Dresden

Hey!!  So I'm in Dresden and I am really loving it.  My comp is Elder Ashmead from Ogden and we are really punching things hard.  We have a goal as a dristrict to have 6 baptisms this transfer (unheard of in Germany) and we have already 4 on a date so it has only been a week and things are seriously rolling here.  

I love being district leader.  It is a little more responsibility but it love it.  The people in my district are 4 sisters and 4 elders.  It is a blast.  We have so much excitement.  

I haven't had so much excitement on my mission as I do now.  These missionaries are so pumped and there are so many miracles happening!!  People are just popping up on the grid everywhere!  It is so incredible!  I love the feeling.  Right now Elder Ashmead and I are going through our area book to find some people who have already had contact with missionaries, hopefully they are still open.

This week have been a ton of stress with everything being here but I am enjoying it along the way.  

I love you guys!

Marc

Elder Hays

Here's my address . . .

Werner Str. 38

01159 Dresden, Germany

Family - Leaving Groitzsch - Hard to say goodbye!

Well this week was a lot of fun!  We taught a first lesson to a new investigator whose son just died and she loved it.  Hopefully Elder Künzle will be able to teach her more.

This week I learned a lot about eternal families!!  So happy.  At first I understood the basics about it but now I know every corner!  I haven't been more happier in my life!  It is such a wonderful thing to have.  Our succession to become a God must have a family in the methods.  If we don't have a family?  Our seed will stop because we won't have kids.  Therefore we stop our family progression.  If we have a family, be sealed in the temple as a family, we have the opportunity to become a God with this ingenious plan.  Eternal families will obtain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom because they have created an ETERNAL covenant and have made the most godly progression on the earth.  (To those who aren't married like myself, still have chances for 1000 more years when Jesus will be on the earth :)  I'm pretty sure he will have something better than Matchfinder.com).  Anyways I'm so thankful that I can be apart of this plan and that my family can be together for the eternities and progress to become like our Father.

I don't know what else to write...I'm going to Leipzig today!  Taking some good pics and them I'm off!!!  Leaving Groitzsch.  Sad moment but I sent pictures to your email and you should have gotten them...

Oh yeah...I should probably tell you where I'm getting transfered to huh...um...DRESDEN as a Dristrict Leader!!!  I'm so pumped!!!  I love you bye!

Elder Hays

Searching for Him

I stress everyday and there isn't really a way out of it.  It is just how it is out here.  You have people you need to teach and save.  If you say something wrong because you didn't have the Holy Ghost by you during the lesson then you beat yourself up about it.  I know it's not good but it's how it is.  It is a constant battle against Satan here.  Since we are protected with wonderful companions and our scriptures satan goes after our investigators and flips them completely.  It is hard to see it happen.  What has brought me the most, very most comfort of my mission so far is studing Joseph Smith.  He had the attributes of Christ everyday without thinking.  Although he was still a man on this earth and tempted by satan, he had the power and the intelligence to put him under neath his heal.  

To be honest I'm scared to come home.  I know it's a ways a way but you are so close to the spirit here....So close to God that you don't want to leave at all.  I feel like it's a little taste of Heaven everyday.  I can't live without it.  I've learned truly that the Holy Ghost is the only person who can teach the people in this world.  We have no power.  He works through us and the only way we can have Him by us is when we are worthy of Him.  That is the most stressful part of missionary work.  Making sure that the Holy Ghost has a clean place to reside in you so that you can teach these people how Jesus would teach them.  It's not easy when Satan is in your peripheral vision all day long....Destroying people.  

You can tell people that they are wrong because it says "this" in the Bible but that doesn't bring conversion.  The Holy Ghost converts people and brings us closer to God.  We are in progression right now to become Gods.  How do we know where to go if your light (Holy Ghost) goes out?  The path goes dark. 

I have a testimony that the Holy Ghost touches the hearts of men and he is confirming it to me right now as I write this.  I feel him everyday guide my decisions, motivating me and telling me to keep pushing. 

11 ¶For the Lord spake thus to me ^awith a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, 12 Say ye not, A ^aconfederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. 13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and ^alet him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he shall be for a ^asanctuary; but for a ^bstone of ^cstumbling and for a ^drock of ^eoffence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a ^fsnare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.16 ^aBind up the testimony, ^bseal the ^claw among my disciples.  17 And I will wait upon the Lord, that ^ahideth his ^bface from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. 18 Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for ^asigns and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

Like Isaiah says, don't get caught up in the people of the world.  Don't fear men but fear God.  People will fall around you but make your testimony one of stone.  Help your fellow people of God.  I'm waiting for Him and I will always be searching for Him.  

I love you,

Elder Hays

Missionary Work!

"We go hard here in Groitzsch!"

First off I want to say that Groitzsch sure does know how to do missionary work.  You don't know how amazing it is to have leaders who are driving for the same goal that we are.  It makes the work incredible and easier.  "If you have the desire to serve God, then you are called to the work".

This week has been great.  Today for P-Day we went on top of the courthouse building in Pegau and could see our whole area!  Luckily I didn't have my camera.  I will send one from Elder Künzle's.  This week we had a barbecue at Enrico's garden where everyone there except for him and us were non-members.  We talked with everyone there for HOURS.  They now know who we are and that we aren't just stupid kids running around going door to door.  We had an appointment today with a 19 yr today who we met at the barbecue.

This week the Holy Ghost and I convinced a Catholic Father that Jesus will reign on the earth and that there is a Spirit world where those who didn't accept the Gospel on this earth with learn it there.  He also accepted that there are different glories that we can achieve, depending on the development that we have done on this earth.

I've really been working on getting my Jesus Christ attributes down.  When we work on them everyday they work themselves in us.  They will stay longer without being forgotten and they will be recognized by the world.  The reason that we need these attributes is because they are the example that Christ set when he was on the earth.  Who is Christ? A God.  How do we become more like God?  Practice and demonstrate what He did.  I was thinking about what I need to work on the most and then I realized that I don't just need to study but I have the examples right in front of my face.  At home.  Dad is a perfect example of keeping balance between work, the Gospel and his family.  He sets goals and strives for what he wants, he loves his God and he helps us along the way to become our own person.  Mom is the perfect example of love and forgivness.  She doesn't think twice about something if it would help us kids.  Erika is the perfect example of determination and hard work.  She has goals in her mind to thrive in a world worse than Sodom and Gemorrah itself.  She stays close to her God who will shine the light before her face.  Trevor is the perfect example of joy and laughter.  "Men are that they may have Joy".  That is super important in this work.  Smile, laugh, through a six pack joke, and know that people are watching.  Kristin is the perfect example of charity.  I used to take advantage of this gift of hers when I would ask for help in cleaning my room but it is always there when you need it.  So grateful to have super examples right there at home.

The work is going forward, the Holy Ghost is touching hearts of men and Jesus Christ is coming soon to reign apon this earth in peace.  If you know the truth of the Gospel, like Paulos said that the gospel will be taught to the dead.  I promise you that every possible person will be called to that work.  If we have found salvation, we have no right to keep it from someone else.

I love you guys :)  My shoulder is whatever...as long as I have the strength of the Lord I'll be just dandy:)

Elder Hays

Bum Shoulder

How goes it then?  It sounds like everybody is doing pretty well.  This week I got the pictures back from my shoulder and something is definitely messed up.  What the doctors explained to me though is that I can't do any exercise until I get it operated on...I can't tell you how much that crushed me...and still is...but he said he will give me periodical cortisone shots which will help with the pain and if I don't work it, it wont get worse so for right now I wont be having any surgery which is really good news.  

Groitzsch is green again!  It is so nice to see green fields and not just a ton of water everywhere.  There are some spots that are flooded but everything is for the most part cleaned up!  It's been warm and humid here (almost got to 40° C with humidity).  

This is my companion!  I now know how to throw cards super far!

Right now for investigators we have a Catholic Father that we found who is actually progressing and a couple others who are progressing slowly.  Faith is always the first step towards success!  Everything will happen through faith!

I love you! 

sElder Hays