Mis Queridos Amigitos :)

Hope everyone has had another excelente week! Here in San Clemente we had a truly memorable week, mainly because we weren´t actually in San Clemente and we had the opportunity to meet and listen to Elder Russel M. Nelson of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, and Elder Jorge Zeballos of the 70. What an amazing experience to get to listen to one of the 12 Apostles in person, and to be able to shake his hand. There were many teachings that we learned during the conference, too many to share but there is one experience I would like to share. 

Before the conference started as I sat there pondering I said a little prayer asking God to give me a confirmation of the testimony that I already had that Elder Nelson truly is one of His chosen servants here on the earth today. I thought I would receive it as I shook his hand, but it didn´t come at that moment, but as he began to talk and l listened to his words I truly felt the spirit testify that what he was saying was true, and as he finished his talk something truly remarkable happened. He paused for a second, and then said, ¨I would like to leave on Apostolic Blessing upon you all, invoking the keys of the holy apostleship that are invested in me I bless you...¨ and as he said those words the spirit was like fire in the room. It was so strong it was tangible in the air. We all truly received an apostolic blessing, and since that blessing was placed upon us there have been miracles that have happened in the lives of other missionaries, and truly a special spirit over the entire mission. 

I would like to add my own personal testimony that the head of La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Úlitimos Días is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that below Him he has a Prophet Thomas S. Monson who leads and guides the church, and that we also have 12 special witnesses of Christ who walk the earth today who hold the sacred keys of the Priesthood and of the Holy Apostleship just as those great apostles of old. Some might say that as a missionary I have to say that, but I can testify that I have felt the Holy Ghost witness the truthfulness of these things in my life, and I have seen the affect of these things in the lives of others. What a marvelous blessing to live in a time of Prophets and Apostles  and to not have to live in the dark days of apostasy, and that anyone who wants to can receive the light of  the restored gospel in their lives. 

It was a pretty great week, still trying to find investigators and help those that we have progress. The coast is proving to be a bit of a challenge, and it is killing us not having the meetings close by. We had one member who came to church from San Clemente, luckily we found a house to have the meetings now we just need the leaders of the District (Stake) to approve the location! I ask for your prayers that we can get a place here in San Clemente, and just a general prayer for those here in this area! Hope all is well! :) Enjoy november, it is my favorite month back home! :) 

Love,

Elder Hall  

 Navajo Tacos Argentine Style! (With Lentils!) Delicious! :) 

 Traveling to Buenos Aires to listen to Elder Nelson! 

A beautiful view traveling! :) 

La Carta Semanal-10 de Noviembre 2014

(November 10, 2014)

Hello Queridos, 

Hope all is well this week! :) We are doing well, and have had a week of beautiful weather! I remember this time last year, thinking that if Argentina was like this year around I could come to like it! Unfortunately with everyday that goes by we get closer and closer to the dreaded hot and humid sauna, that they call verano here! The one thing that I have noticed here on the coast is the wind! It is outrageous some days! And it blows from every direction! Like there is no ryhme nor reason to the direction it blows! Sometimes you feel like you are just in a tornado! haha

We had a pretty good week here in San Clemente, it was a bit slow teaching wise because we have had a hard time scheduling appointments with people, it seems like the whole world told us they were busy this week, and if you all know anything about missionary work, when there isn´t anybody that you know available, we turn to the favorite missionary past time, that´s right, knocking doors! (Well actually we clap houses here, you don´t knock! haha) One of the goals that I set with Pres. Thurgood in my last interview was to listen and follow the promptings of the spirit better, and so having that in mind my companion and I set out to look for new investigators. Truth to be told I had numerous experiences where I know I was guided by the hand of the Lord to find the people He had been preparing for us. 

One experience was saturday morning, we were riding down the street and we passed this lady, as soon as we said hi to her, and she replied I knew that we needed to talk with her, but I ignored the feeling doubting it a little. Well a few hundred feet down the road we turn the corner, and before we get half a block up the road I feel a very strong prompting that we needed to talk with the lady. So I told my companion we had to go back. So we went back, and started to talk with the lady. Turns out she was baptized a long time ago, but moved and had been inactive for a very long time. She asked me why we came back to talk to her, and normally I don´t like to tell people that it was because I had a feeling (they give you a look like who is this loco!) but I explained to her, and she told me she had the same feeling, she knew the instant we said hi, that we were going to come and talk to her! It was pretty crazy, and she said that she has been thinking alot about looking for the church here in San Clemente because she has wanted to come back for awhile.  

I am greatful that the spirit insisted and gave me that extra nugde, and that the Lord is patient with us as his children when we don´t listen the first time! It is an amazing feeling to see, and feel the Lord using my companion and I to help others, this was just one of the experiences we had and I truly can say that the Lord and His spirit has a very active role in our work as missionaries, and He truly leads and guides us. I am thankful for the opportunity that I have to be one of his servants, and it makes me want to put all that I have into these next 9 months! Love you all! 

Elder Hall 

Una Buena Semana Más en la Misión!

Well Amigos here we are again another Monday! In case you guys were wondering time still gets faster and faster every transfer in the mission! I did something this week, that I shouldn´t have done. I believe it was my companion who asked me about my release date as a missionary (August 10, 2015) and I counted how many months until August 10, and it is only 9 months away. Yikes........ It made a knot in my stomach, I always tell people that I have been here 14 months now, I never do a count down, and I know why now! haha 

 It got cold again this week, and we have tons of rain. In fact tuesday night after watching 17 Miracles (A movie about Mormon Pioneers and all of their hardships crossing America.) for a family home evening we got caught in probably the hardest rainstorm I have ever been in! As we rode home my companion and I just died laughing because of how outrageous the wind, and water were. Riding on our bikes, we had water above our ankles riding down some parts of the streets, so really our bikes turned into half boats that night! It made me laugh even more because I shared my testimony about my 5th Great Grandfather who was one of the mormon pioneers that crossed the plains, and just telling the family about how we don´t have anything to complain about these days! 

This week we had a little bit of a harder week as far as teaching goes! It has been super hard to catch the people in their houses! Little by little we are losing investigators who have chosen not to continue learning, but we are also finding new people who want to progress. So it is eveing out. We are really trying to work with the members thgis week,and especially the leaders of our little group so that we can get things progressing. It is hard having such a small group of members, but as one of my favorite prophets in the Book of Mormon says in Alma 37:6-7, 

6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls.

Like my phrase, ¨poco a poco¨ things will begin to change, and I am sure that with the help of the Lord, we will be able to lift our little group up! :) 

We had interviews with President Thurgood saturday, and then afterwards he spoke in the District Conference and once again I was reminded of what an amazing man he is. Seriously I hope that one day I can be half the man that he is. He is probably one of the most humble men I have ever met, and just wants to do the very best he can to help us as missionaries, and the people here in Argentina!  

Well my time is just about up! I love and miss you all, and would love to hear from you guys! Have a great week! 

Elder Hall 

 Elder Rachhumí cooking up some fish! (And he made some awesome peruvian rice!) 

 Our Pension! One of the nicest I have had! It is great because it actually has couches and furniture! 

 Alright this was a strange flashback to my first area! My companion walks in to the bathroom, and finds a random frog that some how made his way in!

 So we changed some US dollars over for a really super great exchange rate, and bought pizza and empanadas to celebrate!

 Alright this week, we got flipping soaked.....It was the strongest storm I had ever been in here in argentina and we were on bikes! 

 So we are the seminary teachers here so I thought, ¨hey, why not make a cake to share!¨The first picture it looks normal, and then after that I am not sure what happened! So weird! 

After District Conference on Sunday!