Loving The Work

We got the new Ensign this week. There is an article in it about readjusting to home life after the mission. I started reading it and looked down at the picture of the missionary flying home. My stomach sunk and I kind of shuddered as I started to think about that flight. I can't even think about it without feeling sick! I NEVER want this to be over!

I gave two pass along cards out this week through car windows! It was actually so much easier...they can't move away from you!! The first one was to a girl in the in n out parking lot, at 9 pm (dark) I walked up from the back so I think I scared her, but then I told her that I am a missionary and I handed her a picture of Jesus and told her I thought she'd like it, and that I wanted her to know that Heavenly Father and Jesus love her. I hope it helped her!

The Big Miracle

 (that I have been praying for!!!!!!!) came this week (Week 4 of 6 of the transfer! FINALLY!) We were doing our Weekly Planning session and wanted to have inspired goals so we were praying about each one. We needed to adjust our goal for new investigators from 3 to something more achievable...So I knelt and we each said our own prayers.

 

I have such a hard time knowing what they should be, so I told Heavenly Father that. Basically, I have no idea what I'm doing and so if you don't tell me, I'll guess and be wrong, our goals won't be inspired and there won't be miracles. I need a miracle. 
The thought came that when I want to speak to God I pray, and when I want Him to speak to me I read the scriptures.

So I told Heavenly Father I was going to open my scriptures and if He could give me the answer in there Id really appreciate it. I sort of thought that I'd look for a number and that would be how many investigators we could find in two and a half days, but then was like "No...there's too many numbers in there" but at the same time I was hoping to see a number, and that would be my answer.

I flip open to Alma 37:9 and start reading, it makes me think "1000!? No." Verse 11 makes me think this mystery won't be revealed to me. Then I read 12. My eyes jump to "one"---I read the whole thing, how God counsels in wisdom over all His works (me)...And so, we decided that ONE was the right answer. And we got one the next day!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!

Heavenly Father loves all His children and wants them all to know it and share it!

The Church is true.

Love,

Sister Hall

 

 

All that I have...

This week has been full of hard work---I'm beginning to understand what all those people meant that told me before I left that this would be the hardest thing I ever loved doing :)

We spend so much time at the temple, and it is SOOO amazing. I love the Spirit that is there, just on the temple grounds. We gave a tour to one of the districts of missionaries, as practice and to help them know what it would be like when they bring their investigators. I love testifying that the sealing power is on the earth, that families can be together forever, and that, because families are so important, they must be "organized" in the temple for eternity, rather than in a church where other groups are organized for "time".

We go to the members' homes and teach them the lessons. Last night we went to a sister's house and taught the Restoration. I love saying the First Vision in Joseph's words. EVERY TIME the Spirit is there and testifies to me and us all that Joseph is a prophet. He saw God and Jesus Christ. It's wonderful to feel my testimony growing more rapidly than it ever did at home. 

Plus, I just feel the Spirit more clearly. I think it was yesterday, I was reading an Ensign article about the Atonement (https://www.lds.org/ensign/2008/03/the-atonement-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng). I felt the tingling and I thought "goosebumps?" but I looked down at my arms that the hair wasn't sticking up :) and I thought, the spirit is inside. I don't know how to explain that stream of consciousness, but, yeah. The Holy Ghost speaks to our spirits. Which is just so cool :)

A consecrated missionary gives her ALL on the table of sacrifice. At the end of the day there is nothing left to give. That is my goal everyday.

I pray everyday to be exhausted. Which might have been a bad idea, but He's answering it :) 

I invite you all to give your ALL to Him. I know it's harder in the real world where there are less than spiritual things to worry about, but I know that we can consecrate our every moment to Him (see 2 Ne 32:9). And He will gives us His ALL in return.

Focus

Did I tell you we are doing temple grounds tours? We spend a lot of time at the temple, which is so great. every time we get to the Celestial room windows I get to say that "This place is representative of being in our Heavenly Father's presence, and is the closest place on earth that we can ever get to Him" ---every time I do, the spirit rushes through me and I get excited to go in, and also to see Heavenly Father one day.

A lot of our goals focus on becoming consecrated missionaries (giving all that we have) and on developing a celestial culture. As I have thought about what that means, I have come to the conclusion that it means: to be progressively obedient, not perfectly obedient. To be a little better now, than I was a moment ago. My goal today is to go home so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open. I want to give my ALL to Him.

California Irvine Mission aka...CIM

 When we first got to California we each had an interview with Pres Orgill and that was sooooo wonderful. I think (KNOW) he's going to be a great mission president. We talked and laughed a lot. Afterward, I took a nap with Sister Fetui and some of our elders in the chapel (they brought pillows for us :)) And then had to walk into a chapel fullllllllllll of Called-to-Serve-Him...singing missionaries. THAT was overwhelming!

 

Off to Serve !!

If there is one thing I have learned the past 12 days, it is that the Lord is aware and in the details of our lives. He has sustained me when the thought crossed my mind to "just give up, this is too hard" but I can't! you know? A mission will be the best thing that ever happens to me and I love all that I have learned, esp about the spirit and about talking to people-- I have taught more lessons and talked to more strangers than ever before in my life and am so ready to go talk to Californian's!!

The reason we teach the doctrine of Christ (the missionary purpose) is so that we can "help others come unto Christ which means helping them access the Atonement. That really struck me and has stayed with me these last couple of days. I know that that is the greatest gift I can give anyone, and is what Ibhave strived to learn here at the MTC and what I am going to strive to do in the field.

Irvine CA

8-5-14

With Pres. & Sister Orgill

The MTC is amazing!

Dear Family and Friends!

I love it so much. I am learning so much about the gospel and about my purpose as a missionary to invite and help!

Thank you for your emails, family and Sister Selfridge and Christy Sauffley! :)

The Holy ghost is so strong here and I feel everyday that this is where i am supposed to be and that God is so aware of my needs--aware of ME. 

Sister Fetui and I were called to be Sister Training Leaders, did i tell you that? We are getting 4 new sisters this week and the 

"old" sisters are staying for an extra week for visitor center training---They are going to Winter Quarters!! (Sisters durrant and brower)

I have been doing great--I think we all struggle adjusting, yesterday was particularly hard because our new invetigator  Sarah . She talked the whole lesson and we didn't get a chance to teach her, but we were able to discuss it afterward (as a companionoship) and we decided that we are going to Be A Little "Boulder" (Our teacher Bro Kezele gave us rocks and told us to always remember that ---We know that is what she needs. Loving Sarah is my goal. Loving her the way her Heavenly Father loves her---not gettting frustrated when the lesson doesn't go the way we hope. And I do love her--she is SOOO sweet and SOOOO ready for the gospel, but we just need to be a little 'boulder' and tell it to her straight :) She is going to be a great Latterday Saint when she finally gets baptized----so faithful and dedicated to the Lord

Al is our other investigator--we started teaching him on our second day!!! He knows so much already about Jesus and is looking for how to come closer to Christ. He is so ready, and now is reading the book of mormon we gave him (prayed about it!!) and is committed to baptism for sept 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We asked and he just said, yeah, sure...if we keep come teaching him :) SUCH A SPIRITUAL LESSON!!! We taught him to pray and how to feel the spirit---to know when he's feeling it, yesterday we taught the whole plan of salvation (should have broken it up, but we didn't know we could :)) I love his yearning to learn---he's a sponge and I feel so blessed to be able to help him come closer to Christ.

My favorite time of the day is when we are reading the Book of Mormon together as a district or companionship. We start with a question and read slowly, stopping any time anyone wants to share some insight or some answers we get from the spirit --- you should try it! the spirit answers my questions no matter where we read, no matter the content of the chapter--- it's AMAZING. I have been asking the Lord a lot, how to be better, and his answer is always "Have Charity" and some reassurance that He loves me. 

I got a blessing this morning from the elders our second day and this morning. the priesthood is real. They said things that I needed to hear so badly--especially about Heavenly Father's love for me, it's more than we can understand!

We got to listen to a talk on sunday that elder bednar gave on christmas at the MTC called the Character of Christ--that He turns outward in love when we (the natural man) would turn inward. If we can learn to serve others when we have hard time, that is true charity. My goal this week is to "murder my district with service" :)   That is my other goal--to quit thinking about what I need/want. Elder Bednar said, 'Who cares about you? This is the Lord's work and the Lord's time--what you want doesn't matter" . I forgot, but remembered last night one of the answers i got about serving a mission-- I was sitting in the Rexburg Temple, telling the Lord all the very good reasons that I did not want to serve a mission. I opened the scriptures and it said "Lose your life for my sake, and ye shall find it."  

I love Heavenly Father. I love the gospel--His plan for our return to Him. I love Jesus Christ, and the Atonement. I know the Church is true.

Love,

Sister Hall

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