Hello everybody! I hope you all had an awesome week! I know we did! The weather here has been stunning. I love Autumn in Oregon! Well, I’ve got much to tell you, so buckle up!
Tuesday was pretty fantastic! We had Zone Conference and it was incredible! The spirit was strong and it went off without a hitch. Our missionaries were really involved and really enjoyed it! It’s always amazing when you get to spend the day with President Bullen and his counselors, especially in the intimate setting of just our zone. What a treat!
The only downside of Tuesday is that we all had to get mandatory flu shots. They had some pharmacists from Walmart come to the church and stick everyone. Good news, I didn’t freak out or pass out, so I call that a win! It was super entertaining to see who really can’t handle needles and shots though. Man, cheap entertainment I tell you.
The brand new Area Book app came out this week and it is terrible. The old one worked just fine, but now we have this new one that no one knows how to work and it is frustrating! Now I know how Lehi felt when the Liahona ceased to work.
We decided to drive out and see Jordan on Wednesday and it was good to see him! He is doing much better spiritually and emotionally, though he’s had a nasty eye infection which has kept him from coming to church. We are praying it gets better this week so he can be at church this week!
We taught mission prep on Wednesday night and it was quite the crowd! Only two people showed up, but that’s ok because it just meant we could teach one on one. It took me back to teaching seminary in Westview. Gosh, I miss those kids! We spoke about the Book of Mormon and how to teach from it. It grew my testimony as we taught and learned from its pages. The words in that book are living and breathing, with a pulse to them. They hold Power. It really is the word of God!
Thursday was a chill day. We helped a guy move stuff from a storage unit into a moving truck. I have never seen so much stuff for one person in my life. We filled a large Penske truck that was probably 30 feet long and 12 feet high. It was packed so tight I don’t think there was enough room for air. Made me think about my own stuff. Going to make sure I never accumulate that much!
We also bought a gym membership this week because our complex doesn’t have a gym and we were sick of running to the railroad tracks and back for morning workouts. I also can’t become a fatty mcfatterton. (,my family will get this!)
I spent all day Friday in the riverside ward with my pal Elder Fitzwater! I love being on exchanges and working with other missionaries. It is one of my favorite duties of being a zone leader! We talked to a lot of people on the street and met some incredible people. Jeanine, a woman carrying a cat and a cast iron skillet in a bag while she rode her bike and smoked simultaneously has serious skills! Who can do that?
Fitz and I thought to go to Red Robin for lunch, except it’s on the other side of the zone. Well, we decided to anyway. When we pulled into the parking lot, the phone rang. It was the hospital. A man had asked for a blessing, but he needed one in the next 15 minutes before he went into emergency open heart surgery. Well what do you know, Red Robin is across the street from the hospital. We got there just in time to give Jerry the blessing he desired and to comfort his wife while he was rolled into the operating room. Heavenly Father is mindful of all of His children.
Saturday morning was SPC (Stake President’s Council) and it was awesome! We got free breakfast and talked about the work in our zone right now. Milwaukie is the place to be! We have a 4th Quarter goal of 20 baptisms as a zone. As of today, we have already baptized 4 people, 20% of our goal! We are well on our way to breaking records and making milestones. I love this Zone!
Now, for our adventure. After SPC, we discovered we had a nice open day, the first in a VERY long time. We’ve been putting off some names of people we’ve been asked to visit because they live so far south in our area. Well, we set out for them Saturday afternoon! The hour long drive down to the metropolis of Colton, Oregon was breathtaking. Not one of the people on our list lived there any longer, but not to worry, we made the most of our trek! We met some awesome people and took some cool pictures!
Our investigator Austin came to church yesterday! We were so pumped for him! He told us he was going to get up and bear his testimony in Sacrament meeting, but backed out. Pretty intimidating! He ended up giving it in Sunday school anyway, and when you’re in a YSA, the second hour usually has more than the first hour anyway. It was awesome!
After church we were down in OC and met a kid named Carlos. He just got out of jail and is in a detention home for bad behavior. He told us he wanted to change his life. We gave him a Book of Mormon and said that that book will change his life. He was anxious to start reading it! With no phone, no email, social media, or even permission to have visitors, there was no way to meet with him at this time. But, we invited him to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it, and when the time came that he could meet with missionaries, he would already know the truthfulness of the message we bring. As we said goodbye and walked away, he immediately sat down and started reading. I probably won’t ever see Carlos again, but I will continue to pray for him and his desire to change. He has made an impression on my life, one I won’t forget.
As you can see, the Book of Mormon is precious to me. Russell M Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles asked just last week, “My brothers and sisters, how precious is the Book of Mormon to you? If you were offered diamonds or rubies or the Book of Mormon, which would you choose?” I can say with certainty I would choose that little blue book. It has real power, and is evidence of our loving Heavenly Father. His son, Jesus Christ is real, and through Him comes matchless joy. I know it is true!
I love you all, have a good week!
Love,
Elder Hall
Zone Conference!
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