Anyways, HELLO FAMILY!! How are you doing? Things here at the infamous MTC keep on going! It feels like just yesterday I was emailing you all last week's letter. Time is flying and boy am I READY TO JUST GET TO INDONESIA!! I still learn lots but the whole sitting down all day is getting old even though we learn new things everyday. I am extremely grateful for my teachers and that they only speak Indonesian to us! Even though we may not understand everything, it is so nice to have classes where we can actually communicate in another language! It's getting easier and easier even to the point that when random elders or sisters talk to me I sometimes respond in Indonesian and I have to remember that only a select few people here can understand me.
One cool thing that happened this week was during TRC where we talk to return missionaries or people who are fluent in the language and they are just themselves not a fake investigator as a lot of the MTC is. But Elder Campbell and I just went into our lesson with one scripture prepared and that was it. We asked Sara what her favorite scripture was in the Book of Mormon and she told us Helaman 5:12. Elder Campbell and I had that exact same scripture to share with her and when we told her that we had picked that scripture beforehand her eyes just lit up and it was so cool just to have a conversation on relying on the Lord and how we need to build our foundation on him.
On Sunday, T.C. Christensen was the devotional speaker and that was way awesome because he has created a ton of movies. The two movies he talked about were "17 Miracles" and "Ephraim's Rescue." It was truly an inspirational devotional as I was able to truly connect to it and really think about what my family has done. I was able to show my district on my fan chart that I'm related to Ephraim Hanks and they all thought it was really cool.
Earlier this week, over half our zone left we went from like 80 missionaries to 30 which is still pretty large for the MTC. Our zone was incredibly unique as we have at least 8 different languages in it which makes it hard to find hymn books in English sometimes and hard to sing with everyone because we all are learning different languages.
Something Elder Campbell and I have really been working on is teaching people not lessons. When we teach the people rather than teaching the lessons, you can fell the Spirit way more and truly the gift of tongues comes in because usually we have no idea what we are saying but the people understand and they want to learn more. Even when they don't keep their commitments, we still continue to meet with them because they want to.
Yes, I get to go to the gym everyday and play soccer and basketball and all I have to say is there is weak competition :) It's still a lot of fun because I love to just play the game.
Elder Peterson and I see eachother ALL the time and it is way cool. By the way dad, he is sending a letter to the house so that you can give to the bishop because he has no one else to send it to so be on the lookout for that.
It's funny to hear about all the fun things you all are doing and have planned and I hope that they are fun. But just wait until I get to Indonesia, out teachers tell us the CRAZIEST stories about snakes and lizards and just things that go on there that Americans don't even think about and that just makes me more and more excited!
I hate to hear about all the struggles that each and every one of you are going through as well. I wish I could help but all I can give is pray about you and tell you to turn to the scriptures and the Lord because people can't do anything. We learn and are prompted through the guidance of the Spirit.
Not that it pertains to much, but I was reading Alma this week and the account of Alma the younger and I just started the account of the Sons of Mosiah. These men were truly in tune with the spirit and perfect faith that what the Angles told them were true and no matter what they did The Lord would deliver them up. I tell you that no matter what happens, the Lord will deliver you up as well as me because Indonesia will humble me! I love you all and hope to receive mail and pictures and email from you all because I LOVE TO READ THEM!!
Elder Hayes
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