Week 66

Hey Momma!!! I am so excited for the move into our new house!  :)) It looks sick! So as you were talking about all the miracles that happen I couldn't help but think that this scripture is great in regards to that. At times it seems that the miracle is going to come, but then BOOM! It is right there when we need it the most. 

Ether 12: 6 "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith."

Well I am glad things are moving forward with the move! How is Ashlyn and Brock doing!? How did her birthday go? Did she like the card that I made for her? :)

How has the gym been going? You look great! :) I am excited for you and the progress you are making! I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! 

Well this week we got a lot of stuff done! Nothing to crazy we got shut down a lot by people lol but the Lord recompensed us and we saw some really cool things!! But something that was super cool is the miracle that I had at the MCRD this past Sunday! 

So the week before my recruit named M*** Tatakamotonga (yes that is a real last name lol) was having an extremely rough time to the point that he was willing to do literally everything to get out of there. 

dang it I am out of time!!!! 

Well when I saw him last week he was completely changed! And he said he will get baptized! :))

LOVE YOU!

Week 65

Hey everyone! Here are some pics from the hike that we did last week! I hope you all are doing well!

Love Elder Hays

Elder Karlinsey (My Companion) and I

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This is my "Spuddy" Sister Hughes! I am sad to see her go back to Idaho next Tuesday!

Elder Velez was scared! hahaha

Week 64

It was definitely a cool Pday last week. It reminded me of when we went to the aircraft carrier in JAX. It was definitely a cool miracle that we had last week! Miracles are definitely what keep me going, but Elder Ballard told us that they shouldn't be called miracles, because when we work for the Lord it is a part of the job description lol. Yeah we have lots of meetings. As Zone Leaders we help run the missionary work for the stake so we are constantly in contact with the stake president and his councilors. Then we have other meetings. It is definitely crazy, but I love it. 

The new mission president is AWESOME!! I love him and his family sooo much! We had interviews with him last Thursday and since we are there setting things up, and taking care of everybody from 8a-4pm we decided to take me and my companion out to get California Burritos hahaha. He absolutely loves taco shops haha. He is such a cool, down to earth guy. He really knows how to get stuff done, he is bold, yet humble. I have a lot of respect for him and I am super excited to be able to work alongside him in the service of the LOrd. His wife is just as equally awesome she served a spanish speaking mission in CA also, and she can throw down using the scriptures and inspire you. They are such a powerhouse family. I am excited to go over and play ping pong with their kids soon hahaha. My companion is alright. I have been serving around him since thanksgiving, but he has only been my comp for 3 months. He actually finishes his mission in 2 weeks. One of the hard things that I have had to learn on my mission is how to work with a companion. It is hard because I am so used to just getting it done by myself and being accountable for myself. So I am grateful to be learning these treasures now so that when it is time for me to be married I have already learned how to live with someone, but even then, I won't be with my wife literally 24/7 lol. Transfers are on 08/05 so I am anxious to see who my new companion will be. I am pretty sure that I will not be leaving Bonita just yet. I have been here since April and it is flying! I love it here. It definitely has some things that drive me bonkers, but on the other side there is a lot of things that are special. 

Going to the Midway was fun! But honestly just throwing the football around is a huge stress relief! So that is why I am totally down for sports :) Today we are going hiking though!! :) I told dad about my comp in my email today so ask him ;)

Of course I have some cool stories for yall!!!

Wednesday:

We went and saw Mirna in the morning and she is still super solid and preparing to be baptized on 08/23! She is having a really hard time because she works overtime at 2 jobs to pay for everything her kids dad lies with them and he doesn't do squat, but she is still pushing forward. Her kids also have Autism and she has to take care of them on top of everything else, she is definitely a trooper. 

Later on in the afternoon we had a meeting with the missionaries at the MCRD and the senior missionaries brought catered food from this expensive restaurant and it was bomb!!! YUMMY!

Then we went and saw the "Chicken guy" and during the lesson all his chickens kept flying into his huge Mexican afro lol. I need to get a pic with him! 

Thursday:

Interviews with President Schmitt. We were there at the stake center from 8a-4p and then we had our meeting with him and the stake presidency and we had to teach the stake ward mission leaders training all from 6:30p-9p and between that we had a meeting/dinner with bishop and the other missionaries lol So thursday was shot! But Pres. bought my companion and I burritos and we ate with him lol

Friday:

 We had so Jehovah's witnesses knock on our door and try and bash with us and that was pretty funny. You should try it once lol, but they never get anywhere lol We had a dinner appointment with the Bugarin family and we had deep dish chicago style pizza with super good Kale salad. But with more important things in mind there was a cool miracle with this family. So during my personal study I had the random impression that we needed to teach them about temples and see where they are at. Keep in mind they are a part member family and they had been less active for most of their and the kids life until last year. So we talked about temples and the husband (non member) got super excited and told us he wanted to go to the temple as a family the next day! It was cool because he is always super nice, but doesn't seem interested and it was cool for him to have a brief change of heart. So on saturday it was the first time ever that the whole family was there at the temple. It was super special. 

Sunday: 

MY RECRUIT (Samuel Hamilton from AZ) GOT BAPTIZED!!!!! :) 

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I am doing good, I am having more energy thanks to the surgery and running every other morning. Still get tired sometimes, but that is normal. I have gained like 5-7lbs from all the mexican food I am getting. My diet has been shot lol but I am not complaining ;) Now of course it is super stressful being a Zone Leader, but i have learned how to manage my stress. Sometimes I just got to take a breather, but overall i am good! :D But mom I have more than a 1/4 left lol I dont go home until April 14th 2015 lol hahaha

but I gotta go! LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder Hays

Week 63

Hey Everyone! I just wanted to send you some pictures from earlier today! We were at the USS Midway which is named after the World War 2 Batlle of Midway against Japan. We had a lot of fun today! I hate writing mass emails because they aren't personal but it took up a lot of time so that is why my emails will be short today! Sorry! :) 

Love, 

Elder Hays

Rock Beats Scissors

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Sisters Hughes and Nielsen

​I met Batman!!!! You gotta love San Diego! 

Well I only had 30 minutes to email and I have about 15 mins left for email you. We went to the USS Midway and with traffic and everything it ate up a lot of time! 

I am really soooo happy to see our new home! You gotta send me some more pics and the stats on the house! :)) I am soo excited for yall! You have a lot of work to do lol. 

But real quick i think I only have time to share this quick but special miracle! So I was on exchanges with Elder Dietrich in my area. We had gotten a call from the sisters a couple of days ago saying that a random lady called and wanted to meet with the missionaries, but that she lived in our area. So we went by, and it was crazy!!! We get there and immediately you could feel how prepared she had been and how she wanted to learn. Never before have I met someone with so many desires to repent, without even hearing our message. She just kept pouring her heart out and kept saying she wanted to change this this and this about her life. She started off saying how she kept going to all these different churches and never felt "good" about them and feel that they didn't have authority to perform ordinances like baptism. Then after we talked about how God the Father and Jesus Christ are 2 separate beings, about Prophets, Christ Church, Priesthood, and Joseph Smith. She said to us wow that makes so much sense and how the feeling she had was indescribable and she had never felt at peace like she did at that moment. So I told her that God wanted her to act on those feelings and for her to follow Jesus Christ so that she can feel free from her past sins. So I then lovingly, and boldly invited her to be baptized and she accepted immediately and kept telling us how bad she wants it! :)) So that was super cool!

I have 3 minutes left so i am going to make this next one quick. Yesterday us and the English Zone Leaders went out to lunch while we were working on the stake packets for our meeting Thursday night that we have every month. We said a quick prayer before that we would be able to see a miracle during lunch since we were out of our areas for most of the day doing these packets. Then these 2 guys at the table approach us and ask us to teach them and they were super solid and committed to read the Book of Mormon! It was sooooooooo sick!!! These guys were soo prepared! :) What do you know about miracles? ;) 

Tell Ashlyn " HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" 

Love you all,

Elder Hays

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Week 62

Well Mom I am so sorry for not sending you a card for your birthday, this week has been terrible. Just with all of the moving and cleaning. Missionaries had been living in that apartment for 4 years and they had so much crap in there left over the years that it took us 3 days of non stop cleaning and moving crap. In between it there were so many important and long meetings we didn't even get much time in our area. Then on top of that we all got sick! :p so this week was stressful, but the week looks promising. We just need to get healthy. So all in all, I absolutely had no time to do anything this week. :p I am sorry! 

So what did you all do for the 4th of July and for your birthday? We had a member invite us over and we had some awesome burgers and fruit. It was good! Then we just went and crashed! Luckily the members have been hooking us up with some medicine. We will just keep pushing forward! 

What was really cool is that we were able to have 4 investigators at church this Sunday which is a lot for this mission. Even though we only had time to see those people the Lord blessed us by having them coming to church!

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Now here is a super cool miracle that happened! (I am including a string of Emails all dealing with a woman that I taught in Hillcrest named Alicia) 

Alicia's baptism last Saturday in Logan Heights

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>>>   [Elder Hulet]  "Couldn't have happened without you! Thanks Elder Hays!

>>>    [Me] "Thank you so much Elders. She is such a special person. Her story is definitely a miracle. All starting with weeks of not finding anybody to teach and weeks of tracting with no success. Then one day we say this Mexican lady outside, we contacted her and lo and behold we found that apartment complex full of Mexicans one of the very few in that part of the area. Then we knocked on Alicia's door, but it was her mom, that answered. Her mom Gloria had been watching the kids while Alicia was in SLC for work. We started teaching the mom and she was reading from the Book of Mormon and committed to being baptized, then she moved back to Mexico a couple days later. We then came back and started teaching Alicia. Ever since then the gospel has been a part of her life. Thank you so much for all your hard work with nurturing the seed of faith that was in her heart and supporting her on her way to make a sacred covenant with our Heavenly Father. Thank you. Since day one I have pictured her in white in the baptismal font and one day in the temple. On Saturday half of that dream came true. Thank you." 

>>> [Elder Hulet]   "The day you (Elder Larsen my previous companion) and i were teaching the word of wisdom and she figured out she had cancer and was super humble changed everything. She was just ready to accept what was coming her way. The Wednesday after you left we went with Pres. Lopez to give her a blessing and teach. Pres. Lopez went so hard and the spirit was so strong she immediately felt accepted and was so open to a baptismal date (after she attended three times, she said "then we will talk" haha) she cracks me up so hard i love her. She casually set a baptismal date for the 28th of June and progressed toward it. She came to church for the first time with her two ninas it was a special day. Had to go march the next Sunday and has come all of the Sundays she has committed to which have been the past 3. She accepted Thomas s. Monson as a prophet after we watch the lords errand and the medinas helped sooooo much! They testified of the restoration and of Joseph smith and hno. medina gave her a blessing the day before her surgery. She has completely recuperated and i am convinced that god sent that to her for a reason. She has gone up and down with her education and a lot of trials have come because of it. The girls went down to mexico for the summer and she has been super lonely. But lesson after lesson and visit after visit she was getting more and more prepared. the wow was taught in Sunday school and she accepted it and we went and followed up with the browns and she took it pretty hard that she had to stop drinking coffee (apparently we didn't make it clear that you have to stop to be baptized :) she was upset but she spent the following week working really hard and has not had coffee and says she feels so much better.) She loves her girls and is trying so hard to overcome this part of her life to bring stability to them. The Lord has prepared her for this time and i know she is going to make it! The baptism was beautiful, hermana medina and elder mcchesney spoke and it was a great spirit in the room. We did it at Trojan and basically the whole ward council was there! It was a great turn out and she felt a lot of support. The morning of she actually got in a fight with a friend that was trying to take her to a picnic the day of her baptism. CRAZY.  She said she felt so peaceful and was mingling after with the ward members. Her confirmation was awesome and she brought a friend with her to church. She is doing wonderful and sent me a text saying how she was running and she came to the top of a hill and the sun was shining and she told God she would turn her will to his and she was tired of fighting against the world. She wants to be so much more positive and expressed her gratitude for all that has happened. It was a sweet moment and there is so much light in her future!"

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So that really made my day I mightv'e had a couple of tears seeing this picture. It is crazy to think off all the hard work and the prepared people that were in my last area. I am so proud to have been the Lord's Instrument for those people. I don't say this to look down on the elders after me, but they took the elders out and dissolved the area into other areas of other missionaries. So there aren't really any missionaries there now, because they felt that there was no more work... It is just a crazy thought 

Well I love you all and hope you can find a home! you all are in my prayers! :)

Love Elder Hays

Week 61

This week was good and bad lol. I mean it we had some awesome miracles, but also some very stressful situations. 

Wednesday we had transfer meeting. Although Elder Karlinsey and I are staying the same we as Zone Leaders we are asked to go since there are changes in our zone. Nothing to crazy happened, we just have 2 brand new sister missionaries in my district. They are pretty cool. 

Afterwards was pretty good, we had AMAZING FOOD! We had Tacos de Carnitas (shredded pork) and they were absolutely bomb!!! I couldn't get enough of them! Then she made us Choco-Flan! OH MY GOODNESS it was amazing! it basically is chocolate cake with Flan (I dont know how to describe it) on top. She is a baker and it definitely showed! :) then we taught the guy with all of the chickens after. Then we help one of our investigators move everything out of her storage (Kinds stressful lol). Then we got randomly fed again by another family that night!

Then Thursday was an extremely nuts day (good and bad)!! We had an appointment with an investigator in the morning and she wasn't there. So went around trying to find some people home, no one was home. Then we both had the feeling that there had to be someone that needed us at this specific time, because we usually don't visit people in the morning. Then i had the prompting to visit Carolina a referral that previously wasn't interested. I thought it was weird, but we decided to go for it. Ended up being that she gave us 15 mins to talk to her, but at the end she prayed and started crying. She told us how this morning she was praying and didn't know what path she should go down in her life...then we showed up... yeah THE CHURCH IS TRUE!! hahaha

We then visited another golden investigator named Crystal. She she is awesome she is trying to reactivate her future in-laws and she wants to get sealed after she is married and baptized. so we were teaching her then we asked her if she would get married on July 18th then baptized the next day and she said yes!!! She also came to church this past Sunday and asked the Bishop to help her get ready to be married! She did this all on her own to! 

Then we went and visited the Garcia Family, the son just got baptized last Saturday :). Elder Karlinsey and I were on splits and i was teaching their son Edgar and his Girlfriend Yutzue, they are the 16 year old couple with the baby that I gave a blessing to while I was in Hillcrest, remember? Well she completely opened up and talked about how she wants to get baptized and married so that they can be the best example for their baby. She also committed on getting baptized July 19th!!!!! 

Now here is the extremely stressful part... During that lesson with the Garcia family... The bishopric counselor and EQ counselor came by and spoke with the parents during our lesson. Long story short, the 2 of them convinced the family to change everything about the baptism all because it wasn't announced in ward council or in sacrament meeting. The reason why is because they didn't read the form that had all the baptismal info in the ward council meeting. They also were interrupting our lesson by pulling us off to the side, all while Yutzue is crying and bearing her soul to me, and accepting a baptismal invitation. UGH!!! anyways it all got fixed! And we talked to the 2 guys and we are all cool now. but that was freaking stressful out the WAZOO!!

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  My New Mission President!!!

Yeah my mission president is awesome!! Well I love you all soo much!!!!

Love, 

Elder Hays

Week 60

Thank you all so much for your birthday wishes! It was such a great birthday and I was able to feel the love! Well I had 2 parties! The night of my birthday the Gutierrez family threw me a party! Then my recent converts threw me a surprise birthday party last night! It was so great! Here are some pictures that I wanted to share with you all!

The Gutierrez Family

I had a great birthday! Church and the MCRD were normal. But what was funny is what the other missionaries got me as gifts. The trio of sisters gave me a mini barbie doll because they said it looked like Ashlyn haha and Sister Oliver (The blond sister missionary from Calexico, that you were asking me about on mother's day) got a gift! Last year her and her companion got me a little box of jiffy corn muffins so this year she put another one in my mail box at the mission office!

She is really funny. 

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So for the day of my birthday we went over to the Gutierrez family's house and they made me "caldo de res" which is like a beef stew, but mexican style, and SUPER GOOD! so that was yummy and she also made us quesidillas and it was good. They sang me happy birthday and then we had cake and it was super good! :)

So then last night. What an awesome experience. So.. We were at a mini ward activity at the bishop's house for a sister missionary that finished he mission today and we were having  a good 'ol time and then Yazmin calls us and tells me that her neighbor needs a blessing before she went to the doctor later that night, so we told her we would be there in 20 minutes. We then said our goodbyes to everyone and had to take the elders home. It took forever to do all of that so I was tripping and trying to rush everyone to get to the blessing in time, since this lady has never asked for a blessing before. In the car i kept thinking to myself 'we are so late, elder Karlinsey should've hurried and now because of him we are 20 minutes late and the opportunity will be lost and we are losing Yazmin and the neighbors trust.' I was pretty frustrated lol then we get to the parking lot and a kid opens the gate for us and I start running to their door and elder karlinsey is just taking his sweet time and then I see the curtains closed and the lights of, door closed, and I think to myself ' crap she is probably lying on the floor about to die, all because we are sooo late'.. then they open the door and SURPRISE!!! It was a birthday party! FOR ME!! I totally wasn't expecting it, because on Saturday Yazmin and them said they would be in LA until Thursday, and when they called they said they were home early, but any way i just was not expecting it! and my companion was in on it the whole time!!!  That punk! All the neighborhood kids were there lol and my recent converts (Her and her 2 kids) It was soo nice. They even got a cake designed and had balloons up. It was soo cool! Oh the reason why the candles are the number 85 is because they didn't have any other candles in the house. i had such a great memory and i will never forget it!. 

Well i love you all!!!!!

Elder Hays

Week 59

Hey Mommy! 

Have I ever told you how wonderful you are? Well you and absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for the birthday gifts! I got the football and the shorts, thank you!! :) They are perfect!

WELL CONGRATULATIONS ON SELLING THE HOUSE!!!! The house that you sent pictures of is beautiful! Is that in St. John's county? because that is amazing!!!!!! I would never leave that house lol. you would be stuck with me forever. hahahaha Well this week was pretty cool Yazmin got baptized!! She is so happy so now the whole family is baptized and they are working on getting sealed together in the temple! I am so proud of them!!! :D The baptism went great. The spirit was super strong and I won in rock paper scissors against my companion so i had the reward of performing the ordinance. So that was really special. WE ARE DEFINITELY VISITING THEM AFTER THE MISH!!! (They can speak english lol) Also have you gotten her friend request? She has been trying to get in contact with you, after the baptism she was really happy and wanted to send you a picture of her baptism, so I gave her your cell number to text the pic. I really hope you don't mind. I apologize for not asking first, but since it dealt with your baby (That's me lol) I figured you would appreciate it :)

This week was bleh like usual good of course, but nothing super big to report. But Sunday was good (FOR ONCE! :p).

MCRD:

Well 2 of the recruits I am teaching are graduating this friday so I had my last lessons with them. It is sad that they are leaving but it is good, they both plan on getting baptized in their hometowns so we will see if they actually do it hahaha. I ain't trippin though. But I had a really unique experience though! I have a new recruit that I am teaching who is straight from the Navajo reservation in Arizona!!!!! It is kinda a funny thing. So 2 weeks ago i was introduced to him by a member of the branch presidency, and I asked him "Would you like to learn more about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ?", he looks at me and waits, then quietly and politely declined. So I thought he wasn't interested. So then this past week, he came to church again, and i was so confused. Then a senior missionary comes up to me and said he was interested! So I thought that was great! So I pull him off to the side where it is a little quieter and we start to talk. I then find out he is straight from the Rez! The thing is, he knows nothing about God, Jesus Christ, The Spirit, nothing! Absolutely 0 about Christianity. I say all this because i think it is awesome! Like if you were to read in Alma 22 Ammon teaches the Lamonite King Lamoni and even the King believed in a great spirit! Monroe (that is the recruit's name) only knows about Navajo traditions! But it is amazing how some o f the traditions are based off of old testament beliefs! I had never had to teach so simply. 

All in all it was so difficult, but it was such a great experience :) He said the reason why he goes to our church is because i stumbled upon it, because he didn"t know where else to go. So that is such an evidence of God's hand in this. He also say he feels so good at church and that is why he came back. he had no idea why he felt this way (because he has no idea what is going on lol) then he said his first prayer and then afterwards he just look sat me and say "I have never felt this good before" and you could tell that he got rocked! :D Well i love being a missionary! It is the best decision of my life! I also realized that the reason why he declined the first time is because he had no idea what I was asking of him lol! :)

Love you and thank you for the bday wishes!

Elder Hays

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Week 58

This was definitely "HELL WEEK" :D hahahaahahaahaha we had meetings up the yin yang! But it was a week full of miracles and we should have 2 baptisms this Saturday! Her name is Yazmin Alvarez (Formerly Contreras, she just got married 2 weeks ago so she could be baptized!) She also wants you to add her on FB so she can send you pictures ("Yaz Alvarez").  

I am glad you got the picture! I am always happy lol! even though I get stressed out lol I am always happy! :D Tell all the kids that I miss them! They are the coolest kids in the world!

Things in my area have been good. This past week despite all the meetings and planning we got to teach a good amount. We had a lesson with Chris (The ex-Boyfriend of Yazmin's daughter). They are all on good terms.Since Chris lives with all of them Kathy (the daughter) (who also got baptized in April with her brother Chuy) had to break up with him so they can be keeping the law of Chasity so she could get baptized. Anyway we went over and it was just him and we were able to ask him about his testimony of the church. It went awesome and the spirit was definitely there, we read with him about Captain Moroni he loved it and says that he wants to be someone in life and he knows that it comes through baptism! So Chris and Yazmin should be getting baptized this Saturday, if not Chris will be baptized next week the 21st. 

Then Friday (06/06)  we had our Zone Conference (conference not meeting, they are different, yes it is confusing haha) It was the last on that the Clayton's will be having! It was a pretty good 6 hour training lol but nonetheless it is sad to see them leave. It ws weird though because President gave sister Clayton permission to hug all the Elders and for him to hug the Sisters so that was weird to see hahaha!

Then right after the conference we went out to contact a referral that we had received and it ended up being a pretty sick miracle! We get there and she was already waiting at the door. She told us how her less active mother in law took her by the temple after a food fair that they had and then Crystal gave her info to the missionaries there and that is how we knew to go see her. So she starts to tell us how her future in laws were sealed in the temple but are less active, and how she wants to reactivate them! Which is super cool because Crystal of course is not a member. Even cooler though is that Crystal told us right off the bat that she wants an Eternal Family! Elder Karlinsey and I looked at eachother and I said, well we are the right people for the job. So she wants to get baptized! We have another appointment with tonight so we will follow up and prepare her for baptism somewhere around July 19th.

Then Saturday (06/07) was the father's day BBQ, the food was delicious! we had carne Asada AGAIN! That is all Mexicans eat is Carne asada tacos hahaha with rice and beans but it is so good! Well as you SHOULD REMEMBER ;) I met the Garcia family (My recent converts, just in case you didn't remember ;) )  in Calexico were found at my first father's day party in the mission. So I was expecting a miracle of course haha. Well I got just that, so there is a lot of back story so i am going to try and keep it simple to understand. 

So last January Elder Larsen and I got a call to give a baby a blessing that was in the hospital in our area. So we went. It was for a young couple of 16 years old and and their newborn was experiencing heart and lung problems. So I gave the baby a priesthood blessing, then we left to let them and the rest of the family rest. 

A couple months afterwards I bump into a lady at the Trolley station and she says that I look super familiar and that she knows me from somewhere. I didnt recognize her at the time. She said that she was a member of the Bonita 3rd ward. I told her that I have never served there, but she kinda looked familiar. We just could figure out how. 

So then this past April once I arrived in Bonita 3rd ward I saw her in sacrament meeting and we laughed how we met again. Still we didn't know how we knew each other. I also saw her son and his girlfriend with their little baby, and I didn't think much of it. 

Then we were at the party and we see this family we sit down with them and they said to me *(in spanish of course lol) "Elder Hays, we all finally remember how we know you, you gave the baby a blessing when he was in the hospital!" then BOOM I remembered! They continued, "we realized this in a funny way. we noticed that everytime the baby sees you, he stares at you, and every time he sees you or hears you speak he starts to have this huge smile. Then after a few weeks of this we put it all together." I was floored! Then the mom said, "Elder Hays we have a son who is 9 that is not baptized, who are his elders?" They are in our area! and the funny part of the miracle.... they are ANOTHER GARCIA FAMILY!! (Not related to the ones in Calexico though). So we will be having a baptism for their son Yael at the end of this month!  Isn't that crazy! Oh yeah they told me that the baby was released a couple of days after I had given the blessing and he is happy and healthy now.

This work is true!

Love Elder Hays

This is a picture of my zone after Zone Conference

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Week 57

Well this week has been super crazy! (When is it never not crazy!?)

Wednesday and Thursday we had what is called MTE's they are these 2 day events in that involve about 60-70 missionaries. On Wednesday we went to another stake center nearby and had 3 hours of training from the AP's (Assistants to the President) and President Clayton himself. Then we went on a giant exchanged that was pre-planned by us Zone Leaders a couple weeks ago. So my proselyting area got shut down for the day because I went with 2 missionaries from the Chula Vista Stake to their area to be a "coach" where we focus on the things that were brought up in the training and I spend the night with them and everything. So it ended up being super sweet. We were able to teach some pretty sweet people and also saw some cool miracles. Then on Thursday we share those miracles with all the missionaries and then receive some further training from President Clayton. But then we were stuck at enterprise the rental car place for like 2 hours about the rental car we had so we didnt really get to visit anyone that day :p

The next day i went on another exchange with our district leader in his area. It was cool because some of the members in his area were having a little mexican BBQ and this guy and lady were arguing on how to cook the meat so I got but in charge hahaha. It turned out good!

CHEF BOYARDEE

Then Sunday was super rough :p we had to wake up at 5:45a to be at the Stake center for the Stake Priesthood Leadership meeting at the stake center at 7a then right after that we booked it over to the MCRD at 8a where we had 3 hours of church/teaching then we raced over to our church building to ward council at 11:30a then from 1-4p we had church services then from 5-6p we had a meeting with the stake high councilor over missionary work! We were also fasting all day so I was flipping destroyed in our teaching appointments that night. Then we had nightly planning from 9-9:30p then District Leader Weekly call in reports from 9:45-10:30p so it was super crazy! But I slept good that night and I woke up refreshed for Mission Leadership Council (MLC) that morning from 10a-4p (We had lunch in between).

MLC was pretty good we discussed all the things going on in the mission, but what was really crazy is how this was President and Sister Clayton's last one. The new Mission President, President Schmitt will be arriving to the mission on June 28th so I will be having a new mission president! Crazy right!? 

Well that was pretty much my week, super crazy busy with a lot of little things!

Well love you!

Elder Hays

Week 56

Hey I actually have some time today to email! :) But still not the full 2 hours :p 

This week also flew for me too! So this past week has been go go go like usual. We have been visiting a lot of people. One of the member families that we saw is the Blanco Family. they are super cool and they are super missionary work oriented. They shared with us there conversion story which was super sick! They said one day they were just sitting at home when they heard a knock at the door. The wife answers the door and recognized them as missionaries and said that they would have to talk to her husband. (Keep in mind that Brother Blanco looks super intimidating) He goes up to the door and asks them what they wanted (and he said that they looked sooo scared and kept stumbling over their words). They then told him that they (the missionaries) had said a prayer that the next door they would knock on would be a prepared family. The missionaries told them that they were about a mile away when they said that prayer and this was the first door they knocked on since. (And the Blanco family lived down the hall on the 3rd story of one of the many apartment complexes on their block). So brother blanco let them in and 3 weeks later they were baptized and were sealed in the temple and are very active in the church!  So that was super cool to hear!

Then we were able to see this kid named Rafael who is 14 and we are teaching his family. So we went by and brought Danny from the young mens and we had a super awesome lesson. We read about Abinadi and after we asked Rafael to ask in his prayer if the Book of Mormon was true, and during his prayer he said "Well, I already  know the book of mormon is true, but I just am double checking." haha it was soo cool! 

Also our investigator Yazmin is getting married this saturday and baptized the following week. (oh yeah did you get her friend request for FB?) she is doing good! She says she wants to send you pictures of me everytime she feeds us! 

Well I gotta go!

Love you all to pieces!!

Elder Hays!

Week 55

Week 54

Week 53

Hey I love you all! We have been so crazy today so I have no time to email.  we went to the temple, and had to get mail. yeah super crazy today! So the email is short... But I get to talk to you this sunday yeah!! So after everything that is going on I will talk to you at 8pm Eastern Standard Time I will also text you sunday to confirm just like last time. But here is a run down of the week:

So this is the "big mama" a 4lb California burrito! QUE GRANDE!!!!

So for my year mark I wanted to do something memorable! So we went to my favorite taco shop and got this behemoth that no one has ever finished!

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Then this past Monday (yesterday) We had the opportunity to listen to Elder Ballard. It was soo cool to see him again. I of course got to shake his hand! I also had the privilege of sitting in a couple pews in front of him as he spoke at the pulpit. It was so amazing! He talked about internalizing our purpose as missionaries and dedicating all of "our" time (it really isn't even ours) to the Lord. He also spoke about how we must follow the promptings of the Spirit. I loved it! Then we went to the temple today! I am doing super good and i am super excited to talk with you sunday at 8pm EST love you! Love dad! Love Brock! Love Ashlyn!

-Elder Hays

Week 52

Cody was super busy this week, and only messaged his love for us and that he was doing well

Week 51

Well hello my dear family!!! I hope I find you all in a great state of happiness lol (weird wording I know). Well I did have a great Easter. I ate some really good food at a member's house, but more importantly I was spiritually fed. Church was great! It all started at the MCRD..but I will save that for later ;)

Monday:04/14/14

Well we spent 6 hours working on the "Stake Packet". This packet keeps track of what all the missionaries do in the stake, so like 36 missionaries lol and also all  of the member involvement with missionary work. It took a long time and there were a lot of names, numbers and info to have to organize, but it was sick! Then we went and taught Bridget Leylani our miracle baptism for this weekend! After that we went and saw the Betancourt family. They are soo cool we had some sweet bread "pan dulce" and some hot chocolate, and taught a good lesson and got to know them better.

Tuesday: 04/15/14

Well for P-day we played sports with all the missionaries so it was fun! Thankfully no injuries :) After that we just went to visit some families! Good day

Wednesday: 04/16/14

So we went and saw Bridget. Usually we see people at least everyday the week of their baptism so we can help keep Satan off of them lol!  Then we had our weekly district meeting, which was realllllly boring lol, but at least he tries. Then we went and saw Lupe. She was going to get baptized a month ago, but got offended in her interview by the missionary who gave it... so she doesnt want to get baptized yet. We read with her from Alma 8:14-16 and 3 Nephi 9:13-14. The spirit was so strong then we invited her to get baptized... she thought about it...and said no lol but it is okay! :) Then we had another appointment with Kareli and Jesse. It was a super good lesson and they are getting baptized may 10th! She has a lot to give up so it might have to get pushed back to later on. 

Then we had our coordination meeting lol :p

Thursday: 04/16/14

Today we had interviews from 9a-2p with president Clayton. Since we are the Zone Leaders we host the interviews. meaning, we get all the rooms set up, and make sure the Clayton's are comfortable. and schedule the interview times and give a copy to President Clayton. We also stay the whole time in case they need anything or have any questions for us. Even though the interviews are 10 mins/ missionary they tend to go longer. I interview with president went well. One of the questions he asked was "Where do you see yourself a year from now?", I told him, well I will still be on my mission, but I will be at the point where I will be preparing to go home. So I told him how i wanted to be ready to carry on being the man that I have and will become, so that way when i am back in the "real world" I will have the moral courage and strength to be a worthy husband and father to my future family. he really liked that lol. 

Then we had our Stake Packet meeting with the mission presidency and the stake president and the stake high council man for missionary work. It was super cool! 

Afterwards President Morgan (1st counselor of the mission presidency) gave Bridget her baptismal interview. In the meantime we were talking with the friend that Bridget brought. We taught her a sick lesson! She was getting smacked in the face by the spirit, then we walked into the chapel and she said her very first prayer (she is Buddhist)  in her life! It was soooooo awesome to be able to share that memory with some one!

Friday: 04/18/14

We ate good today!!! We went by and saw Kareli again and she fed us tacos dorados which are fried tacos. So good! Then they put caldo (Mexican soup) on top with lettuce sour cream and salsa! YUM! Then we saw the Dominguez family they are my favorite family from Logan Heights, but they actually live in my area (they should be going to Bonita 3rd ward, but attend Logan Heights Branch). Then they fed us! Tacos Dorados also! this time they didnt have soup so they were really crunchy and yummy! :) 

Saturday: 04/19/14

The day of the baptism!!!! It went excellent!!! :) YEAH!!! p.s I look weird lol

Sunday: 04/20/14

My One year anniversary of taking out my endowments! and Easter! It was great!

Well at the MCRD the branch president spoke in Sacrament meeting and it was soooo powerful! He talked about the plan of salvation and how because God is our loving Heavenly Father, we will all be resurrected one day and how there is no sting to death etc. Everyone was just soaking in the Spirit as he bore testimony of the plan of salvation. 

Then I got to talk to my recruit (we teach solo, instead of a companionship, so yes he is all mine lol! yes I sound selfish!) recruit Walton had such inspired questions. First he asked about Heavenly mother. He really wanted to know. So I told him that we were going to say a prayer and ask if there is a heavenly mother, and ask for the spirit to guide us as we studying a look for the answer. So we started with a prayer and it was great because he went to the index and starting searching for anything that could give him his answer. We found stuff that hinted to it. So he said he would continue praying about an answer. Then he asked like 5 super deep questions about baptism and baptism for the dead etc. and yeah he is getting baptized on may 10th!! :) my first one at the MCRD!!! I am soo pumped!

Well I love you all and I appreciate everything! Tell the Kiddos that I love them! I love you too mom!

Love,

Elder Hays

This is the Dominguez family!