September 20, 2012

Hola Familia, Como Estan? How are things out there in the states? You guys all doing good?

So this week/ this weekend.... Incredible, way good weekend and way good birthday.

Started off on thursday on my birthday. We leave the pench and head to a lunch appointment like normal, we get there and 2 of our member families are there , it was a lil suprise party for the birthday! It was way legit though, Hna fernandez made ninokes (this way good past stuff) and we were all just chillen. After we ate they bring out a cake and seriously the whole 9. It was awesome , like ill be real i started the day off not knowing, like my first birthday  away from my family. It was way good though like to have that support and the love of my ward family down here :) The 2 families pitched in as well and bought me a sweet messi Argintina Soccer Jersey, its way legit.

This weekend was way legit though. Friday we all went out to Ramos Majia on Capital for a big Devotion with.... Yup the 3 Apostles. It was way legit. Elder Christopherson Elder Ballard and President Iring all gave amazing talks about the importance of our call and the importnace of us teaching the people to repent. LIke it was pretty crazy, they all hit on repentese pretty hard and how we need to teach the importance of it to our investigaotrs. The talked about the temple too and the importance of it and everything, it was way legit though. The spirit was way strong. It was seperated out by zone and our zone had way good seats, It was in a chapel and of corse the overflow was open but we were like 7 rows from the stage, was awesome. Elder Christohperson speaks really good spanish and its crazy the conections they all have to Argentina. Elder Ballards Grandfather was the man that dediacated the lands of south Amaerica and opened them up for the missionary work of the church, so that was pretty cool and he was pretty emotional about that. When President Iring spoke thoguh like it was unreal, The Love that man has for the savior and like for the missionaries is unreal. LIke He gave the mst sincere talk about missionary work and how greatful he was for our service,The spirit was way strong! It was awesome thoguh.

ON saturday we all met back up in Capital and took buses over to the Stadium. The cultural event was in a soccer stadium of a really big  professionalteam here. The place was huge! And PAcked full of Members. LIke that for me was the sickest. LIke the member strngth there. LIke Idk numbers but there had to have been like atleast 30 thousand people there, the stadium was massive, you know haw seriouse the take soccer down here and it was almost full. The cultural activiity was way legit though, all Tons of kids form the stakes out here did dances and songs and stuff, way legit. LIke so cultural for Argentina and way crazy how many kids partisipates, they did say that, over 1500 kids were part of it. Close to the end all the missionaries walked out on to the field and sand Called To seve. All three missions were there and it was so legit. LIke 600 missionaries all in formation going onto the field. It was KNarly!

Sorry I dont have much time today guys, like i seriously couldnt even explain the half of this weekend and my birthday. We gotta run thoguh. Ill write a way longer emeail next week with more of the details and what not. KNow it was tight thoguh. LIke an unforgetable weekend full of celebration and happiness for the temple, and really full of the spirit.

KNow that you guys are always in my thoguhts and prayers, always. IM workin hard out here and am trying my best out here for you guys.  I sent out letters last week and im sendin more out this week so you should get em sooo. Hopefully ha ha. Love you guys tons. HAve an awesome week!

Sumer 2014!!!!

Aloha,

Elder Hawkey

September 3, 2012

Family, aww how are you guys? how are things out there  in the states?

Summer is just about over, hope you guys enjoyed it out there. ha ha tons of rain here and way muddy and stormy, buttttt its starting to get really nice, sunny and hot out here, so its things with the weather are changing for the better out here.

Its been a long wek, illl be real. A good week, but a long one. We been workin hard and gettin into alot of houses lately to teach so its been nice, wev seriously been running all over the place and like have little to no time to rest. Iv talked about it before but they dont really eat dinner here so we go straight from studies to a lunch with a member, finish around 1 and are out all day, till 9 30, walkin and prechin, sharing the gospel. We have some awesome investigators right now that are really progressing so its been nice.

So as ou guys have heard, new translado and im still holdin it down out here in Trujui with Elder Blackburn. Hes a good guy, were way different but we have a good relatiohnship and a way good teaching style together so i really cant complain about anything. Trujui is an awesome place, very succesful and alot of work to be dne. The ward here is absolutly crazy thouigh. Like idk if there could be such a thing as too suportie but they might be ha ha they help so much.

Seriously we have never made our own meal, members literally feed us for every meal, its awesome! Members are alwas going out with us too to teach and what not so its really nice to have them behind us in all we do out here.

Sandra and Mciela are doing really good, comin to church and seriously just as happy as can be, the familia Fernandez too. (those are the 2 families we baptized last transfer) Julio, the dad of the familia fernandez got the priesthood this past sunday so that was really cool, a really awesome experince for him and his fsamily. It wqas fast Sunday yesterday too and Sandra went up and bore like seriously the moist sincere amazing testimony that possiblty i have ever heard. Let a little tear out not gonna lie, but that was really awsome too, really special.

Right now we have some good porogressings that are way legit too, seriously so prepared. We have the kid named Agostine, 20 years old and seriosuly like unbeliable. He was a refrence from a member and the dude is seriosuly incredible, like hes had a hard life and had a pretty crazy life too. H was part a crazy little buracho out here like alot of kids and was involbved in some way bad stuff. >We  been teaching him alot though and liike the changes in this kid are apsolutly unreal. Hes come to church the past 2 sundas and we meet 2 or 3 times a wek, hes awesome though. We wre talking to his brother yesterday and he was saying how much hes changesçd since hes started to talk to us, iot was pretty crazy, really eye opening. His baptism is scheduled for the 22nd of September. Same day as Grama :) Its gonna be a good day, definetly one that i waont foprget.

Other than that just holdin it down out here. This weekend is the big one!  day pachanga!!!!! Friday at 4 were all mting at church headqurters for a special runion fireside with the general autorities!!! Its gonna be tighht. Its president Iring, Elder Ballard and Elder Chrsitopherson! what! Not  a big deal. Were pretty stoked for that . The day after 2 on saturday all 3 missions in buesnos Aires are going to the culture Celebreçaction thing! over 500 missionaries, were part of the`performance thing too, i hear its a big stadium and were all going out on the floor, thats what i hear, vamos a ver ( well

see) though. Its gonna be a weekend for the books thoguh. Sunday is the actual dedication of the temple and were all going to that too! So we got alot of stuff to do this week, alot of work to get done before friday cause were loosing some pretty big nd pretty prime teachoing hours. Its gona be tight thoguh!

Thats preety much it out here, im workin hard, surving, and making you guys all proud out here.... Oh ya, im turning 20 this week. ha ha Wow, like just thinking about that blows my mind. IM a straight up old man, lke not a teenager anymore and like an actual adult! seriously where has the time gone.  IM stoked for my birthday though should be fun..

Ward has a little dinner noche de hogar planned for me so it should be awesome. Well take lots of pictures ! Sorry about that too btw, pictures take forever to load and we dont get much time, i promise you guys will get some soon! Ill jhae Claudia send em too you off my card !

I find my self asking that question alot though, where has the time gone, ha ha tommorrow Will be my 5 month aniversary on the mission!

That for me is crazy, like it seems like i just left, but thaçen at the same time it seems like iv been out here for 2 lifetimes. ha ha missions are crazy, theyll do that to you.

I want you guys to know how much you mean to me thoguh, like tou guys açseriously mean the world to me. Were legit on opposite sides of the world but you guys are always with me. Always. ALways in my thoguhts, my prayers, and in my heart. I waqnt you guys to know that im making you proud out here, obeying the rules, and working hard, and staying strong. If there is one thi ng i want you guys to know most it is that I know that the message that we share is true. LIke without a doubt in my mind. This message of the restored gospel litterally changes lives ( iv seen it in the people iv had the prialge of teaching, and in my

own) seriously this Gospel blessss lives in ways that i never een thought were possible. LIke really thats all i can say, its something you just have to experience. Goinog on a mission was the best desision ever thoguh, thats a fact! Its hard, but seriously the best thing i could eer be doing right now.

If you guys have some time here is somne verses that reallty stuck out in my studies this week, check em out, some way good ones:

Alma 32:43

Words of Mormon 1:7

Alma 30:9

Alma 26... Whole chapter, focus on vrses 11 and 12 Alma 18: 34-35 D&C 64 29-31 & 34

Love you guys, always remember that, I have been sendoin out mail too, so hopefully you guys have or will be getting it soon, i have a stack of letters too that are going out first thing tomorow.

Hvae an awesome week, say your prayers, know im thin kin about you, be good, and have fun!

Aloha,

Your Son, brother, Boyfriend, ssoon to not be teenager, and elder

Elder Hawkey

!Vive Argentina!!!

August 27, 2012

Hey whats going on guys? how is everything with the best family in the world?

I hope all is well and that you guys are enjoying your summer and havin fun out there.

Aww things out here have been good, finally got some mail from you guys last week :) ha ha it was a couple letters that were adress from like the end of july. I really am on the other side of the world out here, and stuff i guess takes a while to get out here though. Thank you guys so much for the stuff i did get though like seriously it made my transfer, some way good letters that really hit me in the heart. I love you guys so much , you guys are awesome. A guy couldnt ask for more.

So i gotta a lotta good stories but im gonna keep you all on edge till next week to hear em :p ha ha im gonna write you guys individual emails today instead, so be expecting.

Sent you guys all out letters last week too so yoiu should get that soon... hopefully.

Baptism this weekend was a huge success, prolly one of the most spiritual experiences iv ever had. it was way awesome. Ill tell you guys all about it thoguh.

First transfer over here is over and transfer meeting is on wendsday, who knows whats gonna happen, vamos a ver! All around solid transfer thogh, i feel like im finally gettin used to things out here and things with my trainer were pretty good. We had alot of success from our hard work ending the transfer with 6 baptisms, it was awesome. To help these people to come unto christ, like to be a part of that is undescribable, the best feeling in the world, Such a privallage and honor to be able to teach these people out here and help them to strngthen their relationship with our savior. Spanish is comin along ha ha i have alot to learn but i can handle my own with the people down here.

I hope you guys know your in my thoughts and prayers though, seriously you guys are the best family friends and girlfriend in the world. Hope all is well and that you guys have an awesome week. Be good and have fun. Miss you guys!

Lovin the mission!............ SUMMER 2014!!!

Aloha,

Elder HAwkey

Summer 2014

August 20, 2012

Hola Familia! Como Andan?

How are things out in the states? enjoying summer? Hawaii? Work? Whats up with one of my buddies gettin baptised? i was confused at that. Iv been thinkin about you guys alot though this week, more than normal, about everything. I Love you guys like crazy and am so greatful for you all, each one of you individually, i hope you guys know that. How much you guys really mean to me and how much support you really are to me.

Awww this week, where to begin. ha ha This week was a struggle for me, not gonaa lie, like a pretty rough week. To start off im sayin this just to keep you guys informed and honestly to give you guys some laughs, dont worry though, about anything, (espesially you momma), IM doin just fine and it looks like ill live lol.

So this friday I got sick, really sick, we were sittin there eatin lunch with a member and it just hit me.. I stood up and didnt know where to go , i see the bathrrom, run to it and just loose it ha ha just threw up everywhere. I felt so bad but like there nothing i could do about it. So we gett everything cleaned up and the member , seriously the nicest lady ever says it will help for me to et more so she preeety much peer pressudçres me to eat a huge plate of pasta right after. IM feelin alright and thought it was just the one time, nope. After lunch were tracting, and of corse its pouring rain, were clappin houses and it just hits me again, Long story short, that friday was the longest day of my life ha ha we had to get lessons cause the next day wed be going to the temple so we codnt go back to the appartment. It was a knarly day full of alot of throwing up and something the say all missionaries experience atleast once on their mission.... ill let you guys think about that one andf take it as you think, it was aweful though and hopefully something i dont have to experience again..... Idk what happened but it got too me, i had a fever and what not but these past 2 nights iv gotten really good sleeps so im doin beeter, we got some medicine and it looks like everythiung is gonna be alright, argentina will do that too you thoguh, wreck you ha ha

For every hard part thoiugh there is an oppopsite, like an absolutely amazing part. That makes everything all worth it, all the hard tmes...s this saturday we got to go to the open house for the temple. It was incredible, seriously one of the coolest most awesome experiences of my life. The temple is pretty far from Trujui so we had to take 2 buses and a train each way to get there but let me tell you, so worth it. We took la familia Fernandez, our resent completed member family and therie kids, our ward mission leadr, and Sandra and her daughter ( Investigators who are gettin baptised this Saturday) So were rollin in there with a big group, 12 of us traveling for 2 and a half hours to get to the temple.... The temple here, seriosuly indescribable, like the most beautiful thing i have evr seen. like as sson as we saw it in sight on the bus i shed a little tear, like wev been planning this for so long and seriously iv ever since my call iv been waing to see it in person. So we get there and go through all together, an amaazing tour throughout the whole buidling, the font, the endowment room, the cealing room. It was amazing. LIke the renevations are absolutly incredible, its like the most beautiful place iv ever been, like no joke, so shook and classy but like modern too, with a tough of like the argentine culture, it was awesome. As we were about o finish we had the privilage of all going into the celestial room. We got to sit there for a couple minutes and just enjoy it, it was so legit. Seriously the Sprit was so strong throughout our whole trip but like in that room it was somethin else, like seriously indescribable. Sandra absolutely loved the whole thing and was so facinated with the idea of temples, it was awesome. The famila Fernandez tambiem fue muy interested and absolutely loved it. Their planning in a year to go in and all get sealed together too... seriously that whole experience was incredible, and so rewarding. LIke we all felt the sprit so string and it was way good for these people to be able to do this. Seriusly legit! were gonna have to come back to this temple as a familia seriously its amazing. We took lots of pictures too so ill be sendin out my memory card here pretty sson for all you guys.

Sandra: Shes like our main investigator right now and her and her daughter are seriously amazing. So prepared for us and so reseptive to like everything. They are awesome thoguh and like really see the importance of this in the long term scale. They have alot of dificulties and struggles in their life but seriously they both have so much faith and are so down to earth. Sandra is like 45 and seriolusly the most down to earth lady ever. So nice and seriously a miracle in every way..... They come to church every sunday and are gettin baptisd this saturday the 25th! its gonna be awesome, were way stokied for it nd she is way excited to be a member and to get comfirmed. Sooo if you guys happen to be in Buenos Aires ArGentina this saturday make your way on out to  the Trujui chapel at 6 30 ha ha Its gonna be legit, seriosuly i wish you guys could be here for this, like you have no idea how prepared nad awesome this lady is.

Other than gettin sick this wekend things are gonig really good. IM lovin it out here and workin hard as ever. MIssions are crazy, like how much you learn and howe much you go through but seriously its all part of the experience. Its beeen rain preety hard all the time but they say summer is comin sson so that should be a nice change, thats my only complaint, the rain ha ha. IM lovin it out here and just livin the dream, mkin you guys all proud out here.

I hope you guys know how much I love you and care about you. You guys are constantly on my mind andf always in my prayers. I talk about you guys all the time sand seriously some of the mebers and investigatiors like love you guys, and they dont even know you ha ha You guys are the best though, thats a fact.

HAve a good week, say your prayers, dint do anything dumb, but most important have fun.

Summer 2014!!!!!

Aloha,

Elder Bryce HAwkey

August 13, 2012

Hola Familia! ¿Como Andan?

How is everyone? Things out in Tucson? out in Yuma? Hawaii? How you guys been?

Things here have been awesome, workin hard like always out here in Trujui. This past week was pretty good. We didnt have as much success as we hoped for but an all around good weeek.  We came up a little short on some of our goals but we found some new investigators and things with our progressors are gong really well. We have this lady Sandra, her and her 2 kids are getting baptised on the 25th and their seriosuly amazing, so prepared and so like spiritually in tune. We go over to her house the other day a little before our appointment and her and here 12 and 13 year old kids are reading the scriptures together at the table, It was awesome! LIke the best feeling in the world , like to see her family doing this together. The gospel is such an amazing thing, it seriosuly does change people, espesially families!

Sturday: We had our baptism for the familia FRENANDEZ!!!!!!! It was way legit, along with the conformation the next day was like one of the most spiritual experiences iv ever had. It was awesome because like for the actual baptism the ward helped out so much and like everyoine was included and like genuinly was there to get everythig ready for this special night, to welcome these peolpe into our ward family. THe dad and 2 of the kids got baptised , completing their whole family as members of the church. The dad Julio has had some major struggles in his life and through this whole process but to see him like finally get to this day that hes been waing for, like rocked my world. As we were helpin him get into the baptism cl0oths he bore like the most genuine and heartfelt testiomony to me and my companion about how grestfully he was for this. MOments like that seriously make all the hard time worth it. All the walking, the rejections, everything, Worth it. After he came out of the water his smile and the smile of the whole family was absolutely pricelss! They were so happy. After the service we had some nice talks and a welcoming into the ward. We took lots of pictures  so keep an eye out for those, ill be sendin out my memory card soon. The next day in church during the comformation, like seriously incredible. The spirit was so strong and like an almost sereal experience for us all. LIke after the blessing I just looked up and Blackburn and we just knew, like it was crazy. We like literally just gave this man the most preciosue and pricelss gift ever, but it wasnt even us, it was the Lord giving him this gift, through us. LIke i cant even describe how amazing that was. SOmething that like you never forget, no matter what.

Things between me and Elder Blackburn are goingn pretty good. ha ha our personalities are pretty different but were getting along well. no big problems. Hes a way funny guy and a way good missionary. He is from iowa so .. you know what that means ha ha bUt I love this guy to death. Were workin hard and doin work out here in the best mission in the world!

So its the end of winter here and the really rainy part of the year. It rained alot this wek, close to every day and a couple of days it was coming down prety hard. Its funny caus elike theres not draining systems for the water so it just piles up in the streets, like little lakes. HA ha when its actually rainng too it gets pretty insane, The hils and the streets are  seriously like rivers. Iv got some good pictures you guys will love! seriosuly though, that rain coat a few times has literally saved my life. like when it rains here it poours and it gets pretty cold too. IM surving though.

Were planning our temple visit for this saturday so were pretty stoked for that. Were bringing like 6 of our investigators along with la familia Fernandez so it should be a good time. I hear its absolutely spectacualar. LIke thats all any member of the church talks about down here so its gonna be sweet to finally see for myself. From our area its like a 2 hour ride on colectivo (bus) each way but i know itll be worth it ! Ill be sure to take lots of pictures.

Missions are crazy, like you grow up so fast and learn so much about not only the gospel but yourslelf. They make you apreciate the small things and really everything. I want you guys to know how truely thankful I am for each one of you individually . LIke You guys seriosuly mean the world to me. I think and pray for you guys alwyas and seriosuly miss you so much. Thats the thing though like thats crazy! Like I know this is where i need to be and i know that its hard for us all but like literally there is no better thing I could be doing for me life right now. I wish so bad that i could see you guys but like I know thwçere is a time and a place for everything. Right now is my time to serve and to help the peope of Argentina come unto Christ the best way I can. When I do get to see you guys though itll honestly just make it that much better..... Summer 2014!!!! Gonna be sick!!!!! KNow that I nlove you guys like crazy and am makin you all proud out here.

I hope you all have a great week, wherever you may be in the world. Say your prayers, be good, work hard, but make sure to have fun. Thats all i wish for you guys. Thats my modo and its workin pretty good for me out here. IM surving the Argetin Experience and IM lovin it. IM literally in a whole new world down here ha ha Well for sure have to come back here as a family when i get back, like theres so much stuff that i cant even begin to explain.BUt once your here youl see for yourself and just know ha ha

See you guys soon.

Con AMor,

Elder Bryce Hawkey