Pardon Moi and Mr. Jr. Bricolage

Comp unity (elder Wade is wearing my glasses so I can't see haha)

I learned a lot this week, but it was the hard way (hmm, it's so much better to learn the easy way, always try to learn the easy way). I'll expand more about that at the end, but I'll start with one thing I learned the hard way that wasn't so much sent by the spirit but by my own absent mindedness. First off, since our apartment is a chapel now, it must needs be that we make it look like a chapel, and that means fixing things and cleaning up and stuff. Well, our car isn't a chapel but it still needed some TLC and a good drink, that is to say that it needed to be filled up with more oil. Well, my dad taught me how to do these things, and my comps had no idea, so it was up to me. I checked the oil stick under the hood and also the thing where you dump the oil into at our recent converts house, then we drove to buy some oil and went home. Well, when I opened the hood to put the oil in, I found that the cap was mission from the thing where you pour it into (I'm sorry I don't know the names for anything, gosh dang it I'm a missionary, not a mechanic!). Well, we couldn't put oil in or it would all come out without a cap, and we couldn't drive too far or else our car would explode for lack of oil, so I poured some oil in (which all spilled out during the drive) and we drove to look for the cap (which we didn't find). Finally, we ended up at the dealership, bought a new cap, I changed the oil and voila! I don't know why these things happen to me, but just for your information, I also installed a new toilet seat and a shower curtain, so my future family is lucky. 

... And our tropical paradise 

We also didn't have warm water this week, so for showers we would boil water, put it in a big bowl, turn on the faucet and then mix the burning hot water with the freezing cold and then dump it on us. I know you all are thinking "what a wimp", and you're right! At least I don't have to worry about falling off the toilet anymore! 

also this 

Anyway, we're going to get to the good, spiritual stuff. I told you about those two kids, Jacob and Casper, from Poland, well they accepted a baptismal date! It will be the first Saturday in February! They are studs, and I love teaching them. We went to deliver a cake for their mom's birthday, and they asked us if we wanted to go see Star Wars with them, but don't worry, we explained that we couldn't. Also, because their parents don't speak French very well, we got permission to skype some polish missionaries and teach with them! So we will do that this next week. It's so cool teaching kids, because they are so much more receptive to the spirit than adults. They are willing to act on our invitations to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. They actually set up rendez-vous with us! I know that as we keep working with them, the Lord can make them mighty men of God, and I can't wait to see that day! 

Also this week, my patience was tested with our situations and my companions. There were times where I was too prideful to forgive or where I felt like we could be doing something more, something better, and where I felt like I was being left to do a bunch of stuff all alone. My anger and frustration built up until Sunday, when I was asked to give a talk in church. I wasn't given a topic, but I felt like I should speak on forgiveness. After all, I'd asked for a lot this past week, from my companions and from Heavenly Father. I had a talk written, and at the last minute felt like I should ditch it and just speak from experience and heart. So I told some stories about forgiveness, read a quote and testified. My French was rough (pretty rough), but the spirit was there, and it touched me, as well as some of the members. I got pretty down on myself for how bad my French was during it, but my companions helped me realize that as missionaries, we are not sent to speak the language perfectly, that's impossible. We are not sent to be perfect, that's impossible.

our winter wonderland in the mountains....

We are here because people NEED the message of the restoration and the atonement, and they way they will know that our message is true is not through amazing French, but through the power of the universal language, the Spirit. I wasn't the happiest person this past week, but when it came down to it, I learned more about forgiveness than I ever have before. I used the atonement to become a better companion (well, I'm still working on that), and to change. We can all change, always. If we expect to be forgiven, we need to forgive, and by forgiving and allowing Christ's atonement into our lives, we change. I am so thankful for my companions. It's hard being with people 24/7 but I love them a lot! I know that we are going to be seeing miracles over here! I love you all, I love the Lord, I KNOW He's there, and I testify of His grace and mercy. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love, 

Elder Hall