Week 1 in Tampa

Orlando temple

Goodbye 

 Diseny World

 Rainbow after the storm

Hello!!! 

Glad to hear that wedding went so well! I'm sure it was amazing to be with all that Family!! That's crazy about Karsten. I'm sure she's awesome. That will be fun being so close to McKaylee! Definelty let me know what you find. We do something called My Plan and they wanted me to sign up for Institute but I just wrote I don't know for sure where I will be yet so I haven't signed up haha. It will all work out though. Please thank scott for all the help. Also, thank you so much for all the help! I appreciate it so much! 

If there's anywhere else that pops up let me know! I did have the thought if Provo works out about applying to work at the MTC. We will have to see though. Is there anything else I can do with finding a place/school? 

The Tampa 4th ward is bowing up! That family that referred themselves is doing so good! They resolve all their concerns and have a habit of reading and praying every morning. Theyll come to church with specific questions and get the answers theyre needing. This is all things they were doing before we taught them. Theyre definetly prepared! It's a huge tender mercy. They're all set for baptism on the 15th of July. The members have been eating them up!

It's been amazing to see how the Lord works. They moved here from Australia because several of their family members have cancer. A couple of them actually have leukemia. So with all the trials they've been going through it's been amazing to be able to share my experiences and how the gospel blessed our family during those trials. Such a blessing! 

We also had Zone Conference this week and went to the Temple. It was awesome seeing Elder Reese and Elder Shakespeare and the rest of the missionaries I was serving with in Lithia. We have a chance at our last Zone Conference to bear our testimonies and the spirit was super powerful during all of them. There we a large group that came out the same time I did. It solidified my testimony of the change that happens when we consecrated our will to our Heavenly Fathers. I love serving my brothers and sisters! 

Also, Elder McCubbins is a beast. The ward has been blowing up with the new Bishop. We have had members out with us almost every day and have seen some huge miracles come from referrals from the members. Lots of good things are happening! 

Thanks again for all you're doing. I'm so grateful for you. I hope the week goes well!! Love you!!!

Elder Hale

Week 18 in Lithia

Hello!!! That's craziness! You all are going to have a blast in Idaho! Hopefully it's not too hot. It's been getting into the mid 90s with 100% humidity. Summer is officially here haha! Sounds great about pathways. And if nothing is popping up Logan is always a good option too. My only other thought if finding work but sounds like with that extra week or two I'll be able to start looking. Thanks so much for all the help! Do you know what options I have through pathways as far as classes to help with my degree? 

Definelty let me know what I need to do to make this all happen. We have a chance to go to the Temple this week so I'll be looking for some extra guidance then. 

I got transferred! Craziness! Elder Reese stayed and received Elder Criddle. Elder Shakespeare went to go help a missionary who had a companion go home. I was transferred to the Tampa 4th ward. Very close to South Tampa. There are tons of Hispanics here so we've been definelty using the little Spanish we know haha. I'm with Elder McCubbins. He's from the big island of Hawaii. He came out with Elder Leslie. He's a very good missionary. Also a crazy good cook. I'm hoping I don't gain too many pounds from being with him haha. 

This ward had some struggles with trust between the leaders and missionaries so with the time we have we are hoping to build that relationship. There was just a new Bishop called and he's super missionary minded. We are pumped about that! 

One huge miracle so far was some self referrals. The wife had come to church last Sunday and brought her husband. They loved it, especially seeing the process of a new Bishop being called! She already has a testimony and she wants her husband, Luke, to know its true as well. During sacrament meeting she was explaining how after they're baptized is when they will partake of the sacrament. She said it's when they'll renew their baptismal covenants. We haven't even taught her yet and she knows all of this! She also made sure we would come by this week to teach them. We are having our first lesson with them this Thursday and we are bringing a family who are relatively new converts. Such a miracle! 

Also, before I left Lithia we finally got to meet a part member family we had tried visiting a couple times. Turns out during 1st through 4th grade he grew up in Corvallis! He went to Hoover elementary. He said he thinks he knows some members which is awesome! They're going to be teaching them. Such a small world! 

I feel a lot better about 3-4 weeks. I'm good with whatever it needs to be though. Also, I need to pay my mobile device fee. I can do it online. My iPad was having tons of issues so I was thinking about just leaving it here. Then the Day of transfers our bishop took us out to breakfast and then I finished packing. Somewhere in their my iPad disappeared. We think something happened to it at the breakfast place we went to. An iPad isn't something easy to lose. Oh well, I guess I'm somehow still losing things...The device fee is $81 so ill transfer some money over to make the deposit so I don't have to pay 351 to buy a new one haha. Besides that things are going great! Said to leave Lithia but excited for the good things to come in this area. Still can't believe how fast time is flying! I hope the trip to Idaho goes well! Love you a ton!!! 

Elder Hale 

Week 17 in Lithia

Brandon Zone Activity Day last Monday 

Hello!

So sorry to hear about Graham’s eye! That does not look good...I hope it heals quickly!
That’s so crazy that Gretchen is graduated!!!! Time flew! Looks like everything went well. Grandpa looks exactly the same haha. They do that tradition here as well. I wish they would’ve done that when we graduated that sounds awesome! 

This week was crazy! It was full of highs and lows. We had an awesome lesson with the man we met last week. The Elders taught him while we were on exchange. He had one last question that he didn’t feel they adequately answered. The next morning we were joking he was a pastor as the huge church here in fishhawk. We checked Facebook and found out he was...shortly after he started that he started texted us with tons of questions. We gave him the answers, sadly he still wouldn’t accept them. He wanted facts about whether or not the church is true. It testified to me that we should be going to God for answers rather then looking for those physical resources. We hope he will figure out the truth eventually. I can’t imagine how hard it would be for him to change when his livelihood is based off of what he’s doing. The spirit was definitely present in our lessons as we taught from the scriptures. We clearly saw a change from his intent following our last lesson. 

We also met some awesome people this week! It seemed everyone was super open. We have a lesson with a family from India tonight which we are pumped about. We also are going to be seeing some of those other families the ward referred to us. It’s been awesome seeing the work hasten. We have seen lots of miracles and we are excited to see the fruit. Satan is definitely working very hard in this area. There’s lot of anti material that turns people away. Thankfully though, those who have real intent haven’t been swayed by that anti and are getting their answers by studying it out. Like I said, it’s been crazy!

Also, I went on exchange to Valrico. We had dinner with Bishop Anderson up there. He’s a beast! They made sure I know to visit again. It was great to see their family!

They just had us start something called My Plan. It has to do with adjusting back to post Mission life. It’s been good so far, crazy to think transfers is this Thursday. We won’t get the call about who’s going where until tomorrow. I’ll make sure to let you know Monday. We are all hoping there aren’t any huge changes with transfers. I would love to stay and finish here in Lithia. Such a good ward!

Elder Hale

Week 16 in Lithia

 Crazy Storm! Again...

Florida Sunset

Hello! I love the pictures from the party! I can’t believe graduation is so close. That’s crazy!!! Things have been crazy busy here.  The members have been absolutely phenomenal. We taught some new people too. Some aren’t too interested in progressing right now but we met  this awesome man this week who knew members growing up. His homecoming date was actually with a member. He’s always in his own words wondered about “John Smith and the Book of Mormon”. We taught him the restoration and once he recognized the apostasy he was blown away. We are seeing him again tomorrow. He asked us after our first meeting outside if his wife could join in. Super awesome! The part member Family we were working with is still doing super awesome. We are hoping to see them during the week. Lots of good things are definitely happening. We had a Zone Activity today hence the shorter and later email. If I forget to respond to one of the siblings please let them know I will for sure email next week. As far as housing goes Logan still sounds good since I’ll be going to school there but Provo Area isn’t bad. Let me know what you end up finding. I’m somewhat leaning toward being in Provo for that year, it makes no sense though haha. Well I hope the week goes well!! I’m so grateful to be in the Lords service and the many blessings that come from doing so. Have a great week!!!

Love you!

Elder Hale