Pictures at the MTC

These are my first Zone Leaders when I got to the MTC.
As District leader, I would meet with them a lot.
They left like 3 weeks ago but I liked them.
The one on the left is Elder Doddema, and the one on the right is Elder Sawyer.
Elder Sawyer played center, and Doddema played rugby so we got along great.

I haven't cut my hair since I have been here. My Branch pres said it should be long enough to part so I have been growing it out. Everyone says in the field, especially in Mexico, they want you to have short hair so you don't have to worry about lice and stuff but I'm being obedient to my current priesthood authority even if it is a trial of my faith;) I actually have to gel it! I don't even remember the last time I would wake up with bed head! It's weird!

This is the soccer fields where I got to practice my soccer skills.  Heaven knows I will need them in Mexico. There have been days where I didn't play because we played volleyball instead and teams would run all the way across campus to come kidnap me to be on their team. As goalie I only got scored on one time since I've been here. All those soccer leagues my parents put me in playing all over Colorado and Nebraska are paying off.

This is where we go to church

The 3 giant white marshmallow things have gyms in them. They are basketball courts, volleyball courts, four square, and free weights.

The metal building is the cafeteria.

It is beautiful here.
This is a little park that runs by our classroom.
I like to go out there to study.
Their is a cool little stream that goes right through the middle.

Elder Hackleman flew to Mexico on Monday, September 29th.  He left the Provo Missionary Training Center at 3:30 a.m.  He and 11 other missionaries headed for Mexico.  First they rode a train to the Salt Lake Airport.  They caught a flight to LA.  While in the LA airport they had a two hour layover at which time they could make one last phone call home.  The 2 hour layover only translates into about 5 or 10 minutes worth of talking before you need to board your next flight, but it was still great to hear from him.  When his brother Jaren flew to Peru, the mission office had him write a letter home to let us know he made it ok.  They then scanned the letter and emailed it to us.  We also got a phone call the next day from the Mission president's wife letting us know how the first day went.

We have not heard a word from Elder Hackleman yet, but we are not worried. We know that if anything went wrong along the way we would have heard from the Mission President. If we don't hear anything, we know he made it safe and sound.

Elder Hackleman was telling me on the phone that most of the missionaries he was flying with had never been on a plane before and they were pretty nervous. His own missionary companion was especially nervous, so Elder Hackleman tried to sooth his fears. He told him, "You know, we have about a 50/50 chance we will make out alive today." I'm not sure if he understood the joke or if it made him more nervous. He also told him, "the worst part about flying is all the carbon monoxide you breath in the whole way. It causes brain damage." Apparently it was a cold morning so right before they flew to LA from Salt Lake, there was a crew spraying the wings to d-ice the plane. Elder Hackleman told his companion they were trying to speed the carbon monoxide process along so they were spraying carbon monoxide directly into the engine block. Oh, I don't know what to think about his humor.

After our short conversation on the phone, I have to say I am so excited for Elder Hackleman. He had a wonderful time at the MTC making lots of friends and learning so much, between learning the Mexican language, learning teaching skills, and the lessons he would be teaching on his mission. I certainly see the benefit of early morning seminary for the past four years of his life to help prepare this 18 year old boy to be ready to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has a wealthy of knowledge stored in his brain, now he is excited to share it with the world.