35 lessons!

Sorry I don't have much time... it is a bank holiday and I forgot the library was going to be closed so we lost a lot of our email time. This week has been amazing. We taught 35 lessons, that's the most by far on my mission. My companion and I are having so much fun and people have been stopping and listening to us, its  been brilliant! We have a baptism this Saturday for Amelia. She just got married 2 weeks ago to a returning less active. It will be a great experience. We had 4 investigators and 2 less actives at church this week. I can't believe there is 3 Elder Hanks out in the field.. so epic. Thanks again for everything! I'm loving my mission and today we are playing footy which already makes this week great!! Everyone have a wicked week! I love you all! Cheers!

Elder Hanks (the Elder Hanks)

"Life is not what you want it to be, but what you make it.  Your ship has come in.... but you've got to row out to meet it."                                                                                                                                                   

Always Remember!

Been another brilliant week! Cool miracle, a kid that works at Papa Johns gave us a lift when we were walking in the rain, he is 20 years old and from Portugal! He is living with another Portuguese family that asks him everyday when he will take them to church! what a great question. They were unable to come this week, but we are starting an English class and they will come to that, and then church on Sunday. We also met another 19 year old kid who's mother is a less-active member. He came to dinner with us and the ward mission leader, he and his mum will be coming to church next week. We have a baptism not this Saturday, but next that were super excited about. Last night I had a dream that I was playing american football with Hunter, but I was the receiver and Hunter was the quarterback and it was on a P-Day. I ran a post route and Hunter threw a dime and we won the game, it was brilliant. Today I read Alma 49, great war chapter. I encourage you to read it, then think about where your weak spots(city of Noah) may be, and then be like Moroni, and build them to be your strongest points(Alma 49:14) so when Satan attacks he won't stand a chance. But always remember, it is the Lord that will make our weaknesses become our strengths(Ether 12:27), not ourselves. I love you all, thanks for your support and prayers!! Have a wicked week!! Cheerio!!

This is Wimpy's which is right below where we live.

Wedding!

Sorry for writing so late.. been super busy!! And P-Day is almost over, so I don't have much time.  Today we had a wedding for one of our investigators, I never thought I would be planning or setting up a wedding or even give a talk on marriage while serving a mission, but all of those things have been checked off the list this week. I also had to speak during sacrament on Sunday, fun stuff!  Also were are searching for a new flat, because we are having new missionaries come into this area in the next 2 weeks. Next weeks is moves.. again, can't believe how fast that went. Crazy stuff. I will probably be staying to finish training Elder Tauman, but we'll see. One day this week was totally wicked, the Muslims had there month long fast this month, and it ended on Tuesday this week. We saw some of our Muslim friends and they invited us over for their big feast after the fast, it was so good!! We got to go into this huge kitchen inside of a really nice Tandoori restaurant and they made some really good stuff!! It was brilliant!! Its has been great weather, I love it. I love the mission! Sometimes I feel like I forget to breathe though, we are so busy, and time is just flying by. I love you all, thanks for everything!! Have a brilliant week!! Cheers!!

"Act as if what you do makes a difference.  It does."

Service!

This week has been a week of service. We probably did about 24 hours worth of service this week. For members, Less Active, and investigators. I remember back home in the fall time when we would go as YM and YW to rake leaves for all the widows or elderly people in the ward and we would fill up a couple truck loads. On Friday this week, we raked this investigators lawn and had to put all the leaves in bags.. it took from 11:30-7:30.. basically all day.. we were not expecting that. It ended up being 40 bags of leaves.. wow! Also her neighbor came and helped for a little and she is really into family history and will be going to the family history center this week,  she showed up just before Church to meet the people in the ward, she couldn't stay for the meeting but hopefully we'll see her again. Church this week was at 5:30 in the evening and was only sacrament because they had a big bike race going on until 4 so all the roads were closed. That made it a little tough because a lot of our investigators couldn't come at that time. My companion is doing wonderful, getting  better at english everyday, just have to remind him to try and keep things clean! haha I love him!  We are playing footy again this week for P-Day.. I love it!!! Sounds like everything is going well back home! Thanks for everything, have a brilliant week!! Cheers!!

"Faith, hope, and charity are ACTIVE principles, not passive ones.  If we do not DO them, we don't HAVE them."

                                                                                                                                    Janet Tanner