Elder Hartvigsen-- August 29, 2011

hey everyone!

wow there is just so much to talk about! today is my pday so you can expect emails

on mondays. i really like it here, i am in my own apartment with my companion elder

Judd. we are one of about 10 companionships that have they're own apartment, so we

are kinda rare. we are also an all biking area, so i am on my bike most of the day,

we bike a good 15 to 20 miles everyday. its pretty intense! its nice though cause

now i get to get in shape for once!! my left leg isnt bothered by pedaling at all

since i used my left leg to push on my skateboard, but my right leg constantly burns

as i ride my bike. my area is the shadle park area, we cover one ward, the shadle

park ward. we are in north spokane city. it reminds me alot of grandmas neighborhood

in cedar, our whole area is pretty much like that.

i really like my companion, he has been here for a year and he really helps me grow.

i was able to invite someone to be baptized last night, her name is Shalanda, she

is this big black lady who is large n' in charge. she is really looking for the

truth though, it was really neat being able to invite her to be bapitzed and the

spirit was super strong. my favorite thing is seeing the spirit work on people and

see them want to come to Christ. i have to admit that i really miss the luxury of

having a ton of food at home, cause at times the cuppords are pretty bare. i make

due though. we have alot of people on date for baptism right now, and yesterday i

even got to confirm someone a member of the church during sacrament, it was a super

neat experience. anyways i really like it out here, and i am really exctied to be

able to help real people now, we do alot of service work for people, and im really

glad that my up bringing included alot of service, because it makes it alot easier

here. there are so many good people on this earth that are craving the word of God,

its such a privelge to be out here serving the Lord, and help bring those people

what they are looking for. i love you all! thank you for the support, my address is

3315 W. Bismark #4 Spokane, WA 99205. you can send my letters and packages directly

to that address becuase i am going to be there for atleast 12 weeks. we are on this

new training program that at the end of 12 weeks i can be training new missioniaries

myself, its rigirous, but really cool. anyways, i love you all!!


-Elder Hartvigsen

Elder Matthew Whittle-- Aug 29, 2011

Hola Madre! Thanks for the email. It's nice to have some communication with the outside world haha. I'm glad you're enjoying the country music haha. The language is coming great. I'm able to understand a lot of what our investigators are saying and I can communicate back fairly well. I'm glad everything is going ok back at home. I was able to see elder moore and got the watch and liscense. Thanks! Could you please send me my pearl snap shirts? I miss wearing those. I would like them for lounging shirts. I could also use some more t shirts, and another pair of soccer shorts for gym time, and my purple sweater if you can find it:) Thanks mom. I love you so much and think about you everyday. I'm so grateful for this oppurtunity to serve the lord. I love it here in the MTC. My distrito is amazing. The spirit is so strong and we're still able to have a lot of fun. I love the Temple too! We have been able to go to the Temple twice so far, and the spirit there is incredible. I read the Book of Mormon all day yesterday and I'm already almost to Alma. It's crazy how much more I'm getting from it here in the MTC. All I want to do is just sit down and read in the Book of Mormon. It's incredible. I get to play soccer with Elder Terry everyday because we have the same gym time everyday. It's awesome. la iglesia de JesuCristo de los santos de los ultimos dias es verdadero y fue resteraro mediante la profeta Jose Smith. JesuCristo es mi salvador y ustedes. I love you! Vaya Con Dios. (That's our motto. Go With God! District 12)

Love your Elder Whittle



Hola Padre. Gracias por ustedes testimonio. Could you please send me Garretts adress? I need to write him. Thanks for getting the missionaries for cho. I just sent him a letter today reminding him that he promised me he would listen to the korean missionaries if they showed up, and also bearing my testimony of this gospel. Thanks for taking care of cherry for me. could you mail me some pictures of her. I would like some for my room. Things are going great here. I know what you mean about not being afraid to testify to anyone and everyone. I know the joy that comes from bearing testimony and the power we recieve. I have a great companion and he says to tell you hi as well and yes he does believe in the holy ghost. I was able to see elder moore but I forgot to ask him about the trip. I will ask him nextime I see him. I know this is a great work that I get to be a part of and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve my Savior with all my heart. Love you

Love Elder whittle

Sister Alex Hartvigsen---Aug 29, 2011

Hi Everyone i hope that you are all having a good week. This week has been really

good. On Thursday we able to have some really good lessons with 2 investigators and

a member who is less active. On Wednesday we met with a women and taught her about

the Holy Ghost and how we can recieve personal revelation through the Spirit. We

then met with a women and her daughters and taught them about the Atonement, Faith

and Repentance. The mom has been attended church for the past several weeks and has

had a baptismal date before but she didn't feel like she knew enough. We are

planning on setting a date with her during our next meeting. On friday we were not

able to have any lessons but we were able to contact some referrals and do our

planning for the week . On Saturday we met with a women who is less active and her

daughter and taught them about how the gospel blesses families. We also met with a

recent convert and talked about charity and the atonement. On Sunday a family of

recent converts came into the Visitors center and watched Mountain of the Lord and

we taught about the importance of temples and temple ordinances.


In my gospel study this week I came across a scripture in the end of 3 Nephi 13. It

talks about how we need to focus on serving the Lord today and not become

preoccupied or distracted by the future. This really helped me bring everything into

perspective. This last week was hard because we thought that we were going to be

moving and for a time I wasn't sure how we could do it and still be obedient to our

miles limit but when I read that i was once again reminded that this is not my work

but that it is the Lord's and as I focus on what He has asked me to do today, the

things that relate to tomorrow will work themselves out. It did end up working

itself out. We got a phone call a few days later from the mission housing

coordinator who told us that he was going to move another set of sisters into where

we were going to live and that we would be staying in our apartment and some other

sisters will be moving in with us. It works out so much better especially because we

found out yesterday that our Spanish ward will be combining some classes like

primary and YM/YW with the English ward that our new roommates cover.


Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak in Sacrament meeting in Spanish. My talk

was on missionary work and why I decided to serve a mission. I think it went pretty

well. It is my 2nd time speaking in this ward since i got here 6 months ago and I

think my Spanish has improved a lot since then. Right now I only cover part of one

spanish ward the Liahona 4th ward. Spanish missionaries around here usually cover

just one ward or even just part of one ward (my ward has 3 sets of missionaries and

covers the geographical area of 3 stakes) The work is going really well. I can't

believe that it is almost September. Time is going by so fast. I'm getting stronger

and a little faster on bikes and even the heat doesn't usually feel that bad most of

the time. Life is really good.


I love you all. Have a wonderful week!

Love Hermana Hartvigsen

Elder Josh Terry- Aug 29, 2011

Hello family!

Looks like another week has gone by. So crazy. Dad said it best when he said that the days go slow but the weeks absolutely fly by. So, I guess I will tell you what an average day is at the MTC. Wake up at 6:15, go get in the shower and get ready for the day. Then you leave the residence to be to class at 6:55. you then have personal study from about 7 to 8:15 then you have breakfast until 8:50. then, depending on the day you will either go teach a fake investigator from the community that comes in or you will have companionship study. After that we have lunch at 1 oclock. we then have class for 3 (hours), then personal study for an hour, then dinner for half hour. then we end the day with another 3 hour class. By the time 9:30 comes around I cant wait to get back to the room and go to bed by 10:30, even though that is really our only time to really unwind. You would think that being constantly so busy would get really old after a while but I love it.

Natalie to answer your question I leave on the 6th of September, Nate's birthday! Haha looks like you will get a happy birthday phone call. :)

So, interesting story. Nate and dad, do you remember that kid on the plane ride home from Alaska? Elder Christiensen? Well, he just got to the MTC Wednesday and he is in my zone. So crazy. And what makes it more funny is that we had a branch counsel leadership meeting and the departing district couldn't come so it was just the 2 district leaders from the zone. So I walk in to the meeting and there is Elder Christiensen. Just him and I in that meeting. I never would have guessed that on our plane ride home a few weeks ago. Small world. Oh and tell Steve Eller that people are freakin out about his book. I have had everyone from my district say they want one haha. Even the branch presidency said that. Before I forget, the plaque scripture that I want is DC 68:4-6. I hope that's right, I have read so many lately :) it's the one that in verse six talks about being of good cheer.

I want to thank everyone who has been sending me letters. you have no idea how important that is out here. I love it. and it's fun because as district leader I get to go pick up the mail. It's a very exciting part of the day :) and mom, yes I am getting your dear elders. I love it. So yesterday I had an interesting experience. I was feelin a bit homesick on Sunday just because during sacrament I was thinking about you all back home and how much I love you. I had the distinct impression that at that moment someone somewhere was praying for me. I have never felt it quite so strongly. So I want to thank you all for your prayers. It really does help. especially when sometimes you start to feel alone.

My companion and I are getting along pretty well. He's a nice enough guy. However, he doesn't really like to associate with the rest of the group which is kinda annoying. and his teaching style is different than mine. We have been on some interesting tangents...,oh, and the fact that he spent 5 hours writing letters last pday. Wow.. oh well I kinda understand. I want to communicate as much as I can. So I have seen Matt (Whittle) about 6 times a day! We have all the same eating times and gym times and I see him walkin around a lot. He is so great. I love him. And I saw Corbin (Moore) 3 times yesterday! I usually don't see him so everytime I give him my goodbye in case it is my last for the next 2 years. I can't wait for the rest of the crew to get out here. The district has come a long way. It is sometimes hard to manage them because they get so roudy but I started doing 2 interviews with them a week and it has really made them be better seeing as they know I am going to be checking up on them in a few days. They are a good bunch. Some of the just need to remember why they are here and who they represent. I want to leave you with a scripture I read yesterday when I felt homesick. D&C 31:3,5. I particularly like the very last line. It was what I needed to hear. the Lord works in mysterious ways. I am so grateful for this opportunity of serving a mission. and btw, yes dad I am living out of my suitcase, figure if im only 3 weeks I dont need to unpack ;) haha but I love you all so much. my testimony has grown immensely. I hope you all stay strong in faith and know that I will be back shortly! I love you all and I hope this upcoming week is great. Well time is up, so until next week!

Josh

P.S. Dad since I've been out here I have realized how much that Alaska trip meant to me. Thank you. I love you!

Elder Jake Baczuk-- new photos!!! Aug 27, 2011

Sister Alex Hartvigsen-- August 22, 2011

Dear Mom , Things have been good this week. We have been working in the visitor's center every night but one. This means on those days we get between 2-3 hours a day to work in our area. It has been good and we have been able to have some really good lessons. This next week we work almost all mornings at the Visitor's center so we will have a lot more time in our area. Most of the Hispanics that we visit work all day so it is better when we have the opportunity to work in our area at night. We have been working with some really cool people and the work is moving forward. I am still in the Spanish Ward that I started my mission in. I love this ward and the people. I have the opportunity to speak in church this next Sunday on missionary work. The last time I spoke in church, a mom came up to me after the meeting and told me that she had a 9 year old daughter who was not baptized and wanted us to teach her so that she could be baptized. I am excited for this opportunity especially now that my Spanish has improved.
Sometimes things get thrown at you when you least expect it. We had a moment like that yesterday when we were informed by the housing coordinator that we will be moving into the home of a member this coming Monday. It is very important to live with members but it also creates some challenges especially because these members live far from the visitors center and from where all of our investigators are and we have a daily miles allotment of 14. But that's ok, I know that things will work out in the way that they need to. I am excited to continue to work hard in our area. I love my mission. The work is going really well and I am seeing little miracles every day. We were able to get some bikes last week and we have been biking as much as possible. Last week when I started it was really hard for me because I am not in the best shape but I have grown a lot stronger and faster even on the big hills. I was thinking about that yesterday and I started to compare faith to riding my bike. We need to exercise faith in the same way that we do our muscles. As we do that our faith is strengthened and we find that we can do things that at first seemed impossible. The scriptures Ether 12:6,27 have really touched me this last week as I realize that my faith is being strengthened a little each day and that my weaknesses are slowly started to become strengths.
On a slightly random note, 2 weeks ago I found our that the Nashville Tribute band new tribute to the missionaries is out. It is called the work. I bought it and I loved it. I would highly recomend getting it for you. It is so good. Anyways, I thought you would enjoy that . Dad said Grandma is having more health problems, please let me know what is going on when you get a second. Tell Grandma hi for me and tell her that I love her.
I hope you have a great week. Thank you for all your support. I love you
Love Alex

Elder Tanner Williams Aug 22, 2011

Hey family, wow I cant believe it has been another week. this week has been good but not much has happened. We had a activity on Saturday where we had the members of the ward bring there non mormon friends and we taught them the plan of salvation then went and had food.It was really good. Well we had cambios today and we lost one of our roomates but i am still staying here. The spanish is really good. The only difficultly I am having is talking in lessons but I am working hard on that. I finally broke down and bought some stuff. I bought a pillow and some peanut butter! the pillow was much needed and the peanut butter well not quite the same haha but still good.I am eating good. Haha it is said that the missionaries in the states live on Top Raman but us here in Mexico live on tortillas and cheese. We eat it almost every morning and night. I sent you some pictures so hopefully you got those.The work has been slow this week. I got sick again this morning. I have learned that in Mexico you throw up alot haha. I woke up at 1 will a bad pain in my stomach but after I threw up a couple timesIi was good and I am still good so don"t worry about that. It's wierd cause there are alot of things that could make my mission miserable like the cold showers, the early mornings the long hot days, throwing up every 2 week, but this past month has been the best of my life. I am really loving it here. i am working hard and learning to put my trust in the Lord. Well family that is about it if you are going to send me a package send it to this address
Av. Circuito CD. Deportiva No. 206
Colonia Atasta
Villahermosa, Tabasco
C.P. 8610
Thank you so much for everything family. I love you all. - Elder Williams