Tuesday, April 20, 2010

a diet staple



It's what's for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. And Thanksgiving. And . . .

Sunday, April 18, 2010

A cure for the common cold

Dear Mom and Dad,

Well, another week has blown by. I was sick this week. I had a cold for just 2-3 days. Our area medical advisers told us to take a HOT shower and then wrap up in a blanket for 10 hours. I did that one night and the cold went away pretty quick. I was talking to Sister Richards and she said, "A cold never goes away that fast- it must have worked!" So we were able to get back to work quickly.

Things are going so well here. We are being blessed. Tweed Heads could very possibly be my favorite area. We have transfers in a week so I'm crossing my fingers. :) The area is so big that it can be overwhelming at times but then if you just rely on the Lord, things turn out great. We had 3 investigators at church this week so things are very exciting now. We haven't set baptism dates for the dates we lost, but we have plans to. Pray!!

We got a new Ward Mission Leader. His name is Brother Taulepa. He was raised in Hawaii and is Tongan. We have Family Home Evening every Monday night at his awesome house. They are so great for our investigators to go to. The spirit is strong in their home, they share a message, play a game and then have snack foods. The best is everyone just talking afterwards. Relationships are made and investigators don't feel so overwhelmed at church. We have one potential baptism coming up because of FHE.

I am doing great here. Things are going well. I love you mom and dad.
God Speed the Right
-Elder Hales

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Dear Mom and Dad,

Last week time ran out and I wasn't able to finish the letter so sorry about that but WOW!! General Conference was so amazing! I am like you mom, all the music just pierces the soul and tears flow out. My favourite was probably the Priesthood "Hold to the Rod." This week was so full of awesome-ness! We had General Conference and then yesterday we had interviews with President Richards and today we got to go to the temple!

My interview with President Richards was so awesome. I've said before how he just opens up to questions and he really taught me how to be the missionary I want to be. Both President and I walked out of the interview with our eyes sweating. I know that I was called to Australia Brisbane for a reason as much as I know the Church is true. President Richards feels like family! :) President just issued another challenge. His first challenge was to read the Book of Mormon marking in red all the references to Christ. Second was to mark the Doctrine and Principles. The next is to read through all the red you marked for references to Christ and write down those scriptures that refer to the Atonement. Then to go through those notes and to mark off what you can't learn about the atonement from the bible that is in the Book of Mormon.

We have several investigators who want to be baptized but just can't do what they need to. ______, who was going to be baptized this Saturday postponed because she cannot stop smoking. We are trying to help _____ live the Law of Chastity. And Brianna and Bethany are set to be baptized, but their mother is holding them back. I know that they will come through. We need your faith and prayers as well.

Elder Richins got a new companion! So we are not in a 3-way anymore. He was a great example to me and I learned a lot from him. His companion just came down from Cairns in an emergency transfer because he did not lock his heart. That drives me nuts. Crazy enough- our district leader just got transferred into the office! Elder Tokaduadua. He is from New Zealand and is in my intake. It looks like he will be the last office elder before the senior couple comes.

I love the Tweed Heads Ward. I love my companion. I am so blessed. Thank you for your prayers.

I love you mom and dad!

-Dad- do you meet with the Zone leaders of the missionaries serving in the stake?
I'll reply to all other family next week and send pictures.
Love you so much.
Being a missionary is Awesome!!!!!
-Elder Hales

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Miracle Month

Dear Family!

It was absolutely great to hear from all of you and to hear about how great General Conference was. You have no idea how excited I am to go!!! Every time I think about it a shock of warm excitement shoots through my body!

It sounds like things are going well. Brother, I'm never coming home. I have the Ammon attitude "perhaps until I die." :)

This was a very interesting week. The baptism that we were supposed to have at the end of last month didn't go through. Brianna and Bethany want to be baptized so bad but their parents are not a help at all. We have a lesson this week where we are going to be Elder Holland and just lay it on. They should be baptized soon. I can feel it in my bones.

Back to this week being interesting... Elder Richins' companion went home again. He was training for the second time in 2 transfers and both of his greenies went home. Poor guy, but the Lord is blessing him and he has two baptisms coming up so now Elder Tauiliili and I cover his area and we are in a tri-companionship. It's great because I can learn heaps from Elder Richins!

We had such a wonderful miracle this week. Probably one of the best Sacrament-Testimony meetings on my mission. I love this ward SOOO MUCH!! There were 350 people at church on Sunday and our chapel is far from a full size chapel. It was built for a Branch. Chairs were brought in quickly and people were seated back and up on the stage but ..wow.. the testimonies were great. At the end our Bishop gets up, Bishop Rapana, and BLOWS everyone away with his testimony. He was soo bold but not near overbearing. I really look up to our Bishop. He has a big family and has one son on a mission in England. He had us over for dinner once a week last month. He is great.

Another great miracle we had was a text message. :) We have been teaching a lady named Bobbi. She was prepared. She lives next to one of our investigators and after a lesson with her neighbor, Bobbi stopped us before we left to show us a bible that she received when her mother died. We set up a lesson and she has been coming to church every week since! We had committed her to baptism and had discussed it with her a lot and on Sunday night she sent us a text message saying, "When is the earliest I can be baptized?" We went by and set a date for the 17th which means every area in our district has a baptism on the 17th! Miracle month.

Our motto is "Be worthy of and expect miracles."
We our doing our best. The Church is the only true church!
Love you all.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Hold to the Rod

Dear Mom and Dad,

Elder Tauiliili and I went to seminary this morning to help the teacher with all the students passing off scripture mastery. There are some excellent youth here.

Another week has blown by. We had Zone conference this week and that was definitely the highlight. It was sooo good. One Elder gave an excellent training on "talking to everyone" and then the President gave such good training on Repentance, Grace and Mercy and the Atonement. President also talked about being chastened and how the Lord chastens those that he loves. He said that we must be chastened and accept it to make it to the Celestial Kingdom. I have been praying for humbling experiences and now I am praying to be chastened! Ha ha I love it. The night after Zone conference I really had an experience like Enos. The words of President had really sunk into my head and I realized ways I need to improve as a missionary and as a person. This week as I was studying I read somewhere that we need to "read the scriptures introspectively" -- to look for how we can improve and that is something that is hard and we have to get used to- it's likening the scriptures to us. Each week before weekly planning, President has us do an introspection. To really look at where we are and where we want to be and to set goals to achieve that. Then that week we choose just a few things to work on. I have a goal to read the Book of Mormon 2 hours a day. In study and in language study. It is really going to help me grip the iron rod firm to keep on the goal. If we let go of the iron rod- or stop reading the scriptures we WILL get lost in the mist.

This week we had 3 investigators at church again. Things are really going well. We had a member tell us "you guys are going a good job" after she saw how many were in our Gospel Principles class. It always feels good when members compliment the work. Our new Ward Mission Leader is the Man. He is Tongan but grew up in Hawaii his whole life. He had a full ride scholarship to Colorado playing gridiron but got caught up in the wrong things and went through A LOT but now he has his own security business and a wonderful family. Very humble and spiritual guy.

Things are great here. Hope and pray all is well at home.
Love you all,
Elder Hales

Sunday, March 21, 2010

DO IT -- DON'T QUIT

Dear mom and dad,

Another week has completely blown by.
This week was pretty good. We had some good lessons and I really feel we are doing good at gaining the members' trust. Mom and Dad- can you write me and tell me the "members point of view" with missionaries? What you love that they do and what you don't. If you have any experiences where you didn’t like when they asked for referrals and things like that. And then Dad- what you like out of missionaries as a stake president. It would be good to have on hand to share.

The work here is about to boom! We just got a new Ward Mission Leader yesterday and he already organized a Family Home evening tonight where we can invite our investigators and share a short message.

We have dinner every Wed. night at our Bishops house. Our Bishop is so awesome. He has a son on a mission in England. That son left playing professional rugby for the Gold Coast Titans and is tearing it up in England. I just really love this ward and how great all of them are.

I read an article out of an Ensign from the 1990's. It was from that Olympian gymnast that came and did a tri-stake fireside when I was young. This article was so good I wish I would have remembered what he spoke to us about. This article was about Desire and Accomplishing Goals. He said that President Kimball had 2 signs in his office- one saying "DO IT" and the other "DON'T QUIT." Growing up I had so many goals I didn't accomplish. I had a desire to do them but it wasn't strong enough. One thing I remember in my teachers quorum is Brother Wunderi would always say to us that our goal should be to do what we want/need to do 100% of the time and be completely in control of appetites and desires. I always wanted to know how to gain a stronger desire so I could actually accomplish my goals. And it's simply get close to our father in heaven by scripture study and prayer and don’t let anything distract you. Music was something that Satan would use to distract me. But at my study desk I have 20 goals listed and above them I have "DO IT, DON'T QUIT." It feels so much better to actually be what you want to be instead of thinking about what you want to be.
I love being a missionary.
I love you mom and dad.
-Elder Hales

Monday, March 15, 2010

Short and sweet

Dear Mom and Dad,

This week has been great and hard! A lot of biking since our car is being borrowed for a little over a week.

I don't really have much time to write- I really feel bad making Elder Tauiliili wait so long.
Things have been AWESOME! Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven and they have come. President Richards said that when you are exactly obedient and do all "the small things perfectly" the Lord will ask you to put more on the altar of sacrifice. That is what I am really trying to do.

Santi is ENGAGED!! So she will be married and baptized very soon!

We had a good show of investigators at church this week and although we only have 2 baptism dates- it looks like we will be blessed with more soon.

I'm glad that you had a good time with family mom. And dad- I have wondered how I was related to Elder Robert D. Hales for a long time. Everyone always asks me and I never know what to say!!! :) (*distantly related)

I love you all family, and Cheri-- CONGRATS ON THE DUDE! Time for another dude in the family! :)
God Speed the Right
-Elder Adam Hales

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Miracles


Dear Mom and Dad,

This week was full of miracles. It has been a blast! Monday was rough because we had a dinner appointment in another city 30 min. away, so we decided to work the whole day in that area. It was raining so we were tracting in the rain the whole day! But then it just got even better.

We went to the Temple on Wednesday and on Thursday we had a lesson with
Shanti where we committed her to keep the Word of Wisdom and to be baptized. She said yes to both. She really understands the Gospel very well.

We were even more blessed when we contacted a referral from Church Headquarters. His name is Steven and he has already read up to 2 Nephi. The referral was for a "Finding Happiness" which doesn't exist- (a movie??) but when we went by he let us come in and started explaining Joseph Smith's first vision to us..???... then he says.. "is what I'm saying right?" Miracle. We told him we have a copy of the Book of Mormon that he can have instead of using the internet and he went to give a donation for it. We didn't accept it and we explained that we paid our way to come out here. When we bore testimony he looked like it was piercing his heart. He is definitely seeking the truth. He has found it.

Another great blessing where we saw the hand of the Lord is we have two baptism dates for the 27th of March. Bethany and Brianna Gaul and two young girls who are daughters of a less- active member who wants to come back to church. We met with them the first week in Tweed Heads but then they moved and got a new phone so we completely lost contact.
One day we were driving past the suburb we heard that she moved into and I had a feeling we were going to catch her walking her daughters home from school. Sure enough a block later we pulled over and talked to them. We set up a lesson the next day. The following day we went by and had such a great lesson where the spirit was able to touch all of them. Please pray for them and their mother Jorgina. They need blessings and strength.

Yesterday while I was studying, I was reading an Ensign that talked about the experience Moses had when he saw God and shortly after saw Satan. The point it was making is that God referred to Moses as "My Son" several times and when Satan came later, he called Moses by saying: "Moses, Son of Man, worship me." Moses, just after seeing the divinity of God could see the difference and cast Satan away. But what I learned is that Satan doesn't want us to remember that we are actually children of God. He is going to lie to us, he is going to attack us and the closer we get to Heavenly Father- the more he is going to work to keep us away. Every sin starts with us believing a lie! I loved that- it really hit me in the face. I love you mom and dad- thanks for everything.
God Speed-
Elder Hales

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Finally!

Dear mom and dad,

All of us are really sad President Richards will be leaving. We are excited for President Langeland too, though. (the new Mission President in July) Yesterday we had interviews with President Richards. They are so awesome. He opens up for any questions with unlimited time. While I was in the office he said that "where else are young adult men going to get unlimited interview time with an experienced Priesthood leader?"

We got to go to the temple this morning. Awesome because Tweed Heads is the lowest area that gets to go to the temple. We have a train station at the top of our area so we drove there and took an hour and a half train ride up to Brisbane.

This week was so great. Elder Tauiliili and I are working hard. Our ward is really great and keeping us busy. We don't have any baptism dates yet which is a bummer but we will soon. We have one investigator who is Seventh Day and he said that he got an answer to his prayer that the Book of Mormon isn't true. I asked my Zone Leader what he would say in that situation. He said its fair game to be WAY bold. So it went extremely well! :-) I committed him to read a chapter a day and pray everyday to know if the Book of Mormon is true and seek an answer from the Holy Ghost. He said, "This is really important to you isn't it? What do you know that I don't?" And I said, "That the Book of Mormon is scripture." He said that he would read a chapter a day. I pray we don't have to stop teaching him because that is what we will have to do if he doesn't keep that.
I really can't write much today.
Love you all
God Speed the right
-Elder Adam Hales