Fantastic in Truth

Well it's been a fantastic in truth.. That's some west indian lingo. They say "in truth" or "for truth" after everything. Except it sounds like "troot" Example the other day this guy said, "That fruit makes a rale nice juice for troot!" haha you would have to hear it to appreciate it.

We had great success with the people we are teaching. Pres and Sis Mehr were in town for District Conference and I guess we were the only ones brave enough to have them come out teaching with us. No one else likes to teach in front of President Mehr. haha. So we picked them up at the Marriot hotel and took them by Mr. Coffee Black the cool Rasta man. This guy has tons of questions about everything because he has a lot of different views. But he still is open and is really searching for the truth. My favorite part was when Coffee was complaining about a lot of the churches he sees were the people basically put on a fashion show and gossip about eachother. He said that's what first attracted him about our church. President Mehr told him that none of that will matter in the end.."Your rasta hairs will go into the ground and turn to dust, my gray hairs will go into the ground and turn to dust.." It was super funny. It was great to have the master teacher out with us. Coffee brought his wife and kid to churchon Sunday and we had some great discussions in the classes.

Another wonderful success has been Debra. She is the sweetest lady ever. We've become very close to her after all our visits. She is so open and has been praying and praying about everything. Her husband has read some ridiculous stuff about the church. We had already prepared her by telling her that she would hear those things. I always prepare them for that because there isn't one person I've taught that doesn't hear something from someone once they start to progress. Opposition always comes.. So she had a little doubt but she kept soaking in everything. I knew her answer was coming soon because she was definitely praying with a sincere heart and real intent. So we promised her that she would have her answer any day now. The next time we came she told us of all these spiritual experiences she had reading the Book of Mormon and even seeing visions. She told us she prayed about Joseph Smith and she got her answer. She felt the calm assurance from the Holy Ghost that "He was a man of God." Now comes the next hard part.. She is super active in her church and they need her in the choir. She's just trying to get the courage to tell them because she has been in that church her whole life. We went to her service on Sunday after our church. It was interesting.. The pastor called us out as we sat in the back.. He said. "I'm not talkin about The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints!!" "I'm talkin about the Church of God!!!" Yea nice guy. But we enjoyed ourselves it was an eye opening experience.

Jalisa is also coming along great she has us come every night and just asks all the questions she wants. We have been teaching her about the priesthood and she is connecting all the dots. She is gaining a testimony and it's scaring her a little because she like Debra is very involved in her church. We also visited her church on Saturday. That's the Seventh Day Adventists. The people were very kind and the organization of the church is similar to ours. Rumour has it that Ellen G. White was a Mormon then she left because she couldn't have the priesthood. So all the similarities make a lot of sense... Boy you should see people's faces when we walk into their church! haha. I don't know if MJ could've got that kind of attention. But yea great people very kind. I have gained a lot of appreciation for our church and the doctrines that are taught in church. I love to have to think about deep insights, not only just learn the importance of "Praising the Lord!" It's the same with musical taste. Most people listen to what's on the radio because after a long day of work the last thing they wanna do is think deep about a song and it's lyrics. gotta go!

Sis Armstrong's famous flying fish!

My fajita's with mango salsa 

Face painting Shon-Shon

Brock sent me this jersey from Chile and my old watch!

FHE

I'za Mormon. I'z Know It. I'z Live it. I'z Love it.

Greetings from Barbados!

 

I hope you all are doing well. We had some great successes this week. We are teaching the coolest Rasta man I've ever taught. He has come to church a few times just because his small son likes to come. He doesn't believe in the Bible but believes in Salasi. Everything we have showed him in the Book of Mormon he has absolutley loved. He has all the deep questions about exaltation and the plan of salvation has been very enlightening to him.

 

All our other investigators progressed this week even the ones that seemed to be stuck. We got the Green family to come to church again and also Margaret who has been taught for almost a year without ever setting foot in the church. So that was big. What was bigger is that Pres and Sis Mehr were in town for District Conference and they spoke on Sunday. I'm telling you Pres Mehr has got to be the best mission president out there. His speaking is how I imagine Joseph Smith or Brigham Yound from what I have read in their discourses. He takes the deepest of subjects and makes them simple and edifying. We went back Sunday night to teach the Greens and we really felt the spirit with them. Definitely one of my favorite families I've met on my mission. I feel very blessed right now for all the success we are having right now. Other then that nothing much happened but I'm doing great, working hard, and having fun.

 

Love,

 

Elder Hale

My first planner cover voted best ever! 

The Green family (left Aleya, middle Dashanna, red top Sheryl) Elder Shariatmadari doing his hair(: Margaret with umbrella

Tanning

"Yea, it shall be an exceedingly great transfer"

Wow this week was a blur! And so much happened and don't know where to start. I guess to start it's already been a transfer in Barbados and I only got a few more now. That is really scary I feel like I just got here. Transfer calls came and we are both staying..gladly! Elder Shariatmadari and I are working great together and I believe this transfer a lot of great things will come to pass. Yea, it shall be an exceedingly great transfer. 

We are working with this lovely lady named Deborah. She's in her 60's and belongs to a Methodist church. But she has been so great to teach she is soaking it all and is receiving answers to her prayers. She just wants to make sure this is the right thing because she has been in her church her whole life. We explained that church would help her get that answer and she would love it. On Sunday she came to church with Sis Patrick which is her long time friend. The talks and classes went really good and Deborah just loved it all she looked so happy. In the class she expressed how enlightening all the lessons have been and how grateful she is to God that she has found more truth. 

We have a lot of fun with this other girl Jalisa that loves to ask questions. She was just baptized last year but she says that she still feels like there is something missing. After our first lesson on the Restoration of the Gospel she really enjoyed it. But when we came back she said she didn't pray about it cause she was afraid of the answer she would get. She didn't want to find out that she was in the wrong place after she has already moved churches a few times. But as we talked she came to realize herself that all those experiences had led her to be where she is today and now Heavenly Father is ready to show her more. She asked the most wonderful questions about the Plan of Salvation. There was certain things that she just couldn't understand... "Just Heaven and Hell??" "What about the people that didn't know about Jesus?" Of course we taught her about the spirit world, resurrection, and kingdoms of glory. She seemed so relieved that her questions were finally answered and they felt right.

We also had a wonderful baptism after church for Nicholas Bourne and there was a lot of members there. 

Clarkson has been greatly blessed this week. He hasn't had any work for years and things in Barbados are tougher then ever now. We promised him that the Lord would take care of him if he just lives the gospel and he certainly has done that. Finally this week someone offered him work every day to do some gardening. He was thrilled!

Have a good week friends. 

You know who loves you. 

-Elder Hale

The puppet show made the papers!

Nicholas's baptism

Birthday in Barbados

Hello.

Thanks for the Birthday wishes everyone I had a great day. We went to this nice Italian restaurant and had some pizza and gelato. Wow, I've been waiting for that my whole mission. The sisters made me some cake and I have been fed by members my last 3 or 4 meals... I was so glad it was fast sunday cause I needed a break from food. We have another baptism this week for Nikolas Bourne. He is the son of the beloved Sherry Bourne. When I first got here I guess she hadn't been to church for a year but now she is totally active and that's how Nikolas is getting baptized now. 

I think I decided that my favorite part of missionary work is tracting. That's usually what every missionary despises but I find it fun. It's exciting to call into a house and have no idea what kind of person is going to open the door. And then having to persuade them in about 3-4 sentences that the message we share is just what they need. I wouldn't call it a game but in a way it gives me that kind of satisfaction! We met some really awesome people this week and also some not so nice chaps. But I love it either way. We had this guy just screaming in our faces spit flying everywhere and we hardly had to say a word to get that reaction. There's not much that can get under my skin anymore I can tell you that. But on the other hand his friends were totally interested in what we had to say. It feels good to stand for the truth. 

Can't believe this is already the last week of the transfer! I would be devastated if I got transferred but I know it won't happen. Time is going too quick... Enjoy your week my loved ones!

Love,

Elder Hale  

the puppet show

Gelato for my bday!

my tourist look today