Thursday, December 30, 2010

Happy New Year

Dear family:

We have had so much rain in my area that there are a lot of floods. On P-day we had our Elders Quorum pres. pick us up in a 4 wheel drive and he did some off-roading with us in the car. Since we're not supposed to do that I was very nervous and annoyed. He only did some for about 2 min. -- mostly in the floods.

I didn't think I was going to be able to email home before I see you because all places with computers are closed but we found a place and have permission so I thought I would send a note.

About the In-n-Out-- if it's closed then don't worry about it.

I apologize for sounding down on the phone call. I was so excited to talk to you all and am excited to see you next week. I just can't believe this has come so quickly. I love this work so much and its going to be really hard to leave. I can't share my testimony anymore without crying. Even when I really try and push to be more of a man, it comes. I wonder why I cry so much. I think it's because I love change. I love my repentance. I love how much mercy I have been given.

I have seen many mighty miracles this last week. I can't wait to tell you all of them. Yesterday Elder Auld and I didn't get to nightly planning because we were talking. There was an awesome miracle just last night. I think the Lord wanted us to have that talk last night and I had a witness that he is the companion he wants for me at this time. Elder Auld will make it. And I had a confirmation again that every single area and companion I have had was specially placed for me to get the most out of this mission.
This is the best two years of my life.

Love you mom and dad and all family.
See you very soon. Next week.

ELDER ADAM HALES

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Last phone call home

Elder Hales called yesterday. I answered the phone the way Adam used to: "Center of the universe." He chuckled and said, "This is Elder Hales." (So formal!) He called on our Christmas Day, his Boxing Day. It was right before his church. His companion is from New Zealand, so he had called his family the day before. That made the timing convenient for all of us.

We got Carly & Michael and Michael & Laura and kids on the computer using Skype. We were at Cheri's house, so we put her phone on speaker and everyone could hear.

He sounded very serious and I'm guessing, melancholy. He only has 10 days left and it's weighing heavy on him. He's not trunky at all. David and I attended a special Christmas Missionary fireside last year where the mission president told his army that "...the homesickness you felt when you got here will be NOTHING compared to the 'homesickness' that you'll feel for the mission when you go home." I suspect he's already feeling that. It'll be interesting to see how he adjusts. (We did tell him that he should get his brother up at 5:30 for scripture study. Payback.)

We talked for around 30 minutes. Nothing profound, but just fun to have all of our children interacting. And as usual, I got a little teary as we said good-bye. After we hung up, the rest of us continued to talk. All the guys said that the feeling they got returning home as the plane descended was just the weirdest feeling. Closing a chapter. You could tell that all four of them were reliving the moments.

He gets home January 5th at 9:45 a.m. It'll be just David and I there to greet him. The rest of the family will trickle in over the next two days. He will speak in church on the 9th at 9:00 a.m. All are invited to come and hear him.

Oh -- he did have one request. He will have three other missionaries with him and they are all DYING for an In-n-Out hamburger. (They are continuing on to Utah.) So I guess we have our assignment. Be waiting at the gate with our poster AND hamburgers. (most especially hamburgers)

Well, he made it sound like we might get one more email. We'll see. Hope you all had a Fair Dink'em holiday!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

The end is near

At the Brisbane Temple. Me and Elders Curtis, Auld, & Tuta'i
Today at the temple.





Dear Mom and Dad:

There is only one more P-Day that I will be able to write an email home. (Who's counting?) Next p-day we have the Mission Christmas party. We are going to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" which I am not too excited about. I haven't seen a movie in AGES!

I'm not too sure when to call. Boxing day is Sunday and church starts at 9 am. So I would have to call at 7:50 or 8 and get 30 min. on the phone. That would be 1 pm in the afternoon on Christmas for you. I hope that's okay.

So the Galapons move this Sunday which is sad. I feel confident things will go well up in McKay so they can be baptized. We had a family home evening with our fellowship that the Galapons came to and it went awesome. The Ravens are the fellowship and I think a part of the reason I have served in this area is because of the example of Brother Raven and Bishop Rea. They are an excellent example of Unity and Diligence in seeking inspiration from the Holy Ghost. One lesson we had with the Galapons last week, we spent 20 min. in a car praying about and seeking confirmation on what we planned to teach. It was a great experience.

This week has been amazing. It has been full of spiritual experiences and miracles. I love miracles. Last week we had Zone Conference and it was my last one. All missionaries going home with me bore their testimony. The fact that I am coming to an end didn't really hit me until I got up on that pulpit and looked at my fellow soldiers. Like Michael said, it seems to have gone so fast but when I went into the MTC it seems like ages ago. I look back at all of us missionaries there and see how much we have grown and changed.

Today was my last time going to the Brisbane Temple. I had a wonderful experience that I'll tell you about when I get home. I was crying like a baby and the lady who has obviously had experience brought over a box of tissues. She was nice.

Some of the missionaries in our District are WAY good singers. I will record us, but we sang carols and hymns on the packed train ride back. I mostly walked around talking to people. Whenever I see a large amount of people I get excited.

Brother: Try and get Chan to say Elder Hales. That would be cool. :)

Everyone stay safe and counsel with the Lord in all thy doings.
Love you mom and dad
-Elder Adam Hales

Sunday, December 5, 2010

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Dear Mom and Dad:

Thank you for the Christmas package! The candy is pretty much gone. After two years I still have no self-control when it comes to candy! :-) I gave some away to some people I am working with. They wanted American candy.

This week was rough but we still saw miracles. We found a new investigator named Rhian that we are teaching today. Elder Auld really doesn't want to work on P-Day so this will be our last lesson on a Monday with her but we set her baptism on Dec. 19 so hopefully we will have a "White Christmas."

We had an amazing lesson with the Galapons! We got there and no one had read from the Book of Mormon. We fished around and found some concerns that others have been telling them that the Book of Mormon is made up and the kids were confused. Our fellowship started to confuse them with Alma 32 and it got nowhere so we said a prayer and I tried to do as Alma did when he gave up being chief judge to go among his people and bear down in pure testimony. As I was sharing my testimony I was crying and the Galapons started crying and the spirit was so strong! During my testimony I felt prompted to share an experience when I was in High School and a Classmate said "Christ never came to America" and I responded that he did and the account was found in the Book of Mormon. He laughed in my face. Later, Elder Auld said he was going to share an experience he had that was just like that. The Galapons did not come to church this week because of an activity they had to go to with their employer and they have the same thing next Sunday so they will not be able to be baptized here, but I'll make sure it goes through in McKay!(where they are moving to)

Elder Auld is a champion. He went home for a few months and came back out. We get along awesome and he is teaching me some of the Maori Haka's. He has been back from home for a few months but I'm his first real working companion since getting back so he is keeping me from being complete trunky sauce! :)

The work is great! The miracles are real!
Love you all
-Elder Hales

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Oops


No worries, mate. We found this abandoned car and couldn't let the photo op go by.