February 22, 2013 ~ Provo MTC ~ Week 4

Dear Family,

Hey Guys!  How's it going?  Everything's going great this week!  I'm just ready to get out of the MTC.  Only about a week and a half left.  So crazy!  I get temporarily reassigned next Thursday if my Brazil Visa doesn't come so I will email you all and let you know where I'm headed.  I'm hoping for like New York, Boston, anywhere in California, or Florida.  I'm excited to see where I'm going to go. Okay guess what?  My companion Elder Perkes got his Visa on Wednesday, which means he leaves on Tuesday for the Sao Paul MTC- Crazy!  Haha  I'm so jealous because I turned in my visa stuff way before he did!  There was also another Elder in my district who got his visa as well and so his companion will be my companion when Elder Perkes leaves.  His name is Elder Nathan Singleton and he's from Ohio. We've been friends already here so it'll be a good companionship Haha.  I'll miss Elder Cody Perkes, he was a great companion!  We never fought or argued about anything once.  There were five Elders in Josh Staples' branch who got their visas for Brazil, except Josh didn't & was temporarily reassigned to Eugene, Oregon.

                       My Companion Elder Cody Perkes and me Elder Colin Hanson

My District is still Awesome! I really love these Elders, we are all so close. We have had some drama though but I've gotten so used to it that it'll be weird not having any drama when I leave the MTC hahaha. Bronson left on Monday!  I sent you guys an email of a picture of Bronson and me the day before he left. He told me that his district never fought and that there never was any drama.

                                                        My Brazil District

Elder Colin Hanson and Elder Bronson Kunzler

My Portuguese is coming!  I'm starting to feel a little bit better about it.  There's no way in poop that I would be ready to teach the gospel in Portuguese in a week and a half lol. One of my Portuguese teachers told me my Portuguese was one of the best in the class so that made me feel a little bit better about it.

Thank you for the Packages and the words of encouragement.  I love the Ties and the Family picture and the one with my brothers and me look great so thanks so much. Miss you guys so much but I still haven't got all that homesick.  There will be days though that I get a little bit, but then I'm fine.  I think it's because we're doing something all the time and it keeps my mind off of it.

I'm sorry there's not more to write about:( I know there will be so many things to talk about when I get out in the field. Let me know if you hear anything about Travis' Mission call. I really do miss you all so so much!  I think about you all the time and I'm so happy you guys are doing well.  I have the best family in the world! Eu Os Amo! Love You So Much!!!

Love,  Elder Colin Hanson

February 15, 2013 ~ Provo MTC ~ Week 3

Dear Family,

Thank you so so much for the packages!  I can't believe how much food you've sent me haha.  I can't fit all of it in my drawers.  The Valentine Sugar Cookies are freaking amazing &  I've missed mom's Chocolate chip cookies. The only thing is, what's up with the cereal?  Haha I'm sorry but I can't do anything with it cuz I don't have a bowl or milk or anything. I appreciate it but I can't do anything with it :/

Anyway , My week has been great!  Not so much to say because we pretty much do the same thing everyday.  We've been doing pretty good in our lessons, even though my Portuguese is still horrific haha.  We got our investigator, Sister Pike to fake commit to be baptized though haha. It was still so cool!  We felt the Spirit and it was probably our best lesson.

We had another Elder go home today :(   He had back problems and he needs surgery.  We're pretty sure he'll come back out though.  Still that's 2 Elders who have gone home in our district! It's so sad, now we're down to 12.

How is the blog coming along? What are you guys putting on it?  Haha  I hope you haven't put the gay things I say in my letters haha. I really wish I could write whenever I wanted to !  It's frustrating because everybody else in my district writes whenever they want to.  I want to write too but I would feel so bad because we are only to write on P-Days.  I feel bad because you write and Dear Elder me every day and I really want to respond! But I can't :(

Anyways lol.  My district is great. They are all Awesome & cool but not much improvement on not talking about their girlfriends all the time lolz. But seriously, not lolz.  They'll start talking about them and they'll get all depressed and butthurt and then they'll be depressed the rest of the day. I love them though haha they're all cool guys,  they all have strong testimonies and they make me want to be a better person:/

What is happening in the real world??  We are so cut off from everything, we have no idea what's going on.  Is Obama still a tool?  What's Nicki Minaj up to?  Or Kim K?  lol

I love and miss you all so much!  I'm grateful for all the letters and Dear Elders and packages you all send me.  I really do have the best family in the world!  It seriously feels like I've been away for months. It seems like 5 months since you dropped me off at the Provo penitentiary haha.  I can't wait to get out into the field!  only 3 more weeks until I'm temporarily reassigned.  I don't know if I told you, but I had a dream the other night that I got reassigned to Boston!  How awesome would that be? I would seriously love that so much.  My testimony has grown so much since I've been here.  I've read over 230 pages of the Book of Mormon!  I've never read that many pages in so short of a time other than when I read the BofM in 2 days with our DC3rd ward for YM/YW.

How are my friends doing?  Have you talked to any of them since I left?  A few of them have written me a lot but a few still haven't so I am just wondering how they're doing? Any new mission calls?  I see people I know all the time, here.

Anyways!  I love and miss you all so much!  Let me know if you want me to write you all individually next time. I learned yesterday that I've been saying I love you all wrong in Portuguese haha. So....... Eu os amo! Love you so much!

Love,  Elder Colin Hanson

February 8, 2013 ~ Provo MTC ~ Week 2

Dear Family,

Hey guys!  Thank you so so much for the packages you've sent me!  The ties are way sweet and thanks for the treats!  I haven't really gotten homesick this past week.  I'm getting used to everything here because we basically do the same thing everyday haha..  I miss you guys so much and there's so many things I want to tell you in person!  I know I'll forget something when I write this letter so forgive me lol.

I love going to the Temple on P-Day!  We did sealings again today and it was so awesome.  That's honestly my favorite thing to do here, that and the devotionals and the firesides are sweet. They always have a General Authority come speak and they always make me feel the spirit.

My district is Awesome...most of the time haha.  I really do like my district, they're good kids and they mean well.  I'm getting along well with my companion and my roommates.  I see Bronson all the time, mostly only at Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner because he eats the same time I do.  He's leaving next week haha because he's English speaking and it seems like he just got here haha.  I saw Jared Workman and Sean Harbertson as well.  I also see Josh Staples all the time,  he's not in my zone or district but his class is across from mine.  Everyone going to Brazil is getting temporarily reassigned.  The last district that's leaving next week, none of them received their visas, which means that I have like a 99% chance of being reassigned.  I'm looking forward to it though!  It's like I served two missions plus it will give me some time to learn Portuguese a bit more haha. The people who've have been reassigned have been sent to Seattle, Houston, Independence, New York, Montana, Cleveland, Vegas...so pretty much anywhere. Some people have even been reassigned to Provo.  I really hope that doesn't happen to me, that would be so awful.

                                    Elder Sean Harbertson and Elder Colin Hanson

                                       Elder Josh Staples and Elder Colin Hanson

Oh!  Before I forget, tell Grandma and Grandpa Hoskins that I talked to John Taylor.  He is in grandma and grandpa's ward.  He's going to Tahiti and tell them that I talked to him and that he's doing good. He just barely got here.

Kenzie, Paige, Travis, Hunter, Connor, and even Konnor Hall all wrote me this week. Hearing from everyone keeps me sane.  Cooper writes me every week, last week he wrote my name in the sand at the beach in Guatemala and sent me a picture of it lol. He is killing it in Guat! I miss all my friends :(  That's awesome that Karingtyn is going to Uruguay. I want to know who else gets their calls.  I'm doing fine but the MTC feels like a prison haha.  I can't wait to get out and get in the field and out in the real world with real investigators.

                       Personalized message from Elder Cooper Hanson in Guatemala
                                                        hahahahahahaha

My lessons with our investigators have been going alright. My Portuguese sucks so bad!  I'll listen to what they have to say and I can understand it but I can't say anything back without sounding like a 7-year-old special needs kid.  Our teachers are our investigators and one time I was trying to ask my Brazilian teacher what he thinks about prayer and I wasn't even close and he just looked at me like like o que? (What?) haha it was so embarrassing and I almost started laughing. I did however make it so my other teacher, Sister Pike (Liz Merrill's Relief Society President) tear up!!  I was bearing my testimony about prayer in Portuguese and her eyes started to tear up!  It was awesome!

I am really struggling without my music.  I miss it so much and we aren't allowed to play music here. Anyway, I hope you are all doing fine....Eu sei que Jesus Cristo e meu Redentor e Salvador, Atraves de Expiaqao, nos podemos arrependir-se por nossos pecados e voltar para Ele quando nos mortimos, Eu sou grato por este opportunidade ser em um missao.  Em o nome de Jesus Cristo, Amem! Love you guys so much!  I love getting your letters every day and I love being on a mission. Thank you for everything!  Love you!  Eu amo voces!

Love,  Elder Colin Hanson

February 1, 2013 ~ Provo MTC ~ Week 1

Hey Family & Friends!

I love it here at the MTC!  Everything is going really great. I don't understand why some people hate it so bad. It gets really hard at times but it's worth it. My P-Day is Friday.  I want to know what's going on with everybody!  It feels like a prison here sometimes haha and I feel so cut off from the outside world. I will upload pictures next week but don't worry I have been taking pictures.

I need email addresses & home addresses. Mom, please send me everyone's because I forgot to do that before I left.  Please let everyone know that I really NEED letters and emails!  They help keep me sane and realize that there actually is a world outside of the MTC haha.

My Portuguese sucks, haha.  I try so hard every day to work on it but it is just staying the same.  I can say a basic prayer and a basic testimony and that's about it, haha.  My lessons are a struggle!  I feel so retarded when I'm talking in Portuguese because I know I'm not pronouncing anything right or using correct grammar and I just sound like a dummy. But whatevz! I know it'll get better I just need to stop beating myself up over it.

I love my District!! There are a couple kids in it who are like some of the funniest people I've ever met.  It's great because our district is so close and there's never really any contention, with a few exceptions haha.  We have a huge district with 13 now because we had an Elder go home yesterday.  I felt so bad. Way sad. We are all cramped into one classroom and it is always so hot lol.  My companion is great, he was made District leader and he is doing a good job with it.  He is a way nice kid.  He reminds me of Haden Heath so much haha.  He has the exact same personality.  My roommates are way awesome as well.  One of them, Elder Moffit is from Salt lake City and he reminds me so much of my best friend, Cooper lolz.  My other roommate, Elder Wallace is from Roosevelt, Utah and he is like the nicest kid I've ever met.

 Nobody in my District has received their Visas so pretty much everyone will be temporarily reassigned until the visas come. Elders are being reassigned to places like Texas, Washington, Boston and Canada.  It's crazy!  I guess it's not just Brazil that's struggling with the Visas because I was talking to Elder Taylor Seymour and he said that his Peru Visa still hasn't come after being in the MTC for 9 weeks and so he got temporarily reassigned to Arizona.

I run into people I know all the time!  I've seen Taylor Seymour, Tanner Gamble, Josh Staples, Maddi Palmer, Tanner Henrie, and a bunch of others. I haven't run into Bronson yet, though.

                                      Elder Colin Hanson and Elder Tanner Gamble

How are you guys?  Let me know what you want me to talk about so I can write a better letter next time haha.  The packages are much appreciated BTW lol.

I feel the Spirit so strong here, it's insane!  I feel as though I have changed so much since I've been here and I've only been here a week! It's crazy.  I feel as if my testimony has grown so much stronger.

The only things that I really need are more ties.  I thought I had enough, but everybody has so many ties!  It's dumb, but I have started to really want more ties haha.  The only thing I hate is my stupid shampoo! What happened to my shampoo?  Not gay tea tree shampoo, that stuff sucks so bad.

We had the opportunity to do sealings this morning in the temple.  We only go inside the temple on P-Days.
Eu sei que a Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Ultinlos Dias e verdadeiro.  Jesus Cristo e nosso Redentor e Salvador.  O Livro de Mormon e verdadeiro e ajuda-nos todo dia.  Em nome de Jesus Cristo, Amem.  (Translate this yourself haha)  My portuguese might not be perfect but screw it lol.  I love you all!  Thank you for everything you have done for me!  There is no way I would be where I am if it wasn't for you guys.  Eu amo voces! (I love you all!)  Please write back soon!

Love,  Elder Colin Hanson

January 30, 2013 ~ Provo MTC ~ Week 1

Dear Family,

Hey guys!  I am only allowed to write on P-days so that's why I haven't written yet. Sorry the people here are somewhat struggling and told us the wrong P-Day. I felt so bad that Mom was waiting for an e-mail on Tuesday when I couldn't even write. Don't worry though I'm doing fine!  I'll let you know everything that's going on when I can write on Friday (My P-Day).

The only reason I am allowed to write is because they gave us the wrong mailbox #.  It's #265 not #81, so I thought I wasn't getting any mail haha but they've been in box 81.  Put this on Facebook and such lol so everyone knows.

I'll fill you guys in on everything else on Friday. Eu amo voces! (I love you all!)  Please tell everybody to write me because it keeps me sane lol.

Love,  Elder Colin Hanson

January 26, 2013 ~ Provo MTC ~ Week 1

Dear Family & Friends!

I'm fine!! It was really overwhelming at first but I should be okay. My P-Day is Tuesday. They'll try to make it so I can e-mail you as soon as possible. My companion is Elder Cody Perkes and he's from Wellsville, Utah! He is really nice and he was an all-state wide receiver for Mountain Crest haha. He's a little quiet but we should get along fine haha.  There are 13 in our district, only 1 sister!  They all seem cool.  My other two roommates are really cool too and they're both going to Goiania Brazil! They are from Utah too.

I love you and miss you!!

Love,
Elder Colin Hanson

January 23, 2013 Elder Colin Hanson enters the Provo MTC

                                                Elder Colin Hanson & Family