pictures...

Abert squirrels

the church building

7.25.11

Those pictures are so great !!!! I love that Bubbas loves to play baseball !!!! He is getting so big ! And Bkua is sooooooo ADORABLE !!!!!!!!!! She needs to be in commercials !!!! HAHAHA

Things are going good !!! We have a young lady who is being baptized on the 7th of August. Her mom is a recent convert and is an amazing woman !!! She is already doing missionary work, it is cool to see.

I have to go to a meeting in Springs on Tuesday and I am a little nervous cause everyone in my district says that it is probably leadership training and that I will be called as a district leader since our district leader now is going home in a week and my comp is going home the 17th of August. So needless to say I am a little stressed out but I know the Lord will help guide me. I love and miss you all and am so grateful to be here in Rye.

Love, Elder Hathcock
AkA "Soldier of God"

PS: The stake center is about 45 minutes away. Could you send some more contacts in my package please? And a bandanna for when I do service so I don't get a bunch of nasty stuff in my mouth like I have been. And if possible a little CD case holder (like the ones with a zipper around it) thank you so much Maa !!! Love you

7.18.11

here is a letter in response to tammie's email:

Thanks Maa, it has been a pretty tough road but the life lessons I am learning are priceless. Especially the things I am recognizing about myself and the growth that is coming from it. It is amazing how the mission is structured. It is totally of God, seeing the way the gospel is such a blessing in life and how you truly do find out who you really are when you are serving the Lord. Thank you for your prayers, I truly do feel the power from them cause there are some days I have no doubt that the only way I made it through was from prayers and the Lord carrying me on.

Tell Rachel I miss her so much and that I think about her all the time and what a great example she has been to me in being a faithful daughter of God.

LOVE YOU RACHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--
here is his letter for the week:

It was a great week of finding those prepared for the gospel. We are currently teaching two families but neither made it to church. :[ Its alright though cause I know the Lord will help them. I got a letter from some of the girls at "girls camp" from the Murrieta stake. It was really sweet and wanted to thank them: Thank you Marlene(very funny letter), Callie, Julia, Lili Solis, Mackenzie Arnold, and Janessa C. Very sweet of you girls to write ! I am glad that Wes is ok !!! Had me worried for a minute. I told you to stop rubbing your eyes after you go # 2 !!! HAHAHA j/k, love you brother !!!!!! The Rye ward is amazing at fellowshipping and coming to lessons ! I am going to send some pictures of the building next week cause I forgot to bring the connection. It is the most beautiful surrounding of a building I have ever seen ! They had the youth "Trek" this past week and yesterday they shared their experiences and testimonies and it was a very sepcial meeting filled with the spirit. Oh ya, we had milk straight from the cow given to us and it ... is ... AMAZAZAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So good ! But at first the after taste tasted like hay. So that was interesting and made sense. But I have had the best tasting bowls of cereal ever this past week ! It has been very warm for this area and we are praying for rain. The picture of the guy with no teeth is David, he never would listen long enough when we tried to teach him but we had a good friendship. He is a character !!! JoJo would have loved this guy. I love you all and am always grateful for your prayers and love.

Love you all,
Elder Hathcock

pictures!!!!

7.11.11

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The big 53 huh ??? How do you feel ? ;] I hope you have a great birthday Mama !!! Well the reunion sounded like a great time, Im glad everyone returned home safely. Well... things are going good, we have two investigators that we are meeting with and miracles are in the making. Yesterday at church I taught the "Gospel Principles" class and it was on "Eternal marriage." There is a couple where the husband just started coming back to church and his wife was baptized right before I got here and they are amazing !!!! He is such a cool guy and makes the best bbq I have ever had in my life ! haha But it was really cool to see there testimonies being strengthened as they are preparing to be sealed in the temple some day. It also made me so thankful for the gospel and the opportunity I will have someday to be sealed to Stacy for not just this life but for eternity. The blessings that are available through a temple marriage is beyond our comprehension. It is without a doubt ordained of God. Then we were asked to talk about missionary work with the deacon and teacher quorums. It was a great experience and strengthened my testimony to see all these young men choosing the right and following Jesus Christ. The youth here are preparing to leave for the "trek." They leave on Wednesday and it is in Wyoming. The church is true and God is our loving Heavenly Father who has provided a way for us to be happy in this life and return to him someday.

Love you all and appreciate your prayers !
Elder Hathcock

I forgot to tell you ! We had interviews and President Anderson is incredible !!!! I love him and am looking forward to serving under his direction !!! He gave me some great counsel in my interview and he said he is so excited to serve with me and it made me feel great !!! His wife is a little shy but that will change Im sure.

7/5/11

Glad to hear everything is going good ! To answer your questions: There are a lot of less active members, we don't have any solid investigators right now, but we keep on trucking along. Elder McCord has 7 brothers and 1 sister and he is the third youngest. He goes home a month from today !! I'm gonna miss him cause we are having a good time together. The ward here is amazing !!! Tell Stacy to not worry cause we get fed a ton here and I am gaining weight back !!!! HAHA But we hike mountains when we tract and the elevation is not too shabby. I finally saw a bear !!!!! It was awesome !!!!!!! One of the families in the ward have a cow who just had its baby calf yesterday, it is so cool to see this little cow already walking around and stuff, and its really soft too ! For the 4th of July the ward had a breakfast and then we stopped by a few get together and basically got fed tons of food. While we were tracting yesterday, people were like, "its too hot for you boys to be out!" It cracks me up cause its amazing weather for July !!! It was a really good day for me yesterday because the 4th of July took on a whole new meaning for me. As we celebrate the day of our Independence I came to understand that, this day made it possible for the Restoration of the gospel to come about. This promise land was prepared for the great truths that we have today and I am so grateful to be an American and am grateful for those who serve in our military to defend our country. I love you all and am so very,very grateful for your love and support! Have fun at the reunion !!! Tell everyone that I love and miss them !!!

Love,
Elder Hathcock

More photos!

Tyler has been transferred to Rye, Colorado so here are some last shots of Kansas and some first few shots of Colorado, in no particular order. ENJOY!

6.27.11

Rye ... is ... AMAZING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe that I am here, it is so beautiful !!!! I guess it is the driest it has ever been here but it is still beautiful. There are deer everywhere ! There are also black bears all over but I have yet to see any. I have seen like 30 deer already, it is so cool ! They have a ward here !!! (about 150 active). Its weird being in a ward again but I'm loving it. Everyone is very nice, we get fed every night, and did I mention how beautiful it is ?!!!! HAHA

The ward is very missionary minded too, it is a whole new world !!! We have a family that we are teaching ! The church building is surrounded by trees and the mountains, it is GLOOOOOORIOUS !!!!!!

Elder McCord is the MAN !!!! He is a big ol' guy from Seaside Oregon. I could not ask for a better companion, we get along great and he is a funny guy who loves to sing all day long. I am so happy that the Lord has blessed me to be where I am. Our apartment is really nice, I have a view of trees and the mountains from my desk.

We drive a truck cause we hit a lot of dirt trails. But I am going to get in pretty good shape because we straight up hike when we go tracting, it is something else. There are a few beautiful lakes in our area as well.

I have met a few people in the ward who know some Hathcocks ! Its crazy ! A sister knew a Brandon Hathcock in Cedar City Utah. Another brother with the last name Reidhead was raised in Mesa and knew a Jim Hathcock and thinks he might know Pops, but he is a few years older than Pops. And another older brother knows some Hathcock's that are members in Colorado. Its a trip !

That's awesome about Cory possibly playing ball for BYU.

I love being a soldier of God and am so grateful for all the blessings that the gospel brings into my life and my family's !!! Those pictures of my niece and nephew are so cute !!!! The pool looks so refreshing ... (sigh) ... someday ! :]

LOVE YOU ALL !!!!!!!!

Elder Hathcock

6.21.11

Tammie sent Tyler a picture of Ellie Sue (her nephew Lance's new baby girl). Tyler also wrote his dad for Father's day and that note has been included.


Ellie Sue is so precious !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't have much time to talk, I am being transferred to Rye Colorado !!!!!!!! It is where Elder Darley just came from ! He was there for 10 months !!!!!!!! But I am very excited !!!!!!!!! Its a small place of like ... 600 people, but I hear it is in the mountains and very beautiful !!!!! It is tough leaving Colby, I love these people. But I know that Rye is where the Lord wants me. Girls camp sounded amazing !!!!! So glad it was a success !

Love you all !!!!!!
Love, Elder Hathcock
--

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY POP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Love you so much Pops, and am always mindful as a missionary of the great example you have been to me and what an honorable priesthood holder you have always been. Sunday I was touched by the spirit thinking of how humble of a man you are. I all the sudden realized how humble you are and how much that means to me and how it has been an example to me. I love you Pop !

Your son and soldier of God,
Elder Hathcock

6.6.11

It was a good week. Brent was confirmed yesterday and also ordained a priest and received the Aaronic priesthood ! His father Brad was there and things have been going really well with him. The Lord prepares those who are ready to receive this message. It has finally warmed up here in KS ! The branch is doing well and we are getting fed frequently now so I have gained back some weight !!! :[ HAHAHA but its good to have the branch's trust. That is so cool about Kerry's nephew getting called to my mission ! He is going to love it !!!!! Billy, one of our recent converts, bore his testimony yesterday at church and that was really cool to see. He is a very humble man, with a big heart. I continue to be amazed by the lessons you learn on a mission, it is the best thing I could have ever done !!!!! Home teaching/visiting teaching is so important !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please make sure that you all are making your very best efforts to accomplish these assignments from the Lord. The Trails moved to a new house in a smaller town about 8 miles from Colby. They are very excited about it ! That is so great that Yaya and Ben are moving to Murrieta !!!! Im so pumped about that !

Well ... I love you all and am so grateful for your love and support !!!! I am honored to be a soldier of God and want to remind us all how important prayer is (2 Nephi 32:8-9)... pray always !!!

Love, Elder Hathcock