December 12, 2016

Sounds like lots of fun over there in AZ!! jajaja. It's crazy how fast time is passing I don't even know what to do sometimes... I can't believe Christmas is in 2 weeks. I am still figuring out times but I have the place set out. I will have to buy a little camera and microphone to talk but we'll be able to do it. I might take out some money this week or the next to do it. Heads up. It's been a great week.  I have my new comp Elder Velasco  from Santiago Chile!! The parte Maipu. Maybe Curt knows those parts??? Who knows??? jajaja. But he's from there!! Way good comp. He just is young. He has like 6 or 7 months. So I am helping him out. Way good guy. Works hard too. We are having lots of success with him. We had a baptism last week!!!! The Branch president's daughter and an investigator got baptized!! Lautaro!! The son of Monica. She just needs to fix some things with the Law of Chastity and can baptize but she didn't want her son to have to wait for her so she said that he should be baptized and that a little bit after she would do the same. She is a member not baptized. She teaches her friends and family everything that we teach her. She listens to the spirit and follows it. She goes to a FHE every week with Pres. Singuri. and loves everything in the church. She just needs to be baptized and she'll be heading on the way. Way good family. 

Did you guys find the radio that we are on?? It's way fun being on the radio and going out in the street and everyone knows who we are for the radio. or recognize our voices ajajaj. way fun!! Loving the experience!! We gave a Book of Mormon the the radio guy today and we invited him over the radio to read the story of the sons of Mosiah and he said he is going to do it and talk about his experience tomorrow on the radio!!! So that will be way awesome!!! I have seen him change a little in this little time that we have been with him. And I hope he can read this passage and feel the desire to read more. I love Argentina. and I Love the mission there is nothing better than get home dead tired, finish planning tomorrow and lay on the bed like vegetables :) 

Hope you guys are doing Iight the World and are helping be the Light for the people. 

Keep safe and have fun this week!! See ya the next week!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

December 5, 2016

Hey Family!!! So this week was crazy.... lots of work to do... Lots of meetings... we had leadership council. then I did my BYU stuff....applied for BYU.... then Thursday weekly planning and we started talking on the radio!!! We go everyday talking about the activity for the day.Like today that is Jesus Christ healed the sick and you can do it to. So we invited everyone to do the same thing. and we give them the ideas on the paper and the ideas that we have so that they can also go along doing it!! It was way awesome and is way awesome. I think you can look it up and listen on internet to 97.9 the west radio. I am speaking in Spanish but you can hear my voice jajaja. It is way fun. I am now getting more used to it. It was nerve racking in the beginning but I feel more confident now. There are 30,000 people that listen to the radio. So it's just a couple of people jajaja. But its way fun. 

We also had Zone meeting and a baptism in Cordón De Plata (another area). So it was crazy crazy crazy. Today we woke up at 6:30 and were out the door to go by the tickets for 2 hermanas and 1 elder who were heading to mendoza. 2 going home and one left for transfers. I stay this transfer. my comp leaves and I am receiving a new zone leader. We'll see what I can do to woop him into shape ;) jajaja joke joke. Should be fun. I am excited to help him out. Me and E. Sorenson are the only 2 who are staying in our district. President decided to wash my district again jajaj. I don't know why. It always seems to happen. I show up. We get everyone working hard and bye. There they go. jajaja. oh well I have new people to work with now :) 

So, how are we going with Light the World?? Are you guys doing it??? Me and my comp are doing it. My goal is to take a pic of every day and what we do to complete the goal:) should be fun!! and you guys??? Have you shared it with a friend?? I`d like to hear about it!! Well, hope you are doing well, and I love you all!! Keep safe!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

November 29, 2016

Hey so I'm writing today because there was no cyber open yesterday.... it's because we're in Tupungato which is very small and there aren't cybers open. So we had to wait until today jajaj. oh well. Hope no one freaked out thinking I died. I'm still alive and very well! jajaja. 

It's been a great week. It passed by very very fast. We had 2 intercambios. One with the Assistants to presidente and one right when we got back from there with the district leader we have in our zone. We celebrated a little of Thanksgiving with an asado!! That was way fun :) and tasty! I didn't do a turkey because 1st don't know how. 2nd don't know where to buy a turkey here in Argentina. Not sure they have them... We had 5 investigators come to church this last week!! A Whole family!!! Then Monday we played soccer with them for a couple hours. I made baked ziti for us. I think it turned out way good! I just took a little more time than I wanted to because we didn't have very many bowls or pans to cook. jajaja. But it was fun! I think I like cooking... kind of weird no?? Seeing as I'm a guy and that's not normal for guys to like cooking. Oh well.

We had a fun activity this last week to laung Ilumina el Mundo or Light the World. We watched all of the old Christmas videos and then the new one to end it and inviting everyone to do the 25 ways in 25 days. It was awesome!! We had about 20 members there and they all promised to do it. This Thursday we are going to start with the Day of service 1 of Dec. We are going to do a service as a Quorum of elders. I'm super excited to keep doing this and get to work. This year God through modern day Prophets has asked us to Light the World with our light for 25 days. (well we know it isn't only for 25 days but always Lighting the World) What a great opportunity to Follow the example of Christ and Do has he would do, the will of the father. It's interesting that every year they have had videos that make us feel good and happy and the spirit of christmas and this year it's the same. Except no we are invited to ACT. To bring the Light of Christ into the lives of those who don't have it or that their light is dwindling. Light that is hid under a bushel can not light the world. Put it on the table so it can light the whole house Matt 5 14-16. Let us be the Light for everyone this year doing as God wants us to do, LIGHT THE WORLD. 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Hakes

November 21, 2016

How's it going???

It's going great here in Tupungato!! Kind of a crazy fun week. It was way hot all week. and guess what happened yesterday?? Everything changed it got way cold and during the last hour of church huge storm hit.... it started raining like crazy... slowed down when everyone left church. A couple hours after...... rain rain rain. all night. and almost the whole morning here... kind of crazy. But were doing good. Took out the good old coats again jajaja. 

Let's see. This last week we had and activity a mini mtc (member training center) but we had zonda that day. So lots of people didn't end up coming.Wwe were about 10 that were there. But the 10 that were there I believe understood their role as a member and are going to help us out a ton. Really good members. It was way fun!!Afterwards we ate facturas, chips and cookies with soda and jugo. It ended up being pretty awesome! Oh yea! a member got married Friday too so they had the wedding and all that it ended great! We have been working a ton this week. It's been awesome. This week we have exchanges with the assistants so that should be fun. Oh!! I forgot! Pres. Goates and Hna. Goates came to our Branch this week. They were visiting and it was way weird to see them more of normal members than like Pres. Goates who gives training and is in charge of everything. But it was cool! We enjoyed being with him for a little while there.

Yesterday I  had an awesome experience with the priesthood. We went to a house looking for a future investigator Luciana. And we ended up finding Juana! One of our investigators that was a reference from Hna. Gonzales. ( we didn't know where she lived because all of the lessons we had had were in the house of Hna. Gonzalez) She was in a moment of difficulty. She has to have an operation and a couple other things and was very scared of the things that could happen. So we decided to give her a blessing. She said she was okay with it. My companion did the anointing and I did the blessing. I don't remember all of the words that I said, but I do remember that I felt the spirit and the words that I said were not mine but His. I could feel it as the words came out of my mouth and in my heart. It was such a beautiful experience to feel the priesthood work through my body for the blessing of others. I hope that you priesthood holders never forget the power and authority that you have and that you need to keep worthy to have so that when God sends you in ways that you never knew you were going to go that you can bless the lives of them. Them who God has sent you to find, aid, love and support. I know that this is the only true church that has His same priesthood here in the earth so that His children may be blessed for it. This is His church. This is his flock. Let us be as God sees and hopes for us to be.

Love you all. Keep safe.

con amor,

Elder Hakes

November 14, 2016

It's been an awesome week!! and a crazy week. Yesterday my companion cut his face.... We were leaving lunch at a members house and the wire that they use to hang their clothes just happened to be barbed wire.... we didn't see it and he cut his face pretty good... but I'm all good! jajajaj. So don't worry about  me. We gave him a blessing and lots of neosporin :) I think I've used my medical bag more for my companions than for me.... I don't even remember the last time that I used it.... jajaja. oh well! 

So, what else happened this week... OH! President Goates did a special meeting with everyone talking about a talk About being consecrated missionaries. So we had read it and then we went to this meeting and he told us the things we needed to do to be more consecrated to the work. So yea! It was way good too! He made some changes for P day in the things we can and can't do now. So lots of changes. The mission is going really well too thanks to the meeting we had. I think it helped all the missionaries that felt lazy to pick up the slack and keep going. So that was awesome :) 

We have a activity this week. We are going to do a mini mtc again but here in Valle de Uco now. It's going to be awesome! It'll be a little different now and requiring that everyone goes out to talk and invite people. We are working a ton here in Tupungato. We have Valeria, Brissa, Maria, and Monica who are all close to baptism. They are working to get there. 3rd of december and 10 of dec. so we got to get to work! But who doesn't like a little work no??? jajaja. 

Well everything is going good with us. We came to get new glasses for my comp today so we are in Mendoza. We'll be heading back in 2 hours. so yea. I'm loving it here. Tupungato is like another city of Bolivia. I think almost everyone is from Bolivia. or their parents are from Bolivia. Kind of crazy but it's coool too. They work hard and are great people. But yea. That's what's happening with me right now. Everything is chill and full of work. Hope you guys are doing great. love you all!!!!

Con amor,

Elder Hakes

November 7, 2016

Hey mom!!!!

Ug... trying to think English and Spanish wants to come out... jajajja. Its been an awesome week!!!! We did an asado for my b day and a Sister from Lujan made a cake for me and E. Barrios brought it to the Meeting we had my b day in Mendoza. It was sooooooooo good.Well all of it jajja. We had asado for breakfast and lunch the next day jajaja. It was way good. 

In the Leadership meeting they decided that on Pdays we now cannot return to anterior areas to visit converts members no one.... :( Also they are not letting us buy Zone shirts from now on. So this is the last one I'll have. Here in Valle De Uco. but oh well. 

We also this last week destroyed the goals we had as a zone!! It was awesome!!! The mission found 82 more new investigators this week than our goal!!! That was awesome!! President Goates sent out a letter about being a Consecrated missionary and I think that's why a lot has changed. He is doing Meetings to talk about this in every zone. We have the meeting this Wednesday. He will also talk about pday.  I think they are going to change some things... I guess we'll see what this week jaja. 

We also had a baptism last week!!! It was awesome!! Oriana Fernandez got baptized. She has 9 years. Elder Astudillo and Camargo had activated the mom and I showed up to teach the daughter and then watch her get baptized. jaja. But we have a couple more in this next month!! It is going to be an awesome transfer :) 

I'm doing good. Having fun and working hard. what about you guys?? Getting ready for Thanksgiving?? Hope so! it's turkey time!! And by that I am not referring to cody this time ;) jajajaja. 

Hope you guys are doing great. Love you all a ton. 

Remember that reading the scriptures and praying everyday brings spiritual power into our lives and that we can be examples for others around us and help them to have this spiritual power and influence in their lives too. 

Love you and keep safe!! 

Con amor,

Elder Hakes