Many of My Mission Friends are Going Home Today

This is Elder Kitchens.  He is my best friend from the Pre-Mortal Life

Elder Naulu from Spanish Fork

Hermana Morgan from Temecula, California

Elder Slavens from Blanding Utah

 Hermana Jones from Joplin Missouri =)

This is our Midwest Pride Picture

On Mon, Nov 17, 2014 at 8:34 AM, Amy wrote:

Dear Elder J Hackleman,

How are you doing today? We had a great weekend. We got a new stake presidency on Sunday. We had 2 members of the 70 here to make the changes. One of them was Joel's old stake president from Twin Falls. Our stake young men’s president was called as the new stake president. He is awesome and loved by all. It will be great. Nathan and I sang in the stake choir then we rushed out the door because Nathan was also singing with his school choir along with 6 other high schools from the area and the Omaha Symphony. They performed Andrew Loyd Webber's Requiem. It was so unbelievably good. The Maestro even talked about Nathan's choir teacher, and started to cry because he is so touched by her. She is retiring this year. Luckily you will be home in time to see the end of the year concert. I'm sure it will be spectacular!

Nathan started show choir practice the first of November. I am looking forward to his first performance for show choir. He is loving it. He and Grant are also excited to start practicing for church basketball. Tim Law is going to be their coach again this year. The games start in January but they will start practice any time now.

I sent you a little Christmas box in the mail on Friday. I sure hope it makes it to you. I packaged it with pictures of Virgin Mary and Crosses all over it and put tags saying it is full of toothbrushes and toothpaste for the Mission. Hopefully it will make it in one piece. There is also a little something for your companion in there too. If it arrives, do not open the box until Christmas morning. The items inside the box are not wrapped.

We are getting excited to go to Fort Collins for Thanksgiving. I think I told you before we are going to a CSU volleyball game as well as a CSU football game at the Air-force academy. We have snow now and the past couple of weeks have been record breaking cold so I'm not so sure the football game is going to be fun in such weather, but we will bundle up the best we can.

Your dad had a good interview on Friday with Midlands. He doesn't know for sure that he got that job, but the interview went well.

How is the missionary work going?

I love to hear your stories!

Guess who got home from their mission on Friday? Ryan Shields.

Love

Mom

Hey Mom! This week was a wild one. Today we have transfers. I am pretty sure my companion and I are staying but we will see in a few. This good thing about being zone leader is that we are the first ones to know transfers. Haha I am not sure I will be able to keep it closed until Christmas, we´ll see. Haha I miss the cold weather. Take advantage of it. haha That will be awesome to go to the CSU game though, apparently they are playing super well right now, according to grandma.

Here are some pics of some of my best friends from the mission that are all going home today. Elder Naulu from spanish fork, Elder Slavens from Blanding Utah, Elder Kitchens my best friend from the pre-earth life who´s from Ogden, Hermana Morgan from Temecula California and Hermana Jones from Joplin Missouri =) (on the next email).

My companion and I took baptismal dates out with familia __________! They are sooooo awesome. It has been such a spiritual experience teaching them. They are going to get baptized on the 20th of December. I sure love you!

Elder Hackleman

On Mon, Nov 17, 2014 at 9:26 AM, Tim wrote:

Dear Elder,

How was last week?? I have been praying for familia ________! I hope all is going well with them. We had a wonderful Stake conference. We had Elder Nielson of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy and Elder Payne, an Area Authority Seventy. Our new Stake President is Pres. Derrick. He was the Stake Young Men's President for the past few years. You're going to love him. Seth was one of his favorite young men in the entire Stake. Anyway, Stake Priesthood Leadership was awesome!! One of the best I have ever been to! One of the overall themes for the whole conference was "Hastening the Work".

Here's a couple of things that I think would be revelatory for you and your companion (and your Zone for that matter!) - Draw a comparison between "Hastening the Work" and the "Woman taken in Adultery"

Here's another one! This one is about wayward family members compared to lost quorum or ward members...

Study Luke 15:4-5 and 8-9, the "Lost Sheep" and the "Lost Piece of Silver" really think about verse 5. Then read the parable of the Prodigal Son in verses 11-end of Chapter 15.

What's the contrast between the first two parables and the prodigal son parable?

Anyway, I am so proud of you! Every time missionary work was spoken about, all my thoughts turned to my sons. Are you doing well? I have complete faith, and I am serious about "complete", that you are in the hands of the Lord. You have the ability to accomplish his work no matter what. Just remember when there's a challenge, He'll provide the right opportunity at the right time!

So, here's some more worldly news!

Utah beat Stanford in double overtime! We seriously need a QB. Utah is now ranked 20th. I think we could have seriously played in the PAC12 Championship if we had a decent QB. Papio South lost to Creighton Prep in the State semi-finals. But then get this!!! The coach for Creighton Prep resigned for personal reasons over the weekend and won't be on the sidelines for the State Championship!!! Who does that???? The online class that I'm teaching starts on the 24th! And I had a second interview with Midland University on Friday that went really well. I think I may have that one too! It was with the Vice President of Academic Affairs. When he found out that I was from Utah, he told me about an interview he had at Utah Valley University in Orem. He said that he interviewed with Matt Holland and Asked, "Do you know Matt? I guess his family is pretty big in Utah. His dad is Jeff Holland." I almost fell out of my seat. He didn't realize that he was talking about an Apostle of the Lord.

Anyway, Tell me all about your week and what's happening!!!!!

¡Ámele hijo!

Papá

Haha! Ok sorry that is so funny about your interview. I am laughing out loud right now. I wrote down all you said to check in the scriptures so I will read it later. =) Mom told me about stake conference. That is awesome. He will be the guy releasing me! Haha My trainer Elder Kitchens ends today. His parents came to pick him up. They are going to machu picchu and all that. I can’t believe he is done. He is my bro from since before I can remember. For real. haha I can’t believe Creighton Prep, Sounds like a Pete Caroll from USC to the Seahawlks type situation.... I sure love you dad. Keep praying for Familia _______, they are going to get baptized on the 20th of December.

Elder Hackleman