November 14, 2011

FAMILY,
You mentioned that it was getting a little cold at home. It has been a little chilly this week, it snowed on Wednesday. Most of it is gone by now but it was fun. It has actually been very enjoyable so far this year. Last year about this time it had to be below zero with the wind chill. Hopefully it will hold out until mid-December...
We had a crazy week with T. We went over last Monday, (yes she has dropped us 3 times and yes we are teaching her for the 3rd time) we went over Monday night and her other son was there. They were in the middle of a very heated argument when we were invited in. We sat down and waited for everything to cool off and see what would come of the situation. It got worse so T and us went over to her neighbor's house to talk. While figuring out what we were going to teach and get her cooled off, her son barged in and said some unkind things. T's neighbor called the cops on her son barging into her home and threatening her, which clearly did not happen as we witnessed all of this take place. So the cops showed up and statements were taken and reports were made. We didn't have anything to do with the cops we just watched all of this take place. It was a new mile marker in the mission, cops showing up in a lesson. So to sum up everything we are now teaching T again!! We did give her the scriptures, and thank you for the scripture. It is my #1 goal to baptize her before I leave this place.
I got your letter just now, I don’t know what you saw on google maps, a big rusty square in front of our apartment? There is an older apartment complex next to our place, it’s on the other side of the parking lot, and maybe it was that? Oh wait, it is the patio. There is a patio in the middle of the complex where most of the weird hipsters of the neighborhood mingle and drink imported beer. We don’t hang out there very much.
Kyle sounds like he is doing great. He’s 6 months out and he lost his greenie fire, it sounds about right. I lost mine at about 8 months when I left my first area. It is very typical about that time. Just encourage him, at least he noticed it and now can gauge what he needs to do to be better. But he training, that’s like hooking up a can of nos to a missionary. Training will boost him a lot if he wants to work hard.
We toured the Capitol last Monday too. We did it for fun, kinda cool, kinda boring. It was just us 2 and the tour guide. I will attach pictures. We had a sweet couple move into our branch last week. The Youngs! Brother Young just landed the job for coaching the Iowa Energy basketball team. It is a minor D league, not the pro's, (I don't know why but Iowa has no professional teams but they have a big stadium downtown?). He is a solid guy, the branch needs him. We are having dinner with them tonight. It’s gonna be sweet.
I was a trunked out for a couple minutes this week, we were doing service for Habitat for Humanity, and they are remodeling a building. We were putting up shelving and cleaning the building of construction junk, but while we were walking around I ran into a pipefitter's pipe machine! Dad you will appreciate this, a flood of memories came back as I was looking at it with the smell of drying drywall mud, the echo of a lift backing up, and slipping as I stepped on the 12 foot sections of pipe on the ground. Wow, didn't think I missed it so much.
I do have a question for you to ask the new bishop, Bishop Barker right? Could you ask him what day I will be speaking and on what topic? I would like to get as many non-members there as possible and prepare.
I LOVE YOU ALL -Elder Hale
P.S. I am starting to send some boxes of stuff home, feel free to go through it. It's kind of like my journal and scrapbook all put into many binders. Thanks!