Email received 01/20/14

Hey Mom,

This week was a really good week.  We had so much success.  I am so grateful that Elder Silva is my companion.  He is such a hard worker and is always trying to be better.  He helps me out so much.  It is so uplifting being around him.  We are always making jokes.  

Adriana was baptized yesterday.  It was such a beautiful baptism.  Everyone in this family has been baptized except Santos, the dad.  I was so happy and surprised to see that Santos showed up to see the baptism of his wife.  It was so amazing.  I think that the baptism opened up his heart a little.  It is so amazing.  It was such a beautiful baptism.  I am so grateful that the Lord is blessing us so much.

Karen was not baptized yesterday.  She is going to be baptized this coming Sunday.  She is going to see if her mom will be baptized with her.  She told us she is going to finish the Book of Mormon before her baptism.  It will be so awesome when she finishes it.  We had such a powerful lesson with her and her mom, Karen.  We watched the Restouracion.  The spirit was so strong.  Her mom, Karen told us that she wants to follow Karen.  It was so awesome.  

We have seen so many miracles from the Lord.  I know that the Lord has been blessing us so much.  Only 10 weeks left to be a representative of the Lord.  I have that time to work harder than I have my whole mission.  I will do that.  I will do the Will of the Lord.  There is no other place where I would rather be.  I have never been tempted so much in my life than right now.  But I know that the Lord is with me.  I know that the enemy is trying to break me down.  But I will not let that happen.  I will prevail against the Enemy.  I am a Son of God.  

I love you so much mom.  Thank you for the love and support.

Always and Forever,

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Email received 01/13/14

Dear Mother,

 

This week was a really good week.  I am so So grateful that I am with Elder Silva.  He has such a good desire to work.  He is a convert in the church.  He is the only member in his family.  He has two years as a member.  And has one year in the mission.  He is a great example for me.  I am so grateful for his love of being a missionary.  

We worked so hard this week.  But we found out some pretty hard things that are going on here in Plateros.  There are a lot of members here in Plateros but on average only about 60 of these members are active.  We visited a less active family on Saturday and the dad told us some really sad news.  He told us when he was baptized the members treated him bad and things like that.  And when he went to church he felt a heavy feeling in the church.  After that experience they left the church.  It was shortly after their baptism.  I love this family a lot and it makes me really sad to here that this is going on.  We are going to get them back to church.  

On the good hand Karen.  The atheist.  Is getting baptized next week.  She completely changed her heart.  Well the Lord did.  It is a complete miracle.  Before she disagreed with the law of chastity and we went to visit her a few days ago and it completely changed.  I have never met any investigator that understands the law of chastity so well.  That really sees why the Lord gave us this commandment.  She is reading the Book of Mormon.  And basically taught us the Restauracion.  It is so amazing for me to see the steps that she has made in her life.  I think she sees the difference between the world and this wonderful Gospel.  She told us that it this year she ran into a lot of Mormons.  That she didn't know why because it had never happened before.  She told us that she started making friends with a lot of them but she didn't know why.  Until know.  God was making her see.  It was the gateway to let us in.  It is such a blessing and a miracle to be able to she this change that she is making in her life.  Our Heavenly Father still works miracles among us.  

Also, Adriana, the Mother of Fernanda (the Joven that was baptized last week) is also getting baptized on Sunday.  She is so amazing.  Adriana didn't let any of the missionaries in until us.  She went to the church for the First time and loved it.  Future Relief Society President.  No better.  Future Primary President.  She has no problems with accepting any of the Doctrine.  She loves going to church.  She feels the peace that the gospel brings.  She feels the love that God has for her.  We are getting everything ready for this Sunday.  It will be so amazing.  I love it so much.  

I love being a missionary, although it gets hard sometimes.  I make mistakes, really stupid mistakes.  But I know that we are not perfect.  But we can never stop in the process of perfection.  I know that the Lord will always be there.  My bishop told me something that Jesus loved the sinners.  It's true.  I love this church.  I love this gospel and I love this work.  I feel closer and closer to my Heavenly father everyday.  I love you so much thank you for the support that you all show me.  

Always and forever,

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Ether 12:27

Email received 01/06/14

Mom,

Elder Rosas was special changed on Friday.  But I was but with another missionary for two days.  Elder Williams from Lindon.  It was really great with him.  We were together for two days and we BAPTIZED!!!!!!  He is a really great missionary. 

 My new companion is Elder Silva from Peru.  He has 13 months in the misión.  I am really excited to work with him. 

Fernanda was baptized yesterday.  She is only 16 years old but she has such a strong testimony.  She bore her testimony yesterday after she was baptized.  She cried.  It was so powerful.  Her mom Adriana is so amazing.  The First time she went to church she told me she loved it.  It was amazing.  They are going to be such a strong family in the church.  I am so proud of them and their desires to do what's right.  I know they see the blessings and the truthfulness of the góspel.  I am so grateful for the blessings of the Lord.  We now have to work on the dad, Santos.  He is really great but we just have to push him a bit.  He will get there. 

I preached to a bus full of people a few days ago.  I felt like Alma or Amulek or Dan Jones crying repentance unto the people.  It was such a cool experience.  I felt so enthusiastic and excited to preach the góspel.  We got off the bus and I was on fire for the rest of the day.  Preaching on busses is a new thing that we are doing in the misión.  It is really really cool.  I love it.  In the terminal this morning with all of the missionaries I was just so excited to preach the góspel.  I love being a missionary so much.  There is no other place I would rather be.  I love the misión.  I love seeing changes in the live of our Heavenly Father's children.

Always and Forever,

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Alma 29:6 (the whole chapter)

Email received 12/30/13

Hey Mom,

This week was good.  But the Lord has blessed us so much this past week.  But it's going really good.  

We baptized Yunuen, and Monse.  They are the two girls that you met for skype.  And we baptized their Uncle Victor.  Victor was a miracle.  It was amazing.  He has made amazing steps in his life to change.  We saw his desire to change.  Like a week and a half ago he told us that he was never going to drink again and that he wanted to be baptized and we invited him to start reading the Book of Mormon.  He started it and Finished in one week.  Last week.  It was so amazing.  He has made miraculous strives to get better.  It is so cool and special to see this change in him.  

I love being here so much. I love the mission so much.  Even when it is so so so hard and you just feel like throwing in the towel.  I love you so much Mom.  Thank you so much for all you do for me.  I love you and have a good week.  

Always and Forever 

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Email received 12/23/13

Hey Mom.  Thank you for the password.  We just got back from the temple square so this has to be really fast.  I will check on the password.  But I will talk to you on Wednesday.  I love you so much thank you for everything.

Merry Christmas.

I love you so much

Always and forever

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Oh and Wednesday I will be calling around 11:00 my time.  I don't know what time it is there.  But I love you

Elder Hancock

Email received 12/16/13

Mom,

I am so devastated to hear about Jacob Grover.  I feel so bad for the Family.  Please send my love and my Hugs for each and every one of them.  

Well I don't have a lot of time so I am really sorry.  I love you so much Mom.  I want you to know that I am so grateful for your love and support.  I love you so much and give a hug for everyone for me.  Thank you.  

Always and Forever

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Email received 12/09/13

Hey Mom,

First off I just want you to know how grateful I am for doing the work to get Danny's Email.  It means so much to me.  He sent me an email.  I have been thinking about him so much lately.  Parker sent me one too.  Dad sent me one too.  Abby.  It has been the greatest email day I have had my whole mission. I also was so happy about one of the things you told me today.  Dad told me also.  It was such a good day.  

I am so happy with all of the things we did this week.  Karen is doing all right.  We got some stuff out of her for why she is Atheist.  But it is really interesting because she really believes in God.   But she's getting there.  Fidel we don't know what is happening with him.  We have not been able to get hold of him.  We have to find him.  We have another family that we are teaching that is so awesome.  Eduardo, Claudia, David, Yunuel, Monse, Jassiel.  They are so awesome.  Eduardo and Claudia can't get baptized yet because they are not married.  But they do want to get baptized.  David is 19 years old. He doesn't want a whole lot to do with us, but we are making progress with him.  He needs a friend.  Yunuel is 17 and came to church for the First time yesterday.  Monse is really great.  She is 11 years old and wants to be baptized.  Jassiel is 5.  He reminds me of Eli.  It is super awesome.  I play with him like I did with Eli.  It's super great.  I love this family a lot.  

But I have to go.  I am sorry.  I love you Mom.  Never forget that.  I love you so much.  You are such an Example for me. I love you.

Always and Forever,

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

ps.  Can you send me my skype account.  Oh and I got your Package.  I have not opened it.

Email received 12/02/13

Hey Mom,

This week was a really good week.  We worked super hard this week.  I have met some really good people here in Plateros.  It is a really great ward although yesterday in Sacrament there were like 57 people in church.  It looked like a branch.  It was actually really sad.  And Elder Rosas told me that it was a high number for a Sunday.  We spent the whole week visiting less active members.  There are a lot in this ward.  

We have been "teaching" an atheist girl named Karen.  She reminds me a ton of you.  I think you were exactly like her when you had 19 years.  She wants to be a biologist.  And she loves classic Rock.  It's really interesting teaching her.  She went to church yesterday, which really surprised me.  She went with her mom.  But I think that she really felt something in church.  I am really hoping.  We will visit her sometime this week to see how things went.  

We also have been teaching a man named Fidel.  (Referral from Karen).  They only taught him once before I came.  He told them that he and his mom had been from church to church looking for the truth.  He told them that he found it.  We went with him this week.  He is so amazing.  He really wants to be baptized.  He is reading the Book of Mormon and everything.  It is so amazing.  It makes me so happy when I see people accepting the Gospel and making changes in their lives 

Well have a good week.  I love you so much.  

Always and Forever

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Email received 11/25/13

Hey Mom,

I am really happy that everything went really well with your talks.  I would really like to read those.   Because a calling does not come from the bishop it comes from God.  He will never give us something that we cannot do.  That is something that I have learned in my mission.  That at times it seems impossible to complete but the Lord is just asking us to have faith and confidence in him.  

Transfer day.  I left Camarones and am now in a new area called Plateros.  Tacubaya.  It was really sad to leave Camarones.  I love Camarones so much. It is one of my favorite wards.  I love a lot of people there.  We went to get some pictures with the people I really loved.  My new companion is Elder Rosas.  I was with him in Tejupilco when he first started his mission.  I am so excited to work with him.  He is really excited so this change will be really great.  Today when we were on our way to our new areas I saw my "mom", Elder Johnson, my 2nd companion in the mission field.  He was on his way to the offices.  He goes home on Thanksgiving.  It struck me really hard how fast time is going.  When he was my companion he had 8 months in the mission.  I had 4.  That was over a year ago.  He is going to visit you all when he goes down to Utah.  

Well this week went really well.  We have been working really hard.  Nancy and her little boy Tonathu were going to be baptized Saturday but they decided to postpone it until the next Saturday when all of her family comes down to see it.  I am a little sad because I won't see them be baptized but that's ok.  Tonathu reminds me a lot of Eli.  I went to Primary with him yesterday.  It was really awesome.  

It was hard saying goodbye to the Familia Leos.  I felt like I left the family in a really hard time.  Hermana Susana is close to giving up.  She is your twin mom.  The things she says and does are just like you.  And what she does with her kids you did with us.  But she is struggling with the kids.  They do not want to go to church.  She also told us that she went to go see her daughter Friday (the mom of Sebastian and Laura) but she was really drugged out.  She wants nothing to do with Sebastian and Laura.  It is really sad.  Heart breaking.  And Jonothan doesn't want anything to do with the church now.  He was not there when we went by yesterday.  I was so so so sad.  He has a girlfriend that is Christiana that is putting thoughts into his head.  She is pulling him away from the church.  It breaks my heart when I see the people I love straying from the church.  He is looking for happiness in the things of the world but the truth is that it is going to bring him to his destruction.  But it's ok. I know that the Lord will look after this amazing family.

I am so happy to be a missionary.  This is how we have happiness in this life.  There is no other way.  If we want to be happy we have to keep the commandments.  I love you so much Mom.  I am so grateful for the example that you set for me.  I love you so much.  Have a great week.  

Always and Forever

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Email received 11/18/13

HI Mom,

It's really great that you and dad had so much fun.  It's exactly what you two needed, a break from everything.  Yes you are correct.  About the two.  It is really nice to know that everything is going really well.  Mom, if you have a really hard time writing your talk you could always use D&C 107:99-100.  It's a strong scripture but its true.  Do not worry.  Pray for the guidance while preparing.  And pray for the Spirit to help you to say the things that He wants you to know.  In one way or another I know exactly how you feel.  You will do just fine.  You always have the Spirit and always say the things that you need to you are quick to act on the promptings of the Spirit.

This week was a really good week.  On Friday we had a Gira with the Seventy Elder De Hoyos.  It was such an amazing conference.  I learned so much.  I think I might have something that you could use in your talk.  I can't quote it perfectly but Elder De Hoyos said, "For the rest of our lives we need to feel tired, in the sense that we are tired of the building up the kingdom of God.  Everything we do must be dedicated to the building up the kingdom of God upon the Earth."  It is our responsibility to build up his kingdom.  

On Saturday Karina was baptized.  It was one of the most beautiful baptism services I have been to in my whole mission.  At first there was no one there.  The bishop wasn't even there.  I called Cassiel and he called a few of the members.  I am so grateful for him.  But him another hermano and the Friend of Karina, Jackelin, all bore strong testimonies that brought the Spirit flooding into the room.  By the end there were so many members.  I love this area a lot.  I am so happy for Karina.  She is going to be such a strong and faithful member.  (Future Relief Society ...no....Future Primary President)  

I studied Joy today in my studies.  It hit me so hard.  Comparing how I was before my mission and now.  The joy I have in my life.  It hit me so hard that I went into the room to thank my Father in heaven.  I felt so joyful and happy that tears started streaming down my face.  Pleasure is not happiness.  The world says it is happiness but it is false.  The only way we can EVER be happy is through Christ.  ONLY through Christ.  I know this is true.  I have felt it.  Experience it all the time now.  Yes life is hard.  But we can only be happy through Christ.  I love you so much Mom.  Have a good week and good luck on your talk. 

Always and Forever

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12

Email received 11/11/13

Hey Mom,

This week was such a great week.  We have received so many blessings from the Lord.  Friday night we received a reference from the offices of a lady named Nancy.  We called her right away.  She sounded really eager and anxious to talk to us.  We set up an appointment for the next day.  We went by the next day to meet her.  We found her and her nine-year-old son.  She told us that her husband had left her alone with her son.  It happens a lot here.  It was the first time she had had a formal talk or an actual lesson with the missionaries.  We taught the Restoration.  At the end of the lesson we asked her how she felt.  She told us that she has been to so many other churches looking for the truth.  She told us that she felt nothing in any of the churches, except The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  She told us that when she sleeps she knows which path she needs to take.  It is clear to her.  She told us that she knows the church is true.  It was such an amazing thing that happened.  When we left we felt so happy so blessed.  I feel so grateful for what the Lord has given us. 

Later we were eating at a member's house, and the hermana asked us if we could teach her husband, Israel.  We started to talk with him and he started to express his desires that he has to live with his family forever.  That he will do anything he needs to live with his family forever.  He started telling us that he has such a desire to change.  He told us that he does not feel complete with the things of the world.  That the more he learns about the church, the closer he gets to Christ, the better he feels.  IT IS TRUE!!!  He understands a lot of things that a lot of us really don't understand.  He told us that the concept and the way the world looks upon sin is really sad. 

He said that the world justifies sin.  When we commit a sin sometimes we start to think, "Oh, well.  Just this time wont hurt anything," or, "Everyone else is doing it."  We hear this all the time, with all of the commandments.  But this is exactly what Satan wants us to think and feel.  That sin is not such a big deal.  But it is. 

It is such a blessing to me to see people coming to Christ.  Especially when they understand that we receive our happiness through obedience to the commandments that the Lord has given us. 

I have learned this week that our Heavenly Father always fulfils his promises.  But it is we that fail to keep our promises and covenants.  When we fail to keep them, God cannot bless us and fulfill his part.  It is hard sometimes but it is how we become more like our Savior.  Elder McMillan told me last night that it is a sin to stay the same.  We must ALWAYS be in motion.  ALWAYS be progressing and getting better.  And ALWAYS be changing and molding ourselves to become more like our Savior Jesus Christ.  We cannot be complacent.

Karina has her baptism date set for this Saturday.  We are so excited and happy for her.  She is so amazing.  She is reading Doctrine and Covenants.  She is so excited.  She told us yesterday after her interview.  The Elder that did her interview told us that interview with her was the easiest interview he has ever done.  I am so happy and excited for her.

I love you so much.  Thank you for all you do.  I can't express to you how much I love you.  I love you.

The Church is True, The Book is blue and I'm a missionary.

Always and Forever 

Elder Hancock

Helaman 5:12