Hola de Guatemala!! So i dont know exactly what ill say in this cause i didnt make a plan like last time but here it goes... Sorry this wasnt sent tomorrow we had our email day switched cause tomorrow new latinos will be coming in and we wont be able too... please let me know how the aggie basketball season is going.. hopefully we didnt lose either one of our first two games... if some how me make it to the sweet sixteen somebody should buy me a sweet sixteen shirt and send it down :) haha anyway jennifer i got your email and its good to hear yall are doing well... keep up your p90x and basketball games! i work out everynight and day here but its not as intense at that... tell cooper hi for me! k so monday was our last day for the latinos that were here for those three weeks... it was sad to see them go but it was good to be able to learn from them spanish and teach them a little bit of english.. also i can tell some of them in particular are going to be amazing missionaries... we sang a song for them before we left and it was really cool.. .then last night we sang God be with you till we meet again.. except hasta ver in espanol.. all of us 60 elders sang really loud and the spirit was there.. it was pretty awesome and i was the one who organized it :) anyway today we went to the topographical map of guatemala cause today we just got to go around in a tour bus and learn more about the culture since more guatmalans dont come in till tomorrow... its about a 50 square yard area with mountains made from this concrete and alll the cities marked off with signs.. the north is going to be pretty flat for the most part with hillls.. most of the south is where all of the mountains are.. also we went to the central market or mall in guatemala and they had all the culutural dress and food there.. it was like underground with many different little booths.. i bought a guatemalan soccer jersey for 60 quetzals or about 7 us dollars.. its awesome.. also we had wendys and it was amazing!! i had a hamburger apple pie fanta and a CINNAMON ROLL!!! haha also my soccer skills are improving daily and its so much fun to play.. also we went to the national guatemalan art museum and old archelogical artifacts place thing today... i have a ton of pics but i cant send or develop them till im out of the ccm! i like it here but i cant wait to get out cause i know my testimony will grow a lot with teaching to real investigators and i will mature a lot! i am so thankful for the church and i cant wait to share it with people and realize how it will really change their lives.. mom if havent already would you please send money to me like 50 or 75 dollars... please send me stuff asap to the address or through dear elder! i love yall a lot and cant wait to hear more from yall! dont pass up missionaries opportunities! keep praying for me and ill do the same! this church is amazing and its selfish for us not to share it will others! also i conducted priesthood in spanish the other day! if i didnt say that in the last email good bye until next week please write me

Dear Familia, So its good to here from yalll through yalls emails. Sherrie I fasted for you and the adoption last sunday and i hope everything continues to work out with that! Also sean and kellye that is exciting thats its a boy! I cant wait to hear more from each of yall and pictures eventually. Also we better kick usus tails in basketball or that would be very sad! show them who the real aggies are... k so we went to guatemala city the other day and rode a bus. there were like 60 people on the bus and the rodes here are crazy. it was the most crazy adventurous thing ive done in my life... we went to the plaza twice now to talk to people and get referrals... in about five hours total.. then one day we also went to like a shopping mall and got food like fanta and skittles and pringles... it was awesome! and we got 13 referrals between me and my comp elder lusty then when we went to the plaza i had a latino comp and the first day we got 6 and the next 5. we gave out probably like 7 boms and many paphlets.. i understood so much the second day and was able to introduce and bear testimony and teach at the right times... the gift of tongues is amazing and so is the spirit.. i cant wait to get out in the field and be free and get to teach and talk to people all the time cause then my spanish will get better.. there were goats being led around by guys with whips that sounded likes guns... the city is dirty and imagine the plaza as central park of guatemala a third world country! i like it though and i am kind of getting used to the culture... i have been out five weeks now and will go into the field on april 13th! anyway i got fried yesterday by the sun and people keeping pointing at me and saying rojo. I am starting to better feel the spirit in spanish too so that is good.. it feels like i am the same person but i think i am maturing more and i know my testimony is growing. I am starting to like the district here now and we are becoming a lot closer. I met pres. torres the other day and he is gonna be a good miss. pres. umm i have beans and rice for pretty much everymeal with meat of some sort ice cream twice a day and pbj sandwhiches. one hermana asked if i played soccer cause i am getting pretty good again... but i am not a beast :P i have quetzals now and a over the shoulder bag thats woven and says guatemala.. also i have some crazy colored ties now! i need 50 dollars mom cause i cant get money off my debit till i am in the field. the people are really nice and humble here and thats awesome.. hey also people can used dear elder also to write me still just check that i am in the guatmeala ccm and it will be printed off in utah and sent to me and get here in about 10 days. i have to brush my teeth from purified water and cant drink any of the tapwater here.. i used to keep my mouth closed when i was showering but if i swallow a little it wont hurt me! haha its pretty different here.. .our ccm might have our pic in the liahona but i am not sure.. welll i have to go but i love yall a lot.. keep emailing me and send me letters to the mtc here or use dear elder often cause i would love letters too! hope everythings going well and i pray for yall all the time.. i am doing well and am learning and adjusting better now! love yall again ttynext week! :)

Letter Dated March 10, 2010

Hola! CCM Boulevard Vista Hermosa 23-71, Vista Hermosa 1, zona 15, Ciudad de Guatemala...... K so thats my package sending address which I would really appreciate it if yall sent me some stuff cause there is nothing to eat or buy from a vending machine when I go back to my room for the night! Haha and look in my packet to find the address for using the pouch system. Thats how I will probably send most of my actual letters to yall atleast in utah. Tell them the rules please. I only get mail on pdays here so i would LOVE to get actual mail from yalll on wednesdays which are my pdays. I am doing well. Its kind of hard adjusting though. I definately need prayers now more than ever and to have the spirit with me. Learning another language is hard work and sometimes I worry about things that I dont need to. Me and Elder Lusty are still companions and have 4 latinos in our room. There are about 20 norte americanos here and about 50 latinos from the central amercian countries and thats where all of them are serving. The food here has taken a while to get adjusted to but i am starting to like it more and more. We have ice cream twice and day and rice beans and bread pretty much everyday. Also meat and other stuff. They also have a bunch of fresh fruit here but i dont eat anything but like the apples and oranges cause watermelons and bananas mess up my throat! haha we also have refaccion every night which is a snack which i love. But i need packages please so i can eat when i get back to my room. The weather here is perfect all year round. Like its in the 70s in the day and at night it gets down to about 50 and we sleep with our window open. We go to the temple on weds and we had to do the last part of the session in Spanish if you know what i am talking about. haha it was ok though cause we had somebody right there telling us what to say. Oh yeah me and Elder Lusty are the district leaders for the 12 of us norte americanos in our district! its kind of cool cause we get to direct meetings and itll be good. I miss playing ball here cause theres really no good competition. Our courts are outside and theres a little weight room thing too. I play soccer now i had wicked goal the other day off a half volley. I got a lot of congratulations even from the Latinos. Wow being a missionary is tiring! I always have atleast one time during the day when i feel like i am going to pass out into sleep but i push through. The Spirit is here and I am trying to figure out better how to listen to it. Also my spanish is coming along okay cause we talk to the natives a lot and they help teach us how to say things. We say chiste a lot and broma which are both likes jokes. We laught a lot and have a lot of fun here. The teachers teach pretty much in all spanish which is good. Also we sang we are as the armies of helaman for choir last sunday and we say the first one in english with the na then the lat. sang the sec. in spanish then the last one we all sang in spanish besides the last words well bring the world his truth, which everyone sang in English. It was pretty powerful and really cool. So you can see the temple from the windows and its really close to where the ccm is. Like a gas station and building is betweeen us. We went and talked to the people around the temple last sat. and that was really cool. The people here are all so caring and loving. not to mention some of the most humble people ever. If yall send me packages which i would really appreciate put enough stuff in them please so i can share with the people in my room. Well I have five minutes left to type but please email me back and write me letters and send some packages :) haha Also there are some senior missionaries here that have the last name hatch too! i talked to them but i dont know if we are related closely or not. anyway i have to go but please pray for me and know that i pray for yall. Please put my mailing address for the pouch which is in my call packet and for the area office which is the one above on facebook and the only friend Ive heard from is cody so its kind of sad.. haha but i am doing good or okay right now.. just trying to get used to everything and trying to learn spanish and strengthen my testimony. I love yall so much and hope everythings great where ever yall are!!!

Dated March 3, 2010

Don´t write me back on this email because the computers are working right here. But I am here in Guatemala and doing well. Its very different here and the work here is gonna be a lot harder than in Provo. i am good though just trying to get used to everything. I love yall and hope everybody is doing well. Our pdays are weds. TTyl

Letter Dated March 1

Hello! Well its my last day in the USA for two years.. kind of weird but yeah it still doesnt seem real yet. this is gonna be shorter because it took me about ten minutes reading all yalls emails.. haha but keep sending it i love hearing how things are going. I am kind of packed.. it wont take too long to get the rest of it ready. things are going good here. there are definitely ups and downs though but i just keeping pushing along. It is amazing though how much God does know us. I have been trying to figure out how to better get personal revelation though. i should have read that book that you were reading dad. haha sorry for being stubborn and not doing it cause i regret it. but i am sure ill figure it out.. i have two years left! thanks for the packages this week from steph, jenn, and jocelynn. and mom and dad i got your package too. its nice to be able to eat everynight before i go to bed cause our dinner is at 430! its ok though and i think i will have room/ weight to take most of it down to guatemala with me! haha it seems like a dream that i will be going there but its tomorrow! i bought a phone card so i am pretty sure ill be calling yall tomorrow sometime between 12-5 texas time when i am in the dallas airport! so be ready. and everyone is doing this so its not like i am not obeying rules.. i follow all of the rules to the best of my ability cause i realized blessings are predicated on obedience. I talk to a lot of the elders that are going to texas and give them advice. like to eat blue belle and get some shipleys donuts. haha if you want to send me that texas tie in my closet mom thatd be cool :) anyway thanks for the letters and everything too! they make me smile and feel good! there are 12 of us going down to the guatemalan mtc or maybe more. i dont know about my info down there but just email me back here and then next monday ill give you my address for letters and packages and ill tell you how that will all work. Its gonna be rough leaving my district here though cause honestly we are super close now and its so fun being with them. Our teachers are really good here too and they love us a lot and thatll be sad. I am a little nervous to go but i will have elder lusty my comp and elder winkle with me. and obviously the holy ghost will comfort me too! so the elders in my district are elder lusty, winkle, sanders, anderson, anderson, christensen, brey, richards, baker. and sean i saw pres. smith the other day in the cafeteria and went and introduced myself to him and he said hed gotten your email. anyway ill be calling yall tomorrow so be ready! i love yall so much and pray for yall daily. Keep praying for me and the people of guatemala. and the people of chile. thats where the other 7 members of my district are going and i heard about the earthquake there. Also keep me updating on the aggie basketball news. Some byu people are like is cs where a&m is? and i am like yep.. then they are like oh.. hahah yeah we beat yall two years in a row its ok... God's University can't win everygame :P jk i dont say that but i am definately thinking it! get me a tourney schedule please once it gets here! i saw ross for the last time and ryan and also hilliary gray is leaving too and i saw her. Also steven shiver from huntsville i see a lot and a mclellan from magnolia. And there are two other hatchs here from ariz. ive talked to them but yeah. oh yeah you should hear us sing we are as the armys of helaman! one of the coolest things ever and its sends chills through my body! aka the spirit is super strong when we sing it. also the devotionals are really good here and bring the spirit very strongly.anyway love yall and bye

Pictures from the MTC