Monday, December 30, 2019

One more Baptism for 2019

Hola! how you all doing this week? Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. Here in the mission this last week we worked hard and enjoyed Christmas! Elder Hadley and Elder Cruz had another Baptism with Nadia Gabriel a 9-year-old from Bolivia! 

Nadia Gabriel was the only person in their family not baptized but now she is. She is a great girl and will be a wonderful leader in her family and in her future callings! 

For Christmas Eve we didn't have a curfew to be back home and it was only for Christmas Eve because here they celebrate it by staying up late like New Years. They stay up and drink but we only Drank Sparkling Cider Jaja! We ate well, a bunch of Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, and a huge Asado! It was a Christmas to remember and was well enjoyed!!! 

For the month of December our mission had 130 Baptisms
and for 2019 the BAS Mission had 1300 Baptisms! The work is growing here in Argentina!

This Christmas was way different from home in many different ways but very special and I felt so close to the Savior! Sorry it is a short letter this week but know I am good here in the Beautiful Buenos Aires! Happy New Year’s Folks!!!! 2020 Baby!!! 


Elder Hadley 
(Hang Loose!!!) 


Baptism of Nadia Gabriel!


The water was very cold and she was very brave!!! 


The Gabriel Family with Elder Cruz and Elder Hadley
She will be a great member of the Church!


It takes a long time to fill the Font so we played the piano in the Chapel, did personal study and took a nap! It takes 3-4 hours if it is hot water and we found out it happens to be much faster if it is colder water.

We may or may not have had to mop up the hallway from a Font that over flowed....grateful for tile floors! 



Elder Cruz and Elder Hadley during a photo shoot at the Church!
Thank you Elder Cruz for the pictures since Elder Hadley still does not have a camera. 





Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Christmas Eve Letter

¡Hola!  Feliz Noche Buena y Navidad!!! Hope you all are enjoying the Christmas Season. This last week has been busy and haven't had time to write up a real good letter. Just know here Christmas is celebrated on the 24th and the 25th they all drink themselves to a more than healthy Christmas amount! Even more than me and my Dad drink Egg Nog so that means they drink a whole lot! Jaja 

I´d like you share with you my testimony of my Savior which is the most precious thing I have including my knowledge and relationship I have with my brother and our Great Redeemer. I want you all to try share your testimony with someone and the importance to have him as our focus during this season. I'm not saying you can't watch Ralphie get his BB Gun or eat Chinese food but just always have that thought in your mind and heart and share it when you get a chance. 

My Savior has always been there for me and have received hope in many ways in my life because of Him. He is my brother and my life. I want to be like Him. Love you all and keep praying and reading your scriptures! Merry Christmas y'all!

Elder Hadley
(Hang Loose!!!)


Argentina Buenos Aires South Mission

Mom Note:  Half of this picture was taken on Monday December 23rd and then the other half on December 24th during their Mission Christmas Parties.  Parker is on the front row, third in on the right side group. His picture was taken on Monday December 23rd with Hermana Fernandez. The left group in the picture was taken on Tuesday December 24th with President Fernandez.

A member went on top of the roof of the church house to take this picture each day and during the same time of day. We are very impressed with their editing skills!!!


Elder Hadley opening his Christmas Gifts on Christmas Eve.
This is the only picture of his Christmas since his camera  just broke. 😬


Our video communication with Elder Hadley on Christmas Eve!
Thank you Amy Bailey (second Mom) for the Argentina Tie!!!! 💗

FYI Logan is the KFC photo and it makes Parker hungry whenever he video calls us!


Elder Hadley and Elder Cruz speaking Spanish with the Hadley's on Christmas Eve!


Thank you Galliano Family for these next few photos! 


Elder Harper, Elder Mendoza, Elder Cruz and Elder Hadley
The Galliano Family had the missionaries over on Christmas Eve for a BBQ and gave them all Santa Hats with gifts!
Parker ate 3 Hot Dogs and 2 Hamburgers! Thank you Galliano Family!!!💗


They partied with the Galliano Family until 3:00am with Fireworks! Christmas Eve is a big deal and the Mission President said they could be out as long as they were with members and the members took them home. It helps to have a Mission President from Argentina would understands the culture.

Christmas Day they went out working but most people were all hung over from the night before and Parker had an interesting Christmas night dinner of blood sausage, cold cow tongue, intestines and mayonnaise cake for dessert. 




Monday, December 16, 2019

Survivor and the Loved Ones Lunch

¡Hola! How we all doin? Hope you all are enjoying the Christmas specials and egg nog! This week in Ezeiza was quite interesting, I´m staying another Transfer here in Ezeiza with Elder Cruz and we are gonna be baptizing a full!

Elder Fontes (Missionary who lived with me from Brazil) had his last Transfer in Ezeiza but he still has 2 weeks in the mission before he goes home...Lets have him ¨White Wash¨ with a Trio! Elder Fontes got shipped out last night and is in the Trio with my Fob Tokz, Elder Mesake! (My Tongan Buddy from the Mexico CCM)

So then today Elder Harper’s Tio (Uncle from Highland, Utah) is in town for Business in Argentina and is taking him to a Buffet Lunch for P'Day...I felt like I was on the show Survivor when The Winner chooses who else is going to ¨The Loved Ones Lunch¨ after the challenge...I was chosen! Jaja

It was probably the nicest meal I will have on my mission. Our Mission President gave us permission to leave our area to go meet with his Uncle. Don’t feel too bad for the other 2 missionaries we live with because in the end all 4 of us were able to go! It was an amazing and very spiritual experience! It also added some fuel to the fire to help me to keep working hard! Just like on Survivor! Jaja

On a Spiritual Note, I´d like to share with all of you a scripture that I read this week. In Alma Chapter 36Ñ3 it states, “And now, O my son Helaman, behold, thou art in thy youth, and thou wilt hear my words and learn of men for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.” 

I have been thinking about how blessed I am to be from the good USA! Some of the missionaries that I work with from Chile have been getting notices to be drafted because of the unrest in their country. Our Mission President has been working with them to write letters explaining that they are missionaries in Argentina and will not be able to come back to Chile. There are other missionaries from countries in South American that have to deal with those same situations. I am thankful that I don’t have to deal with that and count my blessings every day!

I love the promise Alma is saying to his son and I think of the things I am learning here in the mission in Buenos Aires and I look back on these past 5 months and I feel I have learned more about this wonderful Gospel and have learned how to become a better Disciple of Christ. 

Love you all and hope you have a wonderful week and also hope there is a lot of snow up there!

Les amo, 

Elder Hadley
Hang Loose!!!  



Goodbye Elder Fontes!
Elder Hadley, Elder Cruz, Elder Fontes and Elder Harper

Elder Fontes will go back to Brazil and do BYU Pathways for 1 year then go to BYU Idaho! He has been a great missionary and I will miss him! 


Elder Cruz and I found a watermelon patch! We talked with the farmer and he let us buy one!


We walked a really long way with it!


Then we gave it to the Hermana who helps us
with our laundry!


We had interviews with the President this week and these are the AP's!
Elder Davison from Oregon and Elder Velaquez from Guatemala



Many people call me Elder Harley so Elder Davison and I put our name tags together to make....
Elder Harley Davison! 😂




Part of my Area in Ezeiza



This is an Ad I found while walking, someday I hope to go there...
meanwhile I will just stop and enjoy the pictures! Jaja


A note that I received!
I guess my only option is Si! 😂



There is a lot of Graffiti in Buenos Aires
Looks like Mario has Ear Gauges here in Argentina! 😬


Rice and Pork from the Familia Gabriel from Bolivia.
They are members and we are teaching their 9 year old. 


Bolivian Soda is the best!!!


Familia Migueles and Elder Fontes
They were baptized 2 months ago


Familia Migueles with Elder Harper and Elder Fontes at church



The Loved Ones Lunch Buffet at Buen Comer in Monte Grande!!!
It was a 30 minute Uber drive outside of our area. What a great P day and thank you Elder Harper's Uncle!!!





Monday, December 9, 2019

Power Outages

¡Hola! Hope you all are enjoying the Christmas cheer this week with the radio turning into Christmas Mode! Jaja 

This week we went 3 days without power. Bad news is we had to throw all of our food away and the good news is we ate pizza for 3 days. The power goes out often in Argentina, mostly because of the storms and wind. The trees fall down and land on the powerlines. 

Here in the missionary work we are trying very hard to crank up the numbers of everything so that all can receive the best gift in their life, Christ our Savior and the knowledge and opportunity to be baptized through his authority.

This week has been a great week, A couple of hard situations but everyone has a time and a place for everything, Some longer than others. But we keep pushing through:). 

The blind lady that we were planning to baptize this last weekend sadly did not get baptized. She lives with her son and her son told her that if she got baptized he would kick her out of the house. We are only able to visit her when her son is gone to work.  This has been a hard situation, but we will continue to pray for both the lady and her son.

It's my last week for this transfer (They cut it short a week, so missionaries don't have to travel during the week of Christmas). I pretty sure I'm staying in Ezeiza another transfer but we will see where the Lord needs me.

For my Spiritual thought this week I am going to share a scripture my mother has shared with me about Christmas and our Savior. “And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth. And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on The Son of God, the same shall have Everlasting Life." Helaman 14:7-8. 

What a blessing it is to know this, that if we are focused and working forward to the Celestial Kingdom, we can truly be happy with our Families. I share it every day with whoever I can that this blessing, they can also obtain. 

I challenge you all to open your mouth, member or non-member, and share your feelings about the power the Savior has to give us such a gift. Better than any other Christmas gift is this great knowledge and opportunity. Love you all and hope you have a wonderful cold week:)!

Les amo,
   
Elder Hadley
(Hang Loose!!!)  



P-Day Basketball!
4 Missionaries and 5 members from Argentina!


Elder Hadley's Desk
I found the Christmas lights here in the apartment so I decided they were going to be my Christmas Decorations.
The orange container is sugar for my Mate 😋!

My Best Friend Elder Bos in Guatemala!!!


My Christmas finally arrived!
It is a Christmas Miracle!

Mom Note: We cannot send anything through the mail to Argentina and can only use a courier service. Stanford has a great friend and co worker who won a trip to Argentina from "The Price is Right"!  This great friend Greg Bertola offered to take Parker's Christmas to the mission home the first week in November when they went on their trip. Below is a letter from Stanford explaining this Christmas Miracle to Parker. Keep in mind this stocking was delivered to the mission home in a large clear ziplock bag showing all of its contents because of going through customs.


We are so grateful for our friend Greg and his sacrifice to make sure this stocking stayed in Argentina.

This stocking is filled with many letters from family and friends. It is filled with a lot of love and such a relief to see it in Elder Hadley's hands! 

Stanford's Letter to Parker:

Greg Bertola, my co-worker and friend, decided to make an attempt to get you your Christmas package.  He didn’t think it was going to be as difficult of a favor. Now keep in mind, he was on vacation with his wife in Argentina, and not on a work assignment. I need to share with you his email to me sent Tuesday morning. Email from Greg Bertola:

The mission home in Argentina did not answer their phone or answer their email for 3 days now. I got both the phone number and email off of CDOL  so I’m sure they were right. I took an Uber out to the office anyway hoping to find someone. Buenos Aires is very very, very, big and the office was one hour away drive time one way. The office was inside a church building and I was able to find an open door around back. I yelled for someone but no answer, while walking around I found the door to the mission office but it was locked.

 I left your sons package on the floor by the locked door, said a prayer and left. The mission office and the area around it are very interesting and I am sure your son is going to have many stories to tell when he returns. The good news is I got out alive, did not get arrested or put into jail, so all is well. 
  • Greg Bertola


Now the story doesn’t end there, Greg continued to follow-up on this special assignment.  Repeatedly he contacted the mission via email until someone responded confirming the arrival of the package. 

Son, this Christmas package should have never been received, yet a higher power was involved with this package, knowing that you needed its contents for Christmas. I told your mother that it had less than 2% chance of even being received by the mission office. Mother has sent you pictures of what Greg encountered when arriving at the office. We owe him big time.  
Prayers were offered all day on Monday; I am sure that the package itself named “Package of Elder Parker Hadley” was even called into the temple prayer rolls that were open on Monday.  It truly was a Christmas Miracle that came early this year for the Hadley family.  

Son, someone is living right, but this wouldn’t have happened had a good friend not kept being persistent in getting this to one of the Lord's missionaries. Take this as a mission lesson, persistence gets the job done if it is the will of the Father. 

Love, Dad




Mom Note: At our Ward Christmas Party we were surprised to see this picture and testimony from Elder Hadley at the Missionary Table!  Love the support the missionaries have from The Quail Crossing Ward! 💗




Monday, December 2, 2019

A Special Visitor-Elder Villar and Achieving Goals

¡Hola! Christmas Time baby! Hope you all ate well this last week and got ready for hibernation! This last week was a great week to be a missionary! I was able to meet and shake hands with Elder Villar of The Seventy and his wife Hermana Villar at Zone Conference. 

Zone Conference was great, and we all learned of how we can enrich our mission work this December and just in general. We received many tips in “Preach my Gospel” and our scripture study. As a mission we got our results back of our November goal of 100 Baptisms! We ended up finishing with 107 Baptisms and 3 of those were from Elder Hadley and Elder Cruz! Now our December Goal is to finish up the year with 200 baptisms for B.A.S.! 

We had 2 Baptisms this last week (on Thanksgiving) of Agustina y Bautista Gonzalez and we have two more lined up for this next week so no worries we are staying busy here Jaja! 

Thanksgiving was a normal working day but a member of the Bishopric, not knowing it was Thanksgiving, called and told us to go to this lady that we did not know, and pick up some sack lunches he had paid for.  In this sack lunch was Fried Chicken, Fries and a Coke!!! This was not normally the food we get and Cokes are only for the rich people and we are not rich! I drank my Coke in about 30 seconds! It was a Thanksgiving Miracle!!!

Sunday was a little stressful. We have a lot of responsibility to help our investigators, answer questions from members and non members, do paperwork for baptisms, and prepare all of our reports for the week. I miss the Sundays when I can sit on a comfortable pew/bench with padding at church and just listen and be taught. 😂

We are teaching a lot of Catholics and now it is Christmas time I've made a few connections in my life. We always have the topic, "Do you believe in the Mother Mary?" and we talk about how wonderful of a woman she is and how she is an example to all of us. She was living her life, ready in every way to give birth to Jesus Christ, Our Savior. 

Now I would like to compare this with my life. I like to think that I have had my own "Mary" in my life, my mother. She has taught me by example and has raised me to always be ready to do the Lord’s work whether in callings at church, service to neighbors, or especially always be there for Family. Love you mom and hope you enjoy the music this Christmas 😊!

Mary was a wonderful daughter of our Heavenly Father and lived her life the way so that she could bring Our Redeemer into this world to teach and pay for our sins. This Christmas time try to think about how we could be more like Mary and prepare ourselves for when the Lord needs work to be done in the vineyard. Love you all!

Les amo,
   
Elder Hadley
(Hang Loose!!!) 

  

Zone Conference
Elder Hadley, Hermana Fernandez, President Fernandez, Elder Villar (Of the Seventy), Hermana Villar
(Parker is in the front next to his Mission Mom)


Argentina Buenos Aires Temple with Argentina Flag
This picture was taken from the bus traveling to Zone Conference. The temple is in our mission boundaries and we are able to go our last week in the mission.


Elder Leany, Elder Hurst, Elder Hadley, Elder Folkman, Elder Aston
CCM Brothers at Zone Conference


Elder Bravo, Elder Aldave, Elder Hadley
Peru Bros.


Elder Arvonen, Elder Ceniceros and Elder Hadley
 


It was an exciting day when we came across some Chickens and a Cement Bag!  ðŸ˜‚


Sunset and one of the many dirt roads I walk every day!
My area is about the size of Kaysville and Farmington combined, so that is a lot of walking! 


Elder Hadley getting ready to baptize Bautista, then his sister was baptized by a ward member. 


Elder Hadley, Elder Cruz and their family at Agustina y Bautista's Baptism. They are praying that their mother can be baptized in a few weeks. 


Making Arepa (Harina Pan=Flour bread)


Elder Hadley, Elder Cruz and Elder Harper with the Family Reyes (from Venezuela) making Arepa!


Arepa with a great Sauce!