Week 2

To start off, last week seemed like an eternity and this week seemed like ten seconds. I can't believe I'm already more than halfway done here at the MTC, and that's actually for sure now! The big news of the week was that Elder Pritchett and I got our travel plans to the Lima CCM and we leave on Feb 16th just as planned! We were so blessed to get them just after our first week, because the visa business here is ridiculous right now. There is an elder who got reassigned for three weeks to St. George then they told him they had his visa stuff so he came back here but they really didn't! And even people going to the Peru MTC have been here for upwards of four weeks, so yeah we were super pumped to get our travel plans. Also this week the floodgates from heaven opened up and the mail started rolling in! Thank you everybody so much for remembering me, I appreciate it way more than I could tell you!

Our district is getting to be really good friends. We're all really different but the Gospel brings us together and it's such a blessing to be able to sit around in our little 10x15 room and talk about the simple truths of the Gospel every day. Lindsey- thanks so much for your letters and everyone's addresses, I'm excited to actually be able to communicate back to people now! Mom, I think if you send me any more food I'll have to start storing it in other people's rooms because mine space in the room is already overflowing. I'll try to send some pictures today, I'm not really sure how the whole picture deal works here at the MTC. We got to go to the temple today and that was a great experience. If you want to send me letters you still can use DearElder this week for free, but if you're sending anything after next monday you should probably send it to Peru, and it costs money I think. Also, I heard if I get any packages in the Peru MTC they'll make me open them and throw everything in the trash can because it creates inequality between the American Elders and the hispanic ones because they don't have parents who can afford to send them packages. But keep the letters coming! Also, please date letters when you send them to me and tell me if you do pouch or normal postage so I can see how long they take, etc.

I was sick pretty much all this week, thanks to Elder Pritchett :) but today I'm feeling almost all the way back to normal. I just barely got word that Elder Bednar is speaking tonight in the Fireside!! I'm so excited now! So we'll have to go like an hour early and get some decent seats. Mom and Dad, I don't think I need anything else before I go to Peru, and if you send me more food I won't be able to eat it haha. I love you guys! I don't have too much to say this week, it was just mainly spent studying all day every day. I have come to understand why everyone needs this Gospel, it can have such and amazing effect on their lives! We have been practicing teaching A LOT and Elder Pritchett and I dominate. We started this week at the TRC- Teaching referral? center where volunteers come in and we contact them in Spanish and get to know them then teach them a lesson in English. Ours went really really well and it felt amazing to actually teach a person we didn't know regardless of him already being a member and it being fake. I've been practing my verb tenses in Spanish a ton this week, and everything is starting to make a lot more sense now. I know I'm going to absolutely get dominated when I get to Peru though, so I'm not letting my head get big at all.

Lindsey did you get Toms? I just thought of that box...

Thanks for the sports updates, I'm so excited that BYU is doing so well! Elder Zobell gets some news clipping about Jimmer every single day and I have fun reading those. Oh, I saw Brother Patton in the temple today! that was fun.

My testimony is growing every day from studying the basic principles of the Gospel. I know that this message I have will bring so much joy to so many people! I feel honored to be involved in such a great cause, and I hope I can live up to Heavenly Father's expectations for me. I'm working hard and praying hard. I pray for you every day mom, I hope you start feeling better soon!

I love you all!

Elder Hatch

Next week when I write will be my last day in the US!