7-30-12 email

Hello Family! Well this week was really good! Elder Schultz and I are still getting along pretty well, and we have been working very hard. We were able to set two new baptismal dates this week! The first one is a lady named Aurelia. She is trying to quit smoking, and it is hard for her to leave the house much (she is very large) but she is doing well and already has so much faith in Jesus Christ. We were also able to set a date with another lady named Tricia. She is amazing. She has already had some wonderful experiences with prayer, and loves reading the book of mormon. Sadly, she just hasn't been able to make it to church yet because one of her sons got sick and she had to stay home. But we still have a lot of faith that she can be baptized soon.
So it has been really weird this week for me. Why? The olympics. Earlier this week we went into a house for a lesson, and the opening ceremonies were on!! It shocked me because I had completely forgotten that they were even happening this year! I am sad to be missing them, but I'll probably survive. maybe... Anyways, I don't want it to distract me, but I wouldn't mind if you guys told me a little bit of what has gone on...
Also, I got a text from sister Miller telling me about meeting Mom in Albuquerque. Really weird. My mom is in the mission!? strange.
And to finish, I will tell a little bit more about my comp. So he did not know Elder Schnell, but we do get a lot of comments about their names. He was in Albuquerque and Santa Fe before coming here, so he doesn't like the heat. He has been out about ten months, so just a little longer than me. He is pretty cool though, and we are getting along pretty well.
Well sadly, I have to go, but I can't wait to hear from you guys again soon!

7-23-12 email

Ok I am doing photos first this week because I'm tired haha...So anyways, things are going great here in El Paso! My new companion's name is Elder Schultz! (the only black missionary in the mission) So far we are getting along really well, and we have been working super super hard this first week. He is from Oregon just like Elder Schnell, so that's kind of interesting. He has been on his mission just a couple of transfers longer than me, so his spanish is about where mine is. Which is still improving a lot! So we just got back from a hike to mammoth rock up in the Franklin Mountains in our area. We went with Brian Allen and had an awesome time! There are lots of fun hikes here in El Paso! It's Awesome! So we have been working with this 9 year old kid for a while named Jared. He really wants to get baptised but its hard for him to come to church, because obviously, he is nine... But we were able to get him and his 8 year old cousin Kelly a ride this week, so they came to church with us!! It was super fun, we went to primary and helped out with sharing time, and they sat by us in sacrament meeting. I vote that we should institute primary for adults, because that was way more fun than the usual classes! We are also working with a lady named Tricia Ibarra that is progressing really well. We hope to set a baptismal date with her as soon as we can. She is just really nervous about coming to church because she has a four year old son that is a little autistic, so she wants him to feel comfortable as well. We also had a very spiritual experience sharing the restoration with a lady named Aurelia, one of Brian's friends. She told us afterwards that many missionaries have taught her about the restoration before, but this time she was able to feel the truth behind the message as we were sharing it. Very cool. So we hope to be able to keep finding more people to listen to our meesage this next week, and we are trying our very best to work as hard as we can and be as obediant as we can so that we can receive those blessings!

So it's great to hear that you were able to get a teaching job after all Mom! I know that you are going to be an awesome school teacher! all the kids are going to love you! And thanks for that program from Troy and Daniel's farewell. It is pretty cool to see that all my friends are leaving on missions! It really is such a rewarding experience. So just before I go, we had a zone training last week where president Miller talked about finding specific blessings for each of the commandments. It was really cool to me to think back on my life and think of all the wonderful blessings that have come from paying tithing, praying, living the word of wisdom, and other commandments. So I would like to challenge you guys to think of a commandment from God, and make a list of all the blessings you have received in your life by following it! I bet it will be lots of fun! Well, until next week, Elder Hatch

Me and my new comp Elder Schultz in front of mammoth rock

me in front of juarez

 Elder schultz jumping

Me and Brian

 

7-16-12 email

Oh my goodness! You guys just blew my mind with all those emails! Its going to take me a minute to recover from all the awwesome stories you guys sent! Wow! I loved it! So anyways, this week has been pretty crazy because Elder Schnell left. It was pretty wierd for me because I still have a year and a half to go! Yay! Ya but I had to go on exchanges a couple times this week with other missionaries, so not a whole lot has really changed in our area. We are teaching a lady named Trisha right now though. She has a four year old autistic son and is really trying to get her whole family involved in the gospel as well! She is definitely very excited to learn. I will be getting my new companion tomorrow, so I still don't know who he is. I am hopeful for another good companion though! Sadly guys, I just really don't have a lot to write about this week, but things are still going really well for me! It's really good to hear about your guys' summer though! I am definitely starting to feel like I am missing a lot! Sorry, I only have like 20 minutes today because Elder Schnell has to go now, but I can't wait for you guys to write next week!

7-9-12 email

Buenas Tardes!
          Hey Guys, well, this was a pretty good week! It's been crazy because Elder Schnell now only has one more week on his mission before he goes home to Oregon, so we set some awesome goals and we have been working really hard and having a lot of fun! This is actually probably the happiest I have been on my mission so far. It's amazing to see how closely connected hard work and happiness are. We were able to set two really solid baptismal dates this week. Alex and Jose are both actually about my age, so it has been really great to get to teach them about the gospel! They are both progressing quite well. We were also able to see Tobias at church again this week! It's funny because he still doesn't want to meet with us, but he has been coming to church, reading the Book of Mormon, and asking us lots of really intelligent questions. I think his only problem is that he is too smart! he wants to learn everything on his own.
          Well, some sad news now. Alberto Rosales passed away this last week. We are going to try to go to his funeral tomorrow to wish the family well. Its even more sad because we have tried to go see his wife to see if there is anything we can do for her family, but she wont see us anymore. So we are just going to give her some space and just be as nice as we can.
          Anyways, last night I got a cool call from President and Sister Miller saying that they met Grandpa Sant at church last week! How cool! They said that they really liked him, and a lot of people in the ward there already knew him. It's really interesting to hear how they are doing! Shout out for my Albuquerque Grandparents! I love you guys! I hope you are doing well.
          That's pretty funny to hear about the pepper spray in sacrament meeting. Who on earth accidentally sprays pepper spray in a chapel?? I hope it all turned out ok. It definitely makes a funny story though. Now you know mom that you are just more vulnerable to pepper spray. Try not to get sprayed by it again!
          So another fun story, Elder Schnell and I saved up our allowance all this last month so that we could celebrate before he went home, so a couple days ago we went downtown and had a 40 dollar sushi meal! It was really really tasty. Definitely worth all that dinero. My fourth of July was good. We actually forgot that it was a holiday until we got to our dinner appointment and started hearing fireworks... Hno. Zamora made us an amazing salmon dinner though, and later we were able to watch some fireworks from our porch in the apartment. Overall it was a good day! It was especially nice this week because it actually rained all week! Yay water! Oh, I also met two different Nathans this week! One was nine and the other was eight. I thought that was kind of funny. So thanks for the pictures! I love them! And you look very tan Miranda! I will try to include a couple from me too! Que tengan una buena semana! Hasta luego!


Our sushi dinner

knocking doors

rainy El Paso

super old LDS chapel downtown

a lizard

Elder Schnell on a tree

me and Brian allen



At Lee's baptism



more photos of us hiking



7-2-12 email

 Hello! okay, so I will try to do a little bit better with this email Mom, I know last weeks was kind of wimpy. Anyways, this week was pretty good. Yesterday was especially great because we had three of our recent converts be ordained to the aaronic preisthood! Lee, Sergio, and Jesus Zamora were all able to get the preisthood! Awesome! Sergio even blessed the bread in Sacrament meeting. We were pretty impressed because he got it perfectly right the first time. I am definitely starting to get close to the people here!
So this week here in El Paso it was a million degrees every day. Haha not really, but it did hit 110! Hot hot hot. It's really not too bad though. At least we have a car to get to where we need to go. Today its in the low 90's and it feels great! We were able to get a few new investigators this week as well. One of them is named Tobias and he is really cool. Last week after emails he just walked up to us in the library and asked "Hey aren't you guys the Mormons". Of course we said yes, and after some conversation, we invited him to come to church and listen to our message. He said he would call us and try to come. We didn't hear from him the rest of the week, so we kind of forgot about him. But then on sunday we walked into our sacrament meeting and there he was, wondering if he was in the right place until he saw us! He loved testimony meeting and afterwards asked us for a Book of Mormon. He is really interested and promised he would come back next week.
After church, our good friend Lee said he had something for us, so we went out to his car where he pulled out 4 dozen eggs from his chickens.(now completely rotten because they were in the super hot car all day) We felt really bad though, so we took them anyway. He is such a sweet guy! Very much a kind old Grandpa.
On a sadder note, one of the really less active members that we have been visiting named Alberto is in really bad shape. He is maybe in his 70's and has been away from the church for decades. He has three daughters in Arizona and Florida that are very active in the church though. Just a couple of days ago his family pulled him off of most of his medication so that he could pass away peacefully this week. We have given him many blessings, but please keep him in your prayers as well. We are also teaching his wife (a Jehovas Witness) and one of his caretakers. It is pretty sad to see him feeling so unfulfilled and regretful though.
Anyways, my companion, Elder Schnell, now only has two weeks left before he goes home to Oregon. I am a little sad that I will only be able to have one transfer with him. He is a really great guy. And once he leaves, I will have to show someone else around the area for a while!
So its nice to hear that you guys are doing well. Thank you for the talk quotes mom! We actually do get the Ensign every month, in English and Spanish. and we even get recordings of the talks to listen to in the car from a member in the ward. That is definitely one of my favorites. I also really enjoy The talk from Elder Neil L Anderson, and of course, the one from President Uchtdorf. I'm glad you liked my pictures too. Brian Allen (the guy in the tunnel pictures) really likes photography, so he took some of those for us for fun. He is a huge help to the missionaries here. Awesome guy.
Well sadly, I better go now, but I hope that this letter was a little bit better for you guys! I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week! Dont have too much fun with all of your summer activities! Hasta la proxima semana!