Monday, July 28, 2014

Blessed

We got to play soccer today with all of the missionaries here in Berlin.  So so much fun.  We had a blast.  Nailed a sick bicycle kick and had 3 of the 8 goals.  We destroyed and now I have serious dirt on the North Berlin Zone Leaders!  I am proud of my missionaries. 


 It was great seeing Thomas.  We had some American breakfast at European prices and then just chatted for a while.  It isn't too long before I will be home!  I might not come though.  We will see.

Thomas is our Family friend who was traveling to Berlin on business.


Elder Hays and Elder Lloyd




So we have two investigators who want to be baptized on the 23rd of August.  They are both progressing pretty well and we might bump one date earlier.  It is awesome because when I first got to this area we had nothing and now it is booming.  The Lord has really blessed us. 

Elder Lloyd got transfered to DRESDEN!  Trying to take my city??  No, I am super happy for him and I know that Dresden will love him.  I get to train a Zone Leader who is a transfer behind me.  I was thinking about it the other day.  I have only had one comp, outside of my trainer who was older than me on the mission!  I have been working with younger missionaries the whole time and I can't tell you how grateful I am to do that.  They teach me!  I don't do much in that process.  They take stuff that I have and then push us both to that next step which has been such a blessing.
 
I will probably end my mission here in Berlin but we never know.  I have 3 transfers left, which is crazy and sad. 
I would love in my package....definitly quest bars...those work wonders when we don't get all of our fiber in as missionaries...if ya know what I mean...other than that I don't think I have anymore requests...I still have nuts from the last package and eat them slowly but regularly :) 

Just keep sending pictures and videos as well!  Those would make my day...

I love you!

Elder Hays

Monday, July 21, 2014

Preaching Mode Engaged

Well C____ was baptized on Saturday and got the Holy Ghost yesterday!  It was great.  She was super scared but she did great and really had a great experienece.  She has been investigating the church forever. It was really good for the ward though. 
We had a good week this week.  We found some new people and we had a great time teaching some new people who really want to learn about the church!  Fought with a couple of interesting people about the Book of Mormon.  It was great.  Fun stuff.  He called us the devil and that didn't fly by Elder Lloyd and myself so we brought the sword down...with love of course :) 
It has been so so so hot lately.  We are dying.  It is so humid and the sun is always out but guess what?  It doesn't matter because there is italian ice cream here.  BOOYA.  Top.  Anyways it is supposed to rain this week somtimes so we will see how that goes.  Ich bin gespannt.  Many missionaries are going home in these next couple of transfers.  I know NOBODY who is new.  It's terrible but true.  All my good friends will be heading home within the next month so that's a bummer...but good thing I didn't come on my mission to make friends with americans!  I came on my mission to make friends with wierd people who for some reason don't ever speak German, and guess what is wierder...I LOVE IT.  It's a ball.  I love the people here and enjoy every bit of my time here ( when it's under 30°C).  :)
We are memorizing scriptures as a mission here and I am really enjoying it.  I am up to about 20 scriptures and I can't get enough of it. 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA!!!!!
Turning 41 is a big age watch out!   °_°     Your son is passing you up but good thing grandpas don't pass 41.  I miss you a ton and am so so grateful for all that you do for me and for my family at home!  I can't wait to see you soon and to watch some football :)  It'll be a blast, lets be honest. 
I love you all and send my love out of the ghetto of BERLIN.  A demonstration happened this week.  Soo much fun when that happens...not.  Preaching mode engaged...
Love (you), Elder Hays

Monday, July 14, 2014

Germany is the Champion!

It's been a fun week :)
 
All of the missionaries in Berlin got to get together today and play soccer.  My body is seriously falling apart ha...I can't wait to go to the gym when I'm home.  I'm fine though :)
 
Well C_____ is getting baptized on this saturday!  It was great news and she let us know yesterday that she wanted to do it.  It will be great.  She, like N___, who was baptized on the 1st of June, has investigated the church for over 4 years.  I am excited for her.  Elder Hunt will be baptizing her. 
 
We have had a lot of cool lessons this week with some cool people!  The only problem is, is that they all live outside of our area!!!  The areas here are so small because it is just one city with a ton of areas so we have to pass on a couple of really cool investigators to the other missionaries.  Just as long as they get baptized I will be fine with that ;)
 
I got to go on exchange with Elder Liddiard again which was a joy.  He is such a great kid.

I am doing well and enjoying life.  It has been an evaluating week this week.  I have and still need to look at my work and to figure out what I can do better and to improve.  My personal progress is very important at this point. 
 
I hope you are all doing good and yes...Germany is the champion of the world...just take it in...
 
Love, Elder Hays









 
 

Monday, July 7, 2014

Lots to get done

Germany is still playing soccer and we hear a lot of the BOOM haha.  Even though we don't watch the games...we still know the score, how much longer the game has and who is winning just by looking out our window or while walking down the street.  A peculiar people.
I sent you pictures!  We went bowling on Saturday and that is a picture of all the missionaries in Neukölln and the Bishop's daughter Julia came along.

In the Book of Mormon I am learning more and more about telling people about the truth with love and boldness.  I am learning more and more about how the Savior did it.  How He was really straight up with these people that He loved so dearly and that is what it comes down to.  When we really love these people, we would tell them.  We would bare testimony to them.  I bore my testimony on Sunday and really emphesized baring testimony to friends.  I told them how I felt and the spirit confirmed what I said.  I told them that I don't want to show up in heaven and have someone come up to me that I had met here on earth and say,'You knew?  Why didn't you tell me?  I was your neighbor and you didn't say anything?'  That right there would be hell for any person.  It is important to have friends here on earth and everything and to have a good time but if you think about the goal of our Heavenly Father...His work and goly is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.  THAT'S ALL HE DOES!  He works to save all of His children.  Are we hindering?  Do we want to be His helper?  Sometimes we are so worried that we are going to offend a friend or an aquantance that we don't even save them.  Our Father in Heaven works day and night for our salvation by giving people chances to share the gospel, giving trials so that they might search for a God, sending angels to preach the everylasting gospel, comforting the saddend and sorrowful, and loving us enough to do it eternally.  Do we want to play a part?  We can do more.  I can do more.  Be that angel.  Be the person that when somebody needs help you don't think twice.  Have enough love for someone to tell them about the gospel. 
We had a great eating appointment yesterday with a family where the parents are active in the church but the 3 daughters are not active.  They believe in Jesus Christ but don't do much to follow Him.  One of them comes to church maybe once every other month.  We came in with a lesson but at the last minute we decided to change it.  Our only goal became the point that they just need to feel the spirit.  The way we did that is by teaching about the healing and love of Christ.  We commited them to pray as a family but before we did that we asked what that would mean to them or what are their thoughts to praying as a family each night.  Instantly the mother and father started crying and saying that it would be like old times and that they would love it.  The daughters started really crying and I started crying (the poor boyfriend had no idea what was happening and was more uncomfortable then a turtle at a nascar race track).  We all felt the spirit and gave testimony of Christ and how He can help us with anything.  We commited them to pray for themselves.  We also commited the father to take us to one of his friends to help clean up his yard.  It was a great appointment because of simple, doctrinal statements, confirmed through the power of the spirit.  

We have a lot of meetings this week and an exchange so our week is already packed haha.  Lots to get done.

Love, Elder Hays