Merry Christmas!!! Family SKYPE Time with Elder Bryson Hammond!!!!

Merry Christmas!!! 

When our son's or daughters are on missions, we are able to SKYPE, Face Time or have a Phone Call (whichever is available for them) two times a year on Mother's Day and Christmas. "Excited" doesn't adequately describe the feelings of how we felt, to have this opportunity and time with Bryson! Between Mother's Day and Christmas, he emails us on his preparation day aka "P-Day" which is typically on Mondays. On occasions it changes based on Brasil holidays, or events going on there around him. Usually he is emailing us from an internet cafe, and those are typically closed on holidays. 

We made it through the first stretch of these two opportunities to SKYPE him in 2017. The stretch from Christmas to Mothers Day is lesser....and that is a good feeling for me as his mom right now! 💓 Each time to witness his smile, hear his voice, his humor, his Portuguese accent mixed of English and Portuguese is fun and cherished! I told him, we can not be the ones to disconnect the call. So when it's time for him to go.....we wait for him to let us go, because it's too painful to be the ones to hangup on him. It's truly something beyond words to express...this time with him, and having to say goodbye again for a while. It's hard, but we wouldn't miss this chance to see him and hear him for anything! 

So now we wait....wait between his p-day emails on Monday's, and wait for Mother's Day this year May 13, 2018!! Then we will do this one more time on Christmas Day 2018, and then spring 2019 he will be HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😍😘😍😘

We love you Bryson!!! So glad to meet your new companion and also Elder Hill who you served with prior in the CTM!!!! So thankful to hear your voice, some jokes, laughs, some tears, see your expressions regarding corkey things your siblings got for Christmas and most important hear so many wonderful things you are experiencing and witnessing on your mission as you get to serve the Lord for 2 years in Brasil!!! We are SO PROUD of you!! So proud and full of gratitude for the man you have become, and your confidence and testimony in all good and spiritual things has increased!! 

So proud to call you are son, brother and friend!! 

I love you, forever and always B!!!!! 💕

Love, 
Mom 

3rd Area!!! (Week 41)

Today starts a new chapter in my mission because i will be serving in a area called Colonia Rio Grande and i will also be training a new missionary that just left the MTC so he has no experience whatsoever in the mission. Now is my job to show him how to teach, make contacts, and follow all the rules ! I was a little on the side of not wanting to train a new missionary 6 weeks ago but for now i know that i am ready to train and super super excited to help another missionary teach the restored gospel in the Brasil Curitiba south mission! So not only am i training a missionary but i am opening this area because President sent the two sisters out because its a little dangerous for sisters but this means we are starting out fresh there! I am also going to be in the same house as my companion from the MTC Elder Hill!!! So i am really really excited to be in the mission right now and time is flying by so so fast! next week is Christmas and i will get to skype my family and life is just great in general right now!! 

This week we has a huge hard time bringing our investigators to church and activities that we are trying to plan always. Its very hard to plan these when we need members to help with a ride. Anyways i learned a lot in Fazenda Rio Grande in the aspect of the importance of a investigator having a friend and a recent convert having a friend, a calling and be nurtured by the good word of God! Anyways i do not have a lot of time to right because i will need to meet my companion that i will train ( in the mission we call this having a son and so i would be his father in the mission lol.) and i will have photos of him and me next week! 

Love you all!

Elder Hammond

3 Nephi 5:13 

I think its that verse lol. Working on memorizing it! 

More photos if I have time in a bit!

All of these pictures are taken of Bryson in his current area before his transfer.

9 MONTHS ALREADY?! (Week 40)

Hello family and friend!!

This week flew by so so fast and we are already heading into the last week of this transfer which means i will know if i stay here for 6 months or move onto another area to spend mu first Christmas in Brasil and first New Years! Its crazy how time can fly so fast in a blink of an eye when you are staying focused on your goals and always teaching in the beautiful hot sun ( i want winter to come lol ) . But its great because i am getting somewhat tanner as time goes by so fast. So this week was a little tough because we had a lot of days that we had 5 set appointments every hour and then we got there and they had started a party with family. I have never seen so many cook outs on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon in my life lol. I think what is happening is that its getting closer and closer to Christmas and news year that everybody kinda takes small vacations through the week when they have a break off of work. 

This past week we have been sharing a lot of the attributes of Christ in our lessons and that has gotten me to actually study those myself more and apply them to my life and especially ask God to help me apply these to my life to be a better man, husband and father one day! Our days should be opportunities to share the Gospel with our friends and family in all kinds of ways. Especially this Christmas but continue this though the ear too. Maybe it seems out of our comfort zone but we feel so much better when we are kind to others and share the love and charity of Christ for them. My scripture for this week is Moroni 7:44-48 but i think i already shared this last week or a couple ago so here is another for this Christmas 2 Nephi 19:6 in The Book of Mormon! Anyways this week was great and we have the Christmas zone conference this Thursday!! I will gain 5 kilos for sure!

Love you all andddd.... I KNOW THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

-Elder Hammond

 

 

 

Fazenda rio Grande 4 Months (Week 39)

So I have 4 months here in Fazenda rio Grande in the pioneer ward and its a bit crazy because a member yesterday called me a member and not Elder because I have been here so long. lol If I stay another I will have 6 months here! 

This week we had an opportunity to sing for more then 1000 people which was so cool! We sang one for one which I think was written by Elder Niel L. Anderson but we sang it in Portuguese which was awesome! Firstly we walked down the stairs of 200 missionaries and at first it was quiet and then we started to sing and I had chills down to my feet because the presence of the spirit was so so so strong. I have never felt singing so strong in my life until this day. I love singing and especially with the missionaries here. I may not be the best but they smile that brings to the faces of others is the best feeling. There were members and non-members there and they all said we almost cried or did actually cry. For sure I will be singing in the church in just the ward or stake or anything that I can do lol. 

This week has been a rough week, to say the least from seeing girls that are 15 with their first child to having somebody return The book of Mormon to us because he chose to not understand. We cant make somebody try if they don't want to but it makes my heart hurt for them. Also finding the pass out cards on the street with The baby Jesus and Mary. Any religion or church I could never throw a picture of Christ on the street. This week was for sure a mind opener of how these are for sure the last days because of how much hurt and pain people are suffering. I am honored to share the Gospel with people in Basil every single day. I am seeing the world from another perspective more every single day. Sometimes the children are hurting and want to listen but the parents won't allow us to enter. My companion and I have been seeing girls with 15-16 already raising a 4-day old baby alone with the father being a son of a pastor. 

I know this Gospel to be true on the earth today and that we need to open our eyes for a chance to help another that is suffering in life or just needs a person to give them a hug. Be the light of the world this season but continue through the year too! You all can help another person in any form! 

Love you all!

-Elder Hammond