Twelfth Letter 5-28-13

Dear Family,

Couldn't email Monday because of Memorial Day, all libraries were closed.

This week was one of the best weeks I have had in awhile!! We got a new investigator named Chris. He is about 40 and is married to a member that has been less active. He has had many trials in his family so who better to turn to then Christ and this great church! He wants to get baptized and have his life changed around. I'm sure things are going to go great with him because of his willingness to change! Lilia had some amazing experiences this last week! She had a dream of her baptism! She explained it all perfectly and she has never even seen a baptism service!  Really amazed me! She's progressing so well! I feel so bad though because she knows this church is true and wants to join, but she is scared her husband won't support her, and she wants to go to church with her family! We told her God will help her and make things work for her! I have been praying so hard for her! Since meeting with her we have gotten her to stop cursing and she even let us empty a bottle of alcohol! We got a video, but I think its too long to send. So cool the changes she is making! A kind of sad story is that Eric dropped us. He believes we are teaching false doctrine.  He is really sincere with everything, but is just so set with his belief.  Hopefully things can turn around for him. Margaret, a Nigerian, is a great new investigator as well. We challenged her to read the BOM and she said yes!! I love this work!

Mom, sounds like your the cool mom in town! Good work!! Haha. The weather here is great now! Even getting a little hot. It rains quite a bit though! We walk and ride bikes! Just depends on if its too far or if someone will give us a ride. Thanks for getting the line of authority! Can't wait to get the package! : )

Sorry I didn't send the pictures last week. The camera is acting weird when I open the lens to take a picture. It sounds like its gonna break.... haha. I don't know what happened to it... Hopefully it doesn't break on me.

I cant believe Conner Hafen is home and Tanner is leaving! Time really does fly! Tanner is going to do great! I bet Amy, Amanda, and Emme sang beautifully at church! Wish I could have heard them!

Mom, that quote from Brigham is great! It shows you don't have to be an amazing speaker or have all the knowledge in the world. You just need a testimony and a strong spirit, which is given to you by God, if we do what is right! I have always known you have a testimony, Mom! You and Dad have a true testimony! I know this because I have grown up leaning on both of your great strong testimonies.

Dad, you're exactly right about some of the people just following the traditions of the church and never really growing a true, steadfast testimony. Really sad to see this happen. It makes me thankful for the parents I had that didn't make it a tradition. You let us kids decide if we wanted to go to church or do the activities. I feel it has helped me start the base of my own testimony! I'm definitely gonna have to use a lot of your ways to raise my children! As far as the good people outside of the church, it's true! I talk to people here that are truly great people that believe in Christ, maybe in a different way or different things to represent that faith, but it is still good and they are good people!

I loved this part "our whole course is designed to help people, to lift them, to strengthen them—as has been said frequently, to make bad men good and good men better; to teach peace, the gospel of Christ; to try to exemplify the Golden Rule and a program of helpfulness to those in distress wherever they may be and whatever their circumstances". Many people we meet think we are bringing a whole new type of gospel and teachings into the world. We quickly have to tell them that we want all the good they have and invite them to bring it to our church and we will make it even better! I love the look on their faces when we say that to them!

Dad, I wish you could be here with me. Sometimes I wish I had all your knowledge! Haha. Good to  hear Cummings is going soon!  Larsen is a great guy as well! I kinda miss the gym, Haha.. Mostly all the really great people I met there! Another thing I miss, which is really weird, is driving a car, Haha... Funny right? I don't really miss music, a phone, being lazy, and all that other pointless stuff. Haha

My testimony has grown more than I ever would have thought.  I now know for a surety that this is the most true church on the earth today! I know that Pres. Monson, his counselors, and the general authorities are all prompted by God and they receive import revelation for us in this time and age. Since coming out here I have gained a testimony of humility. In my life I won't be able to accomplish anything without having humility! Above all, I know that Christ died for our sins and that He and God love us!

I love you all so much and miss you!

Have a good week.
 

-Elder Hauck 

Eleventh Letter 5-20-13

Dear Family,

Things continue to be great out here! This week I really saw how obedience brings about blessings! Truly amazing! I am still with Elder Tonga for this next transfer! We both want this transfer to be better than the last so we are gonna work as hard as we can! I'm mostly glad I'm staying in this area because they have such great people here!

The investigators are doing great! We met a new one named Margaret, she is Nigerian and has such a sweet spirit! I hope we can continue to meet with her! Lilia continues to progress, she is awesome! I'll send you a picture of her and I. Didn't get to meet with Brian this past week though, hopefully this week!

Dad, thank you so much for the help! I have kinda been frustrated for the last 2 weeks and really wanted to just go to Brazil, but this week the missionaries have straightened up!  Patience really is the key! It's hard to not call some of them out and tell them they can't be doing that, but you're right, that doesn't work at all. This mission definitely isn't easy! I know now what I need to continue to do. This is my mission to serve the Lord and I won't be influenced by the weakness of others! It's not what I think or what others think, it's what God thinks! Dad, thank you so much! I really feel the spirit when I hear and feel of your great support for me! I love you!

Dad, that quote must be true! "The harder we work as missionaries the better our wife will be." I hope my wife is like you mom!

Mom, I bet the house looks great! I hope you and the fam love it! Thank you for the two referrals, Mom! Look at you doing missionary work here while living in another state! :) Is there a way you can get their addresses?

Crazy Amy, you're gonna be a senior! I hope you are having fun! Weird that I graduated a year ago... seems like yesterday! Grandma Hirschi is awesome! She has such a sweet spirit! Tell her I love her!

Answers to your questions, Mom:

1- The thing I have learned from the Todd family is that even with all the trials their kids have they still love them so much! They care about their children so much! This of course opened my eyes to you and Dad and the love you have for my siblings and I. I really appreciate what you and Dad have done raising me in a home centered around love and Christ!

2- Families here are definitely different from Utah. You can see that some are very laid back and humble. Not to talk bad on Utah, but their are some really judgmental people there. This sometimes turns people away from our Church. Kinda sad. People we run into that are from Utah tell us some bad experiences they have had. Wish they wouldn't dwell on that and realize no one is perfect.

I love you all so much and miss you tons! I feel of all your prayers and they really do help! Thank you so much for everything you have all done for me in this life!

Love you family,

-Elder Hauck

Tenth Letter 5-13-13

Dear Family,

I'm so glad I got to talk to you yesterday! That was so fun! You all look so great and very happy! It was so good to hear your voices and the great comments you had for me. Really brightened my day and makes me more excited for the work. Thank you very much family! You are all so great! Let Grandma and Grandpa know I'm glad they were there! It makes me feel good! Mom, Amanda, and Grandma, I hope you all had a good Mothers Day! You are the best Mothers I know! You have set the standard high for my future wife, so thank you! :)-Haha. I'm glad you noticed the change I have made since coming out here. I'm really happy with the new/better person I'm becoming! Maybe someday I'll be as cool as Dad.

It was good to see Chris! Looks like he is doing good! I'm glad you like teaching them Mom. You can make a big difference in their lives. I really like that talk by Pres. Monson! Obedience is definitely one of the most important things for us to be doing, especially us as missionaries! I have noticed a lot of Elders aren't as obedient as they should be and you can definitely see the difference between the obedient missionaries and the non-obedient. Makes me want to be even more obedient, so I can receive blessings. Mom, sounds like your organized and prepared as always. These qualities are definitely a blessing from our Heavenly Father!

Dad, that is awesome you got to catch up with one of your old friends from Norway! I hope I have those same experiences in the future. That's so cool Dad! Also, thank you for the comment of the standard of missionary work. It's exactly what I needed! I really am trying to be a good influence on them, but it's definitely hard, since I'm the new "Visa" missionary. I'll continue trying to help them. Thanks Dad!

Sweet!! I'm excited for the line of authority chart. Transfers are next Tuesday. So if you don't get it out by this week just hold on to it and I'll let ya know where I'm at. Thanks again! I will miss Elder Tonga and the people here if I do get transferred. I'm excited for a change though.

Alright, so the greatest thing I have learned on my mission is kind of hard to choose. I have had so many great changes and experiences here.. hmmm. One of the greatest things I have learned out here is to be patient. I realize that patience is key to living this life with happiness. In our life today we feel life needs to be always moving quick. I have realized that this isn't how we should live, we need to be patient with all the great blessings we will receive in our life. Another great thing I have learned is to be humble and selfless. Other people are amazing and they are what bring you happiness. I can't believe I just realized that after being with an amazing family my whole life. Haha... What a dumb kid I was-Haha.

The best thing that happened this week was definitely talking to you guys, but last week was probably talking to a new investigator named Brian. He is a Baptist, but is really open to meeting with us. It's kind of hard teaching him because he thinks we are so much a like. He was joking around that we should combine churches. So that lesson was pretty fun. He is a great guy and hopefully we can start getting him to understand the gospel. Last week was an alright week. Definitely cheered me up being able to talk to all of you.

I love you all SOOOOO much! I miss you a lot also... Emme was so cute!
Have a good week Family.

-Elder Hauck

Ninth Letter 5-6-13

Dear Familia,

MOM congratulations!!! You are so amazing! I have the coolest parents that have been the best examples ever! Mom good work. I know this was a lot of hard work! I remember you being up until like 2 or 3 in the morning every night working on your dissertation and what not! I love you and a again good job! I hope I can be like you two and get my PhD.

Haha, So That was Lilia that called you Dad. She is Mexican and the coolest lady! She is almost done with the Book of Mormon! We are doing a lot of service for her right now, trying to get the rest of her family to see that we aren't weird- haha. This week her husband Joe, a die hard Catholic, helped us with the yard and seemed to really like us. Their daughters love us now and want us to come over everyday! haha. The whole family are a blast! I hope she didn't say anything bad about me... haha. Thank you Dad. You have prepared me well for this hard work, but I sure do love every second!

This week has been very good! We had a lot of service projects, which I loved. I got to show the skills Dad has taught me with all the yard work and gardening. We had some great lessons and the investigators are progressing! Yesterday, Fast Sunday, Testimony meeting was amazing! Jannette is a African American that really wants to join the church. She shared her testimony at church and seriously asked everyone to pray for her to know if this church is true. She was almost yelling and crying when she asked! Wow the spirit hit me right then... It was amazing! I think she will be baptized soon!

Mom, I have noticed that light in many. I really need to open my eyes and listen more. It's crazy how blind and deaf I have been in the past. One of the hardest thing is helping people recognize the light of Christ and also the spirit. Many people are confused when it comes to this. I also see agency playing a huge part. We ask so many people to do things for us, like reading and praying if it's true. Many of these people share experiences that clearly show the answer. They sometimes just choose not to accept it. Really sad and frustrating.

That lesson you got really sounds great! I love how you get so much from these lessons. It shows you  really lose yourself in the teachings of the gospel.“I’ll go where you want me to go; I’ll say what you want me to say; I’ll do what you want me to do; I’ll be what you want me to be" I love this and will remember it while I go day to day. I have really noticed God in my life while I've been here. Sometimes I just open my mouth and things come out that I don't even think about. It's amazing how Heavenly father can use me still with all my imperfections. Thanks for that Mom, I Love you Mom.

Brian throwing gummy bears? -of course! He's such a goon! Our whole extended family is so awesome! We have really been blessed with our great family. So many great examples! Tell them all I love and miss them.

Dad, thank you for the input for my questions. The feedback is going help me a lot! When meeting bashers it only strengthens my testimony. The things they say don't make any sense. Sometimes what they say even go against teachings in the Bible, and they say they believe the Bible. So strange... This mission really does help build unwavering faith.

Mom thank you for the package! We had another snow storm so the long johns helped! I also love the paper with the kisses!:) I was wondering if you could get me one of those Line of Authority charts that shows the whole path of the priesthood from Jesus to Joseph Smith to me. I hear some have it and it helps a ton explaining the priesthood line.

I love you all so much! Hope everything is well at home. If you need anything let me know! Love ya and  Miss ya!

-Elder Hauck