What da Het?!

In the words of my sweet Rockwood four year old buddy, this past week has my head spinning and me saying what da het? (what the heck?)

To start off... saying see you later to my RWood fam was tougher than I ever thought possible! When they say "you'll love like never before on your mission" I was always like what da het does that mean? Well I'm discovering that that means that you get to learn a little more what godly love is like. I have stood or sat across from so many so perfectly imperfect people. People that have called me retarded, worked us til we sweat our guts out, swore in church, gossips to no end, randomly started drinking coffee, whose house could be on hoarders buried alive, who had roaches crawling up the walls and on the floors, who is not living the law of chastity, who thinks we are deceived, who smokes in my face, who fell asleep from being drunk while I was praying, the list goes on and on. But I have stood across from them I have sat across from them and I have felt SO much love for each one of them! It is absolutely unreal! I hate to say it but I think my old self, my home self, my selfish self, my 7 month ago self, would have taken one look at some of these people, taken one whiff of some of these people and thought something rude and kept moving. But that part of me has changed, Heavenly Father has truly opened my eyes to see many of His children more as He sees them, and because of that I really have loved like never before out here. Which is why it was so dang hard to wave goodbye and get in a nasty elders car with energy drink cans rolling around the floor and a flosser stuck in the ceiling and drive to my new area of Poplar Creek.

BUT don't start feeling too bad for me because even if there was a drawer full of mouse poop and sunflower seeds when I arrived at the new apartment at least I'm embarking on this new crazy adventure with none other than THE MERCEDES ALLEN!!! My four year golf buddy, chemistry class pal, 7th grade CTE and computer design classmate, and now my new companion and greenie!!!! Ahhhh!!!!! God is SO good! I sat in the new missionary meeting with Sister Jacobson waiting to hear who our new companions would be. One by one President Griffin called their names and one by one they went up... then toward the end Merc, er, Sister Allen (still working on that one) was called up and time slowed as he read "Sister Allen you will be serving in the Poplar Creek Ward with Sister Hall" and the crowd went wild!!!! Just kidding, but I definitely did, I ran up the aisle and nearly tackled the poor girl!!! We were so excited, complete mix of shock and elation! The rest of the group was a little confused why the crazy reaction but after we explained it all they were all a little less stunned but oh my goodness I still cannot believe it!!! WHAT DA HET?!?!  Already we have had some serious laughs, had some memorable times, and are just so grateful every chance to be companions, I cannot even believe it. It took the stress of whitewashing... or apparently it's called "pinkwashing" because we are sister missionaries. But it has taken the stress of it down quite a bit which I know Heavenly Father was so very aware of.

So then Thursday second day in Oak Ridge (the ward is called the Poplar Creek ward but the city we are in is Oak Ridge, where the atomic bomb was assembled... fun fact) anyway our second day here we go tracting at an apartment complex near our house. I had told Sister Allen if she wanted I would start the first door or two and then as she felt more comfortable she could start the conversation as we went down the buildings. Well first door, no answer, we move to the second door, and no answer again. We turn around to leave and there walks up our golden girl. Never in my 7 months have I had an experience quite like what happened, she had just got off work was still in her Hardee's uniform (sidenote that was my dad's college job and I crack up every time I picture him working there with his mop head and earring, but repentance is real y'all;) anyway she was just getting in from work and there we were on her porch. It was starting to rain a little bit but we still struck up a conversation with her. We told her what we were doing in TN as missionaries and how it was such a culture shock to see so many churches everywhere. We asked her which church she went to, testified that the same church Christ set up when He was on the earth is on the earth today and shared a minute and a half video which explains just that, called "Jesus Christ's Church." We asked her right then and there of she would to come to church, to our great surprise she said "Yes I'll come with my daughter!" Then we set up a return appointment for Saturday and tried to keep our giddiness in check when she said "you know I had just had the most dramatic thing happen today that I was really upset about like 5 minutes ago and I feel so much better now. God sent me two angels. Thank you." We told her she was so welcome and tried not to skip off the porch. I turned to Sister Allen when we got around the corner and said that has NEVER happened to me before. We don't even know the ward here but were planning on having an investigator at church! Now I wish I could tell you that all was happy and great and that did happen... and I'm sorry for the dramatic buildup, but unfortunately she didn't keep our Saturday appointment or show up for church with her daughter and when we went to go see her after church she didn't answer the door. And I was bummed. So bummed! It goes back to that godly love point I made earlier, I see this woman a little more how Heavenly Father sees her and I want this gospel for her, but agency will always be there. God loves us too much to take that away. And there's still hope we can have a lesson again with this lady were definitely not giving up. But no matter what I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of an answer to her prayer. Heavenly Father is so good in allowing His children to see how He does His work, and how He blesses each one of His children.

To wrap up it wouldn't be a successful letter home without something to laugh about so picture this: Sunday night recently returned missionary welcome home in the ward. Harmless right? We were invited to come meet more ward members, hopefully some less actives as well as a few nonmembers the mother of the family works with. We were able to meet many people AND have scotcheroos which is always a plus. As we are getting ready to leave we met one last lady... This woman, my goodness, she is a champ! She was an MMA fighter, played rugby, studied in Japan for a year, does jujitsu and Samba dancing while pregnant and rocks a slightly purple Mohawk hairdo. So she is asking us questions about home life and telling us about her life when the subject of self defense comes up. I mean with a bio like she has it's bound to come up right?! She told us that if we ever need lessons let her know and that we should at least know the arm bend and choke out. Arm bend breaks their arm, and choke out knocks them out. She then proceeded to try to demonstrate the choke out first in front of her but then by reaching into my collar. Sister Allen later remarked she was impressed at how cool and collected I seemed knowing a lady was trying to choke me, I have to admit I was muttering a "Please keep me safe and let me know if this against the missionary handbook" prayer. This whole scene caught the attention of a ward member who is a cop and he walked over and nonchalantly chuckled and said "Are you teaching them how to choke someone out?" The lady was like "Yeah let me show them on you!" She then reached in his collar and within two seconds he was turning beat red. She let him go before he passed out and we just stood there part impressed part amused and very much thinking WHAT DA HET?!

I hope y'all know how much I love it out here! I love the people, I love the area, I love the lessons I'm learning and the person and disciple I'm becoming. I love each one of you and I love my Savior who makes all things possible!
Hope you have a blessed week! Please don't choke people or break any arms!
Love,
Hermana Hall
PS
Thanks be to y'all for the support, love, prayers, and condolences I have received from so many since last week hearing the news of my sweet Papaw's passing. Thank you for your faith, love, and testimonies. I appreciate them more than you know and feel it more than you understand. Thank and love you!!!!

Never Ever Ever EVER Forget

As this weekend was Father's Day weekend I would like to share an experience I had with my dad two weeks ago. I had shared with him a portion of a talk by President Monson about prayers with his son while hunting. I had found it very fitting for my dad and sent it to him with the invitation that, that night we would choose a time and kneel down "together" and say a prayer. We chose 9:30 my time, 8:30 his time because he was in Missouri on a business trip. Let me tell y'all it was the sweetest experience. The moment I knelt down I just smiled and felt so at peace. Picturing him kneeling down beside his hotel room bed praying was so amazing. It was an experience I'll never forget. That's what I want to write about this week, experiences I never ever ever want to forget. One of my favorite things about my dad (other than his work ethic, sense of humor, passion for hunting, involvement in our lives, good advice, tough love, bad cop side, contagious laugh, soft side, testimony, love for his family, fact that he's my buddy... just to name a few) is that when he writes me letters over the years for girls camps, school lunches, trek, and currently while I've been out serving, he always writes "Never ever ever EVER forget I love you" and I don't, I never forget it or doubt it. His love is like our Father in Heaven's love, it is simply always there. I am grateful to both of them for sending me to the Tennessee Knoxville mission to serve the good people here and allowing me to have many experiences that I truly never want to forget! 

I never want to forget the lesson we had in a sweet man's front yard. We had stopped by two weeks prior due to a request from a less active. This man was kind enough... he had talked to us about his garden, his wife who left him, his turtle dinner, his family, and most importantly his faith, and he has a whole lot of it. Well this week he was sitting by himself in his front yard under a golden drop tree and we got out of the car and began talking with him. Many times I find myself sneaking in the Book of Mormon during lessons, this time was different however, and so much better. I went straight into it and began sharing Alma 32 about seeds of faith comparing it to Matthew 13 in the Bible about the parable of the sower. As we continued in discussion he testified of the power of prayer in his life and how he has seen many miracles that he normally doesn't share, but he did with us... and they are miraculous events. He began describing feeling the Holy Spirit, and Hermana Jacboson asked him when he has felt that. He said he was feeling it right then. He was feeling what he coined a "Holy Hug" which I absolutely LOVE! Feeling the spirit, for me, is exactly like receiving a hug, a holy hug. We extended him an invitation to read the Book of Mormon and also shared what we had just shared with his less active friend about the Brother of Jared and giving stones and becoming a source of light. As he accepted it he started to say "Well somewhere in the Bible it says..." I stood and braced myself to hear him say "that the word of God cannot be added to or taken away from" but hallelujah he instead said "that there are more books that testify of Christ." WHAT THE?!?!? I admit I have no idea where it says that or what version it says that but it is true!!!! He accepted it and said he would read it. We closed in prayer and as I was saying the prayer the words "bless his wife wherever she may be" came tumbling out of my mouth. I could feel Jacobson cringe because his wife left him... I knew she thought I forgot. But as I closed the prayer this sweet man looked up at us with tears in his eyes and said "Thank you, thank you so much, come back anytime, you are always welcome." As we shook his hand and walked to the car and pulled away he was flipping through the Book of Mormon. Ah! It was so amazing, I never ever EVER want to forget that experience! 

I never ever want to forget how sweet my Rockwood family has been when they hear the news I'm leaving Rockwood and headed to Poplar Creek this Wednesday! One Brother in the ward gave me parting advice in the form of Galations 2:20 and bore his testimony to me about having Christ in his life and the importance of having Him in mine. Another brother told me that he promised he didn't pray that I'd get sent away, only that I'd stub my toe. He thought he was joking but that had actually come true in a horrid and gory way a week ago, email my mom if you're curious and want more details... yuck. But I really have received so many hugs, gifts, thank you's, tears, and requests to have us over one more time before transfers on Wednesday. I feel like I'm leaving home all over again and it is extremely bittersweet. 

Speaking of bittersweet I will never forget receiving an email yesterday on Father's Day that my sweet grandpa, or as they call them here in Tennessee "Papaw" passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon. My mom was able to be there and shared with me that she knew it was   coming and that it was an extremely spiritual experience to be there as he "slipped into eternity." (President Monson) Once more I was again comforted by my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and that though I am far from my family and long to be there I am comforted knowing that I have prayer at any time and I have modern day technology to send videos, and receive emails. My sweet companion when she expressed her condolences shared that the way she sees it I just I got another companion. It felt appropriate that yesterday on a day to honor fathers Heavenly Father called an incredible man back home. He always called me his missionary girl and that's what I'll continue to be. I'm so grateful I can share the knowledge I have of the perfect plan God has for each one of us. He wants us home and through His son we will get there, I am so grateful for this knowledge, it brings me so much peace.  

These are just a few of MANY experiences I have had and will I'm sure continue to have that will build my testimony, test my strength, stretch my abilities, polish out my flaws, and cause further repentance to occur in my life. I truly cannot imagine my life without the experiences I'm having out here. I look forward to more and know I will never ever ever EVER forget that I am loved and learning to love like never before. 

I love y'all and wish you a blessed and peaceful week!

Love, 

Hermana Hall 





Deer Venison I cooked in the crock pot!































Change is inevitable... Hermana Jacobsen stays in Rockwood, Hermana Hall
moving to Poplar Creek.  Both will be training!!!!




THIS JUST IN!!!!! Training Sister Mercedes Allen, a Davis Dart Golf Team Buddy!!!! So cool!!! Tear up Poplar Creek DARTS!!!!

In Between the Lines

I've discovered I thought I read my call letter through and knew what I was in for but I didn't know exactly what was contained in between the lines. I didn't realize that the repeated phrase "laboring in the field" doesn't just mean knocking on doors, making visits, and teaching people. It also means: canning honey, making pizza and having nerf wars, weeding gardens, shoveling insulation, painting and hanging signs, gathering eggs and feeding cows and I cannot forget... it also means literaly laboring in the field baling and throwing hay. This week we have done SO much service, oh my goodness! We have spent a lot of time with the members of our ward, but you know what? As a result we have also had more team-ups (member present lessons) than I have had so far on my mission and we have more lined up. I thought I learned it before but I am learning it again...  God truly cares about His children more than He cares about any number labeled or statistic recorded. He cares about everyone I see just as much as He cares about me, and He wants to use me to answer prayers and He loves to guide others to me to answer my prayers as well.
So let's hear it for these crazy experiences this week WOOOOO I really am excited to share all about them!

CANNING HONEY: we spent time last Monday helping a lady out in her farm can honey and meet her husband who is a non member. Quick step by step is we washed and dried jars using a sink, dishwasher, towel, hairdryer, and oven. Then they have these nifty five gallon buckets with spickets on them that you use to fill the jars with honey. Then you wipe the inside throat of the bottle with a towel and put a cork in it then slap a label on it and shrink wrap the lid with a plastic cylinder and hairdryer. Pretty cool, she gave us each a bottle to take home, it was awesome.



MAKING PIZZA AND NERF WAR: we went over to a family in the ward to make homemade pizzas with them. We tried to make it gospel related and said that the English muffin base was a testimony of Christ and we need prayer as sauce and scriptures as cheese etc... but all that really ended up happening is fighting over cheese sauce flying around and kids laughing and screaming. We went outside and divided into trams and had a long promised nerf war, once again we tried to share a thought that we were like the 2,000 stripping warriors and that "we are young but our minds are firm and we do put our trust in God continually" what we should have talked about instead was Samuel the lamanite because we were getting shot at as we preached!!! It was so fun though! Did I mention it is a family of 6 boys? Pure chaos, but so fun.



WEEDING GARDENS: a lady in the ward is in the process of moving but she called us up to go and help her weed the garden of a couple in need. This is the same garden we helped plant two months ago and let me tell you there were more than just a couple of weeds growing! It was great though there were a lot of conversations going on and the couple was so appreciative of our help.

SHOVELING INSULATION: our favorite relief society president asked us if we could come help them with their house renovations when we were in the area. We had planned a day to be up by their house anyway so we headed over and found ourselves wearing masks and hats and shoveling insulation from piles on the ground and passing it up to the person on the ladder who would toss it in a hole in the upper portion of the wall/ceiling. It was funny because the shape and angle of my nose didn't work well with the mask that they first gave us so I had to wear this heavy duty gas mask looking one. They were all teasing me that "my nose was too high in the air to do this kind of work"



PAINTING AND HANGING SIGNS: in preparation for the upcoming Rockwood "Polk Salad Festival" (pronounced poke salat festival) we painted signs and hung them up around town. When I say hung I mean we took those metal poles with the tamp cylinder thing and pounded them into the ground and then ziptied wood planks with holes drilled through them to them. For all y'all who are like me and didn't have a clue what Polk is... it's basically a weed that grows really tall and you cut it down and boil it three times with bacon grease and serve it with eggs... um... ew... but it's huge here, so much in fact that there is a festival for it. So this upcoming Saturday Jacobson and I will be serving at it and meeting lots of new people and trying it so stay tuned for that!



GATHERING EGGS AND FEEDING COWS: our ward mission leader's farm is so fun, they have around 100 chickens and 5 cows. We went there for ward correlation and had dinner and then helped them gather eggs. Their chickens are free range and so you have to look everywhere for eggs, in tires, under tables, in buckets, high and low looking for eggs. Then you put them in a 5 gallon bucket and "water test 'em" if they are had eggs they shoot to the top and float, if they are good eggs they stay at the bottom of the bucket. Then we fed the leftover corn and crescent rolls from dinner to the cows. They have a mama cow named Mama Cow and a calf named Butch because when he grows up he's "gonna go to the butcher!" (Read that in your best southern accent) We also took a group photo holding the chicks that hatched around Easter... they are growing up so fast!!!

BALING AND THROWING HAY: alright so first off, forget trashbagging while working out... if you wanna sweat big time wear garments and it's the same effect if not worse. We spent a few hours with the elders and our farm family that we are always working with (pulling out blackberry bushes, gardening, banding goats, you remember) they had their hay baled by some neighbors with their tractors and then it was up to the elders to load the bales from the field to the trailer (pulled by a mini van) and bring it to us in the barn to unload and stack it repeated about 8 times averaging about 26 bales a load. I found muscles I didn't know even existed.

So that concludes all of the service experiences we had now let me share the effects of helping out.

RESULTING EFFECTS

CANNING HONEY = CHURCH ATTENDANCE: as a result of helping out our sweet Relief society sister we were able to meet her nonmember husband and chat with him and she was able to have time and prepare for a neighborhood cookout (theyn aren't called barbeques around here that's a type of food and they look at you weird if you say it's an event) anyway she was able to work on that and it went smoothly and she sold a bunch of honey there and was able to come to church the next day without being too worn out from all the events. She hasn't been in a while so it really was exciting to have her back.

PIZZA AND NERF = APPRECIATIVE MOM: it really meant the world to that mother of 6 boys to have a meal provided and time for her kids to run around and play and for us to be good sports and be willing to be attacked and attack.

WEEDING GARDEN = LESS STRESSED COUPLE, WARD INFO, AND NEEDS: we helped relieve a burden and listened to both lighthearted as well as serious conversations and received a lot of info and heard a lot of stories about the ward. One of the things that I have continually learned and seen in this area is the effect of gossip and judgmental words. Many try to justify harsh comments by saying "I'm just being honest." I HATE THAT... more often than not the word "honest" should be substituted for the word "rude" because telling a woman that she made a bad relief society president, suggesting that a young boy might be gay, telling a woman not to come back to church because her house is a health hazard, saying that people aren't worth the ward's time, and sharing information that is confidential and only meant for the bishop is rude and destructive! It is judgmental, it is ugly, and it is of the devil. Satan is the father of contention and he THRIVES off gossip. I understand it is a two way street... there is one person who chooses to "speak their mind" and another person who decides how to react to it. We all have agency. But my goodness no one likes to be talked about negatively and cutting words are unfortunately the easiest to remember and hardest to repair. There are many less active members and wayward children in this area because of the lack of holding tongues. Lack of loving the neighbor as thyself. I know I always need to be better and watchful of things I say, we all do. One of my favorite favorite quotes is: "Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about." How different the world and the church would be if we remember that truth in every social interaction we have... Woof, ok let me take a breath and step off my soapbox for a minute, I would apologize for that rant but I'm not going to because it's a lesson I think we all would do well pondering about.

INSULATION = FEEDBACK AND TEAM UP: while cleaning up insulation and helping prepare dinner and wash dishes we asked the relief society president and her husband the first counselor in the bishopric input and advice at what we could do to be better missionaries. Their response was interesting. They said they didn't know what to suggest as far as improvement... they were very impressed by our work ethic and desire to serve. They complimented us for being willing to work with the ward members and said that that was what would be of most value to us as missionaries: to continue to build good trusting relationships with the ward and be inclusive, helpful, and spend time with them. Then she came with us to a follow-up appointment to a bible referral we had received last week. When we arrived the husband of the lady who had requested a free bible came out of the house and began talking with us and gave the famous line "We already go to church, we're Baptist" oh if I had a nickel for every time I've heard that one! However our sweet Relief society president kept the faith and kept the conversation going by asking some inspired questions. It's so powerful having a local member along with you, they are able to relate on a different level by knowing the area and having more life experience. We ended up sharing the parable of the prodigal son and though by the end he still wasn't interested we were able to leave knowing a seed had been planted and he had a good experience meeting members of the church.

PAINTING SIGNS =  APPRECIATION DINNER APPT AND FUTURE TEAM UP AND TRANSFER RIDE: the people heading up the Polk Salad Festival invited us to a dinner at their house and also said as "payment" They will drive us to appointments and/or wherever we need to go. We are going to take them up on thst for sure! Probably next Wednesday on TRANSFER day, more info to come on that next week ;) ;)

GATHERING EGGS AND FEEDING COWS = CATCH UP, CHORES, SMILES, STEPKIDS: our ward mission leader and his wife are always so happy to have us up at their house. His wife is the cutest southern belle lady and told us thst she thinks of us as her daughters. They are older and have been married just over a year and never went on a honeymoon because they have the farm, we told them in a year we'll come back and watch the farm and they can take an overdue vacation. I just love them

BALING HAY = TWO DINNER APPTS TWO TEAM UP VISITS: we went with our farm family second mom to take dinner to a less active she visit teaches and to find another lady that doesn't come any longer because she was told not to because her house was a health hazard... I already ranted about that so I'm not going to again, we were able to find her. She is living in a shed on her son's property, this woman is like skin and bones, just broke my heart. But she is extremely spiritual and said she missed church and would like to come back next week. So the lady that drove with us said she would pick her up next week. They are both amazing, I am awestruck at their examples of faith and endurance.


I have learned this week that service opens doors. Think about how many times Christ first served than taught. He healed, He fed, He raised the dead, caused the blind to see, strengthened the feeble knees, lifted up heads that hung down. Over and over again He served, if I'm trying to become a disciple of His then I need to do the same. First serve than teach. These are lessons that weren't listed in my call to serve, they are lessons I am learning as I commit each day to do this work. I love it. I have a lot to do a lot to improve on but I am not alone.
And neither are you. Please look around and serve there are opportunities all around us. God's children surround us and He needs us to help them.
They are more important than numbers, more important than time.
See a need, fill a need.
Have a blessed week!!!
Love,
Hermana Hall

Take a Lesson From a Lightnin' Bug

Last week I briefly mentioned the fact that I saw lightning bugs, this week I want to expound on that and of course tie it into the gospel. But y'all oh my gosh!!! I get two-year-old-giddy even thinking about it!!! THEY ARE SO MAGICAL!!!! We were coming out of a members house and chatting with them as the sun was setting and behind the sister speaking I saw a  few little flashes of light and freaked out "OH MY GOODNESS ARE THOSE FIREFLIES?!" EEEEEEE!!!! They were and I was just so excited!!!! Her husband took us out into the field by their house and caught us one! It lit up and then flew away, it was so cool!!! Since then we've been looking for them and seeing them every night and even caught some ourselves and tried to put them in a jar, unfortunately they stopped lighting up after that... I was so disappointed and asked a different lady in the ward about it and she just looked at me and said "Well wouldn't you too? If you were captured and put in a jar I don't think your butt would light up!" Oh my heavens, I love these Tennessean people, they just keep me on my toes, and humbled, and most of the time laughing. But once again I've talked about before that the thing I love most about being on a mission is the fact that you get the chance to spread "a little more light" into people's lives that wouldn't otherwise have been there. Oftentimes I've said to Hermana Jacobson when someone is not interested or slams the door, or laughs at us, or films us (yep definitely had that happen a few months ago, a girl was talking to us in her driveway and her friend was filming us out the front door, sneaky... real sneaky...) but in response to any of those or some other less than ideal response, I'll say to her that "maybe that was the only time they heard Christ's name today" And at least they thought about Him for a few moments. Just like lightning bugs we are a light in a darkening world. Our message is one of light. The greatest thing about light is it's power, darkness cannot overpower it, light dispels it. Light is comforting, it helps us see, it catches attention, and helps you feel safe. A friend sent some quotes from the talk "Brighter and Brighter Until the Perfect Day" by Elder Mark A. Bragg in his email this week and I'm bumming it off of him because it ties in so perfectly with the way I'm running with this topic. I love when  says:

“That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.”
We are children of God. Receiving light, continuing in God, and receiving more light are what we are created to do. From the very beginning, we followed the light; we followed our Heavenly Father and His plan. Seeking the light is in our spiritual DNA.


We are here to seek light, Jesus Christ is known as "The Light of the World" He gives us what light gives us: comfort, ability to see, safety. And when we allow Him and His light into our life we can share it with others and they can have it too. We taught Gospel Doctrine this Sunday and showed the classic picture of the Second Coming and talked about the light that is in around and all throughout it, we discussed the importance of adding light into our lives daily through the little habits of prayer, scripture study, keeping the commandments, being kind to others, offering service, thinking of others, sending a note or text to someone you care about and/or are thinking about, posting an uplifting thought or message, listening to good music, all of these things add light and others can see that. We inherently want to be around positivity and light and goodness. But Satan does not. Elder Bragg says puts it this way:

Even in the most difficult and darkest of times, there is light and goodness all around us. Last October, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminded us, “We are surrounded by such an astonishing wealth of light and truth that I wonder if we truly appreciate what we have.”
However, the adversary would rather have us focus on “mists of darkness … which blindeth the eyes, … hardeneth … hearts … , and … leadeth … away.”


He does not want us to add light, spread light, or help others to see the light. When you catch a firefly you wait to see it's light and then as soon as it dims you reach out and snatch it. Did you catch that? Once the light goes out, it's caught. Some could argue "Well that means the light makes it vulnerable and able to be captured" That is partially true, the light is what makes the firefly stand out. Likewise the light of the gospel makes us stand out, and there are those who want to capture it and "stifle it in a jar" so to speak. They know where we are when they see our light. But another thing I've noticed about fireflies is they group together, once you notice one you begin to notice others, they group together as more sparks of light. That's what happens as we share light it gathers, and it becomes something beautiful and it can be mesmerizing just like fireflies...

So I feel bad because there were a bunch of experiences I wanted to share and I had drafted this much but then we went and helped a lady can her farm fresh pure honey which was super cool so I'm low on time and missionary experiences will have to wait until next week. But please know I love y'all and hope you take a lesson from a firefly and keep glowing and gathering light! Love y'all!
Love,
Hermana Hall

Bear Bait

I love reading other missionary's group emails. I am so grateful for so many of my friends who are out laboring in the field, the same field I, at times, have to remind myself that I am working in. This past week a scripture from one of my friend's group emails struck me. I read and it unknowingly memorized the reference and then during personal study was led back to it randomly and ended up having a sweet experience with it. The scripture is Jeremiah 16:16:
Many if not most know that the Hall fam is a family of hunters. Because of this I have spent time growing up partially in the woods, marsh, field, and lake and pond. I have learned a lot by spending time in God's creations and am amazed at the parallels you can draw in nature. Last year one of the latest hunts my family has gone on and gained an interest in is bear hunting. That season has rolled around once more and as such my dad has begun sending me pictures of the bait site, trail cams pics, and updates. In fact I am 99% sure that as of right now they are in the woods sitting at a bait site up in a tree stand waiting and wishing and probably praying for a big ol' bear to show up. Ah it makes me smile thinking about it! BUT I have been thinking a lot about hunting... bear hunting specifically... and how it relates to missionary work, because it does... and drawing on my limited knowledge and experience I want to try to explain how.
To start you have to understand bear bait, from what I understand in Tennessee the rules for Bear hunting are different from Utah or I guess I should say Idaho because that is where they go and where I've gone (an entire one time, but as you'll hopefully see that one time made an impact) but anyway you can't sit on baits here in Tennessee for this analogy I am going to use Idaho's regulations, and still apply them to my experiences in Tennessee.

Ok so from what I understand my neighbor (that got my dad into bear hunting) prepares for this hunt for MONTHS. He gathers supplies, scouts out areas, designates spots for the bait, and counts down days until the hunt is on! Then a couple weeks before the season starts he loads in his trailer hundreds of pounds of extra baked goods from his work. We're talking doughnuts, gallon buckets of frosting, cookies, cake, lard, rolls, muffins, cupcakes, turnovers, you name it... trash bags full of this stuff!!! They haul it up the mountain to the designated spot and there they build a bear bait. They heap this stuff into a massive pile, and camouflage it behind branches. They pour molasses, honey, and sugary scents all over it, because that is the most critical part. The scent is what brings the bears in. When that sweet scent catches the wind, they will come, they will follow, they will eat. But it has to catch the wind. Sometimes he will even hang a "stink bag" in the trees which is basically disgusting rotten guts and fish and horrid smelling stuff in a bag that when it catches the wind will get the attention of the bears and they will come. When bears catch that scent they will walk from miles to come to find and eat whatever it is. When that scent catches the air... they will come. So hunters set up baits, oh and when they do so they have to have a tag designating that it is lawful to be there and it is offical. So yeah they set up baits and trail cameras and head for home to wait in anticipation. During the time they are away the bait remains the scent travels bears come and the motion sensor trail cams capture pictures of activity at the bait. Often times bears will come in, eat a little, and then leave, sometimes they continue to come back. Some they only see one time. But the fact of the matter is they all know where the bait pile is, and anytime they want to come back they can catch that scent and follow it back. Then after the weeks go by the hunters gear up, they wake up dark and early in the morning, they go to the designated spot, that they've prepared, they know where the bait is and they know there are bears in those woods around. Is it scary at times to be walking in the dark woods knowing you are in bear country? Oh yes! But they've got protection, adrenaline, and excitement for the hunt. And yes their gun is a comfort as well. But they're willing to hike, to proceed slowly at times to not scare anything away, to be aware of their surroundings, and to climb the tree and be patient. Ahh that patience part is hard! They can sit in a tree stand for hours and hours day after day and never see a bear. Yet they look at the trail cams and know bears have been ther. They look at the bait pile and can see they have been there, they can see their tracks in the surrounding area... the bears know where the bait is. But the timing isn't quite right yet, they've tasted the sweetness of the pile of bait they know it's there but hunters have to be patient. They have to keep tracking and trying back. I would say there are three absolutely key parts to eventual success in bear hunting: preparation, wind, and patience. And yes a gun of course but those three things: preparation, wind, and patience are critical. Preparation and work to build the bait, designate the spot, put forth the effort, create an appeal, bring in what is sweet. The wind is what carries scent, it is necessary to get attention and to bring them in. Patience is required throughout but especially after the work has been done and the time is to wait, wait and see what happens. Because they are in bear country, they are there, and they will come, eventually. Do all the bears in the area come, nope! But some do, and the ones that continue to  back are the most promising...

Alright after all that you're probably like where in the heck is she going with this?! This is outrageous! Maybe it is, but this hit me hard and I love it, I shared it with Hermana Jacobson and I was so pumped up about it. Phewf ok gospel application time:

Missionaries prepare for their missions for MONTHS! They gather supplies and submit papers, prophets and apostles scout out areas and designate where the missionary goes. When the missionary arrives in the field their mission president designates specifically where he/she will serve. The missionary counts down days until their mission begins. A couple weeks beforre they arrive in the field they prepare and gather skills and supplies in the MTC. They get out to the field and the work begins. They have tasted the sweetness of the gospel and want to share it with others. They work to build the sweet kingdom and to bring others to it. At times the sweetness is camouflaged by things of the world but that doesn't change that it is there. Their job is to share that sweetness with others. They strive to build the kingdom but also pour sweetness around them and into their lives so that the spirit can touch them and be carried to others. Because the spirit is the most critical part of the work. Russell M. Nelson once said that being open to missionary work and feeling that spirit is like "catching a wave" you might also say it's like catching a scent. When people catch the scent, when they feel that spirit and experience a small part of the sweetness, they have a desire to come, they will follow, and they will eat. But they have to feel the spirit. Sometimes people are led to the sweetness of the kingdom because something really gross, and yucky happens in their life, it causes them to be humble but also puts them on a search for something sweet. For some the journey into the kingdom is long, they come long distances, geographically but also spiritually. But when they feel that spirit or catch that scent they come. So the missionaries are working hard to build this kingdom, oh and while they are doing so they wear a tag showing that it is lawful for them to be there and offical. So yes each day they strive to build up the kingdom then they return home, they have records which shows the progress of the kingdom. Some people come and partake of some of the sweetness of the gospel, they listen and participate in a few lessons, attend church, start reading the Book of Mormon, and praying. Then sometimes they leave. Some keep coming back for more. Some, missionaries only see one time. But the fact of the matter is, that they all know where the kingdom is, and anytime they want to come back they just need to catch that scent and follow that spirit, because God will provide a way for them to come back. So after time passes missionaries are continually preparing and gearing up, they wake up dark and early and head out to their designated areas that have been both prepared for them and they have helped prepare by their work and efforts. They know where the kingdom is and they know there are people around that want to come be apart and taste of the sweetness. Is it scary at times, does it feel they feel they are walking in the dark in a country or area different from anything they've ever known? Oh yes! But they've got protection, adrenaline and excitement for the work. And they've got prayer as a comfort as well. But they're willing to work, to walk, hike, bike, to proceed slowly at times to not scare anyone away, and to be aware of their areas and the world around them. They are willing to climb up hills and mountains and go through hard things and be patient. Ahh that patience is hard!!! They can work for hours and hours day after day and never have lessons with people. Yet they look at the record books and they know there are people there. They can look at the kingdom and see that people have been to it they can examine the area see the tracks and hear stories about people. They know people know about the church. But the timing isn't quite right yet. The people have partaken of the sweetness, they know it's there, the missionaries just need to be patient. They have to keep tracting and trying back. I would say there are absolutely three key parts to missionary work: preparation, the spirit, and patience. And yes prayer of course but those three things: preparation, the spirit, and patience are critical. Preparation in building the kingdom, and building themselves, designating areas, putting forth effort, creating an appeal, bringing what is sweet. The spirit is what carries the message of sweetness it gets attention and brings people in. Patience is required throughout, but especially after the work is done, when the time is to wait and see what happens. Because they are in fields that are white ready to harvest, there are people out there and they will come, eventually. Will all the people in the area come? Nope! But some do, and the ones that continue to come back are the most promising...


Isn't this cool?!?! I hope y'all are as pumped reading this as I am writing it!!!!
This has been something that has been on my mind all week long. I have been thinking it over again and again and bouncing ideas back and forth with Hermana Jacobson, it's hit me so hard. I'm out here building the bait, trying to live so that people can catch the wind feel the spirit and want to come. But I've got to work, I've got to build, I've got a want it, and I've got to BEAR it!!!! This week has been difficult to bear at times but there have also been some sweet moments. As if this letter isn't long enough I want to share two experiences real quick with y'all. I've realized that I don't really send group emails home... I send home TALKS. Of the many things the South and Tennessee has taught me I guess it has taught me how to preach, so thanks for letting me run my mouth and type up these novels, and thanks for reading them, even if no one ever did I would still send them because they help me. They help me evaluate my week and seek to do better. So thanks be to y'all again for tolerating great lengths, love y'all.


But ok like I said this week was a bit of a rough one. We had a less active text us and essentially say we are wasting our time reaching out to them, we also had an investigator drop us over text. Once again nearly everything in our plans and schedules fell through, there was this one day, ah man... I was just DONE. I'll admit I said one of those angry prayers one of  whiney prayers: "Heavenly Father I'm still in Rockwood and I'm frustrated with myself because I'm starting to count down the days until transfers until I can leave it and go somewhere new. Heavenly Father why did you leave me in this area? I'm sick of it. I realize others have been in areas longer, I realize others have been in Rockwood longer, but I don't want to be here, I'm not going to go sit home and mope I'm going to keep working but I want you to know I am not loving it right now..." ugh rereading that makes me sound so whiney, but Heavenly Father puts up with me, thank goodness. So after that (that was a car prayer while driving by the way) after that not even two minutes probably my comp is looking out the window and says see that lady right there setting up a yardsale? Let's go talk to her. So I made a u-turn kept my prayer promise and kept working. Did my attitude change and I was back to loving Rockwood and wanting to stay there the rest of my mission??? HECK NO! I stood for 40 minutes listening to an elderly woman talk about her health problems, family hardship, and all the "pedophiles in town..." However... was my heart a bit softened at the fact that she trusted two random 19 year old girls in skirts with tags on to share her life story with? HEAVENS YES! She caught the scent, she felt some of the spirit, enough to trust us, enough to want to talk to us. Who knows? She might even come back to taste the sweetness!

 Speaking of sweet the other experience I want to share is with the Sister in the ward who I've been to her house several times, spoken with her several times, but always through the wall... remember her? Well two weeks ago it occurred to me during weekly planning that she has a phone number, and that we should call it. We did and talked to her for over 20 minutes. Her mother and nephew passed away about a month ago. Within the same week. We were able to share scriptures with her and pray with her over the phone. She mentioned she wanted to meet with us in person some time... This past week we stopped by, instead of  normal conversation "who is it?!" "Sister missionaries" "WHO?!" "SISTER MISSIONARIES" she remembered our phone call, she apologized because she was just getting out of the shower so she couldn't meet with us then, but wanted to, and she asked us to pray with her, through the wall. So we did, Jacobson offered the sweetest half yelling prayer I've ever heard. We stuck our card in the door and she said she wanted to call and set up a time for us to come back, and meet with her in person. It's moments like that, experiences like that where I realize I'm still here for specific reasons, to have specific experiences. I'm sitting at this bait site learning patience. And having sweet experiences all the time.


Sometimes it is easy to get frustrated at never having a bear come in, especially when you know they're around. Sometimes I need to be more content and more accepting that I'm adding to the bait pile, tossing in some doughnuts, spreading some frosting, and adding " a little more light" to people's day. In preach my gospel there is no standard for a successful mission, there instead is a standard for a successful missionary, and it is measured by commitment. Some days I'm more committed than others but I'm still heading out still working on patience still seeking to prepare and have the spirit with and around me.
My grandma once told me: "A mission is for the missonary"
I didn’t like that, I thought it sounded selfish, I'm learning daily that it's not selfish and that it's actually very true. No matter what happens as a result of my mission it will be worth it. That's what happens at the end of every hunting season, whatever the end result may be I never regret it. I won't regret my mission either. I won't regret the lessons of learned, people I've met, I won't regret wearing my tag  (even if I forget to wear it to church... rookie mistake) I won't regret the relationship I've developed with my Older Brother Jesus Christ and the one I've strengthened with my Heavenly Father. I won't regret the hardship I've had to bear and the sweetness I've experienced.
We met a guy yesterday that said he wouldn't trade one bad time for another  good one because you gotta have the bad to understand the good.
Opposition in all things right?
I hope y'all know I love you and am so grateful for you! I hope you've been pricked in your hearts and that this has made sense. There are so many connections to be made and parallels to be drawn with this, when you see more email me and tell me about them, I promise I'd love to hear from yooouroou!
Love you and have a blessed week!
Love,
Hermana Hall
PS I FINALLY SAW LIGHTNING BUGS EEEEEE!!!! IT WAS SO EXCITING!!!!
PPS DID Y'ALL KNOW DAVID ARCHULETA IS ENGAGED?! AND I'M NOT WEARING A RING! HAHA! BUT SERIOUSLY SOMEBODY PLEASE SEND ME A PIC OF THE FIANCEE!!!

"Sister" Sandra Dee???