January 29, 2013 Two weeks until Berlin

OH HI FAMILIE,

Wie geht's?  I'm doing well!!  I have a pretty bad cold right now but other than that good.  First off I wanted to tell you that I canceled my doctors appointment because I felt it wasn't needed.  I hate the thought of not leaving when I'm supposed to.  And yeah, when that lady called mom on the phone to ask you about the insurance.  I was right there!!!  I almost jumped over the desk to talk to you but after a long debate with myself I decided against the idea.  Yeah about my shoulder...It keeps on coming out of socket (3 times) and it hurts a lot but I feel like I can help it myself if I don't move it places out of the ordinary and if I do some physical therapy exercises that I know.  It is already feeling better this week which is good.  I don't know why it keeps coming out though.  It's weird.  I can do push-ups but right when I start running or something, it kills.  Oh well.  I'll be fine, promise :)  Thanks for the care package!!  I am now proud to say that I have the biggest smart water on campus and so I've been called a genius by some.  It's been kind of a tough week but today isn't so bad.  Just trying to get things done ya know.  I'm supposed to sing in the choir tonight but I don't know if that's going to happen because my throat is shot haha.  Gotta love it baby.  

We are expecting our flight plans to Germany tomorrow!!  Ahh this has to be one of the most exciting times for the life of a missionary in the MTC.  I'm really pumped. 

2 weeks from today I leave!!  It's crazy I know but I couldn't be more excited.  How are all of you?  Thanks for the letters, they really help.  Food always helps because all I will eat in the cafeteria is salad.  I miss you all so much!!

Jenz and Michael are well!!  They are both getting baptized either this weekend or next!!  That's exciting.  Elder Gheen is doing good also.  I have got him to talk more:)

My motivational scripture for the week is brought to you by LDS Family Services....nah....but I found this scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:10 which is amazing....read it, and love it.  I love adversity!!!  I love pain!!  I love it because I know when I feel those things the Lord WILL lift me higher. 

Well I gotta cruise,

I love you all!! 

 Elder Hass and Elder Hays

Love Elder Hays

January 22, 2013

Heylo,  Elder Hays here.  In the Laundry room yet again.  At like 5:20 in the morning.  :D  How are all of you??  These last few weeks have really flown by and we have now hit our 2/3 mark.  We leave 3 weeks from today to Germany!!  Ahh I couldn't be more excited. 

I'm a changed person.  I don't even know who I am right now.  My whole life right now revolves around the gospel and I don't ever want it to change.  I feel so much love from my savior everyday, every hour.  The spirit is just so strong all the time.  I know what I want in life right now.  It's so very clear to me what I want to do and who I want to be.  I've made so many mistakes that I still dwell on every once in a while, but I know that through the love and sacrifice of our Savior, they are forgotten in His mind.  I don't think that people really realize the amount of sacrifice that He went through.  The love that He had for each of us has been explained as so He would go through the whole atonement just for my sake and that is truly an amazing thing that instantly brings tears to my eyes.  I can't wait to thank Him and hug Him.  When we get to heaven, who is on or right hand?  It says in D&C 84:88 that He will be on our right and our left and His angels round bout us to bear us up.  I get emotion here at the computer thinking about it.  I'd better not start crying or people will think I'm crazy but dwell on that for a minute. 

We have an investigator named Michael.  He is an older man, about 50 with a wife and son.  He has been a great blessing to my life and has helped me learn so much.  He has been asking us the question "why do I need this in my life?  I'm fairly happy."  I fasted for an answer and got that it's because as of right now there is no way that you can live with God, you must be baptized because no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of Got.  Obviously in a less bold way.  I hope that this works because he has excepted everything else. 

This week I get to be the traffic cordinator for the new missionaries!!  I'm excited.  I get to direct and see 600 missionaries come in.  Sweet right?  By summer there is supposed to be 8,000 missionaries here.  Holy Crap.  It already takes 30 min to get my lunch and we only have 2400 here right now and we get 600 more tomorrow??  Come on...It's amazing though.  The Lord is really hastening His work on the earth.  In Luke 12:36-37, 40, it talks about being prepared for the Second Coming.  Are we prepared to see God and His Son Jesus Christ today?  I know that I have some stuff I want to work on.

What's the purpose of this life?  On Earth.  Well, not to live, that's for sure.  We are here to learn to become like our Heavenly Father.  Earth is nothing really.  Just a small point on the span of Eternal Life.

Now think of what that small point is and then think of what eternal life is.  Do you want to spend THAT much time in the Terrestrial Kingdom?  I think not!!  I can't wait for the day that I can see God and I hope that I have the smarts to become clean through Jesus Christ's great atoning sacrifice throughout my life.  --Be prepared daily.

Well I love you.  I'm doing good!!  Just sucking all this stuff up like a sponge.  I'd better get off but I was wondering if you could send me my talk I gave in church?? That be great to read and thank you for the Quest bars!!  Ahh they are amazing.

I love you all and am very happy in what I'm doing here :D

Immer mit Liebe!!

Elder Hays

January 15, 2013

OHH Heey,

Well...It's like 5:59ish and I've been doing laundry for the past hour and I'm about to fall asleep in my chair...I'm sure I look fantastic as well haha.  

Anyways Hallo!!  How are all of you??  I really appreciate all of your letters!!  They make my day seeing a letter from meine familie.  I still haven't gotten one from a certain sister who is about mid teens.  Here is my condition; no letters?  No chocolate...BOOM.  Better write me soon for the rich, savory taste of swiss and german chocolate.  Anyways I miss all of you dearly and hope Kristin has recovered well.  How is Trevor's basketball?  I miss watching him play!! Ahh!! 

I'm doing well if you're wondering.  Just, you know, servin the Lord and stuff.  It's great fun and hard work.  This week my district and I have hit a couple of brick walls as we learn new and hard principles in the German language.  Our teacher related this to the story of Nephi.  Nephi and his brothers went in a few times to the house of Laban and the first time was chased out, second nearly killed and were robbed and third?  Nephi goes boss mode and the Lord delivers Laban into their hands.  If they would have given up on the first or even the second time, we wouldn't have the bible, book of mormon, a prophet, and the probably wouldn't have come to the promise land and we would have grown up in Serbia.  Sweet right?  No but it's all because of Nephi's persistance in obey the commandment of the Lord and finding different routes to go about this need.  He is a great example to me and I rely on this story to keep me going everyday. 

I think everyone is about done with the sickness now but we still aren't allowed to shake hands which sucks because that's about the only contact we have with other human beings here.  It's okay.  We still hug in our classroom...but then everyone bolts for the hand sanitizer...just in case.  I apologize for not having any cool pictures for you here.  There isn't too much to take a picture of here.  I got a hair cut though!!  I'm gunna have to say it wasn't bad!!  I'll send some home when I go to Germany.  Maybe.  If you're lucky. 

Ahh the Temple was so amazing.  I've never felt the spirit of the Lord so constantly strong in my life.  It was an amazing experience.  We completed 13 endownment names!! Yeah buddy.  That was probably the highlight of my week and we get to go again today!! So stoked. 

Well in the MTC, we have fantastic teacher.  I love them all so so very much.  Our class has about 4 different teachers that help us.  Brother Wright, Brother Alston, Brother Handley, and Brother I forgot his name...Anyways they are all awesome.  Brother Handley is exactly like me.  He has really taken me in and befriended me and gave me the drive to keep pushing.  I am so very grateful for the ways he has helped me here.  I owe a lot to him. 

If you're wondering what I do for gym and stuff then too bad!  Just kidding I have developed a great love for the game of Basketball.  I play everyday and there are some really good kids here!!  I am improving which is good.  They have a few weight machines and I use those for about half of the gym time while the other half I play ball.  I haven't changed weight at all which is good.  I have managed to keep what muscle I have so far.  I have no clue what will happen out in the field though.  My diet is still the same as always.  Good old chicken and salad!!  Gotta love it baby. 

Half way done with the MTC!!  Yeah buddy.  Can't wait to go to Deutschland!! Ich liebe euch.  Und ich weiss dass das Evangelium wahr ist.  Have a great week.

If you want to respond to this email I will check it again later today. 

I love you all so much and hope you have a great New Year!!

Immer mit Liebe,

Elder Hays

PS thank you so so so so much for getting that coat sent...

January 8, 2013 MTC FLU

Hey Dad,
I'm doing pretty well this week actually.  The sickness for the most part has been contained but it was very crazy there for a while.  I luckily didn't get sick all but a bad cold but all of my district got sick so we were quarantined for a couple of days.  They didn't tell us what to do or anything which was a little stressful but we just went by our gut (my gut was the only one working so we went by mine haha).  I was really dissapointed how they handled the situation but everything is turning out alright.  I gave everyone blessings and they all got better and we are all in class again.  I missed you all over the holidays.  You were on my mind constantly.  Elder Gheen and I are teaching 4 people.  They are great and seem to be accepting the Gospel well! I hope they keep progressing the way they do.  Our lessons are getting better and better with the more German we know.  The language is coming great actually.  We learn more and more everyday!! The biggest challenge that I have been having has been my emotions.  They are all over the place all of the time and I don't know what to do.  They seem to be getting a  little better though which is good.  I will write Erika this week and I hope she is doing better.  That seems like a great experience and I just want to say what a great Father you are for recognizing and taking her to do that.  It's a great example to me.  Ahh I miss Trevor's games.  I hope he is doing well and I'm sure he is dominating.  Yeah I think my leatherman would be great to have.  Thank you.  I will email the whole family with my weekly email later today so keep an eye out for it.  I love you dad and I hope you are doing well.  I miss you so so much and I can see in my everyday actions that most of my decisions are ones that I could see you making and came from your teachings throughout my life.  I love you and will talk to you soon!!

immer mit Leibe,
Elder Hays

Hallo Familie!!

 

Ohhhh hey, well I was the only one in my district that didn't get sick!! Sweet right?  I guess healthy eating did me some good after all??  I hope so.  Well I gave a few blessings and my whole district is HEALED (ahhhhh!)  Everyone is better now which is great because I was the only one in class :(

 

Well today I get to go to the temple with my district at 3:15 (wink wink) just kidding but I'm so very excited! I feel like it's been forever since i've gone to the temple and it will be amazing to go through with my district.  How are all of you???  I miss you all so very much and hope you are all well.  I'm doing better!!  Those Vitamin D pills seemed to have worked magic!!  So thank you mother.  It's freaking cold here...meine gute...any luck with the coat?  These buttons are starting to come off already on this other coat, the inner lining.  Thank you for helping me out.  I just want to get everything set while I'm here...Any ways I'm exactly the same weight as when I came in still!  I actually think that I have lost some weight but anyways that is pretty good i think...Hey mom, could you post your email address on my facebook page and tell everyone to email you whoever wants to recieve my emails??  danke süren. 

 

Well this week has been great actually.  Elder Gheen and I have 4 investigators and they are progressing great!! Michael and Jenz are both on their way to baptism!!  We are so excited for them.  We finally got Michael to believe in what we are telling him.  It's crazy how you prepare a lesson about one thing but the spirit tells you to go a whole other direction after you have started.  I'm so grateful for the spirit that the Lord has allowed me to experience with my investigators and with Elder Gheen.  I LOVE it. 

 

I'm reading das Buch Mormon auf Deutsch and am doing very well!! I can understand about 80% of the words in it so I have to revert back to the english BOM for reference but overall it is going well!!  I'm also reading the New Testement which is going great.  I'm about done with Mark and am loving the stories and the love that the Savior truly has for all of His children.  I think that Mathew is my new favorite book.  Or maybe Enos.  I dunno they are all amazing and I have never really realized it until I came on my mission.  I really don't even want to pick up and teach out anything else because the scriptures explain everything about God's ways and the example of Jesus Christ. 

 

Here at the MTC we are asked to memorize a bunch of different phrases such as the invitation for baptism, the first vision, and our purpose.  I have them all memorized allready in German!!  I finally got them down yesterday and I'm very excited. 

 

We had a workshop this week about baptism.  I want to testify that without baptism, we cannot enter into the kingdom of God.  Baptism is the first promise that we make with God and we covenant 3 things that we should always remember.  Take His name, allways remember Him, and to keep his commandments.  How easy is that??!! POOF!! SALVATION!!  Awesome right.  We just have to follow Jesus' example the best we can and repent when we slip on a rock that you didn't see coming and hurt your toe.  ahh man I'm rambling now.   Es tut mir leid. 

 

The German is great.  I have hit the point now where there is no turning back and I'm like a spounge!! Soaking it all up.  Our district is doing amazing with the language.  We help eachother with it all the time and speak it whenever possible.  We have like 5 huge textbooks that we are supposed to learn and it's a little overwhelming but I feel that we are starting to get set into a good steady gait. 

 

I really don't need anything but the coat.  I think everything else is perfect.  Thank you mom for preparing me and giving me those documents on my ancestors!!  I read them a couple days ago while feeling really down with everyone sick and it brought me such comfort!!  Hold tight to your patriaricle ( I prob spelled that wrong) blessing because it is your guide to happiness and eternal life.  I read mine a couple days ago and ah man.  The work has become so much easier knowing what I have in stored for me!!  I'm so grateful that the Lord has given me this knowledge of what I can become in life!!

 

The sister missionaries that sister White met are acutally sitting right behind me!! They have amazing spirits and help the elders out so so much with their testimonies.  There are so many people here!!!  I can't believe it.  If the work of the Lord wasn't at had before it surely is now!!  I'm sure all of these beautiful daughters of God have amazing testimonies.  Just can't wait to take one to the temple one day!  ahh yeah...anyways Heavenly Father loves you!! It says so and I can prove it with the scriptures but they aren't here by the computer with me so I will prove it another day.  I know it though.  I know that ANY answer you need can be found in the Book of Mormon!! It's true!!  We were challenged to buy a paper back copy of the Book of Mormon fresh and have a question in mind and only highlight answers to that question.  You will not only get an answer but you will get it over and over and over after each and ever prophet of God. 

 

Well my time is up but I love you all and thank you for all of your support!! Off to the temple!!

 

PEACE,

immer mit Liebe,

und Freude,

FREIDEN!!

Elder Hays

 

Yeah buddy.  

and more pictures

Happy New Year!

Hello Hays Family!!!

Well it's a New Year and....yeah that's about it!!  Exciting right??  Yeeeaah...
I hope you are all doing well!!  I am doing fantastic but freezing!! I can't imagine what Germany will be like!!  All of the older German speakers left for Germany this morning which is amazing and I'm very jealous but my time will come.  I hope you all had a great Christmas!! I did and I told you about it in the last email so I won't anymore but that it was great!

The German is improving everyday!!  I can almost hold a full conversation in all German!! It's truly amazing!! It was really funny.  So this week for a workshop, we had to teach about hope in english.  Holy Crap...I had no idea what to say!!  I had forgotten how to speak in English!!  I have spoken in all German for the past 3 weeks.  It was so so hard.  Anyways I thought that was pretty funny.  I will tell you about my investigators!!  Currently Elder Gheen and I are teaching Michael, Herweiss, and Jenz.  So far things are going awesome and we have gotten Michael from not believing in God to reading the Book of Mormon and praying to Him so things are on the right track.  Herweiss sucked up our message like a vacuum and he is going well haha.  Jenz we just started teaching and he is doing well and is falling in love with the Book of Mormon!! It's a great feeling to be able to teach these people because I know that there will be many like them in the field!! 

This past week my emotions have been spiking and falling like they used to...I'm probably going to ask for a blessing from my district.  I gave Elder Gheen a blessing a couple of weeks ago and maybe he can give me one this week.  I am really grateful for the teachers here.  Most of them have only been off their missions for less than 6 months.  They carry the spirit so strong and Brother Handley came up to me and was so sincere asking if I needed anything and to pull him aside and ask him if I ever do.  They all make my day everyday.  They are the only thing we have besides our district for interaction throughout the day and they do a fantastic job.  

One thing that I'm really grateful for here is prayer.  We pray constantly, about 15 times a day and it has blessed us.  You can tell.  I want to challenge that whoever gets this email to pray to our Heavenly Father with ANY question.  He is there for us and a prayer can last 30 seconds if needed.  We need to go to Him more.  At least please pray with your family at night.  With that you can create a connection every night.  

I want to challenge you with one more thing.  Read 3rd Nephi: Chapters 11 and 12.  They are amazing and talk of the Doctrine of Christ.

Thank you for the support and I love you all.  I'm doing great :)  Promise!! 

Oh yeah!! I'm district leader.  I'm excited for this calling!! 

Last night before the other Germans left they called me to be the overseerer of the German language here at the MTC.  They gave me THE Book of Mormon of the Germans and the rubber band ball the size of my head.  I will need to pass it on when my time is done here.

I love you and have to get off!! 


Love Elder Hays