A New Year! | week 66

The view from the house in la sabana.

Happy Monday! Got to love Pday! Im glad things have gotten back into the routine Mom. This is going to be a great year I just know it. Im so glad you guys found Elder Gammon tell him I say hi haha. Riley I love the sled pic hahahahaha Did you smash your face in the ground as you landed haha?

Thats a wrap with all the holiday celebrations. Im pretty glad they are over. As a missionary all that stuff is fun but the members and people get really distracted by fireworks and tamales haha. We had a good week in Asuncion. We found a new family to teach. The C family they are awesome. The husband is really receptive to the message and he wants to learn more. Sometimes when it seems like we have looked all week for new people to progress the Lord sends us a blessing. We also have found and started to teach a woman named J. One of the nicest ladies I've ever met. Whenever I talk to her I just smile and start laughing. She has a passion about life that is unforgettable. She is reading the book of mormon and really wants to come to church. She is a nurse at one of the hospitals here in the capitol and gets called in on the weekends to work. She told us she wants to quit her job so she can start coming and to learn more. 

I had the oppourtunity to go on divisions this week with Elder K from Idaho. I really enjoy being able to go and help other missionaries in the mission. I always leave learning more than any of them. We had a really cool experience walking down the street. We felt like we should visit some of the members when a little girl ran out in the street and told us that her parents needed help and her dad was really sick.This family is from Nicaragua and go to church every week they just havent been able to figure out all the papers to get them married. The dad was really sick that morning and barely made it back from work. We were able to give him a preisthood blessing and a blessing to his wife. She was crying and was really distressed. We shared with them a message from D&C 121 when Joseph was in liberty jail. I felt the spirit really stronglyand as we left the spirit just filled their humble home. Its amazing how the Lord can guide us to the people who are in desperate need. 

Elder C who was one of our district leaders went home this week. He finished his mission but just went home a couple weeks early to start school. He was in my district in Llano Largo when I started my mission and I was his ZL here for almost 6 months. I hope you guys can meet him one day one of the funniest freinds I have made on the mission here.

Me and my companion have been working alot with the stake leaders here in palmita. Since I have about 7 months here I have been able to really get to know and develop a relationship with the stake president and his counselors. I remember when President Murphy set me apart he mentioned that I would love the missionaries and church leaders. I have seen that come true here in palmita. It has been such a blessing for me to support and work with them. We are planning a big stake missionary training meeting with all the ward mission leaders and the Elders and Hermanas. We are going to see if President Watts can come too.

I have spent this last week reading all the talks from this last general conference. I think the highlight is President Monsons talk on Sunday titled " I will not fail thee nor forsake thee" he spoke about the trials we face and how we can overcome them. He said " Our Heavenly father who gives us so much to delight in also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials which we must pass. We know that there are times when we will experience heart breaking sorrow, when we will grieve and when we may be tested to our limits. However such difficult allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our heavenly father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were, better than what we were." The challenges we face everyday give us all oppourtunities to respond the way Christ would and to change. How can we cope with stress and trials President Monson said we must "make the gospel of Jesus Christ the center of our lives. This is what will pull us through whatever comes our way. We will be able to face them, meet them head on and to emerge victorious" I know that these words are true. If we build our foundation upon the rock of Christ and his gospel the tempations and opposition we face will have no power to destroy us. I have felt this comfort and strength in my life and my mission. I pray that we may all make the Gospel the center of our lives and we will be able to overcome anything. I love this message and the oppourtunity I have to serve full time. I love being a missionary. There is nothing Id rather do. I love you Mom, Dad, Riley and Zach thanks for being so awesome. Have a great week!!!!!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Hughes

Some houses here. Be grateful for the house you have!