I was talking with a lady this past week about her own brother that called her from his new house in Atlanta. He called to give her an update on how he has adjusted and expressed that he was lonely and scared and uncertain about the future. I admired the way that he turned to her and still called her up even though they were in their mid forties, I hope B and I will have a relationship like that in the future. He's growing up so fast from what I've seen in pictures and videos he is an absolute stud and I might not recognize him when I go home!!! He's got me beat in height (not hard but still) his voice is 10 octaves lower and probably most impressive is he is becoming SUCH a spiritual giant!!!! if you jog your memory a little and/or even scroll back in time to a few of my emails 8 months ago when I first waved see you later at the airport and had my life flipped completely upside down in Mexico... you may recall I had a bit of a struggle and a long journey of finding myself and my purpose in a foreign country, with foreign people, a foreign language, and foreign feelings. But you know who helped me the most??? My two brothers... Bridger sent me an email that brought me to tears... I needed it more than he will ever know... I remember reading it and wondering who was the older singling here??? I wrote a portion of it down and stuck it on my cinder block dungeon wall in our casa... He said:
Good luck and remember to #1 enjoy things, one thing I've learned over my 15 years is things only happen once and I look back at things I've done and thought, wow I really wish I would have known how lucky I am and how cool this is. So don't get caught up looking ahead. LIVE EVERYDAY WITH GRATITUDE AND LOVE!
Isn't that what I've been learning and relearning every single day that I'm out here?! And Bridge had the insight and perspective to see that at a time when I didn't and followed a prompting to remind his sister who was struggling. His sister who would open her photo album of her family and smile at some pictures and then get to his and sob... oh he just gets me every time!!!! I'm so grateful for him.
The other brother that has always been there is my Savior Jesus Christ... He too has always been by my side and on my side. He is so anxious to help dust me off and walk by my side through this crazy whirlwind of a thing we call life. I grow closer to Him every day and would NOT be where I am without His grace, His mercy, and His atoning sacrifice. Like my earthly brother Bridger, Christ has taught me so much, is a forever best friend and helps me find joy and laughter unlike anything else. Even in times of sadness and when I am in a foreign land or a foreign situation. He is there, that's what brothers are for. One of my junior high wishes was that I could've had an older brother (I didn't want an older sister because I didn't want to deal with the drama;). But I figured it would be really nice to have an older brother to have been the for lack of a better word "guinea pig" child... to know what the future was like instead of stepping into it myself not knowing what I was getting into, not having those little pointers that so many of my friends had... Well here I am 7 years later realizing that I've always had an older brother. Christ feels familiar in that sense... We are all spirit children of Heavenly Father and so Christ is our brother, our older brother. Yet when I apply my "guinea pig wish" to Him I get more of a glimpse into His role as my Savior. He went through each one of our lives before us, feeling and understanding all that we have and will feel. He knows what we are getting ourselves into, He perfectly knows those unknowns and can offer pointers in order to get through them. He knows because He loves us, He understands because He wants to help us. I am so grateful for Him.
Now, for my stories this week... pheuf... I don't even know where to begin... I guess keeping up with the brother theme I've got going I'll create an
"Oh Brother List"
Here goes:
•The lesson we stood up in the middle of and said we aren't here to argue and when the man was willing to change to give us a call...
• The experience of tracting in the torrential downpour being soaked to the bone and having no success.
•The less active family we taught that there are 5 steps to returning to the Heavenly Father's presence and cut out footsteps and wrote: baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, Melchizedek priesthood (for men), temple endowment and temple sealing, followed up by the daughter showing us her sketchbook full of skeletons and bleeding hearts and the 70 year old member we had with us eyes bugged out of his head
•The guy we were supposed to meet for a lesson at the church and then he stood us up but after we went to his house and he didn't answer we stuck around the area and when we walked back to our car he was outside on his porch and so we had a lesson.
•Or how bout the time we met a guy catching "minners" (minnows) in the creek? Classic.
•There was that terrifying moment when our progressing investigator's grandma walks up and we sat there praying our hearts out she's not a fire and brimstone believer and then she turns out to be the SWEETEST "Nanny" ever!!!
•The day we found an investigator at a bar where he works...
the lesson we had across the counter at the Habitat for Humanity store.
• When we said to a less active "Well we know God has a perfect plan for you" and she looks at us smiles, nods, and says: "Okay! ..... well thanks for stopping by!"
•The crazy turn of events when the guy mentioned above that we left mid lesson came to church to apologize and said he thought about what we said and wants to give it a chance.
•And the conversation we had with a different investigator after church:
Investigator: "Well I guess I better give you my schedule so you can set up a time to come teach me again"
Us: "Yep you know it! You know someone once told us we're like warts... We just don't go away!!!"
Investigator: "Well you know you grow on us though...."
Us: "Awwwwwww!!!!!"
Investigator: "Well... I'm going to go now"
It's been a good week, a hard week, a rainy week, a sometimes uncertain week. But when I remember the counsel of my brothers to:
1. Don't get caught up looking ahead. Live everyday with gratitude and love!
2. Remember: Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you, let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid.
I know that I am cared about, looked after, supported, and will be ok!!!!
Love y'all!!!
Send a note to Bridger on the 15th!!!! And do the basics to draw closer to Christ everyday. Because we all fall short, we all need help, and we all really do need Him every hour!
Have a blessed week!!!
Love,
Hermana Hall
P.S.
With all this talk about brothers I need to acknowledge a couple of my sisters because as my horoscope someone sent me this week said: "big news" has indeed come my way:
Morgann: CONGRATS ON GETTING ENGAGED I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU'RE GROWING UP AND GETTING MARRIED!!!!
Annie: ALMOST WELCOME HOME I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR 18 MONTHS HAVE COME TO A CLOSE AND YOU ARE HEADED BACK TO UTAH!!!!
Jordan: GOOD LUCK WITH THE COLLEGE PREP YOU'RE GOING TO BE GREAT AND DO GREAT THINGS!!!
Hailey: BEST OF LUCK WITH COLLEGE PREP AS WELL U ARE THE BEST AND SO IS THE U OF U!!!! WOOO!!!!
Happy Birthday Sister Montierth
Golfing with no clubs is NO BUENO!!!!Que Paso?
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