Post from Sister Turk's Blog The Hooker's visit our Mission

Mission Tour

First day of the tour is finished and what a day it has been...

These days are long but very fulfilling.

  

President Turk was brilliant as usual...

(He is standing right behind me as I type this)

 I can't believe I didn't get a full photo of this group with 

Elder and Sister Hooker.  

Can you see your son or daughter while they are practicing

with each other....

 Here is the other half of the room....

I am so Sorry.

 Elder Hooker told a sweet story of his mother's conversion.

When she was 15 years old she was reading a newspaper

and in the middle of this paper

was an article written asking this question...

Did Christ visit the Americas?

The article had all the theories and legends of the great white bearded God.

She cut it out at age 15 and folded it up and put it in her Bible.

 Many years passed and she forgot about it.

She got married and started to have children.

And one day a knock came to her door.

It was two Mormon missionaries.

And the first thing they asked her as she opened the door was

"Did you know that Christ has visited the Americas"

This took her back to when she was 15.

She ran and got her Bible and opened up the article.

 She asked them if they could answer this question.

The missionaries were thrilled, of course they could.

She learned all about the Church and she and her family

were among the first to be baptized here in Peru.

Elder Hooker said that his family prayed for those two missionaries

for the rest of the missionaries lives.

Elder Stevenson and Elder Boyce.

Our missionaries are having this same kind of impact on their converts.

How great would it be to have sweet families

praying for you for the rest of your life?

Hermana Hooker and I went to check a few rooms today too.

They were all very clean and impressive.

Thank you to all of you for going the extra mile.

We have another day of travel and teaching in Chimbote.

Hasta Mañana!

December 10, 2012 Alma 60:11-13

Dear Family, This week was great. Lots of stuff happened this week. The scripture of the week is Alma 60:11-13. The christmas practices are going well, I have a small solo in la cancion del pueblo. And will be singin Oh holy Night also. I talked to sister turk and she said that this year she is going to have the christmas program Live on the blog. We´ll hope she can figure that out. We had the mission tour this week and Elder Hooker came. Him and his wife gave us some awesome advice and President taught us some cool things about the Godhead. Also my companion and I, president turk and the asistants had our stake presidents meeting with our stake president. We came well prepared and it went well. Rocio got baptized!!! by a hair. she passed her interview, everything was going perfect and the day of the baptism, the chapel had no water. We couldn´t fill the font!!! The water was supposedly going to arrive at 5. So we postponed the baptism for a few hours and she was very coorapative. In the end it still wouldn´t fill, we ended up just getting buckets of water and filled the font up one by one. There was barely enough water to baptize her but I got her totally immersed. and in the end it worked out. Converts dont get confirmed in their baptism so she will get confirmed this sunday. Liliana is progressing great. This past week she commited to not work on sundays. Which is huge cuz they don´t have money. Got the christmas package. Im saving it for christmas.... except the dr schools was ripped when it arrived soo.... im wearing em. oooh yeah. Yesterday I spoke in church, Taught second hour, And taught 3rd hour. fun fun. Have the best week of your life!!! sorry i don´t have much time to write.

 Rocio's Baptism 11/9/2012

elder hurley

December 3, 2012 Acts 5:29

Dear Family,

This week was awesome.

The scripture of the week is Acts 5:29. By the way I have grown to love the bible so much more on my mission. And the book of mormon. Both are so important and the word of God. Thanks to all you for writing me! Sorry my letters aren´t that long I try to always hit the most important points of my week and still read all the letters and briefly respond. Overall This past week went really well with Elder Zarian. He is a good missionary and we have a similar work ethic. He will be a great zone leader and I am excited to work with him. He is from Idaho. The past week we had quite a few lessons and Rocio accepted to be baptized on the 9th. We met her other older daughter this week finally which was good to finally have met the whole family. A lot of people failed us and didn´t come to church which is always hard but we will just keep making inspired plans to help them. This past week we gave a training to the district leaders which is always fun. Every single companionship in our zone had a change this transfer cycle and we have 3 new missionarys with their trainers. We have a great zone though. We helped a companionship move and approve their new place and everything. I remember when I had to do that in area trujillo and it was so hard to move without help so we had some compasion. The christmas program is a huge thing we do in the plaza de armas of trujillo. So its for everyone. Ill be singing a solo from les miserables. And o holy night again like last year. sister turk just did auditions this year cuz a lot more people wanted to participate. Last year they just asked me if i could do it. This week we are having elder hooker of the seventy come talk to us which is going to be a real treat. Im glad that video finally got through. Overall I am doing really great and me and and Zarian are working really hard. We are hoping to see miracles and help people come unto christ. Thats so awesome the project that dad is doing. haven´t got the package yet but prob will soon. Yall need to stop worrying about me. I am on a mission for God what is the worst that could happen to me? God is protecting me and watching out for me every day physically and emotionally. I know that God really is supporting this work and I know he answers sincere prayers. I hope you guys have the best week of your life this week!!!

Elder Hurley

November 26, 2012 Alma 32: 31-39

Dear Family, This week was........ AMAZING!

The scripture of the week is Alma 32 verses 31 through 39. Well this week was good. We had a baptism. a young women named Sofia. We have been teaching her family and she has been progressing most and accepted to be baptized. She is awesome and I know will progress a lot in the church. She is the first in her family and we feel we can baptize the rest of the family this month. which would be awesome. I sent picture of her and her family. Also Rocio came to church again yesterday with her daughter. She is progressing really well and with a lot of help she can be baptized this week. Last week was the last week of the change so I sent a picture of our all elder zone. I love all these guys. Elder Brian is getting changed to Huaraz and starting tomorrow I will be training a new zone leader named elder Zerian. I'm stoked. This past week was elder Brians birthday so we got lots of cake. I love hearing about all your experiences. I had another spiritual confirmation this week that the book of Mormon is true. I know with all my heart that the book of Mormon is true. And it is the key stone of our religion. I encourage you all to read it more fully and meditate and ask god if it really is true or not. We didn´t do anything for thanksgiving but I am very thankful for everything God has given me. I'm thankful for each one of you. The mission is going by way too fast. if you need anything from me just let me know. Have the best week of your life!

Elder Hurley 

November 19, 2012 1 Nephi 22:8-12

Dear Family,

This week was GOOD. The scripture of the week is 1 nephi 22:8-12. This past week was great. As you can see on the blog, I am officially a grandpa. Elder Meza is training. haha. my trainer elder contreras is finishing his mission this week. Mostly just wanted to talk about my investigators this week. We have Rocio, she is a married lady that had attended church before who has committed to a date before but we couldn´t get her to church. Yesterday we I saw that she came I was sooo happy. She just might maybe get baptized this week. If she does she´ll be the first in her family and We think her husband and kids will also join the church which would be AWESOME. we have Liliana, who also is a married lady who used to listen to missionaries and come to church. We gave her a book of mormon this past week and she is reading it. She recognizes the spirit and also came to church yesterday with her daughter. They are both progressing well. We had more people in church yesterday. 8 in total which was good. We are lso teaching another family llhim and soña who havent came to church yet but are really awesome. The ward went to the temple this past week and 2 families got sealed. That is a huge deal here. Sounds like everyone is stoked for thanksgiving. They kind of celebrate thanksgiving here in peru but its called el día de gracias. but yeah Ill prob eat turkey. I ate duck yesterday which was really good. I want to invite you guys to study about the gathering of israel whether in gospel principles book or another place, it is something that has really strengthened my testimony understanding more and more about it. Love you guys a ton and hope you have a great week! Oh yeah its mango season again here and our pensionista filled her fridge with mangos cuz she knows we love them so I have been eating mangos every day and they are SO GOOD. love you guys! 

elder Hurley 

November 12, 2012 1 Corinthians 15:58

Dear Family,
This week was decent. The scripture of the week is 1 corinthians 15:58. Thanks for writing. This past week we had zone leader council with president which is always a really special meeting. Can see it on the blog. We taught a lot about the book of mormon and the gathering of israel and read a lot of quotes from elder russel m. nelson. That is so awesome that you guys had him in your stake conference! He spoke to us when I was in the MTC. The book of mormon is so important to bring about the gathering of israel. It is the evidence and the tool to bring it about. It is amazing to me that I have the opportunity to teach the children of the people who wrote in the book of mormon and then tell them about their fathers, and help them know that they too came from israel. Yesterday was a bummer, what breaks or makes the week is who we can get to sacrament meeting, and we had a lot of people commited but only got 3 there. We are working with some familys which is really exciting for me. I want to baptize a whole family, see them progress and be sealed in the temple. Sorry for those who write me that I don´t write back. I can only communicate through email brothers, sisters, parents, and grandparents. Anyone else only through written letters. But just know I love all of you and thanks for writing me. I too never wanted to go to BYU till God helped me make that decision. God always guides us if we just ask. Today we went to a place called conache, hiked up this huge sand hill and at lunch at the very top, it was pretty fun with our zone. Im singing in the christmas program again this year and we got the the office with sister to practice on mondays. I am doing a choral quortet thing and a solo in a different song. I really love music. Dad really knows how to distract a missionary saying how much powder there is in the mountains. haha just kidding. But here it feels so hot every day but it is really probably on like 80. Don´t think they put that video on yet but is that memory card I sent just totally ruined? cuz that was completely full of pictures on it too. :( oh well.  Overall I love each one of you. Thanks ma for your testimony. Testimony is always growing or shrinking, make sure its growing. I encourage everyone to read more out of the book of mormon.  have a great week!
Elder Hurley 

November 4, 2012 Alma 5:62

Hello family!!
Thanks for all your letters they make me smile. The scripture of the week is Alma 5:62. Funny seeing mom as waldo haha. thats a good look. The shawn made me laugh a lot too haha. Thats funny that you say you are a cheater. My companion and I were talking about how everyone at home cheats on fasts haha cuz here the members start fasting after lunch saturday and fast until lunch sunday. But yeah dont worry about me getting enough food. The majority of people eat a lot. haha it is a fight for me every day to try to finish everything that is on my plate. But the food is really good always. This week we went to do service at a little town that is in my area called san carlos. They are just finally getting sewage system in and we helped them this week with that. I got a big blister haha. (see foto) Also made an awesome reference box this week with slits for each organization. We are teaching quite a few familys which is such a blessing. It is really hard here to find two civilly married people that have kids. But we are teaching some and one lady accepted a baptismal date for the 17th but then didnt make it to church yesterday. I have really grown to love soccer. We play every monday and friday at 530 in the morning and it is so fun.  Thanks for all your support and love. Don´t be too worried about the christmas package, if I got nothing id still have a lot more than most the world. I liked the ctr rings you sent last year I passed those all out to kids fast. It would be cool but I don´t know how possible to find HLJ rings. Love all serve all
Elder Hurley