TENDER MERCIES

 
Elder Gerry fell asleep in the car on me. SO FUNNY.

Hey all!

This week has been so hot! Again! Bull crap Oregon is "the perfect
climate" that is not true. I literally never stop sweating. Elder Bang
and I are always drenched, especially this week! All of our
investigators are out of town, along with most of the ward, so we
haven't had anyone to visit. Most of our days have been spent tracting
and street contacting.

The heat does help though, because we knock on someone's door and we
are sweating, and people feel bad for us so they invite us in for some
water. They don't want to talk about religion, but they don't want us
to die. We had a gentleman offer to help us run away from our
crazy-a** church so we could be free. That was good!

Elder Bang crashed on his bike the other day, and I'm a horrible
companion because all I could do was laugh. He tried to adjust his
rear fender with his foot and it got sucked in between the wheel and
bike frame. He stopped pretty quick and fell right over. It was
hysterical! He's completely ok, and so is his bike, so I didn't feel
that bad.

Every Saturday morning we play ultimate frisbee with our ward and it's
so fun! We get our district against the ward guys and we get some
pretty intense games going. It's so much fun! We play on the Sherwood
High football field, and boy does it make me miss my playing days! I
would give anything to play just one more game with my brothers on the
Vikings field. It's been a blessing though, football is a great
conversation starter with people and breaks the ice really easily. We
have a lot of Sherwood's coaches in our ward, so we enjoy talking
schemes and such, even though they are a wing-t offense. (Boo!) but
that's ok, it's still the game!

On Fridays we serve in the senior center kitchen. We make lunch and
serve it. It's so fun to serve the elderly! I love it! This week was
Hawaii Days. It looked like dollar tree threw up Hawaiian decorations.
I loved it!! It reminded me of Grandma Beth and how much she would
have LOVED it. They had tons of performers come and hula dance and
sing. I couldn't help but smile and think of my cute grandma the whole
day.

Saturday afternoon we went with a less active, Blaire, to the temple.
He is so funny! Single guy, really burly, no kids, drives a '95
bronco, has a tiny little bichon frise dog that's his whole life. He
can cuss like no one I've ever met, and I think it's hysterical. We
went to the visitor center and walked the grounds and "got our church
on" as Blaire put it. His testimony is so strong. It inspires me.
After we went to a hole in the wall Chinese place and it was so good.
They were really mean to us though because we were Mormon. Happens
more than you would think here in Oregon!

Laura (our investigator) has been out of town, so that's been hard
this week, but she is so incredible. She has read the Book of Mormon
every day, and prayed every day this week. She wants to be baptized
and teach her son Ryder to God. She's struggling as her husband passed
away a year ago this week. As Elder Bang and i prayed to share a
message with her, we were guided to many different things and shared
them. Every time we shared something, she would tell us she was
praying for help and we always sent her help in that moment. What a
tender mercy it is to be the Lord's servant and bless His children!

Last night, we met with Matthew again, and he has been reading the
Book of Mormon and even watched the restoration video on his own! He
wants to come to church this next week, so we are really excited for
that!

Earlier this week, we went tracting with Elder Richardson and Elder
Gerry, the Edy Ridge ward elders in the countryside. It is absolutely
a dream out here. Wow! Incredible scenery. Anyways, Elder Gerry and I
taught the whole first discussion on a doorstep of someone. They said
it was intriguing, but didn't want to meet again. Good practice
though! The area where we were is the very rich who buy the land and
build their house in the middle. Not to farm, but to get away from
people. Most houses are gated and fenced. There was one house that was
gated and had no trespassing. I found a gate that happened to be
unlocked. We prayed to know if we should go in or move on. After
walking away, I got the distinct feeling to go back. Bravely, I
marched through the gate and up the half mile driveway. Elder Gerry
came behind like a puppy, so scared. I knocked on the door, and an old
man answered. He looked stunned we were there. We did a classic door
approach, and after he said he wasn't interested, but he really
admired that we went out of our way to talk to him, that he never
liked or respected Mormons, but now he could respect our beliefs. Not
your picture perfect ending, but a blessing of following the spirit!

I'll end with my testimony that this gospel blesses lives more than
anything else. If you want happiness, it's through following Jesus
Christ. The Book of Mormon is the truest book there is. Nothing will
help us more than reading it. I love this gospel! Keep praying, keep
believing, keep trying. It may be a climb, but the view is well worth
it.

I love you all! I feel your prayers carry me. From the bottom of my
heart, thank you.

With love,

Elder Hall

A beautiful field in the country the the BIGGEST house I've ever seen behind it.





  
 Temple Visit with Blaire







Our Fall leaf collection

MIRACLES WITH A SIDE OF BASHING

My favorite members in our ward, the Jetts! Their little girls are SO cute!

Oh my goodness! It's Monday already! Happy school to my friends and
family! This week was one to never forget. Let's start with our
miracles!

Tuesday we were tracting in the 105 degree heat, and decided to knock
on a part member family's door. The wife is inactive, and the husband
doesn't believe in God. When we knocked on the door, the husband,
Matthew, opened the door and invited us in. His wife, Helen, wasn't
there, but he invited us to sit down. We got to know him, as Elder
Bang and I had never met him. He told us of some struggles he is
having physically, and we shared a Mormon Message that talks about the
atonement and how it heals us. He watched it and told us he prayed for
the first time in his life the day before, asking God for help. Elder
Bang and I knew it wasn't a coincidence we showed up the next day! He
told us just recently he realized that God was real. We met with him
again yesterday, and he committed to reading and praying about the
Book of Mormon, and to pray about getting baptized!

I can't remember if I wrote about Laura, but she was a referral we got
and visited last week. This week, she came to the ward party, which
was awesome! She met so many people in the ward and made some new
friends! We taught her the plan of salvation, and she loved it! She
really wants to get baptized, so elder Bang and I prayed about a date,
and presented her with September 17th (my birthday!) and she said she
would pray about it. She is so awesome, and will probably get baptized
that day! (Pretty awesome birthday present for me too!!)

So the other day tracting, we knocked on a door, and a lady came out
and shut the door behind her. 99.9% of the time, that means something
real nasty is coming. She started bashing us real hard. She told us we
were following Satan, and that we worshipped Satan in the temple, and
that everything we believed was sending us to hell. I was upset.
You're supposed to walk away from those situations, but I have that
Batty blood, and couldn't choke it down. I stood and fought with that
lady for an hour on the doorstep. I was so offended, and I wasn't
leaving until she knew that I wasn't backing down. Eventually, Elder
Bang pulled me away, and told me to never do that again or he would
beat me up. I believe him, so I won't be doing that again. Plus it was
bad.

I love all of you so much! I'm so happy because I have the best
family, and I heard my boys won! Go VIKINGS!! But mostly because I
have a family that is trying to see Christ continually. That's not
easy nor common anymore. I love you guys so much!
#vikingpride #hallpride ❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙❤️

Zone conference was this week, and I have some cool pictures of
president Ballard! Also, I just took dumb pictures and video this
week, so enjoy our dumb boy pictures and videos. Haha love you all!

I know that Christ lives! This gospel is amazing! Have a great week at school!

Elder Hall

President Ballard in action

Me and Elder Bang in a ridiculously small car.

The video is of a GIANT toad we found in a marsh.

BIKES AND BABY STEPS

Hey everyone! I can't even describe how long/short this week has been.
It's been so hot here! Every day is between 85-95 degrees, and when
you add the humidity and the fact we are always biking or walking, it
is so hot! I honestly haven't stopped sweating since last week. Elder
Bang said that I should just get used to being wet for two years:
sweat in summer and rain in winter. That's ok though, I'm willing to
work!

I really enjoy biking now! Never in my life have I actually ridden a
good bike, so it's been horrible. But my eyes are opened now! It
really is a great therapy to me to ride and feel the cool Oregon
breeze.

The hard thing this week has been the fact that we have only one or
two people to teach. Most of our day is spent finding people to teach
either tracting or street contacting, but let me give you an idea of
what it's like here in Sherwood.

"Hello! We're the local missionaries! Have you ever talked to
missionaries before, or heard of the Mormons?"

"Yes, I've heard of Mormons, you guys are good boys. My neighbor is
Mormon. I'm Christian though, so I'm all good, but it's nice of you to
be caring of people to share God. I don't want your message, but I
have bottled water if you want one."

Either that or they open the door just enough to say no or go away, or
Sick their dog on you.

We did teach Frank this week. He's a minister in another church, and
is really interested in church history. He reads a lot online and
knows his bible inside and out. He has many many difficult questions,
but we always answer them somehow. It reminded me of Jesus and his
apostles in Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the
midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as
doves." We invited him to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a true
prophet, and to know for himself, not just to learn more about another
church. I'm excited for that follow up!

The only other lesson we taught was with a family we found street
contacting. We were walking home the other night, and across the
street a little family was outside playing, and the mom said, "where
are your bikes?" We walked over and said it was too hot to ride, and
started talking to them. Their dog's name was Buster, so that really
broke the ice! I showed them a picture of my Buster and then they
asked why I left him, and Elder Bang and I got to share our
testimonies about the gospel. We shared a video used for Easter,
called #Hallelujah and the spirit was so strong! Just then, a bat came
swooping in out of nowhere right into our faces, and everyone started
screaming, and the spirit was gone. They quickly said goodnight, and
were inside their house and gone. I was so mad! The spirit was
testifying to this family, and then Satan attacks us with a bat! It's
frustrating. I can only hope the spirit pricked their heart enough to
want to know more.

Yesterday, we decided to stop by a less active/part member house. The
wife is a less active and the husband is not a member. Well, the wife
wasn't there, but the husband, brother Allen, let us in. We sat and
talked for half an hour, and even shared a Mormon message. He shared
his struggle with some recent nerve damage in his back, making him
unable to work and provide for his family. He said that three months
ago, he would have yelled at us to get off his property, but just
recently gained a witness that there is a god. He went on to say that
he prayed for the first time in his life the day before and asked God
to help heal him somehow. Elder Bang and I almost fell off the couch.
We were the answer to his prayer! He didn't know that, but we did! We
set up a time to come teach him more later this week! I'm so excited!

Last night, we had the opportunity to sit in on a mini conference
(only 40 of us) with Elder Robert C Gay of the Seventy. What an
incredible guy! I was beyond uplifted, and learned so much. It's
amazing how the Lord sends exactly what I need to hear every day. He
really does know me!

Also, I found out that my MMA fighter companion, Elder Bang, loves
knitting. He said he would knit me a scarf. I thought he was kidding,
but no, it's totally true. Even the tough guys have soft sides!

Anyway, here's some pictures!

Let me tell you, if we could baptize trees, we would never leave the
font! Half of Sherwood is wildlife conservation area, so there are
trees and plants and blackberry bushes everywhere. They serve as a
good snack! You literally walk 10 feet, and there's a ripe blackberry
bush. They are considered weeds here!

The church is true!

Elder Bridger Hall

:

I'M NOT MADE FOR BIKING!

Hey everybody! I'm here in Oregon!

What a week it's been. I flew in last Monday and have been loving it!

We got welcomed by President Ballard and Sister Ballard then got to go

to the temple and see it! It's so beautiful!!!

After our all-day meeting, President said, "you'll now meet your

trainer and head to your area." My companion is Elder Bang from Maine!

He's a cage fighter, so I don't threaten to fight him, because he

could mess me up. Hahaha I love him so much! It took a few days to

warm up to each other, but now we are best buds!

I got to see my best friend this week! Elder Wilcock was at the new

missionary meeting!! I've missed him so much! I hope I see him again

soon!

We are in the Woodhaven ward in Sherwood. It is seriously like a movie. The tree lined

streets with the cute suburban houses each with a flag hanging

outside. EVERYONE is nice, even if they don't care about your message.

We get lots of free Popsicles from people who don't want our Jesus

message but they feel bad for us. It's great!!!

So we've been so busy, I hadn't gotten a bike yet, but you HAVE to

have one in this area. Thankfully, there was one in the closet here in

our apartment. It is not great, but hey it pedals! The downside, it's

bright purple.

I've graciously named it the Purple Screamer. Mostly because either me

or the bike is always screaming while we ride. Hahahaha no it's just

old so everything on it creaks. But today I got my real bike! She's a

real beauty, and she better be after what it cost me!

So my first day tracting, we met a guy named Brandon and he was so interested he took a Book of Mormon and gave US his number, which never happens!! I'm excited to see where that goes! We also met Meredith, who was really interested in church, but she didn't come. We are going to follow up though!

On Saturday after SPC our district went way out on the edge of Sherwood and did service at a farm! We bucked 300 bales of hay! It was so fun riding down the country road on top of a flatbed trailer of hay stacked 20 feet tall! (Don't worry mom, it was safe) we had so much fun! The member took pictures, but I haven't gotten them yet. I'll send them when I do! I also found this gigantic feather! 

So here's a few observations about Oregon... 

-EVERYONE has a dog. Literally. There could be more dogs than people. 

-everyone adds R's randomly. Like, "gonnar head out to warshington" it's so funny. 

-I swear there are more roundabouts than stop signs. Like, what the heck?

-I have yet to see a light on the ceiling in a house. There is no such thing. Like, the houses don't have lights on the ceiling. Everyone uses lamps, and it's so dark in everyone's house. Which doesn't make sense. Oregon is always cloudy! 

-everyone in Utah has an Oregon connection, and everyone in Oregon has a Utah connection, especially in PG. SO WEIRD. 

-the sidewalks and driveways are not smooth concrete. They are rocky and dark grey/brown. Why?? 

-the last name Hall is super common here and everyone asks if we're related. I don't know! 

So this first week has been really hard. I can't ride a bike super well, and I don't know where I am or who anyone is. But a verse of scripture has been keeping me going. It's Alma 26:27. "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." Ammon is serving his mission and having a hard time. He prays, and this verse is what God tells him. This verse has kept me going this week. I love this gospel! 

Elder Bang was sick this whole weekend, so he just slept. Well, all I had to do was read whatever I had in gospel library, so I read talks, scriptures, and magazines. My very favorite was the August Ensign. It's good he was asleep, because I sat and bawled as I read the whole thing. What an incredible issue! It touched my heart. Every article testified of things that I needed to hear. I challenge you all to read it cover to cover; pray and ask your Heavenly Father to bless you with knowledge, and this magazine issue will touch your heart just as much as it did mine. 

Just a thought to wrap up this week, is a poem I heard from Elder Holland recently. 

"Come to the edge, He said. 

No! We'll fall!

Come to the edge.

No, we cannot! We will fall!

Come to the edge! 

So we came, and He pushed us.

And we flew."

I know this gospel is true. We can all do hard things when we turn towards the Savior. While the path can be rocky, it's well worth the climb. We must work for the true happiness of the gospel. It will change your life forever. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered for me and you. He lives. It's true. I'll love Him forever. 

Have a great week everyone! 

Elder Hall