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.
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