Stephanie's first visit to the out lying country side of El Salvador

March18, 2013 Stephanie

                                                                   March 18, 2013

Dear family

Wow so much is happening at home!!!! It’s crazy how much things can change in just 9 months. To answer some questions ....YES it is getting unbearably hot down here the months of March and April are the worst. Last night I had the hardest time to sleep because it was just so dang hot. But it’s weird I am liking the heat more and more being here but not the heat that we have been having woo....sweating buckets. Ha. Kind of embarrassing when you show up to a lesson and soaking wet. But asi es la orbra (so is the work). Ha.

But, wow, lot is happening back home. Jake is an eagle scout that is so cool!!! And yeah it’s getting close to when he will be leaving and he still hasn’t told me how he is feeling and all that ... Jake I want to hear from you!!! Maybe leaving will help because it’s a rule you have to write home and to family (meaning your sister that is in El Salvador) every week. Ha. I am way excited for you.  I am telling people down here that I have two other siblings on missions and they look at me like wow in one family!!! I feel so blessed as I know you all do to have this gospel and what a blessing and what a great responsibility we have to share it and help others receive happiness and gozo joy.....it’s incredible because the people we bless will bring us so much joy and happiness in the kingdom of our father. This work is true and nothing brings more joy to others or to yourself than to work in the vineyard of the Lord.

So this week me and my companion had a really cool experience with a member whose name is Pavel. He is 19 and putting his papers in this Wednesday to go on a mission. He has been going out with us and teaching lots. We have gotten to know him really well and he has a, well, a gift from God and it is incredible. For one thing he has the promise that the things he promises ....come to pass.  It’s like the promise that Nephi had in the Book of Mormon. HOW FLIPPEN COOL IS THAT:  But also he told us that he knew that I was coming into the area when I came because he dreamed it. He also told Hermana Caal the same thing.  This Friday he told us he had something to tell us. We were excited to hear.  He told us he had a dream about us and that he saw my companion off a ways and she was with a man.  She called to Pavel asking if he was coming to go with us to an appointment.  He asked where I (Sister Hale) was and he looked around and saw that I was with another man who was tall.  He had no idea who the man was but he came over and was talking to us and he found out this man was ....get this John Tanner..... And that John Tanner was talking to me and him and pointed at my companion Hermana Caal and said “that missionary she is planting good seeds” (in essence a good planter). Pavel then asked about me and when he turned to look at me I was gone and that’s when he woke up ........Ha sad, I know, I wanted to know what my ancestor said about my work and how I was doing but he woke up. Ha.  But family the crazy part of this whole story is that Pavel was sitting there telling us this and at the end me and my companion just looked at each other and finally Hermana Caal asked me does he know?  I said “no I don’t think he does”.... and Pavel was like know what? .....I then turned to him and told him that I was a descendant of John Tanner and the look on his face was one I will never forget. He said that he felt something really weird and well to tell you the truth me and my companion felt the same. On the way home we were talking about what he told us and I was telling Hermana Caal “that is why you have been moving around so much is because you are such a good sower!!! She has moved almost every change. This was her first change where she stayed in one spot. But we were talking and she told me it was an answer to her prayers. She had asked God how she was doing in the mission. I was sitting there in awe at how merciful our God is to let us know that he is proud of us and I was thinking how I wanted to know what John Tanner would have said about me.... Ha. But I was just very happy to think about the fact that I was standing by him and talking to him. That we were friends.....someone so incredibly full of faith and love for the Lord was talking to me one on one and that made me feel special. Family when we got home we got on our knees and thanked God for what he had given us.  In the prayer I felt this overwhelming love and peace come into my heart....Hermana Caal noticed a difference in me. When she ended the prayer she and I looked at each other and she asked what happened and I just said I just feel good and I want to cry. Hah ... we hugged....we hug after ever prayer but this time was different it was longer and ....we were sharing a very spiritual experience together.....I love my companion!!!! We have been through so much together we have learned so much together. I feel like I have known her for forever. She is like my sisters. She has lived through so many trials and difficulties but has stayed faithful to the Lord. She is such an example to me.  I want to work my but off so that John Tanner will look at me with pride and be able to say now that that is my granddaughter. She is a great missionary.  I hope that is what he is saying now but I want to be able to work with the same faith that he lived with so that my faith will one day become like the faith he had.......that was the cool experience and miracle this week that happened to me.

TANIA YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND!!!!!  Ha. When did this happen? Who is he? How did you meet and how long have you been going out? ..... Hah just remember I only have 8 months left. Ha so if you’re going to get married just be thinking you know in the middle of like December or after. Something like that. Ha jk. I am happy for you... but girl keep me posted. Hah 

Jake you got your eagle scout and you are an elder now!!! Wow, Jake I will just tell you now I have never had a greater respect for the priesthood than here on my mission. You men have been given such a great responsibility and blessing to literally give us access to the atonement of Christ!!!! I am so thankful for that in my life. I want to personally thank you for being a worthy upright and righteous man that God can trust with his power.  It is not easy in this world to be kept without spot before God. But we have the atonement of Christ to help us and I want to thank you for fighting and striving to receive this great .......divine gift from God to bless others. I know that with this power and authority you and your companion will bring many souls to the knowledge of their redeemer. Oh, Jake I am so excited for you. My heart longs for you to feel what I am feeling and see was I am seeing and learn what I am learning......Same goes for all of you back home.

Something happened this week that was interesting. The zone leaders asked us in zone conference if any of us have brothers that are 16.  I raised my hand with a couple others ...thinking of you Nate.  Then they proceeded to tell us that our president had asked us to write to you all and help you guys get ready to serve missions. I hope Nathan that my letters are helping you get excited and have a (can’t wait feeling) to get out here. If not let me know and I will be doing a better job in writing.....

Kami is pregnant!!! NO one told me that!!!! Oh, tell her congratulations!!! Oh they have been waiting for so long!!!! I am so happy for her.

I will be keeping an eye out for that comet Dad. Thanks for letting me know. Ha.

I am realizing that one thing my mission is teaching me is how to be a good member when I get back. I see how much work it is to run a ward and how each member has a responsibility and can help in small ways that really help. There are things I will never do when I get back and there will be things that I will change and start doing. .....

Family I want to share with you all something that I realized yesterday that really hit me and well was a great comfort. I was thinking of all the things I wanted to learn on the mission and the things I wanted to change and feeling a little pressure cause I am half way through my mission.  I was feeling like, wow, have I changed at all or have I not and I thought it would be the saddest thing to return and not have changed......I was thinking about it and reading Alma 5 and I was realizing that my heart has changed here on the mission. That in reality I don’t have the same desires that I did at the beginning of my mission... I literally have seen God replace the desire to sin with the desire to serve him and do good. It was such a small change over a long time that I never realized but yesterday I realized and I was so thankful for God to help me make these changes in my life. I am not going to lie. I still have bad habits but this experience has given me a testimony that truly we can change our hearts through the atonement of Christ.  Everyone has to be born of God to enter the kingdom of God....... Have you had this change in your heart if not what are you going to do now to start. If you have ......can you feel so now? Are we continually trying to become better?  This is my invitation to you all. Let God change you. Give up what is keeping you from him. There is so much peace so much joy to be found in the gospel. We only need to let go of some things to receive these blessings. I know this gospel is true. The Atonement is the single greatest act of love ever and we have the ability to feel this love every day. Are we using it? Christ lives. I love him so much.  God loves us and wants us to be happy. Why do we have commandments?  If we understood the reason we have commandments and the principle of obedience, we would ask for more commandments.  I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. I am realizing everyday more and more that this book is a miracle.  It is the foundation of our conversion and testimonies. Read it brothers!!!! Nothing will help you more for the mission than reading the Book of Mormon and preach my gospel.....Do it!!!! Ha.

I love you all so very much!!! God has given us the ability to love.... not just love here but to love for all eternity. Thank you for your support and love I feel it here.  Many times it’s the only thing that keeps us missionaries going.....Oh, which reminds me. Dad and Mom I haven’t gotten you letters yet....... I love hand written letters but I think I like having you write in the email more because I get them every week. There is some months that I only get mail once a month.  Just something to think about. Whatever you can do is fine I love you all. I am praying for you all. 

 Love your Daughter and Sister,

 Hermana Stephanie Hale

P.S. DAD Happy birthday to you!!!! Happy birthday to you!!!!! Happy birthdayyyyyyy Dear Daddddyyyyyyy happy birthday to you !!!!!!! Love you dad Hope you have a great day. I will be there to celebrate your next one a promise.

Sister Jorgansen, Sister Millett, Me, Sister Madsen

 

 

Gjina on her baptism day! with her beautiful daughter Ava.

 

March 18, 2013 Maren

Hey Family,

Wow! This week has been the shortest longest week of my life! By the time Thursday rolled around I could not believe the week was almost over! and then by the time Sunday came it also seemed like it had drug on forever! Funny how time can do that out here. So far I think that it has been moving at a good pace... I don't want it to go any faster or any slower, I just want it to go. 

Can you believe I've already been out for 2 months! Maybe I am crazy but that seems like a long time... 18 months seems so much shorter than 2 years. This mission is going to fly by! That is both good and bad, but like I said, so far I am happy with how time is moving. 

This was possibly the best week I've had here in New York thus far. Why? well because we were busy! Want to know what makes a missionary happy? Being busy! (well that and packages from home but being busy is a big part of it.) 

I'll start on Tuesday since Monday is P-day... we can skip over that. So Tuesday we had sister exchanges. My first ones in the field. Because me and sister Madsen were blinded in we had no idea who was going to stay to work in our area and who was going to go somewhere else, it turned out that I was the one who got to stay. Awesome! But really scary. Why? well because that meant that the appointments were with our investigators and me, being the trainee, was still just trying to get the feel for this thing called missionary work and put the fate of the area in my hands... even for just a day... scary! Want to know what is even scarier...? The sister I was on exchanges with, Sister Jorgansen, she is and English missionary... any and all Spanish was up to me. Yikes!

We switched around noon on Tuesday and we had a day chuck full of appointments to get back to. On the drive home we talked a lot about where we're from, our families, why we were on missions, etc. Everything seemed to just flow. She is from Provo, she's 22 almost 23 and she has been in the mission for about 14 months. As we talked more I found out that she went to Mountain View and I had to ask... "Did you know David Cancilla?" She did. But she didn't know about the accident. I can talk about David all the time and not get very emotional. I love talking about him and especially about all the miracles and tender mercies that surrounded the accident and the days that followed, but telling someone who doesn't know never gets any easier. 

We didn't have too much time to talk about it at that time because we had an appointment to rush off to. This is the 3rd time we've met with this particular investigator and he is awesome. His name is Santos and he is from Honduras. He is really hard to understand because he slurs his words and mumbles... even my companion has a hard time. But he is so ready for the gospel. We found him a few weeks ago knocking doors... on that day I gained my testimony of knocking doors... He already knows a lot of people in the ward so we wanted to take advantage of that and get some awesome member present lessons going, on this day we were going to be meeting with him with Brother Newton, a bilingual man in our ward who had given Santos a ride home one night from a ward activity he'd come to. I was so grateful for the language help.

We met with him at the church. The plan was to do a quick church tour and then watch the Joseph Smith Movie and try to emphasize the significance of the ONE true Church of Jesus Christ. He like many others in the Spanish culture have adopted the belief that it doesn't really matter what church, everyone has to find the path that is right for him. When he got there we ended up really just taking him into the Chapel... there is such a strong spirit in the chapel, it strikes me every time I walk into it. We all felt the spirit so strong. I know that Santos felt it. He started opening up to us and sharing with us part of his life story about when his mom died. He could feel the peace of this place... We just let him talk for a bit and take in the spirit, then we took him into the relief society room for the lesson. 

I did my best to talk about the Book of Mormon, he doesn't know how to read very well so I wanted to make sure that he knew the importance of the Book and remembered some of the things we had talked about. He didn't remember the Restoration story very well so as soon as I figured that out we just watched to movie. I watched Santos just as much as I watched the movie. Throughout it he was nodding his head as if in agreement, smiling, and I don't know, is it possible to look at someone and just know that they are accepting it? Because that was what was happening. When the movie was over all he could say was that he felt that that was true. He believed what had happened. It was cool. Honestly I think I should have asked him to be baptized right then and there, but I was too insecure in the language and in my understanding. 

When I talked to sister Jorgansen about it later she said it was possibly one of the most spiritual lessons she'd even been a part of and she couldn't even understand what was happening throughout most of it. It was a powerful powerful lesson.

As we were eating dinner we talked more about David. There is something so special about talking to someone who knew him! Who knew how amazing he was and the difference that he made in the world! She was on a service committee at school with him for two years. We cried together and talked about the miracles. She told me that in the lesson with Santos that afternoon she had just known that he was there with me. He was there and he was helping me. She knows that he stays close, I know that he does too. Its amazing. Even all the way out here on Long Island I am finding the ripples that He has left behind. He touched so many peoples lives! I am so grateful for the impact that he had on mine.

The next morning we had an amazing study session together. My life was forever changed as a missionary just because of those precious few hours I got to spend with her. People come into our lives for very specific and special purposes, God is there in the details. He orchestrates more than we could ever know.

We talked about many of the Words Elder Holland has spoken to the missionaries over the years. He has said some pretty amazing things. Like that if we need to call down angels, do it! Its like we're saying...
okay! we will go and we will do but if I have to be like Moses and call down plagues and part the red sea you've got to be there, you've got to help me." and you know what elder Holland said, "God will make that deal every time!" So we know that if we do this his way he will back us up... but do we have enough faith to let him? We talk about the power of faith and how it can move mountains but do we really believe it? What is worse is that sometimes we are the ones putting the mountains in our path! I don't know if I am explaining this well at all, but the bottom line is that YES! Faith can move whatever metaphorical mountain may be in our path, even if its one we put there ourselves. He is in this work with us! Here... I don't know if this is quite the same talk but its close.

"Remember above all, that this is a spiritual work. It’s the most important thing you can remember all your life. You cannot have a mission and you will not succeed on this mission and you won’t be happy and you won’t lose your homesickness and you won’t get the language and you won’t be acclimatized to the culture until you give over to God and say, “This is Thy work and I’m only the instrument. I’m on the pencil, but you’ve got to do the writing.” That is the most important thing for a missionary to learn ever. Section 50, a verse you all memorize and I hope you remember all your life, “Unto what you were ordained (or in the case of the sisters, unto what you were set apart by somebody who was ordained), to preach my gospel by the Spirit, even the Comforter, and if it is not taught that way, it is not God’s way.” If it is not taught that way, it is some other way, and any other way is not of God. You can’t do it your own way. Don’t even try. That’s part of the worry—you don’t have to do it, you can’t do it, you shouldn’t do it. Stop worrying that you have to do this. This is God’s work! He will watch you! He will answer your prayers! He has legions of angels and teams of chariots to run to your aid this very hour. He will bless you! This is His work, but you have to do it His way! That’s the contract." - Elder Holland

Bottom line. Faith is powerful! We don't give it enough credit. But it starts with us. My trainer has told me from the beginning that Greenie Faith and work miracles. I've seen it happen and I am determined not to lose it. I will do all I can to maintain my faith in the people and the power of missionary work. I've said it before and I will say it again, Long Island is ready for the gospel, our mission president told us a story this week about the night that he welcomed the newest missionaries to the mission by taking them to the top of the Brooklynner  (my group). He said he took a moment on the roof by himself and as he closed his eyes he could see the city stretched out before him and he could see thousands and thousands of families that are ready to hear the gospel. They are ready! he cried out "How do we find them?" and you know what... its all up to us, the missionaries. Let me explain... they will find us when we are worthy of it. I think there is a saying that goes "when the student is ready the teacher will appear..." well in missionary work its just the opposite. Its "When the teacher is ready the student will appear." We have to be more obedient, we have to gain the trust of the Lord before he will send us his precious Children to teach. We play such a big role in this equation, don't kid yourselves (Mostly talking to Jake and Steph)... More of this is up to us than we can even comprehend. It certainly makes me want to step it up.

O wow... this is going to be a forever long email. Haha, curl up with a blanket because that is still just day 1.

Wednesday was an awesome trainer/trainee meeting at the mission office. When we have to travel into Rego Park a big portion of our day is sucked up in travel time but it is so worth it to hear the inspired words of our Mission President. You can just tell that he is so close to the Spirit. He has a vision for this mission and he is taking us there one step at a time. I am blessed to be here in the time of President Calderwood.

That night we drove strait to a Dinner Appointment we had with two of the coolest women in the ward and Gjina, our investigator who had her baptism scheduled for Sunday. She had been in Michigan all week long so this was the first time we'd seen her in a long long time, we know that the adversary has been working on her so yeah... we were a little apprehensive. But she was amazing as usual! It was so good to be there with these two strong members, One is still a fairly recent convert and so was able to share with Gjina what it was like leading up to her own baptism and how the devil really does work on you extra hard. It was a good night. There was a good spirit there.

The next day was... lets see Thursday. I think that was our busiest day yet in the field. We had 5 appointments scheduled. We had another awesome Member present lesson with Santos. The sister we took with us was Hna Ana. She is a recent convert, the family that we will be going to the temple with at the end of this week. She is so amazingly awesome! She has such a strong testimony and is such a powerful teacher. It was so good, and he is so close... We have hopes to set a baptism date with him soon.

 

Friday was Zone Conference. My first one. That was way cool and super spiritual. The AP's gave workshops on being bolder and working better with member and then the President gave one of becoming students of the Plan of Salvation. In the middle of the Presidents... well... life went crazy! 

We got a text from Gjina saying that she wanted to push her baptism back... potentially for a long long time. I wanted to drop everything and rush to her side. My companion said we had to stay put but we arranged to meet with her right after the conference ended. Right after that she texted again saying that she was pretty sure that had just been an anxiety attack and that she was okay and that things were basically going to move forward as planned but that she still wanted to see us. I breathed a sigh of relief and was just in awe of this woman. She identifies the battle that the adversary is putting up in her life to try and stop her from this good thing and she doesn't let him get away with it. 

When we met with her we had an awesome discussion about, well about everything. We answered some of her questions and concerns about how the bible supports the Book of Mormon and vise versa and everything. I think she felt a lot better after she left and more sure of her  journey forward.

That night was the Spanish Noche de Fortalecimiento. Santos Came!!! We were so excited. There was an awesome lesson but we couldn't stay too long because of curfew. Some of the members knew that so they wrapped things up in a hurry for us. One of the Members, Marta, gave the closing prayer. A few months ago her daughter was murdered. Recently the family has been going to court to see this man sentenced. Its been so hard on them and especially on Marta. In her prayer she talked about her daughter and had most of us crying by the end. I wanted so much to be able to hold her and comfort her but I didn't have the words in Spanish, so all I did was walk over and hold her hand. I couldn't say anything, but all that needed to be said was communicated just by holding her hand. It brought back a lot of memories of when people had just held my hand through the week of David's accident. I don't know why I am sharing all this, maybe because its just another testament to me of how I have been prepared to be here on my mission at this time. 

I am going to skip strait to Sunday. Sunday, the day of the baptism! Exciting! Church was great, Gjina was there and even her sister, who has previously been a little, well less than supportive, came. After church was all the running around trying to get the final preparations in place but we did it and everything was ready to go when Gjina got there. It was so so special. The only words that came to mind as I watched Gjina enter the waters of baptism and emerge again a new creature, born of God, were, "And now behold, my joy is full." I felt an overwhelming feeling from the spirit of approval and peace. Our Father was pleased. And Gjina was smiling! She made it! O man, it is such a difficult feeling to describe. It was so so special.

Family... this week has been so great. Sorry this email is so long. 

Something really special that happened this week. It happened during Zone Conference, during the testimony meeting. I realized that something miraculous has happened. From the beginning I have been telling everyone that the reason I came out here was because God told me to... which is true... but I realized for the first time in that meeting that the reason I am staying out here is because I want to be here. I want to be here! I didn't think that would happen for a long long LONG time. I thought it would take my whole mission! But its started to happen just 2 months in. I still miss home but I know that this is not just where I am supposed to be but where I want to be. Its a pretty cool thing.

I can't believe all the things that are going on at home. Jacob... seems like time is flying by! You are going to be a missionary before you can blink. How are you feeling? I am so proud of you. I wish I could be there. I wish I could have helped you prepare and see you get your Eagle. I am SOOO proud of you! When I read Dad's letter this week I started to cry. Jake! You are going to the Temple. My heart soared with Joy. It is such a special place. and yes.. I will be in the temple on the same day. Saturday March 23, we will be in the 9:00am session which means 7:00am your time. What time are you going through Jake? As I sit in the celestial room my thoughts and prayers will be focused on you. Don't be scared. Just relax and take in what you can, and then go back as much as you can. I came to love the temple while I was in the MTC and got to go every week. It is such a special special place. I am so happy, excited and proud of you!

I am glad that things are working out for the family. It sounds like the Lord is taking care of you, I know I should just know that but its good to hear. I worry about you guys because I love you and just want to know that you are okay. 

I have to go. Brother Beal needs his computer. Haha. I have taken a good long while to write this email.

I love you all!

I miss you!

-Hermana Maren Hale

March11, 2013 Stephanie

                                                          March 11, 2013

Dear Family, 

   Wow, is all I have to say about Maren’s letter.... Thank you Maren I needed to hear a lot of the words you wrote. You sound like you’re doing great!!! You already have a baptismal date that is so cool!!! A mission can sometimes be hard lots harder than we thought but it is also the most rewarding work. It reminds me of dad’s quote that anything of worth in this life takes work.  If we think about it we are working for others salvation (and our own). What a great work to be in. I want to share with you what I wrote my president because it illustrates my point. 

Dear President Glazier

   Thank you and your wife so much for coming to our baptism this Saturday it was so much fun to have you there.  Hermana Glazier was talking to one of our investigators.... one who is and has been really hard hearted. Never in my life have I ever meet anyone who needed the atonement more in their lives.  The miracle of this is that she came to church with us yesterday and she is becoming more open to the idea of baptism.  Yesterday we found out that the reason she likes the church is because it gives her hope that she will be able to see her sons again. She had 5 children and Magdalena, the mother of Jorge, is the only one alive. She has seen so much sorrow and heartache in her life and I want to give her all the hope, joy, peace and the knowledge that I have that she one day will have her children with her again. I love this gospel. It give so much hope to people. The love of our savior is so great and infinite that it’s hard for some people to comprehend something so marvelous. We have such an amazing job to spread the good news of the gospel to  the entire world. 

    Thank you for your help ....We had ward counsel yesterday and we talked about plans that we think will help this ward and it’s fun to see the leaders start to realize and help with putting these plans into action.

   Thanks for all you do. 

Hermana Hale  

You are so right. There are so many Alma the younger out there and we have the great opportunity to go literally lift them up. A mission is hard because it is not just physically draining it is spiritually demanding. We are the people that everyone turns to have the right words to say in the times that are hard. Do not let this scare you because we have the promise of the Lord that he will give us in the time we need it the words that we need to speak.  But, it is our responsibility to be prepared. That is why our personal study and companionship study are so important it gives God the chance to give us what we need to help others that day. The more I work the more I realize I can’t give something that I do not have. Therefore, every day we must increase our faith and increase our obedience in order to be the answer of faith and hope in the Lord that people need. I remember .....I’ll never forget.... when Chepe’s uncle died. We got there to comfort and give help where we could.  There was a moment that a woman kind of lost it and was screaming to God and asking why and where was he. I came over to help try and calm her down and when she was calm enough ....she turned to me and with the most, wow, hopeful, intense look, looking for a hand or something to help her keep her head above water so she wouldn’t  drown in her feelings of sorrow and fear. She asked where is Jeovany? Where is he?  We have the answers that give hope and that show God’s love. We are the answer, the hands that lift and help people out of their sorrow and fear. I was able to explain a little about the plan of salvation to this woman and this calmed her down even more to the point where she was not crying anymore just listening. We are so blessed family to have the knowledge we do. Always remember and in remembering you’ll want to share it more. 

Anyway Maren sounds like you are doing a great job and the pictures you sent are so cool.  Your experiences are so different than mine and I know at times I will be jealous. Ha but,  wow, what an amazing experience. It’s good to hear that people have a good view of us and understand we are here to help. 

This week for me was ha well, stressful.... We ended up putting together a baptism in like 3 days and the day of the President called and said he was going to be there with his wife .... no pressure right. Ha but, it all went well. Jorge finally got baptized!!!!!!! Oh what joy,  I was so happy and Gregoria his grandma came and Hermana Glazier was talking to her afterwards and well she is not completely closed to baptism!!!!  I am so excited. Yolanda also go baptized yesterday. It was the Elders baptism but Yolanda had a feche or date with us last change and she just wanted more time to prepare.....but, we taught her everything and wow it was incredible to see and witness the faith of this woman who has only one leg to be helped into the baptismal font and be baptized by her nephew that we baptized 3 weeks before !!! Oh, it was an incredible day. Ha, I just felt really bad because I was so stressed out that the President was coming and other details that I got a migraine ...can’t spell two well on my mission ..... I need to learn patients and to have more faith and trust in the Lord and trust that what happens will happen because God is in it. I worry too much sometimes. Then I try and not worry so much and I come up way short I am working on finding a good balance but wow it’s hard ha. 

I am sending pictures finally. Hope you get them the first is a picture of Yolanda and Antonio. The second will be of Jorge and the familia Orellana.  Oh, family this family I love them so much!!!! They mean so much to me and if I am blessed to see the day when all!! all of them are baptized, I will be so extremely full of joy. Ha. I know it will happen. That they all will be baptized but I don’t know if I will have the blessing to see it but I am praying hard Ha but also trusting in the Lord and his purposes

I love this work it is the work of the Lord. I know he lives and love us so much. The peace and joy in my heart are the blessings of the gospel and I am realizing more and more how incredible these feelings are and what an incredible blessing they are. I will never trade them for anything in this world. Yesterday in soc soc we were talking about the inheritance we have the opportunity to receive.  We as humans now, can’t comprehend all that the father has in store for us. All he asks is that we keep his commandments. I heard something that impacted me. It is said that if we could just peek through the veil for a few seconds, we would be so amazed. We would do anything, give up all to be in heaven with our father. We would obey all the commandments. We would understand the law of obedience and beg for more commandments. Family shall we not go on for so great a cause? Stay faithful. Obey and do all that the father is asking us to ..... He is only asking us to do that which will make us happy.  I know I am preaching to the choir. You all are trying your best to live the gospel. I guess what I am trying to say is stay faithful because the blessings are so incredibly great, we can’t afford to not be faithful. 

  I love you all 

 Hermana Hale  

    

The Orellana Family at Jorge baptism

 

Yolanda's Baptism by Nephew Antonio w/Stephanie and Sister Caal

March 11,2013 Maren

Hey Family!!!! 

How are you all!? I love P-day, getting to hear from you and read your emails are the best. Haha. I miss you all so much.

First of all, Dad, I haven't actually gotten your letter yet... Sad i know. I guess is it has made it to the mission home and is just taking a little bit of time to get forwarded out. We actually didn't get mail for a few days because in the "big" (it wasn't too bad) snow storm a snow plow took out our mailbox and we didn't get it back up for a day or two. 

Jake! You're getting your Eagle?! That is so cool! I am so proud of you! and the Olsen's are totally awesome in letting you share your court of honor with their son. We do have some pretty awesome neighbors. :D

Good to hear its getting warmer in Utah. I am a little sad I wont be there to see the season's change... its my favorite time of year there, but I am way excited to see how spring will come to this little bit of paradise called Long Island. So far, this place feels just like home minus the mountains. Especially the snow storm. It dumped a lot but not in a dangerous way and by the next day a lot of it had already melted off. Just like snow storms in Utah. My companion is glad that I don't mind driving because she is from California and is pretty scared to drive in the snow.

Yeah the parade was cool. I just watched the video on the blog and you are right, that was me poking my head out on that video. You can't really see me so i'm way impressed that you managed to spot that. I think my thought process was something like... 'maybe my family will watch this... if they do I want them to be able to see me.' Haha. I guess it worked.

I asked the same question to my companion about whether the work has gotten easier in the Far Rockaway's... unfortunately she said not really. They didn't push the gospel on anyone while they were cleaning up, they were really just there to serve. But I am sure that something was planted in them through those associations and someday, even if its after this life, they will be open to hearing the Gospel, maybe even go looking for it.

Wait wait wait wait.... DISNEYLAND?!? what is this Disneyland trip you speak of....? I wanna go..... Haha. But seriously. What is it? Did the family decide to go after they ditch 3 of their kids on missions? 

This week has been up and down. It started out way good, lots of lessons and such but when we hit Thursday things went down hill. Almost every single one of our appointments juked (weren't home, wouldn't answer the door, or didn't show up). Not cool. It was discouraging especially because those were going to be awesome lessons! We will try again, but it makes me sad.

On Saturday morning we were dropped by one of our investigators. She was a way awesome lady who'd had a hard life and seemed ready to invite God back in... We had gotten her a Large Print Book of Mormon and she had read a ton in it! But before we even began the lesson that morning she asked us what our "mass" was like and when we told her and she discovered that we don't have memorized prayers she said that wasn't going to work for her. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to debate and change her mind and make her see that to walk away from the restored gospel over memorized prayers was insane! But there was nothing we could do, just tell her that we love her, encourage her to keep reading, and walk away. My heart broke for the first time as a missionary. 

Me and my companion gave talks in sacrament meeting. Dad, you were talking about the talks in the Ensign you had read, did you read the one "The Enabling Power of the Atonement" or something like that? That was what my talk was on. Well not what it was on but it was my primary source as I prepared. I think it was a good talk. I hope people felt the spirit and the love of their Savior. 

We then got to teach the Gospel Doctrine class. We were subbing for the regular teacher. It was Chapter 10 in this years manual on D&C 25. It was an awesome lesson. As we prepared it all I could think was that this was especially meant for me. Verse 14 of that section talks about keeping ourselves meek and bewaring of Pride. Then it quotes a bunch from a talk President Ezra Taft Benson gave about how pride is essentially enmity. Enmity between you and God and your fellowman. It goes on to say that its the attitude of "My will and not thine be done." and essentially expecting God to change his will to match yours instead of changing your will to match his. You should look up the talk because the way he says it it completely amazing. I was humbled. I had to really examine myself, especially as a missionary. We pray all the time to know what we should do and where we should go and who we should talk to... but I had to ask myself if I was really willing to do whatever he asked. The answer, unfortunately was no... I hate knocking doors, I am a chicken when it comes to talking to people on the street... I am so prideful! It doesn't matter what I do or do not want to do... all that matters is that I do what God wants me to do. So that is what I will be working on for the next long while. Humbling myself before God and taking my will completely out of the equation. 

There are two upcoming events that I am so excited about. I really am in exactly the right place at exactly the right time (meaning Riverhead, not my mission, that part is obvious). On the 23rd the branch is going on a ward temple trip into Manhattan... one of the awesome Recent Convert families in the ward are going to be sealed on that day too, and for some awesome reason or another they are letting us go! I am so stoked. My first transfer and I get to go to the temple. I am so lucky!

The other awesome thing is that on the 24th there is a special stake conference out here and apparently a member of the 12 will be coming to speak at it. An Apostle of the Lord here in our area! I am so excited to listen to what he has to say. The Beal's, the senior couple we live with know who is coming but they kinda found out by accident so they're not telling. But they do confirm that its a member of the 12. How cool is that? And if I were anywhere else in the mission he would come and go and I probably wouldn't even know it. I am so grateful to be here right now.

I am also grateful to be here because we can feel that this area is ready to explode. The Spanish people are sharing the gospel with anyone who is willing to talk to them, the whole Spanish community comes to what they call "El Noche De Fortalecimiento." basically a Family home Evening but a ward activity  This week one of the non-members, who we're trying to turn into a progressing investigator, has asked to host it in her home on Friday night! Its so cool. But its little things that like, this area is ready to grow. Its going to take a lot of hard work and some time but things are going to start happening here. 

Family. Life is good. Take a minute and just marvel at how blessed we are. People, other missionaries especially, love to give Utah a bad rap. There are stereotypes upon stereotypes about being from there and living there and what amazes me is how many of them would rather live almost anywhere else then ever move to Utah... I love Utah! Its the greatest place on earth as far as I'm concerned. I love the people and the culture. Its different, and we have our thorns but it is a beautiful place. Just know how blessed you are to have been raised there, in a strong ward and stake with the resources and means to do all the wonderful things (youth conferences, camps, etc.) that we have been able to do over the years. We are truly truly blessed. 

Family. I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. A lot of people don't have any idea what that really means... they are not like Joseph Smith... questioning everything and truly wanting to know what Church is the True Church of Christ... they have just come to accept that we don't know and that one church is just about as good as any other. It makes me so sad... but then I get to tell them about THIS restored Gospel! RESTORED... that is such a cool word. It means brought back in its perfect form. It wasn't founded. Its wasn't invented. It was restored. Isn't that cool? Its not just cool its miraculous. If people could understand and have faith in that one little fact... things would be different. Someday they will. 

I know that my savior and brother Jesus Christ loved me and you so much that he was willing to go through the lowest of lows so that we could experience the highest of high's some day. He would have done it even if it was for only one of us... even if that mean't only one of us would make it home. Even if it was just you. Even if it was just me. That is pretty powerful love. And he didn't just do it for our sins, that is my favorite part. He suffered for our pains, afflictions, illnesses, and every injustice we will experience in this life. He knows how it feels when hard things happen to us. He knows how our heart feels all the time, every second of every day and he has experienced that too. He did it so that when the time came that I actually felt those things he would be able to comfort me in the perfect way. Ultimate Empathy. Its an amazing thing. I am so grateful for his sacrifice.

I love you Family. I promise you that as you keep the covenant that you made at baptism to Remember Him Always and heed the counsel in D&C 6:36 "Look unto me in Every Thought; Doubt Not, Fear Not" we too can feel the enabling power of the atonement and he will be able to comfort us no matter what the situation is, no matter what we are feeling, he really can help and he will bring peace, we just have to open the door when he knocks... and he knocks very softly sometimes.  

I love you!

Love,

Hermana Maren Hale