Last night the relief society president of the Old Settlers Ward asked
us to come by for cake and ice cream and to discuss missionary work in
the area. Her husband travels five days out of the week and most weeks
of the year, so it was one of the few times we have ever been in her
house. The cake was delicious, the ice cream was fine. The message we
shared with the family was heartfelt, and the work we got done there
was perfect. However, the moment I remember the most came from signing
her guestbook. She asked us to put our names and contact information
with our note, so her family could contact us after the mission, but I
added one more piece of information. How many days I've been serving
in the ward. After counting them all up in mind I signed off with
"Elder Hall, day 296 of serving in the Old Settlers Ward."
Yep. I've been officially been in this Ward longer than I went to my
ward in college. Fun times! All of my missionary friends like to joke
around about it. We had a zone conference a few weeks ago in South
Austin, and it was so strange to see some people. Even in the tight
knit community of missionaries, when you're in an area for a while,
you lose track of some of your friends.
Not that I'm complaining. I love this area! It's been great. This week
we had a great amount of success with working with the members. As a
missionary, you may be susceptible to the notion that members of the
church aren't allowed to participate in missionary work as we do. Not
so! Every christian on earth has a commission to preach the gospel. As
a missionary, I am in the interesting position of being their leader
and servant. I lead them to people that we found that they can invite
and teach alongside us, but I also serve them when they have friends
and family that they want to share the gospel with. I've been able to
teach families and families of latter day saints valuable missionary
tools, such as practicing sharing the gospel with friends, teaching
them how to pray for missionary work, inviting them to hand out Books
of Mormon, and sharing the principle that no effort is wasted when you
are serving the Lord.
One of my favorite stories starts with my first Sunday of my mission,
and ended with my first week in Old Settlers Ward. The S Family
invited us to dinner, and they asked us how they can be better
missionaries. We practiced inviting a coworker to meet with
missionaries, and bearing your testimony. For the rest of the weeks I
was in the Cibolo Ward, they didn't give us a referral, or let us know
if they did it or not. They did invite us back to dinner after their
vacation to California, and bought me an A's jersey.
I was transferred, and months passed, and I forgot about that dinner
with the S. I was transferred again to Old Settlers Ward, where
I was shocked to see the S family sitting in the chapel, an hour
and a half away from Cibolo. I asked them what they were doing, and
they said, "We're meeting an old friend. She is giving her first talk
in sacrament meeting."
On the stand was V, a 17 year old who was baptized only months
before that sacrament meeting. After that dinner I had with the
S, they prayed about how to ask to meet with missionaries, and
remembered some family friends from long ago. They invited V's
family to meet with the missionaries. The parents denied, but V
said yes. With the parent's permission she was baptized not too long
later, and today she has taken four trips to the San Antonio temple,
filled out temple work for dozens of ancestors, and now is the Laurel
Class President of over 13 young women. She plans on attending BYU
next fall.
Who knew that the hour or so of time spent with the Ss would
touch the lives of so many others? It is the miracle of faith. Having
the faith to extend an invitation, having the faith to ask
missionaries for help with your own missionary work, and having the
faith that something good would come of it. Out of small and simple
things shall great things come to pass. V and the Ss are
just one of the many stories that I have been a part of. To me, I have
felt like I've been writing my name in the guestbooks of many
families, leaving behind my witness of the gospel to add upon the
testimony that is there.
Flipping through a guestbook is like dumping out a jar of memories.
They come fast and there's a lot of them. I may be one of many, but I
am proud, because that means that there are thousands- maybe even
millions- of people who are able to share such sound testimonies and
stories as mine.
May God ever be with you.
Elder Richard Hall
1. A good day of soccer
2. Me and the other Elders with S, an awesome youth in our Ward that
loves missionary work.
3. A set of missionaries with a man who was baptized on Saturday.
After his baptism he testified of the church- specifically of the
restoration- for almost 15 minutes.
us to come by for cake and ice cream and to discuss missionary work in
the area. Her husband travels five days out of the week and most weeks
of the year, so it was one of the few times we have ever been in her
house. The cake was delicious, the ice cream was fine. The message we
shared with the family was heartfelt, and the work we got done there
was perfect. However, the moment I remember the most came from signing
her guestbook. She asked us to put our names and contact information
with our note, so her family could contact us after the mission, but I
added one more piece of information. How many days I've been serving
in the ward. After counting them all up in mind I signed off with
"Elder Hall, day 296 of serving in the Old Settlers Ward."
Yep. I've been officially been in this Ward longer than I went to my
ward in college. Fun times! All of my missionary friends like to joke
around about it. We had a zone conference a few weeks ago in South
Austin, and it was so strange to see some people. Even in the tight
knit community of missionaries, when you're in an area for a while,
you lose track of some of your friends.
Not that I'm complaining. I love this area! It's been great. This week
we had a great amount of success with working with the members. As a
missionary, you may be susceptible to the notion that members of the
church aren't allowed to participate in missionary work as we do. Not
so! Every christian on earth has a commission to preach the gospel. As
a missionary, I am in the interesting position of being their leader
and servant. I lead them to people that we found that they can invite
and teach alongside us, but I also serve them when they have friends
and family that they want to share the gospel with. I've been able to
teach families and families of latter day saints valuable missionary
tools, such as practicing sharing the gospel with friends, teaching
them how to pray for missionary work, inviting them to hand out Books
of Mormon, and sharing the principle that no effort is wasted when you
are serving the Lord.
One of my favorite stories starts with my first Sunday of my mission,
and ended with my first week in Old Settlers Ward. The S Family
invited us to dinner, and they asked us how they can be better
missionaries. We practiced inviting a coworker to meet with
missionaries, and bearing your testimony. For the rest of the weeks I
was in the Cibolo Ward, they didn't give us a referral, or let us know
if they did it or not. They did invite us back to dinner after their
vacation to California, and bought me an A's jersey.
I was transferred, and months passed, and I forgot about that dinner
with the S. I was transferred again to Old Settlers Ward, where
I was shocked to see the S family sitting in the chapel, an hour
and a half away from Cibolo. I asked them what they were doing, and
they said, "We're meeting an old friend. She is giving her first talk
in sacrament meeting."
On the stand was V, a 17 year old who was baptized only months
before that sacrament meeting. After that dinner I had with the
S, they prayed about how to ask to meet with missionaries, and
remembered some family friends from long ago. They invited V's
family to meet with the missionaries. The parents denied, but V
said yes. With the parent's permission she was baptized not too long
later, and today she has taken four trips to the San Antonio temple,
filled out temple work for dozens of ancestors, and now is the Laurel
Class President of over 13 young women. She plans on attending BYU
next fall.
Who knew that the hour or so of time spent with the Ss would
touch the lives of so many others? It is the miracle of faith. Having
the faith to extend an invitation, having the faith to ask
missionaries for help with your own missionary work, and having the
faith that something good would come of it. Out of small and simple
things shall great things come to pass. V and the Ss are
just one of the many stories that I have been a part of. To me, I have
felt like I've been writing my name in the guestbooks of many
families, leaving behind my witness of the gospel to add upon the
testimony that is there.
Flipping through a guestbook is like dumping out a jar of memories.
They come fast and there's a lot of them. I may be one of many, but I
am proud, because that means that there are thousands- maybe even
millions- of people who are able to share such sound testimonies and
stories as mine.
May God ever be with you.
Elder Richard Hall
1. A good day of soccer
2. Me and the other Elders with S, an awesome youth in our Ward that
loves missionary work.
3. A set of missionaries with a man who was baptized on Saturday.
After his baptism he testified of the church- specifically of the
restoration- for almost 15 minutes.
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