Notes

I'm Walking! I'm Walking! It doesn't even hurt to walk. Who would have

thought that this could actually happen. It's amazing how great it

feels to walk without pain. Well, I can last most of the day without

pain, and there's still some fluid in there, but I can walk! And that

is the best part.

Life has been wonderful. The weather has been fantastic and Elder

and I have been hitting the ground running. Sometimes you

can't explain how the Lord provides, but the Lord always provides.

We were having a lesson in the home of a man who has gone through a

lot, to put it simply. To hear his testimony of the atonement and to

see his faith in the ways of the Lord was amazing. His faith in the

savior was so huge, it was changing the people around him. Your

attitude effects the people around you more than often times we care

to admit.

A lady in the Schertz Ward- who has become more like a mother to me

and Elder M gave an excellent talk in sacrament. My favorite

line: "If you take the 'test' out of 'testimony', then all you have

left is an 'imony', and that's not a word. She then referenced a

scripture that she credited my companion and I with sharing with her

family. If you don't receive an answer to your prayer, it is not

because you did not have enough faith, it is because you need to go

through an experience to receive your witness. We can't dispute it

because we can't see it. Sister C is excellent. Who would have

thought I would meet someone from Gooding, ID here in Texas.

I was folding up socks this week when I realized that when I came out

on my mission, I had about 18 pairs of socks. I counted, and now I

have 45 pairs. Where did they all come from?

Life is good

- Elder Richard Hall

Light and Dark

Another week where just about everything ever happened. For the first

two and a half days I the week I was glued to the couch, hopped up on

codine, so I can't say that much happened during that time, but

Wednesday night we had dinner with one of my favorite families that

I've met on my mission, followed by a few appointments.

Dinner with the Young family was enlightening. Brother and Sister

Y met each other on their mission as missionaries about a year

into the field. Brother Y was a hard-working missionary and loved

every second of his two years of service, but when he saw Sister Y

he knew that she was the one. After consulting with the mission

president he made a commitment to not cross paths with her. Avoid

speaking to her, not shake her hands, just stay away. And they both

had amazing missions, went home, took six months to get together, and

they've been together ever since. I thought it was amazing to see that

he was willing to sacrifice that much to make sure that he kept his

mission sacred and special. Two years isn't too long if you know it's

the right thing to do. Our knowledge changes our countenance. To this

day he talks about his mission like it was the best thing that

happened to him. It was.

Thursday we received a mini-missionary, a youth from the stake who

spent two days with us to see what missionary work was like. It was a

great experience for him. It seems that the youth of the church just

get better and better. He bore powerful testimony and wasn't too

shabby at teaching himself. I loved being able to guide Cameron and

help him learn things that I wish I learned before I went on my

mission. As a missionary, you want the success of others almost more

than you want your own success. He's from an area that I served in

long ago, now a whole year ago. Great to see him and hear about my old

area.

Saturday we had a special zone conference with Elder Christensen from

the presidency of the seventy come. It was amazing the amount that I

learned in those brief hours that I had with him. During it I learned

that there is such thing as "sacred scripture", and I was able to have

Elder Christensen answer one of my own personal questions. It was one

of the most precious moments of my mission.

Sunday I was able to lead a quartet in singing a barbershop version of

"Consider the Lilies." It was powerful, and beautiful. There are some

great singers in the Schertz Ward.

Hope that you all have an excellent week. By the end of the week I'll

be off of crutches.

Have a good one,

Elder Richard Hall

1. Monday

2. Tuesday

3. The mini missionary

4. After zone conference. My other current companion, the Yuba City

missionary, and her companion

Heavy Medication

Basically, everything that ever could happen either just happened, is
happening, or is about to happen. In an effort to conserve precious
energy and to save all of us from a email that'd take 3 months to
read, I'll do my best to keep it short.

This week I had and interview with my mission president. My first
mission president would use interviews as precious time to personally
teach principles and uplift missionaries. The current one likes to use
it as a time to hear every little thing that I have to say, and then
gives two sentences of profound council. Somehow, both styles help me
grow. I love my mission president.

Went on exchanges with a great missionary Wednesday. We are going home
the same time, and it was fun to reminisce about the times that we had
together back in the day when we both had no idea what we were doing.
Now we were discussing all of these different leadership
responsibilities and teaching skills that I never anticipated to be
proficient at. It was a wonderful day.

Friday I had surgery on my right leg. They shaved off some bone on my
Femur. I don't think those bone shavings will rise with me on the day
of my resurrection. As much of a pain as it was to have that "bone
finger" jabbing into my muscle, the price to take it out is pretty
heavy. I have enjoyed the medication that they have given me, but it
has basically made everything a blur. I can hardly remember a drop of
what happened on Friday. All I remember is talking to the nurse about
which Tupac song was his favorite, and why the Beastie Boys were
better than Wu-Tang Clan. My companion claims I talked about a lot of
other things, but I couldn't tell you what's true and what isn't.

Sunday came. That evening Elder Muhlestein and I were assigned to
teach the Stake missionary preparation class. We ended up having a
powerful lesson on the importance of recognizing the Holy Ghost, and
feeling inspired. I don't remember much of what was said, but I do
remember the power in the words of these youth as they practiced
teaching to each other with their testimonies. A testimony is an
amazing thing.

This upcoming Saturday we are being visited by two major head-honchos
in the church, Elder Craig C. Christensen and Elder Dale G. Renlund.
It'll be an exciting time for me, as this is the first time on my
mission that a member of the 12 will visit the area. I am eagerly
awaiting their inspired direction.

Life is good. I'll have to learn how to be patient with this recovery.
It's been a long time since I've felt normal. But it will all be worth
it in the end.

- Elder Richard Hall

1. Exchanges with Elder Dailey
2. recovery
3. The scar