October 28, 2013

Me, Hermano Godoy, and Elder Leiva

Hey family!! =) How are you all?! So nice to hear from you. 

Thanks for telling me about the week! As always I love hearing about all that you did. I am glad that the missionary moms had a good time at lunch together ;) ha-ha sounds like a blast! Tell them hi for me please! =) Sounds like nothing to out of the ordinary happened which is good. Congrats to dad for selling the first one of those Oreions!! =) how exciting!

1. My feet are decent... the left one is really peeling badly. I dry it every night after I get to the house and take my shoes off. Recently I have started putting athlete’s foot cream on it and we will see if that helps. It gets progressively worse as we walk but only slowly. I have not bought shoes yet. I didn’t have the time to do it the last p-day but I hope today I can be able and do it! While I am thinking about it, I can’t believe how fast this past week went by! Yesterday I was thinking, wow I can’t believe that it’s already p-day tomorrow! That is cool =)

2. As far as cooking, sometimes I will boil some soup or fry an egg but nothing more than that. We don’t really have the time to cook... and our oven doesn’t have a door. We only have a stove top. Ha-ha but as for now there aren’t any recipes I would like. I will let you know when I want any. Thank you so much for your kind offer! 

3. Yes they do celebrate Halloween but I am not sure quite what they do... after this next week I will know and then tell you in the next letter. =) But it looks like it will be about the same thing as home.

4. The zone leaders just walk. The only people that have cars are the old couples that work in the office and the three sets of missionaries that work in the office, as for everyone else, feet on the street, or bicycles. 

The "Zone" last p-day at lunch! I'm in the very, very, verrrry back!

5. We have worked a lot with less actives and recent converts lately. We had a good turnout in the church of less-actives and also got a recent convert who doesn’t go to church very often, to go! =) That was great! A lady named Magali called us this week and said, “Hey, I want you two to come and visit my son.... turns out that they are a less active family and haven’t gone to church for a while. It is the mom, Catalina (15), and Pablo (13). They are all baptized but don’t go to church very often because her work doesn’t allow her time. We went to their house and started talking and Catalina ended up bringing two of her non-member friends to visit too. We had a great lesson about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I felt the Spirit so strong and I know that they all did too. So as for now the two friends are our investigators and the family is some of our recent converts. Catalina and Pablo went to church yesterday. Christian, Jorge, and Anita nothing has happened with them... Norma and Orlando are no longer because they won’t go to church but they’re a nice old couple. Andres and Carla we haven’t talked to them for about a week. It is hard to get a hold of them and put a time that we can visit them because he works lots of hours during the day and Saturday and Sunday are his rest days....  =/ not much with investigators. I have had a difficult time with Spanish this last week and I don’t know why.... I think I haven’t been praying sufficiently for the Lords help in that. Also I feel like the Spirit has been lacking in my life as a missionary. I have a hard time of thinking how I can apply the gospel to peoples’ situations so I think that the Lord is trying to teach me something and I am trying to learn what! 

I just want to share one passage of scripture before I check out. It is about the Atonement and it really helped me realize what Jesus Christ did for us as our infinitely generous brother. It is

1 Nephi 19: 7-9. Super good and it definitely helped grow my testimony and faith. the time is going fast.... I miss you guys every day and I pray for you always... thanks for all that you do for me and all of your support. Christmas is only two months away!!! Skype, ha-ha! Send my love to everyone and tell them thank you for me please. I love you guys and I will talk to you next week. I appreciate it... I appreciate EVERYTHING! 

I cut my hair this morning...

               All of my love, 
               Elder Tegan Hall

            it turned out to be a little bit too short... ha-ha won't make that mistake again!!!

October 21, 2013

Hey family, friends, everyone! =)

This past 100 and something days has gone fast huh?! This is almost 1/7 of the mission! Ha-ha I wrote that it was 100 days in my journal. Sorry there aren’t any pictures this week. We went to a different area to play some soccer and emailed in this area too so I didn’t bring my cord with me... =/ but next week hopefully I will get some sent to you =) Thanks for putting more money on the debit card! =) you guys are soooo good to me!

When I started to read about that Jacob shot the deer I thought oh no. I even recognized the day when hunting season opened but when I saw the picture it didn’t make me home sick. I know that the work I am doing now is a lot more important!

Thanks for telling me about your week!! =) I appreciate it! Sounds like everything is going great and that everyone is busy especially the Phips!  WOW. That is a lot of sporting events but they all won! =) great! And great for Olivia to be a little cooking machine! I am so proud that I have the privilege to call her my little sis! =) keep up the good work! She has already grown up so much in just 100 days!

Q&A

1. Yes my foot hurts. I talked to Hermana Jett about it and I think that she will be helping me out.

2. The electricity thing is great! Works just fine and yes I do use it with my camera, iPod and speaker =) I think of you when I look at it because you bought it for me. ha-ha. Weird I know....

3. In my Christmas package I would like some jerky maybe, some axe hair gel (the red kind) if you can and pictures =) and not in this package but in some future packages I will need to more g2 pens... but don’t worry about that for now. And guess what....? On Tuesday I received my first package!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Filled to the brim with candy and all sorts of stuff! =) I love everything that is in it and it has all tasted so good so far! =) thank you! I still have a lot left. But you know I was so excited to see your signature and the note inside!!=) so I would like a note from you, dad, Olivia, grandma, grandpa, and the Phip`s, whoever wants to write me one really... thanks!
4. I got my haircut once here and the lady did a terrible job. You would be ashamed of how she did!;)  I am going to cut it today. Elder Leiva has clippers and I think that I might just buy my own because in the long run it will save money.  

5. Elder Leiva is good. We get along well and have some good laughs but we also work well together too. I am thankful that he is my companion. The zone leaders are good. I feel like it is an added stress to live with them though... they are super square with the rules but that is good. I try my hardest to be obedient! I haven’t had any problems with anybody stealing my stuff. I would not be a happy camper if that was the case.

6. So as part of my calling in the Young Mens, we go to mutual, we are supposed make visits to the young men in the branch, get to know them, get references through them, share testimony in church, and maybe someday teach. But it is a cool calling and supposedly it doesn’t happen too often… so cool beans! =)

7. The week has been relatively good! I wrote down the highlights of each day but I don’t have the paper but I will try to relate what happened. We were walking one day and were super thirsty and I wanted to buy a soda so we stopped at a little business. We got our sodas and started talking to the two ladies in there. One is a non-active member and she started the conversation. We talked a little bit and the other lady had questions about what we believe. We ended up teaching her the restoration in a short version and gave her a B o M and we will visit her again sometime soon. It was really cool! We have been talking to a non-active lady named Ruth who was baptized at 11 and is now 33 and hasn’t gone to church since. She had a miracle occur with her job after she talked to us the first time. She said she knew it was because she had talked to us and had prayed. It was super cool! She is committed to church this Sunday and we have visited with her a few more times. This all came about because I had the impression to ''halo'' at a door and it was her. Cool huh?! Ha-ha and we are also conversing with this old couple named Orlando and Norma. They have 7 kids and they don’t believe in the Catholic Church, Jehovah witness, evangelic or any of them. But they are taking the lessons super well. I think that they might be future baptisms! =) the only thing is that they talk foreverrrrrrr. Ha-ha but it is all good. We also have been talking to this guy and his family, Andres, his wife Carla, and two boys that can be baptized. Carla is super prepared for baptism. She just needs to gain a testimony of the B o M. We are going to teach the family the Plan of Salvation this week. They are outstanding! =) but there isn’t really much more than that....

Tell Aunt Michelle thank you please =) How kind of her (I sent a copy of your email to him). My favorite scripture as of now, because they do change on how I am feeling and what is happening in life, is Moroni 9:6 and it is perfect for the missionary work. I just imagine that Heavenly Father is talking to me when I read that scripture. Love it and I know that everything with His divine help is possible! Just like 1 Nephi 3:7 says. =) love it all!! Thank you for all of your love and support and I feel it each and every day. Love you guys more than words can say. Thanks for letting me take this opportunity to be on a mission. I will talk to you all next week! 

Love always, 

Your son, nephew, grandson, cousin, friend, all the rest, 

Elder Tegan Hall

October 14, 2013

Thanks for the run-down of your week! I really appreciate it! It sounds like everything is going well except for the HHS football program. Send them my condolences... ;) but really that stinks for them. Wow grandfather is a workaholic. I can just imagine all of the work he did on his mission with all the ambition he had. I will strive to be like that. Tell Garrett happy late b-day for me =) what a stud! I miss him and playing hoops with him downstairs! That seems just like yesterday for me. Man I am jealous you all went to the game at Utah State! How cool is that! We will all have to go when Blake and I get back home =)

Q&A

Me and Elder Leiva

1. The doctor’s appointment went well. How did you know I had one? We had a little bit of a trouble getting in because I don’t have my Chilean visa number yet but somehow I got in. I took my prescription of Advair in to the doctor so she could look at it. They don’t have Advair down here but she gave me a prescription for something that will help me and she also listened to my lungs. I have asthma ELDER ARJONA! =P  Ha-ha, she also gave me a prescription for allergies. I haven’t had them though. The appt was about 15,000 pesos 30 dollars I think and then Hermana Jett went with us to the pharmacy to buy the meds for me. She is super nice. I kind of hope I am assigned to the office sometime in the mission so I can be around the old people from America. It feels like being with grandparents! Hahaha but I am glad that Prez Warne and Hermana Jett are so swift to respond. I am in good hands!  

2. The new comp is good. He is from Chile Punta Arenas, very south.

3. I am in the Baquedano branch, Tupahue stake I think. I am certain about the branch.

Petting a "flea-less" dog we call Gordita

4.Knock on wood but I haven’t had any fleas at all yet. I will regret saying that... but yeah! Sorry Olivia, I can’t tape them in the journal as for now! But I write in that journal every day! =)

5. Ok I will probably buy new shoes next week. Thanks mom. I might just use the credit card to start building credit yeah? 

6. So Elder Leiva and I met this lady who was baptized when she was 11 and now is 30-something and hasn’t gone to church since then. We hope to reactivate her. She is called Ruth. We had a powerful spiritual lesson with the little girl Pilar and her mom Judith and step dad Felipe on Saturday. She had been a little bit rebellious lately and Felipe and Judith have been fighting as well, but we had a great lesson about the priesthood power and how it can bless us immensely. They felt the spirit so strong, as well as I did. I almost cried and Judith did. It’s amazing how my mouth was filled with words as I was teaching. The Holy Ghost is so real and I love it! I think that lesson really helped that family. We have talked to so many drunk people on the street this week because they approach us asking for money or something. We usually just give them a pass along card! Ha-ha but none of them have been aggressive. I got kissed on the neck by a drunk guy too. One of our investigator’s dad but that investigator named Romina is no longer... stupid. But that was an invasion of my bubble big time. Ha-ha Sunday was a fantastic day. Yesterday when Elder Leiva and I were entering the parking lot of the church building this girl came up and said, “Elders, elders, I need your help. I want to be baptized”...Ha-ha I thought, "Is this a joke?" But she was serious and she has learned the lessons from one of her friends for about 6 months. She really knows like everything. She has read the B o M and has the D & C and Principles of the Gospel wow. But she doesn’t live in our zone unfortunately so some other elders are going to teach her and baptize her. That was a bummer for Elder Leiva because he hasn’t had a baptism yet... but we will get him one. 

Pilar with her mom and step-dad

Also I had the opportunity to confirm Pilar and give her the Holy Ghost. Wow that was great! My mouth was filled and I had previously thought about what I would say but didn’t end up saying that. The Lord filled my mouth. Super cool and it was all in Spanish! 

We had three baby blessings too. Elder Leiva and I got called to be the first and second councilors in the young men’s presidency! Ha-ha a ton happened yesterday and I was stressed out and tired but it all went great! Feel better today! But that is it for now. I do know that miracles come through obedience and also fasting! I fasted yesterday for about 24 hours and that is why we saw that miracle. Read in Malachi chapter 3 verse 10, I think. It talks about the blessing of tithes and fasting! But that is it for this week! 

I love you guys so much and I really pray and think about you every day! Something I might need in the future is some g2 pens but for now I am good! I have everything that I need! Except you guys.... but I love you and thank you for all of your prayers and support! Send my love to everyone please!! =) 

Love,

Elder Tegan Hall =) your son, nephew, grandson, friend, missionary!

October 7, 2013

Hey mom! How are things going?!

Sounds like you all had a great week and everything went well. I am so happy that you all watched conference because there were some awesome messages the whole weekend! I thought of Blake when Elder Edward Dube talked. He was great! I took notes on every person that talked and fortunately I was able to watch all of the sessions in English! =) that was great because I don’t know how it would have been if I had watched them in Spanish....Most of all I hope that you guys learned from conference and intend to use the teachings in life because they are sooo helpful! I felt like a lot of those talks were for me, talking about how we chose to come to earth knowing what is ahead of us and that with our troubles here on earth we can learn and grow to develop who we will be for eternity. It helps so much to keep the big picture in mind and as one of the talks said, “Don’t forget to look up!” I thoroughly enjoyed conference. But when I was taking notes I found that some of the words in English I didn’t know how to spell or I had to think about it for a minute because it has been a long time since I have written that word in English! Ha-ha, 21 more months and I think that I’ll be worse off! 

1. I am pretty sure that the money carries over, relatively certain.

2. We normally walk to church on Sundays but it is about a 20 minute walk or so. Sometimes when we are crunched for time we take these cars called colectivos. They’re like a taxi but they have a fixed payment. 

3. Every once in a while I will have a good episode of sneezes but over all my allergies aren’t bad. Elder Arjona and I went running this last week, I think it was on Tuesday and, I was still recovering from a cold so my asthma was worse than normal and I had a ton of phlegm too. We went running and my asthma was pretty bad but Elder Arjona tried telling me that I don’t have asthma because of some study that has happened recently or whatever and I told him I’ve been to the doctor and they have told me I have asthma! I am almost out of Advair and am not sure what I am going to do about that. The mission nurse told me that she thinks Advair isn’t in Chile... ha-ha I don’t know. I have 6 puffs left I think.

4. We watched the conference in the stake center and I watched all of the sessions in English and that was nice. I got kind of home sick seeing the SLC temple and knowing that SLC is relatively close to home compared to where I am... it made me long for home and family... but I learned a LOT from all of the talks! =)

5. I do laundry in our house. We have a washer but we have to air dry the clothes or take them to a sister in the branch. I just air dry it, less of a hassle.

6. By the time I am finished with the hour and fifteen minutes of computer time that I have it is never more than 1000 pesos, usually 750 or thereabouts.

7. For Christmas, I would like some more family pictures and maybe like a little album book to put them in. I think I might buy some street shoes down here because I only have running shoes and I think that they’re too small for my feet. Um some skittles. =) crazy cores. I crave skittles quite often. Maybe you all could just buy a small something for me that I can remember you with. I don’t know what I want. I want you guys. Ha-ha but a picture is the best that will happen and also skyping for Christmas! So psyched for that! I am going to set up an account with the help of Hermano Godoy in our branch. He is the first councilor and is the bomb. I will try and send a photo of him to you. In truth I can’t think of anything more.... just whatever you think that I would like. =) thanks for all your consideration and I can’t wait to get the first package!!! I haven’t got any of them yet...

So we met this guy last Sunday not yesterday but 8 days ago. His name is Christian and he was with his family. We visited him this last week. He claimed that he is pretty much atheist because there are so many churches he doesn’t know what to believe. But we had the first lesson, the restoration, with him and I will tell you what that was the strongest I have felt the spirit in any lesson my whole mission. It was awesome and my Spanish was so smooth that lesson too. Loved it! He has a baptismal date and I think that he will get baptized. He is sincere and thorough because he has questions about everything that he really wants to know. It is cool.

I got approached by a drunk guy this week and he was kind of aggressive and was talking to me but I couldn’t really understand his drunk Spanish. His friend pulled him away, who was also drunk, and they left. I just told him essentially to chill, but the cool thing was that I wasn’t scared at all! I had the spirit with me and I knew that everything would be good!

We have been visiting with this lady named Lillian. Her son is a less active and her daughter also. Their family has turmoil. Her 18 year old daughter has 2 daughters, her son is what the Chileans call a flete or a gangster kind of, but he is a nice kid. He just has a questionable girlfriend. Lillian also has a difficult relationship with her husband I think.. .but she is on course to be baptized because she knows and also her son and daughter know that our visits invite the spirit into their home and they can notice the difference! It is really cool. We had a baptism this last Friday of a girl named Pilar! I will try and send photos. She is a cute girl and her family is so kind. They are recently activated in the church and they have callings and have been strengthening their membership in the church a lot. Their goal is to go to the temple!!! Eternal families is where it is at! =) but that is about it for what came to my mind, but remember I write in my journal every day so you can read it when I get home.

We went to Jumbo, grocery store, today not last week and they didn’t have Mt Dew.... I settled for a Dr. Pepper... better than nothing. I think the next 21 months of my life will be without Mt Dew.

I found out that I get a new comp tomorrow. He is Chilean and is called Elder Leiva. Elder Arjona is going to be a district leader in a different zone! I have actually enjoyed Elder Arjona a lot these past two weeks or so. It seems like we have a friendship now instead of just having to be together. Elder Aguirre stays but Elder Arnez leaves and we get a new zone leader named Elder Porter I think. Two Americans and two Latinos in the house as of tomorrow! I am kind of excited but nervous. I hope to have a lot of success with the help of the Lord this next change. I love the scripture Ether 12.27... It was like a theme of the conference! That is it for now. I am going to try and email other people. I love you guys so so so much and pray for you all the time. thank you for all your support and please send my love to everyone, granpa, grandma, aunts uncles, phips =) of course, and the Hunsakers, the ward! Tell them thanks for everything! LOVE you all!! =) 

Sincerely and love, 

Elder Tegan Hall

Tegan is top center. He doesn't send very many pictures so I have to copy them from another missionary's blog.

Sept. 30, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

The Lords work is spectacular right? and true or otherwise there wouldn’t be so many missionaries going out!!

haha snow!!! I hope that you enjoyed that! I am enjoying the spring time here in Rancagua. Every day it is probably 70 degrees but it gets cold at night. We have electric blankets though so I don’t ever get cold. How strange you are heading into winter! I am glad that Olivia and gpa went horse riding! Makes me happy to know that she is developing her relationship with grandpa! =) and send the Windmillers my love please! Wish them luck with their move and everything. It sounds like everything at home has been good and nothing too out of the ordinary! =) 

1. Well I should really start bringing my journal with me when I email cuz when I am on the spot I can’t think of anything to great! This last week was difficult because it was hard to have lessons with members and also we had a heck of a time getting into people’s houses when we first met them... but we did however, teach this girl named Romina and she has talked to the missionaries before and felt the spirit while reading the B of M and praying but she has a hard time believing the first vision. We talked to her about prophets and how the entire message of the restoration depends on the B of M. When she knows it is true she can know that everything else is true. She is very receptive and respectful and I also put a baptismal date for her for the 26 of Oct if she comes to know that the B of M is true! We pray for her! Also the family with Luis and Jasna and Francisca went to church again and they are progressing nicely! I think that eventually Jasna will be baptized and hopefully they will be sealed in the temple! =) and there is this kid named Jose who was baptized about 4 years ago and is inactive. We went to go visit him and his mom was there too. She isn’t a member but she has had a lot of turmoil in her life but she finds happiness in the gospel... her name is Lillian and I am almost positive she will be baptized in the near future! Also this week I believe we will be having a baptism for a 9 year old girl named Pilar. Her parents are recently reactivated in the church and we have been teaching her. It is different shifting from teaching adults to a child. haha and sometimes my Spanish feels so insufficient but Elder Arjona is a great help cuz he speaks Spanish and when I don’t understand he helps out.  The companionship has been good. We have made a lot of progress this week. Earlier on last week I just didn’t even want to look at him but now it is better. We had a good comp inventory yesterday and also over the week we had like mini inventories so we are doing better now and I actually enjoy being with him for the most part. I am pretty sure that I will be switching comps next week cuz he has four changes here in Baquedano which is 6 months so I will know on Saturday and next Monday will be my last day with him if he is changed. We shall see.

2. We didn’t have fast and testimony meeting this last Sunday. However I have fasted every Sunday I’ve been here other than one. but my first Sunday here I got up and introduced myself and also I bore a small testimony in not very good Spanish haha but the next Sunday after conference should be fast and testimony meeting!

3. I think that we will be going to the stake center to watch conference. I have heard it will be in English but I am not sure what I will be able to do yet. I hope I can watch it in English because I want to hear the actual voice of the prophets and apostles =) you will know next week

4. I have been taking pics and really we're only supposed to take pics on pday so I haven’t taken a ton but I will get better! We are going to take some today and I think also we are going to the supermarket called jumbo to get our food today and guess what they have? mt dew!!!!!! =) I hope that I can buy some =) I haven’t had one for almost three months! Can you believe it has been three months?? Fast, but slow, haha but I think once Christmas time comes the next 19 months will fly by. 

Well, that is it for the questions. I love you guys and I pray for you every night. Thank you for your support and everything you do for me =) thank you to everyone, family friends and everyone! I love you all and hope that life is going well! There is one scripture that I would like to share before I email others. It is in 3 Nephi chapter 21. It is really good and Jesus talks a lot about missionary work and it is really cool to think about and relate to the missionary work that is happening today! I hope you all read it as a family and also that family prayer is happening cuz our relationship with our HF is the most important we can have along with our relationship with JC and the HG! I love you guys and I will talk to you all next week =) 

With all of my love, 

Elder Tegan Hall

Sorry for no pics this week. The computers are kind of dumb. But I will send them to you next week. I’ve got to check out. Love you guys and tty next week =) love 

Elder Hall your son, bro, grandson and everything else!