Week 27 - "Well it was a good week to be in the hospital ....."

Editor's note:  The subject line above is the subject line of a blank email Elder Hobson sent to us Monday morning.  We received this letter that explained the subject line a couple hours later ...

I got my birthday package!  Thank you very much the cookies are really good as always :)

we went to the hospital 3 times including one today for elder alves.  He had a cunsultant for his epilepsy stuff then we had to go back and do some tests twice.  It was pretty cool but took up a lot of time.

This week was a good week and everything is going well here in Alverca.  We have some investigators that are showing a lot of potential right now and it will be exciting to see their progression.  We did have to spend a good amount of time out of our area in the hospital for Elder Alves' check ups which was unfortunate and make the work a little bit more difficult but we have gotten by it now.

We are getting to see the ward grow in strength quite a bit as the numbers in sacrament meeting have been growing every week.  We have had lots of inactive members coming back and it is really helping out the ward.  Also we had a lot of members that were able to go the the temple this weekend and that always is a special thing and we are already seeing the improvement in all those who were able to go.  One member that has been a member for 30 years but most of them have been away from the church becase of his word of widsom problems was able to go to the temple becuase he has come back and gotten his life put back together.  The day they got back from the temple he came up to us in the park (which he used to run from us becuase of his shame) and thanked me for being flat out with him and asking him when he is going to quit smoking a couple months ago one day in church..  he said it was a good wakeup call and he has proudly not smoked for quite some time now.

Everything is going well and we are looking forward to a week of being able to just work hard to finish up the month and come strongly into march.

On my birthday we have an integration activity put on by the missionaries in the ward and this week it is noite de HOT DOG.  So I guess I am going to have a pretty sweet birthday dinner.  But we do have a lunch appointment with a family that always gives lots of good brazilian food.   Also gelato is good but there is not much that can beat Chocolate Brownie Thunder.

The Phippens went home this sunday.  It was sad to see them go but I have their information and they live really close to BYU so if I go to school there I will have to go visit them there.  Fun fact right before this last mission which is number four for them as a couple Elder Phippen got a pace maker put in by the same doctor that gave one to President Monson.

That is funny that you mention the parable of the sowers because that is the parable that our ward mission leader is always talking about and it is really tough to be able to tell when the seeds we are planting are making it into the good ground and when we are just wasteing time trying to weed away the spines that are endless and are suffocating the progress of that person.

Ibe is having a rough time still with the same stuff.  It really is stopping his progression and it is really sad because he won't except the blessings because he is too stuck on those negative feelings that he has.  But on the first he will go to church so hopefully the fast and testimony meeting will touch his heart and he will make the decision.

We are teaching one guy who looks a lot like drew davis but has a speach impetement and has already joined the army and then a went to a monestary one of those crazy isolation study things.  but left becuse he couldnt handle it.  anyways he is really interesting and wants a lot of different things.  He is also got the mind of a child, but hopefully we will be able to help him find the gospel as a good path to pick and actually stay with so he can get his life going somewhere.

One quick experience is that we got to talk to a mother that had lost here mom a couple years back and she said that all she wanted in the world was to be able to see loved ones that have passed away again.  It was soo cool to be able to know and offer her the knowledge that that is really possible, and she was really open to recieve more visits from us.  I am so glad that we have the oportunity to have eternal families and that is really the greatest blessing that I can think of.  I always end up talking to people about that becuase I know if family is even close to as important to the people that we talk to as it is to me then nothing should touch their hearts more.  It is really special and the best part is that anyone can have it. 

I am so greatful for all of you and all the love and support that I have through my family.  You all are really amazing examples for me and I am more then willing to be away from you to serve the lord for a couple years becuase I know that in return he will give me an eternity with you all if I just keep on working.

Hope you all have a good week!

Com Amor

Elder Hobson