August 27, 2012

Hey Family

First off, I did feel the earthquake. It was so cool!...I know that sounds weird to say but it’s so cool to say that I have been in an earthquake!!  We were in the middle of a lesson when it happened. People down here are so scared of earthquakes so the woman we were teaching stood up and was really really scared she grabbed on to my arm with a death grip and didn’t let go for a long time. But it was only a small one. You could definitely feel it, I heard it was 5.7 but I didn't know about the aftershock; that is a big earthquake! I hope the people that were in that one are okay. We are all doing fine the only thing that happened here was that the ground started to shake. It felt like you were standing really close to a train as it passed.

I hope you all are doing okay. I miss you guys a lot. I want to know what everyone is up to, Jake should be starting his first semester at collage!!! Oh that is crazy!  I want to know how that goes. Jake you will do so great. God has a way of always preparing us for the things that are hard in our lives. You have been prepared to do hard things, you can do them with the Lord!

Nate should be starting High School!! That is so exciting! Nate these are going to be some of the most fun times you will have in school so enjoy it! Make good friends that will help you make living the gospel easier. That is really important. But seriously go have a ball. High school is so much fun. Live it up. I also want to know how basketball is going, let me know.

Maren is starting school again are you exited or no? What classes? where are you living? who are you dating ?..... Ha I hope you are doing okay. I have been praying for you a lot and I have heard that payers of missionaries go a long way, ha ha! I hope they do so I hope you see Gods hand in your life and his love for you and those around you. I love you, never forget, I love all of you.

T what are u up to? Did you decide to go back to school or are to saving up to come pick me up from El Salvador? Because I will tell you right now if you do we are going to go on a huge shopping spree everything here is so cheap!!! Are you dating anyone? sorry I  have to keep up on these things!

Moms are you going okay? Are there any after effects of the surgery other than being tired and week? I hope you are doing okay. Maybe the boys being back in school will give you some time to sit and heal and relax ha. Dad sound pretty busy with all the campouts he went on. Which reminds me how was Zion’s Camp? Tell me everything you boys have learned this summer and how you've come closer to God. Ha ooh look at me giving you all commitments. Ha! well if I am going to do it I will do it right. Ha family will you commit to writing your sister one or two things that you have learned this summer that has brought you closer to the lord? ..........waiting for an answer  (I’ve gotten really good at this )......... a resounding Yes! Oh good I am so glad I can’t wait to read them all.

Caleb how are you doing? Are you excited for school to start or no? I would be even just for the fact that cookie day will be back.

Man I have to tell all of you boys how amazing your parents are!! We are all so blessed to have the family that we do and the relationships that we do with one another. The traditions and the memories the laughs the games. This is what the life is about and I have been blessed to have such an amazing supporting family that loves me even with my faults. Thank you all for your love for me and the relationship that we have as a family. Here some people are so lucky to have a mom and a dad many kids don’t know where their dad is or even who he is. Sorry I just realized I was going off on gospel tangents again I guess that what you get when writing a missionary. Hah!

Well I have some people that need your prayers.

First, Elena she is great but she need to have her heart soften and the desire to want know the truth and then have the faith to ask.

Then there is still William and Yaneth, they need to make some big choices in their lives. Please pray that the choice they make will bring them closer to God.

Then we have Magdolena she is amazing and I am sure she will get baptized, a small miracle happened with her this week.... oh look I have a good story after all..... We have been having a hard time catching her at her  house to teach her. She is always  working  but we have taught her the first lesson and showed her the restoration and we are so excited because we can tell she is too. She doesn’t have much time to read cause of work and all but she has read a little..... Ok ready for the miracle. .... This may sound bad but she fractured her ankle at work the other day and we went to go visit her and she had her leg in a cast. We were like “what happened?!” ......she said she broke it at work so they gave her 30 days off to heal so she is now stuck in her house all day and in a chair with nothing to do .......that may sound really bad but to missionaries we were like “yes! She can’t move that means she has to listen to us hah!” not that she wouldn't but we believe this is a blessing from God. She now has time to read the Book of Mormon and time to do some thinking and we can also find her more easily in her house because she is always there!! Sometimes God works in interesting ways, but he is in all things. Pray for her that she will take this time to think about the church and read the Book of Mormon.

Well I am almost out of time family. I hope you all know that I love you..... Oh yeah and Simeon I sent you something. I hope it gets there by your baptism!!!! I want to hear all about your big day when it happens. You are making me so happy that you are getting baptized! You will be my first baptism in the mission!!! That makes me so happy.  Who is planning on baptizing you? i what to hear all about it!

Family, know I am learning so much down here form the lives of my investigator and from your lives. Our family has gone through more in the last little bit than I can remember ever going though and I am not even there. Know that your letters and experiences help me learn and grow and I am so grateful for all of you. You are all such examples to me so thank you. Know that I know the Savoir lives. His atonement is the greatest gift we have in this life and through it we receive all happiness and all joy even in the hardest times in the life. I am so grateful for that. This gospel is true.........it’s true. 

Hermana Hale