Letter from Eric July 15, 2012

"Hey Mom and family:

Bryanna got her license! I'm soooo glad I'm on this island and away from the potential disaster that awaits all those poor and unsuspecting drivers in Arizona :P I love ya Bry :) Just please be careful, I wouldn't want to come back there and "teach you a lesson" if you were to get into a crash... oh, and yeah, BE HOME ON TIME!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX!!! dude you are so lucky that Mom, Dad and Bry are having a super cool Mario Birthday party! LUCKY! That sounds like so much fun! If I were there, I think I would be BOWSER! MWAHAHAHA. And then I would take all your presents (stars) and you would have to play games against me to earn them all back! haha. I love you very much, and thank you for taking care of Mom for me. You are the best bro ever :)

I'm happy to hear that you are doing well Mom with the chemo. I know that it is hard, and that there are times when you just think...what's the point. But I know that you WILL beat this. And that you will have an enriched testimony on the power of blessings and faith. I am so extremely proud of you and Dad, for all that you have been through and for the positive examples that you both have been in my life, and the lives of those around you. I love you very much, and please keep me updated.

It is so B.E.A.utiful here! Not only is the weather amazing, but the trees, and ocean and just the general atmosphere. I have learned so much about life, having a native companion, as well as being able to teach and learn from all the diverse types of people here on Guam. We are teaching someone and I have been able to see him experience the Atonement in his life, and it has been such an amazing and spiritual experience. I can't even describe it.

The bikes are a bit hard, because we have to bike 5 miles to get to the village where most of our current investigators are, and it is about 80% of the time uphill :( but it's all good, because on the way home, it is a breeze:) I have never been so wet in my life, between the constant rains, and the crazy amounts of sweat. haha. I have learned a bit of Chuukese. Here is my testimony (but the spelling may be wrong):

Uwa sinei pwe ei mwechifen mi ennet, me pwe Joseph Smith emon sofonson Kot. Uwa sinei pwe Ewe Puken Mormon mi pwan eu pwarata usun Jesus Christ. Uwa kinisou ren merit me kinomwe non maniouen, me ei tufich en angang fan iten Semach won Nang. Uwa apasa ekkei mettoch non iten Jesus Christ, Amen.

In English: I know that this Church is true, and that Joseph Smith is a prophet of the God. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. I am thankful for knowledge and peace in my life, and this opportunity to serve in the name of our Heavenly Father. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all, and thanks for all the support everybody!

Love, Elder Hadder

Getting Used to the Island

July 2013 Eric is working with Elder Kata and the Members on Guam. The bike ride is hard, and Eric is still getting his lungs back to full working capacity. He is grateful for the Mission Nurse and the medical care he has received. Senior Missionaries Elder and Sister Norton are sometimes able to take them back and forth in a car (which they really appreciate!) to their appointments. Here they are filling up the backseat.

Eric has really enjoyed taking pictures of his new home. He loves the island already. Here is a picture of Eric and Elder and Sister Norton at a baptism:

First Time Speaking Chuukese (Video)

Elder Kata has been working very hard to teach Eric to speak Chuukese. When the two Elders teach lessons, if it is in English, Eric teaches about 80% of it and when it's Chuukese, Elder Kata teaches about 80% of those. But Eric is working hard at mastering the language. He loves it and the people he serves.

I asked him to send a video with him reading Chuukese so we can see the words with the pronunciation:

Raining in Guam (Video)

Guam is a very wet place, with rain falling 300 days out of the year! Eric's lungs have been having trouble adjusting from the dry heat of Arizona to the dense rainy atmosphere in Guam. The doctors say his lungs will adjust, but in the meantime he has a "frog" voice that sounds a little weak. You can hear it has gotten better from this video that Eric took from his window at his home in Guam documenting the rain. He said when it rains really hard on Guam they call it BMW - baby making weather. 

 

Guam in July and a Letter Home

Eric has been serving on the island of Guam. His first companion was a native, Elder Kata:

 



The two get along very well and are really moving the work forward. Elder Kata seems to have a great sense of humor:

One Sacrament they had 8 investigators attend! Eric was so happy, as all were Young Women age and the subject that service was on the Young Woman's program and camp. Elder Kata is the one who gave Eric the gift of the Chuukese language. They work on it everyday for four hours, and Eric says it is a difficult language because it is mostly spoken and the rules of grammar conflict with English.

Eric loves Guam as a beautiful island where he can find many opportunities to serve. He is riding a bike and getting healthier and stronger.

Here is a letter from Eric in late July:

"The families here are amazing! This Sunday we had 13 investigators at church!! The work here is definitely going strong! I am getting stronger every day riding the bikes, and doing the workouts in the morning. This morning Elder Kata and I did service helping a member family with their yard work for 3 hours! They have been so super kind to us, and helping us out all the time with food and supplies. They are truly amazing, so we offered to help with the yard. The work was using machetes to cut down palm fronds and other "islander work". It was hot, but no worries, because it rained half way through, a nice cool off break :0) GUAM IS AMAZING!! I am glad you have been able to go to chruch. Sundays are by far my favorite day. We work so so hard throughout the day, and to see all that work validated by seeing people go to church and partaking of the so many blessings that come from the church, makes all the work and effort totally worth it. I have seen people experience the Holy Ghost for the first time in their life, and what a blessing it is to see the change in someone when they become to know their God, and Savior. It's one of the most fulfilling endeavors tha I have ever done. So to know that you are also getting those blessings is really important to me!

I have not got homesick, nor do I. But there was one time in the MTC when we were talking about trials and people in our lives who we know have gone through a hard time. I totally broke down talking about Dad and you. As well as how much Bryanna and I have grown through the experience. But besides that, I have been doing really well!

GO AMERICA! I love the Olympics so much, and am sad to miss them. But I am doing better things. I love remembering how Bry and I would say "America!" [in a certain tone]. That was really fun, and random/silly. I'm super looking forward to receiving the packae, and especially the letter from Bry! Tell Aaron Allen to write me. I miss talking to him. I love talking to Elder Jacob Dargie - it is fun and enlightening. OH, in the package could you send some CDs with music? Some really good Church music? I am craving it. We have  portable DVD players for training DVDs. But we can use them for music in the mornings and at nights.

I love you all so very much, and am extremely excited to tell you about all the awesome things here on Guam. Love you vall very much!! Tell Max he is the best! And when I get back I will play volleyball with him, and we will be really good together! I love volleyball.

Love, Elder Hadder"

First Pictures of Guam

These are the first pictures of Elder Hadder on the island of Guam. Click on picture to get bigger. He has to bike up this huge side of a mountain every day to get to the villages of Yona and Talofofo (look at him pointing at the hill - I put the pictures of the mountain where he is pointing so you can see it - also look for a video of it coming soon). What a tropical paradise. It just looks beautiful and Elder Hadder looks so happy. I know he made the right choice to serve a mission and the Lord knew exactly where to send him. In his words "Guam is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G."

                                  Guam Zone July 2012

Pictures of Elder Hadder at the MTC

Here are some pictures of a happy Elder Hadder at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo Utah. He looks so excited to be there. I am so proud of him - looks like he has made a lot of new friends. Click on the collage to get a closer view.