Aug 4, 2014

Hey family,

HOw is everyone? Wow mom that is crazy! So many new babies. I had no idea that everyone was prego...I didnt know that Nicole also was expecting. And Caitlyn had a baby?!?! What the crud!! haha. MY mind is blown right now! 

Tell them all I miss them and love them. I miss all of the cousins a ton. I was thinking about it. I am super grateful that we did such a great job to stay so close throughout all of the years. It is such a blessing to have a family like the one I have.

The area is doing really well. The Lord is blessing us a ton. I cant even explain it...Miracles after miracles...I am regreting that these past three months I have been super lazy with writing in my journal....But I still do it. Just not every single day. I was writing every day up until the last week of May. Literally had not missed one day. Then I got transfered and I ran out of time to do it....well not really but time is a lot harder to find. But Dont worry mom. I am writing down and wont forget the experiences that I will tell you all about when I get home. 

We are able to take lots and lots of people to church on Sunday. That is really helping us see lots progress to baptism. Its really an amazing thing to be apart of. The Lord has really helped me and my companions in all of my areas here on the mission. 

We had a meeting last week with President Andrezzo. Wow. That man is inspired by God and when he speaks the presence of The Spirit is so strong. I cant even explain it. He gave us a great training and I learned a lot. This week I have been studying really hard in the Doctrine and Covenants. I spent the entire week studying about DC 84. Its a great section and I learned A LOT!! It was a section I have already read but I decided to sit down and really study it. Lots of Gospel truths are in there. Jesus The Christ is also blowing my mind. haha. Its the second time I am reading it here on the mission and I learn more and more every time a open it. PMG and The Book Of Mormon are amazing. Tell Pat that if he studies The Book of Mormon and PMG before the mission. I mean really studies. It will make all the difference for him when he gets in the field. He will be a missionary with MUCH POWER.  

The scriptures are great and help our faith increase. I am so grateful for them. Study them and say your prayers!! 

Alright family, I love you all and hope you are well. Mom, I will send you next week things you can put in my package. Sound good? Love you all. 

Elder Hadley 

July 28th, 2014

FAM!
So this week was a super fast week and it was really really busy. We were able to get a lot done and find and teach somegreat people. I will tell you about someone we just started to teach who went to church with us this last week. Leo is 20 years old and is really good. He is super excited about the book of mormon. He lives with some members which is helping a lot. These past few months I have changed a lot of the way I work. I still knock doors because I love doing it. A lot. But I decided to take on the challenge that Russell M. Nelson gave to the mission presidents here in Brasil. If we work more with recent converts and less actives. We will find more people to baptize. It has really helped my last area and this area see more success and get the members involved. It has really been a blessing to see. It was hard to make these changes I wont lie...cause I really like knocking doors. But it is working really well and is helping a lot.

So Leo is progressing really well as long as a few others. We have a really solid group that is going to church with us or by themselves. Its fun to see investigators slowly go from needing you to pass by and get them to going alone. Its cool. I also decided to assign members in the ward to go pass by and walk with people to church. Its helping out a lot.

This last saturday we had a talent show and american pancake night....Me and Elder Hedworth, another American in this ward (from New York) made lots and lots and lots of pancakes and syrup. haha. It was lots of fun.

Me and my comp are doing well. No complaints....haha. We were able to have lots of super spiritual lessons this week and see lots of missionaries as well as me and my comp have miracles happen. The mission is full of learning and growing.

I have been teaching English for the past few weeks and it has been really fun.

Thats about all that I can think of that has been going on. We will travel to Salvador for a couple of days then come back to our area on wednesday. Love you guys and have a great week. Remember who you are!!

ELder Hadley

July 21, 2014

Family, This week was an amzing week. I did a split with one of my favorite people on the planet, Elder Pirillo from Florida. He stayed with me for the whole week while my comp went to stay in an area that was actually his first area on the mission. This week was full of miracles for everyone. Especially us. I will have to tell you guys about all of them when I get home. But one of our baptisms this last Saturday was a lady who is 87!!! haha. We finally helped her to stop smoking. She is amazing!! We were able to baptize her daughter last month and they are the two best ladies on the planet. They never miss church and wont. They listen to the book of mormon on CD everyday for HOURS. haha. They are awesome. Great people here in this area. We are still working with an amazing family who is REALLY close to entering into the waters and being members of the church. It is so awesome to be apart of. These past few days it has been tough to buy things in the store and make contacts in the street...everyone thinks I am German....haha. I have already been threatened to get my face beat in. I have never been more proud to say that I AM AN AMERICAN. haha. Its saved me from a butt whoopin. haha. But now I have kind of just accepted it and sometimes I tell people I am German and brag to them....but its chill. Nobody will do anything. Lots of them joke around with me. Only a couple of times they wouldnt accept me at their cash register to buy something or let me invite them to church....O well. What can ya do? haha. Thanks mom and dad for the super blonde hair and blue eyes....haha. It was a great week!!! ANyway I love you all. Tell April to keep her head up. SHe is doing awesome!!! Love you all, ELder Hadley

July 7, 2014

Family,

So this week was a fantastic week for us!! We are teaching 3 legally married famalies and got them all to church for the second time yesterday!!!! I cant even tell you how thrilled we are. I love everyone that I teach and have the honor of helping be baptized. But teaching and helping famalies into the waters of Baptism is something....man I cant even fully explain it. This week was great.

I traveled a lot....I was going around doing interviews for baptisms for other missionaries in our zone. We have great missionaries that work very very hard and who have a huge desire to baptize! If you teach with the Spirit, you are obedient, and you have desire and faith....you will be able to help many gain a testimony of the gospel. I love this work.

Love you all,
elder Hadley

Brazil vs Chile

June 23, 2014

Family,

So these past have been really good ones. I have been really lazy with my journal writing the past 5 weeks....I am incredibly sad seeing that five weeks ago was literally the first day that I hadn't written in the entire mission....But I have been better these past couple of weeks. Its just when we do splits and things like that I never have time to write. But I will get it taken care of. I have repented and will be better.

We have a great area. I have already talked about it a little bit to you guys Its super close to the church which helps out a lot.

We are teaching a family. Well we actually have not been teaching them yet because they are always gone!!! But we will get in there on Tuesday and teach them. they have came twice by themselves!! Its a mother with two daughters and a son. Good people. We are looking forward to Tuesday. I have no doubt they will be baptized. The moms sister is a member of the church and lives in Utah. That helps.

We have been teaching great people and working a ton with the recent converts and with the less actives. In this area it is without a doubt the best way to work. But we also knock tons of doors. Because I am in love with knocking doors. I think its really exciting.

The world cup has been pretty crazy. But not too crazy. In my area anyways. I know in Salvador...its pretty nuts. We have to stay inside our house when Brazil plays because of the parties and stuff. But we always catch bits and pieces of other games because EVERYONE we teach is watching and will not turn off their tv. They pay attention to us but will not turn it off. They think its cool that we love to cheer with them and stuff.

We were teaching a married couple who was being kind of slow while they were progressing. We decided to bring the hammer down and the Spirit was incredibly strong. We taught the plan of salvation. They loved it and could feel the spirit and felt that they needed to repent. But Sunday came around....and they didn't go to church. that often happens. I think that's why I am so stressed. I care for these people and want to help them with conversion and baptism but many times....they deny the spirit. That makes me really sad for them. really sad....But we cant make their choices for them.

 I literally think my hair is falling out....but I think that is either a Clyde gene or my stress....Just pray that it stops cause I have literally cried at night about it. hahaha. Not really but almost. Its a crappy feeling....

But I am loving every second I have here. I miss you guys a ton. But I am not ready to get back yet. haha. I have learned so much since I have been here on the mission. I have studied and studied and studied some more. The doctrine of the gospel is addicting. I hope you all are also studying as well. The scriptures are incredible. Study the book of Mormon.

I love you all and hope you all have a great week. Pray for my baldness. haha

Elder Hadley

June 2, 2014

Hey family,

So this week was a good one and one that was also kind of sad....I had spent a year in the capital, Salvador. And I had to leave to a city called Ilheus. Its very beautiful. Its sad just cause I will miss Salvador but its also really good and I am really excited because of my new area and my new comp.

Like I said I am in Ilheus Its really awesome. We have a great ward and great recent converts! and great people. There was a terrible accident here in this little small area where a little ten year old boy was in an accident with his bike, him, and a semi....we found out the name of the boy and are searching for his family. We hope we can find them and teach them. Everybody pretty much knows everybody here so we will find the house.

My comp is Elder Gillenwater, he is from Indiana. He is so great. haha. It seems like we have been friends for longer than one week. We have a lot in common and this week was great while we were teaching. We really felt the Spirit and all of our lessons flowed really well. He makes me want to be better daily. So that is really good.

There isnt a whole lot to write this week. I am in a ward where Grant Gallinger served (from Richland, Tysons cousin if you guys dont remember) and he as some people here that he baptized that are amazing!!! They help us so much with the work. Elder Gallinger was a great missionary.

I will write more next week. Ask questions. I dont know what to say anymore. haha. Love you all and have a great week!!!

Elder Hadley