" I Might Have Put My Sickle Away"

Oh the response of a member as we talked about ministering and missionary work. We had a lovely dinner of quinoa, sweet potato, spinach salad with black bean soup at the house of this cute member family in our ward (whose house could be on a renovation show for HGTV), I was in heaven there. And I was so amazed that their 11 year old and 15 year old would eat the food that was served! Heaven knows the looks of disgust that would have been on my and Bridger's faces if my mom had served somethinng like that when we were those same ages. Funny how things change though because it was so delish! Anyway back to the conversation at hand, the mom of the family had made a comment about how she could see how going on missions before we made any other major life decisions would be an advantage and expressed that she wished she could have gone on one. She then looked at her husband and said "but there are always couple missions right?" Sister Horman piped up and quoted the verse "if ye have desires to serve God you are called to the work!" To which the husband responded, "hmm I might've put my sickle away I might have to go dig it out of the shed out back..." haha! It was so funny! But of course got me thinking... about how we do sometimes toss our sickle in the shed and go about our lives. I think that the emphasis on ministering that we are seeing in the church is an invitation to pull out our sickles and go to work. The fields are white all ready to harvest. What does that mean? There are people to be found and to bundle together to bring into the fold and the garners into the restored gospel. Whether it's a new convert, a wayward family member, a returning less active. There our people that need us to put in the work, to serve and thrust in our sickles.

This email is getting out late because our pday was a little thrown off because we were with a recent convert helping her non member next door neighbor move her furniture into a u haul. We had a good time getting to know her family members and after we were through we gave them each a Book of Mormon with verses marked that we felt like applied to them based on what we had learned about them. And they each accepted them. I know without a doubt in my mind that if we had knocked on their doors and offered them a book of Mormon they would have politely declined but because we had worked with them and served them they trusted us. They saw us as people not door to door salesmen and they were more receptive to what we had to say. It was service that softened their hearts. Think about Christ, think about how He taught, He served then taught. Ammon, one of the greatest missionaries of all time... wanted to be the kings servant before he tried to teach him he served him.

This past week we were able to give a training in a mission leadership meeting. It was on the value of power ups/exchanges and ministering to individual companionships. (As I give details think about the way it applies to ministering And your own ministries, whether in the church or in your family or friend group or mission or whatever) We lead a discussion and asked the missionaries why it was important that we spend time ministering to other missionaries by going on power ups and exchanges (review for those who don't have any idea what I'm talking about when I say power up... it's when both companionships go into another area and work with another set of missionaries and help them "power up" their area, and empower them as well, exchanges are where two companionships swap companions for the day:). Anyway... They came to the conclusion that the purpose is to help them and teach them. Empower them. We asked them to ponder a really good powerup or exchange they had had as well as a not so good one. One elder talked about how they only drove 5 miles in total because they talked for nearly 4 hours. The elder he was with was struggling and ready to go home... that same elder is still out. Another elder shared how he felt that power ups and exchanges allow you to become friends with them and "a friend is more likely to tell you what is wrong than an acquaintance." I loved that! One sister shared that she was horribly sick and felt like that experience that day was one of the worst on her mission. Non-coincidentally the sister she had gone on the exchange with was in the room and said "Can I tell my side of it? She never stopped and I so admire her for that, that was one of the best learning experiences for me."

We concluded that oftentimes the most powerful influence we can have is the one we don't realize.

Then Sister Horman the scriptorian (hehe that rhymes:) masterfully taught about a scene from Luke 24. The road to Emmaus. The story takes place on a dusty road in a desert land. Two disciples of Jesus Christ are trudging along downtrodden, confused, sad, and uncertain about what the future holds. They miss someone they love, they don't understand why this difficult thing happened to them- the death of their beloved master and teacher Jesus Christ. Suddenly someone, a "stranger", meets them. He asks them what is wrong, why they are sad, and then he walks threescore furlongs which is the equivalent of seven and a half miles, And he listens. From verse 18-24 they essentially rant to him all of their grief and what is going on. And Christ, He listens... and He walks, and then after they finish, He teaches. He continues to talk and teach them until they arrive at their destination and they ask Him to stay and eat with them and spend the night. He does tarry and share a meal with them and as He does so their eyes are open, they behold Him and then He leaves. He leaves them alone to ponder how their hearts "burned within them" as He taught them. As mission leaders that's what we try to do as we go and spend time with other missionaries. We come to them and walk with them, listen to them and then teach. We spend a day with them, share a meal and spend the night. Then we leave, and hopefully as we do so they are able to behold Christ, learn a little more about Him, come a little closer to Him and have their hearts be changed.

I was able to share an experience of one of the greatest power-ups I had ever been on. A sister was struggling, in a really dark place. She was fighting some serious battles. And I... well... I was nervous to go work with her because I didn't think that I had what it took to help her. Looking back I was was being selfish... more concerned about myself than her... however we had some really great experiences and conversations throughout the day, we walked some distance  together. Then later that night we found ourselves locked out of the house because the other sisters had the keys... In that hour of us sitting outside of their house talking she opened up to me, and I was able to listen, and listen and then share what I promise y'all were not my words. A specific talk came to mind that talked about prayer, and "creating your day" I shared that with her and something changed, something kind of clicked. We talked about enhancing our prayers and helping each other to both work on it. A few days later we called her and her companion on the phone and I could barely recognize the voice on the other side. I'm in no way trying to say that I was the reason why that happened. All I know is that when we put in an honest effort with a trust in God and a love of all men... well... it can help change a person's life.

So let's dust off those sickles and follow our Savior down the Road to Emmaus and wherever else He leads us. Serving and helping people all along the way.

That's what we are here to do anyway right?

Help each other home.

I love y'all and am grateful for the many ways that you love and sustain and support me. I wish you the happiest of weeks and hope you walk the distance!

Love,
Hermana Hall

Its True- DAZIT!!!!

One month, One week and One DAY!!!Holaaaaaaaa!!!!!! Reporting live from Marvyille TN! I am alive and well and SO very happy to be here! Greeneville will always have a special place in my heart and saying see you later to the people there and Hermana McCune gave me a nice big heartache and yet I absolutely love it here. It was so crazy to go back to the same apartment I slept over at on exchanges when I was first on my mission, now I live there. The ward, investigators, and of course my companion have all been more than I could ever ask for. And there are more Spanish opportunties here than there have been my entire mission, so that has been exciting and challenging... hmm... excitng and challenging? I must still be a missionary! The roller coaster ride continues. 

Sooo here's the breakdown,

WARD: Oh the ward, the biggest ward I've been in yet, and the most missionary minded and willing to help people I have seen and been inspired by... seriously, they are somethin else. There one member in particular here who is an absolute legend... He is from Colombia, (which sidenote is where one of my favorite neighbors with a mission call is going on his mission! Woohoo congrats Nate, you will love it Colombians are the best:). But this guy... good grief, talk about a fighter he grew up in Colombia in an LDS family and served a mission in his same country. He baptized 8 people a month his entire mission, you do the math... the last 6 months of his mission he would travel and help other missionaries in their areas, living in the chapels and showering in baptismal fonts. This man has stories! He was asked to extend his mission by four months but was unable to because he needed to travel with his family to go get sealed in the WASHINGTON DC temple at the time the nearest choice (now they have two temples in Colombia... so amazing). His family sold half their property to make the trip and he said it was worth every sacrifice. Eventually he came here to work, got married, divorced, went back to Colombia and was kidnapped for a time... I could go on and on and talk about the madness and hardship that has been his life but really his testimony is what has effected me the most. He gets it. He is bold, he is daring, he doesn't beat around the bush. We met an excommunicated member and he looked her straight in the eye and said "It's time you open your heart and forgive and come to church. You come there or I come here. Will you come yes or no?!" (In order to say it in his amazing accent that I love SOOO much read it like this... it es time chuu opeen chour har an forgeeve an come to chourch. Chuu come der or I come here. Veel chuu come yes or no?)
That got a nice long "uhh well I uhhh." He didn't miss a beat, "WILL YOU COME? YES OR NO?!" And guess what... she committed. After this lesson we were walking down the street and he taught us a lesson he said "Sisters (Seesters) at no other time are you going to be serving the Lord for 24 hours every day. Enjoy it. Life is beautiful. Have no fear of people. People talk and use excuses and we say awww, awww, awww, NO!!!!! Jose Smith saw the Father and His Son Jesus Christ! It's true! Datzit! (That's it) We have the truth! You no like? I no care!" Oh how I love him!!! He is so right, this is a beautiful life we have a beautiful knowledge and message and it simply is true. IT'S TRUE! DATZIT! 


INVESTIGATORS: The past sisters have found some really prepared people that I am excited to work with. One guy I still haven't been able to meet but he is getting baptized this upcoming Saturday, it's a little bit of a complicated family situation (strange, I've never heard of one of those...) but from what I understand he is so ready and I am grateful for the chance to be here and a part of his family and his exciting day. We also were able to have a lesson with an investigator that the sisters had been working with for a couple of months but have lost contact with the past few weeks. We stopped by with a member that Sister Horman had never met. Wait... crazy story there... try to keep up with this because it's a little bit confusing. We went to a member's house for dinner and Sister Horman was like "I don't even know who this family is so this will be new for both of us." Perfect, no biggie! Well as we knock on the door we about got knocked over by two huge German shepherds and as I regained my footing I looked up and saw this kid that I knew in Greeneville! It's a divorce situation and so his mom lives in Greeneville and his dad lives in Maryville... Can somebody say "SMALL WORLD?!" So that was way way cool!!!! Ok but back to the original story at hand, we took this kid's step mom with us out to a lesson to try to find this investigator and after knocking not once, not twice, but three times, and then waiting like three minutes, they answered! At first she said that her mom was really depressed and they weren't taking visitors but after chatting with her for a few minutes the door flung open and her mom was standing there and said, "Well are you going to invite them in or not?" We proceeded to go and have a lesson with them and found out some concerns we weren't previously aware of. Sometimes people don't read the Book of Mormon because they have cataracts and can't see the small print... this older lady was one of those people. Luckily we have a cure for that... a large print copy!!! It was amazing to sit there and contribute in the lesson and have the reassurance that I am where I need to be, to be here to listen and teach and minister to a bunch of "ones" in Marvyille. Heavenly Father is so aware, He has a plan, IT'S TRUE! DATZIT!!!!

COMP: Oh Sister Horman! I so love her!!! I am so grateful to have known her earlier in our missions and now to be companions. She is from Ammon, Idaho, is the youngest of five and just has it together. We see eye to eye at least figuratively, since she is 7 inches taller than me. She is so great, we have laughed so so hard and are making some long coming and neccessary changes and goals in this area and ward. I have no doubt this last transfer will be full of hard work and miracles. But I wouldn't have it any other way, it's how we learn and grow... IT'S TRUE! DATZIT!!!!

SPANISH: Oh boy. Wow. Spanish people are just so kind. We have a little dual level apartment complex here filled with people who speak Spanish. It's amazing! We went there by ourselves and because Sister Horman doesn't speak any Spanish it was back to it being all me. Wowwww so although it was a struggle I was able to see how being with Hermana McCune helped me, I have improved a lot. I have a long way to go but I understand 1,000x better than I did a few months ago. So grateful. By some miracle we talked to this investigator the sisters had met (with our Colombian hero) who speaks only Spanish... I muddled through a basic conversation and invited him to church and miracle of miracles HE CAME!!!!!!!! Praise the heavens we have translation equipment and several ward members who translated and spoke Spanish and welcomed him right in. We really think he had a great experience even if we cringed when a speaker got up and said "today I am going to talk about the blessings of the celestial kingdom" and when the gospel principles lesson turned into gospel deep doctrine complete with a conversation on washings and annointings. Ay ay ay. But hey, no matter what happens with him in the future, the welcome and fellowship he received at church was ablsolutely unreal. This ward is fabulous. And above all IT'S TRUE! DATZIT!!!!!

OTHER DETAILS: Well to sum it up there's a Target here so we are really living large. Walmart is no longer classified as a "department store" when you look up shopping centers on Google maps. There is a pretty good mix of rural and neighbnorhoods and there is the absolutely gorgeous Tennessee River snaking its way through the area. The Knoxville airport is also in our area and that was a strange thing to see... definitely brought back a whole lot of memories and a crazy reality check. But you know what, until I find myself at that place I am going to continue to work continue to testify, to laugh, to be bold, to love, and to remember that IT'S TRUE! DATZIT!

It really is so true!!!!! The Restoration, The Plan of Salvation, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Commandments, it's all true!!!! We are so blessed!

DATZIT!!!!


Love y'all have a fantastic week!!!!

Love,
Hermana Hall

"Farewell And Adieu To My Fair Spanish Greeneville"

Yep you read that right. (Hope my family caught the Jaws reference;) Since September 13 I have been living and loving little old Greeneville Tennessee, but transfers are this Wednesday and I am going to be spending my last transfer in another lovely "ville" called Maryville. It is just south of Knoxville and actually is where I would go on exchanges when I was first out on my mission serving in Rockwood. So I have been there a few times and am excited to serve there with my new companion Sister Horman. She served in an area nearby a couple of months ago and I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with her and just love her so I am really excited to be companions! Her parents are also friends with one of my high school friend's parents so small world there. 

All of that being said I do have mixed emotions about leaving, I will so miss the ward, our investigators and my dear sweet Hermana McCune, BUT she is going to be getting a brand new missionary to train and so that is so exciting!!! I am so proud of her and excited for the good they do here, I know they will have so much success together in both Spanish and English and feel confident about leaving the area to their care.





I had an interview with President Pickett this past week and he said that he hoped I saw why it was neccessary for me to stay another transfer. He said that part of it was for Hermana McCune. We have both really grown a lot and taught each other a lot. He talked about how when he receives inspiration he doesn't always understand why but trusts it and then after the fact can see how divinely orchestrated it all is. That's revelation, trusting a prompting even if we don't understand and then LATER finding out what the Lord had always had in mind. That is what President Nelson encouraged us to do in one of his addresses to us this past general conference is to increase our ability

"I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”

I am so grateful for President Pickett's inspiration and the revelation he received for me to stay here for a fifth transfer. There were times when I have wondered why I was still here, but I want to share an experience that testifies that I was kept here reasons beyond my ability to comprehend or understand until "after the trial of your faith".

About a month before I got here the sisters who were serving here before me went to try an elderly less active woman and instead found her daughter who told them that the lady that they were looking for lived next door. However she allowed them to come in and talk to her, something that she hadn't done in the 20 years that missionaries had come by. Something told her to let them in... that something was the Spirit. So a few weeks went by and I got there and we went and had some lessons with her and as the weeks passed we started going later in the evenings when her non-member husband was home. We would "sneak" in lessons. We taught almost all of the lessons with fun activities and object lessons. I'll never forget the day this woman's husband turned to her and said "When you are ready to go back to church I will go with you."

I was floored, FLOORED. And guess what, they came!!! On Christmas THEY CAME. Since then, she has continued to come sometimes off and on, but here recently she has come pretty much every week, her husband hasn't been back but he came this past Sunday, which was fast Sunday. He was there as his wife got up out of her seat and walked to the front and bore her testimony. She shared how she had fallen away for so long, but that when those two sisters had knocked on her door she knew she needed to let them in. She shared that she knew that it was time, that she was ready. She never doubted the Church she only doubted herself. And she said she knew I needed to be there to help her. The Spirit I felt as she said that was indescribable, I found a scripture this morning that is as close as I can describe to what I felt:

"When I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy;" (Alma 29:10).

JOY. That is the reward for service. That is what the world tries to mimic and offer. But true joy can only be found by receiving and sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can definitely say I have found joy. And I have seen others find joy and it has increased my joy.

I am so grateful.

As I said "see you later" to my sweet Greeneville family this same lady said that she knew that there was someone else I needed to touch in my next area, I know that she is right there are people in Maryville that need a little more light a little more joy, and Sister Horman and I are going to find them. Like my aunt always tells me we are going to go "give em' heaven"

Love y'all as always thanks for the love, support, prayers, and encouragement. I need it and am grateful for it.

Have a great week!!!!

Love,
Hermana Hall

I Heart This Church

Wow. Where to even begin? General Conference was a fire hydrant of blessings, change, and inspired answers to questions.
This week was also a fire hydrant of experiences:
putting up electric fences, giving a Book of Mormon to a firefighter, hearing the full length story of a member who was falsely accused of murder, meeting a man that speaks 6 languages fluently, visiting a woman and seeing the diagram of her foot surgery as well as the pin they inserted into her toe, having a Spanish lesson on a rickety porch in the pouring rain, being warned for the second time while tracting that a bear was spotted in the area, going to see a less active and seeing a warrant taped to the door, doing a workout video we found in the apartment and falling out of bed the next morning because we were so sore, tearing up as we read the parable of the bicycle with a struggling ward member, having an investigator show up to conference, and of course hunting for eggs hidden by a color-blind man (long standing joke is he hides all the green ones in the bushes without realizing:).

 Needless to say it's been a jam packed but a very good week.

And to top if off there an absolutely legendary weekend of General Conference!!!!

One of my biggest takeaways from conference was the amount of times the word "disciple" was used, it seemed as though every speaker used it at least once. All offered different ways we can deepen our conversion, enhance our service, and reach out to others more fully, which are all important elements of true discipleship.

Overall my favorite talk was probably Elder Uchtdorf's, he truly NEVER disappoints. I can echo with a missionary I met in the Mexico CCM "I fangirl over Dieter F. Uchtdorf" However I was also inspired by Elder Godoy's "One More Day," Elder Robbins' reminder of how we have chance after chance made possible by Christ's Atonement, and of course was taken aback at the strength and zeal of our beloved Prophet Russell M. Nelson. It is so difficult for me to grasp that he is 93 years old! I look forward to continuing to sustain and follow him as his ministry of healing hearts continues.

That right there is what discipleship is all about: reaching out and healing hearts and striving to help our own hearts be softened and turned towards our Savior.

His heart was unlike any other... His capacity to love exceeds any measurement we can imagine, His love for the Father and us His brothers and sisters is what motivated and drove Him to the depths of sorrow and despair as well as what lifted and exalted Him. The miracle of His gospel is that our love for Him and our Father and our brothers and sisters around us is what will lift and exalt us and help us overcome the depths of sorrow and despair.

Which is why we must minister. To help lift others and at the same time ourselves out of the depths of sorrow and despair that surround us. Distractions of this life, trials, lonliness, hopelessness, grudges, weakness, sickness, pain, heartache, are apart of each of our lives at one time or another. Because the Savior isn't physically right here with us He depends on us to fill our hearts with His love and take it to our brothers and sisters.

In a parting letter that ripped my heart to shreds while I sat on the plane taking me from Utah to Mexico over 16 months ago my dad shared with me that on my mission I would "learn to love as you have never loved before." I have experienced Christlike love so often as a missionary, it has changed me, it has helped me become the disciple the Lord knows I can and wants me to be.

Let me reference back to the fire hydrant of experiences this week and elaborate of how my heart was filled with love for the people we met and talked with this week and the work we do on a day to day basis.

I love the sweet couple that needed help wiring their electric fence in their cow pasture.

I love meeting people in their front yards, learning about them and then sharing about how we share a message that can bless their lives more than they can imagine and handing them a Book of Mormon to prove it if they let it.

I love how the trials of people's lives can have profound stories and applications such as how a falsely accused woman has a unique understanding of our Savior who was the ultimate example of someone who was wrongly accused.

I love seeing the way Heavenly Father has blessed each of His children with spiritual gifts.

I love being able to brighten the day of someone in need and lending a listening ear, it is the most powerful pain reliever.

I love that the Lord is so merciful and has provided  opportunities for each one of us to hear the gospel in our own languages and how in His mercy He enhances our lack of language with the Spirit.

I love the absence of fear that comes from knowing that we are "on the Lord's errand and are entitled to the Lord's help" (Thomas S. Monson).

I love that repentance is real and available to each of us no matter the choices we have made, there is no such thing as "too far gone."

I love laughing and making memories with my girl Hermana McCune

I love feeling the Spirit testify of our self worth, and that our offerings are enough, and being able to share that with people who forget that sometimes. And share that I forget that sometimes.

I love the way my heart swelled when our investigator walked in late, but there to the Sunday morning session of conference.

And I LOVE the family I have found in Greeneville and the way so many of them reach out and welcome us missionaries into their homes and hearts and allow us to crash their holiday parties and hunt for easter eggs with their two year olds, it was a great Easter.

I will never forget the way my heart has been filled near to bursting over and over and over again, I truly have found a new way to love, it comes from serving every day. It doesn't have to be big things, most of these examples listed above are pretty small and pretty insignificant to the world... but I know from experience after experience that those very same little deeds make a world of a difference to the recipients.

I LOVE this gospel, I LOVE this Church, I LOVE my Savior, I LOVE my family, I LOVE my friends, I LOVE the blessing that is my life.

To close I don't know if y'all picked up on the amount of times hymns and songs were quoted in Conference but I want to share a favorite line from Come Thou Fount:

"Here's my heart Lord take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above."

Love and miss y'all with all my HEART!

Love,
Hermana Hall