Well Hello FAMILY!
First of all, thank you
thank you thank you! SOOOO much for all the Love you sent with Sister
Stenquist. Especially for the undershirts Mom, they fit just fine and I
needed them! And the book. I am sad to say I haven't read it yet but S.
Stenquist said she started reading it and thought it was amazing. I
think I will definitely have to pass it on when I'm done. And for my
music. I have already started practicing it again and am so pleased with
how much I still remember after not playing it for 7 months! So great.
Don't worry about the cookies. Sister Stenquist told me to ask for the
recipe and I told her I would ask but then intimidated her when I told
her about how even when we try to make them we can't make them like mom!
There is just no substitute!
I spent about an hour writing my presidents letter
so I am just going to include that in here because its pretty much all I
want to share with you guys too.
Hey President!
Life is so great! I
get up every morning so grateful to be a missionary and go to bed every
night in awe of all the miracles we have seen that day. I wish I could
write you this letter throughout the week so that you could experience
every minute of it with us because I know I am not going to do it
justice here.
First of all. We taught E........ again this week,
multiple times actually. It has been so amazing to see her progression.
We have now taught her all of the commandments and she is committed to
living all of them. When we taught her the law of Chastity it was hard
because we know that her husband has cheated on her in the past. She
kept talking about how her husband used to be a man of God and he has
turned away from that. But she also talked about how she wanted to keep
the commandments of God so that she didn't have to dwell in darkness.
Her understanding has exploded! We talked to her one night about her
reading and asked her which book in the Book of Mormon was her favorite.
Without hesitating at all she declared "ALMA!" The book of Alma got
through to her soul. I think of Helen Keller and how parts of her brain
was dormant and she couldn't understand language. E........ is like that
but spiritually. She was spiritually dead, and Alma was the cold water
that woke her up. Last night when we taught her we closed by inviting
her to be baptized (again) and set a date. September 14, 2013.
She expressed some anxiety over the baptismal interview saying that she
didn't know enough. We assured her that its not like a test, its about
testimony and faith and even went over the questions with her. After
that she was so happy and excited to move forward and set that date. I
remember thinking from the first moments we sat down with her last night
that she looked radiant. Absolutely stunning. I saw her as she really
is. A beautiful daughter of God. When we left me and sister Peacock
marveled at how much she has changed. We marveled at how beautiful she
looked to us and how full of the light of Christ she is. We marveled at
how we now felt like she will be real growth when before it was going to
be a miracle for her to come to church twice in one transfer. And as I
wrote in my journal that night I thought about the mighty spirit that is
housed in that mortal tabernacle. I think of how strong and valiant she
may have been and how she longed to return home to her Father in
Heaven. I wonder, did I know her then? Did I make her any promises? Was I
sent to find her and open these doors? I cannot answer those questions
but I do know this. She is amazing, and I have learned so much from her.
I am just so grateful to be a part of her story and a guide on her way
back home.
The other big news from the Riverhead District was
of course M.......'s baptism on Saturday. Sister Peacock read in PMG that
baptismal services are key in the journey investigators are on in
helping them reach their own baptism. There was some concern about
parking at the beach so so far we hadn't invited many people and the
ones we had invited weren't sure they could come. But after that study
session we invited EVERYONE! even the people we weren't teaching. And
gradually the doors started opening. We ran into D...... again and finally
got his phone number. A few weeks ago we gave him a Book of Mormon for
his birthday and wrote our testimonies in it. When we saw him he told us
he had started reading it! Then we got his number. He asked us the next
day what our weekend looked like and we told him about the baptism and
invited him to come see what we do and learn something new. He accepted
the invitation! And then F...... and O........ said they could come, and
L........ (the woman we teach from Hampton Bays) told us that she would come
even though she only got 5 hours of sleep this week and only had one
cup of coffee because she was trying to be obedient to the commandments.
She is inspiring! And the service itself was amazing! The elders did a
marvelous job on keeping it simple and spiritual. F....... said he felt
warm when the ordinance was performed and pressed us to set a time for
our next meeting. L..... said it was beautiful and still wants to get
baptized. and D......., D..... said that that wouldn't be his only time we'd
see him at church and told us that he has a lot of questions. He asked
if we could meet up someday this week to talk about it. We are SO
excited. The members that were at the baptism helped to fellowship all
these people and talked about how much we need them the next day in our
branch council meeting. Great things are ahead.
On Thursday we went to the funeral of one of our
street contacts Father. We met her and thought she was amazing and ready
to learn and then her life got crazy and her Father died. She called us
and asked us to meet up with her so that she could hear the word of God
and receive comfort. So we met with her and that was amazing and then
we went to the funeral. It was an experience to go to a non-LDS funeral
and it was sad that they didn't have the fullness and the knowledge of
the marvelous plan of our Father. It was so different. But I still felt
the spirit and peace that just like we were hear to teach S.... and
invite her to come unto Christ, missionaries were being sent to her
father so that he too might learn. She is another one that we hope to
start teaching soon.
I have been working on some very specific areas this
transfer, listening to the spirit, and charity among them. Its been
amazing to see the small changes already that are leading to big
results. One turning point came when we went up to visit our branch at
scout camp for their testimony meeting. The Scout Master is Bro. Blom
and he had been text-ing us all week about how he had challenged his
boys to plant seeds that week at this camp. 26 of the 40 something boys
had taken that challenge and planted seeds. Right before the meeting
began Brother Blom asked his boys what he has asked them to do and in
unison they all shouted "PLANT SEEDS!!!" and even fist pumped in the
air. They have caught the wave, 12 to 18 year old boys have caught the
wave. While we were there we had the chance to share with them our
stories, why we came on missions and then we sang for them. And then
Recently returned Elder Krueger who was there shared his testimony, and I
realized that even though I had shared a message I hadn't shared what
the spirit had wanted me to, I wasn't speaking by the spirit. So I
repented and every time I go to open my mouth I consciously think about
what the spirit is whispering. And its been amazing. But, back to scout
camp real quick. Brother Blom told us when he got back that 12 boys came
to him individually and told him that because of that camp they had
made the decision to go on missions. I keep thinking about ripples and
how they grow and spread and never seems to stop. We taught Bro. Blom
how to be a member missionary and now look at him. On other occasions we
have personally seen him pass out pass along cards on the street and he
proclaims the fact that he is a Mormon to everyone that he meets. Its
amazing. I now want to be like him and fearless like he does! From that
seed that we planted and the spirit took and helped to bloom now many
more seeds have been planted and more sowers have been awakened to the
work. I feel so humble to be a part of this movement.
Yesterday we were asked to teach gospel doctrine on
short notice and I had very little time to look at the Manuel. But. I
decided again to rely on the spirit and just taught. We talked about
enduring to the end and Pres. Hardman was even there. I hardly know what
I said or how it flowed but I know that people felt the spirit and that
made me happy.
I feel like I am growing so much. We had our ZTM
this week and were taught about Charity. Later in the week I was reading
a talk about how Charity is one of the big commandments and how if we
miss the mark on that one it really doesn't matter what else we've done
because we missed the big one, we missed the whole point.
We Can Love as He Does
The Savior revealed the perfect priorities for our lives, our homes, our wards, our communities, and our nations when He spoke of love as thegreat commandment upon which “hang all the law and the prophets.” We can spend our days obsessing about the finest details of life, the law, and long lists of things to do; but should we neglect the great commandments, we are missing the point and we are clouds without water, drifting in the winds, and trees without fruit.
Without this love for God the Father and our fellowmen we are only the form of His Church—without the substance. What good is our teaching without love? What good is missionary, temple, or welfare work without love?
Love is what inspired our Heavenly Father to create our spirits; it is what led our Savior to the Garden of Gethsemane to make Himself a ransom for our sins. Love is the grand motive of the plan of salvation; it is the source of happiness, the ever-renewing spring of healing, the precious fountain of hope.
So Charity is what I am focusing on. I try to see people as they really
are, not defined by this earthly life but the mighty and noble spirits
who inhabit their bodies, who are only kept from the truth because they
know not where to find it. Already amazing things have happened. I feel
like the Charity approach is the approach we've taken with Dack. Not
pushing, just getting to know him and loving him. And now look, he not
only has questions he's reading!
I love it here. And I love my companion. By the end
of this transfer we will have been together for almost 6 months. You
really get to know a person in that amount of time. I think we're more
sisters now than ever, in the literal sense. It is going to be a hard
day when the Lord sends us to different places. I am getting scared
because everything seems to be going so well and doors seems to be
opening and I begin to think "can it last?" but then I think "Of course
it can! you just have to keep being obedient and listening to the
spirit!" So we're gonna run through the tape this transfer. No Bell
Curve in Riverhead. We're gonna push through the end and then see what
miracles happen.
Love you President! Thank you for all you do.
Sister Hale
Family.
I cannot put into words how happy I am. I don't know what happened from
just a few weeks ago to now but WOW. Talk about Joy. Its amazing to
start seeing the fruits of our labors and even though their not
necessarily baptisms I've seen amazing changed in people. What Brother
Blom did at scout camp, I cannot even describe the joy I felt in
watching him in action changing these boy's lives. Everyday I just feel
so blessed to be apart of all these people's stories.
Also in my study this week I read the talk "Becoming a Missionary" by Elder Bednar. (http://www.lds.org/general-
I love you all so much. Caleb... did you get my
letter? It got sent back cuz it was too heavy... I hope that doesn't
happen again. I really enjoyed writing it to you.
Nathan, how is life? Haven't heard much about you lately.
Isaac, what cool thing are you building or creating?
Simeon,
Its almost your birthday! Do you want anything special from New York?
You are going to be 9! I still remember the day you were born. It was
7th grade day and I was the only one that had to go to school instead of
going to the hospital to see my brand new baby brother. Don't worry
though, I skipped a few classes because I couldn't wait any longer. I
had to meet you! I love you (then you say, I love you more) I love you
most! .... I love you Mostestestester! :D
Tania, How is life? Any more exciting news about travels and trips and whatever else is going on in your life.
Mom,
Dad, I love you. Thank you, BOTH of you, for everything you have given
me just by being my parents. You always made it look so easy but I know
we must have been hard on you. Thanks for sticking with it. For not
giving in to the whining, for waking us up early to get to work, for the
opportunities to explore our talents and for all the encouragement.
Thank you for being my Mom and Dad and for.... just EVERYTHING! And most
of all, thank you for allowing me to be here right now. Its a priceless
experience and I know its where I need to be.
LOVE YOU ALL!
-Sister Maren Hale
P.S.
Some of my companions have told me that their families tell them about
the missionary blessings and miracles they receive. Have you seen any? I
think they would be super cool to hear about.
Oh! And wow that sounds like fun! Aunt, Uncle and
Cousin sleep over! That is super cool. When I read that I thought about
all the cools things we are going to do as siblings when we are all
grown up with families. :D Personally I still think we need to turn the
down stairs into a bunk house so that we will all fit. Haha.
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