fantastic progress

Hello family and friends! This week was fantastic for the progress of our investigators. But to get the bad news out first no one was able to come to church. We have a baptismal date for investigators Maria and Shaun. Maria has very nice kids and an unfaithful husband. She is very nice but at first we were not seeing too much progress because we only saw her once a week. But we got President Nandlal out teaching with us and we found out that she has really felt the spirit from the lessons. And then when we came back a couple days later she had kept her reading committment and really enjoyed it. I love seeing the difference these things can make in someone's countenance. I know Alma asks us "Have you have received his image in your countenance?" I know more then ever that that is a real thing. Shaun is a very cool guy. His beliefs were already very similar to the plan of salvation and the lesson helped him with many questions he has. Getting people to church is the wall that is keeping us from baptisms.

 

We also saw great progress with Ms. Koylass. She is always talking about her anscestors and the Book of Mormon answered questions she had about them. She is indian blood.  So we talked about temple work and that really sparked her interest. We invited her to be baptized and she said she will have to think about it. But once she comes around she will be baptized soon because she has already come to church a few times.

 

My email from President Mehr today makes me believe I will be moving on to another area. My comp is really burnt out on this area and he has not been here as long. I think he might be trying to work something out so neither of will have to stay here. In a way it is what I want but I also want to see my investigators make it to the font. But it doesn't really matter as long as they make it. This transfer is 7 weeks and today is the start of week 6. So not too much longer. Here comes the flood of new missionaries.

 

Have a great week!

 

Love, Elder Hale

Koylass

Hey everyone! Not much has happened since we talked last. Things are going well with investigators Mrs Koylass has received her witness that the Book of Mormon is true and that therefore Joseph Smith was a prophet. She asked us how she can become a member and stuff. That really surprised us! We thought our roadblock was going to be inviting her to be baptized. We showed her the baptismal interview questions and she has agreed with it all she just needs to read something from Thomas s. Monson to know about him.

I'm not sure what is going to happen to me this transfer. I have been here for a while so it's very possible they will move me. The branch is struggling so Pres. Mehr is coming up with some ideas to help it. All the missionaries will be flooding in next transfer and he has to find room for all of them. All I know is there will probably be a lot of change happening here. 

On Sunday we had the opportunity to make a meal for Bro Samuels in the branch. He gets like one meal a day from this sandwitch place but on Sundays he relies on the people of the church to give him something. He is about 60 and he has some kind of mental condition where he can't work. But we brought him a tub of spaghetti and before I could give him a fork he just shoved his face in and started eating. haha. Poor guy must have been starving. But he loved it. 

I gave a talk on tithing in the Penal church. I like giving talks cause I always learn a lot. We took Andrew Baptiste out teaching with us. He is a 14 year old goof ball but he loves coming with us. He dresses up and stuff cause he wants to be a recognized as a missionary. haha. It was funny someone asked him to say a prayer in our lesson and he prayed that they would come to church and get baptized. It was funny. But I am having a great time with the people here the families are a lot of fun. 

Well that's all for this week. I love you guys!

Love, Elder Hale

Carnival

Me and Lilly :) She is a members monkey and she is real playful.

Hello amigos! So it's been awhile. We had to stay in for carnival for 3 days and yesterday the email shops were all closed. We had a great zone conference. Pres. Mehr went deep into fore-ordination and exploded our brains with deep doctrine. It was lovely. We also had catering there from some french member. The food was amazing!

We taught some good lessons over the weekend. One of our investigators Shaliza accepted a baptism date for march 16th. And we taught a guy I contacted named Shaun and he is really interested. They were both set to come to church Saturday night but then church in Penal got canceled because of Carnival. So they will be this Sunday.

Carnival was a huge headache. On Sunday we had a party under us blasting music. And then on Monday this bar across the street played the same songs all day long! So we just did a lot of sleeping and eating. When we came out of our apartment on Wednesday to go to district meeting our bikes were gone! They were locked up and everything. So now we are on foot. Getting everywhere much slower..

Also I got a late Christmas gift from a member named Samantha in Grande! It was a nice tie. It was cool she did that cause I know her family doesn't have a lot of money. She said I was the best missionary Grande ever had! haha flattering but not true.

Alright see ya guys!

Love, Elder Hale

I made fajitas!

Baby creepin on me!

My birthday at the Baptiste's!

More bday!