IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY!!!

My Birthday breakfast burritos!
(Mom always makes Birthday breakfast with candles)

Hey everybody!! Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I have felt so
much love from all of you this past week. It's made for a truly
memorable birthday! I'm not a teenager anymore, thank goodness. Onward
and upward! We had a really fun week this week, and I'm excited to
tell you about it!

Last Monday we went and played football with the guys out in
Beaverton! It was so fun to see my old pals and play football! The
best part is that all of us actually played football and most of us
played against each other in high school so we had some fun
reigniting some old rivalries... Haha!

So last week, we stoped by a former investigator's house. His dad told
us he wasn't there and probably not interested. We left our card
anyway. Let me tell you, ok. I've left THOUSANDS of cards with people
or on their door. Not one has ever called back. Low and behold, a few
hours later, this guy calls us back!!! I couldn't believe it! We
invited him to come to FHE. A few hours later, he came! It was
awesome! His name is Adrian and he is the greatest guy!

We met with Adrian the next day and he told us that a year ago the
missionaries were teaching him, but he decided to join Catholicism.
Recently, his Parrish has been doing some shady things and he has felt
like God doesn't approve and he needed to find another church. The
next day, we left our card! He said he felt like God was telling him
he needed to listen to us. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon
and pray to know it is true.

A few days later we went and had lunch with Adrian at his work! He
related to us his experience when he read and prayed. He said, "The
whole room filled with bright light, and I just felt so peaceful. Is
that the answer I'm looking for?" Elder Lott and I couldn't believe
our ears. Let's just say, Adrian is going to get baptized pretty soon
here!

We have another investigator named Austin who is super cool! He lives
down in Oregon City. We went and had breakfast with him Friday
morning and taught him. He is deciding on a date to be baptized! It's
super awesome!

The rest of Friday we had to drive out to the mission office to get
our tiwi fixed in our car. Tiwi is what monitors your driving and
yells at you when you don't drive well. It's super annoying. So while
we were out there, we went and had lunch with the old gang again! It
was a lot of fun! I'm grateful for all of these lifelong friends I've
made out in Oregon.

We went on splits with our zone all day Saturday. It was pretty fun!
We have some struggling missionaries right now, and I was grateful to
spend some time with them and help them continue in the work. Missions
are hard! I was humbled when I remembered the times I struggled and
the help I wish I could've had from mission leaders. It makes me want
to do my best helping all those in my stewardship.


Sunday was the big day! I turned two decades old! Thank you all for
your love, gifts, birthday cards, Facebook posts, and prayers. They
were all appreciated! We had an awesome day at stake conference and
then had a wonderful dinner with some members and their YSA son in
Oregon City. Not to mention, it rained all day and it was amazing!
Finally! I really have felt so much love and I am so grateful.

Yesterday for stake conference, our bishop in the YSA spoke. He said,
"There is a difference between believing in the Book of Mormon and
exercising faith in the principles of the Book of Mormon." Many people
I've taught can believe in the Book of Mormon or pray to know it's
truthfulness, but they are not willing to act on their answer. It's
not until we exercise our faith and act on the principles found in the
Book of Mormon that we find the sweet knowledge that the book is true.
I know the Book of Mormon is true, and with it comes joy- pure joy. If
you have that testimony, don't let it wilt. If you are seeking for it,
keep seeking! Your answer will come.

I love you all so much! Thank you for making this a birthday I'll
always remember. Have an amazing week!

With love,
Elder Hall



Throw back to our zone at the temple.