I'm Alive!

So here it is...

Once we jumped off the Mali-boat (we call our Malibu that because it has such a terrible turn radius), we cranked up the hymns, and marched to our own drummer.  Many nasty things awaited us, none of which could have been maintained.  Sounds carried incredibly far into the jungle... Had it been heard by any bad boys?  Suddenly my brain screamed stop!  My right leg froze in mid-air.  My heart slammed in my throat.  The next few seconds took forever, my hands were shaking, and my nervous system was in some state of shock!  Then, silence got blown apart by break-mute chaos!  Holy huge spider crawling up my leg!  Haha!  We were at a members house cutting her JUNGLE of a back yard and I have seriously never seen so many giant insects in my life!  We came across giant wolf spiders, Black Widows, Millipedes with teddy bear faces, gardener snakes, and... Copperhead Snakes.  Seriously... So yeah, I guess you could say that was a crazy part of the week.  :D  And I may or may not have quoted most of this from a song I remember...

This last week has been pretty difficult.  I have had to re-apply something that I learned while I was in the MTC.  There are two things that you can do when you are in a situation you really don't want to be in:  You can ask Heavenly Father to change the situation (which I promise you won't work) or you can ask for strength through the saving grace of the Atonement to fortify your righteous desires and push through your trials.

Something I learned in the World Wide Broadcast this week was that we have to act out of Love!  If there isn't love in everything you do, you basically are just gonna be sad.  So like was said, "Abandon yourself and rely on the spirit!

I'm livin' the dream!  Keep me and my visa in y'alls prayers!

"You can yell at me all you want!  I've watched enough TV shows to know that popping the Back of a Raft makes it go faster..."

Me and the coolest member of our branch, Carlos

Livin' the dream!

Legit tie my mom sent me

The average storm rolling in

Copperhead

Our Dish Washer kinda sorta overflowed

At the end of the week, I win (red). The rest (blue)

Praise to the MAN!

HEY HEY!  What's good in the hood, y'all?  I'm doin' pretty fantastic myself, other than it was a bit of a slow week for us.  But we were destroying this area the last 3 weeks.  We set up a casa abierta (open house) for this Saturday and made flyers and are running the whole shin-dig.  I hope a lot of people come. And Dina's baptism is this Saturday as well, and I'm super stoked.

I went on exchanges with my district leader this last week and served in his area in Burlington for a day.  It was nice to have just one companion and work that way.  We had soooo much fun!  The best part is that he reminds me of Nick - I mean   E l d e r   P e r r e n .  He laughs the same, talks the same, even tells the same kind of jokes!  So really, it felt like I was just serving with my best bud for a day and I was sad to leave.

Something interesting happened this week that really touched me.  We were over at a members house for dinner and had just finished sharing our spiritual thought with them.  We got up and started walking towards the door and Jose grabbed my shoulder, shook my hand, and said, "Don't go to Argentina, okay?" (in Spanish, of course).  That really gave me some drive for the rest of the week.  I'm here in this mission for a purpose!

I realized something really important this week.  Put your whole heart into the work!  Just throw it out there and pray that someone picks it up and listens. Not everyone is going to accept what I have to offer. Sometimes they are just gonna kick my heart to the gutter and continue to be unhappy, but that doesn't mean I should selfishly keep what I have.  In Proverbs 15:13 it reads: "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken". Think about the kind of heart you have.  If you aren't cheerful, there is something wrong with your heart.  Purify it if you need to, and BE HAPPY! It's a choice.  Remember Batman: "We always have a choice".  Verdad!?

Okay, okay so something stinkin' hilarious now... Y'all have seen Napoleon Dynamite, verdad?  So this last week we were going through the baptism stuff with Dina and we were showing her the process of baptism and how to hold the arm and plug your nose and cosas.  And so I was standing there and  E l d e r   W o o d s  came up and I just couldn't resist... I was all "Grab my arm, the other arm, MY OTHER arm".  Bahahaha!  Man, I was crackin' up for like a minute.  :D

Also, my companion shaved my hair this week and nicked my ear and that hurt... Just so y'all know... And I forgot to say that a few weeks ago, I got a mild rash from poison ivy on my ankles.  Gotta have the whole North Carolina experience, right!?  Man in one spot I scratched so bad I have a huge scab. Livin' the dream!

So  P r e s i d e n t   C r a v e n  came to train us this week and it was dope! He had a big jar of beans and then like 4 walnuts and he pushed the walnuts to the bottom of the bowl.  Then he shook it and the walnuts rose to the top.  He likened this to us and how we can be either Shaken UP or Rattling DOWN.  It's super true.  No matter where we are in life, our "size" will determine where we go.  However, we can ALWAYS change our size.  When those bumps in life come (shaking the bowl), if we are bigger, we will rise up.  We can be placed at the bottom of the bowl with all the other beans, but if we are strong and have grown big spiritually, we will rise up!  The biggest thing we need to be, is have a huge capacity to be teachable.  In my opinion, if you can't be taught and have a desire to learn from others, you aren't being a man.  P r e s i d e n t   C r a v e n always says, "Knowledge brings Confidence, Confidence brings Power". Sometimes you just have to focus more on being impressed upon by the Holy Ghost, than being Impressive to others.  That was a tough one for me to learn.

Also, I learned about Eternal Progression this week.  Once I hit the "top" I have to keep going.  The top is the bottom of a new ascension.  Pretty Neat, huh? Life isn't about gaining "stuff".  It's about shaking up into the man or woman you want to be.

I love y'all with all I got!  Missions are the hardest, yet most rewarding thing ever!

"I'm watching you, Wuzowsky.  Aaaalways watching..."

Livin' it up in McDonalds

ELDER WAY

 

My district leader and I

A note Elder Briggs left me from my district on my whiteboard.

GIJose! LOL!

The tropical Storm that rolled through. :)

A cool picture.  Ha.

Hola, Amigos!

Oh man, we just got back from the batting cages and my arms are pretty warn out. But man, I was nailin' those suckers to kingdom come!

Haha. I love P-Days. How are Y'all doin'? Livin' the dream? Ya better!

So let's get started. So here's the thing... When I first got here, my companion, E l d e r   S h u p e , had this cocoon in a cup that he thought was gonna hatch soon. We could hear it movin' around in there and it freaked me out. Haha, Anyways, I had lost hope in the thing, and just forgot about it. Then a couple of days ago,  E l d e r   W o o d s  was takin' down the pull up bar to close the door and start studies and a GINORMOUS Moth/Butterfly thing started flying around. And  E l d e r   W o o d s  HATES bugs. So he was just freakin' out like a little girl. Anyways, I felt like Gandalf holding that thing, but sadly no giant eagles came with more investigators in their claws... Shucks.

So y'all know the movie, The Best Two Years? Okay, well ya know the part where at the end, Elder Calhoun talks with the Dutch guy and didn't even notice he was talking Dutch? That happened! Haha. I was just riding my bike and I got a phone call. I guess I was so occupied I just answered and talked to a member for like 5 minutes about a problem he was having. Once I said Hasta Luego and hung up, I looked at the phone and was like "AH SNAP!" Gift of Tongues, Y'all. Lovin' it.

So I just thought it was funny. It was a long day of Bike Riding and I wanted to treat myself to a nice Powerade before we headed home. So we were standing in line in all our sweaty righteousness and a big black guy who was standing in front of us turned and said, "Y'all out Evangelizin' and what not?". Bahahaha! I had to keep myself from laughing in my response. I love the way people talk down here. Just makin' up words and with attitude!

It has been raining like it's no bodies business up in this hood. Apparently, it's a tropical storm? Y'all should let me know. But I got SOAKED yesterday when we got caught in a storm during tracting, or as we call it, "consecrated searching". ;)  Definitely an experience out here and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Something that has really stuck out to me this week is trust. What it means to have it between you and everyone you come in contact with. I had a really special experience this week that just really opened my eyes to having super trust with your investigators. We are teaching this young lady from Honduras and she told us some serious stuff that she has never told anyone. She told us she feels like we are the only people she can truly trust. And in turn, we are turning that trust in us into faith in Jesus Christ. Because that's the first principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Verdad? Man, I get so excited talking about it. She is getting baptized on the 22nd of this month if y'all were wondering. :)

Something that  S i s t e r   C r a v e n  told us a month ago suddenly popped into my mind this morning as I was preparing for the day. She told us of how Jesus Christ paid for us. That is a given, I know. :)  But I have always been a sucker for the atonement. I always cry and get super excited whenever I talk about it. Because honestly it's the best thing on Planet Earth. And if Middle Earth existed, there too. ;)  So He paid for our sins. Think of that literally for a second. When we have paid for someone to get into a movie or game, we want change back. We want them to pay us back. But... Christ is such a good guy. He paid for us and then said, "Keep the Change". Repentance is change, isn't it? So everyone, let's change, and then keep it. Show gratitude to our Savior for His sacrifice. :)  Man... I'm in love with this Gospel.

Also, there was something that my companion,   E l d e r   S h u p e , said during companionship inventory. He said, "Every Sinner has a Future and Every Saint has a Past". It just kind of hit me hard. My thoughts? Don't dig up old garbage. It's not worth it! Don't EVER think badly about yourself. That is Self-Destructive as Greg would say and quite frankly, a waste of your time. Don't ever live below your privileges. Look to the Temple! AH YEAH! Best place EVA!

So on a lighter note, I was riding my bike (of course) to an appointment we had and we were crossing a busy intersection. We crossed and my companions were on the road and I thought I'd be cool and stay on the road and pass them and get in front of them at the next opening on the sidewalk. So I forgot to mention my bike likes to change gears randomly and so when I was on the highest gear just bookin' it as fast as I could, it decides to change gears and I popped off my seat and racked myself on the support bar. SANTA VACA! (Holy Cow!) I felt like Job riding there for 10 feet with my legs sprawled out trying to get up on my seat. Only with me...

One last thing... So I get a good amount of letters every week and I'm super appreciative for that. However, my companion,  E l d e r   W o o d s , hasn't gotten a letter in like 4 weeks. And he gets pretty upset seeing me getting them and him not. His year mark is coming up this week! He likes dirt bikes, cars, and blondes. LOL. So maybe any of you young ladies could write him and congratulate him on his year mark and stuff. Don't tell him I told you to though. Just start it with "Hey Elder Hankins says you are a stud so I thought I'd write ya!" or something. He is single... ;)

Well y'all, I'm done yo creo. Know Him Whom Ye Should Trust! I love y'all with all I got! The Lord is in all things! Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives, I KNOW that my Redeemer Lives. :)

"Shall I describe it to you, or shall I find you a box?" -Legolas

Remember that description Gandalf gives during the battle of Minas Tirith? White Shores. Mmmm... Celestial Kingdom, Baby!

Sure Love Y'all!

Elder Spankins (That name has caught on throughout the entire zone)

My Dadio sent us all Duke Shirts.
The 3 Dukes of Greensboro!

It got hot so we rolled up our pants like G's

My Mom sent me a steezin' green tie

My companion's interpretation of me
He says it's cuz I have so much "fun" on the bikes and
I can open my mouth to the size of a large mouth bass. Ha!

Batting Cages

GINORMOUS Moth

"Behold, we will end the conflict"

So what is up! I'm still livin' the dream out here in good  ol'  G r e e n s b o r o ,  N o r t h   C a r o l i n a !   So sweet!  Man, this week has really been looking up for me. I've just been positive and workin' my wittle heart out! 

So I got lots of fun stuff...

First of all, it's probably not important or funny to anybody but myself, but y'all know how me and my companions try to talk all smooth to each other? Haha. Well today while we were buying our food for the week, I was turning around a corner and  E l d e r   W o o d s  was behind me and he was all, "Ay, where you goin', ma turtle dove..." Haha. I guess it's only funny to me, but he comes up with the funniest stuff.

So then, we were over at a Less Actives home for dinner the other night. We were eating pizza, which is rare for hispanics to do, but then they whipped out these tiny, HOT peppers, which IS NOT RARE. Hahahaha! Now you know me, I had to eat one. ;)  So there were green ones and  then there were RED ones, and I was very timid on eating the Red ones, but Filiberto was all, "Hagalo! Hagalo!" (Do it, Do it!)  And so, I did. Oh my heck! Pretty much sweat a gallon. Hahaha!  And then we went to this Japanese buffet called Ichiban today and I ate a baby octupus! Okay, okay, chewed, tried to swallow, and gagged back up. Still counts.... ;) 

So we didn't have P-Day on Monday last week because  P r e s i d e n t   C r a v e n  thought it would be a good finding day. He was right... in a way. We couldn't go 100 feet without some boracho (drunk) waved us over and with slurred speach, asked us why 2 fine young gentlemen would be "Walkin' down the most hood street east of Highpoint". haha.  Cuz I do what I want! That's why...well...what the Lord wants.

We had Mission Tour this week. That means we were honored to have two members of the first quorum of the seventy come and talk to us, Elders Evans and Nielsen. Elder Nielsen played for the Houston Oilers in the NFL for 6 years and Nielsen is a head honcho on the missionary board. He was one of 4 that made the decision to lower the age! He changed my life! Anyways, I learned so much! There were so many moments where I sat back in my seat and just said, "Wow".  I cannot get something that Elder Nielsen said out of my head: "This is an immediate Gospel". It has been in my head when I wake up, when I'm teaching, and when I go to sleep. It truly is! Think about the story of Alma the Younger and his conversion story. He "murdered the hearts of men"! He was one of the most vilest of sinners. And when he was basically smacked in the face by that angel, guess who wasn't there to back him up... Satan. Just like he was never there for Korihor, the anti-christ, but rather "speedily drug them down to hell". Anyways, my point is, when Alma was racked with eternal torment, feeling inexpressible horror, bitter pain, whose soul desired to be extinct, he called upon Jesus Christ and His atonement. Truly, that is what we should hope for. Moroni 7:41. Look it up! And BAM! his pains were taken away. He literally was not pained by those thoughts anymore, AND THAT IS IMMEDIATE! Mosiah 2:24... "...he doth require they ye should do as he hath commanded you: for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you...". I don't know about y'all, but that seals the deal right there for me. 

There is a quote in the Joseph Smith movie that we like to watch in the mornings when we make breakfast and Hyrum says to Joseph, "Whatever happens, the Lord is in it". Man I stinkin' LOVE that! :D  Because he is! I also saw a quote on a church's little billboard that said: "If God is all you have, you have it all!" Totally true! Man, Love that Guy...

I know y'all have heard this one a lot, but I like it... "If you wanna talk to God, Pray. If you want him to talk back, Read the Scriptures". DO IT!!!! ;) 

Anyways, I'm livin' the Dream. I'm not too worried about the whole visa thing, because "the lord is in it". ;) Thank you ALL for all your support and love and letters. Keep them comin'! 

Get together for "W r i t e  E l d e r   H a n k i n s" parties. ;)

I have been saying "Y'all" a lot. Love it. And I'm not Michael anymore. It will be the weirdest feeling coming home and people being all "Hey Mike, what's up?". 

"I'm starvin'. I ain't had nothin' but maggoty bread for 3 stinkin' days!" ;)

Love y'all!

My companions

My Mom's BOMB tie she sent me

A giant centipede thingy on our door