Elder Austin Halls: Week 102 The Rains Came Down

Hey-O,

Tuesday wasn't my favorite day of my life if we're being honest. We didn't really have a lot of success with the people we wanted to try and I about got hit by a car a few times. These people are out to get us. 😬 Our night ended on a better note because we got to go to Recycle Bicycle. It's this little bike shop that these guys run out of the goodness of their hearts. Basically people can bring their broken bikes and these guys will work right alongside them and help them fix whatever has gone wrong. It's genius. We volunteer there by taking apart old bikes so they can scrap the metal for money to keep the shop alive. It's really fun and I love working on the bikes, it's therapeutic.

Wednesday was crazy. We were teaching this guy named Nelson when all of a sudden this crazy rain/hail storm came out of nowhere! Pictures and videos to come. It was insane! Luckily we were with Nelson and got some refuge from the storm but it was the worst storm I had ever seen. The streets flooded so fast! After things calmed down we started walking around and found this guy named Orlando who looked like he needed help. He accepted our offer to help him get the water out of his basement so we went in and turns out this guy is a Father in the Catholic Church and lives in a friary. So sweet! We talked while we worked and he was so kind to us. After we finished he took us to dinner at this Mexican restaurant where we got to talk more about what he does everyday. Turns out he wrote his doctoral thesis on why Christian churches should be more united instead of divided. I'll admit, this guy inspired me. He was so kind and genuine to us and it just left me feeling so good. Orlando is a good man that has dedicated his life to serving Jesus Christ. You can find good people everywhere!

I got my mind blown on Thursday by President Bednar. He came to our district meeting for interviews and it's way cool to hear him teach us so personally. He talked about the love of Jesus Christ and it made me think about some things differently. Our interview was good as I got to tell him a little bit of what I've learned here in Pennsylvania. I enjoyed it, it's just a little weird to be wrapping up my mission with a different mission president! Later that night we saw the Patricks with Brother Newill which was sweet. They all had such great insights and it made for a great meeting. We talked about Christ's earthly ministry and I yet again got my mind blown as we talked about the sacrament. Wise old men are the best.

Friday we got hit with crazy rain storm round two. It came down yet again and we took shelter at this school while we attempted to get some planning done. It was awesome. That night for dinner we somehow found ourselves at Texas Roadhouse. My wallet was whining a little bit because this month I only got half or my normal wages due to the fact I'll only be here for half the month. Anyways, I was a little chapped my companions chose the most expensive place to eat, but I was determined to enjoy it. So while we were eating this member comes and talks to us and on his way out he gave our waiter $100 for our meal. 😳 Woah. He texted us about 5 minutes later and said: "Order steak." It was so kind of him and we definitely ate like Kings that night. I'm sure our waiter was happy with the almost 50% tip he was given. We are blessed by people here in HBG.

This weekend has been a little exciting. The roof on our apartment complex is getting redone which is a bit of a head scratcher because of all the rain we've had. Friday night rolls around and the zone leaders ceiling is sagging from all the water. I guess the fellas working on the roof left some holes... 😬 They called the landlord and at about midnight there was a guy there to check it out. He told them they couldn't sleep there so basically we've all been living downstairs in our place while they fix the ceiling. It's been fun, but it's sure making our apartment messy. 😅

I feel like Sunday's are always great, but this week was especially awesome. Noemi and Marcos had me bless their baby which was a pretty cool experience. They asked us to do it and we at first didn't even know if it was allowed. We're not exactly allowed to hold children. So we asked President Bednar and he said it probably wasn't the best idea but he'd leave it up to the Bishop. The bishop felt like he should honor their request so I blessed their little daughter Naomi in Spanish. It worked out because the mom just held her little daughter and we all put our hands on little Naomi. It was pretty cool to be the voice for the blessing and just feel the Spirit. It was something I won't forget. Testimony meeting was awesome because Bishop invited the Spanish speakers to share their testimonies in Spanish. It was super powerful to see a handful of Hispanos get up there and share their testimonies without fear. The ward is moving in the right direction and being so welcoming to these Hispanos. I can't wait for next Sunday. Other than that we wrapped up the night with a good dinner and meeting with Rahminx. He committed to church next week so we'll see what happens!

Monday was sweet with Cindy and Eddy! We did family history with them and ended up finding a few names for Cindy to take to the temple today! She was really excited, and we were too! To be there with her was a really good experience and made me feel the power of family history work. We had a little lesson with Eddy after and he accepted a baptismal date for September 2nd. He has a lot of good support around him so I think he will do it! The Rodriguez fam is the best!

Well everybody, life goes on! This is my last full week of full time missionary service and it's very surreal. Above all I feel gratitude in my heart for all of the things I have learned on this mission. It's been a roller-coaster of experiences but they've shaped me and help me become a better person and member of this church. I should be writing one more time this coming Monday! Love you all!

Just Believe,