November 30, 2015

My week was great!! My companion is from Bolivia  and I am still in the Favorita. P-days I can play sports :) we kind of do whatever. Sometimes sports, sometimes climb mountains. What ever comes to mind haha. 

Starting all the wedding stuff.. fun.. so fun... hahaha. I hope all is good there no fighting is allowed. okay? okay good. 

I didn't do anything special for Thanksgiving.. oh well. There's always next year! haha. Quiet thanksgiving... Is the whole Hakes family sick??? I don't think we have ever had a reunion that was quiet. But I'm sure grandma and grandpa didn't mind a little more peaceful Thanksgiving :) How was black Friday?? Buy any cool new things for the shabin?? 

Can am 4 seater razor... hm... Sounds like a good idea if you ask me ;) Test drove a blue jeep too?? That's so kind that you guys are looking for a gift to give me when I get home but mom, you are starting now...? Relax... you got 19 months to plan that out ;) haha. 

Always good to see UofA come out on top of ASwho. 

With calling for Christmas...i don't know.. I'll figure that out this week. We only have 30 to 40 minutes to talk. My comp is pretty unhappy haha. I guess it was an 1 and a half hours when he got here, changed to an hour this past year and like 40 minutes this year. It doesn't bother me much because I'm just happy to see you guys, buuuuuttttt, mostly Jace because we all know how it is in our family ;) hahaha. You too mom don't worry it was just a joke! 

Seriously though... how is it December already... like 5 months ago I couldn't speak 100 words in Spanish and now I'm conversing with people and teaching lessons in Spanish... How fast things can change in just 5 months. Also, it's really weird because I'm starting to feel more and more like the mission was always my life if that makes sense. Like the life I had before feels more and more like a dream.. kinda weird huh? I think its just because everything is so different that it doesn't feel the same. Oh well. I will keep working igual. 

I really do love the mission. It is the best. There are so many amazing people who I am getting to know and help bring to the gospel. What is better than everyday trying to help someone come unto Christ?? I cant think of anything.. It is the best to share the gospel in whatever form or way you can. 

I'm going to be the typical missionary and ask you guys to share the gospel with someone in this week. A text, a 2 minute conversation, or however you want, but share your testimony. Who Christ is to you, how you feel about your church, how Christ has changed your life, something! And then think back in how you felt when you shared your testimony. Its amazing. I've felt it and that's why I am asking you guys to do it too. And what better time to do so than Christmas??? 

Love you guys, share the gospel, and have the best week ever :)

con amor,

Elder Hakes

November 23, 2015

 *** I sent pictures to Ryan and told him the Brinkerhoff side of the family had gathered for pie night and we watched the home movies we made of Charlies Angels and Buzz Lightyear*****

Who made my pie??? hahaha. Thats awesome!! Can you send that to me?? ;) hahaha just kidding. 

Oh those videos!! hahha. Good times with our family right?? I totally forgot that this week is going to be Thanksgiving.. Are you preparing for the feast and the football?? I thought that we passed it this week without doing anything. It's kinda crazy trying to remember other holidays than what are in the country haha. 

This week was good!! We had 3 investigators come to church!! 2 kids and the mom. The dad had to stay with the house to make sure no one robs it or something like that..... so that was a bummer.. but the 2 kids Robert and Juliana learned in primary that they can be baptized because they are 10 and were asking us if we could baptize them because they want to be baptized. haha. So yea, we were way happy!! Silvia loved the gospel principles class and the church so sounds like good stuff to me!! I'm getting excited :) They are an awesome family. Actually they are the family that we found because I yelled 'They need to hear the word!!!' and then we found Silvia cleaning her laundry haha. Yep, that's them!! They are really nice and always let us come and teach them in a moments notice but usually we give them a day or 2's notice. 

It's been good this week. Got my new comp Elder Lujan and he's pretty cool. Likes his yogurt though.. hahha. Like 3 bags of yogurt are gone in like 4 days!! I don't know how he eats that much.... its kinda crazy but hey, man's food is a man's food ;) 

Hope all is good over there and everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving!! 

love you all!!

con amor,

Elder Hakes

November 16, 2015

Hye mooooommmm!!! 

Today has been a bit crazy.. That's why I am sending my email so late.... sorry about that... haha. probably worrying about me a bit but don't worry because I'm still living and nothing bad happened. It was Elder Pinedo's last day in the mission. He left today to do some classes and training or something and then he leaves for his house in the morning but he is in the offices and I'm with a different companion for the day. It's a bit crazy. So we went to buy different things in the morning for him and then a city tour bus. We met some people from Holland who didn't know any Spanish. haha. They are touring through different parts of Argentina and then are returning to Holland. They spoke in a bit of English to us asking us questions like why we were here and what we were doing so I explained in the most basic English that I could think of, to describe the mission. It was hard!! I kept switching to Spanish!!!! hahaha. I'm getting better at changing between the two, but it can be hard at times haha. 

After the tour we went to the stake center and saw the end of the baptism there. Hermana Olgúin did a huge lunch for all of us again. There were like 40 of us there eating asado... oh how I love asados.... Best thing ever. I ate too much I'm sure ;) haha. I said goodbye to Elder Pinedo and came here to write to you guys. Tomorrow I am going to get my new companion. Also tomorrow we have a member or 2 from the 70 who are coming to speak to us so that should be awesome!! 

Glad to hear that you are doing better with all your surgery and all that. You know what you could do that is a million times better than Netflix?? Read the Book of Mormon!! :) but really, it's the greatest book in the world and can bring blessings to your life. 

Glad to here the Cats are doing good :) And that everyone can go to Duck Creek to play! Ice cave was fun for dad hahaha :) all of the deer. oh man, that sounds awesome :)  Enjoy it all!! 

The mission is awesome. 

Definitely keep me updated on Billy. 

I have been talking to Ethan so that has been awesome. Can you believe that I have been in the mission for 4 months. I didn't even think about it until like yesterday when I looked at the date and was like wait, today is the 15th. I have been in the mission for like 4 months.... what.... hahaha. It means got to work harder and harder than ever. That sounds good to me :) 

Everyone ais telling me I look skinny, it's kinda weird... hahha. Guess I got to work out harder! 

Have an awesome week and I'll talk to you guys later!!

con amor,

Elder Hakes

November 9, 2015

Doing good! 

Glad life is good there. 

I was thinking about big Masi this past week and when he would be going home! haha I don't know why I was thinking it but I had the thought that he is probably leaving the mission pretty quick here. A bit like Elder Pinedo. Leaves in a week and day. Kinda crazy. Lots of things to do haha. 

That's too bad with the Toros. I wish they were doing better. No one wants to play to win just to be popular nowadays.... That's what I felt like the problem was with lots of the teams the past couple years and especially this year. It's crazy to think football is ending there!! 

It's really weird too because its going into summer here and so I feel like football is going to start up in a couple of months and this is when the boring baseball season starts haha. Well, baseball is fun to play but not as much to watch on TV. Yea, I don't know how I feel about Christmas in summer... hahha how weird huh!! I think they do fireworks is what someone said to me. 

I had a question for you but I can't remember what it was now... hahha. Should have wrote it down... Lets see, I made more sopapilla´s because why not and they are amazing with dulce de leche so yea!! 

I cant think of any stories... We found 2 families to teach!! So that's awesome!! My mind is literally blank and I can't think of anything else that happened this week.. Forgot my little notebook that I usually write in. 

Oh, it rained again last week but now its getting hot. Past 3 days it has gradually been getting hotter and hotter here. I hear summers are about as fun here as they are in Arizona!! 

How are Jennie and Joe?? 

How's the shabin?? Got a cabin yet?? :) 

Love you guys and I hope all is good with everyone!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

November 2, 2015

I was thinking that you might be thinking about me yesterday.. hahha. Yesterday was awesome!! Let's see... woke up to Feliz cumpleaños!! haha. then we went to church and in Gospel principles our teacher didn't show up. So me and Elder Pinedo taught the class! We taught like 8 people the restoration pamphlet. had 2 investigators at church. I gave the prayer in sacrament. After church we went to Family Rodriguez's house for lunch (Can you accept the friend request for my profile, she posted photos but it didn't let her tag me in it because I wasn't her friend. Lilia Rodriguez, I think that's her first name haha). We ate millanessa's, rice, bread, and a huge American flag cake! It was good. Oh and fast Sunday is different here, they start with Saturday night the fast here so yea, wasn't breaking my fast don't worry. 

What else.. taught 2 more families who are investigating and are awesome families...... hoping for a baptism this next month.... ;) haha. Oh yea and when we came back to the house in the night Elder Pinedo had made me a cake the night before (because we had some time to make it last night), but we ate yesterday night. He was all excited haha it was really funny!! He decorated the top with sugar and matches to light haha. It was a fun day!!! Little bit different than with you guys but it was good :) 

What else happened this week... One of the kids that we were teaching his family asked me if I was from Spain so that's good!! He didn't think that I was from the US which means my Spanish is getting better!! But I don't like the accent of Spain Spanish so I'm going to work on that ;) 

Tell Dan I said thanks for the packet of letters!! It was awesome!! I have a lot of reading to do now!! haha. Thanks to everyone who wrote something too! I didn't get a package this week but we'll see if in the next month it comes. It rained this week again so that was cool. I was told it usually doesn't rain this much but I don't mind it! 

Lets see.. what else has happened... Last week for PDay we ate in Herma Rodriguez's house with a bunch of other missionaries which was fun!! Still haven't found the Rugby jerseyIi want but I haven't given up cuz hey, I'm a Hakes/Brinkerhoff, and we dont quit no matter what. So, yea going to find that jersey someday in the future. Today we are going to have lunch with one of the members in Elder Pinedo's 2nd area because he ends the mission pretty soon and wants to go say goodbye. So that should be good! Lets see, everyone is telling me my Spanish is really good but I feel like its just alright. I don't know haha. Lets see, ah! 

This week we worked really really hard and prayed and prayed for new investigators and guess how many we found. 2.... 3.... 4.... NO!! 17!!! Yea!! Our district and zone leaders didn't believe us for a minute!! haha. But in reality, we put our trust in the Lord and went to work. It's amazing what He will do for us when we ask for help, show our faith by our actions, and pray for help. He ALWAYS helps us. ALWAYS. We just need to ask for the help. 

Love you guys and have the best week ever!! I got some work to do but talk to you guys in a week!! ;)

Con amor,

Elder Hakes