In the words of my Mission President, These are Journal Entry Days!

This week has been absolutely a hectic one, and I look back and can't believe that I have been able to do all that I have. Monday night Sister Oswald was packing until1am lol and I was rearranging our humble apartment to be ready to receive an additional number. We only have 2 beds, 2 dressers and 2 closets...so that night I spent time setting up a new bed, organizing the study areas and cleaning. Then Tuesday was transfers. It was pretty sad to have to say goodbye to Sister Oswald, we got to be really close (being with someone 24 hours a day for 3 months will do that to you!). But on the bright side I got to meet my wonderful new companions Sister Soules- from Utah and Sister Manwaring- from Colorado. They are awesome sisters and we already get a long wonderfully! I felt a lot of pressure at the beginning of the week to be training, but I have seen so many blessings come our way from Heavenly Father that I simply know that it is all going to be ok. The scariest part I think of this whole thing was having to drive for the first time in 3 months in Lubbock without any idea of where I was going! GAG! I hate cities lol. We were following the Elders at one point, but then we lost them. Fortunately I stayed calm and they called us and gave us directions. All was well : ). I am thoroughly enjoying driving now however! We have been busy all week meeting new people, working with current investigators and getting to know the ward. One awkward moment was while knocking we had a 50 year old guy come to the door in just a towel...that was fun haha. Missionary life is awesome! We've been getting fed alot so luckily we also have been doing a lot of walking! Lasagna is a popular dish : ) I think the highlight of the week was while riding our bikes we rode up to a family doing a bbq. Turns out its a members house and she hasn't come to church in a long long time, also her husband is not a member of the church! They invited us to come for dinner this week and he promised to give us each bottles of mase! Haha I love it!

Times do get hard, I have had my moments of being overwhelmed and worried about disappointing Heavenly Father, But as always, he answers prayers. I have so much comfort and love, just from getting down on my knees and praying. I know He hears us, and I know that He loves us, God never leaves our sides, only waits for us to take the time to ask for Help.

I love you all, and miss you greatly <3 Thank you for the prayers on my behalf. I feel them every day. My little piece of advice for the day... Look around you today, and find a way to lift someone who is worse off than you 

Its that time again! Have I ever mentioned how much I love Mondays?

So this week is transfers, Sister Oswald and I were basically in denial about it because we felt like one of us was leaving, and didn't want to accept it! But honestly, I have felt Heavenly Father preparing me fore these transfers in the past couple of weeks. I have seen many amazing miracles happen, and felt the spirit directing me more than ever. I definitely have needed it. Saturday night was the hardest one because we knew the call was coming. It honestly felt like Christmas Eve! I was extremely anxious to hear what was going to happen, especially since this was my first transfer call where I could potentially leave. Well 10:45pm Our Mission President Called...and we found out Sister Oswald is leaving. She Goes up to Amarillo, Texas tomorrow night. She's still the STL (Sister Trainer Leader) and is training two new missionaries. It was an exciting call. Then she handed me the phone. President Augustin told me to put on my Hiking boots because I was.....STAYING! I am beyond excited that I can stay in Clovis for another little while, it honestly is an area that is just beginning to start catching fire. I was very excited to hear I was staying...however, then came the next part of the message. Mom, Guess what? I am expecting! I have been asked to train! He asked me if I accepted the call...to which I replied, I will, and I promise to do my very best. He said, Good, because we would also like to ask if you could train two for us! So guess what else? I am having twins! haha. Yep, 3 months in and I am going to have two greenies. I am extremely nervous, however I am also really excited. Its going to be a huge learning experience for me, and I know that Heavenly Father will help me every step of the way. 

There has been a HUGE surge of sister missionaries to our mission, we use to get about 1 or 2 sisters a transfer...now it is 9-12, its pretty incredible. I don't know my two new companions names yet, or anything about them, but I'll let you know next week and hopefully send pictures. All I keep thinking is God must know something I don't because honestly I feel really inadequate. But if I have learned anything this transfer, it has been to Trust in God. He's watching out for all of us, so why not just trust him. I have faith all will be okay. There's a quote that has gotten me through quite a lot so far, it is: "I can do hard things." Every time I have to face a challenge, and I am tempted to quit, I think of this saying. It gives me strength to hold on that much longer, and every time I do, something amazing always happens. So my word of advice. When life gets too hard to stand...kneel.- President Gordon B. Hinkley.

I love being out here, tuffest thing I have yet to do, but I know its worth it!

Thats about all for this week, love you all!

Yours Truly,
Sister Amy Hall

What a crazy week last week was! I couldn't help but close my eyes last night and smile, thinking of all that happened. So Last Monday we took a tour at the Cheese Factory with all the Missionaries in our area, there were 12 of us there and President Chappell, who is one of our Mission President's counselors, is a top gun at the plant and gave us a personal tour. For missionaries, this was an exciting time haha. We took great pictures all decked out in hard hats, protective smocks, booties, and safety glasses. We looked stellar! I also got to play basketball last Monday for the first time out in the field : ) I forgot how much I love that sport!! I definitely had fun, but payed for it by being wicked sore 2 days after lol. Tuesday, Sister Oswald and I got to drive to Portales (20 min) to do exchanges with the sisters there. It was great trying out a new area and getting to spend time with a different companion for a day, No worries though, I still Love Sister Oswald : ) But a change now and then is fun! We got to spend the night there and half of Wednesday. It was Sister Oswalds Birthday Wednesday as well! We kept busy and did the usual Missionary work right up till 7pm when we got hit with a crazy storm! Since us missionaries were already at the church, and it was a tornado warning we decided that was probably the safest place for us! We took a ton of pictures of the wind and rain coming down, got really intense for a bit : D. The streets flooded in minutes cuz there is no way to drain here. The storm lasted all night so we ended up celebrating Sister O's Bday at the church haha. It was a pretty fun night, kinda crazy tho, storms here are way more intense than back home : ). Don't worry Mom all's good! Thursday the usual happened, it was a great solid work day to do service projects and got a lot done.

Friday was insane, we had to be up by 5:30am to drive to Lubbock so that Sis O could go to her Training Meeting and I got to go on Exchanges with Sister Olsen, my MTC companion, as well as another sister (Smith). It was a cool experience working with her investigators and learning new ways to teach. I think one of my favorite parts of being a missionary is learning something new every day. I always am able to see some way that I can improve or apply myself in a different way. Its awesome. We were back by 5:30pm, just in time to get some paper work from our apartment, and go to our investigators house to fill it out. We had to meet the mission president at the church at 6 for an interview. Things worked out and we made it on time!

Saturday Morning was the best yet. I feel so blessed to have had the experience that we had. Henoc, one of our investigators, was baptized! Its my first baptism that I've been a part of, and I can't describe how it feels. I know it wasn't anything I did, simply I know that I was blessed with the opportunity to be an instrument in God's hands at this time. Saturday was incredible. Sunday even more so when He was Confirmed. Its been the craziest of weeks, but amid that craziness, we saw miracles happen!
Transfers are coming this weekend, we find out what happens, and before I was pretty nervous, but now I trust that I will go where I need to go (or stay), and I will have the companion I need to have. All is well! I love being here, things got hard for a bit with everything happening at home, but I have found a lot of peace. Its helped me forget myself, and do the work that God needs me to do.

I think of everyone back home often, your in my prayers always. Remember that I love you, I'm still me, just with a new focus and purpose, and never felt more happy in my life...even though I'm surrounded by giant deer ticks, cockroaches and spiders....pray for me?

I'm thankful for your emails today, the family has been in my prayers more than usual because of the events of last week. I was definitely sad to hear that Uncle Leland passed away, it was really hard not to be there with you all to help out and be a support. I was struggling the day I found out, trying my very hardest to tuck my feelings away into a corner of my mind, but it was impossible. I finally had to go into my study room in the apartment, and say a prayer. This was what I needed the most. You cannot tell me God does not hear our prayers, I know with all my soul that He heard me. As I poured out my heart to Him, I felt at first all alone, sad, lost, and amid a dark cloud trying to pull me down. But as I spoke I began to feel the cloud disperse and feel a light begin to form. We are not alone, our Savior is with us every step of the way. His condenscention has made it possible for hime to feel everything we feel, both the good and the bad. He had to dip below everything, so that he could raise us up, what a comfort to me that He is with us, and can help us when we ask. In the scriptures we are told to be like a child, humble and submissive, willing for Him to lead us by the hand. Well, I had a neat experience this Sunday that helped me understand this so much better.

The Elders in our Ward brought a wonderful young mother to Church, she's been seeing missionaries for 6 years, but has never been to church until this last sunday. It was Fast and Testimony meeting, and she sat patiently attending to her children until the very last speaker. Then she stood up and carried her 2 year old daughter with her to the pulpit. Her name is Lee Georgia, with a magnetic smile and the brightest eyes you've ever seen. She begin her testimony by thanking the missionaries for all we do, and for being persistant. She expressed her gratitude to the ward for the warmth and welcoming love she felt. The moment she walked in the doors, members left and right were trying to shake her hand and get to know her. In her testimony she explained how she and her little family had next to nothing, other than the clothes on their backs. They had been kicked out of their apartment and couldn't take any of their belongings with them. She also told us how it has been 10 years since she has come to church and that she has never felt more at home. Her sweet sincere testimony touched many hearts today. Later on Her little 2 year old, Zada Rose was walking around the Chappel, I was able to walk beside her and make sure she was safe and that she didn't get lost or into trouble : ) As I walked beside her I watched over her, and followed where she wanted to go, even though I knew she should head back to her mom soon. She then sat down on a bench sighed and looked up at me, I asked her, "are you ready to follow me?" and she smiled grabbed my hand and we walked back. We are much like this sweet daughter, In a way we are all like little toddlers trying to make it through life, we get so busy and stuck doing 'our agenda,' things like work, school, responsibilities..etc that we forget to look to our Savior and see where it is that He wants us to go and where He needs us. We need to remember to look up, and ask where it is we are needed, so that He can reach out His hand to lead us.

This week I'm really excited for. Our Investigator Henoc Mendoza is being Baptised this Friday, I'll include more details next week. We are so excited, there is a lot of good that has happened because of his faith. His family is being blessed every day! I'm grateful to be here and lov emy mission.

Sister Hall