Mon, 25 Feb 2013
February 25, 2013 againI realize that I failed to mention that my address is Villahermosa, Tabasco, México. Since those I fairly important details to have left out, I´m sending them to you now.
Love,
Elder Bryan Hall
February 25, 2013
Hello,
Well, this Monday has been pretty eventful. We got up and did laundry (which was an interesting experience with our machine and a centrifugal dryer). We went and harvested coconuts. We rode the combi (which is a fifteen passenger van with seats all up the middle) which is sort of special since we usually walk. And now we're writing home. On Sunday I spoke in Sacrament meeting, taught Gospel Doctrine, and played the piano for the branch choir (which was an interesting experience, to say the least). On Saturday I gave an impromptu speech at a funeral for a woman who I had never met and who wasn't even a member of the Church. We have been working hard (if not necessarily smart) walking many many Kilometers to get to appointments. We've been trying to get a map of the city of Reforma, where we live, so that we can make our travel more productive, but still haven't acquired one. My area makes up a fifth part of the mission, so we don't really get to the outskirts much. That's about everything new since Thursday, but I'll see if I can't send some pictures soon.
Love from,
Elder Bryan Hall
Thu, 21 Feb 2013
February 21, 2013Hello,
First thing's first: I am, as the rumors report, in México. My plane left from O'Hare at 1:50 on Monday and, after spending some time in Houston, arrived in Villahermosa around 10:00. I found that my new area is called Reforma in the state of Chiapas. Apparently it's some 300 kilometers across (for you Gringos reading this, that's a long ways), the largest area in the mission. My new trainer is called Elder Martinez and he's Ecuadorian. We are living with a very nice (Catholic) family. Because the city of Reforma is home to a huge PeMex (again for you Gringos, that's the Mexican government's oil company) facility, it is fairly well off as this part of the world reckons things (still don't have warm running water in our bathroom, though). Of course, another consequence of the PeMex facility is that the water in the city isn't safe for anyone to drink (not just us Gringos), so everything is bottled. So far, even though everyone keeps complaining about the cold, the weather reminds me of southern Missouri in mid-July. It's hot, it's humid and nobody has air conditioning (except us in our room, and even though we don't spend a lot of time there, it's nice to sleep in the cool). Also, one of the branch members is a professional ice cream/popsicle maker who loves to give us paletas to eat. I still have a lot of things to get adjusted to: the way we work here is a lot different that the way we did things in Chicago (and it's in Mexico), so I need to learn a new way of doing things. I'll send some more information on Preparation Day on Monday, but in the meantime, here's my address:
Misión México Villahermosa
Av. Circuito Cd. Deportiva N° 206
Col. Atasta C.P 86100
That's the mission office where they forward my mail; I don't know how long it will take letters to get to me, so date any letters you send me so I can give you that information (I'll do the same).
Love from,
Elder Bryan Hall
Mon, 11 Feb 2013
February 11, 2013Hello,
Well, another preparation day, another letter. For starters, the weather in typical Mid-West fashion is behaving oddly. I mentioned in my last letter all the snow we'd gotten; it's all gone now: yesterday it was pushing sixty degrees and it rained all night so no more. Elder Celis and I have been very blessed with good success in the past week. Even though we had zone conference and new missionary training last week to take up a lot of our proselyting time, we still found and taught as many people last week as we would have on a regular week. It was quite miraculous. The training meeting, even though it took our entire day on Thursday, was very good; Elder Celis and I got many ideas for how we can more effectively find and teach people in our service. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to confirm one of our investigators in Sacrament meeting, which was an exciting experience. I've learned so many things in the short time I've been out in the field; I can't wait to see what is in store for me in the rest of my mission. I know the Lord has a plan for me and that I am meant to be here in field serving Him. Chicago has been a wonderful place, and I have learned things here that I needed to know before I could go to Mexico. But now I'm almost ready, which is provident since it's almost time for me to leave. I have received some of the letters that were sent to me, but not all (including any pictures), so I apologize to anyone who has written me and not received a response. I don't know what my address will be after next week, but I'll send it as soon as I know.
Love from,
Elder Bryan Hall
Fri, 08 Feb 2013
February 8, 2013Hello,
I'm only writing a quick note, but I have officially received my visa and will be leaving for the Mexico Villahermosa Mission on February 18th.
Love you all,
Elder Bryan Hall
Mon, 04 Feb 2013
February 4, 2013
Hello,
This past week has been pretty good. I got the first mail of
my mission (that was sort of my fault, because I didn't set things up
with the post office so they knew were I lived, but I'm getting mail
again, which is all that really matters). We had an investigator
baptized yesterday, it was an incredible experience. Also, it was the
most well attended baptismal service I've ever heard of. We filled all
three bays of the cultural hall and had more people than in sacrament
meeting (picture to follow). It's been snowing a lot; there's probably
six to eight inches on the ground right now with more falling every day.
Elder Celis and I have been working pretty hard on finding and teaching
people, but our success this week has been down. I don't really have a
lot to say, since I already wrote once this week, but since a picture is
worth a thousand words, I've got a few of those for your enjoyment.
Love from,
Elder Bryan Hall
This is my trainer, Elder Celis; myself; and Elder Smith who was part of our trio for the first week I was here (but no longer).
This is Freddy, who was baptized last week, and the father of his girlfriend who baptized him.
This is me, our investigator who was baptized yesterday, and the member who baptized her.
This is the best attended baptismal service in all of history.
This cat belongs to a family we've been teaching, and I love him almost as much as he loves me.
Sun, 03 Feb 2013
January 31 2013Hello, I normally wouldn't write on a Thursday, but I have the opportunity today, so here goes: I took care of the problem that was keeping me from getting mail (they were actually holding it at the post office), but I still haven't gotten all of the mail that they were holding back from me. If any letters you sent me do get returned to you, just send them back to the mission office, and this time they will get through to me. To respond to a few of the questions you asked me: yes, they gave me a coat at the mission office, and I've bought a sweater, gloves, and a couple long-sleeve shirts, so I'm no colder than anyone else; yes, my area is Spanish, and yes, we have a car (2012 Toyota Corolla — Silver); Most of our teaching is in Spanish, but most other things are in English (so my Spanish is getting better, but not very fast); yes, I got my baggage reimbursement, but it was in cash (because they're not giving me a missionary debit card because who knows?). On Monday, I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to get super excited over nothing, but on Friday we got a call from the mission office telling us we needed to be at the Mexican Consulate on Tuesday morning to "pick up my passport." So, Tuesday we went to the consulate only to be told that I wasn't supposed to be there (even though they'd asked for me by name and all of the other visa-waiters I arrived with were there at the consulate), so we drove back home (from the city). But today we got another call telling us we need to be at the consulate tomorrow morning (and the assistants came by and dropped off a super-special envelope that I'm not supposed to open), so I think my visa will be coming soon.
Love to all,
Elder Hall
Bryan Elliot Hall St. Peters, Missouri
Page created: 09 November 2008
Page modified: 09 December 2017
