Bula Vinaka,

What’s up everyone?

Okay, so the MTC this week has been sweet still but also has had its low points. So Wednesday we got another Elder in our district from Australia. He is going to New Zealand, speaking Samoan, which is way sweet. His name is Elder Mits, and he is pretty stinkin’ awesome, ha-ha.  I love the guy.

But - the downer is that my companion and Elder Brown kind of butted heads again, so it’s been a rough few days. My companion is getting sent home for a few months to go to some anger management classes, which will be really hard for him, but I know he can do it. So later today we will go find out when his flight will be. But I know if Elder Brown could've kept his mouth shut it might've worked out alright. (He is starting to really get under my skin, ha-ha, but he's still cool and I know he will be a good missionary.)

So I found out everyone gets their travel plans the Thursday before their last full week here, so I will get mine this Thursday. Then next Tuesday I will be able to e-mail you and tell you when I will be able to call you. My guess is that I will call during my time in the L.A. Airport, I'm sure I'll have a layover there.  I won't know how long until Thursday, but I'm sure it will be plenty of time.

Au lomani nogu matavuvale. Au kila na Kosipeli sa Dina kei na Kosipeli rawa ni vakalougatataki keda bula. Na Kalou rawa ni sauma noda masu. Kei au Kila JIsu Karisito mate vei noda.

Au Lomani Kedatou

Elder Garrett Hanke

Bula Vinaka,

Sooooo, MTC = Wananavu (Awesome!)

First of all, at the Sunday Night Fireside, for some reason the President asked me to pray at it, ha-ha.  I don’t know…it was pretty crazy, ha-ha, in front of all of them!  I even asked him if I could do it in Fijian, but he said that wasn’t the best idea since only a few people out of 3,000 would be able to understand it, ha-ha.

Second of all, the coolest thing that has happened since I got here…Elder Richard G. Scott came and gave the talk on Tuesday.  It was the most awesome spiritual experience I have had since I came here.  He gave such a good talk, and he said stuff that directly affects me about being a companion, and about service.  The meeting was so sweet, I’m so glad I was here for it.  Super awesome.

I heard that Nate got his departure date, which is so sweet, except that Dalton leaves the 23^rd and Nate comes in on the 25^th, ha-ha., what a bummer.  I’m super stoked for Nate!

Oh ya,  I don't know all of my travel plans yet, but I do know we leave for the airport on May 7th at 2:00. Hahaha, so sweeeeeet!

I know the church is true, and it blesses people’s lives.  Love all of you!!!

Sota Tale,

Elder Hanke

MTC Update from Elder Hanke

Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Vakacava tiko.....Vinaka tu.....Set, Vinaka

How’s life in good ol' Logan? The MTC is pretty much the same, still awesome, wananavu..

The companions are doing pretty good right now, hopefully they just keep doing better and better.

There's not a whole lot that’s new going on here, just a lot of learning and what not.     Every time we teach now it’s only in Fijian, hardly any English anymore, which is hard but so sweet.

There are no amazing stories or anything going on, ha, ha, but the end is in sight.  We should get our travel plans next week sometime, which is sweet!  I can't wait to go out into the field.

There is one pretty cool story-ish thing I can tell you. So there are quite a lot of Poly’s here in the MTC and since Elder Pakileata is Poly we usually go hang out with them every night in one of their residences. (We’ve been doing this for the past few weeks.) One night they had some Tongan food like Corned Beef and Kumala (which is like a sweet potato) - we ate a bunch! And then with like 20 Poly’s in the room, and like 3 other white kids, they pull out a ukulele and we have a jam session for a while. It’s a ton of fun, ha-ha, so sweet.

Anyway, I’m about out of time so…

I know this church is true and that it blesses people’s lives in so many ways. I know the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth and that it is the Keystone of our religion. I know Joseph Smith's story is true, and I'm so grateful for him and what he did for us.

SOTA TALE, MOCE

Elder Hanke

Today's emails!! (But don't miss the letter posted earlier today that came in the mail)

Well, today Garrett is being quite the funny missionary - or at least he THINKS he is being funny. In my typical fashion, I'm sitting at my desk trying to work, but anxiously awaiting today's email from him.  I finally see one come through, get all excited, hurry and open it only to read:

What's up Mom?

My first thought is, "Is that it???", so I reply right back asking just that, as well as something like, "don't torture me, tell me what's going on, send updates!", to which he replies:

How are you?

Okay, now I'm frustrated, mostly because I know he's sitting on the other end of this conversation laughing at me.  So I reply basically begging for a longer, more informative email, when I get this:

Stuff here is the same,  just doin' my laundry.

I send off one more quick reply with a little more begging (okay, a lot more), wait for about 45 minutes, finally decide that he used up all of his email time, when he redeems himself by sending this:

Ok, things here are the same. Which means it's super good, and I'm still diggin' it here. So the 3-some will be for the rest of the time here. It's kind of a nuisance, but it's ok. Elder Pakileata is doing it a lot better now, I'm pretty sure he likes me a lot more than his old comp (ha, ha), and hopefully he can just keep doing better. I believe in him a lot. Elder Prescott is my new comp, he's from California, and he has to change quite a bit as well, but I know they can both do it.

Conference was so awesome, watching it with 2,000 other missionaries is amazing. I can't wait until the next one, every talk meant so much.

This place is honestly the best, I could stay here for forever. (Just kidding.) I am really, really, really ready to go to Fiji! I can now teach lessons #1 and #2 pretty simply.  I'm very ready to go and I know it will be here before I know it.

So pretty much nothing super awesome happened except what I told you already in the letter I mailed. But now more than ever I know this church is true, and that every young man needs to be willing to serve a mission. It's such an important work and a very blessed work.

Au Lomani Noqu Matavuvale, kei Noqu Itokani.

Peace and Blessings,

Elda Palagi Hanke

Last week's letter...came in the mail this week!

We never did get an email from Garrett last week, but did receive a letter in the mail this week to make up for that!  We were pretty happy when this came yesterday!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Bula Vinaka,

Okay, first off I am super sorry that I wasn't able to email last Thursday, the day was just really hectic.  I didn't really have time to do anything.  We did get a new companion, so now I am in a 3some, which is super lame - ha, ha.

I'm just so busy here, it's crazy how time flies by. This way cool English district that is going to Hawaii got here what feels like yesterday, and now they are packing to leave on Tuesday. So crazy!  We have very little time left here, I am so stoked.  I will have so much more to learn, though, but right now I'm just glad to be here.

The last two days have been super awesome here in the MTC.  Every General Conference address had answers to my questions! I can't really even explain how much I loved it.

So I just got back from the Sunday Night Fireside, and it was also way awesome. The speaker's name was Vai Sikahema, he was the first Poly (Polynesian) to play at BYU.  He played there when they won the National Championship, and he was drafted by the Cardinals and also played for the Packers.  I'm pretty sure they also said that he was a 2-time Pro-Bowler, too.  Now he is a sports broadcaster for NBC in Philadelphia.  He shared some way cool experiences from his mission and about his Golden Investigator.  I freakin' digged it! I also got to go down and say "what's up?" to Elder Birky.  I knew he must have loved the fireside.  I get to see him usually every day, it's great.

Anyway, a couple of items of business. I'm gonna get my shots on Thursday, just so you know.  And I'm really looking forward to the MJ (Michael Jordan) jersey, so the sooner the better.  Could you also send me one white and one baby blue XL Tall t-shirts please?

When I leave here I plan on sending a big package back home with others shirts and stuff that I've decided I won't really need.  But I would like those few things please.

Thank you and you will for sure get an email on Thursday.

Au lomani noqu Matavuvale!

Sota Tale,

Elder Palagi Garrett Hanke