Wars have been started thanx to soccer games

Hey family so this has been one crazy week. Pretty much all of it ended up happening on the weekend and dont freak out no one got hurt. God is protecting us i have a huge testimony of that. Anyways, here we go...

Before i start i just want to give you a little background on soccer down here in south america. It is one of the biggest things that happens. Wars have been started thanx to soccer games. Soccer is hard core down here. So on Saturday we had to go to a different church to do an activity. So we hop on the bus that takes us there. After we had gotten on we looked to the back and there were a bunch of fans going to a soccer game. The 2 teams that were playing are colo-colo and the U. Basically here it would be like byu and utah playing against each other. So the fans on the back are all drinking and yelling and singing all the way down the road. All the sudden this girl that was standing up next to me ducks down. I thought, that is weird, why is she ducking down? So i decide i will follow her example, i have no clue why. All the sudden rocks come flying through the windows and there are people screaming and glass flying everywhere. What happened was the opposing team somehow knew that these guys were on the bus and had planned to start throwing rocks at them. But they planned it out so well that we were driving down a road going like 45 mile an hour and every 4 or 5 seconds a rock would come flying through a window. Finally they stopped and we drove on for about 5 mins where the bus was stopped by a line of cops. 

So once the drunk fans in the back realized that the cops were stopping us, they started mixing in with the crowd. The cops kept everyone on the bus cause they were waiting for backup. Thats when me and my comp felt this guy behind us playing around with our bags. We realized that he had some kind of drug in his hand and he was trying to put it in our bags. We put our bags where he couldnt get to them. The backup still hadnt gotten there and people started getting anxious. So they tried getting off and the cops would tell them to get back on and if they didnt they would hit them with these metal poles they had. We were late to the activity and so i hopped off the bus (praying that they wouldnt hit me with some pole) and asked him if it was ok if me and the other 3 missionaries could get off. He said that we could. I took off my bag to let him look through it and he said, “no dont worry about it, your mormon.” Haha so we just walked away and got on a different bus. It was a little scary but a lot of fun. No one got hurt besided the drunk guys that tried to get off the bus and wouldnt get back on. 

But ya then later that night me and my comp were walking along the sidewalk. There was a dog against the fence on one side and a car on the other side. So my comp tries to sneak throught and as he almost made it, the dog jumped and bit him in the butt. Haha so we were late for a appointment and so we got there and he went to the bathroom. He came back out and told me that his butt was all bloody... But as good missionaries do, we finished up the lesson and kept on working till the day was over. Haha he will be fine, he still hasnt been foming out the mouth so i guess he is good. 

My other comp, elder acevedo from el salvador, we were in a trio, was taking out and put with someone else. It was kinda weird just being with one other person. We were really used to having a lot of people and now we feel really lonely haha. But we are doing well and having a lot of fun. 

Sunday was really awesome. Kevin and angelo went to church. We had ward conference and we had more members in the church than i have had any other time in my mission. There were 227 people, which is really big for a chilean ward. It was awesome. The only thing that sucked is that angelo went to church all nicely dressed up and stuff. He had a nice suit on and black shoes and a black shirt. And it just happens that the stake president says that we should have respect for the savior and wear white shirts to church and that black shirts are unexceplable... Oh man i was so mad, angelo looks at me and asks me what that is all about. It is a miracle that he came dressed nicely, cause it is hard in chile for people to do that. Then when the stake president said that it like killed him. He thought that he was a sinned and that he was doing tons of things wrong. We had taught him about the word of wisdom a couple days before and he smokes and drinks. Then the Sunday before this Sunday someone said that any music besides the mormon tabernacle choir is of the devil. Then this guy was making fun of him, calling him an investigator and all this crap. It is so hard to work when the members are throwing our investigators out. So i hope everything turns out well with him. Just make sure if anyone comes to church who isnt a member or is less active dont say anything. They dont need our comments, they need our support and love. 

Well that has been my week. On top of that i have been sick all week. I got a sty in my eye, that wasnt fun. I walked around for 2 days in black sunglasses and everyone was calling me a CIA agent. Haha that was funny. Also i have had a cough, sore throught, runny nose and all that fun stuff. Also my neck and back hurts me. Haha i think i am just really old in the mission and just having problems. Oh well i will just keep fighting through it and come home in a wheel chair. I love you all tons. Thanx for everything you do and have a great week. Cheer really loud for me in the BYU game. 

Love ya

Elder hall

all the sudden i hear “elder hall??”

Hey fam this has been a good week like always. It was fun to hear how you guys got to watch the temple be dedicated. One thing on the mission that i dont like is that we only get to go to the temple like 3 or 4 times tops in 2 years. It feels like something is missing for sure. But i am excited to come back and be able to go to like 10 temples in like 1 hour. I would really like to go through the salt lake temple when i get back, i have never been inside and i would love to. Maybe when i get back we can all go and chill out there, that would be awesome. 

Anyways, life here in chile is good. I have a huge miracle happen the other day. We had had a very hard day and we had walked around basically all day and not been able to get into any houses and i was really tired and sad. So on the way home my comp had to go buy something from the supermarket. So we went in and got it and all the sudden i hear “elder hall??” i turn around and what do you know it is one of my coverts from another sector. Her name is mariela. She got baptized in villa sur almost a year ago exactly. I couldnt believe it, it made me so so happy to see her. She told me that her daughter who is 8 years old will be baptized in 2 week and that she is getting ready to enter the temple and recieve her endowments. It was awesome!!! She said that she always goes to church and is reading and praying with her mom who isnt a member. It was a tender mercy of the lord. It is days like that when everything goes wrong and them the lord just throws in something small to show us that he does care about us and love us. I was so thankful to see her. I love the mission!!!

So yesterday was a good day at church. Kevin came to church and so did this other young man named angelo. I told you guys about him last week, he is awesome. We loved church and said that he feels it is right to join it. So we put a baptizmal date with him for the 12th of september. He is so prepared and will be a awesome member of the church. Also 2 other investigators that we are teaching came. We also found this girl that got baptized and never went back and she came to church as well. It is fun to see all these people we are working with come back or go to church. It makes me feel like i am really helping people. There is nothing better in the world then to be sitting in church and see a less active member or a investigator come through the church doors, i love it. 

Well yesterday in church we learned about what type of music we should listen to. We read the scripture that is in d and c in the seccion 26 or 27 i´m not sure. But it says that the song of the rightchous is a prayer to God and that made me start thinking and i came up with a saying that i really like. “Every song is a prayer, be good or bad. But the difference between the two is who we are praying to...” I like it cause there are good and bad songs and every one of them are prayers. But sometimes we are singing to satan instead of Heavenly Father. We always need to be carefull about what we listen to. Satan is constantly attacking us and little by little we get closer and closer to his line without even noticing. Bad songs that we would have never listen to at first seem better and better. It is crazy how satan nulifies us into thinking little by little that things are good. We always have to stay as far away from his line as possible to he has no power over us. So be carefull on what kind of music you all listen to. And think about who is the author of the music. Is it from God or Satan?? Well i love you all tons. Hope you have a great week. Keep up the faith. 

Love

Elder hall

“trunky papers" - “date of liberation” - 30th of December

Hey fam well this week has been really good. We found this awesome kid named angelo who is so cool. We went into his house and just did a prayer the first time and got to know him. Then we left him with a pamflet of lesson 2 which is the plan of salvacion. We went back another day and he had read all of it and gave us a summery of it better than what i could do. He is so prepared and said this Sunday he is going to go to church. Tonight we are going to have a family home evening with him in the house of another member. It is going to be sweet!!! 

Besides that, kevin, the kid with a baptizmal date went to church and is really progressing well. This last week him and his mom finished 1st nephi and they are half way through 2nd nephi. I can feel the spirit really strongly when we teach them. They are awesome and are going to be good members. 

Also the young man that we found with elder williams, that was a miracle, went to church yesterday. We were in sacrement meeting and he didnt show up. Then all the sudden we look over and he is outside waving to us. It was so awesome. What had happened is the member that was going to go pick him up decided to go to a different ward yesterday so this young man named dago, had to walk like a mile and a half to get to church and thats why he got there late. Haha life in the mission is good. 

Well as you guys probably already know, i got some papers that in the mission are called “trunky papers.” In the papers in asks all kinds of questions like who is my stake president and bishop. What are their numbers and all that crap. Then at the bottom it says “date of liberation” haha which is the 30th of december. So that means i will be home right in time for the party on new years eve. It made me kinda trunky but i am good now. I just keep working and try not to think about it. But it is hard cause every time my comps see a plane, they say “oh theres you in 4 months...” haha then i hit them. But life is good. It was fun to see the pics that you guys sent me. All of you look so different it is crazy. But thanx for everything you do, expecially mom and dad. Thanx for signing me up for school and all that stuff. I still havent gotten the papers but i think i will get them this wensday. I talked to the president and he said that he can fax it to byu or something like that. But how will you guys know when it gets there??? I hope i get into byu but if not, its all good. The Lord will have me go where i need to. 

Anyways i love you all tons, you already know it. Make sure you guys are doing the little things that will bring you happiness like spending time with the fam, serving others and cumpleting with your church callings. Never stop reading the scriptures or praying. If you do you will have tons of problems. That doesnt mean that you wont have problems, it just means you will have God´s help through the problems. Well have a good one. 

Love you guys. 

Elder hall

And ya his name is elder redhair, crazy!!!

Haha well this week has been insane. It has been really good but really hard. I love the mission cause it helps a person progress so much. Anyways, it sounds like everything at home is crazy. I love you all so much i hope you guys know that. Ok well let me tell you about my week. 

First off i got my new comp, elder finter. Dad he told me that his dad served in london the same time that you did so if you know a elder finter it is probably his dad. Anyways he is cool, he is from arizona. He is a good missionary, his personality is a lot different than mine but we get along well. So i picked him up on Tuesday. Wendsay 2 new missionaries got to our house. Their names are elder byers and elder redhair. Elder byers is from utah, ogden. Elder redhair is from arizona. He looks like a latin, i believe he has indian blood in him. Anyways he is new from the mtc but speaks very well. And ya his name is redhair, crazy!!! Everyone always makes fun of me when they find out what it means. Gotta love it. 

So right now i am helping them get to know their sector cause that is when me and elder williams worked for the 3 weeks we were together. I got kicked out of my sector so basically i am in a whitewash trying to get to know everyone. It is hard but i like it. So we are just trying to get to know all the members on our side and we are trying to get to know a lot of new people and help them. We found a menos active family and we are helping them back to church. They have a son named kevin who is 9 years old so he will be baptized in september. 

Then on Thursday the assistance called us and told us that we are going to be in a trio. So we went to pick up another missionary whos name is elder acevedo. He is a cool guy, hes from el salvador. So we are 5 new missionaries in one little house trying to figure everything out. That is why it is crazy but it is fun. 

Anyways i found out when elder acevedo that a family of 6 got baptized in one of my other sectors. It was so cool cause it was a family that me and one of my comps found. And it was during a time in my mission when i didnt think i was doing anything and i wasnt making a difference in the mission. We are always making a difference is we are trying our best to complete with the lord commandments. 

Well i love you guys so much. I hope you know that. Have a awesome week. Keep on praying for me and helping all thoes around you. The world is terrible and the sons and daughters of god need all the help they can get. 

Love

Elder hall

we have no reason to freak out

hey fam wow it sounds like you guys had a crazy week. ya i am doing well down here in chilito. so the biggest news right now is that once again i have changes (or i how i just figured out, transfers. sorry my spanglish is always going haha). so on saturday night at like 11:30 our presidnt called my comp and told him that he was going to be assistant to the president. so he was taken away yesterday and the assistants left me with my comp for 2 days, elder mejia. he is from honduras, a country in central america. so i have been with him yesterday and today. and tomorrow i will go to changes and get my new comp. also my sector is going to be split in half and 2 other missionaries are going to come in to help us with the work that we have. by the way we have had tons of work so it will be a nice help. so ya that is crazy and so i just want to know who my comp is but i will just have to wait. 

haha ok just a little info bit, today i officially served the mission of a sister missionary. if i was a girl, i would be flying home right now. today all the sister missionaries from my group went home. it is crazy haha. well ya so officially i have served a girls mission. 

well this week has been kinda slow. it was hard to find new people and all the investigators that we have had lots of stuff to do but it was a good week anyways. i dont know what to say haha i am just freaking out waiting to see who will be my new comp. i was kinda sad that elder williams left cause he was a awesome missionary and we got along really well but it is good for him and me. i am kinda nervous thought cause i dont know the sector very well, i have only been here for 3 weeks. and i dont know where very many of the members live. now i am going to have to guide the sector with my new comp, try to help 2 other missionaries get to know their sector and try to help the zone at the same time...wow i am scared. but it is all good i will be fine. if there is one thing that i have learned on the mission it is that we have no reason to freak out. it doesnt help anything. we just gotta work our best and the lord will help us. 

but ya. i love you all so much. i hope that you have a awesome week. keep praying for me. oh ya 2 quick questions. maybe 3. 1st, dad if you could tell me about your mission that would be awesome. i want to hear what happened. i realized that i dont know very much about it so if you could let me know that would be awesome. 2nd, i was just wondering if amy mower is pregnant yet. 3rd, mom if you could sign me up for college at uvu that would be awesome. cool, well gma hall and aunt elane, happy bday!!! everyone else i love ya, have a good one.

love

elder hall

it was a average week on the miss.

Hey fam this letter is going to be kinda short. First off it sounds like you guys had a great time on the trek. I loved the trek both times i was able to go on it and it was a huge testimony builder. When i was reading your experiences it brought back memories and i remembered when the young women had to pull alone. It was cool to think back to that time and how awesome it was. 

Cool well this week not too much happened. It was good but it was a average week on the miss. One awesome thing that happened this week happened Sunday. It was cool cause we have been working with this family and finally they all came to church. 

First when the meeting stated it was just the mom but half way throught the dad and his daughters showed up. It was so awesome to see a full fam in the church. It is a dad named rodrigo, the mom, mirta and 2 little daughters. They are so awesome and really liked the church. Also in the gospel principles class they started talking about the word of wisdom and he hadnt taught it yet so we were freaking out. But then mirta, the mom, started saying how it is true and she wants to stop smoking and drinking tea. It was a sweet day.   photo is of my district playing soccer.  This is me cutting the lawn with a weird lawn mower. it has been like 2 years since i have cut the lawn and it was a lot easier than i remembered.

Yesterday we went to a young adult activity cause all our appointments fell throught and this young man called us to see if we could bring a book of mormon for his friend. So we got there in the middle of the class so we decided to wait till the end. Haha it was so trunky cause they talked about eternal marrage and there were couples all over the place then me and my comp... haha it was awesome. But afterwards we met this kids girl friend and gave her the book of mormon and she said that she is really interested in the church and that she is going to come next week. So that was awesome. 

But ya besides that not much is going on down here. We are just working hard and having way too much fun. I love the mission so much. At first it was harder than heck but it has gotten way easier and a lot more enjoyable. Time is just flying by and i cant believe it. I always feel like i am just a little greenie still. But i am going to keep working hard till the end and just do all i can to help the people here in chile. 

Well i love you guys so much. Have a awesome week. Keep on doing what your doing. Pray for me and my investigators please. 

Love ya tons

Elder hall

at 9:25 PM - “ya, come on in...”

Ok well i will try to write you guys but i am tired and lazy so i hope you get all that happened this week. We had a great one. First off today we went to this big hill called santa lucia and went up it with the zone. It went really well and we had lots of fun. Then we went through this shopping zone and bought a couple suveneurs (dont know how to spell anymore) and then went to a food court to eat. But when we were at the hill it was cool cause i saw one of my converts, manuel. He is the kid that is 18 years old and i think he was writting tori. But he said he is doing well and still strong in the church, it was awesome. 

So this week we saw tons of miracles. First off there was this day that we were walking along and all the sudden we saw this guy and his car had died. So we went over and helped him push it and we got to know him a little bit and gave him a pass along card. Than we went to a appointment that we had. On the way back we did a contact with this lady and while we were talking to her this guy drives by and honks at us and shakes his fist at us. So we end the contact and start walking and the guy comes over in his car and starts yelling at us saying how we are of the devil and that he didnt want us talking to his wife. The woman just happened to be his wife and so he chewed us out for a while and left. So after that we had just lost all our excitement and we were a little down. So we are walking down the street and we see this a guy pushing another car that had broken down and guess who it was. It was the first guy that we helped. So we served him and we saw him serving someone else. It was so awesome, so we totally started a service chain. It was sweet

Then the next day we were walking around and had been walking around almost all day long. We were tired and it was like 9:15 at night. We go in at 9:30 so we were a little sad and really close to the house. We talked about it and we were about to just go inside early and call it a day but we said that we had to just keep going. We said that we were going to find a miracle. So we started knocking doors. We knocked and knocked looking for the miracle but door after door was slammed in our face. So it was like 9:25 and we are sick of getting rejected. So we say we are going to knock one more door. So we go and knock this door and this really tall young man comes out. Young people never listen to us so we thought that he wasnt going to let us in. So we asked if he wanted to hear a short message about jesus christ and right when we asked that, we basically started walking away cause we were sure he was going to say no. Then to our surprize he says, “ya, come on in...” Me and my comp, we look at each other then just go in. We start talking to him and he told us that he had recived the elders in maipu (i was there like 6 months ago) and had gone to church for like a year. He wanted to be baptized but never did it. So we are going to start teaching him again. But it was incredible, if we would have gone in the house, we would have never found him. AWESOME!!!!

Haha ok one more miracle that happened this week. We got this reference from the office and we went to contact them. We brought “finding faith in christ” and when we got there they let us in. It was a old couple. Their names are amanda and manuel. So we watched the movie with them and answered their questions. Then they asked us if they could come to church...(that never happens) so we said yes and that we would come pick them up. So yesterday we went to get them and they came with us. They sat down with a member family and during the sacrament we look over and amanda is crying a lot. So she goes out and we follow to see what happened. We were freaking out cause we thought someone had said something mean or she felt uncomfortable in the chapel. So we talk to her and she said that she had never felt the spirit so strong in her life. She told us that she is going through tons of problems but she felt the love of God and wants to keep learning and coming to church.!!!

So as you guys can see this was a miracle week. We had a lot of fun and did a lot this week. I am loving this sector and my comp. We are working hard and loving the miss. 

Ok now for a couple things that dont have to do with anything. First off i think i am going to start signing up for school. I need to apply first and the president gave me permission to do it. I went to my personal bank account but for some reason it is locked so if you guys could check that out, it would be nice. Also about my cd player, dont worry about it. I will live without one for 5 months. Anyways i love you all so much. Hope you have a good week with trek and all that. 

See ya later

Elder hall