Birthday Farts, Fury and FLowers

I think the majority of this letter will be a play by play of my birthday day, so brace yourselves because it was a wild ride!!!!



Birthday Fart:
So we were on exchanges well I guess they are called "power-ups" where both companions come to our area and we split and go to work. So I was with a sister name Sister Bird who went to Viewmont and worked at Target, sweet girl. Anyway we began our day at a local trailer park around the corner  from our apartment where we spent an hour and a half trying desperately to teach the restoration to a lovely man who is toothless and swears up a storm and told us ALLLLL about his adventures over the course of five years while he was homeless in the woods of Chicago (Chicago has woods?). So super long story short we get up to go after not teaching very much and he thanks us for coming and then walks around the corner of the room into the kitchen and just riiiiiips one, passes the longest wind I have ever heard!!!! (Side note, this story sounds as if we were alone in the home of this guy, which we weren't his niece was there as well, just in case you wondered:) Anyway, I turned to Sister Bird and said "You have GOT to be kidding me." We were trying so hard not to laugh. She said a prayer to close the chaos and I was just hoping the smell didn't hit us. Luckily it didn't, and we were able to leave and made it successfully out the door and around the side of the house before we lost it laughing.

Birthday Fury:
Next stop we followed up with a few more people and then did some tracting. We met this one lady that invited us right in and were able to start to give her an overview however it didn't last long until we were rudely were interrupted by her livid friend who bashed us hard and told us she has no idea how we think we are going to heaven because we don't believe in the trinity and believe in magic underwear and worship Joseph Smith... blah blah blah. Sister Bird and I had a goal to use the Book of Mormon more and bear testimony of it so I asked if we could share a quick scripture and whipped out 2 Nephi 33:10-11 and we started to testify but she interrupted us again and basically told us we were going to hell but that she would pray for us. We happily expressed our thanks and said we would pray for her too and then we were out of there! Eish, I really wanna find her in the spirit world and teach her. Sometimes that is the only thing that gets me through. BUT though all that chaos happened it was actually a really fun day.

Birthday Flowers:
So Sister Bird and her companion were supposed to go back to their area around two so she and I decided to take a late lunch around 1:30. We went to the local grocery store deli and I splurged on a salad that had a hunk of grilled salmon on it that I have been eyeing for weeks. So we brought it back to the apartment and were just sitting down for a meal when we looked out the window and what did we see? Some woman with a vase of flowers and Sister Bird goes ohhhh looks like you are getting a delivery! Sure enough she rings the bell and I fling open the door to find a Sister in the ward standing there! I had no idea she worked for a flower shop! She asked me what the occasion was and I told her that it was my birthday to which she replied, "No way it is two of my kids' bdays today!" and then she invited us over for ice cream later that night around 8:00 so I was able to go celebrate with some bday buddies. One of her kids is less active so that was cool to talk to him a little bit, and his girlfriend is a non member so it would be amazing to reactivate him and teach her. She is actually way cool and her mom is Norweigian and she sang us happy bday in Norweigian How crazy is that?! I got flowers delivered to my apartment in Greeneville which we happened to be at because we took a late lunch, delivered by a member who happens to have two kids whose bdays are the same as mine and they generate a couple of possible referrals... coincidence? NO SUCH THING!!!!!

This past week I was reading in Helaman 3 and there is a verse I totally relate to, verse 14 says "behold a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people... cannot be contained in this work." I echo Mormon's words as I attempt to recap an entire week of chaos and adventures, peaches and pits. Not even a hundredth part can be written. It would be pages of details about
-A guy who wanted 4 more Book of Mormons to give to his friends. This same guy when we invited him to be baptized said, "Yeah I'm down!"
- A woman who requested a Bible and thought it would come in the mail until we showed up (sound familiar, I know, online referrals are amazing!)
- Speaking of online referrals, the guy that requested a Book of Mormon and was baptized while I served in Poplar Creek is now currently preparing to serve a mission
-Our recent convert here in Greeneville shared that her faith "has increased ten-fold since her baptism."
-A little boy shared with us his best comeback, something about your  brain is the size of  a peanut, to which we taught him to pull out a picture of Jesus and that saying "Jesus wouldn't say that!" is the best comeback of all time.
-We gave a training about discipleship at Zone Conference
-Skyped a recent convert who left her husband and the husband answered the call from a different phone, awkward. 
-Met a new move in young family in the ward the wife and mom grew up in Hooper and was in my great-uncle and great-grandma's ward. SMALL WORLD!

All in all it was a great week full of laughter and memories and missionary experiences. I cannot believe we are halfway into November, time is truly flying, there were times I never thought I would type that!

To close I want to share my response to a question Sister Bird asked me, she asked: "What was the greatest thing that you did in your 19th year?" Hands down it was that I left on a mission. And that when I did I stayed, and I repented. I will NEVER regret that decsion or any of the experiences that have resulted since. No matter what lies in store be it farts, fury, or flowers, I am ready and excited to enter a new year of life, and to begin my 20th year as a missionary. I am so grateful.

Hope y'all have a blessed week!

Love,
Hermana Hall

Beauty Is Pain

Imagine me as a 6 year old crying when my mom brushed my hair and hearing her say, "Beauty is pain McKenzie... beauty is pain." As the years passed I learned more and more how true that was. Getting your eyebrows waxed isn't necessarily pleasant, exercising, training, and toning your body isn't a walk in the park (literally), and how many times have I burned myself while curling my hair? Sooo many. So yeah beauty comes at a price, it can be painful. This week I've realized though that that phrase goes SO much further than physical appearance. Beauty is pain, in every aspect of life.

Let me elaborate. I've come to realize why missionaries fail at times to acknowledge, or maybe accurately describe how hard it is to be out here. How brutal, difficult, downright miserable it is at times. Well, it's because they talk about it AFTER the fact. After it is all over, after they've boarded the plane, waved goodbye to their mission, traveled the distance, and ridden the escalator down to their waiting families. That's when it all becomes worth it. There is the beauty because of the pain. The pain is there, it still happened... however it is drowned in the beauty that results from it... Like child birth... I'm obviously no expert, but I remember in Child Development learning about how the body literally begins to forget the pain of childbirth once the baby is born, the pain fades. Swallowed up in the joy of a child... the beauty of life. Missionaries forget about the pain because they've come to a knowledge and full view of the beauty that resulted from the pain and trials.

Here's another one. Somehow in this world we are living in we have begun to look at people and think "Oh they are just so perfect I want to be just like them!" We look at where they are, not where they've been. I'm entirely guilty of it. Just this past week my eyes were opened as I caught a broader glimpse into the life of a couple in the ward here in Greeneville. They are just the sweetest elderly couple, they call each other mama and papa with the same intonation of voice as the Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus on that old Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer movie. He even laughs like the Santa! Ugh they are so sweet. They drive 4 hours weekly to the Columbia, South Carolina temple to be ordinance workers, and they are amazing member missionaries. Yet I learned that it hasn't always been like that. He as a young adult had addictions that controlled his life, he walked a long road to recovery and says he DEPENDS  on the temple to battle the temptations he continues to have even now over 30 years later. He and his sweet bride have experienced a lot of pain but also see a lot of beauty in their lives. How often do we as outsiders only pay attention to the beauty and neglect that pain and sorrow are universal? No one is exempt. If you are going to have one you are going to have the other. Now I'm not saying we should focus on the hard and the pain just acknowledge it more than we do.

This past week has been painful at times and beautiful at others. There has been an extra dose of drama made possible by investigators, ward members, and other missionaries. We have been run pretty ragged trying to keep up. But you know what, amongst all of the pain and disappointment there have been some incredible beauties. Here are three.

One of our investigators entered the waters of baptism on Saturday and the spirit that was present as she stepped down and was baptized by her husband of two weeks was so sweet and so very pure. It healed hearts torn by uncertainty and family drama. It didn't even matter that the water heater wasn't working and so the water was a crisp 70 degrees, or that the drain was faulty and so it was a race to beat the water level as it dropped. None of that pain or drama mattered because it was all swallowed up in the beauty of repentance and the cleansing effect of the Holy Ghost.


Two of our meetings this week were so on point, one was a leadership conference where we were introduced to the new implementation of Facebook that our mission has now been authorized to use. President Pickett talked about a nearby mission that took 9 hours to train and set up rules and exact regulations for as many different scenarios as could be thought up. Although it may be effective for some, the Tennesee Knoxville Mission isn't going to have any extraneous rules outside of the guidelines established by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I found it interesting that we didn't spend more than 45 minutes talking about specifics regarding Facebook. President Pickett seems to be of the mindset that we need to as missionaries figure out how to best use Facebook in our missionary work because these social media habits are not just going to be for our 18 months or 2 years, they are life long skills and habits. Although there is much drama, heartache, and downright garbage online I find it very inspiring and honestly beautiful that the Lord in His infinite wisdom uses whatever medium man concocts as popular and the world distorts to further the work of salvation. Who knew that Facebook could be a way for us as missionaries to find members and investigators who have dropped off the grid? That it can be a means of publishing our testimonies and sharing beliefs? The Lord did. That's why we have it. How is the gospel going to "visit every clime and sweep every country?" By utilizing the internet we can overrun the pains of comparison and corruption and overall evils of online and instead flood the web with goodness and light and beauty of the gospel. We will contribute to the hastening of His work. In His way. By His power. Always.

In a matter of three full proselytizing days we were still able to meet our goal of 10 new investigators which was remarkable and only possible because of the Lord. He knew where the people were that were ready to receive the message of the Restoration. The pain of wondering if we were going to make it, or doubting whether or not we had missed our chance was swept away in the beauty of the realization that this is His work and He will help us accomplish our goals as we put forth our faith and work miracles happen.


To close I want to share something I had recently reflected on that a brother in the ward put into words beautifull. In testimony meeting he got up and shared a few thoughts about the season of fall. He asked us to ponder about the question: why do the leaves change colors? He explained that when the cold hits leaves don't just immediately fall. They linger, they stay and are seem, they are beautiful. He then related this to us. When cold times hit we need to linger to change to be seen for the beauty that we have within us. What makes us beautiful? The same thing that makes us happy. Our testimonies of Jesus Christ and this His restored gospel. That makes us stand out, that is what will keep us from falling when the crisp frosts of life come to try to knock us down. 

Even when the leaves do fall, because they do, and we will, it never is the end. You see, another Brother in our ward pointed out that everything God has ever created is meant to come back to life. Whether it be a tree that blooms in the spring, grows and turns green in the summer, turns colors in the fall, and lies dormant in the winter. Or us as His children, who grow up, grow old, fall, make mistakes, and die. We each live again through the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He who descended below all pain to bring forth the beauty of the resurrection and the hope of eternal life.

How grateful am I for Him. I know that Beauty is Pain, and that His Pain has been turned to Beauty, and I am eternally indebted.

Hope y'all have a blessed week!

My parting greeting is what an 86 year old man shouted to his wife over the pulpit: "Love you babe!"

Love you babes!!!!

Love,
Hermana Hall

P.S.
While reading this morning in Alma 49 in the first verse it says "And now it came to pass in the eleventh month of the nineteenth year on the tenth day of the month" 11-10... sounds familiar...  THAT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!! How cool is that?! My bday is in the Book of Mormon! And you know what happened on that day? The Lamanites come to battle against the Nephites at the city of Ammonihah which once was weak but had been rebuilt and fortified to the point that it COULD NOT be destroyed. I know in the past 11 and 1/2 months I have rebuilt my life and fortified my weak places to the point that I know I cannot be destroyed by the fiery darts of the adversary. So come what way, I'm ready for a new year of "trials, tests, and testimony" as well as memories, adventures, and laughter! Love y'all talk to you next week!!!


"FALL FOR JESUS... HE IS UNBE LEAF ABLE"

I Will Go - RTC

Alright alright alright alright- HELOOOOO Y'ALL another week done gone!!!! How's that for some Tennessean vocab? My mom emailed me and let me know that she and my dad agreed that TN is the perfect place for me, I'm glad that they think so, that they know I thrive in a world filled of teethless people, thousands of Chihuahuas, and an abundance of faith. But I really would give a great big AMEN to their comment because I DO so love it here! And wouldn't want to be anywhere else! Even this past Saturday when my girl Morgann Holt got married and became Morgann Kletzli I was sad to be so far away but also so grateful that I am where I am. And don't get me wrong Sister See and I celebrated and pretended like we were there at the wedding, we had pumpkin bars, tossed a fake bouquet, and talked about weddings alllll day long. I even recorded a video of me giving the happy couple a toast congratulating them on their wedding! Which is what I want to talk a little more about is what I said to them, because I'm a missionary and I'm in the south where the Bible has become my friend I shared with them a verse that has become one of my all time favorites. It's Ruth 1:12. Someone once said that the book of Ruth is the greatest love story of all time, I'm still working on deciding if I agree but regardless I do love verses 16 and 17 that say

 "For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."

I shared this with Morg and Elijah and talked about how that is what they are committing to each other, going where the other goes, staying where the other stays, being and accepting each other's people, throughout this life and into eternity. (Can I get an AWWWWHHH, from anyone;) ok but as sweet as that is, it actually isn't just applicable to marriage. After all this is spoken by Ruth to her mother-in-law and shows her commitment to family and to the broken, downtrodden, the underdog. This can be applied to anyone, any relationship, but it can also be applied to our commitment to follow our Savior. Which is why it is one of my favorite verses, I want to be able to say each day to the Savior and say that where He goes I will go ("all paths to salvation go through Gethsemane" Jeffrey R. Holland) where He stays I'll stay ("stand as a witness at all times in all things in all places" Mosiah 18:9) His people will be my people (my deaf sweet Tennesseans) where thou diest will I die (lose my life in the service of others just like He did Matthew 16:25) whatever may come, come what may.

Hope that makes sense... our primary children reminded us at the program on Sunday that we need to Choose The Right, I wear a ring that is CTR backwards RTC meaning Return To Christ. I think that it is so fitting that CTR is dual meaning forwards and backwards Choose The Right by Returning to Christ. Return To Christ by Choosing The Right.

Ok so let me share by example of how this week we showed the Lord we would follow Him and help ourselves and others return to Him with a story about a mail lady, a cookie prompting, a leaf adventure, and a running man.

Mail lady: so I gave our address out to some people at home and abroad and I forgot to write the apartment number, sooo I was really concerned what that meant in regards to receiving letters if it came to the apartment complex without a specific number. We pulled in to the complex one morning to find our mail lady delivering to the shared slotted box, (side note many mail carriers in Tennessee are through the postal service but are actual cars that may or may not be equipped to be mail trucks. It's kind of like a newspaper route but a mail route, to illustrate one time when I was in Rockwood Jacboson and I drove past a guy in a mini vin sitting in the passenger side of his car delivering mail and steering across the side, don't ask me how he was using the pedals, it was the oddest thing!!!!) Ok but anyway we pull up and I hop out to ask her what would happen if I didn't specify the apartment number, she said she would just return it to sender (even if it is international, yikes) but she asked for my name and said she would watch for it and if she happened to see it she would put it in our box. Pheuf ok so as I got back in the car I was wishing that I had a card or pamphet to give her. It was nagging and so we parked and I turned to Sister See and said we needed to go back and talk to her more. So we did, we followed the Lord, followed a prompting, heard about her life and her preemie, we did give her a pamphlet and then she drove away. We didn't get any of her info but I have confidence that if and when we talk to her again that she will be open and willing to talk to us more. One of my mission buddies in NYC talks about being a "u-turn"missionary" in order to follow a prompting, return to Christ and go where He would go. I love that!!!! I WILL GO back and talk to someone in order to follow Him.   


Cookie prompting: we had a linger longer after church where there was a potluck lunch after which all the remaining food and desserts got handed off to us. Which we bagged up and made deliveries to investigators and a recent convert. There was one investigator that is so prepared and ready, she is just so amazing but her temporary management position at work while they wait for the new person to take the position is keeping her from church every week and it makes us so sad every time. To make matters worse she has had to cancel her lesson appointments with us both times the past two weeks because she had to go pick up a shift someone didn't get someone to cover them for. But we decided we would drop by some cookies regardless of whether or not she was there, AND SHE WAS. She didn't end up having to go into work so we were able to have an impromptu lesson with her that was SO amazing. The spirit is always thick when we meet with her, she still wants to be baptized and said she will be there at church this upcoming week, work pending of course. It was so exciting to see how following a prompting and reaching out to her the way Christ would resulted in blessings for all of us. I WILL GO and find someone and deliver cookies in order to follow Him.

Leaf adventure: we were out tracting and following up with people and no one was answering, so we decided to take this random road and gather some leaves and see where it took us. As we looked behind us we saw a high school aged kid approaching us on his way home from school, we turned the corner and the first house in front of us looked kind of dilapidated and possibly abandoned. But we decided to knock on the door anyway, turns out it was the high schooler's house he came up and started talking to us, told us that he and his gma have been looking for a church to go to and that we could come back and share more. SUPER COOL!!! I WILL GO and knock on any door because His people are my people and He knows where they are.

Running man: So we tracted into a man and woman who were very kind and worked with another one of our investigators, so we gave them a pamphlet and an overview of the restoration and they said we could come back that next week and share more with them. We left and kept tracting the "trialerhood" where they lived all of the sudden we hear "HEY LADIES!!!" and we see the guy we had talked to running toward us, we stop and turn and walk toward him and he says "do you think you'uns could come teach us right now instead of next week?" Uhhhhh OF COURSE! we had an appt a street over to get to but we asked if we  could come back after that and he said yes so we did! And they were so awesome, totally smoked in our faces, we left reeking of cigarettes but they both said that if they came to know these things were true of course they would want to be a part of It! The guy was really excited to look up lds.org and listen to the prophet. They are way cool. We are excited to continue working with them. I WILL GO and RETURN to talk to people right then and help them return to Christ.

That's really the goal isn't it? To return to Christ? Isn't that what we all are striving for? And helping others do the same? YES! And we know that the best way to do so is to Choose The Right and follow Christ's example. All day, every day.

Keep trying, keep living, keep on choosing the right.

Love y'all!!!!

Love,

Hermana Hall



Went to a Mall... First time in 11 months, Go figure... a UTE shirt in Tennessee


 

Gutter Chocolates

Hey hey y'all since I've been out for 11 months now I think that have written over 40 of these emails to y'all. How wild is that?!?!?! Pretty darn, I would say. So this week I want to share something a friend of mine who also serving a mission shared with me. He was walking through the streets of Belgium when he stooped down in the gutter and picked up three brand new glittering golden Ferrero Roche chocolates! Talk about a tender mercy! Yum!  It caused me to reflect how often do we feel as though we walk in the gutters of life and fail to see golden tender mercy chocolates around us? There are moments of excitement and experiences that will bring us joy even if our surroundings may look like a dirty city sidewalk and gutter.

My challenge to  y'all,  look for those golden Ferrero Roche moments even if it was a gutter day. I want to share the golden moments from my week with y'all. Because they were there glittering, golden, and made me so happy, oh so very happy.

FERRERO ROCHE GOLDEN MOMENTS:

Monday
I was able to chat a little back and forth with my dad which I loved

A lady in the ward gave us a 8 trash bags full of old clothes to go through and I found footie PJ's and a cute striped shirt, score

We had pumpkin bread yummmm

Tuesday

District meeting was so on point with what I needed to hear, a good reminder of how we develop as missionaries over time but that we commit every day to be out here, daily commitment.

We got to do service at a farmhouse where one of our investigators is going to live with her fiancee (who is a member) they got married on Saturday woot woot more to come on that later. But I loved picking up walnuts and sweeping up the barn and basement in preparation for their new start together.

We had dinner at a members house wirh another investigator who just got married to a member named. Lots of part member scenarios here which are the best!!!! But it was a great night, they had some awesome fellowship and a great conversation about family, marriage, and conversion.


Wednesday

We met a lady at a gas station that remembered receiving a pass along card in her door and accepted a return appt

Even though a lady wasn't all there we said a prayer with her and she sobbed as we hugged her bye and left

I had this aha moment. People around here always talk about how judgmental people are at churches and so they don't want to go places where people are hypocrites. We always talk about  how church is a "hosptial for sinners and not a country club for saints" and that we all have things we need to be better and work on,  and we all pass unrighteous judgment blah blah blah but this was my aha moment: Judas betrayed Christ. Even Christ's apostles weren't perfect and betrayed Him. If we go looking for perfection and christlike goodness all of the time we won't find it. 

Thursday

COOLEST thing, we had to drive to the mission office two hours away to get our car fixed, any way long story short we are in the office and this guy walks in selling wooden crosses to support an addiction recovery group he is a part of, we were able to whip out a resto pamphlet give him an overview and contact info and tell him we could help get him set up with missionaries where he is from in Mississippi it was so cool to have someone just fall into your lap! He later texted us saying he was going to read the pamphlet and gave us his number to stay in touch. It's just so amazing to see how the Lord works through imperfect people like you and me.

Said a prayer to decide whether or not to stay in an area where we were looking for some less Actives no one knows. We decided to stay and we ended up finding two new investigators, the Lord knows where people are and He uses us to find them

Met some members while we were in Knoxville and they were cousins to a kid that I went to high school with that just got home from his mission, what the heck?! Small world...

Friday

Ah man every Friday morning we go to the local food bank  and volunteer there. I just LOVE the cuties we work with men and women all in their 70's and 80's ugh they are my fav. The guys all love that I can talk guns and hunting with them and I always sneak in Book of Mormon verses  when we have the chance they are all pretty set in their beliefs and churches but are also so welcoming and kind, I just love em!!!

OHHHHHH MY GOODNESS oh my goodness oh my goodness our long hair guy is not a long hair anymore HE CUT HIS HAIR!!!!! So get this... He went into the mountains to read scriptures and pray and as he read from the Book of Mormon he knew he needed to cut his hair, so he walked to the barbershop chopped it all off, buzzed it, and donated it, HE IS A CHANGED MAN!!!! So incredible to watch. Haha and oh my how can I forget,  he asked what it meant to be an "investigator" because apparently it was mentioned in church and when we explained what it was he was all "that's exactly what I'm doing! Investigating this church, trying it out" he was so pumped up I loved it. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and after we got through with it he said "Wow, how do you guys do this all day? I'm so burned out after that, I'm like way tired."  SO true, I definitely get burned out after an intense lesson, spirtual exhaustion is unlike anything else

We had to use the bathroom at this dumpy little dollar store and it was so disgusting, but before we went in we said hi to this lady who was sitting in her truck. It was just in passing but as we got up to the doors Sister See felt like we needed to go back and talk to her. Turns out she had seen us at her apartment complex when we were following up with people but either we didn't get to her apartment or didn't talk to her, either way we didn't recognize her.  But she was interested in us coming back and talking more with her and her family. We set up a time to come back by and she sped away after remembering she was baking something in her oven. I just love a good u-turn prompting to go back.

Saturday

It was our invrstigator's wedding!!!!! The moment we sat down in the middle of a field under a willow tree with rolling country hills in the background and an Adele song started playing I had this surreal feeling wash over me, part of it was the realization I could be living a scene from a movie, but a larger part was the thought and recognition that I was exactly where I wanted to be. Not just needed to be but wanted to be, sometimes as a missionary those times aren't frequent or pronounced. It's easy to get caught up in the days past, home life, or even future. But watching this couple start their life together and realizing we were helping them start it with Christ at the center. Wow. Nothing I've ever experienced before. And you know what? I know that those experiences aren't unique to me. Something like that WILL happen to you. And you'll recognize it, but something an old wrestling coach told our former mission president's son is "YOU CAN'T CHEAT THE GRIND!" There is no such thing as bypassing hard in order to sit down and relish in the happy and blissful moments of life. We have to experience rough to experience worth it. But the "worth it" times will come, I promise you that.

We tracted an area after going to look for a referral who ended up not being home. We were bummed because she was in a random part of our area so we  made the trip out to find her and she wasn't there. But not all was lost, we stayed in the area, walked down an old country windy road and tracted some farm houses, and double wides, we found two new investigators and ended up coming back to where the referral lived and guess what? She was outside her house with her dog! And we talked to her and she was way cool, and wanted us to come back this week. She has a young family and is super sweet. Wow it just so pays to stick around and see what the Lord will make out of your day. We had prayed for Him to magnify our day because when we make plans it gives Him something to work with, even if all of them fall through it's an opportunity for us to trust HIS plan, because it's always way better, but it takes a heck of a lot of faith to turn things over to Him, gotta beat that natural man, that toddler "I do it" response. As soon as we want to just do things on our own it's like Peter walking on water, we sink and feel like we are drowning, keeping our eyes set on the Savior and our trust in Him is the only way to keep from being beat up from the storms of life or drowning in the depths of uncertainty and doubt.

We had dinner with a less active and her non member husband we are working with. To say the conversation took a turn from where we wanted it to go was an understatement, tangent after tangent story after story all stemming from the question how has Christ blessed your life? We ended up reeling it in by sharing with them the family tradition of good ol' "peaches and pits" sitting around a table in a trailer in backwoods Tennessee eating broccoli pasta and sharing the peaches and pits from our week with this family was an experience I'll NEVER forget.

Sunday

I guess I can't call him our long hair anymore because he is clean cut!!! But he came to church again and during our gospel principles lesson he turned to the investigator that the Elders brought with them (we share an area and ward with Elders) but he turned to this guy and said "isn't being an investigator great?!" He is SO awesome I just love him, everything he says I just can't even handle!

Ok this is a random one but we found this dog at this house we were following up at and it had the most gorgeous eyes I have ever seen, I'll send pics it was SO cool! Also at the other house we followed up with the lady called us "darlins" and I just LOVE southern terms of endearment, so cute!

And finally, We went with some members to a Joseph Smith family devotional where a direct descendent came and shared her conversion story and some family information clarifying rumors and false accusations about Joseph Smith and the church. It was really cool the spirit was so strong and there was a lady who was signing to a deaf person and as we sang the opening song "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" and I watched this woman sing and sign I felt the spirit so strong confirming again that Joseph Smith was truly a prophet of God, the prophet of the Restoration. One thing his great-great granddaughter said (and mind you this lady was amazing she had no idea who Joseph Smith was for a good portion of her life but she discovered him through a family member and went to Nauvoo and also to an Osmond family concert and long long story short the oldest Osmond, Allen? Maybe? I don't think that's right... But anyway he baptized her! How crazy is that, QUITE the conversion if you ask me) but anyway one thing she said that struck a cord with me is "The Holy Ghost trumps EVERYTHING! If the Holy Ghost has testified of truth and you encounter something thst confuses you or causes you to doubt... you need to kick it out the door." It was apparent to me in that mmoment that I just had a reconfirmation experience that I knew Joseph Smith was the prophet of the Restoration, so no matter who I encounter this week this month, the rest of the year the rest of my life I can't let thst DETER or sway me because the Holy Ghost trumps everything.  No one can take away a spiritual experience from you, only YOU can let it go. So don't do it, never ever never.

So there ya go! Lots of golden moments this week. Not to say that there weren't gutter moments too because there were, an entire morning one day... But it's all about the outlook, it's all about perspective and it's all about trusting in the Lord. Because this is His work, His world, His plan. For each one of us. And when we are down in those gutters of guilt, confusion, sorrow, bitterness, offense, sadness, depression, we just need to remember "He who descended below all" He has sunk into gutters much deeper much longer much more horrendous than anything we have and not only did He go there, He got out of there and will help us to do the same. If only we trust in Him.

Keep looking for those golden moments, they're around. I promise.

Love y'all!!!!

Love,
Hermana Hall

"God is Higher than Fun"

Alright to begin this I gotta tell you about this guy we met tracting. He came out and was pretty cool I thought. He had this super long curly hair and told us he had recently moved from Asheville North Carolina which supposedly is very "organic and hippie city." Anyway he was pretty receptive to what we had to say and accepted a pamphlet and said we could come back a couple days later. So a couple days later we were on exchanges on opposite ends of our area and weren't able to make it back to this guy's house, however he remembered and called when we were in the middle of a lesson and left not one, not two, but three voicemails. Asking if we still planned on coming back, saying he was expecting us and wanted to learn more, and finally that it was ok we didn't need to come back he wasn't really interested. But not to fear we called him back and were able to set up another time to go and teach him. That day came and when we got there he had already read the entire restoration pamphlet, which is rare. And he was SO excited to find and read a Book of Mormon, even more rare. So we had a lesson with him and it went really well. He was super receptive and everything went so good. Except for the times when we burst out laughing it was one of the coolest restoration lessons I've been a part of during my time out here. Now to quickly explain why we burst out laughing. At one point when I was testifying about the importance of prophets all of the sudden this guy, who is sitting across from us, reaches out and snatches the air right in front of my nose and yells "SPIDERWEB!!!!" Apparently floating through the breeze was a wisp of a spiderweb but not to worry he got It. I about fell off my chair in fear and Sister See lost it laughing. The spirit took off for a brief second but came right back to testify, especially when we gave him the Book of Mormon and explained more about it. Y'all this guy was elated! Truly as if we had handed him rubies and diamonds. He said he had purchased a note book to write in as he studied. Woohoo!!!!! How cool is that!? Ok but still the other point we started laughing was when he starts talking about "a pretty lucid dream" he had where he was "walking and saw a sign up ahead and as I got closer I read what it said as it came into view and it said in big letters GOD IS HIGHER THAN FUN. That was something I really needed in my life right then and I just really feel like God has been preparing me for this moment right now."

Well dude I couldn't agree more! I love this guy! When he said he would get baptized on December 16 even though he was scared of water but "if God wanted him to" he thinks he could do it, hearing that caused me to feel that happiness that is so unique to a missionary. That true joy that comes when people want to repent and follow our Savior. Then when he came to church and walked through the doors in a flannel, corduroys, and black socks with flip-flops, again the overwhelming joy filled me and radiated, we were so excited to see him. Sacrament spoke directly to him when the speakers talked about dispelling anger, and studying the scriptures, he took notes. I'm gospel principles he answered the question about what the restoration was on point "a time when the authority of God wasn't on the earth and people were confused." Sister See and I fist pumped on the sly, SO proud of him. I would imagine it's a glimpse into what parents feel when they experience their children learning. I love it. I absolutely love it.

Ok so another point I want to make is something our dear sweet mission president, President Pickett taught me. In a zone conference a bit ago he talked about how in his growing up life he was a "long-hair." The definition being a little bit of a high school rebel, characterized by long mangy hair. We all know one, some of us have even been one, maybe even are one. But President talked a lot about the potential for change in everyone but especially for long-hairs. He shared how many people see long-hairs and maybe nointentionally but also sometimes intentionally judge and even condemn them. He said that he is a long-hair turned around and changed for the better, and as a result he has an empathy for other long-hairs. Often times in home teaching assignments or other callings he was asked to be a friend and a fellowshipper to them. He watched and felt privileged to see many of them change, repent, clean up and cut their hair. But it's more than just cutting hair, it's cutting off bad habits, influences, and experiences.


I know that this church is true, I know there is potential for change in everyone and I also know that God is higher than fun and that he will help us, bless us, and change us.


 I love y'all!

Love,
Hermana Hall

A Re-Write, An Anniversary, A redneck gangster and lost scriptures

This week has it all!!!! Tune in for another crazy episode of the current life of Hermana Hall.

For starters I OWE y'all an apology and an explanation. It was brought to my attention that I had been too severe in my email last week about my red firework emotion. I will offer a backstory and an apology. Most of the time when I write my group emails I like to take quiet time Sunday night before bed and begin to draft, than I look over it the next day and send it home and to mission friends... well that has not been my reality as of lately. Last week I  pretty hastily wrote it in the car while talking with Sister See. Then I encountered spotty Wi-Fi, a faulty charger that caused my tablet to die which resulted in me sending my group email right at the end of pday without really being able to look over and reread it. So I apologize if I sounded way too firey and upset. I guess "distracted" is a good way to describe my pday last week, if I offended anyone I am deeply sorry. I'm not perfect but ask for your forgiveness.

And so I want to propose a rewrite:

RED: the color of my frustration as we helped a family in need clean up their house in preparation for a last minute move. Their home was very cluttered and they were to the point that they said to box things up and tape it shut which meant dumping junk drawers into boxes and taping up trying to label it something like "misc" every time. Those of you who know me know I like things organized so it pained me to do that. However it was only made worse after we cleaned out a fridge that hadn't been cleaned in years (tally that up to dirty fridge number 7 that I have cleaned while out here) as I was scrubbing who knows what off one of the fridge shelves I looked out the window and what did I see? The husband of the home climbing into the dumpster to go after some hot sauce his wife had told us to throw out. He stayed out there for 20 minutes and proceeded to dumpster dive and pull things out he wanted to save. I looked at the chaos around me and saw how he had a child in the back room with the stomach flu, another running rampant in nothing but a diaper, a frazzled wife, and rooms still full of stuff waiting to be packed up. And they were supposed to be on the road headed for their new home in an hour. And I watched him still standing in a dumpster after hot sauce... I was so frustrated, not only by my low tolerance for packrats which I need to work on. But also  priorities. Hot sauce over helping your family get packed up, hot sauce over helping a child who is sick. I looked down to see myself scrubbing the shelf way too hard and knew I needed to look beyond what I could see and just accept that people are different and that they have different needs and priorities. It does cause me to wonder what hot sauce I dig out of the dumpster of my life when there are so many things and people's needs swirling around me.

Hopefully that is better.  That's more of what I wanted to say. Sorry you got the rough draft and the version that wasn't super thought out or reread or considerate. I'll do better in the future. It won't happen again.

Alright next item of business... HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY PARENTS!!!!! WOOOOO YOU HAVE BEEN MARRIED OVER HALF OF YOUR LIVES!!! AHHHHH!!!!! 25 years!!! That is SUCH a long time but I am oh so very grateful because I get to be here and a part of the Hall family and I wouldn't want it any other way so thank you. Thank you for being imperfectly perfect you. I love y'all to the moon and back and want to quickly share 5 things I've learned from your relationship:

1- You can work with distance: dad's travels has tried you two but you've made it work, accepted reality and kept trucking along. People would always sympathize and say "Oh that must be so hard having your dad gone so much" well I never knew it was that hard because you always showed the "come what may and love it attitude"

2- You can balance schedules: you can reschedule, alter, accommodate and reschedule again to suit the needs of our family. I've needed that skill a lot as a missionary and I've seen the way you have done it with our family 

3- You can compromise: let's be honest, you are different. SO different. But it works. Marjorie Pay Hinkley once said:  "Early on I realized it would be better if we worked harder at getting accustomed to one another than constantly trying to change each other—which I discovered was impossible. … There must be a little give and take, and a great deal of flexibility, to make a happy home.”
You understand that it takes a little if not a lot of give and take. And I have been privileged to be a part of a "happy snappy clappy happy" home... most of the time;)

4- You can have the gospel at the heart: what is one of the things I miss most about home? Family scripture study and family prayer. I miss reading the Book of Mormon at night together and listening to Mom rant about how "vile of sinners the sons of Mosiah and Alma the Younger were yet they changed" Though I was often bitter about prayer before school seeing my dad stand at the wall and pray into the intercom system is a fond memory I'll never forget. Prayer and scripture study are important to you both and I've seen it, felt it, and love it.

5- You can love no matter what: I never doubted and always knew I was loved. And that you also love each other. I know it hasn't been easy, no one said it would be. There's no such thing as picture perfect... but I picture a perfect family in the future, in the eternities and I'm glad it's with you both... and Bridger of course.

Ok enough fluffy heart-warming stuff let me tell you about the redneck gangster.

So during a lesson with a recent convert this week all of the sudden her non- member husband came in and began to listen to us read the Book of Mormon with her. We were reading 2 Nephi 2, classic. We began discussing how everything that happens for us ultimately is for a reason.  That no matter what we've gone through it leads us to where we are now. And at that moment he pipes in and tells us all about his past medical E.R. history, crashing his bike in fourth grade and having a compound femur fracture and blood spraying everywhere... (sorry for the gore, but it is my reality, Happy Halloween, tis the season;) and then about when he was in a motorcycle crash coming back from a church softball game and broke all sorts of ribs and vertebraes. And he related all that to playing football how these things happen there's an opponent in front of you and you can crash into it and get taken down or you can sidestep, and what was the word he used???? Oh yeah "juke em!!!"  And I LOVE THAT, I want to juke my trials and prove to the Lord, myself, and others that I can get through them and make touchdowns in life. (Tis' the season also for football references, gotta love it!!!! Go Vols! Pronounced vahls don't you dare say it voles... you WILL get thrown out of the state, just sayin :) Ok back to this guy. So if his stories stopped here it would still be entertaining, but this is the south, there are no pauses for your input. You have to create pauses to be able to get words in, sometimes interrupting as they take a breat. But this wasn't about to happen with this guy, and you know what? Sometimes, sometimes it honestly irritates me to no end... but this time with this guy... it was totally ok I was loving everything he said. I was: completely entertained, completely agreeing with everything he said, completely feeling christlike love for this guy. So when he started talking about how he taught himself how to restore old motorcycles and said he was "basically a redneck gangster" I just ate that right up! Haha! I love that so much! So many times I have looked around me and wondered how to classify people in beat up trucks and cowboy boots blasting hardcore rap. Or the gangster people who still have a thick accent. Ah man I am living in a world of redneck gangsters and I love it. It's the best. And the cherry on top of this whole thing is this is the first time this guy has ever really talked to the missionaries so we know what that means... he is being prepared!!!! And we'll be there when he is ready to accept this amazing gospel that is for any person redneck gangster or not!

And finally a tragedy happened. I lost my scriptures this week. Oh my goodness it makes me sick thinking about it. I love my beaten up, weather worn, marked to death little maroon quad. And not being able to find them was THE worst. But when an investigator texted saying I left my Bible on her porch, oh goodness the relief that flooded over me was so real. I was on pins and needles all that night then most of the next day until we finally made it back there to go get them. She wasn't there when we knocked on the door but there my scriptures sat waiting on a metal purple chair on a cluttered Tennessean porch.

It was one of the most beautiful sights I have seen on my mission. That feeling though... of immense loss, and then ecstatic joy is something I want to address. I don't ever want to feel that loss ever again. I know I physically lost my scriptures (and I would've been fine if they were never found... eventually;) But as I've thought more about it, I don't ever want to lose the way I feel about scriptures. The love I have and lessons I have learned, I don't want to neglect those lessons on a porch in Tennessee and never come back and find them. I don't want that feeling again. But I do want that feeling of relief and joy that came from picking them up and holding them close. I want to, for the rest of my life, pick them up and hold their pages and teachings close to my heart. Because they are precious, like Elder Nelson's conversation with the African king "more precious than rubies or diamomds" I agree wholeheartedly with that.

So I want y'all to go on a hunt for your scriptures whether it be physically digging them out from under the junk pile on your nightstand, or by opening them and hunting for a lesson, a verse, a chapter that speaks to you. For me this week it was Mosiah 14. That's one of my alltime favs, Abinadi quoting Isaiah about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, SO powerful. I love it so much. I promise there are Mosiah 14's out there for each one of you, so go find your scriptures pick them up and hold them close. I've never ever EVER regretted studying my scriptures and neither will you.

Alright that's it folks, have a blessed week!

Love y'all to the moon and back!

Love,
Hermana Hall

P.S.
I was informed by a son of an investigator this week that a dab (the dance move pose thing) is "a structure that holds my coolness" what a redneck gangster






Some Local History






Conference Notes:






Lots of "food for thought"

Like Fireworks

You know when you are watching a fireworks show and you ooh and ahhh and find yourself saying: "Oh that's my favorite..." and then 5 seconds later you say "Oooh that's my favorite." That was how my General Conference experience was.

I want to reiterate what I said in April that General Conference should be called Specific Conference because there is nothing "general" about it! I'll tell you what... I was left feeling like I was so perfectly aware of after EVERY TALK!!! It's just like a fireworks show, how can I even begin to choose a favorite?!?! They all were so amazing!!!! From Elder Zwick quoting my all time favorite Disney The Lion King to Elder Uchtdorf speaking what my heart needed to hear and my spirit needed to feel when he said that when worrying about what others think or say about you "the antidote is REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE." Then there was Elder Rasband who dedicated pretty much his entire talk to one of my fav phrases "there are no coincidences," also when Elder Nelson reiterated President Monson's Book of Mormon promise. Elder Haleck reminded me sacrifice is real and made by people all over the world. Sister Oscarson pointed out that service opportunities are right in front of us. M. Russell Ballard spoke of our remarkable pioneer ancestors. Elder Ellis asked me if I trust the Lord. Elder Ardern said caterpillar in his accent and you couldn't help but smile and cling to his every word. Elder Alonso shared how his family loves one another. And finally when Elder Anderson shared a portion of Elder Hales sweet piercing testimony and also quoted President Monson to the point that it almost was like the experience of Brigham Young when he began to resemble and sound like the Prophet Joseph. As he read his closing piece it seemed to me his mannerisms changed to resemble our beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson... It was so cool... SO COOL!!!!

Oh my goodness I could rant and rave for days, I'll just sum it up by saying that the Church is true and the Godhead is good, that's all there is to it.

Alright so continuing on with my week and with the fireworks theme I want to share some of my favorite stories. I want to share a story related to a type or color of firework, does that make sense? Sorry if it doesn't, my creativity might be waning I feel like I've written so many of these. But all is well I am grateful for the awesome responses from people who actually read them, it's an honor really so thank you for taking the time to read into my great Tennessee adventure! Alright here's your firework show.   

Red: red was the color of my face when I was frustrated after we had gone over to help some people the elders found who needed emergency help moving their house... OHHH MY GOODNESS IT was a wreck of a place, so much junk, so unorganized, so overwhelming we would dump drawers and shelves full of stuff into boxes and tape it up. It was horrible. However nothing was as bad as when we opened the fridge to clean it up and I took out shelves and was scrubbing them clean with scalding water when I look outside to see the husband of the house climbing into the dumpster going after some beloved hot sauce we had thrown away.... He then proceeded to rifle through a bunch of other trash bags and pull junk out. Ohhhh my fury was real I scrubbed that tray so hard I thought it might crack in half.  I was praying so hard. I have such a low tolerance for packrats and it grinds my gears when people get attached to stuff. Hot sauce... oh you would've thought I had just eaten some hot sauce how mad I was inside. I need to repent and be better but my goodness... dumpster diving for hot sauce

Green: an old woman had a pile of green weeds and dead flowers she was trimming as we went to go talk with her. We asked her the soul searching question of: "if the savior were here right now what would you ask Him?" She loved that, and said she would have to ask her sister and her pastor. We tried to explain that we wanted to know what SHE herself would ask. She couldn't come up with an answer but we had a good conversation. She wasn't interested in our message but enjoyed talking with us. As we were getting ready to leave she stands up from her stool she was sitting on in the grass and there was a hole in the ground that none of us saw until one foot goes into it and suddenly I get a faceful of grandma as she fell into us. Both Hermana See and I were CNA's before our missions so we knew exactly what to do to assist her in falling and standing back up. However I must say that that in my 7 1/2 months of working at the Villas I never had anyone fall on me yet here I am in Greeneville Tennessee picking up an elderly woman up out of her garden. Always an adventure out here, never know what to expect.

Blue: the color I feel when I am lonely even in a busy crowded day. Also the feeling of sadness I get when people can't see how the gospel can bless their lives... How it can salvage their marriage, strengthen their family, provide opportunities and blessings that they cannot even imagine! If they would only give it a try. Sometimes there are quite a few blue fireworks that burst into my day and I feel down. But they are never permanent there is always some other event or experiemce to brighten my day, make me feel inspired, and happy. Blue fireworks don't last long.

Purple: the color of the plants we helped one of our investigators on date had us help plant in preparation for her upcoming wedding. My goodness she is so awesome. She is so receptive to everything that we talk about and says it just makes sense. I just love her!!! She is so cute and has the most adorable little girl ever she loved helping us dig out rocks and shovel mulch for service. Also our investigator "randomly" quit drinking coffee a few months back because she felt like it... hmm no coincidences though am I right?

Sparkle: ooh ok I love these ones where the fireworks shoot up and then almost disappear so it leaves you wondering where it went then suddenly it sparkles and glitters. So that's like when we experience a bunch of tender mercies and then something throws the day off like I don't know someone says something that ticks us off and makes us question the way we do missionary work or life in general. And then suddenly the Lord provides a way for us to go to a lesson with a woman who committed to baptism but we haven't been able to get into contact with her for a few weeks, but when we do go back she says she wondered where we went she has been reading the Book of Mormon and is in Alma!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!! There is that sparkle where the spirit comes and everything is ok. The Lord is so good.

Ok so the final thing I want to talk about is you know that feeling when you watch a firework show and as they go off you can feel it in your chest and you feel a little more alive? Well that is how the Spirit feels. That moment when you have a question answered and you know God is aware. You can feel it inside. The time when you sit with someone knowing you just said something that touched them, you can feel it deep within. When you know people care about and support you, it's a deep and inspiring feeling.

Anyway I am grateful for the firework show that was conference I was sad when it ended just as I am often sad when fireworks end. But unlike firework shows we can watch conference over and over again, which I'm so grateful for!!!!

But it's been another good week, I hope it has been for y'all as well.

Hope you keep looking for the bursts of light in your life whatever color they may be they each are there for a reason and are more than just a show, God has arranged them into something beautiful and awe inspiring. And I love it.

Love y'all!!!!

Love,
Hermana Hall