14 November 2011

Hey everyone!!!!!

 This week has been crazy!!! We made casserole, chilli, cornbread, and a bunch of American food. And Arroz con pollo. Miss my Hispanic friends. and their food. But not important.

This week I've been trying to help our companionship to be more obedient with exactness. Doesn't help when my companion is happy with "obedience with what works for me". But we're getting better and I've literally seen miracles during the week as we've done our best to be obedient with exactness. But this week we've been doing loads of service and I think over some more time we'll be able to gain the trust of our investigators and our members and help the work progress here.

This week we went on exchanges and I had the privilege with being with Elder Griffiths. We had a great time and had wonderful lessons and laughed and personified being the Lord's "peculiar" people. Helps that we've been around each other most of our missions so it's nice to be together.

But that's all for this week. Nothing crazy nor exciting to the max. Love you all and hope you're all doing well. God bless!!! Pictures will come later. Sorry!!!!!


Elder Robert Hales

7 November 2011

Luxury bathroom

Food is coming!

FOOD!!!

What NOT to wear.

Yum, Lion leftovers.

I'm rich?

Who wouldn't want to date that?!?

Cooking like a BOSS!

Salibonana!! (Good Afternoon!)
 
This week has been good. We were able to teach many lessons and find many new friends. But very few came to church. Bummer. But I feel as we get Books Of Mormon that'll change. We'll see. Nothing really new this week I'm sorry to say. I need to start writing notes so Ican now what to say in the letters. But for today a picture is worth a thousand words so it's just OK. love you all and look forward to hearing from 100% of you!!!!

Love,
Elder Robert Hales

31 October 2011

Cute kids

Nkulemane Chapel

The Sibandas

What a good peacemaker?

Hey Everyone!!!!

So I now have a camera and a memory card so here come the pictures!!!! But anyways this week has been pretty good. Stressful, but good. This week was the week of transfers so I was, for the first time in ages, nervous for the call. I thought I'd train or be a leader. Neither happened. But it's OK cause the Lord has a plan for me. Have NO idea what the plan is all I know is that there's a plan and as I am obedient the Lord will let me know more of His Plan for me. But for now I walk by faith, not by sight.

Anyways this week was really good. We focused on Finding and found quite a few investigators. We were also able to teach a BUNCH of lessons both investigators and recent convert lessons. The Lord is blessing our lives for sure here in Nkulemane 2nd. This week I'll try and get more pictures in the area and of my new companion who'll be coming later today (He's Elder Robinson from Malawi. Which is good cause I'm forgetting my Chichewa/Bemba.).

So as for the week that's all I have. I miss hearing from you all and I hope you all are doing alright. Please pass my love to others and tell anyone that they are free to write/email me.

God Bless,
Elder Hales

17 October 2011

Hello everyone!!!

Things week has been crazy. I've been learning a new language, Ndebele, and have been trying to learn the area, Nkulemane 2nd. Like I said, crazy week. But this week I have been humbled by my companion and his teaching methods. We teach very differently and so at first it was hard to teach but we've been improving and he said something to me that has really suck to me. "Listen to what I say". Now I thought I was really good at listening but my companion graciously helped me find another weakness that I can improve on.

So in the area we were on FIRE!!! We were able to teach quite a few lessons and had a very good percentage of people attend conference this week. I've been very much so spiritually uplifted this week. I hope I'm becoming a good servant of the Lord. But the pictures are of the house, my room, the elders in the house (the African elder at the brick building is my companion, Elder Maruza).

So this Preparation Day we went to go play at a Dam and it was pretty fun I have to say. We had 8 elders in a small Toyota (I was in the trunk. Builds character. and we had no room). But on the way back was much safer. Also I found risk. Star wars edition. So now we have something to do every Monday.

Anyways, I just wanted you all to know I love you and you're all in my prayers and I hope all of you are doing well and are in good health. God bless you till next week!

Elder Robert Hales

24 October 2011

Combined Baptism

My Ghettotastic dryer

Hiking at the ruins

Me and Elder Asay

Meditating

We are sooo cool. NOT!

Star Wars Risk.

Hey everyone!!!

So this week was interesting for sure. So this week was my real 1st week in Bulawayo. I actually went to a normal church service (1st week we watched General Conference and listened to the Prophets voice). But in teaching we went on exchanges where I went with Elder Asay into our area and it was a blast!! We were teaching this an investigator and her Gogo (grandma) was there. During the lesson she was burping like crazy that it was hard for Elder Asay and me not to laugh. She's like 85-90 and she's burping louder the a College aged boy!! It was really funny. In another lesson this little girl named Amanda grabbed onto my white shirt and pulled herself onto the stone I was sitting on and she pushed me towards the end of the stone so she could stand behind me and touch my hair and play with it. Her Mom beat her for it (Here it's common to beat your kids and even recommended by society.) I feel bad but when we came back we didn't see her and we found out that it was because all of her neighbors saw her and said the Mom wasn't a good mom. I felt really, really bad. But I'm grateful that the mom was able to come to church this week though. And it's weird that in about 8-9 months I'll be home. The other Elders like reminding me about that, but in that it's made me want to work harder. Time is short and I don't want it to be said of me that I was a lazy servant. I'm going to do the Lord's work all my life and I hope all of you will help spread the Word of God with all that you meet with boldness and Authority. I love you all.

Elder Robert Hales

19 September 2011

Mwasera sei!

 

Hey everyone!! So this week has been pretty intense. My old companion, Elder Bonds, went home Sunday night at 5:30pm and his plane left at 12pm (Local times). Won't lie, best transfer I've ever had. We had perfect transitioning and we are very good friends and I am very sad to see him go. My new companion is Elder Marotya (sounds like Mah hoe cha). He's pretty cool. He's from South Africa.

 

  The week itself was great. We did a lot of finding and were able to find many new friends for us to teach. It was very exciting.  Over all it was a quieter week. However, we did have an AMAZING baptism. We baptized an older lady (70's-80's) who couldn't walk well but comes to church every Sunday and she has the greatest amount of faith I've EVER seen on mission. She's so powerful. Everything is holding her back yet she pushes forward. I hope I'm like that when I get older.

 

But outside of that nothing new. People still call me John Cena and the Zone split. I'm now in the Harare East Zone. Pretty cool in my eyes. ButI hope you all are doing well and I love you all very much. Please stay strong in the church. Nothing else is worth it. Trust me. The Atonement is real and Jesus is the Christ. I know he is alive and I witness that he is alive. I know God lives as I know I live and God's plan is what we need. He does not need us. We are nothing. You are nothing. I am nothing. And for the first time in my life I'm ok with that. I truely do love and may God bless you all.

 

Love,

Elder Robert Hales

12 September 2011

Mr Clean?

Safety first?

I know the scriptures are true.

Always take time to smell the flowers.

Cute!!

This looks questionable to me. Hopefully this is not lunch.

Huh.

Nice.

No more complaining about the Temple bus

John Cena

Hey everyone!!!!

So I know you're all ready to kill me. I didn't send you a weekly letter (that you don't read anyways). The reason is I have a calling in my Zone. I'm the activity coordinator. I make all the activity plans and the logistics for them so last week we went paint balling (I went in my army jacket and jeans like a man. no overalls for me!!) and so I was the one who was running around and making sure we all had a way to get there and we were all ready to go. Sorry about that.

So now on to this week. This week has been interesting. Well, the past two weeks. We've been changing the kids views of us (2 white guys in Tafara). Recently I've been acting like John Cena (WWE, picture attached). But I have to say it's worked WONDERS. Even the older moms are calling me John Cena. But it's been helping us in image. Everyone gets excited to come to church and many of the kids are asking members who we are and how do the get to walk around with John Cena. It's pretty cool and I hope that over time they'll ask to be taught.

So anyways, This week we had a missionary activity where we got a TON of referrals so we're very excited to be able to go and see who is ready and who is not ready to receive the gospel. But time will tell!!!!

And so lastly this is now week 6. Soon we'll find out who's coming and who's going. But this is also my last week with Elder Bonds. Next week Monday he goes back home to Cali. Ladies leave him alone he has Kim. Haha.

I  hope everything  is going well and I love you all very much!

God Bless,
Elder Robert Hales