News from Elder Parker Dustin Hawk: First week and last week!‏

Hello everyone!

This week has been so amazing! I don't even know where to begin! The first day and a half of the MTC were painfully slow. We were waiting for some more elders to come so we basically just played fuse ball and ping pong. haha. There is an Elder from Madagascar here and he is insanely good at it!! He hasn't been beat. It was also pretty rough getting used to the time difference. I think the first night I got a good night sleep was Sunday night. It's pretty weird that you are probably all asleep right now. I just had lunch. haha. The food also is very different and is going to take some getting used to. You are never 100% sure what type of meat they are serving you but it usually tastes pretty good...usually. I have been trying just about everything and the only thing I haven't finished are the vegetables.. but that will come with time. haha.

Once we started the work everything got way better! Last Friday I was put into a trio and we were asked to be the zone leaders! My new companions are Elder Haines (from Phoenix) and Elder Roylance. They are so awesome! I have enjoyed this extra opportunity to serve my fellow missionaries as a zone leader. There is only one zone. haha. There are 3 districts within that zone. Every missionaries here has become my best friends! They are all so amazing! We were all called at the same time for a reason. Most of us are going to Uganda, but all the others are going to Durban.

Tuesday we got to go to the Johannesburg temple. It was an amazing experience and kind of a sad one as I realized that it would be the last time I would go through the temple for 2 years. before we went through though, we had a devotional with Elder Cook (the area president of Southeast Africa). He taught us about Africa, and our goals as missionaries. He said that our job was not to find, teach, and baptize. But to establish the church. We needed to start with the end in mind. Our goal is not only to baptize, but to see it through and have them go through the temple in a year. Truly being a Full-Purpose missionary. Elder Cook is an Amazing man who is guided by God.

Yesterday I probably had the best day. In class they tell you that for the next two years you won't be studying for yourself anymore, but for your investigators. We have two investigators (our teachers) and so I always thought that I had to study what I was going to teach them. Yesterday morning I finally got the realization that the best way to study for them was to become a better teacher, so I decided to start in chapter 1 of Preach my Gospel. As I read I felt the spirit so strongly. I read about how Christ is the vine and we are the branches. A branch without the vine is useless. So we can do nothing except it be through Christ, especially teach his gospel! The missionaries are not the teachers. We are just guides and tools in the Lords hands. Without the spirit the investigator can know nothing. That's why following the rules and being exactly obedient is so important! Without that you CANNOT have the spirit.

Today we did TRC. Me and my companions got to teach the security guard of the MTC, who was a real investigator!! He had been taking the discussions already and he actually already knew that this was the true church, I think he was just waiting for someone to ask him to be baptized.. So we did!! He accepted and gave his teaching record to the Johannesburg mission to take care of. I hope he continues to progress, and follows through on his commitment.

Sorry this was quite a long letter. I still didn't get to say everything I want.. haha. Well, I love you all and hope all is well at home. Next week I will be in my mission and I cannot wait to teach those people!

Love, Elder Hawk