3-26-12 Planting Seeds

THIS LAST WEEK WAS ROUGH, BUT BETTER THAN THE WEEK BEFORE. WE ARE A LITTLE MORE HOPEFUL IN THE AREA AT LEAST. SATURDAY NIGHT WE PLANNED AN ACTIVITY OF INTEGRATION WITH, INSTEAD OF A BUNCH OF USELESS GAMES AND A TINY MESSAGE, A FIRESIDE TYPE OF THING WITH A SPEAKER FROM THE STAKE PRESIDENCY. NOT TOO MANY OF THE MEMBERS IN GAIBU WENT, PROBABLY LIKE 12 OR SO, AND SEVERAL MEMBERS FROM CABO, BUT THE MESSAGE WAS REALLY COOL, AND IT HELPED THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP TO FEEL MORE UNITED AND MORE HOPEFUL TO GROW THE GROUP. I PLAYED THE GUITAR TO ACCOMPANY THE HYMNS WE SANG, WHICH WAS FUN. THEN WE ATE A BUNCH OF BAHIAN FOOD.

 

WE ARE NOT TEACHING VERY MUCH, BUT I THINK I CAN DEFINITELY SAY THAT WE ARE PLANTING LOTS OF SEEDS.

 

SOME PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR YOU GUYS TO BRING RANDOM THINGS FROM THE U.S. THAT THEY DON'T HAVE HERE:

DARTS FOR A NERF GUN, N-STRIKE MAVERICK

MY COMP WANTS A BIGGER STYLE BACKPACK WITH A CAMELBAK, AND WILL PAY FOR IT

BASKETBALL SHORTS

LITTLE YOUNG WOMEN VALUES BRACELETS

THAT'S ALL FOR NOW.

[Jon's Dad was in the hospital with what turned out to be nothing serious]

WOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY BIG ADVENTURE. I GUESS DAD IS GETTING OLD! THAT IS GREAT THAT THE BISHOP WENT AND GAVE HIM A BLESSING. DID OTHER PEOPLE FROM THE WARD VISIT HIM? GLAD TO HEAR THAT HE IS ALL BETTER NOW AND THERE ARE NO PERMANENT PROBLEMS. I WILL PRAY FOR HIS HEALTH.

 

 I'VE BEEN PUMPIN SOME IRON HERE IN THE MORNING EXERCISE TIME, SO I SHOULDN'T BE TOO FAR BEHIND HAHA

 

SATURDAY NIGHT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE ACTIVITY IN THE SCHOOL, BECAUSE LAST WEEK THE SCHOOL RECEIVED 18 BIG WALL FANS AND NEEDED THEM INSTALLED BUT DIDN'T HAVE MONEY, SO ME AND MY COMP AND ABOUT 5 MEN FROM THE CABO WARD WENT THERE TO INSTALL THEM. AND WHEN WE ASKED TO USE THE SCHOOL SATURDAY NIGHT THE PRINCIPAL DIDN'T EVEN HESITATE.

 

Here is a little quote from a talk by Elder Eyring that I thought was very good, although I hope you are no longer as discouraged as you were last week...

"For those who are discouraged by their circumstances and are therefore tempted to feel they cannot serve the Lord this day, I make you two promises. Hard as things seem today, they will be better in the next day if you choose to serve the Lord this day with your whole heart. Your circumstances may not be improved in all the ways which you desire. But you will have been given new strength to carry your burdens and new confidence that when your burdens become too heavy, the Lord, whom you have served, will carry what you cannot. He knows how. He prepared long ago. He suffered your infirmities and your sorrows when He was in the flesh so that He would know how to succor you.

The other promise I make to you is that by choosing to serve Him this day, you will feel His love and grow to love Him more.

By serving Him this day, you will come to know Him better. You will feel His love and appreciation. You would not want to delay receiving that blessing. And feeling His love will draw you back to His service, wiping away both complacency and discouragement."

THANKS FOR THE QUOTE. THOSE ARE WORTHY PROMISES, THAT MAY NOT MEAN THAT I WILL BAPTIZE HUNDREDS, BUT AT LEAST THE LORD WILL BE WITH ME.

 

ALRIGHT THANKS LOVE YOU ALL!

ELDER HOOKE

3-19-12 Discouraged

HELLO FAMILY

THIS WEEK WAS REALLY DISCOURAGING. DONT HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT IT.

THERE WAS AN APOSTLE (I FORGOT WHO) WHO SAID THAT WE ARE FISHERS OF MEN, AND THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE OUR LINE IN THE WATER THE MOMENT WE LEAVE OUR HOUSE UNTIL THE MOMENT WE GET HOME AT NIGHT, RATHER THAN ONLY DURING APPOINTMENTS. THIS IS TRUE AND WE ARE DOING CONTACTS, BUT IT IS DISCOURAGING DOING CONTACTS HERE BECAUSE LITERALLY EVERY BAPTISM IN THIS GROUP SINCE THE START A YEAR AGO THAT WAS A CONTACT, IS NOW INACTIVE. THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT STILL GO WERE REFERRALS.

2 MORE WEEKS HERE. THANKS FOR THE PRAYERS, LOVE YOU ALL TOO!

LOVE

ELDER HOOKE 

3-15-12 Attended theTemple

HELLO FAMILY-

I THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO READ YOUR WHOLE DARN EMAIL TODAY!

 

THIS LAST WEEK WAS TOUGH AS EVER. PRETTY HARD. WE GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE YESTERDAY, WHICH BECAME OUR PDAY THIS WEEK. BUT WE DIDN'T EVEN GET BACK FROM THE TEMPLE UNTIL 9:30 SO I COULDN'T USE THE COMPUTER. IT WAS A GOOD TRIP, I THINK IT WAS ONLY MY SECOND TIME DOING A SESSION IN PORTUGUESE. THAT IS ONE MORE PLACE THAT WE'LL HAVE TO GO TOGETHER DURING YOUR VISIT HERE!

 

WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME USING OUR TIME WISELY. I FEEL LIKE WE WALK HOURS AND HOURS EVERYDAY TO GET TO PEOPLE'S HOUSES THAT AREN'T HOME OR THAT FORGOT ABOUT THE VISIT MARKED AND CAN'T ATTEND US WHEN WE GET THERE. DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY SPECIFICS TO TELL ABOUT TODAY UNFORTUNATELY.... 

 

I AM FINISHING UP JESUS THE CHRIST NOW. I AM ON PAGE 750 ABOUT CHRIST'S POST CRUCIFIXION VISIT IN AMERICA. IT IS A REALLY GOOD BOOK. I FOUND OUT LAST NIGHT THAT THE BOOK OF MORMON REALLY [TOOK PLACE IN] THE CENTRAL AMERICA AND UPPER SOUTH AMERICA REGION, BECAUSE JAMES TALMAGE STATES IT AS FACT. UNTIL LAST NIGHT I THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT LOTS OF MEMBERS THOUGHT BUT THAT IT WASN'T OFFICIAL.

 THANKS!

TCHAU

ELDER HOOKE

3-5-12 Baptism of Pedro

3-5-12
HELLO GOOD AFTERNOON MY FAMILY!

THIS LAST WEEK WAS A GOOD ONE,, I FELT LIKE WE RECEIVED SEVERAL TENDER MERCIES. THE HARDEST PART NOW IS THE ONLY PART THAT WE CAN'T CHANGE, AND THAT EVEN GOD CAN'T CHANGE--- PEOPLE'S FREEDOM TO CHOOSE THE WRONG.

I GUESS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK WAS THAT I BAPTIZED A 14 YEAR OLD YOUNG MAN CALLED PEDRO ON SATURDAY. HE WAS TAUGHT BY ELDER LEDEMA AND ELDER NEU, BUT I MET HIM A LONG TIME A GO AS WELL, LONG BEFORE HE WAS TAUGHT, AND EVERY TIME I SAW HIM AT CHURCH OR ANYTHING I ALWAYS TALK WITH HIM, AND SO HE ASKED ME IF I COULD BAPTIZE HIM! HE BORE HIS TESTIMONY ON SUNDAY AS WELL AND SAID THAT THE BAPTISM WAS PROBABLY THE BEST DECISION HE HAS MADE IN HIS LIFE UNTIL NOW. I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE THERE FOR HIS TESTIMONY BECAUSE I WAS HERE IN GAIBU AT OUR MEETING, WHICH ALSO WENT PRETTY WELL. 

 

WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE VERY CLOSE TO BAPTISM RIGHT NOW BUT WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH LOTS OF POTENTIAL. ANTONIO JUNIOR WORKED ON SUNDAY. PAULA (THE MOTHER OF ANOTHER FAMILY WE ARE TEACHING) WAS AT CHURCH WITH HER KIDS AND LOVED IT, BUT HER HUSBAND ORLANDO STILL HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO GO (HE WAS OUT OF TOWN) ALTHOUGH HE WANTS TO. ANOTHER GUY, ALDAIR, THAT WE HAD GIVEN UP ON ABOUT A MONTH AGO BECAUSE HE NEVER WENT TO CHURCH, WENT YESTERDAY WITH HIS WIFE, WHO IS LESS ACTIVE, IN GAIBU AND WAS VERY WELL RECEIVED. WE HAD PASSED DURING THE WEEK AND WE EXPLAINED TO HIM CLEARLY WHY WE HAD STOPPED VISITING HIM AND LEFT A PRETTY BOLD MESSAGE INVITING HIM TO MAKE A DECISION TO MOVE HIS LIFE. 

 

LOVE YOU TOO TCHAU

ELDER HOOKE

2-27-12 Carnaval is OVER!!

2-27-12
THANK GOODNESS CARNAVAL ENDED WEDNESDAY. IT WAS TOUGH AND WE LITERALLY DIDN'T GET ANY LESSONS TAUGHT ON MONDAY OR TUESDAY (EVEN WORKING THE WHOLE DAY) BUT THE REST OF THE WEEK WENT WELL.

THIS WEEK WE DECIDED THAT FOR SEVERAL OF OUR INVESTIGATORS WE NEEDED TO FOCUS ON REPENTANCE. MANY OF OUR INVESTIGATORS DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY NEEDED TO CHANGE ANYTHING OR THAT THEIR LIVES REALLY WEREN'T IN HARMONY WITH GOD'S WILL. WE HAD SEVERAL GOOD LESSONS IN WHICH WE HELPED PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN SINS. IT WAS GOOD BUT STILL NOT MUCH PROGRESS IN THE AREA AS A WHOLE. THE ONLY INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH WERE CHILDREN... REALLY ANNOYING... WHY ARE CHILDREN SO MUCH MORE ACCEPTING AND EASY TO KEEP COMMITMENTS? I GUESS THAT IS WHY THE SAVIOR SAID WE NEED TO BE LIKE THE CHILDREN.

ANYWAYS WE HAD A GOOD LESSON WITH ANTONIO JUNIOR AND HIS WIFE ABOUT MARRIAGE, WHICH ANTONIO IMMEDIATELY ACCEPTED. ANTONIO HAD TO WORK ON SUNDAY BUT HE TOOK HIS 2 KIDS EMILLY (11) AND JUNINHO(10) TO CHURCH AGAIN, WHICH WAS COOL.  THERE IS SOMETHING WE ARE DOING WRONG, SOMETHING WE NEED TO CHANGE TO HAVE MORE RESULTS. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT SOMETHING IS!!!!!!!


LOVE YOU TOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING]
LOVE ELDER HOOKE

2-20-12 Carnaval, not much work

HELLO FAMILY!

I DID NOT GET TRANSFERRED, I WILL STAY IN GAIBU WITH ELDER CASUCCIO.

IT IS CARNAVAL RIGHT NOW, WHICH MEANS THAT ALMOST NOTHING GETS DONE IN THE LORD'S WORK. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH (ALTHOUGH SOME LESS ACTIVES THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH WENT AND THAT WAS COOL...). THIS WEEK WAS PRETTY UNEVENTFUL THOUGH.

[Jon did write some other comments to the family, but this is all the news for today!]

ALRIGHT THANKS FOR ALWAYS SENDING A NICE EMAIL.

SORRY I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH TO SAY TODAY (OR TOO MUCH TIME TO THINK OF OTHER THINGS TO SAY....)

LOVE YOU ALL,
ELDER HOOKE

2-13-12 "Decent" week:)

2-13-12

HELLO HOOKE FAMILY!

THIS WEEK WASN'T HIGHLY EVENTFUL, BUT IT WAS PRETTY DECENT I GUESS. THE CHURCH MEETING FOR EVERYONE WAS IN CABO, SO PLEASE PRAY THAT WE CAN FIND A PLACE TO CONTINUE THE GAIBU GROUP!

UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY BAPTISMS (NOT IN THE ENTIRE ZONE), AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY DATES MARKED RIGHT NOW, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME GOOD SIGNS OF FUTURE SUCCESS. ANTONIO JUNIOR, A BUS DRIVER, ASKED ELDER LEDEMA FOR A BOOK OF MORMON ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO IN THE STREET. THE ONE TIME ELDER LEDEMA WAS ABLE TO TALK TO HIM WAS WHEN I WAS ON A DIVISION THERE IN CABO (WE WERE NOT WORKING IN CABO AT THE TIME), AND WE GAVE HIM A BOOK OF MORMON AND TAUGHT ABOUT IT. TURNS OUT HIS SISTER IS A STRONG MEMBER AND HIS BROTHER IN LAW IS STAKE PRESIDENT OR SOMETHING IN RIO GRANDE DO NORTE, BUT ANYWAYS WE STARTED WORKING IN CABO AND PASSED BY ANTONIO JUNIOR'S HOUSE MANY MANY TIMES BUT NEVER FOUND HIM AT HOME SO WE PRETTY MUCH GAVE UP. THEN LAST SUNDAY, FROM NOWHERE, HE SHOWED UP TO CHURCH AT 9, AND LIKED IT A LOT. WE PASSED BY THIS WEEK AND WERE ABLE TO TEACH HIM WITH HIS 2 KIDS (HIS WIFE ISN'T VERY INTERESTED AND PREFERRED TO KEEP WASHING THE CLOTHES). TURNS OUT HIS SISTER GAVE HIM THE BOOK OF MORMON ON CD AND HE'S IN 2ND NEFI! SO ANYWAYS HE WENT YESTERDAY WITH HIS 2 KIDS AND WE INVITED THEM TO BE BAPTIZED, THEY ACCEPTED, BUT WE DID NOT MARK A DATE BECAUSE, YOU GUESSED IT, HE WILL NEED TO GET MARRIED!!!! ARGG SEMPRE ASSIM.

ANYWAYS THINGS ARE GOING PRETTY WELL HERE, NEXT WEEK IS TRANSFERS AND I MAY OR MAY NOT LEAVE. I IMAGINE THAT I WILL STILL HAVE ONE MORE AREA ON THE MISSION BECAUSE NO ONE ENDS THE MISSION AS ZONE LEADER, SO I WILL HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED EVENTUALLY.

ALRIGHT. THANKS FOR THE EMAIL AND I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!   LOVE  ELDER HOOKE