Week 1 in Brandon

 Seeing Jeff at the baptism in Providence!

 Birthday gift from Brooksville Ward

Elder Leslie

Things have definitely been hectic. Lots of hard goodbyes in

Brooksville but it's been good. I'm with Elder Leslie who is from St.

John's Arizona. It has a population of 2,000 people! Crazy! So he's a

full blown cowboy. He has an awesome testimony though, everyone loves

him! The wards here are awesome. Lithia is mostly all gated

neighborhoods and it's very affluent. There's only 130 people at

church but 50 of those are youth and another 50 are primary children.

So lots of kids. It's an awesome ward. President Caseres who was just

called into the mission presidency is in that Ward so we are hoping to

get him and his seventeen year old son out with us. The Ward mission

leader Brother Chamber is awesome!!! We are on car share so we have

been on bike but it's been working out so far. Most of the

investigators we have found are just here in the apartment complex.

Which is definitely the nicest in the mission. It's like a hotel haha.

Miracle of the week in the area was when we were biking and found a

family on their porch. We shared the Restoration and the mother was

eating it up. Same with one of the daughters. (There's seven kids all

under 11, 3 of which are over 8). The husband who had been quiet

during the entire lesson finally spoke up and said he was baptized in

our church. That was in the stake back when he was eleven. When his

wife heard that she freaked out and was asking if they could be

baptized at the same place he was. It was awesome haha. We are hoping

they can make it to church this Sunday. If they do the Ward is going

to eat them up.

We also cover the Valrico area. There's a lot more finding and

teaching opportunities there. The Bishop there is amazing. They have

an awesome ward mission plan and one of their members just got back

from serving as a mission president. He's in the high Council and is

over missionary work. He is amazing! So lots of good things. The hard

part with the two areas we are opening is there wasn't anyone to teach

when we got here. So it's a complete new slate. But good things are

coming! I love these wards though, they're pretty much according to

everyone here like Utah wards. There's more youth in both of them then

our ward in Oregon.

Sorry for such a long update. I'm not sure how much of it makes sense

haha. I'll be sending pictures in a later email. I promise! Our new

address is 13948 Circa Crossing Dr. #107, Lithia, FL. You can just

send the package our whatever it is there. No worries, the license

hasn't come yet. Elder Cox is keeping his eye peeled for it. I'll be

scheduling my appointment this week since transfers have finally come.

Also, during all the rucas I threw away my new pin for my card. I

don't think I remember the right one. Is there any way you could get

that pin for me?

And it was great to see Jeff! I didn't expect to see him so it threw

me off haha. I might see him again. Just depends on exchanges and

everything. I know we are limited with friends and family visiting but

it's fine since that is his ward haha. I'll probably see him at the

Stake BBQ coming up.  Glad to hear everyone is healthy again. 

Love you!!!

Elder Hale