February 23, 2011

MOM AND DAD,
So I will be staying here for some time. When we got transfer calls, President Jergensen told me that I would be staying a couple more transfers here in Ankeny. I'm glad, I don't like to move very much. I'm a little nervous about who my next companion will be. It could be Elder Eldredge, he's still a zone leader!! But who knows, it will be fun regardless. I really thought that Elder Curtis and I would stay another transfer. I don't think that I told you, but he is the son of the mayor of Provo. He's way cool and a great teacher.
This last week was great. We held a zone p-day last Monday in Ames and had all sorts of fun. We played dodge ball and had a zone conference tournament. Marshall town won, so for the prize we brought free pizza coupons. I also did the baptismal interview that same day. I think you may have been confused. Dad you mentioned something about us having a baptism, but it was the Ames 1st elders. All I did was interview, still exciting though. It went great. His name is L and he has been so prepared for this. His whole family is Catholic and has been giving him all sorts of anti, but he has stayed the course and has gained a testimony of opposition. He is planning on going on a mission in a year, what a stud. I threw in a picture of zone p-day. L played with us, he's the one on the very top. The next picture is last week's district meeting. Elder Wayland gave me a sweet brown 3-piece suit so I wore it to District meeting. Our teaching pool has dwindled off. Every one we find and teach keeps getting antied. Its tough to see people who have committed to baptism and the next week call or hand the Book of Mormon back to you and tell you that you worship a "different Jesus". We have a couple of positive potentials lined up for this next week, but there is going to be a lot of finding this week. We'll see what happens, the Lord clearly wants us to teach someone else, or to find that one person who want to know the truth but knows not where to find it.
You asked me this week if my stuff was holding up, my suit, socks, backpack, white shirts. Right now everything is holding up great. So far I have only worn one suit my whole mission, the black one. The pin stripes are starting to disappear but not a big deal. My backpack is falling apart. Melanie you were asking if you could do anything for me. Well I have a special assignment for you. I need you to find, with your flavorful eye of style and creativeness, and buy me a new backpack. Now not just any backpack, enclosed in this e-mail is a picture of a backpack that would work great for me. It needs to be darkish in color. I think the one in the picture is more if a skater backpack that's kind of what I'm going for. So if you could locate and acquire one that would be great.
I LOVE YOU GUYS!! -Elder Hale
PS Could you also send me the famous "blue card chocolate chip cookie recipe" so I can make some for the members and investigators around here?
Love you Family -Hale over and out.