Letters from the Mission President

These are the letters to Cody and my parents letting them know he is going to be called as a Zone Leader

Letter to Cody

Letter to my Parents

February 20, 2012 - Email to Family

Hello family,

Look at the Pretty Boy :)

 

Well this last week was a lot of work!!  Wow!  Well it was fun I got to see what it takes to set up all the Zone Conferences.  So yeah the Zone Leaders do about everything it takes to set them all up, food, lessons and all the assignments.  It was a lot of fun and Elder Waite doesn´t really tell me what to do, and so I just go and figure it out on my own!  It is a lot of fun.  So this week I did splits with a district leader and I was left here in Sevilla.  I did a really good job and we got 21 futures that day.  Three of those people turned into new investigators that are awesome!  So one of them came to church and loved it!  His name is Wilbur and he is from Peru.  The ward was very nice to him and he called everyone Brother and Sister.  He is super interested and wants to investigate.  The other is a 20 year old year I contacted while my comp (the district leader) was talking to someone else.  Her name is Aneida and is super nice.  She is from Bolivia and we have taught her once, so that was a lot of fun teaching someone around your age.  It is a lot easier to relate the message to them and it is fun and spiritual.  The other lady is named María and she is GOLD.  I contacted her on the street and she is alone her in Spain from Bolivia.  She is awesome.  She has sooooo much interest in the gospel and said I have always wanted to know what is the true church.  She loves to read and investigate she told us.  So that is looking well.  By next week I should have down better what are all my people.  So for now that is a little of what we have that is our work.  We practically gave all of our investigators to Elder Shrewsbury and Elder Seely.  They are awesome and I love them.  They are really good guys.  This last week I did my first baptismal interview in HUELVA!!  It was so much fun returning back there, I practically remember all of it! It was a lot of fun doing the interview, I was a little nervous and the lady was way quiet, but hey she got baptized!  So I really like Elder Seely I will be buddies with him for a while.  They both were in Huelva.  So yeah I talked to Brown for a little.  He said that Sonia is on vacation somewhere.  I didn´t talk long because I was running non stop running the whole thing.  So yeah that is about all.  I kinda broke out a little this week because I was stressed.  They felt like stress zits, the ones that hurt and don´t pop.  But I get to do splits again today and then again with the AP´s that are awesome!  So looks really good!  The house looks really nice and the kitchen, wow.  I wont recognize the house when I get home!  I love you two!!

First Zone Conference as a Zone Leader

 

 

 Cody

February 13, 2012 - Family Email

Hey how are all of you??

 

Well I had a great week.  It was super busy but you know it was a lot of fun!  I really don´t know what to tell you about the week until things settle down and we get the new elders that are coming in.  Right now Elder Waite and I are just searching a lot.  We had a short week because we went to Málaga and then Elder Waite got sick and was out for a day.  But this last week we found 3 new investigators and a lot of futures that look promising.  Last night we were just knocking doors and this young Spanish girl answers and she is really beautiful.  She invites us in and she thought it was amazing what we are doing here in Spain even though she doesn´t believe in God or Christ yet, but she believes in a great spirit.  So of course King Lamoni and Ammon came straight to my mind.  So yeah we talked for a little and she totally loves us and wanted to make us dinner and everything.  So she is 21 years old and we decided that Elder Waite just found his new wife haha.  We didn´t even have to ask for her number or anything she asked for ours and called it right up to make sure it was real.  So we are going to baptize her hopefully so that Elder Waite can marry her in a year.

 

Yesterday a guy from France that has been inactive for 5 years brings his son to church and wants us to teach him and baptize his son so we said yes!  Haha a really nice guy and they speak Spanish really well.  The son is really nice and quiet and I think he is 13 years old so that will be cool.  I really hope the father follows through and baptizes his son.  So yeah those are some miracles that are kind of happening to us right now.  I am excited for the work we are creating here and when the new Elders come I will have more details to write about because the truth is I have only taught people like once or twice. We have a lot of people to run by and find new people.  So yeah that is kind of the work here in Seville, I am growing a lot and well I feel like my Spanish has gotten worse but that is because I am not the better speaker anymore haha.  I get a little nervous sometimes when trying to speak but I speak anyways.  I hope I get the chance to have a native companion.  This last Saturday we went contacting in a little area where the missionaries are needing our help with contacting.  So we gathered all of the zone and we went contacting for an hour and a half and at the end we got 32 futures and Elder Waite and I got 17 of them.  We weren´t together but I got 7 and Waite got 10.  So this Thursday is Zone Conference and we are going to teach our Zone to stop wasting time!  When you aren´t teaching, CONTACT.  Also we are going to practice turning down the members for eating lessons unless they bring us someone to teach.  We NEVER just go sit with a member and waste our time.  So yeah that is about all I got for you this week.  Yeah the year mark is coming up soon, and it shows: I need new pants and white short sleaves shirts maybe soon.  Two of my pants are already ruined.  At least one of them are the ones I have had for like 6 years.  Yeah just come pick me up, I was only doing that because Manning wants to ride in the plane together.  Well love you!!

 

CODY

February 6, 2012 - Email to Family

First Zone Leader Training

Family,

 

Okay so finally I have time to write you all hopefully a good sized letter.

All the Zone Leaders in the mission

 

So yesterday we had a Zone Leader Conference in Málaga, it was AWESOME.  I got to see Elder Peterson, Manning and Shaver.  They are my favorite people in the mission!  I loved it, it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.  I really feel the pressure of leadership now and the person I need to be and the example.  I am really happy for this opportunity that the Lord has given me to serve here in Spain.  I sit and watch Elder Waite, he has changed so much into an adult, it is awesome to look at how much more I can change into a better servant of the Lord.  Yes that is my home address!! 

 

Send the letters:

 

Elder K Cody Hafen

c/ Gonzalo Nuñez de Sepulveda 1, 2° D.

Sevilla, SE 41009

ESP 

 

Elder Waite and Elder Cody

 So the area here in Sevilla is huge!!!  There is 1.5 million people here in Spain.  Oh so my first Sunday here I got to stand in the circle of a girl receiving the Holy Ghost.  That was pretty cool, her name is Daniela and we are teaching her parents.  I would tell you all the names of the investigators we have but we have 40 and we would be here for days.  We teach a lot of South Americans and Spanish people as well.  I love the work we are doing here.  I think since I have been here Elder Waite and I have found like 13 new investigators.  So when we went in to talk to Pres Clegg about the area, we told him we have too much work and he is putting two new Elder´s with us haha.  So cool right??  So yeah I am so happy and focused and the time is flying by.  As a Zone Leader I am no different than the other missionaries I just feel like I am running non stop all the time.  I am sorry about last week, we literally had no time at all.  So all is well. I am still trying to get to know all of the investigators that we have.  Antonio is one that will get baptized in March or April, he has to get married.  He is a Spaniard.  We have a lot of people, Pastora from Dominican Republic, we have two families from there we are teaching.  We have like twenty Bolivians we have Ecuador and Peru.  This last week a lady, that is an investigator from Romania, came to church.  She is awesome and LOVED Elder Utchdorfs talk.  She thought it was amazing that he is an apostle.  She looks pretty promising.  Oh and also we teach a guy from Brazil as well.  To be honest we have too many people and we can´t keep on top of all of them enough to tell you the ones that are progressing enough to talk about.  So Elder Waite is from Charlottesville Virginia.  He is awesome and I love him to death.  His Spanish is RIDICULOUS.  SO I am learning from him haha.  Well I have some pictures and you know everyone in them.  The kid that is skinny and reading the BOM is my comp! Well I love you all and I am loving the mission more than ever.  I am focused and I love the work, it´s true.  Oh so I was thinking that it would be better to come out to Spain in the summer.  I think I want to have the whole welcome home airport experience.  

He knows his drinks :)

 Elders Manning and Peterson

Elder Shaver

Elder Manning

Play us a song, Mr Piano Man

Sevilla

Here he comes to save the day!!!

 

 

Well I love you.

CODY

January 30, 2012 - Email to Family

Okay so don´t hate me! I have 5 minutes.  We ran out of time today!

So everything is wonderful!!!!!!

I am doing awesome, and soo happy because we work super hard here.  We have like 30 investigators, and Elder Waite and I found 6 new ones this last week.  I have a giant stake center that is the nicest church building I have ever seen.  My comps name is Casey Jordan Waite.  He dies in March from the mission.  We are going to have some baptisms this next month!  I love you all soo much!  I am awesome no worries.  I have to leave right now.  Please write me again next week and I promise a full email.  I will tell you more next week about SEVILLA.  Just like tortilla. SEVILLA.  IT is HUGE and there is a lot of people here.  Elder Waite is a sweet heart.  Zone leader is crazy.  Next monday I get to go to Málaga so hopefully I get to email next week.

Elder HAFEN

January 23, 2012 - Family Email

Hello Family I love ya'll.

This is one of my favorite families in the ward

Well this week was a little stressful and a little sad, but really good at the same time.  So Sonia, yes mom that it is how it is spelled.  So Sonia didn't get baptized, yet.  We are working with her; she had a horrible week.  We warned her that this week was going to be hard and she just said I got it - don't worry.  So what went down is that she got interviewed on Tuesday and everything went well and she passed.  So the next day she tells us that she doesn't know if she is going to be in town for her baptism because she has to go to Valencia the other side of Spain to go and pick up her friend that is flying in and doesn't know anyone or have any EUROS.  So that was stressing her out and she was trying to find flights and stuff to get back home in enough time.  So then Thursday we go over there and she is sitting on the floor in her house and looks like someone had killed her dog.  So we get in there and she tells us that her father is in the hospital and he can't speak.  She then tells us that her best friend that was living with her Vera had moved away on Tuesday and her family called Sonia and told her that Vera's father just died.  So Sonia had to call Vera in Denmark and tell her that her father died. So to do that Sonia called some friends over to help break the news to her.  So when some one in Africa dies they scream and wail and cry.  So Vera started screaming and crying and all the friends of Sonia and Vera got arrested.  So Sonia felt horrible and couldn't find another flight and had to go out of town on her baptism.  She has been telling us all her life that she has been waiting to get baptized.  So she came home late on Saturday night and came to church and the Stake Presidency was there because they just released our Branch President and the Stake President heard I was leaving so he asked me to bear my testimony.   I go do so and I cried a little bit because I love the branch of course. Well after sacrament Sonia was sad because she didn't get baptized and mad because I am leaving.  She started crying and told me I can't go and all that stuff.  It was sad and I told her she would be okay.  She told me that the other people aren't the same as me.  I told her the new missionary would be here and all would be okay.  So Sonia is up in the air right now.  She needs to relax and start reading the Book of Mormon more.  I will say bye to her and Tuesday. 

Soup Kitchen workers we help serve the homeless on Fridays

So speaking of leaving El Puerto I received a call on Friday night.  I picked it up and it was President Clegg.  He told me right away "Are you ready to leave Puerto?" haha so I said yes sir.  He told me I am going Zone Leader in Sevilla!!!!!  I am soo nervous!  My new companion is an old AP.  His name is Elder Wait.  I am so scared.  He told me I was going to make you district leader but that I didn't want to put you as a district leader for one transfer and I knew I wanted you as a Zone Leader soon.  So I am looking forward to Sevilla.  I will have the biggest zone in all the mission.  Also Elder Wait only has one transfer left and then he is done with the mission.  So that means I have to take over as Zone Leader in Sevilla in March as the senior Zone Leader!!  I am nervous but the Lord has called me.  I  am excited to serve with Elder Wait.  Of course he is amazing, he was an AP.  So that is where I will be heading off! 

Investigator her name is Pepi.  70 years old Spaniard

Lets see, we dropped Henry and Paloma like a month or two ago, I thought I told you that.  They were wasting our time, I was sad but they really didn't care or listen to us.  I told you that Betty didn't want anything to do with us anymore.  She told us that all we want to do is baptize people.  She thinks it's a game we play as missionaries to see how many people we can baptize.  How did she now? haha kidding.  Numbers don't mean anything.  So that is about all I have for you mom!  I got a boil again on my neck last Tuesday and I have been doing everything you asked me with the pills and nose stuff.  Am I eating something to cause it??  No idea.

Love you all - Elder Cody

Pictures!!!

Adrian and his Family

Patricio and Jhardelin 

Julio and Matilde

Investigators

One of his favorite families from the ward

HUGE parade in the city because it´s Christmas in Spain on the 6th when the 3 kings arrive

District Meeting