Oct 9th, 2013 Maren

Hey family....

So guess what.... today I have been a missionary for 9 months :O!!!! How did that happen?

Sorry I forgot to tell you guys last week that P-day was going to be a little different. We had Presidents Interviews on Monday so we had P-day today instead. Little weird having it in the middle of the week.

So real quick... man my mind is everywhere. sorry.

Okay. We were blessed this week with some new investigators. You know those stories about people just walking into the church and being amazing prepared and ready to hear the gospel. Well those stories are the exception usually not the rule... but this week that happened to us.

She walked into the church on Friday night and talked with one of the Elders. She basically just said she wanted to talk to someone and so he set up an appointment for us. We Met with her the next day, twice actually. Once and the church and just listened to her story (her name is Anabel by the way) and then we were able to go over that night and teach her and her sister the message of the restoration. They have both studied a lot of religions searching for something that felt right and I know that they were able to feel the spirit on Saturday night. They both have their challenges but nothing that a knowledge of the truth cant overcome. Family, I feel so amazing blessed to be right where I am. I feel so trusted of the Lord to be blinded in a second time and so grateful that there are prepared people here. In my interview with President this week he said "when we are prepared and worthy the prepared ones seem to find us." Wow. I am humbled at the trust the Lord has shown in us. I hope we can help this beautiful family accept this wonderful gospel.

... As a side note. We also had the opportunity to talk with a guy who the Zone leaders were working with while they were running around trying to get conference set up. We gave him a soft commit to baptism while we were talking and the Zone Leaders followed up later by setting a date. Its super cool to work in an Elliptical where we just work together and help each other. We have a lot of fun doing it too. I think on friday we're going to do our first flash mob of the season! Nice! I am excited. Singing on the train. So much fun!

Other big news of the week..... drum roll please.... WE ARE NOW ON FACEBOOK!!!! yeah some of you may have seen me online last night.. super weird. We were trained yesterday and logged on last night for the first time. Honestly... kinda felt like we were sinning. Haha. It was super easy to get distracted and want to go look at what you are all up to and at all my friends wedding pictures... but thats just not what I am here for. It amazing though.... I have already seen how it is going to be an amazing missionary tool. The work is going to explode here. Just you wait!

Sorry I dont have much time today. I loved conference. We got to watch it at our building here.

I love you all!

-Sister Maren Hale

October 7th, 2013 Jacob

So fam this week has been an interesting one. And so fatiguing. Not in the physical sense but in the mental sense. My trainee and I were just about to study for the day, when I asked him if he has ever read the Book of Mormon all the way through. He said No. Elder Linden's trainee has also never read the Book of Mormon all the way through. Now, as missionaries, our whole teaching and testifying... usually comes down to the Book of Mormon. If you know the BOM is true then you know that this church is true.. you know that Joseph smith was a prophet of god... yada yada yada. So it is imperetive, that you yourself can say that you have read the book all the way through, have prayed about it, and received the answer that it is true. You can receive a witness with out reading it all the way through. But as a missinoary that is a necessity. So, with permission, we are reading the book of mormon all the way through from Title page, to back cover. Its sevel hours reading at a time... and mix that in with conferece. Oh man, my head feels like jello. Im just gonna get a rugby ball today and just do something that doesnt require brain cells. Haha!

 

It has been exausting, but this week has also been spiritually powerful. Reading the Book of Mormon so often and Conference have filled me with the spirit to the spilling point. Conference is so amazing. The MTC, I was still making that transition to being a missionary. So this Conference was my first one as a MISSIONARY. You never have a better conference then when you are on your mission. Because you study to often, and teach so often, and talk about the doctrine... so often. You get  a lot of questions. All of which I wrote down. All of which are answered. Some still require the study of the conference talks. But some, I got answered when I was watching the broadcast. There is nothing like writing some notes and then snapping your head up because an Apostle of the Lord just answered a question that you had. BEAUTIFUL! I have a whole list of things that are my Goals, Things to remember, and things to do with members from conference. I loved Elder Hales talk because it seemed to tell us of the importance of General Conferece. He told us how we can receive strength and protections, feel the spirits, and receive questions answered just by listening to General Conference. Not to mention the most important thing he said. I paraphrase. " Go home, prepare, and apply what you have learned in conference." We are being taught by the apostles, prophets, and teachers of the Lord. What are we doing with those teachings? Are we applying them into our lives and becoming better. Or are we leaving the teachings on the way side with our spiritual cup half full. Content with the little we got, or chose to take away. These teachings have been send to strengthen us! Every single talk has commitments for us to do, promises to principles we live, and reminders of convenants we are not living up to. All of these things which we should gladly look for. Strive to put into our lives and then go back and look for more.

 

Me and my companion already have a whole list of things to talk to members about that we heard in General Conference. Missionary work is not the Missionaries sole responsibility. Never was. But we need to be reminded of that. Hold a Family Missionary Council. Find people that you reach out to, Become their friends, and strengthen. Pray for missionary experiences, then look for them. When found, do not doubt the Lord! Go forth positively. He will give you the words to say. He will help you. D & C 84:88 "And whoso ^areceiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go ^bbefore your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my ^cSpirit shall be in your hearts, and mine ^dangelsround about you, to bear you up."

 

I can't wait to see how this conference is going to change me. Being a trainer has opened up my eyes as well. Its kind of like being a parent. You cook for them and clean until they learn how to. You show them how to wash their clothes, how to shop, etc. You even help them get dressed. I mean that you tell them what is appropiet to wear and what is not. But, most importantly. They watch your every step. You are their supreme example. YOU, instill in them the mission values that guide them for the rest of their 2 years. Thats a pretty sobering notion. I find my self double checking everything I do now. Is this music really mission worthy? Is this tie? Does my language match a representative of Jesus Christ? Am I working my hardest? I want my boy to have every advantage that he can. And in a way, its given me a good opportunity as well to look at myself. See what I have grown laps in. See what I can do to become better. Its been great! From conference I have taken the motto  Be 100% humble ,to be 100% obedience, to have the spirit 100%.

 

Im sorry if this letter is kind of ranty. Im still not recovered from my really focuses week end. ;) Haha. But these are some things that have been on my soul and that give me joy to share with my family and friends. I love this Church family. I love the Doctrine of Christ. For in it we receive eternal happiness. I'm grateful for a family who is strong in the faith. For goodly parents who have taught me well. Im grateful for my Church leaders who have followed the spirit and have instructed me and made me stronger. This church isnt perfect. Its full of Imperfect people. But the awesome thing, is seeing this church turn those imperfect people, INTO perfect people. Or as close as we can get. Haha!

 

I love you guys all so much. Thank you for the prayers. Oh by the way my companions name is Elder Mortensen. He is a convert from Utah.... Didnt know it was possible. Haha! He is 20 years old. So that makes it a little interesting. My son is older then me. :) He is from South Jordan, and lives in the shadow of the Oquer mountain temple. He is a good artist and is pretty awesome. Ill try to send some pictures.

 

Love yall.

 

Elder Hale

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