Letter between Elder Hackleman and his Mom

Elder Hackleman,

How are you doing?  We went to Joel’s law firm on our way to Pocatello.  Our whole family went in and talked with Joel for a while, as we were leaving I told the ladies at the front desk that we were your family.  They giggled and said they had a feeling we were Jaren's family.  It was so fun:)

So, Saturday was a pretty awesome day.  The investigator that we have been teaching at our house got baptized and he had Seth baptize him.  Nathan and Seth had both taken turns sitting in on the lessons with us.  Talk about an awesome day.  It was so cool.  The sister missionary on the very right, "Sister Harrison" is from Saint George.  She went to high school with Austin.   Her first Sunday here was your farewell.  

Also, I guess you heard Grant is in Hawaii having the time of his life.  Surfing up a storm ha ha.

Nathan and Seth are having their second week of football camp.  Tomorrow Seth goes on a two day, overnight football camp.  The entire varsity team is being bussed to some military encampment.  Seth said it will be like Remember the Titans.  Some scouts who have been watching the teams at their football camps and have pre seasoned ranked Seth's offensive line as number one in the state.  Kind of cool.

Nathan was snooping through some of your stuff and found an old pair of Nike shoes you left behind.  They fit him perfectly and he is just about as happy as can be.  You would think it was Christmas around here.  Not much impresses him these days, but that sure made him happy.  I have a feeling we are going to need to get you all new stuff when you get back ha ha.

I read an article in the Deseret News that D Todd Christofferson was in Peru for a big mission conference and organized the 100th stake.  Did you get to go to the celebration?  Did you know that there are only 4 countries in the world that have over 100 stakes?  US, Mexico, Brazil, and now Peru.

Well, I sure love you.  Keep up the good work!

Love Mom

Hey Momma!!!!

So first to address Elder Cristofferson. No I couldn´t go. There were SOO many people that wanted to go that it was literally invitation only. All the leadership positions from every ward in lima were invited and only 40 missionaries from every mission were invited. I don´t know if it was only 40 from the missions in lima or all of peru but anyway my comp and I couldn´t go. I was bumbed. but I heard about it. Apparently When Elder Christofferson spoke, it was as if a local peruvian spoke. His spanish was perfect and it wasn´t like he had to pause to think of how to say something. Everything just flowed beautifully. I was so jealous. I forgot to mention in my last letter about the earthquakes. I´ve totally felt them! I can claim feeling to 2 earthquakes on my mission so far! SWEET! I am so proud of Seth. and jealous. He performed his first baptism before me! That is awesome though. And number one offensive line in the state!!!!! it all hinges on the center. =)  I don´t remember the email of Joel at the firm so can you just tell him and James, David, Trudi, Amery, Lyndsey, and Shannon thank you sooooooo much for the mission donation and that I miss and love them all dearly and can´t wait to come back to visit them all so they better all still be there when I get back! 

I sure do love you mom! Hasta la proxima lunes!

Elder Hackleman

Seth's 1st Baptism!

Nathan and Seth traded off sitting in on the Missionary Lessons at our house

Seth had the privilege of baptizing Ryan on Saturday, July 13, 2013, Papillion, Nebraska, USA

Family Vacation Without Our Missionary

Grant power washed the porch and the wicker furniture.  Then we repainted the outdoor furniture.

Seth and Tim trimmed many trees and bushes.  This one had taken over the sidewalk until it got a haircut.

Nathan shows one of the trees that got trimmed.

Seth trimmed the birm behind the fence along the canal bank.

Nathan and Grandpa Roger trimmed this tree.

The Hacklemans did yard work for a day as a birthday present for Grandma Karen

Hackleman's load up and leave Fort Collins to head to Idaho, next stop, Bear Lake.

Sunset at Bear Lake.  Taken outside our Condo Window.

The Boat Dock was about a mile from the Condo, so we rode there in the back of the Truck

Nathan waiting for Uncle Jeff to take him tubing.

Amy does not like to get into cold water, but since it was 100 degrees, she got in ha ha.

Grant looking for shells

Nathan is wearing his brother Jaren's swim trunks.  We kept taking second glances he looked so much like his brother.

Seth skiing!

The water was like glass, Grant loves goofing off.

Seth cooling off

Uncle Jeff teaches Grant to drive.

Beck Reunion

Becks take their volleyball very seriously.  Uncle Jared and Seth figured out a way to make a perfect Volleyball Court.

Blast From The Past

Elder Hackleman When He Was a Baby, Living in Savannah, Georgia

Elder D. Todd Christofferson Created the 100th Stake in Peru

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of the Twelve created the 100th Stake in Peru on June 30.

Peru is the fourth country to have more than 100 LDS stakes, including the United States (1,504), Brazil (249), and Mexico (226). The LDS membership in Peru has almost doubled in the past 20 years with nearly 528,000 members today, according to the Daily Herald.

In his address to members in the Sunday service, Elder Christofferson talked about the importance of service, as well as church growth in Peru since its first stake was created in 1970. In addition to 100 stakes, Peru also has one temple in operation, with one announced and another under construction.

On the Saturday night before Elder Christofferson’s remarks, about 14,000 local members gathered at the University of San Marcos stadium where they celebrated with cultural dances, a parade of 300 former and current Mormon missionaries and a video about the church’s 50-year history in Peru, according to Mormon Newsroom.com. The event was the largest gathering of Latter-day Saint members in Peru.

While in Peru, Elder Christofferson also gave a live interview on Peru National Radio where he talked about a scheduled day of service (Dec. 7) to clean Peru’s coasts that will be open to members and anyone who wants to participate. He also met with a Peruvian congressman to discussed the importance of families in society.

Abby Stevens is a writer for the DeseretNews.com

July 8th, 2013

July 1, 2013 Photos. Service Project sanding cement

Regulations for Pouch Mail

Instructions for making a three-fold letter:

• Lay the blank side of the single-sheet letter facing down with the writing facing you.

• Fold the top of the letter about one-third of the way down, and crease.

• Fold the bottom of the letter to the top of the first fold, and crease.

• Use two pieces of tape or two sticker tabs on the top to secure it, not more than one inch from each side, but do not seal the ends.

• Do not include any other item in the letter such as printed pictures, currency or medication, etc.

• In the top left corner, write the return address.

• Affix a stamp in the top right corner

• In the middle of the sheet, write:

Missionary's name

MTC or Mission name

P.O. Box 30150

Salt Lake City, Ut 84130-0150

Hey there Delilah (I'm at the MTC)

Singing Elders

LDS Church Meetinghouses Open for Tours

LDS Church Meetinghouses around the World will       Soon be Opened for Guided Tours by Missionaries

Note From Elder Hackleman Re: Labron

YEEEEAAHHH! My boy lebron pulling through in the clutch like always! haha Make sure to say these exact words to Joel. I told you so. =) Haha that pic is cool too!

This Week's Letters

Sunday, June 23

Dear Elder Punkin Sonshine,

Wow! Your mom and I watched the special broadcast from Provo tonight. Did you get to see it? It was so awesome!! I started to cry when they showed a Stake Presidency from the Magdalena (I think) Stake in Lima Peru! All I could think about was that you could have been in the other room watching at the same time! Then I started to cry again when they showed all of the missionaries in the Marriott Center. Thousands of them. It makes me so proud to know that you are out there serving the Lord and the people of Lima. I saw all those new mission presidents sitting on the floor thinking to myself... Somewhere in there is Jaren's new President! Then I started to cry again.

Your youngest brother got called today to be 1st Counselor in the Deacon's Quorum presidency. He's so excited. Nathan and I are Home Teaching companions. After Tuesday night we will have 100% Home Teaching done for June. Nathan is really a great home teacher. I can tell how the spirit influences him when we're done with our visits. Speaking of home teaching, Bro. Brandvold was asking how you are doing tonight. We told him you were having a ball.

So how was your week? Did you find any new investigators? Your mom and I have been wondering how the Spanish is coming? I bet you're getting better every week. How's the food so far? You haven't gotten sick yet have you???? Do you take your UV bottle with you? I took your mom to lunch the other day at your favorite... Chik-fil-a. All I could think about was how you'll probably come home and eat all the waffle fries! hahaha.

This past week a Missionary from Salt Lake was killed serving in Guatamala. He was serving a member by fixing a leaking roof when he was electrocuted. It made me so sad, but knew that he died exhibiting the pure love of Christ. Your mom read that there have been several earthquakes in Lima! Did you guys feel any of them??? We loved the pictures that you sent us last week. I also read somewhere that they were splitting your mission. Is that true? I know lots of questions!!

Any way, I'll work on a new lesson for you next week. Thanks for such an inspiration for me!

Ámele hijo

Papá

Hey pops! Wow, yea I saw the broadcast. I have to admit, I was a little jealous that I wasn´t back at the mtc for it. The week after I left was the first week where they changed all the missionary devotionals at the mtc to the marriot center because there are too many of them! That´s so awesome! Yeah the stake they showed wasn´t by me. It was a surprise to all of us in my stake watching too. Everyone cheered right there in the chapel. Haha I´m so proud of Grant and Nathan. They are both growing up so fast. Yes I have my bottle but I haven´t had to use it yet because we have filtered water jugs in our room. We had transfers last week and I got a new companion! His name is Elder Acero. Elder Kitchens got called to be a zone leader so he left. but he is literally my best friend. we have a bucket list of all the things were going to do after we get home. haha 

but My spanish is coming fast. its crazy. I haven´t spoken english in a week. The gift of tongues is definitely making itself evident. Dang I miss Chik filet though! 

Yeah our pensionista told us about that elder. That is awful. But at the same time, it reminds me of those 18 boys that carried all the saints across that freezing river. Eternal blessings will come to that Elder, I know it. But I have definitely been praying for his family. They aren´t SPLITTING our mission but boundaries are getting rearranged. We are losing a couple areas here and gaining some there. We are getting a new area called Juaraz. (I think thats how its spelled) It´s like a 10 hr drive north of lima up in the mountains. I want that to be my last area before i go home haha. because the months before I end my mission is summer here so it will be blazing hot. And if I´m climbing mountains every day, I will be in great shape when you  guys come out here! haha Anyway, quick funny story.So the word Acero (My new companion´s name) in Spanish means, Iron. So everyone we meet calls him Hombre de Acero, Iron Man. 

Haha also, a trend has started with me too. Everyone calls me elder Hulk. Not because I am muscular like that lol but because my name is hard for them to pronounce so when they try to say it, it usually comes out like Hulk. Also, I am taller than all of Peru so I am huge to them and I´m a gringo. Green is one of the only colors they know in english so since I´m a ´´Greengo¨ the name has now been created. Oh...and I accidently broke the key to my pensionist´s house trying to open the door. Haha They don’t have doorknobs here. You can only get in AND out of the house with a key. So yeah that wasn´t good. I felt so bad. But anyway, They call us the Avengers companionship. haha Its awesome. haha 

I love you dad! Hasta la proxima lunes!

Elder Hackleman

AH! mamma That is so awesome! I am so happy to hear about my family helping out the giant missionary army! We can no longer say we are few and far between in the world. the missionary presence is definitely making itself known! Wasn´t that broadcast awesome!!!!!! I have a new companion! His name is Elder Acero ( Elder Iron in english haha) He is from Chimbote Peru. I have not spoken english in a week. My spanish is coming faster than dad and Tim can drive to the chiefs game when they go! Haha 

I sure do love you! Thank you for everything you have done for me. I think about you every day! Tell my brothers to keep up the good work! 

Elder Hackleman