I read the advice of a missionary friend who challenged all who read his email to take a list of questions to conference, I had one in mind but decided to make a list of some more, I ended up with 10. One by one as I listened and took notes I would draw *stars* next to sentences I wrote down that I felt like were my specific answers to my specific questions. I will tell you, I have more than ten stars. I had my questions answered... many of which in ways I wasn't expecting but my specific questions were answered, specifically. I feel so blessed to be cared about and receive another experience and another witness that Heavenly Father hears our prayers. His Son understands our questions, doubts, and insecurities, and the Holy Ghost can comfort and bring the peace of the Savior and the love of God into our lives. They want to help us! But we need to do our part and ASK. I love that that is the youth theme for this year, asking, that's what started the restoration, a young boy had a question and asked it, he received his answer, by name, by a feeling and an expanded vision. That's how we each find the truthfulness of the gospel, we ask. Trusting that Heavenly Father knows our name and will send a feeling that will answer our questions and expand our visions. That's what I'm out here sharing with the people of Tennessee. They too can have the experiencing of asking a SPECIFIC question and receiving a SPECIFIC answer.
That being said I would love to share with y'all some SPECIFIC experiences that I have had this past week that have specifically blessed my life and added to my growing testimony.
Transfers: I said see you later to my beloved trainer and friend Hermana Yauney. Helping her fold up her clothes and pack her bags was surreal and not my favorite. Loading her things up into a members truck and driving to Farragut, crammed in the back with the elders was also not my favorite. But at no point does it say in our call letters that we are going to settle in one area with one companion find one good rhythm that works for both of you and stay there for 18 months. Nope change is part of the deal, and change is good. Change is repentance, change is required in order to be better, change is what we all chose before we came here to earth. Thankfully for me my new companion Hermana Jacobson is SPECIFICALLY who I need to be companions with right now. I love her! She is so very hard working, has a deep and loving testimony, friendly personality, is complimentary, a dedicated planner, as exactly obedient as possible, and a team player. I am learning so much from her!!! I think that might be one of the many secrets to missionary work: be willing to learn as much as you teach. Like I said I'm learning SPECIFIC things and growing in SPECIFIC ways.
Prince of Peace: as mentioned before the new Easter initiative available on mormon.org and gospel library is so profound, so beautiful and y'all need to look it up. There are SPECIFIC parts that I absolutely love in and about it. Two lines "He can calm troubled seas... and troubled hearts" and "He can change water to wine" hit me hard every time. I know that Christ can heal what hurts He can change what we can't. He can calm the storms we face and the tribulation we feel. As the music builds and the video progresses my desire to share the message increases. Everytime we watch it I get so spiritually pumped up. It's amazing. I would invite each of you to go and watch it, and then write me what your SPECIFIC favorite part is. But please don't stop there. Please share it with someone else, text the link, link the link, post the link, print out a pass-along card and pass it along. Get involved! Jump in and spread peace. This message is for all, it can be shared regardless of whether you have a tag over your heart or within your heart. We can ALL share this SPECIFIC message with SPECIFIC people who need it SPECIFICALLY.
Inspired Routes: Hermana Jacobson introduced me into this new idea of praying and choosing SPECIFIC streets and routes to tract. During my two transfers with Hermana Yauney we spent the majority of our time sorting through the ward roster and scheduling visits, and lessons, and trying to meet, talk to, and serve everyone on it on our side of the area (the Elders we share the area with have the other side). We were able to successfully do just that, there are still a few people left to see and quite a few to revisit but our new focus (mine and Hermana Jacobson's) is to replenish our teaching pool and find new investigators. We were able to find 7 in the past few days. I want to share two SPECIFIC stories about two of these SPECIFIC investigators.
1. We pulled over prayed and each chose three streets that we would like to tract hoping one of them would be the same. One was, and we parked and walked to it. It was a one way street with some sidebusinesses and only one house. BUT that one house had one young mom, who is interested in learning more about our one true message. SPECIFIC road, SPECIFIC person, SPECIFIC message, SPECIFIC blessing.
2. We received a referral from the Elders, a woman had a received a card with their number on it from her fiancee and she wanted to learn more about our Church and receive a Book of Mormon (doesn't get much better than that!) Unfortunately the address we had wasn't right and she didn't answer her phone, BUT like we learned in conference we need not fear "for perfect love casteth out all fear". We love this gospel message and want to share it and Heavenly Father loves His children and wanted us to share it with one of His daughters. He blessed me with the inspiration to change two letters in the street name which led us to the correct address where we were welcomed in and taught a lesson on the Restoration that was received shockingly well. Admittedly the lesson began rough, yiiiikes, Hermana Jacobson and I are still trying to figure out how to teach together...(different styles and a balance of experience and sharing, you know just goes back to that principle of change thing) however it didn't matter because the Spirit was there and there were commitments made to read from and pray about the Book of Mormon and meet with us again next week. I am excited to return! We also told this woman and her fiancee about general conference and after we returned to the church to watch it Elder Costa spoke about his experience as an investigator. I so hope they watched it. SPECIFIC prayers SPECIFIC guidance SPECIFIC blessings SPECIFIC people
Humor: a mission email isn't complete without a funny story so let me tell you a SPECIFIC one an adorable older single lady told us about when we were over at her house watching the Saturday morning session of conference. But first I need to just say how much I adore this lady! She is so cute, so sweet, so classy, and so dang hilarious!!!! So we were sitting at her kitchen counter enjoying an upside down pineapple cake she had made and we had just complimented her on her lovely home and incredible property and yard. You guys she literally lives in this adorable older style white classy southern house with a big porch on the main level and upstairs, it has a lake view AND a gazebo!!!! Ugh it is the stuff of dreams and her living there just makes it 10,000x better! So we are gushing about her home and yard and just her in general and then asked about her neighbors (trying to sneak in a referral if she had one, someone near that would be open to hearing a message from us, classic missionary move:) and she thanks us and then shares how some of her neighbors don't like her. We of course are shocked, why in the world would anyone not like this woman?!!!? She then told us it was because she at one time got so annoyed with the neighbor dogs coming and doing business on her lawn that she started shooting them. And the neighbors were NOT happy. I just about fell out of my seat! I was NOT expecting that and Hermana Jacobson were biting our tongues to keep from laughing until this sweet lady said "Well do you know how horrible it is to walk outside barefoot and have dog poop squish between your toes?! And they always go right by my car door so if I'm not looking I track it into my car with me! OH I have just replaced so many car mats!" That did me in, I absolutely lost it! Trying to catch my breath I asked her what kind of gun she used, she couldn't remember but later called us and told us it was a "high powered pellet gun" Ohhh my my! I just love it out here!!!! Tennessee is SPECIFICALLY for me. I can't deny it and so I won't even try.
I hope y'all have had a fabulous week and enjoyed conference! I hope you watch the Prince of Peace video and share it with someone! I hope you embrace changes in your life and find routes that are inspired and will help you on your journey home, I hope you find humor and smile and laugh at least twice as many times as you frown. And I hope you look in your life and see SPECIFIC ways that the Lord blesses your SPECIFIC life.
I know He does, each and every day whether it is sunny or rainy. So like Elder Choi says: "Step out into the rain look up, and open your mouth and drink!"
Blessings are raining down all around us many of which are SPECIFICALLY for us so let's drink them up and look up and express thanks for them!
Love y'all!
Love,
Hermana Hall
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| Farewell Hermana Yauney |
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| Hola Hermana Jacobsen |
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