The Gospel brings true joy

Well family...I love this work more than anything in this work...

Elder Young and I have struggled these past couple of weeks finding new investigators.  We have gotten a lot of contacts that we can stop by but just not a lot of interest.  We have planned for the last few weeks for a baptismal date.  We didn't know who it would be but it would be someone that we had found that week.  

Well, on Sunday, a newly activated member brought a friend of hers to church.  His name is C***** and he had come a couple of times to Family Home Evening before I came to Dresden but became to busy to come anymore.  He was given a Book of Mormon and a short explanation of what it is.  

He came to church in nice clothes and we took him and the member into a room and started with a lesson.  I had no idea that he was going to show up so I didn't have anything prepared.  I thought to my self though...I thought about what Joseph Smith had said, he said that he was the smartest man on the world, not because of his worldly knowledge, but because the Holy Ghost gives him Godly knowledge.  I know that I have the Holy Ghost and that through that power, I can teach this man the word of God.  This gave me confidence and swept my fear away.  We asked him how much he had read in the Book of Mormon and he had read the whole book of 1st Nephi!  I was impressed.  We bore testimony about the power of reading in the Book of Mormon and why the things that are in it are so important.  I asked L**** (the member) to give testimony about how she came to find out if it was true.  She talked about a power that she felt.  Very simple and straight forward testimony.  I then had the prompting to just read.  I asked L***** to pick out her favorite scripture.  She picked out 2 Nephi 4 because that is what we had done in institute that week.  I had the impression to not  expound on what we had read.  Even after we finished, I looked at Christian and he was just staring at the book.  There was silence for about 30 seconds when I asked him what it would mean to him if the book was true.  He said everything.  His search would be over.  I then explained that if this book was true, the church is true and that Joseph Smith is in reality a Prophet of God.  I invited him to follow Moroni's promise in praying if the book was true, we gave testimony and I invited him to be baptized, when he finds out that the Book is true.  He accepted for the 8th of December.  It was a great faith builder.  He is prepared.

This week I have studied a lot about Baptism. I thought a lot about what people have said about it.  Prophets namely.  Joseph Smith, Malachi and Paul.  Baptism is essential to our eternal salvation in this life.  In order to reach eternal exhaltation, we need to have baptism.  Baptisms for the dead are giving these people salvation, literally saving them.  Paul is not saved without the baptismal ordinance that we have to do on this earth.  Like Malachi says, the hearts of the fathers will be turned to the children and children to the fathers, that they without us, cannot be made perfect, neither can we without our dead be made perfect.  "There must be a welded link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children; what is that subject? It is the baptisms for the dead.  For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect." (Joseph Smith)  A baptism for a dead person is the same as baptizing someone as a missionary.  It is the salvation of a soul.  Save someone who needs it, someone who has waited for centuries, someone who has accepted the gospel in the Heavens above.  Do it this week and as much as you can. 

Ahh man.  The Gospel is happiness.  Sure life is hard and people die and there are challenges.  Rely on the Gospel.  It brings true JOY.  Charity, love, longsuffering and gentleness come from the servants of the Lord who are one in Zion.  Be happy because the Gospel is happy.  

Be strong because Christ was. 

Love you:)

Elder Hays

PS  My shoulder is good.  My bands that hold my shoulder in place are loose and enable my shoulder to sit out of socket at every moment.  Through that comes pain.  I know my body and I know what I can handle.  I am doing fantastic:)

so happy . . .

Well another week just gone by.  It goes by too fast.

I am so happy.  We have had the coolest experiences this week!  It has just been fantastic.  We have been trying to teach a young man named H** N*****.  He has been progressing little by little.  We play basketball with him and his friends at the park before lessons which is great for all of us.  One thing that has been really bothering us about his progression is the fact that he had been to so many FHE activities and Institute but never to church!  We had set the goal the day before to invite him and commit him to come to church the next day.  I usually have no problem being pretty bold and asking people to commit to different things but I just wasn't feeling the Holy Ghost there.  I have come to learn that not much gets done with out Him.  So I waited.  Elder Young talked with him a little bit about his beliefs and things but the feeling just wasn't right to invite him.  I was honestly confused.  We then started walking back to our trains to head home when 2 young single adults came walking into our path.  Daniel L. (RM) and Melonie.  Both very strong members of our church and both the same age as H*** (22).  We talked for 5 min and said that we would see them tomorrow.  Melonie then turned to Hai and asked if we will be seeing him tomorrow.  With a little encouragement, H** thought for a second and agreed that he should come.  He set his alarm on his phone in that moment and walked home feeling great.  Well, he came to church!  In a full out suit!  Looked pretty classy.  Daniel sat by him the whole time through all of the meetings and he really enjoyed it.  We then taught him the plan of salvation and he really enjoyed that as well.  MIRACLES HAPPEN.

One more...So as we were sitting there, helping H** get comfortable in the meeting, I looked up at the stand and saw D*** (the brother that I taught and baptized) sitting up at the stand in position to bless the sacrament!!!  I had no idea that he was going to do that this week!  He hadn't even passed the sacrament yet!  The meeting went on and he blessed the sacrament like he had done it for the passed 2 years.  I savored every second of the moment.  I can't believe how much the Lord has changed him and that I got to be apart of it and see every step of the way.  He looks pretty classy in a suit as well.  I found out later that the Elder Quorums president had taken it upon himself to teach him and get him up there as soon as possible.  I had no idea and am so grateful for the members that we have here. 

My shoulder well...I hate my shoulder but I don't because God gave it to me but I still wish I had another one haha.  I saw the doctor yesterday in Leipzig.  He is a shoulder surgeon.  He was super nice and knew exactly what was wrong and gave me two options to do.  I didn't even care what the options were!  I was just happy that someone could give me an answer!  It took 3 hours of testing though...He told me that I could get surgery and everything would be okay.  I would just have to go home for 4-5 months.  The other answer was to start a muscle building plan to help support my shoulder.  I agreed with the latter.  SHOULDER DON'T PHASE ME!!  I am talking to President on Wednesday about what will take place.  Grateful for all of your prayers.  I love you and hope that you have a wunderschönen Tag :)

Elder Häis

Love it

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........hhhhhhhhhh

I have neber bien zo tired im my life...I LOVE IT THOUGH.  That's the weird thing.  Missionaries say that you are never not tired...you just get used to being tired.  It's fantastic. 

The teaching here is going great.  I absolutely love teaching.  I am pretty good at it too!  There is not a better activity in the world.  This week has been a toughy, we have had a lot of appointments fall out and it just kills you when that happens.  You get all of your excitement up, get everything planned and then they just don't show!  The devil is a terrible person.  Bad.

It is very hard to make a difference in a ward like Dresden as a single missionary because of the quantity of people but the only thing we can do is try.  I have become great friends with Samuel and Luisa Schmitt and also Br Schmidt and a couple of other families but just trying to make my difference that I want to make.  

Know that I love you and think about all of you daily. 

Danke für alles was ihr tut und euren Gebeten.  Ich kann Die fühlen. 

Ich weiß das der Herr  uns lieb hat und daß er für uns da ist.  Wir müssen aber zuerst uns an ihm wenden.

Ich habe euch lieb!

Elder Hays

Doing good.

First off that was really the best time ever; when we were both driving in the car after I just got my wisdom teeth out and you had a root canal.  We called Dad on the phone and he thought we were just both crazy because we couldn't stop laughing.  It was hysterical.

Week is going good!  I don't have a ton to write about but I was able to give D*** the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday!  It was a great experience for both of us (He is secretly thinking about a mission).  I'm excited to see what he does.

Nothing much has gone on since I last emailed you but you guys are always on my mind. 

Dad, I sent you a birthday package today so I hope you get it in time.  Happy Birthday!  Keep the afternoon naps to a good two hrs.  No more 5 Guys Burgers either,  you have to watch your cholesterol.  haha love you.  I only say that because Uncle Brian told me that he is starting to have to take naps as well.  (My theory is that the new charger that he got was making up for the shrinking muscles...poor guy...)

Anyways, Spaß muss sein.

I love you and know that I am doing good! 

Elder Haysiebaby

Miracles

I...am exhausted haha WE GO HARD IN DRESDEN!!!

Anyways, this week has been super crazy and I really don't know how to put it all into words but I will do my very very best.

Monday: We went to the Sächsische Schweiz!  It was a blast as you could clearly see from the beautiful pictures.  I loved having mountains in Dresden because it reminds me of the Utah ones which are great but not as good as here...sorry..

Wednesday:  We had institute!  D*** is really shooting up into the church.  He attends institute, FHE, and church and soccer on Fridays.  He is awesome.  We also had Zone Training Meeting.  We talked a lot about having the faith to find people who are prepared.  It was super great.  I also had the opportunity to give a member a blessing because of his kindness.

Thursday:  This day was one of the best days that I have had in my entire life.  I can't wrap it into words really well but here we go.  For personal study, I studied what we had learned about at ZTM the day before; especially about having the faith.  (We have a mission goal to have 150 Baptisms until Christmas).  I really studied it and thought about the faith that I had.  (I had been praying about a decision for my shoulder this whole week with nothing coming to me, I had been fasting and everything with nothing.  I was really at my peak in stress.)  During lunch I was reading in some random Liahona when a loving, warm, incredible, and inconceivable feeling came over me.  (I had seen doctors in Leipzig and Borna for my shoulder so far and both have said that I need surgery.)  I had this insurmountable penetration of Faith, to which I had no grasp on.  The Lord had, in that moment, given me the faith and had told me to call my mission President for a blessing, and in this blessing, according to my Faith, would allow me to endure my mission without disturbance from my shoulders.  He told me to go to Berlin as soon as possible, which for us was next Tuesday.

Friday:  We had our transfer calls!  Elder Young and I stay together which was no guess and awesome because we are best friends.  Sis Rasmussen gets a new companion named Sis Madson.  Sis Keller gets a new companion named Sis Fugal from PG.  Elder Rückauer gets a new comp named Elder Roberts (My zone leader when I was in Groitzsch)   

Saturday: We had an activity with the youth in the stake in Meißen.  We were given companions and had companionship study and also district meeting.  After that we went to do 2 hours of finding with this wonderful young person.  Br. Ap** was with me.  We had a great experience talking to people and inviting them to know about the gospel.  After this we went back to the church and had a testimony meeting.  Br. Ap** got up and bore his testimony so strong and told a couple of stories that we had together.  Others got up and it was just all amazing. 

Sunday:  Sundays are just always great.  We ate with the Stake Presidents parents which is always delicious and we also planned our Street Display for the week since they are our Genieology missionaries.  The member that I gave a blessing to, came to me and told me that the Doctor found nothing of the stuff that was there before and he has no pain.  I didn't think about this until later.

Monday:  Had an appointment with Dr. Ritter in Borna.  He gave me more shots and some medication for the pain.  I told him that I wasn't going to take them but he gave them to me anyways.  I went to say Hi to Enrico real quick and then headed back to Dresden.  (That is why we didn't email on monday.  Our P-day is today for this week)

Tuesday:  Headed to Berlin by train.  We left early and got there by 12 or so.  I talked with the APs for a bit and then the President got there.  I talked with President for a long time about how I received the faith for this to happen.  I shared 2 scriptures with him that I hold dear to my heart.  They are Mormon 9:15-22 and Ether 12:15-22 I think.  I don't know what he was thinking but it was just quiet for a couple of minutes.  He then called the assistants in and Elder Young and they gave me the most amazing blessing I have ever had.  He blessed me that my shoulder would be healed, that it would have no more pain and that I would fulfill my mission.  What I also loved is that the Lord said that He was very proud of my mission so far.  Those words pierced my soul with joy and comfort.  Everybody was crying in the room with the power that was there.  After the blessing, we talked for a while about the mission.  No more than 5 min had passed when a shippment of 60 copies of the Book of Mormon showed up on the door step, each weighing 25 KG.  Before today, the pain was so bad that I couldn't move my left arm in any way.  I could bend my arm at the elbow and that was it.  I had had no shoulder movement at all.  Well, the boxes showed up and I was stacking boxes on shelves taller than I was.  I was carrying them with no problem.  Pain free.  It was such a testimony to me.  On the train ride home I thought about everything that had happened that week.  The miracle of the blessing of the member, Zone Training, the prayers, the fasting, General Conference, and I found out last night that others had fasted for my bettering.  All these things had lead me to my answer on Thursday which I had no idea was an answer at all.  I really hope I described my experience in a way that you all can understand.  I know that God works miracles in the world and the reason why He wouldn't is because of our unbelief.  I have since studied the Brother of Jared and how he saw the Lord.  I know, that Angels walk the streets, that God is here, and that faith, AND ACTING ON THE FAITH, will allow us to shave away the veil which blinds man.  Practice, practice acting on your faith.  It will grow.  Man tells you to do other wise, even members of this church, but I am here to testify from personal experience, that with faith, GOD WORKS MIRACLES.  We just have to act.  I have a shoulder with no pain, that touched my head for the first time in months.  "There is no try, just do." I know that Jesus Christ is my doctor, and that he knows how to help us and has perfect ways to do it.  I hope this story touches someone and influences them to act on the faith that they have.  Live the Higher Law.

Go on a mission.  It will only change your life and along the way you get to help others change theirs.  I love you.

Love, Elder Brandon Hays

PS I love you all and I wish I could write you right now but I really have no time but I will on Monday I promise.  I appreciate your love and support!

My Heart is Full ---- Pictures at the end:)

Oh I miss you guys!  How goes you people.  I miss yer.  You are my bestest perple.  English is just terrible...Wir sprechen nur Deutsch!  Deutsch klingt einfach so schön!  Man weint wann ein echter Deutscher spricht.  Bischof Juchau kann daß bestätigen.  

I won't write the whole thing in German but I love it!  But I still won't.

Are missionaries allowed to get high from this work?  I'm feeling just the love of it cloud my body!  It is very important for a missionary to be obedient and to be "a missionary", sometimes you just need to love the members and people there.  They are real people who you need to love and not to just open your mouth at.  I have really learned to love the people here and I believe that  will make my whole mission.  The love that I have for these people comes from Christ and it is the love that He has for them.  It is so cool and I can't be grateful enough to feel it go through me everyday.  Every time that I have been given the opportunity to exercise my priesthood power, I feel the love that the Savior has for these people that He is trying to communicate with.  This feeling even brings me, yes, even Elder Hays to tears. 

This General Conference was amazing.  I can't tell you about it because of how amazing it was and I just have a ton of ideas and goals that I need to organize in my head first so I will tell you about it next week:)  I can share my favorite quotes though!

-A house is held together by the unity of the father and the mother.

-After joining the church, we are not only promised peace in this world, but Eternal Life in the next world.  (work + commitment = peace + endurance = Eternal Life)

-Destiny is not determined on how many times we stumble, but how many times we GET BACK UP. This is the enabling power of the Atonement.  

-Let loose of your PRIDE and live in UNITY.

It was all just so awesome...

This week Elder Young and I chose a scripture to base our week on.  It was Ether 12:19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even ^abefore Christ came, who could not be kept from within the ^bveil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an EYE OF FAITH, and they were glad.

To me, an eye of faith means to see the heavens and the earth as one place.  To really KNOW that angels are working by our sides, God Himself is working here for the bringing to pass of His work of Eternal Life.  An eye of faith means to believe that we are in DIRECT connection with the Hand of God.  He touches us every day.

I have a letter that I want to share with you.  This shown to me by my good Elder Thomas Young.

"My Precious Friend!

I just wanted to let you know how much I love and care about you and how I greatly desire to become a meaningful part in your life.  This morning when you awoke, I was already there with you in the light of My beatiful sunshine that filled your room. I was hoping that your would say, "Good morning" to Me; you didn't.  So, I thought maybe it was just a little too early in the day for you to notice me.  

Again I tried to get your attentino when you stepped out of your door.  I kessed your face with a soft gentle breeze.  I breathed upon you my fragrant sweet breath scented flowers.  Then I sung you a love song through the birds in the trees.  You just walked right passed Me.  

Later on in the day, I watched over you as you were talking with some friends.  How I wished that you would talk to me also.  I waited and waited, but you just went a log your day.  This afternoon, I sent you a refreshing shower and glistened to you from each raindrop.  I even shouted to you a time or two with thunder trying to get your attention.  Then, I painted you a lovely rainbow in the midst of my fluffy white clouds.  I just know you would see me then, but you were unaware of my presence.  This evening to close your day, I sent you a beautiful sunset.  After that, I hoped that you would see Me and wink back.  You never did.

Tonight, when you went to bed, I spilled moon light upon your face to let you know I was there with you.  I was hoping that you would talk to Me a little while before you went to sleep.  You never said a word.  It hurts me deeply; however, I contiunued to watch over you all through the night, thinking that, maybe, just maybe, you would say hello to me in the morning. 

Each and everyday, I have revealed Myself to you in many strange and wonderous ways hoping that you would accept Me as your Shepherd.  For, I am the only One that can supply you with all of your needs.  My love for you is deeper than the deepest ocean and bigger than the great blue sky.  I have so much to give to you and also to share with you.  Please let Me hear from you soon. 

Love, Your Loving Friend forever, Jesus Christ"

Isn't that just a heart wrencher?  Yes...yes it is...

I was thinking about Travis Ashton.  I was thinking about how great of an example to me he was.  How loving and excited he was and the great charity he had, just as our Savior has.  Please let him know that I think of him and his example often.  That he has impacted my life in a very positive way and teaches me to become a better person overall.  Tell him I love him and that Germany says hello :)  

Brandon & Travis  ---Feb 2008
Side note . . . . you can read about Travis and his journey Here

I hope that you are well and know that I am.  I don't know if you will be able to bring me back home from here.  Now...that was not supposed to be funny:)

Love, your dearest most loving older son, who is full of the attributes of an average man, striving to become the Man of God he was sent to become, 

Elder Brandon Hays

Elder Hays and Elder Guiccone (Brandon's Trainer) w/Elder Fuller in the back:)

Love for the Leaders in Dresden

D*** received the Holy Ghost this Sunday!  He was so happy.  Want to know what is really cool?  So he is learning German and it is really hard for Chinese people for some reason.  He had his test on Monday (the day after he got the Holy Ghost).  Take into mind that he has taken this test over 5 times and if he didn't pass this one, he would have to either go back to china or wait a year to take it again.  Well he passed it on Monday!  The score that you needed to get to pass was 76 points and he got exactly 76 points haha.  How cool is that.  He was just so amazed that God would help him so fast.

I*** C**** was also baptized on Saturday!  Elder Ashmead and I found her and we gave her to the Sisters to be taught and she was baptized on Sunday!  She asked me to baptize her as well!  After she came up, she gave me the biggest hug in the whole entire world haha.  So amazing.

This last Sunday was just a mess haha.  I cried a ton again.  I don't know what is wrong with me!!!!  During Sacrament Meeting we had our Ward Conference.  Our Bishop was released after serving 7 years.  To see a Bishop show so much for the ward.  Literally give everything he has for these people, to start crying on the podium before he even had to speak, hit me like a rock.  After he started crying, the stake president started crying.  Seeing these two spiritual goliath Germans to start crying killed me again.  The love that they have for their God and Lord was incredible and everyone knew it.  It gave me a testimony of the brothership and hardship in the leadership of the church here in Germany.  They grew up living in the hardest times, fighting to keep to their church and he could now say that he had "fought a good fight".  After that our new Bishop was our now former Ward mission leader.  While the stake president was setting him apart I could hear the President start to cry a little bit.  It then struck me that he was setting his little brother apart as the new bishop of this ward.  They were both in tears as they embraced each other in tears.  It showed me how hard it was for them as young people growing up but that they had made it this far and this close to their goal.

I love the leaders of our ward here in Dresden and I know that they are called from our Lord.

I love you!  Elder Hays

P.S. Totes went to the Temple today!  It is still awesome and even better in the language of Angels (German).