4/25/11

Hey !!! Things are going good. We are struggling a little bit to find investigators right now but I know there is a miracle right around the corner. Amanda was confirmed and received the gift of the holy ghost yesterday !!! It was gloooorious !!! Our Easter service was pretty desolate yesterday. :[ But the talks were excellent !!! We didn't have anyone set up to feed us on Easter but we gave sister Laburtus(an older lady in the branch) a call and she ended up making us dinner which was really nice of her. We were very thankful and we were starving ! Its been kind of tough lately cause we have been doing a lot of tracting, well... we always do a lot of tracting but we did even more this past week. But we keep on trucking !!! Tell Amanda Tusa, it might be a bit before I write her back but I did get her letter and loved it ! Tell Stace that I have been really busy the last two weeks but am writing her today(love you Toots). I feel bad cause I dont have much time to write everyone back immediately when I get there letters but I will write back eventually ! I PROMISE !!! ... I miss Zoey !!! HAHAHA ! I think I am gonna buy some short sleeve white shirts today even though it still hasn't warmed up much here and is raining right now. President Anderson is from what I've heard "a big man," and is a spiritual giant ! President Pfile was actually his bishop a long time ago. President Pfile told me in my interview that there isn't a better man that he would want to take over this mission. So I am excited to meet him. This Easter was a special one for me cause I actually realized the importance and special day Easter is. The time that we remember the Saviors resurrection and what I pondered on and was thankful for was the opportunity that I will have to be resurrected because of my Saviors sacrafice as well as everyone who has lived and ever will live. We all have been given the gift of being resurrected. I never thought my faith would be so tested while being here on a mission... but it has also been strengthened. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ everyday and know that by living his gospel we will have happiness in this life and even more happiness in the life to come ! We can't even comprehend !!! We can use skype but Im not sure if I will have that available, I will let you know when it gets closer. Glad you all had a good Easter ! Thank you for all your prayers,love, and support.
Love you all !!!!


Love, Elder Hathcock

4/19/11

Had a good week. They asked Elder Andersen and I to both speak on Sunday and our talks went very well. The branch gave us a lot of love afterwards. It has been an awesome experience to see the branch build unity and gain trust in us missionaries. They have been doing a lot more in helping the work move forward. It was funny cause the branch president (President Rose) came up to me Sunday and said, "I have been thinking about what I can do to fix your ears the past couple of weeks... and I think I have figured it out." HAHA Im was pumped and told him my Maa would be so happy if I came home and my ears were fixed (He is a doctor, if I haven't mentioned that). But we'll see. I really love the Rose family, they have us over for dinner every Tuesday and it is always delicious. We had our last interviews yesterday with President Pfile. He gave me some really good council and told me how great the new mission president (President Anderson) is and I am looking forward to meeting him. My testimony grows stronger everyday through the tests of my faith. I am so grateful for the scriptures and the strength and power we are able to have in life by reading and pondering them. I have really been strengthend by (1 Nephi 3:7) lately. It helps me when things get tough, knowing that God would not ask us to do anything if there were not a way provided to accomplish it. Im so glad to hear that youth conference was a great experience. I am not surprised to hear that Stacy was there helping, she has been a great example to me in the importance of serving. It was so great to have my patriarchal blessing finally !!!! So many things that I needed to be reminded of and guided to do. Love you all !!!!!!!!!!! Remember to do the little things everyday that will give you strength and keep God smiling down upon you :]

P.s. It was so great, I got a package of goodies and a letter from the Parkers !!! Laura knows the key to my heart is through keeping me fed ! :] I love and miss the Parkers a lot.

P.s.s I weighed 308 lbs in the MTC and yesterday I weighed 270 !!!!! GEE GOLLY HUH?! HAHAHA

4/11/11

We had a really great week ! We started teaching a less active members (Sudden) friends. We taught his girl friend and two of his friends, they are all 18 to 19 years old. Really great kids with good hearts. None of them made it to church yesterday though. :[ Its ok though, they'll make it next week. Amanda was baptized yesterday !!! It was a gloooorious service ! She had to get dunked 5 times because the baptismal suit kept floating up ! Poor thing, but she was a good champ about it. Its been so cool to see the change that has come about her. She is just always smiling. Elder Andersen and I both woke up sick yesterday with sore throats and all that good stuff. I'm feeling worse today, I'm glad its P-day. We think we got sick from helping this lady move a bunch of stuff out of her basement that had RAT POOP everywhere !!!!!! She is a "hoarder". I was trying so hard to show love... it was tough. I'm freaking out now, because someone said you can get a disease from in-hailing rat poop !!! Anyways, this newly married couple (Charlie and Stephanie Overbay) that have been here in the branch visiting his parents for the past few months, made me my "greanie meal" yesterday(I took pictures). They have been on break from school. They go to BYU, Idaho. Everything they made was green. It was funny, they are a nice couple and it was sad to say good-bye because it was there last Sunday here. Everything is going good for the most part other than being sick. I love being a soldier of God ! I love and miss you all everyday !!!!!!!!! This is the church of Jesus Christ, and it blows my mind everyday how much joy it has brought into my life ! Love, Elder Hathcock

4/5/11

That is so cool that aunt Jill passed through Colby !!! I miss Bubbas and Bkua sooooo much !!!!! I love that Aidan hugged Zoey ! Conference was AMAZING !!!!!! The first time I have ever watched all sessions and actually payed attention too ! HAHAA I can't believe how much I have missed out on !!! We watched them at the church building on a big screen, it was cool. The sessions on Saturday were just Elder Andersen and I all alone, but it was nice. Then on Sunday we had three investigators at the 1st session !!!! It was great and afterwards the branch had a pot luck ! Soooo good ! It was so cool to hear one of our investigators (Amanda) say that when the Prophet spoke, she got chills and knew that he was the prophet of God ! Loved hearing that !!!!! She will be getting baptized this coming Sunday !!!! WOO HOO !!!!!! I just found out that I am staying in Colby with Elder Andersen !!!! So pumped cause we have work to do and miracles are happening here in Colby ! Tell Racho I love and miss her soooo much !!!!!! That will be a great experience with the youth and is really cool that aunt Monica, Cory and Erica will be there with you. Really cool you met Tristen's parents, that was really nice what they said. Well I gotta get going, I love you all so much !!!! Conference really helped me realize how important it is that we serve others and DO NOT miss opportunities to share the gospel with others ! Love, Elder Hathcock Check out CONFERENCE Here!!!