a lot of people, and that was pretty much it. Not much happened.

Tuesday

We had a lesson with the Kurtzers, and we watched The Restoration with them. They liked it, but what we really want them to do is get a testimony of Joseph Smith. We still don't know if they have one, but we are going to try our best to help them before Saturday because they get baptized that day. 😊😊😊 It makes me so happy. We visited a lot of people that day too.

Wednesday

We had 3 lessons. One of them was with Lydia, and we talked about the atonement with her and helped her see that God really loves her. As I bore testimony to everything that had been said, the spirit was so strong in the room that she started to cry. As I gave my testimony, she said she didn't know why she was crying, but Elder Stoddard and I knew, and we put her back on date for the 21st of January. She is doing so well, and I can't wait for her to be baptized. Then we had a lesson with Kelly, and it worked out pretty well. We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then at the end, we gave her a word of wisdom pamphlet because she said she had some problems she needed to work out with that. She is now off date because of reasons...😑 but we are going to put her back on date for the 21st because I feel that she can be baptized on that day. I don't just feel, I know. The spirit has made it known unto me and Elder Stoddard that there is no other day. Therefore, I know it, and I know God knows it. Therefore I cannot change her date, for that reason. Then we had a lesson with the Kurtzers again and helped them progress.

Thursday

We went to the temple, an awesome experience. Then we had the rest of the day to have fun and email you guys and shop.

Friday

I went on an exchange with the zone leaders, had a good time, tried to teach some people, but not a whole lot of luck... 😑 That's ok. I have faith in them.

Saturday

New Year's Eve was great! We had a lesson with Kelly about the word of wisdom and found out she has a coffee problem too. Why do we have a lot of investigators that have problems with coffee? All of them do, even Lydia... but anyway, she said she can try. We will help her when needed. Then we taught the rest of the plan of salvation to Lydia and helped her out there. Then we had to come in at 5 and do weekly planning.

Sunday

We had no investigators at our sacrament meeting, but Granite Falls had the Kurtzers at theirs. They switch off every week with our ward and theirs. We hit our standards this week, and it made me really happy!!!! That's it for Sunday.

So that's it for this week. I've got to go, but I hope everyone is having a good week. Love you all!!

Elder Hammond