30 March 2009

Dear Mom:

Hey. Before I forget...peanut butter and quick-make-cookie-mix!!! Oh yeah!!! Way excited for a package. Maybe, a pack of skittles each. Please make sure there is stuff that we can easily split and share. Sharing is caring, it can beeeeee fun.

We have fast sunday next week, and then watch Conference by DVD the week after. Can I just tell you how excited I am??? Its like Christmas for a missionary. Its kinda like getting the news only twice a year. I love it!

Thanks for the letter. Youre the Bomb! Could I by any chance get a little more detailed information about the Japanese `Foreign Language Achievement` test? I kinda want to know what kind of things I should be studying -- lots of kanji or grammar or vocabulary or what...

I just read 2 Nephi 4 this morning. It was good. I especially liked verse 35, the first couple phrases: `yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, IF I ASK NOT AMISS.` You know, we always hear those promises about prayer, how God will give us what we ask, but often, we dont see those requests come true and we get frustrated. Like, its because we need to ask for the right things! I know Ive said a lot about this before, but I feel like saying it again. We arent here to order our Heavenly Father around. We are here to humble ourselves and depend on Him. So, we should be trying to do the things He wants us to. If we try doing what He wants us to do, what we will ask in prayer will be fulfilled. (Even though it may take a while). Okay, no clue why I decided to talk about that to you, Mom, but I just felt strongly about that! haha.

Besides that, my knees are starting to wear down a little. Any tips? Im pretty sure its just muscle/joint fatigue from riding bikes a lot. I do stretches and stuff everyday, but I was wondering if there was some magic fix-up...

Phwew. All about me. Sorry. I love you Mom. Thank you for all your support and help. It is very good to hear `I miss you, but stay out there!` Haha. Thank Hil for the note for me. And give Spence a knuckle sandwich full of medicine for me. Willie...hes going to beat me in like everything when I get back...but that wont be for a while... :-)

Thank you for all your help.

LOVE YOU!
Elder Hogge