Do Hard Things

The phrase: "You don't know what you have until it's gone" strongly comes to my mind when I ponder the recent devastating events. My heart aches to know that I may never return to Liberia which has become my home full of my family.

I had only been with my new companion Elder Bates for a couple days when early  on Wednesday morning during personal study, I received these horrifying words, "Pack your bags. All the missionaries are leaving Liberia. Don't tell ANYONE!"

Immediately I told the Elders in my apartment and not long after, we were picked up by a senior missionary who drove us to a very nice and expensive hotel right by the airport. We ate nice expensive food, slept on nice expensive beds, and took nice expensive showers. I felt like a fish out of water! It reminded me of when Tarzan had a culture change  and visited the city!

Fortunately I was able to see President Price one more time before we were scattered across Africa but since then... I haven't been able to see him. On Thursday morning we all got on a plane to our various temporary assignments. I was assigned to the Ghana Accra West mission with my friend and TC Elder Pluim and 7 other American Liberia missionaries. After a long day of immigration and shots, we finally met our new President, President Sanders. We were taken from the MTC to the mission home in Accra where we ate dinner, talked, and slept.

President Sanders gave us orientation the next morning (Friday) about malaria and theft prevention. I thought it was funny considering the fact that we JUST came from Liberia where malaria and theft is much worse than anywhere else. We were being trained as if we hadn't just spent 19 months in a country much harder than Ghana and it was humiliating!

President Sanders said he is happy we are in Ghana because apparently the baptism numbers are worse in his mission. Also they have a temple in Ghana and yet there is way more Liberians visiting their temple! He wants us to strengthen the members in Ghana and get them to the temple. 

Well I got my new companion, Elder Williams from Pocatello, Idaho. He just finished training Elder Bryant from Nevada and when we came to Ghana... They split the area of Adeiso and put me with Elder Williams and put Elder Bryant with Elder Pluim. THANK GOD I'M NOT ALONE DURING THIS HORRIBLE TRIAL! Elder Pluim is my best friend and it is a tender mercy that we were called to Liberia together... Called to Kakata together... Called to Ghana Accra West together... And called to Adeiso together. It's clear to me God has blessed me with a guardian angel of sorts.

Ghana is NOT a 3rd world country. Liberia is WAY less developed than this country. They have paved roads, nice cars, gas stations WITH gas, and employment for everyone. President Sanders said I was going to the bush but I'm here and it is nicer than central Monrovia ever was Kakata was bush... This is a cupcake mission. Everyone has washing machines.

Only problem is... NOBODY SPEAKS ENGLISH ONLY TWI!!! Why is this an English mission? My companion has been here for 13 months and still can't teach lessons because NOBODY speaks or understands English! At sacrament meeting I fell asleep because it was literally Twi! Kalokwa was hard to understand at first but it was still English! This is absolutely horrible because all my jokes... Gone. All my teaching skills... Gone. I guess I could learn Twi but I'm only going to be here for at least 5 months!

After my first day of Twi and the thought of never ever returning to Liberia, I was very overwhelmed and couldn't believe was has happened. Just a couple days ago I was in a nice area, with a nice companion, with a speak-able and understandable language but now... I feel like a naked dog with no legs being pulled by a rope in the middle of the Ghanaian dessert.

I decided to call my REAL mission president, President Price who is in Accra Ghana running the Liberia mission from the area office. Hearing his voice made me so emotional because I missed him so much and it felt like everything important was taken from me. He assured me that there are NO mistakes in the Lord's work. Everything happens for a reason. The Lord works in mysterious ways and sometimes He will shut down an entire mission JUST to save one soul in the boundaries of another. As much as I want to give up and go home, President pleaded with me to stay strong because as soon as Liberia opens again... The Lord will need me and for that.. I can't give up. Not after all I've been through.

My mission has kicked me in the butt many times but this one is the biggest most painful trial I have ever faced. I am supposed to forget about Liberia and put my heart in Ghana where they don't even speak my language. Nevertheless, I am reminded of the Savior's promise... "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world"

Usually in difficult and trying times.. I have my "go to" examples to follow like my dad, my brother, my zone leaders, and others but this trial is different... It's a trial I have never heard of before. Therefore, I have only the Savior Jesus Christ to follow. He has suffered all things and more for this very reason. He can now comfort me, succor me, heal me, and give me reason for my journey. I am not only a disciple of Him but I am an ordained representative of Him which allows me to obtain His help whenever I need it. Perhaps I am only being prepared for something much harder.

I WILL finish my mission no matter how sick or afflicted I become. Not because of my strength but because of the Lord's. How will I manage to tell my nephews, sons, cousins, and grandchildren to endure to the end if I never could. When finishing my first hard day in Ghana I pulled out a random t-shirt from my suitcase which said, "Do Hard Things." Because I was so mad and annoyed, I chunked it on the ground and grabbed another but now that I am more calm... I realize the Lord is trying to remind me what my personal mission slogan has always been.. DO HARD THINGS!

Thank you for all your love and support!

Sincerely,
Elder Hallenberger

Here is a video of the gas lines in Monrovia, Liberia taken by Pres and Sis. Price.