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Monday, October 8, 2012

And times up!

Email received October 6, 2012

Calling Home from SLC Airport
Dear Family,

HELLO FAMILY! Oh man how are you amazing people! Gosh I love you guys so much (it's so weird being able to say guys because that word is a no-no here in the MTC, it's President, Brother, Sister and Elder). So dad congratulations on your new calling! I know you'll do great. My branch president told me on Thursday that he noticed I grew so much and helped my district a lot when I was district leader. I honestly felt like I was barely keeping my own head above water the entire time and I really didn't think that I helped anyone. But it just goes to show you that when you're trying your best then the Lord can really work through you.

So this is probably a little on the overly-confident side but I'm really not worried about the Spanish. I have been working super hard on my Spanish and I had a couple of experiences that really helped me gain some confidence. So first off last week we had this thing called TRC which is where people (usually BYU students) volunteer to come and receive a lesson from the missionaries. They are members of the church and, for us anyways, they don't act as investigators. Well Elder Jenson and I got 4 native Spanish speakers! They were from Chile, Guatemala, Peru and Honduras. Boy they were talking fast but the cool thing was I could understand almost all of it (with a lot of focus). Then they were all really surprised with how much we could speak. They told me I have a really nice accent. Then we have been working a lot with the native/fluent districts in our zone and one of them thought that we were a fluent district and they were all saying that our Spanish is really good. I know I'm going to be super confused and humbled once I hit Paraguay, but for now anyways I'm not worried. I think I'm even going to try and give a way a pamphlet of something in the airport/plane. I'm so excited to get to go do missionary work. I saw my plane ticket and stuff so I know they're here. I'm super nervous for the traveling and such. Keep praying for me, it's my first time.

I think I'm going to try and call home from all of the airports, but not for very long. Dad my first call will most likely be while you are during your observation time. You don't have to cancel it because I'm also going to try and call home during my layover in Texas, but I will also most likely be talking to all of the kids during that time too so whatever you want. I got the calling cards and my jammies and after reading the card instructions like 20 times I think I can use them right. I think during Christmas I call home via skype so we'll figure that out when it happens. Also I didn't open my P.J.'s and I don't plan to until Christmas eve. I'll have my companion bring them out to me just like the older cousins do each year. I was laughing when I heard about that Snow College video. Gibson literally finished it the night before he left. [Zack and his cousin Jeff starred in a video used to highlight aspects of Snow College. The video was created by their friend Gibson, who is also now on a mission. Zack's brother and cousin saw the video during a college recruiting day at their high school.] I had a dream the other night that I was back in Ephraim and I had a job and I was so happy. I really like it down there. I really might go back there after my mission.

Well my time is about up, and we have General Conference! I love that so much, that we can hear from God's prophet on earth today! The same kind of prophet as Moses and Lehi and all of the greats! This week I have been studying a lot about sacrifices, because they're a very old ritual but I pretty much only studied about the sacrifices that we make today and why we make them and how they can bless us. My question for conference is what can I sacrifice right now, maybe it's leaving my comfort zone or not doing something that I want to do so I can do something my companion wants to do, so that I can be closer with my Heavenly Father. I challenge each of you to have a question like this too. I love you all so much and I really can't wait to call on Monday. I'll probably only talk to Mom (and Dad if he's home) from Salt Lake but rest assured that I will be calling home again to talk to the kids (hopefully). Have a great day and be expecting a package from me sometime this week. I'm sending home some stuff for you all. Keep living righteously,

con amor,
Elder Hulsey

P.S. Dad can you email me that poem that says, "Beginners are many but Enders are few". I was trying to share it with some people but I didn't have it anymore. If you just email it to me sometime that will be great, I'll get it next week when I check my email and that's fantastic.