One Year Down....One to Go

As you all know this past weekend was Mother's Day, aside from celebrating our wonderful mothers, it holds a different significance for families with missionaries.  It is 1 of 2 days a year (Christmas is the other) in which we get to actually talk on the phone with them.  So this past Sunday we got to talk to Elder Hoots.  The time was short (50 minutes), but it was good to hear his voice. 

He sounds grown up, he sounds mature, and he can't speak English very well.  Haha.  There was more than one time when he couldn't think of how to say a sentence in English, or he would just be talking along and all of a sudden a sentence was in Spanish and he didn't even realize it.  Despite all of this though, he is still the same kid.  One little thing would set him off into a typical Hoots reaction.  As my dad put it "You don't have to dig very deep to get Hoots."  We all enjoyed the short time we had talking to him and begin the countdown to Christmas when we get to talk to him next.

Hoots also moved areas this week.  The area he is not as nice as the ones he's been in so far, and presents new challenges.  He says they hear gunshots every day, but that it's no big deal.  And because they are the two guys walking around in white shirts and ties, they are pseudo-celebrities in the area.  But nobody messes with them because they know that the missionaries are there to help.  The map on the side has been updated with his new location (Iztapalapa) and his mailing address (on the Contact Page) will remain the same.

Aside from getting to talk to him this weekend, May 11 marked his official 1 year mark in the mission field.  Which means he is half-way done.

He also wanted me to tell everyone thank you for all the support, letter, packages, etc.  They help more than you know and keep him going.  He always plans on thanking you all in every letter, but his time gets short and he just forgets.

Read his letter below.....