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