Last Christmas in the Mission Field

Merry Christmas!! My Christmas was great!!


Christmas eve we ate a German feast called ruladden (I'm pretty sure that's NOT how you spell it, but that's how it sounds) at the Streuling's house. It was delicious! Elder Barney got permission to come down from Richmond with his companion to spend the night. Elder Barney was a surprise for Zac Hill (the cool kid we live with) because Barney was his very most favoritest missionary to live at their house. The tradition at the Hill's house is that they open their Chrismas presents Christmas eve, so that's what we did. It was lots of fun. In the morning we went over to the Hill's best friends, the Brookes, where I skypified my family!! It was super fun to see everyone! We then went to the Shaw's house in South Ogden where the Shaw's invited all the missionaries that had served in that area or around it in the last 8 months. We were supposed to go sledding at Snow Basin but it was closed because there wasn't any snow! I really wanted to sled! Oh well, we did lots of other fun stuff like pool and ping pong tournaments and just hangin' out with all the everybody that was there.

Cool story! Last Tuesday we were at the mission office when they got a call from a guy that said "I want to talk to some missionaries, do you know how I could find some?" Well we were the only young missionaries at the the office, so we got to talk to him. The first thing he said is that missionaries remind him of Knights, how we are on a specific quest serving our King. He related everything in the gospel to knights. But he asked us to help him understand what the reason for Christmas was because he was feeling like it was lost. Long story shorter, we invited him to be baptized and he said he was already a member, so we asked how old he was and asked him to go on a mission and join the knighthood, so to speak, and he said he would think about it. It was pretty cool.

Anyway, have a great new year. Thanks for your support and Christmas cards!

Love Ya,
Elder Hale=)

Christmas stockings at the Streuling's on Christmas Eve

Pre-Christmas Missionary Message

Hey yall!


So pretty much all the snow melted and the sun was shiny but it was still cold. But it's nice because we get rides from members a lot.

We had mission conference this last week which was way fun to see all my mission friends and give out my cool business cards that sister Shaw in South Ogden made for me. There is a new Sister who just came into the mission this transfer whose name is Sister Hale. So I hunted her down and turns out we're related at least to Alma H. Hale. She's pretty cool (which goes without saying with that last name), so we got a picture together.

There's a guy that we're trying to get back to church that is just an old cowboy. I commented on his boots and told him the sad tale of how I had to leave my boots at home and he said what size shoe you wear? Then he told me how he had some boots that he never wore that were my size and that I could have them!! yay, early birthday present! They are nice too.

Miracle this week!
There was a 9 or 10 year old girl who came up to us and said I have a friend who wants to be baptized! Then she went and grabbed her friend's arm and brought her over to us and said "this is my friend who wants to be baptized!! Her name is Zoe! She lives.... and her phone number is.... and she needs to be taught by you guys so she can be baptized! When can you teach her?" The most amazing member missionary I've met in this area! I wanted to know that it was Zoe's choice and not being pushed so I turned to Zoe and asked why she wanted to be baptized and she got this big smile on her face and said because me and my dad will be happier and because Jesus gave me an example to follow! So I asked if she wanted to be baptized on Christmas and she said she was hoping she could; she still has to ask her dad but hopefully it will work out. I'm so excited!! All I want for Christmas is someone to come closer to Christ through baptism!! What better day to follow His example?! Then it would truly be a white Christmas!

I've been trying really hard to think of things that I want for Christmas. I just don't know! I have no ideas! I'm very sorry to make it hard but I just really don't know. I just want everybody to focus on Jesus Christ for CHRISTmas and help people get closer to Him thru stronger faith in him helping people repent and be baptized or take the sacrament again and feel the Holy Ghost more in their lives to help lead them through the hard times. I want people to Look for the tender mercies that He gives us, and to make other people smile. That is a true disciple of Jesus Christ. That is what I want. I probably won't see it myself but it will be recorded in heaven and I can watch it later. This gospel is toooo important to not give everybody the agency to accept it, and they won't get to choose until the choice is presented to them through an invitation to repent or be baptized.

I love you all so much. Now is the most important time to study the scriptures and build your faith in Christ.

love ya!!
Elder Hale =)