News for the Week

Dear Family and Friends,

This week we had our last Zone Conference with President and Sister King. It was a really powerful conference, but a sad experience at the same time. I got to go on exchange with the other Elders in my District, and we had a lot of fun, but my companion goofed up and missed dinner one of the days, so we had to apologize. We had a couple really neat teaching opportunities, one with a sister that has been away from the church for a long time, and one with a young man that grew up without religion in his life. They were both powerful lessons, and we really tried to listen to the Spirit to help them know what Heaenly Father wanted them to know. The work seems to be starting to pick up, things are beginning to roll forth, and hopefully things start to happen pretty soon. We're trying to continuall improve, and really focusing on asking members to help us in seeking revelation about how to do the work of the Father in his way. The members here are great, they're a lot of fun, and I enjoy serving with them. Especially our bishop, he's such a great guy, and he loves to help us in any way he can. Since the Temple opened, it really seems like the Lord is pouring out his Spirit upon the people here, and softening and preparing hearts. It's such a funtime to be a missionary, the work is difficult, but it's so rewarding that all the effort is more than worth it. I would like to share some few thoughts this week about the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the Key to Exaltation! If you seek to live worthy of, listen to, and obey it, it will lead you straight back into the presence of the Father having accomplished all that you were foreordained to do, and there you will sit down on the right hand of the Father eternally, to go no more out. I can say nothing more straight forward, and simple than that, and I testify with all my heart and soul that what I just said is the truth. God bearing witness of it. We must do what is necessary to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost Always, in the name of the Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Mail Call

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was a landmark in the mission field, I made my last call home....I'm not sure how I feel about that, but at least I wont have to worry about that any more. This week was another crazy one (they all are these days). We had a District Leader Council with President King, and I had a really cool experience there. I've been feeling that we really need to start working through the members of the wards, and loh and behold that's what President King told us to do. It made me feel like maybe I can recieve inspiration, and was cool. I also made a neat discovery in the scriptures that pertains to what we talked about. It says, "for ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God ye might recieve the promise." (Hebrews 10:36) So in essence we need to seek the will of the Lord, and act upon our impressions with all diligence being patient when we don't see immediate results, and know that the promises of the Lord will be fulfilled once you've finished the course. This also illustrates something we were told by Elder Pieper when he was here, he said "miracles start by Revelation." Which would be true since you have to obtain the will of the Lord to do it. It was a perfect description of how I've felt about some of the things we've tried before, I got discouraged when things didn't happen right away, but now I understand, and am prepared for the future. I feel very positive about our situation right now, and am very excited for the things that are happening. I would like to share one experience that we had yesterday.... I spent a good amount of time praying to know where we could find someone prepared to recieve the gospel, and I didn't feel anything. Several hours later at church, I still felt nothing. As we walked out of Sacrament meeting and into Sunday school class, and young woman in the ward walked up and introduced us to her boyfriend who asked us to teach him the discussions. That never happens! Later as I was sitting in Priesthood class, the words of my prayer that morning came back to me, and I realized that had been the answer to my prayer. At that point I was filled with such gratitude that my eyes began to water. It was one of the coolest things that has happened on my mission. I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers prayers, that he knows and loves each one of us, and that he has a plan for all of us to help in this great work we are engaged in. He needs us, and we need to do all we can to serve him, and help him accomplish his divine purpose so that the earth may be prepared for the coming of our Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,
Elder Hughes

Late News is Better Than No News...

Hey,

Don't freak out, I didn't have time to email on Monday, my companion made an appointment without telling me, and we had to cut our email time short. I have had a bad week, a lot of crazy stuff happened. We got to see the Rededication of the Temple which was cool, and the cultural celebration, but there were a lot of strange things. I wrecked on my bike (bikes fault), and tore up my right hand. My bike got sabotaged while we were at dinner (someone cut the valve stem, bent the rim beyond repair, and ruined my chain), and then we had a fiasco trying to get it fixed. Some guy gave us a ride, and tried to tell us that we were being deceived while attacking our beliefs. And then in District Meeting, we almost started arguing over something. But, I'm doing alright. My hand hurts though. But, on the bright side, I didn't break anything, and I'm still going. We're really trying to change the way we do missionary work, so I'm imagining things are going to be pretty slow for a while, but I think that in the long run it will be a big help. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't worry too much.... Talk to you Sunday! Love ya!

Love,

Elder Hughes
(send some mail...spread a little cheer)

Weekly Note

(Atlanta Temple)

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been interesting to say the least. We had interviews with President King this week in the Temple, which was super cool, but we also had an area 70 chewing us out for there being too many missionaries at the Temple. We got a few referrals from the open house, but nothing has happened with them so far. The sisters are having a mini-transfer since everything with the open house has been so crazy, so i may or may not be losing the sisters in my district which would be sad since everything else seems to be dieing on me. I've really felt like the Lord has been trying to teach me a lesson these last couple weeks, and today was a big step towards whateer it is I'm supposed to be learning. I wish I could turn back time, and that I had known what I know now when I left on a mission, but alas that's the problem with this life, we live and learn. I have a request to make, please refrain from telling me how little time I have left, it may seem harmless to you, but I don't like to think about it. Trust me I know that I only have a short time left, and I really want to focus these last few months so that I can do what the Lord wants me to do. I thank you all for you love and support, and I hope you know that I pray for you, that I miss you, and that I am excited to be with you again, but while I am here, I belong to the Lord, and that's what I want to focus on right now. I would also like to share some thoughts on missionary work, we are taught in John 6:44 that no man can come unto Christ unless the Father draws him, which makes tuning in to the Father's will all the more important, and I encourage all of us to seek the Lords' will in our lives, so that we know how to be better disciples, and help him to accomplish his work to bring to pass the imoortality and Eternal Life of his children. I know that Christ lives, that he loves us, and I pray that at this season of the year where we commemorate his resurrection, we may find renewed Faith in Christ, and a deeper devotion to his gospel si my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,
Elder Hughes

Short and 2 the Point

Dear Family and Friends,
This week was a lot of fun, we got to work at the Temple twice helping direct parking, which was insane because people were rebellious and didn't want to do what they were told, but we managed. Then we got to go through with a recent convert, which was a lot of fun. The Temple is very pretty, but I still prefer the St. George Temple. Other than that we haven't deen able to do too much this week, on account of spending so long there. But it's been a fun week, even though my legs hurt from standing so long. I do know that the Temple is the house of the Lord, and I admonish you all to make it a priority to get there, because our Heavenly Father wants us to be with our families eternally, I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Lucky Us

Dear Family and Friends, Well, you lucked out again, I'm not getting transferred, so you'll know where I am for a few more weeks.... Sorry to those of you whose letters I haven't been able to respond to yet, I've had a lot on my plate the last 6 weeks, and we're just getting into the thick of things, but I will write when I get some time. The Temple open house started Saturday, and everyone is stoked!!! All the reports we've heard about so far say it has been amazing. I can't wait to get to go through. The weather has been really wet here, but everything is so pretty right now with all the flowers and trees just blooming, it's a great time of year to be in Georgia. But I do miss my good old mountains. The work is kind of at a grinding halt right now, but I can just feel that something is about to happen. It's almost like the dam has finally been plugged, and now the water's about to blast it open. It's truly an exciting time to be a missionary. I would like to mention one thing this week, and that is sanctification. The pinnacle of Discipleship to Christ is becoming perfect in him, and this requires that we give our whole heart, and soul to him, so that we can become sanctified by the power of the Holy Ghost. Only by doing this can we stand spotless before the Father at the last day when we stand to be judged of our works. Only through Faith, and repentance of all our sin, and faithfulness to the end after being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. I admonish you to seek the refining power of the Holy Ghost that we may all stand together at that great and last day, and enter into the kingdom of God having fought the good fight, and won the prize by faithful obedience. I testify that this is the way, made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, in his sacred name, Amen. Love, Elder Hughes

Weekly Update

Dear Family and Friends, This week was a fast one. We got invitations to the Temple open house Tuesday from President King, and started handing them out. So far we haven't had too much success with it, but we're trying to be ingenuitive, and are coming up with some new things to try. Hopefully we can hand out all 300 quickly. I had an interesting experience yesterday in between sessions of conference where the sisters in my district took my companion and I to meet a guy they had talked to before. We stood in a gas station for an hour and a half, and compared Islam to Latter Day Saint doctrine. I noticed very early that I was the only one doing the talking, and no one else seemed to have anything to say. So we had 5 missionaries in a gas station on a sunday with people coming in and out, and me and this guy are having a long discussion about our beliefs. It was a fun experience, because the Spirit truly led me in what to say, and when and how to say it, and the guy really couldn't say anything against what we had talked, or explain how he knew any of it was true. We left him with our testimonies, and he told us we could come back, but I think we might not, on account of I could see myself talking to him all day. It was a good experience though, to see how the Spirit worked through me. Having the opportunity to listen to conference was very different to me than it has been in the past, I really felt as though the Lord was tellling me what to do, and I hope that all of us will take the time to study and ponder the messages shared, because I know that the Lords counsel is contained in them. I also know and testify that as we follow it, we will be blessed because I know that these men and women are inspired of God, and that Thomas S. Monson is his Prophet on the earth today. Please follow their counsel, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. Love, Elder Hughes