It only makes sense for my first baptism to be Joseph Smith

8/21/17

another awesome week this week! so tuesday Joseph Smith called us and was like, "hey I'm at the church… you guys wanna like hang out for a bit and talk or something?" haha and we were like umm yeah and so we went and he started talking about baptism and joining the church and all that and then he was like yeah, i want to get baptized can we do that? haha Elder Johnson and i looked at each other and yeah we were stoked. he asked if we could do it that saturday haha and we told him we still have a lot to teach him. he's cool with that. he told us about the "heat" he feels when he prays and reads and comes to church and we were like yeah thats the spirit how cool is that and he got so excited haha i loved it. he's having a rough time with work and not getting enough hours and he's got some debt to pay off and thats been stressing him out a ton, i told him how back home every night i would pray after reading scriptures for work opportunity the next day so i could save for my mission and because it was The Lord's will i was given that work. even when i got hit by the truck and got my legs crushed, Brendan McRae gave me work that i was still able to do for his Urgent Care. haha he liked that story a lot so when he went home he read some pages of the Book of Mormon and prayed for work opportunity and he told us the next day that after he prayed he felt the heat again and then his boss called him and told him something changed with the work schedule and that he would start having way more hours starting that week. haha i wish i had a picture of his face while he was telling us that, he was so happy ah it made me want to cry. i just looked at him and told him yeah, i told you. so that was awesome. the other day he called us again cause he wanted us to meet his two boys, Felix and Lauren. Felix is three and Lauren is one and they're too awesome. he introduced us to them and told them that we're "the very nice men from the Lord that will always help you and will always talk to you and they care about you very much." and went on saying super nice things about us. then we went out to lunch with them and that was a great time. I'm so excited for his baptism.3

the new african family is soooo awesome!! they loved church and they love everything about the Restored Gospel. we taught them the Plan of Salvation and Bernard loved it. he loved the idea that everything happens for us gain from it, even the bad. Bernard had an illness a while back that was basically a mutated version of the chicken pox and it badly scared his face and it caused him so much pain. and he's considered lucky for how it turned out. but he loved the idea of that trial coming from God to strengthen him. haha i told him how I've had quite a few injuries where at the time i truly felt like what the heck, why is this happening to me this is the worst,but now i look back and am truly grateful for each and every one each for different reasons. they're such an amazing family. its interesting going into their tiny home and immediately feeling the spirit, we usually don't feel that entering some investigator homes, it usually comes a little bit later in the lesson or in a prayer or something. but this home of theirs is so sacred and their family is so strong they just invite it without even realizing it i guess. they're too awesome. haha he called us "angels of God" at our recent visit and said a whole lot of other super nice things, im so grateful for them and the fellowship Dannay and his family have done. the usefulness of members has been incredible here, i cant exaggerate that enough. you guys heading out, take advantage of all the help that the members of your area are willing to give, you'll be surprised the difference it'll make. strengthening your relationship with the members will help enormously and having their trust gives soooo many awesome opportunities. 

we met with Joann again, Jacob hasn't been home either of the times we met with her. she loved the talk we gave her about charity and kindness, but she wants more on how to get there, the path to virtues like that. haha Elder Johnson and i were like okay how about the Gospel of Jesus Christ boom. so our next lesson we're going to teach her the Gospel of Jesus Christ. we've been trying to find another talk that specifies a bit on the path to charity and kindness without it being too confusing for her at this point. if anyone has any awesome ideas let me know! but yeah she's so awesome. 

Brandon, the bike guy, has been awesome! we visited with him again and taught him the Plan of Salvation and he liked it a lot and he said he read some of the Book of Mormon and loved it. he says he wants to continue learning and wants to meet up with us again. he only speaks english though, so we're going to pass him off the the Greenfield Park Elders. awesome guy though!

we met up with another one of our investigators Muhammad for the first time in forever cause hes always so busy and he's so cool. right when he let us in his apartment i though yo, this guy is too cool. he had those prescription glasses that have a tint of yellow kinda, you know like the ones that super rich famous people wear. and his clothes were sick. his apartment was full of all these display cases of old cameras and antiques and things like that, but the first thing i noticed was his beautiful guitar. i hadn't played guitar in over three months and for those of you that don't know, thats way too long for me. he noticed i was staring and was like go ahead man play! and oohhhh my it felt so good haha. he recognized all the songs too! we connected pretty fast, talking about Neil Young and America and he LOVES Bob Dylan and we talked about him and Jimi Hendrix and Simon and Garfunkel and oh my it was glorious. we became best friends. but yeah apparently he's a famous actor and producer in Morocco, hence the tricked out glasses and awesome style and cameras, and he showed us the trailer for his newest project and that was cool and maybe a sin not sure. super cool guy, he loves and respects every religion so its hard to talk to him like our religion is the true Restored Gospel, but yeah. haha it was funny, he was explaining to us his view on religion in general and told us his personal feelings about some aspects and he got talking about heaven and he said, "yeah i don't think theres really a heaven and hell. (and he gets all serious and close to us like yo get this) i like to believe there is instead… (pauses here cause yo this is gonna be INSANE and Elder Johnson and i are leaning forward cause we're like excited) DIFFERENT LEVELS OF HEAVEN!" and he immediately is all like so impressed with himself and his philosophy and he's nodding his head and his smile is so big thinking he's like absolutely destroyed our minds and Elder Johnson and i just look at each other and look back at him and we were like, "yooo no way, like we do too man." haha his reaction was priceless. we them taught him the Plan of Salvation annnd he'll be coming to church soon. so that was a fun experience. 

the rest of the week has been awesome though, the work couldn't be more fantastic. the language is feeling a million times more comfortable, still have a hard time with some people that have crazy accents but for the most part its going great. i love it here so much, the people the weather the numerous cultures seriously everything. i love this gospel and this mission and everything so much. I'm so grateful for all of these experiences, even the bad ones. rejection is crazy here haha nearly every door we knock we get shut up pretty quick and rejected like crazy, but thats just a reminder that God trusts us with getting rejected and trusts that we are willing to keep working on. how awesome is that! He could easily lead us to every house where there are people absolutely golden and ready for our message, He knows all of his kids and He knows who's ready and who isn't, but he leads us specifically to the ones who aren't to teach us a lesson. rejection is a blessing my friends, everything on this mission is a blessing and the miracles are endless. i love you all so much!! the church is so true!!

-Elder Halliday

maybe don't send the poncho one haha just wanted to show you that i still use it. oh and we made our own poutine and it was sooooo good oh my. you fry the french fries TWICE haha oh my SO good ah

Good morning!  How are you?  Can't wait to hear about all your investigators!

     Yesterday we went to  collin's farewell, then his open house last night. They went ice skating as a family last week and jay had an awful fall that broke some ribs so he was really hurting. It hurt him to hug so he would tell everyone that approached him the story so he wouldn't have to hug them. But after a while it got too embarrassing to tell so he would just brace himself and hug people to avoid having to say he fell while ice skating. Lol. 

      So dad went to mutual last week and said something about kennadie riding the bus and the priests were like "what? She rides the bus???" And when she got home she was getting offers for rides to school. Caden was so sweet and comes to Get her in his new super sweet truck. They turn heads everywhere they go because it's so nice. They pulled up to school that first day and all these popular kids ran up to them and were high-giving kennadie and she's all "am I popular now??..." it was funny.

    We camped overnight at that same spot dad and I hiked and it was great. Nice and cool and so beautiful. The pierces joined us for the hike and dinner. Very fun. We made dinner in the Dutch oven so of course we didn't eat until like 8:30. We stink at the Dutch oven cooking. But it's so dang good we have to keep trying.

    Yesterday day I did a mission impossible themed singing time. It was funny. I'll attach a video. What you have to watch is when I have this package handcuffed to me and I realize I can't set it down and I do like 8 double takes, and the other funny thing is when i say the message will self destruct in 3 seconds and it blows up in my hands and it's so stupid it's funny. I still freaking love primary. Those kids are the best.

     I told dad he should start carrying his weapon on him instead of in the bag because everyone now knows it's there and I don't really trust a couple of the ym. So he put it in an ankle holster...with his skinny pants 😂 so funny.

    Hopefully we'll talk later-I've been lucky enough to catch you every Pday! Love you!!!❤❤❤

hahahahah i can't believe he fell ice skating, I'm sorry he's hurt though. ooooohhhhh my you have NO IDEA how happy it makes me that those guys are taking such good care of kennadie. if you could tell them thanks for me that would be awesome. especially caden, ah i love that guy. he's too awesome. haha she's gonna be so popular. that camping trip sounds so fun!! even if the dutch thing didn't work haha thats so fun!! ooooohhh my and the primary thing kills me haha i love it so much!! elder johnson and i were both just ooooohhhhh myyyyy hahaha so good. haha and dads skinny pants with the gun is too fantastic i love it!! good call with that. some of those guys are a bit sketchy… it sounds like eveyrthings going fantastic with everyone! the girls sound like they're having a blast at school! that makes me so happy that kennadie has mr van ess haha he's the best. hows reese doing? i haven't heard anything from her in a while! how're the alterations and everything? its weird to think things are changing back home haha 

know-I never have anything to report about Reese! Ok, she went to a bday party at the Stephens' and they watched "signs" and it's was too scary for some girls and one ran home crying... she has a scrunchie making business now, she plays with friends all the time, she loves making messes, baking, and swimming. 6th grade is great. Lol. 

Alterations are super. With the check we are getting from the town I can cut back a tiny bit-stop doing suit jackets, wedding dresses and home decor projects. The stuff I hate. :) but I'm staying really busy. I'm doing Cozette Fife's dress for some concert she is doing so I'm famous now. :) still the best job ever. 

hahaha oohhhh my those girls. signs is so good. sounds like she's doing great!! and I'm sorry about the crappy work, it'll be totally worth it! and you're famous!! thats fantastic!! I'm so glad every things going great.