The Miracle of a Mission

Good morning Everyone,

Well it's been an emotional roller coaster this week. I can't believe that it's here. I have thought about I could say that would put justice to just how I feel right now and there really aren't words to describe it. Where do I begin? I am so thankful that I decided to serve a mission. It has been the best two years of my life. I am so thankful I was able to come serve here in the British Isles. This is where my family originally came from and I strongly believe that I have had the influence of my ancestors to help me on my mission. There are just too many times that we would meet people and I know that we were suppose to. My heart is so full to the Saviour for what he has done for me. I can better appreciate how much love he offers me. Seeing the gospel change my life has been one of the greatest blessing I could ever receive. It has gotten me through the worst and the best of times. I never thought I would be able to love so many people and really have a place in my heart, but it sure has. I have come to know the person that Heaven Father wants me to be. My greatest desire is to be with my family for all eternities and if that's my greatest desire, I know I can achieve that no matter what.

Going back through my journals I have seen a big change in myself. Where would I be if I hadn't decided to serve? I remember when Elder Holland came and spoke to me at the beginning of my mission. He held his mission as the greatest thing and most life changing thing that had ever happen to him and he served 52 years ago. I want it to be the same for me. I will forever be changed by the things I learned whilst in the mission field.

My testimony of the Saviour has increased 10 fold and then more. It's hard to even imagine what he went through in the Garden of Gethsemane. I know that he bled and died for me. That there is nothing we go through in this life that he hasn't already felt. He is the ultimate healer and source of peace. I have a stronger testimony of prayer than ever before. How lucky are we to have an all knowing Being, the Creator of the universe, that we get to call Father!? He loves us so much this I testify of. No prayer will ever go unanswered, sometimes the answer isn't what we want, but it will be answered. When you are at the point of giving up or giving in please just offer one last prayer. Because I have been at that point before and that was when I got my answer, when I was humble enough to receive it. I strongly urge anyone that is physically able to go on a mission. If you're not worthy get worthy.  because blessing await for those that come to serve the Lord. It really is the greatest two years.

I love you all so much! Thank you for all the prayers, letters of encouragement, and support. I wouldn't be here today without the best family in the world. That includes all me brothers, sisters, cousisns, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and of course my two greatest supports my parents. I love you to the moon and back,

Love Elder Keegan Hammond

Super Conference

Good morning everyone :)

Last week we had the privilege of going down to Manchester for a full mission conference. I got to stay in Stockport with Elder Singh me old companion and see some of my favourite members in Stockport. It is hard to believe that I was there over a year ago, time sure has flown and I have sure changed. The time of the mission conference was called Super Conference. Because it all came together last minute and it was super powerful. We got taught how to use the ipads in finding and teaching as well as a new technique called stands or booths. We are making displays to put up in town centre and get people attention with. Elder Knight and tried it out here in Carlisle and it worked. We were able to talk to lots of people and even gave out some copies of the Book of Mormon.

As we were traveling home from the coference we thought for sure we were going to get back in Carlisle really late, but a connection train got delayed by 10 mintues quick allowed us to get that train instead of waiting for the next and we got home earlier than expected. Yeah to tender mercies from the Lord :)

We took the things we had been taught in the conference and whent and did them out here and ti worked. Imagine that, the trainings worked! We invited one of our friends Benjamin to be baptised and he accepted :) so the 4th of July that will be a special day.

We had stake conference yesterday in Chorley yesterday. It's about a 2 hour drive down but Edith saved the day and drove us down. She is a member here and her daughter is getting ready to go on a mission to Brazil. It's great to see the willingness of people pull together and help us out.

Enjoy summer and I hope you all stay safe!

love yous all

Elder Hammond

The Musical Carries On

Good Morning friends and family :)

I am so excited for this upcoming week. We are getting ipads on Wednesday! Yeah the long await day is finally here and we will get to start doing missionary work in a new way. I am excited for them, just don't have a clue what to do with them. It's a good thing my companion is brilliant at computers and can teach me all that I needed to do. So next week I should be sending this off from the ipad.

We have been teaching a lady and her kids on and off since I started serving here in Carlisle. We got to see them on Wednsday and it was just a raining outside! Which was good because her neighbour stayed for the lesson as well. We have met her and she's friendly but never stays and listens. This time she did and she had so many questions. We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ and what we need to do to get back to Heavenly Father like faith, repentance, baptism and gift of the holy ghost. The spirit was so strong when we taught about baptism! We are going back this week to teach the both of them. and hope that it goes as well as last.

3 weeks ago we met our amazing friend James on the street. Since that time he has finished the Book of Mormon! He finished the last of it on Friday and Saturday. What an amazing man. I can hardly get through it in 3 months. He came to church twice and came to our branch social on  Saturday we watched Meet the Mormons. As well he committed to living all the commandments. I have seen the Lord's hand guide us so that we would meet up and it had to be at this time, because him and my companion are like best friends long lost. He lives in another part of England so we showed him where the church is there. he was like I know where that is, he showed us his house on google maps...he can see the church from his front window!! It's literally a walk in the park to get to church and less than a minute. I am so thankful I was able to meet him and help him find his faith in God. The Miracle of a Mission :)

May God bless everyone I am so thankful for all that the Lord does,

Love Elder Hammond

We found a new favourite spread, cookie dough

May Flowers

Hello my dearest Brothers and Sisters, friends and family,

This week I just want to start off my expressing my love for the Saviour Jesus Christ. I know that he came to earth to atone for my sins and shortcomings. I know that he did feel all of my pains in the garden of Gethsemane. He literally gave his life in the benefit of all of  us. So when life gets tough, fall on your knees and I can promise you will feel your burdens being lightened.

My mum sent me an Easter package that arrived this past week full of candies and sweets. As well as a talk that Elder Jeffery R. Holland gave in 2000 entitled The Miracle of a Mission. I hope that anyone that is considering to serve a mission or has ever thought about it to read it. It has made me realise just how much trust the Lord has put in his 18-30 year olds across the world. To wear his name upon your shirts and be a living day representative of him who came down for us. Greater joy and of no great importance than is it to preach the gosple. For 2 years or 18 months we are set a part from the world. To live our lifes as best as we can. I have grown and changed so much in the mission field. My ways are now his ways, and my thoughts his thoughts. I am forever greatful for the lessons I am learning out here in the mission field.

Last Monday after emailing we were walking throught town centre eating our Micky D's and I notice a man with a shirt on that said the Book of Mormon I enquiered of him. He said that is was from the Book of Mormon musical. He started asking us questions and agreed to set up another time. So we ended up seeing him 3 times last week!! he is such a great person and so full of questions and wants to know how a believe in God can help him out. You could call this a Book of Mormon mucical miracle!

On Saturday before we went to see your book of mormon musical friend we had a few extra mmintues so we decided to knock a few doors. The last one a man opened we told him who we were and in the background we here oh my I want to talk to them! This university aged girl comes to the door and proceeds to tell us her friend just got home from his mission in London. And invited us in to have as she put it a mormon talk. It was such a miracle that when we give it our all the Lord blesses us then. we don't receive a witness until after the trial of our faith.

I love you all have a great week,

Love Elder Hammond

Beginning of May Flowers

Hello everyone,

On Wednesday of last week I had two really good friends go home from their missions. Elder Sutton whom I served with about a year ago in Wigan. And Elder Humpherys from Idaho Falls. I am so very thankful for their examples to me and for what they each taught me. They sure will be missed here in England.

My companion and I had this brilliant idea to start riding the bikes. I am not exactly 100% sure of the rules of the road here, so it was a bit of an adventure. But I manged to stay on the left side of the road and not break any major rules so everyone is safe. The first few days were hard getting use to the way the seat is and my legs were shot but now it's all right. I have managed to destroy a pair of trousers but its all part of riding bikes I guess.

We have this Scottish man that lives not far from us that we taught this week. He has a few kids and was very receptive to our teaching. He is a good man that is just searching for how God can help him out in life. I am so thankful that the Lord prepares people for us to teach. In Docterine and Coventants 88:73 it says, Behold I will hasten my work in it's time. We had someone from the mission presidency come speak in our branch yesterday and this is what he talked aobut. It isn't us that hastens the Lord's work. It is the Lord. We are just tools in his hands. I know that if we all pray for missionary opportunities the Lord will bless us with them.

One of our good friends we have been teaching stopped smoking last week! He hasn't smoked for over a week. I am so proud of the man he is doing very well and you can already see a difference in him. Now he just needs to continue on and pretty soon he will be ready to enter the waters of baptism :)

Yesterday was of course Mother's Day! I am so thankful I was able to Skype me family. I love them with all of my heart they mean the world to me and it was great to see them in person. Well as close as you can get across the sea, but thankful for technology that makes this all possible.

I  love you all,

Love Elder Hammond

Mountains to Climb

Hello Everyone,

This week I had the opportunity to go to young womans. It was their feed the missionaries night. And I would say I really enjoyed it. It was the first time I have done anything like this. I know that people look up to us missionaries. And we try to be as much like the Saviour as we can be. As well as that activity we also had a branch social. Where the theme was multicultural night. We had Phillipeon, Spanish, Scottish, English, Canadian, and I represented American food. So I decided to make peanut butter cookies because what's more American than that? At the social we did a few quizzes and played a few games. It was a really fun evening with all the people from here.

On Saturday we had to go down to Manchester for a full mission conference. It was held in the Man South chapel and I have never seen so many missionaries before! I can vaguely remember when the last mission conference started. That was back in me first transfer. We got taught about ipads and how to use them to spread the gospel throughout the world. I am so thankful for the time that I have to serve the lord. I know that this was the specific time in my life where I needed to be here with lessons to learn.

Yesterday we when and hiked a mountain with our branch president. It was an exciting day we hiked a few peaks and then decided to take a rest so we went and saw a few waterfalls. the Lake District is beautiful. We were in a place near Keswick. I think I have served in the two most beautiful areas Gaerwen and here in Carlisle. I love the city, but it's nice to get out into the free air now and again.

I am so very thankful for my mom! I know that next weekend is America's mothers day. So I wish a very happy day to my mom, aunts, and grandma! I love you all,

Love Elder Hammond

Carlisle Castle

Hello Everyone,

Last Monday me companion and I decided to go to the castle here in town. It is massive! It was build a thousand years ago and is still holding up. I am marvelled at how they got all these stones and moved them all to build a castle it was huge! And there were stairs all over and rooms they knew what they were doing that's for sure!

As well as a castle this week I also found Hammond's pond. It is a big park we have in our area that we walked through. It was pretty nice and it has a pretty good name. And also we found St. Ann's house. Which looks like Satan's house to me!

Tuesday we had a missionary meeting and we rode the train over to Workington. I started chatting with the lady across from me and it turned out it was a members wife! We have been trying to get hold of them and we finally got to go on Sunday! The Lord providing tender mercies all the time. I think the Lord blesses us so much more than we could ever imagine. Even a little simple thing like that it just shows how he directs this great missionary work throughout the world! He loves all of us and I know that he prepares people for us to touch.

Last week we decided to organise a branch social. So this next Friday we are going to be doing a multicultural evening with all the members and their frineds. It should be a night full of fun from all over the world.

I am so thankful for the Book of Mormon and the power of prayer. Joseph Smith is a prophet and I know that he was called by God to be the prophet of the restoration. He was a man of God and gave so much for the kingdom of God. I know that God does hear and answer my prayers. No matter how longer or short it has been since I last spoke to him. I know that he wants to bless us sometimes we just have to ask for that help and be humble enough to receive it. The church is true. There is nothing more important that we could ever do than to prepare to meet God. I love you all very much and have grown to love my family even more and more each week.

Love Elder Hammond