Tuesday, April 9, 2013
April 7
Hey!!
I really can't believe how fast the time is going. It scares me to be honest. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was out in McMinnville but that was last year... Crazy!
Conference was great! I really loved it. I took notes a little differently this time. What I did is I wrote down questions that I had and then I just wrote one line answers as they came. It was great... I couldn't believe how fast the answers came and how fast the pages filled up. One thing that I really noticed (I think due to the fact that I spend a lot of time teaching and studying it) is the huge focus on the Godhead. It is really interesting to me that what seems a very simple doctrine is actually really huge! That is the biggest problem that many people have with the church. I am so thankful for that knowledge because without that I wouldn't be able to have a personal realationship with Heavenly Father and with my Savior. It really feels like the church is headed back to the basics. It was pointed out to me this morning that all of the conference talks can be found in the tive Preach My Gospel lessons. Is it any wonder why we are encouraged as missionaries and as members to study from that?
We have really seen many miracles here this week. We were able to see people that we have never been able to come in contact with. We taught many lessons and we we able to get new investigators and get in touvh with old ones that we hadn't been able to contact in a while. It has just been great! Elder Walker is a work horse and I love it!
Thanks for all that you do for me and all of your love and prayers. Have a great week!!!
Love Dustin
March 31
Hey!!
Thanks for the package! I was so excited to open it and see Cadbury Mini Eggs and Peeps. Best Easter candy ever! The peeps are sitting on my shelf to dry out... they should be ready in about a week:) On Saturday we had dinner at a members house and on the counter there were two bowls full of Easter M&M's and it reminded me so much of home and I told them that I was willing to bet that there was a similar stash at my house.
Things here are going really well. Elder Walker and I are really seeing miracles take place and there are so many good things that are going to start taking place. I am so amazed at how ready he is to be here, there is no way that at 18 I would be as good as he is. The Lord has really prepared the way for alll these new missionaries to come out ready to serve and ready to work. This past week was a bit of a struggle just because it was spring break and everyone that we are working with decided that they needed to leave. Oh well that just means that this next week will be just that much bigger and better.
Easter yesterday was so wonderful. I love that we can ponder about what the Atonement does for us and how much Christ has blessed me in my life. No matter what happens he has been and always will be there for us. It is really interesting that much of what we understand about the Atonement comes from the Book of Mormon. Is it any wonder why we are told that we will come closer to God through the Book of Mormon than through any other book? Understanding and applying the Atonement is the only way to come closer to God. There is no other way.
I love where I am and what I am doing. Here in Portland we are really seeing the effects of the Lord hastening the work. We are not getting too many new missionaries in right now (not too many meaning 30 every six weeks) and I think that it is mostly because President Morby and the Portland mission are in charge of having the Salem mission and the Vancouver mission up and running with new mission homes, offices, cars, missionaries, etc. by July 1st. Needless to say President is way busy right now. This past transfer he was up until 3am on the day of transfers trying to get companionships together. He knew who was getting transfered but not where they were going... I don't even know how he is doing it.
I love you all and am greatful for all that you do for me.
Dustin
March 24
Hey!!!
I had a really great week. Transfers were yesterday and I didn't get transferred but I did get a new companion... Elder Walker from Texas. He just turned 18 in October and graduated early so that he could come out and serve! It is going to be awesome! I am so happy to be training again. I really feel like it makes me a way better missionary.
We also were able to set a baptism date with Leatha!!! Once again such a spiritual lesson! We went to the Visitors Center at the temple and then after we went around in there we went over and into the Atrium inside the lobby and while we were in there the spirit was so strong and that is where we were able to set a date with her. She is going to be baptized on April 13th. She is ready to go!
Sorry that last weeks e-mail was short and crazy. Elder Wohlleben and I went hiking at multnoma falls and that took most of our day. It is way beautiful there! It took a lot of convincing and positive peer pressure to get to the top because we had to hike on a muddy trail to the top but it was worth it... And the supper crazy thing about it was that my old district was coming down as we were going up so I got to see Elder Byam.
There are a lot of really good things that are starting to happen here and the ward is so excited to help us. Over the past two weeks there have been three ward missionaries that have gotten their calls here. They are on fire and really ready to go.
And to end off with....
Once upon a time there was a German Missionary. His companion was from Idaho. The German was the driver of their mission car and the Idahoan was the backer uper. Late evening on the Gernmans last day they had to back up so the Idahoan got out of the car and was guiding the German Missionary. The German wasn't watching as the Idahoan was guiding him so when that one from Idaho told him to stop he didn't. Much to his suprise there were plastic garbage totes and he backed into them. The German was so embarased that he forgot to put the car into drive and backed into the tote again. The Bishop (also the owner of the cans) was out in the front yard at the time of all these events and was laughing and clapping. From that time on the German watched the one from Idaho much closer as he guided him.
Thanks for all that you do for me!!! I love you all very much!!! have a great week! And Hoppy Easter!!!
Love Dustin
March 17
Hey sorry that I am late. We had a really good week. We are starting to teach more and more lessons. It has been really good to see the trend move upward.
So you will never guess who I ran into this past week. President Stoddard of the Forest Grove Stake.... Ex-bishop of the Idaho Falls 19th ward. He looked at me and said "Which Hatch family are you from?" It was crazy! Who would have guessed that the world would be so small.
Also this week the new boundries for our mission came out. Right now there are 16 stakes in our mission and we are loosing three of them to the Salem mission and four to the Vancouver mission. Right now if I don't get transfered I will come home from the Oregon Salem Mission. We won't know what is going to happen until the transfer in June. We will see what happens. President said that he would be taking relese dates into account. I would be in the middle of the transfer before I come home so we will see if that plays into where I get placed.
Things here are going well. Today we went hiking to Multnomah falls which is why we are late and I am all ready out of time but I love you all and am grateful for all that you have done for me!
Love Dustin
PS There is going to be a Brother Burke that is going to be calling you. He is awesome and he is going to be in Rexburg for the next week starting on Sat and he said that he wanted to call you.
March 10
Hey!!
This past week has been really great! We had zone conference and President Morby had really great trainings for us. He is such an awesome man and really loves the gopel. There were some really thick moments during the meeting. When President talked about the missions being split he was in tears. He said "President Morby is having a transfer and I don't like it." I think that the hardest thing is that he has no idea what is going to happen. He said as soon as he knows anythinghe will let us know but he isn't sure that we will know until the split happens July 1st. He did say that we would be effected by both the Salem and the Vancoover missions but that is all that he knows right now. He also talked about the Abrahamic covenant and how that applies to us as missionaries. I am beginning to realize how much I really don't understand about the gospel. There is so much that can apply to us as God's children I had never really thought about. I am just glad that I have and that I took the chance to come out and serve. There is no substitue for what I have learned and the way that my testimony has been strengthened by my service. I know that I am not out here for me but I am seeing so many great miracles in my own life.
Even better than the miracles that I am seeing in my life are the miracles that I get to see in others lives. This past week we were able to meet with our investigator Leatha. It was awesome! Her husband Don was also able to come. They both really listened intently and then as we taught about the restoration and about Joseph Smith the spirit was so strong that you could have cut it with a knife. Leatha was really touched and was in tears as she lightened and then we asked her to give the closing prayers and she could hardly talk. It was by far the most spiritual experiance of my mission. We are going to be challenging both of them to a baptism date this week.
Another miracle is we had a lesson with a less active that was baptized about three years ago. He hasn't been to church for about 2 years. This past week we really challenged him to come to church after we taught about the plan of salvation and once again the spirit was so strong that you couldn't deny it. Well church started and he wasn't there... I was so sad. I really wanted him to come and make those steps back into the church. Well just after the the meeting started I looked over just as he walked in. He came and sat next to me. I was so happy.
It is really crazy how fast the time goes but I am so glad that I still have time to serve the Lord and really partake of this opportunity to share the gospel.
Thanks for all your love and prayers!!
Love YA'LL!
Dustin
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