Apr. 17 2017

Dear Family, (And Friends)

Haiku:
Slugs, water, sunshine,
weather wont make up its mind
this week has been nuts


My heart is full as I begin to write this email. How I love you all so much! This has been a crazy week.

Some stories you might appreciate:

Saturday night, when we member inspired a convert family from west Africa, we had a treat. We ate some really spicy peppers (jamaican peppers or something like that) in a meal called cassavaleaf. I also tried one of the other dishes they offered me -- which was, no joke, chicken feet. I had no idea how I was going to eat it when I put it on my plate, and I still have no clue how I did. I was chewing on the first bite for was seemed like ten minutes straight, trying to grind those bones into something my poor stomach could digest. Eating that thing was tough! But the good news is that Rodrigo, my toy chicken probably would have been proud, because it was very rubbery!

Another thing I tried this morning was duck eggs. The man that we keep doing service for (He's a baptist and his wife is a less active) decided to give us payment for the work we do, helping him with his little backyard farm upkeep, in the form of duck eggs. And trust me, the service we do is pretty entertaining as well. Sanding duck poop off of boards and watching that beautiful dust cloud of things that were once inside an animals body coat your arms and face and create a beautiful mushcloud in the sky has definitely been something I've always wanted to do and shan't easily forget. And no worries, Omi, the smell was equally memorable.

But I mean, I think I was talking about duck eggs, and how I had them for breakfast this morning. I have a hard time describing them other than the fact that they are kind of like chicken eggs, except wetter and... what's the word I'm looking for here? Solid. Really solid. Also the egg shells didn't really crack into pieces like a chicken's egg shell might have. So that was too was very interesting.

AND ANOTHER THING THAT'S HAPPENED OUT HERE. HALLOWEEN'S COME EARLY THIS YEAR, THANKS TO THE MASSIVE GENETICALLY ALTERED SLUGS, THAT HAVE APPARENTLY POPPED OUT OF THE GROUND. THERE IS NOTHING LITTLE ABOUT WASHINGTON SLUGS. APPARENTLY THEY SPELL SLUG HERE LIKE THIS: G-I-G-A-N-T-I-N-O-U-R-M-O-U-S. THESE BLACK STINK COLORED MONSTERS ARE MASSIVE. THEY STICK TO EVERYTHING, AND EVERYTHING STICKS TO THEM. WHY DID NO ONE WARNS ME ABOUT THESE RIDICULOSO ANIMALITOS LOCOTES?!! I had no clue that there were bugs this big anywhere besides the Amazon. Mission memories though, right? ;D

Well stay tooned for my next update on the crazy things experienced in the WA-TAC, my great audience, and have no fear, because Adventure is out there!! (And hopefully in the forms of increased baptisms, woot woot)

Spiritual Experiences:
Johnny (Our Investigator Came to the Easter Egg Hunt!)
Received an Answer I really needed through study.
Spanish Flying along at an unprecedented pace! Gift of Tongues!! Woot!! :)
Prayers answered as we were out walking the streets of Shelton. The Lord lead us to find someone He needed us to talk to.
Refined through faith and prayers, and giving my all to Him.
You think giving your all is hard? Actually, it's really easy. Check out this talk! Fourth Missionary, By Lawrence Cawrbridge.

Spiritual Thought:

So, needless to say, I feel very cultured this week! But let's see if I can't share a spiritual thought with you all before I go.

Easter is a time of great gratitude. And a time of reflection. This days marks the time 2000 years ago that Christ suffered on the cross, bled and died for us, and then was risen. It was that day that He suffered for you. The day that He rose up again, having suffered all. And it is a day of great rejoicing. I plead with you as a missionary and as a servant of God, that you will remember Him, and His sacrifice for you. Study your scriptures. Say your prayers. Give Him everything. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and you will find joy and peace that surpasses all understanding. Give your all to Him and then you will understand just how very much He gave for you.

Just like Paul's plee to the Athenian's, we must, "Seek the Lord, feel after Him, and Find Him." And that is the call of the Savior to us, to come unto him, to partake and be filled. Said Christ:

 "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him thatsent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

What a blessing that great knowledge is. I promise you as a servant of the Lord that as you seek Him, You will find place for Him in your heart, and a peace that you never thought possible. It is my prayer that we remember Him and His great sacrifice for us this week.

Love you all. Praying for you, fam.

Elder Hakala