Newhall News

Tell me one spiritual thing that happened this week.

We saw miracles on exchanges like we always do. We are still alive so that is always a plus for the week. We also had exchanges this week with the Valencia Elders, Elder Peterson and Elder Banks were in Newhall, and Elder Matthews and I were in Valencia. We had a wonderful exchange, we taught 2 lessons and we picked up a new investigator from one of the lessons. We also had the Mormon Helping Hands, which was amazing. Elder Peterson and Elder Banks had a great time as well. They taught 2 lessons and picked up a new investigator from one of the lessons, as well. We picked up an investigator that had been a potential that the missionaries before me. I have been trying to get for a long time, so it was a great exchange. We have an exchange set up with the Assistants on Friday (they are in our district) it is pretty awesome to have them around. I love new investigators. We have one right now her name is Abby, but she is having a lot of family issues so we are hoping and praying that she will be able to make her baptism on the 10th.

Tell me one crazy thing that happened this week.

I am thankful that Dad, Daniel, and I got motorcycles because if I didn't ride those bikes, I wouldn't have had rode a bike in like 5 years, and having the experience on the bikes has saved me many times this week. Yes, we aren't supposed to tell mothers these things, but yes cars are stupid and they want to kill bicyclists, it is their job. But because I know how to handle a 2 wheeled vehicle, I have not died. And as Paija said, "to ride a motorcycle (or bike) you must be like prophet and think of what the other people will do before they do." Thanks to that I haven't ran over little children and I haven't gotten hit, or anything of the sort so yeah I LIVEEEEEE!!!

Tell me one truly "Californian" moment this week.

Well, on exchanges Elder Matthews and I tried to catch some rabbits in a park, but the rabbits out smarted us... He would try to push them towards me and I would try to push them towards him, but they would then take the one place we didn't think about, between us into the bushes, those sneaky sneaky wabbits.

Tell me your favorite companion quote from the week.

"Remember, same room, but not same bed."

Describe your favorite day this week.

Saturday April 26th,
bum bum
It was 8:00am, we were at Castaic Lake, we were there, For Mormon Helping Hands!
bum bum
It was about 63 degrees, overcast, it had rained the night before, there many mormons and many not mormons there, many in bright yellow vests. we went to the upper lake, and because of the Jones Genes, I was decreed as one of the big people. a shovel was trust into my hands and told "dig out the storm drain." so the Missionary I am, I said "Ok I'll be happy to do that!" and so we started shoveling out leaves and sand and dirt and trash. Once that was done, we move to a V-ditch and somehow a 4-foot pile of sand had been dumped in it. So we dug that out and then dug out the end where it went into the beach, and then we water sealed a barge with sealant, so now it is sealed and my hands are sealed and my jeans are sealed and my shoes are sealed ...... I hate sealant.
bum bum
12:00pm we are done... bum bum

The names and places have been changed but the story was true
Tract & Baptize
Bum Bum.

2 scripture for the week

1. Proverbs 21: 19 "It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and angry woman." 

So I have taken this as my motto for life, when the wife is angry I guess it is time for a camping trip, hahah joking. It is make the home a place where you don’t make a woman angry and contentious so that then the home is a happy place and you can sleep in your own bed and also then the wife is happy so everyone happy.

2. D&C 29: 4-5

4. "Verily, I say unto you that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump."

5. "Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is hiss good will to give you the kingdom."

We missionaries have been chosen out of the world to go about preaching the gospel to those who need it and to those who have hear with their ears but have not heard. We do this out of love for God's children and not for our selves, anything that we are blessed with or gain while we are out serving is just added benefit, for we have chose and been chosen to do his work. I know that I am here for a reason. I know that there are people that need this and that we can help them. If I waste my time here, I waste their time, and I waste the Lord’s time. I waste the chance to bring souls unto Christ through the waters of baptism and they cannot start the path to the Lord until later once other missionaries find them. I also know that it is important to have member help because we are only in an area for a short time. It is easy to do missionary work as a member, and if you don't have any ideas ask the missionaries in your ward, or if you are in Utah your stake. I know that you will be blessed, the missionaries will be blessed, but most of all, those that you help will have the blessing of the gospel in their lives. They will know that they are a child of God and that He loves them, and they will in turn bless those around them.

Strength and Honor. Fight the good Fight, and Keep the Faith.

Love
Elder Hyde

Happy Easter from Newhall

Elder P is from Manti Utah. He has been out for 13 months. The best way to describe him is ummm Daniel Benion yep that is who he is exactly pretty much hahaha and little bit of dad in there too. hahahahaha there we go.

The package was fun it had candy, ties, and peanut butter pretzels and chocolate covered pretzels and cookie butter from Trader Joe’s. It was a care package from Trader Joe’s pretty much and a toy plane and some other stuff, oh money for the two of us, it was fun. I love them they are awesome people. It just really confused me, Jones, hmmm I’m not a Jones, who is this? oh wait yes I am! Right, hahaha so yeah, yay.

We had two guys just show up at church yesterday, we had seen them two days before and they told us they would be at church. Now I have faith in all things, but I also have been told that very often before and had them not show up. But they did show up and it was really great. Yes, it was for Easter, and no they don't want to learn more and yes one smelled of marijuana, but they did what they said they would so that is great haha. Hope ya have another crazy but wonderful week.

We did service this week where we got to destroy furniture. It was a very therapeutic experience. We also had exchanges this week with our Zone Leaders, since my companion is the District leader, and it was an amazing exchange. We set a baptismal date, found a new investigator, and found a potential that the next day turned into another new investigator. So I love exchanges and I know that they are some of the best training you can receive on a mission.

Scripture for the week
3 Nephi 22: 13 which reads
"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children"
This is why we missionaries are out serving the Lord, is that we can teach those who need Christ, and then that their children will have peace and will grow up in the gospel. I have seen that as people learn of the gospel they have a peace come over them and they know that this will bless them and in turn bless their kids now or the kids they will have. So this is why we need members to help in the missionary work because there is a staggering amount of missionaries some 89,000 or so but there are 15 million members that will be a greater difference than every single missionary we have out at this time or in the next 10 years. So as President Monson said, “Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work."

I know as we do this that we will see the Lord's hand in our efforts and many will come unto Christ through the waters of baptism.

Love
Elder Hyde

Mission Meeting with the President of the Seventy, Elder Kent F. Richards

It has been a different week. I got a new companion, Elder P. I haven't been able to see Cisco in like 2 weeks. We have been in meetings all this week, nothing really to report, other than we had one of the Presidency of the Seventy, Elder Kent F. Richards, and then Elder Garns was there, too, and of course President Hall. Our entire mission was at the conference, once in a mission experience. Elder Richards taught that we are vessels for the Spirit to testify to those whom we teach. We are not the real teachers only the Spirit is. We need to teach simply to them and simple doctrine. He called for volunteers so of course, I go up but another missionary was going too. So he said, well whoever gets here first, so we had a mock race it was fun. We tied so he did one example with each of us. But in between the first one and mine, he talked for like another 25 minutes. So I got to sit on the stand with Elder Grans for awhile, that was fun. We got to see everyone. It was awesome. It was a good mission meeting. It is amazing to see how the Lord answers prayers. My questions weren't even really part of what Elder Richards talked about. But in a tangent, he answered my questions, and then moved on so I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers even if they aren't exactly what you thought they would be, they were answered.
Love
Elder Hyde

Most of Elder Hyde's Zone

Short and Sweet from Newhall

Well Pops,

I'm doing good this week, we had a slow week with conference and we had a zone meeting, not a Zone conference but just a meeting with our zone, our zone has 31 people. And as well we had weekly planning so it was just a slow week but that is ok. Tomorrow is the Transfer and Elder M. is getting transferred to a bike area and he will still be a District Leader. And I will continue my streak of the normal missionary, haha, its ok I'm not one to aspire to leadership. I'll do it, if I'm called, but otherwise I'm a happy camper. We didn't do any earthquake related serve as of yet, I don't know about other missionaries, but so far we have been far away from the quakes and have only had little tremors up where we are. We do yard work every so often and we have a Helping Hands service project on the 26th up at Castaic Lake, which is going to be fun. But yeah, other than that we don't do too much service, we don't have to do a weekly service project like the old days. haha old. Love ya Pops

A little Rock and Roll for Elder Hyde in Newhall

Did you feel the earthquake?

I have felt one roll. It was tiny and I wasn't positive until someone else mentioned it a day or two later, the rest I have slept through. Everyone is telling us that this is almost exactly like the '94 Northridge earthquake. Everyone thinks that this one is going to be much bigger so we are getting read. The silly missionaries are like, “if there is one we can all help and it will be a great way to find” and etc. etc. etc. I think they are being silly. They aren't thinking of the destruction and all of the other bad things, other than just missionary work. Sometimes I feel bad because I can’t just make my mind just totally “missionary” and think of every little thing as a missionary opportunity. But then I remember that I wouldn't like it that way and this keeps it so I can see things from a lot of different perspectives. So yeah.... sorry just a little bit of a rant.

Thanks, I try to make my letters fun, and I think it is really funny, cause everyone was like you don't send those types of stories to your mom! They will freak her out and that is mean. Haha, I said, remember we live overseas. We have had a lot worse things than a guy being a little crazy. Also I said you served out here on your mission so you have your own crazies’ stories.

Here is a picture or two for you.

This week smelled of Palm trees, Sun Shine and Freedom. 'Merica!