August 29, 2016

Hey mom!!! So it has been a awesome but crazy week. We had 2 intercambios this week and a ton of success!!! Tuesday we started the intercambios and it was going to end Wednesday. but my companion got confused talking to Elder Bingham who is going home early (for school purposes). So he had to go get the new companion for his companion Elder Correa. and basically we thought they weren't going to go and look for this missionary. So I went in bus an hour to get to the offices to bring him to his area. We showed up before the missionary. Then Elder Bingham and Correa walked in. Then the comp of them showed up shortly after. So we had gone without reason.... so we wasted an afternoon.... Thursday Elder Correa called us in the morning because they needed a baptismal interview for Yasir who was going to baptize Saturday. We had lessons planned the whole afternoon. so we did intercambios again. I went to sarmiento to do the interview and my comp stayed in Lujan with Elder Lavander. Then Friday I got back to the pench with Elder Barrios... it was crazy.. jajaja. But in the 2 intercambios we did we found 14 new investigators!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOT WOOOT!! jajaa. sS we were happy. 

This week will be a crazy one too.. we have leader counsel, zone conference, and zone meeting and tormenta blanca..... the fun never ends :) But it will be good. It's better to be busy than idle. It's been fun. 

I have been reading in the Book of Mormon this week. I started reading about Amulek and Alma, Helaman and Pahoran, Ammon and Lamoni. And I had been reading how these member missionary companionships worked together. It is incredible the success that they had when a member and missionary worked together. They were unstoppable!!! jajaja. But really. They worked very well together and brought people to the waters of baptism. I have seen that a lot in my mission. The Power that a member has when he or she bears his testimony in a lesson. It changes everything. The investigators feel that spirit. I hope that you guys are always open to help the missionaries and that you don't just wait for them to call you. It is glorious to work in missionary work. I hope you guys can make plans in family of how you can do the missionary work. It will bring so much joy in your lives if you do so. 

I love you guys a ton. And I hope you have an amazing week!! 

Con amor,

Elder Hakes 

August 22, 2016

Hey!!! How's everyone doing?? It's been a good week this week!! We were able to bring 8 people to church!!!! It helps that like 4 of them are in one family jajajja. It's been a crazy week. We have been working hard to work with the members this week. We have been trying to focus on that. Why you might ask? Because when we work with the members everything the mission work works. Everything is 10,000x better. We have 3 times the assistance to church more lessons and more people preparing for a baptismal date. It's like a day and night difference. We have had a ton of success working with them this week. That's how all of these investigators are showing up. It's because they have friends in church and they feel more comfortable. It's been awesome. We have been doing divisions too so that we can work more with the members. We also get to know them a lot better. It's just way more fun  in every way. And we see the success it brings. For that reason we are focused in that this week. It's so much fun the mission work. It's like working in the backyard with Dad. It's hard at times but we goof off, have fun, and get the work done efficiently. The same thing in missionary work. It's hard but its fun :) I don't think there is anything else in the world that can bring more happiness and peace to the soul. (except the temple of course). So yea. You all know what you need to do :) It's been a good week for me. I'm doing good. 

They gave me pills for my toenail and they seem to be working so that's awesome!! I should be fungus free in a month or so. :) Everything is going great. They just celebrated the día de niño yesterday. We have a neighbor in our apartments that has a daughter who is way nice and always says hi to us when we pass by, so we took a little gift to her! It was fun to see her face all happy! The niña did a face like "no.... you shouldn't have............... But give it to me NOW!!!!" jajajja. It was way funny. I hope she liked it. Do we celebrate Children´s day?? or something like that?? I don't even remember... jajaj. but I hope you're all doing good. 

I love you all a ton!! Have a awesome week!!!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

August 15, 2016

We doing good over here in Argentina. We have Been working a ton!! We have a huge area. and it's really been hard passing for every part of the area with just us 2. So we started trying to do divisions with 2 members and they have been helping us a ton!! We have been able to teach and find twice as many people!!! It's been awesome!! And we are helping Nicolas prepare for the mission so it's just been amazing!! We had consejo de liderazgo. Which went good. We almost lost Fútbol this last week (as a pday activity). but the president decided that he wasn't going to take it out. But we have a lot more rules on what we can and cannot do. jajaj. But it's alright because we still have it!!. 

Our investigator got postponed one week for her baptism. She needs to hear a lesson more and we don't have enough time to do it all in this week. So we are going to baptize her the next week!! We have a couple others that are getting ready for the next month so we are excited for that :) Well today is holiday and the guy in the cyber decided that he wants to close early so I can't write much more.... I have already passed the 5 minutes he gave me extra.... so I guess we'll see you guys the next week. jajaja. Glad to hear everything is going good with the family. 

Love you guys a ton!!! 

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

August 8, 2016

Mission call to Japan for Spencie.......Is that the same mission as Spencer???? Blessed the baby!!! Woot woot!!! So everyone is in the same old same old routine of football and volleyball :) That's awesome!! I miss practicing sports... it is so much fun. It's about time dad gets working hard on the shabin. I think he listened to me when I told him he needed to get working and that he shouldn't be so lazy ;) I know he doesn't like to hear those words and that that gets him working :) hehehe. Can't wait to see what it will be like when I get there. I'm sure it will be way different!! 

So, like I told you guys I have a new comp Elder Barrios. He is from Baranca Perú. but is living in Buenos Aires. So a fake peruvian jajajja. I always joke with him about that. Don't worry, he doesn't get too mad ;) 

This week has been a good week. We have been working hard in these couple days since he got here. We have a baptism programmed for the 20th of this month!! We have a family that there sisters baptized about 2 months ago. And now we are teaching their family!! Their mom Paula, son and daughter in law Maxi and Sabrina are all listening to us and they like it!! They are talking about getting married all of them!! The dad is still playing Chuck Norris.... I don't want to hear anything but he likes it and is changing. He doesn't realize it right now but he is changing a lot. He isn't the  same from when I got here a month ago. And it really is amazing to see the change in him and really in all of them because they have all changed a ton!! They were all kind of like the punks from the street??? I can't think of the right word... they aren't punks they were just like that family that was always mad always having problems with people and now they aren't even close to that!! They are smiling. Paula told us that before she worried about making it to the end of the month with food and everything they needed because sometimes they couldn't make it or were close to not making it. But now that she has been going to church she has all the food that she needs. And that is with the same amount of money and the prices are a lot higher. It's truly amazing to see her forming her testimony. We're going to see what we can do to help them feel even more the spirit and receive more blessings through taking the step of baptism. :) Super excited!!!!!! :) So it's been a good week for us. Sad to see my comp go but it's been a good week. I hope everyone is doing good. I hope everyone has picked a date to find their reference for the missionaries. Love you guys a ton. Be safe.

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

August 1, 2016

Sounds like a way busy week for you guys. Congrats to Billy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's awesome to hear that he is heading out on the mission. Messi is back??  Spencie has his papers in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😵 jajajja. Cool little face thing :) but seriously that is crazy to think about.... but way exciting too!!! 

Cody is doing good in football hey?? Sounds good to me. He needs to get up there and beat Moe. and all the lineman. Why stop with just them??? ;) That's his job as a Hakes. Beat everyone. ;) hehehe. I hope he has fun this year with football kicks butt and takes names. and I can't wait to hear all about it. Cant' believe it's almost football season again... that reminds me of last year when football season was about to start.... crazy stuff... Can't think about that tho. It's work time ;) 

Did you guys fix the jacuzzi?? That thing has been dead for yeeeeeaaaarsssss hahaha. I figured you would just put cement in it and call it good jajaj. It's been a pretty good semana this week. We found 2 investigadores who are good potential for baptisms. Most of our other investigators are waiting on divorce papers and wedding papers so they can't do much with that but they are going to church and listening to us in everything. So that's great ;) But we have 2 that are really interested in the gospel and are asking questions. one already wants to be baptized. So that should be in a couple of weeks :) We just have to teach her! So everything is going good with them. Elder Romero is going to leave.... he is going to train a new elder and end his mission with someone else... so I am going to receive a new comp! Elder Barrios! He trained when I trained Elder Hoagland so I got to know him a little bit. He seems to be a good missionary. so I am excited!! And we have a lot of work to do so that should be great!! The only problem is I have to remember how to get everywhere in Lujan and Pedriel still.... jajaja. I remember almost everything I think. I guess we'll end up finding out soon. Should be a fun week. lots to do and not much time to do it. I hope you guys are doing great. I am!! Oh, how are we doing with the challenge I left you guys???? or did everyone forget about it again??? I hope you guys aren't forgetting about it. That would be way sad. Hope you all have a great week. love you a ton!!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

July 25, 2016

Sounds like you got a couple of crazy weeks ahead of you. jajaja. Cody with online school and Emily in Utah and the crazy couple coming back from Seattle. They've been up there a while. They are probably enjoying the summer over there. jajaj. So, question, how are we going with the challenge I left you guys last week?? I hope someone has started it and didn't just take my words and throw them down the drain ;) It's been a tough week here.. We haven't been able to do much... the last p day we went to the stake center to play some soccer with the zone. My companion likes to play hard and ran to get the ball. Justo came elder bingham to do the same thing. They crashed and my comp had his foot on top of the ball. Elder Bingham fell on top of him and his leg. It turned it kind of weird and it started to hurt him. The first day he couldn't really walk. So p day we went back to the pench. ice and ibuprofen. We went to the doctor Tuesday. This doctor treated him terribly. Basically said I am not going to do anything for you right now but you can come back to talk to a different doctor on Thursday. He'll actually treat you and help you. Yea. It was way way dumb. So we waited 2 days more and then we headed over to the other doctor and he helped us out a ton. E. Romero doesn't have anything broken but they think it might be a ligament, meniscus or tendon. I guess they want to do a MRI to see what's going on on the inside of the leg. So that will be tomorrow if the area doctor says that we can do it. He can walk a lot better now. There's still something up but it hurts a little less now. We didn't get to work like at all this week. Friday was our first day that we went and worked a bit. The bishop took them everywhere in car so it wasn't too bad. I had to go to Ugarteche because an elder there hurt his leg when a car passed by them when they were in bikes and shot a rock up and cut and bruised his leg... and they had a ton of lessons so they asked us to do interchanges for the day so I could go and work with them... it was just a crazy semana. jajaja. But I hope this week will go back to normal! somewhat... we have interchanges with the assistants this week so we'll see how that works out with my comp and all that. But I'm thinking he'll be okay. By the way. Riding bikes all day isn't as fun as I thought it was. My butt and legs were way tired hahaha. It was a ton of bike riding in the interchanges I had to do. But oh well. Who doesn't like a good old kill the legs workout??? ;) So this week was kind of a boring week. I don't know what else to talk about. oh!!! I found snickers the other day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I forgot how good they are.... way good. We bought a lot of them jaaja. it was sooo good ;) This next Sunday is traslados. I probably will stay and Elder Romero will probably head out. He's already got 6 months here so he is very likely to go. Well, I hope everyone is doing good love you guys a ton. Have a spectacular week!!! :)

Con amor,

Elder Hakes