Hi Family :)
First off, yes i got the package from mom! Thank you :) The cookies are so good, and i had completely forgotten that taffy exists, and how much i love it! You're the best! I still haven't gotten the debit card. I hope it comes soon!
This week we went on our second trip to do the zone conference. To answer mom's question of if we talk in the conference, yes! We have a two hour part for what we teach. This conference President Risso asked us to give the missionaries some ideas of new things to do in their areas, and as a second point, how to study better. We teach for a little while, do practices, put the missionaries in groups to read certain parts of scriptures, etc. This week in Jaen it went a lot better than in Cajamarca. So the first day was the conference, and in the afternoon we revised the area books of each companionship. that gets old really fast. But we have to do it every few months to motivate the missionaries to update their area books! Jaen is a pretty big city on the edge of the jungle- it's super hot there and it was rough to sleep! Worse because Elder Chuiz and i had to sleep in the same bed! Saturday we went into the wilderness/mountains/jungle to Chachapoyas! Aka my new favorite place in the world. the road on the way there is so picturesque! We drove along and between HUGE super green junglish mountains three hours into nowhere to get there. I don't know if i just haven't seen Utah mountains in a long time, but these mountains seemed way bigger. Chachapoyas is awesome. All the houses there are built in colonial style, the roads are really narrow, there are hills (there are none here in Chiclayo), and it rained like crazy when we were there!
Wherever we go we usually do a conference or something, then work with a companionship in the afternoon. I went out with Elder Carranza, from Argentina. He felt like we should go visit the lady who used to cook for them, because she hadn't been going to church lately. We got there and they told us she was in her bed and needed a blessing! We went up to the second floor and her foot was totally purple and yellow and swollen. The fair was in town and she was playing on a slide and fell and messed up her foot and ankle pretty badly. She said she had been hoping we would come but was to embarrassed to call the missionaries. We gave her a blessing and it was a really special experience of being able to be where the Lord needed us. We went to a baptism they had in chachapoyas too. It was in a river nearby. Sunday we went to church there in Chachapoyas, because it's a branch and belongs to the mission. They had their branch conference and president and sister Risso spoke in sacrament meeting. I feel so blessed to get to work with President Risso all the time, and to get to do exchanges and learn from so many different missionaries. I feel like as assistant i'm learning more than i'm teaching. It's a blessing and a big challenge.
This week we have two more multizone conferences in Chiclayo on Tuesday and Thursday. each one will be with about 70 missionaries from here in the Chiclayo area. It'll be the same conference we've done in Cajamarca and Jaen with a few changes and improvements Elder Chuiz and i will plan tonight.
It's awesome to hear that Cameron is back and how awesome his mission was. i can't wait to be able to talk about the mission with all my friends when we're all back.
I'm learning a lot through experience about how trials make us grow. It's sad that sometimes we need trials to help us draw nearer to God, but i think that's a big part of why missionaries grow so much during the mission. Just when you get comfortable or feel confident, something changes- either your companion, your assignment, area, or some other type of challenge comes your way and you learn so much through it all. I just hope i can meet the challenges well and become who i need to be. I love this work, and I have felt through the Spirit so many times that it is true. I know that the Savior loves all of His children, and that love is what motivates me every day.
I love you and hope you all have a great week!
Elder Hatch
Photos: Mom asked about the flag we're holding in the picture from last week, it's the flag of Uruguay
sorry most of the pictures are from the car window, but this is how the people dress in Cajamarca!
The sweet catholic cathedral in cajamarca. Each of the bricks is carved with designs!
This is Elder Huntsman baptizing in Chachapoyas in a river! It was awesome.
We stopped the car by the side of the road to take pictures by this sweet waterfall coming back from Chachapoyas
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