First Week Emails!!

WHAT'S GOING ON EVERYBODY!!??
Wow so much has happened, especially being the first group of missionaries only here for 12 days....yeah...12 days.
I've run into many friends, and have had pictures taken with them and am excited to send them home.

"So the MTC should be called "acting school" instead. We come here and learn how to role play SO many different situations.
We've taught 3 total investigators and it's been a learning experience, but we're finally comfortable with where we're at.

The spirit is always here, and it's awesome about this place.
I'm so rushed as I only have a few mins to write this.

The showers here suck, and the temperature changes every time the toilet is flushed.
Waking up at 5:30 has it's advantages that's for sure.

I'm sorry this isn't much, but there's so many things to get done before we leave on Feb. 18th. I'm the loving the experience here,
but can't wait to get the 'real' experience. 

The day I came into the MTC was the record day for how many missionaries entered. There was around 800 missionaries that came in
on Wednesday and it's supposed to get up to a 1000. We are the first of the huge 'surge' that is coming......high schoolers....*shudder* hahah jk.

I've thought a lot about my friends and family and I'm so anxious to know what everyone is doing in their life. Letters are AMAZING to get
and I'm so grateful for those that have written me! I write back asap but we're so packed, hopefully in the field I'll have more letter time on 
P-day.

One thing that missionaries love is letters...when someone gets a letter...it's basically Christmas. We put bets on who gets letters in our 
District haha it's pretty great. I'm given the opportunity to be 'DL'.. and one of the responsibilities is to deliver mail! People love the 
missionaries that deliver mail. 

I freakin' love you all and your example you've set on me and everyone. We all are blessed in countless ways, regardless of the situation. 

-Elder Hales

(family please include stuff from the family email to the blog if you'd like, I'm so rushed!)

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Here are some blurps from his more personal family email!:

"...Last Thursday night we met our Branch Presidency at a District meeting. We were taught a brief lesson and found out that our 1st Counselor served in Tucson speaking Navajo!  So sick!! It isn't a mission anymore, but I'm excited to meet so many different people.

We all went through and said some things about us and then bore our testimony...the spirit was there for sure. For some reason, so many words were put into my mouth as I spoke..then was chosen to be DL shortly after. I've seen so many opportunities where I am able to bring up the mood or trying to do my best as a leader. My District is awesome. We've grown close together, but holy freak I can't wait to get out there.

Being 'DL' I am given the chance to deliver mail! hehehe. We often put competitions on 'what if' someone gets a certain amount of letters, then they have to do something haha. ..."

"...We had an Elder from the Seventy come to speak to us last night and afterwards we have District Devo. Reviews. No one trained me to be a DL so I figured it out and just did most things I thought were necessary hahah. Our Branch Presidency came and Presided the meeting even though I had a back-up lesson planned, but things are going awesome. 

Being the 'mail-man' makes me see who gets letters....it's awesome. I got like 8 letters in one day, and it is amazing how much motivation it gives me. Thank you again for all of the letters!  James.....I was so excited to send that "You're stupid." letter hahahahahah. Awesome.

I have many bullet points to cover...so I'm going to be pretty random hahah. MEH.

This is our only prep day in the MTC so my next time will be in AZ...not sure when hahah

Snail mail is the way to go unfortunately. ..."

"...I saw (Sister) Maddi Palmer quite a few times and we aren't really allowed to do anything other than talk for a couple mins. when we see each other. So we wrote each other notes since we aren't allowed to write each other either haha. She left for San Diego yesterday morning, so our journey has began. I' had quite a few pictures with her and many things so I'm excited to get my pictures back home.

We have gym time everyday, but our last time is tomorrow because of our crazy schedule. We usually play basketball or run...you can imagine how basketball goes in the MTC....it's basically playing with 10 year olds hahah. Running is such a relief tho!!

This week I got a big box of donuts from the Wolfleys, a huge fudge brownie plate from mom, and a bunch of cinnamon roles from a lady mom knows....how's my weight doing? Hasn't changed. I weighed 137 last Thursday and weighed 150 3 weeks ago...

I've finally have gotten used to waking up at 5:30 and basically have accepted the fact of being tired my whole mission....I can't freakin' wait to get out of here!! Tucson Arizona Babay!

I have the coolest keychain....bmw.

It's so nice here. Everyone respects everyone, we stand whenever girls enter the room, everyone talks to everyone and the spirit is always here. Newbies are coming today so they all 
have their 'dork dots' hahah. We'll be gone before we know it.

We talked to someone at the temple whose son served in Tucson and he said they sent him home a month early because of how many missionaries are going out....don't think I'll be extending my mission and could possibly serve a little shorter than 24 months..."

"...Thank you so much family for everything you've done. I feel so incredibly blessed for the things I've been able to do and realize. I've born my testimony multiple times and have been overwhelmed with the spirit countless times and have cried more times than the people in my district probably haha....wtc.

hahah pretty sure my personality isn't going to change a whole lot hahaha.

Thank you so much family,
I love you all with my whole heart.

-Elder DJ Hales"

We will post pictures once they arrive!!  If you want to write him for FREE, click his address on the right hand side bar!!  I will update the address once he heads to Tucson.

-Christy