Dear family and friends,
The only thing better than converting individuals is converting families! Because our recent converts are so awesome and understand the importance of missionary work... They've invited a lot of their loved ones to hear the Gospel! It doesn't surprise me... This message is a message of hope and happiness! Why wouldn't you want to share it with those you love? I may not have fully understood this when I came but it's definitely the reason I'm here now. It really reminds me of Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life. After Lehi tasted the sweetness of the fruit... He immediately invited his family to do likewise. This is the case for so many of our recent converts!
Brother Farley has invited us to teach his two nieces and Sister Fannie invited us to teach her two little boys! After meeting with them daily after school, they've happily accepted to be baptized on the 9th of February!
Our ward mission leader, Brother Bayou invited us to teach his little 17 year old brother named Jeremy. He is excited about the Gospel and wants to be a missionary like his two older brothers who served in Ghana and Sierra Leone. He accepted to be baptized on the 23rd of February!
Sisters Pinky and Cherish have also been helping us bring families into the Gospel! They've been helping us teach their niece about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. It's been amazing and I'm excited to keep working with them!
I am always careful when it comes to inviting others to be baptized. It's a serious and special covenant and I want to be extra sure my recent converts have a strong foundation that will help them endure to the end. I can't think of a better foundation than that of a Gospel centered family and home. This being said, I feel so excited and happy for my many recent converts who understand the importance of families. After all, it is central to the Creator's plan:)
Our area is doing very well!! We have 5 planned baptisms for the 9th of February and many more for the 23rd! (Likely the majority of our current investigators) Including Dave, a referral from two Sisters from the visitor center in Hawaii! We've only been able to meet with him on Sundays after service because of his busy work schedule. Elder Booher and I have been keeping in touch with the awesome Sisters in Hawaii who have been reading the Book of Mormon with Dave every other night. They were very happy to hear that he will be baptized on the 23rd! There's absolutely no question that the work is going forward. There's no question that a mission is special and it's changing my life. 
On Saturday, I was able to go on exchange with Elder Aspuria from the Philippines! We had a great day of teaching and we learned a lot from each other. He's only in his 2nd transfer of training but I honestly feel like he's been doing this for years! Powerful missionary! We also saw a monkey with a blonde mustache and a woman breast feeding on a moving motorbike. Both very shocking and only found in Liberia!
On Sunday, we were pleased to meet Brothers Jones and Chris from Idaho! They are here for the African Heartwood Project(AHP)! They are helping the orphanages in Liberia by creating ways for them to receive water. They arrived just the other day but they've been here many times in the past. Brother Jones bore an amazing testimony about the Gospel! He also shared that his son recently entered his mission papers and will soon be leaving. When I thanked him for sharing such a powerful testimony, I could feel the Spirit strongly when he thanked me for my service as a missionary. I could tell that the Gospel and the spirit of Africa has effected his life the way I can see it currently effecting mine.
Africa is amazing! The Gospel is even better! Thanks for all the love and support! I love you all!
Sincerely, Elder Hallenerger
PICTURES Below:
1.) We crashed a wedding outside our apartment. Nobody knew who we were but they wanted pics with us haha!
2.) We got bikes!
3.) My new Spiderman shirt!
4.) Zone Conference
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