October 19, 2015

AHHHHHH!!!! I always felt like Brother Tucker and Brother Crites would end up being a bishop or something like that. They just seem like they would haha. 

 Glad that you guys are having fun with everybody. Shabin sounds really nice right now haha. I miss the forests and quading as a family. 

How are Jennie and Joe?? Still alive up there in Wyoming?? 

I figured that Toros would have a rough year this year. There problem is they only had like 3 or 4 decent to good lineman and if they lose one or one doesn't really want to play, they won´t be good. Sounds like that's probably what is going on right now. Tell Cody to tell Thor, Schwan, and those guys I said hi. Tell them they got Big Hakes in Argentina Rooting them on win or lose he´s still rooting for 'em. Tell Cody I said hi too. haha. Hows he doing?? Never hear anything about Cody. Just Brent, Carlee, Dad, Emily, and a little of mom ;) 

Mom, I'm sure you didn't mind having to go to primary this week ;) hahaha. Probably was really hard to talk about your sons in the mish too. 

Oh, yesterday was Mother's day. In Argentina. Their mothers day is in October. Not sure if that's how you spell October but I think so.. haha. We made little cards for the 20 moms in our ward and gave them a bon o bon chocolate. Nothing too hard! haha. One of the moms later in that day told us that the missionaries have never done anything like this in total the tiempo she has been there. Sounded like she was almost going to cry. I guess our little gift really touched her heart. The little things really can do great things. 

What else happened... Oh yea, I translated yesterday!! So what happened was Elder Johnson, the couple missionary who he doesn't know Spanish but his wife does, yea, so he came to our ward yesterday and went to priesthood with me so I could help him understand what was going on. So all of the lesson I was translating for him what the conversation was saying and all that. he had me write it in a notebook and he would read as I wrote. Then, at the very end he wanted to say something. So I'm thinking, ehhh its not too bad to write down whats going on and then out of no where he wants to talk and my hearts pumping a little bit because I wasn't ready for this and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to translate everything, oh it was terrible. But then I translated everything and life was good :) Looks like what Hermo. Chandía said about me needing to know castillano really well was true. Everything is going good here and I´m picking up the language pretty well. I can talk pretty fluidly and get most of my thoughts across. My companion and I can have conversations about pretty much whatever. Except animals, geography and different things like that. 

Yea, so I made a goal these past weeks to only talk in Spanish no matter what. If its an English missionary or whoever doesn't matter. I talk in spanish. Well, besides when I need to translate like yesterday or things like that, but my goal is going really well and I think I´m learning a lot faster too. The only thing that sucks is I'm forgetting my English words already.. It's almost easier to talk in Spanish than English haha. NEVER THOUGHT I'D SAY THAT!!! Felt like I´d never get to the point where I'd like to talk in Spanish more but I'm kind of at that point. haha. It's my companions birthday tomorrow so were going to have to celebrate somehow. But yea, good stuff.

Love you guys, and hope all is well with everyone. Chow chow!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

PS

Oh yea!!!!! Had my first Asado this week!!! It was the best thing ever!!!! Oh it was amazing.... I ate so much meat... The asado and chorizo and salad, and a little salsa. Oh it was sooooo good. I wanted to just stay there and wait for him to bring me more and more meat. But I restrained myself.... a bit. haha. But it definitely was the best food I'd had in the mish so yes I'm happy :)