Talon's last P-day in the MTC!

Hi Family!!!!

 

         Everything here is great!! We asked the Travel office today about our visas but they have no way of knowing if our names have been submitted for re-assignment or not. Keep checking your emails daily and when I find out if I am getting re-assigned I will email you and let you know when I can call home! So just watch!!

 

       I am doing great!! I get a little homesick but mostly on P-day when I am writing home, and thinking about home a lot. but It's not bad! I still am in contact so that's okay! :) I am getting really nervous to go into the field. Elder M. and I were selected to give a demonstration to all of the new missionaries on Wednesday!! We're so nervous!! We have to demonstrate how to begin teaching and go into a room with an investigator, a real one, and basically do exactly what we would do in the field with someone new!! I am so nervous that I am going to mess up in front of all the noobies!! It's scary. I am also getting super nervous to speak in spanish to so many people! My Spanish is getting a lot better!! I can understand everything I read, and I really don't remember the last time I prayed in english!! Funny huh?? I gave my first priesthood blessing last night. (in english) I don't know if I could give a blessing in spanish yet, but if i tried i bet i could! It was such an amazing experience!!

 

      Okay if everything goes as planned, and my visa is here, I will be leaving this coming monday, the fourth, We'll be leaving the MTC around 11:30 or something like that.  I was assigned to be Travel Leader and I have to watch over everyone during travel.  I'll email you if anything changes, and I don't know when I will get a chance to call. If everything goes according to plan here. I'll email you and tell you when I have a chance to call home, If this happens. it will probably be on monday morning sometime between 12:30 and 1:30.

 

     We're getting a new district tomorrow, but Elder M and I are now training the new Zone Leaders. We are still technically the Zone Leaders but the two Elders that were assigned to be the new Zone Leaders needed some guidance on what they have to do as the new Zone leaders so we are kind of just teaching them on what they have to do and stuff.

 

    I get to host new missionaries again tomorrow for my third time here!! I'll try to Host Garrett, that'd be pretty cool huh??

 

     Okay I'm going to send a package home to Post mart. How do you know when I send it?? I might be sending it tomorrow, but i don't know. I don't really know how to do this. but I'll talk to the mail people here. This friday in my package could you send... Some more of those lemonade energy things that you put in water? they are good! I don't know what else I need. There is like nothing I can think of that I need... Oh! how about some more of the face wash I like? and some of that Gillete cooling aftershave face lotion?

 

          Well family I love you!!! I just mailed some letters out, one has my SD card in it for you. I sent one to Grandma Hone, Misty, Dennis and the kids, and Amanda Larsen wrote me so I wrote her back. I can't believe how fast time has gone by at the MTC. I have learned so much here and I love the people I have met here they're awesome!! Today could be my last P day at the MTC. I am going to email again on monday morning probably, and maybe saturday if i get a chance. just watch your email everyday If i have sent you anything!

 

          Les amo mucho. Yo estoy muy agradecido por sus ejemplos en mi vida. Yo amo nuestro evangelio, el evangelio de Jesucristo. Yo estoy aprendiendo rapído. Mediante el Espíritu, y con la fe en Jesucristo, podemos hacer cualquier cosa en nuestras vidas. Es porque de este yo hablo español. Yo se que estoy aqui porque necesitio ayudar la gente de Argentina, y hay personas allí que necesitan el mensaje de Jesucristo. Se doy gracias por cada cosa ustedes hacen por mi en mi vida. Como yo dije, les amo muchisimo.

 

     I hope if you use google translator that makes sense. I love you Mom and Dad, Thank you for all that you do for me!! I´ll email soon!! and maybe call in just a couple days!!!

 

             Love you!!!

 

             -Talon

May 22, 2012

Hi Family!!! Your week sounded very eventful and fun!! It's sad that Kynsie is done with elementary school in a couple days!!! She still seems too small to be in Junior high next year!! Youth Conference sounded like it was fun!! I'm glad that Brindlee and Dad had a good time!! 

I want to go to the cabin!!! I was thinking about it the other day and I really want to go camping or to our cabin! But it's okay, I'll have so many crazy experiences!

 I haven't heard anything about my Visa, or my Travel plans this week! I'll find out soon though if I am going to get a temporary re-assignment. I hope that doesn't happen, but I know that if it does, I am suppose to serve in that area for a reason! I am getting so excited and ready to leave the MTC!! It's so crazy that time has been going by so fast already!! I am scared to get into the field but I just want to go and work and see how a mission really is! It's so exciting! If I get re assigned, I'll be able to call home and let you know everything that is going on but it will only be for like 5 or 6 minutes! That's still exciting right!?

 I don't think I need a pillow, I'll be fine, I'll be able to buy one there, but maybe send me a pillow case!

 

         Everything here has been going so good!! I'm still learning a lot and my Spanish is coming along really well!! It's so exciting to teach lessons especially when you have found an answer that will help someone out or that is something that they need in their life. The role plays feel so real! It's like I'm in a room with someone totally different than our teachers! I love it here and the constant spirit we feel! Last Tuesday we heard from L. Tom Perry of the quorum of the twelve and he had some great things to say!! We also heard from the Provo Temple president and he shared some AMAZING things about temple covenants and so many cool things I have never thought of before!

 

    Um, we are kind of getting sick of the MTC food, some days nothing here looks good. I'm getting pretty tired of junk food too. I miss home-cooked-food a ton!!! I'm excited to get into the field and eat some other food than what we eat here!

 

    I might send my SD card home soon this week. I don't really have a ton of photos that I've taken but I can still send it home so they are safe. I don't know if I need any flash drives or anything. I have no idea what things will be like in the field!

 

   I did see Frank this week!! He was working on something outside, and I actually recognized his big Chevy truck first before I saw him! So i walked over and I saw him so I had to say hi!! That's funny that Brother Mitchell saw me!! he should've yelled my name or something so I could've said Hello to him! I don't see Kayla as often now, I hardly ever need to go to the store, so I never get the chance to see her!

 

   P-day today is great!! We did our Laundry at like 6 this morning so we could get it done early, and all my clothes are doing fine! I don't have any problems! Then we ate breakfast and fell asleep for a little while! It was nice haha. We haven't gone to the Temple yet today but we're doing that at like 2:30 or something. I see Brother Jex there every week because he is a temple worker on Tuesdays.

 

   I don't really know of anything that I absolutely need. I'm doing pretty good! I loved getting your letters and package last Friday, and I got a dear elder from Brenda last week too, I got a letter from Brayden, Bryckelle, Grandma Hone, Libby, and Jenny Hatch too!! Getting mail is really probably the most exciting thing here. Mail, and Walking through a gate and across the street. Awesome huh??  Tell Trevor that I never got a package from his family? The only ones I've received were from you! Weird huh? I hope it didn't get lost or something. Shelbie emailed me and I'm going to email her back right now.

 

       Sorry I don't really Have much to say!!! I am just ready to leave the MTC and have some real experience. There are a lot of way funny things that happen here but I don't know how to write about them in my email. Let Dalton know I love him. I've been thinking about him daily. I'm going to write him a letter either today, or tomorrow. As soon as I get the chance to! My heart is hurting for him and I wish I could see him!

 

         Well family, I love you!! I might be sending a package home of stuff I don't need! With my SD card and a letter maybe. (Its hard to find time to write letters, but i love getting them!) I am so thankful for you Mom, and Dad. Your letters are so encouraging and they help me press on! I think of you all daily! Let Kynsie know I am so thankful for her letters and that Brindlee is a bum because she told me she was going to draw me a picture every week, and I only got two. :( I even posted the last one up on my wall by my desk! Anyway, I love you all!! I miss you!! But look how fast the last seven weeks have gone by!! I'll be home before we know it. But I love it here.

 

  I want you to know that I have grown so much closer to our Savior Jesus Christ during my time here. I truly feel his love for each of us everyday. I know what I am doing is the right thing and that we have a Loving Father in Heaven who is watching over us at all times to comfort us and protect us. I know we have a Savior who is standing by our side with his arm stretched forth just waiting for us to call to Him for help. He loves each of us. nothing would happen in this life without reason. We have so many blessings in store for us, all we have to do is ask. I love this Gospel. I love having the chance to share it with other families who will be able to feel the same thing I have felt in our family. It's the one true thing in this life that can bring us true joy and happiness! The Book of Mormon is so true. It's the one and only way we can have a testimony of the Truth of Joseph Smith, the Restoration, and the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love you Family. I am so thankful to Mom, and Dad for bringing this into our family! It has made us such happier people and we really have our purpose here.

'

 

       I love you!! I'll hopefully hear from you soon and maybe I'll be calling home soon!! Love ya!!

 

                    -Talon!

email

  Hi Family!!! Things are going great!!! Thanks for the package!! We loved it!! No, we didn't make the leaning tower of cheeza but now we might!!! Our new district that we got last Wednesday is doing great!! They are a great group of missionaries!! I love them already! There is one Elder from Salem and He actually knows a lot of my friends and he played Lacrosse with them!! His name is Elder K., but I don't know his first name! It's so funny that now our first name is Elder!! when someone says "Elder check this out!!!" or "Hey Elder!" We're all like uhh... which Elder..? It's so funny!! Elder F. called me by my first name the other night just joking around and it took me a second to realize he was talking to me!! I never hear my name anymore I just read it. But that’s okay! It's like when Christ changed Simon's name to Peter. He was no longer Simon, He was Peter. Someone much better than before. Did you know Elder means "Defender of the Faith"? Way cool huh? Sorry I got off on a random subject. How was your Mother’s day? I was having a Zone Leader/Branch Presidency Meeting and the wives of the Branch Presidency were there and they were telling us how grateful we should be for our Mom's. Brother S. asked me to share a couple things that I was thankful for my Mom for,  and as I was explaining them I started to choke up a little and he told me I could sit down because I was on the Verge of Tears.. I really am so Thankful for you Mom!! I could never have a better mom or a better woman to look up to in my life!! You are the greatest woman I know and if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here! Anyway, P day is going great today!! I got a lot of mail just barely!!! I got a letter from Jenny, Libby, Brayden and Bryckelle! They sent me some silly String!! It’s gonna be awesome!! My departure date is 06/05 that's why it's in my mail the 0605 number. But I have some crazy news!!!!!

         One of the districts in our zone just left, and 3 of them had their call to Argentina, and Argentina is REALLY behind on issuing VISA's. It’s bad. So, the 3 of them have a temporary re-assignment! Two of them went to California, and one of them went to Oregon!! I might end up having a temporary re-assignment and be a visa-waiter missionary for a little while!!! It's kind of a bummer but really exciting!! I won't find out for another week or two if I am going to be re-assigned!!! But when I find out, I'll be able to call home and let you know where it is and what is going on. When I get my call-home permit, I'll email you to tell you when I'm going to call. (IF I get re-assigned)

   I'm excited for Brindler and Dad for youth conference!! That’s exciting!! I loved youth conference! I hope Kynsie will get feeling better soon! My allergies haven't been too bad lately. Sometimes I sneeze for 10 minutes but after that I'm fine for most of the day!

    That's way cool you got a kindle fire!! When I get home, maybe instead of you getting me a new Ipod, you could just buy me a new kindle fire too?? :) Just kidding, that's in a way long time!

    Every time I go to gym I can look out the windows and see the windmills at the mouth of the canyon! It's so weird that I'm so close, but it seems like I'm already 6000 miles away! I would love to go on a bike ride!!! I want to go camping too, but I think once I get to Argentina (If I ever do) than I won't miss camping!

  Isn't that awesome about Trevor's mission call?? I got an email from him!! That's so awesome!! I got an email from Gage too!! He loves it in Chile!! He loves it way more than he liked the MTC! So I'm way excited to get into the field!! Just a few weeks!!! I can't wait to get out of here even if it is a temporary re-assignment!

   Elder H. says thank you for the laxatives. (We’re trying to find out how to get them into an Elders food, but that'd be kinda mean)

Um, send my blanket and my sheets whenever, I hope I can get all of my stuff to fit back into my suitcases!!

   Last Tuesday Elder D. Todd Christopherson spoke to us!! It was awesome!! I can't wait to see who is coming to speak to us tonight!!

We started this new thing last Wednesday when we ourselves act as a progressive investigator in Spanish and a companionship from our district teaches us!! It's so fun!! It is cool to see the conversion from an investigators point of view! Even though they are fake investigators, or just role-plays, the spirit is so real!!! I love it!!

   Um I don't really know what I need in my package this Friday.. Just surprise me!!!

   Well I'm running out of things to say, I love you Family, and Friends!!! I think about you daily and I miss you!! I hope to hear from you again soon! Everything is great here! I am having the time of my life and I am learning so much every day!! Thanks for all you have done for me!!!

        I love you all!

               -Elder Talon Hone

Traveling Talon

Hey Family!!!

 How is everyone doing?? We just got back from the temple! The email is having a problem today so i don't know if This will get sent or not!! I'm praying it will!!

   First off, I love the pictures of the family and Me!! The traveling Talon is way funny!! I love it!! My week has been great! I saw Brother Jex at the temple again today! But I haven't seen anyone else I know there. thanks for the package on friday!! I loved the Ties!! I traded the smiley face tie and the cheeseburger tie, I got 3 ties for the both of them but it was a way good trade.  Anyway I'll take a picture of the ties and mail my sd card home soon. I don't know too much about that sock tie but theyre probably way expensive because Hermano S. said he has only seen them at like the Banana Republic for 80 bucks. LAME. 

   I'm Getting really excited to leave the MTC. We have 5 elders from our district going to (my mission) and we'll all be traveling together which is cool!! I like it here and I will miss everyone but sometimes the same thing everyday and the trapped in feeling we sometimes get gets old... Tell Kynsie thanks so much for the stress balls but.. we already broke all of them.. :(  As for the rest of our stuff that we have like our squirt guns and toys I'll just put them in the free box or pass them down to missionaries! I have got some cool stuff from leaving missionaries while I've been here. Oh we found a Time-Capsule today stuffed in the air vents of Elder M, R, H, and H's room!!! We looked in with a flashlight and saw a marracca and a t shirt. So we pulled out the T shirt and it had all these signatures on it and was stuffed full of gross old snack foods and some dumb toys!! It was signed from 2008!!! 4 years old and no one ever found it!!!! Gross.. It was way funny though!!!

   It sounds like everyone is doing great!! The Bishop emailed me but I dont think I have time to email him back today!! I got a letter from Grandma Hone this week and one from Libby too. I wrote both of them back today!  That's really funny about the Girls' Dreams they have been having, and I'm jealous dad got to shoot my gun! I realized how much I'm going to miss camping and shooting guns and stuff.

 

  So tomorrow we get a new district in our Zone and it's HUGE it has 6 Elderes and 6 Hermanas in it so that will be awesome!! I love getting new Missionaries here!! Earlier this week, one of our District Leaders had to return home to get some things cleared up. It's sad and we're going to miss him, but I'm proud of him to get it taken care of. I told him to get it taken care of as soon as he can so he can come back to the field as soon as possible. He would make a great missionary and a great leader. It kind of hurts Elder M. and I to know that such a great guy has to leave the work and fix things. Elder M. and I had to call the new district Leader to take his place and It's amazing how the Lord works when you have to call someone to a position and a counsel has to decide. We both knew exactly who to call and we had not even discussed it. The Spirit just told us both in our hearts and we knew who to call. The spirit is so strong here and I realize The Lord's hand in the work more every day!! I love the feeling we get when we are inspired to share something in a lesson, or we remember words in spanish that we could never think of on our own.

   Well I'm just about out of time. I hope everything is going great!! I think of you daily and I pray for you daily also!!  I Love you all!!!

This is "Traveling Talon"

Traveling Talon was at his cousins baptism!

 

 Dad sharing lunch with Traveling Talon!

Hey Family!!! How is everyone?? I'm doing great! we had another awesome week! Thanks so much for the package you sent!! We check our mail everyday at lunch and at dinner, and I got it on Friday at around 6:05 and yes the drinks were still cold, but I haven't drank them yet. We put them on our air conditioner and they stay cold enough haha! Studying is great! We're learning so much and everyday we grow to care about our investigators more and more even though it's only a role-play with members it feels like it's real because they are portraying people they taught on their missions! It's such a great feeling when you are led by the spirit and you know exactly what to say to help out that Investigator! The gift of tongues is definitely part of the MTC. in just a month we can teach about almost anything in Spanish! In so crazy! I have already had a experience where I have been prompted to share a specific scripture with our Investigator Miguel, he was concerned about why his baptism as a baby was not with the authority of God and why it wasn't the right baptism. It's such an amazing feeling when we are led by the spirit in our lessons. Over the past week we heard from Elder Russell M. Nelson last Tuesday and Sunday one of the Heads of the Missionary department of the Church spoke to us. We have a general authority every Sunday and Tuesday and they usually speak with their wives. It's so awesome and we learn so much from them!!

   Mom, yes I have seen Eric L. here. I see him like everyday!! a few weeks ago I was in Gage's room at like 9:45 at night and then Elder L. walked in and he was like "Elder Hone...? do you know Tom..?" And I was like "Yeah!!! Eric?? and He was like YEAH!!! and we hugged and talked for awhile. He's so cool! Gage was like "What the..? How do these guys know each other..? I'll get a picture with Elder L. before I leave here and I'll mail it home. It was funny!! Um, to also answer some of Mom's Q's. Our District is great!! Everyone is really obedient, The Elder that had the problem with his girlfriend in our other district is much better, that all stopped. We have had to talk to a few other Missionaries about small problems with obedience but nothing serious. It's so great! I love our Zone and district!! We are interview by our district Leader, and we interview him, because we're in his district so we're his leader in the Zone and district, but he's our Leader in the District. If that makes sense. we interview and work with our Branch President every Sunday and Tuesday and have Leadership meetings with all the district leaders so that is usually pretty fun! They are great people!! We don't get a new district until May 9th. so we're kind of small right now with only 3 districts but I am always way excited to get some new Elders here!! A few other things.. No don't be worried about Elder M and R they were just messing around!! We just like to have fun!! Like our Slam Dunk Contest in M.H. Arena is always fun!! It's only Elder M. and I in our room so we have so much extra space since the room is for 4 Elders. We just are lucky and it's only us two. We go to the Temple ever P day. and we walk to the temple every Sunday to take pictures and stuff it's so nice to walk outside the MTC because sometimes we feel confined. On out Temple walk this past Sunday there were some protestors outside the MTC with crosses yelling rude things like people do at temple square. We just have to ignore them and walk by.. They really are on public property so there isn't much the MTC can do. Some people are so dumb. I hate the adversary.

   Um. My favorite thing here is definitely class with Hermano S. he's so awesome. We learn so fast it's crazy. Our district has already learned as much or more than the district in our zone who was here 3 weeks before us!! The food here is okay. Some days are good, like Navajo tacos are alright. The food is differently everyday, we have only seen the dinner main course be the same like once or twice. Breakfast is usually pretty much the same everyday but it's not bad it's like eating at a hotel breakfast everyday with a continental breakfast, pancakes, and eggs and bacon if you want it. plus endless cereal all the time. but everyone gets gas EVERYDAY it's the worst.. Laundry is actually kind of fun to do on p-day!!! (If mom just fainted help her back up..) We get up at 6 AM on Pday so we can have our laundry done by like 7:30 and we have almost all day to do stuff!! It's great!! The washers are dryers are free, (I think) but yeah I just swipe my MTC card to get soap every time, they have like a single use box of tide dispenser and it takes like 50 cents off your MTC ID card. We get $6.00 every Wednesday to use on whatever we want and my money usually keeps rolling over because I really only use it for laundry and water bottles from the vending machine. I don't have a mission debit card yet, I'll get it once I am in Argentina but I know I have one because I get emails about it. Yes I have been feeling good!! Allergies suck. I take my allergy stuff like every other day! But everything is good!! We ask the DL's if anyone is sick in our interviews with them and our Zone is pretty healthy! Um.. Yeah Dear Elder is a big rip off but people get packages from it all the time!!! So the business makes a lot of $!! I did get the pictures of the girls last week! Sorry I forgot to tell you! Brindlee looks happy mowing the lawn!!

   Tell Brindlee I'm gonna kick her butt about her grades!! and Tell Kynsie she better work hard!! Brindlee's play sounded awesome!! And I'm excited for Kynsie about her race!! That's cool about CL's job!! Shelbie told me about it!! I want to write Shelbie but I don't have tons of time on email today so have her send me a letter with some questions or something..

    Well, I don't think there is anything important we need this week!! Thanks so much for the package last Friday!! It made our whole day so much better!!! I always look forward to Fridays!!! Oh! can you send me a few more good ties of mine?? I thought 11 was enough but i want a few more. And I have a special favor. Try to find me a "Sock Tie" they are soo cool!!! They look like a wooven fabric, and the bottom is square with a stripe on it like a sock!! Hermano S. has one but he wont trade it to me!!! It's so cool!! I want one.. Oh and YES I'm so stoked for Justin. So cool!!!

   Well Family I miss you! I love you!! Tell everyone Hi and Tell Bishop Collings thanks!! I think of our Famlily, and My friends everyday and Today I was just thinking about Bishiop Collings a lot! I miss ya!! can you believe tomorrow marks 4 weeks!!!!! I feel like yesterday was April 4th!!

   ¡Tengan un buen semana!

                   Con amor, Elder Talon Hone