June 29, 2011

Family,
Ten fun facts about serving in Quincy:
1) Many nightly calls between missionaries are made for instructions on, "How to ship a turtle home".
2) I can eat one quart of ice cream in 5 minutes and 4 seconds.
3) When your less-active gets bored while you are teaching his wife, he could go buy 3 rats and feed them to the dogs.
4) If ever troubled with marital problems, take a fillet knife and cut out the tattoo that reminds you of that person out of your right peck. Then quickly call the home teachers.
5) Once you have been stitched up by your home teacher, put the said "tattoo" into a tanning solution in your kitchen to preserve it.
6) When 80 mph wind/storms create a danger for missionaries in your zone in the middle of the night, first, answer the phone, second, process the information, third, accept the fact that you are helpless to do anything and roll over back into bed.
7) When a tornado touches down at 1:30 in the morning, drive quickly and with purpose to the closest baptismal font.
8) Living the word of wisdom includes random missionary raids to confiscate all of the tea.
9) Days before your baptism, it is always best to shave your head into a mohawk and dye it pink.
10) DON'T EAT THE HOME MADE PIZZA!?!

This week has been really crazy, there is so much we have to do still. We need to get the baptism all put together still for this Saturday, have transfer planning, plan out our lesson we are teaching at church (it's a combined 3rd hour), and create a zone leader report. I think the 10 facts covered the craziness well. A couple of nights ago this whole area got hit by a huge storm. Over 20,000 people have been out of power for 24 to 72 hours. The library just got their Internet back up today. I think I heard 12 of the 13 substations were down throughout the city. There have been trees down everywhere. We went to the members' homes to help them with all of the damage. We cleaned out a flooded basement and helped remove a tree off of the Wilford's home. We went over to Sister Hufford's home and there are huge 3 foot in diameter trees snapped in half. Some of the city still doesn't have power today. It's been crazy. Our yard was pretty torn up, the next morning we were hanging out in the trees trying to pull out all of the broken branches. I have a few pictures. By the way, I am staying here for another transfer.

Roxanne- I have a missionary assignment for you. There is a recent convert here named E. She is going to be moving to Phoenix for school next month. She is going to start out at Paradise Valley Community College then going to ASU. She comes from a rough background and has been struggling recently with staying active in the church. She has no support from family, and the only thing that she has keeping her in the church is her friends. She needs a good friend to keep her on the straight and narrow. Could you send me your cell number so she has at least one person she knows down there? You might know more people that could fellowship her.

I LOVE YOU ALL -Elder Hale

June 20, 2011

FAMILY,
H was baptized! The whole program was run by the youth. A recent convert, A, who has only been a member for a couple of months baptized. The whole week we have been calling the youth and reminding them about the baptism and what they needed to do. One of the speakers and A actually backed out a couple of days before the baptism and the chorister bailed on us the morning of.....needless to say the youth are a little difficult to work with. We even went over and helped one of the write their talk for the baptism because she didn't know what to write and didn't want to do it anymore. A little stressful, but all and all every one showed up and it ran smoothly. We had about 40 people show up to the baptism and one of our investigators, K.
We had to move K's baptism to the 2nd of July. Her husband is the one that is going to preform the baptism, but he is having some struggles. So we moved it so he can be ready to baptize his wife. Their family has changed so much since we have been visiting with them. They stopped fighting, and bickering. They are doing thing as family. Their daughter is coming back to church. And D...D is a son from a previous marriage. He is 9, not a member, and has never wanted anything to do with the church. Every time we talk to him about church or to say the prayer, he runs out of the trailer. His mom even says it would be a miracle to get him to church. We were out at their trailer a couple of nights ago and D said that he wanted to be baptized, by me. It was a miracle, plain and simple. So now the whole family will be united in Christ. We have seen a mighty change on heart.
We are teaching another part-member family. Their names are J and M. M is not a member and she has many questions. We have only met with her once but the baptismal date is for the 9th of July. She is going to be fun to teach.
We had Zone Conference on Friday the 17th in Peoria. It was a long drive, almost 3 hours. The other night we had a bad storm and a huge branch broke off the tree in our front yard and landed on our car. The windshield has a big hole in it and the side rear view mirror broke off. But it could have been a lot worse. It should have crushed our little Pontiac Vibe. So that was a little stressful to wake up to. So we are out of a car for a few more days until we get everything fixed. We are always flying around, and now without a car we are sharing the other Quincy elders car. It's been a hassle.
I loved the package you sent me. Thanks for the cards. I do have a picture with Elder Phillips, I'll have to send it...when I get some time.
So I'm not sure how our insurance works, but I have the right card with the number that you sent me. So every time I see a doctor, do you guys have to pay for it? I also wanted to ask you about getting my teeth cleaned, it been a long time a year and a half...I was just thinking about it. Thank you for the AAA card. We travel so much and are usually in the middle of nowhere. So a little security is always nice.
Roxanne I like your past cards. sounds like you wedding is coming along. I have to just mention you should come get your endowments in the Nauvoo temple...I'm only an hour away and my mission president said I could go...just sayin...food for thought.
I LOVE YOU ALL. I'm good and very busy. -Elder Hale

June 13, 2011

FAMILY,

There are a few things going on right now in our area. This past week we have been mostly in Des Moines at zone leader council and leadership training. Monday was p-day and had a little work to do in the evening. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we were in Des Moines. We arrived home from our travels late Thursday night, around 11:30. Friday morning we conducted a baptismal interview with a woman, that the other Quincy Elders were teaching. We had a little time for weekly planning then we traveled to Memphis, Missouri for another baptismal interview. We did not have too much time in our area. Saturday the baptism for C was planned and I was asked to help baptize. She was a larger woman so two people needed to be in the font with her. Then district meeting, tried a couple of referrals, dinner and a lesson with H, and K. Sunday, church lunch and dinner with some members and another lesson with H. That in a nut shell was my week. H is planned to be baptized on Saturday the 18th. She is stoked! She comes from a rough back ground. Her dad died years ago, so it was just her, a brother and her mother. We have been doing everything we can for H. We have brought most of the young women to her lessons, as well as teaching her one of the young women's leader's homes. We have just swarmed her with the youth and with a new group of friends. There is no way that she will make it and stay in the church if she does not find a social conversion, as well as that spritiual conversion she has. But I'll send you some pictures next week when she is baptized!
I LOVE YOU ALL. I hope the Boston trip went well. Send me some family history stuff if you found anything new on the trip, I like that stuff. How is Roxanne's wedding coming along? Let me know. -Elder Hale

June 6, 2011

Family,

Things are starting to calm down. The last 2 weeks we have been using members computers to e-mail so I didn't spend the same amount of time as I usually would. We do have an apartment I think that I told you that last week. We are slowly getting furniture and things that we need to get started here. Last night we got a bike and a desk. I think the only thing that we are really wanting is an a/c. This last week had been the 90's so Elder Phillips is melting away. I don't mind it so much its just hard to sleep when its hot. This week it it wont matter. We are only going to be in Quincy for 2 days. Tomorrow we have to go to Des Moines for zone leader council, Wednesday and Thursday we have leadership meetings in Des Moines as well. Friday we have to go do a baptismal interview in Memphis, Missouri. And Saturday we have exchanges and a meeting with the stake president in Kirksville, Missouri.
The new zone is doing awesome. We doubled our baptismal dates this last week, 8 official dates in the zone, for such a small zone I think that is is great. Elder Phillips and I have 2 investigators on date for baptism. I told you about H. She doing amazing. She had a rough month. Her grandma is really worried about her and is happy to see her work for baptism, and go to church. Her best friend is giving her some flack for meeting with us. She was the one that introduced H to the church and to us, but is now talks to her about how she doesn't believe in God and all the "rules" that the church makes you live (I might mention that she is about 15-16, you know how that goes...). But we have been meeting H with many of the youth in the ward and she is determined to be baptized. Her date is for the 18 of June. We taught her last night in one of the members homes that has a daughter the same age as H. It went well and H really wants to go to girls camp this summer with the young women. She will be baptized on the 18, confirmed on the 19 and girls camp on the 20th. It will help build her testimony. The funny thing is that our other investigator is B's mother. We are actually working with the whole family. Sis. G is on date for the 25th of June, but we committed Bro. G to be worthy to baptize his wife for that date. Its going to be a push, we are working closely with the bishop, and they are as well. Pray for the G family, they need as many prayers as they can get.
All and all the ward has been awesome welcoming us here. We have received more member referrals in the last 2 weeks than either of us have had combined on our whole mission. Members work has been great. This next week is going to hurt with all of the traveling and meetings we need to cover, but come what may. I did receive you package with the dvd and dad's letters at my new address. Thank you so very much for sending those so fast. We have been using those in our members visits and have had a great response from them. We showed it to the Bishop's family and he started to cry so now I get to make fun of him the rest of the time that I am here, so thank you. Im doing great, I finally feel like a actuall know what I am doing and how to do it. I have felt a good spirit since I have arrived in Quincy and miracles are going to happen, we will expect them.
I LOVE YOU ALL -Elder Hale