Elder Bridger Hall: Do It Like Milwaukie

Hello everybody! I am literally in disbelief that Thanksgiving is this week. That is seriously so crazy! The weather has been a little rainy and very chilly. It’s been just gorgeous late Autumn weather! This week was just a lot of really mundane stuff, but I wanted to share a few highlights of this beautiful week!

This last Thursday we had the opportunity to go to the Union Gospel Mission in downtown Portland and help prepare for their Thanksgiving feast! It’s always exciting when you go downtown, but especially exciting when you drive there and because your companion is a terrible navigator you end up somewhere in china town where everyone looks like they want to kidnap you or sell you a *real* Michael Kors watch. Haha it was QUITE the adventure. When we finally got to the UGM, we wrapped plastic silverware in napkins so when the homeless come to eat, they feel just a little more at home. We wrapped over 1200 sets of silverware! We had a ton of fun laughing and enjoying the complimentary Dr Pepper and Coke Zero.

After our downtown adventure we got a call from the mission office informing us there was a blessing to be had at the hospital. When we called the contact number, we discovered it was the friend of the gentleman who was in the hospital. The friend was LDS and living in Colorado, his friend here in Oregon in the hospital, however, was not. This man was prompted to send us to give his friend a blessing, despite his friend’s dislike for the Mormon church. Well, we can’t deny a man’s prompting, so we went.

This guy was 43 years old, in the ICU with liver, lung, and kidney failure. His wife greeted us warmly and said she was thankful for any kind of prayers. We explained a blessing and she said she would like that for her husband. As we were giving him the blessing, he began to move around. When we said amen, his eyes were open and his wife was in tears. It turns out he hadn’t woken up for 9 days and they were worried he wouldn’t wake up again. His wife thanked us with tears streaming down her cheeks. The spirit was tangible in that room. I testify that the power of the priesthood is real and it is here in the restored Church of Jesus Christ.

The next day was another fantastic day! We had MLC in Beaverton with President Bullen. We got a LOT of policy changes for the mission, the biggest one being about music. It’s going to be an adjustment, as all changes are, but I am fully supportive of President Bullen and his inspired leadership!

The best part of MLC was reviewing the statistics of the mission. Milwaukie Zone was literally on top of the mission! As each zone presented their problems, President Bullen would turn to us and say, “Elders how did you solve that issue in Milwaukie?” Every time someone asked how they needed to move forward, the answer came from President. “Do it like Milwaukie.” I felt so proud of my zone!! I’m so humbled to be the leader of these great missionaries. We are changing the world out here!

I know the gospel is true, I know the priesthood of God has been restored. I love you all, have a happy Thanksgiving!

With love,

Elder Hall

MLC