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!

Rekindle the Flame

Hey everyone! A lot happened this week. We met a lady named Mrs. Koylass. She came in contact with missionaries 12 years ago. She has read the Book of Mormon but didn't quite know what it was. We explained and rekindled the flame. She read 150 pages in 2 days! She's probably done with it by now. But she came to church Sunday and sang louder than everyone even though the hymns were new to her! It was so awesome. She has a great relationship with God so I know she will feel the truthfulness of what we teach. She already has.

So basically the work continues to pick up but the Siparia branch is struggling. Everyone was late to church so it didn't start til 9:30 instead of 9. So Mrs. Koylass was like the 2nd one there. I am concerned about the members and leaders. If they don't shape up it will be hard for us to have success. So that's our focus right now. Other then that this week was pretty good. Still working with Cazim. He has a long way to go but I trust he will make it there.

Love you guys. Have a great week!

Sincerely, Elder Hale

Me and District Leader Harvey

Rasta Woman

Staying in Siparia

Hey folks! This week was one of the hardest weeks for me. Many investigators are ducking us. Ducking is the Trinidad word for avoiding. We had a great teaching pool but it has quickly diminished. We went to go see the Lawrence family and as we were riding up I saw the Grandmother Beene on the porch. When she saw us she quickly ran inside and shut the door! So we just turned around and left. I'm not going to force anyone to hear the beautiful message of the Gospel. People would be lining up to hear it if they truly knew what we have to offer. But I read through the section patience in Preach my Gospel and came across a scripture in Alma 26:27. The Lord tells the Sons of Mosiah that as long as they are patient in their afflictions they will have success. That is my test right now.

We did have some success this week though. We found a couple people who are very interested. And Casim is continuing to progress. We visit him about 4 to 5 times a week and he loves it. We also had stake conference and Russel M. Nelson spoke. It was awesome to see them speaking directly to the Caribbean. He showed 7 scriptures in the Book of Mormon where the Lord says he remembers those in the isles of the sea. He also said that the promised gathering of Israel would not take place without the Book of Mormon convincing evidence of the restoration. I love hearing the leaders of the church speak. It really helped lift my spirit with the hard week and all.

Oh yes and we got our transfer calls and we are both staying in Siparia. This transfer is going to be a 7 week transfer instead of 6. So I'm hoping that I will be able to have some success with all the time that I have here.

Good News from Grande

Hello everyone this week was fine and dandy. We have a progressing investigator named David with an interesting problem. He claims he used to have problems with demons possessing him and he still has them messing with his mind. He says he hears voices and stuff. He also said he went to the doctor and they said there was nothing wrong with him mentally. But since we have been teaching him his problem has been diminishing. He has accepted everything we teach and is really excited about it. Unfortunately he has not come to church for some strange reason. But I'm sure that once he comes 3 times he will be baptized.

Also good news from Grande. One of my investigators who Elder Whitlock and I found and taught got baptized on Saturday. Her name is Sister Val. So that was exciting to me that my seeds are still growing.

Transfer calls are this Friday. Time really seems to be moving quickly. I think I will stay another transfer in Siparia but anything is possible.

That's all for this week! Love you guys!

Love, Elder Hale

Bible Champ

Me and my boy Lall

Hello peeps! This week was good. I enjoyed New Years except for the part where I couldn't sleep from all the explosions going off! Our investigators are slowly progressing but everything is going in the right direction.

We are teaching this very intelligent man named King and he loves us. Mostly because my companion is a bible champ. But he invited us over to a friends house for dinner and it was very nice. There was a man there from Poland who sat in and listened. He seemed like the happiest guy in the world! But we talked about the fall of Adam and Eve the whole time because King has very different views on that particular point. He says he prayed about the Book of Mormon and knows it's true but he still won't except the doctrine that Adam had to fall...

We are having success with Casm and his wife but they couldn't come to church yesterday. I know there problem will be the word of wisdom but we haven't brought it up yet. We are first just building their testimonies and it's going very well.

Our testimony meeting in Penal this week was a grand 30 minutes! Our meetings don't have to last an hour because we are only a group.

Well I miss you guys. I wish I could've been with you for the New Year!

 Love, Elder Hale

Me and my comps at our Christmas brunch

caterpillar

Scenic view!