Prayers For Elder Empey-Letter 3-28-16

I'm Praying & Fasting for My Cousin Elder Empey

General Women's Conference

My BYU Roommate & her Family Visited Our Ward

Wow! I am lost for words. I had heard something about the bombing in Brussels this week but we didn´t hear much more than that. Much less that Dres was one of the Elders injured. It’s scary and shocking to hear about a loved one being involved and hurt in something like that, but I know that he and the other missionaries were protected. I will be praying and fasting for him and for the Empeys and for the other missionaries. 

I don´t feel like I have very much more to say. This week was really normal for me. 

I really enjoyed the General Women´s Conference on Saturday. And Easter Sunday was wonderful though we didn´t do much to celebrate. Crazy small world because the family of my roommate from BYU was in the sacrament meeting of my ward!! 

Also, I am so excited for conference!!! Can´t believe it´s already time for it. Something I did last conference and will be doing this conference as well is writing down a couple of questions beforehand and praying that the General Authorities can be inspired to answer them. Every single one of my questions were answered last time. I wanted to invite you to do it too!

Well, that´s pretty much all I have to say. I love you all so much and I will be praying for you and will be praying LOTS for Dres! Keep safe.

Con amor,

Hermana Hauck

F Is for FIRE that Burns Down the Whole Town-Letter 3-21-16

I Love Pugs!

Jumping on a Tramp

Yay! A package from home.

 Hello Fellow Humans

Wow so today was crazy! We had a zone activity today where we made carne asada and several elders in our zone decided it a good idea to help the coal grill out with gasoline. Before the zone leaders could get them to put the gasoline away, the entire container of gas they had caught fire. Of course they dropped the container and gasoline and fire went everywhere and the outer wall of our stake center caught fire. It began to spread super fast but luckily another elder ran for the fire extinguisher and other for buckets of water. They put out the fire, but then there was a ton of smoke. All of the church windows were open so Hna Payne and I ran inside to turn on fans. Ha-ha we felt like firefighters running to save the chapel. Thanks to Guaymas´ finest (Payne and I) the interior is free of damage. Sadly I can´t say the same for the outer wall... Nothing that can´t be fixed, but I´m a little worried that P-day activities will be a goner in this mission.

On a brighter note, I jumped on a trampoline yesterday. It wasn´t a very good one but I did a front flip for the first time in 9 months, so that´s pretty great! 

On an even brighter note, Miriam is doing great! She´s getting ready to go on a For the Strength of Youth camp this weekend with the Guaymas stake. We´re really excited for her to meet more youth and be able to learn lots and enjoy the activities. She really is such a doll. We watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of The Restoration this week and she got pretty into it:) Ha, afterwards she kept telling us how sad she was that people would kill a prophet. 

We have a couple of other investigators who are progressing, just a bit more slowly. It´s kind of hard getting people to go to church. There are a couple of churches in our area and many people tell us that it´s easier to go to a church that´s closer. You think they´d maybe prefer going to a church that´s true. 

Also, speaking of the churches in our area. We entered into a house this week to share the Easter initiative video and I think word got around the street that there were Mormon missionaries there because shortly after we arrived a pastor from another church came with his family to listen to our lesson. We tried to share the video, bear testimony and leave, but the bible bashing and ¨you worship Jose Smith¨ing began. We tried ending it peaceably but we ended up having to cut off the pastor with a bit of force to be able to close in prayer. One thing that I thought was interesting was the insistence this pastor used on using scriptures without understanding that scriptures are sacred only because they are revelations from God. Just because it says something someplace in the Bible doesn´t make it law. It´s written because it´s a commandment, it´s not a commandment just because it´s written…whoa that´s deep. Gold star for me! But do you get what I mean? We don´t observe any commandment or principle just because in a book it tells us that we should. We do it because the Lord asks us to. Sorry for spurting out ideas. And sorry if they don´t make too much sense. Just thinking in the email.

Well that´s about it from this week. Kind of crazy but awesome!

Con amor,

Hermana Hauck

Hymn Book Ping-Pong- Letter 3-14-16

Our Zone

Hey Turkies!

Looks like the weather is prime in St. George. I´m glad you´re all enjoying it by going out lots. I miss how beautiful everything is-the sky the red mountains and YOUR FACES- in good ol´ Utah. But as you all know for now I´m still kicking it here in Guaymas. The weather is pretty good still but is beginning to heat up. I´m just preparing myself for June, July and August. 

Anywhosies. The work here is pretty good. Miriam is doing well and went to mutual for the first time last week and loved it! I´m really glad because now she can makes some more member friends to help her continue growing and learning in the gospel even when I leave... NO I don´t ever want to leave Guaymas.. I´ll ask President if I can stay here for the rest of my mission.

Another investigator we have is Sandra who is a mom of 5. Her husband has a heart disease and can´t work so she does EVERYTHING. For reals, EVERYTHING! All of the chores in the house with some hello from her kids when they´re not in school. She works by making tortillas (that are divine and completely fattening btw) and selling them from her house. Whenever we go to teach her we show up 30 minutes early to help her with whatever chores because the poor thing never stops working. 

A bit of detail about my mission life right now: }

The hermanas in my zone are Hna Mendoza (mi comp), Hna Quintana and Hna Payne (from Herriman, Utah and officially my best friend in the mish at the moment) and myself. We eat together every day so we´re together a ton. I really like having hermanas close by as to spend lots of time together. Usually Hna Payne and I are finding creative ways to entertain ourselves, He he for example today we played a good deal of ping pong with Hymn books for paddles and a ball we found. 

My new comp, Hna Mendoza, is from Bolivia as you know. She is a convert to the church and is very hardworking. It´s always a little weird to change companions, especially because I was with Hna Pelico for a long time, but we´re getting along and working together pretty well. She´s also short, which is fun because I suddenly feel tall. 

The mosquito bites are starting again and all too soon. I´m searching for ways to fight the everlasting battle this summer... The problem is when I use repellent it is sweated of really quickly…I am all ears if somebody knows of secrets to the art of mosquito combat.

Everyone keep safe and happy! 

Con amor,

Hermana Hauck

Mission Space Time Continuum-Letter 3-7-16

Something Yummy!

Hey folks!!

This week has been great... and SUPER FAST! Time is weird here in the mission... the days are medium slow because I´m constantly checking the time and my schedule but the weeks go by fast and the months faster. I talked with you for Christmas yesterday right? And in less than two months I´m going to talk with you again. It kind of freaks me out my half way mark is coming in the mission.... Gah new topic!

Thank you all for your prayers! This week Miriam accepted a baptismal date! She´s doing really well and has been keeping up with her commitments in the Book of Mormon, saying her prayers and coming to church with us. We´re going to get her going to mutual this week. :)

We have several others who we’re trying to get to church, so if you can keep them in your prayers you know I’ll love you forevsies. The names of the people with whom we’re working the most (other than Miriam) are Mirna Diaz, family Ortiz Alvarado, family Calzada, Daniela Lopez and Calros Ivan.

As you know we´ve started a new transfer and my new comp is Hna Mendoza. She´s a really hard worker which is wonderful of course. Her accent is suuupppper soft and flowy, which stands out like crazy here because Sonoran Spanish is half yelling and super ranchero (cowboy). That’s not me complaining about the way they talk here, I absolutely love it and I yell right along with them.

I hope you all have a spectacular week!!! Remember to always do the simple things everyday to strengthen your relationship with Heavenly Father and with the Savior. 

That’s all there is, there isn´t any more.

Con amor,

Hermana Hauck

Mi Boliviana Tan Suavecita-Letter 2-29-16

Church with Miriam

My New Companion Hermana Mendoza

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO STEPHANIE YAYAYAYAY!!!

I hope you all had a blast celebrating and eating chocolate cake. Oh, how I miss Mom´s chocolate cake.

Well, transfers have come ´round and there have been some changes for Hna Hauck. Hna Pelico left to train and my new companion here in Guaymas is Hna Mendoza from Bolivia. I met her just about an hour ago and I already adore her!!! She has this beautifully soft and raspy Latina voice and I think I´m going to ask her to read me bedtime stories to fall asleep to... actually that´s probably too creepy. But for reals I´m going to have to film her voice or something because it´s slightly mesmerizing.

Anywho, it was pretty sad saying goodbye to Hna Pelico, but the good thing is that she´ll be here in the mission until November so chances are I´ll see her around. Hna Judd left Guaymas too so I´m going to miss my little St. Georgian, but Hna Payne from Utah came to our district so that´s good!

If you can all spare some words in your prayers for our investigator, Miriam (our 14 year old convert), which would be fabulous. She has told us several times that she knows the Book of Mormon and the church is true and she is coming to church. The only problem is she´s scared to be baptized because her mom is Catholic and doesn´t support it. I´m sure prayers on her behalf and that her mother will soften her heart will help lots:)

I love my area so much because all the people here know us and are always waving at us and talking to us in the streets. We made friends with these guys that own a hot dog stand (the hot dogs here are the most amazing things to grace the world of hot dogs) and they always give us dinner when we pass. Also, there’s a car that sells sweet breads that drives through the neighborhoods in our area called ¨the panedero con el pan¨ (not too original of a name) that stops to give us bread sometimes. All of this rocks obviously, but I´m going to have to try reaaaaallllyy hard to not overdue it because I´d prefer not returning home as a marshmallow.

Not too much else going on. Living the life here in Guaymas preaching this amazing Gospel.

Thanks you so SO much for everything you do for me. 

Con amor,

Hermana Hauck