February 14, 2011

MOM AND DAD,
I received your letters this week. The pictures that you sent were funny. Unfortunately it wasn't accurate. While the blizzard blew through we were told to go inside. So we didn't have the snow and icicles plastered to our faces, but we did have some cold, cold weeks. There was a morning we went to work out and it was -27 and the high for the day was 2 degrees. That was brisk. I can relate to the man that said, "I can, like, feel my boogers freezing." That does happen.
Thanks for the Valentine package. I'm not going to lie but I totally thought there was going to be some junk food in there that I would be able to munch on, good thing you didn't send any.
This week has been great. The whole Ames district has set baptismal dates, that's 4 companionships. Some of which have not been to church yet so they are not yet reported, but every companionship has a date. This area has been dead for a couple of years, miracles are taking place. Today I get to do the baptismal interview for L, he is soon to be baptized on the 19th. He is part of the Ames 1st Ward. This will be my first one so I'm excited.
Here in the Ankeny area, things have been slowing down. We had to drop one of our investigators because he will not progress. We were bummed about it this week until we received a super referral from a member at a dinner appointment, it was their neighbor. We contacted the referral and it was a lady who has been searching for "more" She is Catholic and says that she just doesn't fit in. She sees her neighbors and just wonders why they are so happy, why they are so friendly. She was so happy that we came by to talk to her. She wanted to hear it first hand from her neighbor (the member) about why and how she was so happy.
This Wednesday we have this really cool missionary opportunity. There will be 100 Lutherans touring our church as part of their Communion. I may have already told you but I'm so excited about it. The youth will be hosting the tour and they will be watching The Restoration and a few of the youth will be bearing their testimony. They will get to walk around the building and are going to stop at the baptismal font. Hopefully there will be some questions that we can answer for them. I'm stoked.
I LOVE YOU ALL -Elder Hale