NO PLACE LIKE HOME

 
Flex contest with Marissa, Elder Comish, and me

Oh my goodness! The sun is shining and it's 90 degrees! I am in heaven!

So, transfer calls came. I'm leaving my home of Westview after 6
months. It's so bittersweet. I'm going to Oregon City 3rd and 5th
wards (splitting wards again, woo). I'm very excited because I've
spent the first 10 and a half months of my mission in the three
smallest geographic wards in Oregon! I'm ready for some wide open
spaces across the river! My new companion is named Elder Hone from
Lehi Utah! I'm excited to serve with him.

My last week here in my Westview home was a ton of fun!

Tuesday was my last day at the pantry. I'm going to miss everyone
there so much! It was tough saying goodbye to Lynn, Sharon, Linda, and
Eric. They have become good friends! I will for sure be keeping in
contact with them. They are amazing people with hearts of gold.

Tuesday night at like 10:15 we got a call from Sister Ballard asking
if we could volunteer at a blood drive at the high school the next
morning. We said sure. Well, it was fun and horrible at the same time.
It was like being in high school all over again and I did not enjoy
it. Not to mention I've never been yelled so many horrible things at
me in my time as a missionary. But I got to be the blood drop mascot
and I had way too much fun! I was living my dream of being a Disney
character, even though I was being a drop of blood in a high school in
Oregon... but close enough!

Wednesday afternoon we went on a blitz (a blitz is pretty much a
tracting party) with some other missionaries. It was so fun because I
got paired up with Elder Comish, my MTC companion! It was the first
time on our missions that we did actual missionary work together. We
had a blast!

The next day was amazing! We met our investigator Shiv and his wife,
Oma at the Employment Resource Center in the church. Shiv and Oma have
an amazing story! We met Shiv at a bus stop a few weeks ago. He is
from India, and a year ago while living in India, he converted to
Christianity! Oma converted with him and they were so happy! Well, a
few months later, Shiv had a dream they needed to move to America
(sound familiar?? Lehi who??) so they left their posh and wealthy
lifestyle in India and moved to America, not knowing why or how they
would live. Fast forward a few weeks and we meet at the bus stop and
tell him that God had a message for him. He knew instantly the gospel
is why they were brought here to America. We talked for an hour and
gave him a Book of Mormon. A few days later we met them at the ERC to
help the, find a career here in Oregon. Not only did we find them both
very stable jobs, we taught them for two hours after! After reciting
the First Vision, I asked if they would be baptized and they said yes!
They are so prepared for this gospel, it's amazing!! They are the most
incredible little couple, I love them! I'm so sad that I have to step
out of their journey, but I will for sure come back up here when they
get baptized!

 Friday was bring your own cup day at 7-11 and living like half a mile
down the road, you already know we took advantage of that! Hahaha I'll
include pictures!

On Saturday morning, we got permission to go down to Tigard to help
Brother Rutledge paint his parent's house. It was a lot of fun! I'm
thankful for my parents giving me the opportunity to gain skills and
talents I can share with others! All that painting paid off dad!

My last day in Westview was tough. It brought tears to my eyes
multiple times. I'm going to miss this place so much. They have no
idea the influence they've had in my life. I am so blessed! I thank
God for sending me here to meet these incredible people. My last
lesson with Des was Sunday night. She said the most beautiful closing
prayer, it brought tears to my eyes. I will be back for her baptism
someday! I've met so many incredible individuals. It truly is home.

Even more comforting than Westview, or even my own home, is the
gospel. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is my greatest home. The
best part is that this home travels with you wherever you go. My mom
and my sisters and Buster I had to leave. I had to let go of my home
in Woodhaven and now in Westview. But there is one constant. This
restored gospel is home. There is nothing that brings more comfort and
peace in this world than this restored gospel found in The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It brings true and eternal meaning
to the saying, "There's no place like home." I know this gospel is
true. The Savior is real. I pray that we will all do whatever we can
to come back to Him! After all, there is no place like home.

Have a good week!

Love,
Elder Hall

    

Last Pic! Marissa, Jordan, Asher and Ryan        Ryan and Corrin!  Love you guys!
with the photobomb
   
Des and the Rutledges                                              Me and my best friend Sam!

   
Eric!  I'm gonna miss this guy!                                   The Nichols Fam!

  
MTC Pals!  I'm gonna miss being around them!           The gang!

  
                                                                Me and my comp


   
Trying to look buff with my sleeves cuffed.   Bring your own cup day!


   

Elder Comish and I doing real missionary work!  Your favorite drop of blood, Elder Hall!

  
                                                              Me and my pal Elder Cedillo wearing the worst $150 pair of                                                                        sunglasses I've ever seen!

  

Westview!                                                Sam's fat head!

MOTHERS'S DAY

The best family history shirt I have ever seen!

Hey all!
I know what you're thinking, "Elder Hall you big dumb, you misspelled
Mother's Day." I promise it will make sense, you just have to read on!

A very happy belated Mother's Day to all the incredible women in my
life! Before I get to my thought, I'll give you guys a quick rundown
of my week! (Sorry fam, you pretty much heard it yesterday when I
Skyped home, but no one else did.)

Wednesday I was in the YSA Ward on exchanges with Elder Zimmerman! It
was so fun! We got to meet some CRAZY people. One guy preached to us
for a solid hour and a half about the Flat Earth Theory. He legit
thinks the earth is flat. No joke. What a guy though. Really nice.

Thursday we got to turn in our old car and get a new one! It's a 2017
Toyota Corolla! She's fire engine red, so we named her Rosie. She only
had 11 miles on her when we got her! I'm taking in every second
driving it because I know I will NEVER drive a car this new ever again
in my life. It's been so fun!

Friday we found a new investigator named Kaihli. She is so awesome!
She has friends that are on missions, but no one ever taught her about
the gospel! She was so pumped to learn about it! Too bad she's YSA so
we will have to give her away, but hey it was great!

Saturday it RAINED. Holy cow it rained and it hailed and it rained
again. You know it's bad when the parking lots become wading pools.
Then it hailed so hard it looked like snow on the ground! I took
pictures! It was nutso! We took some of the youth up to this little
diner and got shakes and fries. We had a ball!

Sunday was incredible! It was so fun to talk to my family! I was
relieved to find out I still fit in to that crazy bunch of mine. I am
so lucky I get eternity with them! My little kiddies are getting so
big, my siblings are happier than ever, my pup is healthy and happy
(though he was not happy with me still), my best pal is doing so so
good. I am so blessed! I have the greatest family. I love and miss you
all so much.

Now I get to my thought. I have one incredible mother. If you don't
know Debbie Hall, it is your loss. She's my best friend, my biggest
fan (she really is. She was known as Crazy Red at my football games),
my incredible, loving, sweet mother. To her I owe everything. To her I
would give everything to make her happy. She is my mom and I'm so
proud to be her son! As I sat yesterday pondering, I realized I have
lots of moms I need to pay tribute to. To all the incredible women in
my life, thank you. Only heaven knows the real influence you have had
in my life.

Proverbs 31:10 "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far
above rubies."
It's safe to say I am one rich man. Happy Mother's Day!

With Love,
Elder Hall

  

Shasta the supposedly ferocious dog.!        Post hail storm
She jumped right in my lap!



Skye call!!!

DON'T USE DUCT TAPE!

Hey everybody! This is going to be kinda long, but oh my heck it was a week.

Last Monday we didn't really have a P-Day because we were at the
seminary all day telling them about our competition! They officially
started Wednesday and they go until this upcoming Thursday, but man
I'm anxious to see what comes of it! They are really excited to be
doing it!

*Keeler family appreciation post*
I love the Keelers so much! Every time I type their name it corrects
to the keepers and man, that's the truth. They are keepers! Thank you
guys so much for being amazing! You mean so much to me. Thank you for
everything!

Tuesday is Pantry day and I just can't say enough about them over
there. I love them so much. They sure keep you on your toes, and you
have to watch for the old ladies that tell dirty jokes and hit on you,
but oh my gosh I love them! Tuesday night we went on splits and I went
with the Bethany Ward Mission Leader Brother Kunzler. We went to a
less active's address and it turned out to be a different guy. Well,
we pulled out the classic tracting approach and the guy was so
interested! We asked if we could come back and he said yes! I couldn't
believe it!

*Evans family appreciation post*
Oh my heck this family! I love you guys so much! Thank you for
everything you do for me! I'm going to have to make some trips out to
Texas someday! You guys mean more than you'll know to me.

Wednesday was amazing! We kicked off the MTC challenge at seminary and
had a ball! It was like 80 degrees and sunny all day. So glorious. The
problem with Oregon though, they don't believe in air conditioning. We
live on the third floor and our apartment was cooking! We came upon a
window A/C unit from probably the early 90s and decided to install all
90 pounds of it. A shoe rack, a toilet brush, a train whistle, 10
rags, 200 zip ties, a flashlight, duct tape, a piece of broken
plexiglass, and 3 half inch screws later, that thing isn't going
anywhere. I'll include pictures.

Thursday was eventful. Guys, I'm so stupid. Hahaha just wait.

After we finished up at the seminary building, we got a call from
Sister Franey asking us to walk the dogs because she was sick. I
couldn't wait! Grundel and Geneva are so fun! Geneva is the girl
version of my Buster Bluth. She kills me! We took them to the dog park
and they had fun playing while we talked to the other people there.
Most people in Oregon love their dogs more than their children, so it
was really entertaining. It kinda thunderstormed here... thunderstorms
are pretty rare in Portland, so when we heard they were in the
forecast we were pumped! We heard two cracks of thunder and saw one
bolt of lightning. What a storm! Hahaha it was a let down. Sports
night was after dinner and it was so fun! These kids have such a
special place in my heart. I love them so much I can't even explain.
I'm so blessed to know them!

Earlier in the day we got a call from Brother Kunzler saying his
friend's daughter was sick and they asked for a blessing. We went over
to their apartment, and there were Hindi gods everywhere (pretty
common here in Portland, there are Indians everywhere) so we knock on
the door and they let us in. They barely speak any English. We are
trying to describe to them a blessing. They were very nervous.
Finally, they tell us to go ahead with it. The vial of oil I carry
with me has a reputation of unscrewing in my pocket and spilling, so
last time I duct taped it together and thought, I'll just use my knife
to cut it whenever I need it next. So, not thinking, I whip out my
knife to cut this tape. And they go nuts. They thought I was going to
cut open their daughter or something. There was a lot of yelling in
Tamil by them and English by us. We are trying to calm them down and
assure them that's not what's going to happen. We finally convince
them we aren't there to kill their daughter. I anoint this little girl
and the second I say amen, she bolts. She hides in a closet. We can't
get her to come out. Lots of yelling in Tamil again. She finally
sticks her head out enough for us to lay her hands on her hand and
seal the anointing. And we get out of there. Many lessons were learned
that day.

Friday we got a call asking us to teach seminary. Of course we said
yes! I love teaching there so much! I hear there are careers in
teaching seminary in Utah... anyway, it was tons of fun. We had
interviews with President that day and he is so amazing. I love
President Ballard so much! It's going to be hard to say goodbye in
July. We had some good laughs and talked probably too long about
football. Then he taught me from the scriptures. It was an incredible
experience learning from him so intimately. I'll never forget it!

Saturday morning was awesome! We helped at the annual Bethany Ward Fun
Run. I was the best dancing crossing guard you've ever seen! It was
even more fun because the trial was still open, so more than just the
ward members were passing by. Some even joined in with me dancing! It
was a blast! Afterwards, we took an awesome guy named Asher to lunch
for his birthday! He is not a member, but has become good friends with
us. He told us he was taking us on an adventure and boy did he. He
took us to this incredible railroad trestle that is over 100 feet
high. After that, we stopped at this cemetery at the top of this hill
that overlooks the valley. It was beautiful! I'll include pictures!

One of the greatest truths restored in this dispensation is the
ability to receive personal revelation. But sometimes we ask, "How do
I know something is revelation, and how can I receive it more?"
President Ballard answered these questions for me. He said,
"Revelation is uncomfortable and inconvenient. It's 99% perspiration
and 1% inspiration." Revelation doesn't come because we want it to,
though the desire must precede it. Revelation comes to us because we
look for it. Joseph Smith went into that grove of trees in 1820
looking for an answer. He didn't sit waiting and wondering when God
would answer his question. It's the same for us today. Revelation is
essential to salvation, joy, and eternal families. So get on your
knees, ask God, and go to work. Then, and only then, your answer will
come.

I love this gospel. I love my Savior. I know He lives!


With Love,
Elder Hall

       
Selfie with Geneva!           A real Aston Martin! James Bond must have been shopping at Walgreens!          

    

Jordan and I have some killer shades!    Teaching Seminary in the OPM is the best!

    

                                                                                         The trestle.

    


      

  


    

  What a view!                                                                         Best bumper sticker ever!

   

The trestle!!!                                                             Me trying to be a muse from Hercules

      

WHITTLE BY WHITTLE

My blue friend, Mike! (You better believe the arrested development
jokes were flying)

Hey everyone! It's been a nice week. Cold weather, but the sun was
shining and it was a welcomed sight. Springtime has definitely arrived
and it's gorgeous! Spring is my favorite season.

Monday it was POURING rain all day, but we decided to go downtown
anyway. We went with the Rock Creek Elders, Elder Comish and Elder
Wallace, and the Springville Sisters, Sister Nielson and Sister
Nicholls. It poured on us all day, but we had a ball! I found a blue
man and befriended him. He wasn't blue as in sad, he was blue as in
the color blue! His name was Mike and he was so nice.

Later on Monday we went over to President's house for his son
Stanford's birthday! We went over to have cake and ice cream, but I
mostly just hang out with Stanford, Mary Katherine, Eliza, and Belle
the dog...


Tuesday we were at the pantry and can I just say, I love it there so
much. All those old ladies are dear friends! I'm sure going to miss
them.

On Wednesday night we had a great lesson with Des! She had told us we
could talk about anything but baptism. We were a little concerned, but
it turned out great! She has a long way to go, but she isn't even
close to giving up!

Friday was temple day! I went to the counter to rent some temple
clothes (which the temple graciously lets us rent for free) and the
worker was a lady from my greenie area, the Woodhaven Ward! It was so
fun to see her and say hello. Our session was so incredible. I love
the temple so much! It was nice to just sit in the celestial room and
enjoy the spirit and peace there. I didn't want to leave!! I wish we
could go more often. For all of my friends that live within a half
hour of the temple, make time to go regularly! Don't take living so
close to the temple for granted!

We helped a kid in the Westview Ward with his eagle project on
Saturday! He was building a greenhouse for a school for special needs
adults. We showed up and were the only ones there. So, we went to
work! After a long day (I mean a long day) we got it built! It was
awesome!

I'll end with a thought. Christ is the Master Carpenter. Because of
His atonement, the unclean things in our souls, our spirits, can be
taken away. But, just like a beautiful piece of woodwork, it takes
shaving by shaving, whittle by whittle, until you get a refined piece
of art. Each stroke takes effort and hard work. While we may be
confused as to why our problems, our challenges, our trials haven't
faded away yet, we need to remember it's with the patient shavings
from the Master Carpenter we get the masterpiece. Let the Savior
whittle out the bad and make you His masterpiece.

With love,
Elder Hall

  

The tulips are UNREAL!                                           Grandma Beth flowers!

  

Temple trip!!!                                              Costa Vida in Oregon!  Too bad a burrito is over $10!

  

Blue Mike!                                              Downtown adventuring!

MEMES WITH THE YOUNG MEN!