Sunday, July 25, 2010

Shanti's baptism


Awesome

Dear Mom and Dad,

Things have been awesome. This week we had to chop a few investigators who aren't progressing. I love being in this ward for a long time because I have gotten to know heaps of members well. Yesterday a kid from Huntington Beach was at church. He was on a surf trip visiting Australia and Bali. We tried to teach his non-member friends but no luck... but it was weird to hear a California accent.

After Sacrament Meeting we gave our investigator, Ben, a blessing because he hit his face and his cheek was swelled up to the size of a golf ball. He said it had been that way for 4 days! He went to the hospital and we will see him on Wednesday when we will set a baptism date with him. Please pray for him!

We have been busy teaching and finding and things are going awesome.
Love you all.
-Elder Hales

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Dear Mom and Dad,

Sounds like things are going well! Tell Cheri I say get well soon!!!!


Things here have been awesome. Today is transfers and guess what..... I'M STAYING! Elder Willie and I are staying. I have been telling President about the improvements we have been having with the work so I am so glad. My district is changing quite a bit but change is always good.

My Bishop here in Tweeds is probably my favourite Bishop I've served for yet. He has a very different way of doing things but he is so spiritual and completely the man for the job. I was listening to a talk by Elder Eyring and he said the words: "the Lord would know who he has serving in EVERY position in his church." I know that is the case with our Bishop. On Sunday at the end of sacrament meeting he got up and asked everyone to fast and said we would have a fast break on Monday night at 6. He said: "I don't know the rules with using the chapel on Monday night but we will overlook that." Bishop Rapana is my hero.

Our most progressing investigator is Ben, who we talked about last
week. He is doing so great and Elder Willie and I just have a connection with him so please pray for him. We will be setting a baptism date with him tomorrow.

Things are going so awesome. The work is great. The more families' homes I go in, the more I realize how I'm going to raise my family. When the home revolves around Christ, the kids choose the right. I have learned a lot about priorities lately.
Love you all.
-Elder Hales

Monday, July 12, 2010

Rugby

Mom and Dad,

Today for P-day we are going to go play touch football (rugby version).... :)... all injuries happen in American football. In all the history of touch rugby no missionary has gotten hurt. More injuries in Basketball than touch Rugby.

Ever since I left the office I don't go to the temple with President anymore but with our Zone. And this transfer we had to skip out on interviews with President Langeland.

If you sent me money already for my birthday it's okay but if you haven't sent it yet then don't worry about it. In the Gold Coast I can't transfer it over to Australian money because all the banks require my Passport and it is too much of a hassle to get it from the Office. If you must do something then put it in my bank account.

I have not yet taken a picture and video yet. I will do that this week and send it through email next week. I think I'll be able to send a video through email.

This week has been superb! Last week I told you we were going to teach a lesson to my dream investigator. His name is Ben and the lesson was awesome. We have really been changing our teaching skills lately and I'll get into that later but everything went great. He felt the Spirit and he says that he knows he is in the right place when he comes to church. He is getting married to a YSA girl named Wendy. Her mother is the Relief Society President. Their wedding is in February of next year. He will be baptized. I just hope it's soon because transfers are next week and I have been here for 6 months. Ben came to church and he is enjoying it. When I first met him he was not interested. It was about 5 months ago when Ben viewed Wendy's family as "churchies." But they had Ben over for dinner the same day they had us over and I taught the Plan of Salvation in 5 minutes with cool visuals and Wendy has had him reading the Book of Mormon and 5 months later he is going to church.

As I said a few paragraphs before, we didn't have interviews but instead we had another Zone Conference. President Langeland is AWESOME! He was talking about disobedient missionaries and he said he would grip their upper lip and just rip if off. :) (He didn't say that in zone conf.) But President gave us an amazing training. This transfer we have been focusing on teaching a spirit dialogue at the beginning of the lesson. Just sharing some scriptures on the Holy Ghost and teaching them the feelings it will give them. And President Langeland in Zone Conf. taught about committing to baptism on the first lesson, which we already do, but also setting a baptism date at every 1st lesson. So we have 3 baptism dates right now and hopefully one more with Ben this week. This may sound confusing but just know it's training we received that is from the Lord and it is going to skyrocket baptisms.

Our mission had 222 Baptisms the first 6 months of this year. Our goal was 240 baptisms so we did really good. All we would have needed was 1 or 2 more weeks and we would've accomplished our goal...but our goal is 240 again for the last 6 months of this year so with the training we recieved from President Langeland which came from General Authorities, we will accomplish that goal. Mission of Miracles.

Well, I love being a Missionary. The Book of Mormon is true.
Love you guys.

-Elder Hales

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Family letters

DEAR MOM AND DAD,

Pass along cards? Hales and Wirthlin's roll better than that... give her a Book of Mormon!!!! (hospital lady) (*a nurse that has noticed "something different" about our daughter and her family)

Haha - Elder Mitchell is such a crack-up. He has sent me letters over the last year and he is a champion. (*his best childhood friend; coming home from his mission next month!)

Birthday requests? Um- no toothbrushes or toothpaste... got heaps of that but if you want to send floss... its expensive here. :)

WOW!!! This week is awesome!!!! Shanti's baptism was probably one of the best I've ever been to. Josh, her husband now, has such a huge family so it was very crowded. The fellowship we used -- the Hall's -- have been awesome. We couldn't get warm water for the font so we had a Titanic replay, but Sister Hall was asked to bear her testimony and she thanked the missionaries for bringing the spirit in her home from the visits. That meant a lot to me.

We had the Temple this morning. Wow, I had a good experience today and now we're off to teach my dream investigator!!! A complete surfer, Aussie bloke. I have had a dream of baptizing one since I got in the area. Pray for us
Gotta go. Sorry this is short.
The Work is hard... but its SOO GOOD!
-Elder Hales

Brotherhood: (*that means his brother Michael)

I tell some of the dead-set surfers in our ward that you got married and were taken away from the waves and surf. They make fun of me and say that's going to happen to me too. Of course I say "no way" but when you tell me about your awesome family, it just makes me think...who is the one missing out? Home isn't where the waves are... it's where the Lord is.
Well, thanks for that email. Sounds like things are going awesome. Good luck with work.
Love ya
-Elder Hales

Wirthlins: (*expecting a baby boy next week!)
Ammon, Ezra, Helaman, or Ephriam. Awesome names. July 15th that's so soon!!!! That's awesome. Hope all is well and I keep you in my prayers.
Get Spencer on teaching that nurse the restored truth.
I would love that temperature. It is sooo cold here. I freeze every night.
-Elder Hales