May 11, 2015

Hey guys! It was good to talk to you yesterday! That was fun! I am glad that you were able to meet B and N! They are awesome! For Jordan and Jenna and Jack - remember this is why we serve missions! To help people like B and N be as happy as we are. B touched on how his mom passed away when he was young. As he has learned about the restored gospel, he has expressed to us his joy in learning that he will see his mom again. One of the big things that resonated with him is that he would see her again after this life. It was a special event this Saturday, as N was baptized in behalf of B's mom. N has never met his mom, but she felt honored to stand in her place and be baptized. They were thrilled as they did the work that B's mom needs to enter the celestial kingdom. The gospel has given this family the hope that they will be together forever, and has also provided the power and the direction they needed to do so. Again this is why we do what we do as missionaries. I wish I could show a before and after spiritual picture of B and N. Then, perhaps you would see even more of the value there is in in the work of salvation. It is the greatest work on the earth. It is a honor and a privilege to be involved in it. 

I give you another reason why we serve as full-time missionaries. One word - D. The baptism was amazing.  We asked her if she had a favorite scripture that she would like to include. She did indeed: 2 Ne 4:28-30. "Awake my soul! No longer droop in sin! Rejoice o my heart and give place no more for the enemy of my soul! Do not anger because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of my afflictions. Rejoice o my heart and cry unto the Lord and say:O Lord, I will praise thee forever  Yea my soul will rejoice in thee my God and the rock of my salvation." There could not have been a more fitting set of verses.  D was just full of joy that day. Smiling from ear to ear. It was so good to see.  The baptism was well attended. The ward showed great support.  Everything was awesome. The next day, D came to church and was confirmed a member and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. It was awesome. It doesn't get better than that. To see the gospel effect a change like this in someone's life, especially in the life of someone I have grown to love is a miracle. This is why we serve as missionaries. To be the vessel, to take the Lord's message to his sons and daughters who are perishing in unbelief because they know not where to find the one thing that will help them. They wander in darkness while we are blessed to walk in the light. It is our duty to take that light with us wherever we go. It is our duty to answer the call of the Lord to serve as his missionaries. To be his servants and share the light of Christ with others. 

​

The Lord has blessed me richly as I have been in His service. Initially, I chose to serve a mission because I wanted to follow the Lord, to do what He wanted me to do. I felt indebted to Him. As my mission draws to an end, I am devastated because I do not want to leave the people behind. It will be hard to come home. I think I will miss my mission every day for the rest of my life. I am grateful that I chose to follow the Lord and do what he would have me do. I am grateful that as I have done so, he has changed me and used me to help other great people. I now feel even more indebted to him. 

Gotta go. 

I love you guys!

elder Hinkle

May 4, 2015

Hey guys! 

Good to hear from you guys again today! Sounds like you are having lots of fun back there. That's good. Good things just keep happening out here! It's been so so good! ah!! It's been the best! Everything is working out just fine. The Lord truly prepares a way that all things He requires may be accomplished as we work hard and follow His counsel. I have learned that over and over again this transfer. It has been a big load to manage and coordinate all the work going on here but it sure is great to be working hard and seeing miracles happen! 

Brother P! We went to the family history center this Wednesday and we printed off ordinance cards for both of his parents! Then Thursday, we went down to perform the baptisms. Sister N and sister M came with us. Sis N was baptized first for brother P's mother. And bro P was watching. It was a sweet moment. Then, he was baptized for his father.  Elder Smith and I were able to perform the confirmations. It was an emotional day for bro P. It hasn't been too often that he has been emotional in our visits but as his parents were baptized and confirmed, he was so happy and he was crying there in the temple. We had the whole baptistry to ourselves. It was so sweet. Elder Smith and I were the witnesses for the baptisms. Then, we went to the visitors center with him for a moment afterwards. It was such a good experience for him! He loved it and he assured the friendly temple workers that he would be back again.  There was this one temple worker who started talking to bro P and I, and he learned that Joe was recently baptized. We were like how was your day so far? He said "oh, glorious! Every day is glorious in the temple!" And we told him that bro P was just baptized for his parents. He says, "Oh! That's great! Great, grand, and glorious!" haha So glorious is our new word. haha It was so funny. Priceless. Bro P has received a calling as a stake day of service committee member. He received home teacher. The guy who will home teach him is an ordained seventy from back when they had stake seventy. He is awesome!. We are going to coordinate with him and begin the new member lessons with bro P, shortly. He also received a home-teaching assignment. All things are a go. And he is going to be one of the witnesses at D's baptism this coming Saturday! All things are going well for him now.

 

​

B and N were baptized on Saturday! Fantastic service! Bro P offered the opening prayer! haha It was so sweet! And in his prayer, he said glorious. haha There was a huge turn out. There were like upwards of fifty or more people there! I think he was a little nervous to offer the invocation but he did a great job! All the missionaries that taught them came back to the service! Elder Burgess and elder Vandergraff were both there. It was a sweet day for both of them as well! And it was fun for us to see each other! It was a powerful service and the spirit was really strong. B and N were so happy. Their testimonies at the end were very inspiring.  The ward loves them so much. It is awesome! The next day, at church was great as well. They were both confirmed and B was ordained a priest. They both have their temple recommends and we are going to do family history with them on Wednesday. That will be awesome! Miracles in the B ward! 

D!  All is well with D as well! She is set to be baptized on Saturday! She is very excited. With each baptism she attends, she feels better and better about it. She is in a good place right now. We are working hard to help her this week. She is a miracle! I will send you some more pictures next week! 

The work of the Lord is rolling here! It's incredible! It has been such a good transfer. It is hard to believe it is almost over. It's sad.. it makes me focus though. Every night when I lie down, I feel like I can see a big calendar hanging over my head. Like one of the calendars that is a thick stack of paper and each page has one day on it. And each day one more page falls down. And the pages are big metal pages. Pages and days that cannot be put back up... it drives me to do everything I can in the last two weeks. Each night, I review the day's activities and I am happy to say that at the end of each night, I have felt that I have done all I could that day. That is a peaceful feeling. It is hard to leave though.... after having stayed on top of things and been so involved with these people for so long it is a very anxious feeling I get when I think of not being here and directly involved anymore. I look forward to connecting with them as soon as I get home. And with brother K. But I trust the Lord and I know he will take care of them. 

I have my exit interview on Tuesday... that's unreal... pray for me. I don't even know what to expect. I feel like a dead man. Sister K bore her testimony on Sunday. She told her story of how she found the church and fell away and then came back. She first met missionaries only shortly before I met her last year. And that is when she started coming back. I told her that before I leave again, we should have another oreo party! Just like last time! She agrees! haha She also suggested that we do bring some ice cream. haha She did not know that I was leaving so soon. haha This ward is just too cool. This has been the best place to serve my last transfer! It's awesome!

C is also doing great! We met with him this week and we talked very specifically about baptism and what it will take. We gave an overview of all of the commandments. He agreed to live all of them. 

Well, I have gotta go now. It has been fun to talk to you guys today. I will see you Sunday. That will be lots of fun; I am looking forward to it. Oh shoot! I just realized that my exit interview is tomorrow!!! Flip! Man, that just got real... 

I love you guys,

elder Hinkle

April 27, 2015

Hey guys! It was good to hear from all of you this week! Thank you for more birthday wishes. haha Just rub it in... I'm getting old. haha 

Interview with president went well this week. It was pretty quick. We talked about the good things happening in the ward and just followed up about a few things we had talked about before. Then we had the temple recommend interview. It was a privilege to be interviewed again to receive a temple recommend. 

B and N are officially brother and sister G! The wedding was fantastic. We went for the ceremony and stayed briefly to meet the family. It was awesome.  Everything is moving along perfectly for them. We will go over tomorrow night and then see them every night after that leading up to their baptism on Saturday. I will send you another picture next week! It's going to be awesome! We have the interview this Wednesday. They are doing so great. We met their family too. They are all pretty cool. They loved the wedding. It was awesome to see how much the ward has come together to help them out. So, so cool. The baptism will be even better. It's all planned and good to go. Nothing but good things to say about these guys.

D has been going strong as well. She is only two weeks away from her scheduled date. What a miracle that is. The L family has been out of town for the week. They got back last night. While they were gone, they had Debbie stay in their house and asked her to paint their shutters white. They told her we could help her. Brilliant. So we did. We went over a few days this week and helped her paint and spent some time with her. She is in Jacob seven last we talked to her! What a great example for all of us of daily scripture study. 

J- Still the man. While I was with D that night elder Smith was with bro P and the high priest group leader searching out family names for bro P. Then, we are aiming to go to the temple this Thursday.  Bro N cannot come. But sister N can and is willing to do some of his family names, like his mom. That will be awesome! We are still working out the final details of the trip. We tried to wait for bro N but the wait would have been too long. So that will be a blast this week. We cannot do baptisms but we will be there for support. 

C came to conference! That was sweet! He loved it! Elder Hales talked a lot about what we teach our children and how we teach them. C said that part really hit home. Perfect. We are going to see him Wednesday again. And he has read another book of mormon chapter! He is doing great! It is good to see him keeping commitments! When you keep commitments, you receive blessings! So that was good! We have great hopes with him and we are going to set a date with him this week! Unfortunately, it will most likely be after the end of this transfer. He has some lifestyle changes that he must make before he can be baptized. But I think he will do it. 

After church, president M called us and invited us over for lunch! It was a blast! They are an awesome family! We had a great time there! And we talked about their family mission plan. After brother P's baptism, a discussion sparked in their home about how this man had not been invited to learn more in 27 years of living in such close proximity to strong members of the church. And the M's resolved that there was more that they could do. It was cool too see how missionary-minded they were.

I am loving being here. It will be hard to leave. I am glad we have so much to do before then. I feel like I have been able to finish out my mission in the best way possible. It's been sweet.  I wish I had more time. I'll be sure to make these last three weeks count. My time in full time missionary service means more to me than I can express. 

I will talk to you guys next week! 

I love you guys!

elder Hinkle

March 30, 2015

Hey guys! I have more and more good news for you this week! haha It was an awesome week! Just fantastic! The transfer is almost over... one more week. Call outs are this Sunday. I am hoping that I stay here with elder S for obvious reasons. haha This would be a great place to finish strong. We just have so much going on in the upcoming weeks. Each week from here on out, there is like some big event here. Something to look forward to every week. Its pretty unreal. Conference will be awesome this week! I definitely cannot wait for that! B and N will be in town as well as D, so we are going to try to watch a couple sessions with them. 

President Richards came to my district meeting this last week. haha That was pretty crazy! But it was a really good district meeting and he actually gave us some key insights to our next lesson with J. So that was pretty cool. After the meeting, he took us all out to Cafe rio. That was pretty great too. I didn't eat a ton because I knew we were going to the N's for dinner that same night. They make lots of food, really good food. haha President wanted us to invite bro N to speak in one of our leadership meetings. I hope that happens while i'm still here! So, in my last interview with President, he said we should sit down together on Apr 1st and talk about my plans after the mission... so I have that fun conversation coming up this Wednesday... I can't believe that's here already. I need to get my temple recommend renewed as well.. time flies. I tried to tell President the other day that we should push back our going home conversation so I could just focus on the work and stuff, but he said that would not be a good idea. haha So we are meeting this Wednesday .. what do you do? I tell you what, life is much easier when I just think about my mission.... I'm all about playing point by point. One by one. So after I open that door with president this week, I will close it back up again so I can focus. I don't have too much longer... only seven more letters home... It's pretty crazy.

So the good report about bro P - this is just too good! haha We have continued to meet with him regularly this last week. Our first lesson this week with him was when we taught the gospel of Christ.  As we talked about the gospel and as we got to talking about baptism, we emphasized the doctrine of baptism and then retouched on the priesthood authority. It was all making sense to J and he felt the spirit and we turned to him and told him, "Bro N holds that priesthood authority," and  asked "brother P, how would you feel about having bro N baptize you?" And he was stoked about it! He is all about getting baptized. And then, bro N expressed how honored he would feel to be able to perform that ordinance and how he would do everything he could to be worthy to do so. It was awesome. Bro N is the perfect member to teach with, let me tell you! haha He always shares personal powerful testimony and just let's J know how much he loves him and he invites. He has told us on more than one occasion "if i'm going to do it, then i'm going to do it all the way" haha and he does. He keeps the commitments we extend, he is in 1 Ne 14 last we talked to him. He responds with faith quickly and exactly. It's awesome! I hope I can do the same as I receive messages from the Lord! People who are so ready to act on the message we share deserve missionaries who will equally, if not more readily, act on the promptings they receive in order to help the investigators. We are determined to do all we can for brother P as well as our other investigators. There is so much to do! 

So yeah, lots of good things happening here. It is cool to be a part of it. So the next few weeks -game time! This is my game face >:I Very focused. haha So keep these four people in your prayers.  

And I think that is pretty much my report for the week. It was a great week. We are going to continue working hard here. There is so much to do. We are constantly looking for ways we can help the people we are working with. We maintain daily contact with them, which is good. Anything and everything to help them.  This ward is fantastic. 

Have you seen the church's new Easter video. It is also good. It's called, Because He lives. You will like that one too! 

Well, it was good to talk to you guys today! I hope you guys have a great week and a revelatory experience at the Lord's general conference this weekend. I am very excited! 

I love you guys,

elder Hinkle

March 23, 2015

Hey guys!  Our week was amazing! So many good experiences.  We are working with several people. They are in a most important stage of their life. We are aware that the decisions they make now will impact them possibly for eternity; we are very focused on helping them. This is game time for them and for us! Literally, the fourth quarter. So pray for them!

So...conference is in two weeks! What's up!? General conference and Easter! So sweet! We are going to try to watch conference, at least one session with each of our investigators! It's going to be such an awesome day! I am excited! I remember thinking last conference that by the time we had conference again I would almost be going home... it is crazy how fast that has come! And with all that is happening, time is certainly not slowing down. I remember thinking that it would be really close, but I am still in-between the start and the end, which means I'm in the middle! And it feels like that. I feel like I have been very blessed, I feel very focused and I feel like I am in a very good place right now to do the work of the Lord. And I look forward to watching conference with our friends here, I invite you to prepare now to receive the revelation you want to receive in general conference, and I remind you of the promise that if we are seeking direction from the Lord, answers can be found in general conference if we seek them. And remember to noise it abroad through out all the land that the Lord is speaking to all the people of the earth in two weeks time! That is very exciting! 

I have something for you to do tonight as you read my letter. There is a video on lds.org called 'Because of Him.' Watch this video; it's like two minutes long. As you do, think about how Jesus Christ has affected your life. And pay attention to how you feel to recognize the holy ghost. When the video is over, go around in a circle and complete the sentence "Because of Him.....(insert how Christ has affected your life. One sentence) And as you listen to each other, pay attention to how you feel as all of you bear testimony of Christ. That's the holy ghost. I will tell you what's on my mind now. You don't need to elaborate past completing the sentence but I have some more time to write so I will.

 

Because of Him, I can be my best. It means a lot to me that I can rely on the atonement of Jesus Christ in order to be at my best for these last few months. I rely on Him daily because my best is required daily. And because of Him my mission has been the best two years of my life. Now it's your turn.

I love you guys,

elder Hinkle

March 2, 2015

Hey guys! It was good to hear from you today! I enjoyed all of your letters! It sounds like you guys are doing great and that is good news! 

 

Elder S is cool. He is a lot quieter than elder B. But he is a good missionary. He is from Utah, pretty close by. He went to Solitude to snowboard. We have been having great success here together. A lot of really good things have been happening here despite the crazy weather. We had a big ice storm yesterday. I have never seen anything like that. haha Everything was just crystalized in ice. Everything. The cars were covered in sheets of ice. The snow on the ground was frozen. It was like someone poured magic shell stuff over everything. So weird. Everything was shut down. Everyone but the missionaries, of course. The ice just meant that everyone else was together and at home. Good time to knock on some doors. Elder S and I would race up the steep driveways trying not to slip and fall back to the start of the driveway. Then, on the way down we came the closest to snowboarding either of us has been for the last two winters. It was a fun night though. I am one of those people who likes to do missionary work and doesn't want the mission to end. 

So the first two days of the week, elder B said goodbye to pretty much everyone. And that sums up those two days. Then, elder S got here Wednesday and we got to work. We met a less active member that I have never met before. So that was a miracle! We went in and had a good visit getting to know her. Her husband was a little less social but he was cool too. He is not a member. Once it was time to leave we were invited to stop back again and she said Saturdays are good. So we will be looking to get in with them again this week. Maybe we will take some cookies. Anyway, that was good. 

The next day we had a very productive day. We found two new investigators! I had met them on exchanges with elder Plumb and the return appointment was this last Thursday. It went very well. The night we met him last week was below freezing cold, let me tell you. Crazy K had taken his dog outside for as long as he could stand to be out there and then we found him. Boom. As we sat down with him Thursday, we asked him why he let us come back and he said that anyone who is outside sharing a message from God in 8 degree weather has something worth hearing. haha Blessings of the cold! So we taught them more. They had never heard of us before but were pretty open to the shortest summary of the apostasy/restoration. Then, we taught them about the role of the holy ghost and gave them some home work. We are going back this Wednesday to discuss the restoration in further detail. It will be good! 

Oh man, I forgot to tell you... so I went to transfer meeting this week and there were a lot of missionaries that I know that went home. A lot. Then, two of the elders that I came out with went home as well. It was awful. Two elders that I came out with and served around for like the first six months of my mission. Man, it was so weird. Both went home to have surgeries... it was sad. I am so grateful that I am able to and have been able to wait to have surgery. I would not want to go home early. But man, seeing them go home early made me feel much more grateful that I have been able to stay out and have not experienced any complications. That would be the worst. 

Anyway, we are working hard to find new investigators and more people to teach! We will find them! B and N are doing great, as usual. As time gets closer to their baptism, we are continuing to pray for them. They are the best. Just an awesome couple with a lot of faith. They have been through some really rough stuff and it is great to see that the gospel is really bringing some light into their lives. That is really cool. 

That is so sweet that Tyler sent in his papers this week!!! That's huge! I am stoked to hear where he gets called to serve! After being a missionary for so long,  I know that will literally be one of the best things ever! That's just awesome! Way to go, Tyler! It will be cool to be able to see him before he leaves and I am sure I will be so jealous... haha So let me know where he goes! That's too cool! 

I am all about finishing strong for the next few months. There is so much packed into them. General conference is in like four weeks. Thats what's up! I can't wait for that! It's like the last week of this transfer. But yeah, I have been working hard to do as much as I can with the time I have remaining. As time goes on, it has been easier and easier to do the work. And it has become more and more enjoyable.  And I know that as long as I stay focused on the Savior and the work that there will be no distractions that can get into my heart. But I do remind myself of that often. I must remember. There is a phrase in the book of mormon "I would that ye should". The prophets often say this when they are inviting us, the reader, to do something they want us to do. In my study, the most common thing they want us to do is to remember what they wrote when we put the book down. We must all remember what our focus should be. 

Oh, I have to go, I will talk to you next week! 

I love you guys!

elder Hinkle

February 2, 2015 Super Bowl

So, as you were watching the super bowl you may have noticed some elements of the competition. There were two teams. Each was led by a coach who was full of wisdom and experience. Well... ok, just go with me on that one. There is no way to be sure. There was one team that was the good team. The coach of the good team will represent the Lord. He is our coach. Through out the entire game, he wears a mic. Through this mic, he talks to his representative on the field - the quarterback. His name is Thomas S. Monson. He's an all-star. Really, really, good. He was on the cover of the Ensign a couple times! The quarterback is the coach's way of making things happen on the field. And the coach is always talking to the quarterback. Except for sometimes, when the team doesn't run the plays he calls, then he gets all mad and rips off the mic. haha For just a moment, the team would be in a state of apostacy. Fortunately, that won't ever happen again because he has put the his team in the game. Led by president Monson, we are all on the team. And this is key, our team wins the game. How we win is by running the plays the coach calls... so the coach tells the quarterback and then the quarter back calls it out. It is then, our most important duty to run the play. The success of the play depends wholly upon the members of the team doing what they are supposed to do. We must sustain the prophet by following his counsel. By running the plays he calls. If he calls out do not drink coffee, then we don't drink coffee. If he calls out don't watch inappropriate media, then we follow his direction. If he calls out to share the gospel with all the world, we respond with all the effort and enthusiasm of a receiver in the super bowl. As we follow the commandments and run the plays we will win. And I testify that we are indeed led by the Lord. That president Monson is His chosen prophet today and we have the world's best play book in the book of mormon. I testify that if we live the gospel, we will not fail in this contest of life. 

January 19, 2014

Hey guys! The Aussie open starts today! That's what's up! Oh man... this is probably the last slam I will miss for the rest of my life... haha I'll be able to see the French live. I can't believe it's that close.. man.. Well, it sounds like you guys are having a blast right now... As I am writing this, you are probably on the mountain! That's awesome! When I get home, I am going to follow Nephi's example and go up to the mountain often... Now every time you go up to the mountains you are going to think of Nephi, right? Or is that just me? haha 

We taught gospel principles yesterday and brother (coach) N was in our class. He is so cool. He is the most humble guy. It was awesome to have him in class; he knows what's up. There seems to be a lot of cool people in our new ward. I'm looking forward to meeting more of them. I have been here for four days but not really. I've been out of the area a lot....  

Elder B is cool. He is doing great work here. He is fun to work with and I think we will have a great transfer. He has been out for about three months so far... it's weird. He has been out for about as long as I have left... almost. ugh... Everyone asks me how long I have been out as they are getting to know me... and I have to say twenty months... then, they all tell me things like "Oh, you are on your way home" or " you will probably die here" (finish my mission here) haha It's so weird... I feel like four months should be considered a good amount of time but you know, no one really thinks it is... haha Even Jenna apparently... who is already getting excited for it. ha 

So Monday and Tuesday last week were good. My last two days in FS. Our preparation day. We were going to tour Camden yards, the O's stadium, but it rained really hard. So we bought grapefruit and ate them. Not as fun but I think they may be going today.. not sure. haha So those two days, we mostly went around and I said bye to people and set up return appointments for the people to get to know the new guy. It was cool. We stopped by brother K's house and they were home! haha So we go in and chat for a bit. Anyway, as we were setting the return appointment, his daughter was like "yeah, come over Saturday and we will feed you pizza!" haha And brother K hopped on board so they had at least one sweet appointment Saturday. We saw brother K at the single adult fhe. If all went well then he was ordained yesterday and could be sustained at stake conference, which I will be at because we are in the same stake! So that will be fun! 

So I got here Wednesday, got all set up and then we went and visited some people. We had dinner with the F family. He is like the head chef for the naval academy. So we feasted! It was amazing! Elders get fed really well here. It's awesome! We have a dinner everyday this week! That hasn't happened to me in forever! haha And we are a full car area! We are the only set of missionaries in the ward. It is a nice set up. I like it. Turns out the F family are also the parents of a less active guy in FS.

Thursday, we attended a funeral.... that took up a lot of time. We were involved in set up and a member picked us up, so we were waiting for a ride from him and we stayed for lunch... That took up a lot of time. That night we taught a potential family about the book of mormon. They were investigators but they weren't super interested... we had a really good book of mormon lesson with them though. The spirit was definitely there, they just think they are too busy... but they do like it. And we brought a member who lived in the area and they knew each other. So that was really good. 

Friday, we had a leadership meeting in Frederick. I left with the zone leaders at seven in the morning and we got back around five thirty that night... craziness. haha It was a really good meeting though. I have a much better idea of what I am supposed to do/going to do. Effective meeting. haha And then I came back. We taught the G family. They are friends of some progressing investigators here, the soon to be G family. The G's are waiting to be married, then they will be baptized. Just waiting for family to be at the wedding... Anyway, we taught their friends. We had a great lesson but they are not really interested in joining any church. They just like hearing about it... so that was a little disappointing but that's ok.. The G will continue to see them. We also got invited to dinner by this guy named Mark. He is not a member. But he called us up and said elders, I want to feed you. Come over for dinner, but don't worry about preparing anything to teach. We just want to feed you.. haha So we went over to assess the situation. Really nice family. Not interested in hearing our message right now but we asked them who they know who needs a message about Christ. The 18 yr old daughter was like "Could I have some time to think and pray about it and then give you a list?" We said that would be ok. haha They want to have us back and feed us again. We will see. 

So yeah, that's the week. This next week will be good too. I need to get my bike fixed so I can go on exchanges. 

So yeah, I've been out of the area a lot and I'm still kinda playing catch up. I'll have to tell you more about it next week, once I get to meet more people. 

Anyway, I hope you guys have a good week this week! I will talk to you next week! Also, elder M just emailed me back. Brother K was successfully ordained a priest in the Aaronic priesthood. That's what's up.

I love you guys, 

elder Hinkle

January 12, 2015

Hey guys! How's it going? We have had a really good week this week. It's pouring rain today, but that's alright, we will be inside for a while at least. haha That's crazy that Fed hit 1000 wins. That is so many wins. Wilson is going to go nuts with that. I'm so glad it looks like he will still be playing when I get home. Good news. 

We got a bunch of snow Tuesday morning. The day before was freezing but green. We went to sleep and we were awakened by a text from the mission office saying that all cars were grounded for the day. haha It wasn't even 6:30am yet and they were already grounding the cars. We looked out the window and everything was dusted with snow. There was a good amount for Maryland. We could still see the tips of the grass at that point though. haha More came later. It snowed pretty much all day. We went around for hours just shoveling driveways and stuff. We went out to a members house and asked to shovel theirs. Then, we asked if we could just take their shovels around the neighborhood. We shoveled so many driveways! haha It was cool. The member we borrowed shovels from is friends with one of her neighbors on Facebook. I guess they posted how grateful they were for whoever cleared their driveway. Something was happening, so it was a big help. We had an appointment to teach this guy named J about the book of mormon. So we walked there with our shovels. Whenever we would see someone shoveling, we would run up and help them finish. It would seriously take us like two minutes. A guy would be starting to shovel and then we would run up - all three of us, because one of the traveling assistants was with us - and we would finish it off so fast. haha It was fun. We made it to J's house. He is one of those people who never asks for help so we had hoped we would be able to shovel his driveway too, but he beat us too it... but that's ok. We went in and had a really good lesson about the book of mormon. 

By the way, I am getting transferred. So that will be fun. Plus, I hear that they have an awesome youth program there. So things look good. I will have to let you know more about it next week. 

I learned a great lesson this week. God is in control of the situation. He knows his sheep and he is in charge of his fold.  But the lesson is - don't murmur! Murmuring is bad.... and it's very easy to do.... it's awful...  but I must clarify... we were not as Laman and Lemuel...We didn't just purely murmur... when Lehi's family hit challenges they murmured. Nephi, on the other hand, was a man of action. He used his agency to act and affect his surroundings. And through him a miracle was wrought that saved the day. I think we were a mix of Laman and Nephi last week... We kind of murmured a lot... But we were set on taking action. We took a lot of action... and it payed off.  In every situation when adverse events occur, the correct action is to do all you can and trust the Lord to help you. The correct thing to do is, never to murmur, ever... haha So yeah.... easy to say, harder to do. There is also a fine line between murmuring and discussing. I think the line is drawn when we stop talking about action. When we just sit back and criticize and complain... that's a waste of time... 

I am excited for this next transfer. It's going to be weird to be a district leader. I'm not sure how I feel about that. But it should be cool. Naturally, I'm one to just keep to myself more... but I won't really be able to do that.... it will be fun though. I am always happy to accept the Lord's call to serve. 

Did you guys read the first presidency message for the month of January? Please say yes.... it was fantastic. President Monson's message has made me think a lot this week. If any of you in the family have not read it, I invite you to read it.  President Monson is a modern day Nephi. Obedience has always been a hallmark of the prophets. It is the first law of heaven. When God tells us to do something we must obey. And we must do so cheerfully. It is the only way to make the best of things. The doctrine of obedience combined with our desire to be truly happy demands that when the Lord asks us to do something, we say yes quickly and completely.  President Uchtdorf taught us that if a plane charts a course that is off by one degree it will end up hundreds of miles away from it's intended destination. Every time the Lord invites us to do something, be it a call from a prophet of God to serve a full time mission, or an invitation from the bishop to perform an undesirable calling, or a text from the mission president telling us to do something - we are forced to adjust our course. Either we accept the invitation and continue flying the straight and narrow path, or we reject the invitation and we alter our course by one degree... if we do so we will not end up where we had intended to be or where the Lord invited us to be... as you read president Monson's address you will see what I am saying....  This is something that I am convinced is true. 

Anyway... I've gotta run. I hope you guys have a great week this week! It was fun to talk to you. 

I love you guys!

December 22, 2014-Merry Christmas!

Hey guys! Merry Christmas!! Three days! haha  It will be fun to see you guys on Christmas! We have a pretty packed day - we will be going to two people's houses for Christmas dinner. One at three and one at five. haha Then, we will see the L family a little bit before we skype home. And we may try to see some other people. We will see what we can set up. It will be a fun day. This week is pretty crazy. It's a really weird week; we only get like two normal days to proselyte. Crazy. 

Brother K was confirmed in church yesterday! That was great! His home teacher, brother N confirmed him, which was good.  We did everything we could to have a member of the branch baptize him... I do not know if that is a world wide thing or a mission thing but it sure does make a ton of sense. Missionaries...we come and go pretty quick. I would not be surprised if I am transferred in three weeks. The members stay in the area with the new member. So if the members perform the ordinance, then there is that connection within the ward. Ideally, it is a home teacher or close friend in the ward. We have done everything possible to get brother K a lot of friends in the ward. And he has a ton of them.  Oh yeah, and we had like sixty people there at the baptismal service. Awesome turnout! President Richards came and it was a really good service. After the service, the B family, the other people being baptized, invited us and bro K over to their house for lunch. And so we went with them and we had a good time. And then, yesterday, they were all confirmed. Brother K wanted like everyone in his confirmation circle though.. haha It was funny. And his home teacher was voice, so that was great! So now he has the gift of the holy ghost! Plans are in motion to have him ordained to the Aaronic priesthood. as soon as possible. And then we will get him involved and transitioned into full activity in the church. That's what its all about. We have a lot more work to do to help brother K. But he is on fire and things are going really well. 

That has taken up most of our week. It's been a lot of work for brother K. The week before the baptism, we know, is like a spiritual fifth set tie breaker. Just like the time leading up to serving a mission, just before you leave... satan gets desperate and tries hard. We were very aware of that, so we redoubled our efforts to strengthen bro K in the Lord this week. With faith that if we did all we could, then the Lord would help him. Like elder Sam Wong's talk from conference, "when Jesus saw THEIR faith He healed the man with palsy," we spared no expense in meeting with him every day and getting things in order. We made sure brother K was our priority this week. And that was good. We are glad that everything went so well. Several members remarked that the baptism was a very spiritual experience and they really enjoyed it as well. Awesome.

It was a good thing to have the baptism so close to Christmas. It has caused me to reflect a lot on receiving the gift Christ gave us. That is exactly what brother K did this weekend as he received the sacred ordinances which literally allow him to receive the gift of the atonement of Jesus Christ. That is exactly what we do when we worthily partake of the sacrament of Christ each week in church. Talk about embracing the gift. 

This Christmas season I have reflected a lot on what Christmas means to me this year. The themes of faith, trust, and love stand out in my mind. The prophet Mormon tells us "God declared unto prophets that Christ should come. And by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of Him, the Lord prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts." This Christmas season, I celebrate that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been declared to the world. And even more, the fullness of his gospel has been restored to the earth! What a blessing it is to have prophets, to have the gospel declared, that we may know about Christ and have faith in Him! What a great gift! The prophet Mormon tells us through faith in Christ, we may lay hold upon every good gift. There are a lot of good gifts out there and through faith in Jesus Christ, we can have them. The prophets have told us about the gifts Christ can give us for a long time.... gifts of hope, peace, joy, overcoming our weaknesses and mistakes, living with our families forever. Just to name a few. All gifts, which mean a lot to me personally and seem to resonate with most of the world. So I celebrate that we have the gospel and know of Christ. Because we know of him and his gospel we have the opportunity to have faith in him and lay hold on every good gift. 

There are many invitations the Savior extends to people. The one that seems best fitting to me for the Christmas season is "be of good cheer". That is my invitation to all of you. Do not be distracted by all of the commercial christmas stuff. Rather let the birth of Jesus Christ and his life and his atonement, rest in your minds, that you may be of good cheer. When we remember Christ, we will be of good cheer. 

Our family has so many reasons to be happy. I am glad I am a full-time missionary right now. Because as the prophets have declared glad tidings of joy to the world, I get to help take the word of Christ to people who have not heard it yet by bearing testimony of Him, so that other people can have faith in Him too. It is definitely a memorable Christmas to see the fruits of the work of many missionaries and members in the life of brother K. That is what it's all about. Helping people to come unto Christ and experience the same joy we have felt. 

Merry Christmas again!

Love you guys,

elder Hinkle

December 15, 2014

Hey guys! Ten days till Christmas!!! Whaat!? Merry Christmas to you too Jordan! haha and everyone else! We are so stoked this Christmas season! We love Christmas! 

That's cool that Matt spoke, definitely tell him I say hi. And then, David too this next week. haha Man time flies. That's crazy. People are all starting to go home now... these next few transfers in the mission there are a lot of people going home that I know. It's crazy. 

It sounds like you guys had a really fun week this last week! Well, mostly it sounds like Jack had a really fun week. haha Jack - in answer to your question, brother K is going to be baptized this Saturday!!! It has been so fun to teach him leading up to this Christmas! President Richards interviewed him last night! It's official! Now we are just planning the baptism. It's going to be awesome! haha 

We have had a fantastic week this week! We met with brother K pretty much everyday. It's been fun to work with him. Monday, we went with him to the single adult fhe. Tuesday, we were out caroling with brother S again. Bro K was going to come with us but something came up. So we stopped by with bro S. Out of the blue, brother S invited brother K to go to the festival of lights at the DC Temple with him on Saturday. They had a blast from what we heard! haha Thursday, we had dinner at the R's home and they invited brother K! We taught tithing there and it was a really good visit! The R's were super involved and testified powerfully about their experience as faithful tithe payers. Brother K really liked the idea. He kept asking if any of it went to help the missionaries.  haha We told him it does not and explained all of the other donations on the tithing slip and stuff. We got the sense he really is grateful to the missionaries. It was pretty cool. Friday, we had the ward Christmas party! That was awesome! Such a good opportunity to help brother K integrate with the ward. Brother N was recently assigned to be his home teacher. haha And they are definitely becoming good friends.  Bro N drove us and brother K out to president Richard's house last night! And we had a lesson in President's house with brother K's new home teacher! It was a really good visit - we taught about the commandment to follow the prophet and had a really good discussion involving bro K and N and President and Sister Richards. And then, afterwards, sister Richards pulled out her many dessert options and took many pictures, and then, President interviewed bro K. And all went well. So we will be busy planning the baptism this week! President said he is going to try hard to come! haha So that will be cool too. We are going to try hard to meet with brother K everyday again this week to do everything we can to keep the ball rolling! He is on fire right now! And we have a lot of good stuff coming up for him as well! 

Wednesday, this week, we had a specialized training with president and sister Richards. We taught them again and that was fun too. But our entire day was taken up. We had the specialized training and then we were assigned to direct parking at the temple for festival of lights. Long day but it was fun. We had to use a ton of miles though so we have been trying hard to save them now. The temple is really cool. It was fun to be there. It was pretty chilly though. 

We have no snow here. It is looking like it will be a green Christmas. Which is good. I'm all for that! haha If i'm not going to go snowboarding then I don't need any snow. haha We had a little snow the other day and there was enough for elder M to throw a snowball at me... but you should have seen how long it took him to get enough snow to make a snow ball... haha I didn't even bother... I just caught it when he threw it at me and then threw it back at him... haha 

One night this week we were walking around and we approached this guy who was setting up Christmas stuff. And we started talking to him and then his girlfriend comes out all excited and see that we are missionaries. Turns out, she is a long time less active member who just moved into the neighborhood. And we found her. haha She said that she had the sisters over to feed them like every week before she moved and so we hooked her up with the sister's number and stuff and they will start working with her now. We went in with her and her boyfriend and had a fun visit. We shared with them the "He is the gift" video and they loved it. And they gave us hot chocolate, like everyone else we see.. haha I swear, we get so much hot chocolate... It's crazy.

I am kinda sick this week. On Friday, my voice was super deep again like it was in Bel Air that one time. haha. And it was the night of the Christmas party and I had to call president Richard's for our lesson. haha It was funny... my voice was super low... it's better now but I am more sick. Just a bad head cold, I think. But that's ok. Hoping to be over it as soon as possible.  

So I have had a rather interesting experience this year.... We are stoked for Christmas, right? So we are counting down, right? Ten days left!! So when we see people, we will excitedly remind them how many days are left until Christmas. The reactions we get vary... but it is more rare than common to find someone who is really enthusiastic about Christmas being right around the corner... We were talking to this lady the other day - we saw her coming in struggling to carry all of this stuff she bought, cursing loudly as she was trying to get it all out of the car. We offered to help her and she says - "No i'm fine, i just hate this season"... haha We were like ok...  the most common response is a deep breath or rolled eyes accompanied with comments about how much they have to do before then and how much stress it is causing them... I have heard  sin defined as "missing the mark or missing the point," we read in the book of mormon that when we sin we separate ourselves from God and push away His spirit. As I have reflected on the general attitude toward Christmas, I think that people do not like it because they are missing the point... They are so caught up in the wrong things. And because they are missing the point, they just push away the Christmas spirit and end up not happy... it's interesting. So what is the point? The point of Christmas is to remember the Savior. To have His spirit in our lives and to share that with other people. 

I have heard it often said that Christmas is not about the getting as much as the giving... I think that is good, but it is also good to remember to focus on receiving the gift that God has given us. We must receive it often. We give gifts to remember the gift of Jesus Christ which God has given us. But we can't get too stressed out about giving things to other people that we do not take time to receive the most important gift. We receive this gift by remembering Him. Recall the sacrament prayers - we promise to always remember Him - that we may have His spirit to be with us. That has deep significance relative to the Christmas season as well -  inasmuch as we remember Christ this Christmas season, we will have the spirit of Christmas in our lives. Which Christmas spirit is the spirit of cheer,  gift of giving and service and love. But inasmuch as we forget the Lord and focus on material things, we will miss out on the best parts of Christmas. So I invite you to do things specifically to remember Chris,t that you may have the spirit of Christmas with you through out this season. I will let you think of things you can do. haha 

Anyway, I've gotta go.. I hope you guys all have a great week this week! Merry Christmas!!! I will talk to you next Monday! Then there will only be like two days till Christmas! Wo. I wish you a good week. 

I love you guys! 

elder Hinkle

December 8, 2014

Hey guys!!! It sounds like it has been a good week for you guys! I can't believe it has been so warm there! That's awesome! We do not have any snow but it has definitely been pretty cold. That's crazy. haha I would take fifty degree anytime in December. haha

We had a fantastic week! It was really good. Probably the best week we have had here in Pasadena. Starting with last Monday night! We went to the single adult family home evening and we took brother K!  We were a little nervous as we looked around at the small crowd of old ladies who were in the group... apparently not everyone showed up last week, I don't know how the whole group really looks...but it turned out to be awesome! They get together every week and the read and discuss passages from the Book of Mormon. Last week, we read Msh 27 - the conversion of Alma the younger. Awesome chapter! But the best part came in the course of conversation - bro K introduced himself as a new member. And so they started asking him questions. He proceeded to announce to the group that he is going to be baptized. haha! It was pretty funny how it all played out! And brother K loves the single adult fhe! We are going tonight too! He is going to give us a ride there! haha He is really progressing and loving the gospel! We have had something with him almost every night this week! And we have something scheduled with him for every night this week! It is unreal. He is going strong! It's cool to see him making changes in his life. He has great faith. 

Last night, we watched the christmas broadcast with him at brother L's house! And he has been assigned home teachers! Whats up! We are planning the baptism and it is set for that Saturday morning so we can start inviting people! It's going to be fun! We are going to be meeting with brother K like everyday before his baptism to really help him prepare and then we will meet with him lots after to help him keep moving! It's going to be a fun transfer! What a way to gear up for christmas! haha 

We have had a lot of other good success as well this week! Elder M is great! He has a lot of enthusiasm for the work and we have been busy meeting all of the members and stuff. We have been sharing lots of christmas messages! The first night elder M was here we went with the L family to the Pasadena christmas tree lighting. They thought it wasn't going to be a very big event... it was a huge party! haha So we split from the L family and started contacting people! As we were talking to different families in the crowd, we would see brother L pop up in the background taking our picture as we talked with people! haha And he posted it on facebook! haha there is a new initiative here called #socialmediasplit. And whenever we go do stuff with members they are invited to share with their friends that they were out with the missionaries! Pretty cool. 

The feeling here is this area has definitely changed - I like that.  I think it is great and we have had miracles all week long and so we are both stoked about serving here! Score! That makes everything easier! And we have a lot of fun stuff coming up. 

As we are beginning this christmas season, I would bring to your attention this counsel from the Savior - "lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moths and rust doth corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourself treasures in heaven, where moth nor rust doth corrupt, and thieves do not break through and steal" 3 Ne 13:19-20. The holidays are very commercial these days... There is a lot of focus on what material gifts we want and what we will do with them. If we are not careful our attention is drawn away to the earthly treasures that we desire so much. And it is not so much that wanting things is bad, we just have to remember that many christmas gifts are earthly treasures and do not have as much value. But there are things that christmas brings that are heavenly treasures. Treasures that moth nor rust can corrupt, and no thief can steal. A big one is christmas memories. I have received many many christmas gifts in my life, which things I am grateful for. But more than being grateful for those things, as the years have gone by I am grateful for the memories and the christmas experiences. I remember spending christmas with the family and doing things with you guys. I remember going to both grandparent's house and having big family parties. haha I remember everyone being happy. 

As we anticipate christmas, let us all remember the gift of Jesus Christ offered to each of us by our Father in heaven. It is the greatest gift of all. As much as I used my tennis racquets, I have used the atonement more. I have broken strings often and I have even broken racquets I used them so much.... the atonement will never break. We can always rely on the Lord and use this matchless gift from our father in heaven. Surely the atonement of Jesus Christ is the most used christmas gift of all time, and therefore, the most valuable. What a treasure! It is definitely a cause to celebrate as we look back on the birth of the Savior and His divine mission to redeem the world. 

I have got to go! But I will talk to you next week! Merry Christmas!! By the way, there is like what? 17 days? That's what's up!? I'm still counting down. haha I will talk to you later! 

I love you guys!

elder Hinkle

December 1, 2014

Hey guys! Happy Thanksgiving again!! Sounds like you guys had a good holiday! We did too! Really good food. 

We had a really good week this week. Brother K was out of town but we were able to maintain semi-consistent contact with him. 

And I did not get transferred this time! Elder D did though... that's a bummer.  But it will be fun to take over the area and make some changes here. I'm going to talk our area up a ton and spin it super positive. And then stay positive! There is a ton of sweet stuff going on here so hopefully we will be able to eliminate any feelings of negativity about the work here. When a new missionary comes in I have learned that it is very important to present the new area in the right way. If you do not, it can make things a lot harder. But the glass in Fort Smallwood is half full. That's for sure. 

Oh yeah... we painted this guy's house and he has us eat this pizza that was made out of pretzel and nacho cheese sauce and pepperoni... Interesting food. 

Like I said, Thanksgiving was cool. There was a lot of food. The other missionaries played ultimate frisbee that morning  for a while which did look really fun from the sidelines.

Yesterday was pretty crazy. We raked leaves for like four hours. haha It was fun. That's the most work I've gotten to do in a long time. Elder D was all sore. I was surprised but not sore at all really. Which is good. haha These guys had so many leaves! It puts Grandpa's leaf piles to shame! It's madness out here. I'm surprised that more people have not had us rake this year..but we aren't in a very open country area at all really... 

Hey! Thanks for the package this week!! That was awesome! I loved getting your letters this week and the electric blanket has already been of use. It's super nice! Your home-made caramels were a big hit too. Everyone loved those. Thank you guys so much!! 

I was studying the sacrament yesterday morning. I was studying primarily from the latest general conference and the book of Mormon. I learned a lot the other day. I was reading elder Hamula's talk I think, about the sacrament. He talked about why the order in which we take the bread and water is important. I found this pretty interesting. We take the bread in remembrance of the body of Christ. In His body He came to earth and in His body He was killed and died. But in His body He rose from the grave breaking the bands of death for us all. As we remember His risen body, we are reminded of our own inevitable resurrection... I know that I will certainly be resurrected and be brought back into the presence of God where I will be judged... that happens because of the resurrection of Christ. Because He was resurrected, all of us will be brought to stand before God at some future point. We remember the victory over physical death... for some, that is cause to celebrate and for others it is cause to mourn because of their poor choices...The scriptures teach us that no unclean thing can stay in the presence of God... so we take the bread and we are reminded of this dilemma... but we then take the water in remembrance of the blood He spilt for each of us. Christ Himself declared the solution to the Nephites when He told them that through his blood they could be made clean. When we drink of the water we remember his atoning sacrifice. We remember the victory over spiritual death or separation from our Heavenly Father. As we take the sacrament we covenant to take upon us the name of Christ, always remember him, and keep his commandments. He promises us that we may have his spirit to be with us. The spirit is a cleansing and purifying agent. As we yield to the promptings of the Holy Ghost telling us to do good things and follow Christ we get better. We are sanctified... it's a process. Taking the sacrament yesterday with those thoughts in my mind was a highlight of the day. I am truly grateful to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost who is helping to purify me. And I hope to be better able to yield to his quiet voice. 

We just barely got the Ensign for November... I'm so stoked about it! I love re-reading general conference!! It's pretty sweet! There is a lot to learn there. I have not gotten the December one yet... I imagine I will pick it up at transfers on Wednesday. It's going to be weird. All of the sisters I came out with go home this week.... and soon a lot of the missionaries I have known most of my mission will start going home... It's going to be lame if I can't go to the transfer meetings now.. Hopefully, I will be able to go to most of them. My companions are going to start leaving soon. 

Anyway, I've gotta run for the day! I will talk to you next week! By the way! There are only twenty five days til Christmas!! What's up!? haha 

I love you guys!

elder Hinkle

November 24, 2014

Hey guys! Whats up!? It sounds like you guys had a really fun week! I bet you are stoked for Thanksgiving this week! We are! We are going to visit two families... one I don't really know yet and the other, I have met a few times. It's going to be a really fun day. Most of it. We have a zone activity in the morning to play ultimate frisbee.. so that means I'll sit on the ground for a couple hours.. but after that  the day will be sweet! haha 

Next Thanksgiving I will be there! That's weird.. but normal at the same time. I don't know. I always talk about not wanting to come home because I like being on a mission.  I feel like that's kind of a faithless attitude so I'm trying to be more excited to come home... don't get me wrong, I miss you guys and I can't wait to see you... but it really is good to be a missionary. haha 

You guys will have a lot to be thankful for this year. I saw something in a member's home once. One night for fhe they pulled out a giant piece of paper- like a really big one, three by three feet or so. They hung it on the wall. Then they all wrote things they are thankful for on it until it was full. I invite you guys to try it! Thanksgiving week! Hang up a big piece of paper in a place in the house that gets a lot of traffic, that you pass a lot. And put a pen next to it. Then every time you pass the paper you have to write something that you are grateful for until the end of the week. I guarantee you guys could fill a paper that is like ten feet long... but for the sake of time, it doesn't have to be that big... haha Then you can count your many blessings at the end of the week. yay. 

Brother K left for Florida on Friday. We met with him a lot before then. He is on fire. Tuesday, we taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ lesson. We were on exchanges and I stayed and one of our zone leaders elder Ferrin came here to work with me. We had a great lesson and talked a lot about repentance, we have covered a lot of the other subjects and repentance is going to be a big thing for brother K to understand moving forward. The good news is that he already has the desire to make these changes in his life. All he needs is a little doctrinal push to motivate him I think. I think that he will be able to do it. While we were teaching the gospel of Christ, we were at the B's home. A member in our branch. Brother B joined the church later in his life and he shared his story about how it all happened. It was an awesome story and brother K loved it. Then bro B invited brother King to be baptized on the 20th of Dec.  It was sweet. Brother K is praying about it. He is really looking forward to it. 

Oh, yeah... so we are in the ward choir here, right? Well, we sang in sacrament meeting this week. The song we sung was in Spanish... haha I didn't even know how to say all of the words... let alone sing... ... We have been practicing it in choir practice every week... well... sometimes I was on splits.. .and then I don't go to choir.. haha But yeah. You would have laughed seeing me up on the stand singing in Spanish... I don't think anyone heard my voice out of the choir because people kept saying we sounded great. That may be the first and only time that people compliment my singing. haha So, check that off the bucket list. 

It was a pretty good week. and to top it all off I find out today that Federer and Wawrinka won the Davis cup for Switzerland! whaaat!? I am sorry I missed  that. It is not often that you meet people who follow Davis cup - but I did! haha So I hadn't heard any news about the ties except for what you told me last week... so that was a sweet surprise! haha I'll have so much to catch up when I come home... and a ton of time to do it too. haha

I have been thinking a lot on gratitude this week. And last two weeks since they asked me to speak about it kind of. As I have pondered that, I think the things I am most grateful for this year are things which give me hope and things which have helped me become more converted to the Lord. In my mind, there are many things which stand out. A couple of those things are the book or mormon and the atonement of Jesus Christ. The book of mormon is something that I treasure. I've definitely felt the power of the book of mormon. It teaches us true and simple doctrine. It is full of invitations for us to act and promised blessings. When ever I read the book of mormon it renews my hope for the future and refreshes my view of what is going on around me. I have found so much needed direction in the book or mormon when I needed it. I remember my last semester in school I was having a difficult time. The more I have learned the more I see how I could have handled the situation differently. But one thing that I did right was turn to the book of mormon. I remember making it a priority to turn the pages of the book of mormon daily and read the word of God. I know that is one thing that really helped me out then and has continued to help me as I strive to be an effective missionary and go through life. I know that the book of mormon is true and it is the foundation of everything I hope for. If the book of mormon is true than I believe I have a great future ahead of me. If it is not, then I do not know... the good news is that I know it to be true. And that witness which I have received through the power of the Holy Ghost is something I am very grateful for. 

The atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the work he has done and is doing and has promised to do in my life is something else that causes me to be grateful. I look back on my life and see that I have not always been the person I should have been. I am not yet the person I want to be.  I know of the work the Redeemer has done in my life to help me. It is because of Jesus Christ that I can look back and say - I am better than I used to be. As I reflect on that, I am filled with gratitude. I know that I still struggle to be who the Savior and I want me to be, but because of the gospel of Jesus Christ I am hopeful that I can and will continue to improve according to my faith, diligence, and obedience.  And life will be good. 

Reading your letters today is also something I am grateful for. I have been blessed to have a great family. I love reading the letters you send me. And it is quite a blessing to be able to email every Monday. I enjoy sharing my experiences with you guys and I enjoy reading about what's going on with you guys. I am really grateful for all the support that you guys have given me as I have been serving a mission especially. It is nice to be able to talk to you each week and hear your reports of the week. I am excited to talk to you guys on Christmas and it will be fun to come home and hang out with you guys this summer. I have met a lot of people in the last eighteen months... haha And I often find myself recognizing that we really do have a really cool family. If you guys were members in my ward, I would love to come to your house. haha You guys would be the favorites. haha 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!! 

I love you guys! 

elder Hinkle