6 Months, and 16 Stones

Today is the day! The very day of my 6 month mark!!!! 6 months ago on November 22 I hugged my family and hopped on an airplane and my life hasn't been the same since. It has been full of crazy, outrageous, faith-shaking and faith-building experiences, that have changed me... For the better... I owe a lot to my support group and cheer squad back home. Y'all have helped me stay motivated and keep working hard through your love, support, and encouraging words, as well as prayers. I cannot say thank you enough, I cannot imagine doing this without home and heaven cheering me on.
I also am grateful for this area I'm serving in. These people... my goodness... they are truly one of a kind and I love them for it. So what if Sunday meetings have me on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the next tangent (this week it was "getting hit upside the head with a skillet by your wife" and Einstein)? So what if we get fed rabbit at dinner... (not horrible but not great either)?  So what if we sweep up piles of dead termites at the local American Legion Hall (sure hope they were dead)? I love Rockwood. I love the people here. I love my mission. I love my Savior. I'm happy to have spent 6 months trying each day to become a better disciple of His. I told President in my last interview with him, after being asked what I want to become by end of next May when I head for home, I told him I don't want my mission to end. I've heard many times you have an eternity to prepare, 18 months to live it and an eternity to look back on it. It's true that I'll only have 18 months to be a set apart missionary but that doesn't mean it ends after that, (I know there are some reading this who might shake their heads or roll their eyes at my "missionary fire" desire and I realize life comes up and things change) maybe I won't be out knocking on doors but I want to keep studying everyday... keep praying everyday... keep striving for the temple... keep visiting those in need... keep standing up for what I believe... keep waking up early... keep working hard and enduring to the end... keep learning about and trusting my Savior... keep studying conference talks and words of modern day prophets... Ultimately I want to be able to implement my mission into my life so that my life becomes my mission. I want to continue increasing my knowledge of the gospel and then share that knowledge with others. Because the gospel is so good and so true and there is SO much to learn and SO much to share. So I would love to take a minute and share with y'all something I've learned and then some experiences of sharing light and knowledge with others this week.
I was working on some Personal Progress (we've started working on it with a less active young woman in the ward who is super sweet... more to come on her later) anyway it took me in the scriptures to Ether 2 and 3. Which is all about the Brother of Jared. Now... there are SO many lessons to be learned from his story SO many... but what pricked my heart and opened my eyes were his efforts and the way they were multiplied. When asked how they were going to have light in the barges the Lord didn't say "Oh leave it to me I'll take care of it." Because He would, and He did. No he asked the Brother of Jared, "What wilt ye that I should do?" He asked him to come up with a proposal to bring to the table. He asked him to go find, bring, and give Him something to work with. And what did he bring? Rocks. 16 of them to be exact. Sure they were clear and smooth and "molten out of the mountain" but they were rocks... yet he brought them anyway and recognizing their nothingness and his own nothingness the Brother of Jared  cried unto the Lord in humility saying,

O Lord, thou hast said that we must be encompassed about by the floods. Now behold, O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee; because of the fall our natures have become evil continually; nevertheless, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.



He then recognized the Lord's hand in preserving his people and said:

Behold, O Lord, thou hast smitten us because of our iniquity, and hast driven us forth, and for these many years we have been in the wilderness; nevertheless, thou hast been merciful unto us. O Lord, look upon me in pity, and turn away thine anger from this thy people, and suffer not that they shall go forth across this raging deep in darkness; but behold these things which I have molten out of the rock.

Finally he acted in faith and told Him his plan.

And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they may shine forth in darkness; and they shall shine forth unto us in the vessels which we have prepared, that we may have light while we shall cross the sea.
Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men.


And the rest of the story goes something like this: the Lord put forth his finger and touched the stones one by one. The Brother of Jared not only saw the Lord's finger but because of his immense faith he saw the Lord and spoke with him face to face. The Lord blessed him with light, with more comfort, more knowledge, more vision, more understanding, more trust, more than he could have ever imagined. And at no point did the Lord ever look at him and say "Really? Rocks? That's all that you could come up with?" No He took those 16 stones and He turned them into a source of light. That's what Christ does, He takes whatever we have to offer and He multiplies it into more than we ever thought possible  (same goes for the 5 loaves and 2 fishes parable). So let's apply the Brother of Jared to ourselves. When we approach the Lord in humility, when we recognize His hand in making our lives possible, and when we set forth our faith and show Him our plan, or give Him our will... He takes it and makes it a source of light. He gives us more comfort, knowledge, vision, understanding, trust, more than we can ever imagine. He never looks at us and says "that's all you can come up with?" Never. He takes whatever we've got and one by one touches and molds it with His hands making it more than we thought it could be. I hope and I pray that as I am humbled and grateful and planning with faith He will take my 18 months and make me a source of light.
Ah you guys I just love the scriptures! I just adore them! They are so true! How else could a 19 year old girl relate to an ancient man building barges and carrying stones?!?!

Ok onto sharing time!
So we were in the southern part of our area and stopped in the local "Piggly Wiggly" grocery store (straight up that is its name) because an investigator works there. While there we saw a couple Latinos and we walked past two of them, my mind haunting me saying "there's a reason your call says Spanish..." We pass one more and I was like alright that's enough! Made a walking u-turn and we went around and started talking to a guy in total broken Spanish and gave him a pass-along card. Fast forward a few days and we were sitting planning at the kitchen table and a  call comes in and it's the guy from the Pig! He was super hard to understand but we scheduled a time to meet at the Piggly Wiggly again the next day. What ended up happening is he wasn't there, but we kept waiting and a different Latino came by and we talked to him and gave him a Book of Mormon and will talk to him more this next week. We don't know what will result, apparently there are a lot of men that come and work on the farms for anywhere from 3-6 months and then go back to their homes and families... but at the very least we can use our Spanish and testify of Christ. Doesn't get much better than that!

Oof, taught the law of chastity to our investigator on date for baptism. She was actually scheduled to be baptized this past Saturday but it didn't happen for several reasons. They (her and her fiancee who is a member) are currently praying for a new date that they feel they can work towards. We too are praying like crazy for them. Agency always plays a critical role though, we chose to have it and no amount of faith or prayer can take away that from someone. We do love her though and want what is best for her and hope and pray that she will realize the forever best thing for their family is this gospel. Also shout out to role playing during companionship study, even though it is beyond awkward to pretend to teach you are able to get a really bad lesson out of the way without other people there and then you can go into the actual lesson more prepared and confident than you otherwise might've been. Definitely recommend. And it works for all aspects of life I had Hermana Jacobson role play a phone call with me she needed to make and sometimes I'll have her read my drafts of some emails and we role play/ talk about possible scenarios and responses. I've always hated acting but Iquite like role playing... It's all about enhancing communication and increasing charity, which everyone could use a little more of both, charity and communication. But enough of that, apologies for going all preachy missionary on y'all.

SPEAKING OF PREACHY the last story I'll share from the week happened on Sunday after church we went to the long-term care facility across from the  church. We  had visited two less actives there two weeks before... One of which was asleep the other was very deteriorated and otherwise incoherent. We decided to return back this week to see if we could visit them again and maybe sing some hymns to them. (I love that missionary work involves things like this showing up to an old folks home to sing to them, it reminds me of my CNA job back home, aw, I just have such a special place in my heart for the elderly and the seemingly neglected) but anyway it turns out that the sweet deteriorated sister we had visited passed away within days after we had met her. The other sister that had been asleep was attending the church services they hold there. We decided we'd go say hello to her before they began services. We did so but ended up getting caught and welcomed by the preacher who then began his sermon. So we had no choice but to sit and listen in. Not that I was complaining though... my curiosity was piqued. But oh my heavens above I was not expecting what we experienced. He first began by asking for an opening prayer, one man began giving it and the preacher joined in with his own prayer talking on top of the other guy. That was a new one, apparently it happens a lot though... then the preacher opens his hymnal and starts singing Amazing Grace. I know some of those words but not all 4 verses, and since we were with a bunch of elderly people he was essentially the only one singing and continued to sing and sing and sing. Four hymns and 20 minutes later he opens his Bible and begins reading and shouting his sermon. It was almost like something you'd see in a movie. The only catch was every third or fourth word he would say some weird word/sound that I can only try to spell like this:  "hubm" for example he would say "Dear Lord I am grateful hubm for the life you gave hubm, for the sacrifice hubm you made hubm and the blood hubm you shed hubm for a sinner hubm like me hubm" it was quite interesting. It felt so impersonal and so flashy. I'll admit I am becoming converted to praise I think it has its place and I will definitely be listening to some gospel music when I get home (watch out fam;) but at the same time there is nothing like the sweet spirit that I feel during those 15 minutes of prayerful pondering when I am contemplating the Savior as I take
the sacrament. Each church has its truths, how blessed we are though to attend one that has all truth, perfect truth.
"Oh it is wonderful, wonderful to me."
I hope y'all have a wonderful week and give your stones to the Lord and see Him and His hand in your life. He can and will show you sources of light and knowledge and help you become a source of that for others.
I know this to be true and Thank you again for all you do for me.
Love y'all!
Love,
Hermana Hall

                                   
                                                            (0r 182 days................)

                 
                                                      Six month celebration dinner!!!

They've been found.... in Tennessee!!!!


Must still have some cold mornings, layer up!!!                 Thinking of the dad and bro this weekend.....

I LOVE My M.o.M.

I have a song by Nashville Tribute Band on my iPod that is called "M.o.M" which stands for: Mothers of Missionaries. My favorite part is the chorus: "Mothers around the world, raising our boys and girls, teaching them wrong from right, tucking them in every night, forever cheering them on, making them strong, we want to thank you M.o.M's" This letter I want to express my gratitude for the motherly figures in my life as well as share some experiences from the missionary work this week.

MOTHERS
I am so grateful for my mom year round but love that there has been a day dedicated to remembering her (this year probably will go down as the best Mother's Day ever because I got to Skype and talk to her and the rest of my family, from way down South in Rockwood, Tennessee) and I hope that all you women out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. I have been blessed by so many of you in my life. Sheri S. Dew once said, "every one of us can mother someone- beginning, of course, with the children in our own families but extending far beyond." I have been blessed by so many mother figures in my life both in Utah and now in Tennessee. So thank y'all!!!
 I'm so grateful for my mom's example and influence in my life. Watching her eyes light up and hearing her laugh as I listened to her stories from her own mission in L.A. is what first sparked the fire of my own desire to serve a mission. I remember watching her and one of her best friends (who was her missionary companion, and another huge influence and mother figure in my life) laugh, shop, clean, and work together. I wanted to have a friendship like that one day. As I grew up that desire deepened from a social motivation to a spiritual motivation, I am here to help people around me come closer to Christ and receive the blessings of the restored gospel. I am here because this Gospel has so blessed my life and my family's life. I know it will continue to bless my current family as well as my future family. But I, like the stripling warriors am out here in large part because of my mom, I have been "taught by [my] mother that if [I] did not doubt [I] would be delivered by God" (Alma 56:47)
By word and example my mom has taught me so much . She has taught me that every story has multiple characters and points of view, I'm not just talking stories in books either... stories and experiences of people, each one has multiple sides. She helps me be more emphatic, trusting, and Christlike. She has taught me to laugh things off, life is more joyful and less embarrassing when you just laugh it off. She has shown me how to love and care for those who are more elderly, and for those in need. And oh my gosh she can throw parties like no other!!! Lunches in high school were always over the top as well as every other holiday and birthday celebration that she decorated for. We've always teased her that Christmas/Easter/Birthday/Halloween/etc "throws up in our house" each time it comes around. And I can't neglect to mention the fact that every month since I've been on my mission she has sent me packages to decorate our house for the corresponding holiday, including but not limited to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and Easter. She has taught me that relationships should be trusting and communication is important. She is quoteable has been known to say: "less is more" and "we've beat Satan once, we can do it again!" I'm grateful for my mom, we're always told we are twins and sometimes I feel like we are sisters, because we really are best friends. I tell her everything, vent everything, spill news, tell secrets, and share inside jokes. Oh my goodness if mom and I didn't laugh together I don't know what I would do.  She values education she didn't want us to miss school hardly ever when we were little. She loves this gospel, the temples, and being a mother in this time, she always said, that she was growing up right along with us and that she "hasn't ever been a mom before" but I think she has done a pretty amazing job with me and Bridger and we've grown up a lot together.
Another thing she always says is "it takes a village to raise a child" I am so grateful for all of my "village mothers" There are many of you: young women's leaders, friends' moms, neighbors, trek mas, aunts, grandmas, cousins, friends of friends, primary teachers, relief society sisters, missionaries, cousins twice removed, teachers... moms. I thank you for your righteous influences and outpouring of love in my life. I'm so blessed.

MISSIONARY
I'll try to keep this brief because I've already gushed enough, maybe I'll make it "kindly like" a bulleted list... yeah that'll work.
• Had a lady during the most powerful and spiritual part of the restoration lesson when shown the painting of Joseph Smith with the pillar of light and Heavenly Father and Christ above said, "Oh I'd just poop my britches if I saw that!!!" I've never bit my tongue harder to keep in the laughter, it worked... for a minute.
• We ate alligator at a recent convert's house, they wouldn't let us know what it was until we started eating it, it was pretty dang good though, but the birch beer (don't worry its not against the word of wisdom or the missonary handbook) to wash it down was not my favorite.
•Also ate gumbo at a different house, they are from Louisiana and apparently made it the "real deal" you cook it two days in advance and then refrigerate it to let the spices mix well. Other than the huge sausage chunks it was way yum!
•We delivered over 20 mothers day cookie and note gifts to mothers around the ward. I love my mission "village moms" out here!
•We had Bible study with a less active and he shared a thought about Matthew 19:24 that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Apparentkly back in those days there were entrances into city walls only big enough for a person to enter, they were called the eye of a needle. If you were to get a camel through it you would need to take off all the carpets, trunks, and cargo. In other words: riches, and have it crawl through the door and tunnel. So it is with our journey home "straight is the gate and narrow is the way" we have to strip ourselves of riches, desires, and baggage and crawl at times, in order to get through tough times and stay on the path home. I had heard the explanation of that before but the crawling part struck me, sometimes we crawl on our journey... humbly... on bended knee. I honestly love the Bible so much. During comp study when we share what we study I blab on and on because I'm learning so much and it is so dang amazing!!!!
•Pretty much every day we would daily plan and it would be a solidly booked day and then as we'd go about it we would reschedule everything about four times because people would cancel and it at times I was really frustrated. Hermana Munoz my CCM comp would always say "the easiest way to make God laugh is to make plans..." He was laughing a lot this week. But we continued to make plans and He continued to always provide a way. Even if it felt like we were running around like chickens with their heads cut off, it worked out. We visited the people we needed to, the children He needed us to help
•We moved furniture onto a lady in the ward's front porch so she could get her carpets cleaned. She turned to us and said "my porch looks like a redneck's!" She is the same woman that said she wasn't going to do temple work for her family just yet because they were such hoodlums they need to "sit there and stew about it!" Oh my goodness we were rolling, I just adore her!!! And her house is so clean and well kept and elegant it's so refreshing!
•Our primary president duct taped three of the boys to their chairs and when a mom scolded her about it she said "well I'm not even going to repent because I would do it again!!!!"
•Emergency WalMart trip for calamine lotion because somewhere I came into contact with either posion sumac or posion ivy
•Found three different ticks crawling on me on the way to, and during a lesson
•One lady we took a mother's day gift to is taking care of her neighbors goat named Peanut that honestly thinks she is his mom, he will only take a bottle if it's from her and follows her around everywhere. It was so cute!!!
•Another elderly lady we talked to could not hear jack squat so I would write notes on my tablet and hand it to her to read and she would read and it was always something like "you inspire us" "thank you for sharing that" "you're a good example" and she would gasp and then say well Thank you honey! " and ramble on again, so cute!!!

Well, it's been a great week, and Sunday was the cherry on top talking to my sweet family, I just love and appreciate them so much and am again grateful for my sweet M.o.M.
Have a great week and keep on celebrating mothers day!!!
Love,
Hermana Hall

Not Numbers But Children

I had an experience this week that if you can even believe it, humbled me! How crazy is that?! Another opportunity to be humbled? I must be on a mission!!!! K but really joking aside this really was a cool experience. For those of you who have been counting up the days since I've been out (Mom) you may have noticed that I'm about to hit six months (ahhhhh!!!) and not only that but I've had a new companion for six weeks which means another transfer has gone by. Which means transfer calls happened... which means, drumroll please.... I'm staying in Rockwood!!!! They just can't get rid of me! I told a guy at church that he isn't praying hard enough to send me away, he in his infinite sarcasm said that he hasn't been praying at all but he figures he better start now see if his luck changes next time. Ha ha very funny. So yeah I'm sticking around this area, I've got a great comp I'm not one bit sad to be comps with her for another transfer but if I'm being honest part of me was a little bit like, "You know Heavenly Father I've been here for over 4 months are you sure I'm needed here? Am I really making that big of a difference that you want me here longer???" Now, I have learned enough out here to realize that we should be like the stalwart examples of my absolute favorites: the Anti-Nephi-Lehis who knew that trials should be faced on their knees...(side note I love the Anti-Nephi-Lehis SO much I've learned more from them than I ever thought possible. I could write a whole email just about them and things I learn from their story, maybe I will one of these days, but back to the point) I took this need and concern to Heavenly Father in prayer, I told him of my willingness to serve Him and that I truly do love this area but I was confused at why I'm still here... I'm willing to be here but would like some reassurance that He really does want me to spend a third of my mission in this area (note that I have thought and divided my mission up into all of these numbers and time increments) as I was having one of these borderline selfish prayers the thought came to my mind "I don't care about numbers, I care about my children." .... whoa. Humbled to the dust... He doesn't care that 6 months, 1/3 of my time, 24+ weeks, will be spent in Rockwood. He doesn't care how many hours of tracting Jacobson and I do, how many people we contact, how many less actives we visit, how many people come to church, how many members we take on team ups, how many miles we drive. He is a God of order yes we need numbers for things to be organized, BUT more than that He is our loving Father. He has a plan for each and every one of us, a plan that is not bound nor measured by numbers. He cares about His children.
He cares about the man at the flea market that sings to us a song he wrote about Christ, He cares about the less active that smokes while you read the book of Mormon, He cares about the investigator that has never heard of the plan of salvation or that there isn't just death or hell there are more chances for every one of us, He cares about the woman that has taken like 16 religions and made them her belief (the same woman that thinks that Christ didn't really actually die, He hid for 3 days and then escaped to France... THAT was a new one), He cares about the sweet old woman that is no longer responsive and is ridden with dementia and alone in a care center He cares about the guy that chats your ear off about Mardi Gras and 89 cent eggs. He cares about the Elders that gave me and Jacobson the "hottest pepper available in legal American markets" that made us cry and our noses run and entire bodies sweat. He cares about the young mother who has been drug free for four months, about the man that laughs at us at the door and shuts it. He cares about the single mom that is living off 70 dollar house cleaning jobs and just lost her car and is near to losing her house. He cares about the old man whose heart is failing, the old woman who is 100 years old. He cares about each and every one of them... He cares about each one of you and He cares about me.
Right after this prayer I went to my scriptures, I'm reading in Luke in my Bible study and Alma in my Book of Mormon right now and happened to open to Alma 26, which is an absolutely classic missionary chapter, it is also where my mission scripture is found: Alma 26:37 "And thus we see that God is mindful of his people in whatsoever land they may be in"
It struck me that He is mindful of me, not only in Tennessee but in Rockwood Tennessee, in Rockwood Tennessee on South Kingston Ave, in the back right room sitting at the study desk on the left. He knows me and He cares about me, He knows where I am and what I can be. He cares about His children more than He does about our numbers.
So let's think about that each day... that we have a loving Heavenly Father whose love is immeasurable. You can't put a number on it because it's infinite.
Love y'all and to go along with that there is the classic mission line: don't count the days make the days count! If you've got to number something than make it count!
Have a blessed week!
Love,
Hermana Hall

 Apparently it is still very cold!!!!

Corn???? Candy corn???  Mother Goose Pink Popcorn???

Add caption

Homemade Scotcharoos!!!

THEY WILL KNOW THAT YOU KNEW

I found this quote during personal study this week and it hit me like a ton of bricks. So powerful, I absolutely adore it!!!
“At some moment in the world to come, everyone you will ever meet will know what you know now. They will know that the only way to live forever in association with our families and in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, was to choose to enter into the gate by baptism at the hands of those with authority from God. They will know that the only way families can be together forever is to accept and keep sacred covenants offered in the temples of God on this earth. And THEY WILL KNOW THAT YOU KNEW. And they will remember whether you offered them what someone had offered you” -President Henry B. Eyring

 There is a less active in Spring City, (the city in the lower part of our area) that we have been unable to contact. Hermana Yauney and I had stopped by one day a few weeks ago, we could hear the tv blaring, knocked twice, rang the doorbell twice, left a note, and left. Hermana Jacobson and I decided to return this past week. The situation was much of the same, there was no tv sound but there were two cars in the driveway and a lamp on in the home. After knocking twice, ringing the doorbell twice, the two of us turned to head on our way, as we left I noticed a side door with a doorbell and I was like "score!" Jacobson was a little hesitant but I said let's go for it we knocked and rang and we met the sweet old man that lived there! He was welcoming and didn't even know there was a ward in Rockwood. We chatted for a minute he told us we were "cute little buggers" and that he was getting ready to head out of town to take care of his son who has cancer. It was a really powerful experience though of not giving up and knowing that we did our absolute best to seek people out and invite them to Christ. One day he'll know, and we'll know too.

We talked to a homeless man in a church parking lot, he had some interesting views on the church and also had been drinking quite a lot, we gave a diligent effort in giving him a Book of Mormon but he tried to tell us he had one at home, yet he wasn't home... but one day he'll know, and we'll know.

I was privileged to be a part of an incredible lesson during exchanges in Maryville which is west of Farragut, the girl in this lesson was so prepared, she didn't need any convincing, she wanted to know the gospel, she has seen the way it has changed her sister and wants that change too, I was beginning to think that the only people that were like that were in South America, so humble and ready for the gospel in their lives.  One day she'll know and we will too.

We spent a large amount of a night sorting through six boy's worth of socks with a lady in the ward, she is an amazing example of strength and has been going through some very tough things in her life. It was an experience where I learned that the importance of service even if it's sorting socks, should never be underestimated. One day she'll know and we will too.

 The scripture that talks about how "Adam tilled the earth by the sweat of his brow has never been more true" this past week we planted two gardens at that farm we are always working on. I had the opportunity to use a tiller which was a little scary but also way cool, the next day Jacobson and I were so sore! But our service again was so appreciated, and we were happy to help, even though we may or may not have both gotten ticks from the experience. But not to worry we are fine! Vaseline and tweezers does the trick of removing them! We love working on that farm and even better we love the people that live there. One day they'll know and we will too.

Hermana Jacobson felt impressed to go visit a member in an assisted living facility before we went in for the night, I'll admit I drug my feet a little bit but obliged and we went and even though I had to sit in a wheel chair that had recently had an accident on it it was a good lesson and we talked to him about eternal families. He gave us some info about his family and we are going to work on his family tree on family search for him, though he doesn't remember us from week to week we know the importance of this gospel and the comfort of knowledge of the life to come knowing we can and will live forever with our families. One day he'll know and we will too.

As always there is so much more that happened I could go on and on, most of the time I do, but my time is short and it's been a lovely pday of shopping til we drop, but please know that I love y'all and we can each live like missionaries and like Christ each day.
Live in such a way that in the next life no one will come up to you and say "Why didn't you tell me?"
Have a blessed week!
Love,
Hermana Hall

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