New Companions

Week 10

This week has been a good one. To start it all off, I went a bought a new camera. It is a good one and I am excited to get you guys some more pics.

We were doing a lot of contacting this week and finally got an appointment with a family that is actually pretty close to baptism, or at least so they have said.  They lived here about 3 years ago and where taking the lessons but moved before they where baptized. Now that they are back we where able to get a lesson with them. In the first lesson on Thursday it was me and a elder form another district, while Elder Alvarez was doing some baptismal interviews, and i got the impression to ask her to be baptized. This was not part of the plan originally and as I was half way through the question she interrupted me and said yes and then explained the background  of them moving and all that. Only problem is that she didn't come to church this week (none of our investigators made it so we have to push baptisms back another week) and wasn't there for the next lesson. We will try again this week. The joys of missionary work.

Saturday was very interesting. I got invited to a big meeting for the leaders of the wards, well OK, my companion got invited since he is district leader and i just got to go too. It was with Elder Lopez, our area seventy, and he and President Flores are changing some things for how we do a lot of our missionary work (so heads up other Torreón elders).  We are gong to be focusing a lot on using the future investigators form and actually sitting down with every member and filling it out. In this form they right down everyone they know that could benefit form the gospel, nonmembers and less actives. then we go though each person and figure out what we can do to help them.  This has the potential of skyrocketing our baptism and retention rates, so I am excited to get started. And this is how it is suposed to be, my job is to teach, and the members to find.

Love you guys,

Elder Hokanson

Week 9

I think I might do a little shopping today. The last few days have been Buen Fin, the equivalent of a Mexican Black Friday. So most things are 30% off or more and since this winter is going to be colder than normal, I am going to stock up a bit.

I found out this week that my math skill are really only useful in English. I was trying to help Christian with a math problem and had no idea what is was talking about, even after i translated it. Needless to say, it was not a big confidence booster to how my abilities will be when i get home.

I finally got a letter this week that my mom sent me on my birthday. I laughed that it took so long since i got a email copy the day it was sent.

We have been struggling to find new people that will listen to us. We had a contact yesterday that that loved calling me ''gringo''. She liked a lot what we where teaching her and when we handed her a book of Mormon, she was afraid we would come back to get it from her.  Problem is she is almost never home but we wil see what we can do.    Christian's baptism got pushed to the 7th of december, just 2 days before exchanges so it is close.

Love you guys,

Elder Hokanson

Week 8

I think the main thing that I will remember about this week was the fact that it was COLD. I should have been expecting this since this is a desert and the temp. fluctuates a lot but I unpacked my coat form my suitcase and everything.

Everything is really beginning to just blur together and if i didn't have my journal, I would be lost. so here is my little push for keeping your personal record. Journal writing is our account of how we used the time we have been given. “When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates.”

–President Thomas S. Monson

We had a surprise in the last little while, we went to check the records of Christian's family and the record for his mom does not exist anywhere. salt lake or Mexico.  this means that according to the church, she was never baptized (even though we have a pic of her at the baptism, it is not enough evidence) and we will get 2 baptisms on the 30th. Excited doesn't seem to sum it up. 

Love you guys,

Elder Hokanson