Elder Christian Hall in TSAM: The Substance of Happiness Unanticipated

Dear family and everyone,

Probably the highlight of the future events coming up is the baptism of Venita. She is ready, and doesn't mind us inviting everyone we know to the service this Saturday. She told us a week ago or so that her husband would be attending, and that she invited a couple of other people as well. President Slaughter has taught us that a baptismal service is one of the greatest ways to find. I believe him wholeheartedly! If we are going to help other people enjoy the blessings of the gospel, we definitely need to find them.

This week went great. We've made our own invitations for Venita's baptism, and that is the main way that we aim to invite everyone we can. She'll have plenty of support already confirmed, and there is a great chance that more people will show up. The bare minimum is high, leaving the potential attendance very high. Not that the number of people counts, so much as the spirit that they leave with does -- member or not.

Last night we were invited to participate and help with a mission prep activity that I thought was quite genius. Many of the seniors attending that class and others invited their nonmember friends to help them practice teaching the Restoration. Those who came agreed to listen to the message as if they'd never heard it before, and many did. As the missionaries, we acted as the "emergency escape valve" according to the brother in charge of the class. We piped in if the lesson went off topic, or if the youth teaching needed help, or those being taught wanted clarification. Some missionaries were together as companions, but I split from Elder Anderson so that we could each help a "lesson" Out. The two future missionaries I helped were actually a split companionship -- a future elder and a future sister. That of course, wouldn't ever happen in the mission field, but it had little bearing on the teaching. They taught Lewis, a teen about their age. The two seniors did a great job. Though they were from the Spanish ward, they taught in English, using the Restoration pamphlet as their guide. Their teaching was less than refined, but the Spirit was definitely there, and Lewis seemed to be touched. In the end, they gave him the pamphlet, and a copy of the Book of Mormon. Hopefully, he will read the Book of Mormon for real.

Someone else that we hope to work with in the future (L probably won't be taught by us in the future if he chooses to go forward) is Li. Li met one of the members of the ward named Stan. Stan has a son who just got home from a mission, but is with his mom for the time being. We are told he will visit some time. Anyway, Li has really picked up on a lot of invitations Stan has given her, like watching "Meet the Mormons," coming to church (yesterday), coming to a family home evening activity held by an older couple in the ward, and such. She is extremely prepared, and she doesn't even know it. Stan tells us that he wants us to teach her the Restoration soon. I'm hoping things continue smoothly.

We missed the appointment with P and B, or rather they canceled last week, but a miracle occurred. On our way to the mission prep activity last night, we called him, and P answered his phone. You need to know something, P NEVER answers his phone. Well, neither does Venita, but Venita does respond to texts. Anyway, he uses an older cell phone, and apparently our phones have a bone to pick with each other. He can send messages to us, and we don't get them, and vice versa. We figured that was the cause of miscommunication in the past. We set another visit for this week. We pray very hard that we will be able to meet with them consistently in the future, or at the very least, catch him this week.

We talked to one of R's main fellowships, and we decided not to push the issue with him. He's working like crazy, and apparently needs some space, at least on the missionary side of things. So we continue to pray for him, but we've had to drop communication with him. It can't be easy to want to be baptized, but have some logistics in between you and that goal. We fasted on behalf of him and others, and hopefully things will work out better one day. Who knows how soon?

While as missionaries, we use baptism so often, it's like a salesman's use of the word 'sale', when he talks to buddies about his success for the day. Baptism is a significant step, of course, but attending the temple, having your family sealed together by priesthood power, is more of the end that we are looking to invite them to. Baptism definitely isn't an end, it's a step. I will definitely not be an active (meaning serving with the mantel of a missionary) when Venita is sealed to her husband, but I will do my best to be there. Or at the very least we can help set her up for success. It's not as if being present is the most important thing of those ordinances, well, except for the converts themselves.

Also, our dinner calendar is filling up steadily. We think we discovered the secret -- make an announcement in relief society, and those who can, will sign up. But really, it's more about meeting with members than the food. The food is really good however. REALLY good. Y'all have no idea how limited our cooking ability is on average as missionaries is. That's a plus. I'll learn how to cook when I have more time. Lunch and Dinner hours are never long enough.

Also another goal of mine is to make journal writing a better habit. I really don't know why I am so inconsistent with it. In some parts of my mission, I wrote without fail. With others, not so much. The second hurdle is when I lost my journal. When that happened, I had to type all of my journal entries out. And since I've gotten it, I haven't spent hardly any time hand writing it and copying it to the actual journal. I type so much faster than I write. And the typing is automatically legible too. That's something that paper cannot compete with. I'm hoping I can sprinkle just enough prayer to get my keister into gear and do what I need to do. Keep current with my digital journal, and steadily put it into my physical one.

I'm loving the work here. I've found more success as I depend on the Lord, and try to see what he wants us to do, rather than work in my own direction. He is the Master Engineer of All of This. He has his own blueprint, and He knows how to build His kingdom. He merely uses us as the tools and hands to move the parts where they need to go. Hm, I think I also need to share more scriptures with y'all. It's really not all that hard to plug my studies into here when I find something that has touched me. And neither will it be hard for y'all, as you study on your very own gospel library. It's the future of scripture study, really.

Questions and Answers

Have you had any more bouts of hail, or has it only been scorching hot?

No. Jaja, actually, while the weather has gotten hotter, we have gotten intense rain in the last week that I had thought moved out of the area for the year. But the clouds came crashing in with their suit cases that they immediately opened on us. So it is getting a bit hotter with the increasing moisture and sun exposure, but it hasn't been bad. Bad, really, is in July and August. More like AAAAAHHHHGust.

Are you and Elder Anderson able squeeze in any time to speak Espan~ol in the midst of being greatly occupied with English speaking people?

Of course we can! We have a goal to speak 100% Spanish outside of the apartment when there isn't anyone who can't understand it nearby. But we also strive to speak it as much as possible inside the apartment too. It's easier just to speak it 100%, instead of picking and choosing where, or when we do it. So we can.

How has the Lord blessed your efforts of real intent this week?

His Spirit has been poured out on the members and the people we are working with. We remembered how difficult and in effect it is to simply "knock," though it has its place. I don't remember participating in a single baptism of someone found by knocking. So we are limiting it, and trying to work with members once more. Well, not that we ever stopped working with them.

Of course, how are all your people doing and how is your ward family?

It's growing and doing well. I think I already mentioned S. He is still hard to catch, but we keep trying. For the sake of his family, we will keep him in our prayers, and continue to invite him until we discover it would be unwise to do so.

We'll continue to work with N. She is quite interested, but her family may be harder to work with. Her husband in particular served in the armed forces, and has a little bit different outlook on life. He will come eventually.

Are your shoes wearing out?

Yes and no. I bought a pair of shoes at a yard sale in Carrizo Springs. Those are breaking down, but I have no intention of bringing them home. They look really nice, but the tread at the bottom will wear down. No worries, my loving parents. I won't let them get dangerously warn without throwing them out or doing something about it. The nice shoes that Dad knows for sure are my favorite have worn quite a bit. I need to take them to the shoe cobbler in the area, at least, I believe that is what they do. Maybe then I can start wearing them again. In reality, I haven't worn them since, well, um, I think, Carrizo Springs, give or take an area. I didn't want to make them worse, but keep forgetting to take them in. The other shoes I have combined serve me quite well. Especially the brown shoes I bought in UC (Universal City). If anything, I need more pants. I only have one usable pair of pants left that I had at the beginning of my mission, not including my suit pants. Even that pair I've had to sew up. The others have rips so deep, I wouldn't dare trying to repair them. Maybe I'll send those home next week. I also got a promise from one or two sources that they would give me new pants. I didn't beg or anything, but they offered, so I'll probably take them up on the offer. Let's just say that the ward mission leader in Marble Falls and Sister Smith (Elder Smith's mom). Are really nice.

Oops, this explanation became way bigger than I thought it would.

How is your car doing?

The car is doing great. It takes us where we need to go.

Pictures!