Secrets, Lobsters, and GREAT Things

Secret, secret I've got a secret!
Alright y'all, confession time: since the day I got out here I have been keeping a secret from y'all that I am seriously so proud of myself for not telling. Seriously, SO PROUD! For almost 3 months, almost 12 weeks, about 84 days I have kept a secret and I finally get to tell you! David Archuleta came to our mission. Yes you read this right. DAVID ARCHULETA came to the Knoxville Tenessee Mission and I have videos, pictures, and notes to prove it!
But first background story: once upon a time I was a worn and weary traveler flying into Atlanta Georgia from Mexico. It was just me and one other Elder walking into the terminal to catch our flight to our final destination Knoxville Tennessee. I remember clealy that we passed a Five Guys and promised each other that we would go back there if there was time and chow a burger (there wasn't time but that's ok I got over it), then we met up with the Provo MTC missionaries who were going to be on the same flight. We chatted with them and they asked us lots of questions about Mexico. However I was almost devastated when one of them told me that for their Christmas Eve devotional David Archuleta came... out of the many devotionals that were broadcasted from the Provo MTC to foreign MTC's that was NOT one of them and I was so bummed! Especially since (not to offend any of you Big Bird fans) for our Christmas devotional we watched a rerun performance of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring: Sesame Street... Given the choice between David Archuleta and Elmo... well there really is no competition. Anyway they were showing me videos, pictures, and talking about how he sang his latest song "Little Prayer" (look it up it's so great) then our sectors were called and I was quickly distracted by boarding the plane and taking off for good old Knox! We arrived and I exited the plane and distinctly rememeber thinking that I think I could fall in love with this place, the sweet old man decked out in all orange vols gear and the rocking chairs by the windows of an airport was all charming to me, I felt like this place was going to be good. Then we walked to the baggage claim, met the mission president, his wife, and the AP's and picked up our bags, mine of course were conveniently NOT there but I was assured by the thick accented Tennessean man at the lost luggage desk that I would have them by morning. Lucky for me I had packed a little of everything in my carry-on bag and was just fine with the lack of supplies. We loaded our bags into the big creepy white mission van and set out for the mission office where we filled out some paper work and then got to the mission home. While there we ate my first American meal since the CCM which was French Dips, we were able to have arrival interviews with Pres, call our moms which sufficiently stirred all our emotions, and then we gathered around in the living room to hear a rules presentation fom the AP's. After that was finished President was still holding interviews and we were circled up eating dessert when Sister Griffin said "Oh by the way did y'all hear David Archuleta is going to come to the mission and do a devotional?" I was shell shocked! There were quite a few people that turned to me and chuckled because they had seen me overreact in the airport about not being able to witness his Christmas Devotional. But no need for remorse HE WAS COMING TO KNOXVILLE!!! WOOOO!!! So then came the big decision as to whether or not to share that with y'all which I decided to not say anything and it has been KILLING me ever since!!!

But he came and shared a lot about his current career, he is actually living here in Tennessee over in Nashville, he is working on a new album and when asked about how he adjusted to the music industry and real world after returning from his mission he shared how he still tries to share the gospel. He will invite people to institute, and he starts all his songwriting and recording appointments with a prayer and has had some really inspiring stories that have come from involving Heavenly Father in his work. One of my favorite things he shared was something he learned from his mission. He referenced Alma 37:6-7 and talked a lot about small and simple things, which is awesome because we have been sharing that a lot lately in our teaching and it has been something I feel like I've learned a lot about while being out here. But he talked about it how it helped him on his own mission and shared that on his mission he felt like Heavenly Father was saying to him "Ok my son I am going to show you how and let you help me do my work by small and simple things"
I absolutely love that and can for sure relate, I am so honored to better be able to see how Heavenly Father does His work.
 I want to share a few stories that have been made up of small and simple things that added up to great things.

For zone conference we heard some great trainings about how to invite people to repent with better commitments that inspire change. We heard about the new Easter initiative that will be released on March 31 which is going to be so awesome. And then it all added up to President's training where for part of it he talked about lobsters. He told us about how when a lobster grows he gets really tight under his shell and very uncomfortable so he goes under a rock and sheds his shell and grows into a larger one until that grows too tight, and the process repeats itself. He said that we are all lobsters and that when we feel tight and uncomfortable it is because we are growing. He said, "if you are in pain HALLELUJAH! It means you are growing!" Again it made me think of his famous quote "There is no comfort in the growth zone and no growth in the comfort zone." I don't really want to be a lobster but I know it is for my good. These small experiences these growth experiences are for my good. BY SMALL AND SIMPLE THINGS... GREAT THINGS ARE BROUGHT TO PASS

Sunday our eternigator taught gospel principles, his wife had been really sick the night before but she had received a Priesthood blessing and felt up to coming to church and wanted to be there to support her husband. The lesson was on the Life of Christ and when he was reading the paragraph about Christ getting baptized he got really choked up. His friend and fellowshipper was also conveniently in the class with his nonmember daughter-in-law and he sensed this change, I think we all did. Immediately after the closing prayer he walked over to him and said "Well how about I baptize you on May 1?" he said "Ok." His wife freaked out, I was stunned beyond words and as you can see BY SMALL AND SIMPLE THINGS... GREAT THINGS ARE BROUGHT TO PASS

Hopefully y'all remember me talking about how we had to drop one of our progressing investigators because he forgot all about us after he went into the hospital for memory loss... if not that's ok because his story became a happier one! He came to church Sunday and his memory is still shot but miraculously (I honestly don't know how it happened... well I do, it was a tender mercy) our ward clerk came across his records, yep that's right as a young man before he served in the military for 30 years he was baptized, he is already a member!!! We are so glad that we didn't get him baptized because there really was no need. He didn't remember but Heavenly Father did, does, and always will. BY SMALL AND SIMPLE THINGS... GREAT THINGS ARE BROUGHT TO PASS!

The fact that David Archuleta came to my mission is really awesome because his music and example has been really influential in my life and (yes there is no denying I was an 8th grade fangirl for sure) but it's really sweet because while my mom was on her mission she met Donny Osmond who I'm sure if you ask her had a great influence on her life  (and she was a fangirl) but she has a picture of him in the LA visitors center. it was really cool for me to think about that and have that SMALL AND SIMPLE connection and memory similar to my sweet mom. Such a tender mercy, such a GREAT THING!

Heavenly Father is so good you guys. He knows me He knows you, He knows what we need He knows how to help us. His son is standing outside of our door waiting to assist us, but the doorknob is on our side of the door, we have to make that small and simple effort of turning the handle and opening the door and trusting He is there. I KNOW that He is, often I have to remind myself but each time I do I know it with more surety.
I love y'all and hope and hope and pray that you do the small and simple things and pray to better see the small and simple things that bring to pass great miracles. Because they do!
My parting thought comes from Einstein Bagels, "Melvin and Elmo Einstein's observation about people: people are like bagels, many varieties but basically they are all good."
Have a blessed week you good bagel people! Love love love y'all!!!!
Love,
Hermana Hall

 

We all have our Donny (or David)

"People are like bagels, many varieties but basically they are all good."

Becoming quite the cook

4 Month-aversary!!!!

Celebrating with homemade Kool aid popsicle

"Hunting" for investigators and found DEER!!! 

You Just Never Know

I want to retell a story that a less active shared with us during a visit with her... She told us how she had run into major car troubles years back. One breakdown was so severe that she couldn't even drive to the mechanic shop but instead had to call him to come up to her home to see what he could do. When he arrived he began assessing the situation and during typical southern small talk the conversation turned to religion and he asked her which church she attended. She responded saying she was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. While many Tennesseans would respond with a huff and maybe even refuse to offer service, this man looked at her and told her that he knew a Mormon man who lived down in Chattanooga (this man she said just so happened to be a former stake president) She had told him previously that she was not in the position financially to pay for many more car repairs, but with this new knowledge of where she attended church he said that because he knew this man in Chatt and that he was an honest and good man and a Mormon that he believed her to be that as well: good and honest. He then offered from that time on to fix her car for free, whenever needed, she only needed to pay for parts.

Sitting there listening to this I was struck so hard at the realization of the effect a righteous example can have on others. I have always loved the idea of trying to be what I like to call an "unexpected example" someone who is an example without knowing it... but this story added further insight to that... I understand that my life and the way others see me, affects their opinions of the Church. BUT it can also affect the way others respond to people who claim to share my same beliefs, not only negatively but for GOOD. I feel like I have known that people who are hypocrites can influence peoples' perceptions negatively, however thinking about it in the reverse blew my mind. Perhaps the most intimidating yet greatest part of that realization is what I titled this whole schpill:  You Just Never Know. I'm convinced a lot of what missionaries do can't be measured. Hearts we touch, smiles we bring, spirits we lift, questions we provoke, motivation we stir, you can't put a  number on it and ultimately YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!

To illustrate I want to share a few instances from this past week that I really don't know what the end result will be.

I have mentioned before about our investigator who came up with a list of contradictions about the Book of Mormon and the Bible... the same woman who is the wife of a Baptist preacher. The same woman who listening to her seemingly endless biblical knowledge had me sunk in my chair feeling intense humility and insufficiency. We returned to her home this past week, and long story short we won't be returning any time soon. She said that she had read what we had committed her to read (Alma 32) she had gotten really caught up in verse 13 where it says "the same shall be saved" her idea of, and our idea of salvation are vastly different. Here in the south it is not uncommon to be asked if "we've been saved", in True to the Faith it spells out that the answer to the question is "Yes, WITH CONDITIONS" our perception of salvation is something to be worked for, not a one time event. (Flashback to a letter I wrote a few weeks ago, salvation is a PROCESS) We did our best to explain the gospel of Jesus Christ which involves Faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, and Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Endurng to the End. However she is firm in her belief that once you recognize Christ in your life that you turn over to Him your sins and He gives you His righteousness and that is all you need... that there will be consequences but you can know you have been saved. Which is partially true, the first step of the gospel of Jesus Christ is faith in Him and the second is repentance, we can know from having faith in Him and changing to become more like Him will be what saves us. Where we differ in our beliefs is the neccessity for baptism as part of salvation and the part that makes it a continual process and not a one time event: Enduring to the End. We ended up agreeing that her and the two of us are very much in the same position, we each believe we have the truth and the other (using her words) is "deceived." It was a sad conclusion to make, to thank her for her time and say that there wasn't much else we could do for her but to call us if she had any more questions in the future. Fortunately she is a very good woman and throughout every visit and lesson has been nothing but civil, loving, and almost motherly in her care for us. She asked us for our first names and also wrote down what our favorite scriptures in the Bible and the Book of Mormon are. It was hard to walk away and she even voiced that she was sad to see us go. (we were like: then even more reason to leave so she can hopefully recognize the absence of the Spirit when we left!) but ultimately I truly feel that in the future because of her sincere faith and intense desire to know truth that she will accept the gospel, whether in this life or the next... YOU JUST NEVER KNOW

I have heard every ward has one, and Rockwood is no exception, there is a stubborn old man that we affectionately call our "eternigator" he has investigated for a long time, comes to church with his wife (who is in the primary presidency), and he is actually going to teach the Gospel Principles class next week... interesting right? Anyway, we were over at dinner at his and his wife's home and we decided as part of our message to ask about his story. How he began coming to church and where his current beliefs stand. It was so eye and heart opening to hear from him, he was more sincere than I have ever before witnessed. I will openly admit that I have struggled in learning to love this man. He reminds me of "Uncle Si" from Duck Dynasty except cynical and mean... but after this lesson with him my heart decided to make room for him, and it was a humbling and happy realization. As we left, his wife hugged each of us and with tears in her eyes whispered into my ear: "Thank you both, I think that really got to him..." My response is: YOU JUST NEVER KNOW

About every week or at least every other week we have been stopping by the house of a less active woman that has yet to answer her door. However, that being said we have talked to her. Not over the phone like you may think, but actually through the wall. We will walk up the steps knock on the door and hear her yell "WHO IS IT!?" through the wall! We respond as friendly as possible "It's the sister missionaries!"  she invariably shouts back, "WHO?!?!" we repeat louder "IT'S THE SISTER MISSIONARIES!" then she responds with a different excuse each time, and we leave a note, a passalong card, and a promise that we'll come back another time. Which we do. I always crack up because I think we would really be a sight to any passerby who happens to see us standing on her porch yelling through the wall next to the door. But who's to say that in the future our persistance doesn't open her mind to answer the door or inspire her to talk to a ward member that sees her in the grocery store, YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!!!!

It's true what I have repeated: YOU JUST NEVER KNOW!  "I" just never know, "you" just never know, but I find comfort knowing that Heavenly Father ALWAYS knows. He knows what I will do, say, become, fail, think, whine about, find strength in, connect with, understand, misunderstand. He knows that about each and every one of us. He sees the big picture. Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, "God lives in an eternal now, where the past, present, and future are constantly before Him. He knows the end from the beginning. God is fully able to do His work."
He sees the big picture and He uses us to do His work, we who are incapable people He increases our capacities into more than we could ever imagine. I never imagined the growth I would experience while out here, yet it has happened little by little, day by day, week by week, month by month. And it is happening in the lives of others that I have come in contact with. I may not be able to see it, may not be able to measure it, I may not know it's happening. But He does. And that is what I rely on.

I hope you all have a blessed week and keep in mind that YOU JUST NEVER KNOW what kind of influence you can have in the lives of others. You don't have to be a stake president, relief society president, or set apart missionary, you just gotta be you and know that Heavenly Father will work with what you give Him: your will.
I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE INFLUENCED MY LIFE, FOR THE BETTER!
Don't you doubt it nor forget it!
Love,
Hermana Hall

March Madness

So because it is the climax month of college ball and basketball has fast become a great way to meet people in good ol' Rockwood Tennessee I want to share a cheesy poem I just wrote about the madness of a mission and then share some stories to prove it... some of which do indeed include basketball.

The beginning of March has already been madness
But somehow my heart is still full of gladness
It does not make sense how that could even be
How can a mission be so hard yet so fun-ny?
The answer is simple I'll share it with you,
it must be this church is so very true!

Yep I feel like that is sufficiently cheesy, now onto more of the madness... including but not limited to: basketball, rose bushes and posion ivy, less active hermit, appartment complex kickout, chinese buffets, second hand smoke, 18 dozen egg deliveries, peppermint oil, baby puppies, and of course a weekly dose of gospel principles.

BBALL: On pday we "balled hard" with the Elders and then our "basketball guy" investigator showed up with a bunch of his college age friends and we played with them some and were able to meet more young adults of Rockwood. Later in the week we found ourselves again at the courts to meet up with our Spanish investigator for our second lesson with him. Time was ticking and he hadn't shown up... but before we decided to call it a night and head for home Hermana Yauney suggested we go shoot some hoops with a lone guy that was out on the courts by himself. So... we did! (in our dresses by the way) and ended up chatting with this guy about religion, sports, and life in general. We were able to swap our card (with our number and church address on it) for his number and info. We are not sure if he is neccessarily interested in learning more, but you just never know! Safe to say a seed is planted though! While talking to him we happened to look over our shoulders and who did we see? Our Spanish man had shown up! Wooo, blessings come to those who wait! And what was that one thing I have been continuously striving to become better at? Oh yeah... patience. BUT we were able to have a mini lesson with him and schedule another with him the next day. Both went well, however the situation of his desire is a little iffy with him, trying to discern whether he wants to find truth or just learn about more churches. Regardless though, he expressed interest at coming when we invited him to church this upcoming week so we will just keep doing what we are doing and keep praying that the spirit will touch and teach him.

ROSE BUSHES AND POISION IVY: Now before my mom freaks out, I didn't get posion ivy. There may have been a point when I had climbed up a tree to untangle a vine that I reached down and picked up a vine with my bare hands and the sister that we were helping looks at it and says "Ooh we are going to wash your hands with bleach because that right there is posion ivy!" Oh how lovely! The bleach did it's job though... I am ivy free! And our three hours of pulling out wild rose bushes amongst a grapevine, along a fenceline, in the rain was honestly thoroughly enjoyable by both of us... and SO very appreciated by the Sister we helped out. She didn't have to but she even "payed" us with cheesecake and cider, THAT'S what I'm talking about, forget those horrid chilidogs that one lady gave us after we cleaned her moldy fridge, cheesecake is my preferred payment... Yum!

LESS ACTIVE HERMIT: One of our less actives we met our first week here has now come to church four or five times which has been super exciting! Whenever we go and meet with him we park at the bottom of a super steep, horribly conditioned, backwoods road, that we hike up to get to his home. Every time we knock on the door he is so surprised that we walk "all that way" to come see him, but it is always worth it because we have awesome discussions while sitting on his front porch. It's funny though because he totally reminds me of my dad's future dream life: hermit in the woods.

APPARTMENT COMPLEX KICKOUT: While tracting what we thought looked to be a goldmine of an appartment complex we came upon a woman taking a smokebreak. We were excited to talk to her but unfortunately she was not excited to talk to us. She asked us if we were aware we were on private property and told us there was no soliciting allowed (we aren't selling anything, but hey, "that don't matter") When asked if there was a main office or management that we could talk to, her response was we were talking to the management... it's her. Long story short: that goldmine caved and we left... Bummer.

SECONDHAND SMOKE: I have mentioned before a less-active we are working with that during a lesson smoked all during our visit but promised next time she would open the door to vent the place out. She did do that, yet we still walked out of there each smelling like we had smoked a pack. However I have decided that smelling like cigarette smoke is basically like smelling like progress. (Have I mentioned that I think the word "basically" is one of the most commonly used words out here? I've heard the phrase "it's basically like ______" probably 400 times) But second hand smoke really is progress, especially when this particular lady says to you at the end of the lesson "I sure hope you two are around for a while so that I can continue getting comfortable enough to return to church." Whoa we had no idea she was striving for that and her desire is growing. All I can say is me too Sista, I hope so too!

CHINESE BUFFET: For our district lunch this week we went to a Chinese buffet. Never in my life did I ever picture myself surrounded by Tennesseans eating Chinese food, it was pretty decent though, and our district made it even better. Our district leader is so dang funny. And it never ceases to amuse me how most of the humor as a missionary is doctrinally based. As our group started standing up to go for second helpings it was only Hermana Yauney, me and our District Leader left sitting around the table. Our DL looks around at the deserted table, down at his half eaten plate, then up at both of us and say in complete seriousness: "Will ye also go away?" (John 6:67) we absolutely lost it, such a funny guy.

18 DOZEN EGG DELIVERY: After our service out on a lady in the ward's farm, she gave us 18 dozen farm fresh eggs with the charge to: "give them to everyone you know" we had thoughts of coming up with a tracting message involving eggs... we didn't really do that but we for sure made visits all over the ward showing up on families' doorsteps with cartons of free farm fresh eggs.

PEPPERMINT OIL: Ohhhh how I love me my doTerra peppermint oil, it saved our noses and insides when we returned to the infamous 16 cat, 4 dog, 5 ferret and 1 chicken trailer... this time there was also included in the mix 2 rabbits! But my conclusion is Peppermint oil has proven effective in masking the smell of all of those critters and the people that live with them. We had a nice visit with the lady that lives there but I have to admit I found myself a little distracted counting roaches climbing up the walls and watching to see if her husband realized the cup he was drinking out of one of the cats also was drinking out of. I decided he did indeed notice but didn't mind at all. Like I'm always saying my eyes are continually opened out here. (Apparently sometimes too wide Yauney thinks my "surprised face" is really funny but I think I should work on my body language not looking so obviously shocked... those dang "Hall eyebrows" gotta control them)

PUPPIES: The Rockwood ward is blessed to have an AMAZING relief society president. Oh my gosh I just love her she has been SUCH a help to Hermana Yauney and I as we go around finding people to teach and visit and serve. We stopped by her house while we were in the area and had a sort of coordination meeting with her that was really helpful. Her cute 11 year old son asked us if we'd walk out to their barn with him to see a surprise. Of course we said yes! We went out and saw that their yellow lab had 9 puppies that were only 2 days old!!!! They were soooo cute!!!! I never thought the rule that missionaries aren't allowed to have pets would be a tough one to follow but after seeing those pups I was extremely tempted to take one home with us!!!

GOSPEL PRINCIPLES: I'm going to keep this one brief even though the class itself was anything but... it was on prophets... which led to a question about how priesthood authority aside how are prophets that much different than preachers? Which then lead to a discussion with a parallel between prophets and pharmacists, and somehow Billy Graham came into the picture??? (who none of us four missionaries had ever heard of which was extremely appalling to all in the room) anyway I still am forever nervous for the day we have an investigator in attendance I will likely not stop praying the entire time.

So as you can see this week has been complete madness, but a good madness. I think that's what a mission is: a good madness. Life itself is a good madness. I would hope that each of us can embrace the chaos and find the entertainment in everyday and enjoy it!

To close, there is an article by Geraldine Bangerter that is titled just that: "Enjoy it!" In talking about her family's tough adjustment to a new life as mission presidents in Brazil her husband's response to her lamentations was this:

"I know that you are experiencing some hardships, but one of the exciting parts of going to a new country is learning the language. You’ll soon learn it! We’ll find a vacuum and get the washer fixe. Someday, when we go back to the United States, you'll want to tell people about your interesting times here. And when you do, you and they will laugh about your challenges. Why wait until then to enjoy it? Enjoy it now!"

 Like the Bangerter family I to am: "experiencing some hardships, but one of the exciting parts about being here is learning a new language. I know one day I'll learn it! I use a vacuum regularly (more and more lately to vacuum up bugs as the weather becomes warmer... yippee). Our washer probably should not be fixed due to the way it shakes the entire house. But someday when I go back to Utah I'll want to tell people about my interesting times here and when I do I'll laugh and y'all will laugh about my challenges  (I'm sure y'all already do;) but why should I wait until then to enjoy it? I'll enjoy it now!"

 So that's what I'm trying to do! Just enjoy the madness!!!! Right this minute! And I would encourage y'all to do the same! Keep on MARCHING through the the MADDNESS!

Love and pray for y'all!

I'd say, may the luck of the Irish be with you this week, but to quote Hermana Yauney, "I'd wish you luck but you don't need it if you work hard and if you don't then it won't help."

There ya have it! Work hard, and you won't need luck, so I wish you hard work and the ability to enjoy it right this very minute!

Love,
Hermana Hall  

Farm fresh eggs to give away

A guy showed us how he makes pens

Happy St Pattys!!!! LOL

"Just Make it Til Sunday"

Those are the classic words of advice and comfort I'm pretty sure most missionaries receive from other missionaries after walking into the MTC/CCM. "Just make it til' Sunday." Under those words are the unspoken truths that: it is going to be hard... you're going to question yourself, feel very out of your element, you may even want to go home... but just make it until Sunday... Sunday will be better. I remember being in Mexico and thinking to myself that "Sunday better be extremely miraculous because of the way everyone has talked it up!" And yet when Sunday came, not much changed. It was church and it was sacrament meeting just like any other Sunday I've ever experienced. Yes, much of it was in Spanish and it took a whole lot of concentration to focus and understand, but it felt much of the same. Our Sunday school was comprised of a circled up lesson as a district, where if I remember right I think we discussed the Plan of Salvation. Then Relief Society was a cluster of hermanas where we discussed a talk and shared good news, struggles, and testimonies. However... looking back, all of those normalcies did in fact make it miraculous. Church was the exact same. That was a miracle! The gospel is the same no matter where you go! The feeling that is in church is the same no matter where you go! The lessons are the same, the teachings are the same, the testimonies are based on the same truths! It was a spiritual recharge because it felt familiar, I even wrote in my journal that: "It is true. Sunday is a turning point! I have felt more happy, more confident, more content, and more at peace today than any other time on my mission this far. The gospel is true no matter where you are in the world."

This week I realized something... that same advice "Just make it til' Sunday" applies to out here in the field. When things are tough and I'm questioning myself, feeling very out of my element, wondering why I'm out here, thinking about things out of my control... I think about how I just need to make it until Sunday. Sunday is when I can take the sacrament and ponder the life of and sacrifices and understanding my Savior has for me. Sunday is when I hear the testimonies of so many faithful members of Rockwood Tennessee. Sunday is when I am able to spiritually recharge and find more motivation for the upcoming week, with a fresh start, clean slate, and new schedule. (And alright fine if I'm being honest Sunday is also "P-day Eve" and that is something to look forward to as well!)

But guess what else I have learned... I have learned that we need to make all the days up until Sunday count. D&C 121:8 says, "endure it well" it doesn't just say "endure it," but "endure it WELL". To get through a tough week we need to be tough every day. There is a talk by Elder F. Burton Howard called "On Giving and Getting." Y'all... this talk... wow... he seriously might give Elder Holland a run for his money in "getting all up in your face," so to speak. He talks a lot about how we have to work, and really work and not just expect things. We need to do the uncomfortable, hard, unappealing, unattractive things in order to grow. It is so good, SO GOOD! I almost felt like I needed to lay down after I read his quote, "The real test isn't tomorrow, it is today."

So with that let me tell y'all real quick about my past week leading up to Sunday. These daily tests are what helped me make it to Sunday, and let me tell ya' Sunday was SO WORTH IT!!!!!

MONDAY: we got to tour around Knoxville a little bit and helped the other hermanas in our area move into a new appartment because the owners of the apartment they are renting got bought out and the new ones essentially kicked them out.

TUESDAY: very interesting day, there were intense rainstorms unlike anything I've ever seen and we actually received a text from the mission office saying there was a tornado warning. We ended up returning to our house and doing some organizing of ward info and writing our information on more pass-along-cards that we leave on doors while finding less actives and tracting.

WEDNESDAY: tried to find some less actives, and did a LOT of training. For the first 12 weeks/two transfers of any new missionary's mission they go through a training program that assigns: sections and chapters to read from Preach My Gospel, videos to watch, and role plays to practice. It's helpful/exhausting but overall good. Hmm I guess that's kind of the gist of a mission summed up right there.

THURSDAY: highlight of the day was obtaining permission from President Griffin to go to Dick's sporting goods to invest in a punching bag for my comp. She's into boxing and has been needing a release for inner conflicts and personal frustrations and so President suggested she buy a punching bag... so we did. Still need to name him but she is enjoying it. I keep teasing her that it's better for her to hit that than me! Totally kidding though, she has never/will never hit me. We've been comps for 2 months and have pretty much seen each other at our best and our worst but that hasn't done anything to our relationship, we still laugh so hard everyday, no matter how grumpy we may feel.

FRIDAY: had district meeting, planned our upcoming week, and had dinner along with a correlation meeting with our ward mission leader and the elders we share the area and ward with. One of the elders looked at me and said "Sister Hall you look sad, what's the matter?" For some reason I decided to just be honest and admitted I've entered the frustration phase of missionary work and am really feeling it. He offered to give me a blessing and I said that would be great and we decided after church on Sunday he would give me a blessing of comfort.

SATURDAY: we "balled hard" with a potential investigator that is known by many past missionaries as "the basketball guy." Before yesterday I could honestly say I've never played a game of pick-up basketball in my life, but now I can. Did I enjoy it? Sort of. It was pretty fun, had some good laughs, but I was also kind of bugged when this guy said he would read the intro to the Book of Mormon "if we would come play ball again..." you're missing the mark pal... totally missing the mark! On the bright side while there we FOUND A HISPANIC MAN!!!! Who we kind of tricked into hearing a lesson when we explained who we were and asked if we could practice our Spanish with him and practice teaching. We set up a time to meet with him on Sunday at 6:00, then left and went on our way super excited.

SUNDAY: Awesome day of church.  We had the opportunity to fast and our ward even had a prayer meeting after the block in behalf of a ward member who has been in the hospital and is going through dialysis. It was amazing to kneel together as a ward and listen to the Bishop say a prayer for this sweet man. We have plans to go help his wife on their farm this Tuesday which should be great. I'm sure it will be entertaining for y'all to note that I taught Gospel Principles class on prayer and it went pretty decently well! There were only like two tangents ranging in subjects from police officers to polar bears, but I was able to slowly reign them back in to the subject at hand... I swear the day we have an investigator in that class I might hyperventilate, but that's beside the point. I also received an awesome Priesthood blessing that I so needed which added to my testimony of the quote by Spencer W. Kimball that "God does notice us, and he watches over us, but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."

Ok, ok, ok, now to the climax of this entire email. AFTER 2 MONTHS OF ONLY SPEAKING SPANISH TO EACH OTHER IN ROLE PLAYS, PRAYERS, AND LANGUAGE STUDY, WE FINALLY TAUGHT A LESSON IN SPANISH!!!!! WE MET THE GUY FROM THE BASKETBALL COURTS AT THE COURTS AGAIN AND SAT IN THE GRASS AND TAUGHT HIM ABOUT THE RESTORATION! HE OFFERED US SOME GRAMMER TIPS WHICH WERE VERY HELPFUL AND THEN... OH MY GOSH... AND THEN HE ASKED IF HE COULD HAVE A BOOK OF MORMON!!! HE ASKED US!!!! WE WERE FLOORED WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT HOW HE BELIEVES THAT WE ALL WORSHIP THE SAME GOD AND THAT AS LONG AS WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT THINGS THAN THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS. BUT HE IS INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT OTHER BELIEFS ACTUALLY HE IS INTERESTED IN LEARNING "AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE" !!!!!!!!!!
After setting up a return appointment and getting his number for confirmation, we got in the car and as soon as the doors shut we started screaming and bouncing up and down! The coolest part is that two weeks ago we came up with a plan to better improve our study, effort, and faith in finding someone who spoke Spanish. The plan was to improve ourselves and then prepare a special fast in order to find someone. The past few weeks have been kind of really rough but we have been diligently seeking to improve our Spanish, little by little, every day. But here is the cool thing, Sunday was fast Sunday and we began our fasts Saturday night both not giving much thought to the fact that we wanted to fast for a Spanish speaker. Yet I firmly believe that because we improved daily, we endured well, we toughed out a tough week... because we did these things we were blessed without even knowing it was coming. I think that is Heavenly Father's favorite way of blessing us, when we least expect it. SUNDAY CAME! BLESSINGS CAME! LA IGLESIA ES VERDADERA!
I want to wrap this up with a quote and a thank you.
Quote from Joseph B. Wirthlin: "No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come."
Thank you: to y'all for your support and love and prayers. Your faith in me, in our Heavenly Father, and in this His great work is so impressive and SO very needed in the lives of us missionaries. Thank you for so freely giving it, I know our successes are in part because of your prayers, I recognize and feel their power and am so grateful for them.
I love y'all, keep enduring well every day, and I promise you that you WILL make it to Sunday!
So much love,
Hermana Hall

Celebration of 2 months in Rockwood