Thursday, January 12, 2012

MTC Week 9

Dear Familia!
 
Hola como esta?  Todas las cosas en el ccm esta bien.  Pero estoy animado que mi tiempo aqui es quizas fin. 
 
Hello!!! Wow this week has been an absolute rush.  We had the new district come this past Wednesday with 12 Elders, and this week we received another district of 10 more!  It's fun to be in a leadership position where I am able to meet them early, get to know them all, and then serve them and help them with the things that they need to adjust to the "oh so wonderful life of a missionary in the MTC". 
 
So this week I saw a bunch more friends who came in!  I saw sister Masters and had no clue she was even serving a mission.  I saw Parker Wallace and ran and gave him a huge hug.  He looked pretty "deer in the headlights", but he's in my building and on the same floor I live on, so we'll get to hang out a bunch!  I also ran into Jordan Fry who I played basketball with in 9th grade, and then Brody Chipman from Wasatch in 7th and 8th grade.  Elder Petersen always gets mad at me because in his words "How do you know everyone?!"  I'm very blessed to have so many friends here at the same time as me. 
 
On Tuesday we had our weekly devotional but this week was special...we had Elder Russell M. Nelson with us again.  His talk was very unique and didn't necessarily focus on missionary work in the terms of teaching, or prayer, or faith but it was about the gathering of the tribes of Israel.  It was such a sweet talk and he referenced a ton of scriptures in the old and new testaments that prophesy of it and then also a bunch in the Book of Mormon.  It was sweet and uplifting to realize that I am a part of that gathering right now. 
 
Elder Clarke had surgery on his ear yesterday and all went well but his ear isn't feeling well.   Elder Hicks sprained his ankle playing basketball and I got sick this week.  Satan is working pretty hard to get us down and to prevent us from getting to the field.  It's neat cause we've been blessed. I was sick for about a day and Elder Hicks' ankle is doing much better, but keep Elder Clarke in your prayers cause we need his ear to get better. 
 
I'm excited for the next few weeks and the change that's gonna happen in my life.  I'm gonna be in a new country, with new people, with a language that I don't have mastered.  If any of my bretheren in law/brothers/dad have any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated!!
 
Other than that there's not a ton more to report here.  I finished the Book of Mormon this week and am going again.  Dad I'm in 2 Nephi chapter 4 in Spanish so I hope you're keeping up;)  It's fun and you're right I can understand mas o menos everything that I read but still struggle at times speaking very well.  We did however have a lesson with one of our investigators yesterday that went fabulous.  The spirit was so strong and I was so thankful for the feelings that were conveyed to our investigator even though we couldn't speak perfectly. 
 
So a quick fun fact (sorry this letter is very scatter brained)  One of the new Elders is from Provo and went to Mt. View and so clearly I asked if he knew the Mattingly's.  He started to smile and said Cline and Macy?  I instantly was stoked and we went on to talk for a while about them.  He was the quarterback and proudly told me that he and cline were 100 percent with completions last year (1 for 1) and how bummed he was when Cline broke his leg.  His name is Elder Bingham and he is an awesome Elder. 
 
Mom thank you so much for your letter it rocked.  I love your idea for Michael, it was classic!! I'm just curious as to why you never gave me the same opportunity....It's ok when I get home I'll look forward to my 50 dollars monthly for dates:) 
 
Well I'm keeping my buddies in my prayers and I'm excited for this week to see Spencer, Peter, Jake Davies and everyone else.  It's exciting to be a part of the work of the Lord and we will all be so blessed when we come home and reunite like the sons of Mosiah boasting in the goodness and strength of our Lord. 
 
I love you all so much and you are in my prayers every day and night!
 
Elder Andrew Hawks
 
P.S. Sorry for the shortness of my emails lately the keyboards here are...bad. Fun story I just remembered I ran into a kid who had lived in Panama for a few years and he told me some fun stories and neat facts. One of which was that during the rainy season last year there was a week where it literally poured rain, without ceasing, for an entire week...Yeah I'm stoked.
But much love.  Can't wait to hear from you this coming week!!
Elder Hawks

No comments:

Post a Comment