Week 79 - Everyone is moving back!

Hello everyone!! What's happening? :D

I've learned that I'm horrible at updating the world on how our investigators and members are progressing. So, there's a great place to start.

Monsoon!!

Remember Jesus? He was a referral given to us and we can tell he has a pure heart. We've only been able to teach him once, but he took the Book of Mormon well. He was recently locked up, which is often the best time for change to happen. We're hoping and praying for the best!

Last week a non-member stud named Zane came to our church. He knows Bishop Bluth! We gave him a BOM a while back and then referred him to Safford YSA, and he's getting baptized this Saturday!! YES! It's before transfers, so at least we'll for sure be here for then. So cool!

Yesterday, Wesley came to church! Wesley is one of the kids of 'The Family' and he loved church and might go to camp this weekend with the YM! It was a surprise having him come, but man, all your problems go away when even 1 person comes to church. In our YSA ward we had a member named Isaac come to church who hasn't been in a while. It was so great to see them! Then in Elder Quorum in our family ward, a Brother taught an awesome lesson where he talked about his coming back to church in just the past couple months because of the "example of good friends, family, and missionaries I've been around the past couple months." We've been over to his house a few times, and it was SO awesome to hear him teach. The lesson went great and he seemed happy afterwards. Ah man. The church is true!

Before our zone meeting, we had all the Elders polish their shoes! President encouraged us to keep them lookin' good! 

Last P-DAY, at Walmart we ran into a member we worked with in East Tucson, back in September of last year! He moved up here! He said "Hales!" and gave me a hug. Tanner!! He's doing a lot better which is so great to see after seeing him go through a lot of crap. Man. So cool.

There's a family we've been trying to work with that has un-baptized kids. A couple times this past week we went over and had a couple great lessons with them! Missionaries have taught them in the past but for some reason stopped going over. So, we're picking up where they left off. YES!!

Only half our zone came to do our weekly run to the temple! Honestly. What morning exercise is better?

This past week we had zone meeting where we completely focused on how to work with members. The almost 3 hour training went great, especially for the Gila Valley where we work with members most! "When members feel accountable..that's where we start to build trust."

One day while walking outside after lunch, there was a YSA girl on the sidewalk with her bike on the ground. We had the prompting to talk to her and ask if she was okay, and she was just hit by a truck!! The truck didn't stop either. Luckily just a couple scraps and bruises happened, along with a busted bike. Man. We felt so bad!

Helping out our friend who had a hit and run! She was fine at least!

This upcoming week is when everyone is moving back!! I am SO stoked!! Things will get busy again! This next Sunday is when every YSA up here joins together and they determine who is in which ward, and then there's a huge YSA FHE Monday night. We are stoked, it's going to be rad-chaos to talk to as many people as possible. Not many people have the chance to serve in end of a semester, stay through the whole summer, and then see the beginning of the next semester. I took it to the Lord one night to see if it was a good idea to split the area, and there's no doubt after praying, that there's enough work to be done. The Lord is hastening His work!!

For PDAY, Elder Lowe taught us all how to make his DELICIOUS muffins! Best. Pday. Ever.

We had a couple cool miracles happen. One of them being a run-in with a member in our family ward after her work. We were walking and came across her and started talking. She's had some really bad experiences with members unfortunately, but we talked with her and assured her that there was a reason her family is still going strong.

Almost out of time! Gah!

The best snack when you are sick and it's time for weekly planning.

A couple analogies were made this past week which are always fun to think of. One of them was while teaching a Quintana a recent convert from the res. who works at Sonic and often can't go to church because of it. Well, the thought came and we taught how when you go through the drivethru (where she works) you talk with someone you can't see, and you can't always hear them because of the awful speakers, but the closer you get to the window, the more assurance that you have. Just like life! We are all in a drive thru of some kind.

My time here in the zone has been incredible. I've had a feeling I'm getting transferred for a while, but you never really can tell until transfer calls come. I've made a list of things I've learned in the Gila Valley I'll email home next Tuesday. The change that has overcome the Gila Valley zone has been incredible. It's a completely changed zone and the mindset of the members in continually changing towards missionary work. All I can say is how grateful I am to help this work push forth. I know that this gospel is true and that Christ was foreordained to suffer for our sins, and that we were all foreordained for our purpose in this life. 2nephi26:24. I love this gospel with my whole heart!!

1John5:14-15

D&C71:4
Love y'all!! Have a rad week!



-Elder Hales