September 30th, 2013 Stephanie

                                                                   September 30^th, 2013

Hale family,

To start off, yes I am coming home actually Thanksgiving Day. We have change meeting on Wednesday and I think I leave the next day which is Thursday. Wow, really comet? Yes I want to see the stars again. I can’t see them here. I miss them so much. I am looking forward to spending that time with you again dad.

This week was really good. We had high goals and we reached a lot of them. We planned to have two baptisms and we only had one. What am I saying? I am super excited that we had one. I just hope that this next month we can baptize Manuel. He is 24 and lives with his aunts. He is super prepared but something happened this last week. He was so ready for baptism and was looking forward to Saturday. This week we went to his house every night to try and find him. He was never there. We went one night while it was raining and his aunt came out really mad. (she doesn’t like us. She has slammed doors and played music really loud while we have taught her nephew) But this day she was really mad and said that he was eating and couldn’t talk to us. We just asked to see him for 2 second to ask a question to see if he wanted to get baptized.  She said again that he was eating and couldn’t see us. So we told her we would wait.....in the rain until he was done. We waited 20 minutes and no one came out. So, we were either thinking that he doesn’t want to get baptized, his family doesn’t want him too or he was scared to do it. Please be praying for him that we can find him this week. 

Man, I am really enjoying being back here. Many people think it’s a curse to spend so much time in one area in the mission. I find it a great blessing. I am teaching people I taught before and I have seen the hand of the Lord in preparing them while I was gone to help them accept it now.  Many are progressing and it’s amazing to see. We are teaching 2 families and I really hope they will start to progress. They are so great both of them and they both need the gospel so much.

I love the mission more than ever. I don’t think I have ever been happier. I love my companions. We laugh all the time in the middle of the street. It’s great fun. We are planning the activity for the soc soc and Hermana Dumay is going to teach us how to make comida Dominicana. We are gaining the confidence of the members and they are starting to work with us and give us references. This last baptism was one of the best I have had on my mission. The spirit was so strong. During the time Jessica was changing, I and my companions shared our testimonies. It was so great my mission daughter bore testimony in public in Spanish for the first time. She did such a great job. It was so great to watch her succeed. We had 3 investigators at the baptism and after the fact one of them said to me that when I was saying my testimony, they felt something different. In that moment, we taught about the spirit it was a really cool experience.

Family, thank you all for your letters and testimonies and words of faith; they help us missionaries so much on the mission. Thank you for your prayers and love they are felt. If you could keep us in your prayers for protection, that would be great. Some of the gangs are starting to be more active where we live. It’s nothing to get scared about Mom and Dad. We are trying to move soon anyway so, no worries hah. 

I know this gospel is true. My testimony has grown so much and my conversion has deepened as I have tried to live my testimony. I am so excited for this weekend to hear the voice of the Lord through his prophet today. Pay close attention and I promise you that you will receive answers to your questions. 

Love you family more than you know. 

Hermana Hale