Elder Hatfield Returns with Honor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95q1QCSD0jk

Last day to serve in Denver Colorado South

Howdy Fam!!

I did get your package and thank you. It came saturday so perfect timing. It was a bitter-sweet weekend, but we had one of the best weeks of my mission. The work is moving forward to great lengths in the singles ward. I found out that one of the guys the missionaries have been teaching a long time, wanted me to baptize him, then he found out I was leaving. I didn't really tell anyone until this last week. I told him we'll see if I can make it back, he's supposed to be baptized july 27. There is a girl we started teaching as well, that we turned over to the sister missionaries, that will be baptized july 20. I'm excited for that too b/c she's making the decision for herself. It was just sad to leave it all. I drove w/ a family to Denver yesterday and it was a long drive.  I get to spend this last day w/ Elder FIsher (This is Jordan Fisher his high School buddy) and its a good time. We had fun talking last night, it's been a little over eight months. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Love ya!!

Elder Hatfield

I will finish strong

Thanks Mom for all the experiences I've shared through email and other things getting placed on the blog. Our week was absolutely fantastic. One of our investigators has been investigating for some time now, but has never been baptized. This last week he dropped off his best friend at the MTC and got to visit Temple Square. It was at the temple that he felt the spirit absolutely come over him and he's been on a spiritual high ever since. He came home and knew he needed to be baptized so we finally got to set him on date for July 27. I'm sad I will be home for it, but I'm happy for the experience of helping him get there. Not only that, but his mom who's not a member asked him to take her this coming week to temple square so she can see it. They will do that on Tuesday for his birthday. She wants the missionary lessons as well and asked us to at least teach the first lesson then turn her over to the other missionaries. lol. We have two other guys who will be baptized in the coming months as well. They really want to be baptized. We taught a girl a couple weeks ago and turned her over to the sister missionaries in the ward and she will be baptized this next month as well.

We have seen the work truly hastening in our area. Though college is out it is no longer affecting our teaching pool. We have found 10 new investigators in the last 2 weeks. I've never had that happen in my mission.

I'm really sad to be ending, but I will finish strong here and make the family and Heavenly Father, and Christ proud. I'm coming to terms now with what's happening and I know good things are always to come.

So great things are happening, I love it. We're as busy as can be.

Elder Hatfield

June 17, 2013

Hey all!

The work is going absolutely great here. To give you an idea, we had three investigators come to church yesterday, and we set up two appointments with potential investigators that came with members. These potential investigators came out of curiosity too! so we really look forward to meeting with them.

I feel like a grand finale has been going on all around me, and I hope it keeps going. I love my mission so much and am eternally grateful for it.

We had quite a conversation w/ an older gentleman this last week. He is a retired navy veteran from the Vietnam war and when we first met him it was w/ all his returned vet friends. They all acted like they were 20, it was hilarious. A little vulgar, but I wish I could have let you all see it. We got to try and sit down to talk w/ him, but he liked to talk about politics. He shared a story with us though that confirms the doctrine of the spirit world. When he was six he was playing with one of his toys in the living room. His grandma had passed away two weeks previous. Apparently he smelled something that reminded him of grandma, so he went to go check it out. Not remembering his grandma had passed away, he see's his grandma standing right there and she said, "It's alright Mikey everything will be just fine." He smiled and went back to playing and then he remembered that she was supposed to be dead. He knew though what he saw, he said he couldn't explain it, but that he knew there is an afterlife.

I have a great companion, Elder Merrill. I believe a lot of the miracles happen because of him. He has great faith and is an incredible missionary. He also has an incredible story of how he came out to the mission, miraculous even. I feel the ward getting more and more excited inviting non-member friends to activities, and so forth. I love feeling like the work is growing rapidly, which of course it is. It's a great ward to serve in, and good to see young people making good decisions.

Elder Hatfield

June 12, 2013

My week was phenomenal! We received four new investigators throughout the week. It was very much needed b/c we have been on a drought for new investigators for quite a few weeks now. Yesterday we met w/ a referral we got from some other missionaries. He is a great guy. He grew up hard core Christian and apparently his second year in college he started to think a little differently and wonder who on earth he was speaking to when he prayed. He quickly lost his faith in things and hasn't been active in any church or prayer for a while now. I must think about all the many testimonies of millions today and in the past concerning the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I think about the miraculous things that people have seen that only a God could do. The miracle of the Restoration and its perfectness is testimony to me. So we watched Elder Hollands talk w/ him and shared how he must hold onto ground that he has won in the past whether that be seeing a miracle or being one of the things I listed above. I look at it as the game of Risk, some battles you fight and the line just won't budge, but we can search and conquer other territories, still gaining ground on things.  We then can come back and try again on the certain things that just don't make sense. Sometimes we just aren't going to win some battles until the hereafter, and that's ok. There is plenty to learn and conquer here.

Another investigator we started teaching, is way solid. He met w/ missionaries in the past and felt like they lectured him more than anything. So these first two times we've met w/ him we just let him ask questions. He has a lot and I love it. That's a big reason why I want to study always is so I have the best answer for these people. He is very eager to learn more, and we're eager to teach him. I have great hope that he'll be baptized in a few months.

have a wonderful week!!

Elder Hatfield

June 3, 2013

Howdy all!

That's so cool that Jason is home now Be sure to tell him I say hi and look forward to seeing him again.

We are really trying to find new people to teach. We had a great week this last week trying to share the Gospel, but no new investigators came out of it. I know it will come though. The Lord is very much in this work and I know he will continue to bless us. I have a great testimony of that. I see it every day.

I've been feeling different this last transfer, as you can imagine.

I find myself  bearing testimony all the time. At the beginning of my mission that's all I had to hold on to, and it is one of the most precious gifts I've received so that's why I feel like at the beginning of my mission again. The spirit is strongest when we do bear testimony, and even if we didn't make sense trying to explain something to someone, they can feel the spirit. At that point we hope to have experiences like w/ Brigham Young who was converted b/c of the testimony of a humble man.

I hope you will have a wonderful week.

Elder Hatfield