OKAY. So this week has been... Crazy. There's a family that the elders had been working with... And they're awesome. They've been working with this family for EIGHT MONTHS. The problem is that the wife had been married before... and the divorce papers hadn't gone through even after years and years... (welcome to Bolivia, where the only thing harder than getting married is getting divorced). Anyway, this week their papers finally went through and they were able to get married! The whole ward threw themselves into their wedding and baptism plans. Wedding Friday, Baptism Saturday.

One of the elders that had been working with them had been in this ward for like 6 months working with this family.... And on Thurdsay night, the night before the wedding, the elders got a call. Emergency transfer. President Willard told him that he was going to leave at 7:30 the next morning to the offices to be President's secretary and had to go before transfers to be "trained." President also said that (even though all of the areas in Aeropuerto are pretty big) it's likely that he's going to close one of our areas and redifine the boundaries. In the meantime... the other three elders (one of which is being trained, and one of which goes home this transfer) are going to stay in a trio. So we have no idea what's going to happen with transfers on Wednesday.

We asked permission to go to the wedding... AND WE GOT IT.

I went to a wedding... As a missionary.

It was really sweet, and the people in the ward were sweethearts for all the preparation that they did for the family.

BAPTISM THE NEXT DAY. Saturday morning, 9 AM, the sister missionaries are starting their companionship study when we realize that we have a text message... "Oh hermanas, I forgot to tell you yesterday, but you're in the program as a special musical number. See you at four!"

So me and Hermana Nahuel (who sings like an angel, by the way) start freaking out. We had sang a duet at the baptism for an 8 year old boy in the ward, but it did NOT go well... So we start practicing "Abide With Me, 'Tis Eventide," my companion on Soprano, and me singing Alto... And we were nervous, and our voices were worn out... But we did it and it went pretty okay! And I sang alto, all by myself! The baptism was beautiful, the wife cried... And we sand "Come Come Ye Saints" as one of the hymns because for that family, that song is special... Because for them, finally "all is well."

And the next day at church the Relief Society president made me teach the alto part of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief" to the altos because they have to sing in a stake activity. A sister in the ward recorded our l'il duo, I'm going to have her send it to you. :)

We have not been able to find our family this week. Hermana Jenny has to travel to Oruro a lot, and this week she was there. She either comes back today or tomorrow... Pray that we'll be able to have a lesson with them this week. We're worried that they won't be able to progress much if we don't have the chance to have much contact with them.

So. That was my crazy week. :) I'm a little nervous about transfers because a lot seems to be changing in the ward. I want to stay here with Hermana Nahuel. Hermana Nahuel is my favorite companion. We are constantly singing, joking around, laughing, and finding ways to enjoy the work. :) She's awesome. This ward is awesome. This transfer has been awesome and it has gone by in a flash. I hope you have a good week.

 

Hey Ma! :)

DISCLAIMER: I wrote this email, and then upon reading it... I realized it's just a whole lot of cheese. It's so gooey, and I'm really sorry. Next week I'll write about the work, and Bolivia, and being a missionary. LOVE Y'ALL.

It was sure good to talk to you all yesterday! :) It was so crazy to see that while everything changes.... Everything stays exactly the same! :) I hope your Mother's Day was as wonderful as you are.

Because you all know what's been going on with me as of right now, and because Dad requested long letters (and also because I haven't actually written a letter in like two weeks) I'm going to get a li'l bit spiritual here.

I LOVE the quote that you sent me that says "Sometimes the Savior calms the storm. Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms you." During a hard time in my mission, I had the amazing opportunity of receiving a blessing from President Willard, in which I was promised that "as the Savior calmed the stormy sea, He will calm the storm in your heart." After receiving that blessing, I lost myself in whatever scriptural story I could find that included storms and water. The Brother of Jared crossing the troubled sea in the tiny ships that would resurface only to go back under; Peter attempting to cross the water to reach his Master only to fall down into the waves, and be caught by his Savior, and of course, Christ's words of "Peace. Be Still," that calmed the troubled water. I cannot agree more with the quote that you sent me. Sometime the storm rages on, but Christ calms US.

Can we talk about how my family is the coolest one in the world?? What other family would come up with something so awesome as what you guys did? It worked out so well! :)

Okay. Bailey Paige is so cute. I am so happy for J and Beth... What a cute family full of cute girls. :) I hope J grows out his hair and neck beard, so he can look amish when I come home ;) (I am so sorry, Beth.)

Speaking Spanish with Dustin (that sounds like a children's program) was pretty dang cool too. My companion was so surprised by his accent! His boys have gotten so big so fast... too fast. I appreciated the pickle that Porter Porker was eating...

It was really great to see Grandma B and Gram and Grandpa and Lynn! :) And Great Grandmother came! :) My companion was only able to talk to her dad and one of her sisters... What a blessing it was to have such a huge group of people, even extended family, willing to talk to me. I have the best family in the whole world.

Kali and her family is so awesome too! :) Even though we didn't talk much, I love them with all of my heart. Seeing my sister and how strong she is and how strong she's been through so many trials is a great example for me... Even here on the other side of the world. I hope her kids know how blessed they are to have such a strong, loving person as a mom.

And I got to see Reesey Roo! :) Even though she was just on a little phone screen, I was so blessed to see her and her family. I hope she knows how much I love her and how happy I was to see her.

And it goes without saying that I was happy to see you and Dad. :) What awesome, supportive parents you are. You look so happy and healthy and cute, and seeing Dad with Bailey Paige... it was just too awesome. Knowing that y'all are okay and happy makes focusing on the work so much easier. :)

I was thinking about it and... How awesome is it that I can see your faces? We are the first generation in the long history of missionarywork that has had the blessing of being able to see the faces of our family members from wherever we might be. Peter, James, and John sure didn't get to see their family's faces, even on a computer screen. Heck, even my brothers didn't get to! We really are so lucky. :)

I love you guys so so much... and I hope you all know that I'm doing great. I'm happy, I'm healthy, I love my companion, my ward, my investigators... And the time is flying by. :)

Mom... I spent like 20 minutes writing you an email... And then when I sent it the internet cut out, and it didn't send. I am so maaaad.

 Long story short, we are seeing MIRACLES with Jenny and her family. They started reading the Book of Mormon without us telling them to, Hermano Jose Luis listened to one of our lessons and then prayed (with us and his entire family there) to know if the Book of Mormon is true. I seriously wrote all of the details and then this dumb computer deleted it. UGH. 

 

 

 

I am very sorry for the lack of email this week. I had to email a ton of people... and there is not enough time for email.

Just know that I had an AWESOME week. Me and my comp are seeing miracles.

Pray for Jose Luis, Yenny, and their kids. :) Pray that his heart will be softened and pray to give her strength.

More details next week.

I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BEYOND.

 My companion is a doll. She makes missionarywork SO fun. She's always laughing, always happy, and I love her a lot already.

Tarija is a half hour plane ride from Santa Cruz in a teeny tiny plane. It was so funny because I had to sit by an elder who was heading to Bermejo and he was like "I haven't talked to a girl in seven months... and in English is even worse!"

It was a pretty funny plane ride.

There are some pretty crazy cultural differerences between the people from different countries, even in Latin America. It's so cool to hear about everyone's different backgrounds. For example, Hermana Nahuel is the branch president's daughter... So she knows a TON about the gospel and the scriptures. I'm learning a lot from her.

Hermana Nahuel has been out for 9 months. The ward is awesome... Small, but so sweet and humble. My pensionista is Hermana Silvia, her husband is Hermano Andres. They have two kids: Noreli, who's 9, and Mati, who's like one.... And is a doll. I love Hermana Silvia... Her food is super good. And her soup is like.. to die for. (In Bolivia, you eat soup (hot soup) before you eat lunch, even if it's one hundred degrees outside. It's not lunch without soup.)

My golden family is meeting some hardcore resistence, particularly in their schedule. Satan is working so hard to make it impossible for us to have lessons. But the mom is trying SO HARD to come. She even tried to come to stake conference. We have a Family Home Evening with them and some members tonight though... So pray, and cross your fingers for us, because they're everything right now.

The weather change has me a little sniffly. The problem is that the weather changes a TON. It's hot, and then it's cold, and then it's sunny, and then it rains and then it's hot again.

Hey, I think that's it from me this week... BUT I LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU and I want you to know that I'm working hard and that I'm doing better.

Guess who got transferred!

I have heard my whole mission about Tarija, which is a city south of
Santa Cruz, and how absolutely beautiful it is. Any missionary who has
been to Tarija, has completely fallen in love with it. The weather is
cooler, the people are humble and loving, and the church is growing
fast. So when the call came at 10:00 last Tuesday night that I was
heading out to Tarija, I was pretty darn excited.

My new ward is called "Aeropuerto." The ward's name is literally
"airport," and with reason, because the Tarija airport is in my area.
So the area is more city-y than other parts of Tarija. But I'm not
complaining. :) Just means real grocery stores instead of buying my
stuff in markets.

Tarija is gorgeous. The weather is cool (I spent six months of summer
in Santa Cruz to come to Tarija just in time for winter), so I am very
grateful for the coats that I brought to Lima, and the insane amount
of cardigans I own. The people are SO nice. They're so humble and
sweet.

My new pensionista's name is Silvia, and she's so darn cute. She's a
young mom with two kids. An eight year old girl and a little boy who's
gotta be about one. I love her already.

The ward here is AWESOME. The people are so loving and supportive
of the missionaries. We're six missionaries in this ward. Two sisters,
four elders. It's crazy, but it's pretty dang fun too. Our ward
mission leader is so driven and focused, and our bishop is just a
really nice guy. He's so humble and funny. He owns a bakery with his
family, (called "Bakery Moroni," which is pretty darn cool) and he's
just a nice little guy who makes bread and is a bishop. He loves the
members, and loves the Savior, and you can see it in pretty much
everything he does.

I already love this ward. On Thursday we have "Missionarywork Night,"
which a lot of members actually come to and help us out. It was funny,
like a crowd of little kids attacked me, and it made me feel right at
home. I just felt all at once that this is where I'm supposed to be.

My companion is Hermana Nahuel from Chile. That makes me 3 for 3 with
latina companions. When I come home, my Spanish had better be better
than Dustin's, or I'm going to be downright mad.

I've been thinking a lot about cute Beth and J, ready to have their
3rd so darn soon. I hope they're doing okay and getting excited. I've
also been thinking about my Syd and Oak, and how they're going to do
with another little sister. Our family is so gosh darn cute, I don't
know how I got blessed with the best family ever, but every time I
talk about you, I just come away more and more proud to be a Hall.

Saying goodbye to Leonise was rough for me... I love her and I love
her whole family. It was also really hard for me to say goodbye to
Hermana Laura and her Family... And the Calle family. I had some rough
times in la Cañada, but I met some unforgettable people.
 There's aparently a miracle, super-prepared
family that we're teaching, but they were in Oruro this week, so I
didn't get to meet them. But I feel like they're going to be very,
very special, from what I've heard. :)

I love you guys so much. I've always loved my family, but I think
going away for a little whie made me realize just how awesome you guys
are and how much I love and need you all. I'm so grateful to be part
of such a close-knit, fun, big, loving family. :) I also want you guys
to know just how much I love my Savior. He has become everything for
me here in the mission. I know that the blessings come. Some come sooner, some come
later, but in one way or another, they come. And the relationship that
I have begun to have with my Savior is something that I will never
EVER forget. I love Him with all of my heart, and I am so grateful to
serve Him. :)

-Hermana Hall

Easter really isn't a big deal here in Bolivia, but the members we live with actually celebrate, Easter Egg Hunt and all! On Easter Sunday we were outside studying and the kids that live there started doing their Easter Egg Hunt... It was so cute watching them find the eggs and watching the grown-ups give clues to where they had been hidden. Sure made me think of my family back home... :) Then they came out back and gave us little baggies of chocolates and treats... even a decorated hard-boiled egg. It's so nice living with cute members that take care of us so well, and they make us feel right at home. My only Easter in Bolivia was definitely a good one.

I'm doing well, and so is the teaching... It was a little slow this week, between conference and doctor's appointments, but good. :) Leonise is about to be officially "rescatada," or "reactivated." (Literal translation is "rescued, which is pretty cool.) The thing that bums me out is that even though I have been here to give her all of the lessons, it won't count until next week, which is after transfers. :/ But, some of us sow, and others reap, right?

I remember when I first got to this area, me and Hermana Mejia used to pass by a lot, and no one ever let us in... But one day Leonise called us out of the blue, we set up an appointment, and came over. Leonise is a 20 year old, single college student, and the only member in her family. She's learning English, and is one of the most go with the flow, happy people I have ever met. Her family, even though they aren't members, always receives us with open arms, and with really REALLY good food (all of them can cook. ALL OF THEM.). In planning what to teach her, we had felt prompted to teach about the holy ghost... And as we sat in the lesson, I felt prompted to ask her if she had ever had an experience in which the Spirit had touched her life. She said "The day I called you. I just felt like I had to call the missionaries and I still had the number in my phone, so I called." She talked about how she had friends outside of the church, but it's not the same as her friendships in the church. We all sat in silence for a second and just felt the spirit, and she continued "I have to listen to you.... I have to listen to the lessons."

I got to watch as she began to talk about marriage in the temple, and just bask herself in Young Single Adults and the friendships she had made there. She loves this gospel, and every time we teach her, she just soaks everything we say in. I really came to love her in my time here, and she taught me more than I ever could have taught her.

I'm still healthy! :) All is fine on the health front, thank goodness.

I haven't used a real washing machine yet, I'm going to later today, but this week I realized that they also have a dryer, which is just unreal... No line-drying for me this week, thank you very much!

Transfers are this week. And I am very, very nervous. They say that leaving your first area can be pretty rough, especially if you've spent a lot of time there.


Conference was AWESOME. I LOVE CONFERENCE. We all watched it in the Stake Center, and on Saturday it wasn't too full, but on Sunday EVERYONE came. It was crazy though, because it was raining.... hard... And the signal was lost and we couldn't watch it and for 15 minutes of the Sunday Morning Session, all of the missionaries (two zones) in the building were freaking out. We had to get it hooked up to internet, ("everyone in the building PLEASE turn off your WiFi") and it finally worked. We missed most of the prophet's talk, but we were still happy. I was also able to watch it in English with the other missionaries from the states, which was pretty cool. It was funny, so many times a speaker was announced and you would just hear murmurs of approval from all of us... and when L. Tom Perry talked about how a Muslim from Iran in this conference of religious leaders quoted virbatem (I hope that's how you spell that word) the Family: A Proclamation to the World, we were all so stoked... It was a pretty cool way to watch conference.

I love you guys SO much and I appreciate your love and prayers so much more than you know.