March Letters

So, the family has received 3 letters so far and I can't even explain how much Elder Arko has grown in such a short amount of time. The first letter we received was written on the day we dropped him off. He informed us that his companion is "reserved and quiet" so he thinks they will get along just fine. His name is Elder Hanes "spelled and pronounced like the underwear" Elder Arko informs us, and he is from Draper.

There are 16 missionaries that are going to Sweden, 12 Elders and 4 Sisters. All of them will be heading to Sweden at the same time and his estimated departure date is May, 11. If you ask me, 9 weeks doesn't sound like enough time for a 19 year old boy to learn Swedish, but that's why the church isn't run by women, right? Haha, just kidding. I know he will be blessed and helped tremendously in this incredible endeavor.

Elder Arko also mentioned his progress in his study of the Swedish language. He attends the TRC where he has specific tasks that he must perform in Swedish. He can introduce himself, ask someone's name, ask where they come from, tell them a little about the gospel principles, and testify all in Swedish! Oh, and he can also pray in Swedish. In one of his letters he said, "Hello gift of tongues!"

Another thing that he talks about is the Referral Center. It's a place where people call in to get free DVD's or Books of Mormon and the missionaries call back to see if they received it and testify to them. They also try to set up missionary visits for them.

Elder Arko seems to be adjusting quite well to the shaking up of his world that has recently occured. He was able to see the Draper Temple dedication and really enjoyed that as well. He expressed his love to his family members and friends and hopes to hear from everyone soon...so write him! dearelder.com is a VERY easy way to send a letter. You don't have to buy a stamp and they deliver it the same day, so no excuses!