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Friday, February 27, 2015

Week 4 - Thank the Maker

"Thank the Maker" - in the original Star Wars movie, C3P0 gets an oil bath and he says "Thank the Maker" when he goes down into the oil bath.

I have almost been out for a month!  What the flip?!  The time sure does fly.  I can't believe it.
Anyways, like last week and probably the next several weeks to come, there is little to report about the goings-on here at the MTC.
I am continuing to grow in my testimony and knowledge and understanding of the gospel.  I have been able to pick up Korean really well and I can teach the entire message of the Restoration and am working on the Plan of Salvation.  The gift of tongues is for real people.  I am so thankful for this.
So other stuff that happened...
I hosted again yesterday and actually hosted three elders!  One of the elders I hosted was from Beaverton going to Texas Spanish-speaking.  That was really cool.
Elder Schilling from my district, go sent Cafe Rio via the mail from his grandma.  How in the world?!  This is probably the craziest care package I will ever see.  
The highlight of the week though was Friday.  On Friday, everyone in the district had the opportunity to teach a real-life Korean investigator through the the TRC teaching program they have at the MTC.  Pretty much they have volunteers from the area who speak your language come and you teach them.  They're usually members but one of the members brought her non-member friend with her.  It was amazing and way better and more fulfilling than teaching the fictional investigator characters that our teachers take on.  
Bottom line:  Serving a mission is the best decision I have ever made.  If you're contemplating, just do it.  It'll be worth it no matter where you go.  
Love and miss y'all!
우르분을 사랑합니다!
Love,
Elder Huck
P.S.  I got a card reader so I will start uploading pictures (Thank you parents!).  Oh, and I got some rad PDX socks.

 Chad and his District
 First night with his roommates
 His desk space - Don't forget to "Pop" on your knees when you need some help.  :)

And his sleeping arrangements in the MTC.  You thought dorms were tight????

Thursday, February 19, 2015

 Classroom time.
 Banana hoarding for Elder Shilling's birthday.  They would all "steal" a few bananas at every meal and then "decorated" Elder Shilling's desk on his birthday.  Awesome!
 Happy Birthday Elder Shilling!
 Meal Time
 Elder Eads representing all his District.  Identity crisis!

 Short Elder Eads.  :)

 3 weeks in and they get to host the new missionaries!!!


Week 3 - Our First Catch of the Day

"Our First Catch of the Day" from The Empire Strikes Back.  (Derrick's translation...) It's when an Imperial Officer says this to another in reference to the Rebels evacuating Hoth.

And know that Chad has yet to send us a single picture.  Note to self (future Missionary parents)... at the Provo MTC, apparently you need to have a USB cord that goes from your camera to the computer or a card reader.  Chad will get his card reader in the mail tomorrow.  Hopefully we will then get a slew of pictures.  For now... pictures that I have stolen from other peoples' emails/blogs.  :) 

This week has been pretty run-of-the-mill.  I think that the next 6 weeks will probably pretty ordinary as well and I will have little to report. 

It's sad to say but one of the highlights of the week was that we got to ride a bus.  More specifically, we got to ride the bus to a place where our branch was testing out a mock-up MTC classroom of the future.  It was so rad!  We got to ride on a bus to a building that looked like a giant marshmallow!  Wow!  When I walked into the mock-up classroom, I felt like I was walking into an Ikea!  Modern interior design!  Wow!  They had 80-inch TVs!  I know what my tithing money's going towards!  Wow!  Excitement!

On Monday the oldest batch of Korean elders and sisters headed out.  It was kind of weird to see them go and realize that we've been here for three weeks now.  On Wednesday though, we got a new batch of Korean elders and sisters.  I haven't really gotten to know any of them but apparently one of them served in the navy for four years or something like that.  Pretty interesting.

Besides that, yesterday I got to host new missionaries for the first time.  It was pretty cool.  I didn't get to host anybody besides a sister who Elder Eads and I helped out for a little bit until another sister showed up to take her to her room.  there were so many freakin' sisters that came in yesterday!  It was awesome!  I think that there are almost 50% sisters at the MTC right now!  Times are a changin'!

Anyways, my Korean is coming along great!  I am so grateful for all of the love and support that I've been getting from everyone!  I know that this work is the Lord's work and I am getting so excited to go to Korea and preach to the people!  It will be awesome!

Miss and love y'all!

Love,

Elder Huck

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Week 2 - Adventure! Heh! Excitement! Heh! A missionary craves not these things!

Chad's title post this week references Yoda talking to Luke Skywalker, although substitute "Missionary" for "Jedi". :)


As I continue on through the MTC and become more adapted to the schedule, the days are beginning to blend together.  Yesterday I was feeling like I had said I had been here for a week yesterday which means...I've been here for two weeks.  Yes, two weeks.  Seven to go.  Anyways, all confusing sentences aside, I am still having a blast here at the MTC and am so glad that I have decided to serve a mission. 

This week has been pretty ordinary.  Probably the most interesting thing that happened was Elder Schilling's (one of the elders in my district) birthday was on Monday.  Since he's not really into the whole sugar scene, the rest of district stole bananas from the cafeteria over the course of a few days and then the sisters piled them on his desk before he got to class on his birthday.  It was really awesome to see his reaction, he had been having a rough few days so it was good to see him so happy.  He was absolutely thrilled.  I wish I could show pictures but the freakin computers don't have SD card readers.  Luckily, they just happen to sell the card readers in the MTC store!  Whaddaya know?!  It's a conspiracy I tell you!

So anyways...

Sunday was a very good day for me spiritually.  We had a devotion and then watched a talk by Elder Bednar, both about forgetting ourselves and serving the Lord.  The talk by Elder Bednar was truly exceptional.  Those of you who have been to the MTC within the past two years probably had the opportunity to watch it on Sunday movie night.  It's called "Character of Christ".  He talks heavily about forgetting ourselves and serving the Lord.  He told us continuously "A testimony is not enough!  You must be fully converted unto Christ!"  He then talks about trying as missionaries and saints in general to embody all of Christ's attributes no matter how difficult it may be at times because of our selfish, natural man state of mind.  We shouldn't get caught up in how many baptisms we get or our number of investigators, we need to be focused solely on doing to Lord's work.  My favorite part of the talk was when he said "You find yourself when you're not looking".  Those words stuck with me and I am going to try harder than ever to like Christ and forget myself to this great cause.

Anyways, love and miss y'all!

Called to serve!

Love,

Elder Huck

P.S.  Thank you to the Grants for sending me the Krispy Kremes!  That was so rad!  I did get a lot of people questioning me as to if a girl sent them due to the giant pink heart on the top and were disappointed when I told them no.

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Week 1 - I Love You. I Know.



Oh... this makes my mama heart so happy!!!  He sounds so good and happy!!!

(Oh, and P.S, the titles of his emails will always start with a Star Wars quote.  So, from Derrick, "I Love You. I Know.", Princess Leia says "I Love You" and Han says "I Know".  Elder Huckvale wouldn't be Chad without this little Star Wars references.)  :)

This has been an incredible week.  The hardest times were without a doubt within the first few days of begin in the MTC and I'm sure there are harder times to come.  Before going into the MTC I said my final goodbyes to my family which was incredibly difficult for all of us.  Everyone was touched by the spirit so strongly and brought to tears (Except Reed, I don't think he fully comprehends what's going on).  I told everyone that I loved them and then I was whisked away.  That was easily the hardest part of this experience so far. 

After I got all of my materials, I went to my Korean classroom where I was immediately bombarded with Korean and had absolutely no idea what was going on.  It was weird.  My MTC companion, Elder Eads, and the rest of my district were waiting there.  Elder Eads is a really cool guy.  He is a foot taller and a hundred pounds more than me which is kind of weird but that's just how it's going to be a lot of the time I'm guessing. They are all so awesome.  All of them have a desire to serve the Lord. The other elders in the district are all going to Seoul South while all of the sisters and I are going to Seoul.  It's crazy to see how close we've come just after a week.  

The showers are divided so there are no worries there.  No "tree of life".  I do think that we are living in what used to be a sisters' dorm because the only urinals we have are stalls that have had the doors and toilet seats removed.  Apparently our building is like one of the most ghetto residence halls. 

I've seen David around the campus and he has left me a few treats including some of the "nectar of the gods" which was pretty rad.

Throughout the rest of the first day i had a few feelings of homesickness rush over me but I never allowed them to overwhelm me.  I just remembered why I was serving a mission and all of the fear was washed away.

The rest of this week has just been adjusting to the MTC and the schedule that I will have for the next 9 weeks of my mission and learning the basics of Korean.  I think that so far I am doing pretty well grasping the language.  It's actually been pretty easy for me to understand the basic sentence structures I've been taught so far and I can already pray pretty fluently but still make mistakes here and there.  It's unbelievable how far I've come come in just a week though.  The gift of tongues is definitely present.  

Spiritually, I have progressed exponentially.  I have been getting more out of the scriptures and have been relying on Heavenly Father so much more than I ever have and I have been able to recognize the blessings in my life as a result.  It is definitely going to be a great year and 51 weeks!

I Miss Everyone!

Love,

Elder Huck

P.S.  My p-day is on Thursday and you can e-mail me at chad.huckvale@myldsmail.net and I will try to e-mail you back but I only have an hour to respond to e-mails.

P.S.S.  Sorry that there aren't pictures.  I've taken some but I'm not sure how to upload them or if I'll be able to.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Sometimes it's really good to have a "spy" in places.  Our nephew, David, just started working at the MTC.  He got permission to escort Chad into the MTC and then go along with him to his classroom and dorm room.  Considering Chad's P-Day is on Thursdays (we found out yesterday - Monday - from David; after dropping him off on Wednesday and not hearing from him yet) it's nice to have someone who is trying to keep us up-to-date at least a little bit.
 Entering the MTC.  Headed to get his name tags and (many!) Korean training guides!
Elder Huckvale and Elder Eads
It's time... his bags are packed and he's ready to go.  Not sure if we are... but let's get it done!










Return with Honor Elder.  We LOVE you!!!
Special thanks to all the family and friends that were able to see/house Chad (and the rest of us) on his way to the MTC.
Chad and some of his friends - Ethan, Jackson, Chad, Luke, Kennedy, Natasha, Seth and Jackson

 Chad and Haley
 Trevor, Kayla, Chad and Aunt Christine
 Chad and his "favorite" cousin, Kayla
 Family.
 Three (proud) generations of Huckvale men.  Love our family.
 Last extended family meal at Fuddruckers - grandpa's choice of course!
 In-N-Out!  Corey, Chad, Amy and Judd (photobomb by Macy)  :)
 Mary, Robby, Chad, David and Corey
Daelin and Chad

So thankful to have so much love and support!!!  Also thanks to those we didn't get pictures with - Amanda, Tweetie, Saren, Erica and anyone else.  Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules to meet us in crazy places and give us some of your time.  We really appreciated it and love you for all of the support!!!