Week 25 Vintage Joey ....

Ok to answer those questions first.  We go to one sacrament meeting.  We are 6 missionaries assigned to this one ward.  all wards here have atleast one set all to themselves and all branches too.  there is a lot more missionaries per member here then at home.  they are less selfsufficient. Yes elder alves was here for a month before I got here. they sometimes have two new missionaries in an area and this is called a whitewash.  President tries to avoid it but it happens quite a bit still becuase of missionaries coming and going in the mission with different numbers so areas have to close and get opened all the time.

So things that you could do for me please.  get on my facebook and make sure that it is all totally public and put somesort of river picture on there so I can explain what I did for the members here. also they are trying to add me and see stuff and it isnt working so that could be verry nice to have.  Also  I want to see pictures of the house please.  If you can just send them on the emails I would love to see the weekly progress. and I can always move them onto a memory card and print them off here for pretty cheap too if I want or just look at them through my camera. Also did dad get his birthday card?  and one other update apparently matt might be getting slowly dear johned right now as jenna is asking about marriage advice with some other dude.  fun fact.

This morning started out pretty exciting when I started a grease fire making popcorn.  It is all good though becuase the smoke quickly cleared and the alarm stopped and the danger of burning the house down went out the window when I just chucked the pot out of our third story appartment building window. ahaha fun times when elder alves is in the bathroom.  I ended up making something less dangerous chocolate chip cookies.  Also I had fresh bakery bread that I bought warm with some expensive cheese and smoked salmon for lunch today going fancy thanks Dana!

So dad you did have a more busy Sunday then I did.  We had church then ward council which was hectic then an almoco with the ward mission leader and his family including his less active son that lives in england so that was cool.  then after some proselitismo and passing some people in our area we went to the sisters area for a FHE with an investigator family that they have.  They are africans and we had some Papa which is basically gritz to eat with fresh milk which was exciting a good lesson with the proclomation to the world about the family and then we danced.  HAha I have a video of the black african ladies teaching me how to shake it and move to the rhythm ahaha.  they kept trying to partner dance with me which is clearly not something that a missionary can do but they did snap a picture of me when the lady grabbed my hands for a few seconds.  It was a lot of fun and some really hardcore laughs and good memories.  

Ibe's visit went well this week with the Phippens. I love working with the Phippens they have so much knowledge and experience I always learn alot and sister Phippen always gives cookies. :) They brought some good positive material to help him with.  We will continue to focus on the Book of Mormon because he says that he does not have any issues with the book of mórmon and believes that it is true.  I will work on trying to get him to go to church here and make it ser that he can get baptised before leaving by making some more specific plans with him this week. 

We are trying to get our eternal investigators João and Rosaria to make some strides so that they can get married and baptised.  They are more then willing to come to chruch and know it is true so we will work on making them feel the urgency of repentance and the importance of getting on the path through baptism immediately.  We are using all of the ideas that we can in the missionary agenda to find news and we were able to have some sucess through family history and english class.  We will do what we can to get these new investigators to start progressing towards baptism.

I liked your comments about praying for a specific date with the house.  That is something that we are doing with Rosaria and Joao to help them get over the hump and get baptised.   It is always a good thing to be specific with the lord.  Like the brother of Jared and if it is his will he will show you some miracles.  But you have to have the faith that it can happen which is the hard part.

Scripture for the week: Alma 57:25.  We might get the snot beat out of us in this battle of life but in the end we will come out alive if we are faithful and obeidient to the Lord he will protect us and bless us with more then we can imagine. 

I will make sure to be praying especially for Hailey and Kyle this week and all of you else too as usual.  I love you all and wish you all an amazing week.  

Love Elder Hobson

Week 24 Staying in Alverca with Elder Alves

So this week was transfers and I am staying in Alverca with Elder Alves which is cool with me becase Alverca is a sweet ward.  If what happens what should make sence I would think that means that I will problably end up staying here for one more after that atleast to keep consistency so I am gald that I am really liking this area.  

So that is awesome that you are working hard on the Morning family prayer thing.  I know that it will be kindof tough but it definatly is worth a feather.  (as the direct translation for "worth it" is in portuguese)  and will help you all have better days and resist the temptations of the world.  I will make sure that in my morning prayers I am mentioning the house too.

Glad that the super bowl was sucess and that everyone sounds like life is good the house is going up quick and that big man jess is tearing it up on the hardwood!!!  Keep gettting more aggressive and faster and all that good stuff.  I will let you know about the white sauce but for now, I dont cook food really I just make biscuits and then buy oatmeal and fruits and veggies and the members do all the rest! vida boa aqui 

 This week we have really been trying to use all of our resources as missionaries so that we can have sucess in finding the truely elect of God.  It has been a challenge as we have been trying to clean out our investigator pool so that we can help those that really want to progess progess and find the ones that the Lord has already prepared.  Hopefully our prayers and efforts will be answered and we can start to have more new investigators that will progress.  We have been having lots of sucess from our aula de Ingles and hopefully we can continue to use that to strengthen our menos activos and our investigators that are coming to that. 

We have one investigator that is named Ibe.  He is a man that we pass by once a week to teach because he has been taught for a long time by the missionaries and has a desire to be baptised he just works on sundays.  His contract will end here at the end of the month and he plans to move to london and get baptised with his family if he can get over his doubts about blacks and the priesthood and poligamy.  He has an issue with sever comments that past apostles have made and has a notebook were he keeps all of them documented. He has had these discussions with many missionaries and african members but he still is holding the doubts.   We are really concerned that he can get past them so that he will go through with his baptism when he moves.  We are going to talk to Elder Phippen about visiting with us so hopefully that will be a sucess. 

So for the spiritual thought this week I have to first say that this week has been a tough week as far as success with our investigators.  More or less all of our marked lessons with people have been falling and we have been cleaning out or investigator pool because none of them were progressing.  It is really tough but it is missionary work and it never has been easy.  But thismorining I was reading about Captian Moroni and the chapter where it talks about how if everyone was like him that the devil would not have power.  I thought that it was really cool becuase I have never really studied the verses early on that discribe what kind of man he was.  I had to take a step back and look at myself to see where I really stand on each of those traits so that I can have the same power of spirt that they had.  When I get frustrated with lack of sucess I have to think about how the everyone has their freedom and I cannot force anyone to be more happy and accept eternal glory and endless joy.  But I know that i can control what happens with me and that I can only work harder and be more obeidient so that I can have a more powerful spirit with me as I teach.  

 I am excited to be able to continue to work here in Alverca and hopefully we will be able to have more baptisms and strengthen this amazing ward.  Love you all and have a an amazing week as always1

Love Elder Hobson

Week 23

Well this week was a little strange.  I was hardly in my area at all.  I started off the week with having to go to the office to do residency.  I am now officially legal to be here for the next year as a resident of Portugal. It was pretty fun to get to go to the office and I was there with one of the Elders from my district in the MTC that I haven't seen since the day that I got to Portugal 117 days ago.  Which is a long time but has gone by super fast.

We also did a division with the zone leaders this week and so I went with elder Dayton (who reminds me of Kyle Andrews with ADHD haha)  It was really fun and different he was cool and they live in a 4 elder house which is really different then what I am used to.  Unfortunatly I lost my  magnetic tag when we were running home so that we could be in the house on time.  I was pretty ticked about that but I got lucky and since I had ordered more tags last month I got the ones that I wanted and now needed the very next day at a training on weekly planning that was for all of the leaders in the mission and their comps which was pretty cool and super helpful.

As far as the rest of our week and weekend where we usually have the most sucess and get the most done, we spent the entire time helping the Elders from Povoa a branch that is here close with a wedding of one of their investigators and then a baptism that they had for 4 other investigators.  So it was a good weekend and always a pleasure to help out with stuff like that where the church is growing and being strengthened like that, but unfortunatly the wedding was porely set up and got out of hand. They showed up with a band and everything and after the cerimony the elders from Povoa peaced out and we were left there to try to keep things from getting to out of control and be responsible for the chapel.  It was a lot of work  and unfortunatly nobody really worked with the people to explain how weddings are done in the church so it went all day with a party and stuff.  On the bright side I got to see what a Portuguese wedding is like and learned that I do not want anything like it.  The only reason that the left when they did is when I got really tired of hereing their annoying music play over and over and faked a problem with the electricity so that the lights went out for a few minutes which made the band freak out about their equiptment and leave soon after with everyone else following quickly.  I was really glad when it finally ended and we got to get out and do some missionary work. 

But it was also really cool that since we have the baptismal font here for the area and also the keys to the chapel we get to help with all the baptisms that happen in the area and therefore we are at a baptism most weeks which is really cool to see, the only downside is that we lose time with our investigators filling the font and cleaning afterwards.

During my studies this week I have been reading in the Book of Mormon in Alma about all the missionary work that he and the sons of mosiah did.  There is so much that I can learn from the example they gave, but the  thing that was standing out to me the most was how confident they always were with the impressions that they were receiving from the spirit and how they always acted immediatly and confidently to follow the impressions that they recieved.  I know that they got that confidence from having a strong relationship with heavenly father through the spirit and through prayer. I know that it is throught that relationship that they were able to have the sucess and teach with the power that was nesicarry to touch the hearts of those people and always know where the lord would have them go.  I am greatful for my opportunity to go to the Lord and ask for guidance every day and I am able to see my confidence in my impressions of the spirit growing every day. 

Ohh also I wanted to challenge you all to pray as a family in the morining as well as at night.  I think that would be something that would be really good and it talks about that in preach my gospel and D&c 59:9 i think.

Well it has been a good chat and I am going to get out and run my fat butt around for a couple hours.  Have an amazing week.

com amor

Elder Hobson

Week 22 Luena's confirmation

So thank you for the stuff that you sent both the study materials and the card in the mail with the seminary stuff.   Very cool I loved it.  And as far as things that you can send me,  so food that is homemade and that is difficult to make with the very basic ingredients becasue that is all that I have and therefore cant make things that are more complicated.  So just moms food in those freezer packs is the best thing.  also I mentioned that one day about maple surup extract could be cool.

This week we were able to have the confirmation of Louena as planned and I was the one that did it!  It was really nerveracking becuase it was my first ever preisthood blessing in portuguese (I have given others in english to our senior elder phippen and sister fuller plus I have done the part with the oil a bunch in portuguese) plus the confirmation part and it was all in front of a ward of people in sacrament meeting.  Talk about a language test!!!  But it all went well and nothing came to me through the spirit that I didn't know how to say so it was smooth and it made good sence to me atleast.  So it was a really cool spritual experience.

This week I also got to teach about poligamy and blacks and the preisthood to one investigator that speaks english and it was while we were on a division with some members so I was all alone.  It was tough but it turned out right and he has already been taught that several times he just wanted to talk about it some more and feel more comfortable he still has plans to be baptised when he moves to england in feburary.

This week we worked hard but were not able to have the same sucess in numbers.  We had a lot of people that we had good lessons with in the street but were not willing to pray with us which was difficult but we will keep doing our best to get people to pray because if there is one area of my testimony that is strengthening quickly it is that of the importance and power of prayer.  I am really enjoying the study that we have as a mission right now.  I am really trying to do my best to use all the time that I have in these short two years to fulfill our purpose as best as I can so that I can be able to say that I did all that I could when I have the opportunity to report my life to our Heavenly Father.  And if there is one thing that I spend a lot of time doing every day it is praying.  So having a study so that I can have more effective prayers and be able to understand more the importance that they have is a blessing.  I have been trying to really focus on always haveing a prayer in my heart that we are doing the Lord's will, also praying for my companion when we teach, also that I will have the right words come to my mouth in the moment, and also we have been stoping more frequently in the day to pray together out loud.  Î have already started to see the extra blessings and guidance that is coming from doing that and I will continue to improve my prayers and therefore my relationship with our Heavenly Father.  We will keep doing our best to bring souls unto Christ through baptism this week and strenghen this ward.

So everything is going well here and I am healthy and well.

Love you all and Have an amazing week!!

Week 21 Luena's baptism

So a member here put some pictures of us on facebook from when we were
at her house for almoco on sister fuller's birthday if you want to
check those out her name on facebook is "Luciana Oliveira" She is a
big brazillian lady.

Also Dad can you get me some stuff like talks or tranings about the
difference between the power and authority of the priesthood?  It is a
discussion that I have had with a couple of my companions and I just
want to read a little bit more about it because I remember studying it
with you in priest quorum with Bishop but I forgot the details.

That is exciting about the news on the house.  Have fun digging at the
frozen ground.  you can think about how I am here walking around
without a coat on still every once in a while here still. and it is
nothing but beautiful weather here.

So this week we hit the standards of the mission and made it into the
presidents letter as one of the areas with the best numbers in the
mission this week and for hitting the mission standards.  Lots of
personal records for me this week and it was really fun and we have
been working really hard and having lots of success.  I was feeling a
little sick like a lot of the mission is right now because we just are
coming out of a pretty cold spell but we kept working through it and
are reaping the blessings of it now with the work and I am all better
now if not better then before.

This week was amazing. It helps me to recognize the importance of
planning. During our weekly planing getting ready for this past week
we named it the week of miracles and that is exactly what happened.
The baptism of Luena was awesome it was such a good feeling to see how
happy she and her parents were. It opened the door with a lot of their
family and friends that came to the baptism. We have some new
investigators and sent out some solid references as well. Her baptism
was awesome and we got a whole bunch of new
investigators from it in her friends and family and her dad wants to
work with us so he can come back and be a worthy priesthood holder
now.

For more of our miracles have just been some of the people that we
have been finding on the street. We have some very promising
investigators and it is really exciting to be a part of this progress
right now. We also have some young members that are preparing for
missions that work with us and after the baptism they are got really
excited and have a strong desire to grow the young men's program here.
We will keep working with them so that hopefully that can happen.

I think that all of this success has come as a blessing for our desire
and efforts to stay exactly obedient and do all that we can to become
menstres of Israel. We have been trying hard to improve and it is
going great and I am seeing the blessings. We had some tests this week
with some sickness but we pushed through it to keep working regardless
and I am so grateful that we did now that we are seeing the success of
heading out even when we may feel like we are too weak or need to
rest. I know that the Lord is really helping us and is answering our
prayers here. I love this area the people we have to work with and
working with Elder Alves. He is a great help to me and I am loving the
opportunity I have to only speak portuguese so I can learn the
language as well as work on learning to recognize and follow the
language of the spirit.

So sorry that all my letter is a little scattered and formatted
strange.   It is alot of copy and pasting so that I don't have to type
to you and the president and everyone else the same things.  but
hopefully you are getting all of the best information and it is
making sense.  This week has been really awesome and now we are kind of
worn out so we are going to go ahead and head home and rest now.
Thank you all once more for all of your love, prayers, and support.
It is really valuable and sacred to me that I have the family that I
do.  I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week.

Christmas 2014 pics

Christina's drawing of Lisbon that she sent to Elder Hobson for Christmas

Christmas Day

Christmas presents

Trioclilio family_Bete_Olave_Escolastica caroling

View from chapel on Christmas day

Week 20 Happy New Year 2015! (Joey will be home next year!)

So I got that Package from Dana and a package fom the haddons a well as a seperate christmas card from them as well.  Very Cool and thank you so much for both of them you guys are amazing.

And as for me and how new year went it was fun .  We got permission to stay out until 1030 which was crazy and we used that time to go to a members house that they had a party going on there. We have been getting really spoiled by everyone and it has been awesome.  But it will be good that the parties are coming to an end so that we can be out on the streets more working.  

We did not get to baptise maria becuase she just really is not retaining any information and we still are struggling with things of catholics.  We need to give her more time so that she really knows what she is doing. Yes with Maria we have plans to try to get on better terms and try to start teaching her children as well as some other plans that we have made with the bishop and our lider de obra.  I feel that this is what is best for her and that is all that we want becuase we have come to love her and just want to help her.  

We have a pretty firm baptism planned this week ( I realize that the last two have fallen).  It will be a nine year old girl of a member that has been inactive for some time but now is wanting to come back.  Her daughter already knows most all the basics becasue of being taught at home and in primary so it should be smooth.  

This week I have been taking time during my studies to read the talks from General conference again to learn from the words of the prophets more after that assignment to read the one talk.  I have found lots of guidance and powerful help in those words that I am greatful for.  Elder Alves and I have been really working hard on getting those scriptures down and not just doing practices to do them but to really improve our teaching and improve our spiritual power.  I have enjoyed working on the Mestre de Israel certification and Elder Alves has been a great help to me.  I know that this will help me be a much more effective missionary and we will be able to better fulfil our purpose with this knowledge.

I am loving every moment working here with him because we always seem to be excited about what we are doing.  We have a lot that we are trying to do to improve this ala and teach people and start baptising here.  As for my baptism goal for the year I am still working on coming up with a set number so I will try to get that to you by next week after a little more prayerful pondering.

So Elder Alves told a story about one of his companions and him praying to have difficulties as a message after almoco with one of our members.  I liked that and I have been trying to be better at being greatful for the challenges that I have in my life.  Remembering that we are here to be tried and that even when we are doing everything right we will still have lots of trials is something that is great to have in the back of my mind.

As a mission we have a study of the atonement that we are supposed to have as part of studies every day.  I have learned alot about how central that is to the lords plan and everything that we are and our entire existance.  The atonement is something that is hard to understand and comprehend because it is so extensive and universal but it is so personal and such a blessing to remember that there really was a time set apart for Christ to suffer for every rude word we ever say to our siblings and he felt all of our pain and hardships.  

I am feeling my relationship with my father in Heaven growing in my prayers.  Prayer is something that has been a part of my life for forever but has not been quite as meaningful and sacred as it is becoming for me now.  I am so greatful that we have the opportunity to talk with our heavenly father whenever we want.  I know that he loves us. 

Eu amo voces.  Fica firm no fé e como elder alves gostas de dizer fica Direct Man

Elder Hobson

Also we found the most Elect guy ever and he is really rich which is rare hopefully he will come to church.  I will let you know if we get to start teaching him.