February 4th, 2013 Stephanie

Hey Family,

 

  Hey I don’t have much time but I have so much to tell you. First, I am going to put my letter to the President  to save some time.

Dear President

      This week was incredible. We had two baptisms and two very big miracles that happened to have these baptisms occur. We baptized two boys one 10 Marcos and the other 11 Danny.  They both have siblings that are members but their parents are both not members.  We had to ask Danny’s parents permission to have the baptism. Dennis, the returned missionary that is in our ward and who is the brother of Danny, asked us to work a miracle and change the minds and hearts of his parents because they didn’t think he was ready to be baptized. We were scared to death. No pressure when someone asks for a miracles right! But we prayed and fasted so much and practiced a ton. It was incredible.  When we got to the house we entered and I don’t know what happened but I opened my mouth and the right words just came out. We were able to quiet their fears and help them see the difference and the changes that their son had made in his life. In the end they gave their permission. God is a God of miracles ....every time hearts are softened and minds are changed  it is a miracle. The spirit was with us. It was amazing they changed their minds and Danny was able to be baptized. Marcos was a different story.  His parents were all for it but the problem was that he didn’t know his real name. He thought that his name was something different and for the baptism he needed to know his real name and who his real father is. We had to explain to his mother why he had to know his real name. She was scared to tell him...we were praying so hard that she could find the right words and everything would work out ok.  It went really well and he was able to get baptized. Miracle upon miracle. I have noticed that every ...every time we are planning a baptism Satan is trying so hard to make it so it doesn’t happen.  So when it was half way through the week and everything was working out I was getting scared......and for good reason. Satan came at us with his all, but....what I love is that God always wins in the end!!
    We saw so many miracles!!!! We went and contacted the contact you gave us, Kahomi ( she is a very special girl. She is 24 and she had a mental disease) Her family is really big and Kahomi is not doing so well.  She is really sick and  in  need of the gospel. We were praying and fasting that this lesson would be a really good one. We got there and there were so many people. They were all hanging on every word. We were sitting and this entire family was standing and listening to us because there was not enough seats. It was incredible.  We felt the spirit direct the lesson 100 % and we walked away knowing we were instruments in the hands of God to bring comfort and peace into the lives of others and I was so very grateful.  Thank you so much for the contact.
     We are working hard and trying to be obedient.
Thank you for all you do.
   Hermana Hale

 Family this week was one of great things !! I have never been happier.  We had a meeting with just the Sisters in the mission about how we can be better influences in the mission.  Everything we talked about was what I needed to hear. I am trying to be obedient but this week we have stepped up the bar and God is blessing us.  We had 9 investigators in church last Sunday and 6 this Sunday and the two that were baptized !!! I and Hermana Caal are literally running from one lesson to the next.  We have so much work here. Oh and the good news is that they are dividing our area and putting two Elders in our ward!!!  This is happening in 2 weeks and we are in charge of dividing the area and getting a house and well everything.  We need your prayers.  I am so grateful that more missionaries are going to this ward.  We need so much help in this work.  There is so much to do and I feel like there is no time to do it in. This will help the ward so much even though it means we will be losing more than half of all our investigators ... a little ok a lot sad about that .... this is why we need your prayers.  We are trying to baptize two more people before the changes and the split of the area. Ha. This is the best work in the world. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve my king.

  Let’s see what I learned this week..... I am  learning patients this week. Ha. I never thought I was an inpatient person but I am learning a lot of things about myself that I didn’t know before and this is one of them.  So, I am trying to become more patient with my investigators and with the lessons and the Elders.....Ha  I am learning to accept the will of the father and in his timing not in mine.... patients is connected with faith and hope and I need to have more of both to continue seeing miracles in this area.

    Family I  just want to say thank you for writing me every week.  I was talking to my companion that the only reason I look forward to Mondays is to her for you all. Maren thank you for writing me and I know the Elder you are talking about.   The one that has a girlfriend in your mission. Hah.  My mother, Hermana Bair, is in  his district right now. I told her you were going to your mission, and she was like “really there is a elder that has a girlfriend that is going to the same mission and he can’t stop talking about her” .....Ha. he came into the mission at the same time as me but for the life of me I can’t remember his name. How lame of me. I am trying to become better with names. I have realized this is one of my weaknesses.

   Maren enjoy this time of the mission and learn all you can in the MTC it helps you so much in the field ....when are you going out in the field? .... from the get go, go forward with faith putting your trust in God that he will lead you to the people that are prepared to receive this gospel. It was incredible this morning.  We were walking from taking one of our investigators to seminary and we passed two people that spoke English and because I am gringo they were like “talk to me” .... one was from Utah, get this in Sandy, and lived there for 26 years.  He said he is going back and we have citas with them this week.  I am so excited to see what will happen. God is in this work I see him every day. My testimony is growing daily by the small and simple things he does to bring his grand purposes to pass.

   I have to go I want to send pictures love you all

 Hermana Stephanie Hale