Week 5--Bath, Guyana

Elder Cook--Week 5

Hello Everybody,

So this week has been really fun.  I got to try my first seven curry yesterday. They serve it on leaves, and you have to eat it with your hands. They caught me when I wasn't looking at the camera, though. We had an investigator tell us she wanted to get married and be baptized this week without even asking her to! That was a cool experience. She has to get a valid birth certificate before she can get married, and that takes a long time in Guyana, but she wants to be baptized in November! Today was our zone sports day. We played soccer for two hours in the blazing sun, so I felt what it was like to play on the turf at our school. It has rained here a few times this week. It rains really hard, and the lightning is pretty spectacular, so it's pretty fun. On Saturday, we got transfer calls a week early.  I get to stay in Bath! That makes me happy. Elder Cook is being transferred to Tobago. He and his companion will be the only missionaries on the island. I'm getting a new companion named Elder Bigler. I don't know really anything about him, except that he's athletic. I am excited though, even if Elder Cook is leaving. I've had a great week, and I hope yours amazing.

Sincerely,

Elder Hanni

Eating seven Curry with Elder Cook

Birds in Bath

Cows in Bath

Week 4--Bath, Guyana

Elder Cook--Week 4

It has been a wonderful week here in Guyana. I got to visit New Amsterdam for the first time this week. It was pretty big compared to all the villages I've been in and lived in.  The bridge over the Berbice River from Rosignol to the New Amsterdam side is the biggest floating bridge in the world! At least, that's what I've been told. We went to Canje Chapel this week for Zone Conference and interviews. We talked about the Atonement and how any need our investigators have can be met by a blessing of the Atonement. That was a really neat experience. Mike got baptized this week! President and Sister Egbert were able to come to it. It was such a cool experience. Mike said that he feels like a brand new sixty cent piece. He was confirmed yesterday. It is amazing to see the changes in his life. He used to use a walker and a stick to walk. He used to cuss and drink, but through the atonement of Jesus Christ, he can walk again, he doesn't cuss or drink anymore, and he is really happy. He is trying to get his wife baptized as well. Even his neighbors are seeing what God has done for him. What an amazing man. I am grateful to learn from him.

Sincerely,

Elder Hanni


Questions asked by Mom:

Are you understanding Guyana English? Do they understand you?

Guyana English (Guyanese) is pretty hard to pick up. It sounds like a foreign language somtimes, but it is coming to me slowly. They understand me just fine, but I can't understand them sometimes.

Favorite Foods?

My favorite food is probably potato ball or palori. They don't really have beef, but someone tried making us hamburgers once. She had never cooked beef before, but it tasted pretty good. Someone said they were going to make us pizza too. We'll see how that goes.

Mike and his wife

Elder Cook, Mike, Branch President, Elder Hanni

Mission President Egbert, Mike, Mike's Wife, Sister Egbert

Branch President wearing Elder Cook's shirt.

Week 3-- Bath, Guyana

Elder Cook--Week 3

It has been a great week here in Guyana. We have found a bunch of animals this week.  One of these is a toad that Elder Cook kicked.  We also found a snake outside of our gate, but it was dead. Also, the roaches here are huge. We have been working with Mike this week, and we are so excited because he is going to be baptized on Saturday! President Egbert even wants to meet him when he comes for Zone Conference this week!  He is an amazing person, and his bus was working really well this week so people were able to take it to church. It hasn't really rained at all this week, so it has been very hot here. I am getting fed so much by people, and I am exercising pretty hard, but having five unplanned meals every day does wonders to the size of one's body. Oh well. I still fit in my clothes very well, so I am just loving the food.  I haven't had iguana yet, Payton. Sorry.  We have been working with the members a lot. I love working with them.  Less-actives have been coming back to church because of the member support we have.  It has been a blessing to work with them.  I am loving it here.  Have fun in school everyone. Good luck Dad in coaching soccer.  I hope it stops raining there and starts raining here.

Love,
Elder Hanni

Snake outside our gate.

Toad Elder Cook kicked. 

August 2017 Mission Newsletter

Click here to see the Newsletter

Week 2--Bath, Guyana

Elder Cook--Week 2

Well, it has only gotten better here in Guyana. I am loving it. This past week, Elder Cook turned a year old on his mission, so he got to burn a shirt. It was pretty spectacular. Our investigator, Mike, is such an awesome person. He wanted to move his baptismal date to August 19, and last Saturday, he got married to his wife! It was so cool.  On Sunday, his bus broke down two times on the way to church, but he still came.  He told me that Satan really didn't want him to come to church, but he didn't let that stop him.  We are so excited for him and his progress.  I have been trying a lot of new food, and it is all really good. Yesterday, I had duck curry, and this past week, I've had Palori, roti, eggball, potato ball, lots of different drinks (mostly Coke), and lots and lots of chicken. They really know how to cook here.  I have been loving it, and it has finally rained a few times here.  It rains really hard, but it's fun.  The people here are so prepared to hear the gospel. This week, I got to go on an exchange with Elder Straddeck in Rosignol (He and Elder Allen are the other two missionaries in the branch). Rosignol is this town where we email, send letters, and shop. It was fun. Anyways, I've had a great week. Congratulations to Payton for his Metal-Free mouth, and good luck with school, everyone!

Sincerely,

Elder Hanni

Mike the investigator, soon to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!

The rain is coming. 

Elder Cook starting to burn his shirt to commemorate his one year mark. 

Burn baby Burn! 

Goodbye MTC--Hello Mission Field--Bath, Guyana (Week 1)

July 24th, 2017 Arrived in Trinidad
July 27th, 2017 Arrived in Guyana

Elder Cook--Week 1

Hello Everybody,

My week began at three in the morning last Monday when we had to leave the MTC for a 6:42 flight from Santo Domingo to Panama. Then we had a four hour layover, and then we boarded another plan to Port of Spain. We got to Trinidad around four in the afternoon that day. We stayed near the Egbert's house for two nights, and we were able to be interviewed, pay for the bike fund, have orientation, find out where our areas are, find out our companions, and meet some missionaries. Along with Elder Griffith, Elder Allen, Elder Henriksen, Elder Shields and I, there were two missionaries, Elder Richards and Elder Groenendyjk who came from Provo.  There were also fourteen missionaries leaving the mission. We are all going to be in Guyana, except Elder Richards, who is going to Curacao.  I found out that I would be assigned to Bath, Guyana, which is part of the Berbice region in Guyana. My companion is Elder Cook.  He is from Logan, Utah and he is the cousin of Elder Jensen, who was a missionary going to Puerto Rico from the MTC in DR. On Wednesday, we flew to Guyana, and spent the first night in Georgetown. Then, on Thursday, I was able to meet my companion in Bath. We have a bright pink house, and the whole inside is lime green. You know you are jealous Mom. My companion turns a year old on Thursday, so he gets to burn a shirt.  It has been amazing being here in Guyana. The people here are so nice. We are in Rosignol branch. This past Sunday we had sixty-three people there. The branch president, President Narine, lives in our area.  He is an amazing person. Like nearly everyone here, he is really poor, but he gives so much to the church. We have this really cool investigator named Mike who is seventy-two years old. We went over this week and taught him the Word of Wisdom, and he completely understood it.  He had already given up tobacco fifteen years ago, and before we came that day, he prayed that the desire to drink alcohol would leave him. He also gave up green tea when we said the Lord has asked us not to drink it.  He also set a baptismal date of September 2, and he just has to get married first.  He is such an amazing guy. I am so glad to be here.  I have loved meeting the people here. They really know how to cook.  I am afraid that I may gain some weight here because I am fed so well.  Anyway, it has been an amazing week, and I love Guyana.

Sincerely,
Elder Hanni

P.S. It is the dry season here, so it has barely rained at all since I have been here, but it will dump every day when November comes.

Mission President, his wife, and all the Elders entering the mission field.  

MTC District

Elder Edwards and I 

My first home in the Bath, Guyana

Week 2-Dominican Republic MTC

Hi All,

It has been a hot week down here in the Caribbean, but I am loving it down here. I don't know how I am going to send pictures because my camera can't pick up the internet, and the computer won't take the USB drive I tried to use, so I'll try again next time. We have been teaching mock investigators twice a day, and I am learning how to more simply share the gospel and how to plan effectively.  That has been really helpful here. I have some amazing teachers, and luckily they speak English. On Sunday, I was asked to speak, but before I tell you about it, let me tell you how talking in church at the MTC works.  During the week, we are all asked to prepare a talk on a certain subject (this week was repentance), and the MTC president figures out during sacrament meeting based on the Spirit who is speaking. So I found out in the middle of sacrament meeting that I was going to speak. The upside is that we have to speak in our mission language, so I got to speak in English. I talked about the strait story that Brother Marsh told us at Aaron's camp the first time I went. You should ask him about it; it was really good analogy about the straight (strait) and narrow path.  We also go to go to the store here is Santo Domingo on Tuesday.  It is weird seeing prices in pesos because it looks like a bottle of pop costs $34, and a recliner costs $10,000.  I got to go to the temple for the last time before I leave for Trinidad. Our flight leaves Monday, but we still don't exactly know where we are going to be assigned. Congratulations to Eliza for her mission call.  English turns out to be a really easy language to learn. It sounds like trek was a good experience. I'm so glad you all were able to go. Anyway, I am out of time now, but I love you guys, and I'm so glad to be here.

Sincerely,
Elder Hanni

Week 1-Dominican Republic MTC

Hello Everybody,

The first week at the MTC has been amazing. When I got to the MTC the first day, it was a little overwhelming because there were so many missionaries who had come to the MTC on July 5, but what is funny is that my companion didn't get to the MTC until about 2:30 the next morning, so I had to sleep in another room with some elders in my district for half the night. My Companion is Elder Edwards. He is originally from Jamaica, but he has lived for the past five years in Saint Lucia, and he's going to the Jamaica mission.  He lived in the Barbados Bridgetown mission, and he remembers seeing Elder Anderson from Security ward.  The other four elders in my district are going to Trinidad with me.  Elder Henriksen is form Alberta, Canada, Elder Allin from from Boutniful, Utah, Elder Shields is from Northern Georgia, and Elder Griffith is from Georgetown, Guyana.  We are the only English-speaking district in the whole MTC. They are a really fun district, especially because they kind of secluded us in the MTC. The MTC houses missionaries on the fourth floor of the building, but now there are so many missionaries that they put our district on the third floor.  They have more missionaries than they are used to, but I still think that this MTC is a lot smaller than Provo. There are only 58 missionaries total here. The MTC is on the temple grounds, and the other floors are used to house senior missionaries and people coming to the temple from other islands in the Caribbean.  It has been a great week. We had a devotional with Elder Hugo E. Martinez of the seventy. That was so cool.  I also got to go to the temple twice.  Once because my companion hadn't gone through yet, and I got to go through with him, and we also all went today.  It is such a beautiful temple.  The food here is pretty good. There is a lot of rice, but they also have nutella, so I'm pretty happy. I love the MTC president and his wife. President and Sister Gulbrandson are amazing and they really love missionaries. I am so glad to be here, and I will email you all next week.

Sincerely,
Elder Hanni

Safely in the Dominican Republic!

July 5, 2017

Hey Mom and Dad,

I am emailing to let you know that I have made it to the MTC okay and well.  It is very warm here. I met on other missionary in Newark. Edler Blackham. All the others were in JFK and Atlanta.  Santo Domingo is pretty huge, but the MTC is right next to the temple. Getting through customs was fun because everyone spoke Spanish, but I  made it through with no problems.  I hope you got the picture I sent. I should hopefully be sending more soon.  There are only six missionaries who will be speaking English here. Five are going to Trinidad, and my companion, who has not arrived yet, will be going to Jamaica. I also wanted to let you know that my P-day here is Thursday, so you won't hear from me until then.  I love you guys, and I hope you had a wonderful fourth of July! I wanted to let you know that immediately after I left TSA Colorado Springs, I actually met someon from the Dominican Republic who asked me what I was doing in the Dominican Republic, and when I told her I was there to train for a mission in Trinidad, She thought it was really cool and wished me luck, and then there was someone on the plane whose son is serving a mission in Peru right now. She was in our Branch on Sunday, and the Fawsons are working with her daughter. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I am ok and doing well, and I will email again next Thursday.

Love
Elder Hanni

This is a picture of the Military USO at the Denver airport.  They offer food and a place to rest to military families at airports.  

Bon Voyage! See you in Two!

Heading to the Dominican Republic

July 4, 2017

Saying Good Bye!

July 4, 2017

Farewell!

June 25, 2017

Grandma and Grandpa McAillister

Grandma Hanni