My address is 823 W Caddo St #1
Cleveland, OK 74020
Life is so good out here! Transfers went so well and the transition into Cleveland with Elder Thurgood has been great! I can't believe I'm starting my 3rd area. It's been soo fun so far! I wish I had time to type tons of details but the library has a time limit. I had a bittersweet time saying goodbye to my friends and family in Nixa. I'll miss them! But good news, they rearranged the district that Cleveland is in and now its in the same district as my first area, Owasso!!! I am the district leader which means I will get to go on exchanges in Owasso and see my old wards and all the people I miss!! Also, Marla Atkison whom we baptized way back in May, her husband is being baptized on the 7th of next month! Literal miracle!! So I'll get to go to that, so excited. But enough about my old area, this new one is exploding. Cleveland is a tiny place with several even smaller surrounding cities which all lie within our huuuge ward boundaries. Bishop Southward is Elder Southward, our area authority 70's, son. And he is remarkable. I can't even believe the level of missionary work and culture that he has built in his ward in the short 1 year that he has been bishop here. First night here he took us out to teach and visit people, which is already more than my last bishop did in 3 months hahaha. He cares so much about the people in his ward. I've literally talked to him every day since being here, and every time he has told us, "hey I went out and met a new part-member family, and 5 of them want to take the lessons." He's setting up so many discussions for us and truly doing the finding. It's incredible! It's the ideal missionary model! The other week they had 27 investgators at church!! That's more than I've had my whole mission combined! Sunday we had 9 investigators there, he had asked me to give a talk which I was incredibly grateful for because it is the best way to introduce myself and bear testimony to the ward, and when I sat down he handed me a program with "9 investigators here today! I'll introduce them to you afterward." written on it. Music to my missionary ears. I'm flabbergasted. It's been so fun! So we have tons of people to teach and several preparing for baptism and that's everything that makes missionary work fun! I am so blessed to be here right now. My companion is from Elk Ridge Utah and is another young buck just outta high school. He's hilarious and simple and loves hunting more than pretty much anything. Today I asked him how to spell his first name, McKay or Mckay? He said, "I don't know, I'm not one of those grammar dudes, I just focus on the duck hunting aspect of everything." Hahaha. I was like cmon dude it's your own name!! He's always smiling and he's a sweet guy. We've had fun together barbequeing on our porch and we have plans to trap and squirrel outside our apartment and have a recent convert of ours cook it up for us haha. Today we are going fishing in a pond by bishops house and I hope I catch a giant catfish. We get to go to the Oklahoma City temple this weekend with recent converts too!! Life can't get better right now. Gotta go! Love ya'll. And I can't believe Brent is engaged?!?!?! My goodness. That's way exciting. Can't wait to meet the lucky girl in 17 months haha. How it Weston doing? Email me, my long lost buddy!
Righteously,
Elder T. Hakes
No comments:
Post a Comment