Haag - Week 13

Salzburg Zone

Another week down my friends. Just 4 more to go! 

Brief summary of our week:

Monday, we hung out in Salzburg and slept over with the Zone Leaders there.

On Tuesday we had Zone Training, which was pretty darn good. We slept over in Linz on Tuesday night after an eating appointment there.

On Wednesday, we met a new investigator Rahaf. From Syria, but has really good German. She's got a book and is reading now. We met with a bunch of less actives, and had a lot of food.

We were at a members house on Friday night and had a campfire and talked until it was time to go home about things I've learned on my mission and ways to improve our ward. It was great. That night, she sent me an email telling me about how thankful she was for me complete with dating tips  Hahahah. I love the members here.

On Sunday, President randomly showed up in our ward, and it was really good to see him in church one last time before I go home. It was nice that he came.  That's pretty much it from the week, but here's some pics to wrap this up.

Pres. & Sis. Kohler and their daughter came to our church in Haag am Hausruck August 27

Exchange with ZL's

Haag - Week 12

Hey Colleagues and Acquaintances, 

First week of last transfer is down. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but when I was in Munich, Elder Croft and I had a goal in the 6 weeks before he went home to teach 100 lessons and find 100 new people. We came really close and almost hit the goal, and there were lots of blessings for that, we baptized a few people right after he went home from our hard work together. So I thought I'd try the same thing, but in the last 12 weeks. Because we are not in a city of 2 million, rather of 10,000.  a little different situation for sure. But it's going really well so far. 7 weeks in, we have 61 lessons and 47 people found. That's a pretty big accomplishment in my eyes. Huge turn around in this area. I'm pleased with the way things have turned themselves around.

Anyway, I'll have to tell you about a couple cool things from the week. On Wednesday night, we were dooring in Haag, and we passed what looked like this total homeless guy washing his clothes in the fountain in the middle of the city. Gross, right? Avoid him, don't talk to him. WRONG. He actually talked to us, and I think Elder Walter was a little grossed out at first, but I've dealt with these kind of people for the last 2 years. He spoke a little German, and I found out he was from Denmark. So I invited him to come over to our church on his bike and we showed him the church and taught him in the chapel. Really moving experience. Something totally different than what I thought. He actually ended up speaking perfect English, asked great questions about the Book of Mormon, took a copy, prayed about it in the end. It was honestly one of the coolest experiences lately. He's on a little tour around Europe and has been away from home for a month. He's headed to Spain on his bike. Wow. Brave guy. But we got his email address and I'm going to keep in touch with him. One of those head turners that makes you realize your first judgments are almost always not correct.

There's a former missionary from our mission here on a school exchange for a semester named Elder Morey. He and I lived together for the last 8 weeks of his mission or so. He was such a cool guy and a huge example for me. Anyways, we talked on the phone this week, and much to my surprise, one of my friends from high school was right there with him, Bee Eide!!! How cool is that?! It was cool to talk to her and to hear voices of a couple great friends. Those are nice little pushes to work hard and go all in for the last 6 weeks.

This weekend was also cool. We had a missionary from our ward leave to Zimbabwe. I got to be pretty good friends with him before he left, which I was grateful for. I'm really close to his family. On Saturday night, we had a ward party and grill night, it went great, and on Sunday was his farewell. There was tons of people there and he did a great job. But just being that close to that family and watching them this weekend has brought back a million different feelings and flashbacks to two years ago. It was a way cool weekend, maybe the best one of my mission. BUT…

Elder Hadfield and Calvin (headed to Zinmbabwe on his mission)

The coolest experience of the week was on Wednesday afternoon. I got a visit from S in Munich, our new convert! She had her last vacation day before going back to work and chose to drive 3 hours to come visit me and take us out to lunch. Words can't express how stoked I was to see her again. She's the biggest miracle ever. Another good little push. I love her. She's been through a tough couple of months, but has stuck to the truth and to the church, which is great to see. It's funny how much one person's life can be changed by a few basic truths. Another great push for my last 6 weeks.  That's where my thought comes in this week. I spent some more time thinking about S and her conversion story this week.

Elder Hadfield and S 

Back in December, right after she was baptized and confirmed, the week after was Christmas. For Christmas, the best present I got was a typed up letter of her conversion story, starting from the day she was born. I won't share details or anything, but she had a very rough childhood, up to the point of leaving home, being brought back, living in fear, and then meeting her husband as a teenager. Through all of that, she had a bad motorcycle accident, where she saw the life after this and felt herself being pulled away before being thrown back. She always wanted answers to what that was. (I remember being a little shocked seeing her tears when we talked about the veil of forgetfulness, like, 'Oh come on, that's not even the good part yet!') she got married, had kids, before her husband made some bad decisions and the marriage ended, her son had a transplant at age 6, her mom died of cancer and her dad had troubles too. Just thinking about all of that, I was living when some of these tragedies were going on. I didn't know her name, or who she was. But she was slowly being prepared. Maybe even from the time I was born. Now that's funny to think about. My mom held me in her arms for the first time, but at the same time, a lady in Munich was being prepared to hear the gospel from someone who was a tiny baby at the time, and was destined to become a sort of 'mom' for me on the mission. Going on, in Summer 2014, right after I received my mission call, she crashed. Went into deep depression and struggled. Moved out to a different part of the city, switched jobs, and the works. I, in the meantime, was sitting in class at BYU, ready to get out on my mission, hoping there might be someone prepared to listen to me. I spent the first 3 months of my mission in Munich Zone, and basically worshipped the zone leaders. I thought they were the coolest guys, most successful missionaries I had ever met. Why couldn't they have found her to teach her? They could have done just as good, or even better. But clearly, I think I was supposed to play some roll in this plan. I came back a year later and through a miracle, my companion and I found her, and being so prepared, she was baptized 6 weeks later. Such a cool experience. I would never have thought that sitting back home in 2014 during the summer, that someone had just hit rock bottom, and that I would be the one to bring them the gospel in Winter 2015. That has really strengthened my testimony that there are people being prepared for each one of us. Not for somebody else, but for us. For my friends in the MTC, for my returned missionary friends, for my brother who's just getting ready to go, for my buddies all over the world, for all members, there's a special role that we each have to play in someone's life to help them, and often without thinking about it, we fail to realize that we are being prepared to help someone, just as well as they are being prepared to hear what we have to tell them. That's been a huge testimony strengthener here.

I know that God's plan is perfect, and that we each play an important part. I've been so grateful to play such a cool role as a missionary for the past 2 years. Keep at it, I guess! The work has never been better. (: 

Love you all,

Elder Hadfield

Haag - Week 11

Einen Schönen Guten Morgen an euch alle!

It has been another week in mission life. There was a lot of going places this week, which often limits the time for missionary work. We still got some good stuff done though! 

We met with a lady named M this week, and she's way cool. Austrian and from Haag. She was taught 30 years ago and came regularly to church, but then the missionaries were transferred, and no more came and it just fell off. She's very open and we are hoping her heart changes a little from the things we talk about with her. Another one of those stubborn hearts. Some people are really open to hear new things, but are totally closed to changing their lives because of it, which doesn't make much sense in the end. 

We saw A this week! We went by his house and said hi. He was way cool with us. His situation is pretty dire. He needs work, otherwise his wife gets deported. So he's still in that situation. Satan can find anything to throw someone off the road to baptism I tell ya. He's great though, and I'm sure he'll be baptized, it's just a matter of when.

We also had a finding day with our district in Ried, the city where we live. Since the senior couple came as well, Elder Walter and I got to work with him. They go home like 4 days before I do. He is the funniest guy I've ever met. Just hilarious. So we all met at the train station and he jumps out of the car, and starts talking about how excited he is to get rejected by people. We ask him why he's so excited and he tells us he just loves the feeling of rejection. He goes, 'I'm the kind of person who enjoys receiving pain rather than inflicting it.' Hahahaha we were all dying. The way he worded it was so off color. I loved it. 

Anyway, it was a good time with the district, and we were able to find quite a few new people. I love our district, we've got so many different personalities. Sister Hofmockel is from France, and has a really cool story, Sister Grossen is from Arizona, Sister Gilmour is from Colorado and is a convert of 4 years now or so, Sister Puckett is from the beachside in California, Elder Walter from Germany but spent the last 4 years in China, and yours truly, Utah boy. Lots of different backgrounds makes for cool stories. We lose Sister Gilmour this transfer to Munich zone, but we get a golden in return to work with Sister Puckett. The rest stays the same. Good stuff.

One cool thing, on Saturday, I got to interview a family for baptism. They are from Iran and have been here for almost 8 months now. They became Christian opinionated in Iran and fled to live in a Christian land. It's very very dangerous right now for them, because they could be shipped back at any moment, and they also have violent opposition from Muslim friends. But they really want to do what's right, and have extremely solid testimonies. His interview was one of the greatest I've done on my mission. We used a translator who lives in Berlin who can speak Persian. He must sure be busy right now. Normally, a member of the mission presidency is supposed to interview those types of people, but I was assigned to do it because President couldn't make it out. Very very interesting story, and it's an obvious sign of the hearts of the children turning to their fathers. The only real way for this tribe of Israel to receive the gospel is for them to come here. Which is another good explanation for the suffering in the world. If there was no suffering, they wouldn't have to flee here, and would therefore never receive the gospel. Anyway, as it stands right now, they can't be baptized yet because they don't have a long term stay. I talked to President about it and he's talking with President Kearon and the Brethren in Salt Lake to try and get their permission. He said to not be surprised if they want to talk to me about the interview. That won't happen though. 

Afterwards, we went to an African's house in Linz, and I had my first Foo Foo on my mission. Basically what it is: hot peppers, raw onions, and tomatoes crushed together, with random fish parts. Top it with a few fish. (THE ENTIRE FISH ) Then take your bread dough and tear it into pieces and dig in with your hands. It was great. Awesome food, and it must be fun for Africans to see these white boys trying to eat their food. 

Anyways, I don't have much else to tell you. Just 6 more weeks! Isn't that weird?! It's flown by. 

Here's just a thought to end the week. 

In Revelation, Chapter 21, Verses 4 and 5.

4 And He shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.

Alright, until next week! Love you all,

Elder Hadfield

Haag - Week 10

Hey Compadres!

I kind of failed to realize, or just didn't want to realize, that it's actually August. Thank heavens for extensions, otherwise I'd be coming home next week.  But luckily, I got 6 extra weeks tacked on to this great adventure. But it sure is weird to have people start saying, 'Hey, you go home next month!' Yes.... Thank you for the reminder friend. Leave me alone to my work.

The first counselor in our branch presidency leaves in 2 weeks on his mission to Zimbabwe, how cool is that? I'm excited for him, but it's odd reliving the excitement of a really good friend leaving on a mission and realizing that in fact it isn't you, but yours was actually 2 years ago. Rant over. 

I had a good week, lots of meaning to pull out from this week and I think my little spiritual side to this email will be in many ways intertwined with the things that happened. Each day of the week actually had a thought process bringing experience.

First off!!! COOLEST THING EVER. Most of you don't know this because I never mentioned it. F, the man I baptized in Munich, ended up in kind of a broken situation there and had to be shipped back to Cyprus. I got to call him and say goodbye to him, but I was really, really sad. I thought I'd never hear from him again. I started praying my heart out and I was just sad. But out of the complete blue, he emailed me this week and he's back in his home country! He asked for my number and about half an hour later, he called me! I got to talk to him. Best of all, his email works now as well as his WhatsApp and hopefully Facebook. I'm so grateful. Huge prayer answered there! 

On Tuesday, we had an appointment with a lady named M. I had found her last week on the street. She told me that she had lost her grandson from a horrendous motorcycle accident. She wanted answers about where he was and other things. I had asked her if she wanted to know where he was, and she said, 'Please tell me! Do you really know? How do you know? I want to know too.' So needless to say, we were way pumped up for this appointment. I was convinced that this lady was going to be our next baptism if this first lesson went really well. So I studied and prepared and practiced with Elder Walter for it. He is still not totally there with teaching, but it's coming. So we got there, and the lesson was SO good. We taught her the plan of salvation and about the opportunity to be as families together forever. By the end she had tears in her eyes and I was pumping out rays of the Spirit from my bones it was so strong. I asked her how it would be to be together as a family forever and we talked about the only way to do that is to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. She said, 'That would be the most beautiful thing I could imagine.' So I asked, 'When can we come again and talk with you about how that can happen?' And she goes, 'I'm afraid I don't have time for that I'm sorry. But it was nice to talk to you.' I sat there with my jaw on the floor! Nothing we said would change her mind either. I'd never been in that situation. You lay a ground principle so perfectly out and they love it and are eating up your every word, but eventually say they don't have time for it?! That's never happened to me in such a strong way before. That SHOCKED me.

Going on, on Wednesday, we met with a lady who has been meeting with the missionaries for 6 years now, and always comes to church, and loves the missionaries and everything about the church, but has no interest to change. We felt pretty strongly that this is decision time, not time to sit around. So in this appointment we asked her questions about why she kept coming. We were pretty bold with her, and she made it clear that she has no desire to change religions. An old, lonely lady. So we told her that we were sorry, but that if she didn't have desires to change, we couldn't come anymore. Then..... She started BAWLING. Oh my word! It was like dumping a girl all over again. We explained it very well to her, and she was insulting us on the grounds that if we were really messengers of Jesus Christ, we would do it differently, and that we didn't love her. I honestly can't imagine Jesus Christ doing anything different than what we did, saying, 'Sorry, maybe you're not ready now, but let's try again later.' Well, we had to leave to another appointment, and I felt bad leaving this woman sitting on the park bench crying, but who knows, maybe it's a point of decision for her! So, at this point, we've made 2 women cry, 2 days in a row.

On Thursday, we were in Wels, and we had a finding day there. By this point, I was a little fed up from the week we'd been having, and I wanted to try something new and get creative. I'm kind of surprised that I'd never done this before on my mission, but we took a small white board out on the streets and wrote the question, 'Is there a God?' With the answers 'yes' or 'no' on it, and let people tally mark it. It was WAY fun actually. If I had done this 2 years ago, we would have ended up with 90% God-believers. But it was almost 50-50, and I think it was really surprising people. It led to some awesome conversations and a handful of potential investigators. So, maybe it was a good idea. Lots of people looking for answers in our world right now! That may have been the funnest part of my week. I love talking to people.

On Friday, we met with a sister from Poland who is less active. She's excited that I have a brother headed there. (She told us that Polish has 7 cases. German has 4. Viel Spaß Jake ) She told us a couple reasons why she doesn't come anymore, and to be honest, they were all stupid little reasons for not coming to church anymore. I wish people could listen to themselves a little bit better. Sometimes it just sounds so self-centered and honestly dumb, the reasons they don't come to church anymore. It was sad to hear her story. But it is a story and has to be taken with the same amount of seriousness as any other. So all in all, I guess just l saw a common theme this week. There's a million questions, or reasons, or concerns, about the things going on in the world. Sometimes people just won't accept a good answer though. Which kind of seems really really dumb when you think about it. All these people looking for answers, but when we try to share our ideas or answers, they make fun of us or laugh in our faces. Eventually when that repeats itself, you end up with a bunch of moral pygmy's who want answers but don't know where to find them. But the Mormons CAN'T be right. No way.  It's kind of laughable sometimes, but it also makes me sad for our world. I'm happy that at least my family and I get to know the answers. I'm happy you all get to know the answers as well. It's just too bad that there's so few people who are part of the elect! But then I read these week the words of the Savior in Luke 4:18, which really moved me. It's my job too, as well as yours.

18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.

I know His mission is ever further fulfilled, and He continues to heal my broken heart every single day. I love Him. I also love this work, and being on His errand. To preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to help the blind see, and to set at Liberty them that are bruised. What a responsibility. 7 more weeks of this marvelous work and a wonder!  For all my Missionary friends, enjoy it as much as you possibly can, it flies by!!! 

More pictures from Halstatt:

Elder Hadfield

Here's to you Austria!