Kenz in Knox: 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