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!!!!