Weekly Update~ "Happy New Year!"

RJ found Santa in Uganda!

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning Breakfast

Elder RJ Talking with His Family, Just Look at that Smile!

Area Christmas Party

The Way They Roll

Some of Elder Hazen's Christmas Gifts

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your families and I hope all you with Missionaries out were able to enjoy your time communicating with them! I was lucky enough to talk to my family for a good chunk of time and hearing their voice was the cherry on top of a perfect Christmas in Uganda. 

In the morning, after spending the night in our living room with my district and telling stories all night, we woke up at 6:30 and opened our packages. 

I wanted to let everyone who took the time to write a letter or share a few uplifting words with me this past week to know how much I appreciated it. The letters and pictures I was able to receive from my family and friends made Christmas away from home all worthwhile. I was so overwhelmed with the gratitude I have for you all back home supporting me while I am here. I may not be able to reply to them all, but I thought I'd take the time to answer a few questions that I received in the letters. 

• Biggest Adjustment?- I'd say my biggest adjustment was learning to adapt to the culture here and sticking out like a sore thumb. The people here definitely don't mind reminding us that we are different by yelling out to us on the side of the streets, but at the same time, most people are very kind here.
• What is President Chatfield like?- I'm thankful that this mission is being led by President Chatfield. He is a great leader and is very uplifting and encouraging to us Missionaries. He reminds us to stay focused on our purpose, have faith, and to be obedient. 
• How is the church here?- In Lugazi in particular, the Branch is still fairly new. However, it is growing stronger week by week. I'm so excited to see what this next year has in store for this branch because the work is really beginning to pick up. 
• Favorite part of Africa?- My favorite part of Africa right now is how ready these people are to receive the Gospel in their lives. Many people are beginning to see the blessings the Gospel brings and are eager to share the happiness they've been able to feel.
• Are you having fun?- OF COURSE. I love my mission so much and it's brought blessings to my life I can't begin to describe

This week, aside from talking to my family, I think the biggest highlight was being able to extend baptism dates to a family of 7. We are very excited to see what the future has in store with them. This week, Elder Dowdle and I have 4 baptisms planned. I'll talk more about the people next week.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Years. Take the opportunity to start the New Year right by making goals to improve habits with scripture study, prayer, keeping the Sabbath Day Holy, and temple attendance. 

I love you all!

Elder Hazen

"Merry Christmas from Africa!"

Dear Family,

Merry Christmas, first of all. Again, I have to continue on with the tradition of writing a small letter for the holidays with all of you gathered together. I just wanted to express my love for each and every one of you and I want to thank you all for making positive impacts on me throughout my life and playing a role in getting me to where I am today. As I reflect on where I've come from a year ago today, I realize I've grown up so much and have begun to realize what's truly important in life. It's not about the Instagram likes, or the High School drama, or how many runs I gave up in a game, or other things like that. It's about seeking to improve each and every day to become more like our Savior, strengthening our families to combat the evils we find in the world today, maintaining our temple worthiness and striving to keep the covenants we've made, and the list can go on and on. I'm so grateful for what I've learned on my mission so far. It's brought so many blessings to my life, more than I can describe. 

As we celebrate the birth of the Savior this Christmas season, I want to encourage you to turn outward. In the MTC, I was able to hear a talk by Elder Bednar on the Characters of Christ. In the talk, Elder Bednar described a few key events in the Savior's life where instead of falling victim to the natural man, and focusing on himself, he turned outward and was more concerned for the welfare of others. I'm not going to lie, I am nowhere near perfect in trying to follow the Savior's example in this aspect, but I know that as we rely on the Savior and the merit's of his sacrifice, we can become better.

I love you all so much and want nothing more than to be with you all today, but I know that I am where I'm supposed to be. Have a wonderful Christmas, enjoy the food and the gifts, but remember to say a prayer of gratitude thanking your Father in Heaven for the gift of His Only Begotten.

Love, 
Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "Highlights of the Week!"

Decorated House

Baseball Injury

Newest Little Investigator

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas from Uganda and from the Lugazi district!

This week was frustrating, yet rewarding. I know that all the frustrations and trials experienced are made up through Jesus Christ and his atonement. That thought has brought me comfort, especially during this time of the year when we get the opportunity to celebrate His birth. Some of the highlights this week include:

• My district and I were able to provide service for numerous people in the branch boundaries. On Tuesday morning, we walked about an hour to a member's garden in the village and we were able to help her with her garden. It was tiring, but so worth it. Also, I was able to continue helping out with the local baseball team here in Lugazi. Again, there's nothing better than doing what I love for the benefit of others. It makes me happy being able to make these kids happy by sharing with them one of my passions other than the gospel (Haha). This week they made me hit, and the first pitch I saw, I fouled into my ankle and it started bleeding and swelling. Good times. 
• Elder Dowdle and I have been able to receive a good number of referrals this week. Our prayers have been answered as we've been finding more families to teach. It's funny how many sets of brothers we've been able to teach lately. It's definitely an answer to prayers in another way because the branch is in need of more priesthood holders.
• We had 4 baptisms that we had planned for this week, but all of them fell through. I was discouraged but, if I've learned anything on my mission, it's that this work I get to take part in is the Lord's work and he is in charge of it all. I know he has a plan for these people here and everything is going to work out. As I continue to do my job and allow myself to be molded into an instrument in the Lord's hands, I know everything will take care of itself.

   I wanted to share a few thoughts from my studies and things I've been pondering. 

First, I just wanted to further express my gratitude for the Book of Mormon. It truly does answer ALL questions, including questions of the soul. It outlines the Plan of Salvation and answers where we come from, why we're here on Earth, and where we're going. Elder Dowdle shared with me an experience he had in seminary this week. He told me a story about his seminary teacher and his experience with the Book of Mormon. Basically, what I got from it is that even though the Book of Mormon doesn't contain the answers to our questions directly in the words we read, it invites the Spirit which allows us to receive revelation and promptings that impact us. 

  Second, because I'm a missionary, this Christmas season I cant give gifts like I was normally able to back at home. Rather, I am able to give people an even better gift: my testimony and teachings about the restored gospel. Elder Dowdle and I have been focusing on bearing our testimonies as much as possible to our investigators, recent converts, and other members. My hope is that they are able to feel the love we have for them as well as the love our Savior has for them as children of God.

  This Christmas, I just wanted to briefly share my testimony that I know without a doubt that this Church is true. I'm thankful for the Savior and his Atonement. The Atonement isn't only for sinners, it's for everyone who are seeking to improve themselves on a daily basis. I know he truly is the Son of God and he came in this world to be an example to us on how to be perfect even as he was. I know that this Jesus Christ established his church and it was re-established through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that through him, the Book of Mormon was brought forth and that whoever pursues reading it, pondering it's message, and praying to know of it's truthfulness will receive an answer through the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that through this chruch, families can be together forever.

I love you all and wish you a very merry Chirstmas,

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "It's Begining to Look a lot Like Christmas!"

RJ- "I'm Going to Wear a Christmas Tie Every Day This Month!"

P-Day Golf

RJ and Village Kids

Public Bathroom

Family and Friends,

This week was a pretty normal, uneventful week.  But, we did have a great turn out at church this week.  The branch is still new. We get about 60 people at church. we're still trying to grow it.  The area we serve in Lugazi is much closer to church, so we don't have to walk too far. We try to proselyte close to the church so its easier for investigators to come to church.   And we have 3 baptisms planned next week! 

  

 Yesterday, I got a package from my family full of Christmas decorations, Advent Calendar, Gingerbread House Kit, a Christmas Tree, Stockings and a "Twelve Days of Christmas".   We were able to decorate the house which brought the Christmas Spirit a bit more!  My district and I loved it!! My family got so many "shout-outs" on how awesome they are;) It made me so happy, i feel like its finally Christmas now!

   It's hard for it to feel like Christmas when its 80 degrees outside every day.  But, it's allowed me to try and focus on the true meaning of our celebrations this time of year. For me personally, I've been trying to find little ways to serve my companion and my district.  At my home every year during the month of December we do "Manger Elves", where we do small acts of service for each other.  I've thought about it so much these last few weeks as well as our other family's traditions. By doing things for my Companion Elder Dowlde and the District, like make his bed and do the dishes etc. helps a lot.  I miss the little things.  So, by doing small things like that it makes me still feel like part of the family, it makes me happy. 

    I just wanted to express briefly my appreciation for my companion, Elder Dowdle. Yesterday, I got sick again and I was feeling super frustrated because we had a lot of people to see last night. I didn't think we'd be able to see them. We decided that we would go on an exchange and I rested at a member's house while he and another went and taught the remaining lessons for the week. I'm grateful for him and his desire to work hard and am lucky to have the opportunity to serve with him.

I hope you are all finding opportunities to serve others in preparation for this Christmas!

Love,

 Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "First Time Being Sick on My Mission"

African Delicacy~ Crickets 

Baptism

Baptism

Studying with James 

Dear Friends and Family,

So this week, my luck finally ran out and I got sick for the first

time on mission. It kept me from going out and proselyting on

Friday.  It which was awful because Elder Dowdle and I had a lot of people to

visit.  It ended up working out because we arranged for the

Elder's Quorum president, Andrew, to go on a split with Elder

Dowdle all day.  One of our members, James, was able to stay with me

while I laid on the couch. Let me tell you a bit about James.  He's such an awesome kid. I showed him pics of the family and he thinks maddie is cute…he has started calling me "Muko" which means, Brother-In-Law! He was baptized a few months ago, and this last week, while he was working with us, he expressed to me his desire of wanting to serve a mission.  The next day, I decided to bring him an old Preach my Gospel manual laying around the house.  Elder Dowdle and I shared with him chapter 3 and encouraged him to study that chapter to get familiar with the lessons and how to teach them. When he came over to stay with me while I was sick, he brought his Preach my Gospel so we spent most of the day reading out of it and the Book of Mormon. It was one of the neatest experiences I've had on my mission.  I was so sick and felt awful and this made me feel good to be able to share my testimony with him on missionary work and the impact it's had on me these last few months.  I've expressed to him the great blessings it's brought to me and my life and that it can do the same for him. He has been on fire working with us and it's been neat to see his testimony grow.

This Sunday, we were able to baptize Andrew's brother Isaiah. Isaiah

is one of my best friends here and he makes me so happy whenever I'm

with him. He's seriously one of the funnest kids ever and has such a

powerful testimony. He was more than ready for baptism. The other guys

were also able to have a baptism as well. The work is definitely

progressing in Lugazi and the branch is growing. It's exciting to be

apart of! 

  Today, I was able to have pizza and ice cream from a

resturaunt in Jinja, I know it seems like I say it every week, but it

was probably one of the best meals I've had in Uganda. 

Lastly, my Grandparents have been talking to me about the emphasis

they've put on Family History work.  I definitely agree that its

very important. I'd urge all of you to get to know your ancestors and

get involved in the work by doing your work for those beyond the veil.  There's always something to be done! I promise that as you do

so, and find more time in the temple, you'll receive even more

blessings.

          Love,

         Elder Hazen