Another Great Week

August 18, 2017

Elder Dallin Hatch and Elder Reed Hatch
Elder Dallin Hatch reported to the MTC August 9 to serve in the
Colorado, Denver South Mission

Elder Ballard visited the MTC last Sunday and Elder Anderson the Tuesday after (no joke, it was crazy). It was also crazy that I was at the entrance to the MTC for tour hosting and saw a family come in with a little brown-haired kid who I gave a thumbs up to [to which he looked away sheepishly] - and later that evening Elder Anderson mentioned his family present at his talk and it was the family I saw and thumbs-upped at.

Yeah I was happy with my improvement in the mile - that same day I emailed I ran a 6:52. Then I got sick and haven't run since. Nothing major, just enough to irritate me.

YEaH tUCsON TeMpLE we watched the little Mormon Newsroom thing and I saw a guy I knew leading the music and Brother Castleton singing in the choir (bottom right). That was really cool. But I hated the cultural celebration solely for the hip-hop I hope they call me on a mission. Not ok. But that's cool about President Uchtdorf's talk. This last week me and a few other elders checked out relativefinder.org and looked at our ancestors, as well as our relations to each other (We're all connected by like 9th or 10th great grandparents).

Also happy about how well Seminary is going - that's always great to hear. I've been thinking and I think even when I may not have been learning the scripture I was still getting useful tools just by being there.

Things have been awesome here though. I wish I could show everyone everything, but it's great. I've had a lot of great experiences, some truly remarkable, and I've written them in my journal so they're not forgotten, so I'll share them sometime hopefully. But for now it's enough for me to say that I have a testimony of the church and of listening to the Spirit. I've had no deep longings for the worldly things I've left behind - only brief thoughts of "that'd be nice" that pass almost instantly. I'm certain it's prayers from everyone and the help of the Lord to thank for this. I miss home but I'm not homesick in the slightest - I actually feel at home here. Maybe things will be different in the field but for now it's amazing. Good luck to everyone with everything and I hope things are great.

I love you guys. Remember that the Lord makes weak things strong.

-Elder Marvin Reed Hatch III