Week 44 June 22

This week they have been getting a two week festival going here in the
town. There is tons of tourists and decorations and activities going
on all over the place it is crazy. They are partying until 4 or 5 in
the morning every single day right now.  We haven't really seen all
that much of the festivities though because we have been going out to
other little towns and country homes all week so that we can actually
get some work done.  But I do want to see something one of these days
since it is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity to see these
parties.  Street contacting around the city has been rough in the
mornings because everyone is either hung over or still drunk. but that
is not too strange here because 95 percent of people drink or smoke
here.

We have been working with two families that live right next two each
other and they both have the same problem.  One is the mother and
daughter want to get baptized and the other is just the Daughter, but
both of the husbands or fathers will not accept them being baptized.
It is really sad and frustrating as all three of them want to be
baptized, have strong testimonies and have good support from everyone
in the family except for the Fathers who will not even talk with us
and are the only ones that do not have a testimony about the church
because they will not even listen to us. The one that is just the
daughter is 15 years old and as she was basically in tears as she
couldn't be baptized I became so motivated to help her out to get that
approval from her father.  I cant help but thing about how Moms
conversion went down as I am teaching a girl that has the age that she
did when she joined.  I am so glad that Granny and Grandpa were
supportive and let you make the decision and follow what you wanted to
do.  I know that this is how families should be and I am so grateful
to have the amazing supporting family that I have from all of you.  I
was reading  the talk from last conference about freedom this morning
and how vitally important it is that we are free to believe what we
believe and that we should always respect the beliefs of others and it
really showed me how important and valuable our freedom is.  It makes
me sad when our loved ones, of all people, take away or suppress our
freedom to believe.  Clearly we should try and help them make wise
decisions because we love them but in the end it is so sad when that
basic human right is taken away by the people who should love you the
most.  So we are not going to quit on these girls.

To answer your questions first. mom a casual is a couple which is what
we call the senior couple missionaries.  And Dad the first thought
that came to my mind while I was reading your letter sitting on a rock
fishing was the story where Christ was called the Good Lord and he
totally rejected the compliment saying that only God is good. I think
that that is a pretty awesome show of humility that he wouldn't even
take the credit of being good.  As for an example of someone that is
humble after thinking about it for a while I think that the best one
is Geraldo from my first area.  He is a single guy in his 50s that had
an accident right after he got baptized into the church that stopped
him from going on a mission and almost killed him. But because of his
love for missionary work and the savior he continues to work all the
time with the elders and puts his personal life aside whenever someone
needs him.  He is probably one of the most dedicated members there but
his calling is basically a doorman during sacrament meeting. He really
fulfills everything he is given to the very best of his abilities and
gets little to no recognition or thanks but is always serving with a
smile.

Another example is Bishop mascuel martins in Alverca.  He has been
serving there as bishop for about 5 years often completely on his own
without councilors while raising a young family with two boys,
working, and being a full time student as well.  He does all that he
can to help the ward grow and sacrifices just about every spare moment
so that he can fulfill his responsibilities as a bishop.  He is always
trying to reach out to all the members and knows everyone very
personally even those who have lots of time away from the church he
has sought to get to know them and love them so that he can help them
in any way possible.  He is a quite humble man and one thing that I
admire about him is that he always is trying to get council and truly
listens and values the opinions of everyone.  If something doesn't get
done he will go and do it himself and I have never seen him become
angry or show that he is overwhelmed except for when he is joking.  He
and his wife end up cleaning the entire chapel by themselves most
weeks as the other members do not remember their assignments but he
just takes pride in his work making the lords house clean and giving
his time because of his love of the savior.  He reminds me a lot
becase of some shared qualities of Bishop Draney. Who is also super
awesome and humble.

I hope that that helps a little.   Humility is pretty amazing when I
know that Satan uses pride as a crafty tool to take down those who
have done well and are successful or trusted with important positions.

As for my comp.  Elder Thomas and I get along really well.  He is from
a small town out in the middle of nowhere southern utah.  He has 1
month less then I do in the mission.  He is pretty reserved and keeps
to himself which is awesome and we get along great.  I have to work to
get him to not let me take over the whole contacts though. We are
having all sorts of fun and maybe even a little too much as we often
end up talking while I work on a 500 piece puzzle of the SLC temple
until well after bedtime.  Which reminds me if you send a package soon
stick a journal in there please.  I am about out of space in my last
one and am having a tough time finding a new one.
.
Ola Presidente
My promise has to do with the number of news that we are getting
because that is what we know we need here in this area right now is to
fill our investigator pool.  So we had been working really putting it
to the grind to find as many people as possible, knocking doors,
searching out lost members and potential part member families, and
searching out new areas to expand our chances.  We were finding
interesting people but they were just not turning into solid new
investigators which was frustrating, but on Sunday afternoon it all
turned around.  We went to one area to follow up on some of the people
that we had talked to earlier in the week without a single firme
compromisso.  But after a couple of hours of follow up and procura we
were able to get 4 lessons and 5 new investigators that we are excited
to keep working with. It is amazing to me to see how the Lord will
test us to see if we are willing to keep pushing through the hard
times and lacks of success with a good attitude enduring to the end so
that he can give us the blessing that we have been working towards as
we pass. This is the Lords work and I am grateful to have the
opportunity to be blessed as I take my small humble place in his army.
Thank you as well for your dedicated service and leadership.
com amor
Elder Hobson

This week we are going to get to fly on over to the other island that
has missionaries on it because we have a zone conference with
president and sister fluckiger for the last time before they head home
at the end of the month.  So we are going to go there and after we
have the meeting we are going to get to see Sao Miguel a little bit
for the rest of the day because we are not coming back until the next
day.  So I am pretty excited for the little mini vacation, also
conferences are a lot of fun and just really get you pumped up.  And
apparently we are going to be going again here in a couple weeks when
the new mission presidents come in so I am just going to be in the
airport flying around like crazy.  Summer vacation out here on the
misson.  haha  Also tonight we are going to have a fish fry at the
chruch for FHE since we caught a bunch of fish today. Every day is a
new adventure and it always turns out interesting and lots of fun.

Hope you all are finding your own adventures too.
Love
Elder Hobson.

Week 43 June 15 First week in the Azores

Wow first off sounds like everyone is staying super busy and that you
are all getting a running start going on your summer.

So I do not know the mailing address that you can use yet.  The
mission office is still where I would send packages and stuff becase I
dont know what would happen if they seised it if you send it directly
to me.  But as far as letteres I will try and get the address to our
house figured out.  But also with all the changes in the mission there
will be some people going back and forth from the continente that
could get letters for me more or less quickly right about now.

Today for P day we went fishing with one of our crazy members here in
the ocean which was super fun.  I of course caught the biggest fish
and I put the pictures in the drop box to prove it.

The bull runs with that rope around the bull are crazy and we are
always hearing the cannon go off letting everyone know that it is
starting.

So this week we were teaching a lesson to several of the newer members
here in a FHE at the chapel and we were talking about the reason that
we need to always forgive people and why that is such an important
christlike attribute to give people forgiveness.  (there is a big
gossip interbranch relationships mess here)  I was thinking about how
it would be if Christ just decited that he didnt want to forgive us
for our offenses and how horriblely hopeless that would be.  I know
that if we are really preparing to recieve all of God's blessings we
need to be atleast able to let stupid things go and not hold grudges
against people.

In the branch here it is really different what the people are  used to
then it was in alverca.  They just kindof do their own thing and let
the missionaries do thier thing and then wonder why the people that
get baptised end up dissapearing.  So we are going to change that
which I have already basically started giving traingings to the
leadership here as to how things are supposed to go and stuff. It is a
new experience and I am grateful for the blessing of knowing how
things should work so that I cam help them go that way here too.
Ola Presidente
Well we came in this week to a basically dry pool of investigators so
we have been working this week to get to know the area and finding
someone to teach.  We have also been working so that we can develop
good relationships with our members so that we can start working
together here and get things running smoothly so that we can begin to
see growth here though baptisms that stay.  We have been working a lot
with trying to find some of the many menos activos that we have here
and through that we have found new people to teach including some part
member families that are interested.  This area has lots of potential
and I am excited to be able to work with these people so that we can
see this branch be strenthened and come together in this great work.
com amor
elder Hobson

One last thought.  The young women here are raising money like crazy
so that they can go to the temple for the first time.  I think it is
easy to forget how special that is and how privilaged we are to have
temples in our back yards.  I hope that we all take advantage of that
enormous blessing becuase these girls have been fundraising all year
long selling cupcakes door to door and doing all sorts of other things
as well.

Thats all the time I have this week love you all!!
Elder Hobson

Week 42 I AM GOING TO THE ACORES!!!!

I am flying out today and everything!!  I am so excited but I am
really going to miss the people of this ward.

Editor's note:  The "Acores" are the Azore Islands about 850 miles west of Portugal out in the Atlantic

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azores

Week 41 - Last letter from Alverca

Well this sould be that last card that I get to send home from
Alverca.  We have transfers next tuesday and I would be shocked if I
stayed another transfer. I am excited to find out were home will be
next and which will be my mission.  This week we have been already
kindof haveing goodbye parties and everything with the members and
everything becase Sister Camacho is going home tomorrow.  She came in
to Alverca on the same train with me and I have now been with her for
a little bit more then a third of her mission.  She is super cool and
I have learned a lot serving with her and being her leader.

Today we went to go see a bull run in the streets but we got there at
the wrong time and they were not going to start running them again
until the evening... Stinking lunch break on everything. I did make
the lemon bars and they did not come out very well...

This week we had a crazy experience dropping Paula.  She completely
lost her mind and was weeping and wailing litterally almost screaming
because we are going to stop visiting her.  It is sad becase she knows
that this is the true chruch and that she needs to join it to get
eternal life but she will not forget about the ties and
responsiblities that she has in the catholic church.  She tried
running at me to get a hug and I gave her a straight up stiff arm
because I was honestly scared with all of her makeup running down her
face and everything.   It was a pretty funny experince to be honest
and more dramatic then a spanish soap opera.  Pretty nutts.

The greatest manifestation of the spirit in my work this month has
been through my prayers. I have really been pleading for help to know
how I can best help out my district, my companion, our investigators,
and our members all be strenghened.  I have been doing all that I can
to recognize the promptings of the spirit and trust in them so that I
can be an effective tool and servant in the hand of the Lord.  It may
not be one specific moment that the spirit filled the room that I
remember the most and touched me the most but it is the realization
that the of pure revelation where the spirit has comfirmed to me what
it is that I need to do to fullfil my purpose and help those around me
come unto Christ.

I am not going to lie I will miss being here and I will never forget
all the people that have become so much a part of my life here in this
ward and area. I am greatful for every day that I have been able to be
here.  I definatly know that I am leaving alverca a different
missionary and a different person then I was when I got here.   I have
learned so much about what it means to serve in a ward and really love
the people that you are serving.

I had a hard time bearing my testimony for the last time to my
district in district meeting last week.  It really made me realize how
blessed I really am for this opportunity that I have had to serve here
and be able to work with SO MANY sisters.  I am excited for all the
changes in all your lives, but also to see that somethings never
change.  I love you all

Elder Hobson.

Week 40 teaching Matt from Colorado!

First off Nathan looks like all the kids that run around out here with
that nice soccer lacross haircut.  I cant believe that tyson got
hitched!  Also that is cool that you are a ward missionary.  does that
mean that you are going to be going out to work with the elders there
a lot?  and it is about time that amanda got to go and do the adult
stuff instead of being assigned baby sitting duty.

This week we as a district we decided to fast and pray that we could
mark people for baptism. And during our fast we had 2 people accept a
date. Unfortunatly neither of them came to church and then fell. I am
still grateful for the experience that we had to show us all that the
Lord will answer our prayers and that we can and will have sucess. I
have seen the power of recent converts in finding new people to teach
recently. They have such a desire to share the new joy of the gospel
that they have in their life with everyone especially those people
that they love with family members and closest friends. I believe that
to be the key of real gowth as we can help new or weak members switch
roles and be the ones teaching and inviting, helping them to truely
live the gospel.

This week studing to meet with a guy named MATT from COLORADO who is
studying to be a preacher I have been really trying to expand my
knowledge of the spirit world and of the preisthood and why everything
is the way that it is.  Teaching him and studying the scriptures with
him makes me deeply grateful that we have modern profets and
revelations that we can always rely on to clear up those areas that
are sometimes not the easiest to get out of the scriptures (especailly
when you do not have the Book of Mormon or Doctrine and Covenants)
But anyways the church is true and even though he has studied the
bible for years and everything even to the point of learning greek so
that he could read the bible in greek he still does not have to
clarity and surity of things that we have and only can get through the
spirit and modern revelation.

So today we had a district p-day and we went into lisbon and I had to
lead the group around to see some things but I really had no idea what
I was doing because I had never been there before and it is really
hard to keep all them sisters happy   and everything but it was pretty
fun and in my fake confidence wandering around down there we say some
cool stuff and it kindof seemed like I knew what I was doing.  Good
stuff.  But anyways it did kindof cut short on the old mailing time
today.  So basically I love you all!!!  I am happy and healthy!

Love Elder Hobson