1/30/12

Aloha !!!!!!!! I have served around a few Hawaiian elders in the past little bit and they are making me fall in love with Hawaii. Elder Molina is the one who made me the "BOOMSHOT" shirt and he is a convert. His story is awesome, ill have to tell it someday. He is a very gifted artist.

And now, Elder Kahawaii is in my zone and he and another Elder Tanner serve in the same ward as Elder Rios and I. So we see them a lot. Elder Kahawaii is an awesome guy. He is from Oahu, and it is amazing there !!! The pictures Ive seen and the things I've heard sound like my kind of place. He told me I would fit right in there. He makes us rice all the time, its delicious !!!!!

So yesterday was my first day in a new ward and it was great !!! Bishop Robison came up to me before church started and asked if I would bare my testimony during sacrament meeting. So it was a good way for me to introduce myself to the whole ward.

I am really excited to be here. It was a little crazy at first being in a city again but it feels like home and I am really enjoying it. Some more responsibilities and more work but I am really enjoying having the opportunity to serve so many other missionaries. There is a pretty big Spanish district in our zone and they go to our same building. Elder Rios is a great guy and very good missionary. We have had some really good laughs already and are going to get along great. He has been in this area for a while now so I am a little bummed of the fact that he might not be here much longer. He is from San Antonio Texas !!!

Bruce R. McConkie's (I don't think I spelled that right) son is our stake president and is in our ward. I met his wife yesterday and she was very nice and gave a good firm hand shake. :] We have an investigator right now who has been an investigator for years. She is friends with the McConkies. We are feeling that it will not be long before she is ready for baptism. We had a great lesson with her last night.

OK, so I have a little story. There is this burger joint in the area that is very well known. Its called "Crave" and they have some very interesting/delicious burgers. One unique thing about it is the have a burger challenge called "The Three Little Pig" challenge. It is three HUGE burgers with a patty,ham.pulled pork, bacon, cheese, and fried onion straws !!! No missionary has been able to do it. You get 45 minutes to accomplish it. So after district meeting this week ... I TOOK THE CHALLENGE !!!! If you dont finish it, it cost 25 bucks !!!! So I went in there with the mind set that failure is not an option and I am a machine !!!!!!!!!!!! HAHAHAA !!!!! IT ... WAS ... SOOOOOOOO HARD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe how tough it got at the end and the waitress didn't think I could do it !!!! ... BUT I DID !!!!!!!!!!!! With 2:16 left on the clock !!! I got a t-shirt and my picture taken to put on their wall. Only like 15 people have done it. I did it for my fellow brethren. It has brought many of them joy ! I am now a legend. HAHAHAAHAHA !!!!!! But I felt absolutely misserable afterwards !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would never do it again !!!!

HA !!! Well, love you all. I love that Bubbas loves to wrestle, i just knew he would !!! :] I can feel your pain Maa. I have tendinitis in my left hand and it is painful !!! Anyways, LOVE you all !!!!!!!!

Hope that was long enough for you Maa ;]

Tell Stacy I love her !!! Thanks




Elder Hathcock

AkA "Soldier of God"

1/24/12

I am sorry Maa, but it is going to be another short letter. I am being transferred to the "Colorado Springs Zone" and I am going to be a zone leader. I am a little stressed but I know it will be a great new chapter in my mission. My companion (Elder Rios) is a really good missionary and I am pumped he will be my comp. It is really hard leaving Rye. I never thought it would be as hard leaving an area in my mission as it was to leave home. Its crazy !!! I got so much love from the members here, it really has brought me so much joy. I am also bummed that I will not be here for Tommys baptism, but he understands.

Love you all.

And Maa, you can send the letters to the mission office. :]

p.s. tell Stacy I LOVE HER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Elder Hathcock

AkA "Soldier of God"

1.17.12

Hello !!! Glad to hear all is well, I have been sick the past few days.

Tommy was not baptized, he was not ready so we are doing all we can to help him, he is a really great guy.

Tell Tara I got her letter and little Logan looks so cute !!! Love you Floff !!!

Please tell Judy Baca that I got her letter and it meant so much to me, and tell her i love her.

I will be getting transferred next week but don't know where yet.

The church is true !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love you all !!!!!!

Elder Hathcock
AkA "Soldier of God"

BOOMSHOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

1.9.12

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING EVEYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a beautiful day !!! About 40 degrees out right now and the sun is shining !!!

We decided to have Tommy's baptism this Sunday after stake conference. It will be great cause there is a "new member" fireside prior to stake conference and that will be great for him to go to. He was really sick yesterday and couldn't come to church. We went by and saw him and gave him a blessing. He is doing great though !!!!! He has such a strong testimony of the restored gospel. He is reading the Book of Mormon everyday and praying and he says he feels his faith getting stronger and stronger !!!

There was a baptism service this past Saturday and Tommy came. One of the Benz families little boys (Brock) was baptized as well as little Sierra Porter (our relative). It was really cool cause i got to meet some more of our relatives ! I met two of Virgils daughters (Jolee and Kathleen). It was great cause Kathleen turned to her husband and said, "This is FBI Bens son." HAHAHA !!!!!

It was cool too cause brother and sister Benz asked Elder Chaput and I if we would be the " witness' " and also stand in on the confirmation ! I love the Benz family, it is going to be hard to leave those kids of theirs someday. I love being a missionary !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope everyone is doing well, I love you all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I loved the Christmas stuff Maa !!! I forgot to tell you how much I loved it all ! The cd is great !!! And yes, I got the electric shaver and it is really nice !!!!!!!!!!!! I am writing Stacy today about it. Tell Pop that I did get his letter and it was totally inspired because that day in our District Meeting we discussed ch. 8 of Preach My Gospel and it was awesome !!!! Love you Pop !!!!!!!!!!!




Elder Hathcock

01.02.12

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am pumped about this year that lies ahead !!!!!! So many goals and things to accomplish !!!!!

Tommy came to church yesterday and had a GLORIOUS experience !!!!! It was amazing cause he shared an experience in our class of when we first came across him. He was walking from some apartments and we approached him and i talked to him. I asked if we could come by his home in the near future to share a message and he was hesitant at first but then agreed. He went on to tell us that he was going to decline at first but then something told him to say yes. He was on his way to get ahold of an old "friend" to get him a ride to Florida which would have put him back in a bad situation that he didnt want to be in. After we had met him he called the "friend " and told him nevermind. He went on to say how happy he is that he did that cause he has been praying a lot and reading the Book of Mormon and he keeps having really good feelings about everything. It strengthened my testimony so much of how the Lord puts us in places where we need to be, to be instruments in his hands. The Holy Ghost was what Tommy had telling him to meet with us and now he is preparing to be baptized this Saturday. His humility has brought him to where he is today and now he is taking the first step to coming closer to our Savior. Then preparing himself to enter the Lords holy temple someday.

I was so grateful for the opportunity/blessing I had to go to the Denver Temple on the 28th of December. It was a great reminder of the covenants I have made and also where i want those who I help find the truth of the gospel, prepare to enter. It helped me keep my focus on "the eternal perspective." I testify that our Father in Heaven lives and loves us all and that his son Jesus Christ is our savior and redeemer. The Holy Ghost is what testifies of these truths to us. Knowing these things have changed my life and continue to change my life for the better. You cannot compare this kind of happiness with anything else.

I pray that all of you have a blessed new year. I LOVE you all !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Elder Hathcock