Weekly Update~ "Whom the Lord Loves He Rebukes and Chastens"

Dear Family and Friends,

I'm not going to sugar-coat it, this week was difficult for me. The Lord saw if fit to put Elder Hazen through some divine chastening and decided to do it by stretching me physically and spiritually. Last Sunday after lunch, I began to feel body aches that are a common sign of the flu. It gradually got worse and by the end of the night, I was drained. Monday was better after I got on a cycle of ibuprofen and Tylenol prescribed by Sis. Collings. Tuesday, the same feelings came back, and not wanting to miss time in the short time I have left in the field, I tried to push through and work. My family knows first hand that I can be a baby when I'm sick. At around 7, I decided in my mind I had enough of missionary work for the day, but Elder Moyes suggested we go finding. That was literally the last thing I wanted to do, but I decided to grudgingly go along. I did not have the right attitude. I felt like I was demonstrating faith to precede a miracle or faith building experience, but the charity element was lacking. Elder S. Mark Palmer said,"No true teaching or learning will ever occur when done in frustration or anger, and hearts will not change where love is not present."  That is one lesson I was reminded of. The flu left by Wednesday in time for us to attend Zone Conference in peace. The Spirit was felt and we were all edified. 

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Andriatsoherina, an elder from Madagascar. (If you can't pronounce that, don't worry, neither could any of our investigators) We had an extremely busy day which flew by and topped off the day visiting an RM with the intent of sharing the Restoration and asking for a referral. There was no need as he already had someone there waiting for us to teach...tender mercy for sure. 

On Friday morning, I woke up with the body aches and a headache and had to drive Elder Andria home and pick up Elder Moyes. I had him drive home and as I was in the car, the most negative thoughts were passing through my mind which is very unlike me and it made me even more frustrated that I was thinking that way. When we got home, I offered a prayer to Heavenly Father that went something like this: "Heavenly Father, right now, I'm not feeling great and you know I haven't been feeling great this whole week. In the scriptures, it talks about how the Savior bears up burdens and makes them light and succors according to people's needs. I need that right now." Honestly, the headaches haven't gone away, but this week I gained greater understanding for the love our Heavenly Father has for his children by chastening them and putting them through trials. I need to be patient with myself when I fall short because, after all, we are dwelling in an imperfect tabernacle of clay. I think as I draw to the close of my mission, it's easy to think that there's nothing more for me to learn but the Lord humbled me and reminded me this mortal life is about progression and constant growing. I'm thankful for his love and the Holy Ghost that is a gift from God and is an indicator when we need to change and what we need to change. 

Love, 

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "Enduring to the End"

Dear Family and Friends, 

I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day and talking to their missionaries. After a few visits to Africell, a few calls to Customer Service, and much unnecessary stress, I was finally able to speak to my own mother and it was worth the wait. I love her and my family so much and it's ludicrous I'll be seeing them in the flesh in a few weeks. 

Talking to Each Other on Mother's Day!

This week I went on an exchange with Elder Grant. It was the first time proselyting together since Rwanda. Truly he's a friend for the eternities. The Spirit was present in all lessons, but it was expected working with a powerhouse like him. 

The work continues to progress and we are continuing to see the blessings working with members. The Alpha Stella and Sarah family as well as the Brother Jeff continue to progress nicely and we're looking forward to their baptisms next transfer. 

As my thoughts continue to wander to the Savior, one thing Elder Grant and I discussed was about how difficult it is to endure to the end, but one thing that helps greatly in that process is understanding one's purpose. The Savior was foreordained before the foundation of the world to be our Savior. He has been prepared for his role for eternities. He came to the world, and descended below all, and though blinded by a veil, understood his purpose from a very young age. The Savior knew the whole picture, and it influenced his every action because he knew the salvation of all of God's children depended on it. It gave him the perspective he needed, though bleeding from every pore and pleading that the cup would pass, to suffer an infinite Atonement. I testify with gratitude, that because of the Savior understanding his purpose, he endured to the end so we may have a chance to endure to our end of mortal life and one day be exalted in God's kingdom with our families. 

Love, 
Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "Mom's Chapati"

Dear Family and Friends,

This week I went on vacation if there is even such a thing on mission. But, going to Kampala and being around missionaries that I haven't seen in months sure felt like it and it was a wonderful experience. I probably stayed up later than I should have both nights that I was in Ntinda. Mission Leader Conference was one of the most powerful meetings I've had on my mission. This month the meeting was focused on the Book of Mormon and the importance of working with members. We are excited to put into practice the things we learned.

I don't really have a lot to say this week, I was in Kampala from Tuesday-Thursday and when I got back into Kigali on Thursday, I went right into Elder Shumway's area for an exchange that was wonderful. We implemented some of the things we learned at MLC and worked on really listening to what investigators say so we can teach according to their needs. We also worked on our finding approaches and using "power statements" (one sentence testimonies used to invite the Spirit and grab the people's interest to learn more) I got back into our area on Friday and the rest of the weekend was spent catching up on lost time in visiting our investigators and preparing Edith for baptism. I don't know if I've talked a whole lot about Edith but she has been one of my favorite people I've taught so far because her change of heart was so apparent and noticeable. When we began teaching her, she was so stubborn and she refused to keep commitments in reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church. We even dropped her for a few weeks but, I decided to call her during weekly planning and set up an appointment to meet with her again. When we met again, we reviewed the Book of Mormon and set a bold commitment to her and told her that if she prioritized her time and gave 5 minutes to reading every day, she would be able to have the energy to work day in and day out to support her family and that she would be able to find the means to pay for her childrens' school fees. As we began teaching her again, her son came back from boarding school because he was suffering from ulcers and we began teaching him as well. Long story short, they began keeping commitments, coming to church together, and the change was so noticeable. Last week, when we were at her house, she shared with us that her husband had died just a few weeks previous to us coming and sharing with her the first time (she was found street contacting by Elder Brogan right before I got to K2) she said, that after her children left for boarding school, she felt so lonely and would just go to her room and cry when she got home from work every night. But, as soon as she began reading the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets, and we began visiting her more consistently, she felt happy again. It was a simple testimony but it reminded me that true happiness only comes from the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you don't believe me, put me to the test, put God to the test. Read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. I testify that there is no more correct book on Earth and it WILL bring you closer to Christ than ever before. If you are a member of the church, and you have not read the Book of Mormon cover to cover in awhile, I challenge you to do so. If you are not, I challenge you to do the same because if you are reading this right now, you care at least a little bit about my life which probably means I care about you too and I want the best for you. 

I left my notebook at the apartment with my conference notes...Stay tuned until next week. 

Love you all, 

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "What Manner of Men Ought Ye To Be?"

Dear Family and Friends,

This week I conducted a lot of self-introspection and was able to learn a great deal.  On Tuesday, Elder Grant and I went on exchanges with the K1 district. I worked in a Tri-panionship with Elder Phiri and Fiagbedzi in my old area and we had a blast. Being with them without the truck reminded me of how much I miss walking and talking to people as we move between appointment and appointment. As I worked with them, I was able to witness first hand how obedience brings blessings. They did not waste a single minute of the Lord's time, and assuming they do this everyday, it is why the Lord has blessed them with so much success. I respect both of these Elders so much and I'm grateful for their example of selfless service to one another and others around them and their diligence.

On Thursday, Elder Grant and I had a great companionship study and were able to have a discussion of why things earlier in the week weren't going as well as we wanted them too. We set a few goals and re-committed ourselves to exact obedience. Elder Grant spent his entire personal study on obedience and shared this helpful insight: Obedience is the first law of heaven. When we are called on our missions, all we are really asked to do is be obedient. Yes, there is a little more to missionary work than that, but when it comes down to it, the teaching, the finding, the service, all comes down to our obedience to our Heavenly Father's and how much we really love them. I think Elder Grant and I realized we were looking beyond the mark a little and were more concerned about why our investigators weren't progressing and were too focused on trying to be an example, but after we simplified everything, we have been having a better time. We know that all that matters is controlling the things that we can control and that exact obedience will bring the miracles that will move the work in our area forward.

Something that Elder Grant and I have begun to try is using the Book of Mormon in all of our finding situations. This means that whether we are street contacting, tracting, or whatever, when talking to people whether talking about the Plan of Salvation or the Restoration, we would always refer back to the Book of Mormon and show them a copy and invite them to learn more about it by inviting them to church or by allowing us to come visit them. You wouldn't believe how well this has worked. People are beginning to become genuinely interested in the message we have for them and there have been people who have literally begged us to leave them a copy. We know that the Book of Mormon has great power and it truly testifies of the Savior and that it brings people closer to him than any other book in the world.

Going back to the thoughts about obedience, I was pondering if I really truly do love the Savior Jesus Christ. I was thinking about it during my personal study and spent a lot of time pondering. I was thinking about his works, his example, his teachings, and towards the end of my study I came to this overwhelming conclusion: Yes I do. I know this because I aspire to be like him and follow his example of selfless love towards others. I work to improve my teaching skills to become a better teacher like he was. I try to be as bold as him in the face of adversity. I love Jesus Christ with all my heart and because of this I will never stop trying to become better through his Atonement.

I love you all,

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "Another Email of Tender Mercies"

Dear Family and Friends,

I hoped you all enjoyed conference weekend. We decided to go watch the Saturday sessions this morning as a zone at one of the branch buildings. We streamed it from the Internet and threw it up on the wall with a projector and were able to have an awesome experience listening to the modern prophets, seers, and revelators. I came into conference weekend praying specifically for things that will help me become a better missionary, and specifically, for ways I can improve on my prayers. I got more than what I asked for with the talks I was able to listen too. I will give a full conference analysis like I usually do after I finish the rest of the talks:)

This week was full of small blessings once again.

1. I was able to go on an exchange with Elder Nabonbo, otherwise known as Andrew, the former Gospel Principles teacher from the K1 branch who was set apart as a missionary last week when President Collings came to Rwanda. He has been working with the K3 missionaries until he departs for the Accra Ghana mission on Oct.5 this upcoming week. We decided that Elder Grant would go on exchanges with Elder Pearson and Elder Barker, while I would take Andrew into our area. This was his first real opportunity in working with a companion 1 on 1 so the purpose of the exchange was to get him excited for missionary work and to give him a taste of what it's really like to be a missionary. I let him take the lead in lessons and finding situations. It wasn't the easiest of days, but we had a bunch of good experiences and Andrew remarked at the end of the day, "today was special and I'll never forget it".
   
   
   
2. Elder Phiri and Fiagbedzzi baptized 4 investigators this Sunday, two of whom were people Elder Mumba and I began to teach. They wanted me to come to the baptism and I was able to attend.
   
   
   
   

I wanted to share a special experience I had with Ndarra’s family. It begins on Friday, when Elder Grant and I were at a loss for what to do to help him and his family progress towards baptism during Weekly Planning. We decided to ask Heavenly Father for help through prayer. As we were praying, I felt a distinct prompting that we needed to include Ndarra’s wife in the lesson. In the past, she has not participated in any of the lessons. She usually is polite and greets us when we come, but then goes to the kitchen and cooks for the family. We also felt prompted to talk to the family about the importance of temples and eternal families. Elder Grant and I made a lesson plan to focus on that, then remind them of our purpose as missionaries in coming and visiting them each week. We wanted to tell them that central to our purpose is helping them make and keep covenants that will ultimately lead them back to their father in heaven. We went to their home on Saturday evening as usual, and began the lesson. The Mama was present and we began by asking each member of the family why they love each other to invite the Spirit. Elder Grant and I then bore testimony on why we love our families. When it was my turn to bear testimony, I pulled out a picture of my family that I usually keep in my scriptures and passed it around. We then explained that the covenants we make in this mortal life are like a pathway that lead back to our Heavenly Father in the Celestial Kingdom. We talked about the first covenant, baptism, and how it leads to bigger and greater blessings, especially temple sealing that allows families to be together forever. We then pulled out a picture of the Accra Ghana Temple and began to explain about temples and that our purpose in visiting them was more than just preparing them for baptism, but preparing them for happiness in the eternities. However, this was when the lesson began going downhill. Haha I guess God really does allow us to go through a trial of our faith before we receive the blessing. We failed to remember that it was Ndarra’s wife’s first real taste of the restored gospel so she then began asking why unbaptized people aren’t allowed in the temple and why her baptism in the Catholic church isn’t accepted to go into the temple. The discussion was turning into more of a debate, so Elder Grant and I decided to bare testimony in effort to save the Spirit. As we bore testimony, the Mama began laughing. We thought to ourselves, “oh no, what now?” She began explaining an experience she had earlier that week while her husband was in the DRC at a funeral. She explained that she was confused at why these two young men come to her home each Saturday evening to teach her family, and why their message is important and if it’s true so she asked God those same questions. After she prayed, she opened her bible to a random page. This is what she read.
Luke 10:1-7
 1 After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

 2 Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

 3 Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

 4 Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

 5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

 6 And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

 7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

 After she read that to  us, I couldn’t help but get emotional. Elder Grant and I just looked at each other, speechless. She told us she knew this was an answer to her prayers and that we truly were sent by God. We committed the family to pray to know if we were sent by God. Elder Grant and I knew that this was a miracle from the hand of God. We knew it came as a result of our diligence amidst our frustrations that week (we got our side view mirrors stolen from our truck for the second time in three weeks earlier that day). We also knew the Spirit was guiding us, because without it, we wouldn’t have known to include that Mama in the lesson. I’m thankful for the tender merices of the Lord each day, no matter how great or small.

love you all very much,

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "First Half of My Mission Has Come to a Close"

Dear Family and Friends,

Another transfer in the books…like I said last week, time continues to fly faster and faster for me, especially because Elder Mumba and I were so busy last week. Last week, I was able to go on a few last minute exchanges with Elder Nambale and Elder Shumway so I’ll first start by talking about those.

Figgs and Makka

On Monday evening, Elder Nambale came over to spend the night at K1 and Elder Mumba spend the night at K2 so Elder Brogan didn’t have to drive down from town in the morning. On Sunday, one of the former Elders in the Uganda Kampala Mission, Elder Hoffheins, and his friend Makka  got into town and came to church. He was here in Rwanda back in 2013 and he baptized President Ronald so, he has been staying with him for about the past week and a half. After services, Shumway, Packer, Mumba, and I stayed at the building to talk story with both of them for about an hour. Before they left, they told us that if any of us needed a member present lesson or two throughout the week to feel free to give them a call and they’d come help us. I took them up on their offer on Tuesday and had one of the most fun, spiritual days on my mission. Elder Hoffheins, or “Figgs” as we call him, has been at BYU for a few years and played on the line for the football team last year. He’s a big boy…haha standing by him is one of the few times I have felt small in my life. He is deciding between Rugby and Football this upcoming year. Makka is from Hawaii and used to play football as well but played Rugby for BYU this past year. They met up with Elder Nambale and I at around 3 and they worked with us until about 7:30. They went with us to teach two lessons and we got to split up and go tracting for about an hour as well. Makka and I were let into the home of a family with two of the kids present so we taught them the Restoration.  The Spirit was present as we both bore simple testimony about the Restoration. Though Makka hasn’t served a mission yet, with his knowledge of the gospel, it was like teaching with a missionary who has been out for about as long as I have. I was grateful to spend the day with them because they kept reminding me how lucky I was to be out at this time serving a mission in this beautiful, wonderful place with these amazing people. Seeing Figgs back in the field and seeing how much he loved these people made me want to push myself that much harder to work in sharing the Gospel. He helped me realize the type of person that I want to be as a Returned Missionary. I want to keep the same values and morals and habits that I’m building on mission and take them with me through the rest of my life, especially during these next few years of college. Living the Gospel is cool and it’s the only intelligent thing to do. 

The last appointment of the evening, we met Rosemary, one of Elder Nambale and my former investigators. She returned back from Nigeria after securing a new work visa. She told us about how she told her mom about us when she went back and brought the Book of Mormon and the pamphlets. Her mom LOVED everything and would have been baptized if the church was closer to her home. There is a chance that Rosemary is bringing her mother here to live when she saves more money, so I have my fingers crossed. Rosemary is still wishy-washy about the gospel and feels it’s true, but still struggles with the commitment side of things including coming to church. I know that it’s only a matter of time that she is baptized, it’s all about taking baby steps with her. This experience taught me that you never know what kind of seeds you are planting when it comes to dropped investigators and though they are dropped for now, you don’t know what kind of impact you could have made for the future elders or sisters who will be teaching them. 

On Thursday, I was able to go on an exchange with Elder Shumway. He came on mission when I was first getting to Rwanda. Nowadays, he’s almost 6 months. Even though he’s never been my companion and I’m not his trainer, I feel like he’s one of my mission sons because I’ve been around him since the beginning. Haha we always joke that I’m his “Spuncle” (super uncle). This last transfer, he was moved into my apartment to be with Elder Packer and I was stoked because we have become even better friends over this time. He’s become one of my best mission friends. It’s been neat to see his growth over these past 5 months.  I remember at the end of his first transfer, we were able to be together on a split and go tracting and I was impressed by his boldness for someone so young on mission. Since then, he has become a better teacher, and all around better missionary and it showed when I was able to spend the day with him on Thursday. (If you’re reading this, Sister Shumway, your son is doing a great job.)

Elder Shumway

This morning, we received transfer news and I found out that Elder Mumba has been transferred to Entebbe in Uganda, and I have been transferred to K2 to be the new Zone Leader with Elder Nambale, my former companion before Elder Mumba. I’m extremely grateful for the time I was able to spend with Elder Mumba. People always say that mission prepares you for the real world. Haha I’m not gonna lie, I feel like my companionship with Elder Mumba has best prepared me to understand what marriage is going to be like. Though Elder Mumba will go down as one of my favorite companions, and I love him to death, we didn’t get along all of the time which is how it will be like in marriage sometimes. But, amidst our differences or struggles, we’re still on the same team. I’m nervous to be a Zone Leader but, I’m excited to begin this new chapter on my mission. Pray for me that I’ll remember how to drive manual and that I won’t stall too hard on the hills of Rwanda. 

This week, Issa, Jean Diamour, and Egide were all baptized. Enjoy the pictures of my Sumo suit (baptism suit). 

This week I’ve also been thinking about my mission so far and the things that I’ve learned on the first year on my mission so far as the first half comes to a close. I’ve been thinking about how I still have a lot to learn and how I still need to develop charity and love because it is the driving force of missionary work. I find that sometimes I act selfishly and think about myself before I think about others. At times I feel like Nephi, exclaiming, “Oh wretched man am I!” How can I be a missionary for a year, but still put myself before others? How can I still fall to temptations when I have the influence of the Holy Ghost and other righteous examples all around me? It’s at these times that I’m most grateful for the Atonement because this is it’s exact purpose: to make those who are trying their best become better. This year, I’m giving it all to my Father in Heaven. This is his work. I’m striving to be more mindful of others and reaching out to the “one” who need my service. This is possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love this Gospel and I love being a missionary. Here’s to another year!

Proof for his Mama that he is still taking his Malaria Pills

Happy he can find his Favorite Dr Pepper in Africa

Love, 

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "The Spirit Teaches, Not Myself"

Dear Family and Friends, 

   Elder Mumba and I had a wonderful week although it was bittersweet because it was the last time I'll be seeing Elder Ruell for a year. We were able to go on exchanges with him over the weekend while he was in town for Zone Conference. I'm bummed there's gonna be one less Giants fan to talk ball with. We had a few experiences that happened throughout the week that I'd like to share and then I'll talk a little about what I learned at zone conference.

Giant Fans-Elder Hazen and Elder Ruell

   On Tuesday, we met Christina, one of our investigators we have been teaching for about 2 weeks now. She is from Ghana and had contact with the church when she lived there but never met with the missionaries. We had planned to share with her the Plan of Salvation, but when we began following up with her on her Book of Mormon, we decided to take the lesson another path because she had not read the reading assignment and had not prayed to know if the Restoration was true. We bore testimony about the truth of the Book, then Elder Mumba out of the blue asked, "what matters most to you?" She got quiet and began to think. After a few moments of silence, she shared an experience from a few years ago when a voice in her mind asked her the same question while she was in church singing in the choir. She described it as an out of body experience, things proceeding to move all around her, but she felt like she was stopped in time. She answered the question in her mind and told the voice that her son was the most important thing in her life to her. The voice then answered, "would you still worship the same if he was taken away from you?" She said it was difficult to answer, but she told the voice that she would. She proceeded to tell us that she lost her son that next year and it was the most difficult thing she has ever gone through. She told us she still believes in God, but wonders if he truly does love her and the rest of her children. Elder Mumba and I took turns bearing testimony that she will indeed see her son again and that it is possible through this Restored Gospel and the Priesthood. We left the lesson feeling grateful we had heeded a prompting from the Spirit because we know that the success of that lesson wasn't possible without it. 

   Friday was a bit of a roller-coaster for me. In the afternoon, because we didn't have many confirmed appointments, we spent a majority of the day tracting. About a half hour into our finding, we were invited to teach a young family that was a huge blessing. The Spirit was so strong and we were able to include one of the daughters in the lesson because she has been to the church before with one of her friends. Her mother committed to come to church and be baptized along with the daughter. That evening, we had a lesson with a guy called Jean-Claude who we met a week previous while we were street contacting. We got to his home at around 7 and he invited his friend, Shemma, to join us. Jean-Claude is a member of a local pentecostal church, and Shemma is Agnostic. Both studied in foreign countries and both were bright guys. We went through the Restoration with them and they kept asking difficult questions that I had a hard time answering, so I relied heavily on Elder Mumba. At the end of the lesson, they kept bombarding us with questions and quoting things from the Bible I was unfamiliar with. I can't really explain what happened in the lesson other than the fact that I figure the Lord was trying to humble me and bring me back down to sackcloths and ashes because I have never felt so stupid or inadequate in a lesson on my mission than I did that evening. I learned a valuable lesson that it's the Spirit that teaches, not myself. I think lately I might have been relying a bit too much on the flesh of the arm and not enough on the Lord and I felt how lonely it is when I'm left to fend for myself and teach these people. Elder Mumba has been a wonderful example to me since I've been with him as someone who knows how to rely upon the Lord. His prayers are always heartfelt, he always puts in 100% effort to his studies, and many other things. I'm not saying that I'm not doing these things, but there is always room to improve and I think the Lord recognized I may have been getting a bit complacent instead of having steady progress. I'm grateful the Lord chastizes his servants to make them better.

   At Zone Conference, I was finally able to meet President and Sister Collings and I was satisfied with the Spirit I felt in the meeting. They had us prepare by reading a few scriptures in the Book of Mormon and Bible including the entire gospel of John. The focus of the meeting was how to rely upon the Spirit and how to use the Book of Mormon and other scriptures more effectively in our teaching. The AP's gave a training and Elder Robinson mentioned something I really enjoyed. He referred to the story of Abinadi and shared that it wasn't until after he referred to the scriptures and the commandments and the words of Isaiah that King Noah and his priests began to listen. Abinadi was a smart guy and understood the Gospel, but the scriptures bring a special spirit into lessons. When you think about it, Alma became converted, converted thousands of others, Alma the younger was taught the things of his father and taught countless others as well, and so did the sons of Mosiah. When it comes down to it, an entire nation was changed all because Abinadi used his scriptures. Absolutely powerful. I'll share some other thoughts next week. 

Zone Conference with Pres. Collings

Also, Ignatius was baptized!!  It was seriously so nice.  I feel like my purpose in Rwanda was to find him and I know my purpose here has been accomplished;) I was able to perform the ordinance and I got emotional during the prayer. After he came back out of the water I just gave him a big ol hug!

Elder Hazen and Ignatius

I love you all,

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~ "Thrust In Your Sickle WHILE the Day Lasts"

Dear Family and Friends,

   The work in the Kigali 1st Branch is definitely picking up. Elder Namable and I find ourselves running from appointment to appointment in attempt to keep time and meet with all the families we have lessons planned with. We come every evening extremely tired but, I wouldn't have it any other way. This week, President Chatfield and the AP's were in town for the Rwanda Zone Conference as well as exchanges.

Elder Afrifa, Ruell and Wilson with Elder Hazen

   On Wednesday morning, Elder Afrifa, Elder Ruell, and Elder Wilson got into town in time for DDM. After enjoying a nice lunch at one of my new favorite buffets, Elder Afrifa went on exchanges with Elder Nambale and I.  Every time I've been on exchanges with Zone Leaders or AP's, we've always had bad luck with getting bounced by our investigators we had planned to teach for the day, but this time we were able to meet every person we had planned! It was a great experience because I was able to ask a lot of questions that had been on my mind concerning investigators and getting them to come to church.  I was also able to learn from the way Elder Afrifa taught. It was a joy being around him because he has a contagious laugh and smile and loves the work so much. 

   On Thursday morning, we had Zone Conference. Even though I think I say it every time, this was probably my favorite of my mission. Everything I learned was exactly what I needed at this point in time. I'm grateful for the inspiration President receives on behalf of the missionaries in each of the respective areas they work in. Elder Ruell was telling me that he has been to 7 different conferences this transfer and President has had different counsel for each zone. Sister Chatfield began the conference by talking about tender mercies and how big of a role they play especially in missionary work. My whole mission I've always tried to be mindful of tender mercies no matter how big or small. I consider every opportunity I have to share a bit of this Gospel and bear testimony as a tender mercy. If I've learned one thing on my mission, it's that we need to plant as many seeds in the hearts of people as possible, even though we may not be the ones reaping the harvest. President then gave his opening remarks and told us a story about when he was in college and was rushing to finish school and made an agreement with his professors to give him pass fail tests so, he could graduate in as little time as possible. He told us about an English paper he delayed to write until about a week before the deadline. In a time of desperate measures, he asked his older sister to give him one of her papers from her time in college, having graduated with an English major. She gave him her BEST paper she had written throughout her college career, one that she turned in as her final college thesis. It received an A+ and her professor told her it was the best paper he had ever read. After making a few adjustments, President took it and turned it in to his professor. When he received the  paper, his professor told him it was the WORST paper she had ever read and that she was giving him a D+ so she didn't ever have to deal with him again. He told us that while he was elated that he had passed, he told us that if he had just begun the paper and worked on it little by little, he wouldn't have ever had to turn in a paper titled "Why Shakespeare wasn't Shakespeare." He compared this to our missions and that we should be doing exactly what we are supposed to with the little time we have to serve so, we don't have to turn in a paper to the Lord that isn't our best at the end of our two years. As always, President also talked about increasing our faith. He told us that if we want to teach more and find more families, then we need to increase our faith, ask for the Lord to be apart of the work, live worthily, forget yourself, and trust that our Heavenly Father knows exactly where the elite and educated people who will build the branch are and trust him to guide us to them. This had a huge impact on me. I felt the Spirit so strongly and I felt at that moment that I couldn't go wrong in this work because I felt of the power of our Heavenly Father. He already has all the answers and keys to success. It's just as simple as asking him and having the faith to follow the Spirit. He also gave us a Mission President promise and told us that if we ALWAYS follow our priesthood leaders for the rest of our lives, we will never fall away because they truly receive revelation from God on our behalf. The moment we stray from our priesthood leaders, is the moment we stray from God's will for us. He concluded with a quote I really enjoyed. 

"Pray, then work like everything depended on you, then pray like everything depended on God."

   Since Zone Conference I have felt like I have lost myself in the work even more. I am always constantly thinking about these people and praying in their behalf and every time I study or read something, I often find my mind wandering to my investigators and think about how the things I learn can benefit them.

RJ Drinking Kivuguto

On another note,  Elder Nambale and I have a new obsession. Nearly every night, before we go home, we stop at a little cafe and drink a mug of "kivuguto". Haha it is fermented milk so it tastes like yogurt without sugar but when you put brown sugar in it, it's unreal. 

Birthday Party

   Last night, the whole zone was invited over to Jimmy's home for his daughter's birthday party. We got destroyed with food, laughed, exchanged kind words, and just had a great time. Rwandese know how to throw a good birthday party. 

I love you all,

Elder Hazen

Weekly Update~"Happy Easter!"

Dear Family and Friends,

    First of all, I'd like to say Happy Easter. This Easter season is one of my favorite times of the whole year because we get the opportunity to reflect on the greatest acts of love in the history of all the Earth. I express my gratitude each week for the Savior's atoning sacrifice but I'm especially grateful this week. I was reading conference talks from April 2015 and I came across these words from President Uchtdorf that I really enjoyed about the suffering in Gethsemane and the resurrection and I shared them with Winnie, our recent convert last night. I thought I'd include it at the end of this email as well. I bear my brief testimony that I know the Atonement was suffered for each and every one of us personally and that as we use the enabling power of it in our lives on a daily basis we all can live with our Heavenly Father again. I'm also grateful for the doctrine that families can be together forever. I am always quick to bare testimony of that to my investigators and let them know how much I love my own family back at home and that through covenants made with God, they don't ever have to separated from them.

    This week, our friends from Help International went home and we had one last dinner appointment and one last friendship photo shoot so enjoy these in all their high quality glory.

    Thursday, we had a zone-wide...yes, zone-wide exchange. Elder Tesch and Ray traveled to Mukono early in the morning where everyone met up and then went their separate ways. Ray proceeded onto Seeta with Elder Bemis, Tesch stayed in Mukono with Elder Dlamini, and I spent the day with Elder Robinson in Lugazi. I always enjoy working with Elder Robinson because I learn so much from him. We made sure to spend an hour of the day finding new investigators which proved to be successful because we set return appointments with 2 new families. Later in the day, we visited a guy named Edward, Elder Tesch and I found while contacting a few days previous and taught him the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was a neat experience being able to teach with Elder Robinson because I haven't taught with someone older than me on mission since my second transfer. The spirit was definitely present in the lesson and when Elder Tesch and I followed up with him on Saturday, we got to give him a priesthood blessing because he was feeling sick and he was at church the next day! I'm thankful for the opportunities I have to learn from my leaders!

    We also contacted a guy named James this week. He was sitting outside his home and is the next door neighbor to a former investigator.  As we were walking by I told Elder Tesch, "We'll contact him someday". As we passed, the Spirit basically kicked me in the butt and we turned back and taught him the first lesson. He really enjoyed it and we followed up with him last night and taught him about the Book of Mormon and we set a baptism date in April. 

    Yesterday, Elder Tesch and I were contacting after church and we met another Father of a family named Julius. We taught him the Restoration as well and after we finished and extended commitments to read and pray.  He expressed to us how he and his family had been praying for a change that will bless them.  We basically let him know that if he put serious effort into praying and asking if the message we taught him is true, this Gospel could be the change he has been seeking.

    This week, I also had a first on my mission. When teaching one of our investigators, Charles, we were sharing about the Book of Mormon and he began to bash with us a little bit. The Spirit was leaving so I bore testimony and began to leave and he told us to take the Book of Mormon with us that we left with him two lessons ago. It reminded me that not everyone is going to accept our message and everyone has their own agency. I couldn't help but feel sad for him. However, because I now the blessings the Gospel could've brought to their young family and I wanted them to experience it more than anything.  These experiences I've had has shown me that the principle "Line Upon Line, Precept Upon Precept" is applicable to all things. As a new missionary, I never dreamed that I would be training another new missionary and extending baptism dates to people I found on my own efforts through the promptings of the Holy Ghost. As I've learned new skills and my testimony has grown, I know the Lord is giving me more responsibility as I continue to progress on my mission. 

I love you guys so much. 

Love, 
Elder Hazen

"The Gift Of Grace"

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the most long-awaited and glorious event in the history of the world.

It is the day that changed everything.

On that day, my life changed.

Your life changed.

The destiny of all God’s children changed.

On that blessed day, the Savior of mankind, who had taken upon Himself the chains of sin and death that held us captive, burst those chains and set us free.

Because of the sacrifice of our beloved Redeemer, death has no sting, the grave has no victory, Satan has no lasting power, and we are “begotten … again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Truly, the Apostle Paul was correct when he said we can “comfort one another with these words.”

Weekly Update~"Mission Fasts, Splits and BIrthdays!"

How Many Missionaries Can You Fit In A Truck? Apparently 11

Dear Family and Friends,
This week Elder Tesch and I worked very hard and were able to teach
the most lessons in a week since we've been together as a
companionship. We are still working to find these families that can
progress together towards baptism to establish the foundation of the
young branch in Lugazi. We have a few potentials, it's just a matter
of setting that baptism date with them which we usually do in the
first lesson, but due to small complications, these people are unable
to commit to a date right away. We have that situation with three
couples right now so we're just trying to push through that! Dennis,
Bruno, and Gertrude, the siblings of Everline, are still taking
discussions but we've had to push their baptism dates back due to them
missing church this week. I have no doubts they will eventually be
baptized because we had a great discussion with them last night and
they understand everything and know everything is true.
 
On Tuesday, we had our mission fast which was a great experience. Like
I said last week, prayer and fasting are truly tools of power. I had
the opportunity to go on an exchange with Elder Ward and Tanner Call.
I was grateful for the things I was able to learn from Elder Ward and
the tips I picked up to improve my teaching skills. It was also a cool
experience to ask Tanner for his testimony in the lessons we taught
and it was fun to help him get excited for his mission.

Tanner Call with the Elders

On Wednesday, we took David to Jinja again to see if we could have
better luck in meeting with the eye doctor. Fortunately, we were able
to see him but, we were disappointed in the results we received.
David's blindness is due to optical nerve atrophy which basically
means his nerves in the back of his eyes are dead and there is no
medicine or surgery to fix it. When we got out of the office, David
asked me, "So what am I supposed to do now?" It absolutely broke my
heart. I told him that this trial is NOT a punishment from God. I told him how much God and our Savior love him. And how they are there to support him and his family and the
missionaries and the members of the branch are there to help too. I
encouraged him to pray and find peace with his situation. The times
we've visited him after he's been doing okay. I know that as he
continues to pray and gain a testimony, he will eventually come to
terms with the situation and I know he will continue to have the faith
to come to church and share the gospel with his family. I love him
and his family very much and I will be there for him as long as I am
here in Lugazi. 

Wednesday night, we celebrated my birthday with our
friends from Help International. Thanks to my wonderful mother, we
even had a cake and candles to celebrate. Also, thanks to everyone who
contributed to that video my family sent me. It made my week:)

RJ's Birthday Package From Home

This week, I was studying a lot on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Like
I've said in the past, It is so simple yet so complex. I was focusing
mostly on the Atonement and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. I was studying
in Alma 34 and really enjoyed verses 15-17. It basically tells us that
the mercy of Jesus Christ can apply to us only when we exercise our
faith unto repentance. If we expect ourselves to be saved only through
grace without doing our part and keeping God's commandments, then we
will be exposed to the demands of the law of justice. The sacrifice of
Jesus Christ is wonderful, and like I always say, I'm so grateful for
it. Also, I'm thankful for the Holy Ghost and the role it plays in my
life especially as a missionary. I know that as I keep doing what I'm
supposed too, follow the whisperings of the Spirit and let it guide me
where to go, what to do, and what to say, I can overcome my weaknesses
and feelings of inadequacy. We are truly nothing without God.

I love you all,
Elder Hazen