Transfer to North Saint Paul, Elder Mumford 11/5/12

hey guys! So big news this morning we got a call from president, I am getting transfered to North Saint Paul. Crazy! gonna serve in the city. My companion will be elder Mumford ... and sons. nah just elder mumford. Elder waite served with him everyone says he is cool. he seems like a good missionary. I hope we have a blast. So reminder write/package me at the mission home. I thought i was gonna be in mankato for a while. I think President kind of wants me to get away from elder Lund so we don't get distracted which we haven't too much, but it is a good idea! it was great to serve around him. Pretty sick. I'll see him soon again sometime. So where i am going is called Quoran land. There are the only quoran elders in the world except one other place. And tons of nepal people. That will be nuts. Elder Lund is going to be training. His first training. That will be pretty epic. I'll have to write/email him a bunch. Elder waite is fixing a missionary, thats what he is best at i guess. He isn't too happy but he will do well. He won't be training or district leader anymore so it will be good. Um this week... haha lets see. I had a trunk or treat with our ward and i judged the costumes. Had some good lessons with new investigators so that was good, got some members to teach with us. Halloween we taught but our stuff at night fell through. We had some pizza up on campus as a kind of dorm halloween party for food and stuff it was good. You know how i party. Not much was going on for the rest of the night. Had a little zone training for the bottom half of our zone at mankato. My zone leader elder anderson goes home so i won't be seeing him he was a good guy i liked him. We wen't to a chinese buffet with the zone. People were like what was going on. 12 missionaries there haha. Also the next day i went on an exchange with elder asay elder lunds companion. He was doing spanish work we had a good day in fairbault out of my area it was a good experience. He is actually going into english work as a zone Leader. Elder Asay is one of the best missionaries i have seen, but also really chill kind of like elder andre. So I spent the night in faribault with him, there neighbors are wierd they share a garage and they had a deer carcus hanging but it wasn't skinned. Creepy hunting is pretty big here. And the manakato basketball hoop is like 10 "2. Cause i could almost dunk at faribault. Ya i get up. When we got back to manakato we had a zone activity sort of thing and did an Enos Prayer for about 30 minutes it really strengthened my relationship with prayer thats for sure i got a lot of inpsiration from it and im going to strive to make my prayers with heavenly father that much more meaningful. After that we went to a phillipino party. Ate a TON of food. They made me try squid.. yuck i seriously almost threw up. It tastes exactly how it spells. It was like raw style. Had a bunch of other phillipino foods. I was sick of food. Then we had pictures.. phillipino ladies/ girls are obssesed with pictures. They love american men. Like they are all married to the crappiest white trash american guys.. its kind of sad. But they love it. So we had like 20 phillipino girls and ladies taking pictures with us. Running around and laughuing like a dozen cameras were out. It was nuts. and we were like what the heck is going on. Elder waite has some of the pics ill have to get them from him. Ya so it will be bittersweet wednesday i thought i was gonna be in mankato for a while but i guess not! Hey maybe write some stuff to tanner, dad, to the mission home! Man idk whats going on we haven't had investigators progressing too much in mankato and i had been praying for church attendance pretty hard so when pres clements called me he was like how was church yesterday get any investigators, i was like unfortunately no. Well you are going to an area where yesterday they had 9! the work sounds nuts and fast over there which is good and makes me nervous. Pray for me:) well I love you alllllllllllll!!!!! crazy stuff -Konnorrr aka elder hall

Mission President Jordan Clements Letter 11/5/12

Brother Hall, Thank for your thoughtfulness in sending me a copy of your book. While my personal reading time is limited, I enjoyed reading it very much. The afternoons with Arthur were a highlight for me. I don't believe I had Professor Watkins for a class, but I knew of him at BYU. What an amazing man. I too love words, but sadly I've never taken the time to pursue them at the level you and Arthur have. Thank you for sharing the book with me. Elder Hall is off to a great start. I spoke to him briefly this morning to notify him of a transfer. Usually we don't transfer missionaries after their first six weeks. However, I felt that a change might be a healthy thing for him. He's going to North St Paul to serve with a very effective and successful missionary. It's a very fun ward -- it's the United Nations of the mission. He'll meet people from all over the world. Thank you for sending us a well prepared and outstanding young man. We love him. Jordan Clements Minnesota Minneapolis Mission

I can talk to people about most sports! It's my niche. Getting colder. 10/29/12

This week went well! i had an exchange with elder lund. Pictures were sent to my dad so he has them. It was good. we also had a baptism. This girl named ixannah ramirez hard name to pronounce but her family was inactive/part member it was kind of a freeby but the baptism was a cool experience. Her dad has had the priesthood for a little bit. His mom and sister were there who weren't members good experience for them. they live in oregon. But we had a decent week taught a few investigators picked a ton up but they just cant seem to commit or come to church or stay solid:( but at dinner yesterday at a partmembers house a lot of extended family was there and this member whos wife isn't a member said she wants to get baptized! ca-ching. Oh yesterday we met a guy from ghana colby will like this i was trying to remember what soccer player was from there we were talking about soccer and i was like is drogba the really good player from ghana? and hes like no its michael essian. and we talked about michael essian. This ghana guy has a friend on a mission it was sweet. I can talk to people about most sports! its my niche. I talked to this guy from houston about the rockets and he was pretty set on being on his way southern baptist black kid. and i got him to take a card and check mormon.org out at least. It is getting a little bit colder and i got a beanie and some north face gloves to go along with my north face jacket. Its not too bad yet but it still gets chilly. I think suncrest prepared me well! although its not like i was out much in the winter! the hardest part is biking in the headwinds they are pretty strong. but tough work is awesome. I can't thank you guys enough.. your support, your poems, your letters, dad wrote me about Carson getting his mission call to riverside CA he used to live over there that would be a cool mission. I'd trade him. Dad can tell him what to expect out of missionary work over there! Love the kid go to his farewell. Crazy about that hurricane! what the eastcoast. I haven't ever heard of a hurrican that far up but stuff happens i guess! Good call to stay home dad ha. I'm not sure what else i saw this ring around the moon clouds in a perfect circle i don't know what that is about. We have a trunk or treat on tuesday hope we can get people to that. On halloween it might get crazy we have a lesson with a college girl up on campus wish me luck we got invited in to a college apartment and people were drinking and partying and this kid was in a really tight costume it was pretty crazy/funny he was some coach from madtv i don't watch it but it was funny. So thats what i can expect on Wednesday! I'm not dressing up... Sad:( Look forward to this week and hope everyone is well. I love everyone! I second the testimony of the prophets and apostles. There is a living Savior, he is the light and the way, He lives, He helps me so much everyday. I'm not even that good of a person now, but he helped me from what i was and where i could have been in life had i not followed his light, i forsake him daily.. i realize that a lot more on my mission but its like elder Eyerings talk the canvas in the way isn't god forsaking us. Its because we put it there. I love him. I love the family and friends that i have been given. It scares me to know whats on the line so im gonna try hard! haha Pray for me, pray for the missionary efforts around you. They are everywhere this gospel is true. Why not share it? ILL leave ya with that. house that for a closing remark Love elder hall

Learning from the best! 10/22/12

Hey guys, So the weather has been super good. I hope it is as warm as the winter was last year. It hardly snowed and wasn't cold I guess. Yesterday it was about 70 super warm my companion didn't want to ride up the hills cause it was too hot. ha. So we walked. But when we do ride up stuff i go super hard there are actually some steep little hills around here we ride a good amount especially since our miles are wrecked we have been up to the mission home like 3 times and stuff. Today we go on exchanges with our zone leaders, tomorow we have another district meeting and i go on exchange with tanner. Its gonna be nuts. We wont get anything done, jk we will but it will be so fun. Ill take lots of pictures. Did you get my card that i sent home? If you wanted you could put some pictures from home on it or even a short video from home kinda like tape recorder style idk that would be cool. But im stoked for this week. Almost 2 months out one more week then im a seasoned vet jk there is still tons to learn. This week was cool. Learned some Sudanese from this family so we can at least say somethings to people but halfway during our lesson with this Sudanese lady who is having a kid in 2 weeks these cops knock on the door with 2 of her sons. They were messing around at a mall and the security went up to em and the kids ran except for one. And i guess another time they threw rocks at a car. But the cops weren't happy and this lady has a crazy life. But we finished our lesson i told her that a few times i had cops call my parents and that i wasn't a good person but this gospel has made me a lot better than what i could have been. And we gave her a strenghth of youth pamph and told her that our church leaders saved us basically. And we talked to her boys. so yaaa hopefully she will be commited after she has her baby. Also we met this old Methodist couple, Larry and Bev they are like 70 or 60's they are awesome. Larry talks so much. He offered to drive us to far places so we could tract in cities that aren't close cause we don't have miles. They give us hot chocolate and cookies everytime we stop by. They went to the Elders Quorumn activity. I hope we can help them see that they can add to the truths that they already treasure. They are good people and pretty into the Methodist church, they are awesome. He always tells us stuff that we can do on pday he is a hoot. That is my week nothing too crazy! Oh we were in Bloomington for the first half of the week. trainee meeting than exchanges with the ap's. The Assistant that i went on my exchange with is Elder Craft, my guess would be that he is the best missionary in the mission. It was such a good experience to exchange with him. he is from Ogden ish played soccer and he goes home in 5 weeks he extended 30 days but I learned a ton from him. He talks to everyone and is so bold and persistent but also loving, he seriously gets as much out of a person as he can. He will be talking to someone for like 10 seconds and they wont respond and he will be like well can we share a card with you and go up to them and try to share it. But he is loving about it. Thats something i am improving on also being bold and direct in my teaching. Not rambling on sounding unconfident. I didn't even get to teach with him everyone fell through but we contacted like crazy. And he writes all the info down the moment he gets it he is super organized so this week i have been writing small and organized because my planner has so much room for improvement. And he was just cool north carolina fan just a chill guy gave me good advice. I wish i could have taught with him but its ok great experience. Oh we had 3 dinners one night it was kind of grosse idk we don't have dinners a lot then we have 3 one night. Wierd. well write me i don't really need anything but letters and support:) I love you all its crazy to see what Christ can do for me the person i can be. Like im getting up at 6:30 every single day... who would have thought i could do it! ha especially since i was up til like 5 on september 4th and i was always up late ha but it was worth it! Love you all!! Til next week

Shout out to Colin and Sam for Missions 10/15/12

jeez our family is big! but i think i got everyone summer emailed me finally. Love you all. Hope Taylor is ok, tell grandpa good luck with stuff. and forward stuff to bishop and stake president i don't think i will have time to write them that much. Its crazy. but Last week i said that like all of our appointments cancelled. Well this week we had an awesome week! we had 6 new investigators this week. because we are focusing on not having potential investigators and having actual investigators on the spot and teaching them then and there. Its pretty sweet our zone average this week was 3.1 . which is really good. we are the only zone doing the no future investigator thing. We are going to teach some phillipino ladies this week from Manilla island. Um a bunch of Sudanese people we always teach. This super cool old Methodist couple lets us in and gave us cookies and hot chocolate. Larry and Beth he was so nice! Last week we had so much success. We went to see if a guy who was kind of interested was home. Ryan he was but he was busy or it was a bad time. I followed a prompting to talk to this guy smoking on his porch across the street that id had ever since we parked. We walk up and he is like "what are you selling?" hahah we explained we were missionaries we just talked to him about his religion and god and where he was at. He was a super cool guy he is 26 and his name is Dan. He was super chill and told us experiences that his lungs collapsed and he was filled with comfort from god. he knew he had a purpose. I identified that as the holy ghost. he is non denominational christian we just explained him what we are about and what the book of Mormon is about. We are meeting with him Thursday. Experiences like that are going to happen all the time. It happens my second week where i went to the wrong house on an exchange with another new elder and found a lady whos sis in law joined the church. she didn't want to meet with us her husband wants to learn about it from his family. But that's ok. our job is to talk to everyone so that they may be prepared by god and i know that they are being prepared. some days are hard. some weeks are too. But the mission is up and down and i've heard you only remember the good experiences. Also yesterday we met with this lady who we gave 4 Gladys knight tickets, she didn't end up going .. that would have helped a ton none of our investigators went. Felicia her name is searching for purpose and we taught her and her 13 year old son the plan of salvation. on earthly life we got to baptism she said she was baptized at 10 and doesn't feel washed clean and renewed! go spirit. but we taught her and i asked her to prepare for baptism and to prepare for the 3rd Saturday of November she said yes and she knew that the lord could help her get ready by that date. Her son said he would prepare. we talked about temples a little bit and i pulled out an old for the strength of youth to show him a temple. and i gave him it. His mom loved it. he is a super cool kid i pray they commit to things tho. church this Sunday, reading and praying about the bom. cause a lot of people are sketchy. but that was my week. i am blessed. this week we are fishing later today for pday. Tomorrow we have training meeting at the mission home ill see my old district. Wednesday exchanges with the AP and Thursday district meeting. Tlund time! haha i saw him last Tuesday at zone training. we went to Wendy's it felt so weird just like old times. we wont be in our area much this week but the time we are is packed with stuff. Tonight baptismal interviews with zone leaders for our little girl. all that stuff then Wednesday night like 3 or 4 appointments when we get back and missionary day at the ward so the kids need people to teach. and elders quorum activity Saturday. i want a lot of people to come to that. I love this work, i love Jesus Christ more and more everyday. Its not easy, just like people told me... but how dare i ask for it to be easy compared to what the savior went through. Have a fun October! until next week! Oh Sam extended his basketball scholarship for the mish! Tell him he is a stud! What an example to me. Tell Colin good luck from me that is a cool mission call. LOVE YOU ALL!

Conference in the Mission Field 10/8/12

Hey guys! general conference was nuts! it was so awesome to hear everyone. President Monson talking about seeing the change others can make, ya dad i know that you probably enjoyed the Leadville reference. How did you get the prophet to endorse your second book like that? The announcement was crazy, there are gonna be some young people going crazy on missions. I hope they can be prepared cause i am 20 and I am not even close. But it depends on there level of effort and experience. Experience is what im learning out here. I am grateful for the opportunity to gain it. This week has been a rough week as far as the work goes. We had like 85% of people cancel on our lessons and we had a bunch of joint teachers from the ward prepared. We had a pretty rough week and it was discouraging. but as i read in Alma when he got some people to go to the Zoramites when they worshiped on that weird synagogue thing. Ramiamptum. but he prayed for success and he asked god to soften the hearts that he might bring them unto Christ. I am praying for our investigators to have softened hearts and listen to the message which we share, because i am so far from perfect at teaching it, but if i can do my part they can change and come unto Christ through the holy ghost. In Christ all things are possible. I am learning that more and more. Do ye love me? Christ said to the peter and the apostles 3 times. do we love Christ? then do his work. it was just the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. and it continues. my companion seems to think that the second coming is nigh, upon us cause of how crazy the world is. But the work is hastening with these new announcements. It is not over but it is fast approaching. We must love Christ and continue his work which he declared was most important.. to prepare people for the messiah. I think it was in Elder Ballards talk. but Woe unto me if i know these things and do not proclaim them basically. If you know these truths truly woe is unto you if you don't spread them. we don't glory, we don't honor in being missionaries. Its just what is right, what is our duty. I love Jesus Christ and I repent that he must spread his message through me, and i know i can be a better tool im gonna try my best to so that i can fulfill my purpose more. I love my family so much i am realizing it more and more. That is one of the reasons i am not homesick.. and because you guys are so supportive of me and write me well. I couldn't imagine any other family. Sometimes i used to feel like different just cause of some things that i thought. This gospel is bringing me so much closer to you guys. It is such a reward. And I hope you guys enjoyed conference because a lot of what our father the literal human one... ha. Dad. its what he has shown an example of his whole life and it helped me realize it. Eyerings talk about helping his children reach there potential of the spiritual gifts. gifts which are truly given to us by god. and we may receive more gifts as we exercise faith in him. Our weaknesses can be made strengths. Im so grateful for my dad for always influencing me and telling me and our family of this. Because its so true we are potentially divine beings, as is everyone of the children of the world. lots of things from conference that i loved. But the work here is like more than 50% foreigners, then college people, and other random people who we teach. I could use the gift of tongues. So much broken English:) Ya the African people are a little sketchy but we are trying to figure out what to do. Maybe get some soccer stuff going or get members involved so its not just us and they are fellow shipped. and we have a few people going to a Gladis Knight thing like the one she did in California i think. That will be a good experience for them. we can't go cause we are too far. all the way down in Mankato. My bike i stripped the pedals it was bad so we are picking it up today from a bike shop they had to replace the crank arms and the whole thing i think. and i am getting a coat today probably. they are expensive:( I see tanner tommorrow. YA!!!! ill take pictures. we are supposed to go on an exchange every transfer. Thats 24 hours as T-lunds companion. how sick is that. Ya buddy. cause my companion is district leader. Im gonna send pics. Oh the first package i got. Love you guys it was awesome. my family is the best mission family. thanks everyone. Mom your older but you probably don't look it! everyone says you look young! so happy late birthday last month. sorry i didn't send a special letter but i love you. i wrecked the mangos during general conference. Elder Waite laughed when he got the book. hes like its like he knows me. i said i told him you said fetch a lot. He is eating those steak strips a lot. haha they are thick. i am taking the vitamins everyday. Thanks for helping me with my health. I work out decently well every morning. I am a lot more swollen than i was a month ago. swole =buff/strong. Elder Waite is trying to slim down before he goes home he gets up early to exercise. 6 months to sexy is what they call it he has like 3 1/2. any tips dad you are pretty good at it? dad you have my mission home info... i dont even have my mission home stuff but i wrote you guys from my apartment did you get it? That's where i live. Do you know any people around mankato/stpeter/mapleton? its a pretty big area so all the stuff surrounding is our area. Love you all.

Minnesota week one and what I may need for the whole Mission! 10/1/12

First week. Mankato area! st peter is a city that's more well known. Mankato has MSU Minnesota state university in it. I will be honest it is a party school and last week was homecoming. its kinda nuts. It will be a test of faith for sure. Elder Waite is my trainer hes from Nevada. in between mesquite and Vegas. he is cool. 6"2 230 pound football kid. he says fetch like every sentence ha. we are gonna have fun and hes teaching me to work hard. he is a good trainer. I'm really out here! I have taught lessons and i can improve on that but not bad for my first real lessons. i am comfortable with talking to everyone!! i just need to be direct and better at teaching people in these lessons. that will come. we are working hard. Missionary lifestyle and rules are hard but that's ok! Here is the kicker. Elder Lund is in my district. Tanner Lund the one and only T lund. He is 60 miles away from here. there are only 2 teams (companion-ships) in my district and it's me and elder Waite him and Elder Acey. We are prob gonna do some pdays together not today though. And a few exchanges. It will be so cool. I talk to him on the phone a bunch cause my comp is the district leader. and you can call your district or zone whenever you want. Lund just got to the area just like i did. I would bet we have 2 transfers/3 months together in the district. Cause i get trained for 3 months for sure here. And he just got here. How crazy is that. What are the odds. 196 missionaries in the mission. idk how many missions are in the ward. and we are the closest we can get without being companions. I am being obedient. Moreso than in the mtc. and I'm gonna try hard at that. I miss all you guys. If you wanna get emails from me. YOU HAVE TO EMAIL me here. Missing out on some emails. Wany there is a letter coming. Dad has the mission home address send stuff there if you are gonna occasionally do it or if you think I might get transferred. or something big like cheesecake... mom so it doesn't get lost. But if your gonna send a package in the next month or whatever it should be fine. Ya dad i want Nuskin stuff. I gained like 7 pounds in the mtc but I am losing it out here. Am probably gaining some muscle just cause i do random stuff everyday. Members don't really feed you as much as Cali mission or Colby's in the area in Florida-I am in:) Packages with mix, cookies, rolls, candy, more mangos:) would be appreciated. I don't have the apartment address but I am writing wany/mom and dad today and I'll give the address. First teaching. There is so much diversity here. Sudanese people from Anewar and Newar tribes or something. Muslim people. Mankato just south of St Peter. Ya I hope I am doing well. Taught a bunch of people and tracted. Bore my testimony on Sunday it was fast Sunday. We need to get an in with the members. It's not like Coto Dad. So we gotta get used to that. The area is so spread out. some families drive 2 hours to church. So diverse Elder Waite said you can't tell who the members and nonmembers are. Ha hah. our apartment is the second oldest in the mission. Almost every other apartment has weight sets benches and stuff. So that's a bummer. But having a good pday. Time is weird here. I don't like it. I will write you guys! Keep ya posted. ummmm.... keep me in your prayers. loved Summers pictures and wrote her fam back. Starr's letter is in there. so if you wanna send me a package of Nuskin stuff Dad, I'll take it. Oh maybe a pair of pants. Non suit ones or suit idc and the garments I like if you guys are feelin it i will be fine. Oh and the slip on shoes church style that I brought. Two shoes isn't much. 3 would be good. A new one of those maybe. Sorry if that's a lot. Just thinking about for the whole mission. 3 pant bottoms seems like not that much and like 8 garments isn't a lot either. But that's all I can think of. Just send to mission home unless you get my address from letters. Ya doin well hope the family is doing well. You guys are awesome. I am not fat don't worry. I will stay the same or lose weight in this area:) I am awesome tell bishop Minick Hi. I got some letters from him. Let President Holmes and him know im doing well. And on to pday love you guys. Email me if you want the priveledge.