Sept. 29, 2014 Santa Monica

Sept. 29, 2014 Santa Monica

THANKS SOO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE MY FAMILY!! OH MY GOODNESS THANKS SOO MUCH!! I may or may not have teared up a little bit just to have support from my family! Over and over again here its so hard we work and work and don't have much support from anybody but I have my wonderful and amazing family thanks soo much!!

This week!

Gosh so many things happened this week that I want to talk about but I can never remember!

1. We had crab for the first time here and it was good! But really different! I made it a goal for me to always bear my testimony in  fast and testimony meeting!  The 3rd time in a row I bore my testimony!  I hope it was good! But I don't know!

2. This week we had the opportunity to give blessings to 2 people.  Blessings are hard not only the names but just the Spanish and what to say in Spanish you know!   I love love love giving blessings! It just always reminds me how true this gospel is and how lucky we are to have it!  One was in a car wreck! There is a picture!  The other was Fernanda Nath!

3. This week we didn't get attacked by too many dogs thank goodness!  But that's okay!  I am just so  scared of them! haha

4. We have  3 investigators right now and I am going to tell you about one of them...

His name is Alex and he has a good heart. He wants to change and it's just awesome! When the people read El Libro De Mormon and everything I love it !  We were talking and he was talking about weird things with the devil and stuff and it was freaking me out..  and then he said that he feels really weird in the house of his aunt which lives next door and so we ended our leccion which was about la ley de Castidad and went over to the house of the aunt..  okay.. this isn't funny anymore! When we went to her house  I seriously thought she was Bathidla Bagshot from Harry Potter! Like exactly.. not very old but was exactly... she didn't talk.. and she gave us this creepy look,  it was really weird. It was total Harry Potter. But, yes I didn't have a wand! But yes it was very scary! I said can we come in and she didn't say anything and, we went in and we sat down. She just looked at me she still hasn't said anything!  I was like freak... haha but then she started crying! and I said  are you okay.. and she was in a car wreck, that's why she is the way she was. Gosh it was soo scary!  We are teaching her later this week!

5. I had the great opportunity to finish the book of Mormon! It was soo cool to finish it 2 times here in my mission!

 FAMILY THANKS soo much for the package it meant the world!!

Mom, for your question I testify probably 20 times a day or usually when we have times to teach a family! We testify alot! I LOVE IT!!!  Thanks so much! I am learning every day!  I am soo tired every day but I love it!! Thanks for all you do!!

Love 
Elder Hammond
                                          I gave a blessing here! Alejandro

                                          Crab Yum!!

                                         We made Ecuador shirts!!

                                         Thanks soo much for the package!!!

Sep. 22, 2014 Santa Monica

Sep. 22, 2014 Santa Monica

Okay, this week here in Santa Monica!
It finally rained here!! Well maybe not rained but there wasn't so much sun as usual!! Oh my gosh what an amazing blessing that was! I seriously just die of the heat here! ha ha but ya no I love it! ha ha

This week wasn't all exciting to be quite honest! I've never worked so hard in my life! We seriously just pounded out this week! I can see now why missionary work is WORK!! ha ha  I love to work!  Well maybe not love... but  I love the feeling of yes I am working as hard as I can and if I am obedient the lord will bless me!  This week was total menos actives! (less actives) We have over 200 menos activos in esta barrio! (this ward) My goal is to have 20 active by the time I leave here! This week we had 14 people come to our church that were menos activos!  They need to have 2 times and an entrevista (interview) with the obisbo! (Bishop)! ha ha so yeah!

 Mom, ha ha funny story this week I broke out the candy!  I ate so much candy and everything I probably had a major withdrawal!  The candy here is terrible! I like Americas filled with sugar! ha ha! I ate so much and the peanut butter too! I ate a whole can of that!

It's bad because I can already see myself getting fat... I know it's bad! Why is this curse the same with every missionary?!  It's okay if I work out in the mornings it will be good right?! ha ha
This week we worked with menos activos! We do have 4 fechas por bautismo! (dates for baptism) Which is cool!  I placed 2 of them and one of them is the mom of Daniel Miguez!!  She came to church! Those dang hard Catholics!  I love them, but man they are not fun!! They are soo closed minded and I love teaching them when they don't hear anything!

Story of the week! We found a lady who is a miembro...(member) testigo de jehovah.(Jehovah Witness).. Catholic,.. and evangelic! What a mess!! She had so many questions and she is just fighting against the Book of Mormon and everything! She was just yelling, but I was so calm for some reason! It was soo cool! The coolest part was when I bore testimony of the libro de Mormon! She doesn't have a testimony... because sometimes here in the mission the missionaries only baptize for the number... not a convert... She was a number!  It's soo hard to bring those people back!  I bore strong testimony of the book of Mormon so much that she stopped  asking questions and said that she will read it! WHAT?!!  It was cool! I was like... that was not me... total spirit right there! 

This week was good, fast, hard, long and exhausting! I can barely get up! But we do! and we are exactly obedient!  When we are, we are blessed! I can already tell that the mission is changing me! I just have a stronger testimony than ever before in my life now!  It's amazing and I am soo grateful for this gospel! 

Thanks so much for all your prayers and support my amazing family! I love you all so much!!

Love
Elder Hammond

Sep. 15, 2014 Santa Monica

Sep. 15, 2014 Santa Monica
Haylee!! Homecoming Queen!! You are drop dead gorgeous!!! That's my sister!!

This week in Santa Monica was pretty slow, but pretty fast week for me! ha ha  I have a new companion! He is from Orem Utah! He has 6 or 7 mesas in the mission!  He is good!  It's tough leading and remembering all the families all the menos activos in our ward! All the streets! It's soo stressful, just like I am the guide and I've been here only for almost 2 months! It's been good! I loved it this week! It was hard, but it was good!

Tuesday! I got your letter mom!  Thank you thank you so very much!!

Okay, I am not going to do this one day thing it's too stressful to think about everyday!  This computer is super stupid!

The 4 big things this week!

1. Well, this is just funny. We were teaching a  Catholic man with a member and were teaching him the restoration at the part of El libro De Mormon!  He hadn't really said much! So, I said Hermano how do you feel when you read the book of Mormon?  He said "I don't have time to read that book.". FREAK!! ARE YOU KIDDING!! haha it was soo funny! I tried not to laugh!

2. We were walking down the street and there were menos actives!   I wasn't paying much attention, he said that he was going to a funeral and I said oh that's so cool! haha his face... was like he wanted to punch me but then I was like oh my gosh I am so  sorry ... yeah! total journal moment! haha

3. There was a party that was super fun with the familia Nath my 1st baptism!  It was the same day as yours Mom!! It was soo funny! I was like aww this is heaven!  We were all eating cake and getting fat and singing Feliz cumpleanos! haha

4. The baptism! OH the baptism of the century! This week with him was awesome! Pretty much it was a miracle!  He is just so cool Daniel! He totally wanted me to baptize him! A week ago he said " HAMMOND!"  I was like yeah I'll throw you in those waters! except he is huge! So it was hard at first to accept but when I baptized him he wasn't heavy at all!! I just want to say it was incredible! When he came up! I just will never forget the words he said when he said I will never do bad I will never lie steal drink have yeah... haha just so many things! yeah it was just flat out amazing!  Such a miracle! He was baptized and confirmed!  It was soo amazing!  yeah it was just amazing! This week has been pretty hard to find people. We don't have any people with a date of baptism! My comp has a big head. I serve him pancakes and make his bed when he doesn't and he's just weird. It's okay though! I love my family! Keep praying for me! I really need them! It's a bit hard right now but yeah its good right now! haha I love my family and friends! Thanks so much for your support and prayers! Another week in ECUADOR!!!  No weird foods this week!

Love

Elder Hammond

                                                     

                                           The coolest thing I have done!!

                                          The baptism of Daniel

                                           

           

                                             This is the party!

                                         I wanted to celebrate at my place!! I made this for you!! I wanted it to be special!

Sep. 8, 2014 Santa Monica

Sep. 8, 2014

Okay first of all I want to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! To the most amazing lady and person in my life! My dear sweet Mother! She is flat out amazing! Without her! gosh ha ha I don't even wanna think about my life without my loving mother! ha ha I love my mother! I know for a fact I am going to marry a person like my mom! A person who is loving, kind, happy, spiritual, kid person, funny, smart!!! My mom has everything! And she is a queen! I love my mother! She has given me everything in this world! Happy birthday my wonderful wonderful mom!!! FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!

Okay this week!

Monday! Well, we were in a different zone that day, so we couldn't buy food. So we pretty much starved this entire week because we didn't have the opportunity to buy food for dinner and breakfast! ha ha it was tough, but it's always good on P-DAYS! because I get to write my family!

Tuesday! I served my companion eggs and toast! We taught La familia humsin. And all these different people that I can't really remember.  It was cool ! We gave a blessing to a girl who was sick! I love using the priesthood power even though its hard because the names here... oh gosh are like a sentence long! The hardest part for me are the names! ha ha not the blessing! 

Wednesday! We invited a person to be baptized, he said no. It was funny sorry! haha

Thursday, was pretty good I think... I don't really remember! haha

Friday, was sooo hottt here! Gosh it was burning! We also had the opportunity to bless another person! Which was super cool! he was soo sick with something I don't even know what!  Then I served my companion pancakes!

Saturday we had a reunion it was good but it was fast Sunday and it was hard because when we went to lunch she made us food that we couldn't eat haha and its tough because we have NOTHING!! At the house! haha like nothing!! haha So I pretty much had to buy 5 things of pan in a panaderia! haha but yeah it was good! kind of hard because we didn't have the opportunity to teach a lot of people!   Also nobody showed up to the clase de inlges! haha yeah... so I taught my companion ingles! haha awesome noo...

Sunday! I bore my testimony because I just want to share what I know is TRUEE!!! Aww it was awesome! I love bearing my testimony now! haha its soo cool!  But also it was fast Sunday so I was soo hungry!  Because we have to work before and after lunch! But lunch was really good!! haha Almost got bit by a dog! ouch... that could have HURT! Also today we confirmed our baptism with Daniel Migheuth! He is getting baptized this Sunday!!! YEAH!!

Monday! Got a new companion.... his name is Elder Johnson he is from Orem! He seems legit! I fed him chifa food today! haha because service is the key in a companero!  Service service! If your'e mad serve right?  I learned a lot from Elder Ortega! But yeah! I love my family!!

I have to guide Elder Johnson to our sector. I am super scared!!  Please pray for me. I have to remember all the names and places and houses! I am soo scared and nervous please pray for me!!

Thanks so much for all your prayers! This week I learned about service! Service is everything! If you want to be happy, serve! If you want the spirit, serve!! haha and work! Be exactly obedient! And serve! haha and I love serving the people here in Ecuador! Of course the Spanish is soo hard, but service! I love it! Thanks for all your prayers!!

Love Elder Hammond

                                             Elder Johnson and I

                                               The streets!

                                          The show de talentos!  It was awesome!!

                                             

Sept. 1, 2014 Santa Monica

Sep. 1, 2014

Okay this week.... I'm going to try to do what Brittany does! ha ha but I don't think its gonna work that well..

Monday...  Monday we had p-day and that was always the best and everything!... I don't think much happened....

Tuesday!  was a pretty good day I did like 150 push ups and 200 sit ups! ha ha because 

I think I'm getting fat! because.... we have rules in this mission where we can't play soccer or basketball or anything competitive.. so it's super hard when EVERYBODY at night is playing soccer ha ha on the streets and we can't play.  I have to do all my work in the mornings!  We taught and found another investigator! Her name is Jessica. She's awesome and believes everything we say its cool! Also we gave a blessing to a person in the ward which was really powerful! She fell down the stairs and here if you fall down the stairs your falling on metal and bricks and concrete so it really really is bad..

Wednesday... was a really tough day.. because  I don't know why but I didn't sleep good. It just started bad from lunch because at lunch with a cita...I  spilled food because I was taring meat from a bone.... and yeah it spilled everywhere it's just soo hard because gosh this food is like everything to them and they work soo hard and it's on the ground and when something touches the ground like food you don't eat it! ha ha now even dad wouldn't eat it! but yeah the Spanish was tough today too.. A person made fun of my Spanish ha so just kinda wasn't my day!

Thursday! We taught the family Fernanda Escalante! He's cool! and also Daniel Migeuth!  he's awesome!  He's a great guy with a super super tough background! but I shared a scripture with him in Alma 40 about paradise and he just started crying because he needs peace and I knew that this scripture would just pound him like a rock! It was super cool! haha

Friday! ohh Friday super cool our ward did a show de talentos! haha SUPER SUPER FUN!!!  Elder Ortega and  I sang a fun song! All the members loved it! I'll try and send a photo of it next week because their isn't a portal for a camera on this computer because we had  cambios today... super weird!  We slept in like a different sector! kind of different but yeah!

Sunday was pretty good. I love taking the sacrament. Only 1 of our investigators showed up dang it... haha super hard but that's okay!

This week was a tough week but I am doing good! I love the people here!  Even though it's a totally different worldl  I love it! haha or try to! haha I love my family soo much!

Elder Hammond