Dear Everyone,
We are enjoying some degree of success out here in Texas.
And I wouldn't have it in any other mission. This is not pride or bias; the
Texas San Antonio Mission is simple the best mission on earth. I'm sure Enoch
felt similar about his city until it was translated. No, I'm not suggesting our
mission will be translated, I just love it inside and out.
Shout out to my sister for her birthday. I won't say her age
-- I can't remember. To my knowledge, children make a person young and
youthful. Happy Birthday! And thank you for the valentine Lindour truffles.
There are some flavors that I hadn't even been made aware that they exist.
The weather here is very, very mild. I felt fine walking to
the car to do shopping this morning in a short sleeve shirt. Makes me wonder
how hot it'll get this summer. I'm afraid . . . but HAH. I won't be in Texas
for the worst of it. Actually, I kind of say that bitter sweetly.
We tried to meet with T's family yesterday, but
unfortunately, family from out of town in Waco took them away. I still think
their family will be fantastic. Or they are just bordering fantastic and will
become fantastic later. Good news though, we went on exchanges with the member
that fellowships her, and circumstances were made so that we could share a
spiritual thought with his family, while she was there. She doesn't seem to
hate us as I had thought. Instead, her stress and the amount of things she has
to do did take a toll on her. She's very vulnerable to stress, it would seem.
So we probably won't be teaching her any time soon. But she seems like she will
be ready when she moves. Hope and prayers for her.
V missed church again. I pray that God gives me patience.
When I think, "when will he (or she, or whoever) learn," God probably
thinks the same thing about me. She was getting over a sickness, and that is
why we missed her the week before. This time some family came into town all of
a sudden. Next week, next week for sure!
And R is doing fine. He listens to the Book of Mormon on his
way to and from work, he helped his wife prepare for a lesson that she gave in
church yesterday, and he has a sound knowledge of the doctrine for someone
unbaptized. We're hoping he has the chance to do it soon. This week we are
going to their house for dinner. His wife, Tina, makes wicked Thai food. I'm
excited.
It's kind of interesting though. In Windcrest, our
relationship with Spanish speakers was that if you could speak to them, you
could teach and baptize them. Unfortunately, here when we find them, we have to
pass them on to the Spanish ward. So lamentably, someone that we started
working with, H, won't be ours for long. Elder Hansen and his last companion
started working with him before I got there. He has shown a lot of real intent to
come to church and read. His difficulty is that he works for someone else, and
they make him work on Sunday. So no he is looking for the supplies he needs to
work on his own, so that he can attend. It's pretty exciting.
Someone else that we met this week is D. He has an
interesting connection with his beliefs, and thinks good of the Book of Mormon.
He calls it the "third testament." Wait a second, are you suggesting
something, D? More news on him later. Not sure if he will progress or not.
How are you and Elder Hansen and Elder Aguila and Elder
Smith doing?
We're doing pretty well. I'm finally getting over my
sickness. Now I think the cedar fever has replace the cause of symptoms. Or at
least I hope. Elder Aguila has been pranking us a fair amount since he got his
new companion. The night we took Elder Smith to our home they put flour on our
fan in our room and then set it to turn on when we flipped the light. And a
fair amount of other things. I'm collecting bottle caps to put on their fan,
something harmless that will show them that we can prank them back just as
well. He has also pranked his trainee a little bit too. Fake scorpions, fake
cockroaches, the works.
Questions
and Answers
Have you had any more
fish eating experiences?
Nope.
How is your new car
working for you?
Good question. So remember that Tiwi device that tracks our
driving that I told y'all about a while ago? The new car doesn't have it. So
the vehicle coordinator in the mission wants us to drive the old car until it
gets one. The appointment is still in about two weeks. It'll be a while. We've
had a few opportunities to drive the new car, like when we took the old car in
for repair and they had it for a couple days. We'll take it in again for some
other things. Some missionaries don't take the car in when scratches and stuff
happen, so we're cleaning up the neglect of others. Happens. I'm just glad we
have vehicles in the first place. This week we ate dinner with a brother and
his family, and he served in Houston. He biked his whole entire mission, and
because he kept it inside, he used it for 10 or more years after he got home.
He biked a lot more than I have. Good advice about the bike, though.
How has the Spirit
helped you in your teaching this week?
It's one thing to teach someone. It's a completely different
matter when you can connect with them, connect the Spirit as a result and help
them change. I'm glad that the Spirit makes me a little more relatable with
those that we teach. Especially those who come from a very different
background. Like H. I don't exactly understand what he has been through, but I
hope he can be touched somehow.
This email brought to you by General Conference. "Come
listen to a prophet's voice."
No new pictures this week. I will repent.
Loves,
Elder Hall
Texas San Antonio Mission
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