Familia!
You’ll be pleased to hear that I just traded two ties away. My collection is getting much better! I’m having a blast here now. The first few days were really stressful & hard, but now I’m really enjoying it here.
I went outside this morning and it was raining! I was so happy! It smelled like home again. Also, it made me extremely excited for the rainy season in Guatemala! Speaking of Guatemala, I’m supposed to get my flight plans tomorrow! They had us bring our passports into the travel office to make sure they were good, and they told us we would likely be leaving on May 4th! It’s going to be weird to finally be there after almost 8 months of anticipation!
My companion’s name is Elder Joseph & he’s also going to Guatemala City Central. He’s a really good guy from a small town in Southern Utah called Beaver. So…he’s a bit of a hick, but him & I get along really well, which is a good thing because I’ve been within sight & sound of him for the last week!
Dia=day
Yo=me
My District (guys I have class with who came in the same dai as yo) are all going to Nicaragua. They’re a bunch of good guys, & it’s been a lot of fun to get to know them, even though we get picked on because we’re the only ones going to Guatemala. Secretly I think it’s because they’re jealous & sad to see us go.
My Zone (4 Districts) is also totally fantastic. There is this one missionary named Elder Mack that I really hit it off with. He’s going to Eugene Spanish speaking! So that’s pretty cool. Him & I stand in the hallway with a nerf football & throw it at each other as hard as we can. When either one of us catches it, we take a step forward. It gets pretty nerve wracking, but it’s pretty fun. He’s one I’m going to miss when I have to leave early. (We only do that at night during free time…of course )
For gym time we have been playing softball & volleyball. The gym is being renovated, so we’re forced to go to the field, which isn’t too bad unless you’ve got the 7:30 gym time! Volleyball is a blast, & playing it every day in the sand, I’m getting much better. Dad-watch out! We were playing softball yesterday & I was on first base. A guy named Elder Gustafson hit a grounder to the second baseman. Elder Gustafson is 5’10” 195 lbs. All muscle. He ran track in high school, & can BURN. He starts sprinting down the 1st base line & the second baseman throws the ball to me. I had to come off the “bag” to catch it (the bag is just one of those crappy rubber ones you can’t feel when your foot in on it). So I grab the ball, & turn around to find the bag only to find Gustafson, head down, about 3 feet away from me. Just enough time to think, “oh, crap”, and brace myself. He hits me, & we both go down. I guess you could hear the “oof” all the way to the soccer field about 100 yards away. Thankfully, we helped each other up & walked away. But I got the out! Needless to say though, today my knee is really sore & a bit swollen. Anyways…good time at the MTC!
Familia: I know this Gospel is true, I love it so much. The atonement is so amazing & I can’t wait to be able to teach it in Spanish. It’s going to be an amazing opportunity & such a blessing to me. I love you guys so much! I can’t wait to hear from you!!!
Love,
Elder Hopper
P.S. I need my camera charger & some extra memory cards for it! Love you!
Friday, April 23, 2010
April 19, 2010
Madre-
I’m not supposed to write on any day but Wednesday, so this is gonna be quick. It’s been a hard few days, but a good few days too. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster around here. One minute I am so excited to be here and learning Spanish and the very next second I want to go home. I want to see my friends down the road at BYU or whatever. But I’ll live.
Keep the dearelder.com letters coming. They get here faster than anything else, & I like them the most anyways. Tell all my friends not to email me, but rather dearelder me. I only have 30 minutes on Wednesday to email, so reading & responding that much will be dificil. Also, they get here the same day you send them which is muy bien!
I need my charger for my camera. I don’t know where it is, but I totally forgot it. Gag me.
Anyways, I can’t wait to hear from you again. I love you so very much, You’re what keeps me going!
Love love love,
Elder Hopper
PS- I found these REALLY cool scripture markers that I want to send home for you to try. What would be my cheapest option to get them there? Can I stuff them in a letter?
I’m not supposed to write on any day but Wednesday, so this is gonna be quick. It’s been a hard few days, but a good few days too. It’s such an emotional rollercoaster around here. One minute I am so excited to be here and learning Spanish and the very next second I want to go home. I want to see my friends down the road at BYU or whatever. But I’ll live.
Keep the dearelder.com letters coming. They get here faster than anything else, & I like them the most anyways. Tell all my friends not to email me, but rather dearelder me. I only have 30 minutes on Wednesday to email, so reading & responding that much will be dificil. Also, they get here the same day you send them which is muy bien!
I need my charger for my camera. I don’t know where it is, but I totally forgot it. Gag me.
Anyways, I can’t wait to hear from you again. I love you so very much, You’re what keeps me going!
Love love love,
Elder Hopper
PS- I found these REALLY cool scripture markers that I want to send home for you to try. What would be my cheapest option to get them there? Can I stuff them in a letter?
Saturday, April 17, 2010
April 14, 2010
April 14, 2010
First day at the MTC!
Madre y Padre y Familia,
Well, the first day has been very hectic. I’m only aloud to write on Wednesdays so you won’t be hearing from me for a week. I figure this will be there about the time you get home!
As soon as you left me, we went through a gauntlet of getting nametags, taking pictures and getting English-Spanish translation material. Then we went to a classroom and learned un poquito of espanol. After that it was orientation and dinner for the rest of the night. I really like it here. My companero is awesome, a hick from Beaver, Utah. But I like him a lot. We have a room for four all to ourselves, so we’re spread all over the room. Me and Elder Joseph (my comp.) are the only two in our district going to Guatemala. Other than that, the other eight are going to Nicaragua.
Mom! In my little pack of translation books was a water bottle with a filter…turns out I do need one!
Anyway…the Sprit’s strong, the food is great, and the people are awesome. I love you guys, and I will write again next Wednesday.
With all my love,
Elder Hopper
P.S... I’m only in Provo for 3 weeks!
First day at the MTC!
Madre y Padre y Familia,
Well, the first day has been very hectic. I’m only aloud to write on Wednesdays so you won’t be hearing from me for a week. I figure this will be there about the time you get home!
As soon as you left me, we went through a gauntlet of getting nametags, taking pictures and getting English-Spanish translation material. Then we went to a classroom and learned un poquito of espanol. After that it was orientation and dinner for the rest of the night. I really like it here. My companero is awesome, a hick from Beaver, Utah. But I like him a lot. We have a room for four all to ourselves, so we’re spread all over the room. Me and Elder Joseph (my comp.) are the only two in our district going to Guatemala. Other than that, the other eight are going to Nicaragua.
Mom! In my little pack of translation books was a water bottle with a filter…turns out I do need one!
Anyway…the Sprit’s strong, the food is great, and the people are awesome. I love you guys, and I will write again next Wednesday.
With all my love,
Elder Hopper
P.S... I’m only in Provo for 3 weeks!
MTC
Wednesday, April 14, 2010:
Drew reported to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. We had a wonderful trip there-Mom, Dad, Adam, Lainey and Drew. We left on Monday, the 12th and traveled by car to Provo. On the way, we stopped in Ogden to visit Grandpa Johnson. We had a great visit!
On Tuesday, we went up to Salt Lake City and attended a temple session at the Salt Lake Temple. That was a wonderful time! Mom and Dad were married there 25 1/2 years ago and Dad had not been back since. It was great to share this experience with Drew. Adam and Lainey played in Temple Square while we were inside the temple.
That night, we invited friends from the area to have dinner with us at Aunt Terry and Uncle Jamie's home in Provo. What fun!
Those who attended were: Kristen and Corey Davis (Drew's cousin and her husband), Michael Robertson and his date Savanah, Spencer and Brenna Dunlop, Joanna Cabrera, Casey Evenhus, Cambrai Loftus, Sara Hyde and McKenzie Johnson. It was great to have one last evening with Drew before he reported.
The next morning, Drew finished packing his suitcases and we went to breakfast at Village Inn where they treat reporting missionaries to a free meal. We saw two other missionaries there and it was fun to "people watch" and see.
We went to the Provo Temple, across the street from the MTC and parked the car so that we could walk across and take photos at the MTC sign before we drove in to drop Drew and his luggage off.
It was so much fun, and tears were definitely shed by all. What a precious memory! We are so proud of Drew and are excited to hear of his travels and experiences. Look out Guatemala! Elder Hopper is on his way! You may never be the same again.
If you'd like to write to Drew (Elder Hopper), here is his address!
Elder Andrew Thomas Hopper
MTC Mailbox #176
CUA-GUAC 0614
2005 North 900 East
Provo, Utah 94604-1793
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