May 15

Dear Mom, Dad, Liz, Kirstie, Ashlynn, McKay, Family and Friends,

 

This past week was quite humbling and it was a good wake up call that made me realize I need to be the best example possible and obey all mission rules and commandments because I am a walking representative of Jesus Christ. Although I may not talk to everyone I see, I am recognized as a missionary by my appearance and I need to always be doing my best to magnify my calling as a missionary. 

On Wednesday of last week, we were teaching a investigator in a role play and we weren´t taking it as seriosly as we should´ve. So after we were done teaching, our teacher, who was acting as the investigator told us we need to take the practice role plays a little more serious. Although, this was one of only a few times that we weren´t taking the lesson as serious as we could, it made me think of my days in cross country and track, where we were constantly told that you play like you practice. After realizing that the eternal salvation of my future investigators are at stake, my companions and I have been doing a lot better job at teaching as if we were in the field, rather than in the CTM.

A group of about thirty missionaries went to the federal police station on thursday to get fingerprinted and we were officially put into the Brasil federal system. The police station was a lot like government buildings in the US, there were a lot of security cameras and guards and the lines took a couple hours to get through. One thing that was different was that we couldn´t cross our arms and lean against any of the walls or sit on the floor or else we would´ve been arrested. Luckily none of us missionaries did any of those things.

As of this past Friday I have been on my mission for one month, it seems like I´ve been away from home forever but at the same time, the days are flying by and there´s not enough time in the day to get everything done.

My companions and I had the great experience on Saturday to teach some brazilian members that acted as investigators for us. It was great to be able to teach them and have them understand most of the things we said but we still have a long way to go to be fluent.

I was officially humbled on Sunday. As our Sunday meetings were coming to an end, a member of the branch presidency came into our room and called me to be the district leader for our district of 5 elders. I was humbled and then I realized that I am now more than need to obey with exactness and set an example because I am a leader. 

Overall, this past week woke me up to realize that I have a magnificant calling to magnify and that I can accomplish all things as I have the Spirit and trust in the Lord.  

 

I love you all! Thanks for the support!
 

Love,

 

Elder Hokanson

May 22

Dear Dad, Mom, Liz, Kirstie, Ashlynn, McKay, Family and Friends,

 

This past week was another week filled with more spiritual, learning and humbling experiences. Although I can´t wait to leave for Curitiba on June 12th, I am trying my best to enjoy these last three weeks here in the CTM because it is such an amazing place where I´ve made great friends from all around North and South America. Not only have I made great friends here, but it is the best feeling to be learning Portuguese and more about the gospel of Jesus Christ here in the CTM and having the Holy Ghost as my constant companion. The Spirit truly does teach me and those who I teach and it never fails to lift me up when I´m feeling down. 

One example of how I was guided by the Spirit was last Tuesday evening, as our P-day was coming to a close Elders Larsen and Meadows, my two companions, and I were walking back into the CTM after walking around in the streets of Sao Paulo for a couple hours. As we entered the CTM I saw the secretary of the CTM in the corner of my eye and I had the prompting to go say hi to him. Initially I thought to myself, ``The secretary is a really cool guy, but I´m sure he won´t be hurt if I don´t say hi to him because he looks busy doing computer work``. When I had the prompting a second time to go see him, I decided to act upon it. As my companions and I walked into his office, he looked up and said to my companion Elder Meadows, ``We´ve been looking for you and we have some leaders out looking for you because the President and his wife need to talk to you.`` Elder Meadows then left and met with the President and his wife, who informed him his grandma had died and then they let him call his family who was at her funeral in Hawaii. That night the only thing that was going through my head was that the spirit does truly guide you as you live worthily and that it speaks in a still small voice. If I had not followed that prompting, the leaders would´ve had a lot harder time locating him. 

On Wednesday afternoon, Elder Webb from my old district in Provo joined our district here at the CTM, and he is now companions with Elder Larsen, so once again it´s just me and Elder Meadows in a companionship. 

As Thursday evening rolled around, we were blessed to receive two new roommates. Our new roommates are Elder Woodruff from Utah and he is companions with Elder Santos of Fortaleza for the next the next three weeks. 

To end last week we had the great opportuninty to hear from the 1st counselor in the CTM presidency and he talked about the importance of understanding what kind of missionaries we need to be, and that is we are to be as Jesus.

 

Anyway I have to go but I love you all and once again thanks for the love and support.

 

Love

 

Elder Hokanson

May 7th - Sao Paulo MTC

Dear Dad, Mom, Liz, Kirstie, Ashlynn Family and Friends,

 

This past week was another week full of learning Portuguese, studying the scriptures and falling in love with the gospel of Jesus Christ even more than I already am.

Last Wednesday Elder Meadows and I during the afternoon walked around the neighborhoods around the CTM and it was a great experience to just see how blessed we are in America to have such nice big houses and cars with nice yards and well kept roads. It made me really wish I was in Curitiba right now walking the streets everyday andf talking to the Brazilians about the restored gospel and church of Jesus Christ and the hope and happiness that it will bring to the lives of all those who accept it. Wednesday was also my last day in my disrict 15-B, which was my first district when I  arrived in the CTM here in Sao Paulo. It was really tough to get split into a new district but I know that all change happens for a reason and God will always be right by our side.

On Thursday, my old companion, Elder Larsen from Sacramento got his visa and so he joined Elder Meadows and I to make a trio. It is definately a different experience going from a district of 12 with 6 companionships to a district of 5 with two companionships. However, I am happy to say our new district 15-D is great with the companionship of Elder Orr and Elder Black. It is nice to still have the same elders around that were in my first district in Provo, and we are learning a lot more Portuguese from our two teachers now than when we were in our old district.

Friday we had our first full day of our new schedule and it was pretty hard adjusting to all the new times and having to get used to not seeing the members from our old district everyday. During the evening President Degn gave a great short fireside on how we need to obey with exactness, follow all mission rules and always be with our companion to gain all the blessings that our Heavenly Father has in store for us.

Saturday, amist all our teaching lessons I realized that the Spirit is an amazing gift and it truly converts people. In order to have it convert people we must always live worthy of it and act on the quiet impressions it gives.

Sunday we continued our fast that we started Saturday after lunch since it was fast sunday and we had a great mission conference on the importance of doing all we can to prepare and study so we can be the best possible instruments in the hands of the Lord.

Yesterday was bittersweet because the Brazilians that came in with us had there last day at the CTM and our Brazilian roommates Elders Martins and Neves left for the field today. The Brazilain elders are my favorite people here at the CTM because they are so happy, humble and faithful even though they have so little. It was sad to see my friends  leave today, but I am excited to see the amazing things they will accomplish for the Lord. 

 

This church and gospel is true and the Lord has called me as a missionary to share it with the people of Brazil, I am the luckiest guy on the earth.

 

I love you all, thanks for the support!!!

 

Love, 

 

Elder Hokanson

Dear Mom, Dad, Liz, Kirstie, Ashlynn, McKay, Family and friends,

 

I have got to the point in the CTM where all the days blur together and it seems like deja vu everyday because we follow the same exact schedule week after week. Aside from all the deja vu moments that aren't too exciting I discovered a few exciting and different events that happened this past week.

To start off, last Wednesday was the first day Elder Meadows and I left the MTC grounds. In the morning we went to the Sao Paulo temple, then we wandered the blocks of Sao Paulo around the CTM. After walking around for a little bit we realized we could barely understand the locals because they speak so fast and they don´t use gospel and church related terms like we´ve been learning. Aside from coming to this conclusion, we bought some chips that looked like strips of bacon and I bought a Brazilian fanta with real orange juice in it, american soda tastes better but that´s probably because it has twice the sugar than the soda down here. 

Thursday we taught some lessons in Portuguese and I was getting pretty discouraged and I was thinking that I´ll never be able to learn Portuguese at the rate I´m going. After thinking all this I realized that those thoughts were coming from Satan and that as I put my trust and faith in God, all things are possible.

Friday morning, Elder Meadows and I got our first Brazilian haircuts, and the best part was that they were for free. It was quite the experience having the barber sing in Portuguese and not look at your head while he´s cutting your hair because he´s talking to one of the workers at the CTM, luckily my hair doesn´t look too bad. During the afternoon we had our first recorded teaching appointment with two ``investigators`` and it was our best teaching experience yet. It was after this teaching experience that I began to realize I´m actually making good progress with everything. 

Saturday, all of us missionaries were shocked to go the bathroom and instead of having our normal flow of clean water, there was only a small amount of clean water, then that water turned to to dirt brown water, so not a lot got accomplished as far as getting ready that morning because no one wanted to shower or brush thier teeth with filthy brown water. Luckily by the afternoon they had fixed the problem. 

Sunday was a very nice rejuvenating day, we went to church, took a short nap then had a fireside where we sang the spirit of god in Portuguese, Spanish and English the first 3 verses. Our speaker was a stake president from Sao Paulo and he taught the importance of staying faithful and humble as we serve. 

Monday morning we had our first annual district volleyball game and although we didn´t keep score it was a great bonding time. 

Last night we heard a great devotional that was given in the Provo MTC on Sunday from Elder Bednar and he said that all the answers to the questions of life are found in the doctrine of the gospel, not only yhe applications. Thank you so much Mom and Dad for not just teaching me the applications of the gospel, but all the doctrine behind it.

 

Thank you all for you support, love and letters!!!

 

Love

 

Elder Hokanson  

 

PS are we related to an Evelyn hokanson, tell dad I met Rob Cesena´s daughter form K Falls and I can´t send anymore photos over email-mtc policy.

 

Missionaries in the Brazil MTC

First Week In Brazil

At the Provo Temple

Jonathan and Elder Crandall (missionary who taught Steven Card)

Dear Dad, Mom, Liz, Kirstie, Ashlynn, McKay, Family and Friends,

This past week was my first full week in Sao Paulo Brazil. Although I´m not in the city everyday talking to people on the street I have come to really love it here at the CTM, or MTC for all you americans out there. :) The first day in Brazil, right after we walked off the airplane felt like we were in a sauna because it is very hot and humid here. I thought I would be used to the humidity and heat after a couple days, but to my surprise it still feels like us missionaries are in a 24/7 sauna. Every night, with the exception of one, I have slept without a blanket because if you do you just wake up in the morning super sweaty and gross feeling. Luckily yesterday and today the ac in the building has been working so it´s not too humid and hot while we are in class all day. 

If I had to describe this past week in a few words, they would be humbling, busy, spiritual, hot, humid and fun. The day after arriving here in the CTM, it was go, go, go. We met our new district and they are actually really amazing people with amazing stories and great spirits. This week was vveerryy  hhuummbblliinngg  because I went from the Provo MTC where a lot of english was being spoken to the ctm here in brazil and very few people here speak english and as we practice teaching investigators in Portuguese it has been difficult and at times frustrating because I  can´t express my true feelings and thoughts because I don´t know very much portuguese. I wanted a humbling experince while I was on my mission, and I guess I got it because I feel helpless trying to learn Portuguese in such a short period of time, so I´ve prayed and relyed on God more than I ever had because I can´t spread this amazing gospel and message without his help and the spirit. 

This past Monday we had the amazing  experience of hearing from two members of the seventy and an apostle of Jesus Christ. Elder Mazagardi, Whitney Clayton and Quinton L Cook spoke to us about the importance of being sharp clean instruments that the Lord can use to perform spiritual surgery on the people we teach. Elder Cook also gave an apostolic blessing to us that this mission is the best possible thing we as  Elders can be doing and that all those we love will be blessed in one way or another because of our faithful service. There truly is a prophet of God and apostles on the earth today and I am so privliaged to be able to spread his gospel to the people of Brazil.  

I love you all and will talk to you soon!!!

Love,

Elder Hokanson

First Letter from the MTC

Today is my last full day in the US for the next two years.  I am surprisingly not very nervous about heading to Brasil, I am just excited to be immersed in the culture and Portuguese.

I saw Elder Archuleta this morning, when me and the companions I am on splits with got locked out of our room and had to go to the floor above us to get the master key. As we were standing around  in our towels, he walked by us and into his room right next to us. I talked a little bit to him and one of his roomates and wished him good luck in the Chile, Rancagua mission because he's leaving today. Aside from seeing him a couple times today last night, we had the most amazing fireside I had ever been to. Before it started all of us missionaries sang hymns and then we heard a musical number from the daughters of the 2nd counselor in MTC presidency, then we heard from our MTC president  Elder Brown who spoke about the importance of being a good companion that is lead by the spirit. After his talk, Elder Archuleta sang the Spirit of God and it was amazing how he brought the spirit into the gym we were in. The final speaker was M Russell Ballard and he also spoke on the importance of teaching by the spirit and believing the doctrine with all our heart. I felt like he was looking directly at me a lot of his talk which was pretty cool. To cap it all off, all of us missionaries formed an Mtc choir and softly sang called to serve as if we were the stripling warriors coming over a hill so by the end we were standing up and singing at the top of our lungs. It was an amazing spiritual and uplifting fireside. The MTC is a remarkable place and I can't wait to experience the one in Brasil.

My companions are teaching me a lot about patience and being understanding because they are struggling wwith the languange but they are a blessing to my life. I am glad to hear that you've been comforted by so many people. Ashlynn you are aewsome. I love you all.

love elder hokanson