Killing Elder Stitcher

Dear family and friends,

Since it's transfer Monday, I don't have a lot of time to write so here's a brief summary of my week...

Things are changing again! I'm staying in Kakata with my new companion, Elder Stitcher from Arizona! He is going home with Elder Pollmann at the end of this transfer and President has asked me to "kill" him. I know Elder Stitcher is a strong and powerful missionary and I am so excited to serve with him. (Kill meaning I'm his last companion)

Elder Eaton is staying in Kakata to split the Zone Leader's area with Elder Molisi from Tonga. All 6 of us are staying in a 4 man apartment until my area's new apartment is finished! When that happens, Elder Pluim and Andriamisa will be living with me and my companion.

We've really been working hard to find new people to teach. My prayer is that lots of our cohabiting investigators will soon be able to get married and baptized. A couple weeks ago, I sent out a letter that included my big struggle as a missionary in Liberia. I have a handful of people who believe the church is true and have desires to be baptized but because they are cohabiting, they'll need to wait until they pay for a legal marriage certificate. When I explained this, I was pleased to receive many emails from family and friends who wish to help donate and contribute for my investigators. I asked my President what I should do and he told me to encourage my well intention friends to contribute to Liberia in another way. Humanitarian, mission, etc. If we help pay for certificates, everyone will come to the church for handouts and there would be no effort on the investigator's end. "Faith without works is dead." I love all my investigators but I would much rather baptize someone who sacrificed of themselves and showed true faith by doing what was asked of them. I think the main issue is the people's priorities...

I once knew a man in my earlier area who had been investigating the church for nearly 6 years. He understood the truth, loved the church and desired to be baptized but he waited and waited because he needed a marriage certificate. He has a very nice smart phone, bluffing(fancy) clothes, and a personal car but he never got a marriage certificate and I think it's because baptism sadly wasn't his highest priority. This is the main problem missionaries face in West Africa.

On Saturday, Brother George and Brother Zachboy were baptized! The service was wonderful! Brother Sumo baptized, Elder Odoom and I gave talks, and George's mom and step-dad came to support their son! It was so special having them join us and feel the Spirit. They aren't of our faith but for the past 2 weeks, as I previously promised, we taught them and gave them a greater understanding of the Gospel their son loved. It is clear to me that the Lord truly softened the hearts of these people and it was a blessing to have them not only approve of George's baptism, but also to come and witness it. His mother also came on Sunday to see his confirmation! I was honored to do that for him and I was so happy she was there! She has another church she frequently attends and she promised me that she wouldn't be able to come this Sunday. Well, she did:) I could tell the mother was so grateful for the church's influence on her son.

Brother Zachboy bore a wonderful testimony and he shared a story about his conversion into the church. He was born into a strong Catholic family and he spent 4 years meeting with missionaries until he realized which church was true. I also felt impressed to share my testimony and encourage the branch to continue welcoming new people warmly. I invited them to always say hello and be a friend because you never know what a simple greeting from a stranger could do. After the service was over... I was pleased to see the relief society president, the branch president's wife, and many other women in the branch immediately greet George's mother and invite her to Sunday school. Before she walked home I shook her hand and asked her how she enjoyed church. She smiled and said, "It was beautiful."

I testify that I witnessed a countenance of conversion on that sweet lady's face and I am going to continue to teach her because I know that she felt the Spirit strongly like never before that special Sunday. 

My friends the mission is truly wonderful and there's no denying that it is the work of the Lord. There is no denying that the experiences I'm having is changing my life. I love you all. Thanks for your support! 

Sincerely, Elder Hallenberger

President Price: No Small Man

Dear family and friends,

I've got a lot of exciting news to report on for this last week!

A couple weeks ago, I had written a suggestion letter for the missionary department that I gave to President Clark. In the letter, I explained why an illustration of Mormon would be a great addition to the standard blue Book of Mormon that missionaries hand out quite often. I did this because everyday I get asked the question, "Who is Mormon?" and I always wish I had a picture of the prophet Mormon to show them (especially in Liberia where visuals are key.) I also love my dad's reasoning... We as members of the Church are encouraging others to not call us Mormons. It would be helpful if we could actually show them the real Mormon and the person who the book is named after. Well, on Monday President called me with excitement informing me that Elder Nash (West Africa Area President) loved the suggestion and he sent it on down to Salt Lake City where the missionary department and hopefully the First Presidency will review it! Let it be known.. If the picture is added... I played a major role in that massive change of the Church:)

On Thursday at district council, Elder Baird shared a story from when he was a bishop. Each senior missionary has a specific assignment and Elder Baird is the bike guy. Recently, he caught some of the elders in our district riding bikes without helmets. His story surely did a number on their weak desires to wear helmets.... He said that one day, he got a call from a mission president informing him that Elder Five, a missionary serving in his ward had gotten in a serious accident and was in the emergency room. He was hit from behind while riding his bike which caused him to be ejected and thrown a far distance. He injured his head and was unconscious. His companion, who had only been out for 2 weeks, knelt beside him and gave him a blessing. When the ambulance arrived, they waited until the blessing was finished. As soon as the word, "Amen" was spoken... Elder Five woke up.

The daughter of the investigator these elders were about to teach was the paramedic who responded to the call. She later told Elder Five's parents, "I've witnessed enough accidents to know when someone is dead and your boy was dead." Elder Five's accident left him with some mental and physical handicaps and he was in a coma for a while. He shares his experience in the Spirit world and his time spent with the Savior, his grandmother, and an older sister who had died as a baby before he was even born. Elder Five was wearing his helmet but he was still injured. Who knows what the outcome would have been if he wasn't taking precautions. It's a good story and it teaches a good lesson... Wear your helmets people:) #SafetyFirst

Okay now for my favorite park of the week... President and Sister Price are so awesome! I was lucky enough to meet him literally the day after he arrived while other missionaries must wait till Thursday! He honestly reminds me a lot of my Young Men's President back home. On Sunday afternoon, Elder Fifita and Elder Pollmann drove us even further into the bush to Totota! (I've officially been in 3 counties) where we met our new President and his wife. He shook our hands as we entered the building and I noticed something very special... He wasn't looking at our name tags. He smiled and called our names. He knew our faces as if he was a lifelong friend (Granted, It's hard to forget my ugly face). Instantly, I knew my President and the Spirit confirmed that he was the man prepared to come and lead this amazing work here in Liberia. He said something that really caught me by surprise... "Elder Hallenberger! We really enjoy your YouTube videos! continue to make us laugh." I would've never had guessed that my mission president would be a fan of TreyTubeGaming! Turns out that when he received his call to Liberia, it didn't take long for him to find my blog and YouTube channel:)

They had us all (14 Elders) sit in a circle to show unity. After a hymn and prayer, he and his wife began to tell us about themselves. If I had to describe these two in just 3 words, it is this... No small thing:) This guy served a mission in California and he was in the FBI for almost 24 years. He spent the last 4 in the middle east doing security for a large oil company. He was also a stake president and area seventy while living there. When President Oaks called him to Liberia, he was excited to finally live in a foreign Christian country. Before living in the Middle East, his career had him living in California, Alaska, Montana, and Washington DC. After retiring, him and his wife got a nice home in Utah and they planned to settle down. If you want to make God laugh... tell Him your plans. Only a year later, they got called to Liberia. No small thing. They gladly accepted the call and I am so happy they are here! (Please excuse my lack of details... I forgot some)

The Spirit is so present and so strong when they speak. President Price stood in the center and had an Elder duct tape his hands tight together. He then shared a story about his survival training experience before he went overseas to the Middle East. One of the exercises was a drill kidnapping. One night, him and another trainee were kidnapped and duct taped and carried deep into the bush to an old cabin where they laid on the hard floor not knowing what to do. He said he was there for almost 5 hours until they showed him how to break free. He then said that when people don't know what to do... they do nothing. That is why its important to know what to do. He then jump scared us an broke free from the duct tape. "After I learned what to do... I was disappointed that I sat for 5 hours doing nothing." He then related it to our lives as missionaries. He told us that we will soon have a new handbook that is more lenient and trustworthy and it will require that missionaries have integrity and diligence so we can, as the handbook is titled, "Become more like disciples on Jesus Christ." He then shared that his role as a President is to help us and to work beside us as we try to fulfill our calling and become more like our Savior. What an amazing man. The Lord truly prepared two great servants to come and replace two great servants who are now finished. I love and I'm grateful for President and Sister Clark. Likewise, I love and I'm grateful for our new President and his wife. I sustain them and I'm excited to continue the work of the Lord in Liberia with them.

I'd like to add one more thing President told us that really impacted me spiritually. "Last week, we had sacrament meeting at the MTC with the Prophet and Apostles. This morning, we had sacrament meeting here in Liberia. I note that the Spirit was just as strong here as it was with those 15 men of God last week."

The mission is great my friends. I love this country, I love my mission, and I love the people I get to serve and serve with. Thanks for your encouraging words. I love you:)

Sincerely, Elder Hallenberger

I don't have any pictures but these are some drawings I've drawn throughout my mission on P-days. Please enjoy:)