Laredo [Week 41] - May 4, 2015

Hey guys!

May the fourth be with you too! Hey! The new Star Wars is coming out in November, right?

On EmmaLee Cook's mission call:

Man! Indianapolis! That's awesome! There are a million people going Stateside these days. How does she feel about it? 

Hey - side note - we went digging today. BEST. DIG. EVER. Tell Grandma Tams thank you for the money, because it paid for a good chunk of the dig, as well as tithing and fast offerings. We got 60 ties in total, all averaging about $200. That is $12,000 worth of ties. FOR 40 BUCKS.

 Elder Funk & Elder Hickman

Do you need to mail any ties home yet?

I might.  A lot of the cheap ones I just throw away. Ties are mission currency - and it's a fairly fluid investment - so ties move quickly. I don't have a lot of the same ties I did four months ago. I've kept all the ones I took from home, though. 

On Trent's new calling:

I'm super excited to hear about how everything goes with your calling! That is an awesome calling, and you are going to learn so much in the process, doctrine-wise and spiritually.

Mom wants to know if you have started seeing fireflies yet.

Nope. It's pretty dry up here in Laredo. Well - I should say it normally is. We have had some really, really humid days. One morning, we woke up for early morning basket ball, and the humidity was so thick that you could hardly see 150 yards away. That day was fun. En serio (seriously). We play ball outside at a park, and I love playing. That day, I went home dripping with sweat, which I have oddly come to love, because it makes me feel like I have worked really hard. If I get transferred back to the center of the mission (or even Corpus, I guess) I should see them. I want to stay here to be with Elder Funk for another transfer, but whatever the Lord wants me to do.  

Have you made Skype arrangements?

Yep! We have a main plan and a backup. I can't give you a time for sure, but it will definitely be after 5:00 my time. We are at church from 11:00 to 4:00, and then we usually eat for a while. We should be doing it at the Sanchez home, which are some less actives we have been working with that love to serve us, and our backup is with Dora, who is a recent convert of the Zone Leaders. Obviously, it will be before 9:00.

How are your investigators?

Oh, baby! H is getting baptized this Sunday! Whooooooooooo! I love that family so much. They remind me so much of you guys when we go over to teach. The daughter C (who is hopefully getting baptized this Sunday as well), will say ridiculous things when we are trying to get her to pray which makes me start to laugh, which then means that I have to bury my face in my hands or my arms so she doesn't see, but she always sees. She calls me out on it, which then makes me laugh even harder, and makes H start to laugh even though she is trying to be stern and make C pray. I love them so much.

Thank you so much for praying for them! I know if you continue, she will get baptized. Prayer really does work! We have really good plans with her, so once we follow them she should get baptized. 

We also have been praying really hard to find new people to be baptized in June, and we found D yesterday! He so cool! In the contact, when we brought up baptism and promised him he would see his deceased father again if he was baptized, and he lit up with the Spirit. When we invited him to be baptized on June 5, his response was, "let's do it!" I am so excited to teach him!

How are your clothes?

My clothes fit me wonderfully! I could use a couple more of those Axist pants. I tore a hole in the knee on the one, and I tore the other. They are the most comfortable of my pants, though. They are really thin and they breathe well, which is wonderful in the heat. 

When was the last time you had an interview with President Maluenda?  

I just had one on Wednesday. It went really well. He told me my heart had changed a lot from when I was starting, which he seemed pleased with and he told me that was a good thing for me. He also told me I'm serving a really good mission, which I think I needed to hear, because I had started to feel like I was failing as a missionary, since I haven't baptized. He also told me I need to work on my leadership and my animo (energy/enthusiasm) and buen actitud (good attitude).

I don't necessarily think he thinks I lack it (animo and a good attitude), I just think he wants me to work on it. I can always do better at it no matter how well I do at it now, you know? I think he knows I might let my animo and actitud (attitude) slip if I don't maintain it. 

I think President really knows what he's doing and, even if I don't understand it, he is doing what is best for the missionaries and the mission. I love President!

How is Elder Ault adjusting, by the way?

Elder Ault is doing great! He's just a great kid with a great attitude. I'm glad to see him doing so well.

Elder Hickman & Elder Ault

Tell Jonah and Isaac I love them!

Isaac really loved your letter, by the way—especially the drawing of the robot.  

Good! Give him a big hug from me.

Hey - I probably have to go soon. I sure do love you guys more than anything! I hope you know I pray for each of you by name every day. I love you all so, so, so much. Thank you so much for everything you do for me.

Love you!

Elder Hickman