March 21, 2016

 Sounds like a crazy week and a lot of changes in the family. Way busy actually. Glad to hear that almost all of it was good and fun!!! I think it would be so awesome to go to the shabin!! Especially now that dad is putting all these new additions there!! haha. I don't think I could say I have had such an amazing week, but that's all good haha!! 

It was still a way good one! We had zone conference and learned a lot about obedience, the light and truth of God, the Book of Mormon, and keep the Sabbath day holy. It was awesome!! It went over like an hour and a half more than they thought but it's all good. We were learning lots of good stuff so its okay! We also got the district shirts this week!!!!!! yea!!!!! It was way awesome!! I'll see if I cant send you guys a pic or 2 from today!! Everyone likes them in the district. We have a zone activity today so we'll see what the zone thinks too!! Fun stuff :) 

Aw, we also learned about our gifts this week and I wanted to see if in this week you could send an email out to family friends, and facebook and ask them to send what they think my gifts are. And then if you could send it to me like tallied up or something like that it would be awesome :) I don't know if you could put it in excel and like put a tally if someone says the same thing. That would be awesome :) I want to see what my gifts are so I can try to develop them and make them better. So, if you could send that out that would be awesome :) Like 1-5 gifts per person if you can do that :) 

I am doing good. It's crazy how time is flying. I feel like I just showed up in San Juan and now I have 6 weeks here... I have 8 months in the mission. I'm not counting but Elder Long is counting haha. He is in the district and came the same day as me to the mission so he reminds me every month haha. Dork. 

I got an email from Justin Smith this week!!! I was so happy because I have been wanting his email since I left to the mission but I never had it!! haha. Oh, question. do you have the email of Billy?? Masi's brother. I wanted to see whats going on with him. to see if he's doing good. So did Ethan Thompson but we don't have any way to get those emails in the mission haha. Hope all is good with you guys!

I am just chilling working hard and having fun!! We found like 3 families who are less active but have kids that they want us to teach and baptize so its all good there!! And we are helping them to reactivate so that's awesome too!! It's going way good right now we just need to teach them and help them grow spiritually. So, 2nd quarter (of mission) here I come!!! haaha. Emily keeps telling me I'm in the 2nd quarter. I don't know how I'm going to work out halftime... in the mission there isn't one. haha. 

Well, hope all is good with you guys and I love you all  a ton!!! Talk to you in the next week!!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

March 14, 2016

Please send me a video of Jacers with her :) I want to see big brother Jacers hahaha. WHAT --- Dad's buying a tractor and a port a potty after I leave!????? Does anyone else see something wrong with that or is it just me!!!????? hahahahaa. I guess I'll just have to play with the tractor when I get back :) i'm gonna go hit some massive 2 inch jumps with it, and y'all gonna be impressed ;) hahaha. That's crazy thinking you guys are in rugby and volleyball and tax season.. It's so weird being here. It's like all of that is just a dream and like it was soo long ago.. 

I was missing rugby a ton this week. I started day dreaming about it in the bus. And yes, in the day dream I was running everyone over to score a try :) haha. Looks like everything is awesome there with Macey and Tractors and Port o Pottys. Sounds like the life!!!! hahaha. I'm over here working hard so don't worry. I'll work and you guys can play ;) hehe. 

It's been a way good week here. We are working hard and trying to find people to teach. Its been a pretty tough are to start out but were finding people and so we are hoping to have some baptisms pretty soon here :) We found like a ton of less active members in one barrio or group of houses that we are working with to reactivate so that is fun :) Its been a good week. the district shirts should be done tomorrow for photos so I can show you guys the design we did. I hope it turns out awesome!! I think it will. We are heading to a lake today. Don't worry..... we aren't going to swim because that's not allowed, but I heard it is awesome there so we are gonna go check it out! I got my sick rugby jersey on so that's making me happy :) I am trying to think of things that happened in the last week... my mind is as blank as a white paper right now... haha. 

Oh, our stake had a training to teach all the leaders how to work with the missionaries and in what way which was way good! We sang wait, let's see if you can guess it.................... yes, called to serve!! haha. It was cool. All of the leaders in one spot at one time and we were all singing called to serve. It was pretty powerful. 

Well, I love you guys and I'm running out of words to say so I guess I'll let you guys go. I hope you are all doing good. And I'll see you guys the next week!!!!

Con amor, 

March 7,2016

Oops. clicked send.. oh well, that's so exciting!!!!! I hope all goes well and Macey comes out as beautiful as ever!! haha. That's so crazy thinking she  is going to be born because like I'm not there... I guess I feel like you felt Brent.... jajaja. Good stuff. Glad to hear Emsy is working her way up with volley ball!! That's sounds like some fun stuff. I hear all of my friends are starting to get married... it's kinda weird...I kind of forgot about that until I got some letters about people getting married... Oh, well I guess its life right?? :) 

This week has been a good one!! We found some new investigators and some investigators that could be somewhat close to baptism!! Fun stuff!!! We are gonna see what we can do to help them grow and reach that point!. What else happened this week... I made a new type of  sopapillas!!! Flavor Banana!!!! They are way good!!! I'll have to send you a photo when I make them again. It's like banana bread in sopapilla form. Cool stuff and everyone likes it so even better!! Only one problem... my comp is telling everyone so looks like we are going to have a semana of Banana sopapillas for FHE jajaja. Its all good though!! Let's see... We are making shirts for our district to have!! They are going to be so sick!! Me and Elder Long designed them, but for some odd reason they all decided that I should draw it... I was like uhhhhh, I cant even draw!!!! But I did it anyway and it actually turned out way better than I thought!!! Maybe there is a different gift of drawing over there in D and C that I haven't seen yet... ;) It's been a fun week. busy with lots of work but lots of fun too. So, We are all happy happy happy!! I think that was a quote from a movie... not sure.. haha. But its been a good week. Well, I want to share a little scripture with you guys to end this mansa letter. entonces,

Alma 27:7-14. This is when Ammon and the pueblo of Anti Nephi Lehi have to leave from where they are at for the danger there. so what happens?? In 7 and 8 they are ready to do the thing that the Lord commands of him before they know if they have to leave. They are putting their trust in God. Then in 10 they ask. in 12 and 13 they get their answer that they need to leave. Now this is important. What did they do right after they got their answer?? Fijate. In 14 they did what's in the first sentence?? They gathered together to leave. They show us a couple of examples. 1. Trust in God that he will give you an answer. 2. Ask. 3. Receive the answer and ACT. But not just act but act right away they were ready to do what the Lord commanded them the moment that the Lord asked them to do something. I know that we are human and we like to think before we act in the will of God but so were they. So if the Lord calls you to do something always be ready like this pueblo to act in a moments notice and lay down everything you have for him. It was hard for me to think I would have  to leave my family, you, friends, and rugby but its what the Lord commanded and I knew he needed me to go so I went. I invite you to always be ready to act upon the answers that the Lord gives you whether it is life changing or as simple as bearing a simple testimony to a friend. JUST DO IT. The Lord gave you that impression for a reason don't waste it. Maybe you'll change that persons life or maybe you will be the seed to start that persons spiritual tree or Maybe you will just strengthen your testimony. I don't know, But what I do know is that the Lord sent you to do that so get on it and get it done. He commands and we act out of our love for him and then he blesses us. I know that he blesses us when we act with faith and in the moment he asks. Don't lose the opportunity. These things are true and I bear you my testimony of them in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

Love you guys, have an amazing week and I'll see ya in the next week :)

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

February 29, 2016

WWWOOOOOHHOOOOO rugby!! Sounds like some fun stuff!!! Those kiddos are always in the ortho.. you should get em out of the ortho and put em in school!! haha. TJ isnt doing so good?? That's too bad.... who is he staying with?? 

It's been a fun week! We went to the super p-day and it was awesome!! We played some soccer and some people had some silly string that they started to shoot!! and water balloons too so that was fun. All of it was outside so don't worry!! haha. We had a meeting with President Bednar to all of South America and it was awesome!! He talked a lot about asking in faith and doing everything in faith. He also reprimanded us about prayers. About the prayers in church where someone asks that everyone who wasn't here this week can be here the next week. His words exactly were, FAITHLESS PRAYER. now, why is it faithless? Because we are asking God to do everything and bring the investigators and members, less actives, recent converts to church without an ounce of our strength or faith. And like we know faith without action is dead James 2 16-17. So it is a faithless prayer. So what should we do instead? He gave an example of a prayer which basically said, "God, we are all going to go and pass by a member when this meeting ends. We are all going to pass by someone and be their friend or help them in service or in whatever way we can. And if the bishop doesn't like what I am saying in this prayer he can stand up and stop me now. (pause) Yep he didn't stop me so looks like I am going to keep praying. We are all going to do our family home teaching, visiting teaching, and pass by someone after church to help them come the next week to church and we only ask one thing. Please, don't let us all go to the same house. In the name of Jesus Christ amen. " This is a prayer of faith because we are going out to do something we are ACTING with faith. It was all about that. Act with faith. It got me thinking a lot in my own prayers and how many times I just ask for something without giving my action. I think we can all relate to that. And it is something that we can work on. So, I encourage you guys, like Elder Bednar, apostle of the Lord, to change your prayers into prayers of Faith. To ask in Faith and not just ask for things. It has helped me a lot in this week to make my prayers better and I know it can help you guys have better prayers and more spiritual prayers too. 

Thanks for all you guys are doing and have done for me. 

Love all of you tons. And miss you all a ton too. 

Have a spectacular week and we'll see ya next week!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes